St Luke Chapter XIX : Verses 11-27
Contents
- Luke xix. Verses 11-27. Douay-Rheims (Challoner) text & Latin text (Vulgate)
- Douay-Rheims 1582 text
- Annotations based on the Great Commentary
Luke xix. Verses 11-27.
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| Out of thy own mouth I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Willem de Poorter (1608–1668). National Gallery, Prague. |
Hæc illis audientibus adjiciens, dixit parabolam, eo quod esset prope Jerusalem : et quia existimarent quod confestim regnum Dei manifestaretur.
12 He said therefore: A certain nobleman went into a far country, to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.
Dixit ergo : Homo quidam nobilis abiit in regionem longinquam accipere sibi regnum, et reverti.
13 And calling his ten servants, he gave them ten pounds, and said to them: Trade till I come.
Vocatis autem decem servis suis, dedit eis decem mnas, et ait ad illos : Negotiamini dum venio.
14 But his citizens hated him: and they sent an embassage after him, saying: We will not have this man to reign over us.
Cives autem ejus oderant eum : et miserunt legationem post illum, dicentes : Nolumus hunc regnare super nos.
15 And it came to pass, that he returned, having received the kingdom: and he commanded his servants to be called, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.
Et factum est ut rediret accepto regno : et jussit vocari servos, quibus dedit pecuniam, ut sciret quantum quisque negotiatus esset.
16 And the first came, saying: Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds.
Venit autem primus dicens : Domine, mna tua decem mnas acquisivit.
17 And he said to him: Well done, thou good servant, because thou hast been faithful in a little, thou shalt have power over ten cities.
Et ait illi : Euge bone serve, quia in modico fuisti fidelis, eris potestatem habens super decem civitates.
18 And the second came, saying: Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds.
Et alter venit, dicens : Domine, mna tua fecit quinque mnas.
19 And he said to him: Be thou also over five cities.
Et huic ait : Et tu esto super quinque civitates.
20 And another came, saying: Lord, behold here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin;
Et alter venit, dicens : Domine, ecce mna tua, quam habui repositam in sudario :
21 For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up what thou didst not lay down, and thou reapest that which thou didst not sow.
timui enim te, quia homo austerus es : tollis quod non posuisti, et metis quod non seminasti.
22 He saith to him: Out of thy own mouth I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up what I laid not down, and reaping that which I did not sow:
Dicit ei : De ore tuo te judico, serve nequam. Sciebas quod ego homo austerus sum, tollens quod non posui, et metens quod non seminavi :
23 And why then didst thou not give my money into the bank, that at my coming, I might have exacted it with usury?
et quare non dedisti pecuniam meam ad mensam, ut ego veniens cum usuris utique exegissem illam?
24 And he said to them that stood by: Take the pound away from him, and give it to him that hath ten pounds.
Et astantibus dixit : Auferte ab illo mnam, et date illi qui decem mnas habet.
25 And they said to him: Lord, he hath ten pounds.
Et dixerunt ei : Domine, habet decem mnas.
26 But I say to you, that to every one that hath shall be given, and he shall abound: and from him that hath not, even that which he hath, shall be taken from him.
Dico autem vobis, quia omni habenti dabitur, et abundabit : ab eo autem qui non habet, et quod habet auferetur ab eo.
27 But as for those my enemies, who would not have me reign over them, bring them hither, and kill them before me.
Verumtamen inimicos meos illos, qui noluerunt me regnare super se, adducite huc : et interficite ante me.
Douay-Rheims : 1582 text
11. They hearing theſe things, he added and ſpake a parable, for that he was nigh to Hieruſalem, and becauſe they thought that forthwith the Kingdom of God ſhould be manifeſted.
12. He ſaid therfore: A certaine noble man went into a farre countrie to take to him self a Kingdom, and to returne.
13. And calling his ten ſeruants, he gaue them ten poundes, and said to them: Occupie til I come.
14. And his citizens hated him: and they sent a legacie after him, ſaying: We wil not haue this man reigne ouer vs.
15. And it came to paſſe after he returned, hauing receiued his Kingdom: and he commanded his ſeruants to be called, to whom he gaue the money; that he might know how much euery man had gained by occupying.
16. And the firſt came, ſaying: Lord thy pound hath gotten ten poundes.
17. And he ſaid to him: Welfare thee good ſeruant, becauſe thou haſt been faithful in a litle, thou ſhalt haue power ouer ten cities.
18. And the ſecond came ſaying: Lord, thy pound hath made fiue poundes.
19. And he ſaid to him: And be thou ouer fiue cities.
20. And an other came, ſaying: Lord, loe here thy pound, which I haue had laid vp in a napkin.
21. For I feared thee, becauſe thou art an auſtere man: thou takest vp that thou didſt not set downe, and thou reapeſt that which thou didſt not ſow.
22. He ſaith to him: By thine owne mouth I uidge thee, naughtie ſeruant. Thou didſt know that I am an auſtere man, taking vp that I ſet not downe, and reaping that which I ſowed not:
23. and why didſt thou not giue my money to the banke, and I comming might certes with vſurie haue exacted it?
24. And he ſaid to them that ſtood by: Take the pound away from him, and giue it to him that hath ten poundes
25. And they ſaid to him: Lord, he hath ten poundes.
26. But I ſay to you, that to euery one that hath ſhal be giuen: and from him that hath not, that alſo which he ſhal be taken from him.
27. But as for those mine enemies that would not haue me reigne ouer them, bring them hither; and kil them before me.
Annotations
11. As they were hearing these things, he added and spoke a parable. Christ had made frequent mention of His kingdom, and had promised it to His followers. The Apostles hoped, therefore, that it would be brought to pass now, as He was going to Jerusalem, and that they as His friends would share in it, and reign with Him among the first. The fame and glory of Christ, which had shone forth with so much brightness and brilliance from His recent miracles, and especially, the stupendous conversion of Zacchæus, increased this hope, from which, as Jesus was entering Jerusalem a little after, the Apostles set Him upon an ass, and cried to the same multitude, as if He were the Messiah and the King, about to be inaugurated in Jeusalem, “Blessed is the kingdom of our father David which cometh”—“Blessed be the King who cometh in the name of the Lord.” Ver. 38. Christ, therefore, to disabuse them of this opinion, spoke the following parable, by which He signified that He must first be put to death by the Jews, and rule by faith throughout the whole world.
12. He said therefore: A certain nobleman went into a far country. Syriac, “The son of a great stock.” This nobleman is Christ in His human nature. For as S. Basil says in the Catena, Christ is noble not only in His Godhead, but also in His human nature, for He is of the seed of David, according to that which Daniel saw and heard. “He gave to Him power, and honour, and a kingdom.” Eusebius adds, on this, “He does not call Himself a king as yet, because in His first coming He did not discharge the duties of a king.” For although this kingdom was due to Christ from the beginning, because of His Hypostatical Union with the Word, yet He willed to merit it only by His passion and death on the Cross, and not to enter upon the possession of it till after His resurrection, according to the words in chap. xxiv. 26. Christ therefore went into a far country when, on the fortieth day from His death and resurrection, He went up into heaven, where He entered upon His kingdom, that He might thus be the King of the whole world; and rule alike upon earth and in heaven. So Theophylact, Titus, Euthymius, and others. Christ therefore shall return from heaven to earth on the day of judgment, firstly, to show His kingdom visibly to all men; secondly, to take final judgment, as well on His elect as on the reprobate, and those who are unbelieving and disobedient; thirdly, to bring His elect into His heavenly kingdom, and make them partakers of His glory, as the Angels on His ascension declared to the Apostles, Acts i. 11. Christ shall then return, that He may unite the kingdom of earth to the kingdom of heaven, and show Himself the Lord of earth and heaven, and remove His faithful from earth to His kingdom in heaven.
13. And calling his ten servants, he gave them ten pounds. That you may increase my gain and your own. “Ten,” that is all his servants, for he gave to each man a mna [mina] as appears from what follows. Christ would have us continually traffic with the “mnas,” that is His talents, gifts, graces, which He has given us, that we may assiduously increase our gain of works and merits. He forbids us therefore to be idle; so that our whole life ought not to be one of ease, but of continual trading in spiritual gain, which, says S. Gregory to Dominicus (lib. 1 Ep. 39), “we truly carry on, if by our lives and words we bring profit to the souls of our neighbours; if by preaching the joys of heaven we strengthen the feeble in the love of things heavenly; if we bow down the bold and haughty by inflexibly proclaiming the punishments of Gehenna: if we spare no man for Truth’s sake: if, given up to heavenly friendships, we fear no human enmity.” He adds, “But I fear the burthen of my weakness for this work. I see Him when He has received His kingdom, returning and bringing me to account, and with what heart shall I endure His presence, to whom, in return for the work I have undertaken, I bring no gain of souls, or almost none?” This he says. As much more humble, so much greater.
14. But his citizens hated him: and they sent an embassage after him. The Syriac, “The sons of his state:” The scribes and Jews, that is, hated Jesus, because He taxed them with their vices, and they sent an embassage after Him, saying, “we will not have this man (Jesus, who was poor, of small account, and the son of a carpenter) to rule over us.” This was fulfilled after the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ into heaven when they sent Saul to Damascus to take all who believed in Christ, and root out His faith, name, and kingdom. The same took place when the same men shut up S. Peter and the Apostles in prison, and scourged them, and when they stoned S. Stephen, and slew S. James, and persecuted the rest of the Christians, and still persecute them.
15. And it came to pass, that he returned. The Syriac and Arabic, “And when He had received the kingdom and returned.” “This part of the parable,” says Euthymius, “is about the second advent, when He shall return with great power and glory, and sit upon the throne of His glory, for He shall then take account and render to every man according to his work.” So S. Augustine, Theophylact, Bede, and others. I have explained the rest, see Matt. xxv. 19.
16. And the first came, saying: Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds.. As one seed of wheat sown in a field, by its power sucks up juice from the earth, and converts it into itself, and produces ten, nay, thirty and sixty seeds and grains of wheat. The Arabic has, “Thy mna has gained ten.” He did not say, “I have gained,” but, “thy mna,” because, granted that the freedom and co-operation of our wills concur to a good work, still, the whole working is of divine grace, and not of our will, for the work only has it from our will that it is free; but it has it from grace, that it is supernatural, pleasing to God, and meritorious. Hence S. Paul, 1 Cor. xv. 10.
17. And he said to him: Well done, thou good servant. That is, for one mna thou shalt receive a thousand and a thousand, nay the government of one Province or Decapolis, ten cities or more. That is, for a little labour and care on earth thou shalt receive great, nay, the very greatest ineffable rewards in heaven, and shalt especially precede those on whom thou hast expended the gifts of God on earth, and whom thou hast converted to Christ or hast moved to His faith and goodness. S. Ambrose gives the reason: “As the angels are preferred to be first, so are they also who have merited the life of angels.”
And Bede more concisely: “Be it so that thou receivest power over ten cities, that is, thou shalt have more abundant happiness and honour in the heavens, and shalt be glorified above, for all and by all to whom thou hast been a fellow-worker in their salvation. For even after the judgment there will an order of dignity, and fitting mutual honour among the blessed.” Hence the words of the Apostle, 1 Thess. ii. 19.
18. And the second came, saying: Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds. Here is shown the use of free will, and how much is effected by its strenuous co-operation with grace. For the first servant by this means gained ten mnas from one, but this one, by less diligence and labour from one, gained only five.
19. And he said to him: Be thou also over five cities. “According to the measure of each one’s diligence,” says Euthymius, “are honour and reward measured out to him.”
20. And another came, saying: Lord, behold here is thy pound. “I give it back to thee, whole, but without gain or increase.” “To tie up money in a napkin,” says Bede, “is to hide our gifts under the idleness of a lifeless torpor.”
27. But as for those my enemies, who would not have me reign over them, bring them hither, and kill them before me; (the Jews, His citizens, who would not have Him to reign over them) bring them hither—to my Tribunal, in the valley of Jehosaphat and Jerusalem—and kill them before Me.” In the Greek, “Kill them before my face.” Our Lord alludes to those victorious kings who slew and destroyed their conquered rebels. By this destruction Christ signifies the extreme judgment of the Jews and His other enemies, and their own condemnation to eternal death in Gehenna, and that a living and vital death, where they will be perpetually tormented by death-dealing flames, and yet will never die. Our Lord alludes to Titus, who slaughtered the conquered Jews. He describes precisely to the letter the condemnation of the Jews, and the Gehenna which He has appointed for them when He shall return from heaven to judge and condemn them and the reprobate.
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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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