45 Then answered one of the lawyers, and said unto him, Master, thus saying thou reproachest us also. 46 And he said, Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers. (Luke 11:45-46 KJV)
William Burkitt’s Commentary
The former woes were denounced by our Saviour against the Pharisees, who had their names from a Hebrew word, which signifies to separate, because they were persons separated and set apart for studying the law of God and teaching it to others.
The next woe is here denounced against the lawyers, that is, the scribes of the law, of which there were two sorts: the civil scribe and the ecclesiastical scribe.
The civil scribe was a public notary, or a register of the synagogue, employed in writing bills of divorce, and sentences on the phylacteries. The ecclesiastical scribe was an expounder of the scripture, an interpreter of the law; men of great learning and knowledge, whose decrees and interpretations the Pharisees strictly observed. This lawyer here insolently calls our Saviour’s reproof a reproach: however, our Saviour, who never feared the face or regarded the person of any man, gives them their portion and lets them know wherein they were faulty as well as the Pharisees, and accordingly pronounces a woe unto them also, for a threefold crime.
1. For their laying heavy burdens upon others’ shoulders, which they would not touch with one of their fingers. These burdens in general were a rigid exaction of obedience in the whole ceremonial law, and in particular the burden of traditions, certain austerities and severities, which they imposed upon the people, but would not undergo any part of them themselves. In vain do we hope to oblige our hearers to follow those rules of life, which we refuse or neglect to put in practice ourselves.
BURKITT | Luke 11:1 | Luke 11:2-4 | Luke 11:5-8 | Luke 11:9-10 | Luke 11:11-13 | Luke 11:14-20 | Luke 11:21-26 | Luke 11:27-28 | Luke 11:29-32 | Luke 11:33-36 | Luke 11:37-40 | Luke 11:41 | Luke 11:42 | Luke 11:43 | Luke 11:44 | Luke 11:45-46 | Luke 11:47-54 |