Verse 19
In your patience - Rather, your perseverance, your faithful continuance in my word and doctrine. Ye will preserve your souls. Ye shall escape the Roman sword, and not one of you shall perish in the destruction of Jerusalem. Instead of κτησασθε, possess, or preserve ye, I read κτησεσθε, ye shall preserve. This reading is supported by AB-B, five others; both the Syriac, all the Arabic, Ethiopic, Vulgate, all the Itala except two, Origen, Macarius, and Tertullian.
Verse 22
These be the days of vengeance - See on [Mat 24:21] (note).
Verse 24
They shall fall by the edge of the sword - Those who perished in the siege are reckoned to be not less than eleven hundred thousand. See [Mat 24:22].
And shall be led away captive - To the number of ninety-seven thousand. See Josephus, War, b. vi. c. ix. s. 2, 3, and on [Mat 24:31] (note).
Trodden down of the Gentiles - Judea was so completely subjugated that the very land itself was sold by Vespasian; the Gentiles possessing it, while the Jews were either nearly all killed or led away into captivity.
Of the Gentiles be fulfilled - Till the different nations of the earth, to whom God shall have given the dominion over this land, have accomplished all that which the Lord hath appointed them to do; and till the time of their conversion to God take place. But when shall this be? We know not. The nations are still treading down Jerusalem, and the end is known only to the Lord. See the note on [Mat 24:31].
Verse 25
The sea and the waves roaring - Figuratively pointing out the immense Roman armies by which Judea was to be overrun and destroyed.
Verse 26
Men's hearts failing them for fear - Or, Men fainting away through fear, (Αποψυχοντων), being ready to die.
Coming on the earth - Or, Coming upon this land, οικουμενῃ. See this translation of the word vindicated in the note on [Luk 2:1] (note).
Verse 29
He spake to them a parable - Illustrated all these predicted facts by the simile of a fig tree. See this explained on [Mat 24:32] (note).
Verse 31
The kingdom of God is nigh at hand - After the destruction of the Jewish state, the doctrine of Christ crucified shall be preached every where, and every where prevail.
Verse 32
This generation - This race of men; but see on [Mat 24:34] (note), and [Mar 13:30] (note).
Verse 34
Take heed to yourselves - See our Lord's parable, relative to this matter, explained, [Mar 13:34] (note).
Be overcharged - Literally, be made heavy, as is generally the case with those who have eaten or drank too much. Take heed that ye be not rendered secure by an improper use of lawful things: do not make this earth your portion: expect its dissolution, and prepare to meet your God.
Verse 35
The face of the whole earth - Or, of this whole land. The land of Judea, on which these heavy judgments were to fall. See [Luk 21:25]; see also [Luk 2:1].
Verse 36
Watch ye therefore, and pray always - Perhaps we should connect ες παντι καιρῳ, continually, with αγρυπνειτε, watch, as it appears to be the most natural order. Indeed the word continually belongs equally to both watch and pray; and no man is safe, at any time, who does not attend to this advice as literally as possible.
That shall come to pass - That is, the tribulations which are on their way to overwhelm and destroy the Jewish people. These are sufficiently stated in the preceding verses.
To stand before the Son of man - To be acquitted, and to be condemned, are expressed, in [Rom 14:4], by standing and falling. Those who were faithful to the grace they had received were not only not destroyed in the destruction of Jerusalem, but became heralds of the grace and mercy of God to the nations. Thus they were counted worthy to stand before the Son of man - to minister salvation in his name.
Verse 37
And in the day time - Or, every day - τας ἡμερας. This probably relates to the four last days of his life already mentioned.
Abode in the mount - He taught all day in the temple, and withdrew every evening, and lodged in Bethany; a town at the foot, or on the declivity of the mount of Olives. See the note on [Mat 21:17].
Verse 38
The people came early - He returned early from the mount of Olives, and the people came early in the morning to the temple to hear his teaching. For practical observations on the awful subject of this chapter, see Matthew 24 at the end.
Introduction
The chief priests and scribes plot our Lord's destruction, [Luk 22:1], [Luk 22:2]. Judas, at the instigation of the devil, betrays him, [Luk 22:3-6]. He eats his last supper with his disciples, [Luk 22:7-18]. Institutes the eucharist, [Luk 22:19], [Luk 22:20]. Announces one of his disciples as the traitor, [Luk 22:21-23] : The contention which should be greatest, [Luk 22:24-30]. Warns Peter against Satan's devices, [Luk 22:31], [Luk 22:32]. Peter's resolution, [Luk 22:33]. His denial foretold, [Luk 22:34]. Tells his disciples to make prudent provision for their own support, [Luk 22:35-37]. The two swords, [Luk 22:38]. He goes to the Mount of Olives, and has his agony in the garden, [Luk 22:39-46]. Judas comes with a mob, [Luk 22:47], [Luk 22:48]. Peter cuts off the ear of the high priest's servant, which Christ heals by a touch, [Luk 22:49-51]. He addresses the chief priests and captains of the temple, [Luk 22:52], [Luk 22:53]. They lead him to the high priest's house, and Peter follows and denies his Master, [Luk 22:54-60]. Christ looks upon him, he is stung with remorse, and weeps bitterly, [Luk 22:61], [Luk 22:62]. Jesus is mocked, and variously insulted, [Luk 22:63-65]. The next morning he is questioned before the council, [Luk 22:66], [Luk 22:67]. He acknowledges himself to be the Son of God, [Luk 22:68-70]. They condemn him, [Luk 22:71].
Verse 1
The feast of unleavened bread, etc. - See this largely explained, [Exo 23:14] (note); Leviticus 23:2-40 (note), and on [Mat 26:2] (note).
Verse 2
They feared the people - The great mass of the people seem to have been convinced that Christ was at least a prophet sent from God; and it is likely they kept steady in their attachment to him. The multitude, who are represented as clamouring for his blood at the crucifixion, appear to have been a mere mob, formed out of the creatures of the chief priests and Pharisees.
Verse 3
Then entered Satan into Judas - The devil filled the heart of Judas with avarice; and that infamous passion led him to commit the crime here specified. This at once accounts for the whole of this most unprincipled and unnatural transaction. None but a devil, or he who is possessed by one, could have been guilty of it: - let the living lay this to heart. A minister of the Gospel, who is a lover of money, is constantly betraying the interests of Christ. He cannot serve two masters; and while his heart is possessed with the love of self, the love of God and zeal for perishing souls cannot dwell in him. What Satan could not do by the envy and malice of the high priests and Pharisees, he effects by Judas, a false and fallen minister of the Gospel of God. None are so dangerous to the interests of Christianity as persons of this stamp.
Verse 4
And captains - Among the priests who were in waiting at the temple, some were appointed φυλακες, for a guard to the temple; and over these were Ϛρατηγοι commanding officers: both sorts are mentioned by Josephus, War, b. vi. c. 5. s. 3. Bp. Pearce, See another sense of captains, in the note on [Mat 27:65] (note). Dr. Lightfoot supposes these to have been the captains over the watches; for in three places the priests kept watch and ward in the temple, viz. in Beth Abtenes, in Beth Nitsots, and in Beth Mokad. The Levites also in twenty-one places more, Middoth, chap. i. Though these watches consisted of several persons in each, there was one set over them, as the captain or head of that watch. He thinks that Matthew, [Mat 27:65], refers to one of these: Ye have a watch of your own; let some of them be sent to guard the sepulchre. The captain of the temple, he supposes to have been the chief or head of all these watches; and thus he was captain of the captains. In the same Talmudical tract it is said, The ruler of the mountain of the temple (i.e. captain of the temple) takes his walks through every watch with torches lighted before him: if he found any upon the watch, that was not standing on his feet, he said, Peace be with thee: but if he found him sleeping, he struck him with a stick, and he might also burn his clothes. And when it was said by others, What noise is that in the court? the answer was, It is the noise of a Levite under correction, whose garments they are burning, because he slept upon his watch. This custom casts light on [Rev 16:15] : Behold, I come as a thief: blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. It is easy to distinguish this captain of the mountain of the temple from the ruler of the temple, or sagan: the former presided over the guards; the latter over the whole service of the temple. We have them both distinguished, [Act 4:1] : there is the captain of the temple; and Annas, who was the sagan. See Lightfoot.
Verse 5
They - covenanted to give him money - Matthew says thirty pieces, or staters, of silver, about 4. 10s. English, the common price of the meanest slave. See the note on [Mat 26:15].