Luk 9:57-62 | RWP | e4.org | A certain man ( τις ). calls him "a scribe." ; , but not in Mark and so from Q or the Logia. Wherever you go ( οπου εαν απερχη ) is the present middle subjunctive with the indefinite relative adverb εαν , common Greek idiom. See on Matthew for "holes," "nests," "Son of man." The idiom "where to lay his head" ( που την κεφαλην κλινη ) is the same in both, the deliberative subjunctive retained in the indirect question. "Jesus knows the measure of the scribe's enthusiasm" (Plummer). The wandering life of Jesus explains this statement.

‏ Luke 9:57-62

A certain man ( τις ). Mt 8:19 calls him "a scribe." Lu 9:57-60; Mt 8:19-22, but not in Mark and so from Q or the Logia.

Wherever you go ( οπου εαν απερχη ) is the present middle subjunctive with the indefinite relative adverb εαν, common Greek idiom. See on Matthew for "holes," "nests," "Son of man." The idiom "where to lay his head" ( που την κεφαλην κλινη ) is the same in both, the deliberative subjunctive retained in the indirect question. "Jesus knows the measure of the scribe's enthusiasm" (Plummer). The wandering life of Jesus explains this statement.

And he said unto another ( ειπεν δε προς ετερον ). Mt 8:21 omits Christ's "Follow me" ( ακολουθε μο ) and makes this man a volunteer instead of responding to the appeal of Jesus. There is no real opposition, of course. In Matthew's account the man is apologetic as in Luke. Plummer calls him "one of the casual disciples" of whom there are always too many. The scribes knew how to give plausible reasons for not being active disciples.

First ( πρωτον ). One of the problems of life is the relation of duties to each other, which comes first. The burial of one's father was a sacred duty (Ge 25:9), but, as in the case of Tobit 4:3, this scribe's father probably was still alive. What the scribe apparently meant was that he could not leave his father while still alive to follow Jesus around over the country.

Leave the dead to bury their own dead ( αφες τους νεκρους θαψα τους εαυτων νεκρους ). This paradox occurs so in Mt 8:22. The explanation is that the spiritually dead can bury the literally dead. For such a quick change in the use of the same words see Joh 5:21-29 (spiritual resurrection from sin in Joh 5:21-27, bodily resurrection from the grave, Joh 5:28, 29) and Joh 11:25f. The harshness of this proverb to the scribe probably is due to the fact that he was manifestly using his aged father as an excuse for not giving Christ active service.

But go thou and publish abroad the kingdom of God ( συ δε απελθων διαγγελλε την βασιλειαν του θεου ). The scribe's duty is put sharply ( Βυτ δο θου, συ δε ). Christ called him to preach, and he was using pious phrases about his father as a pretext. Many a preacher has had to face a similar delicate problem of duty to father, mother, brothers, sisters and the call to preach. This was a clear case. Jesus will help any man called to preach to see his duty. Certainly Jesus does not advocate renunciation of family duties on the part of preachers.

And another also said ( ειπεν δε κα ετερος ). A volunteer like the first. This third case is given by Luke alone, though the incident may also come from the same Logia as the other two. Hετερος does not here mean one of a "different" sort as is sometimes true of this pronoun, but merely another like αλλος (Robertson, Grammar, p. 749).

But first ( πρωτον δε ). He also had something that was to come "first."

To bid farewell to them that are at my house ( αποταξασθα τοις εις τον οικον μου ). In itself that was a good thing to do. This first aorist middle infinitive is from αποτασσω, an old verb, to detach, to separate, to assign as a detachment of soldiers. In the N.T. it only appears in the middle voice with the meaning common in late writers to bid adieu, to separate oneself from others. It is used in Ac 18:18 of Paul taking leave of the believers in Corinth. See also Mr 6:46; 2Co 2:13. It is thus a formal function and this man meant to go home and set things in order there and then in due time to come and follow Jesus.

Having put his hand to the plough ( επιβαλων την χειρα επ' αροτρον ). Second aorist active participle of επιβαλλω, an old and common verb, to place upon. Note repetition of preposition επ before αροτρον (plough). This agricultural proverb is as old as Hesiod. Pliny observes that the ploughman who does not bend attentively to his work goes crooked. It has always been the ambition of the ploughman to run a straight furrow. The Palestine fellah had good success at it.

And looking back ( κα βλεπων εις τα οπισω ). Looking to the things behind. To do that is fatal as any ploughman knows. The call to turn back is often urgent.

Fit ( ευθετος ). From ευ and τιθημ =well-placed, suited for, adapted to. "The first case is that of inconsiderate impulse, the second that of conflicting duties, the third that of a divided mind" (Bruce).