After he had finished speaking in the hearing of the people, he entered into Capernaum.
KJV
Now when he had ended all his sayings in the audience of the people, he entered into Capernaum.
Commentary
Commentary
In this chapter we have,
I. Christ confirming the doctrine he had preached in the former
chapter, with two glorious miracles--the curing of one at a distance,
and that was the centurion's servant
( ver. 1-10 ),
and the raising of one to life that was dead, the widow's son at Nain, ver. 11-18 .
II. Christ confirming the faith of John who was now in prison, and of
some of his disciples, by sending him a short account of the miracles
he wrought, in answer to a question he received from him
( ver. 19-23 ),
to which he adds an honourable testimony concerning John, and a just
reproof to the men of that generation for the contempt they put upon
him and his doctrine, ver. 24-35 .
III. Christ comforting a poor penitent that applied herself to him, all
in tears of godly sorrow for sin, assuring her that her sins were
pardoned, and justifying himself in the favour he showed her against
the cavils of a proud Pharisee, ver. 36-50 .
1 Now when he had ended all his sayings in the audience of the
people, he entered into Capernaum.
2 And a certain centurion's servant, who was dear unto him, was
sick, and ready to die.
3 And when he heard of Jesus, he sent unto him the elders of
the Jews, beseeching him that he would come and heal his servant.
4 And when they came to Jesus, they besought him instantly,
saying, That he was worthy for whom he should do this:
5 For he loveth our nation, and he hath built us a synagogue.
6 Then Jesus went with them. And when he was now not far from
the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying unto him,
Lord, trouble not thyself: for I am not worthy that thou
shouldest enter under my roof:
7 Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee:
but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed.
8 For I also am a man set under authority, having under me
soldiers, and I say unto one, Go, and he goeth; and to another,
Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. 9 When Jesus heard these things, he marvelled at him, and
turned him about, and said unto the people that followed him, I
say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.
10 And they that were sent, returning to the house, found the
servant whole that had been sick.
Some difference there is between this story of the cure of the
centurion's servant as it is related here and as we had it in Matt. viii. 5 ,
&c. There it was said that the centurion came to Christ; here it is
said that he sent to him first some of the elders of the Jews ( v. 3 ),
and afterwards some other friends, v. 6 .
But it is a rule that we are said to do that which we do by
another--Quod facimus per alium, id ipsum facere judicamur. The
centurion might be said to do that which he did by his proxies; as a
man takes possession by his attorney. But it is probable that the
centurion himself came at last, when Christ said to him
( Matt. viii. 13 ), As thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee.
This miracle is here said to have been wrought by our Lord Jesus when he had ended all his sayings in the audience of the people, v. 1 .
What Christ said he said publicly; whoever would might come and
hear him: In secret have I said nothing, John xviii. 20 .
Now, to give an undeniable proof of the authority of his preaching word, he here gives an incontestable proof of the power and efficacy of his healing word. He that
had such a commanding empire in the kingdom of nature as that he could
command away diseases, no doubt has such a sovereignty in the kingdom
of grace as to enjoin duties displeasing to flesh and blood, and bind,
under the highest penalties, to the observance of them. This miracle
was wrought in Capernaum, where most of Christ's mighty works were
done, Matt. xi. 23 .
Now observe,
I. The centurion's servant that was sick was dear to his master, v. 2 .
It was the praise of the servant that by his diligence and
faithfulness, and a manifest concern for his master and his interest,
as for himself and for his own, he recommended himself to his master's
esteem and love. Servants should study to endear themselves to
their masters. It was likewise the praise of the master that, when he
had a good servant, he knew how to value him. Many masters, that are
haughty and imperious, think it favour enough to the best servants they
have not to rate them, and beat them, and be cruel to them, whereas
they ought to be kind to them, and tender of them, and solicitous for
their welfare and comfort.
II. The master, when he heard of Jesus, was for making
application to him, v. 3 .
Masters ought to take particular care of their servants when they are sick, and not to neglect them then. This centurion begged that Christ would come and heal his servant. We may now, by faithful
and fervent prayer, apply ourselves to Christ in heaven, and ought to
do so, when sickness is in our families; for Christ is still the great
Physician.
III. He sent some of the elders of the Jews to Christ, to
represent the case, and solicit for him, thinking that a greater piece
of respect to Christ than if he had come himself, because he was an
uncircumcised Gentile, whom he thought Christ, being a prophet, would
not care for conversing with. For that reason he sent Jews, whom he
acknowledged to be favourites of Heaven, and not ordinary Jews neither,
but elders of the Jews, persons in authority, that the dignity
of the messengers might give honour to him to whom they were sent.
Balak sent princes to Balaam.
IV. The elders of the Jews were hearty intercessors for the centurion: They besought him instantly ( v. 4 ),
were very urgent with him, pleading for the centurion that which he
would never have pleaded for himself, that he was worthy for whom he
should do this. If any Gentile was qualified to receive such a
favour, surely he was. The centurion said, I am not so much as worthy of a visit
( Matt. viii. 8 ),
but the elders of the Jews thought him worthy of the cure; thus honour shall uphold the humble in spirit. Let another man praise
thee, and not thy own mouth. But that which they insisted upon in
particular was, that, though he was a Gentile, yet he was a hearty
well-wisher to the Jewish nation and religion, v. 5 .
They thought there needed as much with Christ as there did with them to
remove the prejudices against him as a Gentile, a Roman, and an officer
of the army, and therefore mention this,
1. That he was well-affected to the people of the Jews: He loveth
our nation (which few of the Gentile did). Probably he had read the
Old Testament, whence it was easy to advance to a very high esteem of
the Jewish nation, as favoured by Heaven above all people. Note, Even
conquerors, and those in power, ought to keep up an affection
for the conquered, and those they have power over. 2. That he was well-affected to their worship: He built them a new synagogue at Capernaum, finding that what they had was
either gone to decay or not large enough to contain the people, and
that the inhabitants were not of ability to build one for themselves.
Hereby he testified his veneration for the God of Israel, his belief of
his being the one only living and true God, and his desire, like that
of Darius, to have an interest in the prayers of God's Israel, Ezra vi. 10 .
This centurion built a synagogue at his own proper costs and charges,
and probably employed his soldiers that were in garrison there in the
building, to keep them from idleness. Note, Building places of meeting
for religious worship is a very good work, is an instance of
love to God and his people; and those who do good works of that kind
are worthy of double honour.
V. Jesus Christ was very ready to show kindness to the centurion. He
presently went with them ( v. 6 ),
though he was a Gentile; for is he the Saviour of the Jews only? Is
he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also, Rom. iii. 29 .
The centurion did not think himself worthy to visit Christ
( v. 7 ),
yet Christ thought him worthy to be visited by him; for those that humble themselves shall be exalted.
VI. The centurion, when he heard that Christ was doing him the honour
to come to his house, gave further proofs both of his humility and of
his faith. Thus the graces of the saints are quickened by Christ's
approaches towards them. When he was now not far from the house, and the centurion had notice of it, instead of setting his house in
order for his reception, he sends friends to meet him with fresh
expressions,
1. Of his humility: "Lord, trouble not thyself, for I am
unworthy of such an honour, because I am a Gentile." This bespeaks not
only his low thoughts of himself notwithstanding the greatness of his
figure; but his high thoughts of Christ, notwithstanding the meanness
of his figure in the world. He knew how to honour a prophet of God,
though he was despised and rejected of men.
2. Of his faith: "Lord, trouble not thyself, for I know
there is no occasion; thou canst cure my servant without coming under my roof, by that almighty power from which no thought
can be withholden. Say, in a word, and my servant shall be healed: "
so far was this centurion from Namaan's fancy, that he should come to
him, and stand, and strike his hand over the patient, and so recover him, 2 Kings v. 11 .
He illustrates this faith of his by a comparison taken from his own
profession, and is confident that Christ can as easily command away the
distemper as he can command any of his soldiers, can as easily send an
angel with commission to cure this servant of his as he can send a
soldier on an errand, v. 8 .
Christ has a sovereign power over all the creatures and all their
actions, and can change the course of nature as he pleases, can rectify
its disorders and repair its decays in human bodies; for all power
is given to him.
VII. Our Lord Jesus was wonderfully well pleased with the faith of the
centurion, and the more surprised at it because he was a Gentile; and,
the centurion's faith having thus honoured Christ, see how he honoured
it
( v. 9 ): He turned him about, as one amazed, and said to the people
that followed him, I have not found so great faith, no not in
Israel. Note, Christ will have those that follow him to observe and
take notice of the great examples of faith that are sometimes set
before them--especially when any such are found among those that do not
follow Christ so closely as they do in profession--that we may be
shamed by the strength of their faith out of the weakness and waverings
of ours.
VIII. The cure was presently and perfectly wrought
( v. 10 ). They that were sent knew they had their errand, and therefore
went back, and found the servant well, and under no remains at all of
his distemper. Christ will take cognizance of the distressed case of
poor servants, and be ready to relieve them; for there is no respect
of persons with him. Nor are the Gentiles excluded from the benefit
of his grace; nay, this was a specimen of that much greater faith which
would be found among the Gentiles, when the gospel should be published,
than among the Jews.
11 And it came to pass the day after, that he went into a city
called Nain; and many of his disciples went with him, and much
people.
12 Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there
was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she
was a widow: and much people of the city was with her.
13 And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and
said unto her, Weep not.
14 And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise.
15 And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he
delivered him to his mother.
16 And there came a fear on all: and they glorified God,
saying, That a great prophet is risen up among us; and, That God
hath visited his people.
17 And this rumour of him went forth throughout all Judæa, and
throughout all the region round about.
18 And the disciples of John showed him of all these things.
We have here the story of Christ's raising to life a widow's son at
Nain, that was dead and in the carrying out to be buried, which Matthew
and Mark had made no mention of; only, in the general, Matthew had
recorded it, in Christ's answer to the disciples of John, that the
dead were raised up, Matt. xi. 5 .
Observe,
I. Where, and when, this miracle was wrought. It was the next day
after he had cured the centurion's servant, v. 11 .
Christ was doing good every day, and never had cause to complain
that he had lost a day. It was done at the gate of a small city,
or town, called Nain, not far from Capernaum, probably the same
with a city called Nais, which Jerome speaks of.
II. Who were the witnesses of it. It is as well attested as can be, for
it was done in the sight of two crowds that met in or near the gate of
the city. There was a crowd of disciples and other people attending Christ
( v. 11 ),
and a crowd of relations and neighbours attending the funeral of the
young man, v. 12 .
Thus there was a sufficient number to attest the truth of this miracle,
which furnished greater proof of Christ's divine authority than his
healing diseases; for by no power of nature, or any means, can the dead
be raised.
1. The person raised to life was a young man, cut off by death
in the beginning of his days--a common case; man comes forth like a
flower and is cut down. That he was really dead was universally
agreed. There could be no collusion in the case; for Christ was entering into the town, and had not seen him till now that he
met him upon the bier. He was carried out of the city; for the
Jews' burying-places were without their cities, and at some distance
from them. This young man was the only son of his mother, and she a widow. She depended upon him to be the staff of her old
age, but he proves a broken reed; every man at his best estate is so.
How numerous, how various, how very calamitous, are the afflictions of
the afflicted in this world! What a vale of tears is it! What a Bochim,
a place of weepers! We may well think how deep the sorrow of
this poor mother was for her only son (such sorrowing is
referred to as expressive of the greatest grief,-- Zech. xii. 10 ),
and it was the deeper in that she was a widow, broken with
breach upon breach, and a full end made of her comforts. Much people
of the city was with her, condoling with her loss, to comfort her.
2. Christ showed both his pity and his power in raising
him to life, that he might give a specimen of both, which shine so
brightly in man's redemption.
(1.) See how tender his compassions are towards the
afflicted
( v. 13 ): When the Lord saw the poor widow following her son to the grave, he had compassion on her. Here was not application made to him
for her, not so much as that he would speak some words of comfort to
her, but, ex mero motu--purely from the goodness of his nature, he was troubled for her. The case was piteous, and he looked upon it
with pity. His eye affected his heart; and he said unto her, Weep
not. Note, Christ has a concern for the mourners, for the
miserable, and often prevents them with the blessing of his
goodness. He undertook the work of our redemption and salvation, in his love and in his pity, Isa. lxiii. 9 .
What a pleasing idea does this give us of the compassions of the Lord
Jesus, and the multitude of his tender mercies, which may be
very comfortable to us when at any time we are in sorrow! Let poor
widows comfort themselves in their sorrows with this, that Christ pities them and knows their souls in adversity; and, if others
despise their grief, he does not. Christ said, Weep not; and he
could give her a reason for it which no one else could: "Weep not for a dead son, for he shall presently become a living one. "
This was a reason peculiar to her case; yet there is a reason common to
all that sleep in Jesus, which is of equal force against inordinate and
excessive grief for their death--that they shall rise again, shall
rise in glory; and therefore we must not sorrow as those that have
no hope, 1 Thess. iv. 13 .
Let Rachel, that weeps for her children, refrain her eyes from
tears, for there is hope in thine end, saith the Lord, that thy
children shall come again to their own border, Jer. xxxi. 17 .
And let our passion at such a time be checked and claimed by the
consideration of Christ's compassion.
(2.) See how triumphant his commands are over even death
itself
( v. 14 ): He came, and touched the bier, or coffin, in or upon which the
dead body lay; for to him it would be no pollution. Hereby he
intimated to the bearers that they should not proceed; he had something
to say to the dead young man. Deliver him from going down to the
pit; I have found a ransom, Job xxxiii. 24 .
Hereupon they that bore him stood still, and probably let down
the bier from their shoulders to the ground, and opened the coffin, it
if was closed up; and then with solemnity, as one that had authority,
and to whom belonged the issues from death, he said, Young man, I
say unto thee, Arise. The young man was dead, and could not
arise by any power of his own (no more can those that are spiritually
dead in trespasses and sins); yet it was no absurdity at all for Christ
to bid him arise, when a power went along with that word to put life into him. The gospel call to all people, to young
people particularly, is, " Arise, arise from the dead, and Christ
shall give you light and life." Christ's dominion over death was
evidenced by the immediate effect of his word
( v. 15 ): He that was dead sat up. Have we grace from Christ? Let us show
it. Another evidence of life was that he began to speak; for
whenever Christ gives us spiritual life he opens the lips in
prayer and praise. And, lastly, he would not oblige this young
man, to whom he had given a new life, to go along with him as his
disciple, to minister to him (though he owed him even his own self),
much less as a trophy or show to get honour by him, but delivered
him to his mother, to attend her as became a dutiful son; for
Christ's miracles were miracles of mercy, and a great act of mercy this
was to this widow; now she was comforted, according to the time
in which she had been afflicted and much more, for she could now look
upon this son as a particular favourite of Heaven, with more pleasure
than if he had not died.
IV. What influence it had upon the people
( v. 16 ): There came a fear on all; it frightened them all, to see a dead
man start up alive out of his coffin in the open street, at the command
of a man; they were all struck with wonder at his miracle, and glorified God. The Lord and his goodness, as well as the Lord
and his greatness, are to be feared. The inference they drew from it
was, " A great prophet is risen up among us, the great prophet
that we have been long looking for; doubtless, he is one divinely
inspired who can thus breathe life into the dead, and in him God
hath visited his people, to redeem them, as was expected," Luke i. 68 .
This would be life from the dead indeed to all them that waited
for the consolation of Israel. When dead souls are thus raised to
spiritual life, by a divine power going along with the gospel, we must
glorify God, and look upon it as a gracious visit to his people. The
report of this miracle was carried,
1. In general, all the country over
( v. 17 ): This rumour of him, that he was the great prophet, went
forth upon the wings of fame through all Judea, which lay a
great way off, and throughout all Galilee, which was the region
round about. Most had this notice of him, yet few believed in him,
and gave up themselves to him. Many have the rumour of Christ's
gospel in their ears that have not the savour and relish of it in their souls.
2. In particular, it was carefully brought to John Baptist, who was now
in prison
( v. 18 ): His disciples came, and gave him an account of all things, that
he might know that though he was bound yet the word of the
Lord was not bound; God's work was going on, though he was laid
aside.
19 And John calling unto him two of his disciples sent them to Jesus, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for
another?
20 When the men were come unto him, they said, John Baptist
hath sent us unto thee, saying, Art thou he that should come? or
look we for another?
21 And in that same hour he cured many of their infirmities
and plagues, and of evil spirits; and unto many that were blind
he gave sight.
22 Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell
John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see,
the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead
are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached.
23 And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.
24 And when the messengers of John were departed, he began to
speak unto the people concerning John, What went ye out into the
wilderness for to see? A reed shaken with the wind?
25 But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft
raiment? Behold, they which are gorgeously apparelled, and live
delicately, are in kings' courts.
26 But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? Yea, I say unto
you, and much more than a prophet.
27 This is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my
messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before
thee.
28 For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there
is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is
least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.
29 And all the people that heard him, and the publicans,
justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John.
30 But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God
against themselves, being not baptized of him.
31 And the Lord said, Whereunto then shall I liken the men of
this generation? and to what are they like?
32 They are like unto children sitting in the marketplace, and
calling one to another, and saying, We have piped unto you, and
ye have not danced; we have mourned to you, and ye have not wept.
33 For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking
wine; and ye say, He hath a devil.
34 The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say,
Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans
and sinners!
35 But wisdom is justified of all her children.
All this discourse concerning John Baptist, occasioned by his sending
to ask whether he was the Messiah or no, we had, much as it is here
related, Matt. xi. 2-19 .
I. We have here the message John Baptist sent to Christ, and the return
he made to it. Observe,
1. The great thing we are to enquire concerning Christ is whether he be
he that should come to redeem and save sinners, or whether we are to
look for another, v. 19, 20 .
We are sure that God has promised that a Saviour shall come, an
anointed Saviour; we are as sure that what he has promised he will
perform in its season. If this Jesus be that promised Messiah, we will
receive him, and will look for no other; but, if not, we will continue
our expectations, and, though he tarry, will wait for him.
2. The faith of John Baptist himself, or at least of his disciples,
wanted to be confirmed in this matter; for Christ had not yet
publicly declared himself to be indeed the Christ, nay, he would not
have his disciples, who knew him to be so, to speak of it, till the
proofs of his being so were completed in his resurrection. The great
men of the Jewish church had not owned him, nor had he gained any
interest that was likely to set him upon the throne of his father
David. Nothing of that power and grandeur was to be seen about him in
which it was expected that the Messiah would appear; and therefore it
is not strange that they should ask, Art thou the Messiah? not
doubting but that, if he was not, he would direct them what other to look for.
3. Christ left it to his own works to praise him in the gates, to tell
what he was and to prove it. While John's messengers were with him, he
wrought many miraculous cures, in that same hour, which perhaps
intimates that they staid but an hour with him; and what a deal
of work did Christ do in a little time! v. 21 . He cured many of their infirmities and plagues in body, and of evil spirits that affected the mind either with frenzy or
melancholy, and unto many that were blind he gave sight. He
multiplied the cures, that there might be no ground left to suspect a
fraud; and then
( v. 22 )
he bade them go and tell John what they had seen. And he and
they might easily argue, as even the common people did
( John vii. 31 ), When Christ cometh, will he do more miracles than these which this
man hath done? These cures, which they saw him work, were not only
confirmations of his commission, but explications of it. The Messiah
must come to cure a diseased world, to give light and sight to them
that sit in darkness, and to restrain and conquer evil spirits. You see
that Jesus does this to the bodies of people, and therefore must
conclude this is he that should come to do it to the souls of people,
and you are to look for no other. To his miracles in the kingdom
of nature he adds this in the kingdom of grace
( v. 22 ), To the poor the gospel is preached, which they knew was to be
done by the Messiah; for he was anointed to preach the gospel to the
meek ( Isa. lxi. 1 ),
and to save the souls of the poor and needy, Ps. lxxii. 13 .
Judge, therefore, whether you can look for any other that will more
fully answer the characters of the Messiah and the great intentions of
his coming.
4. He gave them an intimation of the danger people were in of being
prejudiced against him, notwithstanding these evident proofs of his
being the Messiah
( v. 23 ): Blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me, or scandalized at me. We are here in a state of trial and
probation; and it is agreeable to such a state that, as there are
sufficient arguments to confirm the truth to those that are honest and impartial in searching after it, and have
their minds prepared to receive it, so there should be also objections,
to cloud the truth to those that are careless, worldly, and
sensual. Christ's education at Nazareth, his residence at Galilee, the
meanness of his family and relations, his poverty, and the
despicableness of his followers--these and the like were
stumbling-blocks to many, which all the miracles he wrought could not
help them over. He is blessed, for he is wise, humble, and well
disposed, that is not overcome by these prejudices. It is a sign that
God has blessed him, for it is by his grace that he is helped
over these stumbling-stones; and he shall be blessed indeed,
blessed in Christ.
II. We have here the high encomium which Christ gave of John Baptist;
not while his messengers were present (lest he should seem to flatter
him), but when they were departed ( v. 24 ),
to make the people sensible of the advantages they had enjoyed in
John's ministry, and were deprived of by his imprisonment. Let them now
consider what they went out into the wilderness to see, who that
was about whom there had been so much talk and such a great and general
amazement. "Come," saith Christ, "I will tell you."
1. He was a man of unshaken self-consistence, a man of
steadiness and constancy. He was not a reed shaken with the
wind, first in one direction and then in another, shifting with
every wind; he was firm as a rock, not fickle as a reed. If he could have bowed like a reed to Herod, and
have complied with the court, he might have been a favourite there; but none of these things moved him.
2. He was a man of unparalleled self-denial, a great example of
mortification and contempt of the world. He was not a man clothed in
soft raiment, nor did he live delicately ( v. 25 );
but, on the contrary, he lived in a wilderness and was clad and fed
accordingly. Instead of adorning and pampering the body, he brought it
under, and kept it in subjection.
3. He was a prophet, had his commission and instructions
immediately from God, and not of man or by man. He was by birth a priest, but that is never taken notice of; for his glory, as a
prophet, eclipsed the honour of his priesthood. Nay, he was more, he was much more than a prophet ( v. 26 ),
than any of the prophets of the Old Testament; for they spoke of Christ
as at a distance, he spoke of him as at the door.
4. He was the harbinger and forerunner of the Messiah, and was himself
prophesied of in the Old Testament
( v. 27 ): This is he of whom it is written ( Mal. iii. 1 ), Behold, I send my messenger before thy face. Before he sent the
Master himself, he sent a messenger, to give notice of his coming, and
prepare people to receive him. Had the Messiah been to appear as a temporal prince, under which character the carnal Jews expected
him, his messenger would have appeared either in the pomp of a general or the gaiety of a herald at arms; but it was a previous indication, plain enough, of the spiritual nature of Christ's kingdom, that the messenger he sent
before him to prepare his way did it by preaching repentance and
reformation of men's hearts and lives. Certainly that kingdom was not
of this world which was thus ushered in.
5. He was, upon this account, so great, that really there was not a greater prophet than he. Prophets were the greatest that were born of women, more honourable than
kings and princes, and John was the greatest of all the prophets. The country was not sensible what a valuable, what an invaluable, man it had in it, when John Baptist went
about preaching and baptizing. And yet he that is least in the
kingdom of God is greater than he. The least gospel minister, that
has obtained mercy of the Lord to be skilful and faithful in his work, or the meanest of the apostles and first preachers
of the gospel, being employed under a more excellent dispensation, are in a more honourable office than John Baptist. The
meanest of those that follow the Lamb far excel the greatest of
those that went before him. Those therefore who live under the gospel
dispensation have so much the more to answer for.
III. We have here the just censure of the men of that generation, who
were not wrought upon by the ministry either of John Baptist or of
Jesus Christ himself.
1. Christ here shows what contempt was put upon John Baptist, while he
was preaching and baptizing.
(1.) Those who did show him any respect were but the common ordinary
sort of people, who, in the eye of the gay part of mankind, were rather
a disgrace to him than a credit, v. 29 . The people indeed, the vulgar herd, of whom it was said, This
people, who know not the law, are cursed ( John vii. 49 ),
and the publicans, men of ill fame, as being generally men of bad
morals, or taken to be so, these were baptized with his baptism, and became his disciples; and these, though glorious monuments of
divine grace, yet did not magnify John in the eye of the world;
but by their repentance and reformation they justified God, justified his conduct and the wisdom of it in appointing such a one as
John Baptist to be the forerunner of the Messiah: they hereby made it
to appear that it was the best method that could be taken, for it was
not in vain to them whatever it was to others.
(2.) The great men of their church and nation, the polite and
the politicians, that would have done him some credit in the eye
of the world, did him all the dishonour they could; they heard him
indeed, but they were not baptized of him, v. 30 .
The Pharisees, who were most in reputation for religion and devotion,
and the lawyers, who were celebrated for their learning, especially
their knowledge of the scriptures, rejected the counsel of God
against themselves; they frustrated it, they received the
grace of God, by the baptism of John, in vain. God in
sending that messenger among them had a kind purpose of
good to them, designed their salvation by it, and, if they had
closed with the counsel of God, it had been for themselves, they
had been made for ever; but they rejected it, would not comply
with it, and it was against themselves, it was to their own
ruin; they came short of the benefit intended them, and not only so,
but forfeited the grace of God, put a bar in their own door, and, by
refusing that discipline which was to fit them for the kingdom of the
Messiah, shut themselves out of it, and they not only excluded
themselves, but hindered others, and stood in their way.
2. He here shows the strange perverseness of the men of that
generation, in their cavils both against John and Christ, and the
prejudices they conceived against them.
(1.) They made but a jesting matter of the methods God took to do them
good
( v. 31 ):
" Whereunto shall I liken the men of this generation? What can I
think of absurd enough to represent them by? They are, then, like
children sitting in the market-place, that mind nothing that is
serious, but are as full of play as they can hold. As if God were but
in jest with them, in all the methods he takes to do them good, as
children are with one another in the market-place
( v. 32 ),
they turn it all off with a banter, and are not more affected with it
than with a piece of pageantry." This is the ruin of multitudes, they
can never persuade themselves to be serious in the concerns of
their souls. Old men, sitting in the sanhedrim, were but as children
sitting in the market-place, and no more affected with the things
that belonged to their everlasting peace than people are with
children's play. O the amazing stupidity and vanity of the blind and
ungodly world! The Lord awaken them out of their security.
(2.) They still found something or other to carp at.
[1.] John Baptist was a reserved austere man, lived much in solitude,
and ought to have been admired for being such a humble, sober,
self-denying man, and hearkened to as a man of thought and
contemplation; but this, which was his praise, was turned to his
reproach. Because he came neither eating nor drinking, so
freely, plentifully, and cheerfully, as others did, you say, "He has
a devil; he is a melancholy man, he is possessed, as the demoniac
whose dwelling was among the tombs, though he be not quite so
wild."
[2.] Our Lord Jesus was of a more free and open conversation; he came eating and drinking, v. 34 .
He would go and dine with Pharisees, though he knew they did not care
for him; and with publicans, though he knew they were no credit to him;
yet, in hopes of doing good both to the one and the other, he conversed
familiarly with them. By this it appears that the ministers of Christ
may be of very different tempers and dispositions, very different ways
of preaching and living, and yet all good and useful; diversity of
gifts, but each given to profit withal. Therefore none must
make themselves a standard to all others, nor judge hardly of those
that do not do just as they do. John Baptist bore witness to Christ,
and Christ applauded John Baptist, though they were the reverse of each
other in their way of living. But the common enemies of them both
reproached them both. The very same men that had represented John as crazed in his intellects, because he came neither eating nor
drinking, represented our Lord Jesus as corrupt in his
morals, because he came eating and drinking; he is a gluttonous
man, and a wine-bibber. Ill-will never speaks well. See the malice
of wicked people, and how they put the worst construction upon every
thing they meet with in the gospel, and in the preachers and professors
of it; and hereby they think to depreciate them, but really
destroy themselves.
3. He shows that, notwithstanding this, God will be glorified in the
salvation of a chosen remnant
( v. 35 ): Wisdom is justified of all her children. There are those who are
given to wisdom as her children, and they shall be brought by
the grace of God to submit to wisdom's conduct and government, and
thereby to justify wisdom in the ways she takes for bringing them to
that submission; for to them they are effectual, and thereby appear
well chosen. Wisdom's children are herein unanimous, one and all, they
have all a complacency in the methods of grace which divine wisdom
takes, and think never the worse of them for their being ridiculed by
some.
36 And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with
him. And he went into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat.
37 And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when
she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house,
brought an alabaster box of ointment,
38 And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to
wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of
her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the
ointment.
39 Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he
spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet,
would have known who and what manner of woman this is that
toucheth him: for she is a sinner.
40 And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to
say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on.
41 There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one
owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty.
42 And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them
both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most?
43 Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he
forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged.
44 And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou
this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water
for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head.
45 Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came
in hath not ceased to kiss my feet.
46 My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath
anointed my feet with ointment.
47 Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are
forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.
48 And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.
49 And they that sat at meat with him began to say within
themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also?
50 And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in
peace.
When and where this passage of story happened does not appear; this
evangelist does not observe order of time in his narrative so much as
the other evangelists do; but it comes in here, upon occasion of
Christ's being reproached as a friend to publicans and sinners, to show that it was only for their good, and to bring them to
repentance, that he conversed with them; and that those whom he
admitted hear him were reformed, or in a hopeful way to be so. Who this
woman was that here testified so great an affection to Christ does not
appear; it is commonly said to be Mary Magdalene, but I find no ground
in scripture for it: she is described
( ch. viii. 2 and Mark xvi. 9 )
to be one out of whom Christ had cast seven devils; but that is
not mentioned here, and therefore it is probable that it was not she.
Now observe here,
I. The civil entertainment which a Pharisee gave to Christ, and his
gracious acceptance of that entertainment
( v. 36 ): One of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him, either because he thought it would be a reputation to him to have such
a guest at his table or because his company would be an entertainment
to him and his family and friends. It appears that this Pharisee did
not believe in Christ, for he will not own him to be a prophet ( v. 39 ),
and yet our Lord Jesus accepted his invitation, went into his house,
and sat down to meat, that they might see he took the same liberty
with Pharisees that he did with publicans, in hopes of doing them
good. And those may venture further into the society of such as are
prejudiced against Christ, and his religion, who have wisdom and grace
sufficient to instruct and argue with them, than others may.
II. The great respect which a poor penitent sinner showed him, when he
was at meat in the Pharisee's house. It was a woman in the city that
was a sinner, a Gentile, a harlot, I doubt, known to be so,
and infamous. She knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's
house, and, having been converted from her wicked course of life by
his preaching, she came to acknowledge her obligations to him, having
no opportunity of doing it in any other way than by washing his
feet, and anointing them with some sweet ointment that she brought with
her for that purpose. The way of sitting at table then was such that
their feet were partly behind them. Now this woman did not look
Christ in the face, but came behind him, and did the part of a maid-servant, whose office it was to wash the feet of the
guests
( 1 Sam. xxv. 41 )
and to prepare the ointments.
1. Her deep humiliation for sin. She stood behind him weeping; her eyes had been the inlets and outlets of sin, and
now she makes them fountains of tears. Her face is now foul with
weeping, which perhaps used to be covered with paints. Her hair now
made a towel of, which before had been plaited and adorned. We have
reason to think that she had before sorrowed for sin; but, now that she
had an opportunity of coming into the presence of Christ, the wound
bled afresh and her sorrow was renewed. Note, It well becomes
penitents, upon all their approaches to Christ, to renew their godly
sorrow and shame for sin, when he is pacified, Ezek. xvi. 63 .
2. Her strong affection to the Lord Jesus. This was what our
Lord Jesus took special notice of, that she loved much, v. 42, 47 .
She washed his feet, in token of her ready submission to the
meanest office in which she might do him honour. Nay, she washed
them with her tears, tears of joy; she was in a transport, to
find herself so near her Saviour, whom her soul loved. She kissed
his feet, as one unworthy of the kisses of his mouth, which the
spouse coveted, Cant. i. 2 .
It was a kiss of adoration as well as affection. She wiped them with
her hair, as one entirely devoted to his honour. Her eyes shall
yield water to wash them, and her hair be a towel to wipe them; and she anointed his feet with the ointment, owning him hereby to
be the Messiah, the Anointed. She anointed his feet in token of
her consent to God's design in anointing his head with the oil of
gladness. Note, All true penitents have a dear love to the Lord
Jesus.
III. The offence which the Pharisee took at Christ, for admitting the
respect which this poor penitent paid him
( v. 39 ): He said within himself (little thinking that Christ knew what he
thought), This man, if he were a prophet, would then have so
much knowledge as to perceive that this woman is a
sinner, is a Gentile, is a woman of ill fame, and so much sanctity as therefore not to suffer her to come so near
him; for can one of such a character approach a prophet, and his heart
not rise at it? See how apt proud and narrow souls are to think that
others should be as haughty and censorious as themselves. Simon, if she
had touched him, would have said, Stand by thyself, come not near
me, for I am holier than thou ( Isa. lxv. 5 );
and he thought Christ should say so too.
IV. Christ's justification of the woman in what she did to him, and of
himself in admitting it. Christ knew what the Pharisee spoke within
himself, and made answer to it: Simon, I have something to say
unto thee, v. 40 .
Though he was kindly entertained at his table, yet even there he
reproved him for what he saw amiss in him, and would not suffer sin
upon him. Those whom Christ hath something against he hath
something to say to, for his Spirit shall reprove. Simon is willing to give him the hearing: He saith, Master, say
on. Though he could not believe him to be a prophet (because he was
not so nice and precise as he was), yet he can compliment him with the
title of Master, among those that cry Lord, Lord, but do not the things which he saith. Now Christ, in his answer to
the Pharisee, reasons thus:--It is true this woman has been a sinner:
he knows it; but she is a pardoned sinner, which supposes her to
be a penitent sinner. What she did to him was an expression of
her great love to her Saviour, by whom her sins were forgiven.
If she was pardoned, who had been so great a sinner, it might
reasonably be expected that she should love her Saviour more than
others, and should give greater proofs of it than others; and if this
was the fruit of her love, and flowing from a sense of the pardon of
her sin, it became him to accept of it, and it ill became the Pharisee
to be offended at it. Now Christ has a further intention in this. The
Pharisee doubted whether he was a prophet or no, nay, he did in
effect deny it; but Christ shows that he was more than a prophet, for
he is one that has power on earth to forgive sins, and to whom
are due the affections and thankful acknowledgments of penitent
pardoned sinners. Now, in his answer,
1. He by a parable forces Simon to acknowledge that the greater sinner
this woman had been the greater love she ought to show to Jesus Christ
when her sins were pardoned, v. 41-43 .
A man had two debtors that were both insolvent, but one of them
owed him ten times more than the other. He very freely forgave them both, and did not take the advantage of the law
against them, did not order them and their children to be sold, or deliver them to the tormentors. Now they were both sensible of
the great kindness they had received; but which of them will love
him most? Certainly, saith the Pharisee, he to whom he forgave
most; and herein he rightly judged. Now we, being obliged to forgive, as we are and hope to be forgiven, may hence
learn the duty between debtor and creditor.
(1.) The debtor, if he have any thing to pay, ought to
make satisfaction to his creditor. No man can reckon any thing his own or have any comfortable enjoyment of it, but that which
is so when all his debts are paid.
(2.) If God in his providence have disabled the debtor to pay his debt,
the creditor ought not to be severe with him, nor to go to the utmost
rigour of the law with him, but freely to forgive him. Summum jus
est summa injuria--The law stretched into rigour becomes unjust. Let
the unmerciful creditor read that parable, Matt. xviii. 23 ,
&c., and tremble; for they shall have judgment without mercy
that show no mercy.
(3.) The debtor that has found his creditors merciful ought to be very
grateful to them; and, if he cannot otherwise recompense them, ought to
love them. Some insolvent debtors, instead of being grateful, are spiteful, to their creditors that lose by them, and cannot
give them a good word, only because they complain, whereas losers may
have leave to speak. But this parable speaks of God as the Creator (or
rather of the Lord Jesus himself, for he it is that forgives, and is
beloved by, the debtor) and sinners are the debtors: and so we may
learn here,
[1.] That sin is a debt, and sinners are debtors to God
Almighty. As creatures, we owe a debt, a debt of obedience to the
precept of the law, and, for non-payment of that, as sinners, we become
liable to the penalty. We have not paid our rent; nay, we have wasted
our Lord's goods, and so we become debtors. God has an action against
us for the injury we have done him, and the omission of our duty to
him.
[2.] That some are deeper in debt to God, by reason of sin, than others
are: One owed five hundred pence and the other fifty. The
Pharisee was the less debtor, yet he a debtor too, which was more than
he thought himself, but rather that God was his debtor, Luke xviii. 10, 11 .
This woman, that had been a scandalous notorious sinner, was the greater debtor. Some sinners are in themselves greater debtors
than others, and some sinners, by reason of divers aggravating
circumstances, greater debtors; as those that have sinned most openly
and scandalously, that have sinned against greater light and knowledge,
more convictions and warnings, and more mercies and means.
[3.] That, whether our debt be more or less, it is more than we
are able to pay: They had nothing to pay, nothing at all to make
a composition with; for the debt is great, and we have nothing at all
to pay it with. Silver and gold will not pay our debt, nor will
sacrifice and offering, no, not thousands of rams. No
righteousness of our own will pay it, no, not our repentance and
obedience for the future; for it is what we are already bound to, and
it is God that works it within us.
[4.] That the God of heaven is ready to forgive, frankly to forgive, poor sinners, upon gospel terms, though their debt
be ever so great. If we repent, and believe in Christ, our iniquity
shall not be our ruin, it shall not be laid to our charge. God has
proclaimed his name gracious and merciful, and ready to forgive sin;
and, his Son having purchased pardon for penitent believers, his gospel
promises it to them, and his Spirit seals it and gives them the comfort
of it.
[5.] That those who have their sins pardoned are obliged to love him that pardoned them; and the more is forgiven them, the
more they should love him. The greater sinners any have been
before their conversion, the greater saints they should be
after, the more they should study to do for God, and the more their
hearts should be enlarged in obedience. When a persecuting Saul became a preaching Paul he laboured more abundantly.
2. He applies this parable to the different temper and conduct of the
Pharisee and the sinner towards Christ. Though the Pharisee would not
allow Christ to be a prophet, Christ seems ready to allow him to be in
a justified state, and that he was one forgiven, though to him less was forgiven. He did indeed show some love to Christ, in
inviting him to his house, but nothing to what this poor woman showed.
"Observe," saith Christ to him, "she is one that has much forgiven her,
and therefore, according to thine own judgment, it might be expected
that she should love much more than thou dost, and so it appears. Seest thou this woman? v. 44 .
Thou lookest upon her with contempt, but consider how much kinder a
friend she is to me than thou art; should I then accept thy kindness,
and refuse hers?"
(1.) "Thou didst not so much as order a basin of water to be brought,
to wash my feet in, when I came in, wearied and dirtied with my walk,
which would have been some refreshment to me; but she has done much
more: she has washed my feet with tears, tears of affection to
me, tears of affliction for sin, and has wiped them with the hairs
of her head, in token of her great love to me."
(2.) "Thou didst not so much as kiss my cheek" (which was a usual
expression of a hearty and affectionate welcome to a friend); "but this woman has not ceased to kiss my feet ( v. 45 ),
thereby expressing both a humble and an affectionate love."
(3.) "Thou didst not provide me a little common oil, as usual, to
anoint my head with; but she has bestowed a box of precious ointment upon my feet ( v. 46 ),
so far has she outdone thee." The reason why some people blame the
pains and expense of zealous Christians, in religion, is because they
are not willing themselves to come up to it, but resolve to rest in a cheap and easy religion.
3. He silenced the Pharisee's cavil: I say unto thee, Simon, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, v. 47 .
He owns that she had been guilty of many sins: "But they are forgiven her, and therefore it is no way unbecoming in me to
accept her kindness. They are forgiven, for she loved much. " It
should be rendered, therefore she loved much; for it is plain,
by the tenour of Christ's discourse, that the loving much was not the cause, but the effect, of her pardon, and of her
comfortable sense of it; for we love God because he first
loved us; he did not forgive us because we first loved him. "But to whom little is forgiven, as is to thee, the same loveth
little, as thou dost." Hereby he intimates to the Pharisee that his
love to Christ was so little that he had reason to question whether he
loved him at all in sincerity; and, consequently, whether indeed his
sin, though comparatively little, were forgiven him. Instead of
grudging greater sinners the mercy they find with Christ, upon their
repentance, we should be stirred up by their example to examine
ourselves whether we be indeed forgiven, and do love Christ.
4. He silenced her fears, who probably was discouraged by the
Pharisee's conduct, and yet would not so far yield to the
discouragement as to fly off.
(1.) Christ said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven, v. 48 .
Note, The more we express our sorrow for sin, and our love to Christ,
the clearer evidence we have of the forgiveness of our sins; for it is
by the experience of a work of grace wrought in us that
we obtain the assurance of an act of grace wrought for
us. How well was she paid for her pains and cost, when she was
dismissed with this word from Christ, Thy sins are forgiven! and
what an effectual prevention would this be of her return to sin again!
(2.) Though there were those present who quarrelled with Christ, in
their own minds, for presuming to forgive sin, and to pronounce sinners
absolved
( v. 49 ),
as those had done
( Matt. ix. 3 ),
yet he stood to what he had said; for as he had there proved
that he had power to forgive sin, by curing the man sick of the
palsy, and therefore would not here take notice of the cavil, so he
would now show that he had pleasure in forgiving sin, and it was
his delight; he loves to speak pardon and peace to penitents: He
said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee, v. 50 .
This would confirm and double her comfort in the forgiveness of her
sin, that she was justified by her faith. All these expressions
of sorrow for sin, and love to Christ, were the effects and products of
faith; and therefore, as faith of all graces doth most honour God, so
Christ doth of all graces put most honour upon faith. Note, They who
know that their faith hath saved them may go in peace, may go on their
way rejoicing.
Ver. 1. Now when he had ended all his sayings,.... That is, when Jesus, as the Persic version expresses it, had finished all the above sayings, doctrines, and instructions; not all that he had to say, for he said many things after this:
in the audience of the people; of the common people, the multitude besides the disciples; and that openly, and publicly, and with a loud and clear voice, that all might hear:
he entered into Capernaum; Jesus entered, as the Syriac version reads, into his own city, and where he had been before, and wrought miracles.
Luke 7:2
Ver. 2. And a certain centurion's servant,.... The same that Matthew makes mention of, Mt 8:5,
See Gill on "Mt 8:5".
See Gill on "Mt 8:6".
who was dear unto him; to the centurion, being an honest, upright, faithful, and obliging servant; as Tabi was to Rabban Gamaliel, of whom his master said {l},
"Tabi my servant, is not as other servants, hyh rvk, "he is upright".''
was sick: of a palsy; see Mt 8:6,
and ready to die; in all appearance his case was desperate, and there was no help for him by any human means, which makes the following cure, the more remarkable.
{l} T. Bab. Beracot, fol. 16. 2.
Luke 7:3
Ver. 3. And when he heard of Jesus,.... That he was come, as the Ethiopic version adds, into the city of Capernaum; or of his miracles, which he had done there, and elsewhere:
he sent unto him the elders of the Jews: in whom he had an interest, judging himself, being a Gentile, very unworthy and unfit to go himself, and ask a favour of so great a person as Christ was, such was his modesty and humility. These elders he sent, were not the more ancient inhabitants of the city, called Urah Me ynqz, "the elders of, or among the common people", as distinguished from hrwt ynqz, "the elders of the law", or those that were old in knowledge; of both which it is said by R. Simeon ben Achasia {m}, that
"the elders of the common people, when they grow old, their knowledge fails in them, as it is said, Joh 12:20 but so it is not with the "elders of the law"; but when they grow old, their knowledge rests in them, as it is said,
Job 12:12.''
But these were either some principal officers of the city, called the elders of the people elsewhere; particularly, who were members of the sanhedrim; for as elders, when they design the elders in Jerusalem, mean the great sanhedrim {n} there; so elders, in other places, intend the sanhedrim, consisting of twenty one persons, or the bench of three; and such were these, the centurion sent to Christ:
beseeching him that he would come and heal his servant: he besought him most earnestly by these messengers, that he would come to his house, and cure his servant of the palsy, by laying his hands on him, or commanding the distemper off, by a word speaking; or in what way he should think fit, for he made no doubt that he was able to heal him.
{m} Misn. Kenim, c. 3. sect. 6. {n} T. Hieros. Sota, fol. 23. 3.
Luke 7:4
Ver. 4. And when they came to Jesus,.... To that part of the city where he was; either at Peter's house, where he used to be when in this place; or rather it might be as he was passing along the streets, that they came up to him
they besought him instantly; or with great vehemence and importunity; very studiously and carefully they urged the case, and pressed him much to it:
saying, he was worthy for whom he should do this; or, "for whom thou shouldst do this", as the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, Persic, and Ethiopic versions read, and some copies; and which reading connects the words best. This speech of theirs savours of their "pharisaic" tenet and notion of merit, and is very different from the sense the poor centurion had of himself.
Luke 7:5
Ver. 5. For he loveth our nation,.... The Jewish nation, which was Christ's nation, as well as theirs, he being a Jew; see Joh 18:35. This they mention as an argument to induce him to have a regard to the centurion, though he was a Gentile; since he was a friend of the Jews, and well affected and disposed to them, which was very rare: it was not common for the Gentiles to love the Jews, any more than the Jews the Gentiles; there was an hatred, yea, an enmity between them; but this man, very likely, was a proselyte to their religion, as the following instance seems to show:
and he hath built us a synagogue; at his own private charge, and by the assistance of his soldiers under him, whom he might employ in this work: sometimes a single person built a synagogue at his own expense, and gave it to the citizens; of which the Jews say, {o}
"if a man builds an house, and afterwards devotes it to a synagogue, it is as a synagogue.''
{o} Piske Harosh Megilia, c. 4. art. 1.
Luke 7:6
Ver. 6. Then Jesus went with them,.... The elders of the Jews, towards the centurion's house, after hearing their request, and their reasons for it; and that without any reluctancy, he at once complied, made no hesitation, or difficulty about it, but went with them very freely:
and when he was now not far from the house; of the centurion, where his servant lay sick; he having some notice of his coming, and of his being near his house, in his great humility, and being conscious to himself of his unworthiness to have such a person under his roof, sent messengers to prevent him:
the centurion sent friends to him, saying unto him, Lord, trouble not thyself; or do not fatigue thyself by coming to the house, stop, go no further;
for I am not worthy that thou shouldst enter under my roof: he might know full well the law of the Jews, that it was not lawful for a Jew to go into the house of an uncircumcised Gentile; and though he might be a proselyte of righteousness, and so his house was free of entrance; yet considering his own meanness, and the greatness of Christ, who was become so famous for his doctrines and miracles, he thought it too great a stoop for Christ to come into his house, and too high a favour for him to enjoy.
Luke 7:7
Ver. 7. Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee,.... In person; therefore he sent the elders of the Jews to him first, and now some of his friends, who delivered these words in his name:
but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed; speak but the word only, rebuke the distemper, command it off, and it will be gone; so great was his faith in the power of Christ.
Luke 7:8
Ver. 8. For I also am a man set under authority,.... Of the Roman senate; "or belonging to the emperor", as the Arabic version renders it; and under the command of a tribune, as a centurion was: so that this is not an amplification, but a diminution of his office; and his sense is, that even he who was but an inferior officer, yet had such power as after related:
having under me soldiers; an hundred, or more:
and I say unto one, go, and he goeth, and to another, come, and he cometh, and to my servant, do this, and he doth it; as this his servant used to do, and whom he may intend, who now lay sick, and therefore was dear unto him. His meaning is, that Christ could as easily command, and call off a distemper, add it would obey him, as he could command obedience from his soldiers and servant, and have it, and more so.
Luke 7:9
Ver. 9. When Jesus heard these things,.... Which the friends of the centurion related from him, and in his name; or which he himself delivered, coming up to Christ after them:
he marvelled at him; at his great humility and modesty, and the strength of his faith, and his manner of reasoning:
and turned him about; from him, and his friends:
and said unto the people that followed him; from the mount to Capernaum, and as he was passing along the streets:
I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel; or "among the Israelites", as the Syriac; or "among the children of Israel", as the Persic; or "in all Israel", as the Arabic version reads, as he did in this single Gentile; See Gill on "Mt 8:10".
Luke 7:10
Ver. 10. And they that were sent,.... Both the elders of the Jews, and the friends of the centurion:
returning to the house; of the centurion, where his servant lay, and from whence they came:
found the servant whole that had been sick; for he was healed directly, as soon as the centurion had expressed his faith, and Christ had declared that it should be according to it, Mt 8:13.
Luke 7:11
Ver. 11. And it came to pass the day after,.... The Vulgate Latin reads "afterward", not expressing any day, as in Lu 8:1, but the Syriac, Arabic, Persic, and Ethiopic versions, read to the same sense as we, the day after, the next day, on the morrow, after he had cured the centurion's servant in Capernaum, where he staid all night:
that he went into a city called Naim; which Jerom {p} places near Mount Tabor, and the river Kison. The {q} Jews speak of a Naim in, the tribe of Issachar, so called from its pleasantness, and which seems to be the same place with this. The Persic version reads it, "Nabetis", or "Neapolis", the same With Sychem in Samaria, but without reason:
and many of his disciples went with him; not only the twelve, but many others:
and much people; from Capernaum, and other parts, that followed him to see his miracles, or for one end or another, though, they did not believe in him; at least these were only hearers, and had, not entered themselves among the disciples,
{p} Tom. 1. ad Marcellum, fol. 44. B. & Epitaph. Paulae. fol. 60. A. {q} Bereshit Rabba, sect. 98. fol. 86. 1.
Luke 7:12
Ver. 12. Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city,.... Of Naim:
behold: there was a dead man carried out; of the city; for they, used not to bury in cities, but in places without, and at some distance: the burying places of the Jews were not near, their cities {r}; and they had different ways of carrying them out to be buried, according to their different ages: a child under a month old was carried out in the bosom of a person; if a full month old, in a little coffin, which they carried in their arms; one of a twelve month old was carried in a little coffin on the shoulder; and one of three years old on a bier or bed, {s} and so upwards; and in this manner was this corpse carried out: who was
the only son of his mother; hence the sorrow and mourning were the greater; see Zec 12:10
and she was a widow; and if she had been supported by her son, her loss was very considerable; and having neither husband, nor son, to do for her, her case was very affecting:
and much people of the city was with her; according to the age of persons was the company that attended them to the grave: if it was an infant, not a month old, it was buried by one woman, and two men, but not by one man, and two women; if a month old, by men and women; and whoever was carried out on a bier or bed, many mourned for him; and whoever was known to many, many accompanied him {t}; and which was the case this dead man: he seems to have been well known and respected by the company that attended him to his grave; of these some were bearers, and these had their deputies, and these again theirs; for as they carried their dead a great way, they were obliged often to change their bearers; and of the company, some went before the bier, and others went after it {u}: besides, what served to increase company at a funeral was, that it was looked upon as an act of kindness and mercy to follow a corpse to the grave {w}; to which may be added, and what must always tend to increase the number at such a time, that, according to the Jewish canons {x}
"it was forbidden to do any work at the time a dead man was buried, even one of the common people.''
{r} T. Bab. Kiddushin, fol. 80. 2. Gloss. {s} T. Moed Katon, fol. 24. 1, 2. & Kiddashin, fol. 80. 2. Massech. Semachot, c. 3. sect. 2, 3. Maimon. Hilch. Ebel, c. 12. sect. 10, 11. {t} Ut in locis supra citatis. {u} Vid Misn. Beracot, c. 3. sect. 1. {w} Maimon. in Misn. Peah, c. 1. sect. 1. {x} Piske Tosaphot Megilla, art. 106. T. Bab. Moed Katon, fol. 27. 2.
Luke 7:13
Ver. 13. And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her,.... Knowing her case, that she was a widow, and had lost her only son:
and said unto her, weep not; signifying, that he would help her, which he did without being asked to do it, as usual in other cases.
Luke 7:14
Ver. 14. And he came and touched the bier,.... Or "bed", as the Syriac version renders it; and such was hjm, "the bier", or bed, on which one of three years old, and upward, was carried as above mentioned: so that on which Herod was carried to his grave is called
klinh "a bed", by Josephus {y}. As for the bed, or bier, of what sort it was that they carried out their dead upon, take the following account: {z}
"formerly the rich carried out (their dead) upon a bed called Dargash, (which is said {a} to be a bed that was not platted with ropes, and is called a bed of fortune {b},) and the poor carried out (their dead) upon one that was called Celicah, (or Celibah, as sometimes read; and this was made in the form of an iron horn, on which they bound the corpse, that it might not fall; and it was called so, because it was made like a coup of birds {c} as the word is used in Jer 5:27) and the poor, were made ashamed; and therefore they ordered that all should carry out (their dead) on a Celicah, for the honour of the poor.''
To this Christ came near and touched: not that by his touching of that, the dead should be raised; but this he did as a signal, that the bearers should stop. The Jews {d} say, one of the charges that Jacob gave to his sons before his death, was, to:
"take care (says he) that no uncircumcised person, ytjmb
egy, touch my bed, or "bier", lest the Shekinah remove from me; but, according to this order, do unto me, carry me, three on the north, three on the south, three on the east, and three on the west, &c.''
From whence it should seem, that a circumcised person, as Christ was, might touch a bier without offence, or hurt, and without contracting any ceremonial pollution: to touch a dead body, or the bone of man, or a grave, was forbidden by the law, Nu 19:16 and so, according to the traditions of the elders {e}, the stone that was rolled at the mouth of the sepulchre, and the, side of the sepulchre, defiled by touching; but I do not find that touching a bier was ever forbidden.
And they that bare him stood still: these are they that are called
hjmh yavwg "the bearers of the bed", or "bier": and Maimonides {f} says,
"they carry the dead upon their shoulders to the grave; and the bearers of the bier are forbidden to put on their sandals, lest the latchet of any one of them should fail, and should be found to hinder him doing his duty.''
And elsewhere it is said {g},
"the bearers of the bed, or bier, and their deputies, and their deputies' deputies, both before the bier and after it, find whoever the bier stood in need of, were free;''
i.e. from reading the Shema, or, "hear, O Israel", &c. and from prayer: the reason of their having so many bearers was, because they carried the dead a great way to be buried. King Herod was carried after this manner two hundred furlongs from , to the castle of Herodion {h}:
and he said, young man, I say unto thee, arise. The Ethiopic version adds, "and he arose": Christ spoke as one that had the keys of death and the grave; and divine power went along with his words, which raised the dead man to life; and full proof this is of the true and proper deity of Christ.
{y} De Bello Jud. l. 1. c. 33. sect. 11. {z} T. Bab. Moed Katon, fol. 27. 1, 2. {a} T. Hieros. Beracot, fol. 5. 4. {b} T. Bab. Nedarim, fol. 56. 2. {c} R. Sampson & Bartenora in Misn. , c. 12. sect. 9. {d} Bereshit Rabba, sect. 100. fol. 87. 4. {e} Misn. Oholot, c. 2. sect. 4. {f} Hilchot. Ebel, c. 4. sect. 2. 3. {g} Misn. Beracot, c. 3. sect. 1. {h} Josephus, ut supra. (De Bello Jud. l. 1. c. 33. sect. 11.)
Luke 7:15
Ver. 15. And he that was dead,.... That had been dead, (for he was now alive,) as it was a clear case to all his relations and friends, or they would never have brought him out to bury him:
sat up; upon the bed, or bier: and began to speak; both which, his sitting up and speaking, were plain proofs of his being brought to life:
and he delivered him to his mother; for whose sake he raised him from the dead, commiserating her case: wherefore, as Christ showed his power in raising the dead man, he discovered great humanity, kindness, and tenderness, in delivering him alive to his mother; which might be done after he came off of the bier, by taking him by the hand, and leading him to his mother, and giving him up into her arms: think what affecting scene this must be!
Luke 7:16
Ver. 16. And there came a fear on all,.... That were there present, and heard, and saw what was done. Not a fear of dread, and terror, and of punishment, as in devils and wicked men; but a fear and reverence of the divine majesty, whose power and presence they were sensible must be there at that time:
and they glorified God; they praised him, and gave thanks to him, ascribing this amazing action to divine power, and gave God the glory of it; and blessed him for the Messiah, who was sent unto them, as they concluded Jesus to be, from this wonderful instance:
saying, that a great prophet is risen up among us; even that great prophet Moses wrote of, and said should be raised up from among the children of Israel, De 18:15 and that God hath visited his people. The Arabic version adds, "for good". For God sometimes visits for evil, in a wave of wrath and sore displeasure; but this was a visitation for good: they concluded that God had looked upon them with a look of love, and had a gracious regard to them, and had sent them the Messiah, who, they hoped, would deliver them from the Roman yoke; as he had formerly looked upon, and visited their fathers, and sent a redeemer to them, to deliver them from Egyptian bondage. The Ethiopic version renders it, "and God hath mercy on his people"; and the Persic version, "God hath looked upon his people, and hath taken care of them."
Luke 7:17
Ver. 17. And this rumour of him,.... Or the report of this surprising miracle in raising a dead man to life, that was carrying to his grave,
went forth throughout all Judea, and throughout all the region round about; not only Judea, and the several cities, towns, and villages in it, but all the country round about it, especially Galilee. The Persic version reads, "all countries which are round about "; see Mt 3:5.
Luke 7:18
Ver. 18. And the disciples of John showed him of all these things. The miracles that were wrought by Christ; particularly the healing of the centurion's servant, and the raising from the dead the widow of Naim's son, and what fame and reputation Christ got every where by his doctrine, and mighty works. John was now in prison, when these his disciples came and related these things to him; see
Mt 11:2 and they spoke of them, not as commending Christ for them; but as envying, grieving, and complaining, that he carried away all the honour and glory from John their master, for whom they had the greatest regard.
Luke 7:19
Ver. 19. And John calling unto him two of his disciples,.... Which were a sufficient number to be sent on an errand, to ask a question, and report the answer, or bear witness to any fact they should see, or hear done.
Sent them unto Jesus, saying, art thou he that should come, or look we for another? not that he doubted that Jesus was the Messiah; nor was it for his own satisfaction so much that he sent these disciples of his with this question, but for theirs; and to remove all doubt and hesitation from them about Christ.
Luke 7:20
Ver. 20. When the men were come to him,.... To Jesus; "those two men", as the Arabic version reads; "the disciples", as the Persic version; the same that John sent from the castle of Machaerus, where he was now a prisoner, to Christ, who was teaching in some city or town of Galilee:
they said, John the Baptist; so well known by his being the administrator of the ordinance of baptism:
hath sent us unto thee, saying, art thou he that should come, or look we for another? See Gill on "Mt 11:3".
Luke 7:21
Ver. 21. And in that same hour,.... Or at that same time, for a precise hour is not intended: one exemplar reads, "in that day", in which these men came to Christ,
he, Jesus, as the Persic version expresses it,
cured many of their infirmities; bodily weaknesses and disorders: and plagues; which were inflicted on them as scourges and corrections for sin, very severe diseases, as epilepsies, leprosies, palsies, &c. and of evil spirits; or devils, which he dispossessed and commanded out of the bodies of men; though sometimes evil spirits, with the Jews, signify some kinds of bodily diseases: as when it is said {i}
"whoever puts out a lamp because he is afraid of Gentiles, or of thieves, or of her xwr, "an evil spirit", or because of a sick man that is asleep, he is free.''
Upon which Maimonides observes,
"an evil spirit they call all kinds of diseases, which, in the Arabic language, go by the name of "melancholy"; for it is one kind of the diseases mentioned, which makes a sick man to fly, and separate himself from mankind, as if he was afraid of the light, or of coming into the company of men:''
and unto many that were blind he gave sight; freely, as an act of grace and kindness, as the word signifies, without any merit, or motive, in them.
{i} Misn. Sabbat, c. 2. sect. 5. Vid Maimon. Hilchot Gerushin, c. 2. sect. 14.
Luke 7:22
Ver. 22. Then Jesus answering said unto them,.... "To the disciples", as the Persic; to both, as the Arabic: when he had wrought these cures, he turned himself to the disciples of John, and made answer to their question. The Vulgate Latin leaves out the word "Jesus", rendering it, "and he answering"; in the following words:
go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard. They had just seen many cured of infirmities, plagues, and evil spirits, and they had heard the doctrines of the Gospel preached by him; and the former were in confirmation of the latter, and both were proofs of his being the Messiah: the particulars of which follow,
how that the blind see; that is, they that had been blind, and some that were born blind received their sight, which was what was never heard of before, from the beginning of the world; and which, as it is an instance of Christ's almighty power, showing him to be God; so it was a fulfilment of a prophecy concerning him as the Messiah, who, when he came, was to open the eyes of the blind, Isa 35:5 and this was true, not only in a corporeal, but in a spiritual sense: and generally so it was, that when the blind received their bodily sight, they also received their spiritual sight; and both were evidences of the true Messiahship of our Lord Jesus.
The lame walk; these were among those who were cured of their infirmities; and this also was prophesied of the Messiah, and was now accomplished by Jesus, that "the lame man" should "leap as an hart",
Isa 35:6 and so was to be considered by John, and his disciples, as another proof of his being the true Messiah:
the lepers are cleansed; of this sort were they who were cured of their plagues: the leprosy was called a plague; hence the treatise of leprosy, in the Misna, is, by the Jews, called Negaim, or "plagues".
The deaf hear; so in the above prophecy in Isaiah, it is predicted, that "the ears of the deaf should be unstopped" in the days of the Messiah; and which therefore must be considered as a further confirmation of Jesus being he that was to come, and that another was not to be looked for.
The dead are raised: whether there were any raised at this time, or no, is not certain; but certain it is, that there had been one raised from the dead, if not in the presence of these disciples, yet just before they came to Christ, of which John had been informed by some of his disciples, if not these; and of which an account is given before in this chapter, and which is what none but the mighty God can do.
To the poor the Gospel is preached: it was preached both by the poor, the disciples of Christ, and to the poor, mean, base, and illiterate among the Jews; and also to the poor, meek, and lowly in heart, as was prophesied should be, by the Messiah, Isa 61:1 so that put all together, here were undoubted proofs, and a full demonstration, that Jesus was the Messiah; See Gill on "Mt 11:4".
See Gill on "Mt 11:5".
Luke 7:23
Ver. 23. And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me. The Arabic version renders it, "blessed is he that doubts not of me". The Persic and Ethiopic versions both add to the text, the former rendering the words thus, "blessed is he that is not brought into offence and doubt concerning me"; and the latter thus, "blessed are they who do not deny me, and are not offended in me": particular regard is had to the disciples of John, who both doubted of Christ as the Messiah, and were offended at his popularity and success;
See Gill on "Mt 11:6".
Luke 7:24
Ver. 24. And when the messengers of John were departed,.... The Syriac and Persic versions read, "the disciples of John"; and the Arabic version, "the two disciples of John"; the two that he sent, when they were gone back with the answer of Christ;
he, "Jesus", as the Persic version expresses it,
began to speak unto the people concerning John; not caring to say any thing about him to the messengers, or whilst they were present, lest he should be charged with flattery; See Gill on "Mt 11:7"
What went ye into the wilderness for to see? a reed shaken with the wind? an inconsistent, wavering, and unstable man? if so, they were greatly mistaken; or the motions and gesture of the man?
See Gill on "Mt 11:7".
Luke 7:25
Ver. 25. But what went you out for to see?.... If not his air and action, what was it? was it his apparel and dress? was it to see
a man clothed in soft raiment? If this was the case, their labour was in vain, and they had their walk for nothing; for John was clothed with camels' hair, rough and undressed, and was girt with a leathern girdle; there was nothing in his person, mien, and garb, that was attractive:
they which are gorgeously, apparelled; or richly clothed, as John was not:
and live delicately; in the most elegant manner, and on the richest dainties, as John did not, his food being locusts and wild honey:
are in kings' courts; and not in a wilderness, where John; came preaching.
Luke 7:26
Ver. 26. But what went ye out for to see?.... What led your curiosity to go into the wilderness after him, since it could not be any of the above things? was it to see
a prophet? which was the case; for John was a prophet, and was known to be one; and the fame of him, as such, drew vast numbers to see and hear him, there not having been a prophet among the Jews, for some hundreds of years:
yea, I say unto you, and much more than a prophet; not that he was the prophet Moses did say should come; nor was he the priest that should arise with the "Urim" and "Thummim", that the "Tirshatha", Nehemiah spoke of; nor was he the king Messiah; but he was his forerunner, he saw him and baptized him, and so was greater than any of the prophets that went before him.
Luke 7:27
Ver. 27. This is he of whom it is written,.... In Mal 3:1.
See Gill on "Mt 11:10".
See Gill on "Mr 1:2".
Luke 7:28
Ver. 28. For I say unto you----here is not a greater prophet,.... The word "prophet" is left out in the Arabic and Ethiopic versions, as in Mt 11:11.
See Gill on "Mt 11:11".
Luke 7:29
Ver. 29. And all the people that heard him,.... Either Christ saying these things in commendation of John, and gave their assent to them, and showed their approbation of them, having been baptized by him; or rather, the people that had heard John preach the doctrines of repentance and faith, and of baptism; for these words seem rather to be the words of Christ, relating the success of John's ministry among different persons:
and the publicans justified God; even those wicked men, who were before profligate and abandoned sinners, when they came under John's ministry, were so wrought upon by the power and grace of God through it, that they approved of, and applauded the wisdom, goodness, and grace of God, in sending such a prophet as John; in qualifying him in the manner he did, and giving in him a commission to preach such doctrines, and administer such an ordinance as he did: and this their approbation of the divine conduct, and their thankfulness for the same, they testified by their
being baptized with the baptism of John; they expressed their sentiments by their obedience; they declared it was right in God to institute such an ordinance, and for John to administer it; and that it became them to submit to it, as a part of righteousness to be fulfilled; they hereby signified, that they thought that it was agreeable to the nature of God, who is holy, just, and good, suitable to the Gospel dispensation, and very fit and proper for them.
Luke 7:30
Ver. 30. But the Pharisees and lawyers,.... Or Scribes, as the Syriac and Persic versions read; for the Scribes and lawyers were the same sort of persons. The Ethiopic version calls them, "the Scribes of the city": these "rejected the counsel of God against themselves"; against their own advantage, to their hurt and detriment; since by their impenitence and unbelief, and through their rejection of Christ and his forerunner, and the Gospel and the ordinances of it, they brought ruin and destruction, both temporal and eternal, upon themselves: or "towards themselves", or "unto them"; that is, they "rejected the command of God unto them", as the Arabic version renders it: for by "the counsel of God" here, is not meant his purpose, intention, and design, with respect to these persons, which was not, nor never is frustrated; but the precept of God, and so the Ethiopic version renders it,
they despised the command of God: that is, the ordinance of baptism, which was of God, and the produce of his counsel and wisdom, as the whole scheme, and all the ordinances of the Gospel are, and not the invention of men: or they rejected this "in themselves", as it may be rendered, and is by the Syriac and Persic versions; not openly and publicly, for they were afraid of the people, but inwardly and privately, and which their actions and conduct declared:
being not baptized of him; of John: by their neglect of this ordinance, they testified their aversion to it, and rejection of it.
Luke 7:31
Ver. 31. And the Lord said,.... This clause is not in the Syriac, Arabic, Persic, and Ethiopic versions, nor in some copies, nor in Beza's most ancient copy; and being omitted, more clearly shows, that the two former verses are the words of Christ, and not an observation the evangelist makes, on the different behaviour of Christ's hearers, upon the commendation he had given of John:
whereunto then shall I liken the men of this generation; or "to what men shall I liken them", as the Persic version: the phrase "men of this generation", is Rabbinical; so yvwa awhh ard, the men of that "generation", are more beautiful in work than these, says the Targumist on Ec 7:11. "And to what are they like?" To that which follows.
Luke 7:32
Ver. 32. They are like to children,.... The Pharisees and lawyers, who rejected the counsel of God, and the baptism of John, were like to "children"; not for innocence, simplicity, meekness, and humility; their characters were the reverse; but rather, for their ignorance, and want of understanding, their folly and weakness; nor are they here compared to the children that piped and mourned, but to those surly and ill natured ones, who made no answer to those that did. They, together with Christ, and John the Baptist, are in general likened to children,
sitting in the market place; where children were wont to be, there being a variety of persons and things to be seen; and which may design the temple, or the synagogues, or any place of concourse, where the Pharisees met, with John, Christ, and their disciples:
and calling one to another, and saying; they that were good natured, and more disposed to mirth and innocent diversions:
we have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned to you, and ye have not wept: they imitated the pipers at weddings, expecting their companions would have danced, as was usually done by the others, when the pipe was played upon; and they mimicked the mourning women at funerals, expecting their fellows would have made as though they had wept; whereas they would do neither, showing a dislike both to the one and to the other. The children that imitated the pipers, represent Christ and his disciples, who delivered the joyful sound of the Gospel; and the children that acted the part of the mourners, signify John the Baptist, and his disciples, who preached the doctrine of repentance; and the children that would not join with, nor make any answer to the one, or the other, intend the Scribes and Pharisees, who were not pleased with either of them, as the following words show; See Gill on "Mt 11:16".
See Gill on "Mt 11:17".
Luke 7:33
Ver. 33. For John the Baptist,.... Who is designed by the children that mourned in the above simile, with whom his character and conduct agree; he preached very mournful doctrine, delivered it in a very solemn and awful manner, and lived a very austere life, and fasted much, as did also his disciples. The word "Baptist" is here added by Luke, which Matthew has not, to distinguish him from others; and it may be, because he had just spoke of his baptism. The Persic version only reads, "the Baptist"; of him our Lord says, that he
came neither eating bread, nor drinking wine; which were the common food and drink of men, but his diet were locusts and wild honey, and from this he often abstained; nor would he attend festivals and entertainments, or be free and sociable with men: "bread" and "wine" are here mentioned, which are not in Matthew:
and ye say, he hath a devil; is mad, or melancholy; for madness and melancholy, or the hypochondriac disorder, was by them sometimes imputed to a diabolical possession, and influence, as the cause of it; and though these men pretended to great austerity of life, and frequent fastings, yet John was too abstemious for them, and they could not agree with his doctrine nor method of living;
See Gill on "Mt 12:18".
Luke 7:34
Ver. 34. The son of man is come eating and drinking,.... That is, eating bread and drinking wine, as other people do; and shuns no man's company, goes to a wedding, dines with a Pharisee, and eats with publicans and sinners, and carries it freely and courteously to all men:
and ye say, behold a gluttonous man and a wine bibber; an epicurian, a drunkard, a mere sot, one that gives up himself to sensual pleasures:
a friend of publicans and sinners; a good fellow, a boon companion, that sits with them, and encourages them in their revellings and drunkenness: such an ill use did the Jews make of our Lord's free, harmless, and innocent conversation with men; and in such a horrid manner did they traduce and vilify him, who was holy in his nature, harmless in his life, separate from sinners, knew no sin, nor ever committed any.
Luke 7:35
Ver. 35. But wisdom is justified of all her children. That is, Christ, who is the wisdom of God, and who acted the wise part, in behaving in such a free manner with all sorts of men, and even with publicans and sinners, whereby he became useful to their souls, called them to repentance, converted and saved them: and these are his children, which were given him by the Father; for whose sake he partook of flesh and blood, and whom he redeemed, that they might receive the adoption of children; and to whom, believing in him, he gives power to become the children of God: and these justify him from all such scandalous imputations, and by their lives and conversations show, that the doctrine of Christ is not a licentious one, or leads to libertinism, and indulges men in their carnal sensual lusts and pleasures; but, on the contrary, teaches them to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live soberly, righteously, and godly: the word "all", is inserted by Luke, which is not in Matthew; signifying, that this is the universal sense and practice of all the real offspring of Christ, the sons of wisdom, who are wise to do good.
Luke 7:36
Ver. 36. And one of the Pharisees,.... Whose name was Simon, Lu 7:40
Desired that he would eat with him; take a meal with him, either a dinner or a supper: this he did under a disguise of respect, and show of affection to him; though very likely with a design upon him to ensnare him, or take some advantage against him if he could; for it is certain, that he did not treat him with those civilities and ceremonies commonly used to guests; see Lu 7:44.
And he went into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat: he made no hesitation about it, but at once accepted of his invitation, though he knew both the man and his intentions; having nothing to fear from him, and being willing to carry it courteously to all men, and give proof of what he had just now said of himself, Lu 7:34.
Luke 7:37
Ver. 37. And behold, a woman in the city,.... Not Mary Magdalene, spoken of in Lu 8:2 under another character; and is a different person, who had not been taken notice of by the evangelist before; nor Mary the sister of Lazarus, who is said to anoint the feet of Christ, and wipe them with her hair, Joh 12:3. The character given of this woman, does not seem so well to agree with her; at least, the fact here recorded, cannot be the same with that; for this was in Galilee, and that in Bethany; this in the house of Simon the Pharisee, that in the house of Lazarus; this was some time before Christ's death, and after this he went a circuit through every city and village, that was but six days before his death, and after which he never went from those parts; nor is this account the same with the history, recorded in Mt 26:6 for that fact was done in Bethany also, this in Galilee; that in the house of Simon: the leper, this in the house of Simon the Pharisee; that was but two days before the death of Christ, this a considerable time before; the ointment that woman poured, was poured upon his head, this upon his feet: who this woman was, is not certain, nor in what city she dwelt; it seems to be the same in which the Pharisee's house was; and was no doubt one of the cities of Galilee, as Naim, Capernaum, or some other at no great distance from these:
which was a sinner; a notorious sinner, one that was known by all to have been a person of a wicked, life and conversation; a lewd woman, a vile prostitute, an harlot, commonly reputed so: the Arabic word here used, signifies both a sinner and a whore {k}; and so the word, sinners, seems to be used elsewhere by Luke; see Lu 15:1 compared with Mt 21:31. Some think she was a Gentile, Gentiles being reckoned by the Jews sinners, and the worst of sinners; but this does not appear:
when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house; having observed it herself, that he was invited by him, and went with him, or being informed of it by others,
brought an alabaster box of ointment: ointment was used to be put in vessels made of "alabaster", which kept it pure and incorrupt; and this stone was found about Damascus, {l} so that there might be plenty of it in Judea; at least it might be easily had, and such boxes might be common; and as this woman appears to have been a lewd person, she might have this box of ointment by her to anoint herself with, that she might recommend herself to her gallants. The historian {m} reports, that
"Venus gave to Phaon an alabaster box with ointment, with which Phaon, being anointed, became the most beautiful of men, and the women of Mitylene were taken with the love of him.''
If this box had been provided with such a view; it was now used to another and different purpose.
{k} Vid. Castell. Lex. Heptaglott. col. 1195. {l} Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 36. c. 8. {m} Aelian. var. Hist. l. 12. c. 8.
Luke 7:38
Ver. 38. And stood at his feet behind him,.... Christ lay upon a bed, or couch, as was the custom of the ancients, both Jews and others, at meals, with his feet put out behind; and between the couches and the walls of the room, there was a space for servants to wait and serve, and such are therefore said to "stand at the feet"; and the phrase is used, as descriptive of servants in waiting {n}; and in such a situation this woman put herself, as being also ashamed and afraid to come before Christ, and look him in the face; and here she stood weeping for her sins, and melted down with the love of Christ to her soul, and at his discourse:
and began to wash his feet with tears: which fell from her eyes in such abundance upon his feet, as she stood by him that they were like a shower of rain, as the word signifies, with which his feet were as it were bathed and washed; his shoes or sandals being off, as was the custom at eating so to do, lest they should daub the couch or bed, on which they lay {o}. Her tears she used instead of water; for it was the custom first to wash the feet before they were anointed with oil, which she intended to do; and for which purpose she had brought with her an alabaster box of ointment: it is said {p} of one,
"when he came home, that his maid brought him a pot of hot water, and he washed his hands and his feet in it; then she brought him a golden basin full of oil, and he dipped his hands and his feet in it, to fulfil what is said,
De 33:24 and after they had eaten and drank, he measured out oil, &c.''
And it is: a general rule with the Jews {q},
"that whoever anoints his feet, is obliged to washing or dipping.''
And did wipe them with the hairs of her head; which were long, and hung loose about her shoulders, it being usual and comely for women to wear long hair, 1Co 11:15. That which was her ornament and pride, and which she took great care of to nourish and put in proper form, to, render her desirable, she uses instead of a towel to wipe her Lord's feet, and her tears off of them. A like phrase is used of one by Apuleius,
"his verbis & amplexibus mollibus decantatus maritus, lachrymasque ejus suis crinibus detergens, &c. {r}:''
"and kissed his feet". This was no unusual practice with the Jews; we often read of it {s}:
"R. Jonathan and R. Jannai were sitting together, there came a certain man, ywlgr qvnw, "and kissed the feet" of R. Jonathan.''
Again {t}
"R. Meir stood up, and Bar Chama, hyerka hyqvn, "kissed his knees", or "feet".''
This custom was also used by the Greeks and Romans among their civilities, and in their salutations {u}:
and anointed them with the ointment; which she brought with her.
{n} Vid Alstorphium de lectis veterum, p. 106, 107. {o} Ib. p. 123, 124. {p} T. Bab. Meuachot, fol. 85. 2. {q} T. Bab. Zebachim, fol. 26. 2. Maimon. Hilchot Biath Harnikdash, c. 5. sect. 5. {r} Metamorph. l. 5. {s} T. Hieros. Peah, fol. 15. 4. & Kiddushin, fol. 61. 3. T. Bab. Cetubot, fol. 49. 2. Vid. ib. fol. 63. 1. {t} T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol 27. 2. {u} Vid. Aristophanem in vespis, p. 473. Arvian Epictet. l. 3. c. 26. & Alex. ab. Alex. Gen. Dier. l. 2. c. 19.
Luke 7:39
Ver. 39. Now when the Pharisee, which had bidden him, saw it,.... Simon, who had invited Christ to eat with him, when he saw what was done by the woman, how she stood at his feet, and washed them with her tears, and wiped them with her hairs, and then kissed and anointed them:
he spoke within himself; not openly and publicly, being in good manners, though not in real respect to Christ, unwilling to affront his guest; but turned these things over in his mind, and reasoned upon them within himself:
saying, this man, if he were a prophet; as he was said, and believed to be by many, but questioned by this Pharisee:
would have known who and what manner of woman this is, that toucheth him; he took it for granted that Christ did not know this woman personally, that she was one of the city; nor her character, or "what" was "her fame", as the Syriac version renders it, which was very ill; or "her condition", as the Arabic version, she being not a religious person, but a notorious lewd one: this he concluded, from his admitting her to such nearness to him, and familiarity with him; and from hence argues within himself, that he could not be a prophet; since, according to his notion of a prophet, he must know persons and their characters; though this was not always requisite in a prophet, nor did the prophetic gift at all times show itself in this way: however, this man reasoned upon the commonly received notions of the Pharisees, both of the Messiah, the prophet that Moses said should come, and of their own conduct, and of all religious men: their notion with respect to the Messiah was, that he should be of so quick an understanding, or smell, as in Isa 11:3 that he should know at once who was a wicked person, and who not.
"Bar Coziba (they say {w}) reigned two years and a half; he said to, the Rabbans, I am the Messiah; they replied to him, it is written of the Messiah, Isa 11:3 that he smells, or is of quick understanding and judges (the gloss on it is, he smells on a man, and judges and knows,
byyhh ym, "who is a wicked man"): let us see whether he smells and judges; and when they saw that he did not smell and judge, they killed him.''
But Jesus, the true Messiah, could do so; he knew who were sinners, he knew this woman to be one, as the following account shows: and their notion with respect to the conduct of religious persons towards the common people, and those of a bad character, and which the Pharisee here suggests, was, that the touch of such persons was defiling, and therefore to be avoided: for they say {x}, that
"the Pharisees, if they touched the garments of the common people, they were defiled.''
And therefore when they walked in the streets,
"they walked in the sides (of the ways), that they might not be defiled, egmb, "by the touch" of the common people {y}''
For she is a sinner; a notorious one; or "that she is a sinner"; and the sense is, Christ, had he been a prophet, the Pharisee intimates, would have known that this woman was a vile creature; and he would have shown it; by his abhorrence and rejection of her; or as the Persic version adds, "would have declared her sins".
{w} T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 93. 9. {x} Maimon. in Misn. Chagiga, c. 2. sect. 7. {y} Ib. Hilchot Abot Hatumaot, c. 13. sect. 8.
Luke 7:40
Ver. 40. And Jesus answering said unto him,.... Christ being God omniscient, knew not only the character and conversation of this woman, which were publicly known by all, that knew any thing of her, but also the secret thoughts and reasonings of the Pharisee, and makes answer to them; which shows, that he was a prophet, in the sense of this man; yea, more than a prophet:
Simon, I have somewhat to say to thee; this could not be Simon Peter, Christ spoke to, as some have suggested; for the answer is made unto the Pharisee, and he is the person addressed by the name of Simon; even he, into whose house Christ entered, and now was, as appears from Lu 7:44.
And he saith, Master; or teacher, or doctor; or as the Syriac version, "Rabbi"; which was the common salutation of doctors:
say on. This was a way of speaking in use with the Jews, giving leave to proceed in a discourse; and as Christ was now a guest in this man's house, he asks leave of him, and he grants him it: so we read of R. Simeon ben Gamaliel {z} that he said to R. Ishmael ben Elishah,
"is it thy pleasure that I should say before thee one thing? he said unto him, rwma, "say on".''
Again, R. Jochanan ben Zaccai said {a} to a certain governor,
"suffer me to say one thing to thee: he replied to him,
rwma, "say on".''
{z} Abot R. Nathan, c. 38. fol. 9. 2. {a} Bemidbar Rabba, sect. 4. fol. 183. 1.
Luke 7:41
Ver. 41. There was a certain creditor,.... All the Oriental versions premise something to this. The Syriac version reads, "Jesus said unto him". The Arabic version, "then he said". The Persic version, "Jesus said"; and the Ethiopic version, "and he said to him"; and something of this kind is understood, and to be supplied in the text:
which had two debtors, the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty; these were, as the word shows, Roman "denarii" or "pence"; the former of these sums, reckoning a Roman penny at seven pence halfpenny of our money, amounted to fifteen pounds and twelve shillings and six pence; and the latter, to one pound eleven shillings and three pence; the one of these sums was ten times larger, than the other. This is a parable: by "the creditor", God is meant, to whom men owe their beings, and the preservation of them, and all the mercies of life; and are under obligation to obedience and thankfulness: hence: no man can merit any thing of God, or pay off any old debt, by a new act of obedience, since all is due to him: by the "two debtors" are meant, greater and lesser sinners: all sins are debts, and all sinners are debtors; not debtors to sin, for then it would not be criminal, but lawful to commit sin, and God must be pleased with it, which he is not, and men might promise themselves impunity, which they cannot; but they are debtors to fulfil the law, and in case of failure, are bound to the debt of punishment: and of these debtors and debts, some are greater, and others less; not but that they, are all equally sinners in Adam, and equally guilty and corrupted by his transgression; and the same seeds of sin are in the hearts of all men, and all sin is committed against God, and is a breach of his law, and is mortal, or deserving of death, even death eternal; but then as some commands are greater, and others less, so must their transgressions be: sin more immediately committed against God, is greater than that which is committed against our neighbour; and besides, the circumstances of persons and things differ, which more or less aggravate the offence.
Luke 7:42
Ver. 42. And when they had nothing to pay,.... Neither the lesser nor greater debtor; for though not alike in debt, yet both insolvent: man has run out his whole stock, which the God of nature gave him, in his original creation and primitive state; and is become a bankrupt and a beggar, is poor, wretched, and miserable; he has no money, he has nothing to offer for a composition, much less for payment; he has no righteousness, and if he had, it would be nothing to pay with; since that itself, even in perfection, is due to God, and cannot discharge a former debt: sin being committed against an infinite being, is in some sense an infinite debt, and requires an infinite satisfaction, which a finite creature can never give; and he is therefore liable to a prison, and that for ever: but behold the wonderful grace of God, the creditor!
he frankly forgave them both: their whole debts, without regard to any merits of theirs, which they could not have, or any motives in them, or any conditions to be performed by them, but purely of his sovereign will, free grace, and rich mercy, though not without regard to the satisfaction of his Son; which by no means hinders the frankness of the pardon, or obscures the grace of it, but increases and illustrates it; seeing this satisfaction is of God's own finding out, providing, and accepting; and is at his own expense, and without money and price, to the debtors:
tell me therefore, which of them will love him most; or "ought to love him most", as the Ethiopic version. The Vulgate Latin, and all the Oriental versions, leave out the first part of this clause, "tell me".
Luke 7:43
Ver. 43. Simon answered and said,.... Very readily, without any hesitation, not being aware of the application of it, to the instance he had been pondering in his mind:
I suppose, that he to whom he forgave most; it was his opinion, and to him a plain case, that he that owed the largest debt, and that being forgiven him fully, and freely, as he was under the greatest obligation, so as he ought, he would show the greatest love and affection to his kind and gracious creditor:
and he said unto him; that is, Jesus said, as the Syriac and Persic versions express it:
thou hast rightly judged; this is a right and true judgment of the case; it is according to the nature and truth of things, and what is obvious and clear at first sight, and which every one must agree to.
Luke 7:44
Ver. 44. And he turned to the woman,.... That stood behind him at his feet,
and said to Simon, seest thou this woman? and what she has done? pointing to her, and comparing him, and her, and their actions together, whereby he might judge of the preceding parable, and how fitly it might be applied to the present case:
I entered into thine house; not of his own accord, but by the invitation of Simon, and therefore might have expected the usual civilities:
thou gavest me no water for my feet: to wash them with, no, not so much as water; a civility very common in those hot countries, where walking without stockings, and only with sandals, they needed often washing; and which was very refreshing, and was not only used to travellers and strangers, but to guests, and was usually done by the servants of the house; See Gill on "Lu 7:38".
but she hath washed my feet with tears. The Persic version reads, "with the tears of her eyes"; which made a bath for his feet;
and wiped them with the hairs of her head. The Vulgate Latin, Syriac, Persic, and Ethiopic versions read only, "with her hair", which she used instead of a towel, when Simon neither gave him water to wash with, nor a towel to wipe with.
Luke 7:45
Ver. 45. Thou gavest me no kiss,.... A token of civility among friends, when they met together on any occasion. The Jews have a saying {b}, that
"all kisses are foolish, excepting three; the kiss of grandeur or dignity, as in 1Sa 10:1 and the kiss at parting, as in Ru 1:14 and the kiss at meeting, as in Ex 4:27 (of which sort this kiss may be thought to be), to which some add the kiss of consanguinity (or that used by relations to one another), as in Ge 29:11'
but this woman, since the time I came in. The Vulgate Latin and Syriac versions read, "since she came in"; and so two of Stephens's copies; which seems to be the more agreeable reading, seeing Christ was in Simon's house before this woman came; for she knowing that he was there, came thither after him:
hath not ceased to kiss my feet; which shows, that this action was repeated by her times without number, even ever since she came into the house.
{b} Shemot Rabba, sect. 6. fol. 91. 3, 4.
Luke 7:46
Ver. 46. Mine head with oil thou didst not anoint,.... No not with common oil, so usually done at feasts, see Ps 23:5
but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment; even "with ointment" amobd, "of spices", as the Syriac version renders it. There is, throughout the whole account, an opposition between the conduct of Simon, and this woman: he gave him no common water to wash his feet with, she shed floods of tears, and with them bathed his feet, and then wiped them clean with the hairs of her head; he gave him not the usual salutation by kissing his head or lips, but she kissed his feet, and that over and over again; he did not so much as anoint his head with common oil, when she anointed his feet with costly ointment brought in an alabaster box. These several ceremonies to guests were used by their hosts, in other nations, such as washing, anointing, and kissing {c}.
{c} Vid. Apuleii Metamorph. i. 1. prope finem.
Luke 7:47
Ver. 47. Wherefore I say unto thee,.... Not "for this that she hath done", as the Persic version very wrongly renders it; not because she had washed Christ's feet with tears, and wiped them with her hairs, and kissed and anointed them, therefore her sins were forgiven; nor upon this account, and for those reasons did Christ say, or declare, that they were forgiven; but ou carin, "for this cause", or reason, he said this to Simon the Pharisee, to remove his objections, to rectify his mistakes, and stop his murmuring and complaining, by observing, that though she had been a great sinner, yet she was now not such an one as he took her to be; she was a pardoned sinner, and not that guilty and filthy creature he imagined; the guilt of all her sins was removed, and she was cleansed from all her filthiness:
her sins, which are many, are forgiven; though she was like the largest debtor in the parable, which owed five hundred pence, yet the whole score was cleared; though her sins were numerous, and attended with very aggravating circumstances, which denominated her a sinner in a very emphatic sense, a notorious one, yet they were all fully, and freely forgiven:
for she loved much; or "therefore she loved much": her great love was not the cause of the remission of her sins, but the full and free remission of her many sins, which had been, manifested to her, was the cause of her great love, and of her showing it in the manner she had done: that this is the sense of the words, is clear from the parable, and the accommodation of it to the present case, otherwise there would be no agreement. Upon relating the parable of the two debtors, Christ puts the question to Simon, which of the two it was most reasonable to think would love most? his answer is and which Christ approved of, he to whom most was forgiven; where, it is plain, that according to our Lord's sense, and even Simon's opinion of the case, that forgiveness is the cause, and love the effect; and that according as the forgiveness is of more or less, love is proportionate; and which is applied to the case in hand: this poor woman had been a great sinner; her many sins were pardoned; and therefore she expressed much love to him, from whom she had received her pardon by the above actions, and much more than Simon had done:
but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little; this is an accommodation of the other part of the parable, and has a very special respect to Simon, the Pharisee, whose debts, in his own opinion, were few or none, at least ten times less than this woman's; and he had little or no sense of the forgiveness of them, or of any obligation to Christ on that account; and therefore was very sparing of his love and respect, and even of common civilities to him.
Luke 7:48
Ver. 48. And he saith unto her,.... Directing his discourse to the woman that now stood before him:
thy sins are forgiven; which was said, partly on account of the Pharisee, to let him see, that he knew this woman, what she was, and had been; that she had been a sinner, a great sinner, one that owed five hundred pence, but was now forgiven, washed, cleansed, sanctified, and justified, and therefore not to be shunned and avoided; and partly on the woman's account, that she might have a fresh discovery of the forgiveness of her sins, for her comfort under the severe censure of the Pharisee, and that her faith in it might be strengthened; as also on his own account, to show that he was not only a prophet that had extraordinary knowledge of persons, and their characters, but that he was the most high God, to whom belonged the prerogative of pardoning sin.
Luke 7:49
Ver. 49. And they that sat at meat with him,.... Other Pharisees that sat at Simon's table with Christ, whom he had invited as guests, on this occasion of seeing and conversing with Jesus; or some of Simon's family, that sat down to eat with him;
began to say within themselves; that is, either thought and reasoned in their own minds, or whispered among themselves:
who is this that forgiveth sins also? who not content to transgress the traditions of the elders, by admitting a sinful woman to touch him, but assumes that to himself which is peculiar to God, to forgive sin: this they said, not as wondering at him, what manner of person he must be, that with such authority pronounced the forgiveness of sin, as Grotius thinks; but rather as offended with him, and filled with indignation against him, and so censuring and reproaching him for wickedness and blasphemy.
Luke 7:50
Ver. 50. And he said to the woman,.... Notwithstanding the Pharisee's censure, both of him and her:
thy faith hath saved thee; meaning either the object of her faith, himself, who was the author of eternal salvation to her; or that she, through faith in him, had received the blessings of salvation, pardon, righteousness, and life from him, and the joys and comfort of it; and had both a right unto, and a meetness for eternal glory and happiness:
go in peace; of conscience, and serenity of mind; let nothing disturb thee; not the remembrance of past sins, which are all forgiven, nor the suggestions of Satan, who may, at one time or another, present them to view; nor the troubles and afflictions of this present life; which are all in love; nor the reproaches and censures of men of a "pharisaic" spirit: go home to thy house, and about thy business, and cheerfully perform thy duty both to God and men; and when thou hast done thy generation work, thou shalt enter into eternal peace and joy.
John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible.
Servants should study to endear themselves to their
masters. Masters ought to take particular care of their servants
when they are sick. We may still, by faithful and fervent prayer,
apply to Christ, and ought to do so when sickness is in our families.
The building places for religious worship is a good work, and an
instance of love to God and his people. Our Lord Jesus was
pleased with the centurion's faith; and he never fails to answer the
expectations of that faith which honours his power and love. The
cure soon wrought and perfect. HBC 9871.2
Servants should study to endear themselves to their
masters. Masters ought to take particular care of their servants
when they are sick.
The
cure soon wrought and perfect. HBC 9871.2
Sources: Matthew Henry; Gill's Exposition; Matthew Henry Concise
Commentary
Commentary