SEV Biblia, Chapter 14:1
¶ Y aconteci que entrando en casa de un príncipe de los fariseos un sbado a comer pan, ellos le acechaban.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Luke 14:1
Verse 1. Chief Pharisees] Or, one of the rulers of the Pharisees. A man who was of the sect of the Pharisees, and one of the rulers of the people. To eat bread on the Sabbath day] But why is it that there should be an invitation or dinner given on the Sabbath day? Answer: The Jews purchased and prepared the best viands they could procure for the Sabbath day, in order to do it honour. See several proofs in Lightfoot. As the Sabbath is intended for the benefit both of the body and soul of man, it should not be a day of austerity or fasting, especially among the labouring poor. The most wholesome and nutritive food should be then procured if possible; that both body and soul may feel the influence of this Divine appointment, and give God the glory of his grace. On this blessed day, let every man eat his bread with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God. In doing this, surely there is no reason that a man should feed himself without fear. If the Sabbath be a festival, let it be observed unto the Lord; and let no unnecessary acts be done; and avoid that bane of religious solemnity, giving and receiving visits on the Lord's day.
They watched him.] Or, were maliciously watching, parathroumenoi-from para, intens. or denoting ill, and threw, to observe, watch. Raphelius, on Mark iii. 2, has proved from a variety of authorities that this is a frequent meaning of the word:-clam et insidiose observare, quid alter agat-to observe privately and insidiously what another does. The context plainly proves that this is the sense in which it is to be taken here. The conduct of this Pharisee was most execrable.
Professing friendship and affection, he invited our blessed Lord to his table, merely that he might have a more favourable opportunity of watching his conduct, that he might accuse him, and take away his life. In eating and drinking, people feel generally less restraint than at other times, and are apt to converse more freely. The man who can take such an advantage over one of his own guests must have a baseness of soul, and a fellness of malice, of which, we would have thought, for the honour of human nature, that devils alone were capable. Among the Turks, if a man only taste salt with another, he holds himself bound, in the most solemn manner, never to do that person any injury. I shall make no apology for inserting the following anecdote.
A public robber in Persia, known by the name of Yacoub, ibn Leits Saffer, broke open the treasury of Dirhem, the governor of Sistan.
Notwithstanding the obscurity of the place, he observed, in walking forward, something that sparkled a little: supposing it to be some precious stones, he put his hand on the place, and taking up something, touched it with his tongue, and found it to be salt. He immediately left the treasury, without taking the smallest article with him! The governor finding in the morning that the treasury had been broken open, and that nothing was carried off, ordered it to be published, that "Whoever the robber was who had broke open the treasury, if he declared himself, he should be freely pardoned, and that he should not only receive no injury, but should be received into the good graces of the governor." Confiding in the promise of Dirhem, Yacoub appeared. The governor asked; How it came to pass that, after having broken open the treasury, he took nothing away? Yacoub related the affair as it happened, and added, "I believed that I was become your FRIEND in eating of your SALT, and that the LAWS of that friendship would not permit me to touch any thing that appertained to you." D'Herbelot. Bib. Orient. p. 415. How base must that man be, who professes Christianity, and yet makes his own table a snare for his friend!
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 1. And it came to pass , etc.] The Persic version adds, on a certain day; and it is afterwards said to be the sabbath day. This seems to have been somewhere or other in Galilee; (see Luke 17:11). As he went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees ; or rather, one of the rulers, and of the sect of the Pharisees: and he might be either a ruler of a synagogue, or a member of one of the lesser or greater sanhedrim; such another as Nicodemus, who was of the Pharisees, and a ruler of the Jews, ( John 3:1) for that there was any distinction among the Pharisees as a sect, does not appear: to this man's house Christ went, after he came out of the synagogue, being invited by him; to eat bread on the sabbath day . The sabbath day was a feasting day with the Jews, in which they made very large and magnificent entertainments, for the honour of the sabbath; and he was reckoned the most praiseworthy, that exceeded this way; and no doubt, since this man was a Pharisee, one that was tenacious of the traditions of the elders, and was also a ruler, his table was well spread: the rules concerning this part of keeping the sabbath, are these f439 ; what is this delight? the wise men say, a man ought to prepare abundance of food and spiced liquids, for the sabbath, all according to a man's substance; and whoever multiplies in the expenses of the sabbath, and in preparing food, much and good, lo, he is praiseworthy; and if he is not able, though he only prepares boiled food, and such like, on account of the glory of the sabbath, lo, this is the delight of the sabbath: and he is not obliged to straiten himself, nor to ask of others, to increase the food of the sabbath: the ancient wise men said, make thy sabbath a common day, and do not make thyself necessitous to men; he who is delicate and rich, and lo, all his days are as a sabbath day, ought to have food on a sabbath day, different from that on a weekday; and if it is not possible to change, let him alter the time of eating; if he had been used to have it soon, let him have it late; and if late, let him have it sooner: a man is obliged to eat three meals, or feasts, on a sabbath day; one in the evening, and one in the morning, and one at the time of the meat offering; and he ought to take heed to those three feasts, that he does not diminish them at all; and even a poor man that is maintained by alms, must keep the three feasts.
And this last canon, or rule, is of the utmost importance with them; for they say, whoever keeps the three feasts on the sabbath day, shall be delivered from three punishments, from the sorrows of the Messiah, from the judgment of hell, and from the war of Gog and Magog. That they watched him ; that is, those that sat down to meat with him, the lawyers and Pharisees: and it is very probable, that it was not out of pure respect to him, that he was asked to eat meat at this ruler's house; but with a design to observe whatever might be said, or done by him, they could take any advantage from, against him.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-6 - This Pharisee, as well as others, seems to have had an ill design i entertaining Jesus at his house. But our Lord would not be hindere from healing a man, though he knew a clamour would be raised at his doing it on the sabbath. It requires care to understand the prope connexion between piety and charity in observing the sabbath, and the distinction between works of real necessity and habits of self-indulgence. Wisdom from above, teaches patient perseverance in well-doing.
Greek Textus Receptus
και 2532 CONJ εγενετο 1096 5633 V-2ADI-3S εν 1722 PREP τω 3588 T-DSM ελθειν 2064 5629 V-2AAN αυτον 846 P-ASM εις 1519 PREP οικον 3624 N-ASM τινος 5100 X-GSM των 3588 T-GPM αρχοντων 758 N-GPM των 3588 T-GPM φαρισαιων 5330 N-GPM σαββατω 4521 N-DSN φαγειν 5315 5629 V-2AAN αρτον 740 N-ASM και 2532 CONJ αυτοι 846 P-NPM ησαν 2258 5713 V-IXI-3P παρατηρουμενοι 3906 5734 V-PMP-NPM αυτον 846 P-ASM
Vincent's NT Word Studies
1. Watched (hsan parathroumenoi). The participle and finite verb, were engaged in watching. Closely (para). See on Mark iii. 2.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
14:1 {When he went} (en twi elqein auton). Luke's favorite temporal clause = "on the going as to him." {That} (kai). Another common Lukan idiom, kai=hoti after egeneto, like Hebrew _wav_. {They} (autoi). Emphatic. {Were watching} (esan parateroumenoi). Periphrastic imperfect middle. Note force of autoi, middle voice, and para-. They were themselves watching on the side (on the sly), watching insidiously, with evil intent as in #Mr 3:2 (active).
