Annotations Upon the New Testament, Luke · Chapter 4 – Chapter 6
CHAP. IV.
Verse 1. WAS led by the Spirit] foreign, agebatur, Chemnit▪which word is used of a peculiar inward force and impulse of the Spirit. Rom. 8.14. Gal. 5.18.
Vers. 2. Being forty daies tempted of the devill] foreign, that is,Multis modis quorum praecipui hic referuntur. Grotius. suffering temptation from the devill, from whence some collect, that Christ suffered many other temptations from Satan in these forty daies, besides the three temptations mentioned by the Evangelists; See 13. ver. Yet Luke (saith a Lapide) seemes especially in this word to have respect to those three famous temptations of Christ, which he after rehearseth.
See Matth. 4.3. Chemnit. Cuivis horum lapidum: quod pluraliter exprimit Matthaeus, ut alibi s…pe. Grotius.Uers. 3. If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread] Satan first propounded to Christ that He would either turne all or many stones of that place into bread. And presently according to the description of Luke, he may be understood to have added, Or if this be too much, say to this one stone let it be bread.
He might hold one stone in his hand, and shew the other stone lying upon the ground. Brugensis.
The opinion of many Divines is probable (saith à Lapide) that the Devils sin at first was this, when God revealed to him that the Son of God should assume humane nature, and commanded him to submit himselfe to the man Christ, he envied Christ that he being a man should be preferred before him a most glorious Angell; and that the humane nature should be assumed into an hypostaticall union with the second person of the Trinity, therefore he rebelled against God and Christ; wherefore perceiving that this man was called the Son of God by the Father and Iohn the Baptist, he would try whether He was the true Son of God;Cornel à Lap. in 4. Mat. 3. that he might powre out upon him his ancient envy, anger, and indignation. Therefore it is probable (saith à Lapide) that the Devill did not at first abruptly say to him, If thou beest the Son of God, command these stones to be made bread, but that he first courteously saluted him, and by faire speeches insinuated himselfe into him, saying, what my Lord dost thou here alone, what dost thou muse on? I saw thee baptised in Jordane, and heard a voyce from heaven saying, this is my Son, I desire to know whether thou beest truely the Son of God by nature, or onelyonly his adopted Son by grace? I see also that by fasting forty dayes thou art very hungry, therefore if thou beest the Son of God satisfie thy hunger, and turne those stones to bread; for it will be very easie for thee to do it.
Qua Graeci proverbiali figura brevissimum tempus indicant. Bene autem versum in puncto temporis, quomodo loquuntur Cicero & Caesar. Nam momenti significatio longius portigitur. Grotius.Vers. 5. In a moment of time] So the vulgar interprets it foreign, in puncto temporis. Beza. Erasmus thinkes the metaphore is taken from a mathematicall point. Some thinke it is a metaphore taken from the points of Scribes.
Vers. 6. And the Devill said unto him, all this power will I give thee and the glory of them] Lucas Brugensis, on Matth 4.8. Thinkes the Devill by the art of the optickes, (in which he is most skilfull) did expose to Christs view all the kingdomes of the world.
Vers. 12. For it is delivered unto mee, and to whomsoever I will, I give it] Whence it is manifest (saith à Lapide) that he feigned himselfe to be the Son of God, God, saith Hilary, and consequently to be adored.
Delivered to mee] By God, he conceales the name of God both because he hated him, and because he would be esteemed and worshipped as God.
Vers. 13. And when the Devill had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season] As if he should say,Calvin. that rest or truce was not given to Christ untill he was exactly tried with all kinds of temptations.
Chemnit. The word foreign, comprehends all these.Vers. 15. Being glorified of all] That is, the Galileans and others, for his doctrine and miracles, began excellently, honourably, or gloriously to thinke and speake of him, to give great authority to him, and to have him in singular honour.
Vers. 16. He went into the Synagogue on the sabbath day] In the time of his ministry he observed this custome, that in the dayes of the Sabbath for the most part he entred into Synagogues to teach.Chemnit. Iohn 18.20.
And stood up for to read] Our Lord stands up to read the Law, but v. 20. sits downe to preach,Mr. Thorndikes Discourse of the Right of the Church in a christian State. ch. 4. the one, to shew reverence to the giver of the Law, the other, authority over the congregation, which he taught as a Prophet.
Vers. 17. And there was delivered unto him the booke of the Prophet Esaias] Seing sections out of the Law and Prophets were read every Sabbath, there was given him a book which was more difficult to expound; and that book most cleerely prophesies of Christ.
When hee had opened the booke] foreign, unfolding or opening. Their Bookes were not written as ours are in severall leaves; but according to the custome of those times,foreign est evolvere. foreign convolvere. Nam Hebraeorum, ut & Latinorum, libri erant volumina, hinc evolvere librum apud Ciceronem atque alios. Idem est revolvere Livio & Martiali, qua voce & hic usus est rectè Latinus interpres. Ejusmodi libros etiam nunc in Synagogis videre est. Grotius. Olim libri non ligabantur sed involvebantur, sicut adhuc hodie liber▪ Legis (quem Iudaei Sepher Torah appellant) Jnde & liber Esther à velvendo megillah vocatur. Elias Thisbites. Eadem de causa librum volumen Latini à volvendo nuncupant. Olim libri ex futilibus foliis non constabant, ut hodie constant: sed una erat continua & perpetua pagina quam circa virgam oblongam (ut bodie solemus tabulas Geographicas) quasi circa transjectum axem volvebant, ne à pulvere aut aliunde noceretur, inde libri ab Hebraeis megilloth, à Latinis volumina dicti sunt. Hinc sumpta metaphora, dicitur, Esai 34.4. Et coeli volventur ut liber, & Apocalyp. 6.14. Et coelum recessit sicut liber convolurus. Ioma seu Codex Talmudicus à Roberto Sheringhamio Cantabrigiensi editus. in one large scrowle of parchment, or other matter, which was rolled together like the web upon the pin. Psal. 40.7.
Vers. 18. He hath annointed me to preach the Gospell] Enduing with grace is called annointing for the resemblance it hath with an ointment. An ointment is a composition,Vnxit me] Vt Prophetam infra. 7.46. & 12.3. Cur unxit an testandae reverentiae? aut unxit ad funerationem, Marc. 14.8. aut unxit ex consuetudine illius aevi, nam vnctio post lotionem facit ad obstruenda corporis spiramenta Drusius. and hath these ingredients, oyle and sweet odours, by vertue of oyle it soakes into the bones, Psal. 109.18. By vertue of the sweet odours mixt with it, it workes upon spirits and senses; oyle represents the vertue of the power of the Spirit, and odours the comfort of grace.
Vers. 20. And he closed the booke] The word is complicans, folding, roling it up, and v. 17. explicans, unfolding or opening it. See Beza on that verse. And sat down] Challenging to himself by his own right the office of a Teacher, others of the common people did stand when they interpreted, Act. 13.16.
Were fastened on him] foreign signifieth when with fixed eyes we do attentively, and as it were immoveably stick in the beholding of any thing.Chemnit.
Vers. 22. And all bare him witnesse] That is, their mind was so convinced with those things which were spoken by Christ,Vide Bezam. Chemnit. that they could not doubt nor contradict the Prophecies agreeing to him.
Gracious words] An Hebrew phrase, in which the force and grace of the Holy Ghost was conspicuous.Verba foreign sunt gratiosa vel gratia plena, vel acceptabilia verba, afficientia cor. Chemnit.
Vers. 30. But he passing through the midst of them] That is, with much confidence, safety and assurance, he withdrew himselfe. The same kind of speech is repeated Iohn 8.59. Where it is plainely intimated that Christ by his divine power was made invisible to his enemies, wherefore it is credible that he escaped here after the same manner.
Vers. 36. With authority and power] foreign, potestas, authority, is a right or morall faculty, foreign, potentia, power, is an active force or naturall faculty.
Vers. 38. Simons wives mother was taken with a great fever] Peters Mother in law, (for that he had a wife is manifestly collected from this history) was ill of a fever, not a light or remisse one, but so vehement that she lay down with it. Luke cals it a great fever, for she was old being the Mother of Peters wife, and in old people such fevers are dangerous and deadly, which can hardly be cured by nature whose forces are weake. Christ did not onelyonly heale her by his word,Chemnit. as he did the noble mans son that was sick of a fever; Iohn 4.50. But he used peculiar gestures. He came to her where she lay down, saith Marke. 2. Laying hold on her hand, he lifted her up. 3. He stood above her, not as if he stood upon her as it were kicking her with his feet, but that he stood so neare her, that bowing his body hee did as it were lye upon her,foreign. that is the meaning of the Greeke words. 4. He reproved the fever, this declares the power of Christ, that he so healed this woman that had long conflicted with a fever, and was so worne with it, that she kept her bed, that without the relickes of weaknesse she presently recovered both her strength and health.
CHAP. V.
Verse 1. AS the people preassed upon him to heare the word of God] Christs hearers did foreign, they lay upon him,Videtur haec vox non quemvis concursum, sed cum pressura significare: unde irruere non malè vertit Latinus interpres. Vide Act. 27.20. Grotius. they preassed upon him; the word of God, in opposition to the traditions of men which the Pharisees taught.
Vers. 5. We have toyled all the night] Which is more seasonable for taking than the day, and have taken nothing.
Vers. 6. And when they had thus done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes, and their net brake] When Jesus called those Disciples, they had been fishing all night and caught nothing;Dr Taylor the Life and death of Christ part. 2. but when Christ bad them let down the net, they tooke multitudes, to shew to us, that the successe of our indeavours is not in proportion to our labours, but the divine assistance and benediction.
And their net brake] This verse seemes repugnant to that John 21.11. Suppose they had written both of one miracle (as they doe of divers) yet there is no contradiction,Finis miraculi fuit, ut cognita Christi Divinitate, se illi Petrus & alij discipulos addicerent. Generaliter tamen hoc exemplo docemur, minimè timendum esse ne respondeat labori nostro benedictio Dei & optabilis successus, quoties jussu & auspiciis Christi manus operi admovebimus. Calv. in loc. the one intending thereby to signifie, that the greatnesse of the burthen exceeded naturall ability of instruments which they had to bear it, the other that the weaknesse thereof was supported by a supernaturall and miraculous addition of strength. The nets as touching themselves brake, but through the power of God they held. Hookers Eccles. Pol.
Vers. 7. Began to sinke] Would have sanke unlesse he had been upholden by a miracle.
Vers. 9. He was astonished, and all that were with him] Amazement besieged on every side,Simile est apud Latinos circū stetit horror. and possessed them all, so the Lxx use the word foreign, Psal. 18.5. and 2 Kings 22.5.
Vers. 16. And he widrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed] Thence we may gather what Christ did when he was not busied in teaching and working miracles, viz. was intent on prayer, praying and giving thankes for his ministery and office, and for the whole Church to be gathered in the New Testament.Chemnit.
The power of the Lord was present to heale them] By this Hebraisme he meanes, that the Lord healed neither by medicines, nor prayer, but that he exercised his power in healing the sick, or the vertue of the Lord, that is, the divine power, exercised it self in and by Jesus Christ in healing the sick.
Vers. 21. Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God alone] That is, he cannot be either the Messias, or a Prophet sent by God, because he speaks blasphemies.
Vers. 27. And saw a Publican] Publicans were certaine Officers in the Roman Empire which did gather up the Tribute that was to be paid, and such gifts as were given: And because the goods of the Empire were called Publica, hence came the name of Publicans.
Vers. 29. Levi made him a great feast] foreign, A feast for all Commers. Erasmus out of Athenaeus saith the word signifieth splendidum epulum.Ad verbum acceptionē, quòd passim in eo omnes accipiantur. Beza.
foreign,tam ad suavitatem quam adutilitatem sive commodum valetudinis referri potest. Etsi enim vina nova plerunque sint dulciora, unde mustum foreign dicitur, adeoque gulosis gratiora, prudentibus tamen magis arridet vetus, quia & defaecatius est & generosius, nec modo palatum magis afficit, linguamque gratius vellicat, sed & stomachum benignius iuvat, omnesque spiritus magis restaurat & reficit. de Dieu in loc.Vers. 39. The old is better] vulg. melius, salubrius Beza, suavius Syrus, Piscat. Eras. quia scilicet levius est. For this word properly signifieth levity, as Mat. 11.30. Luk 6.35. Rom. 2.4. Ephes. 4.32. Old wines are wont to be of a more gentle taste, new more austere.
CHAP. VI.
Verse 12. COntinued all night in prayer to God] Either because it was concerning a business belonging to the kingdom and glory of God,Chemnit. or rather because it was a serious speech with God.
Vers. 13. Whom also he named Apostles] This may be interpreted two waies: Either because afterward being installed into his Office he put that name upon them; or because he had now honoured them with that Elogie in hope of the future dignity,Calvin. that they might know to what end they were separated from the common Vulgar, and to what use they were destinated.
Vers. 15. Simon called Zelotes] The Zealous, to distinguish him from Simon Peter;Par on the Rom. he was so called because of his earnestness and zeale for the Gospell.
Vers. 18. Vexed with unclean spirits] Which Phrase he useth also,Chemnit. Acts 5.16.
Vers. 23. Leape for joy] The word signifieth, to express mirth by some outward gesture.foreign propriè dicuntur lascivientes pecudes: translatitiè ijs tribuitur, qui prae gaudij abundantia, non possunt se continere quin varios gestus edant, hinc & inde subsilientes. Beza, Brugensis.
Their Fathers] That is, the ancient people of the Jews, for Christ speaketh here to his Disciples and others that were Jews by nation. Perkins
Ver. 24. But wo unto them that are rich] He curseth the Rich, not all, but those which receive their consolation in this world, that is, are so contented with their estate that they forget the life to come.Calvin. He shewes therefore that riches are so far from making one blessed, that they are oft turned into the occasion of ones destruction.
Vers. 25. Wo unto you that laugh now] It is the property of a man to laugh, therefore he speakes of laughter, not as a naturall, but as a sinfull act. For ye shall mourne and weepe] You shall have nothing but mourning hereafter.
Vers. 26. Woe unto you when all men shall speake well of you] foreign is opposed to all those things which are spoken of, persecution, hatred, accusations, reproaches,Chemnit. separation, ejection, and persecution.
Vers. 35. Lend, looking for nothing againe] Our own due and right must be parted with, when it is not the parties sin, but externall calamity that hinders him,Christ sheweth with what affection and disposition of heart men ought to lend, viz. having respect only to the good of the party borrowing, and not to the restitution of the thing lent. Vide. Grotium. thou oughtest then to forgive it, at least to beare it till he be able.
Vers. 38. Good measure] The good is generall of just measure. Pressed down] Levia, light things because they are porous we use to presse down to make good measure. Shaken together] Some things go together more straightly by shaking, as corne.Vide Bezam in loc. Running over] Agrees to liquid things. The Lords meaning is, that God will most largely reward our beneficence. Into their bosome] That is, he will so reward them that they shall perceive that they are rewarded.
An Hebrew phrase applied to the custome of the Nation, for the orientall Nations (among which were the Jewes) wore long garments,Piscat. so it was convenient for them to receive in their bosome those things which were plentifully given. Psal. 80.12. Esay 55.6. Jer. 32.18.
Vers. 48. He is like a man which built an house, and digged deepe, and laid the foundation on a rock. And wh…n the floud arose, the streame beat vehemently upon that house and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock] The builder is the professour of the name of Christ. Three parts of professours of wisdom are propounded. 1. To dig deepe, that is, come to a deepe search and examination of his own corrupt heart, that he may know the iniquity thereof. 2. To make choice of a rock for a foundation, that is, Christ. Ephes. 2.20, 21. Acts 4.12. 1 Cor. 3.11. 3. To build thereon, Mr Perkins.we are built on Christ by our faith in him. Ephes. 3.17. Psal. 125.1.