Luke 10

1 other seventy. Our Lord had Himself preached, and had sent the Twelve, through Galilee. The mission of the Seventy, related only by Luke, was more extensive, although temporary and preparatory.

4 purse. The ends of the “girdle” (Matt. x. 9) were commonly used for purses. “For all things—money, food, and clothing, as well as protection—rely on me, whilst you are doing my work.” In its spirit this command is universal; its literal

script. Rather, “wallet” for provisions.

valuta no man by the way. See 2 Kings iv. 29, and note. “Everything shows that the Master’s business required haste” (Lange).

5. Peace [be] to this house.** That is, Courteously address to its inmates the customary salutation. The prayer which it implies shall be answered for them, if they are willing to receive the gospel of “peace”; but whether they do or not, in any case it shall be answered to you.

6 the son of peace. According to the preferable reading, “a son of peace” (R.V.), one susceptible to the blessing. “If there is a soul there breathing peace” (Maffatt).

7 in the same house. Or, as R.V., “in that same house,” the house of “the son of peace,” however poor it might be.

19-15. See Matt. xi. 20-24.

16. He that heareth you, etc.** See Matt. x. 40.

17 are subject unto us. They are glad to find themselves able to do what had lately baffled even some of the Twelve (ix. 40).

18. I beheld Satan as lightning fall (fallen) from heaven.** He saw in their mission and its results a beginning of the final overthrow of the Prince of all evil.

19 serpents and scorpions. See note on xi. 12. This is a well-known figure for malignant powers of evil (Psa. xci. 13; Ezek. ii. 6), which the disciples, under their Lord’s safeguard, in prosecuting His work, are to overcome.

20 rejoice not. That is, comparatively.

because your names are written in heaven. Cp. Isa. iv. 3, and note. To be enrolled “in the Lamb’s book of life” (Rev. xxi. 27) as a faithful subject of the kingdom of heaven is a far more valuable distinction than the possession of supernatural gifts: see Numb. xxii. 8; Matt. vii. 22, 23, and notes.

21 in that hour, etc. See Matt. xi. 25-27, and notes. The passage is evidently in its right place here. Our Lord may have uttered His joyful feelings in those words more than once.

Jesus rejoiced. By the “wise and prudent” (or “understanding,” R.V.) must be understood those whom the world regards as such: the “babes” are not necessarily the ignorant, but those who are of simple, child-like spirit. Our Lord rejoices not that the truth was hidden from any, but that it was not hidden from all.

23 lawyer. That is, a teacher or expounder of the Mosaic law. For a similar narrative compare that in xviii. 18-30, and Matt. xix. 16-30.

tempted Him. That is, “proved Him”: see note on Matt. xxii. 34.

27 he answering said. The correctness of this man’s views is proved by our Lord’s mention of the same two commands: see Mark xii. 29-31. But with theoretical correctness he appears to have been uniting practical disobedience; and this our Lord brings home to him by His explanation of the word “neighbour.”

29 willing. Or, “desiring,” as R.V. The lawyer probably felt uneasy in the conviction that our Lord’s words in ver. 28 were designed to suggest that he had come short of what he knew to be necessary. The Saviour’s answer in the parable suggests that our question should rather be, “To whom can I be neighbour?”

30-37. Parable of the GOOD SAMARITAN.** Peculiar to Luke.

30 went down. See note on Matt. xx. 29. The road from Jerusalem to Jericho is a long descent of twenty-one miles. “Sharp turns of the road, and projecting spurs of rocks, everywhere facilitated the attack or escape” of robbers, and made this route, even till recent times, one of the most dangerous in Palestine (Stanley, Sinai and Palestine, p. 416).

33 a certain Samaritan. The Samaritans appear to have reciprocated the national hostility of the Jews (see ix. 52, 53); and we may suppose that our Lord selected a Samaritan as an example of the loving neighbour who succoured the half-dead Jew, in order to give, in one of the hated and despised race, an illustration of that Divine love which forgets all antipathies in another’s distress.

34 oil and wine. “Oil and wine,” which were frequently carried by travellers (see Gen. xxviii. 18; Josh. ix. 13), were applied to wounds in the East: see Isa. i. 6.

an inn. The words here rendered “inn” and “host” occur nowhere else in Scripture, and suggest rather a Roman inn than an Eastern khan or caravanserai.

35 two pence. On “pence” see note, Matt. xx. 2.

38 a certain village. The village was Bethany, near Jerusalem (see John xi. 1). This visit probably occurred when Jesus had gone up, in the course of His last journey, for a brief visit to Jerusalem at the Feast of Dedication (John x. 22, 23). The two sisters were both attached disciples of our Lord. The busy, energetic Martha, who seems to have been the elder sister and manager of the household, was not only assiduous in providing for His entertainment, but was so “anxious and harassed” about it as to neglect His spiritual teaching, and to find fault with Mary, whose whole soul was engaged in earnest attention to His “gracious words.” The Saviour’s gentle rebuke of Martha was called forth by her own complaint. That Martha had a genuine faith is shown by John xi. 20-24.

of our Heavenly Friend and Father! Cp. also xviii. 1-8.