5 yet because this widow bothers me, I will defend her, or else she will wear me out by her continual coming.'"
*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.
She weary me - Ὑπωπιαζῃ με, Stun me. A metaphor taken from boxers, who bruise each other, and by beating each other about the face blacken the eyes. See 1-Corinthians 9:27.
Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she (c) weary me.
(c) Literally, "beat me down with her blows", and it is a metaphor taken of wrestlers who beat their adversaries with their fists or clubs: in the same way those that are persistent beat the judge's ears with their crying out, even as it were with blows.
Yet because this widow troubleth me,.... By often knocking at his door, by loud cries and earnest entreaties, with strong arguments, and floods of tears, and could not easily be removed from his presence, or got out of his house:
I will avenge her; I will hear her cause, do her justice, and deliver her from her troublesome adversary:
lest by her continual coming she weary me: so that it was not from a conscience of duty in him, as a judge, or from a commiseration of the poor widow's case; but from a selfish end, for his own ease, in perfect agreement to his character, that his house might not be disturbed, and his ears stunned with her noise and cry, and he was pestered with her company day after day. The character of this judge, his reasoning with himself upon it, his principles from which he acted, and the ends he had in view, are wholly to be left out in the accommodation of this parable; and no farther to be considered than as the argument from the lesser to the greater may be strengthened by them; the intention of the parable being only to show the force, efficacy, and usefulness of importunity in prayer, as appears by the application of it, by our Lord, in the verses following.
continual coming--coming for ever.
*More commentary available at chapter level.