Luk 6:35

And ye shall be the children of the Highest

The Christian aim and motive

1st.

The Christian aim–perfection. 2nd. The Christian motive–because it is right and Godlike to be perfect.

I. THE CHRISTIAN AIM IS THIS–to be perfect. Be ye therefore perfect. Now distinguish this, I pray you, from mere worldly morality. It is not conformity to a creed that is here required, but aspiration after a state. It is not demanded of us to perform a number of duties, but to yield obedience to a certain spiritual law. Will not that inflame our pride, and increase our natural vainglory? Now the nature and possibility of human perfection, what it is and how it is possible, are both contained in one single expression in the text, Even as your father which is in Heaven is perfect. The relationship between father and son implies consanguinity, likeness, similarity of character and nature. God made the insect, the stone, the lily; but God is not the Father of the caterpillar, the lily, or the stone. When, therefore, God is said to be our Father, something more is implied in this than that God created man. And so when the Son of Man came proclaiming the fact that we are the children of God, it was in the truest sense a revelation. He told us that the nature of God resembles the nature of man, that love in God is not a mere figure of speech, but means the same thing as love in us, and that Divine anger is the same thing as human anger divested of its emotions and imperfections. When we are commanded to be like God, it implies that God has that nature of which we have already the germs. And this has been taught by the incarnation of the Redeemer. Things absolutely dissimilar in their nature cannot mingle. Water cannot coalesce with fire–water cannot mix with oil. If, then, Humanity and Divinity were united in the person of the Redeemer, it follows that there must be something kindred between the two, or else the incarnation had been impossible. So that the incarnation is the realization of mans perfection. Here, however, you will observe another difficulty. It will be said at once–there is something in this comparison of man with God which looks like blasphemy, because one is finite and the other infinite. Let us, then, endeavour to find out the evidences of this infinitude in the nature of man. First of all we find it in this–that the desires of man are for something boundless and unattainable. The boundless, endless, infinite void in the soul of man can be satisfied with nothing but God. Satisfaction lies not in having, but in being. There is no satisfaction even in doing. Man cannot be satisfied with his own performances. A second trace of this infinitude in mans nature we find in the infinite capacities of the soul. This is true intellectually and morally. For there is no man, however low his intellectual powers may be, who has not at one time or another felt a rush of thought, a glow of inspiration, which seemed to make all things possible, as if it were merely the effect of some imperfect organization which stood in the way of his doing whatever he desired to do. With respect to our moral and spiritual capacities, we remark that they are not only indefinite, but absolutely infinite. Let that man answer who has ever truly and heartily loved another. Again, we perceive a third trace of this infinitude in man, in the power which he possesses of giving up self. In this, perhaps more than in anything else, man may claim kindred with God. Before passing on let us observe that were it not for this conviction of the Divine origin, and consequent perfectibility of our nature, the very thought of God would be painful to us.

II. We pass on, in the second place, to consider the CHRISTIAN MOTIVE–Even as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect. Brethren, worldly prudence, miscalled morality, say– Be honest; you will find your gain in being so. Do right; you will be the better for it–even in this world you will not lose by it. The mistaken religionist only magnifies this on a large scale. Your duty, he says, is to save your soul. Give up this world to have the next. Lose here, that you may gain hereafter. In opposition to all such sentiments as these, thus speaks the gospel–Be ye perfect. Why? Because your Father which is in Heaven is perfect. Do right, because it is Godlike and right so to do. In conclusion, we observe, there are two things which are to be learned from this passage. The first is this, that happiness is not our end and aim. The Christians aim is perfection, not happiness. The second thing we have to learn is this, that on this earth there can be no rest for man. The last thing we learn from this is the impossibility of obtaining that of which some men speak–the satisfaction of a good conscience. (F. W. Robertson, M. A.)

Concerning the perfection of God

I. THE ABSOLUTE PERFECTION OF THE DIVINE NATURE SUPPOSED–As your Father which is in Heaven is perfect.

1. I shall consider how we are to conceive of the Divine perfection, these two ways.

(1) By ascribing all imaginable and possible perfection to God; absolute and universal perfection, not limited to a certain kind, or to certain particulars. Some things may seem to be perfection, which in truth are not, because they are plainly impossible, and involve a contradiction. And then there are some things which do argue and suppose imperfections in them; as motion, the quickness and swiftness whereof in creatures is a perfection, but then it supposeth a finite and limited nature. And there are also some imaginable degrees of perfection, which, because they are inconsistent with other perfections, are not to be admitted in the Divine nature. And in the Scripture we do everywhere find perfection ascribed to the nature, and works, and laws of God, to everything that belongs to Him, or proceeds from Him (Job 37:16).

(2) As we are to ascribe all imaginable and possible perfections to God, so we are to separate and remove all manner of imperfection from Him. We must not obscure or blemish the Divine nature with the least shadow or blot of imperfection.

2. To lay down some rules by which we may rectify and govern our opinions concerning the attributes and perfections of God: the best I can think of are these following:

(1) Let us begin with the most natural, and plain, and easy perfections of God, and lay them for a foundation, and rectify all our other apprehensions of God, and reasonings about Him, by these; and these are His power, wisdom, and goodness, to which most of the rest may be reduced. Right apprehensions, and a firm belief of these, will make it easily credible to us, that all things were made, and are governed by Him; for His goodness will dispose and incline Him to communicate being to other things, and to take care of them when they are made.

(2) Let us always consider the perfections of God in conjunction, and so as to reconcile them with one another. Do not consider God as mere power and sovereignty, as mere mercy and goodness, as mere justice and severity; but as all these together, and in such a measure and degree, as may make them consistent with one another. Among men, indeed, an eminent degree of any one excellency does usually shut out some other; and, therefore, it is observed that power and moderation, love and discretion, do not often meet together; that a great memory and a small judgment, a good wit and an ill-nature, are many times found in conjunction. But in infinite perfection all perfections do eminently meet and consist together; and it is not necessary that one excellency should be raised upon the ruins of another.

(3) Among different opinions concerning God (as there always have been and will be in the world) choose those which are farthest from extremity; because truth as well as virtue usually lies between the extremes. And here I will instance in that controversy, which has much disquieted the Church almost in all ages, concerning the decrees of God; about which there are two extremes; the one, that God peremptorily decrees the final condition of every particular person, that is, their everlasting happiness or misery, without any regard or consideration of the good or bad actions of men: the other, that God decrees nothing concerning any particular person, but only in general, that men found under such and such qualifications shall be happy or miserable, and puts it into their own power to qualify themselves.

(4) Entertain no opinion concerning God that doth evidently contradict the practice of religion, and a good life, though never so specious and subtle arguments may be used to persuade it. Let us then look upon all knowledge that contradicts practice as vain and false, because it destroys its end. There are many things that seem probable enough in speculation, which yet we most pertinaciously deny, because they are not practicable; and there are many things which seem doubtful in speculation, and would admit of great dispute, which yet, because they are found true in practice and experience, are to be taken for certain and unquestionable. Zeno pretends to demonstrate there is no motion; and what is the consequence of this speculation, but that men must stand still? but so long as a man finds he can walk, all the sophistry in the world will not persuade him that motion is impossible.

II. THE PERFECTION OF GOD IS PROPOUNDED AS A PATTERN FOR OUR IMITATION. To show how far we are to imitate the perfections of God, and particularly what those Divine qualities are which our Saviour doth here more especially propound to our imitation.

1. That our imitation of God is certainly restrained to the communicable perfections of God, and such as creatures are capable of; as I have shown before. For it is so far from being a duty to affect or attempt to be like God in His peculiar perfections, that it was probably the sin of the apostate angels.

2. Our imitation of the Divine perfections, which are communicable to creatures, is likewise to be restrained to such degrees of these perfections, as creatures are capable of. For no creature can ever be so perfectly good as God is; nor partake of any other excellency, in that transcendant degree, in which the Divine nature is possessed of it.

3. But there is no manner of inconvenience in having a pattern propounded to us of so great perfection, as is above our reach to attain to; and there may be great advantages in it. The way to excel in any kind is to propose the highest and most perfect examples to our imitation. He that aims at the heavens, which yet he is sure to come short of, is like to shoot higher than he that aims at a mark within his reach. Besides that, the excellency of the pattern, as it leaves room for continual improvement, so it kindles ambition, and makes men strain and contend to the utmost to do better. And we may reasonably presume that to do all we can towards the fulfilling of this precept will be as acceptable to God, and as beneficial to ourselves, as if our power had been greater, and we had perfectly fulfilled it.

4. And lastly, Which will fully clear this matter; this precept cloth not oblige us to come up to a perfect equality with the pattern propounded to us, but only imports a vigorous imitation of it; that we be perpetually ascending and climbing up higher, still advancing from one degree of goodness to another, and continually aspiring after a near resemblance to God. And this seems to be no inconsiderable ingredient and enhancement of the happiness of heaven, that the holiness of good men (which is the similitude of God) is never at a stand, nor at its full growth and period; but that the glorified saints (yea, and blessed angels too) may be continually growing and improving, and they themselves still become better and happier to all eternity.

III. All that now remains is to draw some useful INFERENCES from this discourse which I have made; and they shall be these two:

1. That the strongest and surest reasonings in religion are grounded upon the essential perfections of God.

2. That the truest and most substantial practice of religion consists in the imitation of God. (J. Tillotson, D. D.)

Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell

Verse 35. Love ye your enemies] This is the most sublime precept ever delivered to man: a false religion durst not give a precept of this nature, because, without supernatural influence, it must be for ever impracticable. In these words of our blessed Lord we see the tenderness, sincerity, extent, disinterestedness, pattern, and issue of the love of God dwelling in man: a religion which has for its foundation the union of God and man in the same person, and the death of this august being for his enemies; which consists on earth in a reconciliation of the Creator with his creatures, and which is to subsist in heaven only in the union of the members with the head: could such a religion as this ever tolerate hatred in the soul of man, even to his most inveterate foe?

Lend, hoping for nothing again] . The rabbins say, he who lends without usury, God shall consider him as having observed every precept. Bishop Pearce thinks that, instead of we should read with the Syriac, later Arabic, and later Persic; and as signifies to despair, or cause to despair, the meaning is, not cutting off the hope (of longer life) of any man, neminis spem amputantes, by denying him those things which he requests now to preserve him from perishing.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

I know not how to agree, what I find many interpreters judging, that this text is a prohibition of usury. I should rather interpret it more largely, as a command for acts of mercy, with respect to the circumstances of persons, obliging us not to withhold a charitable hand, from our fear that if we lend we shall lose what we lend, and obliging us, that if we find the circumstances of any that desireth us to lend him for his necessity such a quantity of money or goods as we can spare, and we can well enough bear the loss of, if the providence of God should render the person unable to repay us, we should not be awed by such a fear from acts of charity, but give with a resolution to lose it, if God please to disable the person to whom we lend, so as he cannot repay us. For the question about usury, as to which some conceive this text a prohibition, this is not a place to handle it in the latitude. I do not think it was ever absolutely forbidden to the Jews, they might take it of strangers, and that not only of the Canaanites, whom some say they might kill, (which I doubt after their agreement to a quiet cohabitation), but of other strangers also who came not under the denomination of Canaanites. That argued the taking of usury to be not malum per se, in itself evil, but only malum prohibitum, an evil as forbidden; and not absolutely and universally forbidden, but respectively, only with reference to their brethren of the same church and nation; so rather to be reckoned amongst the municipal laws of the Jews, than the common laws of God for all mankind. Besides that amongst the Jews there was less need of it, partly in respect of their years of jubilee, and partly in regard their employments were chiefly in husbandry, and about cattle, which called not for such sums of money as merchandising doth. Nor is it to be referred to any of the ten commandments, unless the eighth, Thou shalt not steal; which forbidding sins against charity, and such sins against charity being there forbidden as are the taking away the goods of another against his will, and without a just cause, I cannot see how the lending of money for a moderate use, when it is helpful and relieving to our neighbour, should be any kind of stealing, when his good will appeareth in the contract; nor can there be any injustice in it, where there is a quid pro quo, but a proportion for what I am endamaged by the loan; unless any will say it is unjust because against the law of God, which is to beg the question, this argument being brought to prove it is not contrary to the law of God. The exacting of all undue proportion for usury, or a moderate proportion, when we plainly see our brother is fallen into poverty, and cannot pay it, may be forbidden, as a sin against charity, and that love that we ought to show to our neighbours, and the mercifulness here required, Luk 6:36. Yet, admitting the law of God, Deu 23:19,20, to be interpreted of all usury, (which yet seemeth hard, for then the Jews might not sell for any thing more at twelve months time, than if they were paid presently, for the words are usury of money, usury of victuals, usury of any thing lent upon usury), it concerned the Jews only between themselves, not in their dealings with any strangers, which is plain, Luk 6:20; so also Exo 22:25, where the term poor is also put in, as it is Lev 25:35-37; by which texts the psalmist must be expounded, Psa 15:5. It may possibly from the equity of that law oblige us to be more kind to those that are of the same nation and church with us, than unto others, especially such as are no Christians; and amongst those that are Christians, to those that are poor, than to those who have better estates. But, as I said in the beginning, I had rather interpret the precept of the text more largely, as a general precept of mercy, from the example of our heavenly Father.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

But love ye your enemies,…. As before urged in Lu 6:27

and do good and lend; not to your friends only, but to your enemies;

hoping for nothing again; either principal or interest, despairing of seeing either; lending to such persons, from whom, in all appearance, it is never to be expected again. The Persic version renders it, “that ye may not cause any to despair”: and the Syriac version, “that ye may not cut off”, or “cause to cease the hope of men”; and the Arabic version, “that ye do not deceive the hope of any” that is, by sending such away, without lending to them, who come big with expectations of succeeding:

and your reward shall be great: God will bless you in your worldly substance here, and will not forget your beneficence hereafter:

and ye shall be the children of the Highest: that is of God; one of whose names is “the Most High”; Ps 82:6 the meaning is, that such who from principles of grace, and with right views do such acts of kindness and beneficence to their fellow creatures and Christians, shall be, made manifest, and declared to be the children of God; since they will appear to be born of him, and made partakers of the divine nature, and bear a resemblance to him, by their imitating him:

for he is kind to the unthankful and to the evil; by causing his sun to rise, and his rain to fall on them, as on the righteous and the good; for as Jews w observe,

“there is no difference with him, whether on the right hand or the left; for he is gracious, and does good, even to the ungodly.”

And elsewhere they say x, that

“he does good, and feeds the righteous and the ungodly.”

w R. Abraham ben Dior in Sepher Jetzira, p. 19. x Zohar in Exod. fol. 69. 2, 3.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

But (). Plain adversative like in verse 24. Never despairing ( ). is read by A B L Bohairic and is the reading of Westcott and Hort. The reading is translated “despairing of no man.” The Authorized Version has it “hoping for nothing again,” a meaning for with no parallel elsewhere. Field (Otium Nor. iii. 40) insists that all the same the context demands this meaning because of in verse 34, but the correct reading there is , not . Here Field’s argument falls to the ground. The word occurs in Polybius, Diodorus, LXX with the sense of despairing and that is the meaning here. D and Old Latin documents have nihil desperantes, but the Vulgate has nihil inde sperantes (hoping for nothing thence) and this false rendering has wrought great havoc in Europe. “On the strength of it Popes and councils have repeatedly condemned the taking of any interest whatever for loans. As loans could not be had without interest, and Christians were forbidden to take it, money lending passed into the hands of the Jews, and added greatly to the unnatural detestation in which Jews were held” (Plummer). By “never despairing” or “giving up nothing in despair” Jesus means that we are not to despair about getting the money back. We are to help the apparently hopeless cases. Medical writers use the word for desperate or hopeless cases.

Sons of the Most High ( H). In 1:32 Jesus is called “Son of the Highest” and here all real children or sons of God (Lu 20:36) are so termed. See also Luke 1:35; Luke 1:76 for the use of “the Highest” of God. He means the same thing that we see in Matt 5:45; Matt 5:48 by “your Father.”

Toward the unthankful and evil ( ). God the Father is kind towards the unkind and wicked. Note the one article with both adjectives.

Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament

Hoping for nothing again [ ] . A later Greek word, only here in New Testament, and meaning originally to give up in despair, a sense which is adopted by some high authorities, and by Rev., never despairing. Luke was familiar with this sense in the Septuagint. Thus Isa 29:19, “The poor among men [ ] . shall rejoice.” So in Apocrypha, 2 Mac 9:18, “despairing of his health;” Judith 9 11, “A savior of them that are without hope [] .” According to this, the sense here is, “do good as those who consider nothing as lost.” The verb and its kindred adjective are used by medical writers to describe desperate cases of disease.

Children of the Highest [ ] . Rev., rightly, sons. Compare Mt 5:45, 48.

Kind [] See on Mt 11:30.

Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament

1) “But love ye your enemies,” (plen agapate tous echthrous humon) “But you all love your enemies,” with a genuine or high priority kind of love, Mat 5:44.

2) “And do good and lend” (kai agathopoieite kai daneizeta) “And do good (genuine courtesies) and lend,” for in such God is said to be “well pleased,” Heb 13:16, given or inclined to hospitality, Rom 12:13; Gal 6:6.

3) “Hoping for nothing again;” (meden apelpizontes) “Not at all despairing,” anxious about receiving in return or the thing given returned. Let not that be your motive in lending, not despairing if what you lend to the poor or needy is not immediately returned to you.

4) “And your reward shall be great,” (kai estai ho misthos humon polus) “And your reward will be much,” much greater, 1Co 3:8.

5) “And ye shall be the children of the Highest:” (kai esesthe huioi hupsistou) “And you all will be heirs of the most High,” Mat 5:45; Known as children and servants of the most High God, the true and living God. For “by their fruits ye shall know them,” Mat 7:20.

6) “For he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.” (hoti autos chrestos estin epi tous acharistous kai ponerous) “Because he is kind even to unthankful and the wicked,” as also expressed, Mat 5:45.

Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary

Luk 6:35

. Lend, expecting nothing again. It is a mistake to confine this statement to usury, as if Christ only forbade his people to be usurers. The preceding part of the discourse shows clearly, that it has a wider reference. After having explained what wicked men are wont to do, — to love their friends, — to assist those from whom they expect some compensations, — to lend to persons like themselves, that they may afterwards receive the like from them, — Christ proceeds to show how much more he demands from his people, — to love their enemies, to show disinterested kindness, to lend without expecting a return. We now see, that the word nothing is improperly explained as referring to usury, or to any interest that is added to the principal: (418) whereas Christ only exhorts us to perform our duties freely, and tells us that mercenary acts are of no account in the sight of God. (419) Not that he absolutely condemns all acts of kindness which are done in the hope of a reward; but he shows that they are of no weight as a testimony of charity; because he alone is truly beneficent to his neighbors, who is led to assist them without any regard to his own advantage, but looks only to the necessities of each. Whether it is ever lawful for Christians to derive profit from lending money, I shall not argue at greater length under this passage, lest I should seem to raise the question unseasonably out of a false meaning which I have now refuted. Christ’s meaning, as I have already explained, is simply this: When believers lend, they ought to go beyond heathens; or, in other words, they ought to exercise pure liberality.

(418) “ De l’usure et accroissement qui vient outre le principal;” — “of usury and increase which comes beyond the principal.” On the lawfulnesss of lending money at interest, the most enlightened men, at the time when our author wrote, were strangley divded in sentiment. His own views were unfolded in a small work, which has been admired by competent judges for the purity of French style, and for enlarged views of Political Economy. After suffering not a little obloquy for his manner of applying the law of God to commercial questions, he has been vindicated by the unanimous opinion of posterity; and his performance, having served its purpose, has been quietly laid on the shelf. We allude to it only to account for the rapid and cursory manner in which he disposes here of a question, on which all who wish to know his opinions may satisfy themselves by perusing his own complete and elaborate statement of the argument. — Ed.

(419) “ Que les plaisirs lesquels les hommes se font les uns aux autres, sous esperance de recompense, ne viennent point en conte devant Dieu.” — “That the gratifications which men give to each other, in expectation of reward, come not into reckoning before God.”

Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary

(35) Love ye your enemies.The tense of the Greek verb may be noted as implying a perpetual abiding rule of action.

Hoping for nothing again.Better, in nothing losing hope. It is possible that the Greek verb may have the sense given in the text, but its uniform signification in the LXX. (as in Sir. 22:21-24; Sir. 27:21), which must be allowed great weight in interpreting a writer like St. Luke, is that of giving up hope, despairing. And this gives, it is obvious, a meaning not less admirable than that of the received version, Give and lend according to the law of Christ, and do not let the absence of immediate profit make you lose heart and hope. There is a great reward. The last words at least remind us of the promise made to Abraham, and may be interpreted by it. God Himself is our exceeding great reward (Gen. 15:1). One or two MSS. give a masculine instead of a neuter pronoun after the verb, and in that case the verb must be taken as transitive. We have accordingly to choose between in nothing despairing, or driving no man to despair. On the whole, the former seems preferable. So taken, we may compare it with St. Pauls description of charity or love, as hoping all things (1Co. 13:7), and his counsel, Be not weary in well doing (Gal. 6:9).

The children of the Highest.Better, for the sake of uniformity with the other passages where the word occurs, sons of the Most High. The passage is noticeable as the only instance in which our Lord Himself applies this name to the Father.

He is kind.The generalised word takes the place of the more specific reference to the rain and sunshine as Gods gifts to all, in Mat. 5:45. The word rendered kind is applied to God in the Greek version of Psa. 34:8, quoted in 1Pe. 2:3, and is there rendered gracious.

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

The Reason Why Christians Should Love the Undeserving (6:35)

g But love your enemies (Luk 6:35 a),

h And do them good (Luk 6:35 b),

k And lend, never despairing (Luk 6:35 c),

f And your reward will be great (35d),

m And you shall be sons of the Most High (35e),

l For he is kind toward the unthankful and evil (35f).

Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett

“But love your enemies,

And do them good,

And lend, never despairing,

And your reward shall be great,

And you shall be sons of the Most High,

For he is kind toward the unthankful and evil.”

So in view of what He has just said about loving the undeserving, let them do it. Let them love their enemies, and do them good, and lend to them when they are in need, never despairing, because it will mean being like God Himself. It will mean revealing themselves as sons of the Most High, Who is kind towards the unthankful and the evil. It will be walking with Him on the higher plane and revealing that they are like Him, that they are His sons. And then they will receive great reward. This may be because of the response that comes from the act themselves, or from the joy that results, or from God’s blessing to those who obey Him, or indeed all three. But it will also include God’s reward on that final day when all of us have to give an account of ourselves to God (Rom 14:10; 2Co 5:10).

‘Never despairing (apelpizo).’ This is a word often used as a medical term. It strictly means ‘despairing’. Thus it may signify that they are not to despair of the fact that God will reward them as He promised in Deu 15:10. Or it possibly here means ‘not despairing of anyone.’ The idea may then be that we must not say something like, ‘Oh, if I lend to them they will only waste it’, but must give them the benefit of the doubt. Or it may signify that we must not despair of winning over our enemies in this way.

But comparison with ‘of whom you hope to receive’ in Luk 6:34, may be seen as supporting the meaning ‘not hoping (elpizo) to receive anything in return’, which is found later in the early fathers. But it is never used in that way in classical literature, or before that time.

‘You shall be sons of the Most High.’ This firstly gains meaning from Luk 1:32, in that we will then be like our Master (compare 1Jn 3:2). We will be revealing ourselves as the sons of the Most High like He is. And secondly it will be genuine evidence that we are truly ‘sons of God’ (Rom 8:14-15; Gal 4:5-6), which we will be demonstrating by our behaviour. We will be revealing God-likeness.

Note that here the Most High is gracious towards those from whom He expects no return. This parallels much better than Matthew’s statement would the previous instructions concerning lending not hoping to receive again. It fits this message much better.

General Attitudes Which Should Result From This Kind of Love (Luk 6:36-37).

Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett

Luk 6:35. Hoping for nothing again; Distrusting nothing. “Shew these acts of kindness to your brethren, not at all despairing either of your present sustenance, or of your future reward.” See Beza.

Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke

Luk 6:35 . ] but, verumtamen , as at Luk 6:24 .

] The usual view, “ nihil inde sperantes ” (Vulgate; so also Euthymius Zigabenus, Erasmus, Luther, Beza, Calvin, Castalio, Salmasius, Casaubon, Grotius, Wolf, Bengel, Krebs, Valckenaer, Rosenmller, Kuinoel, de Wette, Ewald, Bleek, and others), is in keeping with the context, Luk 6:34 , but is ungrammatical, and therefore decidedly to be given up. The meaning of is desperare ; it belongs to later Greek, and frequently occurs in Diodorus and Polybius, which latter, moreover (xxxi. 8. 11), has , desperatio . Comp. Wetstein. An erroneous use of the word, however, is the less to be attributed to Luke, that it was also familiar to him from the LXX. (Isa 29:19 ) and the Apocrypha ( 2Ma 9:18 , where also the accusative stands with it, Sir 22:21 ; Sir 27:21 ; Jdt 9:11 ). Hence the true meaning is “ nihil desperantes ” (codd. of It.; so also Homberg, Elsner, Wetstein, Bretschneider, Schegg). It qualifies . , and is the accusative of the object: inasmuch as ye consider nothing (nothing which ye give up by the and ) as lost (comp. , Diod. xvii. 106), bring no offering hopelessly (namely, with respect to the recompense , which ye have not to expect from men), and how will this hope be fulfilled! Your reward will be great , etc. Thus in is involved the (Rom 4:18 ) in reference to a higher reward, where the temporal recompense is not to be hoped for, the “qui nil potest sperare, desperet nihil” (Seneca, Med . 163), in reference to the everlasting recompense.

.] namely, in the Messiah’s kingdom . See Luk 20:36 , and on Mat 5:9 ; Mat 5:45 . In general, the designation of believers as sons of God in the temporal life is Pauline (in John: ), but not often found in the synoptic Gospels. See Kaeuffer in the Schs. Stud . 1843, p. 197 ff.

. . .] Since He , on His part, etc. The reason here given rests on the ethical presupposition that the divine Sonship in the Messiah’s kingdom is destined for those whose dealings with their fellow-men are similar to the dealings of the Father.

Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary

35 But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.

Ver. 35. Lend, hoping for nothing ] No, not the principal, in case thy brother be not able to repay it. Thomas Tomkins, martyr, a weaver, dwelling in Shoreditch, whensoever any had come to borrow money of him, would show them such money as he had in his purse, and bid them take it; and when they came to repay it again, so far was he from usury, that he would bid them keep it longer till they were better able. (Acts and Mon.) The usurer breeding money of money to the third and fourth generation, prove like the butler’s box (saith one), which at length draws all the counters to it. Our Saviour, in the former verse, maketh him worse than other sinners, who lend to receive the like; but he lends to receive the more.

To the unthankful and to the evil ] An unthankful man is a naughty man; nay, he is an ugly man, Psa 147:1 .

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

35. ] Three renderings have been given (1) the ordinary one, , Euthym [58] ; but this meaning of the word is unexampled, though agreeing with the context. (2) ‘ causing no one to despair ,’ i.e. refusing no one (reading : cf. [59] [[60][61] in various readings); so the Sy [62] . renders it. (3) ‘ not despairing ,’ i.e. ‘ without anxiety about the result .’ This last sense of the word is best supported by examples, both from Polybius (e.g. . , i. 19. 12, , ii. 54. 7, alli [63] . freq., see Index), and the Apocrypha, see reff. But as it is an in the N.T., perhaps the force of the context should prevail, and the ordinary interpretation be adopted, as there is nothing in analogy ( , , ) to forbid the meaning; and so Passow gives it in Lexic.

[58] Euthymius Zigabenus, 1116

[59] CODEX ZACYNTHIUS. Edited by Tregelles, London, 1861, with the types cast for printing the Codex Alexandrinus. The following is an abridgment of his account of the MS.: “On the 11th of August, 1858, I received a letter from Dr. Paul de Lagarde of Berlin, informing me that a palimpsest MS., hitherto unused, containing a considerable portion of St. Luke’s Gospel, with a Catena, was in the library of the British and Foreign Bible Society. It is noted in the Catalogue, and on the back, ‘24, Greek Evangelisterium. Parchment .’ In many parts the ancient writing is illegible, except in a very good light. The later writing is a Greek Lectionary from the Four Gospels, and belongs, I suppose, to the thirteenth century. The elder writing must have been part of a volume of large folio size; for the leaves are now folded across, the later writing running the other way. The text is in round full well-formed uncial letters, such as I should have had no difficulty in ascribing to the sixth century, were it not that the Catena of the same age has the round letters ( ) so cramped as to make me believe that it belongs to the eighth century . Besides the ordinary or , this MS. contains also the same chapters as the Vatican MS., similarly numbered. The only other document in which I have ever seen this Capitulatio Vaticana is the Vatican Codex itself; nor do I know of its being found elsewhere. Occasionally the same portion of Scripture occurs twice, when accompanied by a different Patristic extract.”

[60] Codex Petropolitanus (Tischendorf, N.T. edn. 8). Of the ninth century . The readings of this MS. were not available [for the sixth Edition] at the beginning of St. Matthew, nor for Luk 1:30 to Luk 8:3 , nor beyond Luk 18:9 . [Def. Joh 3:5-36 ; Joh 21:22 end supplied by a later hand.]

[61] The CODEX SINAITICUS. Procured by Tischendorf, in 1859, from the Monastery of St. Catherine on Mount Sinai. The Codex Frederico-Augustanus (now at Leipsic), obtained in 1844 from the same monastery, is a portion of the same copy of the Greek Bible, the 148 leaves of which, containing the entire New Testament, the Ep. of Barnabas, parts of Hermas, and 199 more leaves of the Septuagint, have now been edited by the discoverer. A magnificent edition prepared at the expense of the Emperor of Russia appeared in January, 1863, and a smaller edition containing the N.T. &c., has been published by Dr. Tischendorf. The MS. has four columns on a page, and has been altered by several different correctors, one or more of whom Tischendorf considers to have lived in the sixth century. The work of the original scribe has been examined, not only by Tischendorf, but by Tregelles and other competent judges, and is by them assigned to the fourth century . The internal character of the text agrees with the external, as the student may judge for himself from the readings given in the digest. The principal correctors as distinguished by Tischendorf are: A, of the same age with the MS. itself, probably the corrector who revised the book, before it left the hands of the scribe, denoted therefore by us -corr 1 ; B (cited as 2 ), who in the first page of Matt. began inserting breathings, accents, &c., but did not carry out his design, and touched only a few later passages; C a (cited as 3a ) has corrected very largely throughout the book. Wherever in our digest a reading is cited as found in 1 , it is to be understood, if no further statement is given, that C a altered it to that which is found in our text; C b (cited as 3b ) lived about the same time as C a , i.e. some centuries later than the original scribe. These are all that we need notice here 6 .

[62] The Peschito (or simple) Syriac version. Supposed to have been made as early as the second century . The text as edited is in a most unsatisfactory state.

[63] alli= some cursive mss.

] Meyer maintains that this must mean ‘sons of God’ in the sense of partakers of the glory of the Messiah’s Kingdom, but without reference to the state of believers in this life, which last he says is according to the usage of Paul, not of the three first Evangelists. But surely this is sufficiently answered by in the next verse, where the actual present sonship to our heavenly Father is a reason why we should imitate Him.

Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament

Luk 6:35 . , but , in opposition to all these hypothetical cases. , “hoping for nothing again,” A. V [67] , is the meaning the context requires, and accepted by most interpreters, though the verb in later Greek means to despair, hence the rendering “never despairing” in R. V [68] The reading . would mean: causing no one to despair by refusing aid. , sons of the Highest , a much inferior name to that in Mt. In Lk. to be sons of the Highest is the reward of noble, generous action; in Mt. to be like the Father in heaven is set before disciples as an object of ambition. , kind; by generalising Lk. misses the pathos of Mt.’s concrete statement (Luk 6:45 ), which is doubtless nearer the original.

[67] Authorised Version.

[68] Revised Version.

Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson

great. Emph. by Figure of speech Hyperbaton. App-6.

children = sons.

App-108.

the Highest. Put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Adjunct) for Him Who is on high. See note on Luk 1:32.

unto. Greek. epi. App-104.

Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics

35. ] Three renderings have been given-(1) the ordinary one, , Euthym[58];-but this meaning of the word is unexampled, though agreeing with the context. (2) causing no one to despair, i.e. refusing no one (reading : cf. [59] [[60][61] in various readings);-so the Sy[62]. renders it. (3) not despairing, i.e. without anxiety about the result. This last sense of the word is best supported by examples, both from Polybius (e.g. . , i. 19. 12,- , ii. 54. 7, alli[63]. freq., see Index), and the Apocrypha,-see reff. But as it is an in the N.T., perhaps the force of the context should prevail, and the ordinary interpretation be adopted, as there is nothing in analogy (, , ) to forbid the meaning; and so Passow gives it in Lexic.

[58] Euthymius Zigabenus, 1116

[59] CODEX ZACYNTHIUS. Edited by Tregelles, London, 1861, with the types cast for printing the Codex Alexandrinus. The following is an abridgment of his account of the MS.: On the 11th of August, 1858, I received a letter from Dr. Paul de Lagarde of Berlin, informing me that a palimpsest MS., hitherto unused, containing a considerable portion of St. Lukes Gospel, with a Catena, was in the library of the British and Foreign Bible Society. It is noted in the Catalogue, and on the back, 24, Greek Evangelisterium. Parchment. In many parts the ancient writing is illegible, except in a very good light. The later writing is a Greek Lectionary from the Four Gospels, and belongs, I suppose, to the thirteenth century. The elder writing must have been part of a volume of large folio size; for the leaves are now folded across, the later writing running the other way. The text is in round full well-formed uncial letters, such as I should have had no difficulty in ascribing to the sixth century, were it not that the Catena of the same age has the round letters () so cramped as to make me believe that it belongs to the eighth century. Besides the ordinary or , this MS. contains also the same chapters as the Vatican MS., similarly numbered. The only other document in which I have ever seen this Capitulatio Vaticana is the Vatican Codex itself; nor do I know of its being found elsewhere. Occasionally the same portion of Scripture occurs twice, when accompanied by a different Patristic extract.

[60] Codex Petropolitanus (Tischendorf, N.T. edn. 8). Of the ninth century. The readings of this MS. were not available [for the sixth Edition] at the beginning of St. Matthew, nor for Luk 1:30 to Luk 8:3, nor beyond Luk 18:9. [Def. Joh 3:5-36; Joh 21:22-end supplied by a later hand.]

[61] The CODEX SINAITICUS. Procured by Tischendorf, in 1859, from the Monastery of St. Catherine on Mount Sinai. The Codex Frederico-Augustanus (now at Leipsic), obtained in 1844 from the same monastery, is a portion of the same copy of the Greek Bible, the 148 leaves of which, containing the entire New Testament, the Ep. of Barnabas, parts of Hermas, and 199 more leaves of the Septuagint, have now been edited by the discoverer. A magnificent edition prepared at the expense of the Emperor of Russia appeared in January, 1863, and a smaller edition containing the N.T. &c., has been published by Dr. Tischendorf. The MS. has four columns on a page, and has been altered by several different correctors, one or more of whom Tischendorf considers to have lived in the sixth century. The work of the original scribe has been examined, not only by Tischendorf, but by Tregelles and other competent judges, and is by them assigned to the fourth century. The internal character of the text agrees with the external, as the student may judge for himself from the readings given in the digest. The principal correctors as distinguished by Tischendorf are:-A, of the same age with the MS. itself, probably the corrector who revised the book, before it left the hands of the scribe, denoted therefore by us -corr1; B (cited as 2), who in the first page of Matt. began inserting breathings, accents, &c., but did not carry out his design, and touched only a few later passages; Ca (cited as 3a) has corrected very largely throughout the book. Wherever in our digest a reading is cited as found in 1, it is to be understood, if no further statement is given, that Ca altered it to that which is found in our text; Cb (cited as 3b) lived about the same time as Ca, i.e. some centuries later than the original scribe. These are all that we need notice here6.

[62] The Peschito (or simple) Syriac version. Supposed to have been made as early as the second century. The text as edited is in a most unsatisfactory state.

[63] alli= some cursive mss.

] Meyer maintains that this must mean sons of God in the sense of partakers of the glory of the Messiahs Kingdom, but without reference to the state of believers in this life, which last he says is according to the usage of Paul, not of the three first Evangelists. But surely this is sufficiently answered by in the next verse, where the actual present sonship to our heavenly Father is a reason why we should imitate Him.

Fuente: The Greek Testament

Luk 6:35. , but however [though others do differently]) These three words, love, do good, lend, refer to the 32d, 33d, and 34th verses, from which reference the appropriateness of the verb is apparent.-, do good) Understand, to them who hold you in hatred.-, lend) To give a loan with the hope of receiving it back, is an office of kindness becoming a man; to do so without such hope, is one becoming a Christian: The latter is enjoined, the former is not forbidden, Luk 6:34, even as it [is not forbidden, but] is perfectly lawful to love friends.[63] [Moreover many anxieties besides are brought upon the mind when one gives a loan, with the hope of receiving it back, to many men, who either cannot or will not repay. Thence there springs up a crop of thorns.-V. g.]-) This means nothing, not , i.e. no person, for nowhere has an Accusative of the person.-) , expecting to receive as much again: Luk 6:34. We might render it in Latin, resperantes. It is the same form of verb as , , i.e. , , as Casaubon observes, from Athenus.[64]- , to the unthankful and the evil) the vilest of mortals: the evil, , even though they have not as yet made themselves out to be unthankful.

[63] Whilst we are enjoined to love enemies, this not being natural to us, whereas the former is.-ED.

[64] xiv. c. 17; and , i.e. , Theophrast. Charact. ix. (xii.). But Wahl, Clavis, takes it, by no means despairing, viz. of being rewarded by God. So Diod. Sic. ii. 25; Pol. iii. 63, 13.-ED.

Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament

love: Luk 6:27-31, Lev 25:35-37, Psa 37:26, Psa 112:5, Pro 19:17, Pro 22:9, Rom 5:8-10, 2Co 8:9

and ye: Mat 5:44, Mat 5:45, Joh 13:35, Joh 15:8, 1Jo 3:10-14, 1Jo 4:7-11

for: Psa 145:9, Act 14:17

Reciprocal: Gen 19:16 – the Lord Exo 22:14 – borrow Deu 10:19 – General Deu 14:29 – that the Lord Deu 15:6 – thou shalt lend Deu 23:19 – General Deu 24:19 – may bless Rth 2:12 – recompense 2Ki 6:23 – he prepared 2Ch 15:7 – your work Psa 18:25 – With the Mat 5:7 – are Mat 5:9 – for Mat 5:12 – for great Mat 10:42 – he shall Mat 18:33 – even Luk 1:76 – Highest Luk 6:23 – your Luk 6:34 – General 1Co 13:4 – is kind Gal 6:10 – do good Eph 4:32 – kind Eph 5:1 – followers Eph 6:8 – whatsoever Phi 2:15 – sons Col 3:13 – forgiving Col 3:24 – ye shall 1Th 5:15 – none 1Ti 6:18 – ready Heb 11:6 – a rewarder Heb 13:16 – to do 1Pe 3:11 – do

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

5

Love, do good, and the other terms of service to others, are used in the sense of unselfish ministrations for the chief purpose of doing good. If gratitude returns some reward it is right to accept it, but that, should not be the motive. The Highest bestows the blessings of creation on all mankind, and His example is cited as a rule for the disciples to follow.

Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary

4 th. The model and source of the charity which Jesus has just depicted: Luk 6:35 b and 36. And your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for He is kind to the unthankful and to the evil. 36. Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.

Having referred to the love which His disciples are to surpass, that of man by nature a sinner, Jesus shows them what they must aspire to reach,that divine love which is the source of all gratuitous and disinterested love. The promise of a reward is no contradiction to the perfect disinterestedness which Jesus has just made the essential characteristic of love. And, in fact, the reward is not a payment of a nature foreign to the feeling rewarded, the prize of merit; it is the feeling itself brought to perfection, the full participation in the life and glory of God, who is love!, and in fact. This disinterested love, whereby we become like God, raises us to the glorious condition of His sons and heirs, like Jesus Himself. The seventh beatitude in Matthew, Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God, is probably a general maxim taken from this saying.

If the ungrateful and the wicked are the object of divine love, it is because this love is compassionate (, Luk 6:36). In the wicked man God sees the unhappy man. Mat 5:45 gives this same idea in an entirely different form: For He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. How could these two forms have been taken from the same document? If Luke had known this fine saying in Matthew, would he have suppressed it? Matthew concludes this train of thought by a general maxim similar to that in Luk 5:36 : Be ye therefore perfect, as your Father in heaven is perfect. These two different forms correspond exactly with the difference in the body of the discourse in the two evangelists. Matthew speaks of the inward righteousness, the perfection (to which one attains through charity); Luke, of charity (the essential element of perfection; comp. Col 3:14).

Fuente: Godet Commentary (Luke, John, Romans and 1 Corinthians)

6:35 But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, {h} hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and [to] the evil.

(h) When you will lend, do it only to benefit and please with it, and not with the hope of receiving the principal again.

Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes

"But" (Gr. plen) introduces another strong contrast (cf. Luk 6:23). Rather than loving, doing good, and lending, as other people do with a desire to receive in return, the disciple should do these things with no thought of receiving back. That is how God gives and it is therefore how His children should give. Jesus promised a great reward for disciples who do this. The children of God can demonstrate their relationship to "the Most High" by behaving as He behaves. The use of this name for God highlights the disciple’s exalted position. Mercy toward all people should mark disciples’ attitudes and actions as it marks God’s. This emphasis accords with Luke’s concern for people in need (cf. Luk 10:25-37). Matthew’s interest, on the other hand, was in God’s perfect righteousness (cf. Mat 5:48; Mat 19:21).

Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)