Matthew Poole and continuators on Luke 13:5

5 I tell you, Nay: but except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

The Holy Scriptures giving us no account of these two stories, to which our Saviour doth here refer, and those who have wrote the History of the Jews having given us no account of them, Interpreters are at a great loss to determine any thing about them; we read of one Iudas of Galilee, who drew away much People after him▪ and perished, Acts 5.37. It is said, that h[illegible: 1 letter] seduced People from their obedience to the Roman Emperor, perswading them not to acknowledge him as their Governour, nor to pay tribute to the Romans. It is guessed by Interpreters, that some of this Faction coming up to the Passover, (for they were Jews) Pilate fell upon them, and slew them while they were sacrificing. Others think that these were some remnant of Iudas his Faction, but Samaritanes, and slain while they were sacrificing at their Temple in Mount Gerazim, and that (tho Samaritanes) they were called Galileans, because Iudas the head of their Faction was such. The Reader is at liberty to chuse which of these he thinks most probable, for I find no other account given by any. The latter is prejudiced by our Saviour's calling them Galileans, and advantaged by the desperate hatred which the Jews had to the Samaritanes, which might make them more prone to censure any passages of Divine Providence severe towards them. But what the certain crime, or provocation was, we cannot say; we are sure that de facto the thing was true, Pilate did mingle the Blood of some Galileans with their sacrifices, of which a report was brought to Christ. We are at the same loss for those eighteen upon whom the Tower of Siloam fell. Siloe or Siloa was the name of a small fountain, at the foot of Mount Zion, which as we are told did not constantly, but at certain times send out Waters, which running through hollow places of the Earth, and Mines and Quarries of Stone made agreat noise. Isaiah mentions it, ch. 8.6. There was also a Pool in Ierusalem which had that name, and had a Wall built by it, Neh. 3.15. Christ sent the Blind Man to go and wash there, Iohn 9.7. Turrets are (as we know) very usual upon Walls. It seems one of these Towers fell, and slew eighteen Persons, come thither either to wash themselves, or by reason of some healing vertue in those Waters, upon what occasion we cannot determine. But there they perished. This Story seems to have been something older than the other. Our Saviour either had heard, what some People had said, or at least knew what they would say upon those accidents, (for we are mightily prone to pass uncharitable Judgments upon Persons perishing suddenly, especially if they dye by a violent Death.) As he therefore took all occasions to press upon them Repentance, so he doth not think fit to omit one so fair, and tho he doth not by what he saith, forbid us to observe such extraordinary Providences, and to whom they happen, but willeth us to hear, and fear; yet he tells them, there were many Galileans, as bad as they, who unless they repented (that is) being sensible of, heartily turned from the wickedness of their ways, would perish also; thereby teaching us, 1. That punishments come upon People for their Sins, and more signal punishments, for more signal Sinnings. 2. That altho God sometimes by his Providence signally punisheth some for notorious Sinnings, yet he spareth more such Sinners then he so signally punisheth. 3. That therefore none can conclude from such signal punishments, that such Persons punished, were greater Sinners then they. 4. That the best use we can make of such reports, and spectacles of notorious Sinners, more than ordinarily punished, is to examine our selves, and to repent lest we also perish.