119 matching verse commentaries
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
The Pharisee stood,.... Standing was a praying posture; [See comments on Matthew 6:5] nor is this observed, as if it was something amiss: but the sense is, either that he stood in some place of eminence, that he might be seen of others; or he stood in a set, fixed posture, in a very grave and solemn manner, showing great devotion and seriousness;...
Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon
The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. So it is evident that he noticed one person who was there, though I do not find that the publican took any notice of him. We can tell by this remark that the mind of the Pharisee was...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
I fast twice in the week,.... Not "on the sabbath", as the words may be literally rendered, and as they are in the Vulgate Latin and Ethiopic versions; for the sabbath was not a fasting, but a feasting day with the Jews; for they were obliged to eat three meals, or feasts, on a sabbath day, one in the morning, another at evening, and another at...
Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon
I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. There his prayer ended, and he stood in a most enviable state of contentment, delighted with himself, lost in the contemplation of his own ineffable purity. I think I see him in all his glory, yet I quickly turn to the other part of the temple, further away from the most sacred place,...
Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon
I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. Observe that there is no prayer in all that the Pharisee said. There was a great deal of self-righteousness and self-congratulation; but nothing else. There was certainly no prayer at all in it.
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And the publican standing afar off,.... Not at the outermost porch, or at the door: for "a man might not fix his place at the door of the synagogue, but, ירחיק, "he must go afar off", the space of two doors, and then pray (r);'' it may be in the court of the Gentiles, when the Pharisee was in the court of the Israelites; at least he was afar off...
Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon
And the publican, standing afar off, — Not afar off from the Pharisee only, but afar off from the sacred shrine, the innermost temple, as if unworthy to be there at all: “the publican, standing afar off,” — Luk_18:13. Would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, — That throne of the Highest, — as if even a glance from his unholy eyes might...
Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon
Saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for everyone that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. The great Lord and Master acts as he would have his true servants do. It was said of some of them that they turned the world upside...
Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon
And the publican, standing afar off, — Just on the edge of the crowd, keeping as far away as he could from the most holy place, — Luk_18:13. Would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. That was all prayer; it was a prayer for mercy, it was a prayer in which the suppliant...
Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon
And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. “The sinner,” it should be; it is so emphatically in the Greek. There is a Pharisee, the righteous man according to his own estimate, and all the rest were sinners. Here is the publican, he is...
Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon
And the publican, standing afar off, — Away in some distant corner, Luk_18:13. Would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. He makes no reflection upon others; but confesses his own sin, and appeals to the great Propitiation, for the word he used means, “God be propitious to...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
I tell you that this man,.... The publican that so freely owned himself to be a sinner, and by his carriage acknowledged he was unworthy of any favour; and who was treated with so much contempt by the Pharisee: went down to his house; from the temple which was built on a mountain, justified, [rather] than the other: accounted as a righteous person...
Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon
I tell you, this man — This publican, sinner as he had been, though he had no broad phylacteries like the Pharisee had, though he may not have washed his hands before he came into the temple, as no doubt the Pharisee did, — this man, who could not congratulate himself upon his own excellence, “this man” — Luk_18:14. Went down to his house...
Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon
I tell you, this man — The sinner — Luk_18:14. Went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. It is God’s usual method to reverse what man does, and to turn things the other way upwards: “Everyone that exalteth himself shall be abased; and...
Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon
I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. And they brought unto him also infants, that he would touch them: but when his disciples saw it, they rebuked them. Were not these children too little, and too unimportant...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And they brought unto him also infants,.... As well as grown persons, that were sick, to be healed by him: that he would touch them; in order, as some learned men think, to cure them of diseases that attended them; for one of the ways by which Christ healed persons, was by touching them; nor do we read of his touching in common for any other...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
But Jesus called them unto him,.... Not the disciples, as the Ethiopic version reads, nor the persons that brought the children, but the children themselves; for the antecedent to the relative αυτα, "them", can be no other; which shows, that these infants were not new born babes, or children at the breast, but such as were more grown up, since...
Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon
But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God consists of child-like spirits, persons like these children. Instead of needing to grow bigger in order to be fit to be Christians, we need to grow smaller. It is not the supposed wisdom of...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Verily I say unto you,...., Christ takes an occasion from hence to teach his disciples humility, and guard them against pride and vanity: whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God; the King Messiah, the doctrines of the Gospel, and the ordinances of it, even the whole Gospel dispensation; as a little child; without prejudice, pride, ambition,...
Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon
Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein. And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God. Yet the ruler was right. He knew not that he...