Luke 22:51

22:51 he touched the man’s ear and healed him: John tells us that the man’s name was Malchus and that Peter was the one who cut off his ear (John 18:10). Peter probably thought that he was precipitating the final war and that the heavenly host was about to appear and destroy the Romans. When Jesus refused to fight, the terror-stricken disciples fled (Matt 26:56 // Mark 14:50).

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

Luk 22:51. Εἶπεν, said) to Peter and all the others, Mat 26:52 [“Then said Jesus unto him (Peter), Put up again thy sword into his place; for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword”].—ἐᾶτε, suffer ye) So Act 5:38 [ἐᾶτε αὐτοὺς, let them alone].—ἓως τούτου, thus far) Do not go any further. So 1Ma 2:33, ἓως τοῦ νῦν; Lev 26:18, עד אלה, ἓως τούτου.

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

Luk 22:51 . ἐᾶτε ἕως τούτου : an elliptical colloquial phrase, whose meaning might be made clear by intonation or gesture. It might be spoken either to the captors = leave me free until I have healed the wounded man, or to the disciples = let them apprehend me, or: no more use of weapons. For the various interpretations put upon the words, vide Hahn. Perhaps the most likely rendering is: “cease, it is enough,” desinite, satis est , as if it had stood, ἐᾶτε ἕως τούτου ἱκανόν ἐστι , the disciples being addressed.

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

Verse 51. Suffer ye thus far.] Or, Suffer me to go thus far. As they had now a firm hold of Christ, Mt 26:50, he wished them to permit him to go as far as Malchus, whose ear was cut off, that he might heal it. See the objections brought against this interpretation answered by Kypke; and see the examples he produces. However, the words may be understood as an address to his disciples: Let them proceed; make no resistance; for in this way only are the Scriptures to be fulfilled.

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

(51) Suffer ye thus far.—The words and the incident are peculiar to St. Luke. We are. not told to whom the words were spoken. If to the disciples, they were a command to be patient, and to let things take their course. If, as is possible, to the servants and officers, they were a plea for His disciples—“Do not visit them with punishment for this one act.” The immediate healing of the ear is in favour of the latter view, as tending to conciliation.

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

51. Suffer ye thus far] Probably addressed to the captors, and meaning Excuse thus much resistance; or ‘Allow me liberty thus far’—free my arms a moment that I may heal this wounded man. These snatches of dialogue—often of uncertain interpretation from their fragmentary character (e.g. Mar_9:23; Mat_26:50; Joh_8:25), are inimitable marks of genuineness. It was probably during this pause that ‘all His disciples’—even Peter, even John—‘forsook Him and fled.’

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 Jesus said unto the chief priests,.... After he had wrought this miracle, and had quieted the mob, and restrained them from falling upon the apostles, and cutting them to pieces, which in all likelihood they would otherwise have done; he addressed himself to "the chief priests", who were members of the Jewish sanhedrim, and

the captains of the temple; See Gill on Luk 22:4.

And the elders which were come to him; which came along with Judas and the multitude, in order to see things done to their mind, and to animate both Judas and the soldiers and their officers, by their presence, lest they should come without him, as they had before done, Joh 7:45.

Be ye come out as against a thief, with swords and staves? See Gill on Mat 26:55.

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

51 And Jesus answered and said, Suffer ye thus far. And he touched his ear, and healed him.

Ver. 51. And he touched his ear, &c.] After he had laid them flat on the ground. So he tried them both ways; but nothing would do.

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.

51. Suffer ye thus far—Addressed to the soldiers in regard to healing Malchus. Being fettered, he requests them to permit him to do that much.

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

Suffer ye thus far. The exact meaning of these words has been much debated. They probably were addressed to the company of armed men, and contained a plea for the mistaken zeal of his disciple Peter. "Excuse this resistance." And he touched his ear, and healed him. This miraculous cure of the wound inflicted by the zealous disciple is related by the physician Luke.

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

Suffer me at least to have my hands at liberty thus far, while I do one more act of mercy.

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

51. ἐᾶτε ἕως τούτου. The meaning is uncertain. If addressed to the disciples it meant, Let them even bind and lead me away. Possibly however it was addressed to the captors, and meant, Excuse thus much resistance; or ‘Allow me liberty thus far’—free my arms a moment that I may heal this wounded man. These snatches of dialogue—often of uncertain interpretation from their fragmentary character (e.g. Mar 9:23; Mat 26:50; Joh 8:25), are inimitable marks of genuineness. It was probably during this pause that ‘all His disciples’—even Peter, even John—‘forsook Him and fled.’

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.

51.] ἐᾶτε ἕως τούτου I understand as addressed, not to the disciples, but to the multitude, or rather to those who were holding Him;—His hands were held,—and He says, Suffer, permit me, thus far: i.e. to touch the ear of the wounded person. If this interpretation be correct, it furnishes an additional token of the truthfulness of our narrative—for the previous laying hold of Jesus has not been mentioned here, but in Matthew (ver. 50) and Mark (ver. 46).

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

51. Ἐαʼτε ἕως τούτου . The obscurity of the saying is evidence that it was uttered: an invented utterance would have been plainer. If addressed to the disciples (as ἀποκριθείς implies, for He is answering either their question or Peter’s act), it probably means, “Suffer My assailants to proceed these lengths against Me.” If addressed to those who had come to arrest Him, it might mean, “Tolerate thus much violence on the part of My followers,”—violence which He at once rectifies. It can hardly mean, “Allow Me just to touch the sufferer,” for He is still free, as ver. 52 implies: the arrest takes place at ver. 54. Some even make ἕως τούτου masc. “to go as far as Malchus”: but comp. Lev 26:18. In either of these last cases we should have had με after ἐᾶτε. For ἐάω see on 4:41.

ἰάσατο αὐτόν. Lk. the physician alone records this solitary miracle of surgery. A complete restoration of the ear is meant and required. “He touched the ear, ” not the place where the ear had been. Peter’s act had seemed to place Jesus in the wrong and to justify His enemies: He was shown to be the Leader of dangerous persons. To undo this result it was necessary to render Malchus uninjured, and to surrender without resistance. This confirms the interpretation given above of Ἐᾶτε ἕως τούτου: they are a public command to the disciples not to impede the arrest. Comp. Joh 18:36. Marcion omitted vv. 49-51.

In the Classical Review of Dec. 1893 Dr. E. A. Abbott proposes to resolve this miracle into a misunderstanding of traditional language. The ingenuity is unconvincing. See Additional Note p. 545.

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

Suffer ye thus far. This is variously interpreted. I think the text requires that the words should be addressed to the disciples, and taken as the answer to the question, shall we smite, etc. The meaning then is, permit them to go so far as to seize me. The expression thus corresponds with Mt 26:52.

Ear [ωτιου] . This time Luke uses the diminutive. Wyc., little ear.

Healed. Only Luke records the healing.

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