I restore him fourfold - This restitution the Roman laws obliged the tax-gatherers to make, when it was proved they had abused their power by oppressing the people. But here was no such proof: the man, to show the sincerity of his conversion, does it of his own accord. He who has wronged his fellow must make restitution, if he have it in his power. He that does not do so cannot expect the mercy of God. See the observations at the end of Genesis 42 (note), and [Num 5:7] (note).
Verse 9
Jesus said unto him - Bishop Pearce observes: "Probably Luke wrote αυτους, not αυτον, said unto them, i.e. to those who had before called Zaccheus a sinner; ([Luk 19:7]); for Jesus here speaks of Zaccheus in the third person, he also is a son of Abraham, and therefore he was not then speaking to him." This conjecture of this respectable prelate is supported by the margin of the later Syriac, and by every copy of the Itala but two.
To this house - Τῳ οικῳ τουτῳ, To this very house or family. As if he had said: "If he be a sinner, he stands in the greater need of salvation, and the Son of man is come to seek and save what was lost, [Luk 19:10]; and therefore to save this lost soul is a part of my errand into the world." See the sentiment contained in this verse explained on [Mat 18:11] (note).
Verse 11
And as they heard these things - I believe the participle of the present tense, here, is used for the participle of the past, or rather that the participle of the present conveys sometimes the sense of the past; for this discourse appears to have taken place the next day after he had lodged at the house of Zaccheus; for the text says that he was then drawing nigh to Jerusalem, from which Jericho was distant nineteen miles. I have not ventured to translate it so, yet I think probably the text should be read thus: And after they had heard these things, he proceeded to speak a parable, because they were nigh to Jerusalem.
Immediately appear - Perhaps the generality of his followers thought that, on his arrival at Jerusalem, he would proclaim himself king.
Verse 12
A certain nobleman - In the following parable there are two distinct morals intended; let it be viewed in these two points of light. 1. The behavior of the citizens to the nobleman; and, 2. The behavior of his own servants to him.
1. By the behavior of the citizens, and their punishment, ([Luk 19:14], [Luk 19:27]), we are taught that the Jews, who were the people of Christ, would reject him, and try to prevent his reigning over them in his spiritual kingdom, and would for that crime be severely punished by the destruction of their state. And this moral is all that answers to the introductory words, [Luk 19:11]. And they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear.
2. The other moral extends itself through the whole of the parable, viz. that the disciples of Christ, who are his servants; and who made a good improvement of the favors granted them by the Gospel, should be rewarded in proportion to the improvement made under the means of grace. This latter moral is all that is intended by Matthew in [Mat 25:14], etc., who mentions this parable as spoken by Christ after his triumphant entry into Jerusalem; though Luke has here placed that event after the parable. See Bishop Pearce.
The meaning of the different parts of this parable appears to be as follows.
A certain nobleman - The Lord Jesus, who was shortly to be crucified by the Jews.
Went into a far country - Ascended to the right hand of the Divine Majesty.
To receive a kingdom - To take possession of the mediatorial kingdom, the right to which, as Messiah, he had acquired by his sufferings: see [Phi 2:8], [Phi 2:9]; [Heb 1:3], [Heb 1:8], [Heb 1:9]. In these words there is an allusion to the custom of those days, when they who had kingdoms or governments given unto them went to Rome to receive that dignity from the emperors. Bishop Pearce. In proof of this, see Josephus, Ant. l. xiv. c. xiv., where we find Herod went to Rome to receive the sanction and authority of the Roman emperor. And, from lib. xvii. c. 3, we learn that his successors acted in the same way.
And to return - To judge and punish the rebellious Jews.
Verse 13
Ten servants - All those who professed to receive his doctrine. Ten was a kind of sacred number among the Hebrews, as well as seven. See [Luk 14:31]; [Luk 15:8]; [Mat 15:1].
Ten pounds - Ten minas. The Septuagint use the original word μναα for the Hebrew מנה maneh, from which it is evidently derived; and it appears from [Eze 45:12], to have been equal to sixty shekels in money. Now suppose we allow the shekel, with Dean Prideaux, to be 3s., then the mina or maneh was equal to 9 English money. The impropriety of rendering the original word pound, will easily be seen by the most superficial reader. We should therefore retain the original word for the same reason so often before assigned. Suidas says, "The talent was sixty minas, the mina one hundred drachms, the drachm six oboli, the obolus six chalci, the chalcus seven mites or lepta."
By the ten minas given to each, we may understand the Gospel of the kingdom given to every person who professes to believe in Christ, and which he is to improve to the salvation of his soul. The same word is given to all, that all may believe and be saved.
Verse 14
His citizens - Or countrymen - the Jewish people, who professed to be subjects of the kingdom of God.
Hated him - Despised him for the meanness of his birth, his crucifixion to the world, and for the holiness of his doctrine. Neither mortification nor holiness suits the dispositions of the carnal mind.
Sent a message after him - As, in [Luk 19:12], there is an allusion to a person's going to Rome, when elected to be ruler of a province or kingdom, to receive that dignity from the hand of the emperor, so it is here intimated that, after the person went to receive this dignity, some of the discontented citizens took the opportunity to send an embassy to the emperor, to prevent him from establishing the object of their hatred in the government.
We will not have this man, etc. - The Jews rejected Jesus Christ, would not submit to his government, and, a short time after this, preferred even a murderer to him. Like cleaves to like. No wonder that those who murdered the Lord of glory should prefer a murderer, one of their own temper, to the Redeemer of their souls.
Verse 15
When he was returned - When he came to punish the disobedient Jews; and when he shall come to judge the world. See the parable of the talents, [Mat 25:14] (note), etc.
Verse 16
Lord, thy pound hath gained ten - The principal difference between this parable and that of the talents above referred to is, that the mina given to each seems to point out the gift of the Gospel, which is the same to all who hear it; but the talents distributed in different proportions, according to each man's ability, seem to intimate that God has given different capacities and advantages to men, by which this one gift of the Gospel may be differently improved.
Verse 17
Over ten cities - This is to be understood as referring to the new kingdom which the nobleman had just received. His former trustiest and most faithful servants he now represents as being made governors, under him, over a number of cities, according to the capacity he found in each; which capacity was known by the improvement of the minas.
Verse 20
Lord, behold, here is thy pound - See [Mat 25:18].
Verse 23
With usury? - Συν τοκῳ, With its produce, i.e. what the loan of the money is fairly worth, after paying the person sufficiently for using it: for, in lent money, both the lender and borrower are supposed to reap profit.
Verse 25
And they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds - This whole verse is omitted by the Codex Bezae, a few others, and some copies of the Itala. It is probably an observation that some person made while our Lord was delivering the parable, with a design to correct him in the distribution: as if he had said, "Why give the mina to that person? he has got ten already; give it to one of those who has fewer."
Verse 26
And from him that hath not - See this particularly explained [Mat 13:12] (note). Perhaps it would be well, with Bishop Pearce, to supply the word gained - give it to him who hath gained ten minas; for I say unto you, That unto every one who hath gained shall be given; and, from him who hath not gained, even that which he hath received, shall be taken away.
Verse 27
Those - enemies - bring hither - the Jews, whom I shall shortly slay by the sword of the Romans.
Verse 28
He went before - Joyfully to anticipate his death, say some. Perhaps it means that he walked at the head of his disciples; and that he and his disciples kept on the road before other companies who were then also on their way to Jerusalem, in order to be present at the feast.
Verse 29
See this triumphal entry into Jerusalem explained at large on [Mat 21:1-11] (note), and [Mar 11:1-10] (note).