Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Luke 6:49
But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built a house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.
49. upon the earth ] In St Matthew, more graphically, “ upon the sand;” e.g. the sand of superficial intellectual acceptance.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 49. The ruin of that house was great.] On this passage, father Quesnel, who was a most rigid predestinarian, makes the following judicious remark. “It is neither by the speculations of astrologers, nor by the Calvinian assurance of predestination, that we can discover what will be our portion for ever: but it is by the examination of our heart, and the consideration of our life, that we may in some measure prognosticate our eternal state. Without a holy heart and a holy life, all is ruinous in the hour of temptation, and in the day of wrath.” To this may be added, He that believeth on the Son of God, hath the WITNESS in HIMSELF: 1Jo 5:10.
The subjects of this chapter have been so amply explained and enforced in the parallel places in Matthew, to which the reader has been already referred, that there appears to be no necessity to make any additional observations.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
But he that heareth, and doth not,…. Hears Christ’s sayings externally, but does not obey his commands:
is like a man that without a foundation built upon the earth: that is, without digging for a foundation, built his house upon the surface of the earth; “upon the dust of it”, as the Syriac version renders it; or, “upon the sand”, as Matthew says: “against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great”;
[See comments on Mt 7:26].
[See comments on Mt 7:27].
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
He that heareth and doeth not ( ). Aorist active participle with article. Particular case singled out (punctiliar, aorist).
Like a man ( ). Associative instrumental case after as in verse 47.
Upon the earth ( ). Mt 7:26 has “upon the sand” ( ), more precise and worse than mere earth. But not on the rock.
Without a foundation ( ). The foundation on the rock after deep digging as in verse 48.
It fell in (). Second aorist active of , to fall together, to collapse. An old verb from Homer on, but only here in the N.T.
The ruin ( ). The crash like a giant oak in the forest resounded far and wide. An old word for a rent or fracture as in medicine for laceration of a wound. Only here in the N.T.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Upon the earth without a foundation. Matthew, upon the sand. The two men are conceived as alike selecting a spot where the sand overlies the rock. The one builds directly upon the sand, the other digs through and down into the rock.
It fell [] . But the best texts read sunepesen, fell together, collapsed. Rev., fell in. Only here in New Testament. In medical language used of falling – in of parts of the body. Thus Hippocrates, “the temple fallen in : the limb quickly collapses or shrivels.” Matthew uses the simple verb epesen, fell.
Ruin [] . Lit., breaking. Only here in New Testament. A medical term for a laceration or rupture. Matthew has ptwsiv, the fall. ===Luk7
CHAPTER VII
1 – 10. Compare Mt 8:5 – 13.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “But he that heareth, and doeth not,” (ho de akousas kai me poiesas) “Then the one who hears and is not doing,” what I have said, and how I have said for him to do it, Mat 7:26.
2) “Is like a man,” (homoios estin anthropo) “is similar to a man, to be compared with a man; The decisions of two men are contrasted, not just two kinds of foundations.
3) “That without a foundation built an house upon the earth;” (oikodomesanti oikian epi ten gen choris themeliou) “Having built an house (a residence) upon the earth, (ground or sand) without a foundation,” Mat 7:26. This represents a life perversely built.
4) “Against which the storm did beat vehemently,” (he proserreksen ho potamos) “Which the river dashed against,” with crushing waves, Mat 7:27.
5) “And immediately it fell;” (kai euthus sunepesin) “And suddenly it collapsed, or came apart,” and was washed away, Mat 7:27.
6) “And the ruin of that house was great.” (kai egeneto to hregma tes oikias ekeines mega) “And great was the ruin or loss of that house or residence,” Pro 1:29-31; Mat 7:27.
one man built with foresight, wisdom, and security. The other built with haphazard carelessness. Both reaped what they sowed, Gal 6:7-8. How are you building for your life?
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(49) He that heareth, and doeth not.More specific than St. Matthew in adding without a foundation, somewhat less so in giving on the earth instead of on the sand.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Disaster For Those Who Hear the Words of Jesus and Do Not Do Them (6:49).
f f But he who hears, and does not (Luk 6:49 a),
h h Is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation (Luk 6:49 b),
j j Against which the stream broke, and straightway it fell in (Luk 6:49 c),
k k And the ruin of that house was great (49d).
Having analysed His words we must now reverently consider the detail.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
But he who hears, and does not,
Is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation,
Against which the stream broke, and straightway it fell in,
And the ruin of that house was great.
But the one who hears Jesus’ words and does not do them is like the man who builds his house without a foundation. And when the floods come his house collapses. There is no reason for talking about wadi beds here. Where there are mountains, and valleys, and rain floods are common to life in most parts of the world in one form or another, and equally so in Palestine.
Chapter 7 The Centurion’s Servant, The Widow of Nain, The Concerns of John the Baptiser Are Met, The sinful Woman.
Following the proclamation of the law of the new Kingly Rule of God, Luke now presents us with a number of incidents which reveal the breadth and depth of that Kingly Rule. It reaches out to the believing Gentiles with a word of power, it reaches out to a weeping widow of Israel with the offer of life, it affects the dead and restores them to life, it encourages imprisoned John who is raised to his true status, an incident which, however, also bring out the greatness of that Kingly Rule. It reaches down to a ‘sinful woman’ and makes her whole. And it will be followed by a further address in which Jesus makes clear the provision for the advancement of His Kingly Rule.
The Centurion’s Servant (Luk 7:1-10). Jesus’ Kingly Rule over Disease
In this incident Jesus is true to His own teaching and ‘gives to him who asks of him’ (compare Mat 10:8 where giving is related to healing). The incident gains in importance in that it reveals to Christians the might of Rome submitting itself as unworthy even to come to Jesus, with Jesus then sending there His word (which is how Acts ends). Jesus as the great Prophet and King is seen as superior to Rome. Yet it is a clear indication that the grace of God through Jesus is available to those Gentiles who humbly seek it. It also indicated to non-Christians that Rome approved of Jesus Christ.
The very way in which Jesus heals the servant is an indication of the Kingly Rule of God. All nature is under His control, and He has but to speak and it is done. Just as in the beginning He spoke and the worlds came into being, now He speaks and one part of that world, which has been corrupted, is restored.
The passage may be analysed as follows:
a After He had ended all His sayings in the ears of the people Jesus entered into Capernaum (Luk 6:1).
b A certain centurion’s servant, who was dear to him, was sick and at the point of death. And when he heard about Jesus, he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking Him that He would come and save his servant (Luk 6:2-3).
c They, when they came to Jesus, besought him earnestly, saying, “He is worthy that you should do this for him, for he loves our nation, and himself built us our synagogue’ (Luk 6:4-5)
d Jesus went with them. And when He was now not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying to Him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy that you should come under my roof” (Luk 6:6)
c That is why I did not think myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant shall be healed, for I also am a man set under authority, having under myself soldiers. And I say to this one, “Go”, and he goes; and to another, “Come”, and he comes; and to my servant, “Do this”, and he does it’ (Luk 6:7-8)
b And when Jesus heard these things, He marvelled at him, and turned and said to the crowd who followed Him, “I say to you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel” (Luk 6:9).
a And those who were sent, returning to the house, found the servant whole (Luk 6:10).
Note how in ‘a’ Jesus enters into Capernaum, and in the parallel the people return to the centurion’s home with the servant healed. With the King comes healing. In ‘b’ the centurion exercises his faith and in the parallel Jesus marvels at his faith. In ‘c’ the elders say that the centurion is worthy, in the parallel the centurion says that he is not worthy. In ‘d’ the might of Rome confesses its unworthiness before Jesus.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
REFLECTIONS
Blessed Lord! as oft as I pass through the corn fields, whether on the Sabbath day or any other, may the recollection of thine unequalled tenderness and condescension, in those seasons here represented, lead me to the contemplation of thy grace and love to thy disciples. And while I behold thy followers rubbing the ears of corn and eating them, I would call to mind how Jesus was broken and bruised for our sins, and his body given as the bread of life for all his redeemed. Oh! for grace to feed on thee by faith, until I come to see thee as thou art, and dwell with thee forever! And do thou, Lord, to all my withered and dying circumstances, do by me as this poor man in the synagogue; let Jesus speak but the word, and sure I am of being healed. And let thine effectual calling on my poor heart, cause me to follow thee, as did thy faithful disciples: surely, Lord, if virtue went out of thee, when upon earth, and healed them all, the efficacy is not lessened in the day of thy power! Oh! for that distinguishing grace which Jesus pronounceth to be blessed, which though found by them that are poor in themselves, and among the hungry and the mourners, are found rich in faith before God, and heirs of the kingdom. Standing firm on the rock Christ Jesus, they shall ride out every storm, and find Christ a sure sanctuary in the day of wrath.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
49 But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.
Ver. 49. And immediately it fell ] Want of due humiliation, at first conversion, is the ground of apostasy; unless there be care to do it better afterwards, and to make up that which is yet lacking; to cast up the loose earth, ut in solido extruat, as Vitruvius adviseth his builder. (Architect, i. 5.)
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
49. ] So we have , Eur. Herc. Fur. 905: , Thuc. viii. 41.
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Luk 6:49 . , without a foundation; an important editorial comment. The foolish builder did not make a mistake in choosing a foundation. His folly lay in not thinking of a foundation, but building at haphazard on the surface. Vide notes on Mt. for the characteristics of the two builders. ( in Mt.), the collapse, here only in N. T. This noun is used to answer to the verb .
The impression produced by the foregoing study is that Lk’s version of the Sermon on the Mount, while faithfully reproducing at least a part of our Lord’s teaching on the hill, gives us that teaching, not in its original setting, but readapted so as to serve the practical purposes of Christian instruction, either by Lk. or by some one before him.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
doeth not. The Negative expresses the feeling = doth not wish to do them.
it fell. All the texts read sunepesen for epesen, i.e. it collapsed.
ruin = breaking up. Another medical word.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
49. ] So we have , Eur. Herc. Fur. 905: , Thuc. viii. 41.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
that heareth: Luk 6:46, Luk 8:5-7, Luk 19:14, Luk 19:27, Jer 44:16, Jer 44:17, Eze 33:31, Mat 21:29, Mat 21:30, Mat 23:3, Joh 15:2, Jam 1:22-26, Jam 2:17-26, 2Pe 1:5-9, 1Jo 2:3, 1Jo 2:4
against: Mat 13:20-22, Mat 24:10, Act 20:29, Act 26:11, 1Th 3:5
immediately: Pro 28:18, Hos 4:14, Mat 12:43-45, Mar 4:17, 1Jo 2:19
the ruin: Luk 10:12-16, Luk 11:24-26, Luk 12:47, Heb 10:26-29, 2Pe 2:20
Reciprocal: Isa 30:13 – as a breach Eze 13:11 – there shall Eze 13:14 – the foundation Hos 5:10 – like Mat 7:26 – doeth 1Ti 6:19 – foundation Jam 2:14 – though