Luke 6:34

6:34-36 The law of Moses prohibited charging interest on loans to other Israelites in order to prevent exploitation of the poor (Exod 22:25; Lev 25:35-37; Deut 23:20). Jesus further instructed his followers to lend . . . without expecting to be repaid. By doing good even to those who do evil, we act as children of the Most High and imitate our Father in heaven, who is kind to all people (cp. Rom 5:8).

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

Luk 6:34 . This example is robbed of its point if it be supposed that Lk. had an ascetic bias. If a man despise money there is no merit in lending without expecting repayment.

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

Verse 34. Of whom ye hope to receive] Or, whom ye expect to return it. "To make our neighbour purchase, in any way, the assistance which we give him, is to profit by his misery; and, by laying him under obligations which we expect him in some way or other to discharge, we increase his wretchedness under the pretence of relieving it."

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

(34) If ye lend to them . . .—This special illustration of the law of unselfish kindness is in this collocation peculiar to St. Luke; but it is implied in the precept of Mat_5:42.

To receive as much again.—It is noticeable, as implying that the precepts were given in the first instance to Jewish hearers, that receiving interest on the loan is not contemplated at all. (See Note on Mat_5:42.)

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

34. to receive as much again] From this we see that ‘interest’ and ‘usury’ are not here contemplated at all.

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 love ye your enemies,.... As before urged in Luk 6:27

and do good and lend; not to your friends only, but to your enemies;

hoping for nothing again; either principal or interest, despairing of seeing either; lending to such persons, from whom, in all appearance, it is never to be expected again. The Persic version renders it, "that ye may not cause any to despair": and the Syriac version, "that ye may not cut off", or "cause to cease the hope of men"; and the Arabic version, "that ye do not deceive the hope of any" that is, by sending such away, without lending to them, who come big with expectations of succeeding:

and your reward shall be great: God will bless you in your worldly substance here, and will not forget your beneficence hereafter:

and ye shall be the children of the Highest: that is of God; one of whose names is "the Most High"; Psa 82:6 the meaning is, that such who from principles of grace, and with right views do such acts of kindness and beneficence to their fellow creatures and Christians, shall be, made manifest, and declared to be the children of God; since they will appear to be born of him, and made partakers of the divine nature, and bear a resemblance to him, by their imitating him:

for he is kind to the unthankful and to the evil; by causing his sun to rise, and his rain to fall on them, as on the righteous and the good; for as Jews (w) observe,

"there is no difference with him, whether on the right hand or the left; for he is gracious, and does good, even to the ungodly.''

And elsewhere they say (x), that

"he does good, and feeds the righteous and the ungodly.''

(w) R. Abraham ben Dior in Sepher Jetzira, p. 19. (x) Zohar in Exod. fol. 69. 2, 3.

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

33 And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same.

34 And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again.

Ver. 34. See Mat 5:42. {See Trapp on "Mat 5:42"}

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.

34. τὰ ἴσα. ‘The exact return.’

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. This third illustration has no parallel in Mt., but see Mat 5:42; and comp. Pro 19:17.

δανίσητε. The texts are divided between this form, δανείσητε, δανείζητε, and δανείζετε. In N.T. δανίζω is to be preferred to δανείζω, which is the class. form. The verb means to “lend upon interest,” whereas κίχρημι indicates a friendly loan; and therefore τὰ ἴσα would include both interest and principal.

ἀπολάβωσιν. “Receive as their due, receive back, ” or perhaps “receive in full”; comp, ἀπέχω in ver. 24, and see Lft. on Gal 4:5; also Ellicott and Meyer. The phrase ἀπολ. τὰ ἴσα need not mean more than “receive equivalent services,” but more probably it refers to repayment in full: comp. ἐρανίζω and ἀντερανίζω.

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

Lend [δανειζετε] . Properly, at interest.

Sinners [οι αμαρτωλοι] . The article marks them as a class. So, often in New Testament, as when classed with publicans.

Love. Not filousi, which implies an instinctive, affectionate attachment, but ajgapwsin, of a sentiment based on judgment and calculation, which selects its object for a reason. See, farther, on Joh 21:15 - 17. Tynd., the very sinners love their lovers.

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