SEV Biblia, Chapter 19:12
Dijo pues: Un hombre noble se fue a una provincia lejos, para tomar para sí un reino, y volver.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Luke 19:12
Verse 12. A certain nobleman] In the following parable there are two distinct morals intended; let it be viewed in these two points of light. 1. The behaviour of the citizens to the nobleman; and, 2. The behaviour of his own servants to him. 1. By the behaviour of the citizens, and their punishment, (ver. 14, 27,) we are taught that the Jews, who were the people of Christ, would reject him, and try to prevent his reigning over them in his spiritual kingdom, and would for that crime be severely punished by the destruction of their state. And this moral is all that answers to the introductory words, ver. 11. And they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear. 2. The other moral extends itself through the whole of the parable, viz. that the disciples of Christ, who are his servants; and who made a good improvement of the favours granted them by the Gospel, should be rewarded in proportion to the improvement made under the means of grace. This latter moral is all that is intended by Matt. in chap. xxv. 14, &c., who mentions this parable as spoken by Christ after his triumphant entry into Jerusalem; though Luke has here placed that event after the parable. See Bishop PEARCE.
The meaning of the different parts of this parable appears to be as follows.
A certain nobleman-The Lord Jesus, who was shortly to be crucified by the Jews.
Went into a far country] Ascended to the right hand of the Divine Majesty.
To receive a kingdom] To take possession of the mediatorial kingdom, the right to which, as Messiah, he had acquired by his sufferings: see Phil. ii. 8, 9; Heb. i. 3, 8, 9. In these words there is an allusion to the custom of those days, when they who had kingdoms or governments given unto them went to Rome to receive that dignity from the emperors.
Bishop PEARCE. In proof of this, see Josephus, Ant. l. xiv. c. xiv., where we find Herod went to Rome to receive the sanction and authority of the Roman emperor. And, from lib. xvii. c. 3, we learn that his successors acted in the same way.
And to return.] To judge and punish the rebellious Jews.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 12. He said therefore , etc.] The following parable, with the above said design and view: a certain nobleman ; the son of a great family, as the Syriac version renders it; of noble descent, of an illustrious extract; by whom is meant Jesus Christ, who was a man, as he agreed to be, and was prophesied of as such; and who frequently appeared in an human form before his incarnation; and was now actually become man, though not a mere man: and he may truly be said to be noble; not only as the word may signify, as it sometimes does, a person of great authority and power, and of great generosity and goodness, but one of a noble birth; for Christ, as man, descended from the kings of the house of Judah, and was the son of David; and from the Jewish fathers and ancestors of the greatest renown, as Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and he may be so called as man, because of the union of the human nature to the Son of God; or because of his divine relation, as the Son of God: this illustrious person, went into a far country ; by which, heaven is meant; so called, not only because of its distance from the earth, but in comparison of the earth, as a place of pilgrimage; and because that it is out of sight, and the views which are had of it, are very distant ones: hither Christ went at his ascension; he came from heaven at his incarnation, by the assumption of human nature; he stayed here awhile, till he had done his work he came about, and then went up to heaven; where he is received, and from whence he is expected again: the end of his going there is, to receive for himself a kingdom : by which is intended, not the kingdom of nature and providence; for that he had, and did not receive from another; it was his of right, and by nature; nor the kingdom of grace, set up in the hearts of his people, and which was already within many of them; nor the kingdom of glory, prepared for them from the foundation of the world; though into this he entered at his ascension, and took possession of it for himself and them: but a more visible display of his mediatorial kingdom, he received from his Father; and which, upon his ascension, became more manifest, by the dispossessing of Satan, and casting him out of the Gentile world; by converting large numbers of his people, both among Jews and Gentiles; and by ruling in their hearts, subduing their enemies, and protecting and defending them; and by thus reigning till he has gathered them all in, either in Judea, or in the whole world, and then he will come again: and return ; either to destroy the Jews; the doing of which fully proved he had received his kingdom, was vested with power and authority, and was made, or declared Lord and Christ; or at the end of the world, to judge both quick and dead: and this is said, to show that his personal glorious kingdom on earth, or his kingdom in its greatest glory here, will not be till he comes a second time; and to engage diligence in his servants in the mean while; and to keep up the faith, hope, and expectation of his coming again.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 11-27 - This parable is like that of the talents, Mt 25. Those that are calle to Christ, he furnishes with gifts needful for their business; and from those to whom he gives power, he expects service. The manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal, 1Co 12:7. And a every one has received the gift, so let him minister the same, 1P 4:10. The account required, resembles that in the parable of the talents; and the punishment of the avowed enemies of Christ, as well a of false professors, is shown. The principal difference is, that the pound given to each seems to point out the gift of the gospel, which is the same to all who hear it; but the talents, distributed more or less seem to mean that God gives different capacities and advantages to men by which this one gift of the gospel may be differently improved.
Greek Textus Receptus
ειπεν 2036 5627 V-2AAI-3S ουν 3767 CONJ ανθρωπος 444 N-NSM τις 5100 X-NSM ευγενης 2104 A-NSM επορευθη 4198 5675 V-AOI-3S εις 1519 PREP χωραν 5561 N-ASF μακραν 3117 A-ASF λαβειν 2983 5629 V-2AAN εαυτω 1438 F-3DSM βασιλειαν 932 N-ASF και 2532 CONJ υποστρεψαι 5290 5658 V-AAN
Robertson's NT Word Studies
19:12 {To take to himself a kingdom} (labein heautwi basileian). Second aorist active infinitive of lambanw with the dative reflexive heautwi where the middle voice could have been used. Apparently this parable has the historical basis of Archelaus who actually went from Jerusalem to Rome on this very errand to get a kingdom in Palestine and to come back to it. this happened while Jesus was a boy in Nazareth and it was a matter of common knowledge.
