Notes. Luke XXIV. 13—35.
13. — {Two qftheni.'] We are not told who these two disciples were, except that one of them was named Cleopas. Several conjectures have heen made about the other one. Epiphanius supposes he was Nathanael. Origen calls him Simeon. Ambrose calls him Amaon. Theophylact suggests that it was Luke himself. All this is guesswork. We know nothing certain about it, excepting this, that it could not have been one of the apostles. We are distinctly told that when these two disciples returned to Jerusa- lem "they found the eleven gathered together." — This point ought to be carefully noticed.
Lightfoot says, " It seems to me beyond question, that one of the disciples going to Emmaus was Peter, who hearing from the women that the Lord had risen, and sent him a message, and spoken of going to Galilee, took Cleopas and made off towards Galilee.'* — This opinion seems very improbable.
IWent that same day."] Henry says on this expression, " I suspect that they were going homeward to Galilee, with an in- tention not to inquire more about this Jesus; that they were meditating a retreat, and went away from their company without asking or taking leave." — This is, no doubt, an ingenious conjec- ture. But I see nothing to warrant it.
16. — [STiould not know him.'] Let it be noted here,- that St. Mark mentions that He " appeared in another form." (Mark xvi. 12.) This circumstance would account for their not recognizing Him. At the same time it is clear that in some miraculous way the eyes of the disciples were holden or restrained from seeing aright. (See 2 Kings vi. 17—20.)
17. — \He said^ Bengel remarks here, that " it is the part of wisdom to pass with ease into profitable conversation."
[ What manner.,. communications,.. ye have!] The literal render- ing of the Greek words here would be, " What sayings or words are these which yacast against one another, or bandy about?"
The parallel between Joseph and our Lord Jesus Christ ought to be noticed at this part of our Lord's history. The conduct of Joseph in not discovering himself to his brethren, and in trying them by delay, was a type of our Lord's dealings with His two disciples before manifesting Himself to them. The whole history of Joseph is probably much more typical than we suppose.
18. — [Art thou only a stranger, rfc] The Greek words so rendered are somewhat peculiar. Alford translates them, " Dost thou lodge alone at Jerusalem?" — Major renders them, "Art thou that one individual who sojoumest at Jerusalem, and hast not known," &c., — meaning, " There surely cannot be another, whether stranger or resident, who has not heard of these events."
504 EXPOSITORY TUOrOHTS.
The whole verse is an important evidence of the publicity and notoriety of our Lord Jesus Christ's crucifixion.
1 J). — [ What thtng$ f] Our Lord, both here and at a latter part of His history draws out from the disciples th(^ir opinions, feelings, and wishes. By asking a question He elicits a declaration of the exact state of their minds about Himself.
[A prophet, dc] The exceeding dimness of the disciples' ap- prehension of our Lord's divinity and atonement, is strikingly brought out in this description.
[Before Qod and the people.'] This must mean " By the testi- mony both of God and the Jewish nation." — ^We read elsewhere that" God bare him witness by signs and wonders." (Acts ii. 22.) The people also " bare record." (John xii. 17.)
21. — {He which should have redeemed Israel.] The exact kind of re- demption expected by the disciples we are left to conjecture. But it is clear that like most Jews, they looked much more for a temporal Redeemer than a spiritual one. They looked for a redemption like that of their forefathers out of Egypt. Hence their excessive perplexity and amazement, when He who they thought would prove the Redeemer was crucified.
[To-day is lite third day.] There certainly seems a reference in the mind of Cleopas to something which was to happen on the ** third day," according to promise. He speaks like one who had an indistinct recollection of our Lord's sayings about rising again upon the third day, but had never understood their meaning.
Lightfoot remarks on this verse, what notice the Rabbins take of the third day, and conjectures that the Jewish idea about the third day may be traced in the saying of Cleopas, as well as a reference to our Lord's predictions. He points out the frequency with which the third day is referred to in the Old Testament. (Gen. xxii. 4 ; Hosea vi. 2 ; Gen. xlii. 18 ; Jos. ii. 16 ; Exod. xix. 16 ; Jonah i. 17 ; Ezra viii. 15 ; Esther v. 1.)
24. — [Certain of them, dc] St. Luke has only told us of Peter having gone to the grave. From St. John we learn that John accompanied him.
25. — [Fools.] The Greek word so rendered is not the same word which is so translated in the sermon on the mount. (Matt. v. 22.) Here it only means " wanting in thought, understanding, and consideration," and does not imply any contempt.
[Slotv of heart to believe aU,.. prophets,,. spoken.] This expres- sion should be carefully noted. The disciples believed many things which the prophets had spoken. But they did not believe all. They believed the predictions of Messiah's glory, hut not of Messiah's sufferings. Christians in modem times too often err in like manner, though in a totally different direction. They believe all that the prophets say about Christ's sufferings, but