Or those eighteen
Men; the Persic version reads, "those twelve"; but all copies,
and other versions, agree in this number:
upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew
them;
there was a pool near Jerusalem, called the Pool of Siloam, (
John 9:7 ) near,
or over which, was a tower built, which fell down and killed
eighteen men; very likely as they were purifying themselves in
the pool, and so was a case very much like the other, and might
be a very late one: and this Christ the rather observes, and puts
them in mind of, that they might see that not Galileans only,
whom they had in great contempt, but even inhabitants of
Jerusalem, died violent deaths, and came to untimely ends; and
yet, as not in the former case, so neither in this was it to be
concluded from hence, that they were sinners of a greater size,
or their state worse than that of other men:
think ye that they were sinners;
or debtors; for as sins are called debts, ( Matthew 6:12
) so sinners are called debtors:
above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem?
there might be, and doubtless there were, as great, or greater
sinners, in that holy city, and among such that made great
pretensions to religion and holiness, as they were.
