Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Luke 5:19
And when they could not find by what [way] they might bring him in because of the multitude, they went upon the housetop, and let him down through the tiling with [his] couch into the midst before Jesus.
19. they went upon the housetop ] A very easy thing to do because there was in most houses an outside staircase to the roof, Mat 24:17. Eastern houses are often only one storey high, and when they are built on rising ground, the roof is often nearly on a level with the street above. Our Lord may have been teaching in the “upper room” of the house, which was usually the largest and quietest. 2Ki 4:10; Act 1:13; Act 9:37.
let him down through the tiling ] St Mark says they uncovered the roof where he was, and digging it up, let down ‘the pallet.’ Clearly then two operations seem to have been necessary: (i) to remove the tiles, and (ii) to dig through some mud partition. But the description is too vague to enable us to understand the details. Sceptical writers have raised difficulties about it in order to discredit the whole narrative (comp. Cic. Php 2:18, “per tegulas demitterere”), but the making of an aperture in the roof is an everyday matter in the East (Thomson, The Land and the Book, p. 358), and is here alluded to, not because it was strange, but to illustrate the active, and as it were nobly impatient, faith of the man and the bearers.
with his couch ] klinidion, ‘little bed,’ probably a mere mat or mattress. It means the same as St Mark’s krabbaton, but that being a semi-Latin word ( grabatum) would be more comprehensible to the Roman readers of St Mark than to the Greek readers of St Luke.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 19. Went upon the housetop] See Clarke on Mt 24:17.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
19. housetopthe flat roof.
through the tiling . . .before Jesus(See on Mr 2:2).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And when they could not find by what way,…. As by the door, or in at a window of the house:
they might bring him in; to Jesus, in the house:
because of the multitude; which was about the door, and all the fore part of the house:
they went upon the housetop; by a ladder, or pair of stairs, which usually were on the outside of houses; [See comments on Mt 24:17] the houses of the Jews being flat roofed:
and let him down through the tiling with his couch, into the midst before Jesus; that is, they untiled the roof, or took away the tiles which were about the trap door, or passage, into the inside of the house; and so making it wider, let down the man upon his couch, or bed, into the middle of the room and of the people, just before Jesus, where he was sitting; [See comments on Mr 2:4].
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
By what way they might bring him in ( ). Deliberative subjunctive of the direct question retained in the indirect.
The housetop ( ). Very old word. The flat roof of Jewish houses was usually reached by outside stairway. Cf. Ac 10:9 where Peter went for meditation.
Through the tiles ( ). Common and old word for the tile roof. Mr 2:4 speaks of digging a hole in this tile roof.
Let him down ( ). First aorist (k aorist) effective active of , common verb. Mr 2:4 has historical present , the verb used by Jesus to Peter and in Peter’s reply (Lu 5:4f.).
With his couch ( ). Also in verse 24. Diminutive of (verse 18) occurring in Plutarch and Koine writers. Mr 2:4 has (pallet). It doubtless was a pallet on which the paralytic lay.
Into the midst before Jesus ( ). The four friends had succeeded, probably each holding a rope to a corner of the pallet. It was a moment of triumph over difficulties and surprise to all in the house (Peter’s apparently, Mr 2:1).
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Tiles. Wyc., has sclattis, slates.
Couch [] . Luke uses four words for the beds of the sick : klinh, as verse 18, the general word for a bed or couch; krabbatov (Act 5:15; Act 9:33), a rude pallet (see on Mr 2:4); klinidion, a small couch or litter, as here, a couch so light that a woman could lift and carry it away. Thus, in the “Lysistrata” of Aristophanes, 916, Myrrine says : “Come now, let me carry our couch” [] . The fourth term, klinarion (Act 5:15), cannot be accurately distinguished from the last. The last two are peculiar to Luke.
Into the midst before Jesus. See on Mr 2:4.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “And when they could not find,” (kai me heurontes) “And when they could not find or locate,” a way to enter where Jesus sat within the house, teaching and preaching.
2) “By what way they might bring him in,” (poias eisegkosin autou) “How they might carry him in,” upon the couch; The four men “the they” who diligently, faithfully, and sacrificially tried to carry the paralytic into the presence of and before Jesus, Mar 2:2.
3) “Because of the multitude,” (dia ton ochlon) “Because of the crowd,” and the doorway entrance that was jammed by the crowd, from near and afar in both Galilee and Judaea, Luk 5:17.
4) “They went upon the housetop,” (anabantes epi to doma) “They went up upon the roof-dome,” of the residence, and removed the baked clay roof-tile, in persevering faith, Mar 2:4, ascending perhaps by an outside stairway, a common part of homes in the middle east still.
5) “And let him down through the tiling,” (dia ton kreamon kathekan auton) “And through the tiles (tile openings) they let him down or lowered him,” Mar 2:4. They would not let difficulties prevent them from helping the needy, Mat 15:23-28; Luk 18:39.
6) “With his couch into the midst before Jesus.” (sun to klinidio eis to meson emprosthen tou lesou) “With his couch or pallet into the midst of the crowd in the residence, right in the presence of Jesus,” as others had done, often did, Mat 15:30; Mat 17:17.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(19) With his couch.The Greek word is the diminutive of the word translated bed in Luk. 5:18, and is used, apparently, as St. Mark uses the Latin grabatum, to show how it was that the process described was possible.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
19 And when they could not find by what way they might bring him in because of the multitude, they went upon the housetop, and let him down through the tiling with his couch into the midst before Jesus.
Ver. 19. They went upon the housetop ] Which (according to the custom of building in those Eastern countries) was flat laid, and surrounded with battlements, Deu 22:8 .
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
19. ] This description is that of an eye-witness. For the genitive of place, which is mostly poetical, see Khner, Gramm. 523.
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Luk 5:19 . ( ), by what way. . . : dim. of (Luk 5:18 , here only in N. T.). Lk. avoids Mk.’s , though apparently following him as to the substance of the story.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
by. Greek dia. All the texts omit.
because = on account of. Greek. dia. App-104. Luk 5:2.
upon. Greek. epi. App-104.
through. Greek. dia. App-104. Luk 5:1.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
19.] This description is that of an eye-witness. For the genitive of place, which is mostly poetical, see Khner, Gramm. 523.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Luk 5:19. , by what kind of way [sc. . ]) An Ellipsis the same as in ch. Luk 19:4, ; and in Act 9:2, . Comp. Lamb. Bos on the Ellipsis of the Preposition, . Others [as the Rec. Text] read ;[56] others, ; others otherwise.
[56] There are none of the oldest authorities for the reading . ABCD read : bc Vulg. qu parte.-ED. and TRANSL.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
they went: Mar 2:4
housetop: Deu 22:8, 2Sa 11:2, Jer 19:13, Mat 10:27
Reciprocal: Mat 9:2 – they brought Luk 19:4 – climbed
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
9
See the comments at Mar 2:4 for the explanation of this verse.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Luk 5:19. Through the tiles. The tiles on the flat roof of the house itself were removed (see on Mar 2:4).
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Verse 19
The construction of the ancient houses was very different from that of ours. They were made with flat roofs, and sometimes with a court in the middle, partly or wholly uncovered.