| Luke 22 | |
|---|---|
 Luke 22:44-50 on fragments a and b (recto) of thecodex 0171, written about AD 300 | |
| Book | Gospel of Luke |
| Category | Gospel |
| Christian Bible part | New Testament |
| Order in the Christian part | 3 |
Luke 22 is the twenty-second chapter of theGospel of Luke in theNew Testament of theChristianBible. It commences in the days just before thePassover or Feast ofUnleavened Bread, and records the plot to killJesus Christ; the institution of theLord's Supper; thearrest of Jesus; and his trial before theSanhedrin.[1]
The book containing this chapter isanonymous, but early Christian tradition generally considers thatLuke the Evangelist composed thisGospel as well as theActs of the Apostles.[2] This chapter initiates this gospel'spassion narrative, which continues into chapter 23:[3] while theapocalyptic discourse inLuke 21 "bases all its thought upon the reality of theKingdom", it also "leads directly into the passion narrative, [which] shows how it was established".[4]
The original text was written inKoine Greek. This chapter is divided into 71verses. It is the second longest chapter in the gospel in terms of number of verses.[5] Some earlymanuscripts containing the text of this chapter are:
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Luke 22:1–6 describes the chief priests and scribes'plot to kill Jesus in collaboration withJudas Iscariot. This scene is also depicted inMark 14:1–2, 10–11 andMatthew 26:1–5,14–16.Henry Alford notes that Matthew's account is the more complete and refers to Luke's account as "a mere compendium of what took place".[6] Luke's wording emphasises that Judas sought to betray Jesus "when no crowd was present",[7] reflecting the chief priests' and scribes' fear that they could not openlyarrest Jesus because of hispopular support.[8]John 11:45–57 also records the plot to kill Jesus.
This little explanation, "called the Passover", "shows most clearly that St Luke is writing mainly forGentiles".[10]
Scottish Free Church ministerWilliam Robertson Nicoll calls Jesus'popularity among the people "very embarrassing",[12] while the writerFrederic Farrar considers it "humiliating" for them.[10]
Luke alone of thesynoptic writers sets the earthly events of the passion in the context of aneschatological battle withSatan.[4] Nicoll suggests that his readers should compare this verse withJohn 13:2:the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot,[14] observing that "Luke's statement is stronger even than John's, suggesting a literalpossession".[12]
These verses describe how Jesus sentPeter andJohn to prepare "a furnishedupper room" (verse 12) for their taking of aPassover meal (which would be theLast Supper). This preparation is also depicted inMark 14:12–16 andMatthew 26:17–25. Luke's is the only account which names the apostles (verse 8: cf. subsequent pairings of Peter and John inActs 3:1-11,4:1 and elsewhere).[15] and the only narrative in which Jesus takes the initiative in arranging the meal: in Matthew and Mark, the disciples raise the subject.[12]
Luke 22:14–38 has been described as "Jesus' farewell address", modeled after otherfarewell addresses in the Greco-Roman and biblical traditions.[16]
The word δώδεκα (dōdeka, meaning "twelve") does not appear in some ancient manuscripts, and some critical editors omit it. Protestant divineHeinrich Meyer suggests "it waswritten in the margin in agreement with the parallels", before being adopted into some texts.[18] Conversely inLuke 9:1 the word δώδεκα consistently appears, but some manuscripts also add μαθητὰς αὐτοῦ (mathētas autou, 'his disciples').[19]
Jesus declares to his apostles that "with fervent desire" (Greek:επιθυμια επεθυμησα,epithumia epithumesa) he has longed to celebrate this Passover with them. PopeGregory X used these words (Latin:Desiderio desideravi) as his text at theSecond Council of Lyons in 1274, in his sermon on the unity of the churches.[21] These words would have been spoken inAramaic. The construction reflects the Hebrew infinitive absolute which intensifies a verb.[citation needed] Why Jesus had such an earnest desire for this particular Passover is an open question: for Meyer, the expression suggests that his earnest wish was that "His passion should not begin before the Passover".[18]
The word "again" is not in the Greek, but implied, and similarly in verse 18:
David Robert Palmer suggests that "some copyists apparently felt obliged to add the Greek word οὐκέτι, (ouketi) to both clarify the meaning, and also to harmonize Luke withMark 14:25, and perhaps also withMatthew 26:29, which says, 'from now on'."[24] TheTextus Receptus includes the word οὐκέτι in verse 16 but not verse 18.[25]
The words reflect Jesus' previous instructions to his disciples on how to pray (theLord's Prayer,Luke 11:2–4), although the words "thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven" do not appear in the earliest-known versions of Luke's Lord's Prayer.[27] ThePulpit Commentary suggests that "the temptation in question was the grave sin of moralcowardice into which so soon the disciples fell".[28]
The authenticity ofLuke 22:43–44 has been disputed by scholars since the second half of the 19th century. The verses are placed in double brackets in modern editions of the Greek text, and listed in a footnote in theRevised Standard Version.
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Luke adds "from sorrow", words which do not appear in the accounts of Matthew or Mark.
Luke, like John, specifically notes that it was the servant'sright ear which was removed.[12] The exact meaning of Jesus' words,Suffer ye thus far, orNo more of this! in the New International Version, "has been much debated".[28] Alford treats them as directed to the multitude or specifically to Jesus' captors, meaning "allow me to touch the ear of the wounded person";[6] Nicoll suggests alternatively that they could have been directed to the disciples: "let them apprehend me", or "no more use ofweapons".[12]
TheNew King James Version adds "rightly":
Similarly,J. B. Phillips translates as:
ThePulpit Commentary describes the style here asrabbinic: "by such an answer, the one interrogated accepts as his own affirmation the question put to him in its entirety."[28]
We have heard it ourselves that he "gives Himself out to be theMessiah".[18] The chapter ends with the anticipatedrejection[35] of Jesus' self-witness and his resulting condemnation.[36]
| Preceded by Luke 21 | Chapters of the Bible Gospel of Luke | Succeeded by Luke 23 |