Luke 14:8

14:8 Jesus’ response was a commentary on Prov 25:6-7.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Luk 14:8. Εἰς γάμους, to a wedding-feast) There was no wedding then going forward; therefore this element is introduced into the parable for the sake of treating of social civic life.—μὴ, not) comp. Pro 25:6-7 [“Stand not in the place of great men: for better it is that it be said unto thee, Come up hither, than that thou shouldest be put lower in the presence of the prince”]. Each man knows his own calling, not that of all others.—εἰς τὴν πρωτοκλισίαν) in the highest seat. To this, which is in the singular, there corresponds the word ἐντιμότερος, one more honourable, and τὸν ἔσχατον τόπον, the lowest place. The proud man sets himself before not merely some men, but all men; Psa 10:4-5.—ἐντιμότερος) This in the parable marks one esteemed more honourable among men (LXX., Num 22:15): and at the same time one who is esteemed, in the main aim of his life, more precious in the sight of God, even though sometimes coming [to the heavenly feast] somewhat late. Moreover, the humble man esteems all others more precious and ‘honourable’ than himself. Comp. Sir 10:7 to Sir 11:6, in the Greek.

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

Luk 14:8 . γάμους , a marriage feast, here representing all great social functions at which ambition for distinction is called into play. ἐντιμότερός σου : this does not necessarily denote one of known superior social standing, but may mean simply one held in more honour by the host (Hahn).

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

wedding--and seating thyself at the wedding feast. Our Lord avoids the appearance of personality by this delicate allusion to a different kind of entertainment than this of his host [BENGEL].

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

(8) Sit not down.—Literally, recline not.

Lest a more honourable man than thou . . .—The words imply that the common practice was for the guests to seat themselves; then, as in the parable of the wedding garment (Mat_22:11), the host came in “to see the guests.”

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

8. to a wedding] The term is used generally for any great feast; but perhaps our Lord here adopted it to make His lesson less immediately personal.

a more honourable man than thou] Php_2:3, “in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.”

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.

And he that bade thee and him,.... To the feast, and who is the master of it, and has a right to dispose of, and order his guests at his table, as he thinks fit:

come and say to thee, give this man place; pray rise up, and give this honourable man this seat, which is more suitable for a person of his rank and figure, and take another:

and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room; or place, which must unavoidably fill a man with shame and confusion; because hereby his pride and vanity, in affecting the uppermost room, will be publicly exposed; and he who before sat in the chief place, will have the mortification, before all the guests, to be seated in the lowest.

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

8 When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him;

Ver. 8. When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding] When should a man rather feast than at the recovery of his lost rib?

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.

Art bidden - Are invited.

To a wedding - A wedding was commonly attended with a feast or banquet.

The highest room - The seat at the table nearest the head.

A more honourable man - A more aged man, or a man of higher rank. It is to be remarked that our Saviour did not consider the courtesies of life to be beneath his notice. His chief design here was, no doubt, to reprove the pride and ambition of the Pharisees; but, in doing it, he teaches us that religion does not violate the courtesies of life. It does not teach us to be rude, forward, pert, assuming, and despising the proprieties of refined social contact. It teaches humility and kindness, and a desire to make all happy, and a willingness to occupy our appropriate situation and rank in life; and this is true “politeness,” for true politeness is a desire to make all others happy, and a readiness to do whatever is necessary to make them so. They have utterly mistaken the nature of religion who suppose that because they are professed Christians, they must be rude and uncivil, and violate all the distinctions in society. The example and precepts of Jesus Christ were utterly unlike such conduct. He teaches us to be kind, and to treat people according to their rank and character. Compare Mat 22:21; Rom 13:7; 1Pe 2:17.

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

Two or three moral instructions we have in this parable.

1. That the law of Christ justifieth none in any rudeness and incivility.

2. That the disciples of Christ ought to have a regard to their reputation, to do nothing they may be ashamed of.

3. That it is according to the will of God, that honour should be given to those to whom honour belongeth; that the more honourable persons should sit in the more honourable places.

Grace gives men no exterior preference; though it makes men all glorious, yet it is within. But the more spiritual instruction (for which our Saviour put forth this parable) is in Luk 14:11. Our Saviour had but now, in the sight of these Pharisees, cured a man of a bodily dropsy; he is now attempting a cure of the spiritual dropsy of pride in their souls. He had before denounced a woe against the Pharisees for loving the uppermost seats in the synagogues, Luk 11:43, and told us, Mat 23:6, that they loved the uppermost rooms at feasts, and possibly he might at this feast see something of it. He therefore applies his discourse by pressing upon them humility, and showing them the danger of pride, which though it be a vice seated in the heart, yet by such little things discovereth itself in the outward conversation. He tells them, that God is such an enemy to pride, that he ordinarily so ordereth it in the government of the world, that usually self-exalting people are by one means or other abused, and brought to shame and contempt, and those that are low in their own eyes are exalted; and if it doth not so fall out here, yet this will be what will at the last day befall them, in the day of God’s righteous judgment.

See Poole on "Mat 23:12". We shall meet with the same again, Luk 18:14.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

8. A wedding—The Greek term had become applicable to any feast.

Highest room—See note on Mat_23:6. Which was the most honourable place was decided, by custom, differently among different nations. Among the Greeks and Romans each couch was a triclinium, or triple seat; of the three the holder of the middle place was the most honourable; and the triclinium of the host at the head of the table was the most honourable among the couches. It would seem that among the Jews the host did not, as among us, assign the place, and quarrels among the guests about the precedence were very common.

A more honourable man—Whose dignity perhaps induces him to come in late, and by his coming attract the general attention to his importance.

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

Vers. 8, 9. When thou art hidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room. The pretensions and conceit of the Jewish doctors of the Law had been for a long period intolerable. We have repeated examples in the Talmud of the exaggerated estimate these, the scholars and doctors of the Law, formed of themselves, and of the respect they exacted from all classes of the community. One can well imagine the grave displeasure with which the Divine Teacher looked upon this unholy frame of mind, and upon the miserable petty struggles which constantly were resulting from it. The expositors of the Law of God, the religious guides of the people, were setting an example of self-seeking, were showing what was their estimate of a fitting reward, what was the crown of learning which they coveted the first seats at a banquet, the title of respect and honour! How the Lord the very essence of whose teaching was self-surrender and self-sacrifice must have mourned over such pitiful exhibitions of weakness shown by the men who claimed to sit in Moses" seat! Lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him; and he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place. As an instance of such unseemly contention, Dr. Farrar quotes from the Talmud how, "at a banquet of King Alexander Jannaeus, the rabbi Simeon ben Shetach, in spite of the presence of some great Persian satraps, had thrust himself at table between the king and queen, and when rebuked for his intrusion quoted in his defence Ecc 15:5, "Exalt wisdom, and She... shall make thee sit among princes.

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

8. εἰς γάμους. The term is used generally for any great feast; but perhaps our Lord here adopted it to make His lesson less immediately personal.

ἐντιμότερός σου. Php 2:3, “in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.”

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.

8.] The whole of this has, besides its plain reference, a deeper one, linked into it by the pregnant word γάμους, relating to the Kingdom of God. Both meanings are obvious, and only one remark needed;—that all that false humility, by which men put themselves lowest and dispraise themselves of set purpose to be placed higher, is, by the very nature of our Lord’s parable, excluded: for that is not bona fide ταπεινοῦν ἑαυτόν. The exaltation at the hands of the Host is not to be a subjective end to the guests, but will follow true humility.

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

8. εἰς γάμους. Probably sing. in meaning; “to a wedding-feast”: see on 12:36. The meal at which his was said was an ordinary one, as is shown by φαγεῖν ἄρτον (ver. 1), the common Hebrew phrase for a meal (ver. 15; Mat 15:2; Mar 3:20; Gen 37:25, 43:16; Exo 2:20, etc.). Jesus singles out a marriage, not perhaps because such a feast is a better type of the Kingdom of God, but because on such occasions there is more formality, and notice must be taken of the rank of the guests.

κατακλιθῇς. Peculiar to Lk. in N.T. (7:36, 9:14, 24:30): see on 9:14.

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

Wedding. More properly, marriage - feast.

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