Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Luke 12:46
The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for [him,] and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.
46. will cut him in sunder ] This was literally a punishment prevalent among some ancient nations, 2Sa 12:31; 1Ch 20:3; Dan 2:5; Herod. vii. 39. Comp. Heb 11:37 (the legendary martyrdom of Isaiah)
and Susannah 55-59. Hence Bengel says “Qui cor divisum habet, dividetur.” But because of the following clause, which evidently refers to a living person, it is thought that dichotomesei must here be used in the sense of “shall scourge ” (compare the next verse), although there is no other instance of such a sense.
with the unbelievers ] Rather, with the faithless. (See Luk 12:42, and Mat 24:51.)
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 46. With the unbelievers.] Or, rather, the unfaithful; . Persons who had the light and knowledge of God’s word, but made an improper use of the privileges they received. The persons mentioned here differ widely from unbelievers or infidels, viz. those who were in a state of heathenism, because they had not the revelation of the Most High: the latter knew not the will of God, Lu 12:48, and, though they acted against it, did not do it in obstinacy; the former knew that will, and daringly opposed it. They were unfaithful, and therefore heavily punished.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
46. cut him in sunderapunishment not unknown in the East; compare Heb11:37, “sawn asunder” (1Sa 15:33;Dan 2:5).
the unbelieverstheunfaithful, those unworthy of trust (Mt24:51), “the hypocrites,” falsely calling themselves”servants.”
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
The Lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him,…. For, not coming as was expected, he gives over looking, and concludes he will not come at all; in which he will find himself mistaken, for he will come in the very day which is appointed, though men know not of it, and do not look for it:
and at an hour when he is not aware; for as neither the day, nor hour of Christ’s coming are known to any man, it becomes men to look for it every day and hour, lest it come upon them unawares; as it will, on such evil servants before described, with whom it will go ill, as follows:
and will cut him in sunder, and appoint him his portion with unbelievers; whose portion is the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death, Re 21:8 and by these are meant, not only the Heathens, who never heard of Christ; nor the Jews only, who disbelieved the Messiah, and rejected him when he came; but all deists and atheists, who deny revelation; even all unbelievers of, and scoffers at the coming of Christ, and who put away the evil day far from them; compare with this Job 20:29,
[See comments on Mt 24:51].
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Shall cut him asunder (). An old and somewhat rare word from and that from and , to cut, to cut in two. Used literally here. In the N.T. only here and Mt 24:51.
With the unfaithful ( ). Not here “the unbelieving” though that is a common meaning of ( privative and , from ), but the unreliable, the untrustworthy. Here Mt 24:51 has “with the hypocrites,” the same point. The parallel with Mt 24:43-51 ends here. Mt 24:51 adds the saying about the wailing and the gnashing of teeth. Clearly there Luke places the parable of the wise steward in this context while Matthew has it in the great eschatological discourse. Once again we must either think that Jesus repeated the parable or that one of the writers has misplaced it. Luke alone preserves what he gives in verses Luke 12:47; Luke 12:48.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Unbelievers [] . Much better as Rev., the unfaithful; for it is of fidelity, not of faith, that Christ is speaking. Wyc., unfaithful men.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “The lord of that servant will come,” (eksei ho kurios tou doulou ekeinou) “The lord of that (kind of) servant will come,” the same lord who owned the faithful servant, and of the same house or household, the church, Luk 12:42-44.
2) “in a day when he looketh not for him,” (en hemera he ou prosdoka) “In a day in which he does not expect or anticipate,” in an unexpected moment, when he has deserted, neglected doing the service he was called, assigned, and allotted to do, while his master was away, Mar 13:34.
3) “And at an hour when he is not aware,” (kai en hora eh ou ginoskei) “And in an hour in which he does not know,” he is yet living, but not aware, has paid no attention to the call of the Lord, to be watching, Mar 13:35-37.
4) “And will cut him in sunder,” (kai dechotomeses auton) “And he will cut him loose,” from his trusty servant position, taking from him that position of trust he had, 2Jn 1:8-9; Luk 21:34-36.
5) “And will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.” (kai to meros autou meta ton aposton thesei) “And he will put, place, set or appoint his part or portion with those who do not believe;” Mat 24:51 says “hypocrites,” who were also unbelievers, put him out with the unbelievers, for The Tribulation The Great suffering that is to follow for some 42 months, after He comes to be glorified in His Saints, the church that looks for Him, 2Th 1:10-12; Heb 9:28. The portion of unbelievers, immediately after Jesus comes in the air, for His saints, is that period of The Tribulation The Great, when God pours out His judgment upon the earth upon: 1) The unbelieving Jews first, 2) The great whore, organized Ecumenism or world religions, known as the mother of harlots, 3) And perhaps all living believers, sorry servants, who did not look for or anticipate the coming of their Lord, while engaged in self pursuits, who may thereafter be beheaded for refusing to worship the beast, then he brought, thereafter, before the judgment seat of Christ, Luk 21:36; Heb 10:35-37; Rev 20:4.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(46) With the unbelievers.Better, perhaps, in a less technical sense, the unfaithful, the word affording sharp contrast with the faithful and wise steward of Luk. 12:42.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
46. Cut him in sunder The highest punishment here symbolized is inflicted on a certain class of sinners, (of whom the scribes and Pharisees, with whom his struggle now is, are the type,) who, having truth and knowledge in possession or in reach, not only neglect to avoid sin, but even persecute the righteous. But the question now arises: What becomes of those who know not, and have no revelation in reach? To that question the Lord now answers, laying down the law of proportionate retribution. For a discussion of this subject see our Work on THE WILL pp. 343-360.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
“The lord of that servant will come in a day when he does not expect, and in an hour when he does not know, and will cut him asunder, and appoint his portion with the unfaithful.”
But the slave is so foolish that he has forgotten that his lord might come at any time. And when suddenly his lord does come he is caught out with nowhere to hide. And his lord is so angry that he has him decapitated, and sends him to join the unbelieving. He has proved himself to be totally unworthy to even be in the household.
An alternative is that the verb ‘decapitated’ be given a gentler meaning of being ‘separated off’ from the other servants. His sentence may then be to be put in the dungeons or the equivalent along with other grossly unfaithful and rebellious slaves.
‘In a day — in an hour.’ These expressions are used fairly regularly in order to indicate the Lord’s second coming, compare Mar 13:32; Mat 25:13; Rev 9:15.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Luk 12:46. And cut him in sunder, See the note on Mat 24:51.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
46 The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him , and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.
Ver. 46. See Mat 24:46-51 .
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
at = in, as in preceding clause.
is not aware = knows not. App-132.
cut him in sunder. Compare Dan 2:5. Heb 11:37.
unbelievers = unfaithful.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Luk 12:46. , unbelievers) In antithesis to , believing or faithful, Luk 12:42. He who has a heart divided [between his Masters service and the indulgence of his own appetites], shall be himself divided [cut in sunder].
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
lord: Luk 12:19, Luk 12:20, Luk 12:40, Rev 16:15
cut him in sunder: or, cut him off, Psa 37:9, Psa 94:14
and will appoint: Job 20:29, Psa 11:5, Mat 7:22, Mat 7:23, Mat 13:41, Mat 13:42, Mat 13:49, Mat 13:50
the unbelievers: Mat 24:51
Reciprocal: 1Ki 22:27 – until I come in peace Job 21:17 – distributeth Job 23:12 – necessary food Pro 7:19 – he Pro 23:29 – Who hath woe Isa 1:28 – the destruction Isa 56:12 – I will Zec 11:16 – which Mal 1:14 – cursed Mat 25:6 – at Luk 21:34 – that day Joh 15:22 – they Rom 1:18 – who hold 1Co 5:11 – or a drunkard Eph 6:9 – knowing Phi 3:19 – end Heb 4:1 – any 1Pe 5:8 – sober Rev 2:5 – else
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Verse 46
He will cut him in sunder, and appoint him, &c. These words strongly express the idea of utter ruin and destruction.