Luke 18:31

Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(31-34) Then he took unto him the twelve.—See Notes on Matthew 20:17-19; Mark 10:32-34. St. Luke, like St. Mark, passes over the parable of the Labourers in the Vineyard. The insertion of the reference to the prophecies of the Passion is, on the other hand, peculiar to him, and is, perhaps, connected with the prominence given to those prophecies in Luke 24:27; Luke 24:44-45.

Benson Commentary

Luke 18:31-34. Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, &c. — See notes on Matthew 22:17-19; Mark 10:32-34. They understood none of these things — They could not but understand the literal meaning of what our Lord said. But as they could not reconcile this to their preconceived opinion of the Messiah’s kingdom, they were utterly at a loss in what parabolical, or figurative sense to take what he said concerning his sufferings; having their thoughts still taken up with the temporal kingdom.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

18:31-34 The Spirit of Christ, in the Old Testament prophets, testified beforehand his sufferings, and the glory that should follow, 1Pe 1:11. The disciples' prejudices were so strong, that they would not understand these things literally. They were so intent upon the prophecies which spake of Christ's glory, that they overlooked those which spake of his sufferings. People run into mistakes, because they read their Bibles by halves, and are only for the smooth things. We are as backward to learn the proper lessons from the sufferings, crucifixion, and resurrection of Christ, as the disciples were to what he told them as to those events; and for the same reason; self-love, and a desire of worldly objects, close our understandings.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

See the notes at Matthew 20:17-19.

By the prophets - Those who foretold the coming of the Messiah, and whose predictions are recorded in the Old Testament.

Son of man - The Messiah. They predicted that certain things would take place respecting the Messiah that was to come. See the Daniel 9:25-27 notes; Isaiah 53 notes. "These things," Jesus said, would be accomplished "in him," he being the Son of man, or the Messiah.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

Lu 18:31-34. Fuller Announcement of His Approaching Death and Resurrection.

(See on [1691]Mr 10:32-34.)

31. all written by the prophets concerning the Son of man … be accomplished—showing how Christ Himself read, and would have us to read, the Old Testament, in which some otherwise evangelical interpreters find no prophecies, or virtually none, of the sufferings of the Son of man.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Ver. 31-34. We shall afterward, in the history of our Saviour’s passion, see all these things exactly fulfilled, and our Lord here assures his disciples, that it was but in accomplishment of all that was prophesied concerning the Messiah; nor was it any more than he had told them, Luke 9:22, and again, Luke 9:44 Matthew 20:17-19, Mark 10:32-34. Yet it is said, that they understood none of these things. The words were easy enough to be understood, but they could not reconcile them to the notion of the Messiah which they had drank in, they could not conceive how the Messiah, that should redeem Israel, should die, or be thus barbarously used by those whom he came to redeem, or save. We have great need to consider well what notions we entertain concerning the things of God. All this blindness and unbelief of the disciples was bottomed in the false notion of the Messiah which they had taken up. However, our Saviour thought fit to inculcate them, to prepare them against the offence they might take at them when the providence of God brought them forth. It is good for us to hear, though it be only for the time to come.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Then he took unto him the twelve,.... His twelve disciples, as the Ethiopic version expresses it; he took them aside from the rest of the company, as they were travelling on the road, and privately delivered to them, what follows; see Matthew 20:17

and said unto them, behold, we go up to Jerusalem; to the feast of the passover, which was drawing near, and the last Christ was to eat with his disciples, the time of his sufferings, and death, being now at hand; and of which he thought fit to give his disciples notice: and therefore he called them aside, and in a private manner, told them,

that all things that are written by the prophets, concerning the son of man, shall be accomplished; particularly, Psalm 2:1 Psalm 22:6 for to these the following things have respect.

Geneva Study Bible

{10} Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished.

(10) As sure and certain as persecution is, so sure is the glory which remains for the conquerors.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Meyer's NT Commentary

Luke 18:31-34. See on Matthew 20:17-19; Mark 10:32-34. Luke, it is true, abridges Mark’s narrative, yet he also expands it by the reference to the fulfilment of Scripture, Luke 18:31, and by the observation in Luke 18:34.

παραλαβὼν κ.τ.λ.] A continuation of the journey, on which at Luke 18:35 ff. the narrative then again lingers at Jericho.

τῷ υἱῷ τ. ἀνθρ.] belongs to τὰ γεγραμμ., next to which it stands: everything shall be completed, i.e. shall come to its complete actual fulfilment (comp. Luke 22:37), which is written by the prophets with reference to the Son of man (with the destination for Him, in order to become actual in Him). On the dative of reference with γράφειν, comp. 3Ma 6:41. The reading περὶ τοῦ υἱ. τ. ἀνθρ. (D, Vulg. al.) is an inaccurate gloss on the correct construction. Others (Castalio and many more, including Kuinoel, Bornemann, Schegg, comp. Buttmann, Neut. Gr. p. 154 [E. T. 178], who refers it to both τελεσθ. and γεγραμμ.) connect it with τελεσθ., and explain either: upon the Son of man, as Matthew 13:14 (so the majority), or of Him (Bornemann, following Beza). But even apart from the fact that the position of the words rather suggests the connection given above, the unlimited πάντα τὰ γεγρ. is opposed to the latter, since the prophets have written much, which was neither to be fulfilled upon nor of the Messiah. Besides, the following Luke 18:32 f. is opposed to Bornemann, seeing it is not there said what the Messiah should do, but what He should suffer.

Luke 18:34. An emphatic prolixity, even more than at Luke 9:45. The failure to understand has reference not to the meaning of the words, but to the fact as the Messianic destiny.

ἀπʼ αὐτῶν] comp. Luke 9:45, Luke 10:21, Luke 19:42, frequently in the LXX.

Expositor's Greek Testament

Luke 18:31-34. Third prediction of the Passion (Matthew 20:17-19, Mark 10:32-34). Vide notes on the account in Mk., which is exceptionally realistic.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

31. Then he took unto him the twelve] apart, and on the road, as we learn from Matthew 20:17. St Mark, with one of his graphic touches of detail, describes Jesus walking before them, and (as we infer from the expression of the Evangelist) in such awful majesty of sorrow that those nearest Him were filled with deep amazement, and those who were following at a greater distance felt a hush of fear (Mark 10:32). Then it was that He beckoned them to Him, and revealed the crowning circumstances of horror respecting His death.

all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished] Rather, all the things that have been written through the prophets for the Son of Man shall be accomplished; or, perhaps, shall be accomplished to the Son of Man.



31-34. Jesus prophesies that He should be crucified.

Between these verses and the last should probably be inserted the journey from the Peraean Bethany to the Judaean Bethany, and the Raising of Lazarus (John 11:1-46). This signal miracle was omitted by the Synoptists for the same reasons as those which led them to a marked reticence about the family of Lazarus (see on Luke 10:38 and my Life of Christ, ii. 173). This miracle led to a meeting of the Sanhedrin, at which it was decided—mainly on the authority of Caiaphas—that Jesus must be put to death though not during the ensuing Passover,—with such precautions as were possible. The terrible decision became known. Indeed, it led to attempts to murder Lazarus and seize Jesus, which compelled Him to retire secretly to the obscure village of Ephraim (John 11:54)— probably Et-Taiyibeh, not far from Bethel (Beitin), and about 20 miles from Jerusalem. Here our Lord spent, in undisturbed and unrecorded calm, the last few weeks of His life, occupied in training the Apostles who were to convert the world. Towards the close of the time He would see, from the hill of Ephraim, the crowds of Galilaean pilgrims streaming down the Jordan valley to keep the Passover at Jerusalem.; and, secure under their protection till His brief days of destined work were done, He left His place of retreat to join their caravans for His last solemn progress to Jerusalem.

Bengel's Gnomen

Luke 18:31. Παραλαβὼν, having taken to Him) in private: Matthew 20:17.—πάντα τὰ γεγραμμένα, all things that are written) Jesus made of the utmost consequence those things which had been written. The Word of God, which is in Scripture, is the rule of all the things which shall come to pass, even of the things which shall come to pass in the life eternal.—τῷ) The Dative expresses the force of ל prefixed, i.e. “as concerns the Son of man:” and there is included the notion of the Dativus commodi. See the end of Luke 18:33.[203]

[203] “He shall rise again.” This was written for the Son of man—for His glory.—E. and T.

Pulpit Commentary

Verses 31-42. - Jesus again tells them of his Passion. The healing of the blind at Jericho. Verse 31. - Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them. St. Mark (Mark 10:32) prefaces this announcement with the words, "And they were in the way going up to Jerusalem; and Jesus went before them: and they were amazed; and as they followed, they were afraid." There was something unusual, evidently, in the manner and behaviour of the Master; silently, wrapped up in his own lofty meditations, he strode on in front of the company of his followers. A feeling of awe and fear stole over them as they watched the silent Master with the shadow of the coming cross falling, perhaps, across his countenance. Much had happened lately: the teaching growing more and more solemn as the end drew near; the raising of Lazarus; the intense enmity of the great men of the nation; the fixed determination to put the Master to death; his short retirement; then the announcement that he was going up to face his enemies at the great feast in Jerusalem; and now alone and silent he walked at their head. What was coming? thought the twelve and their friends. He read their thoughts, and, calling them round him, told them what was about to happen. Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished. Luke 18:31

Vincent's Word Studies

By the prophets (διά)

Lit., through; the preposition expressing secondary agency.