Luke 7:45

45 Thou hast not given to me a kiss; but this, since she entered, ceased not to kiss my feet. [+Thou hast not given to me a kiss; forsooth this woman, since I entered, hath not ceased to kiss my feet.]

Luke 7:45 Meaning and Commentary

Luke 7:45

Thou gavest me no kiss
A token of civility among friends, when they met together on any occasion. The Jews have a saying F2, that

``all kisses are foolish, excepting three; the kiss of grandeur or dignity, as in ( 1 Samuel 10:1 ) and the kiss at parting, as in ( Ruth 1:14 ) and the kiss at meeting, as in ( Exodus 4:27 ) (of which sort this kiss may be thought to be), to which some add the kiss of consanguinity (or that used by relations to one another), as in ( Genesis 29:11 ) ''

but this woman, since the time I came in.
The Vulgate Latin and Syriac versions read, "since she came in"; and so two of Stephens's copies; which seems to be the more agreeable reading, seeing Christ was in Simon's house before this woman came; for she knowing that he was there, came thither after him:

hath not ceased to kiss my feet;
which shows, that this action was repeated by her times without number, even ever since she came into the house.


FOOTNOTES:

F2 Shemot Rabba, sect. 6. fol. 91. 3, 4.

Luke 7:45 In-Context

43 Simon answered, and said, I guess, that he to whom he forgave more. And he answered to him, Thou hast deemed rightly.
44 And he turned to the woman, and said to Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest no water to my feet; but this hath moisted my feet with tears [forsooth this woman hath moisted my feet with tears], and wiped with her hairs.
45 Thou hast not given to me a kiss; but this, since she entered, ceased not to kiss my feet. [+Thou hast not given to me a kiss; forsooth this woman, since I entered, hath not ceased to kiss my feet.]
46 Thou anointedest not mine head with oil [Thou hast not anointed mine head with oil]; but this anointed my feet with ointment.
47 For which thing I say to thee, many sins be forgiven to her, for she hath loved much [for she loved much]; and to whom is less forgiven, he loveth less.
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.