31. Be persuaded. Dives had said, "they will repent." Abraham replies, "they will not be even persuaded.'

Though one rose. Dives had said, "if one went."

From the dead (ex veкρŵv). Dives had said from the dead, but using a different preposition (aró). It is wellnigh impossible to give the English reader this nice play of prepositions. The general distinction is áró, from the outside; èx, from within. Thus Luke ii. 4, Joseph went up from (ảπó) Galilee, the province, out of (ex) the city of Nazareth. Abraham's preposition (ẻ, out of) implies a more complete identification with the dead than Dives' aró, from. A rising from among the dead was more than a messenger going from the dead. "We can hardly pass over the identity of the name Lazarus with that of him who actually was recalled from the dead; but whose return, far from persuading the Pharisees, was the immediate exciting cause of their crowning act of unbelief" (Alford).

CHAPTER XVII.

1. Impossible (ȧvévdeктov). Inadmissible. Only here in New Testament. See on it cannot be, ch. xiii. 33.

Offences. See on offend, Matt. v. 29; and compare on Matt. xvi. 23.

2. It were better (Avoiтeλεî). Only here in New Testament. The verb means to pay what is due, and is equivalent to our phrase, it pays.

Millstone. See on Matt. xviii. 6.

Thrown (eppiπτai). Hurled: with an underlying sense of violence, called out by so great an outrage.

3. Rebuke. See on straitly charged, ch. ix. 21.

6. Sycamine. Or mulberry. Luke distinguishes between this and ovкoμopéa, the fig-mulberry (ch. xix. 4). The names were sometimes confused, but a physician would readily make the distinction, as both were used medicinally.

9. I trow not. Omitted by the best texts.

10. Unprofitable (ȧxpeîoi). From Xpeía, requirement; something which the master must pay. Not useless, but having rendered no service beyond what was due. "The profit does not begin until the servant goes beyond his obligation " (Meyer). "A servant owes all things" (Bengel).

11. Through the midst of. It may also mean between or on the borders of. The Am. Rey. insists on the latter.

12. Lepers. See on ch. v. 12.

20. With observation (uerà Tapaτnpńσews). Only here in New Testament. The progress of the kingdom cannot be defined by visible marks like that of an earthly kingdom. Its growth in the world is a process of pervasion, like the working of the leaven through the lump.

21. Within. Better, in the midst of. Meyer acutely remarks that "you refers to the Pharisees, in whose hearts nothing certainly found a place less than did the ethical kingdom of God." Moreover, Jesus is not speaking of the inwardness of the kingdom, but of its presence. "The whole language of the kingdom of heaven being within men, rather than men being within the kingdom, is modern" (Trench, after Meyer).

24. Lighteneth (άσтρáπтоνσα). Only here and ch. xxiv. 4.

25. Rejected. See on disallowed, 1 Pet. ii. 4; and tried, 1 Pet. i. 7.

On the house-top. See on Matt. xxiv. 17.

33. Shall preserve (Swoyovýσei). Only here and Acts vii. 19. Originally to engender; thence to produce alive or endue with life, and so to preserve alive. Wyc., shall quicken it.

37. Eagles. See on Matt. xxiv. 28.

CHAPTER XVIII.

1-14. THE PARABLES OF THE UNJUST JUDGE AND THE PHARISEE AND PUBLICAN. Peculiar to Luke.

1. To the end that men ought (πpòs Tò deîv). Lit., with reference to its being necessary always to pray, etc.

Faint (èykakeîv). To turn coward or lose heart.

2. Regarded (evтреπóμеvos). See on Matt. xxi. 37.

3. Avenge (ékdíкησov). The word is too strong. It means do me justice. See on Rom. xii. 19.

5. Lest by her continual coming she weary me (iva un eis τέλος ἐρχομένη ὑπωπιάζῃ με). Εἰς τέλος, lit., unto the end, may mean continually; but weary or wear out for iπwπián is more than doubtful. That word is from Tómov, the part of the face under the eyes, and means to strike under the eye; to give one a black eye. It is used only once again, by Paul, 1 Cor. ix. 27, and in its literal sense: "I buffet my body;" treat it as the boxer does his adversary. The more literal sense of this word, and of eis Téλos, in the end, or finally, give a sound and nuch livelier meaning here. "Lest at last she come and assault me." So Goebel and Meyer, and so Wyc., "Lest at the last she, coming, strangle me;" and Tynd., "Lest at the last she come and rail on me." The judge fears lest importunity

may culminate in personal violence. Perhaps, also, as Goebel suggests, he intentionally exaggerates his fear.

6. The unjust judge. Lit., the judge of injustice. See on

ch. xvi. 8.

7. And shall not God. The emphasis is on God. In the Greek order, "and God, shall he not," etc.

A very difficult pas

Though he bear long with them. A sage, and interpretations vary greatly.

(1.) The verb pakρоIvμéw means to be long-suffering, or to endure patiently. Such is its usual rendering in the New Tes

tament.

(2.) Them (avroîs) refers not to the persecutors of God's elect, but to the elect themselves. The Rev. cuts the knot by the most literal of renderings: "and he is long-suffering over (e) them."

(3.) The secondary meaning of restraining or delaying may fairly be deduced from the verb, and explained either (a) of delaying punishment, or (b) of delaying sympathy or help.

The Am. Rev. adopts the former, and throws the sentence into the form of a question: "And is he slow to punish on their behalf" (eπ avтoîs)? I venture to suggest the following: Kal not infrequently has the sense of yet, or and yet. So Euripides: "Thou art Jove-born, and yet (xai) thy utterance is unjust" ("Helena," 1147). Aristophanes: "O crown, depart, and joy go with thee: yet (xai) I part from thee unwillingly ("Knights," 1249). So John ix. 30: "Ye know not from whence he is, and yet (xai) he hath opened my eyes." John xvi. 32: "Ye shall leave me alone, and yet (kai) I am not alone," etc. Render, then, "Shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry unto him day and night; yet he delayeth help on their behalf," even as the unjust judge delayed to avenge the widow? Surely he will, and that ere long. This rendering, instead of contrasting God with the judge, carries out the parallel. The judge delays through indifference. God delays also, or seems to delay, in order to try his children's faith, or

because his purpose is not ripe; but he, too, will do justice. to the suppliant. Tynd., Yea, though he defer them.

"He hides himself so wondrously,

As though there were no God;
He is least seen when all the powers
Of ill are most abroad.

O there is less to try our faith,
In our mysterious creed,
Than in the godless look of earth
In these our hours of need.

It is not so, but so it looks;

And we lose courage then;

And doubts will come if God hath kept
His promises to men."

FABER.

8. Nevertheless. Notwithstanding God is certain to vindicate, will the Son of man find on earth a persistence in faith answering to the widow's?

9. Despised (ovdevovvτas). Lit., made nothing of. Rev., set at nought.

Others (Tous Noiπovs). The expression is stronger. Lit., the rest. They threw all others beside themselves into one class. Rev., correctly, all others.

10. The other (erepos). With an implication of his being a different man. See on Matt. vi. 24.

Publican. See on ch. iii. 12.

11. Stood (σradeis). Lit., having been placed. Took his stand. It implies taking up his position ostentatiously; striking an attitude. But not necessarily in a bad sense. See on ch. xix. 8; and compare Acts v. 20. posture of the Jews in prayer.

Standing was the ordinary Compare Matt. vi. 5; Mark

xi. 25.