THERE are several incidental allusions to the person and history of the author of this Gospel in the New, Testament; and, in addition to this, the most ancient Christian writers give some information respecting him, which they inform us was handed down to them by early tradition. From these two sources have been derived the following facts, which are generally considered, by Christian scholars, as satisfactorily ascertained.

      His name, though it is not mentioned in the Gospel itself, was Luke. He was a physician, probably of Antioch, in Syria; of the Jewish religion, though perhaps descended from a Greek family. After his conversion to Christianity, he became the intimate friend and companion of Paul. He accompanied him on some of his most important journeys, and thus enjoyed frequent intercourse with the most prominent of the early Christians, and possessed peculiar facilities for becoming acquainted with the history of the early church, and for obtaining accurate information in regard to the life and sayings of Jesus Christ. He accordingly wrote this Gospel, and also the book of the Acts. The considerations which led him to do this are stated in a few introductory verses prefixed to those books.

      Both this Gospel and the book of the Acts are addressed to Theophilus, who is supposed to have been some individual of rank, but of whose person and history nothing is known. This address to Theophilus, however, ought, probably, to be considered in the light of an inscription or dedication; as the whole plan and structure of both works indicate that they were intended for general use, and not as mere private communications to a single individual.

      1. Many. It is uncertain what writers are here referred to.

      2. The word which, refers back to they, and not to us; the meaning being, as they who were eye-witnesses &c., delivered them to us. [125]

      3. We learn from this verse that the inspiration of the sacred writers was not a divine illumination and impulse, which revealed to them, supernaturally, in all cases, a knowledge of the facts, or which made them the mere passive instruments for recording words which the Holy Spirit dictated; but that it was rather of the nature of a superintendence and control over the exercise of their own memory and judgment, and powers of investigation and expression. Even Luke's determination to write his history, was his own determination; "it seemed good to me." And he felt qualified for the work on account of the facilities which he enjoyed for acquiring a correct knowledge of the facts by the exercise of his own mental powers. This being true in respect to inspired men, of course those uninspired religious teachers, of all ages, who expect such an influence from the Holy Spirit as shall render unnecessary their own personal efforts for mental cultivation, and for the acquisition of knowledge, very greatly err.

      5. Herod. Judea had been conquered by the Romans a short time before this, and held in imperfect subjugation, until, at length, Herod, who was appointed to the government of it, completed the conquest, and induced the Roman emperor to grant it to him as a kingdom; and he had been reigning over it now, in great power and splendor, for more than thirty years. He acquired great celebrity for his political and military talents, his influence with the Roman government, the energy of his administration, the violence of his passions, and for his cruelties and his crimes. He is called in history Herod the Great. The individuals mentioned in the subsequent parts of the Scripture history, under the name of Herod, were his descendants.--Of the course of Abia. In 1 Chron. 24: the arrangement of the priests into courses is given, and, in the tenth verse the course of Abijah is mentioned as the eighth in order.

      7. Stricken; advanced.

      9. The description of the altar of incense, and of the institution of the rite, is contained in Ex. 30:1-8. Burning the incense in the temple was a duty of the highest interest and solemnity. The number of priests was so large that the falling of the lot to any individual was an important event in his life. He was to go alone into one of the most magnificent apartments in the world, and one which was connected, in the mind of every Jew, with associations of the deepest religious veneration and awe. There he was to perform a most solemn ceremony,--to burn incense, in the very antechamber, and almost in the presence of Jehovah, while thousands were waiting without in silence and solemnity. Thus this first announcement of the approach of the Messiah was made at a time and in a place in keeping with the moral grandeur of the events involved in the annunciation. [126]

      11, 12. There is something mysterious in the strange, unearthly terror, with which the idea of any communication from the world of spirits is associated in the minds of men, in all ages of the world, and under every variety of circumstance. What had Zacharias to fear?

      15. Neither wine nor strong drink; that is, like the ancient prophets, he shall lead a life of abstemiousness and self-denial.

      17. Elias; Elijah. The meaning is, With the boldness and energy which characterized the prophet Elijah.--To turn the hearts, &c.; to bring back again the religious spirit of the fathers to the present generation.

      19. The name Gabriel is mentioned in Dan. 8:16, and in 9:21.

      20. Dumb; that is, deaf and dumb: the same words being used in this case as are employed to denote this class in other parts of the New Testament. Accordingly, in verses 62 and 63, we see that his friends communicated with him by signs, implying that he could not hear.

      22. Beckoned; made signs, indicating that he had seen an extraordinary vision.

      23. Ministration; service in the temple.

      25. To be childless was a subject of reproach among the Jews, though very unjustly. [127]

      26. The scene now changes to a distant part of the country. Nazareth was in Galilee, fifty or sixty miles from Jerusalem.

      27. Espoused; betrothed.

      29. That is, what this salutation should mean.

      38. Handmaid means servant; so that Mary's reply is an expression of entire submission to the divine will.

      39. The country in the neighborhood of Jerusalem was called the hill-country.

      40. Saluted; that is, addressed her, with expressions of affectionate recognition.

      43. That is, Why is it that I receive the honor of a visit from the mother of the Savior? [128]

      49. Thus far the words of Mary's song express the feelings awakened in her heart by the circumstances of her own particular case. There is something sublime in the feelings with which this youthful maiden looks forward to her approaching maternity. Her mind dwells not upon the love, the caresses, the thousand charms and fascinations of infancy and childhood, on which the heart of a mother might have been expected to rest. She seems to overlook all these, and, as if from a high moral elevation, she surveys the vast consequences to her nation and to her race, which were to result from the approaching change in her own private condition. The remaining verses of the song are general expressions of adoration and praise, for the power and providence of God. The reader will find a very striking similarity between this hymn of thanksgiving and that of Hannah, as recorded in 1 Sam. 2 :

      58. Cousins; relatives.

      59. Circumcise. This was a religious ceremony, performed, according to the law of Moses, as a rite essential to the admission of any one to the Jewish communion. It was performed upon infant children of Jewish parents, when they were eight days old; and upon those who had not been thus circumcised in infancy, at the time of their conversion to Judaism, at whatever period of their lives this might be. It corresponded, therefore, in many respects, to the baptismal ceremony of the Christian dispensation, as practised by most denominations.--Called him; that is, proposed to call him.

      60. As had been directed by the angel, v. 13.

      63. Writing-table; writing tablet, corresponding somewhat to the slate [129] of modern times. These tablets were made in various ways,--with a surface of some yielding substance, as wax or lead, on which the writing was traced with an iron point.

      64. The prediction being now completely fulfilled, the dumbness was removed.

      65. Fear; a feeling of wonder and awe.

      69. The horn was, among the Hebrews, a symbol of power.--In the house of his servant David; that is, in his family; among his descendants.

      76. It is interesting to observe how the natural feelings and partialities of the father are here merged in the higher emotions of inspiration and prophecy. With his own infant son before him, his only son, the child of his old age, and on an occasion the most exciting to a father's feelings,--the burden of his song is the great blessings which are to come upon the world through the instrumentality of another child, yet to be born. It is only in conclusion that he turns to his own son, and then to assign him the comparatively humble part of going before the face of the Lord, to prepare his ways.

      78. Day-spring; the dawn of a better day.

      80. Waxed strong in spirit; increased in intellectual energy.--In the deserts; that is, probably, he lived in retirement with his father and mother in a part of Judea called the desert, until he commenced his public preaching by the Jordan, as recorded by Matthew and by John. [130]

      1. Cesar Augustus; the Roman emperor. Cesar was the family name and Augustus an honorary appellation, meaning august or illustrious. These names were applied, in succession, to a long line of monarchs. The first was Julius Cesar, the great competitor of Pompey. The one here spoken of was Octavianus Cesar. The one in power when Paul appealed unto Cesar, was Nero. The Claudius, who commanded all Jews to depart out of Rome, (Acts 18:2,) was a Cesar.--All the world; probably the whole country of the Jews.

      3. To be taxed; not to pay the money, but to be enrolled, as a step preliminary to actual taxation. The Jews were compelled to submit to these exactions of the Romans, much against their will. Hence the odium in which the publicans, or tax-gatherers, were held; and also the peculiar point of the question put to our Savior, on one occasion,--whether it was lawful to pay tribute to Cesar.

      4. It is interesting to observe how the fulfilment of the simple prophecy that Christ should be born in Bethlehem, depended upon the political movements of the greatest power on the globe. Thus we see that all the affairs of human life are connected and intertwined, so as to form one vast and complicated system, all of which is under the complete control of the providence of God. The long journey from Nazareth, made in order that Joseph and Mary might present themselves for enrolment in the city of David, served to make the fact very conspicuous and prominent, that Jesus was descended from the royal family.

      7. All the arrangements of the ancients, in respect to travelling, were so totally different from ours, that we can now form but a very imperfect idea of the precise situation of Mary and the infant, from the words used to describe it in the text. All the circumstances of their history conspire to show that, though in humble life, they were by no means in very poor and destitute circumstances, as is sometimes supposed.

      8. Flocks were kept in ancient times, not by means of fences or enclosures, but by shepherds, who watched them in open pasture grounds.

      9. Glory of the Lord; a supernatural light. [131]

      20. It cannot now be positively ascertained in what part of the year the birth of the Savior took place. In the absence of all certain information, however, the night before the 25th of December has been fixed upon, by a sort of common consent, and is celebrated in various ways, throughout almost all Christendom, as the anniversary of the Savior's birth night.

      21, 22. The law, in respect to these transactions, is recorded in Lev. 12: For an account of the original consecration of all the first-born to God's service, see Ex. 13:1, 2; also 14, 15. Afterwards the tribe of Levi was substituted for the first-born, in the service of the sanctuary, as shown in Num. 8:13-18, and provision was made for redeeming the first-born, Num. 18:15, 16. [132]

      33. Marvelled; that is, they were deeply impressed and affected.

      34. Is set for the fall, &c. The Savior's coming shall be the occasion on which many shall fall into grievous sins, while others shall be raised, by means of it, to a new life of holiness and spiritual joy.--A sign, &c.; a mark for hatred and obloquy.

      35. A sword, &c. This refers to the sufferings which Mary was to endure through her affection and sympathy for her son.--That the thoughts of many hearts, &c. This, of course, refers back, beyond the parenthesis, to the last words of the preceding verse. It shows us that Jesus did not force himself upon men, as their king. He presented himself before mankind, unarmed and defenceless, that men might be perfectly free to receive or to reject him; so that their conduct might be the true index of the thoughts of their hearts. Christianity itself stands in much the same attitude at the present day. It is left exposed and defenceless to the attacks of unbelievers, in many points in which, it would seem, it might have been easily guarded. While there is ample evidence to satisfy those honestly desirous of knowing and doing the will of God, there are abundant materials out of which excuses may be fabricated for rejecting it, by all those who wish to find them. While, therefore, we do all in our power to relieve honest doubts, we should not be too eager to answer the objections and difficulties made by cavilling unbelievers. Every thing in the providence of God, as indicated by the circumstances of our Savior's mission, by his preaching, and by the present condition of the argument for Christianity, shows that it is his design that those who wish to find excuses for rejecting Christ, should have the opportunity; so that the thoughts of men's hearts may be freely revealed.

      36. Aser; Ashur. The reason why the same names are spelled so differently in the Old and New Testament, is that in the former they were written in Hebrew characters, and in the latter in Greek; and these characters are so different in respect to the sounds which they represent, that a name cannot be easily transferred from one language to the other without change.

      37. Night and day; that is, with habitual constancy.

      39. The flight of Joseph and Mary into Egypt, as recorded by Matthew, took place before their return to Nazareth. It is not easy to account for Luke's omitting all mention of so important a transaction, when we remember the words of his preface (Luke 1:3.) [133]

      43. For an account of the institution and mode of celebrating the passover, see Ex. 12: and Levit. 23:

      49. Wist ye; knew ye.--About my Father's business. In the original, it is, About, that is, at my Father's; so that the meaning is this--How is it that you could not find me? Did you not suppose that I should be at my Father's?--meaning that the temple, the house of God, his Father, was his natural and proper home, and the place where they should have expected to find him. We must suppose that his being left behind by his parents was not designed on his part, both because he at once returned with his parents when found, and also because his remaining at Jerusalem intentionally, without his parents' knowledge or consent, could hardly be reconciled with his duty as a son. It was his principle, as he expressed it, to fulfil all righteousness; that is, to perform faithfully all the duties arising out of the human relations which he sustained.

      51. The peculiar character of Mary's feelings towards her infant son is beautifully intimated to us in these and similar expressions, which show the strong affection of the mother, repressed and controlled by the mysterious sacredness with which the subject of it was invested. She observes every thing, watches every thing, but is silent in respect to what she sees, laying it up in her heart. It seems as if the sacred writers perceived the peculiar dramatic interest of her position; for every allusion to her is in keeping with it, and heightens the effect. Wherever she appears,--on this occasion, at the marriage in Cana of Galilee, in her attendance upon Jesus in his journeyings, and at his last hour, standing by his side, at the cross,--we seem to see in her look, her attitude, her tone of voice, and in the meaning of the few words she utters, that mingling of maternal pride and maternal anxiety,--of motherly fondness for a son, and of religious veneration for a Savior,--which we might almost have supposed to have been inconsistent with each other. Silent, unobtrusive, and retiring, but ever watchful, ever at hand, we know not which most to admire, the ardent affection which kept her near her son, even in his greatest dangers, or the singular quietness of spirit and reserve, [134] through which she always keeps, in every scene, a position so becoming to the gentleness and modesty of woman. It is not surprising that in the dark and superstitious ages of the church, she was almost worshipped as divine.

      1. Herod's kingdom was divided after his death.--A tetrarch is a ruler over a portion of a kingdom, possessing, in some respects, kingly powers. A governor, in the New Testament, is the ruler of a province, which was more directly dependent upon the government of Rome. Judea and the adjoining countries, which, in the days of Herod the Great, constituted a kingdom, were now separated, and Judea itself was a province.

      2. There is historical evidence that it was Caiaphas who actually held the office of high priest from this time to a period beyond the crucifixion; but Annas, his father-in-law, seems to have been in some way connected with him in the duties of the office. (See John 18:13 and 24.) Various explanations of this have been attempted, but they are conjectural.--The word of God; special communications from the Holy Spirit.

      3. The baptism of repentance. The baptism of John was the symbol and pledge of repentance.

      4. Esaias; Isa. 40:3-5.

      7. Generation of vipers. We learn from Matthew 3:7, that it was to the Pharisees and Sadducees that this severe language was applied.

      11. Meat; food.

      12. Publicans; officers appointed to collect the taxes. [135]

      15. The evangelist John states that the Jews sent special messengers from Jerusalem to put this question to him. (John 1:19.)

      17. Fan; an agricultural instrument, by which the chaff was separated from the wheat.--Garner; granary.

      19, 20. This event took place some time afterwards. It is inserted here in order to complete what Luke had to say of the bold and fearless character of John, as a preacher, and to show how his public ministrations were brought to a close.

      23-38. In comparing this genealogical table with those contained in the Old Testament and in Matthew, extensive discrepancies are found, many of which are explained by the following considerations: 1. Between Jesus and David, Matthew is supposed to follow the line of Joseph, and Luke, on leaving the name of Joseph, to ascend in the line of Mary's ancestors. 2. Matthew begins the line with Abraham, Luke carries it back to Adam. 3. In the Old Testament, the spelling of the names corresponds with the Hebrew orthography; in the New, it follows the Greek. 4. In some cases, intermediate names are omitted in one table, while they are inserted in the other. Besides the discrepancies which these principles will account for, there are others which the research and ingenuity of learned men have yet been unable to explain. [126]

      3. And the devil said unto him; that is, during the time of his temptation.

      6. The psalmist David thought differently in respect to the disposal of earthly power and honor. Promotion, he says, cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south; [137] but God is the judge. He putteth down one, and setteth up another.

      8. Get thee behind me, Satan; a strong expression of rejection--Away! Begone!

      12. By comparing this passage with the one which our Savior quotes, (Deut. 6:16,) which refers to the conduct of the Israelites at Massah or Meribah, (Ex. 17:2, 7,) it seems that the expression tempt God is applied to the sin of presumptuously calling for or expecting miraculous interpositions from him.

      13. There have been great disputes among the learned whether the sacred writers intended us to understand, in this case, that the spirit of evil appeared in a visible form, and with an audible voice, to lead Jesus astray, or whether the temptation was urged in the mode in which enticements to sin are ordinarily presented to the human mind,--by inward suggestions. The language seems to be, at first view, too direct and specific to admit of any but a literal interpretation; but, then, the mind inclines to adopt a view more in accordance with the ordinary course of divine providence in respect to temptation to sin. There are very serious difficulties attending the settlement of this question; but it is less important than might be supposed, as all the moral aspects and bearings of the case are the same on either supposition. In order to appreciate the nature and severity of this trial, we must remember that Jesus was strictly a man, and that he partook of all the natural feelings of the human heart; and now, as he was about to enter upon a very public career as a man, he found himself mysteriously partaking of the divine nature, and clothed with divine authority, and placed, moreover, in a position which opened before him prospects of the greatest magnificence and splendor, if he would take advantage of the circumstances in which he was placed, and wield the supernatural powers with which he was clothed, to protect himself from injury, to gratify his own desires, and to attain earthly dominion, instead of giving himself up to a life of sorrow and suffering, and to an agonizing death, for the redemption of man. These seem to have been the suggestions which struggled for the mastery over him in the dark season of his trial. The greatness and severity of them we have too indistinct ideas of the reality of his manhood fully to realize.

      15. Glorified of all; highly commended and approved as a preacher. How long this period of his ministry continued, during which he regularly officiated in the synagogues on the Sabbath, enjoying a high degree of public approbation and favor, we are not informed. It was a very remarkable period of his life. [138]

      17. The book. The books in ancient times, as, in fact, they are now in Jewish synagogues, were rolls of parchment or vellum.

      18. Anointing was the ancient form of induction to high and solemn offices. This passage is found in Isa. 61:1, 2.

      20. The minister. The expression to minister, in the Scriptures, means to attend upon, to serve. A minister is an attendant, or a servant. Preachers of the gospel received the name of ministers from the idea that they are the servants of Christ and the church. The minister, in this case, was the attendant who had charge of the books.

      21. That is, he addressed them in a discourse in which he showed the fulfillment of the prophecy.

      22. It is not meant that they interrupted the exercises to say this aloud. The phraseology is only a pointed mode of representing that this was the prevailing impression upon their minds,--that is, surprise that the untaught son of their humble townsman Joseph should preach with such power.

      25. According to the account here referred to, (1 Kings 17:8 to 18:1,) it was three years. The addition of the six months to the duration of the drought in this verse, and in James, (5:17,) is generally explained by including the ordinary dry season of those climates, which preceded the drought.

      26. The meaning is, that he was not sent to any of the widows in Israel, but to a Zidonian widow, a Gentile.

      27. Eliseus; Elisha. None of the lepers in Israel were cleansed, but a Syrian leper was cleansed. (See 2 Kings, 5:)

      28. They were highly pleased with the commencement of the discourse, but exceedingly irritated and angry at its close. They could not endure this calm but plain assertion of the absolute sovereignty of God, in dispensing [139] and in withholding his favors, both in regard to Jew and Gentile, according to his own good pleasure.

      31. Down to Capernaum. Nazareth was situated among the hills, back from the lake, while Capernaum was upon its shore.

      38. Simon. This was Simon Peter, the apostle. Bethsaida was his original residence, and Capernaum the place where his wife's mother resided.

      41. In speaking of the general phenomena of nature, the sacred writers, no doubt, often employed the modes of expression commonly in use in their day, without intending any inspired sanction of the philosophical opinions on which such expressions were based. On this principle, it has been maintained that the cases of demoniacal possession which are referred to in the New Testament, were simply cases of insanity, or of other natural disease, in speaking of which the evangelists used the language indicating a supernatural agency, either in a figurative sense, or else in accommodation to the ideas of their day; and one of the main grounds for this opinion is, that the symptoms detailed in the various cases which are recorded, correspond very precisely with the symptoms of certain natural diseases. Now, it is doubtless true that not only the symptoms detailed, but many expressions used in narrating the events connected with these cases, indicate clearly that the sacred writers regarded the demoniacs as diseased. In one instance, in fact, a sufferer is described by one evangelist (Matt. 17:15, 16) as a lunatic, brought to be cured; and by another (Luke 9:38-40) as possessed with a devil. The question, therefore, is not, as it has sometimes been considered, whether the evangelists regarded the demoniacs [140] as diseased, but whether they intended really to refer their evident mental and bodily maladies to the influence of infernal beings. And, in this view of the subject, it must be admitted that the sacred writers ascribe so distinct and positive a personality to the agencies producing these sufferings, and connect these agencies so directly with that invisible world in regard to which it would seem the special object of inspiration to instruct them, that we cannot safely deviate from a strict construction of their language.

      1. The Lake of Gennesaret, or Sea of Galilee, was about seventeen miles long and six broad, and was surrounded by a beautiful and romantic country, which was inhabited by a simple-minded people. The whole region has become sacred, as the scene of our Savior's childhood and youth, and of his early public ministrations. His labors in this secluded province, sometimes among the fishermen upon the shores of the lake, and sometimes in the villages, or in the solitudes of the neighboring mountains, contrast strongly with the more public and exciting scenes of the closing year of his life, among the crowds and imposing magnificence of Jerusalem.

      2. Two ships, &c.; what would now be called fishing boats; they appear to have been drawn up upon the sand.

      3. Simon's. This was Simon Peter. His residence was Bethsaida.--That he would thrust out a little, &c.; so that he might be relieved from the pressure of the crowd, and address them as they stood upon the shore.

      6. Brake; that is, began to break in some places.

      7. Began to sink; to sink near to the water's edge, so as to be in danger of being overturned.

      8. Depart from me. This was only an expression of humility and self-abasement. Peter, far from desiring to be separated from Christ, left all, and followed him. [141]

      10. We are not to suppose that these words are all that was said. They express the substance of what was, perhaps, a long conversation.

      12. This city was Capernaum, according to Mark, (2:1,)--a city where Jesus was then residing, (Matt. 9:1,) having removed from Nazareth, (Matt. 4:13,) to be safe from Herod Antipas.--Leprosy. In order to prevent the spread of this dreadful disease by contagion, those afflicted with it were subjected to great restrictions and privations,--being cut off, in a great measure, from direct intercourse with others, and thus rendered wretched and almost hopeless outcasts from society. The directions in regard to their examination by the priests, and the rules and restrictions which they were to observe, are given in Lev. ch. 13 and 14.--Fell on his face; that is, prostrated himself before him.

      14. Show thyself to the priest, &c. The directions in respect to the ceremonies to be performed by such lepers as should recover from the disease, in order to relieve them from their disabilities and restrictions, and restore them to their standing in society, are given in Lev. 14:1-32. From among the great number of miracles which Jesus performed at this time, it seems to have been only those which had something marked to distinguish them, that were particularly recorded. The distinguishing circumstance in this case, perhaps, was, that the disease was the leprosy.

      17. Out of every town, &c.; that is, from many towns,--from all parts of the country.

      19. The construction of the ancient houses was very different from that of ours. They were made with flat roofs, and sometimes with a court in the middle, partly or wholly uncovered. [142]

      23. The meaning is this: Is not divine power required as truly to heal the sick by a miracle as to forgive sin?

      27. Levi is supposed to be another name for Matthew. (See Matt. 9:9.) He was a collector of the customs, or duties, at this port, on the lake. The practice was for men of property to pay a specific sum to the government for the right to collect a certain tax or custom. Then, in collecting the tax, they employed subordinate officers of various grades. By this system the government realized the money at once, and were saved all attention to details; and the contractor made a profit, as the sum which he paid was less than the expected proceeds of the tax. But the people suffered, as the system exposed them to cruel extortions from unprincipled and interested collectors of the tax. From the nature of the business, the most rough and unfeeling men would be most efficient and successful in it; the publicans were consequently taken from the most degraded classes of society, and were objects of general detestation.

      29. Levi appears to have been a man of standing and consideration among his class.

      30. Their scribes, &c.; the scribes and Pharisees of the place.--Eat and drink with, &c.; associate with.

      32. Nothing can excel the conciseness, point, and absolute conclusiveness of the Savior's replies to the Pharisaic cavils.

      34. The children of the bride-chamber; the guests and friends at a bridal party. [143]

      35. That is, when Jesus, whom he had in the verse before represented as a bridegroom, shall be taken away from his disciples.

      36. The new cloth referred to was such as would shrink and draw the edges of the old material, so as very soon to produce a worse rent than it was intended to repair.

      37. Bottles; made of leather, which, when old, were rigid and unyielding, and easily burst by the fermenting of new wine. Both these examples are intended as only striking cases of incongruity and unfitness, to give point and emphasis to the declaration of the unsuitableness of fasting and mourning under the circumstances in which the Savior and his disciples were placed. We are not to press the details of the similitude so far as to attempt to find any thing in the previous discourse corresponding to the two kinds of wine or cloth, or to the bottles.

      39. The meaning which Jesus intended to convey by this remark is not understood.

      1. The second Sabbath after the first. This expression is thought to refer to an enumeration of the Sabbaths after the passover described Lev. 23:15.--Corn. The corn of Judea consisted of what are called the smaller grains, as wheat and barley.

      3. What David did, &c. When pressed with hunger, on an emergency described 1 Sam. 21:1-6, the sacred prohibitions of the tabernacle service were waived in his favor, and he took the holy bread for food.

      4. Shew-bread. For a description of shew-bread, and the table on which it was kept during the wanderings of the Israelites, see Ex. 25:23-30. Solomon afterwards made a more costly table, (1 Kings 7:48,) David having provided the gold. (1 Chron. 28:16.) This bread was prepared once a week. (1 Chron. 9:32.)

      5. Is Lord also of the Sabbath; that is, as David, the anointed king of Israel, was Lord of the sacred preparations of the tabernacle. [144]

      7. Watched him. They were silenced before, but not convinced; and they watched an opportunity to renew the discussion.

      8. Observe the bold and decided manner in which he met the question.

      11. They were filled with madness. In all ages, men are prone to hate those who expose their errors, especially if these errors are of the nature of superstitious feelings and observances. It is not surprising that they were exasperated at so public and overwhelming a rebuke for their hypocrisy in placing punctiliousness in the performance of an external rite, above obedience to the spiritual precepts of God's law.

      12. All night in prayer. This seems to have been in reference to the appointment and commission of the twelve apostles, which was to take place in the morning. It must be remembered that the climate was mild and salubrious, and that the mountainous country about the Sea of Galilee was a region of great beauty and interest, as well as of retirement and solitude. Prayer, too, includes all forms of communion with God--meditation and praise as well as supplication. We must, therefore, not conceive of this night of prayer as one spent in austere exposure, anxiety, and gloom. It was doubtless a season of peace and joy,--of thanksgiving and praise,--of happy contemplation of the vast consequences which were to flow from the great work of salvation which had been so successfully begun,--of heartfelt compassion for man, and devout communion with God. These religious emotions were doubtless heightened by the impression which the solemn glories of the night must have made upon a mind so alive to all natural and moral beauty. At such a time, all the objects in nature,--the cliffs, the ravines,--the chasms, the precipices,--the gray rocks, the dark forests,--all wrapped in shadow and obscurity, assume a peculiar expression of dread sublimity and awe--and the vast expanse of magnificence and brilliancy above, subdued by distance, beams upon the observer, the very type and symbol of eternity. No one who has not experienced the effect, can conceive of the solemn sublimity of midnight among forests and mountains.

      13. The meaning of the word apostles is, persons sent,--messengers. [145]

      17. Tyre and Sidon. These cities were north of Galilee, on the Mediterranean. They have not been mentioned before as reached by the fame of Jesus.

      19. Virtue; power, efficacy.

      20. This discourse is given more fully in Matthew, beginning at the fifth chapter.

      24. This is not spoken of rich men universally. Abraham, David, and Joseph of Arimathea, were rich men. The language is simply an energetic expression of the hopeless condition of those who have earthly riches only, for their portion.

      26. This is to he understood in the same manner as the above. Jesus himself, while preaching in Galilee, enjoyed, for some time, a high degree of public popularity and honor. Both wealth and a good name are, in themselves, highly desirable.

      29. Be of a yielding and forgiving disposition, and not eager to contend for your rights. It is not meant to require, always and absolutely, passive submission to insult and injury. The apostle Paul appealed to the military force of the country for protection when his life was in danger.

      30. Another strong mode of expression. It is simply intended to urge, in a very emphatic manner, the duty and of disinterestedness and universal good will. [146]

      38. Mete; measure.

      40. Perfect; instructed. The meaning is, Every one that is instructed will become like his teacher. If his teacher is blind, he cannot be expected to see. Both verses are intended to discredit the teaching of those blind guides, the scribes and Pharisees.

      41. The meaning is, Why do you watch for and condemn your brother's smaller faults, while you are insensible to far greater ones of your own.

      46. Call ye me Lord, Lord; that is, by professions acknowledge my authority, while you do not obey my commands. [147]

      1. In the audience of the people. This discourse was listened to by a large concourse of people, as is stated more fully in the account given by Matthew. (Matt. 4:25. 5:1. 8:1.)

      3. The peculiar point and interest of this story consist in the fact that the centurion was a foreigner, a Roman officer, under Herod Antipas, who, as such, occupied a peculiar position in regard to the Jews. These officers were often haughty and oppressive; but this centurion seems to have been a devout man, and just and beneficent towards the people whom he assisted to govern. Under these circumstances, it was natural for him not to apply directly to Christ himself but to ask the friendly mediation of other officers, of Christ's own nation, with whom he must have been, from the nature of the case, on friendly and familiar terms. How true to nature, and to the circumstances of the case, is the plea which they urged, in the 4th and 5th verses!

      4. Instantly; urgently.

      9. In Israel. The centurion was a Gentile.

      11. A city called Nain. Villages of very inconsiderable size were, in those days, walled in, and called cities.

      14. Touched the bier; laid his hand [148] upon it, signifying that they should put it down.

      18. It seems that his disciples had access to him in the prison.

      19. He that should come; the promised Messiah.--Or look we; are we to expect?

      24-27. The precise point of the particular questions asked in verses 24th and 25th is somewhat obscure. Commentators have attempted to explain them; but the meaning which they assign seems to be a meaning which they put into, rather than deduce from them. The intention of the whole passage is obvious. It was to declare, in the most emphatic manner, that John was a divinely-inspired prophet, and that he was acknowledged to be such by the act of the Jewish people in attending in crowds upon his preaching in the wilderness.

      29, 30. These verses are a continuation of the Savior's remarks. The meaning is, that the mass of the nation, and even the publicans, [149] acknowledged John as a prophet, and glorified God by their repentance. He was rejected only by the Pharisees and lawyers, who, acting against themselves, resisted God's gracious designs for their salvation.

      31. And the Lord said; that is, in continuation. These words, however, are not found in the earlier and better copies of the New Testament, and probably do not belong here. If retained, they must be understood as above.--The men of this generation; the Pharisees and lawyers, who were not satisfied with either Jesus or John.

      32. Sitting in the market-place; where they had gone to play.--Piped; made lively music. The idea is, that the Jews were like discontented children, of whom their playmates complained that they would not be pleased with any thing; they would neither play wedding nor funeral. The ceremonies of both these occasions, in ancient times, were such as children would be very likely to imitate in their plays.

      33. Neither eating bread, &c.; that is, leading an austere and solitary life.

      34. Eating and drinking; that is, in respect to his habits of social intercourse, living like other men.

      35. Is justified; is recognized and honored.

      38. Wash his feet, &c. In these expressions, Luke adopts the phraseology used by Jesus in verse 44. It seems that the woman, partaking of the excitement which our Savior's presence and preaching produced among the multitude, and overwhelmed with contrition for her past sins, and full of grateful feeling at the offers of forgiveness, came in, and prostrated herself at his feet, as he was reclining at the table, and kissed them, in token of adoration and gratitude. While in this posture, the Savior's feet were wet with her tears, and covered with her hair. Whatever of impropriety there might have been in the act,--and the strong excitement of her feelings, taken in connection with the probable freedom of her past habits of life, might easily have carried her beyond the bounds of decorum,--Jesus does not censure it, but represents her action in the figurative language of washing his feet with her tears and wiping them with her hair. Though scrupulously attentive himself to all the proprieties of life, he pitied the anguish of mind which led to this apparent violation of them in her, and took the unhappy sinner's part against the censorious Pharisee, by language which put upon her conduct a favorable and yet a just construction. [150]

      1. Every city and village; still, however, remaining in the region of the Sea of Galilee.

      2. Magdalene; of Magdala.

      3. Herod's. This was Herod Antipas, the son of old King Herod, and the tetrarch of this part of his father's dominions.--Of their substance; of their property. This and other allusions show that Jesus did not throw himself upon the local and casual charity of the people among whom he travelled, but made, himself, a proper provision for the wants of his company, from the contributions of known and tried friends. From Luke 9:13, it seems that they were accustomed to travel with supplies of provisions and money. Perhaps Philip at one time, (John 6:5,) and certainly Judas afterwards, acted as treasurer and steward. In the same way, we ought, in all our religious enterprises, to make provision ourselves, in the most systematic and business-like manner, for all the wants which the most active sagacity can foresee; and never make faith a substitute for forethought, or expect aid, from divine [151] interpositions, in emergencies which might have been provided for by prudential arrangements of our own.

      6. Upon a rock; over a rock, where the earth was very shallow.

      10. That seeing they might not see, &c.; that is, that while enough is exhibited to them to invite their attention, they may still be left at liberty to shut their eyes to the truth, if they choose. There is nothing more striking in the government of God, than the reserve in the communication of religious truth, which seems to have marked the divine administration in all ages of the world. The higher spiritualities of religion are not forced upon the attention of unwilling minds; there is a veil which conceals the sacred interior from all, excepting those who find in their hearts an honest desire to know and do the will of God, which leads them in.

      16. Bed; the seat or couch upon which it was customary to recline at meals.

      17. The meaning of the two verses is, These truths which I reveal to you with caution and reserve, are not to be suppressed and buried in oblivion, but to be gradually extended, until they shall be universally known and acknowledged.

      18. That is, high degrees of knowledge and piety tend constantly to increase, while feeble attainments tend to diminish, and are in danger of being lost entirely. [157]

      19. His brethren are enumerated Mark 6:3. It would appear from Mark 3:21-35, that they were alarmed for his personal safety, fearing violence from the crowd, and that they wished to withdraw him from the danger.

      21. His answer is a striking expression of his confidence that he had nothing to fear.

      22. The lake; of Galilee.

      27. A certain man. Matthew (8:28) says two. Luke seems to speak only of the one with whom the conversation was particularly held. Such circumstantial dissimilarities in the narratives of independent witnesses are considered, in courts of justice, as adding to the force of testimony; indicating, as they do, the absence of collusion.

      29. Was kept; had been kept.

      33. It seems to be impossible to frame any conceivable hypothesis [153] which will explain why intelligent beings, however malicious and depraved, should act such a part as appears to be here ascribed to them; and, on the other hand, language so definite, and of such a nature, is scarcely susceptible of any other than a literal interpretation. [154]

      54. And he put them all out; all except the persons mentioned in v. 51. He would not make the scene more public, probably from delicate regard to the feelings of a youthful maiden.

      56. The preaching and miracles of the Savior produced a great excitement, so great as sometimes to occasion serious inconvenience and difficulty. (Mark 1:45.) He often found it necessary, therefore, to impose limits to the degree of publicity which was to be given to some of the transactions which were most likely to act strongly upon the public mind. Sometimes he encouraged giving publicity to a miraculous cure, as in v. 39, just before this transaction, when he was upon the other side of the lake, and in a more retired and quiet region. Now, however, the circumstances were different; for he had returned to the Galilean side, where there was already a great popular excitement; the crowd having been actually waiting for him upon the shore, when he came over. (v. 40.)

      2. To preach the kingdom of God; probably to proclaim the approach of the Messiah's kingdom, but not to make known the fact that Jesus was himself the Messiah. This knowledge was only communicated very cautiously, even to his disciples, until after the resurrection.

      3. Staves; walking staves. Scrip; a sort of wallet or leathern bag for provisions.

      7. It was said of some; by some. According to Matthew and Mark, it was Herod himself who said that John the Baptist had risen. (Matt. 14:1, 2. Mark 6:14.) The influence of inspiration did not produce minute uniformity in the accounts of the sacred writers. Like those of other human witnesses, their statements often vary in the details.

      9. And Herod said. The word said, in this, as in a great many other similar cases, refers not so much to his words as to his state of mind. He said to himself, as it were. The [155] thoughts and designs of the heart are often, in such cases, clothed in language by the historian.

      14. By fifties; not precisely, but in groups of about that number.

      18. Alone; away from the multitudes.

      20. We ourselves associate so strongly with every portion of the Savior's life the idea that he was the Messiah, that it is, difficult for us to realize that thus far, there had been no positive evidence brought before the minds of the disciples that he was really the promised Redeemer. Even this conversation does not seem to contain an absolute and direct acknowledgment of it. John the Baptist had before sent some of his disciples to put the question to him, but they received an indirect answer. (Luke 7:19-23.) The demoniacs were in some cases disposed to proclaim him as the Christ, or Messiah; but he always suppressed their intentions; so that, hitherto, a great uncertainty had hung over the minds of the disciples in respect to the person and character of their Master; and, from subsequent remarks made by the apostles, it would appear that all doubt on this subject was not even now entirely removed.

      21-26. By these remarks,--addressed first (v. 22) to the disciples and then (v. 23-26) to all his [156] followers,--Jesus intends to check the worldly and ambitious aspirations which they might have been forming, now that they began really to believe that their Master was the Messiah;--supposing, too, that the kingdom of the Messiah was to be established in great outward splendor.

      24. Will save his life; will seek to save it by sacrificing his duty.--Will lose his life; be willing to lose it.

      28. An eight days, a common expression for a week.

      36. And they kept it close; having been enjoined to do so by Jesus himself, while they were coming down the mountain. (Matt. 17:9.)

      37. On the next day, when they were come down. This form of expression, and the disposition to sleep manifested by the three apostles, as mentioned in v. 32, seems to imply that the transfiguration took place at night. It is not wonderful that the sublime circumstances of the scene should have strongly affected the ardent feelings of the apostle Peter. He alludes to the event long afterwards, (2 Peter 1:16-18,) in language which shows that it made a deep and lasting impression upon his mind.

      39. A spirit taketh him. In the account given by Matthew, this patient is spoken of as a lunatic. [157] (Matt. 17:15.)--It teareth him; agitates him with strong convulsions.

      45. They perceived it not; they did not understand it.--They feared to ask him, &c. This and similar expressions, occasionally occurring, evince the deep reverence with which Jesus was regarded by his disciples, and the reserve which he maintained in his daily intercourse with them. And yet he was nearly of the same age with them, and they were by no means certain that he was the Messiah.

      46. The claim of the Catholic church for the supremacy of the pope, rests in a great measure on the alleged official supremacy of Peter over the other apostles,--the Roman pontiff being considered his successor. But this verse seems to indicate that, thus far at least, no such preëminence of any one of their number was understood by the apostles themselves.

      48. Least among you; most lowly and childlike in spirit.

      51. When the time was come, &c.; that is, towards the close of his life, long after the occurrences mentioned above. The incident seems to be narrated here, out of the order of time, for the purpose of introducing it, in connection with the other cases here related, in which the disciples were reproved by the Savior. The passage 37-42 censures their want of faith; 46-48 reproves ambition; 49, 50, intolerance; and 51-56, resentment and anger.

      52. Samaritans. The nearest route from Galilee to Jerusalem led through Samaria. [158]

      53. There was a bitter theological controversy between the Jews and the Samaritans, on the question whether Jerusalem, or a mountain in Samaria, was the proper place for the national worship. (For other allusions to this controversy, see John 4:9, 19.) Such contention and hatred, for such a cause, seem to us, at this day, sufficiently absurd. We have, however, an abundance of controversies of our own, of the same character;--disputes destroying the spirit of Christianity, in a merciless war about the forms in which it should be imbodied.

      54. When we find in our hearts that our feelings towards those who oppose Christianity itself, or that particular form of it with which we are ourselves identified, are assuming the character of resentment or ill will, we may see the spirit which actuates us reflected here.--Even as Elias did, 2 Kings 1:10-12.

      56. To another village; for rest and refreshment.

      59-62. It would seem that, in regard to both of these cases, there must have been some circumstances affecting them which we do not understand from the narrative, but which made the requests improper, and were the occasion of the reproof implied in our Savior's reply.

      4. And salute no man by the way. This, and the other directions given, were not intended to be interpreted strictly and literally. This is proved by the fact that the expressions differ, as recorded by the different [159] evangelists, and are even inconsistent with each other, if pressed to a strict interpretation. The meaning is, that they were to go as they were, without making any special preparation, and that they were to give their time and attention wholly to their work, and not engage in social enjoyments, and in the interchange of the courtesies of society, in the places they should visit. The object of this mission seems to have been to disseminate generally some authentic knowledge of the Savior's person and character as a messenger from heaven, and to call the attention of the community to the coming of the Messiah. They were not, however, instructed to say that Jesus was himself the Messiah. Like many of the other measures adopted by Jesus and the apostles, this mission of the seventy was suited to a local and temporary purpose, and is of course not of binding authority as a model for imitation.

      13. Chorazin and Bethsaida; villages in Galilee, where our Savior had performed many of his mighty works.--Tyre and Sidon; Gentile cities north of Palestine, on the shores of the Mediterranean. [160]

      29. Willing to justify himself; that is, in respect to the question which he had asked; to show that there was really some difficulty in it, and that it was not so easily solved as the Savior's first answer might appear to indicate.

      30. The road from Jerusalem to Jericho led through a wild and mountainous country, infested with robbers.

      31. By chance. It is a morbid conscientiousness which scruples to use such expressions as accidentally and by chance in common conversation. They have a distinct and very proper meaning, and one which does not at all conflict with the idea of the constant and universal control of the overruling providence of God.

      33. A Samaritan. The peculiar point of this parable consists in representing the priest and the Levite persons of great reputation for sanctity among the Jews, as passing the wounded traveller, without compassion; while it was a Samaritan, a man whose whole nation were considered sinners and heretics, that stopped to relieve him.

      35. Two pence. The denominations and the value of money were so different in ancient times from the present, that such expressions give us [161] no idea of the amount intended. The true way of estimating the value of any sum of money, in any age of the world, is to ascertain its relation to the prices of food and clothing, and the other common necessaries of life. The apostles spoke of two hundred pence as the sum required to buy sufficient food to supply, for one occasion, the wants of five thousand men. Two pence would, in that proportion, have provided once for fifty; which shows that the sum was sufficient for the emergency.

      38. As they went; that is, once as they were travelling.--A certain village; Bethany. (John 11:1.)

      40. Cumbered; busy and anxious.

      1. The forms of prayer which John taught his disciples, would have possessed peculiar interest, as the earliest forms under the Christian dispensation; but they have not been preserved.

      4. In this passage, 2-4, Jesus prescribes a form; on other occasions, he used extemporaneous prayer. Both are proper modes of addressing the Supreme Being. A form is suitable for occasions of the same kind, often recurring; and the relief which it affords, in respect to intellectual effort, is in many cases needed;--as in the daily devotions of a child, and sometimes in the religious services of a family. It has great advantages, too, as well as disadvantages, as a mode of public worship, on the Sabbath. There are, however, constantly occurring, exigencies in which the soul is urged to express its desires in its own spontaneous language. Both, therefore, are proper modes of prayer; and both are adopted, though in different degrees and proportions, by all denominations of Christians. Matthew records substantially the same form of prayer as prescribed by our Savior when delivering the sermon on the mount.

      5. At midnight; in the night. Travellers were accustomed to avoid [162] the heat of the day, and extend their journey late into the evening or night.

      7. With me in bed; that is, my children, as well as myself, are in bed.

      13. If ye then, being evil; that is, if men, unfeeling and selfish as human nature is, &c.--The Holy Spirit. This expression seems to imply that Jesus considered it of course that these earnest requests of his disciples would be for spiritual favors. There cannot, in fact, be this eager and unhesitating importunity, in asking for temporal mercies or for deliverance from temporal ills. There will always be, in a soul imbued with a right spirit, a certain reserve and qualification,--If it be possible,--or, Nevertheless, not my will, but thine, be done.

      14. It was dumb; that is, it made the man dumb.

      16. Sought of him, &c. They pretended to consider the cures which he had effected as not satisfactory evidence of his divine mission, and they accordingly challenged him to bring to pass some great prodigy, in the heavens, in order to display his power more conspicuously.

      17. The verses which follow, to v. 22, are the Savior's reply to the allegations in the 15th verse. The reply to the requisition made in the 16th is contained in 29-32.

      21, 22. That is, the power of Satan could not be thus encountered and [163] destroyed, but by an enemy, and an enemy stronger than the one thus overcome.

      23. This seems to be a proverbial expression, meaning, generally, that they who act in opposition to one another, are enemies, not friends. In this view, its application to what precedes is obvious.

      24-26. The class of sufferers here alluded to were sometimes, it would seem, apparently relieved by the arts of exorcists, and perhaps by medical treatment; but then it often occurred, in such cases, that, after a short interval of rest and composure, the demoniacal frenzy would return with new and more terrible violence than before. So Jesus predicted that the Jewish nation, upon which his ministry produced a temporary good effect, would soon abandon itself to oduracy and wickedness again.

      29. Seek a sign. See v. 16.

      30. This was an allusion to the Savior's descent into the tomb, which could not have been fully understood until after his ascension.

      31. For the narrative here referred to, see 1 Kings 10.

      34-36. As the light of the body is the eye, so the understanding is the [164] light of the soul. When, therefore, the understanding is warped and depraved by wicked prejudices, as it was with these Jews, who had perverted all that Jesus had said, and misrepresented all that he had done, the whole soul is necessarily involved in darkness and error. An eye single represents an understanding free, honest, candid,--willing to see, and to know and admit the truth.

      37. Besought him to dine with him; with no friendly feelings, however, as would seem from the conversation which ensued.

      39. But your inward part, &c.; that is, the inward part of the cup and the platter. The meaning is, that within they were filled with the fruits of injustice and wickedness. This is evident from the phraseology of the parallel passage. (Matt. 23:25, 26.)

      40, 41. There is considerable difficulty in interpreting these two verses, so as to exhibit a meaning clearly in connection with what precedes. The passage is obscure in the original.

      42. Tithe mint, &c.; ye are very scrupulous in paying tithes on garden herbs of trifling value.

      45. Thus saying; that is, not particularly by the last denunciation, but by the whole course of his remarks.

      47. It would appear, from a comparison of this with the parallel passage, (Matt. 23:29-31,) that the meaning is, that, while they hypocritically professed to venerate the memory of the prophets, their whole conduct showed that they partook of the spirit which led their fathers to slay them. [165]

      51. Zacharias; evidently, from the connection, one of the last of the prophets that had been slain; perhaps the person mentioned 2 Chron. 24:20, 21,--It shall be required of this generation; that is, by perpetrating similar deeds, they had involved themselves in one common guilt with their fathers.

      53. To provoke him, to press him strongly.

      1. In the mean time, when, &c., that is, at a time, when. The evangelists do not observe the same order in arranging the accounts which they give. The various instructions contained in this chapter are recorded by the other evangelists as having been given, respectively, on several different occasions.--Leaven; spirit.

      7. Fear not therefore; that is, be not anxious about the result, when in situations of danger; leave it for God to decide. The ground of the Christian's peace of mind is not an assurance that his life will certainly be preserved, but that, although it may be lost, it can be lost only by God's direction. In sickness, in a storm at sea, or in a besieged city, he can never be sure but that his summons, as well as that of others, is about to come. His composure and happiness, therefore, rest, not on a groundless presentiment that he shall live, but on a conviction that it is God who will decide whether he shall live or die. In regard to the sparrows, it is not said that they are [166] always saved, but that not one of them is forgotten.

      10. The Holy Ghost; the Deity. From the connection in which this appears, in Matt. 12:32, where the circumstances which led to it are particularly detailed, it would seem that the sin which is made the subject of this terrible denunciation, is that of assuming towards Almighty God an attitude of direct and open hostility paid defiance.

      11. Take ye no thought; be not anxious and afraid. The expression is used in the same sense in v. 22.

      14. It was plainly improper for him to attempt to turn the authority of an inspired prophet of God, as he must have considered the Savior, into an instrument for accomplishing tits own private and pecuniary ends.

      15. A man's life; his welfare, his happiness.

      22. Take no thought; no uneasy anxious thought.

      25, 26. The meaning is, that the [167] vital principle is, after all, in the power of God alone; and, while we are industrious and faithful in doing what we can to preserve life, and secure the comfortable enjoyment of it, we must still feel that we are at God's disposal, and that the great weight of responsibility rests not upon ourselves, but upon him.

      28. Into the oven; as fuel.

      32. The kingdom; the peace and happiness of Christ's spiritual kingdom.

      33. Sell that ye have; so far as, in the exercise of prudence and sound discretion, is found necessary to relieve the wants of the destitute.

      35. Be girded about. From the peculiar nature of the Oriental dress, girding the loins became a necessary preliminary to the performance of labor or service. (See v. 37; also John 13:4.) The meaning is, "be always prepared."

      38. The third watch; near the morning.

      39. This is a new metaphor, entirely distinct from what precedes, and illustrating, by a different example, the necessity of faithful Christian vigilance.

      42. His lord; his master.--To give them their portion of meat; that is, to have the charge and oversight [168] of the various family supplies. The sentiment is, "Who is the servant that may hope to be promoted to a station of trust and responsibility? The one who is found faithful and vigilant when his master is away." It does not seem to be a direct answer to Peter's question.

      43. So doing; doing as described in v. 36-38.

      46. He will cut him in sunder, and appoint him, &c. These words strongly express the idea of utter ruin and destruction.

      49. Fire on the earth;--the terrible struggle and opposition by which the progress of the gospel was to be resisted.

      50. A baptism to be baptized with; an overwhelming flood of sorrow and suffering to endure.--How am I straitened; oppressed, borne down, by the anticipation of these sufferings.

      51. The meaning is, that the kingdom of Christ was not to be at once and peacefully established. Its coming was to give rise to a long and obstinate struggle.

      58. The meaning is, simply, that it is better, as a general principle, to yield, or to compromise a difficulty than to contend. [169]

      1. Nothing is known of this occurrence except what is here stated. The altar, on which sacrifices to God were offered, was considered a sort of sanctuary, where human life was sacred, except in extreme cases of crime, such as demanded a sudden and terrible retribution. (See Ex. 21:14; also the narrative commencing 1 Kings 2:28.) It seems that Pilate, the Roman governor, exasperated by some sedition of certain Galileans who had come to Jerusalem to worship, had violated this sanctuary, and slain them in the very courts of the temple, mingling their blood with the blood of their sacrifices. The persons who came to Jesus with the tidings, expected, probably, that he would be betrayed into some expressions of abhorrence for this act of violence perpetrated against his countrymen, which might be made the means of involving him in difficulty with the Roman government. Instead of this, he simply deduces from the case a great moral truth, which is aptly illustrated by it, namely, that the calamities of this life are not to be understood as tests of guilt.

      3. Likewise; also.

      4. Siloam; a fountain near the walls of the city of Jerusalem. The tower might have been a part of the wall. (Neh. 3:15.)

      9. This parable is intended further to illustrate the truth expressed before, by showing that they who are spared while others perish, are often spared only in mercy, and in hope of their repentance.

      11. A spirit of infirmity. This was a case, apparently, of spinal distortion produced, according to the literal import of this language, by the agency of an evil spirit. So (v. 16) she is spoken of as bound by Satan. [170]

      17. Ashamed; confounded.--All the people. We observe that the common people seem every where to have been friendly to the Savior. It was the Jewish rulers who were his enemies.

      19-21. And thus the kingdom of Christ, from small and unnoticed beginnings, shall extend itself over the earth.

      24. Strive, make earnest exertions.--Strait; narrow.

      25-27. The sentiment plainly is, that many persons will be disappointed in their expectations of admission to the kingdom of heaven at last, because, although they may have been professed friends of the Savior, they never really imbibed his spirit or obeyed his commands. [171]

      30. There are last; those who enjoy few spiritual privileges, and who are little esteemed in this life.

      31. They said this not as friends, but in a hostile and threatening manner.

      32. That fox. This was Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the Great, and the one who slew John the Baptist. He did not possess the savage energy of his father, but, as usual with those who are trained up under the immediate pressure of a merciless despotism, he was crafty, cunning, and indirect in his aims, though in heart unprincipled and cruel.--To-day and to-morrow, &c. He meant that he must go on with his labors of kindness and love for a little time longer, and that then his work would be done.

      35. These words might have been considered as a prediction of the events related in Matt. 21:7-9, were it not that Matthew records the words as spoken after that time. (Matt. 23:37, 39.) As it is, there is a difficulty in regard to their interpretation.

      1. To eat bread; to dine or to sup. This seems to have been an entertainment where there were many invited guests; as appears from allusions in v. 3, 7, 12, 15, &c. The whole conversation takes its turn from the circumstances of the occasion; the images and illustrations being drawn from entertainments and invitations to guests. [172]

      8. To a wedding; a wedding feast.--Room; place.

      10. Then shalt thou have worship, &c. This shows that it was not our Savior's design, in these instructions, to teach men to be indifferent to the respect and honorable regard of their fellow-men, but to show them the true way to attain it,--namely, by modest and unassuming deportment, and by treating others with respect.

      12-14. That is, the kindness and hospitality, which the wealthy have it in their power to bestow, are not to be regarded as Christian virtues, except when they are rendered to those who cannot make any return.

      16. A great supper. This supper represents the kingdom of God, to which the guest had alluded, in the preceding verse; so that the parable is a rejoinder to his remark; and is intended to show that the Jews, who were first invited, would reject the blessedness, which this guest had spoken of, and that then the invitation would be extended to other nations.--Bade; invited. [173]

      26. Hate not his father, &c.; be not willing to give up his dearest earthly friends.

      28. Build a tower; commence any great undertaking.

      29. Mock him; ridicule him.

      33. And, therefore, whoever will become the disciple of Christ, must consider how much is involved in the change.

      34. Salt, without its savor, denotes the form and semblance of piety without its spirit.

      2. Eateth with them; lives familiarly with them.

      3. He spake this parable, &c., in order to explain and illustrate the nature of the interest which he felt in the publicans and sinners who were disposed to listen to him. [174]

      13. Gathered all together; the property of various kinds which his father had bestowed upon him.

      16. Husks; coarse vegetables used for the food of swine.

      25. The elder son seems to be introduced not to represent any particular persons, but only as an incident naturally connected with the narrative, and furnishing an occasion, by the conversation which ensued, to exhibit more vividly still the feelings of the father. [175]

      32. The story of the prodigal son stands prominent, if not foremost, among the parables of our Savior. So touching, so simple, so true to nature, and coming home so closely to the experience and the feelings of every parent and child, and also placing, as it does, in so clear a light, those traits in the divine character on which the fate of every sinner depends, it is, perhaps, the greatest of all written compositions. The subject which it is the last and highest attainment in theology to understand,--the mercy of God in the forgiveness of sin,--it places, once for all, in such a position, that the whole world can see, and the very humblest understand it; and yet the sublime and affecting truth is so protected by its very defencelessness, that the most determined unbeliever cannot make it the subject of either question or cavil. In every age, it has touched and awakened the careless, raised the despairing, and established the penitent in hope and happiness; and perhaps the page on which the parable is recorded has exerted more influence upon mankind than any other page that ever was penned.

      1. Steward; a person intrusted with the care and management of property.

      2. Give an account; prepare the accounts for settlement.

      6. Oil; from the olive, used extensively by the Jews for food and for various other purposes.

      7. Wheat. Such debts as this and that of the oil often arose as rents for land; rents being, in former times, often paid in kind.--Fourscore; eighty. [176]

      8. Because he had done wisely; that is, shrewdly, though dishonestly. It was his shrewdness only, in thus employing his power, while it lasted, to secure favors for himself when it should be gone, that the Lord praised.

      9. The mammon of unrighteousness; wealth. The meaning is, that wealth will soon be taken away from its possessors, and that, while it remains in their power, they ought so to use it as to make friends who will receive them when it shall be forever gone.

      11. In the unrighteous mammon; that is, in the care of money.

      15. Is abomination; that is, is often abomination.

      16-18. The connection between these remarks and those which precede is not obvious. Matthew records them as having been spoken on different occasions, (Matt. 11:12. 5:18. 19:9.) where their meaning and connection are obvious.

      18. Putteth away his wife; that is, for ordinary causes. (Matt. 19:9.)

      19. Purple; worn only by persons of very high rank.

      20, 21. A very graphic description of extreme helplessness and misery.

      22. Abraham's bosom; into his presence and society. [177]

      31. The meaning is, that the change necessary to prepare the soul for heaven is a change in the affections and feelings of the heart; and any extraordinary revelations from heaven, or marvels of any kind, though they might produce wonder or alarm, would have no tendency to awaken love.--We must not allow the material images, which our Savior uses in this parable, to fix themselves permanently in our minds, and give form to our conceptions of the world of spirits. In this our present state of being, we can form no correct ideas of that world. The Savior teaches, in this parable, only certain spiritual truths, employing very striking imagery to give vividness and emphasis to the expression of them. These truths are, 1. That the conditions of men in this life do not correspond with their characters, and will often be reversed in the world to come, 2. That the ruin in which the sinner will then find himself involved is a permanent ruin, admitting of no restoration or remedy; and, 3. That the change necessary to prepare the impenitent for heaven, is a moral change, which can be produced only by moral influences.

      1. Unto him, &c.; that is, unto him who tempts or entices others to sin.

      2. Offend one of these little ones; lead any one of the humble disciples of Christ away into sin.

      3. Rebuke him; that is, state your complaint frankly to him; and not, as is usual, go to others, when he is absent, with your censures and reproaches. [177]

      6. Faith as a grain of mustard-seed; that is, a very small degree of faith.

      9. Trow; think.

      10. We have done that; we have done only that, &c.

      11. Samaria lay between Galilee and Judea.

      12. Stood afar off. Lepers were required to avoid communication with others on account of the contagiousness of their disease.

      14. Show yourselves, &c.; for examination. The leper, when healed, was required to go to the priest, to have his cure officially ascertained.

      20. With observation; with circumstances of pomp and ceremony.

      21. Is within you. It is a spiritual [179] kingdom, having its seat in the feelings and affections of the soul.

      24. And thus the kingdom of Christ is a spiritual light, springing up in the minds of men, so that those who seek it need not look far away, but will see it at once within them and around them.

      27. They did eat, they drank, &c.; that is, they lived at ease, and in fancied security.

      30. Even thus shall it be; that is, the coming of the Son of man, by which is meant the establishment of the Redeemer's spiritual kingdom upon the earth, shall be attended with a period of great and sudden calamity to the Jews. The result corresponded with this and similar predictions. The great historical event which, perhaps, more than any other, attended and marked the early establishment of Christianity, was the destruction of Jerusalem, and the ruin of the Jewish state,--accompanied by circumstances of confusion and terror graphically exhibited by the images presented in the remaining verses of the chapter.

      31. Stuff; furniture and goods.

      33. The meaning is, that the most prudent and cautious will in some cases be lost, while others, exposed to the most imminent dangers, will be saved; in other words, that the confusion and destruction will be so terrible as to set all human calculations at defiance. Similar phraseology occurs in Matt. 10:39, but in a different connection, and different in sense.

      37. The eagles; the birds of prey.

      1. To faint; to be discouraged. [180]

      5. Avenge her; hear and judge her cause.

      7. His own elect; his own chosen friends.--Bear long with them; delay long to answer their prayers.

      11. The Pharisees were a very proud and self-complacent class of men, who had a high reputation for sanctity. The publicans or tax-gatherers, on the other hand, were despised.

      14. Justified; in the sight of God.

      16. For of such, &c. Childhood is docile, lowly-minded, contented, and happy, and thus is an emblem of the Christian character.

      18-23. This incident is related, in language slightly varied, in Matt. 19:16-22, and in Mark 10:17-22. Two serious difficulties arise in regard to the case: 1. What was the ground of objection to the expression, "Good Master," which would seem to have been a proper mode of addressing a divinely-commissioned prophet of singular benevolence of character; and 2. What was the reason for the direction that the young man should sell all his goods and give to the poor. Commentators endeavor to explain the case, but the explanations do not give entire satisfaction. [181]

      32. The Gentiles. The Romans were the Gentiles to whose power Jesus was delivered. (Luke 23:1, 2 .)

      34. Was hid from them; its meaning was not understood.

      39. Rebuked him; on account of his so publicly proclaiming Jesus as the Messiah, by giving him the title Son of David. [182]

      2. Chief among the publicans; a head officer of the customs or taxes.

      7. A sinner. It seems that he had been habitually guilty of injustice and extortion in his office.

      8. I give to the poor;--I restore him fourfold; that is, I will do so. It was a promise of immediate and entire amendment of life, the result, probably, of conversation with the Savior not recorded.--False accusation; false demands and exactions.

      11. Should immediately appear; should immediately be established, as a worldly kingdom, at Jerusalem, whither they were going.

      12. A kingdom; that is, kingly authority. Such cases were not uncommon under the Roman emperors. Men who, by hereditary succession, or in other ways, acquired claims to the government of a province or a country, went to Rome to be invested with authority, and then returned to enter upon their administration. Of course, during such an absence, plots were often formed against them, as represented in v. 14.

      13. The ten servants represent the disciples and followers of Jesus, who received the communications of divine truth from him, as a sacred treasure, which they were bound to improve and to disseminate in a faithful manner, during his approaching absence from them.

      14. His citizens; the people of the province over whom he was to reign. They represent the Jews generally. [183]

      17. Have thou authority, &c.; that is, having been faithful to the trust reposed in them by the prince in his private capacity, they were promoted to stations of authority under his government when he became invested with power.

      23. Usury; interest.

      27. The general idea of the parable is, that Jesus was not then about to establish his kingdom, as they had supposed, (v. 11.) He was going to leave the world for a time, to reappear again, at a future day, fully invested with power. In the mean time, he was to leave in the hands of his friends and followers the revelations of divine truth which he had made, as a private trust, for the faithful exercise of which they would be called to a strict account, when he should come again in power. A parable somewhat similar to this in form, but yet very different in its intent and import, was given by our Savior on another occasion, as recorded Matt. 25:14-30. [184]

      45. And he went into the temple; on the following day, as is distinctly stated by Mark, (11:12, 15;) so that the buyers and sellers, in submitting to this ejection, were not overawed by the multitude which followed Jesus, but they yielded voluntarily, from consciousness of wrong, and through veneration for the personal character of Jesus, whom they doubtless regarded as a prophet.

      2. These things; referring, perhaps, both to his public teaching in the temple, and to his expulsion of the buyers and sellers. [185]

      16. God forbid. They meant, by this exclamation, not to object to the punishment of such husbandmen, in the imaginary case, but to express their dissent in respect to the religious truth intended by it, viz., that the Messiah would be rejected by the Jewish people, and that they would consequently be destroyed. Hence the force of the Savior's reply in the two succeeding verses.

      20. Just men; men honestly desirous of instruction.

      22. Is it lawful, &c. They hoped to lead him to say something which the Roman government might consider seditious or treasonable. [186]

      38. Unto him; that is, in his view. When men die, they die only to those who survive them. In the sight of God, they continue to live, changing only the scene of existence.

      47. Greater damnation; the guilt of their actual ungodliness being aggravated by their hypocritical pretensions to piety. [187]

      1. Gifts; the object of this contribution, it is supposed, was to sustain the expenses of the religious services of the temple.

      3. Cast in more than they all; has made a greater effort and sacrifice. The poor, however, as well as the rich, are bound to exercise prudence and sound discretion in making religious or charitable contributions.

      6. Not one stone upon another; a phrase simply indicating complete and utter destruction.

      13. That is, it was to be in that way that the disciples were to give their testimony to the gospel.

      18. Nothing really valuable to them should be lost or destroyed; but, amidst all these trials and dangers, their ultimate welfare and happiness were perfectly secure. [188]

      37. At night he went out, &c.; for safety; to avoid the conspiracies which might be formed against his life.

      4. Captains; that is, officers of the temple, (v. 52.)--Communed with, consulted with them privately.

      7. Unleavened bread was used for seven days, in connection with the celebration of the passover, in commemoration of the haste in which the children of Israel fled from Egypt, which prevented the proper preparation of bread. (Ex. 12:14-20, 34.)

      11 . The good man of the house; the master of the house, the other being a servant.--The Master. This expression seems to imply that the person thus applied to was a disciple.

      12. Furnished. Many rooms were undoubtedly thus prepared in Jerusalem to accommodate the great number of strangers that were accustomed to resort to the city on such occasions.

      13, 14. These verses convey the impression very strongly, that it was the Passover which Jesus celebrated at this time with his disciples on what we should call Thursday evening, as he was crucified on the following day, which was the day before the Jewish Sabbath,--our Saturday. But, from several allusions in John s Gospel, particularly John 13:1, 29; 18:28; 19:14, it would seem the Passover was not celebrated by the Jews till the following day, that is, Friday. Several ingenious hypotheses have been advanced by the learned to account for this discrepancy. It is, perhaps, on the whole, most probable that the allusions in John refer not to the eating of the paschal lamb, which took place on the first evening, but to the services of the remaining seven days, during which the feast of the passover continued. Some, not satisfied with this explanation, suppose that Jesus anticipated the time one day, on account of his approaching crucifixion.

      20. This cup is the new testament; that is, the wine, representing blood, is the symbol of the new covenant, by which God grants remission of sins through the atoning sufferings of [190] Jesus. The Roman Catholic church understands the expressions, "This is my body," and "This is my blood," (Mark 14:24,) literally, and maintain that when the bread and wine are consecrated by their priests, they become really and truly the body and blood of Christ, although to the senses they remain as before. They accordingly sometimes bear their consecrated elements in processions, and pay divine honors to them.

      22. In all ages of the world, the Gordian knot of moral philosophy has been the seeming incompatibility of an absolute overruling power on the part of the Creator, with the moral accountability of man. How can every thing that comes to pass be prearranged by the power and purpose of God, while yet the moral responsibility of the human acts, by which his will is accomplished, rests with guilty instruments alone? Yet Jesus calmly states the fact that it is so, in this, the strongest case imaginable.

      24. This is the third occasion on which a similar controversy arose. (See Matt. 20:20-28. Luke 9:46-48.) As the disciples must have referred to Christ's kingdom on earth, the fact that these discussions arose seems to be wholly inconsistent with the idea that Jesus assigned the official superiority to Peter, as some contend.

      28. Temptations; trials and sufferings.

      30. That is, be associated with their Redeemer in sacred enjoyments and trusts.

      31. Sifting, being performed by a rough and violent shaking, is a proper emblem of any malevolent injury.

      35, 36. The first mission of the disciples was a peaceful one, and pursued through a region where they every where found friends, on whose hospitality they could safely rely. Now, [191] however, Jesus teaches them, by this strong, figurative language, that the were about to enter upon a service full of difficulty and danger, in which they would have to put in requisition all their resources and means of self-protection, referring, however, under a figure taken from military life, undoubtedly to moral, measures alone; though his disciples seem to have understood him literally.

      38. It is enough; not they are enough; that is, he did not refer to the words which they presented, but only terminated the conversation, finding, apparently, that they were not in a state of mind to understand his meaning.

      44. There has been much speculation upon this passage, but to little purpose; since, in any case, the description is plainly intended to denote something preternaturally awful in this agony. The expression ceases to be surprising, when we consider that the mental anguish here endured was undoubtedly a part of that mysterious and protracted series of sufferings, which, commenced at Gethsemane, and ending upon the cross, constituted, in the closing scenes of the Savior's life, a great expiatory sacrifice to atone for the sins of the world.

      45. Sleeping for sorrow; exhausted with anxiety and sorrow.

      50. One of them; Peter.

      52. These were all Jewish forces. [192]

      55. Among them; among, the servants who had kindled the fire. The examination of Jesus was going forward before the high priest at another part of the hall.

      56. Earnestly looked upon him; indistinctly recognizing him as the disciple whom she had admitted at John's request. (John 18:16, 17.)

      59. He is a Galilean; they judged from some peculiarity of his language.

      63. Mocked him; mocked and ridiculed his alleged claim to the character of king.

      2. To accuse him. They changed the accusation, now that they had brought him before Pilate. The charge before their council was blasphemy; now, it is disaffection towards the Roman government. [193]

      4. I find no fault, &c. The conversation with Jesus, by which Pilate was satisfied of his innocence, is given in detail, John 18:29-38.

      7. Herod's jurisdiction; Herod Antipas, son of old King Herod, who had ordered Jesus to be destroyed in infancy.

      8. Had heard many things of him. See Matt. 14:1.

      11. Set him at nought; mocked and ridiculed him.

      14. That perverteth the people, from their allegiance to the Roman government.

      15. No, nor yet Herod; though Herod treated him with indignity and ridicule, he acquitted him of all criminal designs.

      22. I will chastise him. This proposal to subject Jesus to the punishment of scourging was intended as a compromise. Pilate did not consider him as really deserving of any punishment at all. [194]

      25. To their will; not to their custody, but to that of his own soldiers, to be dealt with according to their will.

      26. Coming out of the country; that is, they met him as they were going out of the city. At first Jesus bore the cross himself. (John 19:17.)

      31. In the dry. Our Savior here seems to refer to the terrible calamities which were to come upon the Jewish nation, at the approaching siege and destruction of Jerusalem.

      38. Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, because those three languages were spoken in Jerusalem at this time. Laws and public proclamations are often, in conquered countries, published in different languages. The Hebrew was the native language; the Latin that of the Romans, who were the masters of the country at that [195] time. The Greek had been previously introduced into the Jewish regions, by the conquests of Alexander.

      44. Sixth hour; noon.

      47. The centurion; the Roman officer who had charge of the execution.

      48. And all the people, &c. It appears from v. 27, that a large portion of the populace regarded Jesus with friendly feelings,and strongly deprecated these proceedings. They who cried, "Crucify him," were probably comparatively few, and were instigated to their hostility by the Jewish leaders.

      50. A counsellor; a member of the Jewish council or Sanhedrim, mentioned in 22:66.

      51. Waited for, &c.; was interested in looking for its approach.

      54. The preparation; that is, for the Sabbath.

      55. Mark (15:40) mentions their names.

      56. Prepared spices and ointments, making arrangements in part for the embalming of the body. These preparations were not completed until after the Sabbath. (Mark 16:1.)

      1. They came unto the sepulchre. The incidents here related are very different from those recorded by Matthew and Mark, as attending the visit to the sepulchre which the latter evangelists describe. Hence it has [196] been supposed that this was a different party, which came to the sepulchre after Mary Magdalene had gone away.

      10. Joanna. She is mentioned, Luke 8:3, as the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward.

      18. Cleopas. His wife, the sister of Mary, the mother of Jesus, is mentioned John 19:25.

      21. Should have redeemed. The disciples, it seems, had, to this time, no other idea of redemption, than that of deliverance from their political subjugation to the Roman power. [197]

      26. Ought not Christ, &c.; that is, was it not so predicted concerning him?

      27. He expounded unto them, &c. He explained to them that the kingdom of the Messiah was to be a spiritual one, and that, according to the predictions referring to him, he was to suffer death by the hands of his enemies.--Concerning himself; that is, concerning Christ. He did not make himself personally known to them until afterwards. (v. 31, 32.)

      34. Saying; that is, the eleven were saying.--Simon; Peter.

      39. Behold my hands and my feet, with the marks of the wounds upon them.

      44. These are the words; this is the fulfilment of the words. Jesus had [198] often predicted these events, but the disciples either had not understood, or did not believe him.

      45. The Scriptures; in relation to this subject, the character and coming of the Messiah.

      50. And he led them out; not at this time, but on another occasion, a considerable time afterwards; for Jesus had interviews with his disciples in Galilee, and continued to meet them, from time to time, for the space of forty days after his resurrection. (Acts 1:3.) [199]

[AINT 125-199]