We trusted – We hoped and expected.

Should have redeemed Israel – That he was the Messiah, who would have delivered the nation from the Romans.

Besides all this – It is to be observed that Cleopas states things just as they occurred to his own mind. There is little connection. His mind is confused and distracted. There were so many things that were remarkable in Jesus; there was so much evidence that he was the Messiah; their hopes had been so suddenly dashed by his death, and the succeeding events had been so wonderful, that his mind was confused, and he knew not what to think. The things which he now stated served to increase his perplexity. The expressions here are perfectly natural. They bespeak an agitated mind. They are simple touches of nature, which show that the book was not forged. If the book had been the work of imposture, this artless and perplexed narrative would not have been thought of.

Today is the third day … – Jesus had foretold them that he would rise on the third day. This they did not understand; but it is not improbable that they looked to this day expecting something wonderful, and that the visit to the sepulchre had called it to their recollection, and they were more and more amazed when they put all these things together. As if they had said, The third day is come, and we have not seen him. Yet we begin to remember his promise – the angels have informed us that he is alive – but we do not know how to put these things together, or what to make of them.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Verse 21. – 24. Cleopas paints the real state of his own mind in these verses. In his relation there is scarcely any thing well connected; important points are referred to, and not explained, though he considered the person to whom he spoke as entirely unacquainted with these transactions: his own hopes and fears he cannot help mixing with the narration, and throwing over the whole that confusion that dwells in his own heart. The narration is not at all in Luke’s style; but as it is probable he was the other disciple who was present, and had heard the words of Cleopas, he gave them in that simple, natural, artless manner in which they were spoken. Had the account been forged, those simple, natural touches would not have appeared.

To-day is the third day] Our Lord had often said that he would rise again the third day; and though Alpheus had little hope of this resurrection, yet he could not help recollecting the words he had heard, especially as they seemed to be confirmed by the relation of the women, Lu 24:22-24.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

21. we trusted, c.Theyexpected the promised Deliverance at His hand, but in the currentsense of it, not by His death.

besides all thisnotonly did His death seem to give the fatal blow to their hopes, but Hehad been two days dead already, and this was the third. It is true,they add, some of our women gave us a surprise, telling us of avision of angels they had at the empty grave this morning that saidHe was alive, and some of ourselves who went thither confirmed theirstatement but then Himself they saw not. A doleful tale truly, toldout of the deepest despondency.

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

But we trusted,…. “In him”, as the Ethiopic version adds:

that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel; they thought, hoped, and believed, that he was the Messiah, spoken of under the character of the Redeemer of Israel; and they had been in expectation of redemption by him, though only of a temporal kind, from the Roman yoke and bondage; but now they could not tell what to think of it, since he was dead; indeed they were not altogether without hope, since there was a report of his being raised from the dead; but what credit was to be given to that, they could not say: but certain it is, that he was the true Messiah, and promised Redeemer; and who was to redeem, and has redeemed the whole Israel of God; even all the elect of God, whether among Jews or Gentiles, from the servitude and damning power of sin, from the slavery of Satan, and the bondage of the law, and from every enemy; and that by his precious blood, his sufferings and death, the very things which were the occasion of these disciples’ doubts about him, as the Redeemer: so the Jews say u,

“that upon the death of the Messiah, the son of Joseph, all Israel shall flee to the deserts, and such as are of a doubtful heart shall turn to the nations of the world and say, “is this the redemption we have waited for”, for the Messiah is slain?”

And besides all this, today is the third day, since these things were done; which is either mentioned, as an aggravation of the ignorance of the stranger, that these things should be done so lately, as within three days, and yet he should be ignorant of them, or not remember them, and need to be informed about them; or as a further reason of their doubting, that it was now the third day since the death of Jesus, and there was nothing certain of his resurrection, only the report of the women, which they could not depend upon; or else as a reason of their trusting, that he was the person that should redeem Israel; since this was the third day from his crucifixion; the day on which he said he should rise from the dead, and of which there was a report spread, not to be disproved, that he was that day actually risen: this day is greatly observed by the Jews w: they take notice that the Scriptures speak of several remarkable third days; and besides Ge 22:4 is cited a passage which refers to the resurrection of Christ on the third day; and they speak

“of the third day of the tribes, Ge 42:18 of the third day of the spies, Jos 2:16 of the third day of the giving of the law, Ex 19:16 of the third day of Jonas, Jon 1:17 (which was a type of the resurrection of the Messiah,

Mt 12:40) of the third day of those that came up out of the captivity, Ezr 8:15 of the third day of the resurrection of the dead, Ho 6:2 and of the third day of Esther, Es 5:1.”

u Abkath Rocel, l. 1. par. 1. sign. 7. p. 53. w Bereshit Rabba, sect. 56. fol. 49. 3.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

But we hoped ( ). Imperfect active, we were hoping. Note emphasis in (we).

Redeem (). From the bondage of Rome, no doubt.

Yea and beside all this ( ). Particles pile up to express their emotions.

Yea ( here affirmative, as in verse 22, not adversative) at least () also () together with all these things ( ). Like Pelion on Ossa with them in their perplexity.

Now the third day ( ). A difficult idiom for the English. “One is keeping this a third day.” And he is still dead and we are still without hope.

Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament

Trusted [] . More correctly, hoped. Imperfect : were hoping all the while.

Should have redeemed. Rev., more correctly, should redeem [] . See on 1Pe 1:18.

Beside all this (sun pasin toutoiv). Lit., with all these things : his betrayal and crucifixion, etc.

Today is the third day (trithn tauthn hJmeran agei shmeron). The best texts omit today. The phrase forms an idiom which cannot be neatly rendered. Literally it is, “He (Christ) is passing [] this day as the third.” Rev., It is now the third day since, etc.

Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament

Comments-

1)“But we trusted,” (hemeis de elpizomen) “Then we were hoping,” believing, or trusting.

2) “That it had been he,” (hoti autos estin ho) “That he was (existed as) the one,” the promised one, Gen 49:10; Num 24:17; Deu 18:15-18.

3) “Which should have redeemed Israel:” (mellon lutrousthai ton Israel) “Who was about to have redeemed Israel,” in the way they expected, that He was that prophet, that Messiah, Isa 7:14; Isa 9:6-7; Isa 53:1-12; Mic 5:2; Luk 1:68; Act 1:6.

4) “And beside all this,” (alla ge kai sun pasin toutois) “But indeed, also in sympathy with all these things,” or closely associated with all these things that have happened.

5) “Today is the third day since these things were done.” (triten tauten hemeran agei aph’ hou tauta egeneto) “This is the third day away from the time all these things happened,” or occurred, the things that He did and what they did to Him, until His crucifixion and burial, Mat 27:63. Our Lord had repeatedly told that it would be this way, yet they did not understand, Mat 16:21; Mat 17:23; Mat 20:19; Mat 26:61; Mar 8:31; Mar 10:34; Joh 2:19.

Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary

21. But we hoped. From what follows it is evident that the hope which they had entertained respecting Christ was not broken off, though at first sight such might appear to be the import of their words. But as a person who had received no previous instruction in the Gospel might be apt to be prejudiced by the narrative which he was about to give respecting the condemnation of Christ, that he was condemned by the rulers of the Church, Cleopas meets this offense by the hope of redemption. And though he afterwards shows that it is with trembling and hesitation that he continues in this hope, yet he industriously collects all that can contribute to its support. For it is probable that he mentions the third day for no other reason than that the Lord had promised that after three days he would rise again. When he afterwards relates that the women had not fouled the body, and that they tad seen a vision of angels, and that what the women had said about the empty grave was likewise confirmed by the testimony of the men, the whole amounts to this, that Christ had risen. Thus the holy man, hesitating between faith and fear, employs what is adapted to nourish faith, and struggles against fear to the utmost of his power.

Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary

(21) But we trusted.The pronoun is emphatic. We, the disciples, were hoping . . . ,whatever might be the judgment of others.

Which should have redeemed Israel.More exactly, He that is about to redeem . . . The two travellers belonged apparently to those who now, as at the time of the Nativity, were waiting for redemption in Jerusalem (Luk. 2:38).

To day is the third day .We note how naturally the disciples fall, from the first, into this method of describing the interval since the Crucifixion.

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

21. Should have redeemed Israel Equivalent to saying, we once had faith that he would be the true Messiah. To redeem Israel, doubtless included the idea of removing the Roman yoke; but it also implied the introduction of a reign of truth and righteousness. Perhaps even the world would be renovated to its Edenic state, inhabited by the holy dead in their resurrection glory.

The third day They doubtless here refer to the three days so often mentioned as connected with his death and burial. The period had passed, but the world is not renewed.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

“But we hoped that it was he who would redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things came about.”

They have described the reverent view that they had had of Him, they have emphasised their shock at what had happened to Him, but now they also reveal the hopes that they had had of Him. They had not only seen Him as a prophet, they had ‘hoped that it was He Who would redeem Israel’. He had been their hope. Their words echo those spoken around the time of Jesus’ birth (Luk 1:68-69; Luk 2:30; Luk 2:38). Jesus had been looked on as the Coming Expected Deliverer Who would bring about the emancipation of His people, and now those hopes had been dashed.

Note the reference to ‘redeeming Israel’. This is another sign of authenticity. It is a pre-resurrection idea, and certainly prior to the activities in the second part of Acts. An inventor would have phrased it very differently. Paul could speak like this to unbelieving Jews (Act 28:20) but not to Christians.

“Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things came about.” However, they explained, there was a little more to it than that, for strange events had meanwhile occurred. It was now the third day since these things had come about, and they could not forget that Jesus had often referred to ‘the third day’ after His death in unusual ways (Luk 9:22; Luk 13:32; Luk 18:33; Luk 24:7). Alternately it could be that they were thinking of the popular Jewish belief that the spirit left the body after the third day, if that belief was really held at that time, for the evidence for it is questionable, but Luke probably rather intends us to connect with other references to the third day.

‘It is now the third day.’ This is literally ‘he/it is now spending the third day’

Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett

21 But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done.

Ver. 21. But we trusted ] q.d. Indeed now we cannot tell what to say to it. Here their hope hangs the wing extremely, their buckler is much battered, and needs beating out again. Ferendum et sperandum, speaking and hoping, said the philosopher. ( . Epictet.) And good men find it more easy to bear evil than to wait for good,Heb 10:36Heb 10:36 .

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

21. ] . is a word of weakened trust, and shrinking from the avowal that they ‘believed’ this.

in the theocratic sense including both the spiritual and political kingdom: see ch. Luk 1:68-69 ; Luk 1:74-75 , and compare Act 1:6 .

. ., rightly rendered in E. V. beside all this: see reff.

, not impersonal (as alli [118] . and recently Wordsw.), nor to be supplied with a nom. case or , &c., but spoken of Jesus . He is now in the third day, since &c. This is the usage of later Greek: and the words are spoken not without a reference, in the mind of the speaker, to His promise of rising on the third day.

[118] alli= some cursive mss.

Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament

Luk 24:21 . , but we , on the other hand, as opposed to the priests and rulers. , were hoping; the hope dead or in abeyance now. But how wide asunder these disappointed ones from the rulers, ethically, in that they could regard such an one as Jesus as the Redeemer of Israel! is to be taken in the sense of Luk 1:68 ; Luk 1:74 . : these two particles stand together here contrary to the ordinary usage of Greek writers, who separate them by an intervening word. It is not easy to express the turn of feeling they represent. Does the in the previous clause mean that they think of Him as still living, hoping against hope on the ground of the women’s report, mentioned in the following clause, and does the express a swing of feeling away in the opposite direction of hopelessness? = we hoped, we would like to hope still; yet how can we? He is dead three days, and yet again on the other hand ( , Luk 24:22 ) there is a story going that looks like a resurrection. How true to life this alternation between hope and despair! , in addition to all these things, i.e. , all that caused them to hope: prophetic gifts, marvellous power in word and work, favour with the people: there is the hard fact making hope impossible. : probably to be taken impersonally = agitur , one lives this third day since. So Grotius and many others. Other suggestions are that or is to be understood ( cf. Act 19:38 ).

Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson

trusted = were hoping.

should have redeemed = was about to redeem. In accordance with Luk 2:38. Compare Act 1:6.

beside = with. Greek. sun. App-104.

this = these things.

the third day. See App-148and App-166.

since = from (Greek. apo. App-104.) the time when.

Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics

21.] . is a word of weakened trust, and shrinking from the avowal that they believed this.

-in the theocratic sense-including both the spiritual and political kingdom: see ch. Luk 1:68-69; Luk 1:74-75, and compare Act 1:6.

. ., rightly rendered in E. V. beside all this: see reff.

, not impersonal (as alli[118]. and recently Wordsw.), nor to be supplied with a nom. case or , &c., but spoken of Jesus. He is now in the third day, since &c. This is the usage of later Greek:-and the words are spoken not without a reference, in the mind of the speaker, to His promise of rising on the third day.

[118] alli= some cursive mss.

Fuente: The Greek Testament

Luk 24:21. , besides all these things) Hebr. .-, third) Therefore alter the death of Jesus they seem to have entertained some hope on the first and second day, which however they lay aside on that very day on which the hope is fulfilled.-) used impersonally.

Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament

trusted (See Scofield “Mat 3:2”)

redeemed (See Scofield “Rom 3:24”).

Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes

Luk 1:68, Luk 2:38, Psa 130:8, Isa 59:20, Act 1:6, 1Pe 1:18, 1Pe 1:19, Rev 5:9

Reciprocal: Psa 107:2 – Let the Luk 18:33 – and the Joh 16:20 – That 2Pe 1:5 – beside

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

1

The disciples still had a temporal kingdom in mind regarding the plans of Jesus. Third day since these things were done; meaning the condemnation and crucifixion of Jesus

(verse 20). Since (or after), gives us an important key to the day on which Jesus was crucified. The disciples said today (the day of the resurrection, verse 1), was the third day since the crucifixion. Then Saturady would be the second day since the crucifixion; Friday would be the first day since the crucifixion, and hence, Thursday would be the day of the crucifixion. This disproves the Romanist doctrine of Good Friday as being the day of the crucifixion.

Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary

But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, today is the third day since these things were done.

[We trusted, etc.] “We trusted it had been he that should have redeemed Israel”: viz., in the sense that that nation had of a redemption; which they hoped for from the Gentile yoke. But the poverty and meanness of Jesus gave them no ground to hope that any such thing should be brought about by arms, as that people had generally dreamed; they hoped, however, it might have been miraculously accomplished, as their first redemption from Egypt had been.

[Today is the third day, etc.] it is worthy our observation what notice the Rabbins take of the third day; “Abraham lifted up his eyes the third day, Gen 22:4. It is written, After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight, Hos 6:2. It is written, concerning the third day of the tribes, Joseph said unto them, The third day; Gen 42:18. Concerning the third day also of the spies: Hide yourselves there three days; Jos 2:16. And it is said of the third day of the promulgation of the law, And it came to pass on the third day; Exo 19:16. It is written also of the third day of Jonas, Jonas was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights, Jon 1:17. It is written also of the third day of those that came up out of the captivity. And there abode we in tents three days; Ezr 8:15. It is written also of the third day of the resurrection from the dead, After two days will he revive us, and the third day he will raise us up. It is written also of the third day of Esther, And on the third day Esther put on her royal apparel, Est 5:1. The Targumist adds, On the third day of the Passover.” And that indeed is the day we are at present concerned in, namely, the third day of the Passover. If these things were taken so much notice of concerning the third day; at that time, in the schools and synagogues, (as I see no reason why it should be denied), then these words of Cleopas may seem to look a little that way, as speaking according to the vulgar conceptions of the Jews. For whereas it had been plain enough to have said, today is the third day; but he further adds, beside all this; and the word this; too; there seems a peculiar force in that addition, and an emphasis in that word. As if the meaning of it were this: “That same Jesus was mighty in word and deed, and shewed himself such a one, that we conceived him the true Messiah, and him that was to redeem Israel: and besides all these things which bear witness for him to be such, this very day bears witness also. For whereas there is so great an observation amongst us concerning the third day; this is the third day since he was crucified; and there are some women amongst us, that say they have been told by angels that he is risen again.”

Fuente: Lightfoot Commentary Gospels

Luk 24:21. Here we see most distinctly the conflict of hope and fear in the minds of the disciples. It seems as though they were thinking aloud, unmindful of the supposed stranger.

But we (on our part over against the hostility of the rulers) hoped. They do not say they had believed this, or that they still hoped so, but that they had once been in the habit of thus hoping, until their expectation was checked by the events they mentioned.

That it was he who should redeem Israel. A Messiah would certainly come, to redeem Israel; their hope had been that this Jesus was that One. Their view of redemption included both spiritual and political deliverance.

Yea and. This marks a contrast with their former hope.

Besides all this, it is now the third day. The Greek is peculiar. Lit., it (or, he) leadeth the third day. Some refer this to Jesus. In any case there seems to be a thought of the promise of the resurrection. Their faint hope had grown fainter, until the third day came without bringing a fulfilment of the promise.

Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament

Verse 21

Should have redeemed. The disciples, it seems, had, to this time, no other idea of redemption, than that of deliverance from their political subjugation to the Roman power.

Fuente: Abbott’s Illustrated New Testament

The travelers, in contrast to Israel’s leaders, hoped that Jesus would prove to be their nation’s deliverer (cf. Luk 1:68; Luk 2:30; Luk 2:38; Luk 21:28), namely, the Messiah whom they evidently saw as a political liberator. Of course, Jesus did redeem Israel by His death on the cross, but they were speaking of physical deliverance from Rome and the establishment of the kingdom. Their reference to the third day since Jesus’ death implied that they had expected something important to happen by then. The fact that nothing had happened disappointed them.

Possibly these disciples were not yet believers. They appear not to have recognized that Jesus was more than a prophet or a political Messiah but the divine Son of God.

"Observe that the verb is ’hoped,’ not ’trusted’ (as in KJV); there is a big difference between trusting Jesus as our Deliverer and Savior and hoping that he will prove to be our Deliverer and Savior." [Note: Ibid.]

However another possibility is that they were believers who had simply become discouraged by Jesus’ death (cf. John the Baptist, Luk 7:19).

Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)