Luke 24:28-31 - Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

And they drew near unto the village, &c. His discourse made so deep an impression upon them, and engrossed their attention to such a degree, that they neither thought of the length of the journey, nor considered the countenance of him who spake to them, so that, ere they were aware, they arrived at the village whither they went. And he made as though he would have gone farther When the disciples turned aside from the road to go to their lodging in the village, Jesus walked forward as if he were going on, as he would have done, had they not pressed him to stay. But they constrained him Being loath to part with a person whose conversation had charmed them so much, they begged him to go no farther, but to abide with them; for, they said, it is toward evening Namely, the first evening of the Jewish day, which began at three o'clock. See on Matthew 14:15; and the day is far spent Greek, κεκλικεν η ημερα, the day has declined. That this is the meaning of the expression is evident, for, on any other supposition, the two disciples could not have returned to Jerusalem after dining at Emmaus, so as to have been present, (as it appears from Luke 24:33 they were,) when Jesus showed himself to his disciples the same day, which ended at sun-setting. And he went in to tarry with them By their pressing invitations the disciples prevailed with their fellow-traveller to turn in with them. And their humanity met with an abundant recompense. As he sat at meat with them he took bread, &c. Some have inferred from this, that he gave these two disciples the sacrament on this occasion, adding it to the ordinary meal they were eating, as at the first institution of the rite. But in the Greek there is no foundation for the conjecture, the words signifying properly, And it came to pass, when he sat down at the table with them, taking bread he blessed it, &c. Among the Jews, the giving of thanks at table for their food, and the distributing of it to the guests, was the office of the head of the family. This office Jesus now assumed, though he only appeared as a guest at this table, and, looking up to heaven, blessed, or gave thanks over it, just in the manner he had formerly done: And their eyes were opened The supernatural cloud, or the miraculous influence which before prevented their knowing him, was removed, partly, perhaps, through the action just mentioned, of his taking, blessing, and breaking the bread in the manner they had known him frequently to do, a manner probably peculiar to him. And they knew him To their unutterable astonishment, plainly seeing that it was Jesus their Master; and, as they were preparing to acknowledge him as such, he vanished out of their sight Rather, suddenly became invisible, or ceased to be seen by them, as the original words, αφαντος εγενετο απ ' αυτων, literally signify. For certainly he did not vanish as a mere spectre.