Bible Commentary (1871–1879 Edition)
Disputes with the Doctors. LUKE III. Johi'a Preaching, Baptism, and Imprisonment, thought ye I should so readily hasten away? Let ordinary worshippers becontentto keep the least and begone; ear have caught the breathings of His young soul, he might have lieard Him whispering, "As the hart pantetli after the water-brool£S, so panteth niy soul alter Thee, O God. The Lord loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. I was glad when they said unto me. Let us go unto the house of the Lord. Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem !" (Psalm 42. 1 ; S7. 2; 122. I, but is this all ye have learnt of me?' Methinks we are here let into the holy privacies of Nazareth ; for sure what He says tliey should have known, He have must given tiiem ground to know. She tells Him of the sorrow with which His father and she had sought Him. He speaks of no Father but one, saying, In effect, ' My Father has not been seeking me; I have been with Him all this time; the King hath brought me into His cliambers. His left hand is under my head, and His riglit hand doth embrace me (Song of Solomon 1. 4 ; 2. 6). How is it that ye do not understand?' (Mark 8. 21.) 50, 51. understood not probably He had never expressly said as much, and .so confounded them, tliough it was but the true interpretation of many things which they had seen and heard from Him at home. (See on John 14. 4, 5.) But lest it should be thouglit that now He threw ofl' tlie filial yoke, and became his own Master henceforth, and theirs too, it is purposely added, "And He went down with them, and was
2.) On catching the first view of "the city of their solemnities," and high above all in it, "the place of God's rest," we hear Him saying to Himself, " Beautiful for sitaatiou, the joy of the whole earth is Mount Zion, on the bides of the north, the city of tlie great King: Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God doth shine" (Psalm 48.
2; 50. 2). Of his feelings or actions during all the eiglit days of the feast not a word is said. As a devout child, in company with its parents. He would go througli the services, keeping His tlioughts to Himself. But metliinlcs I hear Him, after the sublime services of that feast, saying to Himself, "He brought me to the banqueting-house,and his banner over me was love. I sat down under his Bhadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste" (Song of Solomon 2. 3, 4). 43. as they rttnriieil—If the duties of life must give place to worship, worship, in ILs turn, must give place to them. Jerusalem subject unto them." The marvel of this condescension lies in its coming after such a scene, and such an assertion of His higher Sonship; and the words are evidentlj' meant to convey tills. ' From this time we have no more mention of Joseph. The next we hear is of his " mother and brethren" (John 2. 12); whence it is inferred, that between tliis time and the commencement of our Lord's public life, Joseph died' [Alford], having now served the double end of being the protector of our Lord's Virgin-mother, and af Tording Himself the opportunity of presenting a matchis good, but Nazareth is good too; let him who neglects the one, on pretext of attending to the otlier, ponder (his scene. 43. tarried behind . . . •Joseph and his mother knew not—accustomed to the discretion and obedience of the lad [Olshausen], they might be thrown ofi'tlieir guard. 44. gonght hlin among their klnsilolk luid acquaintances—On these sacred journeys, wliole villages and districts travelled in groups together, partly less pattern of subjection to both parents. 5~. See on v.
40. stature—or better, perhaps, as in the margin, 'age,' which implies the other. This is all the record we have of the next eighteen years of that wondrous life. What seasons of tranquil meditation over the lively oracles, and holy fellowship with His Father; what inlettings, on the one hand, of light, and love, and power from on high, and outgoings of filial supplication, freedom, love, and joy on the other, would these eighteen years contain! And would they not seem "but a few days" 11 they wore so passed, however ardently he might long to be more directly " about His Father's business?"
for protection, partly for company; and as the well-disposed would beguile the tediousness of the way by good discourse, to which the child Jesus would be no silent listener, tliey expect to find Him in sucli a group. 45, 46. After three sorrowing days, they find Him still in Jerusalem, not gazing on its architecture, or surveying
Its forms of busy life, but in the temple—not the " sanctuary" (as in ch. 1. 9), to which only the priests had access, but in some one of the enclosures around it, where the rabbins, or "doctors," taught tlieir scholars, hearing, . . asking—the method of question and answer was the customary form of rabbinical teaching; teacher and learner becoming by turns questioner and answerer, as maybe seen from their extant works. This would give
CHAPTER I[I.
Ver. 1-20. Preaching, Baptism, and Imprisonment OF John. See on Matthew 3. 1-12 ; Mark 6. 17, &c. 1, a. Here the curtain of the New Testament Is, as it were, drawn up, and the greatest of all epochs of the Church commences. Even our Lord's own age (u. 23) is determined by it. [Bengel.] No such elaborate chronological precision is to be found elsewhere in the New Testament, and it comes fitly from him who claims it as the peculiar recommendation of his Gospel, that he had ' accurately traced down all things from the first' (eh. 1. 3). Here, evidently, commences his proper narrative, the llftcenth year of Tiberius—reckoning from the period when he was admitted, three years before Augustus' death, to a share of the empire [Webster and Wilkinson], about the end of the year of Rome 779, or about four years before the usual reckoning. Pilate . . . governor of Judea™ his proper title was Procurator, but with more than the full scope for all that "astonished them in His understanding and answers." Not that He assumed the office of teaching—" His hour" for that "was not yet come," and His furniture for that was not complete ; for He had yet to "increase in wisdom" as well as "stature" (v. 52). In fact, the beauty of Christ's example lies very much in His never at one stage of His life anticipating the duties of another. All would be in the style and manner of a learner, "opening His mouth and panting." "His soul breaking for the longing that it had unto God's judgments at all tiniefi" (Psalm 119. 20), and now more than ever before, when finding Himself for the first time in His Father's house. Still there would be in His questions far more than in their ansu-ers ; and if we may take the frivolous interrogatories with whicli they afterwards piled Him, about the woman that had seven husbands and such like, as a specimen of their present drivelling questions, perhaps we shall not greatly err, if we suppose that "the questions" which He now "asked them" in return, were just the germs of those pregnant questions with which he astonished and silenced them in after years: "W)iat think ye of Christ? Whose Son is Hef If David call Him Lord, ?unv is He then his Son f" " Which is the first and great commandment 1" "Who is my neighbour T" about my Father's business lit., 'in' or 'at my Father's,' i. e., either 'about my Fatlier's affairs,' or ' in my Father's courts'—wliere He dwells and is to be found about His hand, so to speak. Tliis Litter shade of meanlug, which Includes the former, is perhaps the true one. Here He felt Himself at home, breatliing His own proper %\t. His words convey a gentle rebuke of their obtuseness in requiring Him to explain this. 'Once here.
usual powers of that office. After holding it about ten years he was ordered to Rome, to answer to charges brought against him, but ere he arrived Tiberius died
(A. D. 35), and soon after Pilate committed suicide. Herod —See on Mark 6. 14. Philip—a different and very superior Philip to the one whose wife Herodias went to live with Herod Antipas. See Mark 6. 17. Iturea—to the north-east of Palestine ; so called from Ishmael's son Ilur or Jetur (1 Chronicles 1. 31), and anciently belonging to the half tribe of Manasseh. Trachonltls—farther to the north-east, between Iturea and Damascus; a rocky district. Infested by robl>ers, and commltl*^.! by Augustus to Herod the Great to keep in order. Abilene—still more to the north-east, so called from Abila, eighteen miles from Damascus. [Robinson.] Annas and Calaptaan hlgb priests—the former, though deposed, retainea much of
Tite Baptism of Clviat. LUKE IV. TJte Genealogy of ChriH, sense of this verse, and thnt no other would have been thought of but for Its supposed improbability and the nn« certainty which it seems to throw over our Lord's real descent. But it is liable to another difficulty, viz., that in this case Matthew makes " Jacob," while Luke makea " Heli," to be Joseph's father ; and though the same man had often more than one name, we ought not to resort to that supposition, in such a case as this, without necessity. And then, though the descent of Mary from David would be liable to no real doubt, even though we had no table of her line preserved to us (see, for example, ch. 1. 2-32, and on ch. 2. 5), still it does seem unlikely—we say not Incredible—that two genealogies of our Lord should be preserved to us, neither of which gives his real descent. Those who take the fci«er opinion, that we have here the line of Mary, as In Matthew that of Joseph— his his Influence, and, probablj', as Sagan or deputy, exercised much of tlie power of tlie high priestliood along witli Calaphas (John 18. 13; Acts 4.6). Both Zadok and Ablathar acted as high priests in David's time (2 Samuel 15.
35), and It seems to have become the fixed practice to have two (2 Kings 25. 18). word of God came nnto John Such formulas, of course, are never used when speaking of Jesus, because the Divine nature manifested itself In Him not at certain isolated moment-s of his life. He was the one everlasting manifestation of the Godhead—The Word.
I Olshatjsen.] 5. every valley, &c. levelling and smoothing, obvious figures, the sense of which Is In the first words of the proclamation, "Prepare ye the way of the Lord." all flesh, &c.—(Quoted literally from the Septuaglnt of Isaiah 40. 5.) The Idea Is that every obstruction shall be so removed as to reveal to the whole world the Salvation of God In Him whose name is the "Saviour" real, there his reputed line—explain the statement about Joseph, that he was "the son of Heli," to mean that he was his son-in-law, as the husband of his daughter Mary
(cf. Psalm 98.3; Isaiah 11.10; 49.6; 52.10; Luke 2.31,32; Acts 13. 47). 10-14. What shall we do then 1—to show the sincerity of our repentance, two coats, &c.—directed against the reigning avarice, publicans . . . exact no more, &c.—directed against that extortion which made the publicans a by-word. See on eh. 19. 2, 8. soldiers . . . do violence to none—the word signifies to ' sliake tlioroughly,' and so to ' Intimidate,' prob.ably in order to extort money or other property, accuse falsely—acting as informers vexatiously, on frivolous or false grounds, content with your wages—'rations.' We may take this as a warning against mutiny, which the officers attempted to suppress by largesses and donations. [Webster and Wilkinson.] And thus the "fruits" which would evidence their repentance were just resistance to the reigning sins, particularly of the class to which the penitent belonged, and the manifestation of an opposite spirit. 15-17. whether he were tlxe Christ—showing both how successful he had been In awakening the expectation of Messiah's immediate appearing, and the high estimation, and even reverence, which his own character commanded. Jolin answered, &c.—either to the deputation from Jerusalem (see John 1. 19, &c.), or on some other occasion, simply to remove Impressions derogatory to his blessed Master which he knew to be taking hold of the popular mind, saying unto them all, &c.—In solemn protesta-
(as in Ruth 1. 11, 12), and believe that Joseph's name is only introduced instead of Mary's, In conformity with the Jewish custom in such tables. Perhaps this view is attended with fewest difliculties, as It certainly is the best supported. However we decide, It is a satisfaction to know that not a doubt was thrown out by the bitterest of the early enemies of Christianity as to our Lord's real descent from David. On comparing the two genealogies, it will be found that Matthew, writing more immediately for ,Tews, deemed It enough to show that the Saviour was sprung from Abraham and David ; whereas Luke, writing more immediately for Oentiles, traces the descent back to Adam, the parent stock of the whole human family, thus showing him to be the promised "Seed of the woman." .'The possibility of constructing such a table, comprising a period of thousands of years, in an uninterrupted line from father to son, of a family that dwelt for a long time In the utmost retirement, would be Inexplicable, had not the members of this line been endowed with a thread by whicli they could extricate themselves from the many families into whicli every tribe and branch was again subdivided, and thus hold fastand know t?ie member that was destined to continue the lineage. This thread was the hope that Messiah would be born of tlie race of Abraham and David. The ardent desire to behold Him and be partakers of His mercy and glory suffered not the attention to be exhausted through a period embracing thousands of years. Thus the member destined to continue the lineage, whenever doubtful, became easily distinguishable, awakening the hope of a final fulfilment, and keeping It alive until it was consummated.' [Olshausen.] 34-30. son of Mattliat, Ac. — See on Matthew 1.
tion. So far from entertaining such a thought as laying claim to the honours of Messlahship, the meanest services I can render to that " Mlglitier than me that is coming after me," are too highan honour forme. Beautiful spirit, distiiifiuishing this servant of Christ throughout! one miglitier than I—
' the Mighter than I.' 18. many other tilings, itc—such as we read In John 1. 29, 33, 34 ; 3. 27-36.
19, 20. but Herod, &c.—See on M.ark 6. 14, &c. and for all the evils which Herod had done—important fact here only mentioned, showing how thorough-going was the fidelity of the Baptist to his royal hearer, and how strong must have been the workings of conscience in that slave of passion when, notwltlietanding such plainness, he "did many things and heard John gladly" (Mark 6. 20, 20).
13-15. In V. 27, Salathlel Is called the so«, while in Matthew 1. 12, he is called the father of Zerubbabel. But they are probably different persons. 38. son of God—Cf. Acts
17.28. CHAPTER IV.
21, 22. Baptism of and Descent of the Spirit upon Jesus. See on Matthew 3. 13-17. when all tl»e people were baptized—that He might not seem to be merely one of the crowd. Thus, as He ro<le Into Jerusalem upon an
Ver. 1-13. Temptation of Christ.—See on Matthew 4.
1-11.
14-32. Jesus, Entering on His Pukmc Ministry, MAKES A Circuit of Galilee—Rejection at Nazareth. N. B.—A large gap here occurs, embracing the important transactions in Galilee and Jerusalem whicli are recorded In John 1. 29 to 4. 54, and wliich occurred before John's imprisonment (John 3. 24); wliereas the transactions here recorded occurred (as appears from Matthew 4. 12, 13) after that event. The visit to Nazareth recorded in Mattliow 13.
ass, "whereon yet never man sat" (ch. 19. 30), and lay In a sepulchre "wherein was never man yet laid" (John 19. 41), so In His baptism He would be "separate from sinners."
2J-.38. Genealogy op Jesus. 23. he began to be about thirty i. e., 'was about entering on his thirtieth year.' So our translators have taken the word [and so Calvin, Beza, Bloomfibld, Webster and Wilkin.son,
5-1-58 (and Mark 6. 1-6) we take to be not a later visit, but the same with this first one; because we cannot think that the Nazareues, after being so enraged at first display of wisdom as to attempt His destruction, should, on a second display of thesame, wonder at Hand ask how He came by It, as if tliey had never witnessed It Ivfore. a« his custom was—Cf. Acts 17. 2. 17. stood up lo read Others besides rabbins were allowed to address the congregation. See Acts 13. 15. IS, 19. To have fixed on any passage announcing His sufferings (as Isaiah 53.), would have been unsuitable at that early stage of His mln Lstry,
&c.]: but 'was about thirty years of age wlien he began
(his ministry),' makes better Greek, and Is probably the true sense. [Benqel, Olshausen, Db Wbtte, Meyeu, Alkord, &c.] At this age the priests entered on tlieir oflic'e (Numbers 4. 3). being, as was supposed, the son of Joseph, &c.—Have we In this genealogy, as well as Mattliew's, the line of Joseph* or Is tills the line of Maryf—& point on which there has been great difference of opinion and much acute discussion. Tbose who take the former opinion contend that it Is the natural 102