Luke 2:35

2:35 the deepest thoughts of many hearts: Israel’s true heart—whether for God or against him—would be revealed through their response to Jesus. • a sword will pierce your very soul: Mary would experience great pain at seeing her son rejected and dying on the cross.

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

Luk 2:35. Καὶ σοῦ δὲ αὐτῆς, and indeed thine own) In antithesis to οὗτος, This child.—τὴν ψυχὴν, soul) Answering to ἐκ π. καρδιῶν, of many hearts.—ῥομφαία, a sword) ῥομφαία is a greater ξίφος than μάχαιρα. [a dirk], and yet it often does less injury than the other. There is implied her grief on account of the contradiction of the world against Jesus, or even some kind of internal temptation, most acute, but of short duration, affecting Mary, and in fine made beneficial to her salvation. For the holy Virgin did not understand [comprehend] all things; Luk 2:33; Luk 2:50. The sword may have pierced through her soul, for instance, on the occasion mentioned in the end of Luk 2:48, Mar 3:31, Joh 19:25. Who would suppose that Mary was perfected without internal temptations? Her faith attained its height by proving victorious through the height of temptation. [Therefore, whereas heretofore only most delightful things were mentioned in connection with her, something of a bitter is now announced even to her, who was Blessed among women. All, it seems, have to bear the part assigned to them in chastisement.—V. g.] Yet nevertheless it is the soul, not the heart, which is put in antithesis to the spirit; Heb 4:12. The hearts of many are agitated with thoughts: the soul of Mary only experienced the sword. Comp. the phrases, Psa 42:11; Psa 73:21.—ὅπως, that) This expresses the consequence of the greatest adversity.—ἂν) ἂν is not redundant (παρέλκει), i.e. it implies here, [in order that] by that very fact.—ἐκ πολλῶν, on the part of many) So πολλῶν, of many, Luk 2:34.—διαλογισμοὶ) the thoughts, good as well as bad, coming from hearts good as well as bad: whence it is that the contradiction results. Both faith and unbelief are in the heart, and are put forth by the mouth. Rom 10:8-9; Rom 10:21; Rom 15:5-6; Act 13:46; Act 14:2; 2Co 4:13; 2Co 6:11; 2Ti 2:12-13.

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

Luk_2:35. Since the construction does not indicate that καὶ … ῥομφαία is to be made a parenthesis, and since the importance of this prophetic intimation in the address directed to Mary is not in keeping with a mere intercalation, ὅπως κ.τ.λ. is to be referred to καὶ … ῥομφαία, not to σημεῖον ἀντιλεγ. (Kuinoel, de Wette, Ewald, and many others).

καὶ σοῦ δέ] See on Luk_1:76. This καί and αὐτῆς places the anguish of the mother herself on a parallel with the fate of her Son intimated by σημεῖον ἀντιλεγ.; and σοῦ δὲ αὐτῆς is a bringing of the contrast into stronger relief than σεαυτῆς δέ. See Schaefer, ad Dem. de Cor. 319, 6.

ῥομφαίαν δὲ ὠνόμασε (not the martyr-death of Mary, as Epiphanius and Lightfoot hold, but) τὴν τμητικωτάτην καὶ ὀξεῖαν ὀδύνην,[56] ἭΤΙς ΔΙῆΛΘΕ ΤῊΝ ΚΑΡΔΊΑΝ Τῆς ΘΕΟΜΉΤΟΡΟς, ὍΤΕ Ὁ ΥἹῸς ΑὐΤῆς ΠΡΟΣΗΛΏΘΗ Τῷ ΣΤΑΥΡῷ, Euthymius Zigabenus. Similar figurative designations of pain may be seen in Wetstein. Bleek is mistaken in referring it to doubts of the Messiahship of her Son, which for a while were to cause division in Marys heart. For this thought the forcible expression would be quite out of proportion, and, moreover, unintelligible; and the thought itself would be much too special and subordinate, even apart from the consideration that there is no direct evidence before us of temporary unbelief on the part of Mary (at the most, Mar_3:21).

ὅπως κ.τ.λ.] a divine aim, which is to be attained by ΟὟΤΟς ΚΕῖΤΑΙ … ῬΟΜΦΑΊΑ; a great crisis in the spiritual world is to be brought to light, Joh_9:39; Joh_3:19; Joh_5:22; 1Co_1:23 f.; 2Co_2:15. The conditional ἌΝ expresses: in order that, when that which is just predicted to thee sets in.

ἐκ πολλ. καρδ.] forth from many hearts. Comp. Rom_1:17.

διαλογισμοί] not ΟἹ ΔΙΑΛΟΓ.; thoughts, consequently what is otherwise hidden. The revealing itself takes place through declared belief or unbelief in Him who is put to death.

[56] Comp. Hom. Il. xix. 125: τὸν δʼ ἄχος ὀξὺ κατὰ φρένα τύψε βαθεῖαν.

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 2:35 . καὶ σοῦ , singles out the mother for a special share in the sorrow connected with the tragic career of one destined to be much spoken against ( ἀντιλεγόμενον ); this inevitable because of a mother’s intense love. Mary’s sorrow is compared vividly to a sword ( ῥομφαία here and in Rev 1:16 , and in Sept [30] , Zec 13:7 ) passing through her soul. It is a figure strong enough to cover the bitterest experiences of the Mater Dolorosa , but it does not necessarily imply prevision of the cross. There is therefore no reason, on this account at least, for the suggestion that Luk 2:35 a is an editorial addition to his source by the evangelist (J. Weiss). ὅπως introduces a final clause which can hardly refer to the immediately preceding statement about the sword piercing Mary’s soul, but must rather indicate the purpose and result of the whole future career of the child, whereof the mother’s sorrow is to be an incidental effect. The connection is: κεῖται εἰς πτ ., etc.… ὅπως ἂν ἀποκαλ . The general result, and one of the Divine aims, will be the revelation of men’s inmost thoughts, showing, e.g. , that the reputedly godly were not really godly. Observe the ἂν in this pure final clause. It does not affect the meaning. Godet says that it indicates without doubt that the manifestation of hidden thoughts will take place every time occasion presents itself, in contact with the Saviour.

[30] Septuagint.

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

Shall wound and grieve most sharply.

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

Yea, &c.--"Blessed as thou art among women, thou shalt have thine own deep share of the struggles and sufferings which this Babe is to occasion"--pointing not only to the continued obloquy and rejection of this Child of hers, those agonies of His which she was to witness at the cross, and her desolate condition thereafter, but to dreadful alternations of faith and unbelief, of hope and fear regarding Him, which she would have to pass through.

that the thoughts, &c.--Men's views and decisions regarding Christ are a mirror in which the very "thoughts of their hearts" are seen.

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 35. Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also] Probably meaning, Thou also, as well as thy son, shall die a martyr for the truth. But as this is a metaphor used by the most respectable Greek writers to express the most pungent sorrow, it may here refer to the anguish Mary must have felt when standing beside the cross of her tortured son: Joh 19:25.

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

(35) A sword shall pierce through thy own soul also.—The word used for “sword” here, occurs also in the Apocalypse (Rev_1:16; Rev_2:12, et. al.), but not elsewhere in the New Testament. It was the large barbaric sword used by the Thracians, as distinguished from the shorter weapon of Roman soldiers. The announcement of the special sorrow that was to be the Virgin Mother’s portion, comes as the sequel to “the sign that is spoken against,” the antagonism which her Son would meet with. We may find fulfilments of it when the men of Nazareth sought to throw Him from the brow of their hill (Luk_4:29); when she came, as in anxious fear, to check His teaching as the Pharisees charged Him with casting out devils through Beelzebub (Mat_12:46); when she stood by the cross, and heard the blasphemies and revilings of the priests and people (Joh_19:26).

That the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.—This was conspicuously the result of our Lord’s earthly ministry. It brought out latent good, as with publicans and harlots and robbers, rich and poor disciples, and the common people, who heard Him gladly; latent evil, as with Pharisees and scribes and rulers. And what was true of His work then, has been true in greater or less measure ever since. Wherever Christ is preached, there is a manifestation of the thoughts of men’s hearts, of their secret yearning after righteousness, their secret bitterness against it. It may be noted, however, that the Greek word for “thought” is almost always used in the Greek with a shade of evil implied in it.

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

35. a sword] The word rhomphaia, probably a broad Thracian sword, only occurs elsewhere in the New Testament in Rev_1:16, &c., but it is used in the LXX., as in Zec_13:7, “Awake, O sword, against my shepherd.” Almost from the very birth of Christ the sword began to pierce the soul of the ‘Mater Dolorosa;’ and what tongue can describe the weight of mysterious anguish which she felt as she watched the hatred and persecution which followed Jesus and saw Him die in anguish on the cross amid the execrations of all classes of those whom He came to save!

that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed] Rather, that the reasonings out of many hearts may be revealed. The word dialogismoi generally has a bad sense as in Luk_5:22; Mat_15:19; Rom_1:21. By way of comment see the reasonings of the Jews in Joh_9:16; 1Co_11:19; 1Jn_2:19.

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 there was one Anna,.... The name is the same with Hannah: so Hannah, the mother of Samuel, is by the Septuagint called Anna, in Sa1 1:2 and it signifies "grace"; or "gracious": and as was her name, so was she, a gracious woman; One that had the grace of God herself, and was a publisher of the glad tidings of grace and redemption by Christ, to others; and she was

a prophetess: for though prophecy had ceased among the Jews for some hundreds of years, it now revived upon the coming of the Messiah; and though instances of women prophets were rare, yet some there were, both before, and after the coming of Christ; as Miriam, the sister of Moses and Aaron, Deborah, the wife of Lapidoth, and Huldah, the wife of Shallum; and this Anna, at the time of Christ's birth, and afterwards four daughters of Philip the Evangelist, who were virgins. This woman was

the daughter of Phanuel; it is the same name with Penuel; and which, by the Septuagint, in Ch1 4:4 is called Phanuel, as here. This man might be a person of some note, or he may be mentioned for the sake of his name, which signifies the face of God, and is the name Jacob gave to a certain place where he had seen God face to face, Gen 32:30. And now Phanuel's daughter both saw and gave the light of the knowledge of God, in the face of Jesus Christ, and now beheld his face in the flesh, who is God over all, blessed for ever,

Of the tribe of Aser; the same with Asher; for so Asher is called, as here, by the Septuagint, in Gen 30:13 and elsewhere: and though this tribe was carried captive with the rest of the ten tribes; yet there were some of the ten tribes that returned along with Judah and Benjamin, and were dispersed among them. This tribe had its seat in Galilee; so that though the Jews denied that any prophet came from thence, yet it seems a prophetess did,

She was of a great age: the phrase is the same with that in Luk 1:7 there rendered, "stricken in years"; See Gill on Luk 1:7. Her age will appear to be great, if it be observed, that she was seven years a married woman, and fourscore and four years a widow, which make ninety one; and if she was married at twelve years and a half, at which time the Jews (o) reckoned females marriageable, she must be an hundred and three years old; and perhaps her age might be eight or ten years more:

and had lived with her husband seven years from her virginity: this is mentioned to observe her chastity, that she was in her virginity, or a chaste virgin, when she became a wife; such an one as the high priest was obliged to have, Lev 21:13 and that the tokens of her virginity were brought, which the Jewish laws obliged to, Deu 22:15 and that she lived honestly, and honourably, with her husband, during the term of her marriage state,

(o) Maimon. Hilehot Ishot, c. 2. sect. 2.

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

35 (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.

Ver. 35. Yea, a sword shall pierce, &c.] This confutes that of Plautus: Mulier nulla cordicitis dolet ex animo. The word here rendered sword properly signifies a long Thracian dart, entering into her soul. So that she was, I doubt not (as other mothers are), ante partum onerosa, in partu dolorosa, post partum laborosa; yet so, as that she made misery itself amiable by her gracious deportment, as one saith of the Lady Jane Grey.

That the thoughts of many hearts] As they are also now in these discriminating, shedding times. Affliction trieth men who are crocodiles, spunges, chameleons, &c. Before these days came (said Master Bradford, martyr) how many thought of themselves, that they had been in God’s bosom, and so were taken, and would be taken in the world? But now we see whose they are; for to whom we obey, his servants we are, &c. In the Palatinate scarcely one man in twenty stood out; but fell to Popery, as fast as leaves in autumn.

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.

Yea, a sword ... - The sufferings and death of thy Son shall deeply afflict thy soul. And if Mary had not been thus forewarned and sustained by strong faith, she could not have borne the trials which came upon her Son; but God prepared her for it, and the holy mother of the dying Saviour was sustained.

That the thoughts ... - This is connected with the preceding verse: “He shall be a sign, a conspicuous object to be spoken against, that the thoughts of many hearts may be made manifest - that is, that they “might show” how much they hated holiness. Nothing so “brings out” the feelings of sinners as to tell them of Jesus Christ. Many treat him with silent contempt; many are ready to gnash their teeth; many curse him; all show how much by nature the heart is opposed to religion, and thus are really, in spite of themselves, fulfilling the scriptures and the prophecies. So true it that “none can say that Jesus is Lord but by the Holy Ghost,” 1Co 12:3.

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

And thy own soul a sword shall pierce. These words, which figuratively express the grief of the blessed Virgin mother, when present at the death of her Son, are to be taken by way of a parenthesis. --- That out of many hearts thoughts may be revealed, and these are to be joined with what went before; to wit, that child shall be a sign of contradiction, set unto the fall and resurrection of many, that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed and disclosed; when some shall believe, and others remain in their obstinacy. (Witham) --- Ven. Bede, and many others, understand this of the sharp sorrow, which wounded the soul of the blessed Virgin Mary, at the time of Christ’s passion. (Barradius) --- Carthusianus [Denis the Carthusian?] and Jansenius explain this passage as follows: Behold, this child is placed for a sign that shall be contradicted, which as a sword of most poignant grief will pierce thy soul, O Virgin! But Christ shall be contradicted, that the thoughts of the Jews may be revealed from many hearts, and it may appear who among them are good, and who are wicked and hypocrites. (Barradius)

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).

35. A sword—The calumny aimed at the sign shall pierce her soul. The cross of the son shall be a sword to the mother.

Thoughts be revealed— The sign, and the test, namely, the Messiah, shall bring out the secret characters, the moral feelings and thoughts of men. It would show what by nature they are; what by will and free agency they make themselves. Those truly preferring holiness, God, and heaven would repose faith in him.

Those who prefer sin and hell would reject him.

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

Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also. Christian art has well caught the spirit of her life who was, in spite of her untold suffering, "blessed among women," in depicting her so often and so touchingly as the mother of sorrows (Mater Dolorosa). The childhood in the Nazareth home, and the early manhood in the Nazareth carpentry, were no doubt her happiest days, though, in those quiet years, expectation, fears, dread, curiously interwoven, must have ever torn that mother"s heart. The days of the public ministry for Mary must have been sad, and her heart full of anxious forebodings, as she watched the growing jealousies, the hatred, and the unbelief on the part of the leading men of her people. Then came the cross. We know she stood by it all the while. And, after the cross and the Resurrection, silence. Verily the words of Simeon were awfully fulfilled. Bleek, quoted by Godet, makes an interesting suggestion on the subject of the sword piercing Mary"s heart: "Thou shalt feel in thine own heart their contradiction in regard to thy Son, when thou thyself shall be seized with doubt in regard to his mission."

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

A sword shall pierce through thy own soul - So it did, when he suffered: particularly at his crucifixion.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

35. A sword shall pierce through thine own soul. He announces that the blessed mother should also be a sorrowing mother. Though she was exulted in the thought that her son should sit on the throne of David, she learns now that the calumny will make him its sign, and a sword shall pierce her soul. That the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed. Christ brings to light by bringing into activity the thoughts of the heart. The result of preaching Christ is always to awaken opposition or love and obedience.

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.

35. ῥομφαία. Probably a broad Thracian lance (framea). The word only occurs elsewhere in the New Testament in Rev 1:16, &c., but it is used in the LXX[65], as in Zec 13:7, “Awake, O sword, against my shepherd.” Almost from the very birth of Christ the sword began to pierce the soul of the ‘Mater Dolorosa;’ and what tongue can describe the weight of mysterious anguish which she felt as she watched the hatred and persecution which followed Jesus and saw Him die on the cross amid the execrations of all classes of those whom He came to save?

[65] LXX. Septuagint.

ὅπως ἂν, ut forte. The result is regarded as depending on circumstances. The idiom is rare in the N.T., only occurring in Act 3:19; Act 15:17; Rom 3:4.

ἀποκαλυφθῶσιν ἐκ πολλῶν καρδιῶν διαλογισμοί. ‘That reasonings out of many hearts may be revealed.’ The word διαλογισμοὶ generally has a bad sense as in Luk 5:22; Mat 15:19; Rom 1:21. Hence there is no reason for the addition of πονηροὶ in א. By way of comment see the reasonings of the Jews in Joh 9:16: 1Co 9:19; 1Jn 2:19.

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.

35.] This prophecy I do not believe to have its chief reference to the deep sorrows of the mother of our Lord on beholding His sufferings (Euthym., al.), much less to her future death by martyrdom (Epiphan., Lightf.); least of all to the Crucifixion, which by shedding the blood of her Son, would also pierce her heart and drain it of its life-blood and make it childless, as Bp. Wordsw. referring to Bede, Aug., who however (cf. Aug. Ep. ad Paulinum cxlix. 33, vol. ii., and Bede, in Luc. Expos. i. vol. iii. p. 346; Homil. lib. i. 15, vol. v. p. 81) say nothing of the kind, but simply refer the saying to her grief at beholding the Passion: and to Origen, who (in Luc. Hom. xvii. vol. iii. p. 952) gives a totally different interpretation, “pertransibit infidelitatis gladius, et ambiguitatis mucrone ferieris, et cogitationes tuæ te in diversa lacerabunt, cum videris illum quem Filium Dei audieras … crucifigi &c.” None of these interpretations satisfy us: for the words stand in a totally different connexion, and one far worthier of the honour of that holy woman, and of the spiritual character of Symeon’s prophecy: that prophecy is, of the struggle of many in Israel through repentance to faith in this Saviour; among which number even His mother herself was to be included. The sharp pangs of sorrow for sin must pierce her heart also (cf. esp. Act 2:37); and the general end follows; that the reasonings out of many hearts may be revealed; that they who receive the Lord Jesus may be manifest, and they who reject Him: see Joh 9:39. Similarly Bleek: finding moreover in the traces of her connexion with our Lord in the Evangelic history the piercing and dividing of her soul, and in the last notice of her in Act_1, the triumph of her faith after the Ascension.

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

35. From καὶ σοῦ to ῥομφαία is not a parenthesis; there is nothing in the construction to indicate that it is one, and a statement of such moment to the person addressed would hardly be introduced parenthetically. It is the inevitable result of the ἀντιλογία: the Mother’s heart is pierced by the rejection and crucifixion of her Son.—αὐτῆς.1 In opposition to οὗτος.—τὴν ψυχήν. The seat of the affections and human emotions.—ῥομφαία. (I) A long Thracian pike; (2) a large sword, greater than μάχαιρα (22:36, 38, 49, 52) or ξίφος. Such a weapon better signifies extreme anguish than doubt, the interpretation which Origen, Bleek, and Reuss prefer, as if she would be tempted to join in the ἀντιλέγειν. In that case we should expect τὸ πνεῦμα for τ. ψυχήν. The word is frequent in LXX and Rev. (1:16, 2:12, 16, 6:8, 19:15, 21). Syr-Sin. and Diatess-Tat. have “spear.”

ὅπως ἄν. This depends upon the whole statement from Ἰδού to ῥομφαία, not on the last clause only; on κεῖται, not on διελεύσεται. It was the Divine purpose that the manifestation of the Messiah should cause the crisis just described; men must decide either to join or to oppose Him. The ἄν indicates that in every case the appearance of the Christ produces this result: thoughts, hitherto secret, become known through acceptance or rejection of the Christ.

Act 3:19, Act 3:20 should be compared. There, as here, we have εἰς (?) followed by ὅπως ἄν. In N.T. ὄπως ἄν is rare; elsewhere only in quotations from LXX (Act 15:17 from Amo 9:12; Rom 3:4 from Psa 51:6).

ἐκ π. καρδιῶν. “Forth from many hearts,” where they have been concealed; or “Forth from the hearts of many.” For διαλογισμοί see on 5:22.

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

A sword [ρομφαια] . Strictly, a large Thracian broadsword. Used in Setpuagint of the sword of Goliath (1Sa 17:51). A figure of Mary 's pang when her son should be nailed to the cross.

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