Luke 18:5

18:5 driving me crazy: This colorful Greek expression literally means “striking the eye” or “giving me a black eye,” as in boxing. The sense is of wearing someone down through persistence.

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

Luk 18:5. Ἐκδικήσω αὐτὴν, I will avenge her) for My own sake.—ὑπωπιάζῃ, lest she beat me black and blue[197]) An hyperbole suitable to the character of the unjust and impatient judge. Refer to this verb the words εἰς τέλος. For ἐρχομένη, is as it were παρέλκον (redundant), which might be omitted, and yet the idea of the sentence remain intact and entire; the employment of it, however, imparts to the language sweetness and characteristic feeling, etc. [See Append. on “Moratus Sermo.”] The importunity of the widow in seeking help waxed greater and greater.

[197] “Lest she weary me.” Ὑπωπιάζειν, Th. ὑπώπια, the part beneath the eye: hence to give a black eye; as Latin, sugillo from sub cilia. Metaphorically, to tease or weary.—E. and T.

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

Luk 18:5 . διά γε , etc.: similar expression in Luk 11:8 . The parable before us is a companion to that of the Selfish Neighbour . The two should be studied together vide The Parabolic Teaching of Christ . κόπον : the power of the petitioner in both parables lies in their ability and determination to disturb the comfort of those they address. The neighbour and the judge are both selfish, care only for their own ease, and it is that very quality that gives the suppliants their opportunity. They can annoy the reluctant into granting their requests success certain. εἰς τέλος : interpreters differ as to the meaning of this phrase, and whether it should be connected with ἐρχομένη or with ὑπωπιάζῃ . The two ways of rendering the last clause of Luk 18:5 are: lest coming continually , she weary me to death, or lest coming and coming, she at last give me black eyes; of course meant in a humorous sense. The latter rendering does more justice to the humour of the situation, but the other seems more in harmony with the scope of the parable, which is to enforce persistence in prayer continual coming. The present tense in participle and verb also seems to demand the first rendering: it points to a process in the coming and in its effect on the judge, the two keeping pace with each other. As she keeps coming, he gets more and more bored. If a final act, the use of fists (seriously or humorously meant) were pointed at by ὑπωπ ., the aorist would have been more suitable. (So Field in Ot. Nor. ) The philological commentators differ in regard to the sense of εἰς τέλος , some taking it = perpetuo, indesinenter (Grotius, Kypke); others = tandem (Palairet); others = omnino (Raphel); all citing examples.

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

Word for word, beat me down with her blows, and it is a metaphor taken of wrestlers, who beat their adversaries with their fists or clubs: so do they that are importunate beat the judge’s ears with their crying out, even as it were with blows.

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

continual coming--coming for ever.

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

Verse 5. She weary me.] υπωπιαζη με, Stun me. A metaphor taken from boxers, who bruise each other, and by beating each other about the face blacken the eyes. See 1Co 9:27.

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

(5) Lest by her continual coming she weary me.—The latter verb is again one which takes its place in the vocabulary of unusual words common to St. Luke and St. Paul. It meets us in 1Co_9:27, and is there rendered “I keep under my body.” Literally, however, it expresses the act of the pugilist when he strikes a blow which leaves a livid bruise on his opponent’s face, and it would seem to have been transferred, in the natural transition of popular metaphor into the forms of colloquial language, from the arena to common life. So we talk of men “hitting hard” or “giving a knock-down blow” in controversy or debate. What is described here is the continuous shower of blows, each of which is short of a “knock-down,” while their accumulative effect is, in the nearest equivalent of modern English, that the man is so “punished” that he is glad to give over at any price.

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

5. troubleth me] Rather, gives me trouble.

lest by her continual coming] Literally, “coming to the end,” “coming for ever”—another colloquialism.

she weary me] The original has the curious word hupopiaze; literally, “should blacken me under the eyes.” Some have supposed that he is afraid lest the widow should be driven by desperation to make an assault on him (ne sugillet me, Vulg.; ne obtundat me, Beza); but undoubtedly the word is a colloquialism (Ar. Pax, 519) retained in Hellenistic Greek, and found also in St Paul in 1Co_9:27, where it is rendered, “I keep tinder my body.” It is like the English colloquialism “to plague a person.” Comp. Mat_15:23.

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.

Yet because this widow troubleth me,.... By often knocking at his door, by loud cries and earnest entreaties, with strong arguments, and floods of tears, and could not easily be removed from his presence, or got out of his house:

I will avenge her; I will hear her cause, do her justice, and deliver her from her troublesome adversary:

lest by her continual coming she weary me: so that it was not from a conscience of duty in him, as a judge, or from a commiseration of the poor widow's case; but from a selfish end, for his own ease, in perfect agreement to his character, that his house might not be disturbed, and his ears stunned with her noise and cry, and he was pestered with her company day after day. The character of this judge, his reasoning with himself upon it, his principles from which he acted, and the ends he had in view, are wholly to be left out in the accommodation of this parable; and no farther to be considered than as the argument from the lesser to the greater may be strengthened by them; the intention of the parable being only to show the force, efficacy, and usefulness of importunity in prayer, as appears by the application of it, by our Lord, in the verses following.

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

5 Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.

Ver. 5. She weary me] Gr. υπωπιαζη, she buffet me, or club me down. God must be pressed in prayer till we put him (as you would say) to the blush, or leave a blot in his face, unless we may be masters of our requests. Vota fundimus, coelos tangimus, Deum tangimus, misericordiam extorquemus. (Tertul. Apol.)

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.

She weary me out.[1] This, as much as I am able to find out, seems the literal signification both of the Latin and Greek text. (Witham)

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[BIBLIOGRAPHY]

Sugillet me, Greek: upopiaze me. The Greek word literally signifies, lest she give me strokes on the face, that make me appear black and blue; which were called, Greek: upopia. This word, Greek: upopiazein, is only used in one other place in the New Testament, (1 Corinthians ix. 27.) where St. Paul says, castigo, or contundo corpus meum. Now, as we cannot imagine that this judge feared lest the widow should beat him in this shameful manner, the word metaphorically seems to imply, lest she should injuriously upbraid and continually reproach me.

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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).

5. Troubleth me—She might cry until doomsday before his sense of justice would be touched; but he is sensitive to the slightest touch of selfish ease.

Weary me—In the original we have here a remarkable term for weary, derived from the boxer’s art. It signifies to strike below the eye, so as to produce a bruise. Hence to fatigue; or, as we might say in English, to beat out.

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

5. ὑποπιέζῃ in some MSS., rose only from not understanding the rare word.

5. παρέχειν μοι κόπον. ‘Gives me trouble.’

εἰς τέλος ἐρχομένη. Literally, ‘coming to the end,’ ‘coming for ever’—another colloquialism.

ὑπωπιάζῃ με. Vulg[323] ne sugillet me. Beza, ne obtundat me. Literally, ‘should blacken me under the eyes.’ Some have supposed that he is afraid lest the widow should be driven by desperation to make an assault on him; but undoubtedly the word is a colloquialism (πόλεις ὑπωπιασμέναι Ar. Pax, 519) retained in Hellenistic Greek, and found also in St Paul in 1Co 9:27, where it is rendered, “I keep under my body.” It is like the English colloquialism ‘to brow-beat a person.’ Comp. the Latin obtundo, and the expression “Expenses which pinch parents blue.” Comp. Mat 15:23.

[323] Vulg. Vulgate.

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.

5.] εἰς τέλος belongs to ἐρχομένη, as in E. V., but has a stronger force than there—lest coming for ever, she …

ὑπωπιάζῃ, from ὑπώπιον, the part of the cheek immediately beneath the eyes, signifies literally to smite in the face;—and proverbially (see reff.), to mortify or incessantly annoy. It answers exactly to the Latin obtundo, which Terence has in this sense, ‘Ne me obtundas hac de re sæpius,’ Adelph. i. 2. 33; and . fr.—Livy, ‘Neque ego obtundam, sæpius eadem nequicquam agendo,’ ii. 15. The Greek word does not appear to be any where used in this sense;—so that the use of it here may be a Latinism, as Grotius thought. Meyer interprets it literally—‘lest at last she should become desperate and come and strike me in the face.’ It has been observed that the Apostles acted from this very motive when they besought the Lord to send away the Syrophœnician woman,—‘for she cried after them.’ Mat 15:23.

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

5. διά γε τὸ παρέχειν μοι κόπον. “Yet because she trouble me.” Comp. διά γε τὴν ἀναιδίαν αὐτοῦ (11:8), where, as here., εἰ καί is followed by οὐ and γε. Both κόπον and ὑπωπιάζῃ are strong words, and express the man’s impatience.

On the reading τὴν χήρα ταύτην see Gregory, prolegom. p. 58.

εἰς τέλος ἐρχομένη ὑπωπιάζῃ με. “Unto the end, to the utter most” easily passed in meaning to either “continually” or “at last”; and either of these makes sense here, according as we join εἰς τέλος with the participle or the verb or both. Either, “by continually coming wear me out”; or, “at last by her coming wear me out”; or, “be forever coming and plaguing me.” The first is best: it was her perpetual coming that was so trying. Both τέλος and ἐς τέλος are frequent in class. Grk. In LXX εἰς τελος is frequent.

ὑπωπιάζῃ. From ὑπώπιον, which means (1) the part of the face below the eyes; (2) a blow there, a black eye; (3) any blow. Hence ὑπωπιάζω means (1) hit under the eye, give a black eye; (2) beat black and blue; (3) mortify, annoy greatly (1Co 9:27). Comp. αἱ πόλεις ὑπωπιασμέναι (Aristoph. Pax, 541). There is no doubt that “annoy greatly” is the meaning here. Comp. Qui me sequatur quoquo eam, rogitando obtundat, enecet (Ter. Eun. iii. 5, 6). Meyer, Godet, Weiss and others advocate the literal meaning, and regard it as a mauvaise plaisanterie or an exaggeration on the part of the judge. But, as Field points out (Otium Norvic. 3. p. 52), the tenses are fatal to it. “Lest at last she come and black my eyes for me” would require ἐλθοῦσα ὑπωπιάσῃ. The judge was afraid of being annoyed continually, not of being assaulted once.

The Latin Versions vary much in their rendering both of εἰς τέλος and of υΚπωπιάζῃ: in novissimo (Vulg.), in novissimo die (q), in tempus (d), usque ad finem (e), usque quaque (1), in finem (r): suggillet (Vulg.), contringat (b ff2 q), molestior sit mihi (e), invidiam mihi faciat (1).

Strauss has pointed out similarities of feature between the parables of the Rich Fool, to the Friend at Midnight at Midnight, and the Unrightous Judge, especially with regard to the soliloquies in each case: διελογίζετο ἐν αὑτῶ λέγων Τί ποιήσω, ὄτι κ.τ.λ., τοῦτο ποιήσω (16:3, 4); εἶπεν ἐν ἑαυτῷ (18:4), One may admit that these are “signs of a common origin,” but that they are also “signs of a Jewish-Christian, or indeed of an Ebionite source,” is not so evident. He says that this “mimic” repetition, “What shall I do? … This will I do,” is thoroughly Jewish. But as Christ was a Jew, speaking to Jews, there is nothing surprising in that. He says also that the Ebionites laid great stress on prayer, and inculcated a contempt for riches; and that two of the three parables do the one, while the third does the other. But assuredly the Ebionites were not peculiar in advocating prayer, not in despising riches, although in the latter point they went to fanatical excess. See Strauss, L. J. § 41, p. 257, ed. 1864.

6 Εἶπεν δὲ ὁ κύριος. The insertion indicates a pause, during which the audience consider the parable, after which Jesus makes a comment and draws the moral of the narrative. For ὁ κύριος of Christ see on 5:17 and 7:13; and for ὁ κριτὴς τὴς ἀδικίας see on 16:8.

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

Lest by her continual coming she weary me [ινα μη εις τελος ερχομενη υπωπιαζη με] . Eijv telov, lit., unto the end, may mean continually; but weary or wear out for uJpwpiazh is more than doubtful. That word is from uJpwpion, the part of the face under the eyes, and means to strike under the eye; to give one a black eye. It is used only once again, by Paul, 1Co 9:27, and in its literal sense : "I buffet my body;" treat it as the boxer does his adversary. The more literal sense of this word, and of eijv telov, in the end, or finally, give a sound and much livelier meaning here. "Lest at last she come and assault me." So Goebel and Meyer, and so Wyc., "Lest at the last she, coming, strangle me;" and Tynd., "Lest at the last she come and rail on me." The judge fears lest importunity may culminate in personal violence. Perhaps, also, as Goebel suggests, he intentionally exaggerates his fear.

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