And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that {h} fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures {i} to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be {k} perfected.

(h) That deceitful and treacherous man.

(i) That is, a small time, and Theophylact says it is a proverb: or else by to day we may understand the present time, and by tomorrow the time to come, meaning by this the entire time of his ministry and office.

(k) That is, when the sacrifice for sin is finished.

People's New Testament

13:32,33 Tell that fox. Herod's most marked characteristic was unscrupulous cunning. The Lord uses the term to indicate that he understood the scheme. It was an artifice of Herod and the Pharisees to get him away. Herod was afraid to kill him on account of his popularity.

I perform cures to day. The meaning is, I will attend to my present work here, which is only for a little season,

and the third day, in a short time.

I shall be perfected. By the suffering at Jerusalem. See Heb 2:10. In other words, he will go freely about his work, but will soon be put to death, but not by Herod, who had no jurisdiction at Jerusalem. In that city he would die, for it cannot be that a prophet should perish out of Jerusalem.

Wesley's Notes

13:32 And he said, Go and tell that fox - With great propriety so called, for his subtilty and cowardice. The meaning of our Lord's answer is, Notwithstanding all that he can do, I shall for the short time I have left, do the works of him that sent me. When that time is fulfilled, I shall be offered up. Yet not here, but in the bloody city. Behold, I cast out devils - With what majesty does he speak to his enemies! With what tenderness to his friends! The third day I am perfected - On the third day he left Galilee, and set out for Jerusalem, to die there. But let us carefully distinguish between those things wherein Christ is our pattern, and those which were peculiar to his office. His extraordinary office justified him in using that severity of language, when speaking of wicked princes, and corrupt teachers, to which we have no call; and by which we should only bring scandal on religion, and ruin on ourselves, while we irritated rather than convinced or reformed those whom we so indecently rebuked.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

32. that fox-that crafty, cruel enemy of God's innocent servants.

Behold, I cast out devils and I do cures-that is, "Plot on and ply thy wiles; I also have My plans; My works of mercy are nearing completion, but some yet remain; I have work for to-day and to-morrow too, and the third day; by that time I shall be where his jurisdiction reaches not; the guilt of My blood shall not lie at his door; that dark deed is reserved for others." He does not say, I preach the Gospel-that would have made little impression upon Herod-in the light of the merciful character of Christ's actions the malice of Herod's snares is laid bare [Bengel].

to-day, to-morrow, the third day-remarkable language expressive of successive steps of His work yet remaining, the calm deliberateness with which He meant to go through with them, one after another, to the last, unmoved by Herod's threat, yet the rapid march with which they were now hastening to completion. (Compare Lu 22:37).

I shall be perfected-I finish my course, I attain completion.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

13:31-35 Christ, in calling Herod a fox, gave him his true character. The greatest of men were accountable to God, therefore it became him to call this proud king by his own name; but it is not an example for us. I know, said our Lord, that I must die very shortly; when I die, I shall be perfected, I shall have completed my undertaking. It is good for us to look upon the time we have before us as but little, that we may thereby be quickened to do the work of the day in its day. The wickedness of persons and places which more than others profess religion and relation to God, especially displeases and grieves the Lord Jesus. The judgment of the great day will convince unbelievers; but let us learn thankfully to welcome, and to profit by all who come in the name of the Lord, to call us to partake of his great salvation.