Luke 8:10

And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(10) That seeing they might not . . .—St. Luke, like St. Mark, gives the words of Isaiah, but not as a quotation. On the difficulty presented by their form, as thus given, see Note on Mark 4:12.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

8:4-21 There are many very needful and excellent rules and cautions for hearing the word, in the parable of the sower, and the application of it. Happy are we, and for ever indebted to free grace, if the same thing that is a parable to others, with which they are only amused, is a plain truth to us, by which we are taught and governed. We ought to take heed of the things that will hinder our profiting by the word we hear; to take heed lest we hear carelessly and slightly, lest we entertain prejudices against the word we hear; and to take heed to our spirits after we have heard the word, lest we lose what we have gained. The gifts we have, will be continued to us or not, as we use them for the glory of God, and the good of our brethren. Nor is it enough not to hold the truth in unrighteousness; we should desire to hold forth the word of life, and to shine, giving light to all around. Great encouragement is given to those who prove themselves faithful hearers of the word, by being doers of the work. Christ owns them as his relations.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

See the parable of the sower explained in the notes at Matthew 13:1-23.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

Lu 8:4-18. Parable of the Sower.

(See on [1596]Mr 4:3-9, [1597]Mr 4:14-20.)

Matthew Poole's Commentary

See Poole on "Luke 8:4"

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And he said, unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God,.... The doctrines of the Gospel, which to have spiritual knowledge is a special and peculiar gift of God. The Vulgate Latin and Persic versions read, "the mystery", in the singular, as in Mark: "but to others in parables"; that is, the doctrines of the Gospel are delivered in a parabolical way to others; to such as "are without", as the Evangelist Mark expresses it, who are strangers and foreigners, and not children, who are not the favourites of heaven, and the disciples of Christ:

that seeing they might not see, and hearing, they might not understand; what was delivered to them; see the following notes. See Gill on Matthew 13:11, Matthew 13:12, Matthew 13:13

Geneva Study Bible

And he said, Unto you it is given to know the {a} mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.

(a) Those things are called secret which may not be uttered: for the word used here is equivalent to our saying, to hold a man's peace.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Expositor's Greek Testament

Luke 8:10. The contrast between the disciples and others, as here put, is that in the case of the former the mysteries of the kingdom are given to be known, in that of the latter the mysteries are given, but only in parables, therefore so as to remain unknown. The sense is the same in Mt. and Mk., but the mode of expression is somewhat different.—τοῖς δὲ λοιποῖς, a milder phrase than the ἐκείνοις τοῖς ἕξω of Mk.; cf. ἄλλων in chap. Luke 5:29.—ἵνα βλέποντες, etc.: this sombre saying is also characteristically toned done by abbreviation as compared with Mt. and Mk., as if it contained an unwelcome idea. Vide notes on Mt.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

10. And he said] This verse is rather an answer to the other question, recorded in St Matthew, “why dost thou speak to them in parables?”

it is given] Rather, it has been given.

to know the mysteries] i.e. to grasp the revealed secrets, the ‘apples of gold’ hid in these ‘networks of silver.’ The proper use of the word ‘mystery’ is the opposite of its current use. It is now generally used to imply something which we cannot understand; in the New Testament it always means something once hidden now revealed, Colossians 1:26; 1 Timothy 3:16; Matthew 11:25-26; Revelation 17:5, &c. It is derived from μύω), ‘I initiate.’ “God is a revealer of secrets,” Daniel 2:47.

“What if earth

Be but the shadow of heaven, and things therein

Each to the other like, more than on earth is thought?”

Milton.

to others] Rather, to the rest; “to them that are without,” Mark 4.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 10. - And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand. In St. Matthew we have the Lord's reply given at greater length; the same prophecy of Isaiah which here forms the basis of St. Luke's account of Jesus' reply is given in full. St. Mark weaves the Isaiah-words into the Master's answer. The thought, however, in each of the three accounts is exactly the same. The parable mode of teaching was adopted by Jesus who, as Heart-reader, was aware now by sad experience and still sadder foreknowledge, that his glorious news rather repelled than attracted the ordinary hearer. They did not want to be disturbed from their earthly hopes and loves and fears. They preferred not to be healed as God would heal them. The Master then spoke his parables with the intention of veiling his Divine story from the careless and indifferent. These, he knew, would for the most part be repelled by such teaching, while it would specially attract the earnest inquirer. "The veil which it (the parable) throws over the truth becomes transparent to the attentive mind, while it remains impenetrable to the careless" (Godet). It was therefore his deliberate wish that such hearers might neither see nor understand. Dr. Morrison ('Commentary on St. Mark') well and clearly puts the Lord's thought here: "It is the sinner's deeply rooted wish that he should not see and understand, and the sad explanation of this wish is given by St. Mark - the sinner is afraid lest he should be prevailed to turn. Lest at any time they should be converted (Mark 4:12)." Luke 8:10

Vincent's Word Studies

Mysteries

See on Matthew 13:11.

Understand (συνιῶσιν)

See on understanding, the kindred noun, Mark 12:33.