Luke 7:45

45 a kiss to me thou didst not give, but this woman, from what [time] I came in, did not cease kissing 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.

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FOOTNOTES:

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

Luke 7:45 In-Context

43 And Simon answering said, `I suppose that to whom he forgave the more;' and he said to him, `Rightly thou didst judge.'

44 And having turned unto the woman, he said to Simon, `Seest thou this woman? I entered into thy house; water for my feet thou didst not give, but this woman with tears did wet my feet, and with the hairs of her head did wipe;

45 a kiss to me thou didst not give, but this woman, from what [time] I came in, did not cease kissing my feet;

46 with oil my head thou didst not anoint, but this woman with ointment did anoint my feet;

47 therefore I say to thee, her many sins have been forgiven, because she did love much; but to whom little is forgiven, little he doth love.'