Luke 12:59

Luk 12:59 . λεπτὸν , the half of a κοδράντης (Mt.’s word), making the necessity of full payment in order to release from prison still more emphatic.

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Verse 59. Till thou hast paid the very last mite.] And when can this be, if we understand the text spiritually? Can weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth, pay to Divine justice the debt a sinner has contracted? This is impossible: let him who readeth understand.

THE subject of the 47th and 48th verses Lu 12:47; Lu 12:48 has been greatly misunderstood, and has been used in a very dangerous manner. Many have thought that their ignorance of Divine things would be a sufficient excuse for their crimes; and, that they might have but few stripes, they voluntarily continued in ignorance. But such persons should know that God will judge them for the knowledge they might have received, but refused to acquire. No criminal is excused because he has been ignorant of the laws of his country, and so transgressed them, when it can be proved that those very laws have been published throughout the land. Much knowledge is a dangerous thing if it be not improved; as this will greatly aggravate the condemnation of its possessor. Nor will it avail a person, in the land of light and information, to be ignorant, as he shall be judged for what he might have known; and, perhaps, in this case, the punishment of this voluntarily ignorant man will be even greater than that of the more enlightened; because his crimes are aggravated by this consideration, that he refused to have the light, that he might neither be obliged to walk in the light, nor account for the possession of it. So we find that the plea of ignorance is a mere refuge of lies, and none can plead it who has the book of God within his reach, and lives in a country blessed with the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(59) I tell thee, thou shalt not depart thence . . .—See Note on Mat_5:26. St. Luke substitutes the yet smaller coin, the “mite,” or half-quadrans (see Note on Mar_12:42), for the “farthing” of St. Matthew.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

59. till thou hast paid the very last mite] Mite is lepton (minutum), the smallest of all coins, Mar_12:42. If it be asked, ‘can this ever be paid?’ the answer of course is, as far as the parable is concerned, ‘it depends entirely on whether the debt be great or small.’ As far as the application of the parable is concerned, the answer lies out of the contemplated horizon of the illustration, nor is there any formal answer to it. But if it be asserted that no man’s debt to God, which he has incurred by his sins, however ‘common to man,’ can ever be paid by him, we are at least permitted to find hope in the thought that Christ has paid our debt for us (Mat_20:28; 1Ti_2:6). The general lesson is that of which Scripture is full, “Seek ye the Lord while He maybe found,” Is. Iv. 6; Psa_32:6; Heb_4:7.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

59 I tell thee, thou shalt not depart thence, till thou hast paid the very last mite.

Ver. 59. Till thou hast paid the very last mite] It is good to compound quickly with the Lord, and to take up the suit before it come to execution and judgment, lest we be forced to pay, not only the main debt, but the arrearages too, that is, the time of God’s longsuffering and patience, here and hereafter.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

A mite - was about the third part of a farthing sterling.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

59. ἕως καὶ τὸ ἔσχατον λεπτὸν ἀποδῷς. Λεπτὸν (minutum) means ‘a mite’ the smallest of all coins, Mar 12:42. If it be asked, ‘Can this debt ever be paid?’ the answer of course is, as far as the parable is concerned, ‘It depends entirely on whether the debt be great or small.’ As far as the application of the parable is concerned, the answer lies out of the contemplated horizon of the illustration; nor is there any formal answer to such a question. But if it be asserted that no man’s debt to God, which he has incurred by his sins, however ‘common to man,’ can ever be paid by him, we are at least permitted to find hope in the thought that Christ has paid our debt for us (Mat 20:28; 1Ti 2:6). The general lesson is that of which Scripture is full, “Seek ye the Lord while He may be found,” Isa 55:6; Psa 32:6; Heb 4:7.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

59.] See on Mat 5:25, and, on λεπτόν, Mar 12:42.

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

59. λέγω σοι. He addresses each individual. Mt. has ἀμὴν λέγω σοί (comp. ver. 44), and for λεπτόν has κοδράντην. The λεπτόν (λεπτός = “peeled, thin, small”) was half a quadrans and the eighth of an as: see on ver. 6, and comp. 21:2; Mar 12:42. Can the payment be made ἐν φυλακῇ? The parable gives no answer to this question. But it teaches that the proper time for payment is before judgment is given, and that release is impossible until full payment is made. The Talmud says: “The offences between man and God the Day of Atonement Both atone for. The offences between man and his neighbour the Day of Atonement atoneth for, only when he hath agreed with his neighbour.” There is no need to interpret the details in the parable, and make the ἀντίδικος mean the law of God, and the ἄρχων God Himself, and the κριτής the Son of God.

Tyn. Tyndale.

Gen. Geneva.

B B. Cod. Vaticanus, sæc. 4. In the Vatican Library certainly since 15331 (Batiffol, La Vaticane de Paul 3, etc., p. 86).

L L. Cod. Regius Parisiensis, sæc. viii. National Library at Paris. Contains the whole Gospel.

Vulg. Vulgate.

D. B. Smith’s Dictionary of the Bible, 2nd edition.

RV. Revised Version.

AV. Authorized Version.

1 The fragment of Heracleon, preserved by Clem. Alex. Strom. iv. 9, is translated by Westcott, Canon of N.T. P, 275, 3rd ed. syr-Sin. omits v. 9.

Wsctt. Westcott.

Aug. Augustine.

D D. Cod. Bezae, sæc. vi. Given by Beza to the University Library at Cambridge 1581. Greek and Latin. Contains the whole Gospel.

Syr Syriac.

Cur. Curetonian.

Sin. Sinaitic.

WH. Westcott and Hort.

V. de J. Vie de Jésus.

§ Found in Luke alone.

Beng. Bengel.

Grot. Grotius.

Ambr. Ambrose.

אԠאa contemporary, or nearly so, and representing a second MS. of high value;

אԠאc attributed to the beginning of sæc. 7. Two hands of about this date are sometimes distinguished as אca and אcb

T T. Cod. Borgianus, sæc. v. In the Library of the Propaganda at Rome. Greek and Egyptian. Contains 22:20-23:20.

X X. Cod. Monacensis, sæc. ix. In the University Library at Munich. Contains 1:1-37, 2:19-3:38, 4:21-10:37, 11:1-18:43, 20:46-24:53.

Harcl. Harclean.

Boh. Bohairic.

Sah. Sahidic.

Aeth. Ethiopic.

Arm. Armenian.

אԠא Cod. Sinaiticus, sæc. iv. Brought by Tischendorf from the Convent of St. Catherine on Mt. Sinai; now at St. Petersburg. Contains the whole Gospel complete.

A A. Cod. Alexandrinus, sæc. v. Once in the Patriarchal Library at Alexandria; sent by Cyril Lucar as a present to Charles 1. in 1628, and now in the British Museum. Complete.

F F. Cod. Boreeli, sæc. ix. In the Public Library at Utrecht. Contains considerable portions of the Gospel.

G G. Cod. Harleianus, sæc. ix. In the British Museum. Contains considerable portions.

Wetst. Wetstein.

Rhem. Rheims (or Douay).

Tristram, Tristram, Natural History of the Bible.

D. B. Smith’s Dictionary of the Bible, 1st edition.

Win. Winer, Grammar of N.T. Greek (the page refers to Moulton’s edition).

Luth. Luther.

Cov. Coverdale.

Jos. Josephus.

L. & T. Edersheim, Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah.

Clem. Alex. Clement of Alexandria.

1 On the alleged Ebionism of Lk. see Introd. § 3. b, and also Alexander, Leading Ideas of flu Gospels, pp. 16b3-180, 2nd ed.

2 Margoliouth quotes from El-Ghazzali’s Revival of the Religious Sciences many striking saying attributed to Christ by Mahometan writers: among them these. “He that seeks after this world is like one that drinks sea-water. The more he drinks the thirstier he becomes, until it slay him” (iii.161). “There are three dangers in wealth. First, it may be taken from an unlawful source. And what if it be taken from a lawful source? they asked. He answered: may be given to an unworthy person. They asked, And what if it be given to a worthy person? He answered, The handling of it may divert its owner from God” (iii. 178). See Hastings, D. B.2 1. p. 68.

1 Kimchi on Isa_65 mentions a saying of R. Johanan ban Zacchai, who invited his servants without fixing a time: sapientes se ornarunt, stolidi abierunl ad opera sua. Thus some went ornati and others sordidi, when the time came, and the latter were disgraced (Keim, Jes. of Nas. v. p. 256. Comp. Schoettgen, 1. p. 216).

Wic. Wiclif.

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.