Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Luke 19:21
For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou laidst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow.
21. I feared thee ] A sure sign that he did not love him, 1Jn 4:18.
takest up that thou layedst not down ] A typical description of injustice forbidden alike by Jewish and Greek laws (Jos. c. Ap. 11. 130).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
An austere man – Hard, severe, oppressive. The word is commonly applied to unripe fruit, and means sour, unpleasant; harsh. In this case it means that the man was taking every advantage, and, while he lived in idleness, was making his living out of the toils of others.
Thou takest up … – Thou dost exact of others what thou didst not give. The phrase is applied to a man who finds what has been lost by another, and keeps it himself, and refuses to return it to the owner. All this is designed to show the sinners view of God. He regards him as unjust, demanding more than man has power to render, and more, therefore, than God has a right to demand. See the notes at Mat 25:24.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
For I feared thee,…. Not with a right fear, with a fear of his goodness, who had bestowed such an excellent gift on him; for this would have taught him to have departed from evil, and have put him on doing his master’s will, and making use of his gift to his glory: his fear was not of the right kind, and was ill grounded, as appears by what follows:
because thou art an austere man; cruel and uncompassionate to his servants, and hard to be pleased; than which nothing is more false, since it is evident, that Christ is compassionate both to the bodies and souls of men; is a merciful high priest, and is one that has compassion on the ignorant, and them that are out of the way, and cannot but be touched with the feeling of his people’s infirmities; and is mild and gentle in his whole deportment, and in all his administrations:
thou takest up that thou layest not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow; suggesting, that he was covetous of that which did not belong to him, and withheld what was due to his servants, and rigorously exacted service that could not be performed; a most iniquitous charge, since none so liberal as he, giving gifts, grace and glory, freely; imposing no grievous commands on men; his yoke being easy, and his burden light; never sending a man to a warfare at his own charge; but always giving grace and strength proportionable to the service he calls to, and rewarding his servants in a most bountiful manner, infinitely beyond their deserts.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
I feared (). Imperfect middle, I continued to fear.
Austere (). Old Greek word from , to dry up. Reproduced in Latin austeros and English austere. It means rough to the taste, stringent. Here only in the N.T. Compare (hard) in Mt 25:24. “Harsh in flavour, then in disposition” (Bruce).
Thou layedst not down ( ). Probably a proverb for a grasping profiteer.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Austere [] . From auw, to dry. Dry, and thence hard. See on hard, Mt 25:24.
Sow [] . See on strawed, Mt 25:24.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “For I feared thee,” (ephobournin gar se) “For I feared you,” was fearful of you; Rom 8:15; 2Ti 1:6-7. This was a sure evidence that he did not love his master, for “perfect or mature love casts out fear,” 1Jn 4:18; Exo 20:19-20; 1Sa 12:20; Jas 2:19.
2) “Because thou art an austere man:” (hoti anthropos austeros ei) “Because you are an exacting (kind of man,” so much the more reason he should have labored diligently. He was an hard, close-fisted, tenacious, rugged man.
3) “Thou takest up that thou layedst not down,” (aireis ho ouk ethekas) “You take up what you did not lay down,” a margin of profit above what he invested, even as the farmer expects and profits from the multiplication of all that he sows or plants.
4) “And reapest that thou didst not sow.” (kai therizeis ho ouk espeitas) “And you reap what you did not sow,” but the fruit of what he provided to be planted, a percentage of which every sower is fairly due. If the man-servant had not been willing to use the pound, then he should not have accepted it, see?
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(21) I feared thee, because thou art an austere man.The Greek adjective (from which the English is derived) is not used elsewhere in the New Testament. Literally, it means dry, and so, hard and stiff. In 2Ma. 14:30 it is translated churlish. On the plea of the wicked servant, see Note on Mat. 25:22.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Luk 19:21 . As to this apology and its rejection, Luk 19:22 f., see on Mat 25:24 ff.
. . .] a closer reference to the meaning of . , comp. Luk 19:22 , hence no longer dependent on , thou takest up what thou hast not laid down . This is to be left in the generality of its proverbial form as an expression of the unsparingness of the property of others, which, however, is here conceived of not as dishonest, but in stringent vindication of legitimate claims. The servant pretends that he was afraid for the possible case of the loss of the mina; that the rigorous lord would indemnify himself for it from his property. De Wette and Bleek are wrong in reading: thou claimest back what thou hast not entrusted , opposed to which is the literal meaning of and its correlation with . Moreover, Luk 19:23 is not in harmony therewith. Comp. rather the injunction in Josephus, c. Revelation 2 : , , and the law of Solon in Diog. Laert. i. 2. 9 : , . The austere character ( ) consists in the regardlessness of the inhumanity, in respect of which is experienced the “ summum jus, summa injuria .” The epithet in Matthew denotes the same thing, but under a different figurative representation (in opposition to Tittmann, Synon . p. 139).
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
21 For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow.
Ver. 21. See Mat 25:21-22 , &c.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Luk 19:21 . (here only in N.T.), harsh in flavour, then in disposition. , etc., you lift what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow; accusing the master of an exorbitant demand for profit. He despaired of pleasing him in that respect, therefore did nothing a pretext of course.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
austere. Greek austeros = dry, then hard and harsh. Only here, and Luk 19:22.
man. Greek. anthropos. App-123.
thou takest up. &c. Typical injustice of those times.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
I feared: Exo 20:19, Exo 20:20, 1Sa 12:20, Mat 25:24, Mat 25:25, Rom 8:15, 2Ti 1:7, Jam 2:10, 1Jo 4:18
because: 1Sa 6:19-21, 2Sa 6:9-11, Job 21:14, Job 21:15, Eze 18:25-29, Mal 3:14, Mal 3:15, Rom 8:7, Jud 1:15
Reciprocal: Deu 1:27 – The Lord hated us Eze 33:17 – General Luk 15:29 – yet Luk 16:2 – for Joh 4:37 – One
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
6
The paragraph preceding this somewhat overlaps it, but it will be well to consider the present paragraph in connection with Mat 25:25-26.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Luk 19:21. The excuse is substantially the same as in Mat 25:24-25.
Austere, hard (Matthew.).