ten cleansed? but where are the nine? 18 There are not
found that returned to give glory to God, save this
stranger. 19 And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: Matt. ix. 22.
thy faith hath made thee whole.

Mark v. 34:
x. 52. ch. vii.
50: viii. 48:
xviii. 42.

n

n

20 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: 211 neither shall they say, Lo here! or, [nn lo] there! for, 1 ver. 23. behold, the kingdom of God is om within you. 22 And he m John i. 26. said unto the disciples, " The days will come, when ye shall see Matt. ix. desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it. 23. And they shall say to you, P See here; or, P see there: go not after them, nor follow them. 24 P For P Matt. xxiv. n render, were not found. • render, among you.

15.

23. Mark xiii.

21. ch. xxi. 8.

p

27.

I should be inclined to think, witnessed by
the narrator.
18. this stranger]
literally, this foreigner by birth. The
Samaritans were Gentiles;-not a mixed
race, as is sometimes erroneously sup-
posed. They had a mixed religion, but
were themselves originally from other
countries: see 2 Kings xvii. 24-41. There
may have been a reason for the nine Jews
not returning,-that they held the cere-
monial duty imposed on them to be para-
mount, which the Samaritan might not
rate so highly. That he was going to
Mount Gerizim does not appear from his
being found with Jews, he probably would
act as a Jew. 19.] hath made thee
whole-in a higher sense than the mere
cleansing of his leprosy-theirs was merely
the beholding of the brazen serpent with
the outward eyes,- but his, with the eye of
inward faith; and this faith saved him;-
not only healed his body, but his soul.

20-37.] PROPHETIC ANSWER TO THE
PHARISEES. In this discourse we have
several sayings which our Lord afterwards
repeated in His last prophetic discourse to
the four apostles on Mount Olivet; but
much also which is peculiar to Luke, and
most precious.
20.] The question
certainly is asked by the Pharisees, as all
their questions were asked, with no good
end in view to entangle our Lord, or
draw from Him some direct announcement
which might be matter of accusation.
with (accompanied with) anticipa-
tion, or observation. The cognate verb
is used ch. xiv. 1 of the Pharisees watch
ing' Jesus.
21.] Its coming shall be
so gradual and unobserved, that none
during its waxing onward shall be able to
point here or there for a proof of its

"

o Matt. xxiv.

:

nn omit reading, Lo here or there! P it is the same word as that rendered 10 in ver. 21.

coming, for behold the kingdom of God
is (already) among you. The misunder-
standing which rendered these words 'with-
in you' meaning this in a spiritual sense,
in your hearts,' should have been pre-
vented by reflecting that they are addressed
to the Pharisees, in whose hearts it certainly
was not. Nor could the expression in this
connexion well bear this spiritual meaning
potentially-i. e. is in its nature, within
your hearts. The words are too express
and emphatic for this. The kingdom of
God was begun among them, and continues
thus making its way in the world, without
observation of men; so that whenever men
can say 'lo here! or, lo there!'-whenever
great revivals' or 'triumphs of the faith'
can be pointed to, they stand self-con-
demned as not belonging to that kingdom.
Thus we see that every such marked event
in the history of the Church is by God's
own hand as it were blotted and marred,
so as not to deceive us into thinking that
the kingdom has come. So it was at the
Pentecostal era:-so at that of Constan-
tine; so at the Reformation.
The
meaning among you,' includes of course
the deeper and personal one within each
of you,' but the two cannot be interchanged
the one for the other. 22.] This say-
ing is taken up from the last verse.--' He
is among you, who is the Bridegroom,-the
Son of Man;'-during whose presence ye
cannot mourn, but when He shall be taken
from you, you shall wish in vain for one of
these days of His presence.
23. And
they shall say to you] Ye shall not see
one of those days;-therefore do not run
after false reports of My coming.' A warn-
ing to all so-called expositors, and followers
of expositors, of prophecy, who cry "see

as the lightning, 4 that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day. 25 9 But first must 1.33. cb.ix. he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation.

q Mark viii. 31: ix. 31:

22.

26 And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. 27 They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. 28 Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they t Gen. xix. 16, sold, they planted, they builded; 29 but the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. 30 Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man "is revealed. 31 In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away:

24.

u 2 Thess. i. 7. Matt. xxiv.

17. Mark xiii. 15.

and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back.

r Gen. vii. Matt. xxiv. 37.

8 Gen. xix.

y Gen. xix. 26. 32 y Remember Lot's wife. 33 z Whosoever shall seek to

z Matt. x. 39:

xvi. 25. Mark

Vi

ix. 24. John

xii. 25.

a Matt. xxiv.

40, 41.

1 Thess. iv. 17.

save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose this life shall preserve it. 34 a I tell you, in that night there

shall be two men in one bed; [the] one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. 35 Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other

¶ our two oldest MSS. have, when it
rrender, shall have sought.
t read, it.

here" and "see there," every time that
war breaks out, or revolutions occur.
See on these verses, 23, 24, Matt. xxiv.
23-27 and notes.
25-30.] The
events which must precede the coming:
and (1) ver. 25, as regards the Lord Him-
self, His sufferings and rejection, pri-
marily by this generation,-but in im-
plication, by the world; and (2) vv. 26—
30, which unfold this implication as re-
gards the whole world, which shall be in
its state of carelessness and sensuality at
that time;-see notes on Matt. xxiv.
37-39. The example of the days of Lot
is added here, and thereby the sanction
of the Lord of Truth given to another
part of the sacred record, on which modern
scepticism has laid its unhallowed hands.

31.] refers immediately to the example of Sodom just related. In Matt. xxiv. 16-18, it finds its place by a reference to the destruction of Jerusalem, see there. 32.] A solemn caution is here added, binding the warning to the exam

lighteneth.

8 render, shall have lost.
a render, quicken.

ple before,-let him not return back—
remember her who did. 33.] See on
Matt. x. 39, and ch. ix. 24. In connexion
here, it leads the way to vv. 34, 35.
whosoever shall have sought, i. e. 'during
his preceding life,'-shall lose it then:
whosoever shall have lost it, by self-sacri-
fice, during this life, shall quicken it then.
shall quicken it] "The verb in the
original is an expressive word, derived
from animal parturition, bringing forth to
air and life what was before concealed in
the womb. That day shall come as the
pains of labour on a woman in travail
(Matt. xxiv. 8): but to the saints of God
it shall be the birth of the soul and body
to life and glory everlasting." Wordsw.
34-36.] See on Matt. xxiv. 40, 41.
Here, there are two references (1) to the
servants of the Lord in the midst of the
world out of which they shall be sepa-
rated (2) to the separation of the faith-
ful and unfaithful among themselves.
34.] indicates a closer relationship than

b

left. [▾ 36 Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.] 37 And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, b Job xxxix. 30. Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.

Matt. xxiv.

28.

36. Rom.

Eph. vi. 18.
Col. iv. 2.

XVIII. 1And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; ach. xi.5: xxi. 2 saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: 3 and there was a widow in 1 Thess. v. 17. that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. 4 And he would not for a while but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God,

:

a

▾ omitted in most of the ancient authorities. It was probably inserted here from Matt. xxiv. 40.

W render and read, there will also.

I read, they.

that of mere fellow-workmen, and sets forth the division of even families in that day. 37.] Where, Lord? i. e. where shall this happen? The disciples know not the universality of this which our Lord is announcing to them, and which His dark and awful saying proclaims; see note on it, Matt. xxiv. 28. Observe, there is not a word, except so far as the greater Coming includes the lesser, in all this, of the destruction of Jerusalem. The future coming of the Lord is the only subject: and thus it is an entirely distinct discourse from that in Matt. xxiv., or in our ch. xxi.

CHAP. XVIII. 1-8.] THE UNJUST JUDGE. This parable, though not perhaps spoken in immediate unbroken sequence after the last discourse, evidently arose out of it: - perhaps was the fruit of a conversation with the disciples about the day of His coming and the mind with which they must expect it. For observe, that in its direct application it is ecclesiastical; and not individual, but by a legitimate accommodation. The widow is the Church; the judge, her God and Father in heaven. The argument, as in the parable of the steward of injustice (so literally), so in this of the judge of injustice (so literally), is "à fortiori, from the stronger to the weaker:"If such be the power of earnest entreaty, that it can win right even from a man sunk in selfishness and fearing neither God nor men, how much more will the right be done by the just and holy God in answer to the continued prayers of his elect;' even though, when this very right is asserted in the world by the coming of the Son of Man,

He may hardly find among his people the power to believe it-though few of them will have shewn this unweariedness of entreaty which the poor widow shewed.

1. always] See 1 Thess. v. 17. The mind of prayer, rather than, though of course including, the outward act, is here intended. The earnest desire of the heart, is prayer. to faint;-to languish,-to give up through the weight of overpowering evil. 2.] See Deut.

. .

xvi. 18 and Matt. v. 21, 22.
3.] Avenge me of . or perhaps, deli-
ver me from-the justice of her cause
being presupposed-this adversary being
her oppressor on account of her defence-
less situation, and she wanting a sen-
tence from the judge to stop his practices.

4.] The point of this part of the
parable is, the extortion of right from
such a man by importunity. His act was
not an act of justice, but of injustice; his
very avenging was injustice, because he
did it from self-regard and not from a
sense of duty. He, like the steward above,
was a man of injustice,-belonging to,
being of, the iniquity which prevails in
the world.
5.] The word rendered
weary is a remarkable one. It properly
signifies to smite in the face;-and pro-
verbially (see reff.), to mortify or inces-
santly annoy. It is the same verb as that
in 1 Cor. ix. 27 rendered "keep under."
Meyer interprets it literally-Test at last
she should become desperate, and come and
strike me in the face. It has been ob-
served that the Apostles acted from this
very motive when they besought the Lord
to send away the Syrophoenician woman,—

nor regard man; 5b yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest y by her continual coming she weary me. 6 And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge e Rev. vi. 10. saith. 7 And shall not God avenge his [own] elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? 8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find c faith on the earth? 9d And he spake this parable unto

e ch. x. 29: xvi. certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous,

15.

and despised others: 10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. 12 I fast 7 render, coming for ever.

a omit: not expressed in the original.

b render and read, and he is long-suffering over them.

C

or, the faith.

d

better, as in the original, And he spake also unto certain which trust in themselves that they are righteous and despise others, this parable. e render, the rest of men.

twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. 13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me 8 a sinner. 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be f Job xxii. 29. abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

Matt. xxiii. 12. ch. xiv. 11. James iv. 6. 1 Pet. v. 5, 6.

15 And they brought unto him also h infants, that he sa i would touch them: but when his disciples saw it, they rebuked them. 16 But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid

f render, acquire.

h better, the (or, their) infants. krender, for perspicuity, the infants.

Mondays and Thursdays; the only prescribed fast in the year being the great day of atonement, see Levit. xvi. 29: Num. xxix. 7. So that he is boasting of his works of supererogation. I give tithes of all] Here again, the law perhaps (but compare Abraham's practice, Gen. xiv. 20; and Jacob's, Gen. xxviii. 22) only required tithe of the fruit of the field and the produce of the cattle: see on Matt. xxiii. 23. Not all that I possess, which is an incorrect rendering: but of all that I acquire;-of all my increase; see Deut. xiv. 22. His speech shews admirably what his trusting in himself was. 13.] afar off -far from the Pharisee;-a contrast in spirit to the other's thanks that he was not as other men, is furnished by the poor Publican in his humility acknowledging this by an act. would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven-another contrast, for we must here suppose that the Pharisee prayed with all significance of gesture, with eyes and hands uplifted (see Matt. vi. 5). There is a slight but true difference also in the original, in the word rendered stood of the Pharisee'being put in position' (answering to being seated of the other usual posture) and standing of the publican,-coming in merely and remaining, in no studied place or posture. smote upon his breast] See ch. xxiii. 48, "for sorrow of mind. Where the pain is, there is the hand." Bengel. The original is, to me the sinner. But probably the article is only generic, pointing him out as one of a class. It seems to me that any emphatic comparison here would somewhat detract from the solemnity and simplicity of the prayer. The definite article rather implies, not comparison

"

g literally, the sinner.
i render, might.

1

render, the little children.

with others, but intense self-abasement:
"sinner that I am." Nor are we to find
any doctrinal meanings in the word be
merciful (or, be propitiated). We know
of one only way, in which the prayer
could be accomplished: but the words here
have no reference to that, nor could they
have.
14.] The sense is, One re-
turned home in the sight of God with
his prayer answered, and that prayer had
grasped the true object of prayer,-the
forgiveness of sins (so that justified is in
the usual sense of the Epistles of St. Paul,
justified before God-see reff.), the other
prayed not for it, and obtained it not.
Therefore he who would seek justification
before God must seek it by humility and
not by self-righteousness.
every one
that exalteth himself has been illustrated
in the demeanour of the Pharisee;-shall
be abased, in his failure to obtain justifica-
tion from God:-he that humbleth him-
self, in that of the Publican;-shall be
exalted, in his obtaining the answer to his
prayer, which was this justification. Thus
the particular instance is bound up with
the general truth.

15-17.] LITTLE CHILDREN BROUGHT TO CHRIST. Here the narrative of St. Luke again falls in with those of St. Matthew and St. Mark, after a divergence of nearly nine chapters, see note on ch. ix. 51.-Matt. xix. 13-15: Mark x. 13-16. The narrative part of our text is distinct from the two; the words of our Lord are verbatim as Mark; see notes on Matthew. The place and time indicated here are the same as before, from ch. xvii. 11. 15.] also their infants; not the people came only, but also brought their children. Or, the article may be merely generic, as