Luke 20:38

Luk 20:38. Πάντες, all) Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and all of whom God is the God, but who are dead to men. To men they are dead; whereas to Him, αὐτῷ, viz. God, they live.—γὰρ, for) This is the very kind of conclusion in which the particle therefore (inferential) might have been expected. But instead of it, for is put down, as in Rom 3:28.[220] The for is used in this sense: Argumentation has been employed [proof has been adduced]: ‘for’ this was the point of the truth which needed to be demonstrated.—αὐτῷ, to Him) To God, not to mortals. Moreover, they so live to God, as to enjoy God. [1Pe 4:6].—ζῶσιν) all live, viz. with the soul: and so they shall live with soul and body. The whole time of the soul being separated from the body is, as it were, a moment in relation to the union which was originally intended, and which is destined to last for ever: also in relation to God, to whom things future are not in the least remote, nay, are most present and immediate: Rom 4:17 [“God—calleth those things which be not as though they were”].

[220] This seems to me a misprint, though it is found both in the Quarto Edition of 1759, and the modern Ed. of Steudel. For in Rom 3:28, the inferential particle οὖν is employed, not γὰρ, which Bengel’s argument requires. Probably it should be Rom 2:28, οὐ γὰρ ἐν τῷ φανερῷ Ἰουδᾶιός ἐστιν, etc., “For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly,” etc.; where οὖν, therefore, might have been expected.—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 20:38 . θεὸς is predicate = Jehovah is not God of dead men. δὲ has the force of the argumentative nonne . πάντες γὰρ αὐτῷ ζῶσιν . “for all live unto Him” (A.V [167] , R.V [168] ), is probably an editorial explanatory gloss to make the deep thought of Jesus clearer (not in parallels). The gloss itself needs explanation. Is “all” to be taken without qualification? αὐτῷ may be variously rendered “by Him,” i.e. , by His power: quoad Dei potentiam (Grotius), “in Him” (Ewald), “for Him,” i.e. , for His honour (Schanz), or for “His thought or judgment” = He accounts them as living (Hahn). The sentiment in some measure echoes Rom 14:7-8 .

[167] Authorised Version.

[168] Revised Version.

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

That is, before him: a notable saying, the godly do not die, though they die here on earth.

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

not . . . of the dead, . . . for all, &c.--To God, no human being is dead, or ever will be; but all sustain an abiding conscious relation to Him. But the "all" here meant "those who shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world." These sustain a gracious covenant relation to God, which cannot be dissolved. In this sense our Lord affirms that for Moses to call the Lord the "God" of His patriarchal servants if at that moment they had no existence, would be unworthy of Him. He "would be ashamed to be called their God, if He had not prepared for them a city" (Heb 11:16). How precious are these glimpses of the resurrection state!

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 38. All live unto him.] There is a remarkable passage in Josephus's account of the Maccabees, chap. xvi., which proves that the best informed Jews believed that the souls of righteous men were in the presence of God in a state of happiness. "They who lose their lives for the sake of God, LIVE unto GOD, as do Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and the rest of the patriarchs." And one not less remarkable in Shemoth Rabba, fol. 159. "Rabbi Abbin saith, The Lord said unto Moses, Find me out ten righteous persons among the people, and I will not destroy thy people. Then said Moses, Behold, here am I, Aaron, Eleazar, Ithamar, Phineas, Caleb, and Joshua; but God said, Here are but seven, where are the other three? When Moses knew not what to do, he said, O Eternal God, do those live that are dead! Yes, saith God. Then said Moses, If those that are dead do live, remember Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob." So the resurrection of the dead, and the immortality and immateriality of the soul, were not strange or unknown doctrines among the Jews.

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

(38) For all live unto him.—St. Luke alone adds the words. They are of value as developing the meaning of those that precede them. All life, in the truest, highest sense of that term, depends upon our relation to God. We live to Him, and in Him. And so when He reveals Himself as the God of those who have passed from earth, He witnesses that that relation continues still. They are not dead, but are still living unto Him. We may, perhaps, connect the thought thus expressed with St. Paul’s words, “in Him we live, and move, and have our being,” in his speech at Athens. (See Note on Act_17:28.)

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

38. he is not a God of the dead, but of the living] Rather, of dead beings, but of living beings. The Pharisees had endeavoured to draw proofs of immortality from the Law, i.e. from Num_15:31. In later times they borrowed this proof from Christ,—lighting their torches at the sun though they hated its beams. But they had, up to this time, offered no proof so deep and true as this. The argument is that God would never have called Himself “the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob,” if these Patriarchs, after brief and sad lives, had become mere heaps of crumbling dust. Would He have given confidence by calling Himself the God of dust and ashes? So Josephus (?) says, 4Ma_16:24, “they who die for God’s sake, live unto God as Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and all the Patriarchs.” Act_17:28.

for all live unto him] Rom_14:8-9. Our Lord added, “Ye therefore do greatly err.” But how incomparably less severe is the condemnation of religious and intellectual error, than the burning rebuke against Pharisaic lovelessness !

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.

Until I make thine enemies thy footstool. Which words are a continuation of the citation out of the above Psalm Psa 110:1; and for the application of these words, with the preceding, to the Messiah; see Gill on Mat 22:44.

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Luke 20:44

luk 20:44

luk 20:44

luk 20:44David therefore called him Lord,.... Or, "my Lord", as the Syriac and Ethiopic versions read; or, "his Lord", as the Arabic version. This is the inference from the words before cited Psa 110:1, upon which the following question is asked,

how is he then his son? how can these things be reconciled? in what sense can he be both his Lord and son? See Gill on Mat 22:45.

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

37 Now that the dead are raised, even Moses shewed at the bush, when he calleth the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.

38 For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him.

Ver. 38. For all live to him] Even in their bodies also, which he now by rotting refineth; and shall as certainly raise, as if they were already raised, since all things are present with him.

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.

He is not a God of the dead, or, there is no God of the dead - That is, tho term God implies such a relation, as cannot possibly subsist between him and the dead; who in the Sadducees' sense are extinguished spirits; who could neither worship him, nor receive good from him. So that all live to him - All who have him for their God, live to and enjoy him. This sentence is not an argument for what went before; but the proposition which was to be proved. And the consequence is apparently just. For as all the faithful are the children of Abraham, and the Divine promise of being a God to him and his seed is entailed upon them, it implies their continued existence and happiness in a future state as much as Abraham's. And as the body is an essential part of man, it implies both his resurrection and theirs; and so overthrows the entire scheme of the Sadducean doctrine.

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

38. νεκρῶν ἀλλὰ ζώντων. ‘Of dead beings, but of living beings.’ Here, as always, in interpreting the Old Test, our Lord pierces to the heart of the spiritual meaning. The Pharisees had endeavoured to draw proofs of immortality from the Law, i.e. from Num 15:31. In later times they borrowed this proof from Christ,—lighting their torches at the sun though they hated its beams. But they had, up to this time, offered no proof so deep as this. The argument is that God would never have called Himself “the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob,” if these Patriarchs, after brief and sad lives, had become mere heaps of dust. Would He have given confidence by calling Himself the God of dust and ashes? So 4Ma 16:24, “they who die for God’s sake, live unto God as Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and all the Patriarchs.” Act 17:28.

πάντες γὰρ αὐτῷ ζῶσιν. To Him, the date of reference: “opposé à pour nous, pour qui les morts sont comme n’étant plus.” Godet. Rom 14:8-9. Our Lord added, “Ye therefore do greatly err.” But how incomparably less severe is the condemnation of religious and intellectual error, than the burning rebuke against Pharisaic lovelessness!

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.

38.] On πάντ. γ. αὐτ. ζ. see on Matt. vv. 31-33: but we have in this argument even a further generalization than in Matt. and Mark. There, it is a covenant relation on which the matter rests: here, a life of all, living and dead, in the sight of God,—so that none are annihilated,—but in the regard of Him who inhabiteth Eternity, the being of all is a living one, in all its changes.

39,

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

38. The Sadducees based their denial of the resurrection on the alleged silence of Scripture and on the incredibility of existence after the death of the body (Jos. B. J. ii. 8. 14). Christ demolishes their premises by showing that Scripture is not silent, but teaches the reality of existence after death.1 His argument has less force against those who admit existence after death, but hold that this existence of the soul apart from the body will continue for ever. This, however, was not the error which He was combating, and perhaps was not a common view. Yet even against this error the argument has force, as Bengel points out. Deus non est non entis deus: ipse est deus vivens; ergo ii qui deum habent, vivere debent, et qua parte vivere intermiserant, reviviscere in perpetuum. But perhaps this is more than is intended. What is obvious is this:—Dead things may have a Creator, a Possessor, a Ruler: only living beings can have a God. If Abraham or any of the patriarchs had ceased to exist when he died, God would have ceased to be his God. “I am the God of Abraham” implies that Abraham still lives. Comp. οἱ διὰ τὸν Θεὸν ἀποθανόντες ζῶσιν τῷ Θεῷ, ὤσπερ Ἀβραὰμ κ. Ἰσαὰκ κ. Ἰακώβ (4 Mac. 16:25).2 It is to reference to us that they seem to die: in reference to Him πάντες ζῶσιν. The πάντες need not be restricted to the three patriarchs: it includes all who are mentioned in vv. 35, 36. Mk. adds πολὺ πλανᾶσαθε, but the condemnation of this doctrinal error is less severe than of the Pharisaic hypocrisy.

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