Luke 18:5

5 nevertheless for this widow is heavy to me, I shall venge her; lest at the last she coming condemn me [lest at the last she coming strangle me].

Luke 18:5 Meaning and Commentary

Luke 18:5

Yet because this widow troubleth me
By often knocking at his door, by loud cries and earnest entreaties, with strong arguments, and floods of tears, and could not easily be removed from his presence, or got out of his house:

I will avenge her;
I will hear her cause, do her justice, and deliver her from her troublesome adversary:

lest by her continual coming she weary me:
so that it was not from a conscience of duty in him, as a judge, or from a commiseration of the poor widow's case; but from a selfish end, for his own ease, in perfect agreement to his character, that his house might not be disturbed, and his ears stunned with her noise and cry, and he was pestered with her company day after day. The character of this judge, his reasoning with himself upon it, his principles from which he acted, and the ends he had in view, are wholly to be left out in the accommodation of this parable; and no farther to be considered than as the argument from the lesser to the greater may be strengthened by them; the intention of the parable being only to show the force, efficacy, and usefulness of importunity in prayer, as appears by the application of it, by our Lord, in the verses following.

Luke 18:5 In-Context

3 And a widow was in that city, and she came to him, and said [saying], Venge me of mine adversary;
4 and he would not long time [and he would not by much time]. But after these things he said within himself, Though I dread not God, and shame not of man,
5 nevertheless for this widow is heavy to me, I shall venge her; lest at the last she coming condemn me [lest at the last she coming strangle me].
6 And the Lord said, Hear ye, what the doomsman of wickedness saith;
7 and whether God shall not do [the] vengeance of his chosen, crying to him day and night, and shall have patience in them?
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.