Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Luke 19:39
And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples.
39. Master, rebuke thy disciples ] St Matthew puts into the mouth of “the Chief Priests and scribes” the ruder interpellation, “Hearest thou what these say?”
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
How peevish were these wretched Pharisees, to envy our Saviour this little triumph, of coming into the city upon an asss colt, with garments under him instead of a saddle, or any stately furniture and trappings, and attended by a company of poor people throwing their garments and boughs of trees in the way! Yet these they would have silenced. Our Saviours reply,
If these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out, seemeth to have been a proverbial speech used amongst them, to signify a thing which could not be. This day was accomplished Gods decree in that particular passage of providence, concerning our Saviour, which could not be defeated.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude,…. Who had placed themselves there, to watch and observe what was said, and done, that they might have something to reproach Christ with, expose him for, or bring as a charge against him:
said unto him, master, rebuke thy disciples: not being able to bear such high encomiums of Jesus, and such open and public declarations of his being the Messiah; and would insinuate, that it was blasphemy in them to say what they did, and pride and vanity in him to allow of it; and that the consequence might be sedition, and tumult; and therefore it became him to check such a disorderly, noisy, evil, and dangerous practice.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Some of the Pharisees ( ). Luke seems to imply by “from the multitude” ( ) that these Pharisees were in the procession, perhaps half-hearted followers of the mob. But Joh 12:19 speaks of Pharisees who stood off from the procession and blamed each other for their failure and the triumph of Jesus. These may represent the bolder spirits of their same group who dared to demand of Jesus that he rebuke his disciples.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
1) “And some of the Pharisees,” (kai tines ton Pharisaion) “And certain ones of the Pharisees,” who had come out among the multitudes as snipers, wolves in sheep’s clothing, as vampire bats, Mat 7:15; Mat 5:20; Mat 21:15-16. This passage is peculiar to Luke.
2) “From among the multitude said unto him,” (apo tou ochlou eipan pros auton) “From (out of) the crowd said directly to him,” to Jesus, the object and center or praise of the masses that day; To the chagrin, dismay, and humiliation of the proud and pious Pharisees, Jesus -was about to enter “their city”, where His Father’s House was located, Joh 2:16.
3) “Master, rebuke thy disciples.” (didaskale, epitimeson tois mathetais sou) “Teacher reprimand, rebuke, or scold your disciples.” They are getting out of hand, embarrassing us as religious leaders, is the idea. And they were in for more embarrassment, when He got to the temple, Mat 21:12.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(39) And some of the Pharisees.The comparative brevity of St. Lukes description is more than compensated by the interest of the two narratives that follow, and which are found in his Gospel only. The section of the Pharisees that spoke was probably that which had all along more or less acknowledged our Lord as a Master (i.e., Teacher or Rabbi), and were willing to give Him what they thought a fair share of respect as such. To go beyond that, to receive Him as the promised He that cometh, as the king of Israel, the Christ, seemed to them but the wild frenzy of the disciples, which the Master ought to check.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
39. Pharisees from among the multitude They seemed to be spectators of the procession, who called to Jesus as he passed to moderate the voices of the chanters.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘And some of the Pharisees from the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” ’
The Pharisees did not like what they were hearing, and they called on Jesus to rebuke these who were shouting out. It may have been concern for His and their safety. It may have been because they did not like such ascriptions being made to the Prophet with Whom they were at disagreement, and were seeking to calm the fervour, feeling that Jesus could not want it also, as it was surely going too far. It was one thing for pilgrims to be received with general cries which were just the product of the festal mood, it was quite another when it was apparent that a number of them were possibly taking their ascriptions seriously.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
The Response of The Pharisees: God’s Coming Judgment on Jerusalem (19:39-46).
It was not to be expected that this hearty welcome of Jesus would please the Pharisees. Perhaps they were afraid of the reaction of Rome, or possibly they felt that it was coming near to blasphemy. But either way they wanted the enthusiasm stilled. There is possibly a hint in this of, ‘Now look what you have done by entering Jerusalem in this spectacular way.’ Jesus’ reply is significant. It stresses to them that what He has done has a deep significance. Indeed such is the importance of this occasion that if the people are silent the very stones will cry out. If man will not welcome his Creator, then creation itself will do it. Again we are made aware of Jesus’ supernatural claims.
But in view of what follows it also includes the thought of the stones crying out at the coming destruction of Jerusalem, the thought then being that if this One is not welcomed by Jerusalem only the severest of judgment can follow. One day the stones will truly cry out.
Analysis.
a
b When He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it (Luk 19:41).
c Saying, “If you had known in this day, even you, the things which belong to peace! But now they are hid from your eyes” (Luk 19:42).
d “For the days will come on you, when your enemies will cast up a bank about you, and surround you, and keep you in on every side”(Luk 19:43).
c “And will dash you to the ground, and your children within you, and they will not leave in you one stone on another, because you did not know the time of your visitation” (Luk 19:44).
b And He entered into the temple, and began to cast out those who sold (Luk 19:45).
a Saying to them, “It is written, And my house shall be a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of robbers” (Luk 19:46).
Note than in ‘a’ the stones will bear witness to the One Who is God’s true witness, while in the parallel His action in the Temple bears witness against the ‘robbers’ within it, those who have proved to be false witnesses. In ‘b’ He wept over the city and in the parallel He cast out evil from the Temple, revealing its sad state. In ‘c’ the truth was hidden from their eyes, and in the parallel they did not know the time of their visitation. Centrally in ‘d’ is the description of the besieging of Jerusalem.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Luk 19:39 ff. Peculiar to Luke, and as far as Luk 19:44 taken from tradition.
] from out of the multitude , among whom they found themselves.
] rebuke (this crying).
] (see the critical remarks) indicative after , so that the meaning of clings wholly to the conditioning particle, and does not affect the verb: if these become silent. See Klotz, ad Devar . p. 474.
.] The sense is: this outbreak of the divine praise is not to be restrained. Comp. Hab 2:11 ; Servius, ad Virg. Ecl . v. 28; Chagiga, f. 16. 1 : “Ne dicas: quis testabitur contra me? Lapides domus ejus testabuntur contra eum.” See also the passages in Wetstein.
Luk 19:41 . ] over it , comp. Luk 23:28 . The direction of the weeping to its object; in the classical writers with a simple accusative, also with (Rev 18:11 ). Observe, further, the audible weeping of Jesus at the view of Jerusalem, not the silent as at the grave of Lazarus, Joh 11:35 .
. . .] if only thou hadst known and, indeed, in this thy day, what belongs to thy salvation ! Pathetic aposiopesis, and consequently an expression of the fruitlessness of the wish ; comp. on Luk 22:42 , and on Joh 6:62 ; Buttmann, Neut. Gr . p. 339 [E. T. 396]. Euthymius Zigabenus aptly says: . What served for the salvation of Jerusalem was the reception of Jesus as the Messiah .
] as my .
] et quidem . See on Act 2:18 .
. ] i.e. in this day given to thee for thy deliverance. Comp. , Luk 19:44 ; Psa 118:24 .
] as, however, now the circumstances actually are, but thus ; often thus since Homer after conditional clauses (Joh 8:40 ; 1Co 12:20 ).
] by divine decree; see Joh 12:37 ff.; Rom 11:7 f.
Luk 19:43 . . . .] on does not introduce what has been concealed (this is rather ), but it brings a prophetic confirmation of the . . . that has just been said: for there shall come (not tarry), etc. The certainty of this miserable future proves that what serves for thy salvation has become veiled from thine eyes. Following Lachmann, only a comma is to be placed before . In what follows, observe the solemn five-fold repetition of in the affecting unperiodic discourse. The first takes the place of (Luk 17:22 , Luk 23:44 ; Rom 2:16 ; Joh 4:21 ; and see on Mar 15:25 ).
] masculine: a palisaded wall , Polyb. i. 29. 3, viii. 34. 3, x. 39. 1, xviii. 1. 1. On , see Plut. Aem. P. 17, Marcell . 18. As a feminine , it is limited by the grammarians to the signification of vine-prop , but see Lobeck, ad Phryn . p. 61 f.
] Comp. Xen. Mem . ii. 1. 14 : . According to Herod. i. 163, and elsewhere, might also be used. In the Jewish war the rampart was actually erected (hence Schenkel considers this point as vaticinium ex eventu ), burnt up by the Jews, and replaced by Titus with a wall. See Joseph. v. 6. 2, v. 12. 2 ff.
] keep close , see on Phi 1:23 .
Luk 19:44 . ] they shall level thee (Polyb. vi. 33. 6), i.e. make thee like to the ground . Comp. Amo 9:14 ; also , Thuc. iv. 109. 1. Comp. 3:68. 2. The following . . is added by a zeugma , so that now has the signification, frequent in the LXX., to dash on the ground (Hos 14:1 ; Nah 3:10 ; Psa 137:9 ). The children of the city are its inhabitants , Mat 23:37 ; Luk 13:34 ; Gal 4:25 . The city is figuratively regarded as a mother, hence are not to be understood (Kuinoel) of the actual children ( infantes ).
. . . ] the time of the solicitude concerning thee , when God interested Himself for thee by means of the offer of the Messianic salvation through me. Comp. 1Pe 2:12 ; Pro 29:13 ; Job 29:4 ; Wis 2:10 ; Wis 3:7 ; Sir 18:19 ; 3Ma 5:42 , and thereon Grimm, in itself is a vox media , and in the LXX. and Apocrypha ( Wis 14:11 ; Wis 19:15 ) is frequently also used when God concerns Himself with any one in punishment . The word does not occur in the classical writers.
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
39, 40. ] THE PHARISEES MURMUR: OUR LORD’S REPLY. Peculiar to Luke .
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
39. ] These Pharisees could hardly in any sense be of Jesus. Their spirit was just that of modern Socinianism: the prophetic expressions used, and the lofty epithets applied to Him, who was merely in their view a , offended them.
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Luk 19:39-44 . Pharisces murmur and Jesus weeps , peculiar to Lk. , from within the crowd, or on account of the crowd and what they had been saying = prae turba as in Luk 19:3 . Loesner cites from Philo instances of the use of in this sense (but in reference to Luk 19:3 ).
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
Pharisees. App-120.
from among = from, as in Luk 19:24.
Master = Teacher. App-98. Luk 19:1.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
39, 40.] THE PHARISEES MURMUR: OUR LORDS REPLY. Peculiar to Luke.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Luk 19:39. , of the Pharisees) Unseasonable interrupters. [Whatever is not common, and of an every-day kind, seems an excess to inflated and envious hypocrisy; but the Divine power knows of no opponent that can check it.-Harm., p. 445.]
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
rebuke: Isa 26:11, Mat 23:13, Joh 11:47, Joh 11:48, Joh 12:10, Joh 12:19, Act 4:1, Act 4:2, Act 4:16-18, Jam 4:5
Reciprocal: Mat 21:15 – when Mat 21:16 – Hearest Luk 11:52 – for Luk 12:49 – and Luk 18:39 – rebuked 1Co 1:27 – General Heb 12:3 – contradiction
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
9
Evidently these Pharisees were envious of Jesus because he was receiving so much honor from the disciples. Their suggestion that He rebuke his disciples was on the pretense that it was an unnecessary disturbance, but in reality it was because of their envy. (See Mat 21:15-16.)
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
19:39 {8} And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples.
(8) When those linger who ought to preach and set forth the kingdom of God the most, he will extraordinarily raise up others in spite of them.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
Some of the Pharisees did not like the disciples using messianic terminology of Jesus and suggesting that He fulfilled messianic prophecy (cf. Mat 21:14-16). They asked Jesus to silence them. Obviously they thought He would agree that they were going too far. This verse occurs only in this Gospel. It provides a background for Jesus’ strong statement in the next verse.
"The story strongly emphasizes the tension between the scribes-Pharisees and Jesus. Study of the references to scribes and Pharisees in Luke up through Luk 19:39-40 (where Pharisees last appear in the gospel, although scribes will continue to play a role) shows that these groups are mentioned almost entirely in pronouncement stories or similar scenes in which they interact with Jesus by objecting, posing a testing inquiry, or taking a position which Jesus corrects. The only exceptions are the statements about Pharisees and scribes in Luk 7:30, Luk 9:22, and Luk 12:1." [Note: Tannehill, The Narrative . . ., 1:170.]