My own impression is that the parable was meant simply to describe the duty of individual believer? during the whole period ^ of the present dispensation, and^to encourage them to persever- ing prayer, by holding out the hope that God will at length plead their cause, when things seem at the worst.
[Which feared not God,.. regarded man.] This is a proverbial description of a thoroughly bad man in high office. Our Lord Jesus Christ, be it observed, knows that there are such men in high places, and will one day reckon with them.
The description has stumbled some commentators, and has been treated as a great difficulty. They have been offended at the idea of such a man as this judge standing in the position of a type and emblem of God. To avoid this seeming inconsistency, Theophylact mentions a strange and monstrous view held by some, that the words exactly describe God, since He is one who need not fear Goa, and is no respecter of men's persons !
The difficulty raised appears to me thoromghly unreasonable. Both here, and in other places, we are not meant to draw an exact parallel between the person described and God. The one single point we are meant to notice is, that even an unfust and wicKed man can be moved by importunity. And the inference ^ pressed on us, is simply this, that if a wicked man is to be moved by importunity, much more is God.
Quesnel says, "We may make a good use even of the worst examples. Every thing serves to display the justice and good- ness of God, either by way of conformity or opposition, either as lines which form the resemblance thereof, or as shadows which heighten the lustre and liveliness of the colours."
3. — [A tpidow.'] The helpless and friendless condition of a widow in Eastern countries and Bible times, should be carefully re- membered. See Exod. xxii. 22 ; Deut. x. 18 ; Job. xxix. 13 ; 1 Kings xvii. 9, 12.
^— [Weary me.] The Greek word translated "weary," is very peculiar. It signifies literally " to strike under the eyes." Some have thought it very strange that a man in the judge's position should use such language, and express any fear that a poor weak, defenceless woman could trouble him so much as to require such a strong phrase. Yet a moment's reflection will show us, that selfish, worldly, wicked men, are just exactly the persons who employ such violent expressions, in order to ex- press their sense of annoyance even on trifling occasions. How often for instance ^ple talk of being " tired to death," or '* worried out of then: lives,'* when there is nothing to justify the use of such language.
0. — [The unjiut judge.] The Greek words here mean literally ** the judge of injustice." It is precisely the same form of Ian-
258 BXPOSETORT THOtTGHIB.
guage, tbat is used in a previous chapter describing «« the unjust steward." Luke xvi. 8.
T. — [Which cry day and nightl This is doubtless a proverbial expression, signifying a habit of continual prayer.
[Bear long."] The Greek word so translated is generaDy rendered " have patience," " is longsuflfering." The remark of Pearce on the passage is worth reading. " The word is com- monly used for delaying to punish a bad man. Here it haa another sense, and siguifies the delaying to help a good mao. So Peter seems to use the expression, * longsuffering,' when he says, ' account that the longsuffeiing of God is salvation,' tbat is, that though He delays long to save you, yet He will save you at the last." (2 Pet. iii. 16.)
8. — [He will avenge them speedily.'] This sentence points to the second advent of Christ. To our eyes it seems long delayed. But a thousand years in God's sight are but as one day.
[ When . . . Son of man,, .faith., .earth!] These words are dif- ferenOy interpreted.
Some, as usual, can see in the "coming of the Son of man," nothing but the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans. They think the sentence means, when the Jewish polity is overthrown, the number of believers will be found very small.
Wordsworth maintains that " the earth " means the " world/* in contradiction to the children of light.
I am unable to see either view to be correct. I believe the view given in the Exposition is the true one. Our Lord teaches that there will be comparatively few true believers upon earth when He comes again. True faith will be found as rare as rt was in the days of Npah, when only eight persons entered the ark, and in the days of Lot, when only four persoois left Sodom. He is speaking, we must remember, in close con< nection with the account of the second advent, and His own vivid comparison of the days of Noah and Lot, with the day when the Son of man shall be revealed.
There is doubtless an implied lesson here, that persevering prayer is the secret of keeping iip faith. Augustine sajt^, ** When faith fails, prayer dies, in order to pray, then, ^a must have faith ; and that our faith fail not, we must pray. Faith pours forth prayer ; and the pouring forth of the heiurt in. prayer, gives steadfastness to faith."
The unbelief of man on the subject of both advents is strik- ingly shown in the beginning of Isaiah liii. and of 2 Pet iii