Luk 7:28-30 | Clarke

‏ Luke 7:28-30

Verse 29. Justified God] Or, declared God to be just-εδικαιωσαν τονθεον. The sense is this: John preached that the Divine wrath was coming upon the Jews, from which they might flee by repentance, Lu 3:7. The Jews, therefore, who were baptized by him, with the baptism of repentance, did thereby acknowledge that it is but justice in God to punish them for their wickedness unless they repented, and were baptized in token of it. Bp. PEARCE proves that this is the sense in which the word δικαιοω is used here and in Ps 51:4, compared with Job 32:2, and by this evangelist again in Lu 10:29, and Lu 16:15.

Verse 30. Rejected the counsel of God] Or, frustrated the will of God-τηνβουληντουθεουηθετησαν. Kypke says the verb αθετειν has two meanings:-1, to disbelieve; 2, despise, or disobey: and that both senses may be properly conjoined here. The will of God was that all the inhabitants of Judea should repent at the preaching of John, be baptized, and believe in Christ Jesus. Now as they did not repent, &c., at John's preaching, so they did not believe his testimony concerning Christ: thus the will, gracious counsel, or design of God, relative to their salvation, was annulled or frustrated. They disbelieved his promises, despised the Messiah, and disobeyed his precepts.