Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Luke 23:21
But they cried, saying, Crucify [him,] crucify him.
21. they cried ] The word implies a continuous cry of increasing vehemence. The vox populi was in this instance vox Diaboli. Crucify him
But they cried, saying, crucify him, crucify him. They were fierce and furious, more noisy and clamorous, the more they perceived Pilate was for saving him; and they were more desirous to have him crucified, and more impatient until it was done, as the repetition of the word shows.
But they shouted ( ). Imperfect active of , to call to. Old verb and a verb pertinent here. They kept on yelling. Crucify, crucify (, ). Present active imperative. Go on with the crucifixion. Mr 15:13 has (first aorist active imperative), do it now and be done with it. No doubt some shouted one form, some another. Shouted [] . Imperfect. Kept shouting. Used by Luke only. Compare Act 12:22; Act 22:24.
1) “But they cried, saying,” (ho de apephonoun legontes) “Then they repeatedly shouted,” saying very loudly, led by the administrative priests, crying vehemently, Mat 27:20; Mat 27:15; Mar 15:11.
2) “Crucify him, crucify him.” (staurou staurou auton) “You crucify him! you crucify him!” Mat 27:22-23; Mar 15:14.
‘But they shouted, saying, “Crucify, crucify him.” ’
But by now the leaders, and the crowd who were present, scented blood and fanatically took up the cry, ‘Crucify Him, crucify Him’. They knew now that Pilate had no way back. He had committed himself too far by his prevarication.
21 But they cried, saying, Crucify him , crucify him.
Ver. 21. Crucify him, crucify him ] As if they should say, Do it twice over, rather than fail. The modern Jews, as mad as their forefathers, say that rather than we Gentiles should have benefit by their expected Messiah, they would crucify him a hundred times over.
Luk 23:21 . , shouted ( , Hesych.), in Lk. only, and in reference to the people (Act 12:22 ). (active, not middle = ), “crucify,” repeated, with passion; thoughtless, foolish, impulsive mob!
cried = kept shouting. Greek. epiphoneo.
Luk 23:23, Mat 27:22-25, Mar 15:13, Joh 19:15
Reciprocal: Psa 25:19 – Consider Psa 35:12 – spoiling Pro 24:2 – General Mar 10:33 – deliver Mar 15:14 – Why Act 13:28 – General Act 25:24 – that he
SPIRITUAL IMPULSES
But they cried, saying, Crucify Him, crucify Him.
Luk 23:21
Every one must have felt that it is a strange and touching and instructive fact, that the Sunday which immediately precedes Good Friday should be the Sunday of the Palm.
Among the voices which cried Hosanna! there were some who joined in the horrible chorus, Crucify Him! crucify Him! Such a revulsion, from love to cruel hatred, is happily a rare thing. But the principle is a common one, and the tendency is deep in our nature.
There are passages of some mens minds to which even the streets of Jerusalem could scarcely furnish a parallel. There are those who could tellif they would-that they have passed from a holy service to the grossest sin!
Be greatly on your guard against reactions. To some minds the danger is, of course, much greater than it is to others.
I. In a sense, all religion is an impulse; it is an impulse of the Holy Ghost; and impulsiveness is a beautiful thing. It is the germ of all great character and noble actions. But impulsiveness has its great dangers. Take care, not only of gradual slidings, but of rapid rushes!
II. To this end, remember always, that feelings are the best of servants, but the worst of masters; and those who carry the highest sail must be careful to lay in the largest ballast. I tremble for a soul which makes its religion a sensation; when I hear it always saying, I feel! I feel! Suspicious words! dangerous words! words that are not in the Bible!
III. To us the incident was probably intended to convey two thoughts.
(a) The one, that as this week began in majesty, so the whole work of Christs atoning sacrifice rests upon greatness.
(b) The other, that, as with Christ, so with us, there are bright things in every grief, and earnests of glory in our deepest humiliations.
Rev. James Vaughan.
Illustration
A man is not necessarily what the popular verdict declares him to be. This multitude was both right and wrongright in hailing Christ as King, wrong in regarding Him as mere temporal deliverer. Afterwards thought itself wrong in the matter in which it had been right, and acted wickedly and cruelly because it had been wrong when it had believed itself right. Christ was no more a King because of their loud hosannas, and no less a King when their craven throats made themselves hoarse with the shout of Crucify Him. So if society chooses to persecute a good man, or to deify a bad man, its false judgment does not make good bad, or bad good. If the opinion of the multitude cannot make wrong right, so neither shall it make us think wrong right.
(SECOND OUTLINE)
TRUE AND FALSE ENTHUSIASM
I. To-day, as long ago, Jesus Christ is the true object of the enthusiasm of mankind.We know, as that multitude did not, the meaning of His life and mission. We know that even while the unthinking crowd was shouting around Him, the weight of the worlds sin lay heavy on His heart, and the black shadow of the Cross flung itself upon His sunlit pathway down the slope of the hill. We know that He was going to die, and to die for us that we might live.
II. There may be outward devotion to Christ while the heart remains a stranger to His nature, His claim and His love.There was, after all, no spiritual enthusiasm among the multitudes. What of our protestations of allegiance to Christ? Are they more real, more heartfelt, more abiding than those of this light-hearted crowd? The true enthusiasm for Christ exhibits itself not in eloquent speeches about Him, not in rhapsodical outbursts of homage to Him, not in tearing down palm branches and casting them at His feet, but in the life of faith, in the patient, untiring endeavour for His sake to forsake sin, for His sake to bear lifes burdens, for His sake to do Gods will, for His sake to strive to become more like Him every day.
III. The narrative bids us beware of regarding emotional excitement as identical with religious feelings and states of mind and heart.The religion of some people exhausts itself in Hosannas and Hallelujahs. Cut them off for a month from attendance at public services and the electricity of crowded assemblies, and the effect of moving appeals, and you will find their spiritual fervour has evaporated. The claims of Christ have only touched and ruffled the surface of their natures. Emotion certainly plays its part, but let our feelings arise from our faith, not our faith depend upon our feelings.
Illustration
We know that the world owes more to the man Christ Jesus, than to any or all besides; that the noblest elements in poetry and art, the splendid ideals of conduct which the best men in all ages since His day have set before themselves, the deeper sense of justice, and along with it the attempering of justice with mercy in our legislation, the civil and religious liberty we enjoy, the elevation of woman and through her of the race, the sacredness of the family tie; these, and a thousand others of our most precious possessions, we owe to the teaching and example of Jesus, and to the undying impulse which the world has received from His life and death, and living Presence in it.
1
This cry was the demand of a mob.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Fuente: Church Pulpit Commentary
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary