Luke 23

Luke 23:1-5 . JESUS BEFORE PILATE.

Luke 23:6-12 . JESUS BEFORE HEROD.

(See Mark 15:6 .)

7. sent him to Herod--hoping thus to escape the dilemma of an unjust condemnation or an unpopular release.
at Jerusalem . . . at that time--to keep the passover.

8. some miracle--Fine sport thou expectedst, as the Philistines with Samson ( Judges 16:25 ), O coarse, crafty, cruel tyrant! But thou hast been baulked before and shalt be again.

9. answered . . . nothing--(See Matthew 7:6 ).

10. stood and vehemently accused him--no doubt both of treason before the king, and of blasphemy, for the king was a Jew.

11. his men of war--his bodyguard.
set him at naught, &c.--stung with disappointment at His refusal to amuse him with miracles or answer any of his questions.
gorgeous robe--bright robe. If this mean (as sometimes) of shining white, this being the royal color among the Jews, it may have been in derision of His claim to be "King of the Jews." But if so, "He in reality honored Him, as did Pilate with His true title blazoned on the cross" [BENGEL].
sent him again to Pilate--instead of releasing him as he ought, having established nothing against Him ( Luke 23:14 Luke 23:15 ). "Thus he implicated himself with Pilate in all the guilt of His condemnation, and with him accordingly he is classed" ( Acts 4:27 ) [BENGEL].
at enmity--perhaps about some point of disputed jurisdiction, which this exchange of the Prisoner might tend to heal.

Luke 23:13-38 . JESUS AGAIN BEFORE PILATE--DELIVERED UP--LED AWAY TO BE CRUCIFIED.

26. Cyrenian--of Cyrene, in Libya, on the north coast of Africa, where were many Jews who had a synagogue at Jerusalem ( Acts 6:9 , and see Acts 2:10 ). He was "the father of ALEXANDER and Rufus" ( Mark 15:21 ), probably better known afterwards than himself, as disciples. (See Romans 16:13 ).
out of the country--and casually drawn into that part of the crowd.
laid the cross--"Him they compel to bear His cross," ( Matthew 27:32 )--sweet compulsion, if it issued in him or his sons voluntarily "taking up their cross!" It would appear that our Lord had first to bear His own cross ( John 19:17 ), but being from exhaustion unable to proceed, it was laid on another to bear it "after Him."

27-31. women--not the precious Galilean women ( Luke 23:49 ), but part of the crowd.

28. not for me, &c.--noble spirit of compassion, rising above His own dread endurances, in tender commiseration of sufferings yet in the distance and far lighter, but without His supports and consolations!

30. mountains . . . hills, &c.--( Hosea 10:8 ), flying hither and thither as they did in despair for shelter, during the siege; a very slight premonition of cries of another and more awful kind ( Isaiah 2:10 Isaiah 2:19 Isaiah 2:21 , Revelation 6:16 Revelation 6:17 ).

31. green tree--that naturally resists the fire.
the dry--that attracts the fire, being its proper fuel. The proverb here plainly means: "If such sufferings alight upon the innocent One, the very Lamb of God, what must be in store for those who are provoking the flames?"

Luke 23:32-38, 44-46 Luke 44-46 . CRUCIFIXION AND DEATH OF THE LORD JESUS.