John Gill Commentary Luke 18:6

"And the Lord said, Hear what the unrighteous judge saith." — Luke 18:6 (ASV)

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

hear what the unjust judge says ; and take encouragement from this to be frequent and importunate in prayer with God; for if such a cruel, merciless, and unjust judge is to be worked 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?

Similar reasoning 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 ^F17 ?'' that is, how much more will a man, by his continual prayer, prevail with God, who is goodness itself?

And they have another saying ^F18 , that agrees with this: ``says R. Nachman, impudence (i.e. importunity) even against God is profitable.'' The application of this parable follows:

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FOOTNOTES:

• F17: T. Hieros. Taaniot, fol. 65. 2.
• F18: T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 105. 1.