Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Luke 12:48
But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few [stripes.] For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.
48. that knew not ] i.e. that knew not fully (Jon 4:11; 1Ti 1:13), for there is no such thing as absolute moral ignorance (Rom 1:20; Rom 2:14-15)
shall be beaten with few stripes ] A most important passage as alone clearly stating that punishment shall be only proportional to sin, and that there shall be a righteous relation between the amount of the two.
They who knew not will not of course be punished for any involuntary ignorance, but only for actual misdoing.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Few stripes – The Jews never inflicted more than forty stripes for one offence, Deu 25:3. For smaller offences they inflicted only four, five, six, etc., according to the nature of the crime. In allusion to this, our Lord says that he that knew not – that is, he who had comparatively little knowledge – would suffer a punishment proportionally light. He refers, doubtless, to those who have fewer opportunities, smaller gifts, or fewer teachers.
Much is given – They who have much committed to their disposal, as stewards, etc. See the parable of the talents in Mat. 25:14-30.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Luk 12:48
For unto whomsoever much is given
The law of accountability
–These words are rendered as a reason why those servants that know their masters will are beaten with more stripes than those that knew it not, because they did not improve their advantages.
And Christ pleadeth the equity of it from the custom of men, expressed in their common proverbs or sentences, that go from hand to hand among the people. A beneficiary that hath received much from his benefactor is obliged to a greater gratitude. A factor that hath his masters estate in his hands must make a return according to the degree of the trust. These things being evident by the light of nature, and granted among all men, our Lord accommodateth them to His purpose, which is to show Gods proceedings with men are according to the degree of their advantages–For unto whomsoever, etc. In the words observe four things:
1. A double conveyance of benefits to us. Whatever a man receiveth, it is either given as a gift or committed as a talent. For, first, He saith, To whomsoever much is given; and presently, To whomsoever men have committed much.
2. These things are not given to all in the same measure; there is a difference in the distribution; some have much, others have little.
3. Whether men have received much or little, it is all in reference to an account; this is signified in the words, required, asked.
4. Answerable to their mercies shall their account be; much for much, and little for little. To whom anything is given, of him something shall be required and asked; but to whom much is given and committed, of him shall they ask the more; not more than is committed, but more than is required and asked of another; as where the soil is better and more tilled, we look for the better crop, and we expect that he should come sooner that rideth on horseback than he that goeth on foot. (T. Manton, D. D.)
Privilege the measure of responsibility
The husbandman, the more he improves his ground the greater crop he looks for; the more completely the soldier is armed, the better service is required of him; the scholar that is well instructed must show great fruits of his proficiency. Thus the earthly part of man drinks in the sweet showers of grace that fall upon it. The blessed Spirit of God puts upon us that panoply, the whole armour of God. And the same Spirit teacheth us all things, leads us into all truth, and brings all things to our remembrance which Christ hath spoken for our good. Shall we then, being thus cultivated, thus armed, thus instructed, not bring forth fruits in some measure answerable to so great indulgence? Shall such blessings of God be received in vain? (T. Stapleton.)
Gifts entail responsibility
The husbandman looks for more fruit from some of his fruit-trees than from others; those upon which he bestows most time, cost, and labour, from these he expects most fruit; and is displeased if his expectation be not answered accordingly. This shadows out unto us that God expects greater returns of duty from some persons than from some others, and neglect thereof provokes God against them. In the ceremonial law God required more sacrifices from the rich than from the poor: such as had great store of oxen, sheep, and other things to be offered in sacrifice, should not have been accepted had they offered a pair of turtle doves, or two young pigeons, which yet were accepted from the poorer sort of persons. So also under the gospel, to whom much is given, of them doth He require the more. God had done great things for Eli and David, and expected (accordingly) greater returns of duty and obedience all their lives after; but they failing in some great particulars, God is sore displeased with them, and reckons up the great benefits and particular engagements they had received, and tells them He expected other returns from them. So also Hezekiah received much, and God looked for answerable returns; but he rendered not according to the benefits received, and God was displeased with him upon that account. God planted a vineyard, and bestowed much care and pains about it, and looked for an answerable return of good fruits, but because it brought forth wild grapes instead of good and pleasant grapes, He laid it waste. Some have received more, and lie under greater engagements from God than others, therefore God looks to receive more. This shows us the great danger such persons lie under who have received much from God, and return but little; having received many talents, and not making an answerable return by improving of them to the honour of God and advantage of His people; nay, who perhaps use all against God and His people. God gives to some many gifts of nature and common graces, much knowledge, learning, wisdom, great riches, honours, offices, places, much time, liberty, great and choice means of grace, special providences and dispensations, and many other talents which others have not: of these God requires more than of those who have fewer and less of these things, and the not making suitable returns provokes God against them. If God spared not His choice servants, Eli, David, Hezekiah, &c., if judgment begin at the house of God, how shall the ungodly and sinner escape? Let every one of us consider what we have received, that so we may make unto God some answerable returns: God looked for more (and received more) from him that had the five talents, than from him that had received but two. No one (not the lowest, or meanest) is freed from making returns of duty to God: though God requires much from those who have received much, yet the mean person, who has but a little, must return of that little. Let him work with his hands, that he may have something to give to him that needeth; and it will be accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not. So, also, of the use and improvements of all other talents, gifts, graces, liberty, power, and the rest. (Austen.)
Duty measured by ability
In Xenophons Memorabilia it is recorded of Socrates that, when he offered small sacrifices from his small means, he thought that he was not at all inferior in merit to those who offered numerous and great sacrifices from ample and abundant means; for he said that it would not become the gods to delight in large rather than in small sacrifices; since, if such were the case, the offerings of the bad would oftentimes be more acceptable to them than those of the good; nor would life be of any account in the eyes of men, if oblations from the bad were better received by the gods than oblations from the good; but he thought that the gods had most pleasure in the offerings of the most pious. He used also to quote with approbation the verse, Perform sacrifices to the gods according to your ability, and used to say that it was a good exhortation to men with regard to friends, and guests, and all other relations of life, to perform according to their ability. (Biblical Things Not Generally Known.)
Responsibility according to knowledge
Richard Knill was one day talking to some military officers in Madras, when one of them asked: What do you missionaries mean? Do you think that poor black fellow will be damned? I hope not, replied Knill, but if he is, I think his punishment will be very light compared with yours if you neglect God. The words so struck home that the officer lifted up his hands and said: I believe it; I have long thought so.
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 48. Shall be beaten with few] For petty offences the Jews in many cases inflicted so few as four, five, and six stripes. See examples in Lightfoot.
From this and the preceding verse we find that it is a crime to be ignorant of God’s will; because to every one God has given less or more of the means of instruction. Those who have had much light, or the opportunity of receiving much, and have not improved it to their own salvation, and the good of others, shall have punishment proportioned to the light they have abused. On the other hand, those who have had little light, and few means of improvement, shall have few stripes, shall be punished only for the abuse of the knowledge they possessed. See at the end of the chapter. Lu 12:59
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
48. knew notthat is knew butpartially; for some knowledge is presupposed both inthe name “servant” of Christ, and his being liable topunishment at all.
many . . . fewstripesdegrees of future punishment proportioned to theknowledge sinned against. Even heathens are not without knowledgeenough for future judgment; but the reference here is not to such. Itis a solemn truth, and though general, like all otherrevelations of the future world, discloses a tangible and momentousprinciple in its awards.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
But he that knew not,…. His Lord’s will; either not having the means of knowing it, as the Heathens; or through neglect of them, not attending to them, and making use of them, which is the case of many, where the Gospel revelation is:
and did commit things worthy of stripes; or punishment; as the Gentiles, by sinning against the law, and light of nature; and those who might have the advantage of a divine revelation, but neglect it: the Septuagint in De 25:2 have the same phrase as here,
, “worthy of stripes”:
shall be beaten with few stripes; their punishment shall be less, and it shall be more tolerable for them in the day of judgment, than for knowing professors. The Jews did not always inflict forty stripes, or forty save one, upon delinquents; but according to their crimes, and as they were able to bear them, more or fewer: so it is said w,
“when they judge a sinner, how many (stripes) he can bear, they do not reckon, but by stripes that are fit to be trebled: if they judge he is able to bear “twenty”, they do not order that he be beaten with twenty one, that so they may be trebled, but that he be beaten with “eighteen”: if they condemn him to receive forty, and after he is begun to be beaten, they observe him to be weak, and they say he cannot bear any more than these “nine”, or “twelve”, with which he has been beaten, lo, he is free; if they condemn him to receive “twelve”, and after that he is beaten, they see that he is strong and able to bear more, lo, he is free, and he is not to be beaten any more, upon that estimation: if they condemn him today that he is to be beaten with “twelve” (stripes), and they do not beat him till tomorrow, and lo, tomorrow he is able to bear eighteen, they do not beat him but with twelve.”
And elsewhere the rule is x,
“he that commits a sin, in which there are two negative (commands broken) if they pronounce but one sentence, he is beaten and is free; but if not (i.e. if more than one) he is beaten, and when he is healed, he is beaten again.”
For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall, much be required: the more knowledge a man has, the more practice is expected from him; and the greater his gifts are, the more useful he ought to be, and diligent in the improvement of them:
and to whom men have committed much, or to whom much is committed, of him they will ask the more; not more than what was committed to him, but more than from him, who has less committed to him; in proportion to what a man is entrusted with, the greater increase and improvement it is expected he should make.
w Maimon. Hilchot Sanhedrin, c. 17. sect. 2, 3. x Misn. Maccot, c. 3. sect. 11.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
To whomsoever much is given ( ). Here is inverse attraction from to (Robertson, Grammar, pp. 767f.). Note ‘ (from him) without any regard to .
They commit (). Second aorist middle indicative, timeless or gnomic aorist. Note the impersonal plural after the passive voice just before.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Stripes. See on ch. Luk 10:30.
Commit. See on set before, ch. 9 16.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “But he that knew not,” (ho de me gnous) “Then the one who did not know,” Lev 5:17, though his servant, did not know his will in service, or had not been told or supervised in what to do and how to behave, as a believer who chooses to stay in a false church that does not hold church truth, or teach of His personal return.
2) “And did commit things worthy of stripes,” (poiesas de aksia plegon) “Yet had done things worthy of or that merited stripes,” though he did them in ignorance. Ignorance of truth concerning a duty or law does not give one freedom for his wrongs, though punishment may be justly less, Jas 4:17.
3) “Shall be beaten with few stripes,” (daresetai oligas) “He will be beaten with few stripes,” or with less limited punishment, because of his ignorance, he had not been taught as much as the former, Deu 25:3; 2Co 11:24.
4) “For unto whomsoever much is given,” (panti de ho edothe polu) “Yet to each one to whom much was given or entrusted,” where much responsibility and property was doled out. And to the church to whom the Great commission is given, she must stay ready for the marriage of the Lamb, Rev 19:5-9.
5) “Of him shall be much required:” (polu zetethesetai par’ autou) “Much will be demanded from him,” or required. For one who accepts a large trust receives an equal obligation to handle it responsibly for his Lord, not use it for himself, or to use as he pleases.
6) “And to whom men have committed much,” (kai ho paretheto polu) “And with whom much was deposited,” placed for stewardship care.
7) “Of him they will ask the more.” (perissoteron aitesousin auton) “They (the angel servants) will ask exceedingly more,” than from those to whom they entrust less. So it is with the Lord, Rom 2:12-15. This entire lesson Luk 12:35-38, concerns the Lord (the Bridegroom) who has gone away, and the church, (His house), which He left His work to do, and assigned faithful service labors for every servant, with an accounting time when He returns, Mar 13:34-37.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
48. To whomsoever much hath been given. Christ shows by another circumstance, that the more highly favored disciples ought to be visited with severer punishment, if they despise their calling, and abandon themselves without reserve to every kind of licentiousness; because the more eminent a man is, he ought to consider that so much the more has been entrusted to him, and on the express condition that he shall one day render an account of it. In the same proportion, therefore, as any of us is endued with higher gifts, if he does not, like a field which has been cultivated at greater expense, yield to the Lord more abundant produce, the abuse of that grace which he has profaned, or uselessly withheld, will cost him dear.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(48) He that knew not.The words manifest the tenderness of a considerate equity, like that which uttered itself in our Lords words as to Sodom and Tyre and Sidon, in Luk. 10:12-13. Mans knowledge is the measure of his responsibilities; and in the absence of knowledge, more or less complete, though stripes may be inflicted as the only effective discipline for teaching men what things are or are not worthy of stripes, yet they shall be few. The words throw a gleam of hope on the darkness that lies behind the veil. We know not whether the few stripes imply limited duration, or suffering less acute, the tolerabilior damnatio of Augustine, and need not care to know. We may well be content to leave that question to Him who spake the words, and in so doing gave the most convincing proof that the Judge of all the earth will assuredly do right (Gen. 18:25).
Unto whomsoever much is given.The two clauses differ slightly, though they are parallel in meaning; the first referring to gifts which involve what we speak of as a general moral responsibility, the second to that which has been solemnly committed to men as a trust or deposit. (Comp. 1Ti. 6:20; 2Ti. 1:12; 2Ti. 1:14.)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
48. Knew not Who had no access to revelation. The case, as it squares with the parable, would be that of a servant whose lord was absent to a night feast, but who has not been informed of his lord’s orders to wait and watch for him. Did commit things worthy of stripes The servant now supposed is one who, nevertheless, commits any things worthy of stripes which he knows, without special revelation, by the light of common sense and conscience, are contrary to his duty as a servant. If what he does is committed through unavoidable mistake, without possibility of learning the right and wrong, he has done nothing worthy of stripes, save in the esteem of a very unreasonable and tyrannical master.
Shall be beaten Unless he repent before God.
With few stripes Few in comparison with what the sinner in the broad light of revelation would suffer. He is beaten because he sinned against light; he is beaten less because he had less light. But he is beaten according to his sin and light, in the same proportion as sinners under the dispensation of revelation. So that there is an equalization of responsibility and penalty in the entire administration of God.
Much given much required This is the just and universal law lying at the bottom of the principles just laid down.
Men This principle of God’s government is the principle on which men judicially act. It accords with the universal conscience and common sense. And if men universally know the principle, it is right that they should be judged as knowing it. How responsible would be our Lord’s present auditors, if they rejected him and his Gospel, and preferred the leaven (Luk 12:1) of the scribes and doctors, he leaves them from these principles to determine.
VII. The crisis of decision between the hierarchy and Christ, 49-55.
A cold shudder now seems to pass our Lord in view of this crisis. The fire is the strife which is to divide the world and terminate only in the trial and delivery by the last Judge. (Luk 12:58.)
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
“But he who did not know, and did things worthy of stripes, will be beaten with few stripes.”
On the other hand the servant who did not know in depth what his lord required, presumably because he was a lower level servant, (although still required to be faithful), but who was still not as well behaved as he should have been, will also be given a beating. But this time a relatively mild one. Note that he had done things worthy of stripes. This suggests that he knew why he was being punished and recognised that he deserved it (not that in the modern day we can say that anyone ever deserves such severe treatment to be afflicted by men. But in those days it was the way of the world, and quite commonplace).
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
“And to whoever much is given, of him will much be required: and to whom they commit much, of him will they ask the more.”
And the final lesson drawn out is that the more that is given to someone, of position and authority and trust, the more will be required of them. Those who are given the most trust will be expected to deliver more than those of whom that is not so true.
Note. It would be unwise to draw our theology from a parable. Parables illustrate theology not make it, for interpretations are always open to doubt and depend very much on viewpoint. Thus while learning the lessons we should not draw firm conclusions about what will happen in the afterlife from this parable. Some see some of the servants as erring believers. Others see all the erring servants as unbelievers. Each can draw his lesson as he will. But the theology of the afterlife must be drawn from elsewhere. End of note.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
48 But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes . For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.
Ver. 48. Much is given ] To know our Master’s will is the great talent of all other. There is a “much” in that. There is a special depositum, as the word here used importeth. ( . here , 1Ti 1:18 ; 1Ti 6:20 )
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Luk 12:48 . : the opposite case is that of one who does not know . What he would do if he did know is another question; but it is not to be gratuitously supposed that he would neglect his duty utterly, like the other, though he does commit minor faults. He is a lower servant in the house to whom the master gave no particular instructions on leaving, therefore without special sense of responsibility during his absence, and apt like the average servant to take liberties when the master is away from home. , etc.: a general maxim further explaining the principle regulating penalty or responsibility ( cf. Mat 25:15 ff.).
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
given = committed.
of = from. Greek. para. App-104.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Luk 12:48. ) not merely fewer than he who knew his Lords will, but few absolutely.- , to whom much has been given) especially if he himself has got it by solicitation and by violence.-) To whom those, whose business it was to commit it, have committed as a deposit, much. A personal verb used with the ellipsis of the person [those or men].
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
knew: Lev 5:17, Act 17:30, Rom 2:12-16, 1Ti 1:13
For: Luk 16:2, Luk 16:10-12, Gen 39:8-23, Mat 25:14-29, Joh 15:22, 1Co 9:17, 1Co 9:18, 1Ti 1:11, 1Ti 1:13, 1Ti 6:20, Tit 1:3, Jam 3:1,*Gr.
Reciprocal: Gen 39:9 – none Exo 22:10 – General Num 15:22 – General Deu 8:19 – I testify against Deu 25:2 – General Jos 17:15 – If thou be Job 24:13 – rebel Pro 16:12 – an Eze 16:51 – Samaria Hos 4:15 – yet Amo 3:2 – therefore Mat 11:22 – It shall Mat 23:14 – therefore Mat 25:15 – talents Mar 12:2 – a servant Mar 12:40 – long Luk 7:41 – the other Luk 10:14 – General Luk 19:15 – that he Luk 20:47 – the same Luk 23:34 – they know not Joh 13:17 – happy Joh 19:11 – the greater Act 12:23 – because Rom 2:9 – of the Jew 2Co 8:12 – if 1Ti 5:8 – and is Jam 1:22 – be Jam 4:17 – General 1Pe 4:17 – judgment Rev 16:6 – for they are
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
12:48 But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few [stripes]. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask {m} the more.
(m) More than the one who did not receive as much.