Luke 19 - Misplaced Pages

Chapter of the New Testament

Luke 19
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The inscription of Luke 19:46 in Latin on the architrave at the portal of the church of Santa Trinità in Trento, Italy.
Book	Gospel of Luke
Category	Gospel
Christian Bible part	New Testament
Order in the Christian part	3

Luke 19 is the nineteenth chapter of the Gospel of Luke in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. It records Jesus' arrival in Jericho and his meeting with Zacchaeus, the parable of the minas and Jesus' arrival in Jerusalem. The book containing this chapter is anonymous, but early Christian tradition uniformly affirmed that Luke the Evangelist composed this Gospel as well as the Acts of the Apostles.

Text

The original text was written in Koine Greek. Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter are:

Papyrus 75 (AD 175-225)
Codex Vaticanus (325-350)
Codex Sinaiticus (330-360)
Codex Bezae (~400)
Codex Washingtonianus (~400)
Codex Alexandrinus (400-440)
Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus (~450; extant verses 42-48)

This chapter is divided into 48 verses.

Old Testament references

Jesus comes to Zacchaeus’ house (19:1-10)

Photo of the actual Sycamore fig tree in Jericho today. — Zacchaeus' sycamore fig in Jericho

Main article: Zacchaeus

Zacchaeus (Greek: Ζακχαῖος, Zakchaios; Hebrew: זכי, "pure", "innocent" ) of Jericho was wealthy, a chief tax collector, mentioned only in the Gospel of Luke. A descendant of Abraham, Zacchaeus is the epitome of someone meeting Jesus' in his earthly mission to bring salvation to the lost. Tax collectors were despised as traitors (working for the Roman Empire, not for their Jewish community), and as being corrupt. This encounter between Jesus and Zacchaeus "is a story of divine grace and the call to holiness". A Methodist/Roman Catholic ecumenical document reflects that

Zacchaeus, an undeserving figure, is nevertheless graciously accepted by Jesus and drawn into a saving relationship with the Lord, which transforms his previously self-centred and selfish existence into holy living. On receiving Jesus’ summons, Zacchaeus instantly resolves to make reparation for his sinful past by promising to give half of his possessions to the poor and repay fourfold all whom he had defrauded."

Parable of the minas (19:11-27)

Main article: Parable of the minas

Now as they heard these things, He spoke another parable, because He was near Jerusalem and because they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately.

The journey which Jesus had embarked on "steadfastly" in Luke 9:51 is drawing towards its climax. Hugo Grotius held that "they" (who heard these things) refers to the disciples. Heinrich Meyer argues that "they" were the murmurers of verse 7.

Meyer also notes some uncertainty regarding the chronology of events: verse 5 has Jesus planning to stay with Zacchaeus overnight, whereas verse 28 suggests a more immediate departure for Jerusalem after the telling of the parable.

Jesus' approach to Jerusalem (19:28-44)

Main article: Triumphal entry into Jerusalem

On the downward slope of the Mount of Olives, there is a scene of great rejoicing:

"Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!

Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"

The Hebrew word "Hosanna", which appears in the parallel accounts in Matthew and Mark, is not used by Luke. Meyer suggests that Luke's version might reflect a tradition which has avoided using this word.

As he drew near to the city, Jesus wept, anticipating the destruction of the Temple, an occasion known as Flevit super illam in Latin. Another occasion when Jesus wept is recorded in John's gospel following the death of his friend Lazarus. In his lament, Jesus states:

"If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation."

Lutheran biblical scholar Johann Bengel contrasts Jesus' reaction with the immediately preceding scene of rejoicing:

Behold before thee the compassionate King, amidst the very shouts of joy raised by His disciples!

Jesus weeps over Jerusalem, and yet compels no man by force.

The Jerusalem Bible suggests that "your peace" is a reference to "the peace of the messianic age".

Verse 28

When He had said this, He went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.

In many translations, Jesus went on "ahead", i.e. "in front of" his disciples. Erasmus, Kypke, Kuinoel, Heinrich Ewald and others translate as "He went forwards", i.e. he pursued his journey, cf. the God's Word to the Nations translation, "he continued on his way".

Verses 41-44

As with Luke's earlier text at Luke 13:34–35, Jesus contemplates the significance and fate of Jerusalem, the holy city. This passage is rich in Old Testament allusions.

Jesus in the Temple (19:45-48)

Main article: Cleansing of the Temple

Verse 46

Saying unto them, It is written, My house is the house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of thieves.

In expelling the dealers from the Temple, Jesus' words draw from both Isaiah 56:7 (a house of prayer for all nations) and Jeremiah 7:11 (a den of thieves). Matthew 21:13 and Mark 11:17 have the same quotations.

Verse 47

And He was teaching daily in the temple. But the chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people sought to destroy Him.

Luke reiterates at Luke 21:37 and 23:27 that Jesus taught in the Temple on a daily basis. Anglican churchman Henry Alford suggests that this "general description" of Jesus' engagement in the temple is fittingly located at the end of the chapter which concludes his "last journey to Jerusalem". Alexander Maclaren refers to his "calm courage" in continuously teaching there.

Verse 48

and were unable to do anything; for all the people were very attentive to hear Him.

Literally, the people “were hanging from him”, i.e. hung on His lips. The Jerusalem Bible translates this as "the people as a whole hung on his words".

References

Halley, Henry H. Halley's Bible Handbook: an Abbreviated Bible Commentary. 23rd edition. Zondervan Publishing House. 1962.
Holman Illustrated Bible Handbook. Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee. 2012.
Kirkpatrick, A. F. (1901). The Book of Psalms: with Introduction and Notes. The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges. Vol. Book IV and V: Psalms XC-CL. Cambridge: At the University Press. p. 840. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
Milligan, Jim. "Lexicon: Strong's G2195 - Zakchaios". Blue Letter Bible. Sowing Circle.
Luke 19:1–10
Warfield, Benjamin Breckinridge. "Jesus' Mission, According to His Own Testimony". Monergism. CPR Foundation.
Joint International Commission for Dialogue Between the World Methodist Council and The Roman Catholic Church (2016), The Call to Holiness: From Glory to Glory, accessed 24 January 2022
Luke 19:11 NKJV
^ Meyer, H. A. W., Meyer's NT Commentary on Luke 19, translated from the German sixth edition, accessed 9 August 2020
Luke 19:38, cf. Psalm 118:26
Luke 19:41–44
*Boring, M. Eugene; Craddock, Fred B. (2004). The People's New Testament Commentary. Westminster John Knox Press. ISBN 978-0-664-22754-8.
Majerník, Ján; Ponessa, Joseph; Manhardt, Laurie Watson (2005). Come and See: The Synoptics: On the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke. Emmaus Road. ISBN 978-1-931018-31-9.
John 11:35)
Luke 19:42–44: NKJV
Bengel, J. A., Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament on Luke 19, accessed 11 July 2018
Jerusalem Bible (1966), footnote f at Luke 19:42
Luke 19:28: NKJV
Luke 19:28: Good News Translation
Luke 19:28: God's Word Translation
Footnote g at Luke 19:44 in the Jerusalem Bible
Luke 19:46: KJV
Huey, F. B. (1993). The New American Commentary - Jeremiah, Lamentations: An Exegetical and Theological Exposition of Holy Scripture, NIV Text. B&H Publishing Group. p. 106. ISBN 9780805401165.
Luke 19:47: NKJV
Alford, H., Henry Alford - Greek Testament Critical Exegetical Commentary on Luke 19, accessed 23 October 2023
Maclaren, A., Expositions Of Holy Scripture on Luke 19, accessed 23 October 2023
Luke 19:48: NKJV
Farrar, F. W. (1891), Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges on Luke 19, accessed 12 August 2020
Jerusalem Bible (1966), Luke 19:48