Luke 23

Luke 23:7

And discerning that his dwelling and abode was in Galilee, which belonged to Herod’s government, and supposing Herod, by his knowledge in the Jewish religion, to be fitter for the cognizance of this case, he remitted the hearing of it to Herod, who was personally at Jerusalem at that time (see note [l] Luke i.) on occasion of the feast.

Luke 23:11

[a] men of war] The Hebrew צבא signifies three things: 1. militare, “to war;” 2. concurrere and congregari, “to assemble;” 3. ministrare, “to minister.” The first notion is very frequent; the second, Exod. xxxviii. 8. (where yet the Septuagint read νηστευσάσων, for צבא it seems reading צבא, jejunavit,) and 1 Sam. ii. 21; and the third is ordinary also, (and from thence Timothy called καλὸς στρατιώτης, a good soldier, that is, minister of Jesus Christ). Hence it is that among those Greek writers which follow the Hebrew idiom, the word στρατεία, στρατιὰ and στράτευμα, is used for every one of these three: for the first ordinarily and primarily; for the second, when we meet with στρατεία οὐρανοῦ πᾶσα, which we render exercitus, and host of heaven, but signifies universus cæli comitatus, the whole company of heaven, whether the many stars or many angels there; and in the third sense we have here στρατεύματα for officers and servants, or attendants; and so the Syriac translation renders it, and gives us authority to do the like, though otherwise it might be rendered more vulgarly either his company or his soldiers about him.

Luke 23:15

Nor is this my opinion only, but I sent him, and referred the hearing of the business, to Herod, ver. 7, who being more acquainted with your religion than I am, may be deemed a more competent judge, and after he hath had cognizance of him, he hath no way expressed his opinion that his crimes are capital.

Luke 23:16

His punishment therefore shall be only that of scourging with whips, and so he shall be released.

[b] chastise] Παιδεύειν signifies ordinarily to scourge or chastise, as παῖδες, children or servants are wont to be used when they have offended. So Heb. xii. 6, παιδεύει, chastening, is expounded by μαστιγοῖ, scourging. And instead of it here, the other evangelists, Matt. xxvii. 26. Mark xv. 15, have φραγελλώσας, from the Latin flagellum, “a whip;” and St. John, ch. xix. 1, ἐμαστίγωσε, scourging. Now to what the infliction of this sort of punishment on Christ belonged, is matter of question; that which is ordinarily said is, that flagellation was among the Romans a solemn preparative to crucifixion. So Livy of the servants, l. 34, Multi occisi, multi capti, alii verberati crucibus affixi, “they were scourged and crucified.” And in Valerius Max. l. 1. c. 7, Servum

Luke 23:17

For the custom had laid a necessity on him (see note [d] Matt. xxvii.) to release one—

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Luke 23:20

Pilate again made another assay to soften the people, being, on opinion of Christ’s innocence, (and having received a message from his wife, Matt. xxvii. 19,) desirous to save his life, and only to inflict some inferior punishment on him, ver. 16.

Luke 23:21

But they were peremptory for the putting him to death.

Luke 23:22

See ver. 15.

¹ carried it, (see note [d] Matt. xxvii.) wrought upon him to do contrary to his own judgment and inclination.

Luke 23:24

And so he passed sentence of death upon him.

Luke 23:26

And having put on him a scarlet robe, a crown of thorns, a reed like a sceptre in his hand, and so made him a mock king of the Jews, and then taken all from him again, and used him contumeliously, Matt. xxvii. 29, &c., they led him out to crucify him; and as they went, they pressed one Simon to carry his cross, on which he should be crucified, after him. See note [e] Matt. xxvii.

Luke 23:29

[c] Blessed are the barren] This expression of the days approaching, that they shall say, Μακάριαι αἱ στείραι, Blessed are the barren, &c. had certainly its completion in what befell Jerusalem in the time of the siege. But more particularly it may refer to one passage: after that Titus had encompassed the city with a wall, so that none could come out to forage, they were forced to feed on dung, saith Josephus, on shoes and girdles, &c. and for want of such provision as this, one Mary, a noble and rich woman, daughter of Eleazar, bereaved of all by the seditious, killed her sucking child, and dressed it, and eat part of it, and the soldiers breaking in upon her, and finding a part left, went away in detestation, and presently the news of it went over the whole city, and every one, saith k Josephus, looked upon it with horror, and with the same compassion, “as if they had done it themselves.” Then was this speech fit for them to take up, on hearing this horrible news, Blessed are the barren, and the womb that never bare, and the paps that never gave suck, in comparison to those that are forced to feed on the fruits of their wombs, and devour their own sucking infants. And then that which follows, If they do these things on a green tree, what shall be done on a dry? may perhaps be best interpreted in relation to this particular fact also, of that noble and rich woman, Mary. If such horrible things befall the wealthiest among you, what a dismal state shall all others be involved in! This may possibly be the meaning of the phrase. But if not, then in that other notion of the righteous and the wicked, it may have had its completion also.

Luke 23:32

[d] malefactors] These malefactors crucified with Jesus were thieves and murderers, and authors of an uproar in the city, which is an evidence, among others formerly mentioned, (see note [d] Mat. xxvii. and note [a] Mark xv.) of Christ’s death being after the Roman not Jewish manner. For the Jewish custom was never to put to death two malefactors on the same day, unless it were for the same crime; so saith Maimonides, Sanhed. c. 14. “They never condemn more than one in a day; but one to-day, another to-morrow, unless they be both guilty of the same transgression, and deserve one death.” And that Christ was not pretended to be put to death for that crime of the other two, is clear by his inscription, which saith it was for pretending to be king.

Luke 23:38

And there was put up over his head a title containing the cause of this condemnation, (see note [b] Mark xv.) which was written in Greek and Latin and Hebrew, (the three most ordinary languages, one or other of which there were very few but understood,) thus: Jesus the Nazarene, the King of the Jews.

Though these other impious persons use him thus, yet we that are thus punished with him ought, if he were guilty, to have compassion for him, and not reproach him.

Luke 23:41

And besides this, we are indeed guilty, but he a most innocent person, which came to do good to this people, and is used thus ill by them.

Immediately after thy death thou shalt go to a place of bliss, and there abide with me a member of that my kingdom which thou askest for.

Luke 23:44

And it was nigh twelve of clock, (see Mark xv. 25,) and there was an eclipse of the sun, and a palpable darkness on all the land of Judæa, until three afternoon.

Luke 23:45

[e] veil of the temple] That which is here said of the veil of the temple, that ἰσχίσθη μῖσον, must be so rendered, that μῖσον may be taken

k Lib. vii. c. 8.

Luke 23:48

And all the multitudes there present had remorse at what was done. ‘one of the sanhedrim, or else a counsellor in the province, (see note [d] Mark xv.,) both an upright and a merciful man, who looked for the coming of the Messias, ver. 51, and accordingly embraced Christ and was a disciple of his, Matt. xxvii. 57, but not avowedly, but secretly, for fear of danger from the Jews, John xix. 38.

Luke 23:52

He upon this occasion took confidence, (Matt. xv. 43,) although he had been before fearful, and went unto Pilate—

Luke 23:54

The day whereon all this was done was the eve both of the feast of unleavened bread and of the sabbath also, and now the sabbath day (beginning at evening at sunset, when the stars and moon begin to shine) was ready at hand, or the stars began to shine, and so the sabbath to begin. ¹ shone, ludicrous.

Luke 23:64

[h] blindfolded] This usage of Christ here refers to that sport so ordinary among children, called μνίνδα, in which it is the manner first to blindfold, which is, ver. 64, περικαλύπτειν, then to strike him, δίρειν, ver. 63, and τύπτειν, ver 64, then to ask him who struck him, which is, ἐπερωτᾶν, ver. 64, and not to let him go till he named the man aright who had struck him; and so was here used as a contumely or reproach toward him.