Luke 19:11

Syriac Peshitta (NT Only)

ܘܟ݂ܰܕ݂ ܫܳܡܥܺܝܢ ܗ݈ܘܰܘ ܗܳܠܶܝܢ ܐܰܘܣܶܦ݂ ܠܡܺܐܡܰܪ ܡܰܬ݂ܠܳܐ ܡܶܛܽܠ ܕ݁ܩܰܪܺܝܒ݂ ܗ݈ܘܳܐ ܠܽܐܘܪܺܫܠܶܡ ܘܣܳܒ݂ܪܺܝܢ ܗ݈ܘܰܘ ܕ݁ܰܒ݂ܗܳܝ ܫܳܥܬ݂ܳܐ ܥܬ݂ܺܝܕ݂ܳܐ ܕ݁ܬ݂ܶܬ݂ܓ݁ܠܶܐ ܡܰܠܟ݁ܽܘܬ݂ܶܗ ܕ݁ܰܐܠܳܗܳܐ ܀

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

they thought: Luke 17:20, Acts 1:6, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3

Reciprocal: Daniel 7:14 - given Matthew 6:10 - Thy kingdom Matthew 13:31 - put Matthew 20:21 - in thy John 11:35 - General Acts 3:20 - General

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And as they heard these things,.... What Zacchaeus said to Christ, and what Christ said to Zacchaeus; particularly, that salvation, or the Saviour was then come to his house, and that he was come to save lost persons:

he added, and spake a parable; that is, as the Syriac version renders it, "he added a parable to the word", or to what he had said:

because he was nigh to Jerusalem: within ten "parsas", or large miles; for at such a distance was Jerusalem from Jericho f, where Christ now was, according to the Jewish writers; but according to Josephus g, it was a hundred and fifty furlongs, which must be eighteen or twenty miles, and this may be said to be nigh; and not long after this, we hear of Christ at the Mount of Olives, which was about a mile from Jerusalem, Luke 19:29.

And because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear: or be revealed, or made manifest: the phrase is Jewish; so Song of Solomon 2:12 "the time of the singing of birds is come", is interpreted h, the time that the "kingdom of heaven",

שתגלה, "shall be revealed", is come, and elsewhere i,

"say to the cities of the house of Judah, מלכותא דאלהכון

אתנליאת, "the kingdom of your God is revealed;"''

meaning in both places, as here, the kingdom of the Messiah: what induced the disciples of Christ, or the multitude, or both, to imagine that the temporal kingdom of the Messiah, which they were expecting, would quickly be set up, might be what he had said to Zacchaeus, that salvation was that day come to his house, he being a son of Abraham; which they understanding of a temporal salvation, took it as a hint, that the outward prosperity of the seed of Abraham was at hand; as also what he had said, concerning his coming to seek and save that which is lost; which they were willing to interpret, of the civil state of Judea, and that he was come to restore its lost liberties and privileges; and partly, because he was now not a great way from Jerusalem, and was on his journey thither, in order to make his entrance in a very public manner; which was the metropolis of their nation, and the ancient seat of their kings, David, Solomon, and others: now the scope and design of the following parable, is to refute the notion of a temporal kingdom, and its near approach; by showing, that his kingdom lay a great way off, and was not of this world; and that his servants and disciples had a great deal of business to transact for him, and must not think of pomp and grandeur, but of labour and service; and that the Jews were so far from receiving any advantages by his kingdom, that they would not submit to his government, and would be treated as enemies, and utterly destroyed; even their nation, city, and temple.

f Bartenora in Misn. Tamid, c. 3, sect. 8. g De Bello Jud. l. 4. c. 27. h Shirhashirim Rabba, fol. 11. 4. i Targum in Isa. xl. 9.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

He spake a parable - This parable has in some respects a resemblance to the parable of the “talents” in Matthew 25:14-28, but it is not the same. They differ in the following respects: That was spoken “after” he had entered Jerusalem; this, while on his way there. That was delivered on the Mount of Olives; this, in the house of Zacchaeus. That was delivered to teach them the necessity of “improving” the talents committed to them; this was for a different design. He was now near Jerusalem. A great multitude attended him. His disciples regarded him as the Messiah, and by this they understood a temporal prince who should deliver them from the dominion of the Romans and set them at liberty. They were anxious for that, and supposed that the time was at hand, and that “now,” as soon as he entered Jerusalem, he would assume the appearance of such a prince and set up his kingdom. To “correct that notion” seems to have been the main design of this parable. To do that, he tells them of a man who had a right to the kingdom, yet who, “before” taking possession of it, went into another kingdom to receive a confirmation of his title, thus intimating that “he” would also go away “before” he would completely set up his kingdom Luke 19:12; he tells them that this nobleman left to his servants “property” to be improved in his absence, as “he” would leave to his disciples “talents” to be used in his service Luke 19:12-13; he tells them that this nobleman was rejected by his own citizens Luke 19:14, as “he” would be by the Jews; and that he received the kingdom and called them to an account, as he also would his own disciples.

Because he was nigh to Jerusalem - The capital of the country, and where they supposed he would probably set up his kingdom.

The kingdom of God should immediately appear - That the reign of the Messiah would immediately commence. He spoke the parable to “correct” that expectation.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Luke 19:11. And as they heard these things — I believe the participle of the present tense, here, is used for the participle of the past, or rather that the participle of the present conveys sometimes the sense of the past; for this discourse appears to have taken place the next day after he had lodged at the house of Zaccheus; for the text says that he was then drawing nigh to Jerusalem, from which Jericho was distant nineteen miles. I have not ventured to translate it so, yet I think probably the text should be read thus: And after they had heard these things, he proceded to speak a parable, because they were nigh to Jerusalem.

Immediately appear. — Perhaps the generality of his followers thought that, on his arrival at Jerusalem, he would proclaim himself king.