Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Jesus said unto him, let the dead bury the dead,….

[See comments on Mt 8:22].

but go thou and preach the kingdom of God; that the kingdom of heaven is at hand, the Gospel dispensation is now ushering in, and the kingdom of the Messiah is setting up; go and publish the things concerning the kingdom of grace, which lies not in outward rites and ceremonies, but in righteousness and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost; and declare the things relating to the kingdom of glory, and eternal life and happiness; assert, that unless a man is born again, and has a better righteousness than his own, he is neither fit for, nor has he a right unto everlasting bliss.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

Leave the dead to bury their own dead ( ). This paradox occurs so in Mt 8:22. The explanation is that the spiritually dead can bury the literally dead. For such a quick change in the use of the same words see Joh 5:21-29 (spiritual resurrection from sin in Joh 5:21-27, bodily resurrection from the grave, John 5:28; John 5:29) and Joh 11:25f. The harshness of this proverb to the scribe probably is due to the fact that he was manifestly using his aged father as an excuse for not giving Christ active service.

But go thou and publish abroad the kingdom of God ( ). The scribe’s duty is put sharply ( , ). Christ called him to preach, and he was using pious phrases about his father as a pretext. Many a preacher has had to face a similar delicate problem of duty to father, mother, brothers, sisters and the call to preach. This was a clear case. Jesus will help any man called to preach to see his duty. Certainly Jesus does not advocate renunciation of family duties on the part of preachers.

Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament

Their dead [ ] . As Rev., their own dead.

Preach [] . Publish abroad, as Rev. dia, throughout all regions.

61, 62. Peculiar to Luke.

Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament

1) “Jesus said unto him,” (eipen de auto) “He then said to him,” Mat 8:22.

2) “Let the dead bury their dead;” (aphes tous nekrous thapsai tous heauton nekrous? “Leave the dead to bury their own dead ones,” Mat 8:22. The spiritually dead can bury the physically dead. Yours is an higher duty.

3) “But go thou and preach the kingdom of God.” (su de apelthon diangelle ten basileian tou theou) “But you go out and away and herald (or preach) the kingdom of God,” seeking to put it first on your priority list, Mat 6:33. Jesus must quickly finish the work His Father sent him to do, Joh 17:4.

Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary

Luk 9:60

. But go thou and proclaim the kingdom of God. Matthew has only the words, Follow me: but Luke states more fully the reason why he was called, which was, that he might be a minister and preacher of the Gospel. Had he remained in a private station, there would have been no absolute necessity for leaving his father, provided he did not forsake the Gospel on his father’s account. (507) But the preaching of the Gospel does not allow him to remain at home, and therefore Christ properly takes him away from his father. While the amazing goodness of Christ appears in bestowing so honorable an office on a man who was still so weak, it deserves our notice, that the fault which still cleaved to him is corrected, and is not overlooked and encouraged.

(507) “ Pour faire son devoir envers son pere;” — “to do his duty to his father.”

Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary

‘But he said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead, but you go and publish abroad the Kingly Rule of God.”

Jesus counters the earnest young man’s argument, giving him a chance to think it over. He points out that he is being called to a ministry of life which has precedence above all else. He must leave the spiritually dead to look after each other. They have plenty of time for burying the dead. But what he must do is concentrate on what is important, offering people life by proclaiming the Kingly Rule of God. It is a strong reminder that Jesus’ mission must take precedence over everything else, and what He urgently needs is proclaimers of the Kingly rule of God right now. It may also be that He was moving from the region so that this would be the young man’s last chance.

Note the theological implication behind ‘dead’. Like Paul Jesus sees men as dead in trespasses and sins (Eph 2:1). In the words of Jesus later they are ‘evil’ (Luk 11:13). Jesus had no doubt about the sinfulness of human nature.

Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett

Luk 9:60. Let the dead bury their dead, &c. See the notes on Mat 8:21. The present circumstance was plainly extraordinary, and might turn on reasons unknown to us. Christ might, for instance, foresee some particular obstruction that would have arisen from the interview with this person’s friends at his father’s funeral, and have prevented his devoting himself to the ministry; to which he might refer by saying, Let the dead bury their dead.

Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke

60. ] . . . ., peculiar to Luke, and shews the independence of his source of information. Am I wrong in supposing also, that it connects this incident with the sending out of the Seventy, which follows immediately afterwards?

Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament

their = their own.

preach = declare. Greek. diangello. App-121. Occurs elsewhere only in Act 21:26 (signify). Rom 9:17.

Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics

60.] . …, peculiar to Luke, and shews the independence of his source of information. Am I wrong in supposing also, that it connects this incident with the sending out of the Seventy, which follows immediately afterwards?

Fuente: The Greek Testament

Luk 9:60. ) announce everywhere.[88] The same verb occurs, Rom 9:17. This the Lord was pressing forward at the time with the utmost ardour; comp. Luk 9:62, and the beginning of the following chapter. [It is probable that both this person and he of whom the following verses treat, were shortly after enrolled in the number of the Seventy.-V. g.]

[88] This is the force of , throughout, everywhere.-ED. and TRANSL.

Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament

Let: Luk 15:32, Eph 2:1, Eph 2:5, 1Ti 5:6, Rev 3:1

but: Joh 21:15-17, 1Co 9:16, 2Co 5:16-18, 2Ti 2:3, 2Ti 2:4, 2Ti 4:2, 2Ti 4:5

Reciprocal: Gen 50:5 – let me go Exo 4:14 – anger Lev 10:7 – ye shall Lev 21:11 – his father Num 6:6 – he shall come Eze 44:25 – General Mat 4:22 – General Mat 10:7 – preach Luk 10:4 – and Joh 5:25 – when Act 8:12 – concerning Act 20:25 – preaching Col 2:13 – dead

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.

[Let the dead bury their dead.] The Jews accounted of the Gentiles as no other than dead. The people of the earth; [that is, the Gentiles] do not live. And as the Gentiles, so even amongst themselves, these four sorts are so esteemed: “These four are accounted as dead; the blind, the leprous, the poor, and the childless.”

Fuente: Lightfoot Commentary Gospels

Luk 9:60. But go thou and publish abroad the kingdom of God. Peculiar to Luke. Publish abroad, pointing to a wide announcement, suggests the possibility that this incident was connected with the sending out of the Seventy.

Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament

9:60 Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury {o} their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.

(o) Who, even though they live in this frail life of man, yet are strangers from the true life, which is everlasting and heavenly.

Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes