John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 9. And he that bade thee and him , etc.] To the feast, and who is the master of it, and has a right to dispose of, and order his guests at his table, as he thinks fit: come and say to thee, give this man place ; pray rise up, and give this honourable man this seat, which is more suitable for a person of his rank and figure, and take another: and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room ; or place, which must unavoidably fill a man with shame and confusion; because hereby his pride and vanity, in affecting the uppermost room, will be publicly exposed; and he who before sat in the chief place, will have the mortification, before all the guests, to be seated in the lowest.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 7-14 - Even in the common actions of life, Christ marks what we do, not onl in our religious assemblies, but at our tables. We see in many cases that a man's pride will bring him low, and before honour is humility Our Saviour here teaches, that works of charity are better than work of show. But our Lord did not mean that a proud and unbelievin liberality should be rewarded, but that his precept of doing good to the poor and afflicted should be observed from love to him.
Greek Textus Receptus
και 2532 CONJ ελθων 2064 5631 V-2AAP-NSM ο 3588 T-NSM σε 4571 P-2AS και 2532 CONJ αυτον 846 P-ASM καλεσας 2564 5660 V-AAP-NSM ερει 2046 5692 V-FAI-3S σοι 4671 P-2DS δος 1325 5628 V-2AAM-2S τουτω 5129 D-DSM τοπον 5117 N-ASM και 2532 CONJ τοτε 5119 ADV αρξη 756 5672 V-AMS-2S μετ 3326 PREP αισχυνης 152 N-GSF τον 3588 T-ASM εσχατον 2078 A-ASM τοπον 5117 N-ASM κατεχειν 2722 5721 V-PAN
Vincent's NT Word Studies
9. Begin. Emphasizing the shame of the reluctant movement toward the lower place.The lowest. Since the other, intervening places are all assigned.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
14:9 {And say} (kai erei). Changes to future indicative with me pote as in #12:58. {Shalt begin with shame} (arxei meta aiscunes). The moment of embarrassment. {To take the lowest place} (ton escaton topon katecein). To hold down the lowest place, all the intermediate ones being taken.
