Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Luke 19:40
And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.
40. the stones would immediately cry out ] There seems to be an allusion to the passage “For the stone shall cry out of the wall,” which occurs amid denunciations of destruction on covetousness and cruelty in Hab 2:11.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
The stones would …cry out – It is proper that they should celebrate my coming. Their acclamations ought not to be suppressed. So joyful is the event which they celebrate – the coming of the Messiah – that it is not fit that I should attempt to impose silence on them. The expression here seems to be proverbial, and is not to be taken literally. Proverbs are designed to express the truth strongly, but are not to be taken to signify as much as if they were to be interpreted literally. The sense is, that his coming was an event of so much importance that it ought to be celebrated in some way, and would be celebrated. It would be impossible to restrain the people, and improper to attempt it. The language here is strong proverbial language to denote that fact. We are not to suppose, therefore, that our Saviour meant to say that the stones were conscious of his coming, or that God would make them speak, but only that there was great joy among the people; that it was proper that they should express it in this manner, and that it was not fit that he should attempt to repress it.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 40. If these should hold their peace, the stones would – cry out.] Of such importance is my present conduct to you and to others, being expressly predicted by one of your own prophets, Zec 9:9, as pointing out the triumph of humility over pride, and of meekness over rage and malice, as signifying the salvation which I bring to the lost souls of men, that, if this multitude were silent, God would give even to the stones a voice, that the advent of the Messiah might be duly celebrated.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
40. the stones, c.Hithertothe Lord had discouraged all demonstrations in His favor latterly Hehad begun an opposite course; on this one occasion He seems toyield His whole soul to the wide and deep acclaim with a mysterioussatisfaction, regarding it as so necessary a part of the regaldignity in which as Messiah He for this last time entered the city,that if not offered by the vast multitude, it would have been wrungout of the stones rather than be withheld (Hab2:11).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And he answered and said unto them, I tell you,…. As a truth, which may be depended on, and you may be assured of; this he spake with great earnestness, fervour, and courage:
that if these should hold their peace; be silent, and not sing the praises of God, and ascribe glory to him, and profess the Messiah, and make this public acknowledgment of him:
the stones would immediately cry out; either against them, or in a declaration of the Messiah: by which expression our Lord means, that it was impossible it should be otherwise; it would be intolerable if it was not; and rather than it should not be, God, who is able out of stones to raise up children to Abraham, would make the stones speak, or turn stones into men, who should rise up and praise the Lord, and confess the Messiah; hereby commending his disciples, and tacitly reflecting upon the Pharisees, for their stupidity; and also giving a hint of the conversion of the Gentiles, who might be compared to stones, especially in the opinion of the Jews.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
If these shall hold their peace ( ). A condition of the first class, determined as fulfilled. The use of rather than cuts no figure in the case (see Acts 8:31; 1Thess 3:8; 1John 5:15). The kind of condition is determined by the mode which is here indicative. The future tense by its very nature does approximate the aorist subjunctive, but after all it is the indicative.
The stones will cry out ( ). A proverb for the impossible happening.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Comments.
1) “And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that,” (kai apokritheis eipen lego humin) “And responding he said, I tell you all,” you objecting Pharisees, you long seared, practicing hypocrites Mat 3:7; Mar 7:5-7. Heretofore Jesus had discouraged demonstrations in honor of Him, but not this time.
2) “If these should hold their peace,” (ean houti siopesousin) “If these should (become) silent,” withhold their Hosanna shouting testimonies of me, they would be hypocrites like you all are, claiming to be believers in and followers of the law and the prophets, all of whom prophesied of me, Deu 18:15-18; Act 10:43.
3) “The stones would immediately cry out.” (hoi lithos kraksousin) “The stones (themselves) will cry out,” in praise and glory to God; A statement similar to this was spoken by John the Baptist to them earlier, Mat 3:9. The words were certainly metaphoric and proverbial in nature, Hab 2:11. And they did, when later one stone was not left upon another, Luk 19:44.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(40) If these should hold their peace.Here, then, at the very moment when He foresaw most clearly His own approaching end, and the failure of all earthly hopes of the city over which He wept, our Lord accepted every word that disciples or multitude had uttered of Him as being in the fullest sense true.
The stones would immediately cry out.The startling imagery had a precedent in the language of Habakkuk (Hab. 2:11), The stone shall cry out of the wall, and the beam out of the timber shall answer it.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
40. If these should hold their peace The proud Pharisees had sullenly left to these disciples the office of celebrating this advent, and now the grumblers would even have them silenced. But if at a crisis so intense, so awful, even these should hush, and no human voice should welcome the Prince, we might expect that God would literally shame the hard hearts and base spirits of men by making the very stones upon which they trod utter voices and cry out.
The wail of Jesus over Jerusalem,
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘And he answered and said, “I tell you that, if these hold their peace, the stones will cry out.” ’
Jesus’ reply was simple and striking. If these men held their peace, the very stones would be constrained to cry out. It was an indication that there was One here Whom creation recognised (compare how the storm obeyed His word – Luk 8:24 – and how the unbroken ass’s colt obeyed His will and retained its calm amidst the maddened crowd). We can compare with this Luk 3:8 where John declared that if need be God could raise up from the stones children to Abraham. There is the same general idea. What is happening is of God, and if necessary God could supplement it through a new work of creation using the very stones of the ground.
Alternately Jesus may have had in mind Hab 2:11 where the stones would cry out against what was shameful, indicating that it would indeed be shameful if the people did not cry out to welcome Him.
But in view of what immediately follows it is probable that there is also an indirect reference to when the stones will cry out as they are left in a tangled mess after the destruction of the Temple (Luk 21:6). His words were thus another parable from which each was to read what they would, and which would have deeper meaning in the future.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Luk 19:40. The stones would immediately cry out. This may signify either that God would by miracle raise up others to glorify his name; rather than silence should be kept on this occasion; or that it was a thing altogether impossible, without the exercise of irresistible power, to make the multitude hold their peace. See on Matth. iii
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
DISCOURSE: 1567
OUR DUTY TOWARDS THE LORD JESUS CHRIST
Luk 19:40. I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.
THE exercise of the affections is not only approved, but applauded, when earthly things are the objects of our pursuit: but, when the soul is attracted by heavenly objects, the livelier emotions of the mind are deemed enthusiasm; and even gratitude itself must restrain its voice, lest it incur the censure of the world. But, whatever construction may be put upon our conduct, or whatever difficulties we may be called to encounter in the discharge of our duty, we should study to approve ourselves to God, and to render unto him the honour due unto his name. At the time of our Lords triumphant entry into Jerusalem the whole multitude of his Disciples began to rejoice, and to praise God for all the mighty works that they had seen [Note: ver. 37.]. But, acceptable as this tribute of praise was to God, it excited only envy and indignation in the breasts of the malignant Pharisees. They considered this display of their gratitude as a just ground for displeasure; and therefore desired our Lord to silence them; Master, said they, rebuke thy Disciples. Our blessed Lord, however, instead of rebuking, vindicated his Disciples; and declared, that if, from any motive whatever, they should be induced to withhold their grateful acknowledgments, they would do so to their eternal shame: I tell you, &c.
In discoursing on these words, we shall,
I.
Shew what obligations we lie under, to magnify and adore the Lord
The Disciples at that time had abundant reason to praise his name
[They had seen the miracles he had wrought, and especially that of raising Lazarus from the grave after he had been dead four days [Note: Joh 12:17-18.]: perhaps many of them had themselves experienced his power to heal. From what they bad seen and heard, they were assured, that he was the Messiah so long promised to the world [Note: ver. 38.]: and they regarded his advent as the most wonderful expression of Gods favour toward their whole nation. Could they then keep silence? Were they to be blamed for testifying their love to this august Personage, now that they saw him in the very act of fulfilling one of the most remarkable of all the prophecies [Note: Compare Zec 9:9. with Joh 12:13-15.]? When they were thus highly privileged to witness, what many prophets and kings had in vain wished to see and hear, would they not have been guilty of the basest ingratitude, if they had held their peace? If Abraham leaped for joy at a distant prospect of that period, should not they much rather [Note: Joh 8:56.]?]
But our obligations to praise him are far greater than theirs
[We have a far clearer knowledge of the dignity of his person. They viewed him indeed as a great prophet; and on some occasions they seemed to have thought him more than human: but on the whole, they considered him as a mere man, though indeed the greatest of men. But we know him to be God manifest in the flesh, even God over all, blessed for ever [Note: 1Ti 3:16. Rom 9:5. Heb 1:3. Col 2:9.]. And shall we behold in him such adorable majesty and condescension, and yet withhold from him our tribute of praise?
We also are far better acquainted with the ends of his mission. The Disciples supposed that he was sent to instruct them more fully in the knowledge of Gods will, to deliver them from the Roman yoke, and to make them a prosperous and happy people. But we know that he came to deliver us from the yoke of sin and Satan, to reconcile us to God by the death of his cross, to teach us, not by his word only, but by his Spirit, and finally, to save us with an everlasting salvation. Are not we then bound to bless and adore his name?
Moreover, we have a far deeper insight into the extent of his benefits. If the Disciples had seen their nation raised to universal empire, and enjoying uninterrupted peace and prosperity, they would have been well satisfied, and would have looked for nothing beyond it, especially if they themselves were exalted to the highest offices of dignity and power. But we look for infinitely richer benefits at his hands. We expect the pardon of sin, and peace with God, and victory over our spiritual enemies, and a kingdom that cannot be moved. Shall we then refuse to praise him? If we should hold our peace, will not the very stones cry out against us?]
This being clear, we shall proceed to,
II.
Enforce our duty from some additional considerations
That we may be excited to rend the air with our acclamations and hosannas, let us consider,
1.
How delightful a duty this is!
[It is justly observed by the Psalmist, that it is not only a good, but also a pleasant thing to be thankful. Who can doubt which were the happier, the disciples who shouted forth the praises of their Lord, or the Pharisees, who, with malignant jealousy, strove to silence them? Indeed, a devout and grateful spirit is a foretaste of heaven itself; and, as far as relates to the outward exercise of their affection, the Disciples on that occasion strongly resembled the heavenly hosts: they all were penetrated with fervent love to the same divine object, and exerted all their powers to magnify his name. Let us then, each in his place and station, be followers of them; and our happiness shall surely rise with our employment.]
2.
How reasonable a duty it is!
[The Pharisees, if they had been asked the reason of their conduct, would doubtless have offered many specious arguments in vindication of themselves. They might have imputed the conduct of the Disciples to enthusiasm, ostentation, hypocrisy. They might have blamed Jesus for suffering them to raise such a tumult, and to endanger thereby the peace of the whole city. They might have ascribed his acquiescence to vain-glory, and a love of popularity, which did but ill accord with his pretensions to superior wisdom and humility. This would have appeared very satisfactory in their eyes; and they, like our modern Pharisees, would have arrogated to themselves the exclusive name of rational Christians. But we know on whose side reason was in the instance before us: and as long as infinite greatness, and unbounded goodness, deserve our admiration, so long will it be reasonable to bless and magnify our adorable Jesus with all our might.]
3.
How necessary a duty it is!
[The Pharisees thought that, if Jesus merited any respect at all, his Disciples should have regarded him only with silent reverence, instead of attracting so much attention by their clamorous proceedings. But our Lord told them, that silent reverence, however great, was not sufficient; that they were bound to give a public testimony of their affection; and that, if they withheld it, they would be traitors to his cause. Though therefore we be not called to bear our testimony precisely in the same way, yet are we all bound to confess Christ before men [Note: Mat 10:32-33.], and to let it be seen, Whose we are, and whom we serve.
Shall it be said, That there is no such occasion now for our public acknowledgements as there was then; we answer, That the world needs as much as ever to have their attention drawn to the Lord Jesus, and to be stimulated to love and serve him. And, if this were not the case, still it would be our duty to confess him openly, since in heaven, where he is universally known, he is universally and incessantly adored.]
Address [Note: If this be the subject of a Commemoration Sermon, the particular blessings that are commemorated should be opened in this place, and the audience be exhorted, in their carnal feasting, not to be unmindful of that spiritual joy which the occasion demands. In this case, the following address might be omitted.]
1.
Those who, like the Pharisees, have no heart to adore the Lord
[It is not difficult to determine who would have taken part with the Disciples, and who with the Pharisees. We need only ask, What is our conduct now? Are we frequently and fervently engaged in the secret exercises of the closet, and are we bold in confessing Christ before an ungodly world? Or are we formal in secret duties, and ready to blame the superior zeal of others? If we be of this latter class, we should surely have joined the Pharisees in their opposition to the Disciples. To such then we say, Deceive not yourselves with vain excuses: nor think to justify yourselves by condemning others. Suppose for a moment that the Disciples, in their zeal, had exceeded the strict bounds of prudence and propriety: was that any reason why the Pharisees should render him no praise at all? Was less due from them, because others paid too much? Yea rather, was not their pretended zeal for propriety, a mere cloak for their own envy or indifference? Away then with such base dispositions as they manifested; and, instead of blaming the zeal of others, endeavour to glorify Christ with your body and your spirit which are his [Note: 1Co 6:20.]. Far be it from us to countenance excess: but in this lukewarm age, we are far more in danger of erring from defect. This, at least, is your danger, whilst, with all your jealousy about being righteous over-much, you have no fears lest you should not be found righteous enough. To you therefore, in the name, and by the command, of Christ himself, we say, Be zealous and repent [Note: Rev 3:19.].]
2.
Those who, like the Disciples, feel their hearts warmed with love to Christ
[You must expect to meet with opposition from the world, and especially from proud, envious, malignant Pharisees. But let not the fear of their censures deter you from the path of duty [Note: Heb 13:13.]. If Jesus have given up his life for you, it is a small matter for you to give up your names for him: and if you will not bear so light a cross as that of being called by some opprobrious name for him, you have little reason to number yourselves among his true disciples [Note: Mat 10:38.]. It will be proper indeed for you to consider times and places, and sometimes to lay a restraint on your feelings, Jest by an unseasonable disclosure of them, you cast your pearls before swine, that will only turn and rend you [Note: Mat 7:6.]. But let not the fear of man be the restraining principle: rather, let the love of Christ be the one motive for moderating, as well as for exhibiting, the proofs of your love. Then shall you in due season have a public testimony of his approbation, when those who now condemn you shall be themselves condemned.]
Fuente: Charles Simeon’s Horae Homileticae (Old and New Testaments)
40. ] A proverbial expression but probably not without reference to Hab 2:11 .
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Luk 19:40 . : with future indicative instead of subjunctive as in classic Greek, one of the divergent ways in which the N.T. expresses a future supposition with some probability ( vide Burton, M. and T. , 250 256). , the stones will cry out; possibly there is a reference to Hab 2:11 , but the expression is proverbial (instances in Pricaeus, Wetstein, etc.) = the impossible will happen rather than the Messianic kingdom fail of recognition. Some, e.g. , Stier and Nsgen, find in the words a reference to the destruction of the temple and the witness it bore to Jesus = if I receive not witness from the Jewish people the scattered stones of the ruined temple will witness for me. An attractive idea, not refuted by Hahn’s objection that if it had been in view we should have had . instead of , etc. with future may express a future supposition with some probability.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
40.] A proverbial expression-but probably not without reference to Hab 2:11.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Luk 19:40. , the stones) When power hath once gone forth from God, it does not return without accomplishing its purpose. It is wont to find something which it may rouse to act, whatever be the objects which come in its way. There were stones in that place.-) The LXX. translators use this tense of the verb.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Psa 96:11, Psa 98:7-9, Psa 114:1-8, Isa 55:12, Hab 2:11, Mat 3:9, Mat 21:15, Mat 21:16, Mat 27:45, Mat 27:51-54, 2Pe 2:6
Reciprocal: Deu 31:28 – call heaven Jos 4:3 – twelve stones Jos 24:27 – it hath 1Ki 13:2 – O altar Psa 30:12 – and Ecc 10:20 – thought Mic 6:1 – contend Mar 3:5 – grieved Luk 3:8 – of these Luk 11:52 – for Luk 12:49 – and 1Co 1:27 – General Heb 12:3 – contradiction
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
0
The reference to the stones is figurative, to illustrate the worthiness of Jesus to be thus honored. John told the Jews that God was able to make the stones give birth to offspring for Abraham (Mat 3:9), and if necessary we are sure He would cause the inanimate stones to express praises for Jesus, should the devoted disciples be forced to maintain silence.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
However, Jesus refused to silence the disciples. They spoke the truth. The figure of stones crying out (personification) stresses the appropriateness of the disciples crying out. If the disciples kept silence, the stones would need to declare who Jesus was instead of them. This clear messianic claim is unique to Luke. It shows the blatant rejection of Israel’s leaders in the face of indisputable evidence that Jesus was the Messiah.
"All history had pointed toward this single, spectacular event when the Messiah publicly presented Himself to the nation, and God desired that this fact be acknowledged." [Note: Martin, p. 253.]
The Triumphal Entry is only the second incident in Jesus’ ministry that all four evangelists recorded, the first being the feeding of the 5,000. This indicates its great importance in God’s messianic program.