Luke 11

Luke 11:1

And upon occasion of his frequent retiring to prayer, at a time when he was upon that performance, his disciples took into consideration how needful it was for them to be directed in a right performance of that duty, and thereupon, at his coming out to them, one of them besought him to give them a form of prayer, which they might constantly use, as John Baptist had given to his disciples.

Luke 11:2

And upon that demand of his, (being another time, and upon another occasion from that in the sermon on the mount, Matt. vi. 9,) Christ said to his disciples, Whensoever ye pray solemnly, omit not to use this form of words, Our Father—

Luke 11:3

See Matt. vi. 11. hath done us any injury.

Luke 11:4

[a] indebted] The word ὀφείλειν, to owe, is here to be taken in a notion peculiar to the Syriac language, (wherein Christ certainly spake,) which neither the Greek nor Latin nor Hebrew had made use of; for he that sins or offends, either against God or man, is in Syriac said חרב, a debtor; and so חיבא, debitum, “a debt,” that is, peccatum, “a sin.” So Exodus xxxii, This people, חטא, have sinned a sin; the Targum reads, חב חרבא, hath ought a debt. So Lev. iv, If a priest &c. חטא, shall sin; the Targum reads, חרב, shall owe. So Luke xiii. 4, of those on whom the tower fell, do you think, saith Christ, that these were ὀφειλέται παρὰ πάντας, debtors, that is, offenders, beyond all? And proportionably to this, to pardon is by them expressed by שבק, to remit, and here is rendered ἀφιεῖαι, to release, or absolve.

Luke 11:7

[b] the door is now shut] The Romans were wont to express the first part of the night, the close of the evening, by prima facie, “candle-lighting.” A later part other nations expressed by shutting up the doors, called in Greek κλασσίθυρον, which time was wont, by a kind of bellman,

Luke 11:9

And the same effect, let me tell you, will your constancy and earnestness in prayer to God have upon him.

Luke 11:10

For no child or friend of God’s ever misseth to receive from him what he thus asketh. 11—13. There is no fear that God should deny such petitions, or give his children any hurtful thing, when they ask that which is good for them; and though many things which men ask be not such, yet his Spirit, and the assistances of that, are so certainly so, that they will never be denied to them that ask them of the Father.

Luke 11:15

But some persuaded themselves, ver. 17, that all his power was from Beelzebub, Matt. ix. 34, and xii. 24, and that he having power of all inferior devils enabled him to cast them out.

Luke 11:16

Others, to make trial of his power, desired him to shew them some miracles or tokens of God’s sending him, some voice from heaven, or the like.

Luke 11:17

To the former of them, those that thought he used the devil’s power to cast out devils, he used these arguments of conviction, (and to the latter his answer is set down, Matt. xii. 39, and here ver. 29, &c.,) Every kingdom—

Luke 11:18

If there be a division among the evil spirits, and one devil set himself against another, their kingdom cannot long endure: for though it is possible for the advancing of the devil’s kingdom one instrument of his may undo that which another hath done, which is not a division, but a politic union and conjunction in the same project, yet for one to oppose, and violently to eject the other, (see Mark i. 25,) and do his utmost to cast him and his kingdom out of the world, this is a division which cannot be imagined among those that are of a conspiracy, but only betwixt enemies bent to ruin one another: (see note [y] on Matt xii. 27:) because ye—

that which is done by them before your eyes will be an argument of conviction against you.

Luke 11:20

But if by the power (and Spirit, Matt. xii. 28.) of God it be that I cast out devils, then, as the miracles of Moses, confessed by the magicians to be done by the finger of God, Exod. viii. 19, were a certain testimony that he was sent by God to redeem the people out of their bondage, so is this a certain argument that I am now sent by God to redeem you if you will believe on me.

Luke 11:21

The devil will not be cast out of his possessions unless some person armed by the power of God, superior to what the devil is possessed with, come and conquer him.

Luke 11:22

And therefore my casting out devils is an argument that I come with that power, greater than any the devil hath, and conquer and disarm him, and give

his complete armour, the warunhian abtou.

Luke 11:23

It is proverbially said, He that is &c., and therefore he that doth not assist, but cast out Satan, must be resolved to be an enemy of his, and not to operate by power from him: see Matt. xii. 30, and Mark ix. 40.

Luke 11:24

But to you that have received such miracles of mercy, (particularly that of casting out devils,) and made no use of them, I shall add this parable, When the unclean spirit &c.: see Matt. xii. 43.

Luke 11:27

And about this time his mother and brethren came to speak with him, and one came and told him so, Matt. xii. 47; and upon mention of his mother, a woman there present said aloud, Blessed is the womb—

Luke 11:28

But he said, Whosoever shall hear and obey the word of God is to me as dear as mother or brethren, Matt. xii. 49, 50, and indeed that blessedness of being an obedient faithful servant of God is far greater than this other of having been the person of whose womb Christ is born, abstracted or separated from this other of having undertaken the obedience of God.

Luke 11:29

As for the second question proposed, ver. 16, he now in the presence of a great multitude gave answer also to that, (see Matt. xii. 39,) This is an evil—

Luke 11:30

For as Jonas preaching in the streets of Nineve, being accompanied with the miracle of having been three days in the whale’s belly, and then being cast up on the shore alive, was an assurance to them that without repentance they should speedily be destroyed; so shall the preaching of Christ to the men

Luke 11:33

To that purpose of ver 28. that they only are blessed which not only hear but observe God’s commands, belongs that known speech of Christ, delivered at another time also, Matt. v. 15, and Luke viii. 16, No man, &c.

Luke 11:34

And to the same purpose may be applied that other, used also by Christ in the same sermon on the mount, (see note [I] on Matt. vi. 22,) that the heart being once truly warmed with Christian virtues will fill the whole body with charitable and Christian actions.

Luke 11:35

Take care therefore that the Christian precepts and graces afforded thee be not accompanied with an unchristian life.

Luke 11:36

If therefore the Christian doctrine have taken full possession of thee, and no faculty or affection be left out from being wrought upon by it, then sure the actions will be most illustriously so, and the whole life of such an one will be as a room with a blazing torch or candle in it, enlightened in every corner, without any intermissions or mixture of unchristian actions.

[a] [b] on Mark vii. 3.

Ye hypocritical Pharisees wash yourselves, as if a man should wash his vessels, the outside of them only, leaving the insides of them full of all filthiness; for thus do ye wash your bodies, leaving your souls full of all uncleanness.

Luke 11:40

This is an extreme folly; for if your outward washings were in obedience to God, you would cleanse the insides, your hearts and souls also, as well as your bodies.

[b] help] The word ἀντιλαμβάνεσθαι, especially with a genitive of the person joined with it, signifies to succour or relieve any in distress. So Luke i. 54, ἀντελάβετο Ἰσραήλ, he hath relieved Israel, a work of ἔλεος, mercy, as it follows, and a filling them with good things when they were hungry, ver. 43. So ἀντιλαμβάνεσθαι ἀσθενούντων, Acts xx. 35, to relieve the poor, and, as it there follows, to give to them. So ἀντιλήψεις, 1 Cor. xii. 28, the office of relieving the poor: see note [e] on that chapter. From hence it is discernible what is the full importance of ἵνα συναντιλάβηταί μοι here; Christ was received and entertained in the house of Martha and Mary: Martha made provision for him, and all that were with him; this is called πολλὴ διακονία, a great deal of work in providing for them all, at the beginning of the verse; hereupon she complains to Christ, that Mary, by hearkening to him, left her διακονεῖν μόνην, to minister to them, or provide for them alone, without any body else, and thereupon desires him to bid her bear her company in making provision for them, the ἀντιλαμβάνεσθαι, as διακονεῖν, noting the making this provision, and the σὺν added to it, the joining with her, or bearing her company, contrary to the μόνην, her doing it alone, precedent. Thus Rom. viii. 26, συναντιλαμβάνεσθαι ἀσθενείας ἡμῶν, is, to join in relieving our necessities. We have no means but prayer to God to relieve ourselves in any distress. But then again, we know not what is absolutely best for us, nor consequently to pray as we ought; therefore when we want and pray for aught, the spirit of Christ joineth with us in relieving us, that is, in interceding for us, that what is absolutely best may be granted us, joins with us in prayer, and so in relieving us by praying silently for us, and asking those things which Christ knows us to stand most in need of when we do not.

Luke 11:41

The best way of purifying yourselves, estates, meats, and drinks, &c., from all pollution cleaving to them, is (instead of that which you Pharisees attempt by washing your hands, your vessels, &c.) by works of mercy, and liberal almsgiving; as far as you are able, restoring to the injured, or, if there be not place for that, giving to those that want. anise and cummin, Matt. xxiii. 23, and so also of rue, and every the meanest herb that grows in your garden, and omit the principal duties both to God and man. These are the main things which God requires of you, though those other lower performances ought not to be omitted, of paying tithes exactly, according to the law and custom among you. consistories, Matt. xxiii. 6. grown over with grass, and they which see the specious outsides of them, Matt. xxiii. 27, know not

what is within, viz., bones of dead men and putrefaction, and so are polluted by them: (see note [g] on

Matt. xxiii.) doctors of the law, members of the sanhedrin, or consistories, and saith unto him, This speech of thine

violence and villainy, ἀρπαγῆς καὶ πονηρίας: see note [h] on 1 Cor. v. what you have

or are able, give alms, or in alms. pay tithes of, ἀποδεκανοῦτε. U

[c] such things as ye have] The phrase τὰ ἑνόντα signifies according to ability. So when Epictetus appoints “to abstain from oaths,” ἐκ τῶν ἑνόντων, “as far as we are able;” and in Gemisthus Pletho, περ. ἀρετ. p. 57, σὺν εὐτελείᾳ ἐκ τῶν ἑνόντων φιλοκαλῶν, speaking of him, who “of that which he hath, exercises liberality without any great expense.” This is expressed in Tobit by ἐκ τῶν ὑπαρχόντων σοὶ ποίει ἐλεημοσύνην, give alms of what thou hast; and so Luke viii. 3, and xii. 33; and so saith Hesychius, Ἐνὸν, ἐνυπάρχον, ἢ δυνατόν ἐστι, “that which a man hath in his power;” and Phavorinus to the same purpose, δυνατόν ἐνδεχόμενον ἐνυπάρχον; and it is answerable to that of Deut. xvi. 10, which we read, according as the Lord thy God hath blessed thee. But because the precept is here given to the hypocritical Pharisees, who may have been guilty of great sins of injustice, and it is not impossible ἀρπαγῇ may signify that, ver. 39, (though, I conceive, it may fitly be taken in another sense, noted 1 Cor. v. note [A];) and because this sin of oppression and rapine and cheating and wronging others is so ordinary in the world, that it may be reasonable for our Saviour’s speech to respect that among other sins, and so to propose here the way, on the sinner’s part, required for the cleansing of that. Therefore it is not amiss yet further to observe, that the place here τὰ ἑνόντα δότε ἐλεημοσύνην, and not ἐκ τῶν ἑνόντων, or ἐκ τῶν ὑπαρχόντων, may in construction be so rendered, as that the two accusative cases shall be set by way of apposition, and both follow the verb δότε, and then the meaning will be, give what you have, or as far as you are able, as far as all that you have will reach. This we know the injurious is bound to, in case of rapine, to restore all that he hath taken away, before he can hope for pardon; but in case he be not able to restore all, yet certainly he must go as far as he can, and that is the least that will be accepted; (nay, Zacchaeus’s example, when he repented, may be fit in that case to be considered, who made a fourfold restitution to the injured person, and gave half of his goods to the poor, over and above;) and he that either restores to the utmost, or doth it as far as is now in his power, he doth restore τὰ ἑνόντα in this sense. But because many cases there are wherein there is not place for exact restitution to the person injured, he may be gone, and all that have right to what was his, and the like, and in that case giving to the poor, in works of mercy or pity, is the only way left of restitution; and the like holds in other sins, wherein though no other man be wronged, yet there is pollution contracted, and that must be cleansed by some effectual works of repentance, and mercy to the poor is specified as an eminent work of this kind, Dan. iv. 27; therefore in all these and the like respects the precept is here given more generally, to make use of these works of alms, where the case requires, as restitution where the case requires that, and even then, after Zacchaeus’s example, alms also; and so the full of the precept is, τὰ ἑνόντα δότε ἐλημοσύνην, give what you have in alms, even all that you have, where all is ill gotten, and the whole lump is by that means unclean; or as much as you have taken by rapine and

[d] clean] The Arabic word for alms, zachat, hath a double notion, say they, either of increasing or cleansing; the first, quia erogatio ejus conciliat benedictionem opibus, “because the giving alms obtains a blessing on the wealth,” and so increaseth it; the second, quod opes ab inquinamento et animum ab avaritiæ sordibus purgat, “because it purgeth the riches from the pollution and filthiness that adheres to them, and the mind from the sullages of covetousness;” according to that of Matt. vi, If the eye be single, that is, where the virtue of liberality is in the heart, the whole body is full of light, that is, of all Christian virtues, contrary to the vices pointed at by the darkness that follows. In reference to this notion of the word in the Syriac and Arabic, this seems to be here spoken by our Saviour, Give alms, which comes from a word that signifies to cleanse, and all shall be clean to you, your wealth shall be purged and blessed, and your mind cleansed also.

Luke 11:42

But the one only thing which is absolutely necessary, the hearing my word in order to the keeping it, the receiving advantage by my coming to thy house, is much a more acceptable thing to me than the entertaining me with so much diligence; and the advantage of this will continue to Mary to all eternity. ### CHAP. XI.

Luke 11:47

[e] build the sepulchres] The meaning of this passage being thus rendered, Woe unto you that ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and your fathers killed them, will soon appear, if it be observed, first, that the woes here so oft denounced in this and other places against the Pharisees were for several acts of hypocrisy in them. Now hypocrisy or personation, being the outward appearance, the disguise or specious attire of an action, that is here set down by itself, the vice that was disguised, and endeavoured to be concealed under it, being not here named, but by their present actions, (persecuting Christ,) visible and notorious, and withal intimated by St. Matthew, ch. xxiii. 32, as if he had said, Your building and adorning the sepulchres of the old prophets, which your fathers killed, is in you a solemn personation or hypocrisy, acting the parts of very pious men, that bear much reverence to them (and such is your speech, Matt. xxiii. 30, that if ye had lived in your fathers’ days, ye would not have had any hand in the killing the prophets). Secondly, by observing the καὶ, and, between the μαρτυρεῖνε, ye bear witness, and the συνενδοκεῖνε, ye have a complacency with the deeds of your fathers; for that and conjoins two different things affirmed of them by our Saviour, which are ordinarily confounded; first, ye bear witness to the works of your fathers, ye testify to all men that your fathers killed the prophets that were sent to them; and, secondly, ye like well, approve of

Luke 11:49

And so clearly you are the people of whom God hath prophesied that they will kill and persecute those whom he sends to them; for this was begun by your fathers, and continued in you, and is like to be perfected by you.

Luke 11:50

And this is likely to be the effect of it; the Jews of this age shall undergo the severest vengeance that all the murdering of God’s prophets can bring on a rebellious people.

Luke 11:51

See note [g] Matt. xxiii.

have robbed the people of that understanding of scripture which might make them embrace the gospel now preached to them: ye will not receive the faith yourselves, and those which are inclinable to receive it ye hinder as much as you can.

¹¹ Thus ye bear witness, and consent, or are well pleased with the deeds, ¹² that, &c. ¹³ messengers, &c.