Luke 18:27

18:27 The point of the whole episode is that salvation is impossible by human effort, but possible by the grace of God.

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

Luk 18:27. Δύνατα, possible) An example of the possibility is afforded in the case of Zaccheus, ch. Luk 19:2; Luk 19:9.

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

Luk 18:27 . τὰ ἀδύνατα , etc. Mk. and Mt. have first a particular then a general statement. Lk. gives the general truth only: the impossibles for men possible for God.

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

(27) The things which are impossible with men.—The answer is substantially the same as we find in the other Gospels, but it assumes in St. Luke something more of the form of a generalised axiom.

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

27. are possible with God] See on Luk_1:37. “There is nothing too hard for thee,” Jer_32:17; comp. Job_13:2; Zec_8:6.

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.

Then Peter said,.... "To him", as the Syriac and Arabic versions add; that is, to the Lord Jesus, as the Ethiopic version expresses it; who was always the most forward to speak on any occasion: he observing what was required of the young man, and how unwilling he was to comply with it, and the difficulty in every rich man's way of entrance into the kingdom of God, spoke as follows;

lo, we have left all: the Arabic version reads, "all ours"; all we had, our friends, trades, and worldly substance;

and followed thee: in Mat 19:27 it is added, "what shall we have therefore"; referring to the promise of Christ, to the young man, that should he sell all he had, and give it to the poor, he should have treasure in heaven; See Gill on Mat 19:27.

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

27 And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.

Ver. 27. See Mat 19:26.

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.

And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God. Yes, impossible, the Divine Teacher repeated, from a man"s point of view; impossible from the platform of legal obedience on which the young ruler (ver. 21) had taken his stand, or the Pharisee in his prayer (vers. 11, 12); but it was not impossible with God. He might give this salvation as a perfectly free gift, utterly undeserved, perfectly unmerited, as he did to the prodigal son when he returned, or to the publican when he beat his breast in almost voiceless mourning, or still more conspicuously, not many days later, to the penitent thief dying on the cross.

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

27. δυνατὰ παρὰ τῷ θεῷ. See on Luk 1:37. “There is nothing too hard for thee,” Jer 32:17; comp. Job 42:2; Zec 8:6.

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.

27. Τὰ ἀδύνατα παρὰ ἀνθρώποις. This shows that ver. 25 means an impossibility, not merely something difficult or highly improbable. It is a miracle of grace when those who have wealth do not put their trust in it. Lk. omits the steadfast look (ἐμβλέψας) with which Mt. and Mk. say that this declaration was accompanied. He sympathizes with their perplexity and hastens to remove it.

Not only before proper names which begin with a vowel (Mt :28:15; Joh 1:40), but also in other cases, παρά sometimes is found unelided; παρὰ ἁμαρτωλῷ (19:7). This is commonly the case before ἄνθρωπος: comp. Mat 19:26; Mar 10:27; Joh 5:34, Joh 5:41; Gal 1:12.

δυνατὰ παρὰ τῷ Θεῷ. Zacchæus proved this (19:1-10). Comp. Zec 8:6; Job 42:2. For parallels from profane writers see Grotius and Wetstein on Mat 19:26. But παρὰ ἀνθρώποις and παρὰ τῷ Θεῷ certainly do not mean hominum judicio and Dei judicio (Fri. Ew.). they refer to what each can do. Man cannot, but God can, break the spell which wealth exercises over the wealthy. Comp. 1:37; Gen 18:14; Jer 32:17, Jer 32:27; Zec 8:6.

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