Luke 9

Luke 9:8

[a] appeared] The word ἐφάνη, appeared, seems here to be taken for ἦλθε, was come. So it is evidently in 2 Mac. vii. 22, οὐκ οἶδ’ ἄπως εἰς τὴν ἐμὴν ἐφάνητε κοιλίαν, I know not how ye came into my womb. So the Scholiast of Theocritus, φανείς, ἐλθὼν, appearing signifies coming. So Plato in the beginning of his Protagoras, Πόθεν δὲ Σωκράτης φαίτη; that is, “Whence comest thou, Socrates?” So Chrysostom P, Οὐδὲ σὺ εἰς τὴν ἄνω φανῆναι δυνήσῃ πόλιν, “Thou canst not come to the city which is above.”

Luke 9:12

[b] lodge] Καταλῦσαι properly signifies, among mariners, καταίρειν ἀπὸ πελάγους εἰς τὸν λιμίνα, to come back, and retire from the sea to the haven; and from thence it is applied to travellers that betake themselves to their inn, which is therefore called κατάλυμα, because the man and the beast there laid down his lading, and so it is generally to refresh one’s self, ἀπολαῦσαι, εὐωχηθῆναι, saith Phavorinus out of Hesychius.

Luke 9:21

See note [b] on Matt. viii.

The prophecies must be fulfilled which affirm that the Messias shall suffer many things, and be rejected by the great sanhedrim, and be slain—

Luke 9:23

[c] the lake] That which is here truly called λίμνη, (for so it was the lake (and not the sea) of Gennesuret, ch. v. 1,) is called θάλασσα, the sea, Matt. viii. 24; and θάλασσα Γαλιλαίας, the sea of Galilee, Matt. iv. 18; and John vi. 1, θάλασσα τῆς Γαλιλαίας τῆς Τιβεριάδος; and ch. xxi. 1, θάλασσα τῆς Τιβεριάδος, the sea of Tiberias. And all this, not because it was a sea, but because of the ambiguity of the Hebrew □, which, as it signifies the sea, so also any lake, or confluence of waters; and is used for that great vessel in the temple, 1 Kings vii. 23, which being of such a largeness, (30 cubits round, and 5 cubits high, and containing 2000 baths,) was a kind of lake, and is there so called, a molten lake, the Hebrew □ being there used, and by us rendered sea, but would be more properly lake. And so likewise the word θάλασσα in the other Gospels would be better, according to the sense, rendered lake also, the lake of Galilee and Tiberias. See Lyra on Gen. i. 10.

Luke 9:24

Matt. x. 39, Mark viii. 35.

gain all the wealth of the world, and lose his soul, or life? See note [m] on Matt. xvi.

when he comes so illustriously to punish his crucifiers (or at last judge the world). See note [o] on Matt. xvi.

Luke 9:27

Which is not now so far off but that some here present shall live to see it.

six complete days, but eight, reckoning the first and last, (see note [m] on Matt. xii.) after these—

Luke 9:31

Which appearing, as angels are wont, in a glorious condition, spake of his going out of this world (see note [a] on John xiii., and note [f] on 2 Peter i.) as of Moses out of Egypt to a Canaan, by this means delivering his faithful people, but withal destroying them that believed not, Jude 5. Of all which, and the several branches and consequents of it, Jerusalem was shortly to be the scene, and first of his crucifixion there.

[d] the deep] That ἄβυσσος should here signify the pit of hell, the place created for the devil and his angels, wheresoever it is situate, may be guessed by the nature of the word, which signifies bottomless; and from the use of it in some other places of the New Testament, as Rev. ix. 1, 2, and xi. 7, and xvii. 8, and xx. 1, 3, where there is mention of chains, as there is of tartarum, 2 Peter ii. 4; and so also the context here inclines it; for the first request of the devil to Christ was, ver. 28, I beseech thee, torment me not; and in the other Gospel, Matt. viii. 20, Art thou come to torment me before my time? expressing the devil’s fear, that by this coming of Christ he should presently be cast into his chains of hell, (see note [b] Mark v,) and confined to those torments which he thought belonged not to him till the day of judgment; and the next was in plain words, not to send him into hell, or the pit.

[c] decease] That Christ’s ἰξοδος here signifies his death, and going out of this world, will be acknowledged, first, by the use of a

P Hom. 73. in Matt. 8 2

Luke 9:33

And as Moses and Elias were parting from Christ, Matt. xvii. 4, Peter said unto Jesus—

and they were amazed with fear, as the cloud came so near to them.

Moses and Elias were departed from Jesus. And Christ commanded them to tell no man what they saw

departure. And as the voice was, or, was heard, Kai ἐν τῷ T 2

Luke 9:37

Matt. xvii. 15. ⁸ a sore affection seizeth upon him at certain times of the moon, and makes him cry out, and it causeth such a boiling and agitation within, (see note [c] on Mark ix.) that he foams at mouth, and it never departeth from him without great pain and agony: this coming to himself again (though when it first takes him it makes him senseless, Mark ix. 25, able neither to speak nor hear) is joined with an horrible torment, and many grievous bruises remain afterward. See note [c] on Matt. xvii.

Luke 9:40

And I earnestly entreated thy disciples, that went about doing miracles, ver. 6, to cure him of this epilepsy, and they were not able.

Luke 9:41

And Jesus said to his disciples, What an act of perverse infidelity, not of weakness, is this in you! Will my presence so long, and the power given you by me, ver. 1, work no better effects upon you? You will make yourselves unworthy of such favours by your not making use of them: see Matt. xvii. 21, and Mark ix. 28. Having thus reprehended his disciples, he said to the man, Bring thy son hither. ⁷ he fell into a fit of that disease, which by the power of the devil was brought upon him, and fell down, and after his manner it made an horrible agitation or tumult within him, and Jesus cast out the devil, and freed the man from the disease, and delivered him—

Luke 9:44

Mark what I say unto you; it is this: I shall

⁷ shakes, tumultuates, boils within him with foaming, and hardly, or with difficulty depart-

eth from him, bruising him, σπαράσσει αὐτὸν μετὰ ἀφροῦ, καὶ μόνις ἀποχωρεῖν᾽ αὐτὸν οὐ συν-

τρίβον αὐτόν.

Luke 9:46

But by occasion of them thinking Christ’s kingdom should shortly begin, they fell into a dispute among themselves, who of them should have the highest dignity at this revelation of Christ’s kingdom.

Luke 9:47

And Christ either being asked by some of them, Matt. xviii. 1, or else of his own accord, discerning by his divine knowledge the debate they were engaged in, (though now they were ashamed that he should know it, Mark ix. 33, 34,) and being willing to cure this vain ambition in them, took a little child, and set him in the next place to himself,

Luke 9:48

And said unto them, The dignity that from me, or in my kingdom, accrueth unto any, belongs to such as these, the humblest and meekest: the dignity which from my Father is communicated to me, and from me to others, is the portion of the meekest. See Matt. xviii. 4. a for though he keep not company with us, yet if he do it in my name, he is one that believes in me, and not to be forbidden. See Mark ix. 39, and Matt. xii. 30. b when the time was come (see note [a] on Acts ii.) when he was to be crucified, not being terrified with that danger, he resolved firmly to go up to Jerusalem. c some of his disciples before, as harbingers (which was part of the disciples’ office): and they went—

Luke 9:51

[d] received up] Ἀνάληψις, here applied to Christ, may possibly belong to his assumption up to heaven out of this world, which then might be said to draw near; but it is somewhat more probable that it should signify his crucifixion, which was to be at Jerusalem, toward which place he is here said to go, because his time was come. And to this the expression agrees which is used by Christ, John xii. 32, ἰὰν ὑψωθῶ, if I be lifted up; which the text saith was a testification of the kind of his death, that is, of his crucifixion; and, indeed, the Syriac word for the cross being וַיִּקַּפַּח, from וַיִּקַּח, to erect, or lift up, (noting the tignum, or palus which was in sublime erectus,) to be crucified, in the Syriac expression will be, to be exalted, or lifted up.

Luke 9:53

And the Samaritans would not give him reception, because he appeared to them to be a going to Jerusalem, and they never do so, but worship in mount Gerizim, John iv. 20, and so separate from all those that think Jerusalem the only place of worship. d The Christians’ spirit, the economy or course prescribed them, differs much from that of a prophet in the Old Testament, moved by zeal against the enemies of God; the course which you must take with such is that of sweetness and persuasiveness; and this proposal of yours is very contrary to that.

Luke 9:55

[e] spirit] The word πνεῦμα, spirit, is very diversely taken in the New Testament. 1. Sometimes (with the addition of Θεοῦ, or Χριστοῦ, God, or Christ, or ἅγιον, holy, and sometimes without it) for the eternal Spirit of God, the Holy Ghost, the third person in the sacred Trinity, Matt. xxviii. 19, into which we are baptized. And from thence, 2dly, for the graces and gifts of that Spirit, whether those that are of use to all sorts of men, as the spirit of supplication, Zech. xii. 10, that is, zealous, ardent prayer; and accordingly we read of praying, ἐν πνεύματε, Ephes. vi. 18, in, or with the spirit: and Jude 20, with the addition of ἁγίψ, in, or with the holy spirit praying, as those do that are by the

Tom. 4. p. 441. L 27. 9 Lib. 35. Tom. 8. p. 560.

Luke 9:56

For I came not to kill any, but to preserve and rescue from death, and from all that is ill. And all the revenge that Christ thought fit to act upon them was to leave them, and go to another village. ‘You had best to consider what you do; for doing so will be far from advancing any temporal interest of yours, Matt. viii. 20.

Luke 9:59

And there was another disciple of his, who had already undertaken his service, and attended on him, Matt. xviii. 21, who came unto him, and said, Sir, before I betake myself wholly to attendance on thee, spare me so long till I have buried my father, either now newly dead (of which the news is now come to me) or very old, whom I would attend while he lives, and give him that civility of burial, and then come and follow thee. (Theophylact.)

Luke 9:60

But Jesus replied unto him, The Nazarite, Num. vi. 7, being consecrated to God, was not to pollute himself with his dead father, but leave that work of burying him to others; and so the priest also; and therefore thou, that hast by the tender of thine attendance consecrated thyself to me, must refer that office of burying thy father to others that have not undertaken that attendance, and set presently about thy task of preaching the gospel. See note on Matt. viii. 22.