Luke 18:3 BSB — MannaFest

Luke 18:3

And there was a widow in that town who kept appealing to him, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’

BSB

Parallel translations (2) ▾

ASV

and there was a widow in that city; and she came oft unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.

KJV

And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.

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Commentary

3 voices

John Gill

1697–1771

Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748)

And there was a widow in that city,.... Poor and helpless, and none among men to counsel, direct, and assist her, and take her part: now as in the accommodation of this parable, the elect of God answer to this widow; such an one is rather pitched upon to represent the helpless, desolate, and forlorn condition they are in among men in this world, though they are espoused to one husband, Christ; and especially to signify the state and condition of God's elect among the Jews in those sad times, before the destruction of Jerusalem, this parable has respect unto.

The record, by era

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

Albert Barnes

1798–1870

Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)

A widow - This is a circumstance that gives increasing interest to the parable. Judges were bound to show special attention to widows, Isa 1:17; Jer 22:3. The reason of this was that they were defenseless, were commonly poor, and were liable to be oppressed by those in power.

J.C. Ryle

1816–1900

Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1858)

The object of the parable before us, is explained by Christ Himself. To use the words of an old divine, "The key hangs at the door." "Jesus told His disciples a parable, to show them that they should always pray and not give up." These words, be it remembered, are closely connected with the solemn doctrine of the second coming, with which the preceding chapter concludes. It is perseverance in prayer, during the long weary intervals between the first and second comings, which Jesus is urging His disciples to keep up. In that interval, we ourselves are standing.

Voices on this verse

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Original language & word study

18 tagged words

Original	Transliteration	Meaning	Word study
χήρα	chēra	A widow	G5503 →
δὲ	de	then	G1161 →
ἦν	ēn	there was	G1510 →
ἐν	en	in	G1722 →
τῇ	tēa	the	G3588 →
πόλει	polei	city	G4172 →
ἐκείνῃ	ekeinē	that	G1565 →
καὶ	kai	and	G2532 →
ἤρχετο	ērcheto	she was coming	G2064 →
πρὸς	pros	to	G4314 →
αὐτὸν	auton	him	G846 →
λέγουσα·	legousa	saying;	G3004 →
ἐκδίκησόν	ekdikēson	do avenge	G1556 →
με	me	me	G3165 →
ἀπὸ	apo	of	G575 →
τοῦ	tou	the	G3588 →
ἀντιδίκου	antidikou	adversary	G476 →
μου.	mou	of mine.	G3165 →

Rare words are the text's own signal of a deliberate thread: the fewer the occurrences, the more the places it appears belong together.

The walk

The walk8

Where the connections lead

Follow this verse’s cross-references two steps out. Each card is a verse this one points to, and beneath it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several different paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it. Every stop shows its own words, and every stop is a page.

Through
Isaiah 1:17
Learn to do right; seek justice and correct the oppressor. Defend the fatherless and plead the case of the widow.”
leads to
- Isaiah 1:23
  Your rulers are rebels, friends of thieves. They all love bribes and chasing after rewards. They do not defend the fatherless, and the plea of the widow never comes before them.
  Reached by 2 independent paths from here.
- Micah 6:8
  He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?
- Jeremiah 22:3
  This is what the LORD says: Administer justice and righteousness. Rescue the victim of robbery from the hand of his oppressor. Do no wrong or violence to the foreigner, the fatherless, or the widow.…
- Psalms 82:3–4
  Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; uphold the rights of the afflicted and oppressed.
- Proverbs 31:9
  Open your mouth, judge righteously, and defend the cause of the poor and needy.
Through
Jeremiah 5:28
They have grown fat and sleek, and have excelled in the deeds of the wicked. They have not taken up the cause of the fatherless, that they might prosper; nor have they defended the…
leads to
- Deuteronomy 32:15
  But Jeshurun grew fat and kicked—becoming fat, bloated, and gorged. He abandoned the God who made him and scorned the Rock of his salvation.
- Zechariah 7:10
  Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. And do not plot evil in your hearts against one another.’
- Psalms 73:12
  Behold, these are the wicked— always carefree as they increase their wealth.

About Luke

The Return of the Prodigal Son — Gustave Doré (engraving, public domain)

Luke: the study guide →Read chapter 18 →The featured study →

Continue: Luke 18 →

01Commentary

The record, by era

Voices on this verse

02Original language & word study

03The walk

Where the connections lead

04Related verses

06About Luke

The record, by era

Where the connections lead

Commentary

Original language & word study

The walk

Related verses

About Luke