Luke 12:36

And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

12:22-40 Christ largely insisted upon this caution not to give way to disquieting, perplexing cares, Mt 6:25-34. The arguments here used are for our encouragement to cast our care upon God, which is the right way to get ease. As in our stature, so in our state, it is our wisdom to take it as it is. An eager, anxious pursuit of the things of this world, even necessary things, ill becomes the disciples of Christ. Fears must not prevail; when we frighten ourselves with thoughts of evil to come, and put ourselves upon needless cares how to avoid it. If we value the beauty of holiness, we shall not crave the luxuries of life. Let us then examine whether we belong to this little flock. Christ is our Master, and we are his servants; not only working servants, but waiting servants. We must be as men that wait for their lord, that sit up while he stays out late, to be ready to receive him. In this Christ alluded to his own ascension to heaven, his coming to call his people to him by death, and his return to judge the world. We are uncertain as to the time of his coming to us, we should therefore be always ready. If men thus take care of their houses, let us be thus wise for our souls. Be ye therefore ready also; as ready as the good man of the house would be, if he knew at what hour the thief would come.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Let your loins ... - This alludes to the ancient manner of dress. They wore a long flowing robe as their outer garment. See the notes at Matthew 5:38-41. When they labored, or walked, or ran, it was necessary to "gird" or tie this up by a "sash" or girdle about the body, that it might not impede their progress. Hence, to gird up the loins means to be "ready," to be active, to be diligent. Compare 2 Kings 4:29; 2 Kings 9:1; Jeremiah 1:17; Acts 12:8.

Your lights burning - This expresses the same meaning. Be ready at all times to leave the world and enter into rest, when your Lord shall call you. Let every obstacle be out of the way; let every earthly care be removed, and be prepared to follow him into his rest. Servants were expected to be ready for the coming of their lord. If in the night, they were expected to keep their lights trimmed and burning. When their master was away in attendance on a wedding, as they knew not the hour when he would return, they were to be continually ready. So we, as we know not the hour when God shall call us, should be "always" ready to die. Compare the notes at Matthew 25:1-13.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

36. return from the wedding—not come to it, as in the parable of the virgins. Both have their spiritual significance; but preparedness for Christ's coming is the prominent idea.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

See Poole on "Luke 12:35"

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their Lord,.... Who either was at a wedding, or was the bridegroom himself; so be ye in a readiness, waiting for the coming of Christ, the bridegroom of the church:

when he will return from the wedding, The Syriac version renders it, "from the house of feasting"; from any entertainment, or from the marriage feast, or rather the marriage itself, to the bride chamber: so when Christ has, by the preaching of the Gospel, and the power of his grace, espoused all his elect, he will descend from heaven, and take them to himself; they shall then be called to the marriage supper of the Lamb, and enter with him into the nuptial chamber, and be for ever with him:

that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open to him immediately; and let him in without any delay, as soon as ever he comes to the door; and at the first knock, open it to him at once, having light, and being in a posture of readiness, and in constant expectation of him: so such who have believed in Christ, and have been faithful to his cause and interest, and have held fast the profession of their faith without wavering, when Christ shall either come and knock at their doors by death, or shall come to judgment, and sound the alarm of it, they shall be ready to obey the summons with the greatest cheerfulness, and meet him with the utmost pleasure.

Geneva Study Bible

And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Expositor's Greek Testament

Luke 12:36. ἀναλύσῃ, when (πότε = ὁπότε) he shall return; the figure is taken from sailors making the return voyage to the port whence they had sailed, Beza (vide Php 1:23, 2 Timothy 4:6).—ἐλθόντος καὶ κρούσαντος: the participles in the genitive absolute, though the subject to which they refer, αὐτῷ, is in the dative.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

36. when he will return from the wedding] The word here used (pote analusei) is very rare, occurring only in Php 1:23; 2 Timothy 4:6. Here there is a variation from the commoner metaphor of going to the wedding feast.

Bengel's Gnomen

Luke 12:36. Ὑμεῖς, ye yourselves).—προσδεχομένοις, expecting [waiting for]) with longing desire and joy.—πότε) when He is about to return.—ἐκ τῶν γάμων, from the nuptials [wedding]) Therefore the nuptials are [going on] in heaven before the (second) Advent of our Lord.—εὐθέως, immediately) on hearing the first knock.

Luke 12:36

Vincent's Word Studies

Shall return (ἀναλύσῃ)

The verb means, originally, to unloose: so of vessels, to unloose their moorings and go to sea. Of departing generally. This is its sense in the only other passage where it occurs, Philippians 1:23, "having a desire to depart, or break up; the metaphor being drawn from breaking up an encampment." Compare departure (ἀναλύσεως), 2 Timothy 4:6. The rendering return is a kind of inference from this: when he shall leave the wedding and return.

Wedding (τῶν γάμων)

Properly, the marriage-feast. See on Matthew 22:2.