Luke 5:34

5:34-35 Do wedding guests fast? Just as it would be inappropriate for anyone to fast at a wedding celebration, it was inappropriate for people to fast while the Messiah was with them. God’s final salvation is a great wedding feast that God prepares for his people (Isa 25:6-8; Luke 14:15-24).

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

Luk 5:34. Μὴ, Surely ye cannot, can ye? make, etc.) As the Lat. num, this interrogation expects a negative answer.

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

Luk 5:34 . μὴ δύνασθε … ποιῆσαι νησ ., can ye make them fast? In Mt. and Mk., can they fast? Lk.’s form of the question points to the futility of prescriptions in the circumstances. The Master could not make His disciples fast even if He wished.

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

Laws generally made without any consideration of circumstances, for fasting and other things of like sort, are not only tyrannous, but very hurtful in the Church.

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

(34) Can ye make . . .?—The question is somewhat stronger in form than the simple, “Can the children of the bride-chamber fast?” in the other reports.

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

34. the children of the bridechamber] The friends of the bridegroom—the paranymphs—who accompanied him to meet the bride and her maidens; Jdg_14:11. The question would be specially forcible to John’s disciples who had heard him speak of “the joy of the friend of the bridegroom” (Joh_3:29).

fast] St Matthew (Mat_9:15) uses the word ‘mourn’ which makes the antithesis more striking (Joh_16:20).

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.

But the days will come,.... And that in a very little time, as they did:

when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them: as their master, John, was taken away from them, and now in prison, and therefore it was no wonder they mourned and fasted; signifying, that in a short time he, the bridegroom of his church and people, should be taken away by death:

and then they shall fast in those days; mourn, and be humbled, of which fasting was, a sign, for the death of their Lord, and on account of the many afflictions and persecutions they should endure for his sake; See Gill on Mat 9:15.

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

34 And he said unto them, Can ye make the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them?

Ver. 34. {See Trapp on "Mat 9:15"} {See Trapp on "Mar 2:19"}

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.

Vers. 34, 35. And he said unto them Can ye make the children of the bride-chamber fast, while the bridegroom is With them? But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days. On this reply of the Lord Jesus Godet very beautifully writes. "In the midst of this feast of publicans, the heart of Jesus is overflowing with joy; it is one of the hours when his earthly life seems to his feeling like a marriage-day. But suddenly his countenance becomes overcast: the shadow of a painful vision passes across his brow: "The days will come,"... said he, in a solemn tone. At the close of this nuptial week, the Bridegroom himself will be suddenly smitten and cut off; then will come the time of fasting for those who to-day are rejoicing; there will be no necessity to enjoin it. In this striking and poetic answer Jesus evidently announces his violent death." The imagery of the bridegroom is drawn from Hos_2:19, Hos_2:20, and perhaps also from the more mystical Scripture, Psalm 45 and the Song of Songs. Jesus here clearly regards himself as the Christ, as identical with the long looked-for Divine Deliverer; but at this comparatively early stage of his public career he was fully conscious that in his Person, with the triumphant would be joined the suffering Messiah. The word rendered "shall be taken away from (them)," aparyh , only occurs here in the New Testament; it points evidently to a death of violence. While the intimation given to Nicodemus (Joh_3:14) was the first private, so this seems to have been the first public announcement of the last scene of the earth-life.

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

Can ye make - That is, is it proper to make men fast and mourn, during a festival solemnity?

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

34. μή; num?

τοὺς υἱοὺς τοῦ νυμφῶνος. This is a Hebraism for the friends of the bridegroom—the paranymphs—who accompanied him to meet the bride and her maidens; Jdg 14:11. The question would be specially forcible to John’s disciples who had heard him speak of “the joy of the friend of the bridegroom” (Joh 3:29).

νυμφῶνος. Compare the words παρθενών, γυναικών.

ὁ νυμφίος. The term implies a fully-developed Messianic consciousness in the speaker (Hos 2:19).

νηστεῦσαι. St Matthew (Mat 9:15) uses the word ‘mourn’ which makes the antithesis more striking (Joh 16:20).

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.

34.] I have remarked on the striking contrast between ποιῆσαι νηστεῦσαι and νηστεύσουσιν, on Matt. ver. 15.

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

34. Individuals were at liberty to choose their own days for fasting, but they must not select a sabbath or any of the great feasts. Christ suggests another exception, which very possibly was made by the Pharisees themselves. Is it possible to make the guests fast at a wedding? Mt. and Mk. omit the ποιεῖν: Can the wedding-guests fast? Would it not be morally impossible to have such a combination? To John’s disciples this parable would come home with special force, for their master had called Jesus “the Bridegroom” and himself “the friend of the Bridegroom.”

τοὺς υἱοὺς τοῦ νυμφῶνος. The Gammon Hebraism to express those who are closely connected with the νυμφών: comp. 10:6, 16:8, 20:36; Act 4:36; Mat 28:15; Joh 12:36, etc. In 1 Mal 4:2 οἱ υἱοὶ τῆς ἄκρας means the garrison of the citadel. But in LXX such expressions are not very common (1Ki 1:52; 2Sa 12:5; Gen 11:10). The word νυμφών seems scarcely to occur in class. GrK., but it is rightly formed (Tobit 6:14, 17). Comp. παρθενών, γυναικών, ἀνδρών, βοών, ἀμπελών, κ.τ.λ.

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

Children of the bride - chamber. Better, as Rev., sons [νιους] . See on Mr 2:19.

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