Luke 18:6

Luk 18:6-8. And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith — “If the repeated, importunate cries of the afflicted do at length make an impression on the hearts even of men so wicked as to glory in their impiety, injustice, and barbarity, they will much more be regarded by God; most gracious, who is ever ready to bestow his choicest blessings, when he sees his creatures fit to receive them. Arguments of this kind, taken from the feeling goodness, or even from the imperfections of men, to illustrate the superior and infinite perfections of God, were often made use of by Jesus, and with great success, in working the conviction designed. Such appeals force their way directly into men’s hearts, bear down all opposition, and make a lasting impression.” And shall not God avenge his own elect, &c. — So the true disciples of Christ are continually termed in the New Testament, being chosen of God to be his peculiar people instead of the Jews, whom he rejected because they rejected Christ: who cry to him day and night —

A just description this of God’s real people; though he bear long with them — Though God may bear long with the wicked, and seem deaf to the cries which his people send up to his throne day and night for deliverance, the just view which he has of their affliction will, in due time, move him to punish severely their enemies. Though this was spoken, as has been intimated above, with a particular reference to the destruction of the Jews, described in the preceding prophecy, yet the sentiment expressed is applicable to all cases in which God’s people are oppressed by their enemies. I tell you, he will avenge them speedily — “Or rather, suddenly; for so εν ταχει may signify. Besides, Scripture and experience teach us, that in most cases punishment is not speedily executed against the evil works of evil men; but that when the divine patience ends, oftentimes destruction overtaketh the wicked as a whirlwind, and by its suddenness becomes the more heavy.” To understand the passage thus, “removes the seeming opposition between this clause and the end of the precedent verse, the reconciling of which has given rise to several strained criticisms, and probably to the various readings found there; not to mention, that it agrees exactly with the subject in hand, the destruction of the Jewish nation having been represented by our Lord in this very discourse, as what would be exceeding sudden and heavy. See Luk 17:24.” — Macknight. Thus also Dr. Doddridge: “It is plain God might wait long, and yet at length execute a speedy and sudden vengeance. Compare Psa 73:19; Hab 2:3; and especially Sir 35:18; to which Grotius supposes there is an allusion here.” Several other interpretations of the passage have been proposed, but none of them appear to be so probable as this, nor to be justified by the text. When the Son of man cometh — Namely, to execute judgment on the Jewish nation; shall he find faith on the earth? — Or rather, in the land; namely, the land of Judea; the word γη often signifying, not the earth in general, but some particular land, or country, as in Act 7:3-4; Act 7:11, and in numberless other places. The believing Hebrews were evidently in great danger of being wearied out with their persecutions and distresses. Or, by faith here may be meant the belief of the particular truth which Christ had been inculcating, namely, that God would, in due time, avenge his elect, and signally punish their oppressors; and the question may imply, that when Christ should come for that purpose, faith in his coming would be in a great measure lost. Accordingly, it appears from 2Pe 3:4, that many infidels and apostates scoffed at the expectation of Christ’s coming, which the godly in those days cherished.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Luk 18:6. Εἶπε, said) after having interposed a proper (requisite) pause, for the purpose of sharpening the attention of His hearers.

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

Luk_18:6-7. Hear what the unrighteous judge (ὁ κρίτης τῆς ἀδικίας, see on Luk_16:8) says! But God, will He not, etc. In this contrast lies the conclusion that the ἐκδίκησις, on which that worthless judge decided in respect of the perseveringly praying widow who was so troublesome to him, is the more certainly to be expected from God in respect of the elect, who are so dear to Him, and who so constantly cry to Him for the final decision. On οὐ μή in a question, see Winer, pp. 449, 454 [E. T. 634, 642].

According to the reading κ. μακροθυμεῖ ἐπʼ αὐτοῖς (see the critical remarks), the most simple explanation is: but God, will He not fulfil the avenging of His elect, and does He tarry[222] for their sakes? and is it His concern, in reference to them, to delay His interposition, or postpone His aid? See Sir_32:18. Comp. Maldonatus, Grotius, Bornemann in the Stud. d. Sächs. Geistl. 1842, p. 69 f, Bleek. In respect of the delay which nevertheless, according to human judgment, does occur, Grotius rightly observes: illud ipsum tempus, quamvis longum interdum ferentibus videatur, re vera exiguum est imo momentaneum, unde to τὸ παραυτίκα τῆς θλίψεως dixit Paulus, 2Co_4:17. According to Bengel and Ewald, ΚΑῚ ΜΑΚΡΟΘΥΜΕῖ ἘΠʼ ΑὐΤ. is connected hebraistically with ΤῶΝ ΒΟΏΝΤΩΝ: and over them He is forbearing; whereby the delay of the ἐκδίκησις would be derived from the patience with which God still allows to His elect further time for more perfect sanctification (2Pe_3:9). According to the construction, this would be harder, and in its meaning less in correspondence with the subsequent ἘΝ ΤΆΧΕΙ. The Recepta would have to be understood: will He not … fulfil, even although He delays in reference to them?[223]that is to say, with that ἑκδίκησις of them; ΚΑΊΤΟΙ ΜΑΚΡΟΘΥΜῶΝ ΚΑῚ ΦΑΙΝΌΜΕΝΟς ἈΝΗΚΟΥΣΤΕῖΝ ΤῶΝ ΔΕΟΜΈΝΩΝ ΑὐΤΟῦ ΝΥΚΤῸς ΚΑῚ ἩΜΈΡΑς, Theophylact, not, with Hassler (in the Tüb. Zeitschrift, 1832): since He is still patient towards them, i.e. does not lose patience as that judge did. For, apart from the incorrect view of the use of the καί, the thought itself is unsuited to the doctrinal narrative, since it was actually through the judges loss of patience (rather: his becoming annoyed) that the ἐκδίκησις of the woman was brought about. Moreover, de Wette is wrong in remarking against the reading ΜΑΚΡΟΘΥΜΕῖ, and its meaning, that if the thought that God delays were removed, the parable would have no meaning at all, since ΜΑΚΡΟΘ. corresponds to the ΟὐΚ ἬΘΕΛ. ἘΠῚ ΧΡΌΝΟΝ, Luk_18:4. Therein is lost sight of the fact that the example of the unrighteous judge teaches e contrario (see already Augustine, Serm. 36) the procedure of God.

The ἐκδίκησις τῶν ἐκλεκτῶν consists in the deliverance from their enemies who are punished at the Parousia, and in their own exaltation to the salvation of the Messiahs kingdom for which they are chosen. Comp. Luk_21:22. The idea of this ἐκδίκησις enters so essentially into the texture of the New Testament eschatology, that in various forms it runs through the entire New Testament, and hence it is not easily to be seen why it should be regarded as standing apart from the views of our evangelist, and should remind us of the fiery zeal of the apocalyptic writer (Köstlin, Hilgenfeld). Comp. preceding passages in Luke (Luk_1:51 ff., Luk_1:71 ff.).

[222] The expression μακροθυμεῖ corresponds to the idea of the ἐκδίκησις, which includes within it the punishment of the enemies.

[223] Lange is wrong in saying: although even over them He rules high-mindedly (and therefore inscrutably).

Meyer — Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament — English translation by Peter Christie, edited by Frederick Crombie (T&T Clark, 1880) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Luk 18:6-8 . The moral . κριτὴς τ . ἀδικίας , cf. οἰκονόμον τ . ἀ ., Luk 16:8 .

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

the Lord--a name expressive of the authoritative style in which He interprets His own parable.

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 6. Hear what the unjust judge saith.] Our blessed Lord intimates that we should reason thus with ourselves: "If a person of such an infamous character as this judge was could yield to the pressing and continual solicitations of a poor widow, for whom he felt nothing but contempt, how much more ready must God be, who is infinitely good and merciful, and who loves his creatures in the tenderest manner, to give his utmost salvation to all them who diligently seek it!"

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

(6) The unjust judge.—Literally, the judge of injustice, as with the unjust steward in Luk_16:8, the usual adjective giving way to the stronger, more Hebraic idiom of the characterising genitive.

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

6. the unjust judge] Literally, “the judge of injustice.” Cp. Luk_16:8.

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 the Lord said,.... The Lord Jesus Christ, who delivered out this parable to his disciples:

hear what the unjust judge saith; and take encouragement from hence to be frequent and importunate in prayer with God; for if such a cruel, merciless, and unjust judge is to be wrought upon by importunity to do justice, who has no principle to influence him, how much more will not God, who is a just judge, the judge of widows, and of the oppressed, a God of great mercy and compassion, who delights in the prayers of his people, knows their cases, and is able to help them, and who has an interest in them, and they in him? how much more will not he regard their importunate requests, and arise, and save them much such like reasoning this is used by the Jews:

"says R. Simeon ben Chelphetha, an impudent man overcomes a good man, or a modest man, (by his importunity,) how much more the goodness of the world itself (q)?''

that is, how much more will a man, by his continual prayer, prevail with God, who is goodness itself? And they have another saying (r), that agrees with this:

"says R. Nachman, impudence (i.e. importunity) even against God is profitable.''

The application of this parable follows:

(q) T. Hieros. Taaniot, fol. 65. 2. (r) T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 105. 1.

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

6 And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.

Ver. 6. Hear what the unjust judge saith] Hic paria non inter se conferuntur, sed minus cum maiore, saith Beza.

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.

Hear ... - Give attention to this, and derive from it practical instruction.

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

6. The unjust judge—Of just so relentless and hard a face does the Judge of all the earth appear to the prayer of his Church through different ages.

How long does wickedness triumph in the earth, and the righteous cause fail to advance! How tardy the extension of religion, and through what severe trials does the Church and holy truth have to struggle!

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

The moral of the story:

v. 6. And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.

v. 7. And shall not God avenge His own elect, which cry day and night unto Him, though He bear long with them?

v. 8. I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?

The Lord Himself, in pointing out the lesson, brings out the contrast strongly: on the one hand, the judge of unrighteousness, whose ideas of justice were not only hazy, but who knew no justice, whose character was the essence of selfishness; on the other, the just and loving God, whose aim is not only to do justice, but to show mercy to all His works; the one yielding grudgingly and merely to escape being bored; the other finding His delight in showing mercy and in yielding to the entreaties of His own. Truly, God will provide vindication for His elect, for those that believe on Him through the power of His means of grace. But He wants them to continue in prayer, in calling to Him, day and night. He may be leisurely in coming to the help of His saints, He may delay help for a while; but when His hour comes succor which He renders comes suddenly. It is a speedy and glorious deliverance which they experience. The question of God’s hearing prayer is therefore beyond doubt, but the certainty of faith in the case of the people earth is not so absolute. With all the temptations of the last days surrounding them, it be a very serious question, from the standpoint of men, whether faith in Jesus Christ as Messiah of the world will still be found at that time. It will surely be a matter of God’s power and mercy to keep His elect in the faith until the end.

Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible (1921–1924) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

6–8. The Lord said. This is the application of the parable. Shall not God avenge his elect? If an unjust, hard-hearted judge can be moved by the persistent prayers of a widow, will not the tender, loving, good Father hear the cries of his children? Though he bear long. Rather, as in the Revision, “He is long-suffering over them.” He is long-suffering for them for their own good, and long-suffering towards their enemies in order that they may have opportunity to repent.

Shall he find faith on the earth? Prayer is the utterance of faith. Prayerlessness is proof of unbelief. The Lord, pained by the unbelief of even his disciples, shows in these words what a burden to him is our unbelief (see Matt. 17:17).

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.

Connecting Statement:

These verses should be seen as an explanation of the parable in Luke 18:1-5.

General Information:

Jesus has finished telling his parable and is now commenting about it to his disciples.

Listen to what the unjust judge says

"Think about what the unjust judge just said." Translate this in a way that people will understand that Jesus has already told what the judge said.

Now

This word indicates that Jesus has ended the parable and has started explaining its meaning.

will not God also bring ... night?

Jesus uses a question to teach the disciples. This can be a statement. AT: "God will also certainly ... night!" (See: Rhetorical Question)

his chosen ones

"the people he has chosen"

Will he delay long over them?

Jesus uses a question to teach the disciples. This can be a statement. AT: "He will certainly not delay long over them!" (See: Rhetorical Question)

when the Son of Man comes, will he indeed find faith on the earth?

Jesus asks this question so that his hearers will stop thinking that God is slow to help those who call to him for justice and will understand that the real problem is that they do not truly have faith in God. AT: "when the Son of Man comes, you need to be sure that he will find that you truly have faith in him." or "when the Son of Man comes, he will find few on earth who believe." (See: Rhetorical Question)

the Son of Man comes, will he indeed find

Jesus is referring to himself. AT: "I, the Son of Man come, will I indeed find" (See: First, Second, or Third Person)

translationWords

just

judge, judges

God

just

chosen one

Son of Man

faith

earth

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

6. ὁ κριτὴς τῆς ἀδικίας. Literally, ‘the judge of injustice.’ Cp. Luk 16:8.

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.

6.] On ὁ κρ. τ. ἀδ. see above, and on ch. 16:9.

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

The unjust judge. Lit., the judge of injustice. See on ch. Luk 16:8.

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