Luke 22:37

For I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, And he was reckoned among the transgressors: for the things concerning me have an end.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(37) And he was reckoned among the transgressors.—Literally, the lawless ones, or, breakers of the law. The distinct reference to the words of Isaiah 53:12 is remarkable as showing that the picture of the righteous sufferer in that chapter had all along been present, if we may so speak, to our Lord’s thoughts as that which He Himself had to realise. It was, as it were, a hint given to the disciples before the Passion, that they might learn, when it came, that it was part of the divine purpose that the Christ should so suffer; not singled out for the honour of a martyr’s death, but hurried as a malefactor, with other malefactors, to the death of the rebel or the robber.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

22:21-38 How unbecoming is the worldly ambition of being the greatest, to the character of a follower of Jesus, who took upon him the form of a servant, and humbled himself to the death of the cross! In the way to eternal happiness, we must expect to be assaulted and sifted by Satan. If he cannot destroy, he will try to disgrace or distress us. Nothing more certainly forebodes a fall, in a professed follower of Christ, than self-confidence, with disregard to warnings, and contempt of danger. Unless we watch and pray always, we may be drawn in the course of the day into those sins which we were in the morning most resolved against. If believers were left to themselves, they would fall; but they are kept by the power of God, and the prayer of Christ. Our Lord gave notice of a very great change of circumstances now approaching. The disciples must not expect that their friends would be kind to them as they had been. Therefore, he that has a purse, let him take it, for he may need it. They must now expect that their enemies would be more fierce than they had been, and they would need weapons. At the time the apostles understood Christ to mean real weapons, but he spake only of the weapons of the spiritual warfare. The sword of the Spirit is the sword with which the disciples of Christ must furnish themselves.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

This that is written - See the notes at Isaiah 53:12.

Was reckoned among the transgressors - Not reckoned as a transgressor, but "among or with" them - that is, he was treated as transgressors are. He was put to death in their company, and as he "would have been" if he had been a transgressor. He was innocent, holy, harmless, and undefiled, Hebrews 7:26. God knew this always, and could not "think" of him, or make him "to be" otherwise than he was; yet it pleased him to bruise him, and to give him into the hands of people who did reckon him as a transgressor, and who treated him accordingly.

Have an end - This may either mean, "shall be surely accomplished," or "they are about to be fulfilled," or "are now fulfilled." The former is probably the meaning, denoting that "every" prophecy in regard to him would certainly be accomplished.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

37. the things concerning me—decreed and written.

have an end—are rapidly drawing to a close.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

See Poole on "Luke 22:36"

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

For I say unto you, that this that is written,.... In

must yet be accomplished; it having not been as yet; at least not so perfectly fulfilled:

and he was reckoned among the transgressors. The Syriac and Arabic versions read in the first person, "and I shall be reckoned", &c. and so the Persic version, "that I may be numbered", &c. and the Ethiopic renders it, "and the Lord Jesus is numbered with sinners"; neither right: for the words are a proper citation from Isaiah 53:12 which, as the whole prophecy belongs to the Messiah, was fulfilled in Jesus; who, though he was no transgressor, yet being in the likeness of sinful flesh, and dwelling among, and conversing with sinners, was traduced as one, and was joined with Barabbas, a murderer, a thief, and a robber, and put up with him for the people to choose which of the two they would have released; and was at last crucified between two thieves; and more than this, being in the legal place, and stead of his people, and having their sins laid upon him, and imputed to him, he was made and accounted, by imputation, not only a sinner, but sin itself; and as such, was considered in the eye of the law, and by the justice of God, and was treated accordingly; See Gill on Mark 15:28.

for the things concerning me have an end. The Syriac version renders it, "all of them"; or "the whole of it", as the Ethiopic version; all that were concerning him; all the counsels, purposes, and decrees of God, relating to his sufferings and death; to the manner in which his death was brought about, by one of his disciples betraying him; to the several indignities he should be used with, by Herod, Pontius Pilate, the Jews, and Roman soldiers; and to his death itself; all which were by the determinate counsel, and foreknowledge of God, and now were about to have, and quickly had their fulfilling end; as also all his own covenant engagements and agreements he entered into with his Father, to bear the sins of many, to make his soul an offering for sin, to be numbered with transgressors, and pour out his soul unto death; and likewise all the types and shadows of the law, all sacrifices in general, and the daily sacrifice in particular, with the passover, brazen serpent, and other things, even the whole law, both moral and ceremonial, had their full and final accomplishment in him; together with all the prophecies of the Old Testament relating to this matter, particularly Genesis 3:15.

Geneva Study Bible

For I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, And he was reckoned among the transgressors: for the things concerning me have an end.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Expositor's Greek Testament

Luke 22:37. τὸ γεγραμμένον: the words quoted are from Isaiah 53:12, and mean that Jesus was about to die the death of a criminal.—δεῖ, it is necessary, in order that Scripture might be fulfilled. No other or higher view than this of the rationale of Christ’s sufferings is found in Luke’s Gospel. Cf. Luke 24:26. A Paulinist in his universalism, he shows no acquaintance with St. Paul’s theology of the atonement unless it be in Luke 22:20.—τὸ (τὰ T.R.) περὶ ἐμοῦ, that which concerns me, my life course.—τέλος ἔχει is coming to an end. Some think the reference is still to the prophecies concerning Messiah and take τέλος ἔχει in the sense of “is being fulfilled,” a sense it sometimes bears: τελειοῦται ἤδη, Euthy. Kypke renders: rata sunt, the phrase being sometimes used in reference to things whose certainty and authority cannot be questioned = “my doom is fixed beyond recall”

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

37. he was reckoned among the transgressors] A quotation from Isaiah 53:12. Hence clearly the sword could not be for His defence, as they carelessly assumed.

for] Rather, for indeed.

have an end] The end (telos) was drawing near; it would come on the following day (Tetelestai, John 19:30).

Bengel's Gnomen

Luke 22:37. Ἔτι τοῦτο) even yet this last [crowning accomplishment of prophecy], after so many others.—τὸ) Mark 15:28, note.[242]—καὶ, and) This last step presupposes all the others.—τὰ περὶ ἐμοῦ, the things which have been written concerning Me) viz. the things which have been written concerning the Messiah, as about to suffer: comp. ch. Luke 24:27, at the end.—τέλος ἔχει, have their consummation or end) have obtained their consummation. Just before we have τελεσθῆναι, must be accomplished or consummated. The latter, the act (τελεσθῆναι), has reference to men, among whom it is done; the former, the consummation (τέλος), has reference to the matter of fact. See Romans 10:4 [“Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth;” τέλος νόμου].

[242] μετὰ ἀνόμων, more forcible than the LXX. Isaiah 53:12, ἐν τοῖς ἀνόμοις: “He suffered Himself to be numbered with transgressors,” as if He were one of them, through the imputation of their sins to Him, not merely “among transgressors.”—E. and T.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 37. - For I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, And he was reckoned among the transgressors. Here he shows them what he meant. They, as disciples of One treated as a malefactor, had surely nothing to expect but hatred and persecution. Stier remarks that this is the first time that the Lord himself directs us to the fifty-third chapter of Isaiah, that most pre-eminent and complete text of the Passion. For the things concerning me have an end. The tragic end of his earthly ministry is close at hand. The prophetic description of the suffering Servant of the Lord will soon be found to have been terribly accurate. Luke 22:37

Vincent's Word Studies

Have an end (τέλος ἔχει)

The phrase is synonymous with be accomplished (τελεσθῆναι, Rev., fulfilled). In classical Greek this latter word is often used of the fulfilment of an oracle: also of things which are settled beyond controversy. The two expressions here give the two meanings. The prophecy is fulfilled; the things concerning me are finally settled.