10 And

unto them in the absence of the multitude. 7 Then
came the day of unleavened bread, when the passover must
be killed. 8 And he sent Peter and John, saying, Go and
prepare us the passover, that we may eat.
9 And they
said unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare?
he said unto them, Behold, when ye are entered into the
city, there shall a man meet you, bearing a pitcher of
water; follow him into the house where he entereth in.
11 And ye shall say unto the goodman of the house, The
Master saith unto thee, Where is the guestchamber, where
I shall eat the passover with my disciples? 12 And he
shall shew you a large upper room furnished: there
make ready. 13 And they went, and found as he had said.
unto them and they made ready the passover.
14 And
when the hour was come, he sat down, and the [h twelve]
apostles with him. 15 And he said unto them, With
desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I
suffer: 16 for I say unto you, I will not [ any more] eat
е without tumult.

or,

:

↑ better (see on ver. 3), Now the day of unleavened bread came.
i.e. spread for the feast.

homitted by some of the oldest authorities.
i omit, with the most ancient authorities

The concluding words of the verse may bear either the meaning in the text or that in the margin.

7- 14.] PREPARATION BRATING THE PASSOVer. 17-19. Mark xiv. 12-16.

FOR CELE-
Matt. xxvi.
Our account

is the fullest of the three, related however
nearly to St. Mark's. By came we must
of course understand that the day was come,
not, as some would interpret it, was at
hand. On this whole subject see notes on
Matt. xxvi. 17, and John xviii. 28.
the passover must be killed literally, sacri-
ficed), i. e. the legal time of the Passover
being sacrificed. So the narrators in the
three Gospels evidently intend.

when

8.]

10.]

It was a solemn message, and for it were
chosen the two chief Apostles.
In
the report of St. Matthew, the suggestion
is represented as coming from the disciples
themselves. 9.] The question, Where
wilt thou? was asked, but only in reply
to the command of our Lord.
There can, I think, be no question that
this direction was given in super-human
foresight, just as that in ch. xix. 30 :—see
also 1 Sam. x. 2-8, and Matt. xvii. 27.
This person carrying water would probably
be a slave, and the time, towards evening,
the usual hour of fetching in water.

See Mark xiv. 25.

11.] The "goodman of the house" was a
man of some wealth, and could not be
identical with the water-carrier (see notes
on Matthew).
The Greek word ren-
dered guestchamber is not here, as in
ch. ii. 7, an inn, but a room set apart at
this season of the feast, by residents in
Jerusalem, in which parties coming from
the country might eat the Passover. The
question therefore would be well under-
stood; and the room being spread, and
as Mark adds, "prepared," would be no
matter of surprise. 14.] The hour

was evening; see above on ver. 10, and
Matt. xxvi. 20.

15-18.] Peculiar to Luke. The desire of our Lord to eat this His last Passover may be explained from ch. xii. 50: not merely from his depth of love for His disciples, though this formed an element in it, -see John xiii. 1 sq. The for in ver. 16 gives us the leading reason. This is

the only instance in the Gospels, of the absolute use of suffer, as in the Creed, 'He suffered. We have several times "suffer many things," ch. ix. 22; xvii. 25; Matt. xvi. 21 al.; "suffer these things," ch. xxiv. 26, and "thus to suffer," ditto ver. 46. 16.] The full meaning of this declaration is to be sought in the words

c ch. xiv. 15.

Rev. xix. 9.

f Ps. xli. 9.

i thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God. 17 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves: 18 for I say unto I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come. 19 And he took bread, and

you,

e

f

22 11 And

gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, d1 Cor. xi. 24. This is my body which is given for you: this do 1in remembrance of me. 20 Likewise also the cup after e 1 Cor. x. 16. supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you. 21 But, behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table. truly the Son of man goeth as it was determined: but woe unto that man by whom he is betrayed! 23 And they began to enquire among themselves, which of them it was j read, it. k read, henceforth] drink. 11 read, Because.

g Acts ii. 23: iv. 28.

1 the Vatican MS. has, as a remembrance.

this passover.
It was that particular
Passover, not merely the Passover gene-
rally, though of course that also, that
was to receive its fulfilment in the king-
dom of God. And to this fulfilment our
Lord alludes again in ver. 30. It is to this
marriage supper of the Lamb, that the para-
ble Matt. xxii. 1-14 in its ultimate appli-
cation refers: nor can we help thinking
on the faithless Apostle at this very supper,
in verses 11-13 there :-see notes on that
place. 17.] Some suppose that it is
here implied that our Lord did not drink
of the cup Himself. But surely this can-
not be so. The two members of the speech
are strictly parallel: and if He desired to
eat the Passover with them, He would
also drink of the cup, which formed a usual
part of the ceremonial. This seems to me
to be implied in "He took the cup," where
the original has a different word from that
used by all afterwards, when He did not
partake of the bread and wine. This
most important addition in our narrative,
amounts, I believe, to a solemn declaration
of the fulfilment of the Passover rite, in
both its usual divisions, the eating the
flesh of the lamb, and drinking the cup of
thanksgiving. Henceforward, He who
fulfilled the Law for man will no more
eat and drink of it. I remark this, in
order further to observe that this division
of the cup is not only not identical with,
but has no reference to, the subsequent
one in ver. 20. That was the institution
of a new rite;-this the abrogation of an
old one, now fulfilled, or about to be so, in
the person of the true Lamb of God.
This is generally supposed to have been the

first cup in the Passover-meal, with which
the whole was introduced.
On the
possible connexion of this speech of our
Lord with the celebration of the Passover
at this particular time, see note on Matt.
xxvi. 17 (p. 183, col. 2). After these
verses, in order of time, follows the washing
of the disciple's feet in John xiii. 1—20,
referred to in our ver. 27.

19, 20.] INSTITUTION OF THE LORD'S SUPPER. Matt. xxvi. 26-29. Mark xiv. 22-24. 1 Cor. xi. 23–25. See notes on Matthew. 20.] Here follows, in Matthew ver. 29, Mark ver. 25, a second declaration, respecting not drinking any more of this fruit of the vine.

21-23.] ANNOUNCEMENT OF A BETRAYER. See notes on Matt. xxvi. 2025. I would not venture absolutely to maintain that this announcement is identical with that one; but I own the arguments of Stier and others to prove them distinct, fail to convince me. The expres

sion But, behold, bears marks of verbal accuracy, and inclines us to believe that this announcement was made after the institution of the cup, as here related. 'Notwithstanding this My declaration of love, in giving My Body and Blood for you, there is one here present who shall betray Me.'

on the table] viz. in dipping into the dish with the Lord. 22. goeth] A somewhat similar expression to this occurs ch. xiii. 33, "I must walk (the Greek word is the same) to day and to morrow;" but that is used of our Lord's ministerial progress; this of His progress through suffering to glory.

ch. ix. 46.

i xx.

k Matt. xx. 26. 1 Pet. v. 3.

1 ch. ix. 48.

that should do this thing. 24 h And there was also a strife h Mark ix. 34. among them, which of them should be accounted the i Mark x. 42. greatest. 25 And he said unto them, The kings of the Matt. 25. Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. 26 K But shall not be so; but he that is greatest among ye you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth n serve. 27 m For whether is greater, he that m ch. xii. 37. sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am no among you as he that serveth. 28 Ye are they which have continued with me in temptations. 29 And PI appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me; 30 that ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 31 [P And the Lord said,] Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath 4 desired to have

S

m literally, was about to do.
• literally, in the midst of you.
Pomitted by some of the most ancient

24-30.] DISPUTE FOR PRE-EMINENCE. OUR LORD'S REPLY. Without attempting to decide the question whether this incident is strictly narrated in order of time, or identical with one of those strifes on this point related Matt. xviii. 1, xx. 20, I will offer one or two remarks on it as it here stands. (1) Its having happened at this time is not altogether unaccountable. They had been just enquiring among themselves (ver. 23), who among them should do this thing. May it not reasonably be supposed, that some of them (Judas at least) would be anxiously employed in self-justification, and that this would lead, in some part of the table to a dispute of the kind here introduced? The natural effect of the Lord's rebuke would be to give rise to a different spirit among them, and the question, "Lord, is it I?" may have been the offspring of this better mind; but see note on Matthew vv. 2025. (2) It is surprising to find the very declaration of our Lord on the former strife related in this Gospel (ch. ix. 46–48), repeated as having been made at this Paschal meal,-by John, xiii. 20. May not this lead us to suppose that there has been a transposition of some of the circumstances regarding these various contentions among the Apostles, and that these words occurring in John may possibly point to a strife of this kind? (3) The "I am in the midst of you as he that ministereth"

r

Matt. xx. 28. my. iv. 15.

John xiii. 13, 14. Phil. ii.

Matt. xxiv. 47. ch. xii. 32. 2 Cor. i. 7.

2 Tim. i 12. q Matt. viii. 11.

ch. xiv. 15,

Rev. xix. 9. r Ps. xlix. 14.

Matt. xix. 28.
Rev. iii. 21.

1 Cor. vi. 2.

s 1 Pet. v. 8.

n literally, minister, and ministereth.

authorities.

a render, prevailed.

is too clear an allusion to the washing of
their feet by the Lord, to have escaped
even those Commentators who are slow to
discern such hints. The appeal, if it had
taken place, is natural and intelligible;
but not otherwise. (4) The diction is re-
peatedly allusive to their then employment:
"sitting at meat"- -"eat and drink"-
"in my Kingdom"-all these have refer-
ence to things present, or words spoken,
during that meal.-I therefore infer that
the strife did happen at this time, in the
order related here. 25.] See on Matt.
xx. 25. The expression here they that
exercise authority upon (over) them are
called benefactors, also seems to be con-
nected with what had just taken place.
Among them, the benefactors are those
who exercise authority-but among you, I,
your benefactor (see vv. 19, 20), do not so,
but am in the midst of you as your ser-
vant.' Ptolemy Euergetes (the benefactor)
at once occurs to us;-numerous other
examples are given by Wetstein.
27.] Compare John xiii. 13-17.
These words could hardly have been spoken
except on this occasion, when "the matter
concerning me hath an end," ver. 37.
29, 30.] See above, and note on Matt. xix.
28, see also Rev. ii. 27. 30.] at my table:
see above, ver. 21, and note on ver. 16.

28.]

31-34.] APPEAL TO PETER: HIS CONFIDENCE, AND OUR LORD'S REPLY. (See Matt. xxvi. 30-35: Mark xiv. 26-31:

r

t Amos ix. you, that he may sift you as wheat:

u John xvii. 9,

11, 15. v Ps. li. 13.

John xxi. 15, 16, 17.

w Matt. x. 9. ch. ix. 3: x.

4.

32 but "I have

and when thou

33 And he said

sart converted, strengthen thy brethren.
unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into
prison, and to death. 34 And he said, I tell thee, Peter,
the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt
35 w And he said unto

thrice deny that thou knowest me.

them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and I see note: render perhaps, for perspicuity, you [all].

r

* render, hast turned again.

John xiii. 36-38.) The speech appears
to proceed continuously. There are marks,
in these words of our Lord, of close con-
nexion with what has gone before. His
way, which the Father appointed to Him,
is to His Kingdom-but it is through temp-
tations. To these, who have been with
Him in these trials, He appoints a king-
dom,-but His way to it must be their
way and here is the temptation,-the sift-
ing as wheat. The sudden address to
Simon may perhaps have been occasioned
by some remark of his,-or, which I think
more probable, may have been made in
consequence of some part taken by him in
the preceding strife for precedence. Such
sudden and earnest addresses spring forth
from deep love and concern awakened for
another.
31.] not only 'hath de-
sired to have you,' A. V., but hath ob-
tained you; 'his desire is granted.'
you, all of you: not Simon alone, as
sometimes understood, even by preachers,
from the A. V. only. This must include
Judas, though it does not follow that he
was present; the sifting separated the
chaff from the wheat, which chaff he was,
see Amos ix. 9. 32. but I have prayed
for thee] As Peter was the foremost (the
rest are here addressed through him), so
he was in the greatest danger. It must
not be supposed that our Lord's prayer was
not heard, because Peter's faith did fail,
in his denial; this word fail here implies
a total extinction, which Peter's faith did
not suffer.
Though the you all in-
cluded Judas, he is not included in the
prayer; see John xvii. 6-12. We may no-
tice here, that our Lord speaks of the total
failure of even an Apostle's faith, as pos-
sible. when thou hast turned again]
There can, I think, be little doubt that
this word is here used in the general N. T.
sense, of returning as a penitent after sin,
turning to God,-and not in the almost
expletive meaning which it has in such
passages as Joel ii. 14; Acts vii. 42.
strengthen (or confirm)] The use of this

word, and the cognate substantive, thrice by St. Peter in his two epistles, 1 Pet. v. 10; 2 Pet. i. 12; iii. 17, and in the first passage in a connexion with the mention of Satan's temptations, is remarkable.

:

33, 34.] Whether these words are in close connexion with the preceding, may I think be doubted. They may represent the same reply of our Lord as we have recorded in John xiii. 38. One thing seems clear, without any attempt at minutely harmonizing that two announcements were made by our Lord to Peter of his future denial, occasioned by two very different professions of his. One,-during the last meal, i. e. before going out, and occasioned by Peter's professed readiness to go to prison and to death (“to lay down his life") for and with the Lord:the other, on the way to the Mount of Olives, after the declaration that all should be offended, and occasioned by Peter's profession that though all should be offended, yet would not he. Nothing is more natural or common than the repetition, by the warm-hearted and ardent, of professions like these, in spite of warning; -and when De Wette calls such an interpretation a mere shift in difficulty,' all that we can say is, to disclaim any wish to clear up difficulties, except by going into their depths, and examining them honestly and diligently. If the above view be correct, I conceive that the account in John of this profession and our Lord's answer, being in strict coherence, and arising out of the subject of conversation, must be taken as the exact one: and St. Luke must be supposed to have inserted them here without being aware of the intermediate remarks which led to them. This is

the only place in the Gospels where our Lord addresses Peter by the name Peter. And it is remarkable, as occurring in the very place where He forewarns him of his approaching denial of Himself.

35-38.] FOREWARNING OF PERILS AT HAND. Peculiar to Luke. The mean

shoes, lacked ye any thing? And they said, Nothing. 36 Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise this scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one. 37 For I say unto you, that this that is written must [uu yet] be accomplished in me, And he was reckoned among the trans- x Isa. liii. 12. gressors for the things concerning me have an end.

38 And they said, Lord, behold, here are two swords. And he said unto them, It is enough.

t render, a.

Mark xv. 28.

■ render (see note), he that hath none, let him sell his garment, and buy a sword.

uu omit.

▾ most ancient authorities read, the matter concerning me hath.

ing of our Lord in this much-controverted passage appears to be, to forewarn the Apostles of the outward dangers which will await them henceforward in their mission:-unlike the time when He sent them forth without earthly appliances, upheld by His special Providence, they must now make use of common resources for sustenance, yea, and even of the sword itself for defence. This they misunderstand, and point to the two swords which they have, for which they are rebuked (see below). 35.] See ch. ix. 3; x. 4; also Matt. x. 9. 36.] take was the very word used in the prohibition before. There is a question how this sentence, which is elliptical in the original, should be filled up. Very many authorities make a sword understood after "hath not" (as in A. V.);-but the simpler construction and better sense is to place hath not in contrast with hath, He that hath a purse, &c., and he that hath none, let him, &c. Thus the sense will be complete, for he who has a purse, can buy a sword, without selling his garment. The 'sword of the Spirit' (Olshausen and others) is wholly out of the question in interpreting this command. The saying is both a description to them of their altered situation with reference to the world without, and a declaration that self-defence and self-provision would henceforward be necessary. It forms a decisive testimony, from the mouth of the Lord Himself, against the views of the Quakers and some other sects on these points. But it does not warrant aggression by Christians, nor, as some R. Catholics, spreading the Gospel by the sword. 37.] The connexion is this: your situation among men will be one of neglect and even of danger;- for I

the

my self (see Matt. x. 24, 25) am about to be reckoned among transgressors.' By the very form of the expression it is evident, that the sword alluded to could have no reference to that night's danger, or the defending Him from it. matter concerning me hath an end] The prophecy cited closes the section of Isaiah, which eminently predicts the Lord's sufferings (ch. lii. 13—liii. 12). hath an end does not merely mean 'must be fulfilled,' which would be an assertion without any special reference here-but are coming to the completion of their accomplishment. So "it is finished," John xix. 30. 38.] Two of them were armed,either from excess of zeal to defend Him, excited by His announcement of His sufferings during this feast, or, perhaps because they had brought their weapons from Galilee as protection by the way. The road from Jericho to Jerusalem (see ch. x. 30) was much infested with robbers; -and it was the custom for the priests, and even for the quiet and ascetic Essenes, to carry weapons when travelling. Chrysostom gives a curious explanation of the two swords, that it was probable they had knives to cut up the Paschal lamb. This certainly agrees with the number of the disciples sent to get ready the Passover: but it has nothing else to recommend it. They exhibit their swords, misunderstanding His words, and supposing them to apply to that night. Our Lord breaks off the matter with It is enough,-not 'they are sufficient;'-but, It is well,—we are sufficiently provided-it was not to this that My words referred.' The rebuke is parallel with, though milder than, the one in Mark viii. 17,- -as the misunderstanding was somewhat similar.