41. His parents. Though women were not bound to present themselves in person,
42. Twelve years old. At which age he was known as a son of the law, and came under obligation to observe the ordi- nances personally.
43. Had fulfilled the days. Not necessarily the whole seven days of the festival. With the third day commenced the so-called half-holidays, when it was lawful to return home.
44. The company (cuvvodia). From avy, with, and odds, the way. The company that shared the journey.
Went a day’s journey. Before they missed him. They sought (ave{jrovv). From ava, from the bottom up, and fréw, to seek. Thus implying a thorough search: they
looked for him up and down.
45. Seeking him (ava{yrobvres). All the way as they went. Force of ava, as above.
278 WORD STUDIES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. [Cu. IT.
46. After three days. From the time of separation.
Inthe temple. “We read in the Talmud that the mem- bers of the Temple-Sanhedrin, who, on ordinary days, sat as a court of appeal from the close of the morning to the time of the evening sacrifice, were wont, upon Sabbaths and feast-days, to come out upon the terrace of the temple, and there to teach. In such popular instruction the utmost latitude of questioning would be given. It is in this audience, which sat upon the ground, surrounding and mingling with the doctors, and hence during, not after, the feast, that we must seek the child Jesus” (Edersheim, “ Life and Times,” ete., 1. 247). From this, Eders- heim argues that the parents set out for home before the close of the feast.
Sitting. Not occupying a teacher’s place, but sitting in the circle among the doctors and their hearers. See above. Com- pare Acts xxii. 3.
47. Understanding (cvvéce). From cuvinut, to bring to- gether. Hence that quality of mind which combines: under- standing not only of facts, but of facts in their mutual relations. See on Mark xii. 833; where there is meant “ the love of a well- pondered and duly considered resolution which determines the whole person ; the love which clearly understands itself” (Cre- mer).
48. They were amazed (é£erAdynoav). A very strong word ; the verb meaning, literally, to strike out or drive away from ; and so to drive out of one’s senses. Hence in the general sense of great amazement. Amaze is to throw into a maze or lab- yrinth; and so is closely akin to the Greek word here, and is a faithful rendering.
Son (réxvov), Lit., cheld. See on Matt. i. 1.
Thy father. “Up to this time Joseph had been go called by the holy child himself; but from this time never” (Alford).
Cu. IL] LUKE. 279
Have sought (éfnrodpev). Imperfect tense: were seeking ; Mary is going over in mind the process of the search.
49. And he said. The first saying of Jesus which is pre- served to us.
Must (Se2). Lit., 2¢ 7s necessary, or it behoves. A word often used by Jesus concerning his own appointed work, and express- ing both the inevitable fulfilment of the divine counsels and the absolute constraint of the principle of duty upon himself. See Matt. xvi. 21; xxvi. 54; Mark viii. 31; Luke iv. 433 ix. 22; xiii. 33; xxiv. 7, 26,46; John iii. 14; iv. 4; xii. 34.
About my Father’s business (év rois tod watpos). Lit., on the things of my Father. The words will bear this rendering ; but the Rey. is better, in my Father's house. Mary’s question was not as to what her son had been doing, but as to where he had been. Jesus, in effect, answers, “ Where is a child to be found but in his Father’s house ?”
50. The saying (ro pa). See on ch. i. 37.
51. Was subject (fv timotaccopevos). The participle and finite verb, denoting habitual, continuous subjection. “ Even be- fore, he had been subject to them; but this is mentioned now, when it might seem that he could by this time have exempted himself. Not even to the angels fell such an honor as to the parents of Jesus” (Bengel). Compare Heb. i. 4-8.