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EXCUSE.—‘To make excuse’ ( ðáñáéôåῖóèáé ), Luk_14:18, means to avert displeasure by entreaty, to crave indulgence, to seek to be freed from an obligation or duty. (Cf. the use of ‘excuse’ in Dampier, Voyages, ii. 1. 99: ‘In the evening he sent me out of the palace, desiring to be excused that he could not entertain me all night’), ðáñáéôåῖóèáé is used by Josephus exactly as here of declining an invitation (Ant. vii. viii. 2). ἔ÷å ìå ðáñῃôçìÝíïí (Luk_14:18-19) may be a Latinism for habe me excusatum, but see Meyer and Weiss contra.
These guests had evidently received a previous invitation, as is customary in the East, which they had accepted (Luk_14:16-17). Their unanimity, the absence of an adversative ἀëëÜ or äÝ , and the order of the words, combine to make ðáñáéôåῖóèáé a surprise when it comes (contrast Luk_14:15). They did not give a direct refusal, they were detained by certain hindrances which were not wrong in themselves, but they all showed the same spirit in rejecting the invitation because they preferred to follow their own inclinations. The first had bought a field, he was elated by his already acquired possessions (Trench, Parables), and alleged a necessity ( ἕ÷ù ἁíÜãêçí ); ‘saepe concurrunt tempora gratiae acceptissima et mundana negotia urgentissima’ (Bengel). The second may illustrate the anxiety of getting; he alleges rather his plan and purpose ( ðïñåýïìáé ). The third was detained by pleasure; his marriage seemed a sufficient reason, and he simply said ïὐ äýíáìáé . Gerhard sums up the hindrances as ‘dignitates, opes, voluptates,’ cf. Luk_8:14. ‘His omnibus mederi poterat sanctum illud odium Luk_8:26’ (Bengel).
‘Excuse’ is also used in Revised Version NT 1881, OT 1885 for ðñüöáóéò (Joh_15:22), so Wyc. [Note: Wyclif’s Bible (NT c. 1380, OT c. 1382, Purvey’s Revision c. 1388).] , Vulgate (excusatio); Authorized Version follows Tindale ‘cloke.’ Cf. Psa_140:4 ôïῦ ðñïöáóßæåóèáé ðñïöÜóåéò ἑí ἁìáñôßáéò ; Vulgate ‘ad excusandas excusationes in peccatis.’ The Jews had no longer anything to plead in their own defence, as was possible in times of ignorance.
Literature.—Comm. of Meyer and Plummer, in loc.; works of Trench, Bruce, and Dods on Parables; Thomson, LB [Note: The Land and the Book.] p. 125.
W. H. Dundas.