Luke 21:14

Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer:

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(14) Not to meditate before . . .—The word differs from that used in the parallel passage of Mark 13:11, “take no thought” (the addition of “premeditate” there is very doubtful), as involving less anxiety. It is not found elsewhere in the New Testament, but the uncompounded verb meets us, as used by St. Paul, in 1Timothy 4:15.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

21:5-28 With much curiosity those about Christ ask as to the time when the great desolation should be. He answers with clearness and fulness, as far as was necessary to teach them their duty; for all knowledge is desirable as far as it is in order to practice. Though spiritual judgements are the most common in gospel times, yet God makes use of temporal judgments also. Christ tells them what hard things they should suffer for his name's sake, and encourages them to bear up under their trials, and to go on in their work, notwithstanding the opposition they would meet with. God will stand by you, and own you, and assist you. This was remarkably fulfilled after the pouring out of the Spirit, by whom Christ gave his disciples wisdom and utterance. Though we may be losers for Christ, we shall not, we cannot be losers by him, in the end. It is our duty and interest at all times, especially in perilous, trying times, to secure the safety of our own souls. It is by Christian patience we keep possession of our own souls, and keep out all those impressions which would put us out of temper. We may view the prophecy before us much as those Old Testament prophecies, which, together with their great object, embrace, or glance at some nearer object of importance to the church. Having given an idea of the times for about thirty-eight years next to come, Christ shows what all those things would end in, namely, the destruction of Jerusalem, and the utter dispersion of the Jewish nation; which would be a type and figure of Christ's second coming. The scattered Jews around us preach the truth of Christianity; and prove, that though heaven and earth shall pass away, the words of Jesus shall not pass away. They also remind us to pray for those times when neither the real, nor the spiritual Jerusalem, shall any longer be trodden down by the Gentiles, and when both Jews and Gentiles shall be turned to the Lord. When Christ came to destroy the Jews, he came to redeem the Christians that were persecuted and oppressed by them; and then had the churches rest. When he comes to judge the world, he will redeem all that are his from their troubles. So fully did the Divine judgements come upon the Jews, that their city is set as an example before us, to show that sins will not pass unpunished; and that the terrors of the Lord, and his threatenings against impenitent sinners, will all come to pass, even as his word was true, and his wrath great upon Jerusalem.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Settle it, therefore, in your hearts - Fix it firmly in your minds - so firmly as to become a settled principle - that you are always to depend on God for aid in all your trials. See Mark 13:11.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

13. for a testimony—an opportunity of bearing testimony.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Ver. 14,15. See Poole on "Matthew 10:19", See Poole on "Matthew 10:20", See Poole on "Mark 13:11". We must not think that our Saviour by this forbids us what is naturally impossible for us to avoid, that is, the forming of those words first in our thoughts which we speak, nor yet a prudent thinking beforehand what we should speak; but an anxious thinking what we should speak, such a thinking as should argue a distrust in God to carry its through with that testimony which he calleth us forth to give.

For, saith he, I will give you a mouth and wisdom. So he promised Moses, that he would be with his mouth, and teach him what to say, Exodus 4:12,15. And he tells Ezekiel, that he would open his mouth, Ezekiel 3:27. Here he promises the disciples a mouth and wisdom, that is, such wisdom as should guide their tongues when they should be called out to testify for him. This was made good to Stephen, Acts 6:9,10; the Libertines, Cyrenians, Alexandrians, those of Cilicia and Asia, were not able to resist the wisdom and spirit by which he spake. Thus it fared with Peter and John, Acts 4:8-13.

By resist we must understand conquer, or victoriously resist. The enemies of the gospel have been always opposing and resisting the patrons and witnesses of and for the truth, but never yet made a conquest: let any indifferent reader but read, and judge the accounts we have of the conflicts between the papists and the protestants in the beginning of the Reformation, or between the papists and the martyrs in Queen Mary’s days in this nation, and judge on whose side there was most Scripture and reason. This promise hath been fulfilling from Christ’s time even to this day. It is true, the enemies have been able to kill the persons of Christ’s disciples; they stoned Stephen, killed James with the sword, Acts 7:12; they crucified Peter and Andrew, stoned Philip, banished John into Patmos, flayed Bartholomew, beheaded Matthew, and various ways destroyed many in the first and most furious times, and have slain many thousands since; but the truths which they preached prevailed.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Settle it therefore in your hearts,.... Resolve on this in your minds, and let it be a rule never to be departed from:

not to meditate before what you shall answer; not to sit down, and study a form of words, and scheme of things, what to reply to the ensnaring questions, that may be thought would be asked, by kings and rulers, or any of the judges before whom they should be brought; it being natural for persons, especially of a low life, to be timorous and fearful, to appear before such great personages, and to be thoughtful and solicitous what to say to any question that may be asked them; See Gill on Matthew 10:19.

Geneva Study Bible

Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer:

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Meyer's NT Commentary

Luke 21:14-15. Comp. Luke 12:11 f.; Matthew 10:19 f.; Mark 13:11 f.

ἐγώ] stands with great emphasis at the beginning, opposed to the προμελετ. ἀπολογ. of the disciples. Bengel well says: “Jesus loquitur pro statu exaltationis suae.”

στόμα] a concrete representation of speech. Comp. Soph. Oed. R. 671, Oed. C. 685. A kindred idea, Exodus 4:16; Isaiah 15:1-9.

ἀντειπεῖν] corresponds to στόμα, and ἀντιστ. to σοφίαν (comp. Acts 6:10).

The promise was to be fulfilled by the Holy Ghost as the Paraclete, John 14. Comp. Acts 6:10. But a reference to the fate of Stephen (Holtzmann) is not sufficiently indicated.

Expositor's Greek Testament

Luke 21:14. θέτε οὖν: not = consider, as in Luke 1:66, but = resolve, as in Acts 5:4 (“settle it in your hearts,” A.V[176]).—μὴ προμελετᾷν (here only in N.T.), not to study beforehand, with the inf.; not to be taken in the letter, as a rule, but in the spirit, therefore = Mk.’s προμεριμνᾶτε which counsels abstinence from anxious thought beforehand.

[176] Authorised Version.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

14. not to meditate before] Luke 12:11; Matthew 10:19-20. The meaning is that they were neither to be anxious about the form of their Apologia, not to make it skilfully elaborate.^_

Bengel's Gnomen

Luke 21:14. Θέσθε, lay it down as settled) Make this your one labour, that ye give yourselves no labour. [It is, in truth, the best kind of study, to commit one’s self to God.—V. g.]

Luke 21:14

Vincent's Word Studies

To answer

See on answer, 1 Peter 3:15.