Luca 6:40

40 Niun discepolo è da più del suo maestro; ma ogni discepolo perfetto dev’essere come il suo maestro.

Luca 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.


FOOTNOTES:

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

Luca 6:40 In-Context

38 Date, e vi sarà dato; buona misura, premuta, scossa, e traboccante, vi sarà data in seno; perciocchè, di qual misura misurate, sarà altresì misurato a voi.
39 Or egli disse loro una similitudine. Può un cieco guidar per la via un altro cieco? non caderanno essi amendue nella fossa?
40 Niun discepolo è da più del suo maestro; ma ogni discepolo perfetto dev’essere come il suo maestro.
41 Ora, che guardi tu il fuscello ch’è nell’occhio del tuo fratello, e non iscorgi la trave ch’è nell’occhio tuo proprio?
42 Ovvero, come puoi dire al tuo fratello: Fratello, lascia che io ti tragga il fuscello ch’è nell’occhio tuo; non veggendo tu stesso la trave ch’è nell’occhio tuo proprio? Ipocrita, trai prima dell’occhio tuo la trave, ed allora ci vedrai bene per trarre il fuscello, ch’è nell’occhio del tuo fratello.
The Giovanni Diodati Bible is in the public domain.