SEV Biblia, Chapter 14:23
Y dijo el seor al siervo: Ve por los caminos y por los vallados, y furzalos a entrar, para que se llene mi casa.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Luke 14:23
Verse 23. Compel them to come in] anagkason, Prevail on them by the most earnest entreaties. The word is used by Matthew, Matt. xiv. 22, and by Mark, Mark vi. 45; in both which places, when Christ is said, anagkazein, to constrain his disciples to get into the vessel, nothing but his commanding or persuading them to do it can be reasonably understood. The Latins use cogo, and compello, in exactly the same sense, i.e. to prevail on by prayers, counsels, entreaties, &c. See several examples in Bishop PEARCE, and in KYPKE. No other kind of constraint is ever recommended in the Gospel of Christ; every other kind of compulsion is antichristian, can only be submitted to by cowards and knaves, and can produce nothing but hypocrites, See at the end of the chapter.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 23. And the Lord said unto the servant , etc.] A second time; that since the Jews put away the word of eternal life from them, and judged themselves unworthy of it by their contradicting and blaspheming it, he commanded his apostles to turn from them to the Gentiles; (see Acts 13:45-47), go out into the highways and hedges : the Persic version adds, of the vineyards; (see 1 Chronicles 4:23) and may in general design the mean, base, vile, and sinful state of the Gentiles; who might be said to be in the highways, because they were without the commonwealth and church of the Jews; were not admitted to civil conversation, nor to religious worship with them; and were left to walk on in their own ways, of their own devising and choosing, in which they delighted: they were not in God's highway, which is a way of holiness, ( Isaiah 35:8) but in their own highways; either following the various sects of the philosophers, which were vain and foolish; or going into different practices of idolatry, and walking in very sinful and vicious courses; and so were in the broad road and highway to destruction: and their being in, and under the hedges, may denote their state of separation from God; being without him, alienated from the life of him, and afar off from him; being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, ( Ephesians 2:12) they were not in the gardens and enclosures, but under the hedges: and compel them to come in ; to the house of God, and church of Christ; to come and hear the word, and quit their former course of living, and attend the word and worship of God; and upon an evidence of the truth of grace upon their souls, to come into a Gospel church state, and partake of all privileges and ordinances in it; to which they are to be compelled, not by outward force, but by forcible words, by powerful arguments, and by the strength of persuasion; which expresses the nature of the Gospel ministry, which is to persuade Japhet to dwell in the tents of Shem; and the power that attends it by the divine Spirit; the case and condition of souls, who are generally bashful and backward, judging themselves unworthy; as also the earnest desire, and great liberality of Christ, the master of the feast, whose end in it is as follows: that my house may be filled ; with men, like a flock, and these with gifts and grace; with such as shall be saved, as with elect Jews, so with the fulness of the Gentiles.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 15-24 - In this parable observe the free grace and mercy of God shining in the gospel of Christ, which will be food and a feast for the soul of a ma that knows its own wants and miseries. All found some pretence to pu off their attendance. This reproves the Jewish nation for their neglec of the offers of Christ's grace. It shows also the backwardness ther is to close with the gospel call. The want of gratitude in those wh slight gospel offers, and the contempt put upon the God of heave thereby, justly provoke him. The apostles were to turn to the Gentiles when the Jews refused the offer; and with them the church was filled The provision made for precious souls in the gospel of Christ, has no been made in vain; for if some reject, others will thankfully accep the offer. The very poor and low in the world, shall be as welcome to Christ as the rich and great; and many times the gospel has the greatest success among those that labour under worldly disadvantage and bodily infirmities. Christ's house shall at last be filled; it wil be so when the number of the elect is completed.
Greek Textus Receptus
και 2532 CONJ ειπεν 2036 5627 V-2AAI-3S ο 3588 T-NSM κυριος 2962 N-NSM προς 4314 PREP τον 3588 T-ASM δουλον 1401 N-ASM εξελθε 1831 5628 V-2AAM-2S εις 1519 PREP τας 3588 T-APF οδους 3598 N-APF και 2532 CONJ φραγμους 5418 N-APM και 2532 CONJ αναγκασον 315 5657 V-AAM-2S εισελθειν 1525 5629 V-2AAN ινα 2443 CONJ γεμισθη 1072 5686 V-APS-3S ο 3588 T-NSM οικος 3624 N-NSM μου 3450 P-1GS
Vincent's NT Word Studies
23. Hedges (fragmouv). See on Matt. xxi. 33. It may mean either a hedge, or a place enclosed with a hedge. Here the hedges beside which vagrants rest.Compel. Compare constrained, Matt. xiv. 22; Acts xxvi. 11; Galatians vi. 12. Not to use force, but to constrain them against the reluctance which such poor creatures would feel at accepting the invitation of a great Lord. May be filled (gemisqh). A very strong word; properly of loading a ship. "Nature and grace alike abhor a vacuum" (Bengel).
Robertson's NT Word Studies
14:23 {The highways and hedges} (tas hodous kai fragmous). The public roads outside the city of Judaism just as the streets and lanes were inside the city. The heathen are to be invited this time. {Hedges} is fenced in places from frassw, to fence in (#Ro 3:19). {Compel} (anagkason). First aorist active imperative of anagkazw, from anagke (verse #18). By persuasion of course. There is no thought of compulsory salvation. "Not to use force, but to constrain them against the reluctance which such poor creatures would feel at accepting the invitation of a great lord" (Vincent). As examples of such "constraint" in this verb see #Mt 14:22; Ac 26:11; Ga 6:12. {That my house may be filled} (hina gemisqei mou ho oikos). First aorist passive subjunctive of gemizw, to fill full, old verb from gemw, to be full. Effective aorist. Subjunctive with hina in final clause. The Gentiles are to take the place that the Jews might have had (#Ro 11:25). Bengel says: _Nec natura nec gratia patitur vacuum_.
