And it came to pass The Persic version adds, “on a certain day”; and it is afterwards said to be the sabbath day. This seems to have been somewhere or other in Galilee; see .

And behold, there was a certain man before him Who sat just before him, as he was at table; who either came there of himself, in order to receive a cure; or rather, since it was in a private house, and he at table too, was brought and set there on purpose by the Pharisees, to try whether Christ…

And Jesus answering, spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees All the Oriental versions, for “lawyers”, read “Scribes”: these, with the Pharisees, were got together in a body, in their brother Pharisee’s house, to watch the motions of Christ; who knew their designs upon him, and the thoughts of their…

And they held their peace Or were silent, choosing to say nothing, which might countenance such an action; and yet knew not how to condemn it: and he took him, and healed him, and let him go; he took him by the hand, or laid his hands on him; he touched him, and, it may be, stroked the part…

And answered them, saying Murmuring secretly at what he had done: which of you shall have an ass, or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the sabbath day? being just ready to be drowned there; and therefore it must be much more right and necessary to cure a man, a…

And they could not answer him again to these things The justice, equity, mercy, and humanity that appeared in our Lord’s reasonings, and the cases he instanced in, being agreeable to their own tenets and practices, their mouths were shut up, and they could not return an answer to them, without…

And he put forth a parable to those which were bidden, &c.] To the dinner at the Pharisee’s house, particularly the lawyers, or Scribes and Pharisees: when he marked how they chose out the chief rooms; the uppermost places at the table, which these men loved, coveted, and sought after; (See Gill on…

When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding To a wedding dinner, or to any other; such an one as the present entertainment was, which was not a marriage feast, for they might not marry on the sabbath day; (See Gill on John 2:1) but a common sabbath meal: sit not down in the highest room: in the…

And he that bade thee and him To the feast, and who is the master of it, and has a right to dispose of, and order his guests at his table, as he thinks fit: come and say to thee, give this man place; pray rise up, and give this honourable man this seat, which is more suitable for a person of his…

But when thou art bidden To an entertainment, and the time is come, go and sit down in the lowest room: place thyself at the lower end of the table, or in the most inferior seat; which will show humility and lowliness of mind, and prevent shame and mortification; since there can be no putting into…

For whosoever exalteth himself Either in the above way, or any other, shall be abased, humbled and mortified: and he that humbleth himself; behaves in an humble and modest manner, shall be exalted; (See Gill on Matt. 23:12).

Then said he also to him that bad him As he had given advice and instructions to the guests, so he likewise thought fit to give some to the master of the house, that had given both him and them an invitation to the present meal; observing, very likely, that his guests consisted of such persons as…

But when thou makest a feast An entertainment for others, a dinner, or a supper: call the poor, the maimed, the lame, and the blind; that is, the poor maimed, the poor lame, and the poor blind; otherwise it is possible that rich men may be maimed, lame, and blind; whereas these are not intended,…

And thou shalt be blessed By God, with an increase of worldly substance, or with spiritual blessings, and with eternal glory and happiness; and by these poor objects, who will pray to God for a blessing upon such a kind benefactor: for they cannot recompense thee; by inviting again to a like…

And when one of them that sat at meat with him One of the Scribes, lawyers, or Pharisees, that were guests at this feast: heard these things: which were spoken by Christ, and was pleased and affected with them, though he was ignorant: he said unto him, blessed is he that shall eat bread in the…

Then said he unto him That is, Jesus, as the Syriac, Persic, and Ethiopic versions express it; he said to the man that was so affected with the happiness of such that shall share in the provisions of the Messiah’s kingdom; a certain man made a great supper: by which is meant not the Lord’s supper,…

And sent his servant at supper time Either John the Baptist, the harbinger and forerunner of Christ, who declared that the kingdom of heaven, or the Gospel dispensation, was at hand; and exhorted the people to believe in Christ that should come after him; or Christ himself, who is God’s servant as…

And they all with one consent began to make excuse Or, “they all together”, as the Vulgate Latin version, (באחת) , “in one”, or “at once”: in rendered “altogether”; and so the Ethiopic version, which adds, “with one voice”: but their words and language were not the same: their excuses are…

And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen To plough the field with, and I go to prove them: this also being at, or near evening, was an unsuitable time to go into the field with yokes of oxen to try them, how they would draw the plough, and work in the field; the morning would have been a…

And another said, I have married a wife, &c.] And his pretence might be, that he had his own marriage feast, and friends to attend, nor could he leave his wife directly; but his circumstances were such as made an invitation to a feast the more agreeable, and he might have brought his wife and…

So that servant came and showed his Lord these things, &c.] The several excuses which those that were bidden to the supper made. So the ministers of the Gospel come to God and Christ, and give an account of the success of their ministry, which is often with grief, and not with joy: then the master…

And the servant said After he had been and brought in a large number of such as are before described, and he was directed to, and succeeded to the gathering of them in: Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded; the apostles exactly observed the orders of their Lord and master; they began to preach…

And the Lord said unto the servant A second time; that since the Jews put away the word of eternal life from them, and judged themselves unworthy of it by their contradicting and blaspheming it, he commanded his apostles to turn from them to the Gentiles; see , go out into the highways and hedges:…

For I say unto you Most solemnly affirm it, and even swear to it, nothing is more certain, or will be found more true: that none of those men that were bidden: the impenitent and unbelieving Jews, the Scribes, and Pharisees, and the greater part of the nation; who first had the Gospel published to…

And there went great multitudes with him From Galilee, as he journeyed from thence to Jerusalem; some for one thing, and some another, and all perhaps were in expectation of his setting up a temporal kingdom when he came there; and hoped they should share, more or less, the worldly advantages of…

If any man come to me Not in a corporeal, but in a spiritual way; nor barely to hear him preach; but so come, as that he believes in him, applies to him for grace, pardon, righteousness, life, and salvation; professes to be his, submits to his ordinances, and desires to be a disciple of his; and…

Whosoever doth not bear his cross All reproach, afflictions, persecutions, and death itself, cheerfully and patiently; the Ethiopic version renders it, “of his death the cross”; it signifies whatever is trying and disagreeable to flesh and blood: and come after me; bearing his cross; as Christ…

For which of you intending to build a tower Taking up a profession of Christ and his Gospel, is like building a tower; which, as a tower, must be laid on a good foundation; not on carnal descent and parentage; nor on a sober and religious education; nor on a civil, moral life and conversation; nor…

Lest haply after he hath laid the foundation Has begun to build, has taken up a profession, has submitted to ordinances, and got into a church state: and is not able to finish it; a foundation may be laid, and the building may never be finished, because the foundation is not laid right; was it, it…

Saying, this man began to build He set out well, he promised great things, and made a considerable bluster and stir, as if he would carry things at once to a very high pitch: and was not able to finish; it was all noise and talk, and nothing else: falling off from a profession of religion, exposes…

Or what king going to make war against another king, &c.] Our Lord illustrates the same thing, the business of a profession, by another similitude, or parable; taking up a profession of religion, is like to two kings engaging in a war.

Or else, while the other is a great way off Upon his march, with resolution to come up and give battle, though as yet at a distance: he sendeth an ambassage; or men, with an embassy to him: and desireth conditions of peace; greatly to his disadvantage and reproach: so to give out, and leave off…

So likewise whosoever he be of you Let him be ever so forward to follow me, to make a profession of me and of my Gospel, and to become a disciple of mine: that forsaketh not all that he hath; when called to it, relations, friends, possessions, estates, and what not, which is an explanation of he…

Salt is good (See Gill on Matt. 5:13), (See Gill on Mark 10:50).

It is neither fit for the land For the manuring of it, when it has lost its savour and spirit; otherwise it makes land fruitful, if too much is not used, and especially fixed salts have this use; though Pliny says [[13]], “every place in which salt is found, it is barren and brings forth nothing.”…