Luke 9:51 - Clarke's commentary and critical notes on the Bible

Bible Comments

And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem, That he should be received up - Bishop Pearce says: "I think the word αναληψεως must signify, of Jesus's retiring or withdrawing himself, and not of his being received up: because the word συμπληρουσθαι, here used before it, denotes a time completed, which that of his ascension was not then. The sense is, that the time was come, when Jesus was no longer to retire from Judea and the parts about Jerusalem as he had hitherto done; for he had lived altogether in Galilee, lest the Jews should have laid hold on him, before the work of his ministry was ended, and full proofs of his Divine mission given, and some of the prophecies concerning him accomplished. John says, John 7:1 : Jesus walked in Galilee; for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him. Let it be observed, that all which follows here in Luke, to Luke 19:45, is represented by him as done by Jesus in his last journey from Galilee to Jerusalem."

He steadfastly set his face - That is, after proper and mature deliberation, he chose now to go up to Jerusalem, and firmly determined to accomplish his design.

Luke 9:51

51 And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem,