Luke 13:26

Luk 13:26. Τότε ἄρξεσθε, then ye shall begin) though previously having relied on other pretexts. [They who have remained estranged from Christ heretofore, when they had the opportunity of intimate communion with Him presented to them, shall, at the time when they would wish that they had been His familiar friends, be banished by Him from His presence.—V. g.]—λέγειν, to say) Meaning to say this, “Why shouldest Thou not know us?” [Thou hast seen into our daily conversation and walk: we have had Thee in the midst of us.—V. g.] This properly applies to those who were living at that time.—ἐνώπιόν σου· ἐν ταῖς πλατείαις ἡμῶν, in Thy presence; in our streets) Therefore we must not merely eat and drink in the presence of Christ, but we must be partakers of (have a share in) Christ [if we are to be acknowledged by Him at last]; and not merely throw open our streets, but our hearts, to His saving doctrine.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Luk 13:26 . This verse is viewed by many as the apodosis of a long sentence beginning with ἀφʼ οὗ (Luk 13:25 ), and the emotional character of the passage, in which parable and moral are blended, goes far to justify them. But it is better on the whole to find here a new start. ἐνώπιόν σου , before thee, either, as thy guests or hosts (Capernaum feast, dinners in the houses of Pharisees), i.e. , with thee; or. under thine eve involving a claim simply of neighbourhood. The former is the more likely, because it puts the case more strongly in their favour.

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

He is in vain in the Church, which is not of the Church, which thing the cleanness of life showeth.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

See on the similar passage (Mat 7:22-23).

eaten and drunk, &c.--We have sat with Thee at the same table. (See on Mat 7:22).

taught in our streets--Do we not remember listening in our own streets to Thy teaching? Surely we are not to be denied admittance?

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

(26) We have eaten and drunk . . .—Better, we ate and drank . . ., and Thou didst teach. The words differ slightly from those in Mat_7:22, which put higher claims into the mouths of the speakers, “Did we not prophecy in Thy name . . .?” They are, i.e., the representatives of those who hold office in the Church of God, yet have not truly submitted themselves to the guidance of the Divine Teacher. Here the words clearly point to actual companionship, to the hopes that men were building on the fact that they had once sat at meat, in the house of Publican or Pharisee, with the Prophet whom they acknowledged as the Christ. In its wider application it, of course, includes all who in any sense eat and drink with Him now in visible fellowship with His Church, and who rest their hopes of eternal life on that outward communion.

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

26. then shall ye begin to say] All excuse shall be cut short at once, Luk_3:8.

thou hast taught in our streets] Here again (see Luk_13:28) we see how our Lord discouraged all notions of any privilege derived from fleshly privileges, or even proximity to Himself. Rom_2:17-20.

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.

But he shall say, &c. The Persic version adds, "be gone from my sight, and be far from my door"; expressing indignation at them, an abhorrence of them, as not being able to bear them in his sight, or near unto him:

I tell you, I know you not whence you are; this is repeated, and with a strong asseveration, to denote the certainty of the truth expressed, and to cast off all hope in them, of ever succeeding by their entreaties and importunity:

depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity; or "of a lie", as the Syriac and Persic versions render it: for they were deceitful workers, they professed what they did not from the heart believe; they said they were Christians, but were not, and now are found liars; they only attended on the word and ordinances in an hypocritical way, and trusted in, and depended upon, their outward profession of religion, and subjection to ordinances; and by so doing, instead of working righteousness, wrought iniquity; and so as they did not submit to Christ and his righteousness, they are bid to depart from him, as wicked and unrighteous men, as they were: the word "all" is here used, which is not in Mat 7:23 which agrees with Psa 6:8 to which there seems to be a reference, though it is omitted here, in the Syriac, Arabic, and Persic versions; See Gill on Mat 7:23.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

26 Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets.

Ver. 26. We have eaten and drunk, &c.] These pretenders to Christ perish by catching at their own catch, hanging on their own fancy, making a bridge of their own shadow, &c.; they verily believe that Christ is their sweet Saviour, &c., when it is no such matter; they trust to Christ, as the apricot tree that leans against the wall, but is fast rooted in the earth: so are these in the world, &c.

We have eaten and drunk in thy presence] Even at thy table, but it became a snare to them.

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.

We have eaten ... - Compare Mat 7:22-23. To have eaten with one is evidence of acquaintanceship or friendship. So the sinner may allege that he was a professed follower of Jesus, and had some evidence that Jesus was his friend. There is no allusion here, however, to the sacrament. The figure is taken from the customs of people, and means simply that they had professed attachment, and perhaps supposed that Jesus was their friend.

In thy presence - With thee - as one friend does with another.

Thou hast taught - Thou didst favor us, as though thou didst love us. Thou didst not turn away from us, and we did not drive thee away. All this is alleged as proof of friendship. It shows us:

On how slight evidence people will suppose themselves ready to die. How slender is the preparation which even many professed friends of Jesus have for death! How easily they are satisfied about their own piety! A profession of religion, attendance on the preaching of the word or at the sacraments, or a decent external life, is all they have and all they seek. With this they go quietly on to eternity - go to disappointment, wretchedness, and woe! None of these things will avail in the day of judgment. It will be only true love to God, a real change of heart, and a life of piety, that can save the soul from death. And oh! how important it is that all should search themselves and see what is the real foundation of their hope that they shall enter into heaven!

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

These words are addressed particularly to the Jews, because Christ was born of them according to the flesh, eat and drank with them, and taught publicly in their streets; but they apply to us Christians also, for we eat the body of Christ, and drink his blood, when each day we approach the mystical table, and hear him teaching us in the streets of our souls. (Theophylactus) --- Many very fervent at the beginning afterwards grow lukewarm; and many, though at first frozen, have suddenly glowed with virtue; many, who in this world were contemned, have received glory in the next; while others, in honour amongst men, have passed to eternal torments. (Ven. Bede)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

26. We have eaten and drunk—They had perhaps partaken of his miraculous feedings with the five thousand.

In thy presence—At the same table, so as to be acquaintances.

Taught in our streets—We have heard thee preach. Our Lord here slightly changes the man from householder to preacher; that is, from his parabolic to his real self.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Vers. 26, 27. Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity. A very stern declaration on the part of Jesus that in the day of judgment no special favour would be granted to the souls of the chosen people. It was part of the reply to the question respecting the "fewness of the saved." The inquirer wished to know the opinion of the great Teacher on the exclusive right of Israel to salvation in the world to come, and this statement, describing salvation as something independent of all questions as to race, was the Master"s reply.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

26, 27. We did eat and drink in thy presence. Compare with Matt. 7:22, where see notes.

B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.

26. τότε ἄρξεσθε λέγειν. The fut. following the aor. subj. (ἄρξησθε) indicates the persistence of the attempts; but all excuse shall be cut short at once, Luk 3:8.

ἐν ταῖς πλατείαις ἡμῶν ἐδίδαξας. Here again (see Luk 13:28) we see how our Lord discouraged all notions of any advantage derived from fleshly privileges, or even from proximity to Himself. Rom 2:17-20.

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.

26. ἐφάγ. ἐνώπ. σου κ. ἐπ.] As applied to the then assembled crowd, these words refer to the miracles of feeding,—perhaps also to His having so often sat at meat in the houses of various persons (the κ. ἐπίομεν must not be pressed as meaning any thing different from ἐφάγ.:—the expression is a general one for taking a meal);—as applied to Christians, to the eating and drinking whereof those miracles were anticipatory.

Both these are ἐνώπιόν σου merely,—in His presence;—very different from the drinking μεθʼ ὑμῶν of which He speaks Mat 26:29, and from the δειπνήσω μετʼ αὐτοῦ καὶ αὐτὸς μετʼ ἐμοῦ, Rev 3:20.

ἐν τ. πλ. ἡμ. ἐδ., applicable directly to those to whom the words were spoken; and further, in its fuller sense, to all among whom the gospel is preached, even till the end.

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

26, 27. Comp. Mat 7:22, Mat 7:23. When the attempt to force the door has failed, ye will begin to use this plea; but it will be cut short by the reply, Οὐκ οἶδα ὑμᾶς. The plea is almost grotesque in its insufficiency. To have known Christ after the flesh gives no claim to admission into the kingdom.

ἀπόστητε ἀπʼ ἐμοῦ πάντες ἐργάται ἀδικίας. A quotation from Psa 6:9, where we have πάντες οἱ ἐργαζόμενοι τὴν ἀνομίαν. Aristotle says that as δικαιοσύνη sums up the whole of virtue, so ἀδικία sums up the whole of vice (Eth. Nic. v. 1, 19). Contrast the quotation of the same text in Mat 7:23. Vulg. preserves one difference by having qui operaminis there and operarii here; preserves ignores another in using iniquitas for ἀνομία there and also for ἀδικία here. Similarly AV., and RV., have “iniquity” in both. With ἐργάται ἀδικίας comp. οἱ ἐργάται τῆς ἀνομίας (1 Mal 3:6); τῶν καλῶν καὶ σεμνῶν ἐργάτην (Xen. Mem. ii. 1. 27); τῶν πολεμικῶν (Cyr. iv. 1. 4).

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

In thy presence [ενωπιον σου] . Not as beloved and familiar guests. Compare with you [μεθ υμων] , Mt 26:29.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.