possible.** Tet it is clear that this cannot be our Lmrd's literal meaning. John the Baptist, to say nothing of other prophets, did not die at Jerusalem. The sense must be, as Euthymius and Heinsius maintain, "it would be an unusual thing,— ao exception to a rule, — for a prophet to die in any place but Jeru- salem. When I do die, it will be at Jerusalem. But I am not there yet, but in Galilee.**
Barradius thinks that our Lord meant, " it is not possible that I, the great prophet, foretold by Moses, can perish out of Jeru- salem.** This however seems very improbable.
Drusius and A. Clarke say, that a man professing to be a pro- phet could be tried on that ground only by the great Sanhedrim, which always resided at Jerusalem.
34. — [O Jerusalem, Sc] This remarkable passage is found in St. Matthew's Gospel, (Matt, xxiii. 37.) at the very end of our Lord's ministry, in almost the same words. I cannot see any satis- factory explanation of this circumstance excepting that om* Lord must have twice used the same expression about Jerusalem in tlie course of His ministry on earth.
To suppose that our Lord was at the end of His ministry in V this part of St. Luke*s Gospel is, on the face of the narrative, utterly improbable. To suppose that St. Luke thrust in this remarkable saying about Jerusalem at this particular point of his Gospel, out of its place and order, and without any connec- tion with the context, is equally improbable.
I see on the other hand no improbability whatever in the supposition that our Lord made use of this remarkable saying about Jerusalem on two distinct occasions during His ministry. I can quite understand that His mighty and feeling heart was * deeply touched with sorrow for the sin and hardness of that wicked but privileged city. And it seems to me both likely and natural that language like that before us would fall from His lips on more than one occasion.
\How often.] I cannot think, as some do, that this expression refers to many visits which our Lord had made to Jerusalem, during His ministry. I rather refer it to all the messages and invitations which for many centuries He had sent to Jerusalem by His servants, the prophets.
[Would I,.,. ye would not!] The Greek word in both these phrases is stronger than appears from our English transladon. It is literally, " I willed, and ye willed not."
Few passages in the Bible throw the responsibility of the loss of the soul so distinctly on those who are lost. — " I would," ** ye would not.'* — Two wills are expressly mentioned, the will of Christ to do good, and the will of man to refuse good when offered.