Luke 18:4

And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man;

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(4) He would not for a while.—The judge was callous and dead to pity, even for that extremest wretchedness. The pleadings of the widow were simply an annoyance, which at first he bore with indifference.

Though I fear not God, nor regard man.—Here, also, there is a graphic touch of intensity. The man had passed beyond the stage of hypocrisy, conscious or unconscious, and saw himself even as others, even as God, saw him.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

18:1-8 All God's people are praying people. Here earnest steadiness in prayer for spiritual mercies is taught. The widow's earnestness prevailed even with the unjust judge: she might fear lest it should set him more against her; but our earnest prayer is pleasing to our God. Even to the end there will still be ground for the same complaint of weakness of faith.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

For a while - Probably this means for a "considerable" time. It was his duty to attend to the claims of justice, but this was long delayed.

Within himself - He thought, or came to a conclusion.

Though I fear not ... - This contains the reason why he attended to the case at all. It was not from any regard to justice, or to the duties of his office. It was simply to avoid "trouble." And yet his conduct in this case might have appeared very upright, and possibly might have been strictly according to law and to justice. How many actions are performed that "appear well," when the doers of those actions know that they are mere hypocrisy! and how many actions are performed from the basest and lowest motives of "selfishness," that have the appearance of external propriety and even of goodness!

She weary me - The word used here, in the original, is that which was employed to denote the wounds and bruises caused by "boxers," who beat each other, and blacken their eyes, and disable them. See the notes at 1 Corinthians 9:27. Hence, it means any vexatious and troublesome importunity that takes the time, and disables from other employment.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

3. came—kept coming. See Lu 18:5, "her continual coming."

Avenge me—that is, rid me of the oppression of.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

See Poole on "Luke 18:2"

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And he would not for a while,.... He would give no ear to her cries, nor take her cause in hand, nor right her wrongs, and clear her of her adversary:

but afterward he said within himself; as he was considering the matter in his own mind, and reflecting on this woman's case and the frequent application she had made to him:

though I fear not God, nor regard man; a monster in iniquity he was, to say so of himself; for though the character belongs to many, there are few that are so impudent in sin, as to take it to themselves, and glory in it.

Geneva Study Bible

And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man;

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Meyer's NT Commentary

Luke 18:4-5. Ἐπὶ χρόνον] for a time, Hom. Il. ii. 299; Plat. Protag. p. 344 B, Phaed. p. 84 C; Nägelsbach, Anm. z. Ilias, ed. 3, p. 284.

διάγε] as at Luke 11:8.

ἵνα μὴ κ.τ.λ.] is explained: that she may not continually (εἰς τέλος equal to διὰ τέλους, see Kypke and Wetstein; comp. לָעַד, לָנֶצַח) come and plague me. See also Luther’s gloss. But that ὑπωπιάζω (to strike any one’s eyes black and blue, see Wetstein) is to be taken in the general sense of harass, annoy, there is no proof, since it is an error to adduce not merely 1 Corinthians 9:27, but also Aristoph. Pax 541, where the πόλεις ὑπωπιασμέναι are represented as smitten and wounded persons, and hence the word is to be taken in the literal sense, to beat black and blue. But the assumption of a Latinism, after the manner of obtundere (Beza, Grotius), is arbitrary, and does not at all correspond with the special idea of the Greek word. Accordingly there is nothing left us but to interpret: that she may not at last come and beat my face black and blue. The judge mockingly puts the case of the woman at length becoming desperate, and actually laying hands on him and beating his face black and blue. The Vulgate rightly has it: sugillet me. Comp. also Bleek and Schegg. On εἰς τέλος, at the end, finally, comp. Herod. iii. 40, ix. 37; Xen. Oec. xvii. 10; Soph. Phil. 407, and thereupon Hermann; Genesis 46:4, and elsewhere. τέλος, without any preposition, might also have been used.

Expositor's Greek Testament

Luke 18:4. ἐπὶ χρόνον, for a considerable time. Per multum tempus (Vulgate) may be too strong, but it is in the right direction. The scope of the parable and the use of the word χρόνος in a pregnant sense implying πολὺς (vide examples in Kypke) demand a time sufficient to test the temper of the parties.—ἐν ἑαυτῷ, within himself. The characters in Lk.’s parables are given to talking to themselves (Prodigal, Unjust Steward).

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

4. he said within himself] The shamelessness with which he acknowledges his own sin renders it still more aggravated.

Though I fear not God, nor regard man] ‘The creed of a powerful atheist.’ Bengel.

Bengel's Gnomen

Luke 18:4. Ἐν ἑαυτῷ, within himself) of his own accord.—τὸν, κ.τ.λ.) The creed of an Atheist in power.

Luke 18:4