St Luke Chapter VII : Verses 24-35
Contents
- Luke vii. 24-35. Douay-Rheims (Challoner) text & Latin text (Vulgate).
- Douay-Rheims 1582 text
- Annotations based on Madame Cecilia's Scripture Commentary on St Matthew's Gospel (1906)
Luke vii. 24-35.
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| There is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist. J-J Tissot. Brooklyn Museum. tt |
Et cum discessissent nuntii Joannis, coepit de Joanne dicere ad turbas : Quid existis in desertum videre? arundinem vento agitatam?
25 But what went you out to see? a man clothed in soft garments? Behold they that are in costly apparel and live delicately, are in the houses of kings.
Sed quid existis videre? hominem mollibus vestibus indutum? Ecce qui in veste pretiosa sunt et deliciis, in domibus regum sunt.
26 But what went you out to see? a prophet? Yea, I say to you, and more than a prophet.
Sed quid existis videre? prophetam? Utique dico vobis, et plus quam prophetam :
27 This is he of whom it is written: Behold I send my angel before thy face, who shall prepare thy way before thee.
hic est, de quo scriptum est : Ecce mitto angelum meum ante faciem tuam, qui praeparabit viam tuam ante te.
28 For I say to you: Amongst those that are born of women, there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist. But he that is the lesser in the kingdom of God, is greater than he.
Dico enim vobis : major inter natos mulierum propheta Joanne Baptista nemo est : qui autem minor est in regno Dei, major est illo.
29 And all the people hearing, and the publicans, justified God, being baptized with John's baptism.
Et omnis populus audiens et publicani, justificaverunt Deum, baptizati baptismo Joannis.
30 But the Pharisees and the lawyers despised the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized by him.
Pharisæi autem et legisperiti consilium Dei spreverunt in semetipsos, non baptizati ab eo.
31 And the Lord said: Whereunto then shall I liken the men of this generation? and to what are they like?
Ait autem Dominus : Cui ergo similes dicam homines generationis hujus? et cui similes sunt?
32 They are like to children sitting in the marketplace, and speaking one to another, and saying: We have piped to you, and you have not danced: we have mourned, and you have not wept.
Similes sunt pueris sedentibus in foro, et loquentibus ad invicem, et dicentibus : Cantavimus vobis tibiis, et non saltastis : lamentavimus, et non plorastis.
33 For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine; and you say: He hath a devil.
Venit enim Joannes Baptista, neque manducans panem, neque bibens vinum, et dicitis : Dæmonium habet.
34 The Son of man is come eating and drinking: and you say: Behold a man that is a glutton and a drinker of wine, a friend of publicans and sinners.
Venit Filius hominis manducans, et bibens, et dicitis : Ecce homo devorator, et bibens vinum, amicus publicanorum et peccatorum.
35 And wisdom is justified by all her children.
Et justificata est sapientia ab omnibus filiis suis.
Douay-Rheims : 1582 text
24. And when Iohns meſſengers were departed, he began to ſay of Iohn to the multitudes: What went you out into the deſert to ſee? a reed moued with the wind?
25. But what went you forth to ſee? a man clothed in ſoft garments? Behold they that are in coſtly apparel and delicacies, are in the houſes of Kings.26. But what went you out for to ſee? a Prophet? Certes I ſay to you, and more then a Prophet.27. This is he of whom it is written: Behold I ſend mine Angel before thy face, which ſhal prepare thy way before thee.28. For I ſay to you: A greater Prophet among the children of women then Iohn the Baptiſt, there is not man. But he that is the leſſer in the Kingdom of God, is greater than he.29. And al the people hearing and the Publicans, iuſtified God, being baptized with Iohns Baptisme.30. But the Phariſees and the lawyers depiſed the counſel of God againſt them ſelues, being not baptized of him.31. And our Lord ſaid: Where vnto then ſhal I liken the men of this Generation, and wherevnto are they like?32. They are like to children ſitting in the market-place, and ſpeaking one to another, and ſaying: We haue piped to you, and you haue not danced; we haue lamented, and you haue not wept.33. For Iohn Baptiſt came neither eating bread nor drinking wine; and you ſay: He hath a Diuel.34. The Sonne of man came eating and drinking; and you ſay: Behold a man that is a gurmander and a drinker of wine, a frend of Publicans and ſinners.35. And wiſedom is iuſtified of al her children.
Annotations
[Ed. These Notes are based on Madame Cecilia's Scripture Commentary on St Matthew's Gospel, 1906. The verse numbers of those of St Luke's Gospel.]
24. And when the messengers of John were departed. Jesus did not praise St John in their presence.
he began to speak to the multitudes. As though to remove from their minds any suspicion as to the Baptist’s constancy, and his faith in Christ as the Messias, which suspicion might have resulted from their hearing the messengers’ question, without knowing the motives which prompted it.
What went ye out into the desert to see? Jesus bids His hearers revert to the motives which led them to follow St John so eagerly, even “ into the desert.”
a reed shaken with the wind?. Our Lord employs a metaphor here. He refers to the two things which attracted men to the Baptist : —
1. His strength of character and absence of human respect.
2. His austerity of life.
A reed. “ The reed of Egypt and Palestine is described as a very tall cane, growing twelve feet high, with a magnificent panicle of blossoms at the top, and so slender and yielding that it will lie perfectly flat under a gust of wind, and immediately resume its upright position. It grows in great cane-brakes, in many parts of Palestine, especially on the west side of the Dead Sea. On the banks of the Jordan it occurs in large patches, but is not so lofty” (Maas, S.J., Life of Christ, p. 152).
25. a man clothed in soft garments? An allusion to the coarse camelhair garment worn by the Baptist.
Behold they that are in costly apparel and live delicately, are in the houses of kings. By living delicately we are to understand that enervating mode of life which demoralizes a man. The Herods had splendid palaces at Tiberias, Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and elsewhere. They were also noted for their magnificent apparel and luxurious surroundings. Cf. Herod being arrayed in kingly apparel, sat in the judgment seat (Acts xii. 21).
Josephus thus speaks of the magnificence of Herod’s robes :
“He put on a garment made wholly of silver and of a contexture truly wonderful, and came into the theatre early in the morning ; at which time the silver of his garment being illuminated by the fresh reflection of the sun’s rays upon it, shone out after a surprising manner, and was so resplendent as to spread a horror over those that looked intently upon him ; and presently his flatterers cried out, one from one place and another from another— (though not for his good)— that he was a god ” (Antiq., xix. 8, 2).
26. But what went you out to see? a prophet? St John was esteemed as such. Cf. If we say, of men, the whole people will stone us, for they are persuaded that John was a prophet (St Luke xx. 6).
more than a prophet. All the people accepted him as a prophet. St John was greater than a prophet because of —
1. His miraculous birth and his being sanctified in his mother’s womb.
2. The early manifestation of his prophetic gifts. Cf. When Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the infant leaped in her womb (St Luke i. 41).
3. The predictions concerning him, and the special name of “the Angel ” bestowed upon him.
4. His holiness of life, and the superabundance of the gifts of the Holy Ghost which he received.
5. His special mission as the Precursor of the Messias.
27. Behold I send my angel before thy face, who shall prepare thy way before thee. (see Mal. iii. 1). The prophet wrote “ my face, ” and the Evangelist gives it as “ thy face, ” but this is explained, if we remember that the sacred writers paid more attention to the sense of the original than to the exact words. The prophet represents the Messias as speaking, while in St Matthew the words are given as addressed to Christ by the Father.
28. Amongst those that are born of women, there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist. There is evidently only a comparison between the Baptist and the prophets of the Old Law. Hence neither the apostles nor our Blessed Lady are included in those with whom St John is compared.
But he that is the lesser in the kingdom of God, is greater than he. This is a difficult passage, and has been variously interpreted, e.g. —
1. The least saint in heaven, having won his crown, is greater than St John on earth (St Jerome).
2. Jesus is comparing Himself with St John (for Christ was younger in age and less in the esteem of men at the beginning of His ministry) (St John Chrysostom).
3. There is no comparison of personal merits, but the Old Law is contrasted with the New. On account of the intrinsic superiority of the New Law (ratione status novæ legis), and the fulness of graces therein received, the least member of the Church is greater than the Baptist, who stood indeed on the threshold, but never entered it. He was the connecting link between the Old and the New Dispensation, the latter being only formally promulgated after Pentecost,
29. And all the people hearing, and the publicans, justified God, being baptized with John's baptism.
30. But the Pharisees and the lawyers despised the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized by him.
St Luke here contrasts the different effects of Christ’s teaching : And all the people hearing, and the publicans, justified God, being baptized with John’s baptism. But the Pharisees and the lawyers despised the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized by him. These words are probably a continuation of Christ’s testimony to the Baptist, and not an interpolation of the Evangelist. The meaning is, that the publicans, who accepted St John’s teaching and baptism, glorified God and acknowledged His infinite mercy. The Pharisees, on the contrary, rejected John’s ministry, and refused to be baptized by him. By so doing they neglected, to their own condemnation, the means of salvation ; and as far as they were concerned, they frustrated the merciful designs of God. Note that man, by his free will, has the fatal power of resisting God, but to his own destruction.
32. They are like to children. Jesus employs the similitude of children at their games. Two groups are playing at funeral processions and marriage feasts, but the one group is sullen and peevish, and refuses to join in what pleases the other. This similitude has been explained in two ways : —
1. St John displeased the Jews by his austerity, and our Lord offended their prejudices by conforming to the customs of ordinary social life. Here the children and their companions represent the Jews, who maintain a sullen, peevish frame of mind, whoever of the two preaches to them.
2. The two groups of children represent the Jews, who occupied themselves with childish trifles, and disagreed among themselves. With such, the children of wisdom contrasted favourably.
33. For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine; — i.e. not eating bread. Cf. His meat was locusts and wild honey (supra, iii. 4); nor drinking. Because he was a Nazarite from his birth. Cf. he shall he great before the Lord : and shall drink no wine nor strong drink (St Luke i. 15).
and you say: He hath a devil. We do not know when and where this accusation was put forward against the Baptist. The same charge was made against our Lord Himself. And many of them said : He hath a devil, and is mad : why hear you him ? (St John x. 20).
34. The Son of man is come eating and drinking: To shew that in order to lead a holy life, it was not necessary to be an austere hermit. There have been saints in all ranks of life.
35. And wisdom is justified by all her children. wisdom, (ἡ σοφία, the wisdom), — i.e. the wise counsel of God, by which such opposite means conduce to the same end, viz. the salvation of mankind.
is justified by all her children. Whatever be the judgments of the unbelieving, those who accept the Gospel of Christ will justify wisdom, i.e. they will proclaim that God does all things well.
+ + +
SUB tuum præsidium confugimus, Sancta Dei Genitrix. Nostras deprecationes ne despicias in necessitatibus, sed a periculis cunctis libera nos semper, Virgo gloriosa et benedicta. Amen.
The Vladimirskaya Icon. >12th century.
Totus tuus ego sum
Et omnia mea tua sunt;
Tecum semper tutus sum:
Ad Jesum per Mariam.
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