Verse 37
He shall gird himself - Alluding to the long garments which were worn in the eastern countries; and which, in travelling and serving, were tucked up in their belts. That those among the Romans who waited on the company at table were girded, and had their clothes tucked up, appears from what Horace says, Sat. b. vi. l. 107: Veluti Succinctus cursitat Hospes, He runs about like a girded waiter. The host himself often performed this office. And ibid. viii. 10: Puer alle cinctus: and that the same custom prevailed among the Jews appears from [Joh 13:4], [Joh 13:5], and [Luk 17:8]. From this verse we may gather likewise, that it was the custom of those days, as it was, not long since, among us, for the bridegroom, at the wedding supper, to wait as a servant upon the company. See Bishop Pearce.
Verse 38
If he shall come in the second watch - See the note on [Mat 14:25].
Verse 40
Be ye therefore ready also - It is pretty evident that what is related here, from [Luk 12:35] to [Luk 12:49], was spoken by our Lord at another time. See [Mat 24:42] (note), etc., and the notes there.
Verse 42
Faithful and wise steward - See on [Mat 24:45] (note); where the several parts of the steward's office are mentioned and explained. Those appear to have been stewards among the Jews, whose business it was to provide all the members of a family, not only with food, but with raiment.
Verse 45
Begin to beat, etc. - See the different parts of this bad minister's conduct pointed out on [Mat 24:48], [Mat 24:49] (note).
Verse 46
With the unbelievers - Or, rather, the unfaithful; των σπιϚων. Persons who had the light and knowledge of God's word, but made an improper use of the privileges they received. The persons mentioned here differ widely from unbelievers or infidels, viz. those who were in a state of heathenism, because they had not the revelation of the Most High: the latter knew not the will of God, [Luk 12:48], and, though they acted against it, did not do it in obstinacy; the former knew that will, and daringly opposed it. They were unfaithful, and therefore heavily punished.
Verse 47
Shall be beaten with many stripes - Criminals among the Jews could not be beaten with more than forty stripes; and as this was the sum of the severity to which a whipping could extend, it may be all that our Lord here means. But, in some cases, a man was adjudged to receive fourscore stripes! How could this be, when the law had decreed only forty? Answer: By doubling the crime. He received forty for each crime; if he were guilty of two offenses, he might receive fourscore. See Lightfoot.
Verse 48
Shall be beaten with few - For petty offenses the Jews in many cases inflicted so few as four, five, and six stripes. See examples in Lightfoot.
From this and the preceding verse we find that it is a crime to be ignorant of God's will; because to every one God has given less or more of the means of instruction. Those who have had much light, or the opportunity of receiving much, and have not improved it to their own salvation, and the good of others, shall have punishment proportioned to the light they have abused. On the other hand, those who have had little light, and few means of improvement, shall have few stripes, shall be punished only for the abuse of the knowledge they possessed. See at the end of the chapter.
Verse 49
I am come to send fire - See this subject largely explained on [Mat 10:34] (note), etc. From the connection in which these words stand, both in this place and in Matthew, it appears as if our Lord intended by the word fire, not only the consuming influence of the Roman sword, but also the influence of his own Spirit in the destruction of sin. In both these senses this fire was already kindled: as yet, however, it appeared but as a spark, but was soon to break out into an all-consuming flame.
Verse 50
But I have a baptism - The fire, though already kindled, cannot burn up till after the Jews have put me to death: then the Roman sword shall come, and the Spirit of judgment, burning, and purification shall be poured out.
Verse 51
To give peace - See [Mat 10:34].
Verse 52
Five in one house divided - See on [Mat 10:35], [Mat 10:36] (note).
Verse 54
A cloud rise - See on [Mat 16:2], [Mat 16:3] (note).
Verse 56
This time? - Can ye not discover from the writings of the prophets, and from the events which now take place, that this is the time of the Messiah, and that I am the very person foretold by them?
Verse 57
And why - judge ye - Even without the express declarations of the prophets, ye might, from what ye see and hear yourselves, discern that God has now visited his people in such a manner as he never did before.
Verse 58
When thou goest with thine adversary - This and the next verse are a part of our Lord's sermon upon the mount. See them explained [Mat 5:25], [Mat 5:26] (note). St. Luke is very particular in collecting and relating every word and action of our blessed Lord, but seldom gives them in the order of time in which they were spoken or done. See the Preface to this Gospel.
Give diligence - Δος εργασιαν, Give labor, do every thing in thy power to get free before a suit commences.
The officer - Πρακτωρ properly signifies such an officer as was appointed to levy the fines imposed by the law for a violation of any of its precepts. See Kypke.
Verse 59
Till thou hast paid the very last mite - And when can this be, if we understand the text spiritually? Can weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth, pay to Divine justice the debt a sinner has contracted? This is impossible: let him who readeth understand.
The subject of the 47th and 48th verses has been greatly misunderstood, and has been used in a very dangerous manner. Many have thought that their ignorance of Divine things would be a sufficient excuse for their crimes; and, that they might have but few stripes, they voluntarily continued in ignorance. But such persons should know that God will judge them for the knowledge they might have received, but refused to acquire. No criminal is excused because he has been ignorant of the laws of his country, and so transgressed them, when it can be proved that those very laws have been published throughout the land. Much knowledge is a dangerous thing if it be not improved; as this will greatly aggravate the condemnation of its possessor. Nor will it avail a person, in the land of light and information, to be ignorant, as he shall be judged for what he might have known; and, perhaps, in this case, the punishment of this voluntarily ignorant man will be even greater than that of the more enlightened; because his crimes are aggravated by this consideration, that he refused to have the light, that he might neither be obliged to walk in the light, nor account for the possession of it. So we find that the plea of ignorance is a mere refuge of lies, and none can plead it who has the book of God within his reach, and lives in a country blessed with the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Introduction
Christ preaches the necessity of repentance, from the punishment of the Galileans massacred by Pilate, [Luk 13:1-3]. And by the death of those on whom the tower in Siloam fell, [Luk 13:4], [Luk 13:5]. The parable of the barren fig tree, vv. 6-29. Christ cures a woman who had been afflicted eighteen years, [Luk 13:10-13]. The ruler of the synagogue is incensed and is reproved by our Lord, [Luk 13:14-17]. The parable of the mustard seed, [Luk 13:18], [Luk 13:19]; of the leaven, [Luk 13:20-21]. He journeys towards Jerusalem, and preaches, [Luk 13:22]. The question, Are there few saved? and our Lords answer, with the discourse thereon, [Luk 13:23-30]. He is informed that Herod purposes to kill him, [Luk 13:31], [Luk 13:32]. Predicts his own death at Jerusalem, and denounces judgments on that impenitent city, [Luk 13:33-35].
Verse 1
At that season - At what time this happened is not easy to determine; but it appears that it was now a piece of news which was told to Christ and his disciples for the first time.
Whose blood Pilate had mingled - This piece of history is not recorded (as far as I can find) by Josephus: however, he states that the Galileans were the most seditious people in the land: they belonged properly to Herod's jurisdiction; but, as they kept the great feasts at Jerusalem, they probably, by their tumultuous behavior at some one of them, gave Pilate, who was a mortal enemy to Herod, a pretext to fall upon and slay many of them; and thus, perhaps, sacrifice the people to the resentment he had against the prince. Archelaus is represented by Josephus as sending his soldiers into the temple, and slaying 3000 men while they were employed in offering sacrifices. Josephus, War, b. ii. c. 1, s. 3, and ii. c. 5. Some suppose that this refers to the followers of Judas Gaulonites, (see [Act 5:37]), who would not acknowledge the Roman government, a number of whom Pilate surrounded and slew, while they were sacrificing in the temple. See Josephus, Antiq. lib. 18: but this is not very certain.
Verse 4
The tower in Siloam - This tower was probably built over one of the porticoes near the pool, which is mentioned [Joh 9:7]. See also [Neh 3:15].
Debtors, οφειλεται, a Jewish phrase for sinners. Persons professing to be under the law are bound by the law to be obedient to all its precepts; those who obey not are reckoned debtors to the law, or rather to that Divine justice from which the law came. A different word is used when speaking of the Galileans: they are termed ἁμαρτωλοι, as this word is often used to signify heathens; see the notes on [Luk 7:37]; it is probably used here in nearly a similar sense. "Do ye who live in Jerusalem, and who consider your selves peculiarly attached to the law, and under the strongest obligations to obey it - do ye think that those Galileans were more heathenish than the rest of the Galileans, because they suffered such things? No. It was not on this account that they perished: both these cases exhibit a specimen of the manner in which ye shall all perish, if ye do not speedily repent, and turn to God."