SEV Biblia, Chapter 6:38
Dad, y se os dar; medida buena, apretada, remecida, y rebosando darn en vuestro seno; porque con la misma medida que midiereis, os ser vuelto a medir.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Luke 6:38
Verse 38. Give, and it shall be given] "Christian charity will make no difficulty in giving that which eternal truth promises to restore. Let us give, neither out of mere human generosity, nor out of vanity, nor from interest, but for the sake of God, if we would have him place it to account. There is no such thing as true unmixed generosity but in God only; because there is none but him who receives no advantage from his gifts, and because he engages himself to pay these debts of his creatures with an excessive interest. So great is the goodness of God, that, when he might have absolutely commanded us to give to our neighbour, he vouchsafes to invite us to this duty by the prospect of a reward, and to impute that to us as a desert which he has a right to exact of us by the title of his sovereignty over our persons and estates." Men live in such a state of social union as renders mutual help necessary; and, as self-interest, pride, and other corrupt passions mingle themselves ordinarily in their commerce, they cannot fail of offending one another. In civil society men must, in order to taste a little tranquillity, resolve to bear something from their neighbours; they must suffer, pardon, and give up many things; without doing which they must live in such a state of continual agitation as will render life itself insupportable. Without this giving and forgiving spirit there will be nothing in civil society, and even in Christian congregations, but divisions, evil surmisings, injurious discourses, outrages, anger, vengeance, and, in a word, a total dissolution of the mystical body of Christ. Thus our interest in both worlds calls loudly upon us to GIVE and to FORGIVE.
Bosom.] kolpon, or lap. Almost all ancient nations wore long, wide, and loose garments; and when about to carry any thing which their hands could not contain, they used a fold of their robe in nearly the same way as women here use their aprons. The phrase is continually occurring in the best and purest Greek writers. The following example from Herodotus, b.
vi., may suffice to show the propriety of the interpretation given above, and to expose the ridiculous nature of covetousness. "When Croesus had promised to Alcmaeon as much gold as he could carry about his body at once, in order to improve the king's liberality to the best advantage, he put on a very wide tunic, (kiqwna megan,) leaving a great space in the BOSOM, kolpon baqun, and drew on the largest buskins he could find. Being conducted to the treasury, he sat down on a great heap of gold, and first filled the buskins about his legs with as much gold as they could contain, and, having filled his whole BOSOM, kolpon, loaded his hair with ingots, and put several pieces in his mouth, he walked out of the treasury, &c." What a ridiculous figure must this poor sinner have cut, thus heavy laden with gold, and the love of money! See many other examples in Kypke and Raphelius. See also Psa. cxxix. 7; Prov. vi. 27; xvii. 23.
The same measure that ye mete withal, it shall be measured to you again.] The same words we find in the Jerusalem Targum on Gen. xxxviii. 26. Our Lord therefore lays down a maxim which themselves allowed.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 38. Give, and it shall be given unto you , etc.] Give liberally of your worldly substance to indigent persons, as you have an opportunity, according to your ability, and as cases require: and it shall be returned again to great advantage; with great recompense, either in temporals or spirituals, or both: good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom . The allusion is to dry measure among the Jews, for to liquids, the terms used will not agree; and which, though right and full, which is here called good measure, they thrust and pressed to make it hold more; and shook it also for the same purpose, and then heaped it up as much as they could, till it fell over: of all these methods used in measuring, we have instances in their writings; which may serve to illustrate this passage: it is said of one, that he measured, hwtk hdmb , with measure pressed down; and therefore they measured to him, with measure pressed down.
Some of their measures they heaped, and some they did not: they say f266 ; all the measures which were in the sanctuary, twwdgn were heaped, except the high priest's, and his heap was contained in it.
And elsewhere they observe that there were two decimaries (or tithing vessels) in the sanctuary, one was wdg , heaped, and the other was qwjm , stricken: with that which was heaped they measured all the fine flour for the meat offerings, and with the stricken, that which was for the cakes of the high priest.
With respect to this distinction of measures, they say it is a tradition of the Rabbins f268 , that they do not strike in the place where ``they heap, nor heap in the place where, they strike.
Between these two measures there was another, which was full measure and just, and right, without heaping or striking f269 , R. Papa inquired, whether the handful (of sweet incense the high priest took on the day of atonement) which is spoken of ( Leviticus 16:12) was of stricken or heaped measure; R. Abba said to R. Ase, come, hear, the handful spoken of, is neither of stricken nor heaped measure, twpwpj ala , but of equal measure; sufficiently full, and no more. Dr. Lightfoot reads it, twpwxm , flowing over; by what authority I cannot say; though the gloss says, the word signifies, flowing over, by reason of its height, But flowing or running over measure, was the same with that which was heaped, as appears from the following instance f270 : all those that hsg hdmb y[ypmh cause to abound, or run over with the great measure, it is lawful for them to sell that, of which it is doubted whether it has been tithed or not; and these are they, that cause to run over, or heap with the great measure, as corn factors and fruiterers.
Who buy corn and fruits to sell again, and which they buy by the large measure, and fill it up, add unto it, and heap it up; and so get more than what is properly due unto them, as the commentators observe f271 : would you know the quantity of the heap, or that which ran over, or the difference between even measure, and that which was heaped, learn, it from hence: in ( 1 Kings 7:26) it is said, the molten sea held two thousand baths, and in ( 2 Chronicles 4:5) three thousand baths; which difficulty the Jewish writers solve this way, by observing, that the former text is to be understood of liquid measure, and the latter of dry measure, which was heaped: hence says R. Abai, we learn that, ywh atlt adwg , the heap is the third part of the measure f272 : now to this superabundant measure, Christ here refers; and signifies, that a large compensation should be made to such, who give liberally and generously to needy persons; that as they abounded in their acts of beneficence, so an overflowing plenty of good things should be returned to them: and when he says, that this should be given into their bosom, he alludes to the long and large garments the Jews wore, into which they were capable of receiving large lapfuls of good things: the words may be read impersonally, shall be given into your bosom; or if personally, they may be understood of God, angels, and men, in different senses: the phrase shaken together, is not in the Syriac and Persic versions: for with the same measure that ye mete withal, it shall be measured to you again; a common proverb with the Jews: (See Gill on Matthew 7:2).
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 37-49 - All these sayings Christ often used; it was easy to apply them. We ought to be very careful when we blame others; for we need allowanc ourselves. If we are of a giving and a forgiving spirit, we shal ourselves reap the benefit. Though full and exact returns are made i another world, not in this world, yet Providence does what shoul encourage us in doing good. Those who follow the multitude to do evil follow in the broad way that leads to destruction. The tree is known by its fruits; may the word of Christ be so grafted in our hearts, that we may be fruitful in every good word and work. And what the mout commonly speaks, generally agrees with what is most in the heart. Thos only make sure work for their souls and eternity, and take the cours that will profit in a trying time, who think, speak, and act accordin to the words of Christ. Those who take pains in religion, found their hope upon Christ, who is the Rock of Ages, and other foundation can n man lay. In death and judgment they are safe, being kept by the powe of Christ through faith unto salvation, and they shall never perish __________________________________________________________________
Greek Textus Receptus
διδοτε 1325 5720 V-PAM-2P και 2532 CONJ δοθησεται 1325 5701 V-FPI-3S υμιν 5213 P-2DP μετρον 3358 N-ASN καλον 2570 A-ASN πεπιεσμενον 4085 5772 V-RPP-ASN και 2532 CONJ σεσαλευμενον 4531 5772 V-RPP-ASN και 2532 CONJ υπερεκχυνομενον 5240 5746 V-PPP-ASN δωσουσιν 1325 5692 V-FAI-3P εις 1519 PREP τον 3588 T-ASM κολπον 2859 N-ASM υμων 5216 P-2GP τω 3588 T-DSN γαρ 1063 CONJ αυτω 846 P-DSN μετρω 3358 N-DSN ω 3739 R-DSN μετρειτε 3354 5719 V-PAI-2P αντιμετρηθησεται 488 5701 V-FPI-3S υμιν 5213 P-2DP
Vincent's NT Word Studies
38. Pressed down (pepiesmenon). Only here in New Testament. A common medical term for pressing strongly on a part of the body, and opposed to yauein, to touch gently.Shaken together, running over. Bengel says, "Pressed down, as dry articles; shaken together, as soft goods; running over, as liquids." But this is fanciful and incorrect. The allusion in every case is to a dry measure; and the climax in the three participles would be destroyed by Bengel's interpretation.
Bosom (ton kolpon). The gathered fold of the wide upper garment, bound together with the girdle, and thus forming a pouch. In the Eastern markets at this day vendors may be seen pouring the contents of a measure into the bosom of a purchaser. In Ruth iii. 15, Boaz says to Ruth, "Bring the vail (the mantle, so Rev., Old Testament), that thou hast upon thee, and hold it (hold it open): and he measured six measures of barley into it." Compare Isa. lxv. 7, "I will measure their former work into their bosom; also Jer. xxxii. 18. In Acts xxvii. 39, the word is used of a bay in a beach, forming a bend in the land like the hollow of a robe. Similarly, the Latin sinus means both the hanging, baggy bosom of a robe and a bay.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
6:38 {Pressed down} (pepiesmenon). Perfect passive participle from piezw, old verb, but here alone in the N.T., though the Doric form piazw, to seize, occurs several times (#Joh 7:30,32,44). {Shaken together} (sesaleumenon). Perfect passive participle again from common verb saleuw. {Running over} (huperekcunnomenon). Present middle participle of this double compound verb not found elsewhere save in A Q in #Joe 2:24. cunw is a late form of cew. There is asyndeton here, no conjunction connecting these participles. The present here is in contrast to the two preceding perfects. The participles form an epexegesis or explanation of the "good measure" (metron kalon). Into your bosom (eis ton kolpon humwn). The fold of the wide upper garment bound by the girdle made a pocket in common use (#Ex 4:6; Pr 6:27; Ps 79:12; Isa 65:6f.; Jer 32:18). So #Isa 65:7: {I will measure their former work unto their bosom. Shall be measured to you again} (antimetreqesetai). Future passive indicative of the verb here only in the N.T. save late MSS. in #Mt 7:2. Even here some MSS. have metreqesetai. The anti has the common meaning of in turn or back, measured back to you in requital.
