Luke 10:17

17. The seventy returned How long their absence we know not; but the most obvious place to assign their return is at or near Jerusalem, soon after the Feast of Tabernacles. As they were formally and solemnly assembled when assigned and sent, so it is plain from the account, that they now appear in full body at the appointed occasion to resign their significant offices. As they present themselves, seventy strong our Lord may be supposed to face them at the head of his Twelve, who are in the background. See Luke 10:26.

With joy But it is remarkable that, jubilant as they were upon this occasion, their rejoicing is not over souls or people converted, or houses or paths opened to our Lord. It does not appear that a single field of harvest was found for a divine laborer. But their joy is over a deeper success than even that. We understand that as they went forth in their respective character as symbols of a future ministry of Christ, it pleased the Father Almighty to vouchsafe to them that superior token of success which declared the complete triumph on earth of the gospel they preached.

Even the devils Rather demons, which in Greek is properly a different word from devil. It is to be regretted that our translators have used the same word for both. The word devil is seldom used in the original in the plural, and commonly signifies Satan, the Prince; while all the inferior evil spirits are δαιμονια , demons. The demons, it was, who possessed men. The demons were held to possess the power of working evil miracles, (compare Revelation 10:21 with John 8:44;) to utter pagan oracles; and to lurk in the idols of the heathen which are hence called demons, 1 Corinthians 10:20; Revelation 9:20; and hence the gods of the Pagan Mythology were held by the early Christians to be demons.

Are subject unto us They are not merely cast out, but subjected, subdued, and tamed.

In thy name It is by our act but in thy name; ours is the joy, but thine the glory. Hence, though our Lord cautioned them, he did not condemn their joy. The minister may rejoice in the happy effect of his own preaching; he may enjoy his work, if the glory be Christ’s and not his own. And when we remember that the casting out of demons was not included in their commission, and that the apostles themselves had but lately failed in their attempt to perform that work we shall easily see that there was peculiar ground of joy. But there was, perhaps, a higher meaning in the subjection of demons than they supposed. As Satan, the Prince of demons, is opposed to Christ, so these demons, his angels, were opposed to these human angels or messengers of Christ. They had, at his advent, themselves come forth as if in an abortive attempt, by possession, to rival his incarnation. And when these demons were subdued before these messengers it was as a symbol, sent from the Father, of the subjection of the powers of evil in the world to the rule of Christ. The perception of this fact by the Saviour was to him a higher joy than the Seventy knew, as will next perhaps clearly appear.