Luke 14:23

“And the Lord said unto the servant, etc.] A second time; that since the Jews put away the word of eternal life from them, and judged themselves unworthy of it by their contradicting and blaspheming it, he commanded his apostles to turn from them to the Gentiles; (see <441345>Acts 13:45-47), go out into the highways and hedges: the Persic version adds, “of the vineyards”; (see <130423>1 Chronicles 4:23) and may in general design the mean, base, vile, and sinful state of the Gentiles; who might be said to be “in the highways”, because they were without the commonwealth and church of the Jews; were not admitted to civil conversation, nor to religious worship with them; and were left to walk on…”

“highways and hedges--outside the city altogether; historically, the heathen, sunk in the lowest depths of spiritual wretchedness, as being beyond the pale of all that is revealed and saving, "without Christ, strangers from the covenant of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world" (Eph 2:12); generally, all such still. Thus, this parable prophetically contemplates the extension of the kingdom of God to the whole world; and spiritually, directs the Gospel invitations to be carried to the lowest strata, and be brought in contact with the outermost circles, of human society. compel them to come in--not as if they would make the "excuses" of the first class, but because it would be…”

“Go out into the highways - Since enough had not been found in the lanes and streets, he commands the servant to go into the roads - the public highways out of the city, as well as to the streets “in” it - and invite them also. Hedges - A hedge is the inclosure around a field or vineyard. It was commonly made of thorns, which were planted thick, and which kept the cattle out of the vineyard. “A common plant for this purpose is the prickly pear, a species of cactus, which grows several feet high, and as thick as a man’s body, armed with sharp thorns, and thus forming an almost impervious defense” (Professor Hackett, “Scripture Illustrations,” p. 174). Those in the hedges were poor laborers…”

“Compel them to come in - With all the violence of love, and the force of God's word. Such compulsion, and such only, in matters of religion, was used by Christ and his apostles. Luke 14:24”

“14:23 Go out into the country lanes: These invitees might be a reference to the Gentiles to whom the Good News eventually went (cp. Acts 9:15; 13:46-48; 18:4-6; Rom 11:11-12).”

“Go: Psa 98:3; Isa 11:10, Isa 19:24, Isa 19:25, Isa 27:13, Isa 49:5, Isa 49:6, Isa 66:19, Isa 66:20; Zac 14:8, Zac 14:9; Mal 1:11; Mat 21:43, Mat 22:9, Mat 22:10, Mat 28:19, Mat 28:20; Act 9:15, Act 10:44-48, Act 11:18-21; Act 13:47, Act 13:48, Act 18:6, Act 22:21, Act 22:22, Act 26:18-20, Act 28:28; Rom 10:18, Rom 15:9-12; Eph 2:11-22; Col 1:23 compel: Luk 24:29; Gen 19:2, Gen 19:3; Psa 110:3; Act 16:15; Rom 11:13, Rom 11:14; Co1 9:19-23; Co2 5:11, Co2 5:20, Co2 6:1; Col 1:28; Ti2 4:2 Luke 14:24”