Luke 11:1-13

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Luke 11:8

I say unto you ,.... This is the accommodation of the parable; to these words are premised, in the Vulgate Latin version, the following, "if he continue knocking": though he will not rise and give him, because he is a friend ; though mere friendship will not influence and engage him to rise from his bed, at such an unseasonable time, and fulfil the request of his friend; yet because of his importunity, he will rise and give him as many as he needeth : as he asks for, or more, if... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Luke 11:9

And I say unto you, ask, and it shall be given you ,.... This is said by Christ, to encourage to prayer, and importunity in it; that if any one asks of God, in the name of Christ, and in faith, whether it be bread for the body, or food for the soul; or any blessing whatever, whether temporal or spiritual, it shall be given; not according to their deserts, but according to the riches of the grace of God; who is rich unto all that call upon him, in sincerity and truth: seek, and ye shall... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Luke 11:10

For every one that asketh receiveth ,.... Some indeed ask and receive not, because they ask amiss, James 4:3 who either apply to a wrong person, or ask in a wrong manner, or from wrong principles, or with wrong ends in view: but when a man is right in the object of prayer, and in the matter and manner of prayer, and in the end he proposes to himself, let him be what he will, of whatsoever nation, or ever mean a person, he has the petitions which he asks, either immediately, or, at least,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Luke 11:11

If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father ,.... Our Lord illustrates and confirms what he had said before by an instance common among men: the relation between a father and a son is natural, and it is very near; and it is usual for a son, when hungry, and at the proper times of meals, to ask bread of his father: and when he does, will he give him a stone ? should he do so, he would show that his heart was as hard, or harder than the stone he gives: or if he ask a fish,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Luke 11:12

Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion .... Of which there are three sorts; some are terrestrial, or land scorpions, scorpions of the earth, a kind of serpents, very venomous and mischievous, to whom the wicked Jews are compared, Ezekiel 2:6 and the locusts in Revelation 9:3 others are airy, or flying scorpions, a sort of fowl; and others are sea scorpions; of the fish kind: it is not easy to say which of them is here meant. There is an herb which is called עקרבנין ... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Luke 11:13

If ye then being evil know how to give good gifts unto your children ,.... See Gill on Matthew 7:11 . How much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him ? instead of the Holy Spirit here, the Vulgate Latin version reads, "good Spirit", and so two copies of Beza's; and the Ethiopic version, "the good gift of the Holy Spirit"; and doubtless intends the gifts and graces of the Holy Spirit, in distinction from, and as preferable to the good things given by... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Luke 11:1-5

Teach us to pray - See the nature of prayer, with an ample explanation of the different parts of the Lord's Prayer, treated of in Matthew 6:5-16 ; (note). The prayer related here by Luke is not precisely the same as that mentioned by Matthew; and indeed it is not likely that it was given at the same time. That in Matthew seems to have been given after the second passover; and this in Luke was given probably after the third passover, between the feasts of tabernacles, and the dedication. It... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Luke 11:4

Lead us not into temptation, etc. - Dr. Lightfoot believes that this petition is intended against the visible apparitions of the devil, and his actual obsessions; he thinks that the meaning is too much softened by our translation. Deliver us from evil, is certainly a very inadequate rendering of ῥυσαι ἡμας απο του πονηρου ; literally, Deliver us from the wicked one. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Luke 11:6

In his journey is come - Or, perhaps more literally, A friend of mine is come to me out of his way, εξ ὁδου , which renders the case more urgent - a friend of mine, benighted, belated, and who has lost his way, is come unto me. This was a strong reason why he should have prompt relief. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Luke 11:7

My children are with me in bed - Or, I and my children are in bed; this is Bishop Pearce's translation, and seems to some preferable to the common one. See a like form of speech in 1 Corinthians 16:11 , and in Ephesians 3:18 . However, we may conceive that he had his little children, τα παιδια , in bed with him; and this heightened the difficulty of yielding to his neighbor's request. But if he persevere knocking. ( At si ille perseveraverit pulsans ). This sentence is added to the... read more

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