Hear - Give attention to this, and derive from it practical instruction.

Hear what the unjust judge saith - Our blessed Lord intimates that we should reason thus with ourselves: "If a person of such an infamous character as this judge was could yield to the pressing and continual solicitations of a poor widow, for whom he felt nothing but contempt, how much more ready must God be, who is infinitely good and merciful, and who loves his creatures in the tenderest manner, to give his utmost salvation to all them who diligently seek it!"

And the Lord said,.... The Lord Jesus Christ, who delivered out this parable to his disciples:
hear what the unjust judge saith; and take encouragement from hence to be frequent and importunate in prayer with God; for if such a cruel, merciless, and unjust judge is to be wrought 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? how much more will not he regard their importunate requests, and arise, and save them much such like reasoning this 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 (q)?''
that is, how much more will a man, by his continual prayer, prevail with God, who is goodness itself? And they have another saying (r), that agrees with this:
"says R. Nachman, impudence (i.e. importunity) even against God is profitable.''
The application of this parable follows:
(q) T. Hieros. Taaniot, fol. 65. 2. (r) T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 105. 1.

the Lord--a name expressive of the authoritative style in which He interprets His own parable.

The Lord said. This is the application of the parable.
Shall not God avenge his elect? If an unjust, hard-hearted judge can be moved by the persistent prayers of a widow, will not the tender, loving, good Father hear the cries of his children?
Though he bear long. Rather, as in the Revision, "He is long-suffering over them." He is long-suffering for them for their own good, and long-suffering towards their enemies in order that they may have opportunity to repent.
Shall he find faith on the earth? Prayer is the utterance of faith. Prayerlessness is proof of unbelief. The Lord, pained by the unbelief of even his disciples, shows in these words what a burden to him is our unbelief (see Matthew 17:17).