Charles Ellicott Commentary Luke 6:48

"he is like a man building a house, who digged and went deep, and laid a foundation upon the rock: and when a flood arose, the stream brake against that house, and could not shake it: because it had been well builded." — Luke 6:48 (ASV)

When the flood arose.—Here we have somewhat less fullness of detail than in St. Matthew’s mention of the rain and the wind, as well as the rivers or streams. The word rendered “flood” referred primarily to the “sea,” but had been transferred to the movement of any large body of water.

And could not shake it.—Better, and had no power to shake it. Somewhat stronger than the form in St. Matthew, which simply states the result, it fell not. Here the result of the digging deep to the rock-foundation was that the house was not even shaken.

For it was founded upon a rock.—The better MSS. give, because it had been well built, the verse having apparently been altered in later MSS. to bring it into agreement with St. Matthew.