Luke 7:37-48

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Luke 7:36-49

When and where this passage of story happened does not appear; this evangelist does not observe order of time in his narrative so much as the other evangelists do; but it comes in here, upon occasion of Christ's being reproached as a friend to publicans and sinners, to show that it was only for their good, and to bring them to repentance, that he conversed with them; and that those whom he admitted hear him were reformed, or in a hopeful way to be so. Who this woman was that here testified so... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Luke 7:36-50

7:36-50 One of the Pharisees invited Jesus to eat with him. He went into the Pharisee's house and reclined at table; and--look you--there was a woman in the town, a bad woman. She knew that he was at table in the Pharisee's house, so she took an alabaster phial of perfume and stood behind him, beside his feet, weeping. She began to wash his feet with tears, and she wiped them with the hairs of her head; and she kept kissing his feet and anointing them with the perfume. When the Pharisee, who... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Luke 7:37

And behold, a woman in the city ,.... Not Mary Magdalene, spoken of in Luke 8:2 under another character; and is a different person, who had not been taken notice of by the evangelist before; nor Mary the sister of Lazarus, who is said to anoint the feet of Christ, and wipe them with her hair, John 12:3 . The character given of this woman, does not seem so well to agree with her; at least, the fact here recorded, cannot be the same with that; for this was in Galilee, and that in Bethany;... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Luke 7:38

And stood at his feet behind him ,.... Christ lay upon a bed, or couch, as was the custom of the ancients, both Jews and others, at meals, with his feet put out behind; and between the couches and the walls of the room, there was a space for servants to wait and serve, and such are therefore said to "stand at the feet"; and the phrase is used, as descriptive of servants in waiting F14 Vid Alstorphium de lectis veterum, p. 106, 107. ; and in such a situation this woman put herself, as... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Luke 7:39

Now when the Pharisee, which had bidden him, saw it ,.... Simon, who had invited Christ to eat with him, when he saw what was done by the woman, how she stood at his feet, and washed them with her tears, and wiped them with her hairs, and then kissed and anointed them: he spoke within himself; not openly and publicly, being in good manners, though not in real respect to Christ, unwilling to affront his guest; but turned these things over in his mind, and reasoned upon them within... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Luke 7:40

And Jesus answering said unto him ,.... Christ being God omniscient, knew not only the character and conversation of this woman, which were publicly known by all, that knew any thing of her, but also the secret thoughts and reasonings of the Pharisee, and makes answer to them; which shows, that he was a prophet, in the sense of this man; yea, more than a prophet: Simon, I have somewhat to say to thee ; this could not be Simon Peter, Christ spoke to, as some have suggested; for the answer... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Luke 7:41

There was a certain creditor ,.... All the Oriental versions premise something to this. The Syriac version reads, "Jesus said unto him". The Arabic version, "then he said". The Persic version, "Jesus said"; and the Ethiopic version, "and he said to him"; and something of this kind is understood, and to be supplied in the text: which had two debtors, the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty ; these were, as the word shows, Roman "denarii" or "pence"; the former of these sums,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Luke 7:42

And when they had nothing to pay ,.... Neither the lesser nor greater debtor; for though not alike in debt, yet both insolvent: man has run out his whole stock, which the God of nature gave him, in his original creation and primitive state; and is become a bankrupt and a beggar, is poor, wretched, and miserable; he has no money, he has nothing to offer for a composition, much less for payment; he has no righteousness, and if he had, it would be nothing to pay with; since that itself, even in... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Luke 7:43

Simon answered and said ,.... Very readily, without any hesitation, not being aware of the application of it, to the instance he had been pondering in his mind: I suppose, that he to whom he forgave most ; it was his opinion, and to him a plain case, that he that owed the largest debt, and that being forgiven him fully, and freely, as he was under the greatest obligation, so as he ought, he would show the greatest love and affection to his kind and gracious creditor: and he said unto... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Luke 7:44

And he turned to the woman ,.... That stood behind him at his feet, and said to Simon, seest thou this woman ? and what she has done? pointing to her, and comparing him, and her, and their actions together, whereby he might judge of the preceding parable, and how fitly it might be applied to the present case: I entered into thine house ; not of his own accord, but by the invitation of Simon, and therefore might have expected the usual civilities: thou gavest me no water for my... read more

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