Luke 22:52

Luk 22:52-53. Jesus said unto the chief priests, captains, &c. — The soldiers and servants were sent to apprehend Jesus, but these chief priests, &c. came of their own accord; and, it seems, kept at a distance during the scuffle, but drew near when they understood that Jesus was taken. Be ye come out as against a thief? — See on Mat 26:55-56. This is your hour — Before which you could not take me; and the power of darkness — The time when Satan has power.

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

22:52 The Greek word translated revolutionary normally means “thief,” but the Romans used this term for violent revolutionaries who opposed Roman authority (such as Barabbas, 23:18-19). To patriotic Jews, they were freedom fighters; to the Romans, they were common thugs.

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

Luk 22:52. Παραγενομένους, who were come to Him) The servants and attendants had been sent, whereas the priests had come of their own accord.—στρατηγοὺς τοῦ ἱεροῦ) The Jewish Captains of the watches stationed in the temple.—ἐξεληλύθατε, ye have come out) with sudden tumult.[249]

[249] No interrogation is marked by Bengel or Tischendorf; but there is in the English Version.—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 22:52 . ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ , etc.: Lk. alone represents the authorities as present with the ὄχλος priests, captains of the temple and elders some of them might be. though it is not likely. Farrar remarks: “these venerable persons had kept safely in the background till all possible danger was over”. ὡς ἐπὶ λῃστὴν . Lk. gives the reproachful words of Jesus nearly as in the parallels.

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

Even the very fear of them which took Christ, proveth partly their evil conscience, and partly also that all these things were done by God’s providence.

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

(52) Then Jesus said unto the chief priests.—St. Luke stands alone in recording the presence of the men of higher rank with the officers and multitude. On the “captains of the Temple,” see Note on Luk_22:4.

As against a thief, with swords and staves.—Better, as against a robber, and with swords and clubs. (See Note on Mat_26:55.)

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

52. unto the chief priests...which were come to him] The expression shews that these venerable persons had kept safely in the background till all possible danger was over. It is evident that the whole band dreaded some exertion of miraculous power.

as against a thief] Rather, a brigand or robber. Am I one of the Sicarii, or bandits? It is a reproach to them for their cowardice and secrecy. ‘If I had really done wrong, how is it that you did not arrest me in the Temple?’

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.

When I was daily with you in the temple,.... As he had been for some days past, teaching the people, and disputing with them, the chief priests, &c.

ye stretched forth no hands against me; to lay hold upon him, and kill him; the reason was, because his time was not come, and they had no licence or permission to hurt him, or any power given them against him from above:

but this is your hour; the time was now come for the betraying of him by Judas; for the seizing and apprehending him by the Roman soldiers and officers; and for the delivery of him into the hands of the "chief" priests and elders; and for them to insult, mock, buffet, scourge him, and spit upon him: and for the crucifixion of him, and putting him to death: the hour fixed for this was now come; it was now, and not before, and therefore they could not lay hold on him, and do to him what they listed, but now they might; yet this was but an hour, a short time that they had to triumph over him, in Caiaphas's palace, and Pilate's hall, upon the cross, and in the grave; for on the third day he arose again, notwithstanding all the precautions they took, and is ascended to heaven, and is received there, and is out of their reach: and since then, it has been his hour to take vengeance on them; on their nation, city, and temple, for their disbelief, rejection, and ill usage of him; and it will be likewise his hour at the day of judgment, when they shall look on him whom they have pierced, and mourn; and hide their faces from him, and call to the mountains to cover them, and when they will be punished with everlasting destruction from his presence: he adds,

and the power of darkness. The Persic version reads, "the power of your darkness"; that is, either the power granted to them, who were darkness itself, born and brought up in darkness; were walking in darkness, and in the ignorance of their minds; and did works of darkness, and shunned the light, because their deeds were evil; and for which reason they now chose the night, to execute their black designs upon Christ: or rather, the power of the prince of darkness is here meant; that power which he usurped, and was now permitted him to exercise against Christ: and so the Ethiopic version renders it, "the power of the lord of darkness"; who was, once an angel of light, but now full of darkness, and who darkens the minds of men, and for whom blackness of darkness is reserved: the Jews were used to call the evil angels by this name; for so they say (i),

"the destroying angels are called, , "darkness, and thick darkness".''

The sense of the whole passage is, that now was the time come, that Christ should be delivered up into the hands of wicked men and devils; that the former should have him in their power, and triumph over him for a season; and that hell was now let loose, and all the infernal powers were about him, throwing their poisoned arrows and fiery darts at him; all which Christ endured, to deliver his people from the present evil world, from the wrath of God, the curses of the law, and from the power of darkness.

(i) Raya Mehimna in Zohar in Lev. fol. 37. 2.

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

52 Then Jesus said unto the chief priests, and captains of the temple, and the elders, which were come to him, Be ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and staves?

Ver. 52. Captain of the temple] {See Trapp on "Act 4:1"}

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.

See Poole on "Mat 26:55". See Poole on "Mar 14:48-49". It speaketh a great degree of rage and malice against our Saviour, that so great men, as the chief of the priests and the elders, should come out at midnight, in the company of the officers and soldiers, to apprehend Christ. From these verses it appeareth that some of them were there in the height of their zeal.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Jesus said to the chief priests, and captains, and the elders who were come - And all these came of their own accord: the soldiers and servants were sent.

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

Do you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs?

"Do you come out with swords and clubs because you think I am a robber?" Jesus uses this question to scold the Jewish leaders. AT: "You know that I am not a robber, yet you come out to me bringing swords and clubs." (See: Rhetorical Question)

I was daily with you

"I was among you every day"

in the temple

Only priests entered the temple. AT: "in the temple courts" or "at the temple"

lay your hands on me

In this verse, to lay hands on someone is to arrest that person. AT: "arrest me" (See: Metonymy)

your hour

"your time" or "your time to act"

the authority of darkness

It may be helpful to repeat the reference to time. AT: "the time of the authority of darkness" (See: Ellipsis)

the authority of darkness

This refers to the evil ruler, Satan. AT: "the time of the ruler of darkness" or "the time for Satan to act" (See: Metonymy)

translationWords

chief priests

temple

elder

hand

hour, hours

authority

darkness

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

52. πρὸς τοὺς παραγενομένους ἐπ’ αὐτὸν ἀρχιερεῖς. The expression shews that these venerable persons had kept safely in the background till all possible danger was over. It is evident that the whole band dreaded some exertion of miraculous power.

ἐπὶ λῃστήν. Against a brigand or robber. Am I one of the Sicarii, or bandits? It is a reproach to them for their cowardice and secrecy. ‘If I had really done wrong, how is it that you did not arrest Me in the Temple?’

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.

52. τοὺς παραγενομένους ἐπʼ αὐτόν . These are not fresh arrivals, but portions of the ὄχλος of ver. 47 more particularly described. There is nothing improbable in the presence of ἀρχιερεῖς, who are mentioned by Lk. alone. Anxiety about the arrest, which might be frustrated by a miscalculation of time, or by the people, or by a miracle, would induce them to be present. For στρατηγοὺς τοῦ ἱεροῦ see on ver. 4. Jn. tells us that Roman soldiers with their chief officer were there also (18:3, 12). Jesus addresses the Jewish authorities, who are responsible for the transaction.

The reading ἐπʼ αὐτόν (A B D L T X Γ Λ Π), “against Him” (RV.), is to be preferred to πρὸς αὐτόν (א G H R Δ), “to Him” (AV.); but Tisch., with his bias for א, adopts the latter.

Ὡς ἐπὶ λῃστήν. First with emphasis. These words down to καθʼ ἡμέραν are the same in all three accounts. Jesus is not a bandit (10:30, 19:46). The fact that they did not arrest Him publicly, nor without violence, nor in the light of day, is evidence that the arrest is unjustifiable. Perhaps ξύλων means “clubs,” as Rhem. from fustibus (Vulg.): comp. Jos. B. J. 2:9, 4.

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

Thief [ληστην] . See on Mt 26:55; Luk 10:30; Mr 11:17.

54 - 62. Compare Mt 26:57, 58, 69 - 75; Mr 14:53, 54, 66 - 72.

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