SEV Biblia, Chapter 11:41
Pero de lo que os resta, dad limosna; y he aquí todo os ser limpio.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Luke 11:41
Verse 41. Give alms of such things as ye have] Meaning either what was within the dishes spoken of before; or what was within their houses or power: or what they had at hand, for so ta enonta is used by the purest Greek writers. Cease from rapine: far from spoiling the poor by wicked exactions, rather give them alms of every thing you possess; and when a part of every thing you have is sincerely consecrated to God for the use of the poor, then all that remains will be clean unto you; you will have the blessing of God in your basket and store, and every thing will be sanctified to you. These verses are very difficult, and are variously translated and interpreted by critics and divines. I have given what I believe to be our Lord's meaning, in the preceding paraphrase. For a description of the rapine, &c., of the Pharisees, see on Matt. xxiii. 25.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 41. But rather give alms of such things as ye have , etc.] The phrase ta enonta , is variously rendered, and so furnishes out various senses: the Syriac version renders it, give that which is, which is yours; or which is given to you, as the Persic version, and agrees with ours, such things as ye have; and which carries in it but a very odd sense; for none can give of that which they have not. The Vulgate Latin version reads, that which is over and above; superfluous substance, and which may be easily spared without hurting a man, or his family: others, as much as you can: according to a man's ability, and as God has prospered him in the world. The Ethiopic version renders it, that which is necessary; which the necessities of the poor call for, and is right and proper to give them: and the Arabic version, very foreign from the sense of the phrase, reads, before every thing; above all things give alms. But the true sense of it is contained in the literal version of it, things that are within; that is, that are within the cup and the platter; give meat and drink to the poor, your platters and cups are full of, gotten by injustice and oppression. Some read it not imperatively, give, but indicatively, ye do give: you oppress and defraud men, devour widows' houses, and fill your own with the spoils of others; and then give out of your cups and platters drink to the thirsty, and meat to the hungry, to make atonement for your avarice and extortion: and behold all things are clean unto you ; that is, according to their own opinion, who fancied that alms deeds justified them in the sight of God, cleansed them from their sins, delivered them from hell, and gave them a title to eternal life; (see Gill on Matthew 6:1) for it can never be thought to be our Lord's meaning in earnest, that either their persons, or what they had, should be pure and clean unto them, by giving a part of their ill-gotten goods to the poor; but he speaks their sense, in an ironic way. From this opinion of theirs it is, that the Hebrew word, hkz , which signifies to be clean, is used by them for giving alms: so it is said f384 , that R. Jonathan and Resh Lekish went down to bathe themselves in the baths of Tiberias; and a certain poor man met them, and said unto them, yb yykz , give me alms; they said unto him, when we come back we will b yykz , give thee alms: and so the Mahometans call alms by the same name, because they imagine that they cleanse their other substance from pollution, and their souls from avarice.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 37-54 - We should all look to our hearts, that they may be cleansed an new-created; and while we attend to the great things of the law and of the gospel, we must not neglect the smallest matter God has appointed When any wait to catch something out of our mouths, that they ma insnare us, O Lord, give us thy prudence and thy patience, an disappoint their evil purposes. Furnish us with such meekness an patience that we may glory in reproaches, for Christ's sake, and tha thy Holy Spirit may rest upon us __________________________________________________________________
Greek Textus Receptus
πλην 4133 ADV τα 3588 T-APN ενοντα 1751 5752 V-PXP-APN δοτε 1325 5628 V-2AAM-2P ελεημοσυνην 1654 N-ASF και 2532 CONJ ιδου 2400 5628 V-2AAM-2S παντα 3956 A-NPN καθαρα 2513 A-NPN υμιν 5213 P-2DP εστιν 2076 5748 V-PXI-3S
Vincent's NT Word Studies
41. Such things as ye have (ta enonta). Only here in New Testament. Commentators differ as to the meaning, but generally reject that of the A.V. Rev., those things which are within. The meaning is, give alms of the contents of the cups and platters. Jesus is insisting upon inward righteousness as against pharisaic externalism, and says: "Your virtue consists in washing the outside, and making a respectable appearance. Cultivate rather the loving, brotherly spirit of inward righteousness, which will prompt you to give of the food which the vessels contain (that which is within) to your suffering brother." "Do you think it is enough to wash your hands before eating? There is a surer means. Let some poor man partake of your meats and wines" (Godet). So Bengel, Meyer, Alford. Compare Matt. ix. 13; Hos. vi. 6. Wyc., That thing that is over (i.e., remaining in the dishes) give ye alms. 9
