Luke 11:28

But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(28) Blessed are they that hear the word of God.—The term thus used clearly designates here the message of the Kingdom spoken by our Lord Himself, as in the parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:20). In its wider application, it of course includes, though it must not be confined to it, the record of that spoken Word, or of subsequent revelations of the Truth in what we know as Scripture.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

11:27,28 While the scribes and Pharisees despised and blasphemed the discourses of our Lord Jesus, this good woman admired them, and the wisdom and power with which he spake. Christ led the woman to a higher consideration. Though it is a great privilege to hear the word of God, yet those only are truly blessed, that is, blessed of the Lord, that hear it, keep it in memory, and keep to it as their way and rule.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

A certain woman - One of the crowd.

Blessed is the womb ... - She thought that the "mother" of such a person must be especially happy in having such a son.

Yea, rather blessed ... - Jesus admits that she was happy - that it was an honor to be his mother, but he says that the chief happiness, the highest honor, was to obey the word of God. Compared with this, all earthly distinctions and honors are as nothing. Man's greatest dignity is in keeping the holy commandments of God, and in being prepared for heaven. See the notes at Luke 10:20.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

27, 28. as he spake these things, a … woman of the company—of the multitude, the crowd. A charming little incident and profoundly instructive. With true womanly feeling, she envies the mother of such a wonderful Teacher. Well, and higher and better than she had said as much before her (Lu 1:28, 42); and our Lord is far from condemning it. He only holds up—as "blessed rather"—the hearers and keepers of God's word; in other words, the humblest real saint of God. (See on [1637]Mt 12:49, 50.) How utterly alien is this sentiment from the teaching of the Church of Rome, which would excommunicate any one of its members who dared to talk in the spirit of this glorious saying! (Also see on [1638]Mt 12:43.)

Matthew Poole's Commentary

See Poole on "Luke 11:27"

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

But he said,.... Christ said "to the woman", Persic version reads, as correcting her, though not denying it, nor reproving her for it, but improving upon it:

yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it; intimating, that though his mother was happy in bearing and suckling such a son, yet it was a far greater happiness to hear the word of God; meaning either himself, the eternal "Logos", so as to embrace him, believe on him, and have him formed in the heart; or the Gospel preached by him, so as to understand it, receive it as the ingrafted word, and bring forth fruit, and act in obedience to it, observe it, and abide by it, and never relinquish it. This is a greater happiness than to be related to Christ in the flesh, though ever so nearly. The Ethiopic version reads, "that hear the word of God, and believe, and keep it": for faith comes by hearing, and shows itself in doing. Barely to hear the word, and even give an assent to it, will be of little avail, unless what is heard and believed is put in practice.

Geneva Study Bible

But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Expositor's Greek Testament

Luke 11:28. μενοῦν might be confirmatory (utique) or corrective (imo vero), or a little of both; the tone of voice would show which of the two the speaker meant to be the more prominent. Correction probably was uppermost in Christ’s thoughts. Under the appearance of approval the woman was taught that she was mistaken in thinking that merely to be the mother of an illustrious son constituted felicity (Schanz). Viger (Ed. Hermann), p. 541, quotes this text as illustrating the use of μενοῦν in the sense of imo vero, rendering: “Quin imo, vel imo vero, beati qui audiunt verbum Dei”. Its position at the beginning of the sentence is contrary to Attic use: “reperitur apud solos Scriptores Macedonicos,” Sturz, De Dial. Mac. el Alex., p. 203.—τὸν λόγον τ. Θ., those who hear and keep the word of God, the truly blessed. Cf. “His word” in Luke 10:39; an established phrase.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

28. Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it] See Luke 8:21. Our Lord invariably and systematically discouraged all attempt to exalt the merely human relationship or intercourse with Him, and taught that the Presence of His Spirit was to be a nearer and more blessed thing than knowledge of Him “after the flesh” (John 14:16; 2 Corinthians 5:16).

and keep it] Hearing without obedience was more than valueless, Matthew 7:21; Matthew 12:50; Romans 2:13.

Bengel's Gnomen

Luke 11:28. Μενοῦνγε) The mother of One who teaches so well is pronounced ‘blessed:’ but in truth rather blessed are they who follow the Teacher. So μενοῦνγε, [Nay but, O man, etc.] Romans 9:20; Romans 10:18 [μενοῦνγε εἰς πάσαν τὴν γῆν, etc.: “Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth”].—οἱ ἀκούοντες, they who hear) including even that pious woman herself.—φυλάσσοντες, who keep it) viz. they who bear Christ and His word in their heart, as His mother had borne the Saviour Himself in her womb. [She however was one who herself also kept the word, being on that very account ‘blessed.’ Luke 1:45 (Luke 2:19).—V. g.]

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 28. - But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the Word of God, and keep it. As was invariably his practice, he declines to enter into any discussion respecting the peculiar blessedness which earthly relationship to him might bring. It was not for public discussion. The Lord, in his reply, tells her? however, that there was something even more blessed than that earthly relationship to which she was alluding, and to that something all, if they pleased, might attain. Luke 11:28