Luke 7:30

30 but the Pharisees and the wise men of the law, that were not baptized of him [forsooth Pharisees and wise men of law, not baptized of him], despised the counsel of God against themselves.

Luke 7:30 Meaning and Commentary

Luke 7:30

But the Pharisees and lawyers
Or Scribes, as the Syriac and Persic versions read; for the Scribes and lawyers were the same sort of persons. The Ethiopic version calls them, "the Scribes of the city": these "rejected the counsel of God against themselves"; against their own advantage, to their hurt and detriment; since by their impenitence and unbelief, and through their rejection of Christ and his forerunner, and the Gospel and the ordinances of it, they brought ruin and destruction, both temporal and eternal, upon themselves: or "towards themselves", or "unto them"; that is, they "rejected the command of God unto them", as the Arabic version renders it: for by "the counsel of God" here, is not meant his purpose, intention, and design, with respect to these persons, which was not, nor never is frustrated; but the precept of God, and so the Ethiopic version renders it,

they despised the command of God:
that is, the ordinance of baptism, which was of God, and the produce of his counsel and wisdom, as the whole scheme, and all the ordinances of the Gospel are, and not the invention of men: or they rejected this "in themselves", as it may be rendered, and is by the Syriac and Persic versions; not openly and publicly, for they were afraid of the people, but inwardly and privately, and which their actions and conduct declared:

being not baptized of him;
of John: by their neglect of this ordinance, they testified their aversion to it, and rejection of it.

Luke 7:30 In-Context

28 Certainly I say to you, there is no man a more prophet among the children of women, than is John Baptist [Soothly I say to you, among the children of women, no man is more prophet than John Baptist]; but he that is less in the kingdom of heavens, is more than he.

29 And all the people hearing, and publicans, that had been baptized with the baptism of John, justified God; [And all the people hearing, and publicans, baptized with the baptism of John, justified God;]

30 but the Pharisees and the wise men of the law, that were not baptized of him [forsooth Pharisees and wise men of law, not baptized of him], despised the counsel of God against themselves.

31 And the Lord said, Therefore to whom shall I say men of this generation like, and to whom be they like?

32 They be like to children [They be like children] sitting in the market, and speaking together, and saying, We have sung to you with pipes, and ye have not danced; we have made mourning [we have made lamentation, or mourning], and ye have not wept.