18 And G2532 the disciples G3101 of John G2491 shewed G518 him G846 of G4012 all G3956 these things. G5130
Now G1161 when John G2491 had heard G191 in G1722 the prison G1201 the works G2041 of Christ, G5547 he sent G3992 two G1417 of his G846 disciples, G3101 And said G2036 unto him, G846 Art G1488 thou G4771 he that should come, G2064 or G2228 do we look G4328 for another? G2087 Jesus G2424 answered G611 and G2532 said G2036 unto them, G846 Go G4198 and shew G518 John G2491 again G518 those things which G3739 ye do hear G191 and G2532 see: G991 The blind G5185 receive their sight, G308 and G2532 the lame G5560 walk, G4043 the lepers G3015 are cleansed, G2511 and G2532 the deaf G2974 hear, G191 the dead G3498 are raised up, G1453 and G2532 the poor G4434 have the gospel preached to them. G2097 And G2532 blessed G3107 is G2076 he, whosoever G3739 shall G4624 not G3362 be offended G4624 in G1722 me. G1698 And G1161 as G5130 they departed, G4198 Jesus G2424 began G756 to say G3004 unto the multitudes G3793 concerning G4012 John, G2491 What G5101 went ye G1831 out into G1519 the wilderness G2048 to see? G2300 A reed G2563 shaken G4531 with G5259 the wind? G417 But G235 what G5101 went ye out G1831 for to see? G1492 A man G444 clothed G294 in G1722 soft G3120 raiment? G2440 behold, G2400 they that wear G5409 soft G3120 clothing are G1526 in G1722 kings' G935 houses. G3624 But G235 what G5101 went ye out G1831 for to see? G1492 A prophet? G4396 yea, G3483 I say G3004 unto you, G5213 and G2532 more G4055 than a prophet. G4396 For G1063 this G3778 is G2076 he, of G4012 whom G3739 it is written, G1125 Behold, G2400 I G1473 send G649 my G3450 messenger G32 before G4253 thy G4675 face, G4383 which G3739 shall prepare G2680 thy G4675 way G3598 before G1715 thee. G4675 Verily G281 I say G3004 unto you, G5213 Among G1722 them that are born G1084 of women G1135 there hath G1453 not G3756 risen G1453 a greater than G3187 John G2491 the Baptist: G910 notwithstanding G1161 he that is least G3398 in G1722 the kingdom G932 of heaven G3772 is G2076 greater than G3187 he. G846 And G1161 from G575 the days G2250 of John G2491 the Baptist G910 until G2193 now G737 the kingdom G932 of heaven G3772 suffereth violence, G971 and G2532 the violent G973 take G726 it G846 by force. G726 For G1063 all G3956 the prophets G4396 and G2532 the law G3551 prophesied G4395 until G2193 John. G2491 And G2532 if G1487 ye will G2309 receive G1209 it, this G846 is G2076 Elias, G2243 which G3588 was for G3195 to come. G2064 He that hath G2192 ears G3775 to hear, G191 let him hear. G191 But G1161 whereunto G5101 shall I liken G3666 this G5026 generation? G1074 It is G2076 like G3664 unto children G3808 sitting G2521 in G1722 the markets, G58 and G2532 calling G4377 unto their G846 fellows, G2083 And G2532 saying, G3004 We have piped G832 unto you, G5213 and G2532 ye have G3738 not G3756 danced; G3738 we have mourned G2354 unto you, G5213 and G2532 ye have G2875 not G3756 lamented. G2875 For G1063 John G2491 came G2064 neither G3383 eating G2068 nor G3383 drinking, G4095 and G2532 they say, G3004 He hath G2192 a devil. G1140 The Son G5207 of man G444 came G2064 eating G2068 and G2532 drinking, G4095 and G2532 they say, G3004 Behold G2400 a man G444 gluttonous, G5314 and G2532 a winebibber, G3630 a friend G5384 of publicans G5057 and G2532 sinners. G268 But G2532 wisdom G4678 is justified G1344 of G575 her G846 children. G5043
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Luke 7
Commentary on Luke 7 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 7
Lu 7:1-10. Centurion's Servant Healed.
(See on Mt 8:5-13.)
4. he was worthy—a testimony most precious, coming from those who probably were strangers to the principle from which he acted (Ec 7:1).
5. loved our nation—Having found that "salvation was of the Jews," he loved them for it.
built, &c.—His love took this practical and appropriate form.
Lu 7:11-17. Widow of Nain's Son Raised to Life. (In Luke only).
11. Nain—a small village not elsewhere mentioned in Scripture, and only this once probably visited by our Lord; it lay a little to the south of Mount Tabor, about twelve miles from Capernaum.
12. carried out—"was being carried out." Dead bodies, being ceremonially unclean, were not allowed to be buried within the cities (though the kings of David's house were buried m the city of David), and the funeral was usually on the same day as the death.
only son, &c.—affecting particulars, told with delightful simplicity.
13. the Lord—"This sublime appellation is more usual with Luke and John than Matthew; Mark holds the mean" [Bengel].
saw her, he had compassion, &c.—What consolation to thousands of the bereaved has this single verse carried from age to age!
14, 15. What mingled majesty and grace shines in this scene! The Resurrection and the Life in human flesh, with a word of command, bringing back life to the dead body; Incarnate Compassion summoning its absolute power to dry a widow's tears!
16. visited his people—more than bringing back the days of Elijah and Elisha (1Ki 17:17-24; 2Ki 4:32-37; and see Mt 15:31).
Lu 7:18-35. The Baptist's Message the Reply, and Consequent Discourse.
(See on Mt 11:2-14.)
29, 30. And all the people that heard—"on hearing (this)." These are the observations of the Evangelist, not of our Lord.
and the publicans—a striking clause.
justified God, being baptized, &c.—rather, "having been baptized." The meaning is, They acknowledged the divine wisdom of such a preparatory ministry as John's, in leading them to Him who now spake to them (see Lu 1:16, 17); whereas the Pharisees and lawyers, true to themselves in refusing the baptism of John, set at naught also the merciful design of God in the Saviour Himself, to their own destruction.
31-35. the Lord said, &c.—As cross, capricious children, invited by their playmates to join them in their amusements, will play with them neither at weddings nor funerals (juvenile imitations of the joyous and mournful scenes of life), so that generation rejected both John and his Master: the one because he was too unsocial—more like a demoniac than a rational man; the other, because He was too much the reverse, given to animal indulgences, and consorting with the lowest classes of society. But the children of Wisdom recognize and honor her, whether in the austere garb of the Baptist or in the more attractive style of his Master, whether in the Law or in the Gospel, whether in rags or in royalty, for "the full soul loatheth an honeycomb, but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet" (Pr 27:7).
Lu 7:36-50. Christ's Feet Washed with Tears.
37, 38. a sinner—one who had led a profligate life. Note.—There is no ground whatever for the popular notion that this woman was Mary Magdalene, nor do we know what her name was. (See on Lu 8:2.)
an alabaster box of ointment—a perfume vessel, in some cases very costly (Joh 12:5). "The ointment has here a peculiar interest, as the offering by a penitent of what had been an accessory in her unhallowed work of sin" [Alford].
38. at his feet behind him—the posture at meals being a reclining one, with the feet out behind.
began to wash, &c.—to "water with a shower." The tears, which were quite involuntary, poured down in a flood upon His naked feet, as she bent down to kiss them; and deeming them rather fouled than washed by this, she hastened to wipe them off with the only towel she had, the long tresses of her own hair, "with which slaves were wont to wash their masters' feet" [Stier].
kissed—The word signifies "to kiss fondly, to caress," or to "kiss again and again," which Lu 7:45 shows is meant here. What prompted this? Much love, springing from a sense of much forgiveness. So says He who knew her heart (Lu 7:47). Where she had met with Christ before, or what words of His had brought life to her dead heart and a sense of divine pardon to her guilty soul, we know not. But probably she was of the crowd of "publicans and sinners" whom Incarnate Compassion drew so often around Him, and heard from His lips some of those words such as never man spake, "Come unto Me, all ye that labour," &c. No personal interview had up to this time taken place between them; but she could keep her feelings no longer to herself, and having found her way to Him (and entered along with him, Lu 7:45), they burst forth in this surpassing yet most artless style, as if her whole soul would go out to Him.
39. the Pharisee—who had formed no definite opinion of our Lord, and invited Him apparently to obtain materials for a judgment.
spake within himself, &c.—"Ha! I have Him now; He plainly knows nothing of the person He allows to touch Him; and so, He can be no prophet." Not so fast, Simon; thou hast not seen through thy Guest yet, but He hath seen through thee.
40-43. Like Nathan with David, our Lord conceals His home thrust under the veil of a parable, and makes His host himself pronounce upon the case. The two debtors are the woman and Simon; the criminality of the one was ten times that of the other (in the proportion of "five hundred" to "fifty"); but both being equally insolvent, both are with equal frankness forgiven; and Simon is made to own that the greatest debtor to forgiving mercy will cling to her Divine Benefactor with the deepest gratitude. Does our Lord then admit that Simon was a forgiving man? Let us see.
44-47. I entered … no water—a compliment to guests. Was this "much love?" Was it any?
45. no kiss—of salutation. How much love was here? Any at all?
46. with oil … not anoint—even common olive oil in contrast with the woman's "ointment" or aromatic balsam. What evidence was thus afforded of any feeling which forgiveness prompts? Our Lord speaks this with delicate politeness, as if hurt at these inattentions of His host, which though not invariably shown to guests, were the customary marks of studied respect and regard. The inference is plain—only one of the debtors was really forgiven, though in the first instance, to give room for the play of withheld feelings, the forgiveness of both is supposed in the parable.
47. Her sins which are many—"Those many sins of hers," our Lord, who admitted how much more she owed than the Pharisee, now proclaims in naked terms the forgiveness of her guilt.
for—not because, as if love were the cause of forgiveness, but "inasmuch as," or "in proof of which." The latter clause of the verse, and the whole structure of the parable, plainly show this to be the meaning.
little forgiven … loveth little—delicately ironical intimation of no love and no forgiveness in the present case.
48. said unto her, &c.—an unsought assurance, usually springing up unexpected in the midst of active duty and warm affections, while often it flies from those who mope and are paralyzed for want of it.
49, 50. they that sat … Who is this, &c.—No wonder they were startled to hear One who was reclining at the same couch, and partaking of the same hospitalities with themselves, assume the awful prerogative of "even forgiving sins." But so far from receding from this claim, or softening it down, our Lord only repeats it, with two precious additions: one, announcing what was the one secret of the "forgiveness" she had experienced, and which carried "salvation" in its bosom; the other, a glorious dismissal of her in that "peace" which she had already felt, but is now assured she has His full warrant to enjoy! This wonderful scene teaches two very weighty truths: (1) Though there be degrees of guilt, insolvency, or inability to wipe out the dishonor done to God, is common to all sinners. (2) As Christ is the Great Creditor to whom all debt, whether great or small, contracted by sinners is owing, so to Him belongs the prerogative of forgiving it. This latter truth is brought out in the structure and application of the present parable as it is nowhere else. Either then Jesus was a blaspheming deceiver, or He is God manifest in the flesh.