Luke 9:1

Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

IX.

(1-6) Then he called his twelve disciples.-See Notes on Matthew 10:5-15, and Mark 6:7-13.

Benson Commentary

Luke 9:1-6. Then he called his twelve disciples — See notes on Matthew 10:1; and Mark 6:7-12. There abide and thence depart — That is, Stay in that house till ye leave the city. See note on Matthew 10:11.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

9:1-9 Christ sent his twelve disciples abroad, who by this time were able to teach others what they had received from the Lord. They must not be anxious to commend themselves to people's esteem by outward appearance. They must go as they were. The Lord Jesus is the fountain of power and authority, to whom all creatures must, in one way or another, be subject; and if he goes with the word of his ministers in power, to deliver sinners from Satan's bondage, they may be sure that he will care for their wants. When truth and love thus go together, and yet the message of God is rejected and despised, it leaves men without excuse, and turns to a testimony against them. Herod's guilty conscience was ready to conclude that John was risen from the dead. He desired to see Jesus; and why did he not go and see him? Probably, because he thought it below him, or because he wished not to have any more reprovers of sin. Delaying it now, his heart was hardened, and when he did see Jesus, he was as much prejudiced against him as others, Lu 23:11.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

See the notes at Matthew 10:1-14.

See the notes at Matthew 10:1-14.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

CHAPTER 9

Lu 9:1-6. Mission of the Twelve Apostles.

(See on [1606]Mt 10:1-15).

1. power and authority—He both qualified and authorized them.Luke 9:1-6 Christ sendeth his apostles to work miracles and

preach the gospel.

Luke 9:7-9 Herod desireth to see him.

Luke 9:10,11 The apostles return.

Luke 9:12-17 Christ feedeth five thousand men with five loaves and

two fishes.

Luke 9:18-22 The different opinions concerning Christ; Peter’s

confession of him: Christ foretells his own death

and resurrection.

Luke 9:23-27 He showeth his followers the necessity of self denial,

and that they must not be ashamed of owning his gospel.

Luke 9:28-36 He is transfigured,

Luke 9:37-42 healeth a demoniac,

Luke 9:43-45 again foreshoweth his sufferings,

Luke 9:46-48 checks the ambitious disputes of his disciples,

Luke 9:49,50 will not have them forbid any one to work miracles in

his name,

Luke 9:51-56 reproveth the fiery zeal of James and John against the

Samaritans who would not receive him,

Luke 9:57-62 and proposes terms to three persons who offer to

follow him.

Ver. 1-6. We have heard of the choosing of these twelve disciples, and their names, Luke 6:13-16 Mark 3:14-19. Our Saviour chose them to be with him, to learn of him, and to be instructed by him, and to be witnesses of what he said and did; after some time thus spent, he sends them forth to preach the gospel, and giveth them a power to confirm the doctrine which they preached, by several miraculous operations. Matthew takes no notice of their election, only of their mission. Both Mark and Luke take notice of both. Luke 9:3-6 give us an account of the instructions he gave them; we met with them all before, and a more full account of them,

See Poole on "Matthew 10:1" and following verses to Matthew 10:42. See Poole on "Mark 6:7" and following verses to Mark 6:11.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Then he called his twelve disciples together,.... The Persic version reads, "all his twelve disciples", the other nine, besides the three that were with him, when he raised Jairus's daughter, recorded in the foregoing chapter; the Vulgate Latin, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions read, "the twelve apostles", for so Christ had named his disciples; See Gill on Matthew 6:13. The Syriac version only reads, "his own twelve"; and this is agreeably to Luke's way of speaking; see Luke 8:1.

And gave them power and authority over all devils; that is, all kinds of devils, particularly to cast them out of the bodies of men, possessed by them:

and to cure diseases; of all sorts.

Geneva Study Bible

Then {1} he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases.

(1) The twelve apostles are sent forth only at the commandment of Christ and equipped with the power of the Holy Spirit: both that none of the Israelites might pretend ignorance, and also that they might be better prepared for their general mission.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Meyer's NT Commentary

Luke 9:1-6. See on Matthew 10:1; Matthew 10:7; Matthew 10:9-11; Matthew 10:14; Mark 6:7-13. Luke follows Mark, and to that circumstance, not to any depreciation of the Twelve by contrast with the Seventy (Baur), is due the shorter form of the succeeding discourse.

καὶ νόσους θεραπ.] depends on δύναμ. κ. ἐξουσ. (power and authority, Luke 4:36). The reference to ἔδωκεν (Bengel, Bornemann) is more remote, since the νόσους θεραπεύειν is actually a δύναμις κ. ἐξουσία.

Luke 9:3. μήτε ἀνὰ δύο χιτ. ἔχειν] nor even to have two under-garments (one in use and one to spare). A mingling of two constructions, as though μηδὲν αἴρειν had been previously said. See Ellendt, ad Arrian. Al. I. p. 167; Winer, p. 283 [E. T. 397]. For the explanation of the infinitive with εἶπε there is no need of supplying δεῖν (Lobeck, ad Phryn. pp. 753 f., 772); but this idea is implied in the infinitive itself. See Kühner, ad Xen. Anab. v. 7. 34. It would be possible to take the infinitive for the imperative (Kuinoel and many of the earlier critics, comp. also Buttmann, Neut. Gr. p. 233 [E. T. 271 f.], who understands λέγω) only if the connection brought out a precise injunction partaking of the nature of an express command (see generally, Winer, p. 282 [E. T. 397]; Bernhardy, p. 358; Pflugk, ad Eur. Heracl. 314), which, however, in this case, since the imperative precedes, and, moreover, immediately follows, is not applicable.

Luke 9:5. καὶ τ. κον.] Even the dust also; see Hartung, Partikell. I. p. 134.

ἐπʼ αὐτ.] against them, more definite than Mark: αὐτοῖς. Theophylact: εἰς ἔλεγχον αὐτῶν καὶ κατάκρισιν.

Expositor's Greek Testament

Luke 9:1-50 contain sundry particulars which together form the closing scenes of the Galilean ministry: the mission of the Twelve, the feeding of the thousands, the conversation on the Christ and the cross, the transfiguration, the epileptic boy, the conversation on “who is the greatest”. At Luke 9:51 begins the long division of the Gospel, extending to Luke 18:14, which forms the chief peculiarity of Lk., sometimes called the Great Interpolation or Insertion, purporting to be the narrative of a journey southwards towards Jerusalem through Samaria, therefore sometimes designated the Samaritan ministry (Baur and the Tübingen school), but in reality consisting for the most part of a miscellaneous collection of didactic pieces. At Luke 18:15 Lk. rejoins the company of his brother evangelists, not to leave them again till the tragic end.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Luke 9:1-6. The Mission of the Twelve.

1. Then he called his twelve disciples together] This was at the close of the missionary journeys alluded to in Matthew 9:35; Mark 6:6. St Matthew gives a touching reason for the mission of the Twelve. It was because He pitied the multitude, who were like harassed and panting sheep without a shepherd, and like a harvest left unreaped for want of labourers (Matthew 9:36-38). The Apostles thus became, as their name implied, emissaries (sheloochim), and this was an important step in their training.

and gave them power and authority] Power (dunamis) is the capacity, and authority (exousia), the right to act. See Luke 10:19; Revelation 13:7.

over all devils] Rather, over all the demons.

to cure diseases] The word is not iasthai, as in Luke 9:2, but therapeuein, ‘to tend;’ but there seems to be no essential difference intended, unless eases. And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick. And he said unto them, Take nothing for your journey, neither staves, nor scrip, neither bread, neither money; neither have two coats apiece. And whatsoever house ye enter into, there abide, and thence depart. And whosoever will not receive you, when ye go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet for a testimony it points to the curious fact mentioned by St Mark that they anointed the sick with oil (Luke 6:13; comp. James 5:14).

Bengel's Gnomen

Luke 9:1. [Συγκαλεσάμενος, having called together) Therefore it was no ordinary business.—V. g.]—πάντα, all) All of every kind, which might meet them.—θεραπεύειν, to cure) This depends on ἔδωκεν, He gave.

Pulpit Commentary

Verses 1-6. - The Master sends out the twelve on a mission. Ver 1. - Then he called his twelve disciples together. The Galilee ministry was just over; outwardly it had been a triumphant success; vast crowds had been gathered together. The Master was generally welcomed with a positive enthusiasm; the people heard him gladly. Here and there were visible, as in the cases of the woman who touched him and the synagogue ruler who prayed him to heal his little daughter, just related (ch. 8.), conspicuous examples of a strange or mighty faith; but the success, the Master knew too well, was only on the surface. The crowds who to-day shouted "Hosanna!" and greeted his appearance among them with joy, on the morrow would fall away from him, and on the day following would reappear with the shout "Crucify him!" It was especially to warn his Church in coming ages of this sure result of all earnest devoted preaching and teaching, that he spoke that saddest of parables, "the sower" (ch. 8.) But before he finally brought this Galilaean ministry to a close, he would gather in some few wavering souls, whose hearts he knew were trembling in the balance between the choice of life and good, and death and evil. To help these he sent out this last mission. The word rendered called together" indicates a solemn gathering. And gave them power, etc. This and the further detail of the next verse (2) roughly describe the work he intended them to do, and the means bestowed on them for its accomplishment. Very extraordinary powers were conferred on them - powers evidently intended to terminate with the short mission on which he now despatched them. Luke 9:1

Vincent's Word Studies

Called together

Matthew and Mark have called to.