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Luke 7

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Jesus Heals a Centurion's Servant 1–10

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After he had ended all his sayings in the ears of the people, he entered into Capernaum. ​
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And a certain centurion’s servant, who was dear unto him, was sick and at the point of death.
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And when he heard concerning Jesus, he sent unto him elders of the Jews, asking him that he would come and save his servant.
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And they, when they came to Jesus, besought him earnestly, saying, He is worthy that thou shouldest do this for him;
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for he loveth our nation, and himself built us our synagogue. ​
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And Jesus went with them. And when he was now not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying unto him, Lord, trouble not thyself; for I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: ​
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wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee: but say the word, and my servant shall be healed.
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For I also am a man set under authority, having under myself soldiers: and I say to this one, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. ​
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And when Jesus heard these things, he marvelled at him, and turned and said unto the multitude that followed him, I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. ​
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And they that were sent, returning to the house, found the servant whole.

The Widow's Son Raised at Nain 11–18

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And it came to pass soon afterwards, that he went to a city called Nain; and his disciples went with him, and a great multitude. ​
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Now when he drew near to the gate of the city, behold, there was carried out one that was dead, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her.
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And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not. ​
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And he came nigh and touched the bier: and the bearers stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise.
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And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he gave him to his mother.
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And fear took hold on all: and they glorified God, saying, A great prophet is arisen among us: and, God hath visited his people. ​
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And this report went forth concerning him in the whole of Judæa, and all the region round about.
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And the disciples of John told him of all these things.

John the Baptist Questions Jesus' Identity 19–30

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And John calling unto him two of his disciples sent them to the Lord, saying, Art thou he that cometh, or look we for another? ​
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And when the men were come unto him, they said, John the Baptist hath sent us unto thee, saying, Art thou he that cometh, or look we for another?
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In that hour he cured many of diseases and plagues and evil spirits; and on many that were blind he bestowed sight.
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And he answered and said unto them, Go and tell John the things which ye have seen and heard; the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good tidings preached to them. ​
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And blessed is he, whosoever shall find no occasion of stumbling in me. ​
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And when the messengers of John were departed, he began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to behold? a reed shaken with the wind?
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But what went ye out to see? a man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they that are gorgeously apparelled, and live delicately, are in kings’ courts.
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But what went ye out to see? a prophet? Yea, I say unto you, and much more than a prophet.
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This is he of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, Who shall prepare thy way before thee. ​
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I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there is none greater than John: yet he that is but little in the kingdom of God is greater than he. ​
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And all the people when they heard, and the publicans, justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John. ​
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But the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected for themselves the counsel of God, being not baptized of him. ​

The Unreasonable Generation 31–35

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Whereunto then shall I liken the men of this generation, and to what are they like? ​
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They are like unto children that sit in the marketplace, and call one to another; who say, We piped unto you, and ye did not dance; we wailed, and ye did not weep.
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For John the Baptist is come eating no bread nor drinking wine; and ye say, He hath a demon.
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The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold, a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners! ​
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And wisdom is justified of all her children.

A Sinful Woman Anoints Jesus 36–50

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And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he entered into the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to meat. ​
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And behold, a woman who was in the city, a sinner; and when she knew that he was sitting at meat in the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster cruse of ointment, ​
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and standing behind at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. ​
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Now when the Pharisee that had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have perceived who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him, that she is a sinner. ​
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And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Teacher, say on.
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A certain lender had two debtors: the one owed five hundred shillings, and the other fifty. ​
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When they had not wherewith to pay, he forgave them both. Which of them therefore will love him most?
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Simon answered and said, He, I suppose, to whom he forgave the most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged.
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And turning to the woman, he said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thy house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath wetted my feet with her tears, and wiped them with her hair.
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Thou gavest me no kiss: but she, since the time I came in, hath not ceased to kiss my feet.
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My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but she hath anointed my feet with ointment.
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Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. ​
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And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.
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And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that even forgiveth sins?
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And he said unto the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Luke 7

Verse 1

he entered into Capernaum — The city where he 'came and dwelt' on leaving Nazareth (Matt 4:13), where he had taught on the sabbath days (Luke 4:31). 'Audience' is akoe, hearing: the sayings of Luke 6:20–49 were spoken in the hearing of the people, and the chapter now tells of the deeds that follow them.

Verse 5

he loveth our nation, and he hath built us a synagogue — The elders of the Jews speak for the centurion (v.3). 'Nation' is ethnos, the word usually rendered 'Gentiles'; here a Gentile is said to love Israel. Another centurion is likewise 'a devout man, and one that feared God … which gave much alms to the people' (Acts 10:2).

Verse 6

I am not worthy — 'Worthy' is hikanos, sufficient, the word John used of himself: 'whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose' (Luke 3:16). 'Trouble not thyself' is skyllo, to harass or weary. The elders had said 'he was worthy' (v.4); the centurion, sending friends, says he is not.

Verse 8

a man set under authority — Tasso, to assign to a post: the centurion's own authority is derived, and so works at a word. He reasons that Christ, who 'with authority and power … commandeth the unclean spirits' (Luke 4:36), need not come under his roof; a word spoken where he stands is enough.

Verse 9

I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel — Jesus 'marvelled' (thaumazo) at this man; elsewhere in the Gospels he is said to marvel only at the unbelief of Nazareth (Mark 6:6). The commendation of a Gentile is followed in Matt 8:11 by the promise that 'many shall come from the east and west' to sit down with Abraham.

Verse 11

a city called Nain — Nain is named only here in Scripture. 'The day after' is hexes, next in order, so the journey follows at once from Capernaum. 'Many of his disciples' and 'much people' go with him, so a large company is present for what follows at the gate (vv.12–16).

Verse 13

he had compassion on her — Splanchnizomai, from splanchna, the inward parts: pity felt in the body. In Luke it is used only three times: of Christ here, of the Samaritan (10:33) and of the father of the prodigal (15:20). Luke calls Jesus 'the Lord' in the narrative, and he speaks first, 'Weep not', before touching the bier.

Verse 16

God hath visited his people — 'Visited' is episkeptomai, to look upon, to visit, the verb of Zacharias's song: 'he hath visited and redeemed his people' (Luke 1:68). 'A great prophet' recalls the promise 'The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet' (Deut 18:15). A fear came on all, and they glorified God.

Verse 19

Art thou he that should come? — 'He that should come' is the 'he that cometh' of Ps 118:26, 'Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the LORD'. John sends from prison (Luke 3:20; Matt 11:2) by two of his disciples. The question is answered by what Jesus does 'in that same hour' (v.21).

Verse 22

the blind see, the lame walk — The answer is built from Isaiah: the blind, deaf and lame of Isa 35:5–6, and the good tidings preached 'unto the meek' in Isa 61:1, the 'poor' of Luke's wording. 'Is preached' is euangelizo, the verb Christ read in the synagogue at Nazareth (Luke 4:18). 'The dead are raised' he had just shown at Nain (vv.11–15).

Verse 23

not be offended in me — Skandalizo, to trip up, from skandalon, a snare. The LORD had foretold 'a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence' (Isa 8:14), and Paul applies the words to Christ (Rom 9:33). 'Blessed' (makarios) is the word of the beatitudes (Luke 6:20–22).

Verse 27

I send my messenger before thy face — The quotation is from Mal 3:1, 'Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me', with an echo of Ex 23:20, 'I send an Angel before thee'. 'Messenger' is angelos. In Malachi the way is prepared before the LORD; Christ applies it to John as his own forerunner (cf. Luke 1:76).

Verse 28

he that is least in the kingdom of God — 'Born of women' is the phrase of Job 14:1 for all mankind. John is 'much more than a prophet' (v.26), the messenger of Mal 3:1. 'The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached' (Luke 16:16); the least within the kingdom stands in what John announced.

Verse 29

justified God — Dikaioo here means to declare righteous: the people and publicans, by accepting John's baptism, owned that God was right. The next verse shows the other side: the Pharisees and lawyers 'rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him'. Compare 'wisdom is justified of all her children' (v.35).

Verse 30

rejected the counsel of God against themselves — Atheteo, to set aside as of no account, the verb of 'ye reject the commandment of God' (Mark 7:9). 'Counsel' is boule, God's settled purpose, as in 'all the counsel of God' (Acts 20:27). The loss is 'against themselves'; the people and publicans of v.29 had 'justified God'.

Verse 31

this generation — Genea, the people alive then, who had heard both John and Jesus. 'Liken' is homoioo, to compare; the answer comes in v.32, 'They are like unto children sitting in the marketplace', and the explanation in vv.33–34. Matt 11:16–19 gives the same saying.

Verse 34

a friend of publicans and sinners — 'Gluttonous' (phagos) and 'winebibber' (oinopotes) occur nowhere else in the New Testament except the parallel, Matt 11:19. John's abstaining drew the charge 'He hath a devil' (v.33), and Christ's table drew the opposite one. The 'sinners' charge returns in Luke 15:2, 'This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.'

Verse 36

sat down to meat — Anaklino, to recline at table; v.37 uses the related anakeimai. Guests reclining had their feet to the back, as v.38 shows: she stands 'at his feet behind him'. He is again at a Pharisee's table in Luke 11:37, where he 'went in, and sat down to meat'. The host is named Simon in v.40.

Verse 37

a woman in the city, which was a sinner — 'Sinner' is hamartolos, the word of v.34, so the charge made against Christ's company is here a person. Luke does not state her sin or give her name. An 'alabaster box' (alabastron) held 'ointment' (myron), perfumed oil; Mark 14:3 records a similar vessel at Bethany, in another house, that of Simon the leper.

Verse 38

wash his feet with tears — Brecho, to wet, as rain wets. What she does, Christ sets beside what Simon withheld (vv.44–46): water for the feet, a kiss, oil for the head. 'Kissed' is kataphileo, to kiss fervently, the verb of the father's welcome in Luke 15:20 and the same as v.45, 'hath not ceased to kiss my feet'.

Verse 39

This man, if he were a prophet — The crowd had called Jesus 'a great prophet' (v.16); Simon 'spake within himself' and tests it. His proof is 'she is a sinner', the word of v.37. The test is turned back on him in v.40: Jesus answers the unspoken thought, 'Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee.'

Verse 41

two debtors — 'Pence' is denarion; a penny was a day's pay, 'a penny a day' (Matt 20:2), so the sums are about five hundred days' wages and fifty. 'Debtors' (chreopheiletes) occurs only here and in Luke 16:5. In v.42 neither can pay, and the creditor 'frankly forgave them both'.

Verse 47

for she loved much — The parable has just set forgiveness first and love after: 'Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most?' (v.42). 'Are forgiven' (aphiemi) is Christ's word to the paralytic, 'thy sins are forgiven thee' (Luke 5:20). The contrast with 'to whom little is forgiven' is the host, who gave no water, no kiss, no oil.

Verse 50

Thy faith hath saved thee — Sozo, to save, the verb of Christ's word to the blind man, 'thy faith hath saved thee' (Luke 18:42). The forgiveness was spoken in v.48; the peace follows it. 'Go in peace' (eirene) is the farewell Eli gave Hannah (1 Sam 1:17), here with Christ's word of forgiveness behind it.