Luke 19:25

(And they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds.)

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(25) And they said unto him, Lord . . .—The touch of wonder, perhaps of indignation, is peculiar to St. Luke. It can scarcely be thought of as simply an element of dramatic vividness. It foreshadows the feelings with which men have in all ages looked on those greater than themselves. They grudge the influence and opportunities for good which are transferred from those who have not used them to those that will. May we not think of some such feeling as working among those members of the Church of the Circumcision, who did not hold out to Paul and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship (Galatians 2:9)? When Galatia received the gospel from one who had already planted churches far and wide, St. Luke may well have seen in it an illustration of the pound taken from the slothful servant and given to him that had ten.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

19:11-27 This parable is like that of the talents, Mt 25. Those that are called 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 as every one has received the gift, so let him minister the same, 1Pe 4:10. The account required, resembles that in the parable of the talents; and the punishment of the avowed enemies of Christ, as well as 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.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And they said unto him - Those standing around him said.

He hath ... - This was probably an observation made by some of the bystanders, as if surprised at such a decision. "He has already ten pounds. Why take away this one, and add to what he already possesses? Why should his property be increased at the expense of this man, who has but one pound?" The answer to this is given in the following verse; that every one that hath, to him shall be given; every man who is faithful, and improves what God gives him, shall receive much more.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

15-26. (See on [1698]Mt 25:19-29.)

ten … five cities—different degrees of future gracious reward, proportioned to the measure of present fidelity.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

See Poole on "Luke 19:12"

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And they said unto him,.... The bystanders;

Lord, he hath ten pounds; which they say either through envy, at his superior gifts, and usefulness; for it is generally the lot of the most eminent and useful servants of Christ to be envied by others; or in surprise, as wondering at the conduct of Christ in giving more to such, who had so much already. The Ethiopic version reads the words by way of interrogation, "hath he not ten pounds?" is not that enough? why should he have more? This verse is left out in Beza's most ancient copy. However, it is rightly put into a parenthesis in our version; for the following verse is strictly connected with Luke 19:24 and contains a reason of what is there ordered.

Geneva Study Bible

(And they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds.)

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Meyer's NT Commentary

Luke 19:25 interrupts the discourse, since at Luke 19:26 the king (not Jesus) continues, as is proved by Luke 19:27; hence, with Lachmann and Ewald, Luke 19:25 is to be put in parentheses, but not, with Bleek, to be set aside as an interpolation.

Luke 19:26 justifies (even without γάρ, see the critical remarks) the direction contained in Luke 19:24 by a general principle; but the parenthesis of Luke 19:25 contains the reason wherefore the king added this justification.

Expositor's Greek Testament

Luke 19:25. Possibly an utterance from the crowd interested in the parable, the “Lord” being Jesus, or an addition by Lk., or not genuine (wanting in D).

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

25. they said unto him] Perhaps the officials round the king; but as this verse is purely parenthetical, it may not impossibly be an interpellation of the crowd, expressive of their vivid interest in the narrative.

Bengel's Gnomen

Luke 19:25. Εἶπον, they said) out of a feeling of admiring astonishment, free from envy.

Luke 19:25