Luke 9:47

9:47 Jesus knew their thoughts: See 5:22; 7:39-40.

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

Luk 9:47 . παρʼ ἑαυτῷ , beside Himself, not ἐν μέσῳ αὐτῶν , as in Mt. and Mk., as if to say, here is the greater one.

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

(47) Took a child.—Better, laid hold on.

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

47. perceiving the thought of their heart] He asked the subject of their dispute, and when shame kept them silent, He sat down, and calling a little child, made the Twelve stand around while He taught this solemn lesson.

took a child] This could not have been the future martyr St Ignatius, as legend says (Niceph. II. 3), probably by an erroneous inference from his name of Christophoros or Theophoros, which was derived from his telling Trajan that he carried God in his heart (see Ep. ad Smyrn. ill. which is of very doubtful genuineness, or Eus. H. E. ill. 38).

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.

And Jesus said unto him, forbid him not,.... "Or forbid not" him, or any other so doing:

for he that is not against us, is for us: in two exemplars of Beza's it is read, "for he is not against you": the Vulgate Latin, and Syriac versions, instead of "us", in both clauses read "you", and so likewise the Persic and Ethiopic versions; See Gill on Mar 9:39, Mar 9:40.

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

Matt. xviii, 2; Mark ix, 37.

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

47. εἰδώς. He asked the subject of their dispute, and when shame kept them silent, He sat down, and calling a little child, made the Twelve stand around while He taught this solemn lesson.

παιδίου. This could not have been the future martyr St Ignatius, as legend says (Niceph. II. 3), probably by an erroneous inference from his name of Christophoros or Theophoros, which was derived from his telling Trajan that he carried God in his heart (see Ep. ad Smyrn. III. which is of very doubtful genuineness, and Eus. H. E. III. 38).

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.

47. τῆς καρδίας αὐτῶν. The discussion in words was, Who is the greatest? The thought in their hearts was, Am not I the eatest? Will the Master decide? Comp. 5:22, 6:8.

ἐπιλαβόμενος παιδίον. The action indicates that the child belongs to Him, is one of His: it represents the humblest among His followers. For other instances of Christ’s attitude towards children comp. 10:21, 17:2, 18:16; Mar 10:15, etc.

In N.T. and LXX the mid. only of ἐπιλαμβάω is used, sometimes with the acc. (Act 9:27, Act 16:19, Act 18:17), sometimes with the gen. (Act 17:19, Act 17:21:30, Act 17:33; with gen. always in LXX). Here and 23:26 the acc. is probably right (B C D, Orig.), but the reading is uncertain.

παρʼ ἑαυτῷ. The place of honour. As Jesus was sitting with is disciples round Him (Mar 9:35), παρʼ ἑαυτῷ would be the same as ἐν μεν μέσῳ αὐτῶν (Mt. and Mk.). Syr-Sin. has “beside them”

The late tradition, that Igantius was the child who was thus taken up by our Lord, probably arose from a misunderstanding of the name Θεοφόρος, which means “bearing God” in himself, and not “borne by God” (Θεόφορος). Even if Θεόφορος be the right accentuation, we must interpret “borne along and inspired by God” rather than “carried in the Divine arms.” The identification was unknown to Eusebius, who does not mention it, and to Chrysostom, who states that Ignatius had not even seen Christ (Hom. in Ign. Mart. iv.). It cannot be found earlier than the ninth century (Anastasius Bibliothecarius, Migne, cxxix. 42; Nicephorus Callistus, H. E. ii. 35, Migne, clxiii. 848). See Lft. Ignatius, i. p. 27, ii. p. 22.

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

He took a little child [επιλαβομενος παιδιου] . Strictly, having laid hold of.

By him [παρ εαυτω] . Lit., by himself. Mark alone records the taking him in his arms.

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