Verse 9
The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you - Εφ ὑμας, is just upon you. This was the general text on which they were to preach all their sermons. See it explained, [Mat 3:2] (note).
Verse 11
Even the very dust of your city - See on [Mat 10:14], [Mat 10:15] (note).
Verse 13
Wo unto thee, Chorazin! - See on [Mat 11:21-24] (note).
Verse 15
To hell - To hades. See this explained, [Mat 11:23] (note).
Verse 16
He that despiseth you, despiseth me - "The holy, blessed God said: 'Honor my statutes, for they are my ambassadors: and a man's ambassador is like to himself. If thou honor my precepts, it is the same as if thou didst honor me; and if thou despise them, thou despisest me." R. Tancum. "He that murmurs against his teacher is the same as if he had murmured against the Divine Shekinah." Sanhedrin, fol. 110.
Verse 17
The seventy returned again with joy - Bishop Pearce thinks they returned while our Lord was on his slow journey to Jerusalem, and that they had been absent only a few days.
Verse 18
I beheld Satan - Or, Satan himself, τον Σαταναν, the very Satan, the supreme adversary, falling as lightning, with the utmost suddenness, as a flash of lightning falls from the clouds, and at the same time in the most observable manner. The fall was both very sudden and very apparent. Thus should the fall of the corrupt Jewish state be, and thus was the fall of idolatry in the Gentile world.
Verse 19
To tread on serpents, etc. - It is possible that by serpents and scorpions our Lord means the scribes and Pharisees, whom he calls serpents and a brood of vipers, [Mat 23:33], (see the note there), because, through the subtilty and venom of the old serpent, the devil, they opposed him and his doctrine; and, by trampling on these, it is likely that he means, they should get a complete victory over such: as it was an ancient custom to trample on the kings and generals who had been taken in battle, to signify the complete conquest which had been gained over them. See [Jos 10:24]. See also [Rom 16:20]. See the notes on [Mar 16:17], [Mar 16:18].
Verse 20
Because your names are written in heaven - This form of speech is taken from the ancient custom of writing the names of all the citizens in a public register, that the several families might be known, and the inheritances properly preserved. This custom is still observed even in these kingdoms, though not particularly noticed. Every child that is born in the land is ordered to be registered, with the names of its parents, and the time when born, baptized, or registered; and this register is generally kept in the parish church, or in some public place of safety. Such a register as this is called in [Phi 4:3]; [Rev 3:5], etc., the book of life, i.e. the book or register where the persons were enrolled as they came into life. It appears also probable, that when any person died, or behaved improperly, his name was sought out and erased from the book, to prevent any confusion that might happen in consequence of improper persons laying claim to an estate, and to cut off the unworthy from the rights and privileges of the peaceable, upright citizens. To this custom of blotting the names of deceased and disorderly persons out of the public registers, there appear to be allusions, [Exo 32:32], where see the note; and [Rev 3:5]; [Deu 9:14]; [Deu 25:19]; [Deu 29:20]; [2Kgs 14:27]; [Psa 69:28]; [Psa 109:13], and in other places.
Verse 21
Rejoiced in spirit - Was truly and heartily joyous: felt an inward triumph. But τῳ πνευματι, τῳ ἁγιῳ, the Holy Spirit, is the reading here of BCDKL, six others; the three Syriac, later Persic, Coptic, Ethiopic, Armenian, Vulgate, all the Itala except one, and Augustin and Bede. These might be considered sufficient authority to admit the word into the text.
I thank thee - Bishop Pearce justly observes, the thanks are meant to be given to God for revealing them to babes, not for hiding them from the others. See on [Mat 11:25] (note).
Thou hast hid - That is, thou hast not revealed them to the scribes and Pharisees, who idolized their own wisdom; but thou hast revealed them to the simple and humble of heart.
Verse 22
The Codex Alexandrinus, several other very ancient MSS., and some ancient versions, as well as the margin of our own, begin this verse with, And turning to his disciples, he said. But as this clause begins [Luk 10:23], it is not likely that it was originally in both. Griesbach has left these words out of the text, and Professor White says, Certissime delenda, "These words should most assuredly be erased."
All things are delivered to me - See on [Mat 11:27] (note).
Verse 23
Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see - There is a similar saying to this among the rabbins, in Sohar. Genes., where it is said, "Blessed is that generation which the earth shall bear, when the King Messiah cometh."
Verse 24
Many prophets - See on [Mat 13:11], [Mat 13:17] (note).
Verse 25
A certain lawyer - See on [Mat 22:35] (note).
Verse 27
Thou shalt love the Lord - See this important subject explained at large, on [Mat 22:37-40] (note).
Thy neighbor as thyself - See the nature of self-love explained, on [Mat 19:19] (note).
Verse 29
Willing to justify himself - Wishing to make it appear that he was a righteous man, and that consequently he was in the straight road to the kingdom of God, said, Who is my neighbor? supposing our Lord would have at once answered, "Every Jew is to be considered as such, and the Jews only." Now as he imagined he had never been deficient in his conduct to any person of his own nation, he thought he had amply fulfilled the law. This is the sense in which the Jews understood the word neighbor, as may be seen from [Lev 19:15-18]. But our Lord shows here, that the acts of kindness which a man is bound to perform to his neighbor when in distress, he should perform to any person, of whatever nation, religion, or kindred, whom he finds in necessity. As the word πλησιον signifies one who is near, Anglo Saxon, he that is next, this very circumstance makes any person our neighbor whom we know; and, if in distress, an object of our most compassionate regards. If a man came from the most distant part of the earth, the moment he is near you he has a claim upon your mercy and kindness, as you would have on his, were your dwelling-place transferred to his native country. It is evident that our Lord uses the word πλησιον (very properly translated neighbor, from nae or naer, near, and buer, to dwell) in its plain, literal sense. Any person whom you know, who dwells hard by, or who passes near you, is your neighbor while within your reach.
Verse 30
And Jesus answering - Rather, Then Jesus took him up. This I believe to be the meaning of the word ὑπολαβων; he threw out a challenge, and our Lord took him up on his own ground. See Wakefield's Testament.
A certain man went down from Jerusalem - Or, A certain man of Jerusalem going down to Jericho. This was the most public road in all Judea, as it was the grand thoroughfare between these two cities for the courses of priests, twelve thousand of whom are said to have resided at Jericho. See Lightfoot.
Fell among thieves - At this time the whole land of Judea was much infested with hordes of banditti; and it is not unlikely that many robberies might have been committed on that very road to which our Lord refers.
Verse 31
And by chance - Κατα συγκυριαν properly means the coincidence of time and circumstance. At the time in which the poor Jew was half dead, through the wounds which he had received, a priest came where he was. So the priest's coming while the man was in that state is the coincidence marked out by the original words.
Priest and Levite are mentioned here, partly because they were the most frequent travelers on this road, and partly to show that these were the persons who, from the nature of their office, were most obliged to perform works of mercy; and from whom a person in distress had a right to expect immediate succor and comfort; and their inhuman conduct here was a flat breach of the law, [Deu 22:1-4].
Verse 33
Samaritan is mentioned merely to show that he was a person from whom a Jew had no right to expect any help or relief, because of the enmity which subsisted between the two nations.