Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Luke 12:36
And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately.
36. when he will return from the wedding ] The word here used ( pote analusei) is very rare, occurring only in Php 1:23; 2Ti 4:6. Here there is a variation from the commoner metaphor of going to the wedding feast.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 36. That wait for their lord] See Clarke on Mt 25:1, c.
The wedding] How the Jewish weddings were celebrated, see in the notes on Mt 8:12; Mt 22:13.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
36. return from the weddingnotcome to it, as in the parable of the virgins. Both have theirspiritual significance; but preparedness for Christ’s comingis the prominent idea.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their Lord,…. Who either was at a wedding, or was the bridegroom himself; so be ye in a readiness, waiting for the coming of Christ, the bridegroom of the church:
when he will return from the wedding, The Syriac version renders it, “from the house of feasting”; from any entertainment, or from the marriage feast, or rather the marriage itself, to the bride chamber: so when Christ has, by the preaching of the Gospel, and the power of his grace, espoused all his elect, he will descend from heaven, and take them to himself; they shall then be called to the marriage supper of the Lamb, and enter with him into the nuptial chamber, and be for ever with him:
that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open to him immediately; and let him in without any delay, as soon as ever he comes to the door; and at the first knock, open it to him at once, having light, and being in a posture of readiness, and in constant expectation of him: so such who have believed in Christ, and have been faithful to his cause and interest, and have held fast the profession of their faith without wavering, when Christ shall either come and knock at their doors by death, or shall come to judgment, and sound the alarm of it, they shall be ready to obey the summons with the greatest cheerfulness, and meet him with the utmost pleasure.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
When he shall return from the marriage feast ( ). The interrogative conjunction and the deliberative aorist subjunctive retained in the indirect question. The verb , very common Greek verb, but only twice in the N.T. (here and Php 1:23). The figure is breaking up a camp or loosening the mooring of a ship, to depart. Perhaps here the figure is from the standpoint of the wedding feast (plural as used of a single wedding feast in Lu 14:8), departing from there. See on Mt 22:2.
When he cometh and knocketh ( ). Genitive absolute of the aorist active participle without and in spite of (dative) being used after (first aorist active subjunctive of ).
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Shall return [] . The verb means, originally, to unloose : so of vessels, to unloose their moorings and go to sea. Of departing generally. This is its sense in the only other passage where it occurs, Phi 1:23, “having a desire to depart, or break up; the metaphor being drawn from breaking up an encampment.” Compare departure [] , 2Ti 4:6. The rendering return is a kind of inference from this : when he shall leave the wedding and return.
Wedding [ ] . Properly, the marriage – feast. See on Mt 22:2.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “And ye yourselves like unto me,” (kai humeis homoioi anthropois) “And you all be like men,” similar to men, who are servants in waiting for their master’s return to his estate, for which the servants were to care, in his estate, for which the servants were to care, in his absence, Mar 13:34-35; 1Co 4:2.
2) “That wait for their lord,” (prosdechomenos ton kurion heatuon) “Who are continually (with alertness) awaiting their lord,” or their master whom they serve, to be at His command for help or service, with all things ready.
3) “When he will return from the wedding;” (pote analuse ek ton gamon) “When he returns from the wedding festivities,” to be received, fed, rested, etc., or the feast to which he has gone, from which he may return at any unannounced moment, Mar 13:36-37; Mat 25:1.
4) “That when he cometh and knocketh,” (hina elthontos kai krousantos) “in order that when he comes and knocks,” as He will, Mat 25:6.
5) “They may open to him immediately.” (eutheos anoiksosin auto) “They may immediately open to receive him,” Mat 25:10; Luk 14:16. In each of the parables of the return of the Lord to His household, as the Bridegroom, as the Goodman of the house, an accounting is required of His own then living stewards, servants and virgins, not of the unsaved, at that return.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
Luk 12:36
. And you yourselves like men that wait for their master. He uses another parable not mentioned by Matthew, who writes more briefly on this subject; for he compares himself to a householder who, while he is joining in the festivities of the marriage feast, or in other respects indulging in pleasure, out of his own house, wishes his servants to conduct themselves with modesty and sobriety at home, attending to their lawful occupations, and diligently waiting for his return. Now though the Son of God has departed to the blessed rest of heaven, and is absent from us, yet as he has assigned to every one his duty, it would be improper for us to give way to indolent repose. Besides, as he has promised that he will return to us, we ought to hold ourselves prepared, at every moment, to receive him, that he may not find us sleeping. For if a mortal man looks upon it as a duty which his servants owe him, that, at whatever hour he returns home, they shall be prepared to receive him, how much more has he a right to demand from his followers that they shall be sober and vigilant, and always wait for his coming? To excite them to greater alacrity, he mentions that earthly masters are so delighted with such promptitude on the part of their servants, that they even serve them; not that all masters are accustomed to act in this manner, but because it does sometimes happen that a master, who is kind and gentle, admits his servants to his own table, as if they were his companions.
Yet it may be asked, Since Scripture calls us in many passages children of light, (Eph 5:8; 1Th 5:5,) and since the Lord also shines upon us by his word, so that we walk as at noon, how does the Lord compare our life to the watches of tire night? But we ought to seek the solution of this difficulty from the words of Peter, who tells us, that the word of God shines like a burning lamp, to enable us distinctly to see our road in a dark place. We ought therefore to attend. to both statements, that our journey must be performed amidst the thick darkness of the world, and yet we are protected from the risk of going astray, while the torch of heavenly doctrine goes before us, more especially when we have Christ himself for a sun.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
36. Knocketh, they may open Not be fast asleep, with their lights gone out, or low in the socket.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
“And be you yourselves like to men looking for their lord, when he shall return from the marriage feast, that, when he comes and knocks, they may open to him straight away.”
And the servants themselves had to be like men who were waiting for the return of their lord who could arrive at any moment. He had gone to a marriage feast (which would be of uncertain length), but all must be ready for his return, and when he did arrive and knock things had to be in such a state of readiness that they could open the door immediately. The picture is one of conscientiousness, bustle and preparation, and of all efforts being expended in one direction only, readiness for their lord’s return so that everything was perfect in the household when he came.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
36 And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately.
Ver. 36. And knocketh ] sc. By the hammer of his word and Spirit, or by the hand of death, summoning you thereto by some sickness, death’s harbinger.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
36. ] emphatic distinguished from the . and . above: ye yourselves, i.e. your whole conduct and demeanour.
a very common construction of the gen. abs.: see ch. Luk 17:12 ; Luk 22:10 alli [88] . and Winer, 30. 11, rem., edn. 6, for classical examples.
[88] alli= some cursive mss.
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Luk 12:36 . , when ( = ) he shall return ; the figure is taken from sailors making the return voyage to the port whence they had sailed, Beza ( vide Phi 1:23 , 2Ti 4:6 ). : the participles in the genitive absolute, though the subject to which they refer, , is in the dative.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
that wait for = waiting, or looking, for. Greek. prosdechomai, as in Luk 2:25, Luk 2:38; Luk 23:51. Mar 15:43. Tit 2:13.
lord. App-98. A.
when = whensoever.
will. All the texts read “may”.
return. Greek. analuo. Occurs only here, and Php 1:1, Php 1:23, in N.T. In Septuagint only in the Apocryphal books, and always in the sense of returning back, as in ana-kampto (Heb 11:15). See Tobit 2.9. Judith 13.1. Ezr 3:3. Book of Wisdom 2.1; 5.12; 16.14. Ecclus 3.15. 2 Macc. 8.25; 9.1; 12.7; 15.28. The noun analusis = a returning back of the body to dust, as in Gen 3:19, occurs only once, in 2Ti 4:6.
from = out of. Greek ek. App-104.
the wedding = the marriage feast.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
36.] -emphatic-distinguished from the . and . above:-ye yourselves, i.e. your whole conduct and demeanour.
-a very common construction of the gen. abs.: see ch. Luk 17:12; Luk 22:10 alli[88].-and Winer, 30. 11, rem., edn. 6, for classical examples.
[88] alli= some cursive mss.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Luk 12:36. , ye yourselves).-, expecting [waiting for]) with longing desire and joy.-) when He is about to return.- , from the nuptials [wedding]) Therefore the nuptials are [going on] in heaven before the (second) Advent of our Lord.-, immediately) on hearing the first knock.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
men: Luk 2:25-30, Gen 49:18, Isa 64:4, Lam 3:25, Lam 3:26, Mat 24:42-44, Mar 13:34-37, Jam 5:7, Jam 5:8, 2Pe 1:13-15, Jud 1:20, Jud 1:21
return: Mat 22:1-14, Mat 25:1-13
when: Son 5:5, Son 5:6, Rev 3:20
Reciprocal: Mat 25:10 – they 1Co 1:7 – waiting 2Th 3:5 – and into
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
6
In the parable of the ten virgins (Matthew 25) the waiting was for the lord to come to the wedding. In this one the waiting is for him to return from it. The lesson is the same in both, which is the necessity of being prepared.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Luk 12:36. When he will return from the marriage feast. The main thought is simply that He is away at a feast, and expected to return. In the parable of the Ten Virgins (Mat 25:1-13), the return of the Bridegroom is the main thought.
Straightway open unto him. Because they are ready, and have nothing to hide.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
The parable of the faithful servants 12:36-38
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)
In this parable the master returns from a wedding feast. Perhaps Jesus had the heavenly marriage supper of Jesus with His bride, the church, in view (cf. Revelation 4-5). This event will precede His second coming to the earth (Revelation 19). Jesus was not referring to the messianic banquet since that will follow the Second Coming. The disciples in view are on earth, and Jesus is returning from heaven. Thus this parable is most directly applicable to disciples living on the earth during the Great Tribulation. It also teaches Christian disciples to be ready for the Lord’s coming at the Rapture. Jesus could have returned as soon as seven years after His ascension, so the disciples who first heard Him speak these words also needed to be ready.