The same day there came certain of the Pharisees, saying unto him, Get out, and depart from here: for Herod will kill you.
All Commentaries on Luke 13:31 Go To Luke 13
Cyril of Alexandria
AD 444
The preceding words of our Lord roused the Pharisees to anger. For they perceived that the people were now smitten in their hearts, and eagerly receiving His faith. For fear then of losing their office as rulers of the people, and lacking their gains, with pretended love for Him, they persuade Him to depart from hence, as it is said, The same day there came certain of the Pharisees, saying to him, Get you out and depart hence, for Herod will kill you: but Christ, who searches the heart and the reins, answers them meekly and under figure. Hence it follows, And he said to them, Go you and tell that fox.
Or else the discourse seems to change here, and not to refer so much to the character of Herod as some think, as to the lies of the Pharisees. For He almost represents the Pharisees themselves to be standing near, when He said, Go tell this fox, as it is in the Greek. Therefore he commanded them to say that which might rouse the multitude of Pharisees. Behold, said He, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and on the third day I shall be perfected. He promises to do what was displeasing to the Jews, namely, to command the evil spirits, and deliver the sick from disease, until in His own person He should undergo the suffering of the cross. But because the Pharisees thought that He who was the Lord of hosts, feared the hand of Herod. He refutes this, saying, Nevertheless I must walk today and tomorrow, and the day following. When He says must, He by no means implies a necessity imposed upon Him, but rather that He walked where He liked according to the inclination of His wild, until He should come to the end of the dreadful cross, the time of which Christ shows to be now drawing near, when He says, Today and tomorrow, .
Now that they were unmindful of the Divine blessings He proves as follows, How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and you would not. Heled them by the hand of Moses out of all wisdom, He warns them by His prophets, He wished to have them under His wings, (i.e. under the shelter of His power,) but they deprived themselves of these choice blessings, through their ingratitude.
For our Lord had departed from Jerusalem, as it were abandoning those who were unworthy of His presence, and afterwards returned to Jerusalem, having performed many miracles, when that crowd meets Him, saying,Osanna to the Son of David, blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord.
