And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs.
All Commentaries on Luke 24:13 Go To Luke 24
Cornelius a Lapide
AD 1637
And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, &c. These two are generally considered to be the same as those mentioned by S. Mark 16:12, but Euthymius is of a different opinion, and argues that the Apostles believed these (see verse34), whereas S. Mark 16:13, expressly states that those spoken of by him, "went and told it unto the residue: neither believed they them." But I answer that most of them believed, although some, as Thomas, doubted.
You ask, who were these two? I answer, one was Cleopas, but that it is uncertain about the other. S. Ambrose thinks he was called Amaon, because he was a native of Emmaus. Origen calls him Simeon. S. Epiphanius considers him to be the Nathanael mentioned by S. John i45. Very many again think that it was S. Luke himself, but it seems from the introduction to this Gospel that S. Luke had never seen Christ in the flesh, and that he was converted after the death of the Lord.
Two of them, i.e. of the disciples, went probably on some matter of business, and also for the purpose of diverting their thoughts from the sad subject of their Master"s passion.
Threescore furlongs, στάςιους i.e, 125 paces, the eighth part of a Roman mile.
Called Emmaus. Emmaus was a village in the time of Christ, according to S. Jerome the birthplace of Cleopas; who seems now to have gone thither for some family reason. In the Hebrew the name may mean, according to its spelling, "fear" or "ardour." Each meaning is here very appropriate, for these two disciples were of a timorous disposition, but when the love of Christ was kindled in their hearts, their fear gave place to burning zeal. Others take ε̉μμαὺς as equivalent to ×¢× ×ž××•× am mans, "a people rejected," and explain that the two disciples, because of their doubtings and distrust, were drawing nigh unto rejection, but were recalled by Christ and sent back to the chosen Apostles in Jerusalem.
Some say that this Emmaus, after the capture of Jerusalem by the Romans , was enlarged and called Nicopolis, of which Sozomen writes, "Before the village, where the roads meet, when Christ made as though He would have gone further, is a healing spring, in which not only men, but also animals suffering from manifold diseases, seek relief. For they say that Christ came thither with the disciples, and washed His feet therein, from which time its waters have possessed healing power." He adds something similar about a tree near Hermopolis, the leaves, fruit, and bark of which cure many diseases, because it bent in adoration as Christ passed on his flight into Egypt.
Many are of opinion that there were two places known by the name of Emmaus, one, the city afterwards called Nicopolis, about140 stadia from Jerusalem, the other the village mentioned in the text.
