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Bible Dictionaries
Excuse
Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament
or EXCUSE.—‘To make excuse’ (παραιτεῖσθαι), Luke 14:18, means to avert displeasure by entreaty, to crave indulgence, to seek to be freed from an obligation or duty. (Cf. the use of ‘excuse’ in Dampier, Voyages, ii. 1. 99: ‘In the evening he sent me out of the palace, desiring to be excused that he could not entertain me all night’), παραιτεῖσθαι is used by Josephus exactly as here of declining an invitation (Ant. vii. viii. 2). ἔχε με παρῃτημένον (Luke 14:18-19) may be a Latinism for habe me excusatum, but see Meyer and Weiss contra.
These guests had evidently received a previous invitation, as is customary in the East, which they had accepted (Luke 14:16-17). Their unanimity, the absence of an adversative ἀλλά or δέ, and the order of the words, combine to make παραιτεῖσθαι a surprise when it comes (contrast Luke 14:15). They did not give a direct refusal, they were detained by certain hindrances which were not wrong in themselves, but they all showed the same spirit in rejecting the invitation because they preferred to follow their own inclinations. The first had bought a field, he was elated by his already acquired possessions (Trench, Parables), and alleged a necessity (ἕχω ἁνάγκην); ‘saepe concurrunt tempora gratiae acceptissima et mundana negotia urgentissima’ (Bengel). The second may illustrate the anxiety of getting; he alleges rather his plan and purpose (πορεύομαι). The third was detained by pleasure; his marriage seemed a sufficient reason, and he simply said οὐ δύναμαι. Gerhard sums up the hindrances as ‘dignitates, opes, voluptates,’ cf. Luke 8:14. ‘His omnibus mederi poterat sanctum illud odium Luke 8:26’ (Bengel).
‘Excuse’ is also used in Revised Version NT 1881, OT 1885 for πρόφασις (John 15:22), so Wyc. [Note: Wyclif’s Bible (NT c. 1380, OT c. 1382, Purvey’s Revision c. 1388).] , Vulgate (excusatio); Authorized Version follows Tindale ‘cloke.’ Cf. Psalms 140:4 τοῦ προφασίζεσθαι προφάσεις ἑν ἁμαρτίαις; Vulgate ‘ad excusandas excusationes in peccatis.’ The Jews had no longer anything to plead in their own defence, as was possible in times of ignorance.
Literature.—Comm. of Meyer and Plummer, in loc.; works of Trench, Bruce, and Dods on Parables; Thomson, LB [Note: The Land and the Book.] p. 125.
W. H. Dundas.
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Hastings, James. Entry for 'Excuse'. Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/hdn/e/excuse.html. 1906-1918.
