Luke 10:25:
Verse 25. A certain lawyer] Mt 24:35.
Luke 10:27:
Verse 27. Thou shalt love the Lord] See this important subject
explained at large, on Mt 22:37-40.
Thy neighbour as thyself.] See the nature of self-love
explained, on Mt 19:19.
Luke 10:29:
Verse 29. Willing to justify himself] Wishing to make it appear
that he was a righteous man, and that consequently he was in the
straight road to the kingdom of God, said, Who is my neighbour?
supposing our Lord would have at once answered, "Every Jew is to
be considered as such, and the Jews only." Now as he imagined he
had never been deficient in his conduct to any person of his own
nation, he thought he had amply fulfilled the law. This is the
sense in which the Jews understood the word neighbour, as may be
seen from Le 19:15-18. But our Lord shows here, that the acts of
kindness which a man is bound to perform to his neighbour when in
distress, he should perform to any person, of whatever nation,
religion, or kindred, whom he finds in necessity. As the word
PLHSION signifies one who is near, Anglo Saxon [A.S.], he that
is next, this very circumstance makes any person our neighbour
whom we know; and, if in distress, an object of our most
compassionate regards. If a man came from the most distant part of
the earth, the moment he is near you he has a claim upon your
mercy and kindness, as you would have on his, were your
dwelling-place transferred to his native country. It is evident
that our Lord uses the word PLHSION (very properly translated
neighbour, from nae or naer, near, and buer, to dwell) in its
plain, literal sense. Any person whom you know, who dwells hard
by, or who passes near you, is your neighbour while within your
reach.
Luke 10:30:
Verse 30. And Jesus answering] Rather, Then Jesus took him up.
This I believe to be the meaning of the word UPOLABWN; he threw
out a challenge, and our Lord took him up on his own ground. See
WAKEFIELD'S Testament.
A certain man went down from Jerusalem] Or, A certain man of
Jerusalem going down to Jericho. This was the most public road in
all Judea, as it was the grand thoroughfare between these two
cities for the courses of priests, twelve thousand of whom are
said to have resided at Jericho. See Lightfoot.
Fell among thieves] At this time the whole land of Judea was
much infested with hordes of banditti; and it is not unlikely that
many robberies might have been committed on that very road to
which our Lord refers.
Luke 10:31:
Verse 31. And by chance] KATASUGKURIAN properly means the
coincidence of time and circumstance. At the time in which the
poor Jew was half dead, through the wounds which he had received,
a priest came where he was. So the priest's coming while the man
was in that state is the coincidence marked out by the original
words.
Verses 31. - 32. Priest and Levite are mentioned here, partly
because they were the most frequent travellers on this road, and
partly to show that these were the persons who, from the nature of
their office, were most obliged to perform works of mercy; and
from whom a person in distress had a right to expect immediate
succour and comfort; and their inhuman conduct here was a flat
breach of the law, De 22:1-4.
Luke 10:33:
Verse 33. Samaritan is mentioned merely to show that he was a
person from whom a Jew had no right to expect any help or relief,
because of the enmity which subsisted between the two nations.
Luke 10:34:
Verse 34. Pouring in oil and wine] These, beaten together,
appear to have been used formerly as a common medicine for fresh
wounds. Bind up a fresh cut immediately in a soft rag or lint,
moistened with pure olive oil, and the parts will heal by what is
called the first intention, and more speedily than by any other
means.
An inn] PANDOCEION, from PAN, all, and DECOMAI, I
receive; because it receives all comers.
Luke 10:35:
Verse 35. Two pence] Two denarii, about fifteen pence,
English; and which, probably, were at that time of ten times more
value there than so much is with us now.
(Clarke's explanatory notes on the bible - taken from his commentary on the Bible).
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