Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

Haply - Perhaps.

To mock him - To ridicule him. To laugh at him.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

Lest haply after he hath laid the foundation,.... Has begun to build, has taken up a profession, has submitted to ordinances, and got into a church state:

and is not able to finish it; a foundation may be laid, and the building may never be finished, because the foundation is not laid right; was it, it would continue, and the building go on, and at last be finished; though no man is able to finish it of himself, yet those hands which have laid the foundation, will raise up the superstructure, and complete the whole building, through the power and efficacy of divine grace: but where there is a beginning, and which at first looks well, and there is no progress, but the work is dropped and left unfinished,

all that behold it, begin to mock; as follows;

Robertson's Word Pictures in the New Testament

Lest haply (ινα μηποτε — hina mēpote). Double final particles (positive and negative with addition of ποτε — pote). Used here with aorist middle subjunctive in αρχωνται — arxōntai (begin).

When he hath laid … and was not able (τεντος αυτου και μη ισχυοντος — thentos autou … εκτελεσαι — kai mē ischuontos) to finish (εκ — ektelesai). First aorist active infinitive. Note perfective use of τεντος — ek to finish out to the end. Two genitive absolutes, first, second aorist active participle ισχυοντος — thentos second, present active participle αυτωι εμπαιζειν — ischuontos mock him (εμπαιζω — autōi empaizein). An old verb, παις — em -paizō to play like a child (pais), at or with, to mock, scoff at, to trifle with like Latin illudere.

Vincent's Word Studies

To finish ( ἐκτελέσαι )

Lit., “to finish out ” ( ἐκ )Behold ( θεωροῦντες )

Attentively watching the progress of the building. See on Luke 10:18.

Begin to mock

As his resources come to an end.

Abbott's Illustrated New Testament

Mock him; ridicule him.

John Trapp Complete Commentary

29 Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,

Ver. 29. Begin to mock him, saying, &c.] Of all things, men love not to be jeered; for there is none but thinks himself worthy of some regard, and is therefore impatient of reproaches. If neither fear of God nor shame of men prevail with us, actum est.

Johann Albrecht Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament

Luke 14:29. ἄρξωνται, begin to) No one laughs at the man, whose attempts are not abortive.(150)

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

See Poole on "Luke 14:28"

Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

29.Begin to mock him—Just as the world always does when a Christian, especially a young convert, gives out. There are three possible ways in the case. One is to make a hasty profession without the capital. The second is to decline to attempt to become a disciple. The third is to obtain, what always may be obtained, the strength from God to prosecute and persevere. The third the Lord has specified in Luke 14:26. The two other alternatives he is describing now.

 

 

 

The Expositor's Greek Testament

Luke 14:29_{. , to mock; an unfinished tower is specially ridiculous: height is essential.— , etc., this man, contemptuously; “this” stands for a proper name. “Vulgo ponunt N. N.,” Bengel. Jesus here appeals with characteristic tact to one of the most sensitive feelings of human nature—shrinking from ridicule. Who would care to be spoken of all his days as the man who commenced a tower and could not finish it?}

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George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

Lest after, &c. Here he wishes to shew us, that we are not to embrace any state of life, particularly that of an ecclesiastic, without previous and serious consideration, whether we shall be able to go through with the difficulties and dangers which will inevitably befall us: lest afterwards we find ourselves constrained to yield to our enemies, who will deride us, and say: This man began to build, and was not able to finish. (Tirinus)

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

the foundation = its foundation.

able = strong enough.

finish it finish it off. Greek. ekteleo. Only here and Luke 14:30.

behold. Greek. theoreo. App-133.

begin. As they see him nearing the end of his resources.