Luke 6:37,38 - Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Bible Comments

Judge not, &c. See notes on Matthew 7:1-2; Matthew 6:14-15. Give Liberally to those that need your assistance; and it shall be given unto you For your kindness and liberality will naturally gain you love and respect; and God also, by his supernatural grace, will influence men's hearts in your favour. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over “Our Lord makes use of these three phrases to express all the different kinds of good measure, according to the different nature of the things measured. Some of them, to make the measure good, must be pressed down and trodden; some of them must be shaken, as the several kinds of grain; and some of them must be running over, such as all sorts of liquors. The figure of giving this good measure into one's bosom, is an allusion to the eastern habits, which were long pieces of cloth wrapped round their bodies, and girded up with a girdle. Their garments being of this kind, they could receive into their lap or bosom a considerable quantity of such dry goods as they sold by measure.” Macknight. For with the same measure that ye mete it shall be measured, &c. Amazing goodness! So we are permitted even to carve for ourselves! We ourselves are, as it were, to tell God, how much mercy he shall show us! And can we be content with less than the very largest measure? Give, then, to man, what thou designest to receive of God.

Luke 6:37-38

37 Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:

38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.