Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Luke 12:59
I tell thee, thou shalt not depart thence, till thou hast paid the very last mite.
59. till thou hast paid the very last mite ] Mite is lepton ( minutum), the smallest of all coins, Mar 12:42. If it be asked, ‘can this ever be paid?’ the answer of course is, as far as the parable is concerned, ‘it depends entirely on whether the debt be great or small.’ As far as the application of the parable is concerned, the answer lies out of the contemplated horizon of the illustration, nor is there any formal answer to it. But if it be asserted that no man’s debt to God, which he has incurred by his sins, however ‘common to man,’ can ever be paid by him, we are at least permitted to find hope in the thought that Christ has paid our debt for us (Mat 20:28; 1Ti 2:6). The general lesson is that of which Scripture is full, “Seek ye the Lord while He maybe found,” Is. Iv. 6; Psa 32:6; Heb 4:7.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 59. Till thou hast paid the very last mite.] And when can this be, if we understand the text spiritually? Can weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth, pay to Divine justice the debt a sinner has contracted? This is impossible: let him who readeth understand.
THE subject of the 47th and 48th verses Lu 12:47; Lu 12:48 has been greatly misunderstood, and has been used in a very dangerous manner. Many have thought that their ignorance of Divine things would be a sufficient excuse for their crimes; and, that they might have but few stripes, they voluntarily continued in ignorance. But such persons should know that God will judge them for the knowledge they might have received, but refused to acquire. No criminal is excused because he has been ignorant of the laws of his country, and so transgressed them, when it can be proved that those very laws have been published throughout the land. Much knowledge is a dangerous thing if it be not improved; as this will greatly aggravate the condemnation of its possessor. Nor will it avail a person, in the land of light and information, to be ignorant, as he shall be judged for what he might have known; and, perhaps, in this case, the punishment of this voluntarily ignorant man will be even greater than that of the more enlightened; because his crimes are aggravated by this consideration, that he refused to have the light, that he might neither be obliged to walk in the light, nor account for the possession of it. So we find that the plea of ignorance is a mere refuge of lies, and none can plead it who has the book of God within his reach, and lives in a country blessed with the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
I tell thee,…. The Syriac version before these words, prefixes an “Amen”, or “verily”, for the sake of the stronger affirmation, which seems to be taken from Mt 5:26
thou shalt not depart thence; get out of prison:
till thou hast paid the very last mite: of the sum in debate, which was what the Jews call a “prutah”, and that was the eighth part of an Italian farthing, and half a common farthing;
[See comments on Mr 12:42]: with this agrees what Mainonides says y, that
“when he that lends, requires what he has lent, though he is rich, and the borrower is distressed, and straitened for food, there is no mercy showed him in judgment, but his debt is, demanded of him, , “unto the last prutah, or mite”.”
y Hilchot M. vah. c. 1. sect. 4.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Till thou have paid ( ). Second aorist active subjunctive of , to pay back in full.
The last mite ( ). From , to peel off the bark. Very small brass coin, one-eighth of an ounce. In the N.T. only here and Luke 21:2; Mark 12:42 (the poor widow’s mite) which see.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
1) “I tell thee, thou shalt not depart thence,” (lego soi ou me ekselthes ekeitian) “I tell you that you may by no means come out of or be released from thence,” from imprisonment, Mat 5:26; Mar 12:42.
2) “Till thou hast paid the very last mite.” (heos kai to eschaton lepton apodos) “Until you pay even the last mite,” a penny, or the maximum penalty adjudged against you, by the magistrate, Luk 12:58; Mat 5:26; Isa 40:2; Rth 1:21-22. The mite was the smallest Gk. coin then in use.
FATAL RESULTS OF DELAYING TO COME
TO AGREEMENT
William III, made proclamation when there was a revolution in the north of Scotland, that all who came and took the oath of allegiance by the 31st of December should be pardoned. Mac Ian, a chieftain of a prominent clan, resolved to return with the rest of the rebels, but had some pride in being the very last one that should take the oath. He consequently postponed starting for this purpose until two days before the expiration of the term. A snow-storm impeded his way, and before he got up to take the oath, and receive a pardon from the throne, the time was up and past. While the others were set free, Mac Ian was miserably put to death. In like manner, some of you are in prospect of losing forever the amnesty of the gospel. He started too late and arrived too late. Many of you are going to be forever too late. Remember the mistake of Mac Ian.
-Selected
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(59) I tell thee, thou shalt not depart thence . . .See Note on Mat. 5:26. St. Luke substitutes the yet smaller coin, the mite, or half-quadrans (see Note on Mar. 12:42), for the farthing of St. Matthew.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
“I say to you, You will by no means come out from there, until you have paid the very last penny.”
For if they do not come to agreement with Him let them be sure that every sin will have to be accounted for, they will be made liable for their whole debt. This is not an indication that eventually they will be able, as it were, to find a way out of their final punishment, for it is clear that in their case their final debt can never be repaid. It is only in earthly situations where debts can hopefully some time in the future be paid off so that a way of final escape can be seen as possible. But the heavenly court will be uncompromising. As they have failed to respond to Jesus it will demand from them every last sin. The phrase is really declaring that such a possibility of release is out of the question. It will never happen.
The earthly hope of being saved from the debtor’s prison would be the arrival of a kinsman redeemer to pay his debt for him. But those who have failed to conciliate with Jesus have forfeited their Kinsman Redeemer.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
REFLECTIONS
Reader! the Holy Ghost is blessedly teaching the Church, in this chapter, sweet lessons of grace and of providence. In the view of the multitude pressing upon Jesus to hear the word of God, we are taught how precious ordinances are, where the Lord is present to bless them. And in the discourse of Jesus on the Lord’s care over the birds of the air, and his glory displayed in the lilies of the field, we learn how everlastingly secure and provided for must be his redeemed ones. And in the contemplation of the foolish worldling, how strikingly doth Jesus shew the little value of riches, unsanctified by the blessing of the Lord. And should these reflections meet the eye of one of the Lord’s timid fold, oh! for God the Spirit, to make that sweet Scripture blessed. Fear not, little flock, it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Hail! thou blessed Master of thine household, which promiseth such rich rewards to thy waiting servants! But wilt thou indeed condescend to such acts of humbleness as to gird thyself, and serve them? Was it ever heard of in the annals of mankind that ever a Lord did so? Solomon was struck with astonishment, that he, whom the heaven of heavens could not contain, should visit the house he had built with his presence. But what would this eastern prince have said, had he beheld Jesus the Son of God washing the feet of poor fishermen? Oh! for grace to know that love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that we may be filled with all the fullness of God!
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
59 I tell thee, thou shalt not depart thence, till thou hast paid the very last mite.
Ver. 59. Till thou hast paid the very last mite ] It is good to compound quickly with the Lord, and to take up the suit before it come to execution and judgment, lest we be forced to pay, not only the main debt, but the arrearages too, that is, the time of God’s longsuffering and patience, here and hereafter.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
59. ] See on Mat 5:25 , and, on , Mar 12:42 .
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Luk 12:59 . , the half of a (Mt.’s word), making the necessity of full payment in order to release from prison still more emphatic.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
not = by no means. Greek. ou me. App-105.
hast paid = shalt have paid. This verse is repeated from Mat 5:28, with a different purpose, and therefore with different words,
mite. See App-51.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
59.] See on Mat 5:25, and, on , Mar 12:42.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
thou shalt: Luk 16:26, Mat 18:34, Mat 25:41, Mat 25:46, 2Th 1:3
mite: Mar 12:42, *marg.
Reciprocal: Jdg 20:3 – the children of Benjamin Isa 47:11 – put it off Mat 5:25 – with Mat 5:26 – Thou
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Luk 12:59. Then shalt by no means come out thence. Comp. Mat 5:26. This figure represents the danger of punishment in view of failure to know and do what is right, and it must have an important and definite meaning. Those who come unreleased before the Judge at the last day, will be punished forever. Any other sense is out of keeping with the strong language of Luk 12:46, and of Luk 12:56 (ye hypocrites).
Mite. Greek, lepton, the smallest of coins then in use. Comp. Mar 12:42.