Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Luke 14:8
When thou art bidden of any [man] to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honorable man than thou be bidden of him;
8. to a wedding ] The term is used generally for any great feast; but perhaps our Lord here adopted it to make His lesson less immediately personal.
a more honourable man than thou ] Php 2:3, “in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.”
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Art bidden – Are invited.
To a wedding – A wedding was commonly attended with a feast or banquet.
The highest room – The seat at the table nearest the head.
A more honourable man – A more aged man, or a man of higher rank. It is to be remarked that our Saviour did not consider the courtesies of life to be beneath his notice. His chief design here was, no doubt, to reprove the pride and ambition of the Pharisees; but, in doing it, he teaches us that religion does not violate the courtesies of life. It does not teach us to be rude, forward, pert, assuming, and despising the proprieties of refined social contact. It teaches humility and kindness, and a desire to make all happy, and a willingness to occupy our appropriate situation and rank in life; and this is true politeness, for true politeness is a desire to make all others happy, and a readiness to do whatever is necessary to make them so. They have utterly mistaken the nature of religion who suppose that because they are professed Christians, they must be rude and uncivil, and violate all the distinctions in society. The example and precepts of Jesus Christ were utterly unlike such conduct. He teaches us to be kind, and to treat people according to their rank and character. Compare Mat 22:21; Rom 13:7; 1Pe 2:17.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Two or three moral instructions we have in this parable.
1. That the law of Christ justifieth none in any rudeness and incivility.
2. That the disciples of Christ ought to have a regard to their reputation, to do nothing they may be ashamed of.
3. That it is according to the will of God, that honour should be given to those to whom honour belongeth; that the more honourable persons should sit in the more honourable places.
Grace gives men no exterior preference; though it makes men all glorious, yet it is within. But the more spiritual instruction (for which our Saviour put forth this parable) is in Luk 14:11. Our Saviour had but now, in the sight of these Pharisees, cured a man of a bodily dropsy; he is now attempting a cure of the spiritual dropsy of pride in their souls. He had before denounced a woe against the Pharisees for loving the uppermost seats in the synagogues, Luk 11:43, and told us, Mat 23:6, that they loved the uppermost rooms at feasts, and possibly he might at this feast see something of it. He therefore applies his discourse by pressing upon them humility, and showing them the danger of pride, which though it be a vice seated in the heart, yet by such little things discovereth itself in the outward conversation. He tells them, that God is such an enemy to pride, that he ordinarily so ordereth it in the government of the world, that usually self-exalting people are by one means or other abused, and brought to shame and contempt, and those that are low in their own eyes are exalted; and if it doth not so fall out here, yet this will be what will at the last day befall them, in the day of Gods righteous judgment.
See Poole on “Mat 23:12“. We shall meet with the same again, Luk 18:14.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
8. weddingand seating thyselfat the wedding feast. Our Lord avoids the appearance ofpersonality by this delicate allusion to a different kind ofentertainment than this of his host [BENGEL].
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding,…. To a wedding dinner, or to any other; such an one as the present entertainment was, which was not a marriage feast, for they might not marry on the sabbath day; [See comments on Joh 2:1] but a common sabbath meal:
sit not down in the highest room: in the chief place at table, as soon as come in:
lest a more honourable man; for age, office, dignity, wisdom, learning, or riches:
than thou be bidden of him: the master of the feast; and who may not yet be come, and for whom the chief place may be designed, and will better suit him.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Sit not down ( ). First aorist (ingressive) passive subjunctive of , to recline. Old verb, but peculiar to Luke in the N.T. (Luke 7:36; Luke 9:14; Luke 14:8; Luke 24:30).
Be bidden ( ). Periphrastic perfect passive subjunctive of after .
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Wedding. More properly, marriage – feast.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding,” (hotan klethes hupo tinos eis gamous) “When you personally are invited by anyone into wedding festivities,” a wedding feast, perhaps a little more formal one than this feast was, to avoid too severe or cutting a rebuke from the host, Luk 14:1.
2) “Sit not down in the highest room;” (me kataklithes eis ten protoklisian) “Do not recline in the first place of honor seat,” with presumptuous pride, self-exaltation, Luk 14:11; Luk 18:14. For such behavior is a sin of presumption, Num 15:30; Psa 19:13; 2Pe 2:10.
3) “Lest a more honorable man than thou,” (mepote entimoteros sou) “Lest someone who is more honorable than you are,” more worthy of honor or respect, because of the position of service he renders, or his character of life.
4) “Be bidden of him;” (e keklemenos hup’ autou) “Be there (appear) arrives late, who has been invited by him,” by the host, without your knowledge.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(8) Sit not down.Literally, recline not.
Lest a more honourable man than thou . . .The words imply that the common practice was for the guests to seat themselves; then, as in the parable of the wedding garment (Mat. 22:11), the host came in to see the guests.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
8. A wedding The Greek term had become applicable to any feast.
Highest room See note on Mat 23:6. Which was the most honourable place was decided, by custom, differently among different nations. Among the Greeks and Romans each couch was a triclinium, or triple seat; of the three the holder of the middle place was the most honourable; and the triclinium of the host at the head of the table was the most honourable among the couches. It would seem that among the Jews the host did not, as among us, assign the place, and quarrels among the guests about the precedence were very common.
A more honourable man Whose dignity perhaps induces him to come in late, and by his coming attract the general attention to his importance.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
“When you are invited by any man to a marriage feast, do not sit down in the chief seat, lest it chance that a more honourable man than you be invited by him,”
Jesus instances a marriage feast. This is because a marriage feast would be more formal and the placing of guests tightly controlled. But it was also so that they might recognise in it a reference to the coming ‘Messianic feast’. The Rabbis regularly taught by telling stories which at first appeared to have a single simple meaning, but which on further examination actually contained hidden references. Thus they would always be looking for deeper meanings in stories.
Jesus’ warning was against being overly self-important. When they went to such a feast, and especially when they thought of the possibility of the great final feast with God, they should not think in terms of the chief seats. This would only make them arrogant. And the consequence might well be that they found that others who were considered to be more important came along, and it would be discovered that they had taken their seats. There is a great danger for us all that we consider ourselves more important than we are.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
8 When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him;
Ver. 8. When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding ] When should a man rather feast than at the recovery of his lost rib?
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
8. ] The whole of this has, besides its plain reference, a deeper one , linked into it by the pregnant word , relating to the Kingdom of God . Both meanings are obvious, and only one remark needed; that all that false humility, by which men put themselves lowest and dispraise themselves of set purpose to be placed higher , is, by the very nature of our Lord’s parable, excluded: for that is not bona fide . The exaltation at the hands of the Host is not to be a subjective end to the guests, but will follow true humility.
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Luk 14:8 . , a marriage feast, here representing all great social functions at which ambition for distinction is called into play. : this does not necessarily denote one of known superior social standing, but may mean simply one held in more honour by the host (Hahn).
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
of = by. Greek hupo. App-104. Not the same word as in verses: Luk 14:28, Luk 14:33.
to. Greek. eis. App-104.
a wedding = wedding feast.
sit = recline.
not. Greek me. App-105. Not the same word as in verses: Luk 14:5, Luk 14:6, Luk 14:14, Luk 5:20, Luk 5:26, Luk 5:27, Luk 5:28, Luk 5:30.
in. Greek. eis. App-104.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
8.] The whole of this has, besides its plain reference, a deeper one, linked into it by the pregnant word , relating to the Kingdom of God. Both meanings are obvious, and only one remark needed;-that all that false humility, by which men put themselves lowest and dispraise themselves of set purpose to be placed higher, is, by the very nature of our Lords parable, excluded: for that is not bona fide . The exaltation at the hands of the Host is not to be a subjective end to the guests, but will follow true humility.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Luk 14:8. , to a wedding-feast) There was no wedding then going forward; therefore this element is introduced into the parable for the sake of treating of social civic life.-, not) comp. Pro 25:6-7 [Stand not in the place of great men: for better it is that it be said unto thee, Come up hither, than that thou shouldest be put lower in the presence of the prince]. Each man knows his own calling, not that of all others.- ) in the highest seat. To this, which is in the singular, there corresponds the word , one more honourable, and , the lowest place. The proud man sets himself before not merely some men, but all men; Psa 10:4-5.-) This in the parable marks one esteemed more honourable among men (LXX., Num 22:15): and at the same time one who is esteemed, in the main aim of his life, more precious in the sight of God, even though sometimes coming [to the heavenly feast] somewhat late. Moreover, the humble man esteems all others more precious and honourable than himself. Comp. Sir 10:7 to Sir 11:6, in the Greek.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
When: That there were among the Jews of these times many disputes about seats at banquets, we learn both from Josephus and the Rabbis; nor were these matters unattended to by the Greeks and Romans. Similar admonitions to this of our Lord, also occur in the Rabbinical writers. Rabbi Akiba said, Go two or three seats lower than the place that belongs to thee, and sit there till they say unto to thee, Go up higher; but do not take the uppermost seat, lest they say unto thee, Come down: for it is better they should say unto thee, Go up, go up than they should say, Go down, go down. Pro 25:6, Pro 25:7
Reciprocal: 2Sa 15:4 – Oh that I Est 2:18 – made a great Pro 11:2 – pride
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him;
[Sit not down in the highest room.] They were ambitious of the ‘highest room’ in honour of their wisdom. “There were three persons invited to a feast, a prince, a wise man, and an ordinary person: the wise man sat next to the prince. Being asked by the king why he did so; he answered, ‘Because I am a wise man.’ ” “Janneus the king sitting at table with some of the nobles of Persia, Simeon Ben Shetah, that had been invited, placed himself betwixt the king and queen. Being asked, why so; he answered, ‘In the book of Ben Sirah it was written, Exalt Wisdom, and she shall exalt thee, and make thee to sit among princes.'”
It is much such advice as this of our Saviour’s that is given us in Pro 25:7; upon which place we have this passage: “R. Aquila, in the name of R. Simeon Ben Azzai, thus expounds it: ‘Go back from thy place two or three seats, and there sit, that they may say unto thee, Go up higher,’ ” etc.
Fuente: Lightfoot Commentary Gospels
Luk 14:8. To a marriage feast. The greatest festivity, where questions of place were (and are still) considered of most importance. The figure suggests a reference to the feast of the kingdom of God, but this is not the primary thought. Our Lord immediately after represents the class whom He is now addressing as invited to that feast, but not attending it (Luk 14:18). The mention of an ordinary feast might have made the rebuke too pointed.
More honorable, etc. Such an one would be entitled to the higher place, and at a wedding would obtain it, as the next verse shows. But this result is not the main reason for not taking the highest place.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Verse 8
To a wedding; a wedding feast.–Room; place.
Fuente: Abbott’s Illustrated New Testament
Jesus’ teaching from here on in this section centers on the concept of being invited (called, Gr. kaleo, Luk 14:8 [twice], 9, 10 [twice], 12 [twice], 13, 16, 17, 24).
The meal in the Pharisee’s house was not a wedding feast. Jesus used that type of banquet in His parable because He was speaking of the messianic banquet at the beginning of the kingdom. Then Israel would unite with her Messiah. Evidently Jesus’ point was that the Jews present should learn a spiritual lesson about the kingdom from the simple social situation He described. Everyone realized that seeking a prominent place for oneself at a banquet could lead to personal embarrassment. Jesus’ hearers were to learn from this not to seek prominence for themselves but to humble themselves. In relation to the kingdom this meant being willing to forego present prominence, which the Pharisees so desired, and humbling oneself by associating with Jesus as a disciple. The implication was that those who so humbled themselves now would experience exaltation by God in the kingdom when it began (Luk 14:11).
The reason one should humble himself is that someone else has invited him. He is a guest, not the host. Jesus further stressed this dependent relationship by using passive verbs. This was not only to avoid direct reference to God out of respect but to present God as the exalted host. A person’s position in the kingdom depends on God, not on his own self-seeking.