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Texts -- Luke 13:1-16 (NET)

Context
A Call to Repent
13:1 Now there were some present on that occasion who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices . 13:2 He answered them , “Do you think these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans , because they suffered these things ? 13:3 No , I tell you ! But unless you repent , you will all perish as well ! 13:4 Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower in Siloam fell on them , do you think they were worse offenders than all the others who live in Jerusalem ? 13:5 No , I tell you ! But unless you repent you will all perish as well !”
Warning to Israel to Bear Fruit
13:6 Then Jesus told this parable : “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard , and he came looking for fruit on it and found none . 13:7 So he said to the worker who tended the vineyard , ‘For three years now, I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree , and each time I inspect it I find none . Cut it down ! Why should it continue to deplete the soil ?’ 13:8 But the worker answered him , ‘Sir , leave it alone this year too , until I dig around it and put fertilizer on it. 13:9 Then if it bears fruit next year , very well, but if not , you can cut it down .’”
Healing on the Sabbath
13:10 Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath , 13:11 and a woman was there who had been disabled by a spirit for eighteen years . She was bent over and could not straighten herself up completely . 13:12 When Jesus saw her , he called her to him and said , “Woman , you are freed from your infirmity .” 13:13 Then he placed his hands on her , and immediately she straightened up and praised God . 13:14 But the president of the synagogue , indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath , said to the crowd , “There are six days on which work should be done! So come and be healed on those days , and not on the Sabbath day .” 13:15 Then the Lord answered him , “You hypocrites ! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from its stall , and lead it to water ? 13:16 Then shouldn’t this woman , a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen long years , be released from this imprisonment on the Sabbath day ?”

Pericope

NET

Bible Dictionary

  • WISDOM OF GOD

    [isbe] WISDOM OF GOD - (sophia): Lk 11:49 reads: "Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send unto them prophets and apostles; and some of them they shall kill and persecute." The patristic and many later commentators, on th...

  • Towers

    [ebd] of Babel (Gen. 11:4), Edar (Gen. 35:21), Penuel (Judg. 8:9, 17), Shechem (9:46), David (Cant. 4:4), Lebanon (7:4), Syene (Ezek. 29:10), Hananeel (Zech. 14:10), Siloam (Luke 13:4). There were several towers in Jerusalem (2 Ch...

  • Synagogue

    [isbe] SYNAGOGUE - sin'-a-gog: 1. Name 2. Origin 3. Spread of Synagogues 4. The Building (1) The Site (2) The Structure (3) The Furniture 5. The Officials (1) The Elders (2) The Ruler (3) The Servant (or Servants) (4) Delegate of t...
    [smith] History . --The word synagogue (sunagoge), which means a "congregation," is used in the New Testament to signify a recognized place of worship. A knowledge of the history and worship of the synagogues is of great importance,...
    [nave] SYNAGOGUE 1. Primarily an assembly, Acts 13:43; Jas. 2:2. Constitutes a court of justice, Luke 12:11; Acts 9:2. Had powers of criminal courts, Matt. 10:17; Matt. 23:34; Acts 22:19; 26:11, of ecclesiastical courts, John 9:2...

  • Spirit

    [ebd] (Heb. ruah; Gr. pneuma), properly wind or breath. In 2 Thess. 2:8 it means "breath," and in Eccl. 8:8 the vital principle in man. It also denotes the rational, immortal soul by which man is distinguished (Acts 7:59; 1 Cor. 5...

  • Siloam, Tower of

    [ebd] mentioned only Luke 13:4. The place here spoken of is the village now called Silwan, or Kefr Silwan, on the east of the valley of Kidron, and to the north-east of the pool. It stands on the west slope of the Mount of Olives....

  • Sabbath

    [ebd] (Heb. verb shabbath, meaning "to rest from labour"), the day of rest. It is first mentioned as having been instituted in Paradise, when man was in innocence (Gen. 2:2). "The sabbath was made for man," as a day of rest and re...
    [isbe] SABBATH - sab'-ath (shabbath, shabbathon; sabbaton, ta sabbata; the root shabhath in Hebrew means "to desist," "cease," "rest"): I. ORIGIN OF THE SABBATH 1. The Biblical Account 2. Critical Theories II. HISTORY OF THE SABBAT...
    [smith] (shabbath), "a day of rest," from shabath "to cease to do to," "to rest"). The name is applied to divers great festivals, but principally and usually to the seventh day of the week, the strict observance of which is enforced ...
    [nave] SABBATH Signifying a rest period, Gen. 2:2, 3; Lev. 23; 25; 26:34, 35. Preparations for, Ex. 16:22; Matt. 27:62; Mark 15:42; Luke 23:54; John 19:31. Religious usages on, Gen. 2:3; Mark 6:2; Luke 4:16, 31; 6:6; 13:10; Acts ...

  • Repentance

    [isbe] REPENTANCE - re-pen'-tans: I. OLD TESTAMENT TERMS 1. To Repent--"to Pant," "to Sigh" 2. To Repent--"to Turn" or "Return" II. NEW TESTAMENT TERMS 1. Repent--"to Care," "Be Concerned" 2. Repent--"to Change the Mind" 3. Repent-...
    [nave] REPENTANCE Attributed to God, Gen. 6:6, 7; Ex. 32:14; Deut. 32:36; Judg. 2:18; 1 Sam. 15:11, 29, 35; 2 Sam. 24:16; 1 Chr. 21:15; Psa. 106:45; 110:4; 135:14; Jer. 15:6; 18:8, 10; 26:3; 42:10; Joel 2:13; Amos 7:3, 6; Jonah 3:9...

  • Ox

    [ebd] Heb. bakar, "cattle;" "neat cattle", (Gen. 12:16; 34:28; Job 1:3, 14; 42:12, etc.); not to be muzzled when treading the corn (Deut. 25:4). Referred to by our Lord in his reproof to the Pharisees (Luke 13:15; 14:5).

  • Miracles

    [nave] MIRACLES. Index of Sub-topics Catalog of, and Supernatural Events, Of Jesus, in Chronological Order, Of the Disciples of Jesus; Convincing Effect of; Design of; Miraculous Gifts of the Holy Spirit; Miscellany of Minor Sub-...

  • LUKE, THE GOSPEL OF

    [isbe] LUKE, THE GOSPEL OF - || 1. Text 2. Canonicity 3. Authorship 4. Sources 5. Credibility 6. Characteristics 7. Date 8. Analysis LITERATURE 1. Text: The five primary uncials (Codices Sinaiticus, Alexandrinus, Vaticanus, Ephraem...

  • Jesus, The Christ

    [nave] JESUS, THE CHRIST. Index of Sub-topics History of; Miscellaneous Facts Concerning; Unclassified Scriptures Relating to; Ascension of; Atonement by; Attributes of; Compassion of; Confessing; Creator; Death of; Design of His...

  • JESUS CHRIST, 4D

    [isbe] JESUS CHRIST, 4D - D. LAST JOURNEY TO JERUSALEM--JESUS IN PERAEA Departure from Galilee: An interval of two months elapses between John 10:21 and 22--from the Feast of Tabernacles (October) till the Feast of the Dedication (...

  • FIG, FIG-TREE

    [isbe] FIG, FIG-TREE - fig'-tre (te'enah, plural te'enim, specially "figs"; paggim, "green figs" only in Song 2:13; suke, "fig-tree," sukon, "fig"): 1. Fig-Trees in the Old Testament: The earliest Old Testament reference to the fig...

  • DEATH

    [isbe] DEATH - (maweth; thanatos): PHYSIOLOGICAL AND FIGURATIVE VIEW The word "Death" is used in the sense of (1) the process of dying (Gen 21:16); (2) the period of decease (Gen 27:7); (3) as a possible synonym for poison (2 Ki 4:...

  • DAUGHTER

    [isbe] DAUGHTER - do'-ter (bath; thugater): Used in Scriptures in several more or less distinct senses: (a) for daughter in the ordinary, literal sense (Gen 46:25; Ex 1:16); (b) daughter-in-law (Ruth 2:2); (c) grand-daughter or oth...

  • CUMBER; CUMBERED

    [isbe] CUMBER; CUMBERED - kum'-ber, (katargeo, "to make idle," perispaomai, "to be drawn about," in mind "to be distracted"): Spoken of the barren fig tree in the parable: "Cut it down; why doth it also cumber (block up, make unpro...

  • CROOK-BACKED

    [isbe] CROOK-BACKED - krook'-bakt (gibben; kurtos): A disqualification for the priesthood (Lev 21:20); was probably an angular curvature of the spine, usually the result of tubercular caries of the vertebrae. It was by no means unc...

  • CHRONOLOGY OF THE NEW TESTAMENT

    [isbe] CHRONOLOGY OF THE NEW TESTAMENT - || I. CHRONOLOGY OF THE LIFE OF JESUS 1. Birth of Jesus (1) Death of Herod (2) Census of Quirinius (3) Star of the Magi (4) Course of Abijah (5) Day and Month (6) Summary 2. Baptism of Jesus...

  • CATTLE

    [isbe] CATTLE - kat'-'-l (behemah, "a dumb beast"; miqneh, "a possession" from qanah, "to acquire" (compare Arabic qana', "to acquire," and Greek kienos, "beast," and plural ktenea, "flocks," from ktaomai, "to acquire," flocks bein...

  • AFFLICTION

    [isbe] AFFLICTION - a-flik'-shun: Represents no fewer than 11 Hebrew words in the Old Testament, and 3 Greek words in the New Testament, of which the most common are (oni), (thlipsis). It is used (1) actively = that which causes or...

Arts

Hymns

(Note: In "active" or "on" condition, the hymns music will be played automatically when mouse hover on a hymns title)
  • [Luk 13:3] Repent! ’tis The Voice Of Jesus

Questions

  • No, it is not right even to think such a thing, and it is a gross slander on God to say it. Jesus was very explicit on that subject. (See Luke 13:1-5.) The tower of Siloam had fallen and had killed eighteen persons and Jesus ...
  • Do not make the mistake that Job's friends made, of assuming that sickness, trouble, or bereavement may necessarily be punishment. You will find a different theory, not in John only, but in Hebrews. The writer of that epistle...
  • Each of the gospels have a specific goal or objective in writing their message, but they all basically agree in their testimony about Christ. Matthew writes to prove that Jesus is the Messiah of the Jews. But in his gospel, h...
  • We have no right to sit in judgment on others, and when some people censoriously announce that a misfortune which befalls a person or a community is "a judgment" of God, they assume undue authority. We are distinctly warned a...
  • The following material from The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia should be helpful here: III. Significant numbers Numbers are also used with a symbolical or theological significance. One is used to convey th...

Sermon Illustrations

Unclean Spirits; Satan Can Bring Sickness and Suffering; Acts of Satan; Satan’s Ways to Bring Sickness; How Satan Brings Sickness and Suffering

Resources/Books

Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • Job's friend did not deny that the wicked fool (cf. Ps. 14:1) prospers temporarily (v. 3), but he believed that before a person dies God will punish him for his sins. Jesus disagreed (Luke 13:4). The well-known comparison in ...
  • 8:13 The Lord also declared that He would snatch the Judahites from their land. He had gone forth among His people to gather a harvest of righteousness, but all He found on His vines and fig trees was withered leaves, no grap...
  • Though Mark did not record it, Jesus gave His disciples much additional instruction as they travelled from Capernaum in Galilee toward Jerusalem (cf. Matt. 8:19-22; 18:15-35; Luke 9:51-18:14; John 7:2-11:54). Evidently Jesus ...
  • Mark's brief account of Jesus' arraignment and sentencing concentrates on Pilate's offer to release Jesus or Barabbas.15:6 Evidently this custom served to improve relations between the Roman ruler and his subjects. Dictatoria...
  • I. Introduction 1:1-4II. The birth and childhood of Jesus 1:5-2:52A. The announcement of John the Baptist's birth 1:5-251. The introduction of John's parents 1:5-72. The angel's announcement to Zechariah 1:8-233. The pregnanc...
  • There is great theological significance in this familiar passage. It comes through mainly in the angel's words and in the symbolism of what happened."In 2:8-14 we have a third annunciation scene, which follows the same patter...
  • Essentially John called his hearers to change their minds about their relationship to God and to demonstrate the genuineness of their repentance with righteous conduct (vv. 7-14). He also promoted Jesus (vv. 15-17). Only Luke...
  • Luke's account of this significant event is shorter than the parallel passages. At His baptism, Jesus received the anointing of the Holy Spirit for His ministry. It was also the occasion for the Father to authenticate Jesus a...
  • This miracle raised the popular appreciation of Jesus' authority to new heights. Luke also continued to stress Jesus' compassion for people, in this case a widow whose son had died, by including this incident in his Gospel. T...
  • In this last major section describing Jesus' ministry in and around Galilee (4:14-9:50), Luke stressed Jesus' preparation of His disciples for the opposition that lay before them. This was the climax of Jesus' ministry in Gal...
  • The theme of discipleship training continues in this section of verses. The 70 disciples that Jesus sent out contrast with the three men Luke just finished presenting (9:57-62). This was a second mission on which Jesus sent a...
  • Teaching of the disciples continues as primary in this part of the third Gospel (9:51-19:10). Jesus' words to them at the beginning of the present section (12:1-13:17) broadened to include the crowds toward the end....
  • Jesus' teaching on the same occasion continued. He clarified next that His disciples could anticipate a period of intense persecution. This is the reason He charged them to be faithful (vv. 41-48)."In Luke 12:49-14:24, Jesus ...
  • 13:1 Luke linked this incident chronologically with the preceding one. Apparently messengers from Jerusalem had just arrived with news about Pilate's act. This is the usual force of the Greek verb apaggello, translated "repor...
  • This parable illustrated the need for repentance, but it also drew attention to God's grace in allowing time for repentance.13:6-7 The parable as a whole is very similar to Isaiah 5:1-7, though there the plant in view was a g...
  • There are several thematic connections that tie this pericope with what has preceded and show its role in the development of Luke's argument. Jesus had just called the nation to repentance (vv. 3, 5). Now He showed that chang...
  • The kingdom of God is the messianic kingdom that the Old Testament predicted. It would be an earthly kingdom over which Messiah would rule for 1, 000 years (Rev. 20:4-6). It is similar to a mustard seed in that it had a small...
  • 14:1 The setting for what follows is secondary to the attitude of the Pharisees who were present. They had already decided to do away with Jesus (11:53-54). Now the Pharisees and lawyers were watching Him like vultures waitin...
  • Luke next developed the idea of faith on the earth that Jesus introduced in verse 8. This whole section clarifies how people become believers. This subject is a fitting conclusion to the part of Luke's Gospel that deals with ...
  • Jesus' passion announcements to His disciples constitute important structural markers in Mark's Gospel. Luke and Matthew did not use them this way. The incident before us was the third passion announcement that Jesus gave bes...
  • This section in Luke's long narrative of Jesus' ministry as He travelled to Jerusalem (9:51-19:27) is climactic. It is a choice example of Jesus offering salvation to a needy person. Zaccheus accepted Jesus' offer and respond...
  • This parable serves in Luke's narrative as a conclusion to the section on salvation's recipients (18:9-19:27). It provides something of a denouement(i.e., a final unravelling of the plot) following the excellent example of Za...
  • Luke is the only evangelist who recorded this incident. He apparently did so because the fate of Jerusalem was one of his special interests. He had already recorded several warnings that Jesus had given to the people of Jerus...
  • Alford, Henry. The Greek Testament. New ed. 4 vols. London: Rivingtons, 1880.Bailey, Kenneth E. Poet and Peasant: A Literary-Cultural Approach to the Parables in Luke. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1977.Bishop...
  • More than once Jesus used His Sabbath activities to make the Jews consider who He was (cf. Matt. 12:1-14; Mark 2:23-3:6; Luke 13:10-17; 14:1-6). Here He wanted them to realize that He had the right to work on the Sabbath as H...
  • Jesus often used a grapevine to describe the nation of Israel (cf. Matt. 20:1-16; 21:23-41; Mark 12:1-9; Luke 13:6-9; 20:9-16). The vine as a symbol of Israel appears on coins of the Maccabees.474Here Jesus used the vine meta...
  • A. A loyal group of women accompanied Jesus and served Him on His ministry tours (Luke 8:1-3; Matt. 27:55; Mark 15:41).B. In contrast to normal custom and rabbinic standards, Jesus spoke with a Samaritan woman and revealed to...

Expositions Of Holy Scripture (Maclaren)

  • And He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. 11. And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself. 12. And when Jesus ...
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