Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Luke 17:8
And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink?
I may sup – Make ready my supper.
Gird thyself – See the notes at Luk 12:37.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
And will not rather say to him,…. Or, “will he not say to him?” it is very likely, it is more agreeable to the language of a master, and the condition of a servant, that he should say to him,
make ready wherewith I may sup: by dressing the food, spreading the table, and putting the food on it; for it was the business of servants to prepare, as at the passover, [See comments on Mt 26:17] so at ordinary suppers:
and gird thyself and serve me; by giving him drink, or whatsoever he called for: and as they used to wear long garments in those countries, servants girded them up about their loins, that they might be fit for service, expedite in it, and perform it more readily, and with greater ease and dispatch:
till I have eaten and drunken; finished his meal:
and afterward thou shalt eat and drink: the, Persic and Ethiopic versions read in the imperative, “then eat thou and drink”. If he was an Hebrew servant, he ate and drank the same as his master did: for so one of the Jewish canons runs x;
“every Hebrew servant, or handmaid, their master is obliged to make them equal to himself “in food and in drink”, in clothing, and in dwelling, as it is said, De 15:16 “because he is well with thee”: wherefore, thou shalt not eat fine bread, and he eat coarse bread, nor drink old wine and he drink new wine, c.”
And even a Canaanitish servant was to be provided with proper food and drink: they say indeed y,
“it is lawful to cause a Canaanitish servant to serve with rigour: but though the law is such, the property of mercy, and the ways of wisdom are, that a man should be merciful, and not make his yoke heavy on his servant, nor oppress him but cause him to “eat and drink” of all sorts of food and drink; and the former wise men used to give their servants of all sorts of food that they themselves ate of;”
which was using them as they did their Hebrew servants: yea, it is added;
“and they gave their beasts, and their servants, food, before they ate their own meal;”
but this was not commonly done: it does not appear to have been the practice in Christ’s time; nor was it necessary.
x Maimon. Hilch. Abadim, c. 1. sect. 9. Vid. T. Bab. Kiddushin, fol. 22. 1. y Maimon. ib. c. 9. sect. 8.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
And will not rather say (‘ ).
But will not say? in a question expects the affirmative answer.
Gird thyself (). Direct middle first aorist participle of , to gird around.
Till I have eaten and drunken ( ). More exactly, till I eat and drink. The second aorist subjunctives are not future perfects in any sense, simply punctiliar action, effective aorist.
Thou shalt eat and drink ( ). Future middle indicative second person singular, the uncontracted forms – as often in the Koine. These futures are from the aorist stems and without sigma.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
1) “And will not rather say unto him,” (alla ouchi erei auto) “But will not say to him instead,” as a prior condition or prevailing custom of etiquette or good manners.
2) “Make ready wherewith I may sup,” (hetoimason ti deipneso) “Prepare something that I may dine,” or prepare the meal so that I may eat, right away, as the custom was.
3) “And gird thyself and serve me,” (kai perizosamenos diakonei moi) “And when you have girded yourself (dressed properly) serve me,” wait on me with service, as the manner of custom of master-servant-relation then prevailed.
4) “Till I have eaten and drunken;” (heos phago kai pio) “Until I eat and drink,” and have finished. Just wait on me, the normal custom, manners of a servant.
5) “And afterward thou shalt eat and drink?” (kai meta tauta phagesai kai piesai su) “And after these things (acts of service to me) you eat and drink?” at your will, as the custom is, or now exists.
In Luk 12:37 Jesus described the reward or favor faithful servants would receive from their master for their faithfulness, when he returns from the wedding; While here, when the servant has done what he is daily expected to do, It is pointed out that he has only done what was his daily duty for his livelihood. And he is to do it as a matter of obedience and respect to his master, a thing his master has a right to expect of him as a servant.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(8) Gird thyself, and serve me.Better, minister to me. The words receive a fresh significance if we connect them with Luk. 12:37, of which they are, as it were, the complement. There the Master promises that He will gird Himself, and minister to His disciples. Here He tells them that He too requires a service. They must give Him the meat and the drink of seeing that His Fathers will is done on earth (Joh. 4:32; Joh. 4:34), and then they too shall be sharers in His joy. Yet another aspect of the same truths is found in the later promise of the Lord of the Churches to the servant who watches for His coming, I will sup with him, and he with Me (Rev. 3:20).
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
8. Gird thyself Draw thy girdle tight around thy loose garments, so that thou canst easily perform the service.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
“And will not rather say to him, ‘Make ready that on which I may sup, and gird yourself, and serve me, until I have eaten and drunk, and afterwards you will eat and drink?’ ”
Will the master not rather tell the servant to get the meal ready, and serve it up to the master and his family, until they are satisfied, and only then be able to eat and drink? The servant will be made to acknowledge that he is a servant. He is not invited to the formal meal. This austerity of grace (he is still fed) is so unlike much of what is said elsewhere about God’s bounty (Luk 12:37; Luk 22:29-30), that it demands a special context like it has here.
However, overall this is one of Jesus’ constant stresses, that just as He has come as the Servant of the Lord, so must they recognise that they too are servants, and that the highest honour is found in serving (Luk 22:25-27). It is in direct contrast with man’s view that he indicates his superiority by being served.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Luk 17:8. Gird thyself, Servants at that time used to be girded while waiting on their masters. See chap. Luk 12:37.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
8 And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink?
Ver. 8. Gird thyself and serve me ] It implies, first, readiness; secondly, nimbleness, handiness, and handsomeness. A loose, discinct, and diffluent mind is unfit to serve God. The deacons cried of old in the Church meetings, Oremus, attendamus, Let us pray, let us attend to prayer, &c.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
8. ] . . ., till I shall have eaten and drunken: see ch. Luk 12:37 , where a different assurance seems to be given. But our Lord is here speaking of what we in our state of service are to expect; there, of what in our state of manumission (‘mens servos adhibere manumissionis erat species.’ Grotius, citing from Ulpian) and adoption , the wonders of His grace will confer on us . Here the question is of right; there, of favour .
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Luk 17:8 . : implies the negation of the previous supposition. , etc., “till I have eaten,” etc., A.V [134] ; or, while I eat and drink.
[134] Authorised Version.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
And will not rather = But will he not (App-105).
till = while.
I have, &c. = I eat and drink.
afterward = after (Greek. meta. App-104.) these things.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
8.] . . ., till I shall have eaten and drunken: see ch. Luk 12:37, where a different assurance seems to be given. But our Lord is here speaking of what we in our state of service are to expect; there, of what in our state of manumission (mens servos adhibere manumissionis erat species. Grotius, citing from Ulpian) and adoption, the wonders of His grace will confer on us. Here the question is of right; there, of favour.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Luk 17:8. ) until, even up to the time that, and as long.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Make: Gen 43:16, 2Sa 12:20
and gird: Luk 12:37
Reciprocal: Gen 18:8 – stood Deu 15:18 – a double 1Co 9:10 – that ploweth 1Pe 1:13 – gird Rev 3:20 – will sup
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
8
The question in the preceding verse implied a negative answer; this verse states the positive answer.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Luk 17:8. Will not rather? This assumes an affirmative answer.
Make ready, etc. As a matter of right this was all that could be expected. But compare chap. Luk 12:37, where the very reverse is promised. There the privileges of a state of grace are spoken of;. here our Lord is telling of what could be expected on the ground of merit.