Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Luke 14:2
And, behold, there was a certain man before him which had the dropsy.
2. And behold, there was a certain man before him, which had the dropsy ] The verse represents with inimitable vividness the flash of recognition with which the Lord at once grasped the whole meaning of the scene. The dropsical man was not one of the guests; he stood as though by accident in the promiscuous throng which may always enter an Oriental house during a meal. But his presence was no accident. The dropsy is an unsightly, and was regarded as an incurable, disease. The Pharisaic plot had therefore been concocted with that complex astuteness which marks in other instances (Luk 20:19-38; Joh 8:5) also the deadliness of their purpose. They argued (i) that He could not ignore the presence of a man conspicuously placed in front of Him; (ii) that perhaps He might fail .in the cure of a disease exceptionally inveterate; (iii) that if He did heal the man on the Sabbath day there would be room for another charge before the synagogue or the Sanhedrin. One element which kindled our Lord’s indignation against the Pharisees for these crafty schemes was the way in which they made a mere tool of human misery and human shame.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
A certain man before him – In what way he came there we know not. He might have been one of the Pharisees family, or might have been placed there by the Pharisees to see whether he would heal him. This last supposition is not improbable, since it is said in Luk 14:1 that they watched him.
The dropsy – A disease produced by the accumulation of water in various parts of the body; very distressing, and commonly incurable.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 2. The dropsy.] , dropsical; from , water, and , the countenance, because in this disorder the face of the patient is often very much bloated. Probably the insidious Pharisee had brought this dropsical man to the place, not doubting that our Lord’s eye would affect his heart, and that he would instantly cure him; and then he could most plausibly accuse him for a breach of the Sabbath. If this were the case, and it is likely, how deep must have been the perfidy and malice of the Pharisee!
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
2. man before himnot one ofthe company, since this was apparently before the guests satdown, and probably the man came in hope of a cure, though notexpressly soliciting it [DEWETTE].
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And behold, there was a certain man before him,…. Who sat just before him, as he was at table; who either came there of himself, in order to receive a cure; or rather, since it was in a private house, and he at table too, was brought and set there on purpose by the Pharisees, to try whether Christ would heal him on the sabbath day, that they might have somewhat against him; which they doubted not but he would do, knowing his compassionate and beneficent disposition to do good to creatures in distress, whenever he had an opportunity:
which had the dropsy: or “gathered waters”, as the Syriac version renders it; was filled with water, which is the nature of that disease, and distinguishes it from what is called the dry dropsy: this disease is a preternatural collection of serum, or water in some part of the body; or a too great proportion thereof in the blood. The “dropsy” acquires different names, from the different parts it afflicts, or the different parts the waters are collected in; that of the “abdomen”, or lower belly, called simply and absolutely “dropsy”, is particularly denominated “ascites”; that of the whole habit of the body, “anasarca”, or “leucophlegmatia”; that of the head, “hydrocephalus”; that of the scrotum, “hydrocele”.—There is also a species of this disease, supposed to be caused instead of water, by a collection of wind, called “tympanites”; and by Hippocrates, the “dry dropsy”: we also meet with dropsies of the breast, pericardium, uterus, ovaries, c. The causes of dropsies in general, are whatever may obstruct the serous part of the blood, so as to make it stagnate in the vessels or burst the vessels themselves, so as to let the blood out among the membranes; or weaken and relax the tone of the vessels; or this the blood, and make it watery; or lessen perspiration. These causes are various, viz. sometimes acute diseases, scirrhous tumours of any of the more noble viscera, excessive evacuations, particularly haemorrhages, hard drinking, c. The “ascites”, or “water dropsy” of the “abdomen”, is the most usual case, and what we particularly call the “dropsy”: its symptoms are tumours, first of the feet and legs, and afterwards of the “abdomen.” which keep continually growing and if the belly be struck or shook, there is heard a quashing of water: add to this, three other attendants, viz. a dyspnoea, intense thirst, and sparing urine; with which may be numbered heaviness, listlessness, costiveness, a light fever, and an emaciation of the body i. Such we must suppose to be the case of this man, and that he was now in such a condition, as to be thought incurable.
i Chamber’s Cyclopaedia on the word “Dropsy”.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Which had the dropsy (). Late and medical word from (water), one who has internal water (). Here only in the N.T. and only example of the disease healed by Jesus and recorded.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Which had the dropsy [] . Lit., a dropsical man. The usual way of marking a dropsical patient in medical language.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “And, behold, there was a certain man,” (kai idou anthropos tis en) “And behold (take note) that there was a certain man,” a particular man with dropsy, apparently there not as a guest, but planted there by the Pharisees so that he would be right in sight of Jesus.
2) “Before him which had the dropsy.” (hudropikos emprosthen autou) “Before him who was a dropsical,” who had a heart illness known as dropsy, causing water in parts of the body. The phrase “before him,” means literally “right in His (Jesus’) face,” evidently to see what Jesus would do about it. Yet, Jesus knew what was in their deceitful hearts, Joh 2:24-25.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(2) A certain man before him which had the dropsy.This is the only miracle of the kind recorded in the Gospels. The term which St. Luke uses is strictly technical (hydropikos), and we may fairly see in the narrative another illustration of his professional character. He, more than others, had been led to specific inquiries as to the nature of the diseases which our Lord had healed. (See Introduction.) The man may have been an invited guest, or the feast may have been one of the semi-public ones in which the richer Pharisees displayed their hospitality.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
2. And behold As if it were a sudden and unexpected object.
A certain man How he came there Luke was not very likely to be informed; especially if, as some plausibly think, he was put there for the occasion by the treacherous Pharisees.
Before him As Jesus sat perhaps on the divan before the company had taken seats at the table. For it was, probably, that strife for precedence at the table which called forth the lesson from our Lord which follows.
Dropsy A disease in which the body or some part of it is filled with water; most usually the abdomen. It is attended with difficulty of breathing, intense thirst, and diminished urine. The body is emaciated, feverish, and feeble, and the spirit despondent. In some cases it is held incurable.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘And behold, there was before him a certain man that had the dropsy.’
There before Him Jesus saw a plain case of a man with the dropsy. This was a horrible disease in which water under the skin made the skin sag and ‘drop’. It meant that his limbs and tissues were swollen with excess body fluids. It was a condition that was understandably associated with uncleanness and immorality. Man has always been disposed to blame other people’s problems on the people themselves, although never applying such a criterion to their own situation.
‘And behold.’ This may be intended to indicate that his presence was a surprise and purely circumstantial.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Luk 14:2. There was a certain man before him He was either set before him by way of a snare, or had conveyed himself thither in hopes of a cure, which is the most probable; for it appears from Luk 14:4 that he was not one of the family, because Christ dismissed or let him go.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
2 And, behold, there was a certain man before him which had the dropsy.
Ver. 2. A certain man before him ] A fit object, and that was sufficient to move him to mercy, who himself, by sympathy, took our infirmities and bare our sicknesses.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
2. ] . ., not as a guest: see Luk 14:4 , and compare ch. Luk 7:37 , and note on ib. Luk 7:45 . . . , . Euthym [95] It does not appear, though it is certainly possible, that he was set there by the Pharisees on purpose . This was before the meal ( Luk 14:7 ).
[95] Euthymius Zigabenus, 1116
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Luk 14:2-6 . ( ): here only in N.T., a solitary instance of this disease among the healing acts of Jesus. No conceivable reason for its being mentioned except that it was a fact. , before Him, so that He could not fail to see him; bow there as guest, as brought by the Pharisees to tempt Jesus, come there of his own motion in hope to be cured, though not asking out of reverence for the Sabbath and in fear of its strict guardians (Euthy. Zig.) not indicated.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
behold. Figure of speech Asterismos. App-6.
man (App-123.1) . . . which had the dropsy = dropsical (a medical term). Occurs only here.
before Him. Not one of the guests.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
2.] . ., not as a guest: see Luk 14:4, and compare ch. Luk 7:37, and note on ib. Luk 7:45. . . , . Euthym[95] It does not appear, though it is certainly possible, that he was set there by the Pharisees on purpose. This was before the meal (Luk 14:7).
[95] Euthymius Zigabenus, 1116
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Luk 14:2. , a man in the dropsy) who was brought hither for this very reason.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
2
Sure enough, there was a man in the group who was afflicted with dropsy. That word is from HY-DROPS, meaning “water.” It is related to the word from which we get our English word “hydrant.”
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Luk 14:2. A certain man who had the dropsy Evidently this incident took place before the meal (Luk 14:7). The man was not a guest (Luk 14:4), and was possibly placed there by the Pharisees, with a view to entangle our Lord.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
The text does not say that the host had planted the sick man among his guests to test Jesus, but that seems likely. Luke’s description of the man’s presence implies that. Luke said: there he was in front of Jesus. The name of the man’s disease is misleading. Dropsy (Gr. hudropikos, edema) is a condition that causes the body to swell up due to the accumulation of fluid in the body tissue or the body cavities. It often results from a faulty heart or kidneys. [Note: Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, s.v. "Diseases of the Bible," by R. H. Pousma, 2:134.] The rabbis regarded this disease as the result of immorality. [Note: Marshall, The Gospel . . ., p. 579.]