Luke 11

Notes on the verses

Chap. XI. Ver. 2. When ye pray.—Part of the address, and the petitions, ‘Thy will be done,” and ‘deliver us from evil,” being wanting in some copies, MSS., and Versions, Campbell and others have supposed they do not belong to this copy of the prayer; but have been inserted from Matthew by some transcribers: we are, however, more inclined to think they have been dropped in the deficient copies, than inserted in the others. At any rate, the words were uttered by our Lord on one occasion, if not the other. Ver. 3. Give us day by day.— Campbell, ** Each day,”——Our daily bread. —The word is peculiar to the LXX. and New Testament. Chrysostom and Theophylact explain it of bread convenient, or sufficient for our subsistence.

Ver. 4. Deliver us from evil.—‘* The adjective (evil) being preceded by the definitive article, and having no substantive expressed in the same sentence to agree with it, is considered by the article a personal substantive, and of course is applicable, in the first place, to that personal character, which is most notorious for evil or malice: viz. the evil one, or prince of demons.” —ville Sharp on the two last Petitions in the Lord’s Prayer. For the correctness of this version, Dr. Whitby (who adopts it) cites Tertullian, Origen, and Chrysostom, three of the most learned among the Christian Fathers. Mr. Sharp also cites Beza, the Reformer, two learned Jesuits, and Dr. Lort. Doddridge, Campbell, &c.

And in eight passages out of eleven, in which the same word occurs, the translators have rendered it as here proposed. Ver. 5. Go unto him at midnight.—The eastern journeys are often performed in the night; this circumstance, therefore, of a friend arriving at midnight is very probable. Harmer, vol. i. Pp. 468. Ver. 6, In his journey.—Campbell, ** Off his road.” The most corresponding English phrase is, ‘* Off his journey;” that is, just arrived. Ver. 7. My children are with me in bed.—Sir John Chardin says, it is usual for a whole family to sleep in the same room, especially those in lower life, laying their beds on the ground. Ver. 9—13. I say unto you, Ask.—These five verses literally correspond with (Matthew 7:7-11), except that in the last verse of Mat. for ‘* good things,” Luke substitutes ‘‘the Holy Spirit: one of the best gifts certainly that we can implore, or God bestow.” Ver. 12. A scorpion.—[The scorpion is a species of insect without wings, generally two inches in length, of a yellow, brown, or black colour, of an oval form, not unlike a lobster, tail long and slender, with several joints or divisions, and a sharp pointed weapon at the end, in which the poison is lodged, the whole covered with a hardish skin, and having eight eyes and eight legs. Bochart produces testimonies to prove that a species of scorpion in Judea was similar in size and form to an egg.]—Bagster. Ver. 13. Your heavenly Father give.—‘ Your Father give from heaven.”

Ver. 14—26. And he was casting out a devil, &c.—This appears to us the same as (Matthew 12:22-30), and 43—45. Only there the subject is said to have been blind as well as dumb. There is another case, however, of a dumb demon cast out, (Matthew 9:32-34), but the context does not so well agree. Ver. 20, Kingdom of God.—For the destruction of the kingdom of Satan plainly implies the setting up of the kingdom of God. ‘The reasoning of the Pharisees, (ver. 17, and (Matthew 12:24-25),) was not expressed, and Jesus, knowing their thoughts, gave ample proof of his omniscience. ‘This, with our Lord’s masterly confutation of their reasonings, by a conclusion drawn from their own premises, one would have supposed might have humbled and convinced those men; but the most conclusive reasoning, and the most astonishing miracles, were lost upon a people who were obstinately determined to disbelieve every thing that was good relative to Jesus of Nazareth.|—Bagster.

Ver. 24. He walketh through—i. e. the unclean spirit walketh, &c.——He saith—i. e. the unclean spirit saith, &c.——Swept and garnished–i. e. Completely furnished with every thing that can make the man a commodious habitation for an evil spirit.. Verses 27, 28. And it came to pass, &c.—This occurred, probably, when his mother and his brethren came around him. (Matthew 12:46-50). Ver. 29—32. And when the people were gathered thick together.—The parallel verses in Matthew, are (Luke 12:38-42). Ver. 33-36. No man, when he hath lighted a candle, &c.—This appears to be a fragment of the sermon on the mount, (Matthew 5:15-16); vi. 22, 23. Ver. 34. Eye is single—i. e. Free from disease, sound.—Eye is evil—i.

e. Diseased, unsound. Ver. 36. When the bright shining of a candle.—Campbell, “ Its flame.” Ver. 37-54. And as he spake, &c.—This passage very much resembles (Matthew 23:23-36), and several verses agree verbatim. Ver. 40. Ye fools.—Campbell, ** Unthinking men!’ Doddridge, ‘* Thoughtless creatures.”’——Did not he that made that which is without make that which is within also?—That is, Did not he which made the body, likewise make the soul? Doddridge and Campbell. (Matthew 23:25). Ver. 47. For ye build.—| Their A piety did not lie in building and adorning the tombs of the prophets, considered simply in itself; but in their hypocrisy, in giving this testimony of respect to the prophets, whilst they were actuated by the spirit, and followed the example of their persecutors and murderers.

J—B. Ver. 48. Truly ye bear witness.—As in your conduct you imitate your fathers, truly ye bear witness to them; and in effect approve the works of your fathers: for one would imagine that you erected these monuments, not so much in honour of the prophets, as of the persecutors by whom they were so wickedly destroyed. Doddridge. Ver. 49. The wisdom of God.—(Probably by the Wisdom of God we are to understand the Logos, or Word of God, that is, our Lord himself; this being a dignified and Oriental mode of expression for I say, as it is in the parallel passage. |—Bagster, Ver. 51. Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple.— It is said a space of nine feet was left between the altar of burnt-offerings and the temple (or tabernacle) itself, as an asylum for criminals, which might not be violated, but in cases of decided murder.

See (Exodus 38:2). Ver. 52. The key of knowledge—We conceive to be, the right of private judgment; i. e. of reading and judging for ourselves. The scribes took away this right by referring the explanation of Scripture wholly to tradition, as the Papists have since done. Ver. 53. To urge him vehemently.—Literally, “to mouth him.” Some think this an allusion to hunting with dogs; but we conceive it to refer to their vulgar and overbearing language, in order to provoke our Lord, and put him off his guard. Chap. XII. Ver. 1. An innumerable multitude.—Campbell, ‘‘ Myriads;” i. e. “tens of thousands.”’—— The leaven of the Pharisees.—See (Matthew 16:12). Ver. 3. Proclaimed upon the house-tops.—(The houses in Judea being flat roofed, with a balustrade round about, were used for the purpose of taking the air, sleeping, and prayer, and, it seems, for announcing things in the most public manner.

So among the Turks, a crier announces the hours of public worship from the minaret or tower of the mosque. |—Bagster. Ver. 8. Before the angels.—In Matthew it is ‘‘ Before my Father;” i. e. before the Father, and the holy angels which attend his presence. See note on (Matthew 18:10). Ver. 16. Spake a parable, &c.—The design of this parable, as is evident from the context, was to illustrate what covetousness is. Christ makes it to consist in using property simply for personal gratification, and not as a steward for the honour of God. He in ver. 21, makes it ware in its applicator