Luke 6:40

40 A disciple is not superior to [his] teacher, but everyone, [when he] is fully trained, will be like his teacher.

Luke 6:40 Meaning and Commentary

Luke 6:40

The disciple is not above his master
Or "more excellent", as the Syriac, Arabic, and Persic versions render it; that is, in learning and knowledge; if the master is ignorant, the scholar will be so too; and thus it is with teachers, and their people under their care; if the leaders are blind and ignorant, those under their instructions will remain so likewise. These words are an illustration of the preceding parable, and are used to another purpose here than in ( Matthew 10:24 ) . (See Gill on Matthew 10:24)

but every one that is perfect shall be as his master.
The Vulgate Latin reads it, "every one shall be perfect if he is as his master"; that is, if his master is a man of general learning, and a complete scholar, if he is like him, he will be so too: the Persic version renders it, "every disciple that desires perfection shall be as his master": whoever is ambitious of being a thorough scholar, and is diligent and industrious, by all ways and means, to obtain such a character, shall be even as good an one as his master, under whom he learns, and better he cannot well expect to be; and this is sufficient; and so the Ethiopic version renders it, "is it not enough that every one be as his master?" agreeably to ( Matthew 10:25 ) (See Gill on Matthew 10:25)

Maimonides ^F9 has an expression much like this:

``he that learns, shall not be greater than he of whom he learns, but shall be, (wtwmk) , "as he".''

Christ, in this last clause, seems to design his own disciples, who, when perfect in knowledge, which is not to be expected in this state, unless in a comparative sense, will be like himself.

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FOOTNOTES:

F9 Misn. Bava Kama, c. 2. sect. 5.

Luke 6:40 In-Context

38 Give, and it will be given to you, a good measure--pressed down, shaken, overflowing--they will pour out into your lap. For with the measure by which you measure out, it will be measured out to you in return."

39 And he also told them a parable: "Surely a blind person cannot lead the blind, [can he]? Will they not both fall into a pit?

40 A disciple is not superior to [his] teacher, but everyone, [when he] is fully trained, will be like his teacher.

41 And why do you see the speck [that is] in your brother's eye, but do not notice the beam of wood [that is] in your own eye?

42 How are you able to say to your brother, "Brother, allow [me] to remove the speck [that is] in your eye," [while] you yourself do not see the beam of wood in your [own] eye? Hypocrite! First remove the beam of wood from your [own] eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck [that is] in your brother's eye!

Footnotes

• [a]. *Literally "the"; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun
• [b]. *Here "[when]" is supplied as a component of the participle ("is fully trained") which is understood as temporal