Hear ... - Give attention to this, and derive from it practical instruction.

Hear what the unjust judge saith - Our blessed Lord intimates that we should reason thus with ourselves: "If a person of such an infamous character as this judge was could yield to the pressing and continual solicitations of a poor widow, for whom he felt nothing but contempt, how much more ready must God be, who is infinitely good and merciful, and who loves his creatures in the tenderest manner, to give his utmost salvation to all them who diligently seek it!"

And the Lord said,.... The Lord Jesus Christ, who delivered out this parable to his disciples:

hear what the unjust judge saith; and take encouragement from hence to be frequent and importunate in prayer with God; for if such a cruel, merciless, and unjust judge is to be wrought upon by importunity to do justice, who has no principle to influence him, how much more will not God, who is a just judge, the judge of widows, and of the oppressed, a God of great mercy and compassion, who delights in the prayers of his people, knows their cases, and is able to help them, and who has an interest in them, and they in him? how much more will not he regard their importunate requests, and arise, and save them much such like reasoning this is used by the Jews:

"says R. Simeon ben Chelphetha, an impudent man overcomes a good man, or a modest man, (by his importunity,) how much more the goodness of the world itself (q)?''

that is, how much more will a man, by his continual prayer, prevail with God, who is goodness itself? And they have another saying (r), that agrees with this:

"says R. Nachman, impudence (i.e. importunity) even against God is profitable.''

The application of this parable follows:

(q) T. Hieros. Taaniot, fol. 65. 2.((r) T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 105. 1.

The unjust judge

Lit., the judge of injustice. See on Luke 16:8.

And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.

18:6 The Lord said. This is the application of the parable.

6-8. the Lord-a name expressive of the authoritative style in which He interprets His own parable.

18:1-8 All God's people are praying people. Here earnest steadiness in prayer for spiritual mercies is taught. The widow's earnestness prevailed even with the unjust judge: she might fear lest it should set him more against her; but our earnest prayer is pleasing to our God. Even to the end there will still be ground for the same complaint of weakness of faith.