Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Luke 13:16
And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?
16. ought not ] Our Saviour gives him back his own word “ought but the man’s ought had been one of ceremonial obligation, and the ought of Jesus was founded on the divine necessity of love.
being a daughter of Abraham ] See Luk 19:9.
whom Satan hath bound ] Compare 2Co 12:7.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
A daughter of Abraham – A descendant of Abraham. See the notes at Mat 1:1. She was therefore a Jewess; and the ruler of the synagogue, professing a special regard for the Jewish people, considering them as especially favored of God, should have rejoiced that she was loosed from this infirmity.
Whom Satan hath bound – Satan is the name given to the prince or leader of evil spirits, called also the devil, Beelzebub, and the old serpent, Mat 12:24; Rev 12:9; Rev 20:2. By his binding her is meant that he had inflicted this disease upon her. It was not properly a possession of the devil, for that commonly produced derangement; but God had suffered him to afflict her in this manner, similar to the way in which he was permitted to try Job. See the notes at Job 1:12; Job 2:6-7. It is no more improbable that God would suffer Satan to inflict pain, than that he would suffer a wicked man to do it; yet nothing is more common than for one man to be the occasion of bringing on a disease in another which may terminate only with the life. He that seduces a virtuous man and leads him to intemperance, or he that wounds him or strikes him, may disable him as much as Satan did this woman. If God permits it in one case, he may, for the same reason, in another.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
16. ought not, &c.Howgloriously the Lord vindicates the superior claims of this woman, inconsideration of the sadness and long duration of her suffering, andof her dignity notwithstanding, as an heir of the promise!
Lu13:18-30. MISCELLANEOUSTEACHINGS.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham,…. Not only a woman, or rational creature, and much preferable, as such, to an irrational one; but a descendant of Abraham, of whom the Jews gloried, and in descent from him prided themselves, and trusted; and chose to call their women by this name w, which gave them a character above others: and who, besides all this, was doubtless a good woman, a spiritual worshipper of the God of Israel; who, in a spiritual sense, was a daughter of Abraham, that walked in the steps of his faith, and was now a believer in Christ, and appeared to be a chosen vessel of salvation:
whom Satan hath bound, lo these eighteen years; with a bodily distemper that none could loose her from in so long a time. The Persic version, very wrongly, reads “twelve years”; though in
Lu 13:11 it observes the right number.
Should not such an one be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day? the force of Christ’s reasoning is this, that if it was lawful, on a sabbath day, to lead out a beast to watering, to quench its thirst, that so it may not suffer so much as one day for want of water, how much more reasonable must it be, that a rational creature, one of Abraham’s posterity, and a religious person, who had been for eighteen years under a sore affliction, through the power of Satan over her, by divine permission, should be freed from so long and sore an affliction on the sabbath day? if mercy is to be shown to beasts, much more to men and women.
w T. Bab. Cetubot, fol. 72. 2. Tzeror Hammor, fol. 109. 1.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Daughter of Abraham ( ). Triple argument, human being and not an ox or ass, woman, daughter of Abraham (Jewess), besides being old and ill.
Ought not ( ). Imperfect active. Of necessity. Jesus simply had to heal her even if on the sabbath.
Whom Stan bound ( ). Definite statement that her disease was due to Satan.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Satan. ” True to its principle of contrast, this book gives Satan a prominent position (Abbot). See ch. Luk 4:13; Luk 10:18; Luk 22:3, 31. See Introduction.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “And ought not this woman,” (tauten de) “Then this woman (ouk edei) did it not become her,” or was it not proper toward her, a repetition of the synagogue rulers “ought not”, complaint of Luk 13:14.
2) “Being a daughter of Abraham,” (thugatera Abraam ousan) “Being or existing as a daughter of Abraham,” a Jewish woman, long demon bound, away from God, Luk 19:9; Rom 4:12-16.
3) “Whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years,” (hen edesen ho santanas idou deka kai okto ete) “Whom Satan, take note, has bound these eighteen years,” Luk 13:11; Luk 22:3; Luk 22:31. Note, your beasts you all loose after a few hours. But this woman has been bound for 18 years; Yet you find fault with my help of this daughter of Abraham!
4) “Be loosed from this bond of the sabbath day (luthenai apo tou desmou toutou te hemera tou sabbatou) “To be loosed or released from this bond (of infirmity) or malady on the sabbath day?” Tell your neighbors, her relatives you think she is worth less than your oxen and asses, if you please. That is your warped fruitless, merciless, ceremonial judgment of the whole matter, See? Mar 7:3-9. But Jesus compassionately released her from Satan, the great slave-holder, 2Co 4:3-4.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(16) Whom Satan hath bound.The words imply the belief that there was another source than mere bodily disease for the infirmityin part, at least, the belief that all diseaseor very many forms of itis directly or indirectly traceable to the power of the Enemy. So St. Pauls thorn in the fleshassuming it to be some sharp bodily sufferingis the messenger of Satan. (See Note on 2Co. 12:7.)
It is obvious that this narrative would have for one like St. Luke a special interest over and above that which like narratives had for the other Evangelists. We can scarcely fail to think of the beloved physician as practising his art for the good of men, his brothers, on the Sabbath, as on other days. In doing so he would doubtless be met, on the part of Jews and Judaisers, with words like those of the ruler of the synagogue, There are six days on which men ought to work; do thy work of healing on them. For such a one it would be a comfort unspeakable to be able to point to our Lords words and acts as sanctioning his own practice.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
“And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan had bound, lo, these eighteen years, to have been loosed from this bond on the day of the sabbath?”
So if they were willing to loose domestic animals on the Sabbath day so as to water them (not a life threatening condition as other provision could have been made), why did they cavil at Jesus for loosing from her tether a woman who had been bound for eighteen years, who was of far greater worth than a domestic animal as she was a daughter of Abraham (a full Jewess)?
‘Daughter of Abraham’ may well indicate that He was asserting that she was a godly woman, something that some may have doubted because of her condition. See Luk 3:8 where children of Abraham signifies those who claim to be in the right with God. Was it not right then to also loose her on the Sabbath?
‘Eighteen years’. This was three times six. Possibly He was saying that they should recognise that she had completed not just ‘six days’ but six years, three times over, and had not been loosed on any of them, because they were unable to loose her, and thus it was right that at last she be loosed by God on the ‘seventh’ day, the Sabbath, on a day when God was at work.
‘Loosed.’ Compare Luk 4:18. This example was probably chosen to be the centrepiece of this section in which the word of deliverance and the Kingly Rule of God is in mind precisely because it illustrated so well Jesus’ commission to ‘loose the captives’ and to ‘loose those who are oppressed’.
It should be noted that Jesus does not just defend His healing on the Sabbath, but seems to suggest that it was right that it happen on the Sabbath. This might be seen as confirming that to Him the Sabbath pointed forward to the ‘rest’ of the people of God into which He wanted all to enter. It was thus the most suitable day for healing and revealing the compassion of God. After all Satan had still been at work in the woman on the Sabbath day. Was he then to have it as his sole preserve?
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
16 And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?
Ver. 16. Whom Satan hath bound ] So he held Job in captivity, Job 42:10 , by afflicting his body, buffeting his soul for a year together, say the Hebrews; for seven years, saith Suidas.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
16. ] The contrast is strongly drawn between a dumb animal , and (not merely a human creature, but) a daughter of Abraham one of the chosen people (I cannot see any necessity for a spiritual daughtership ( Gal 3:7 ) being here implied), between a few hours , since the last watering, and ‘lo these eighteen years ’ (compare Luk 13:7 , . .)
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Luk 13:16 . The case of the woman described so as to suggest a parallel and contrast: a daughter of Abraham versus an ox or ass; bound by Satan , not merely by a chain round the neck; for eighteen years, not for a few hours. The contrast the basis of a strong a fortiori argument. The reply is thoroughly in the spirit of Jesus, and the whole incident, though peculiar to Lk., is a credible reminiscence of His ministry; whether placed in its true historical setting is a matter of minor moment.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
ought. The same word as the ruler’s, but as an Interrogative. The former was based on ceremonial law; the Lord’s, on the necessity of Divine love.
daughter. Put by Figure of speech Synecdoche (of Species), App-6. for descendant.
lo. Greek. idou. App-133. Same as Behold, Luk 13:7.
bond. See note on Mar 7:35.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
16.] The contrast is strongly drawn-between a dumb animal, and (not merely a human creature, but) a daughter of Abraham-one of the chosen people (I cannot see any necessity for a spiritual daughtership (Gal 3:7) being here implied),-between a few hours, since the last watering, and lo these eighteen years (compare Luk 13:7, . .)
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Luk 13:16. , a daughter of Abraham) not merely a daughter of Adam. There is a strong antithesis to the beast of burden (the ox or the ass). Christ brought salvation to all the children of Abraham: they who remained without share in it had themselves to blame. Comp. as to Zaccheus, ch. Luk 19:9.- eighteen years ago. The nominative. So the LXX. according to the Aldine copy, in Jos 1:11, [Al. -]. A specimen of the omniscience of Jesus Christ: The Lord knew all about the cause of the disease, and its duration, which seems not to have been made known to Him previously by any outward means of information. , Deu 8:4.- , ought not, was it not fitting?) The argument holds good, both when drawn from the daily necessary wants of the beast, Luk 13:15, and also when drawn from any sudden danger into which it may fall, ch. Luk 14:5. Nor is it permitted one to make the objection: But the human being, who has been sick for so many years, may wait some few hours until the end of the Sabbath; for not even in the case of the beast is the case one of the extremest necessity, and yet help is given to the beast; and in the case of a human beings affliction, where there is the opportunity of getting or giving aid, even an hour is of great importance, when first the patient and the physician meet one another.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
being: Luk 3:8, Luk 16:24, Luk 19:9, Act 13:26, Rom 4:12-16
whom: Luk 13:11, Joh 8:44, 2Ti 2:26
be loosed: Luk 13:12, Mar 2:27
Reciprocal: Psa 41:8 – An evil disease Mar 2:28 – General Mar 9:21 – How Luk 8:43 – twelve Joh 5:5 – thirty Act 9:33 – which 2Co 12:7 – the messenger Rev 12:9 – and Satan
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
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Satan hath bound. The devil has supernatural power when God suffers him to exert it. The reader should see the comments on this subject at Exo 8:16-19, in volume 1 of the Old Testament Commentary. Yet there is no evidence that the present case of infirmity was a direct act of Satan. Diseases are in the world because of the sin of Adam, and it was the devil who induced him and his wife to commit it and thus bring disease and death into the world.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Luk 13:16. And ought not. They were hypocrites, because they perceived the necessity in the case of the beast, but heartlessly denied it in the case of the poor woman. The contrast is marked. In the one case a dumb animal, in the other a woman, who was moreover a daughter of Abraham, one of the covenant people of God, the God of the Sabbath. The reference to her being a spiritual daughter of Abraham is not at all certain. The animal is represented as bound by a master aware of its necessities, this woman was bound by Satan. Ordinary infirmity would scarcely be thus described; some kind of possession is asserted by our Lord. In the case of the animal but a few hours would have passed since the last watering the woman had been bound for eighteen years.