Bible Commentaries

And salute no man by the way. This, and the other directions given, were not intended to be interpreted strictly and literally. This is proved by the fact that the expressions differ, as recorded by the different evangelists, and are even inconsistent with each other, if pressed to a strict interpretation. The meaning is, that they were to go as they were, without making any special preparation, and that they were to give their time and attention wholly to their work, and not engage in social enjoyments, and in the interchange of the courtesies of society, in the places they should visit. The object of this mission seems to have been to disseminate generally some authentic knowledge of the Savior's person and character as a messenger from heaven, and to call the attention of the community to the coming of the Messiah. They were not, however, instructed to say that Jesus was himself the Messiah. Like many of the other measures adopted by Jesus and the apostles, this mission of the seventy was suited to a local and temporary purpose, and is of course not of binding authority as a model for imitation.

Chorazin and Bethsaida; villages in Galilee, where our Savior had performed many of his mighty works.--Tyre and Sidon; Gentile cities north of Palestine, on the shores of the Mediterranean.

Willing to justify himself; that is, in respect to the question which he had asked; to show that there was really some difficulty in it, and that it was not so easily solved as the Savior's first answer might appear to indicate.

The road from Jerusalem to Jericho led through a wild and mountainous country, infested with robbers.

By chance. It is a morbid conscientiousness which scruples to use such expressions as accidentally and by chance in common conversation. They have a distinct and very proper meaning, and one which does not at all conflict with the idea of the constant and universal control of the overruling providence of God.

A Samaritan. The peculiar point of this parable consists in representing the priest and the Levite persons of great reputation for sanctity among the Jews, as passing the wounded traveller, without compassion; while it was a Samaritan, a man whose whole nation were considered sinners and heretics, that stopped to relieve him.

Two pence. The denominations and the value of money were so different in ancient times from the present, that such expressions give us no idea of the amount intended. The true way of estimating the value of any sum of money, in any age of the world, is to ascertain its relation to the prices of food and clothing, and the other common necessaries of life. The apostles spoke of two hundred pence as the sum required to buy sufficient food to supply, for one occasion, the wants of five thousand men. Two pence would, in that proportion, have provided once for fifty; which shows that the sum was sufficient for the emergency.

As they went; that is, once as they were travelling.--A certain village; Bethany. (John 11:1.)

Cumbered; busy and anxious.