ie hai oe
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CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY
BEQUEST “OF
STEWART HENRY BURNHAM 1943
Cornell University
Library
The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library.
There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text.
http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924029309899
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THE NEW TESTAMENT IN MODERN SPEECH
THE NEW TESTAMENT IN MODERN SPEECH
AN IDIOMATIC TRANSLATION INTO EVERY- DAY ENGLISH FROM THE TEXT OF THE RESULTANT GREEK TESTAMENT
BY THE LATE
RICHARD FRANCIS WEYMOUTH M.A., D.Lrr. (London)
Fellow of University College, London, and formerly Headmaster of Mill Hill School, Editor of “The Resultant Greek Testament”
Epirep AND PartTty ReEvIseD BY ERNEST HAMPDEN-COOK, M.A.
Formerly Exhibitioner and Prizeman of St. John’s College, Cambridge B.A., London
THIRD EDITION
(ELEVENIH IMPRESSION)
BOSTON: THE PILGRIM PRESS LONDON: JAMES CLARKE & CO. LTD.
PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION
HE Translation of the New Testament here offered to
English-speaking Christians is a bona fide translation
made directly from the Greek, and is in no sense a revision. The plan adopted has been the following.
1, An earnest endeavour has been made (based upon more than sixty years’ study of both the Greek and English lan- guages, besides much further familiarity gained by continual teaching) to ascertain the exact meaning of every passage not only by the light that Classical Greek throws on the language used, but also by that which the Septuagint and the Hebrew Scriptures afford; aid being sought too from Versions and Commentators ancient and modern, and from the ample et cetera of apparatus grammaticus and theological and Classical reviews and magazines—or rather, by means of occasional excursions into this vast prairie.
2. The sense thus seeming to have been ascertained, the next step has been to consider how it could be most accurately and naturally exhibited in the English of the present day; in other words, how we can with some approach to probability suppose that the inspired writer himself would have expressed his thoughts, had he been writing in our age and country.*
3. Lastly it has been evidently desirable to compare the results thus attained with the renderings of other scholars, especially of course with the Authorized and Revised Versions. But alas, the great majority of even ‘‘new translations,” so called, are, in reality, only Tyndale’s immortal work a little—often very littl—modernized !
4. But in the endeavour to find in Twentieth Century English a precise equivalent for a Greek word, phrase, or sentence there are two dangers to be guarded against.
1. J am aware of what Professor Blackie has written on this subject ill hom Pret., p. viii); but the problem endeavoured to be solved in this ranslation is as above stated.
v
PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION
There are a Scylla and a Charybdis. On the one hand there is the English of Society, on the other hand that of the utterly uneducated, each of these patois having also its own special, though expressive, borderland which we name ‘slang.’ But all these salient angles (as a professor of fortification might say) of our language are forbidden ground to the reverent translator of Holy Scripture.
5. But again, a modern translation—does this imply that no words or phrases in any degree antiquated are to be admitted? Not so, for great numbers of such words and phrases are still in constant use. To be antiquated is not the same thing as to be obsolete or even obsolescent, and without at least a tinge of antiquity it is scarcely possible that there should be that dignity of style that befits the sacred themes with which the Evangelists and Apostles deal.
6. It is plain that this attempt to bring out the sense of the Sacred Writings naturally as well as accurately in present-day English does not permit, except to a limited extent, the method of literal rendering—the verbo verbum reddere at which Horace shrugs his shoulders. Dr. Welldon, recently Bishop of Calcutta, in the Preface (p. vii) to his masterly translation of the Micomachean Ethics of Aristotle, writes, ‘‘I have deliberately rejected the principle of trying to translate the same Greek word by the same word in English, and where circumstances seemed to call for it I have sometimes used two English words to represent one word of the Greek ;”—and he is perfectly right. With a slavish literality delicate shades of meaning cannot be re- produced, nor allowance be made for the influence of inter- woven thought, or of the writer’s ever shifting—not to say changing —point of view. An utterly ignorant or utterly lazy man, if possessed of a little ingenuity, can with the help of a dictionary and grammar give a word-fer-word rendering, whether intelligible or not, and print ‘Translation’ on his title-page. © On the other hand it is a melancholy spectacle to see men of high ability and undoubted scholarship toil and struggle at translation under a needless restriction to literality, as in intellectual handcuffs and fetters, when they might with advantage snap the bonds and fling them away, as Dr. Welldon has done: more melancholy still, if they are at the same time racking their brains to exhibit the result of their labours—-a splendid but idle philological tour de force —in what was English nearly 300 years before.
7. Obviously any literal translation cannot but carry idioms of the earlier language into the later, where they
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PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION
will very probably not be understood ;' and more serious still is the evil when, as in the Jewish Greek of the N.T., the earlier language of the two is itself composite and abounds in forms of speech that belong to one earlier still. For the N.T. Greek, even in the writings of Luke, contains a large number of Hebrew idioms; and a literal rendering into English cannot but partially veil, and in some degree distort, the true sense, even if it does not totally obscure it (and that too where ezfect clearness should be attained, if possible), by this admixture of Hebrew as well as Greek forms of expression.
8. It follows that the reader who is bent upon getting a literal rendering, such as he can commonly find in the R.V. or (often a better one) in Darby’s New Testament, should always be on his guard against its strong tendency to mislead.
g. One point however can hardly be too emphatically stated. It is not the present Translator’s ambition to supplant the Versions already in general use, to which their intrinsic merit or long familiarity or both have caused all Christian minds so lovingly to cling. His desire has rather been to furnish a succinct and compressed running com- mentary (not doctrinal) to be used side by side with its elder compeers. And yet there has been something of a remoter hope. It can scarcely be doubted that some day the attempt will be renewed to produce a satisfactory English Bible—one in some respects perhaps (but assuredly with great and important deviations) on the lines of the Revision of 1881, or even altogether to supersede both the A.V. and the R.V.; and it may be that the Trans- lation here offered will contribute some materials that may be built into that far grander edifice.
10. THE GREEK TexT here followed is that given in the Translator’s Resultant Greek Testament.?
11. Of the Various READINGS only those are here given which seem the most important, and which affect the rendering into English. They are in the footnotes, with v.L. (varia lectto) prefixed. As to the chief modern critical editions full details will be found in the Resultant Greek Testament, while for the original authorities—MSS., Ver- sions, Patristic quotations—the reader must of necessity consult the great works of Lachmann, Tregelles, Tischendorf, and others, or the numerous monographs on separate
x. A flagrant instance is the “having in a readiness” of 2 Cor. x. 6, A.V. although in Tyndale we find ‘‘and are redy to take vengeaunce,” and even
Wiclif writes “and we han redi to venge.” 7 a. Published by Messrs. Jas. Clarke & Co., London. Price 2s, 6d. net,
vu
PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION
Books. In the margin of the R.V. a distinction is made between readings supported by ‘‘a few ancient authorities,” ‘“some ancient authorities,” ‘‘many ancient authorities,” and soon. Such valuation is not attempted in this work.
12. Considerable pains have been bestowed on the exact rendering of the tenses of the Greek verb; for by inexactness in this detail the true sense cannot but be missed. That the Greek tenses do not coincide, and cannot be expected to coincide with those of the English verb; that—except in Nnarrative—the aorist as a rule is more exactly represented in English by our perfect with ‘‘have” than by our simple past tense; and that in this particular the A.V. is in scores of instances more correct than the R.V.; the present Translator has contended (with arguments which some of the best scholars in Fritain and in America hold to be “unanswerable” and ‘‘indisputable”) in a pamphlet? Oz the Rendering into English of the Greek Aorist and Perfect. Even an cutiine of the argument cannot be given in a Preface such as this.
13. But he who would make a truly Znglish translation of a foreign book must not only select the right nouns, adjectives, and verbs, insert the suitable prepositions and auxiliaries, and triumph (if he can) over the seductions and blandishments of idioms with which he has been familiar from his infancy, but which, though forcible or beautiful with other surroundings, are for all that part and parcel of that other language rather than of English: he has also to beware of connecting his sentences in an un-English fashion.
Now a careful examination of a number of authors (including Scottish, Irish, and American) yields some interesting results. Taking at haphazard a passage from each of fifty-six authors, and counting on after some full stop till fifty finite verbs—i.e. verbs in the indicative, imperative, or subjunctive mood—have been reached (each finite verb, as every schoolboy knows, being the nucleus of one sentence or clause), it has been found that the ‘connecting links of the fifty-six times fifty sentences are about one-third conjunctions, about one-third adverbs or relative and interrogative pronouns, while in the case of the remaining third there is what the grammarians call an asyndeton—no formal grammatical connexion at 7n.
1, Such as McClellun's Four Gospels; Westcott on John's Gospel, John’s Epistles, and Hebrews; Hackett on Acts; Lightfoot, and also Ellicott, on various Epistles; Mayor on James; Edwards on 1 Corinthians and Hebrews ; Sanday and Headlam on Romans. Add to these Scrivener's very valuable
Introduction to the Criticism of the N.T. 2. Published by Messrs, James Clarke & Co,, London. Price ts. net.
viii
PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION
But in the writers of the N.T. nearly ¢wo-thirds of the connecting links are conjunctions. It follows that in order to make the style of a translation true idiomatic English many of these conjunctions must be omitted, and for others adverbs, &c., must be substituted.
The two conjunctions for and therefore are discussed at some length in two Appendices to the above-mentioned pamphlet on the Aorist, to which the reader is referred.
14. The Norzs, with but few exceptions, are not of the nature of a general commentary. Some, as already intimated, refer to the readings here followed, but the great majority are in vindication or explanation of the renderings given.
Since the completion of this new version nearly two years ago, ill-health has incapacitated the Translator from under- taking even the lightest work. He has therefore been obliged to entrust to other hands the labour of critically examining and revising the manuscript and of seeing it through the press. This arduous task has been undertaken by Rev. Ernest Hampden-Cook, M.A., St. John’s College, Cambridge, of Sandbach, Cheshire, with some co-operation from one of the Translator’s sons; and the Translator is under deep obligations to these two gentlemen for their kindness in the matter. He has also most cordially to thank Mr. Hampden-Ccok for making the existence of the work known to various members of the OLD MILLHILLIANS’ Crus and other former pupils of the Translator, who in a truly substantial manner have manifested a generous determination to enable the volume to see the light. Very grateful does the Translator feel to them for this signal mark of their friendship.
Mr. Hampden-Cook is responsible for the headings of the paragraphs, and at my express desire has inserted some addi- tional notes.
I have further to express my gratitude to Rev. Frank Ballard, M.A., B.Sc., Lond., at present of Sharrow, Sheffield, for some very valuable assistance which he has most kindly given in connexion with the Introductions to the several books. ‘
I have also the pleasure of acknowledging the numerous valuable and suggestive criticisms with which I have been favoured on some parts of the work, by an old friend, Rev. Sydney Thelwall, B.A., of Leamington, a clergyman of the Church of England, whom I have known for many years as a painstaking and accurate scholar, a well-read theologian, and a thoughtful and devout student of Scripture.
I am very thankful to Mr. H. L. Gethin, Mr. S. Hales,
ik
PREFACES
Mr. J. A. Latham, and Rev. T. A. Seed, for the care with which they have read the proof sheets. And now this Translation is humbly and prayerfully com- mended to God’s gracious blessing. R. F. W.
BRENTWOOD, ESSEx. July 1902.
PREFACE TO THE THIRD EDITION
es the purposes of this edition the whole volume has been re-set in new type, and, in the hope of increasing the interest and attractiveness of the Translation, all con- versations have been spaced out in accordance with modern custom. A freer use than before has been made of capital letters, and by means of small, raised figures, prefixed to words in the text, an indication has been given whenever
there is a footnote. ‘‘Capernaum” and ‘‘ Philadelphia” have been substituted for the less familiar but more literal “ Capharnahum” and ‘‘ Philadelpheia.” Many errata have
been corrected, and a very considerable number of what seemed to be infelicities or slight inaccuracies in the English have been removed. A few additional footnotes have been inserted, and, for the most part, those for which the Editor is responsible have now the letters Ep. added to them.
Sincere thanks are tendered to the many kind friends who have expressed their appreciation of this Translation, or have helped to make it better known, and to the many correspondents who have sent criticisms of the previous editions, and made useful suggestions for the improvement of the volume.
E. H.-C.
SANDBACH, CHESHIRE.
October 1909.
THE BOOKS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT
The probable order of time in which they were written
PAGE PAUL’s FIRST LETTER TO THE THESSALONIANS (53 A.D.) - 547 PAUL'S SECOND: LETTER TO THE THESSALONIANS (54.4.D.) . 557 PAUL’s LETTER TO THE GALATIANS (53 A.D.) . 5 » 409 PauL’s First LETTER TO THE CORINTHIANS (56 A.D.) + 437 PaAuUL’s SECOND LETTER TO THE CORINTHIANS (56 A.D.) - 475
PAUL’s LETTER TO THE ROMANS (BETWEEN 53 AND 58 A.D.) 305
PauL’s LETTER TO THE PHILIPPIANS (61 OR 62, A.D.) - 527 Paut's LETTER TO THE EPHESIANS (62 OR 63, A.D.). - 513 PAUL’s LETTER TO THE COLOSSIANS (63 A.D.). . - 537 PauL’s LETTER TO PHILEMON (63 A.D.) i ; - 591
ie “ THE Goop NEWS AS RECORDED BY MARK oe 63
AND 70, A.D.) é . 95 THE Goop NEWS AS RECORDED BY Like (64, 80. OR 100,
A.D.) 5 - 149 THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES eens 66 AND 56) A.D.,
OR BETWEEN 80 AND 90, A.D.) . i r + 307 PauL’s First LETTER TO TIMOTHY (66 A.D.) . : - 563 Paut’s SECOND LETTER TO TIMOTHY (67 A.D.) és - 575 Paut’s LETTER TO TITUS (67 A.D.) . 2 7 - 585
xi
THE BOOKS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT
THE LETTER TO THE HEBREWS (67 OR 68, A.D.) ¢ » 593 JAMEs’s LETTER (67 A.D., OR BETWEEN 44 AND 50, A.D.) . 627 PeTER’s First LETTER : i : 639 Joun’s First LETTER . . . 661 THE REVELATION OF JOHN ie OR 96 A.D.) . 687
THE Gcup News AS RECORDED BY MATTHEW sia
70 AND 9C A.D.) . ep ‘i I THE Goop NEWS AS RECORDED BY JOHN oe ‘80 AND
TIO A.D.) . . : : ‘ ax 387 Jupe’s LETTER . 7 : : 3 - 681 PETER’S SECOND LETTER : é ‘ . 651 Joun’s SECOND LETTER 3 @ * . 673
JoHN’s THIRD LETTER . ' » . 677
ASBREVIATIONS USED IN THE NOTES
Aorist. Dr. Weymouth'’s Pamphlet on the Rendering of the Greek Aorist and Perfect Tenses into English.
A.V. Authorised English Version, 1611.
Cp. Compare.
Ep. _N otes for which the Editor is responsible, wholly or in part.
1.£. That is.
Lit. Literally.
LXX. The Septuagint (Greek) Version of the Old Testament.
n. Note.
nn. Notes.
N.T. New Testament.
0.T. Old Testament.
R.v. Revised English Version, 1881-85.
S.H. Sanday and Headlam’s Commentary on ‘ Romans.’
v.L. Varia Lectio. An alternative reading found in some Manuscripts of the New Testament.
vv. Verses.
In accordance with modern English custom, JTALICS are used to indicate emphasis. Old Testament quotations are printed in small capitals.
‘
During Christ’s earthly ministry even His disciples did not always recognize His super-human nature and dignity. Accordingly, in the Gospels of this Translation, it is only when the Evangelists themselves use of Him the words “ He,” “ Him,” “ His,” that these are spelt with capital initial letters.
The spelling of “me” and “my” with small initial letters, when used by Christ Himself in the Gospels, is explained by the fact that, before His Resurrection, He did not always emphasize His own super-human nature and dignity.
There are ample reasons for accepting the uniiorm tradition which from earliest times has ascribed this Gospel to Levi the son of Alphaeus, who seems to have changed his name to ‘Matthew’ on becoming a disciple of Jesus. Our information as to his subsequent life is very scanty. After the feast which he made for his old friends (Luke v. 29) his name only appears in the New Testament in the list of the twelve Apostles. Early Christian writers add little to our knowledge of him, but his life seems to have been quiet and somewhat ascetic. He is also generally represented as having died a natural death. Where his Gospel was written, or where he himself laboured, v2 cannot say.
Not a little controversy has arisen as to the form in which this Gospel first appeared, that is, as to whether we have in the Greek MSS. an original document or a translation from an earlier Aramaic writing. Modern scholarship in- clines to the view that the book is not a translation, but was probably written in Greek by Matthew himself, upon the basis of a previously issued collection of ‘‘Logia” or dis- courses, to the existence of which Papias, Irenaeus, Pan- taenus, Origen, Eusebius and Jerome all testify.
The date of the Gospel, as we know it, is somewhat uncertain, but the best critical estimates are included between 70 and go, a.D. Perhaps, with Harnack, we may adopt 75, A.D.
The book was evidently intended for Jewish converts, and exhibits Jesus as the God-appointed Messiah and King, the fulfiller of the Law and of the highest expectations of the Jewish nation. This speciality of aim rather enhances than diminishes its general value. Renan found reason for pronouncing it ‘‘the most important book of Christendom— the most important book which has ever been written.” Its aim is manifestly didactic rather than chronological.
THE GOOD NEWS AS RECORDED BY MATTHEW
The Names *The ?Genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son ot eee David, the son of Abraham. Abraham was the father of Isaac; Isaac of Jacob;
Jacob of Judah and his brothers. Judah was the father (by ,
Tamar) of 3Perez and Zerah; Perez of Hezron ; Hezron of Ram; Ram of Amminadab; Amminadab of Nahshon; Nah- shon of Salmon; Salmon (by Rahab) of Boaz; Boaz (by Ruth) of Obed ; Obed of Jesse; jesse of David—the King.
David (by Uriah’s widow) was the father of Solomon ; Solomon of Rehoboam; Rehoboam of Abijah; Abijah of Asa; Asa of Jehoshaphat; Jehoshaphat of Jehoram ; Jehoram ,of Uzziah ; Uzziah ef Jotham ; Jotham of Ahaz; Ahaz of Hezekiah; Hezekiah of Manasseh; Manasseh of Amon; Amon of Josiah; Josiah of Jeconiah and his brothers at the period of the Removal to Babylon.
After the Removal to Babylon Jeconiah had a son Shealtiel ; Shealtiel was the father of Zerubbabel; Zerub- babel of Abiud ; Abiud of Eliakim; Eliakim of Azor; Azor of Zadok; Zadok of Achim; Achim of Eliud; Eliud of Eleazar; Eleazar of Matthar; Matthan of Jacob; and Jacob of Joseph the husband of Mary, who was the mother of JESUS who is called CHRIST.
There are therefore, in all, fourteen generations from Abraham to David; fourteen from David to the Removal
Both the A.V. and the R.V. head this first chapte~, 7 ~_ . doe ah a ag to St. MatTHEew, a mistranslation of the healing tound in the mass ur later MSS., which should be rendered Tue Hoty Gospen accorpinc TO Marriizw. And so in the other three Gospels.
1. (vv. 1-17.) Cp. Luke iii. 23-28. ,
2. Genealogy] Lit. ‘ Book of Generation.’ Or it may be rendered ‘history’ (and so Baxter), as also may the corresponding expression in the Hebrew of Gen. ii. 43 XXXVI1. 2.
3. Perez] Of this and other Old Testament proper names the forms here given are those which were adopted by the O.T. Revisers,
3
MATTHEW I.
to Babylon; and fourteen from the Removal to Babylon to the Christ.
The circumstances of the birth ' of Jesus Christ
une Eeiceh were these. After his mother Mary was be-
trothed to Joseph, before they were united in
marriage, she was found to be with child through the Holy
Spirit. But Joseph her husband, being a * kind-hearted man
and unwilling publicly to disgrace her, had determined to
release her privately from the betrothal. But while he
3 was contemplating this step, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, :
‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to bring home your wife Mary, for she is with child through the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a Son, and you are to call His name ‘JESUS, for He it is who will save His People from their sins.”
All this 5took place in *fulflment of what the Lord had spoken through the Prophet,
‘“MarK! THE MAIDEN WILL BE WITH CHILD AND WILL GIVE BIRTH TO A SON,
AND THEY WILL CALL His NAME IMMANU-EL” (Isa. vii. 14) —a word which signifies ‘Gop witH us’ (Isa. viii. 8, 10).
When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded, and brought home his wife, but did not live with her until she had given birth to’a son. The child’s name he called JESUS.
1. Of Jesus Christ] v.L. ‘of the Christ.’ Cp. verse 16.
2, Kind-hearted| See Hatch's Essays in Biblical Greek, p. 5x. Or the clause ad be rende-ed ‘being an upright man, and yet not wishin ;' for ‘and’ in Hebrew (and the Greek of the New Testament abounds in Fepraisms) often connects adversative clauses where we use ‘but,’ as in Gen. ii. 17; xvii. 21. See also Aorist, pp. 54, 55
3. Was conten piabtoe] it. ‘had conceived in his mind.’
4. Jesus] The Greek form of ‘Joshua,’ which latter (like ‘Joram’ 2 Kings 1x. 14 for ‘Jehoram' 2 Kings ix. 15; ‘Joash’ 2 Kings xii. 20 for ‘Jehoash’ 2 Kings xii, 1; and ‘Jonathan’ most commonly for the ‘Jehonathan” which we find in the Hebrew in 1 Sam.) is contracted from ‘ Jehoshua,’ or rather ‘ Yehoshua.’ In the Hebrew of the O.T. only the uncontracted form occurs, and (in x and 2 Chron., Ezra, and Neh.) the contracted but altered ‘Jeshua,’ which already eperoaches the ‘ater ‘Jesus.’ The full significance of the name ‘ Jesus’ is seen in the original * Yeho-shua,’ which means ‘Jehovah the Saviour,’ and not merely ‘Saviour, as the word is commonly explained. See also ix. 21, n.3 xxi. 9, n.
5. Took place| The tense of this verb in the Greek implies—' and remains, as it is, an accomplished fact.’ Or it may be taken (Lightfoot) as ‘is come to pass’ or ‘has taken place,’ the perfect tense being accounted for by the Evangelist's proximity in time to the events themselves.
6. Fulfilment] Or ‘ illustration.’ Cp. ii. 15.
7- d son] v.L. ‘her firstborn son, an expression apparentl transferred by the carelessness of copyists, trusting too much to memory, from Luke ii. 4, where the words undoubtedly occur.
4
18
19
20
21
22
23
24 25
MATTHEW IL
Now after the birth of Jesus, which took place eee at Bethlehem in Judaea *in the reign of King Herod, ?excitement was produced in Jerusalem
by the arrival of certain 3 Magi from the east, inquiring,
“Where is the newly born king of the Jews? For we have seen his Star in the east, and have come here to do him homage.”
Reports of this soon reached the king, and greatly agitated not only him but all the people of Jerusalem. So he assembled all the *High Priests and Scribes of the people, and 5 anxiously asked them where the Christ was to be born.
“At Bethlehem in Judaea,” they replied; ‘‘ for so it stands written in the words of the Prophet,
“** AND THOU, ®° BETHLEHEM IN THE LAND OF JUDAH,
By NO MEANS THE LEAST HONOURABLE ART THOU AMONG 7 PRINCELY PLACES IN JuDAH!
FoR FROM THEE SHALL COME A PRINCE—
ONE WHO SHALL BE THE SHEPHERD OF My PEOPLE IsRaEL’” (Mic. v. 2).
Thereupon Herod sent privately for the Magi and ascer- tained from them the exact time *of the star’s appearing. He then directed them to go to Bethlehem, adding,
‘Go and make careful inquiry about the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and °do him homage.”
After hearing what the king said, they went to Bethlehem, while, strange to say, the star "they had seen in the east led them on until it came and stood over the place where the babe was. When they saw the star, the sight filled
. In the reign] Lit. ‘in the days. A Hebraism, - . Excitement &c.] Lit. ‘lo! there came.’ See viii. 24, ni; xii. 18, u. . Mag] A priestly caste among the Persians, not idolaters. High Priests| Both in the A.V. and the R.V., the Greek word used here is rendered either ‘High Priest’ or ‘Chief Priest.’
5. Anxtously asked] The tense (imperfect) implies that he asked repeatedly, pressed the inquiry. A
6. Bethlehem in the land of Judah] Lit. ‘Bethlehem-land-Judah,’ a Hebraism analogous to ‘Jabesh-Gilead,’ i.e. ‘Jabesh of’ (or ‘in') ‘Gilead,’ *Kedesh- Naphtali,’ i.e. ‘Kedesh of Naphtali.’ In Hebrew the relation a by our ‘of is not expressed with the latter of the two related words, but with the former, or is often not expressed at all. :
4. Princely places in) Lit. ‘ the princes of.’ ;
8. Of the star's appearing] Lit. ‘ of the appearing star.’ See Goodwin's Maods and Tenses, 829 (b).
9. Do him ep aye perhaps ‘ worship.’
Pope
10. Strange to say] Lit. ‘lo!’ See viii, 24, u.; xii. 18, u, 11. They had seen|See Aorist, p. 19
5
~
Io
MATTHEW Ii.
them with intense joy. So they entered the house; and when they ‘saw the babe ?with His mother Mary, they prostrated themselves and did Him homage, and opening their treasure-chests offered gifts to Him—gold, frankin- cense, and myrrh. But being %forbidden by God in a dream to return to Herod, they went back to their own country by a different route.
When they were ¢gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said,
‘Rise: take the babe ani His mother ard escape to Egypt, and remain there till I bring you word. For Herod is about to make search for the child in order to destroy Him.”
So Joseph roused himself and took the babe and His mother by night and departed into Egypt. There he remained till Herod’s death, that what the Lord had said through the Prophet might be § fulfilled,
‘‘Out or Ecyet I cattep My Son” (Hos. xi. 1). THe GHIAree ‘Then Herod, finding that the Magi had at Bethlehem trifled with him, was furious, and sent and cruelly killed assacred ali the boys under two years of age, in Bethlehem and all its neighbourhood, according to the date he had so carefully ascertained from the Magi. Then were these words, spoken by the Prophet Jeremiah, Sfulfilled,
‘“A VOICE WAS HEARD IN RAMAH,
WAILING AND BITTER LAMENTATION :
Ir was RACHEL ° BEWAILING HER CHILDREN,
AND SHE REFUSED TO BE COMFORTED BECAUSE THEY
WERE NO MORE” (Jer. xxxi. 15). Ere ae But after Herod's death an angel of the Lord from Egypt @ppeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, and said to him,
*‘Rise from sleep, and take the child and His mother, and go into the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child’s life are dead.”
So he roused himself and took the child and His mother
The Escape into Egypt
Saw] v.t. ‘found.’
With) Probably ‘in the arms of.’
. Forbidden by God) Lit. ‘taught as by an oracle, not.’
one) Or ‘returned.’
» Fulfilled] Or ‘illustrated.’ See E. B. Nicholson on Matt. ii. 15. Bewailing] Or ‘weeping aloud for.’ See xxvi. 75, a.
6
DAP! pA
Ti
I2
13
14 i5
16
17
18
19
20
MATTHEW 11.—111.
and came into the land of Israel. But hearing that Archelaiis had succeeded his father Herod on the throne of Judaea, he was afraid to go there; and being instructed ‘by God in a dream he withdrew into Galilee, and went and settled in a town called Nazareth, in order that these words spoken through the Prophets might be fclfilled, ‘‘ HE SHALL BE CALLED A * NAZARENE.” 3 About this time John ‘the Baptist made his
John the . 4
‘Baptist appearance, preaching in the Desert of Judaea. reaches < :
daawenent Repent,” he said, “‘ for the “Kingdom of the and Heavens is now close at hand.”
Repentance
He it is who was spoken of through the Prophet Isaiah when he said,
‘“THE VOICE OF ONE CRYING ALOUD,
‘7IN THE DESERT PREPARE YE A ROAD FOR THE LorD: Make His HIGHWAY STRAIGHT’” (Isa. xl. 3).
®This man John wore a garment of camel’s hair, and a loincloth of leather; and he lived upon locusts and wild honey.
Then large numbers of people went out to him—people from Jerusalem and from all Judaea, and from the whole ot the Jordan valley—and were baptized by him in the Jordan, making full confession of their sins.
But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he exclaimed,
1. By Godj Cp. verse 12, where the same verb is used.
2. ‘Nesavene| A form closer to the Greek would be ‘Nazoraean.’ And so everywhere except in Mark, and in Luke iv. 34. But the recognized English form is ‘Nazarene.’
3. (vv. 1-10:) Cp. Mark i. 1-6; Luke iii. 1-14,
4. The Baptist) t.e., ‘the baptizer.’. And s~ throughout the Gospels.
5. Repent] Or ‘change your minds.’
6. Kingdom of the Heavens] The phrase speaks to us of the universality, peacefulness, purity and splendour of the sovereignty exercised over the world by God through Christ and His saintly and consecrated people.—Ep. Matthew mostly uses the plural ‘Heavens,’ following the Hebrew usage; but he also uses the singular in many places, and that not merely of the atmosphere (vi. ain the visible sky (xvi. 2), but also of Heaven as the abode of God (v. 34) and of His angels (xxii. 30).
7, In the Desert eee This is not the punctuation adopted in the Reszliant Greek Testament, but it is preferred by Tregelles (see his note on Mark i. 3), and
iven in Isa, xl. 3in the R.V., being required there both by the accents of the fi ebrew and by the parallelism of the two clauses. :
8. This man] Or ‘The same.’ Lit. ‘And John himself.’ Cp. Luke xxiii. go, n. In conformity with the hard, simple life given him to live, the Baptist seems to have worn nothing but a coarse mantle which was thrown lightly over his shoulders, and a loincloth, which, instead of being of comfortable linen or silk, was of rough, untanned skin. His ‘girdle,’ was thus not a belt worn over other cla thing.—Ep,
7
22
23
MATTHEW Ili.
*€Q vipers’ 'brood, who has ‘warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Therefore let your lives prove your 3change of heart; and ‘do not imagine that you can say 5to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our forefather,’ for I tell you that God can %raise up descendants for Abraham from these stones. And already the axe is lying at the root of the trees, so that every tree which does not produce good fruit will quickly be hewn down and thrown into the
_. fire. 7I indeed am baptizing you *in water
He predicts 9on a profession of repentance ; but He who is
Appearing coming after me is mightier than I: His sandals and Work
I am not worthy to carry for a moment; He
will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and in fire. His winnow-
ing-shovel is in His hand, and He will make a thorough
clearance of His threshing-floor, gathering His wheat into the
storehouse, but ® burning up the “chaff in unquenchable fire.”
pases ™ Just at that time Jesus, coming from Galilee
double to the Jordan, presents Himself to John to be
Baptism baptized by him. John ™ protested.
“Tt is I,” he said, ‘‘who have need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”
“Let it be so on this occasion,” Jesus replied; ‘‘ for so we ought to fulfil every religious duty.”
Then he consented ; and Jesus was baptized, and immedi- ately went up from the water. ™At that moment the heavens *Sopened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a *6dove and alighting upon Him, while a voice came from Heaven. saying,
1. Brood] Lit. ‘ offsprings.’
2. Warned you to tee ror | Or possibly ‘taught you how to escape.'-—Ep.
3. Change of heart] Or ‘change of mind.’ Such is the exact meaning of the word commonly, and not wrongly, rendered ‘repentance.’ This is the only Scripture name for ‘conversicn.’
4. Do not tmagine) Or ‘do not flatter yourselves with the notion.’
5. To yourselves] Lit. ‘within yourselves’ or ‘among yourselves.’
6. Rarse up) Lit. ‘ wake up.’
7. (vv. 11-12.) Cp. Mark i. 7-8; Luke iii. 15-18.
8. Jn water] Or possibly, ‘with water’ (Cp. Acts i. 5; xi. 16), a Hebraism (compare ‘with the sword, lit. ‘in the sword, xxvi. 52; Rev. xiii. ro). And so at the end of the verse.
9. On @ profession of] Lit. ‘into’ (that changed condition), or ‘unto’ (to teach the absolute necessity ot).
10. Burning wel Lit. ‘burning down,’ to ashes.
11. Chaff] Or ‘broken straw.
12. (vv. 13-17.) Cp, Mark i. 9-11; Luke iii. 21, 22.
13. Protested] Strenuously for a time: so the Greek implies.
14. At that moment] Lit. ‘and lo!’ See xii, 18, n.
15. Opened] v.L. has ‘opened to Him.’
16. Dove] Lit. ‘pigeon.’ Cp. Luke ii. -
8 9
I@
II
12
13
14
15
16
17
MATTHEW III.—IV.
‘This is My Son, the dearly loved, in whom is My delight.”
Ghaistie ‘At that time Jesus was *led up by the Spirit tempted in into the Desert in order to be tempted by the the Desert Devil. There He fasted for forty days and
nights ; and after that He suffered from hunger.
So the Tempter came and said,
“*3If you are the Son of God, command these stones to turn into loaves.”
“Tt is written,” replied Jesus, ‘‘‘Ir Is NOT ON BREAD ALONE THAT A MAN SHALL LIVE, BUT ON WHATSOEVER Gop SHALL APppointT’” (Deut. viii. 3).
Then the Devil took Him to the Holy City and caused Him to stand on the roof of the 4Temple, and said,
“31f you are God’s Son, throw yourself down; for it is written,
““«To His ANGELS HE WILL GIVE ORDERS CONCERNING
THEE, : AND ON THEIR HANDS THEY SHALL BEAR THEE UP, LEsT AT ANY MOMENT THOU SHOULDST STRIKE THY FOOT AGAINST A STONE’” (Ps, xci. 11, 12).
‘* Again it is written,” replied Jesus, ‘‘‘5 THOU SHALT NOT PUT THE LorD THY GOD TO THE PROOF’” (Deut. vi. 16).
Then the Devil. took Him to the top of an exceedingly lofty mountain, from which he caused Him to see all the Kingdoms of the world and their splendour, and said to Him,
“All this I will give you, °if you will kneel down and do me homage.”
“Begone, Satan!” Jesus replied; ‘‘for it is written, ‘To tHE Lorp THY GOD THOU SHALT DO HOMAGE, AND TO HIM ALONE SHALT THOU RENDER WORSHIP ’” (Deut. vi. 13).
Thereupon the Devil left Him, and angels 7at once came and ministered to Him.
. (vv. r-11.) Cp. Mark i. 12, 13; Luke iv. 1-73, . Led 1p) From the valley of the Jordan, . Lf] Le. ‘Since,’ ‘Seeing that.'—Epb. emple] Not the Sanctuary. See xxiii. 16, n. . Thou shalt not... proof] Not signifying, as some strangely misappre- hend our Lord's meaning, that asserting His divinity He forbad aes to tempt Him any further, but that He Himself would have been tempting—that is trying an experiment upon—God, if He had flung Himself down to see whethe: God would protect Him or not. See Deut. vi. 16; Exod. xvii. 1-7. i 6. Tf you &-.] The tenses imply ‘if you will but do me one single act of jomage. q. At once] Cp. viii. 24, u.
Aor nr
9
10
It
MATTHEW Iv.
?Now when Jesus heard that John was thrown into prison, He withdrew into Galilee, and leaving Nazareth He went and settled at 3Capernaum, a town by the ‘Lake on the frontiers of Zebulun and Naphtali, in order that these words, spoken through the Prophet Isaiah, might be fulfilled, ‘© ZEBULUN’S LAND AND NAFHTALI’S LAND ; THE ROAD BY THE +LAKE; THE COUNTRY BEYOND THE JORDAN ; 5 GALILEE OF THE NATIONS ! THE PEOPLE WHO WERE °DWELLING IN DARKNESS HAVE SEEN A BRILLIANT LIGHT ; AND ON THOSE WHO WERE DWELLING IN THE 7 REGION OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH, ON THEM LIGHT HAS DAWNED” (Isa. ix. I, 2). : From that time Jesus began to preach. Weer eae = Repent,” He said, ‘‘ for the Kingdom of the Disciples FTeavens is now close at hand.” called And walking along the shore of the Lake of Galilee He saw two brothers—Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew—tirowing a drag-net into the Lake ; for they were fishers. And He said to them, “*Come and follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” So they immediately left their nets and followed Him. As He went further on, He saw two other brothers, James the son of ® Zabdi and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zabdi mending their nets; and He called them. And they at once left the boat and their father, and followed Him. , : Then Jesus travelled through all Galilee, His Preaching Pi s Fi Rees and Miracles teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming throughout 2the Good News of the Kingdom, and curing every kind of disease and infirmity among the people. Thus His fame spread through all Syria ; and they
Christ goes , into Galilee
1. (vv. 12-25.) Cp. Mark i. 14, 15; Luke iv. 14, 15.
2. Thrown into prison] Lit. * delivered up’ (to the jailer).
3-_Capernaum] Lit. ‘Capharnahum.’ And so throughout the Gospels. See E. B. Nicholson's note on Matt. iv. 13.
4. Lake} 1.£. ‘Sea of Galilee.’
5. Galtee of the Nations] Or ‘ Gentile Galilee!’
6. Dwelling] See Luke i. 79, n.
7. Region of the shadow) Lit. ‘ region and shadow,’ a hendiadys.
8. Zabd:) Such is the O.T. form of the name better known to us as ‘ Zebedee.’ See Jos. vii. 1, 17, 18; 1 Chron. viii. 19; xxvii. 27; Neh. xi. 17.—Ep.
9. Travelled through] Or ‘ made circuits in.’
10. The Goud News of the Araeanen as the good news that the Kingdom of Heaven was close at hand (verse 17),—ED.
to
14
15
16
17
18
19
20 21
22
23
24
MATTHEW IvV.—V.
brought all the sick to Him, the people who were ' suffering from various diseases and pains—demoniacs, epileptics, paralytics ; and He cured them. And great crowds followed Him, coming from Galilee, from the Ten Towns, from Jerusalem, and from beyond the district on the other side of the Jordan. S oe Sera Seeing the multitude of people, Jesus went up onthe ’the Hill. There He 3seated Himself, and Mount when His disciples came to Him, 4 He proceeded
Kingdom of the Heavens. ‘*8 Blessed are the mourners, for they shall be comforted. ‘*8 Blessed are °the meek, for they as heirs shall obtain possession of the earth.
‘*Blessed are the compassionate, for they shall receive compassion. ‘ ‘‘ Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. “ Blessed are the peacemakers, for *it is they who will be recognized as sons of God. ‘Blessed are those who have borne persecution in--the _cause of Righteousness, for to them belongs the Kingdom
Sede te nee
of the: Heavens.
1. Suffering from] Cp. Luke iv. 38; viii. 37, n. 2. The Hill] Or ‘mountain.’ Probably well known to the first readers of the
Gospels. 3. Seated Himseif) Stapfer contends that this means that Jesus remained there for atime. ‘'Y fit sa demeure,” he renders it, comparing the sense of the
same verb in Luke xxiv. 49; Acts xviii. 11. Cp. Matt. xv. 20.
4. Most of the difficulties arising from a comparison of this discourse with the ‘Sermon on the Plain’ recorded in Luke vi. come from ignoring the fact that, like all other teachers and preachers, Jesus often repeated Himselr, and in so doing somewhat varied His language. ‘‘ Nothing is so ductile as fine gold. So was it with the fine gold of the Saviour’s doctrine, which yielded itself easily to be shaped and fashioned into new forms, as need might require” (Trench).—Eb.
5. (vv. 3-6.) Cp. Luke vi. 20, 21.
6. (vv. 3-11.) Blessed] Or ‘Happy.’ An adjective in the original, not the past
articiple of the verb ‘bless’ as in xxi. 9. ‘ Blessedness’ is, of course, an infinitely Rieher and better thing than mere i fopsinees: People. who .are -blessed- may outwardly be much to be pitied, but from_the higher and truer standpoint they are to be admired, envied, congratulated and imitated.—Ep. fhe es “9. Poor| Or ‘beggars.’ * Mendici,’ Tertullian. . V.L, transnoses these verses.
9. The meek] Men of a retiring, submissive, chastened spirit. The word ‘meek’ is seidom_used now, but there is no other to substitute fer it. Luther renders by die Sanftmiithigen (the sweet-tempered, the tender-hearted), and similarly Welldon Bives ‘ good-tempered ‘in his note on Aristotle, Mic. Ethics, lv, 11, but neither of these words adequately represents the meaning.
10. It is they who] Some authorities do not so emphasize the ‘they.’ See also xiii, 98, n. j 11
10
MATTHEW V.
“« Blessed are you when they have insulted and per- secuted you, and have said every cruel thing about you falsely for my sake. Be joyful and triumphant, because your reward is great in the Heavens; for so were the Prophets before you persecuted.
‘a You are the salt of the earth; but if salt eis has become 3 tasteless, in what way can it regain its saltness? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown away and trodden on by the passers by. You, are the light of the world; a town cannot be hid if built on a hill-top. Nor is a lamp lighted to be put under a bushel, but on the lampstand; and then it gives light to all in the house. Just so let your light shine before all men, in order that they may see ‘your holy lives and may give glory to your Father who is in Heaven. “To not for a moment suppose that I have come to abrogate Sthe Law or the Prophets: I have not come to abrogate them but to give them their completion. © Solemnly I tell you that until 7 Heaven and
The Law not repealed
a eh 11-12.) Cp. Luke vi. 22-26.
2. . Mark ix. 50; Luke xiv. 34, 35. Vou are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world] It must not be forgotten that these words were originally spoken to a Hebrew, rather than to a distinctively Christian audience. The purpose for which the Jewish nation existed was an unselfish one—that they might b2a spiritual salt preserving the rest of iaankind from utter corruption, and a spiritual light shedding over the whole earth a beneficent influence resembling that of the sun in the sky. The second sentence of verse 13 is our Lord's first recorded prediction of the divine rejection of His fellow countrymen—a rejection then so near—consequent upon their failure to respond to their divine election. Spoken originally to Jews, the lesson is one which Christians in all ages sorely need to lay to heart.—Ep.
3. Tasteless] See E. B. Nicholson's note on Matt. v. 13. e :
4. Your holy lives\ ‘‘ Not yourselves; the shining, not the candle” (Bengel),
5. The Law] 1.5. the moral and ceremonial Law of Moses, which remained binding upon all Jewish Christians until the Mosaic dispensation passed away at the time of the destruction of Jerusalem in 70, A.D. aEven St. Paul who so zealously contended for the exemption of Gentile Christians from this Law seems never to have claimed a similar freedom for the Jewish believers of his day. See especially Acts xxi. 2r where the charge brought against him was, of course, a false one.—Ep,
6. Cp. Luke xvi. 17. Solemnly| Greek ‘Amen.’ This is a Hebrew word, a verbal adjective, meaning ‘firm,’ ‘solid,’ ‘immovable,’ and so ‘faithful,’ ‘true.’ Its ordinary use is elliptical, the verb understood being either in the indicative (‘it_is immovably settled,’ ‘certainly true’), as here, or in the optative (‘ may it be fixed and certain’), as when it follows a prayer (1 Cor. xiv. 16).
Heaven and earth) To our Lord's contemporaries the religious and social system under which they lived seemed almost as fixed and as eternal as the earth and sky. Indeed, ‘ Heaven and earth’ appears to have been a name which they gave to the then-existing order of things in recognition of what they deemed its permanence and fixity. So both here and in xxiv, 35 the phrase seems to denote ‘the Jewish dispensation,’ the transitory and provisional character of which Jesus insisted on. In order to make the transition less abrupt_and revolutionary, and for the sake of their own spiritual education, the early Jewish adherents of the new faith were for a limited time to be left subject to an antiquated system of things.—-Ep, ‘
I2
tl
12
13
18
MATTHEW V.
earth pass away, "not one iota or smallest detail will pass away from the Law until all has taken place. Whoever therefore * breaks one of these least commandments and teaches 3others to break them, will be called the least in the Kingdom of the Heavens ; but whoever practises them and teaches them, he will be acknowledged as great in the Kingdom ofthe Heavens. For I assure you that unless ¢ your righteousness 5 greatly surpasses that of the Scribes and the Pharisees, you will certainly not find entrance into the Kingdom of the Heavens.
a “*6 You have heard that it was said to the (Ang ancients, ‘THOU SHALT NOT COMMIT MURDER’ (Exod. xx. 13), and whoever commits murder
wili be answerable to 7the magistrate. But I say to you that every one who becomes ®angry with his brother shall be answerable to the magistrate ; that whoever says to his brother ‘9Raca,’ shall be answerable to the * Sanhedrin ; and that whoever says, ‘You ™ fool!’ shall be liable to the Gehenna of Fire. If therefore when you are offering your gift upon the altar, you remember that your brother has a grievance against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go and make friends with your brother first, and then return and proceed to offer your gift. "Come to terms without delay with your opponent while you are yet with him on the way to the court ; for fear he should obtain
1. Not one tota or smallest detail] Or, as we English might say, ‘not the dot of an 7 nor the cross of a #.' 2. Breaks .. teaches . vactises . : teaches] Lit. ‘shall have broken &c.’ 3. Others to break them] it. ‘men SO. Your rz eee 1.E. ‘your scrupulous observanee, of. the Law '—of its. ett tt I it. hal
spirit as Ww ts Jetteras “well as o! of its: spirit.—Ep.
§. Greatly So pases Li have aboun led more than.’ Verses 21 to 48 of vue chapter illustrate the way in which Jewish Christians were to, observe, the Lam. of eae even _more.scrup. Man the Scribés"and’ Pharisees did.—Ep. a Pou have heard] ‘* The people knew the Law only by the public réadings” (Tholesk),
7. The magistrate] See Deut. xvi. 18.
8. An, with his brother] v.L. adds ‘ without just cause.’
g. Raca)1.£. ‘You empty man
10. Sanhedrin] The Supreme Court in Jerusalem.
11. Fool] Or ‘Impious rebel ;" Greek mdr%._ ‘* The mention of an Oriental word vaca in the first clause, and of the Sanhedrin, where crimes of blasphemy were punished, makes it probable that there is a reference (in méré) to the Hebrew morah, apostate” (Wordsworth).
12. Gehe ana of Fire\ Or‘ Hell.’ The severest punishment inflicted by the Jews upon any criminal. The corpse (after the man had been stoned to death) was thrown out into the Valley of Hinnom (Gay-Hinném) and was devoured by the youn or the flame (Alford). ‘Gehenna' is rendered by McClellan ‘ The Burning
alley.
13. te 25-26.) Cp. Luke xii. 58, 59. Come to terms] Or ‘be reasonable and accommodating.’
13
19
20
21
22
23 24
25
MATTHEW V.
judgement from the magistrate against you, and the magistrate should give you.in custody to the ‘officer and you be thrown into prison. I solemnly tell you that you will certainly not be released till you have paid the very last
,
farthing.
““You have heard that it was said, ‘ THau
a Adultery and
impure SHALT NOT COMMIT ADULTERY’ (Exod. xx. 14). Thoughts But I tell you that whoever looks at a woman
and cherishes lustful thoughts has already in his heart become guilty with regard to her. even the right eye, *is a snare to you, tear it out and away
If therefore your eye,
with it; it is better for you that one member should be destroyed rather than that your whole body should be thrown into Gehenna. And if your right hand ?is a snare to you, cut it off and away with it; it is better for you that one member should be destroyed rather than that your whole body should go into Gehenna.
The Sacred-
“Tt was also said, ‘Ir ANY MAN PUTS AWAY
ness of Mar- HIS WIFE, LET HIM GIVE HER A WRITTEN NOTICE
riage
OF DIVORCE’ (Deut. xxiv. 1).
3But I tell you
that every man who puts away his wife except on the ground of ‘unfaithfulness causes her to commit adultery, and whoever marries Sher when so divorced commits
adultery.
Simple Truth-
~. fulness of to the ancients,
‘‘Again, you have heard that it was said ‘THOU SHALT NOT SWEAR
\) Speech parsety (Exod. xx. 7), BUT SHALT PERFORM THY
vows To THE Lorp’ (Num. xxx. 2; Deut. xxiii. 21).
But
I tell you not to °swear at all; neither by Heaven, for it is
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
God’s throne; nor by the earth, for it is the footstool under His feet; nor 7by Jerusalem, for it is the City of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. But ®let your language be, ‘ Yes,
1. Officer] 1.8. * pclice officer’ or ‘constable,’ as in xxvi. 58.
_2 Is a snare to you) Lit. ‘is tripping you up,' i.e. causing you to stumble into sin. The same vorb occurs 30 times in the N.T.; 14 times in this Gospel. In every case it is translated in the A.V. by ‘offend,’ which is probably to be under- stood in the sense of the Latin verb ‘ offendere,’ to stumble, or cause to stumble. See xv. 12, n. ris Luke xvi. 18.
nfaithfulness| Whether before marriage (see i. 18-25) or after. Her when so divorced, Or perhaps, generally, ‘a divorced woman.’
6. On the subject of judicial oaths see xxvi. 63, n.—Eb.
4. By derigeien| Lit. ‘into,’ implying the turning of the thoughts, and pertiars the face also, towards the City and the Temple.
8. Let your language be] v.L. ‘your language shall be.’
14
3 4. 5
MATTHEW V.—VIi.
yes,’ or ‘No, no.’ Anything in excess of this comes from "the Evil one.
*“You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye FOR pense EYE, TOOTH FOR TOoTH’ (Exod. xxi. 24). *But “eS I tell you not to resist a wicked man, but if any one 3strikes you on the right ‘cheek, turn the other to him as well. If any one wishes to go to law with you and to deprive you of your Sunder garment, let him take your outer one also. And whoever shall compel you to ®convey his goods one mile, go with him two. To him who asks, give: from him who would borrow,
turn not away. if “You have heard that it was said, ‘THou ~ "hove your sHALT LOVE THY NEIGHBOUR (Lev. xix. 18) and ES hate thine enemy.’ ’But I command you all, love your enemies, and pray for your persecutors; that so you may become true sons of your Father in Heaven ; for He causes His sun to rise on the wicked as well as the good, and sends rain upon those who do right and those who do wrong. For if you love only those who love you, what reward have you earned? Do not even the tax-gatherers do that? And if you salute only your near relatives, what praise is due to you? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You however are to be complete in goodness, as your Heavenly Father
is complete.
‘Yetdo not. But beware of doing your 8 good actions in parade your the sight of men, in order to attract their Goodness’ Gaze; if you do, there is no reward for you with your Father who is in Heaven.
1. The Evil one] Or ‘ wickedness.’ See 2 Cor. v. 10, 1.
2. (vv. 39-42.) Cp. Luke vi. 27-30.
3. Strikes] Or ‘slaps,’ or, perhaps, ‘strikes with a rod.’ Cp. xxvi. 67.
4. Cheek] Lit. ‘jaw.’
5, In Palestine and the adjacent countries the common people to the present day wear, as the Greeks and Romans did of old, two garments only. These are a long cotton shirt or tunic (the Greeks and Romans, and doubtless the ancient Jews, wore wool), called by the Arabs Aamise, and an outer mantle or cloak, equate with two holes in it for the arms to pass through, called an abba or abbayeh. The latter, often more or less embroidered, is the more costly.
6. Convey] Namely on your mule or ass; or perhaps, ‘carry.’
7. (vv. 44-48.) Cp. Luke vi. 32-36.
_ 8. Good actions) Lit. ‘righteousness.’ This consisted, according to the teach-
ing of the Scribes, in almsgiving (see verse 2), prayer (verse 5), and fasting
(verse 16). Hatch has some interesting remarks on the word (&:blical Greek,
50), but he has forgotten that there is no word in the Hebrew of the Old estament that definitely signifies ‘alms.’
ws
38 39
4o
MATTHEW VI.
x : ‘When you give in charity, never blow a void Dis- | . ‘ play in trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in
Charity’ the synagogues and streets in order that their praises may be sung by men. I solemnly tell you that *they already have their reward. But when you are giving in 3charity, let not your left hand perceive what your right hand is doing, that your charities may be in secret ; and then your Father—He who sees in secret—will re- compense you.
‘*And when praying, you must not be like the hypocrites. They are fond of standing and praying in the synagogues or at the corners of the wider streets, in order that men may see them. I solemnly tell you that *they already have their reward. But you, whenever you pray, go into your own room and shut the door: then pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father—He who sees in secret—will recompense you.
“ Secret Prayer
ui “‘And when praying, do not use needless ‘Avoid ay F needless repetitions as the Gentiles do, for they expect Repetitions’ +4 be listened to because of their multitude of words. Do not, ‘however, imitate them; for ‘your Father knows what things you need before ever you ask Him. “‘6Tn this manner therefore pray: ‘Our pene Father who art in Heaven, may Thy name be kept holy; let Thy kingdom come; let Thy 7will be done, as in Heaven so on earth; *give us to-day our bread for the day; and forgive us our short- comings, as we also have forgiven those who have * failed
1. Trumpet] See the Commentators.
2. They already have their reward] So too in verse 16 and in Luke vi. 24. The same verb is similarly used in Phil. iv. 18 and Philem, 15. Granville Penn's rendering, ‘they are far from their reward,’ is altogether inadmissible, when the verb, as here, is in the active voice and governs the accusative.
3. Charity] Of course in our z2oth century sense of the word.
4. However) See Aorist, pp. 51, 52. So in verse 23. A
5. Your Father) v.v. ‘God your Father.’
6. be -10.) Cp. Luke xi. 2.
i Vill} Or ‘pleasure.’ Cp. John vi. 38, u.
. (vv. 11-13.) Cp. Luke xi. 3, 4.
9. For the day) More lit. ‘for the day now coming on.’ It should be remembered that this prayer was taught by our Lord who was a Jew to His disciples who were Jews, and that according to Jewish reckoning the day begins at sunset. This petition is therefore not only appropriate in the morning, as referring to the supply of our necessities till nightfall, but also in the evening, as embracing all the time till the next evening.
10, Fatled in their duty) Cp. Luke xi. 4,n. This, however, although negative, is an ‘offence,’ verse 15
16
II 12
MATTHEW VI.
in their duty towards us; and bring us not into tempta- tion, but rescue us "from the Evil one.’
‘‘For if you forgive others their offences, ihe nese your Heavenly Father will forgive you also; giving Spirit but if you do not forgive others their offences,
neither will your Father forgive yours. | +Fast goepetiy ‘“When any of you fast, never assume ; ee gloomy looks as the hypocrites do; for they : disfigure their faces in order that it may be evident to men that they are fasting. I solemnly tell you that they already have their reward. But, whenever you fast, pour “perfume on your hair and wash your face, that it may not be apparent to men that you are fasting, but to your Father who is in secret; and your Father— He who sees in secret—will recompense you. (‘Lay up Wealth ‘*3Do not lay up stores of wealth for your- \.. in Heaven" selves’ on earth, where the moth and ‘wear- and-tear destroy, and where thieves ‘break in and steal. But amass wealth for yourselves in Heaven, where neither the moth nor 4 wear-and-tear destroys, and where thieves do not Sbreak in and steal. For where your wealth is, there also will your heart be. Nckives ““°The eye is the lamp of the body. If supremely then your 7 eyesight is good, your whole body important Will be well lighted; but if your 7eyesight is bad, your whole body will be dark. If however the very light within you is darkness, how dense must the darkness be! “@No man can be the bondservant of two masters;
1. From the Evil one] Or possibly ‘from evil;' but in that case ‘out of,’ as used with the same verb in 2 Pet. il. 9, might have been expected rather than ‘from.’ Such is the usage of the Greek language. (See, for example, Herodotus i. 87.) As to the doxology which in later manuscripts is found at the end of the Lord’s Prayer, the statement of Alford that ‘‘we find absolutely no trace of it in early times” is inexact : it does occur in an imperfect form in the one existing MS. of The Teaching of the Apostles. (This most interesting book, however, had not been discovered when Alford wrote.) Still the balance of evidence as to the authenticity of the doxology is overwhelmingly against it.
2. Perfume] The use of highly scented oil or pomade, sometimes very costly, was customary among the Greeks and Romans, and therefore not unusual among the Jews in the time of our Lord. ‘Christ's great command is to do the hardest things for His sake as if we liked them” (E. Thring).—Ep.
3. (vv. 19-21.) Cp. Luke xii. 33, 34. 7
4. Wear-and-tear] So Alford. Or ‘rust.’ For the sense cp. Col. ii. 22, the parenthetical clause,
s. Break in] Lit. ‘dig through’ (the wall).
6. (vv. 22-23.) Cp. Luke xi. 34-36.
z Eyesight\ Lit. ‘eye.’
. Cp. Luke xvi. 13.
17
13 14 15 16
17 18 19
20 21
22
23
24
.. Christians
MATTHEW VI.
for either he will dislike one and like the other, or he will attach himself to one and think slightingly of the other. ou cannot be the bondservants both of God and All Worry is of * gold. *For this reason I charge you not forbidden to to be over-anxious about your lives, inquiring what you are to eat or what you are to drink, nor yet about your bodies, inquiring what clothes you are to put on. Is not the life more precious than its food, and the body than its clothing? ‘%Look at the birds which fly in the air: they do not sow or reap or store up in barns, but your Heavenly Father feeds them: are not you of much greater value than they? Which of you by being over-anxious can add éa single foot to his height? And why be anxious about clothing? Learn a lesson from the wild Slilies. Watch their growth. They neither °toil nor ?spin, and yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his magnificence could array himself like one of these. And if God so clothes the wild herbage which to-day flourishes and to-morrow is thrown into the *oven, is it not much more certain that He will clothe you, you men of little faith? Do not be ° over-anxious, therefore, asking ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink ?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For all these are questions that Gentiles are always asking; "but your Heavenly Father knows that you need these things—all of them. But make His Kingdom and righteousness your chief aim, and then these things shall all be given you in addition. Do not be Y%over-anxious, therefore, about to-morrow, for
‘ ie
1. Gold] Lit. ‘Mamon.’ The word occurs also in Luke xvi. 9, 11, 13.
2. Cp. Luke xii. 22, 23.
3. (vv. 26-33.) Cp. Luke xii. 24-31.
4. A single foot] Lit. ‘one cubit.. In Hebrew and in Classical and Hellenistic Greek (as always in French and most modern European languages) the first cardinal numeral is sometimes used with a weakened force as equivalent to our indefinite article. Possibly however the true sense is ‘can add a single moment to his appointed span of life.’ Not one person in ten thousand wishes to add eighteen inches to his stature, but many would gladly prolong their lives.—Ep,
5. Lilies. Watch their growth) Lit. ‘lilies—how they grow.’
6. Zo} As men do.
Z Spin As women do. , :
g Over| The Fastcrn oven is a hol? in the grcund, about the size of a large jar. Its sides are plastered with cement, and it is heated by having grass, thorns, or dry twigs thrown into it and set fire to.—Ep.
9. Ovenanions| The form of the verb in these two verses bears a meaning that differs by a shade from that in verse 25. In verse 25 the sense is ‘not to cherish solicitude ;' in verses 31, 35,‘ Admit no solicitude,’ that is, ‘Do not ever begin to be anxious.’ See Aorist vi.6.
ro, Bu?] Lit. ‘for.’ See Aorist, Appendix A, 11,
18
25
26
27 28
29
30
31
33
34
MATTHEW VI.—VII.
to-morrow will bring its own cares, Enough for each day are its own troubles. eS Sinners: must “Judge not, that you may not be judged ; not judge for your own judgement will be dealt—and your own measure meted—to yourselves. ?And why do you look at the splinter in your brother’s eye, and not notice the beam which is in your own eye? Or how say to your brother, ‘Allow me to take the splinter out of your eye,’ while the beam is in your own eye? Hypocrite, first take the beam out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly how to remove the splinter from your brother’s eye.
“‘Give not that which is holy to the dogs, nor throw your pearls to the swine; otherwise they will trample them under their feet and then turn and attack you.
‘“4Ask, and it will be given to you; seek,
Prayer. A and you will find; knock, and the door will
three-fold ne
Promise be opened to you. For it is always he who
asks that receives, he who seeks that finds, and he who knocks that has the door opened to him. What man is there among you, who if his son shall ask him for bread will offer him a stone? Or if the son shall ask him for a fish will offer him a snake? If you then, imperfect as you are, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in Heaven give good things to those who ask Him! 5 Everything, therefore, be it what it may, that you would have men do to you, do you also the same to them; for in this the Law and the Prophets are summed up. a eo Head ‘6 Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is i for 7 the gate and broad the road which leads to \Earnestness -in, and many there are who enter by it; ® because narrow is the gate and contracted the road which leads ° to Life, and few are those who find it.
1. (vv. 1-2.) Cp. Mark iv. 24; Luke vi. 37. 7 on ae 2. (vv. 3-5.) Cp. Luke vi. 39-42. Splinter .. béam) A striking instance of Oriental hy, orboles : i 3 Attack] Tearing you with their tusks. : 4. (vv. 7-11.) Cp, Luke xi. 9-13. Ask .. seek . . knock] Or ‘ Keep asking . . seeking . . knocking. 5. Cp. Luke vi, 31. ~6. Cp. Luke xili. 24. | 9. The gate] V.L. omits these words. ; 8. Because narrow] Or ‘how narrow. g. Zo Life] Or ‘to the Life.’ See xix. 16, u. 19 B
II
12
13
14
MATTHEW VII.
ee ** Beware of the false *teachers—men who aretobe come to you in sheep’s fleeces, but beneath that
judged by disguise they are ravenous wolves. * By their fruits you will easily recognize them. Are grapes gathered from thorns or figs from 3 brambles? Just so every gocd tree produces good fruit, but a poisonous tree produces bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor a poisonous tree good fruit. Every tree which does not yield good fruit is cut down and thrown aside for burning. So by their fruits at any rate, you will easily recognize them.
Pr ‘“*Not every one who says to me, ‘ Master, f the only Master, > 4will enter the Kingdom of the Heavens, : Fath to but only those who are obedient to my Father Saks ‘ who is in Heaven. % Many will say to me on that day,
*« Master, Master, have we not prophesied in Thy name, and in Thy name expelled demons, and in Thy name per- formed many mighty works?’
‘And then I will tell them plainly,
““*T never knew you: begone from me, you doers of
* wickedness.” eer 203! aaa “7 Every one who hears *these my teach-
uponRock ings and acts upon them will be found to een eer S resemble a wise man who builds his house upon rock; and the heavy rain falls, the swollen torrents come, and the winds blow and beat against the house ; yet it does not fall, for its foundation is on rock. And every one who hears these my teachings and does not act upon them will be found to resemble a fool who builds his house upon sand. The heavy rain descends, the swollen torrents come, and the winds blow and burst upon the house, and it falls; and disastrous is the fall.”
When Jesus had concluded this discourse, the crowds
. Teachers] va een See xi. 13, n. 2. (vv. 16-21.) uke vi. 43-46.
Thorns. Phare Approximate renderings. The plants referred to are not enowa in England by these names.
Wil) Better than ‘shall,’ for our Lord is not yet speaking as the Judge. 5. Wy 22-23.) Cp. Luke xiii. 25-27. 6. ickedness| Toit ‘lawlessness.’ ? 2 (vv. hin .) Cp. Luke vi. 47-49. 9
ie
. These) v.L. omits this word. . Will be found &c.] Or ‘ will be compared to.’ Cp. xi. 16; xiii, 24 2,
20
21
22
24
25
26
27
28
MATTHEW VII.—VIII.
were “filled with amazement at His teaching, for He had been teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their Scribes taught.
? Upon descending from the hill country He
Alteper was followed by immense crowds. And a leper 2
cleansed js . . came to Him, and throwing himself at His
feet, said,
“°3Sir, if only you are willing you are able to cleanse me ”
So Jesus put out His hand and touched him, and said,
“T am willing : be cleansed.”
Instantly he was cleansed from his leprosy; and Jesus said to him,
“Be careful to tell no one, but go and show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift which Moses appointed as evidence for them” (Lev. xiv. 4).
wee 4 After His entry into Capernaum a 5Captain
oman : . Officer's came to Him, and entreated Him. Bec eta __ “Sir,” he said, ‘‘my °servant at home is lying ill with paralysis, and is suffering great 7 pain.”
**T will come and cure him,” said Jesus.
“* Sir,” replied the Captain, ‘‘I am not ®a fit person to receive you under my roof: merely say °the word, and my servant will be cured. For I myself am also ® under authority, and have soldiers under me. To one I say ‘Go,’ and he goes, to another ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my slave ‘ Do this or that,’ and he does it.”
Jesus listened to this reply, and was astonished, and said to the people following Him,
‘I solemnly tell you that “tin no Israelite have I found faith as great as this. And I tell you that many will come from the east and from the west and will
1. Filled with] The tense (imperfect) implies more than ‘full of.’ They talked with one meee with ‘ng amazement about what they had been hearing.
2. (vv. 1-4.) Cp. Mark i. 40-455 Luke v. 12-16.
3. Str] Or, according to the phraseology common in the East, ‘My Lord.’ So in verses 6, 8, and 21. We must not imagine however that the ‘divinity of Jesus was recognized even by His disciples till after His resurrection (John xx. 28).
4. (vv. 5-13.) Cp. Luke vii. 1-10.
5. Captain| Namely of the Roman army. Cp. Mark xv. 39, n.
6. Servant] Lit. ‘boy.’ So in verses 8 and 13. Cp. Luke vii. 7.
7. Pain] In exceptional cases a paralytic patient may suffer pain ; if not actually caused by the paralysis, yet accom Bape it.
8. A fit person Se. Or as in Luke vil.
9. word] Lit. ‘by a word.’
10, V.L. inserts ‘ranging myself’ between ‘am’ and ‘under,’ as in Luke vii, 8, ax, Jn no Israelite] Lit. ‘ with no one in Israel.’ V.L, ‘not even in Israel.’
21
Io
Ir
MATTHEW VIII.
‘recline at table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of the Heavens, while the natural heirs of the Kingdom will be driven out into the darkness outside: there will be *the weeping aloud and the gaashing of teeth.”
And Jesus said to the Captain,
“Go, and just as you have believed, so be it for you.”
And the servant recovered precisely at that time.
potens 3After this Jesus went to the house of Peter,
Mother-in- whose mother-in-law he ‘found ill in bed with taw cured fever, He touched her hand and the fever left her: and then she Srose and °waited upon Him.
Many other 7In the evening many demoniacs were brought Miracles to Him, and with a word He expelled the demons ;
and He cured all the sick, in order that this prediction of the
Prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled,
‘‘ HIE TOOK ON HIM OUR WEAKNESSES, AND BORE THE BUR-
DEN OF OUR DISEASES” (Isa. liii. 4).
N oe 8Seeing °great crowds about Him Jesus had ew Disciples , 2 5 a puttothe given directions to cross to the other side of the
Test Lake, “when **a Scribe came and said to Him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” “*Foxes have holes,” replied Jesus, ‘‘and birds have
*nests ; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” Another of the disciples said to Him,
“Sir, allow me first to go and bury my father.” “‘Follow me,” said Jesus, ‘‘and leave the dead to bury their own dead.”
t. Recline at table) Cp. Luke vii. 38; John xiii. 23.
2. Weeping and gnashing cf teeth in this life are in comparison but child's play: there will be the weeping, the Snag The phrase occurs also Matt. XU. 42, 505 XXU, 135 XXIV. 513 XXV. 30; and in Luke xii. 28, These were terrible words to issue from the gentle lips of our blessed Saviour.
3+ (vv. 14-15.) Cp. Mark i. 29-31 ; Luke iv. 38, 39.
4. Found) Lit. ‘saw.’
s: ae ea s poured herself,’
» Wai mperfect tense, implyin; rolonged action. She pri as mustrene of the house, to discharge all the dates of hospitality wees ner uest.
7. (vv. 16-17.) Cp. Mark i. 32-343 Luke iv. qo, 41. In the evening] It was the Sabbath (Mark i. 21, 29, 32) until sunset ; bat. after sunset peo) ie ower bring their sick to be cured without violating either the Law or even the traditions of the Elders.
8. Cp. Mark iv. 35; Luke viii. 22.
9. Great crowds) V.L. ‘a crowd.’
10. (vv. 19-22.) Cp, Luke ix. 57-62.
11. A Scribe] Lit. ‘one Scribe.’ See vi. 27, We
12. Nests} Or ‘ roosting-places.’
13. Dead . . dead] Spiritually dead. . naturally dead. See Luke ix. 59, no,
22
12
13
I4 15 16
17
18
22
MATTHEW VIII.
AStorm re- _. Phen He went on board a fishing-boat, and buked and His. disciples followed Him. But 7? suddenly subdued there arose a great storm on the Lake, so that
the waves threatened to engulf the boat ; but He was asleep. So they came and woke Him, crying,
“* Master, save us, we are drowning !”
““Why are you so easily frightened,” He replied, ‘you men of little faith?”
Then He rose and reproved the winds and the waves, and there was a perfect calm; and the men, filled with amaze- ment, exclaimed,
‘*What kind of man is this? for the very winds and waves obey him !”
ae 3On His arrival at the other side, in the Gadarene country of the Gadarenes, there met Him two
Demoniacs men possessed by demons, coming ‘from among
the tombs : they were so dangerously fierce that no one was able to pass that way. They cried aloud,
™ «What hast Thou to do with us, Thou Son of God? Hast
Thou come here to torment us before the time?”
Now at some distance from them a vast herd of swine were feeding. So the demons entreated Him.
“If Thou drivest us out,” they said, ‘‘send us into the herd of swine.”
“*Go,” He replied.
Then they came out from the men and went into the swine, whereupon the entire herd 5 instantly rushed down the cliff into the Lake and perished in the water. The °swine- herds fled, and went and told the whole story in the town,
2. (vv. 23-27.) Cp. Mark iv. 35-41; Luke viii. 22-25.
2. egos Lit. ‘see!’ or ‘behold!’ In the Hebrew of the O.T. we con- tinually find the interjection hen or hinnéh used in narrative in the sense of ‘behold!’ and it was natural that the N.T. writers, being Jews, should in this particular follow their native idiom. But this ‘ behold!” is an interjection, not a verb: see xii. 18, n. The word is rarely used by the Classical authors, and apparently by no prose writer among them. Nor does the English language tolerate this Deantiont use of the interjection, but such a word as ‘suddenly’ will sometimes convey the true sense. As a rule we must simply omit it. Cp. Century Bible, Ps. cxxi. 4, n. -
3. (vv. 28-34.) Cp. Mark v. 1-20; Luke viii. 26-39. Aa
4. From among] Or ‘out of,’ ‘from within.’ Cp. xxvii. 53; Phil. iii. rz.
5. Instantly] Lit. ‘behold.’ or: verse 24, n. :
6. Swineherds] ‘‘ Although they were not herdsmen by profession,” says Bengel. But the term employed is the precise equivalent of the Hebrew word that commonly means ‘shepherd,’ being the present participle of a verb meaning ‘to tend and feed,’ which however is not applied exclusively to keepers of sheep, but also to keepers of goats (Cant. i. 8), asses (Gen. xxxvi. 24), and cattle gene vally (Gen. xiii. 7, 8).
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23 24
25 26
27
28
29
30 31
32
33
MATTHEW VIII.—IX.
including what had happened to the demoniacs. So at once the whole population came out to meet Jesus; and when they saw Him, they besought Him to leave their country. "Accordingly He went on board, and crossing over came to *His own town.
TheCureor ere they brought to Him a paralytic lying aparalysed on a3bed. Seeing their faith Jesus said to the
Man paralytic,
‘“Take courage, my child; your sins are pardoned.”
“‘Such language is impious,” said some of the Scribes ‘among themselves.
5 Knowing their thoughts Jesus said,
““Why are you cherishing evil thoughts in your hearts ? Why, which is easier?—to say, ‘Your sins are pardoned,’ or to say ‘Rise up and walk’? But, to prove to you that the Son of Man has authority on earth to pardon sins ”—
He then says to the paralytic,
‘Rise, and take up your bed and go home.”
And he got up, and went off home. And the crowd were awe-struck when they saw it, and ascribed the glory to God who had Sentrusted such power 7to a man.
* Passing on thence Jesus saw a man called
Ett aed Matthew 9 sitting at the Toll Office, and said to
him,
‘*79 Follow me.”
And he arose, and followed Him. And while He was reclining “at table, a large number of ™tax-gatherers and notorious sinners were of the party with Jesus and His disciples. The Pharisees noticed this, and they inquired of His disciples,
+ (vv. 1-8.) Cp. Mark ii. 1-12; Luke v. 17-26. . Hts own town] Capernaum. See iv. 13; Mark ii. x. . Bed) A mere mattress or thick rug. Cp. Mark ii. 4. . Among] Or ‘ within,’ i.e. ‘to.’ . Knowing] v.L. ‘ Seeing.’ . Entrusted) As they saw and confessed. The same verb is used in appar- ently the same sense in Gen. xxxix. 8, LXX. Itis possible however to render it ‘given,’ as in John xvii. 2, 7, 8
7. To a man] Lit. ‘to men.’
8. (vv. 9-13.) Cp. Mark ii. 13-17; Luke v. 247-32.
9. Sztting] On the ground, either within or in front of the hut or tenement that served as his office.
10. Follow me] Perhaps the real modern English equivalent for this is ‘Come with me.’—Ep.
11, At table] In Matthew's house, as we learn from Luke v. 29.
12. Tax-gatherers] They collected tolls, as well as taxes on houses, lands, and persons.
24
AnPW HH
7, 8
Io
It
notorious sinners ?”
disciples do not?”
they will fast. newly woven cloth.
MATTHEW IX.
‘Why does your Teacher eat with the tax-gatherers and
He heard the question and replied, “It is not men in good health who require a doctor, but the sick. But ‘go and learn what this means, ‘Ir 1s MERCY THAT I DESIRE, NOT SACRIFICE’ (Hos. vi. 6); for I did not come to appeal to the righteous, but to sinners.”
The ? At that time John’s disciples came and asked peer ee Jesus, Neglect o i a Fasting ‘““Why do we and the Pharisees 3 fast, but your
“Can the bridegroom’s party mourn,” He replied, ‘‘as long as the bridegroom is with them ? (when the Bridegroom has been taken from them) and then
But other days will come
No one ever mends an old cloak with a patch of Otherwise, the patch put on would tear
away some of the old, and a worse hole would be made.
Nor do people pour new wine into old ¢ wineskins.
Other-
wise, the skins would split, the wine 5 would escape, and the skins be destroyed. But they put new wine into fresh skins, and both are saved.”
Jair’s While He was thus speaking, a 7 Ruler came Daughter up and ® profoundly bowing said, “My daughter is just dead ; but come and put your hand upon her and she will return to life.” And Jesus rose and. followed him, as did also His disciples. A Woman But a woman who for twelve years had been
cured afflicted with haemorrhage came behind Him and %touched the ‘tassel of His cloak; for she said to herself, ‘If I but touch His cloak, } shall be cured.” And Jesus turned and saw her, and said,
ix
1. Go] To your teachers of the Law. 2. (vv. 14-17.) Cp. Mark ii. 18-22; Luke v. 33-39. 3. Fast] v.L. adds ‘often.’ 4. Wineskins] Or ‘leather bottles,’ which were commonly made, as_ now in Spain and many parts of the world, of goats’ skins, but sometimes of the skins of asses Dy eames etre ALit , 4
5. ould escape .. be destroye it. ‘escapes . . are destroyed.’ 6. (vv. 18-26.) e, Mark v. 21-43; Luke viii. 40-56. y
7. Ruler| Of the synagogue (Mark v. 22). 4 Ruler] Lit. ‘one Ruler.’ 27, 1. entered.’
See vi.
Instead of ‘one Ruler came up,’ V.L. (omitting ‘one’) reads ‘a Ruler
8. prey bowing] The verb is the same as in ii. 2, 8, 113 xv. 25; John
. 38. 9. Touched] See Lev. xv. 19.
10. Tassel] or ‘fringe.’
See Num. xv. 38.
25
12
13
14
15
16
7
18
19 20
2I
22
MATTHEW IX.
“Take courage, daughter ; your faith has *cured you.” And the woman was restored to health from that moment. ae Entering the Rulers house, Jesus saw the bauenee flute-players and the ?crowd loudly wailing, testored and He said, ec ““Go out of the room; the little girl is not dead, but asleep.” | And they laughed at Him. When however the place was cleared of the crowd, Jesus went in, and on His taking the little girl by the hand, she #rose up. And the report of this spread throughout all that district. ar As Jesus passed on, two blind men followed Two blind i ‘ ‘ Men receive Him, shouting and saying, Sight “* Pity us, Son of David.” And when He had gone indoors, they came to Him. “Do you believe that I can do this?” He asked them. “Yes, 4Sir,” they replied. So He touched their eyes and said, “* According to your faith let it be to you.” Then their eyes were opened. And assuming a stern tone Jesus said to them, ‘* Be careful to let no one know.” But they went out and published His fame in all that district. 5And as they were leaving His presence a °dumb demoniac was brought to Him. When the demon was a expelled, the dumb man could speak. And umb = zi Madman the crowds exclaimed in astonishment, sae ‘Never was such a thing seen in Israel.”
1. Cured] The verb here employed is the same as is often rendered by ‘save.’ It signifies to deliver either (1) as here, from present evil of any kind, or (2) from impending or future evil. The former is the sense twice as frequently as the latter. In the interpretation, therefore, of i. 21, we shall probably be right in considering the thought of deliverance from sin itself—the abiding stain of its continued existence within us—as dominating (though doubtless not excluding) that of immunity from consequent punishment. It is this view of Christ as the Healer—of ‘Salvator’ as meaning ‘ Healer ’—that led the author of the old Westphalian poem The Heliland to celebrate our Lord’s praises under that name, and that induced our Anglo-Saxon sires to translate the name Jesus into ‘Se Haelend’ everywhere in the Gospels as well as in sermons and religious poeins.
2. Crowd] A great number of persons were in the house who had full opportu- nity of satisfying themselves that the little girl was dead, and thus became eye-witnesses of the miracle. Jesus, while He often repressed mere gossip about
fis wonderful works, nevertheless desired that they should be seen by many witnesses. .
3. Rose up| Or ‘woke up.’
4. Siz] See ee a se
5. (VV. 32-34. . Luke xi. 14, 15.
6. Sane Perhaps a deaf-mute.
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23
24
25 26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
MATTHEW IX.—X.
But the Pharisees maintained,
“Tt is "by the power of the Prince of the demons that he drives out the demons.” we * And Jesus continued His circuits through all Christ's Compassion the towns and the villages, teaching in their {_ for the com- synagogues and proclaiming the Good News of
the Kingdom, and curing every kind of dis- ease and infirmity. And when He saw the crowds He was touched with pity for them, because they were dis- tressed and were fainting on the ground like sheep which have no shepherd.
Then He said to His disciples,
“The harvest is abundant, but the reapers are few; therefore entreat the Owner of the Harvest to send out reapers into His 3 fields.”
Heselects ‘2 hen He called to Him His twelve discipies
twelve and gave them authority over foul spirits, to
Apostles drive them out ; and to cure every kind of disease % and infirmity.
‘Now the names of the twelve 5 Apostles were these : first, Simon called Peter, and his brother Andrew ; James the son of Zabdi, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the tax-gatherer, James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the °Cananaean, and Judas the 7Iscariot, who also betrayed Him.
ne ® These twelve Jesus 9sent on a mission, after
Mission to giving them their paShCHenS }
the People ~~ « Go_not,” He said, ‘‘among the Gentiles, and enter no Samaritan town ; but, instead of that, go to. the "lost sheep of Israel’s. race. And’as ‘you go, Greiek and say, ‘The Kingdom of the Heavens is close at hand.’ Cure the sick, “raise the dead to life, cleanse lepers, drive out
rf
. By the ware of) Lit. ‘in.’ See Luke xi. 1g, n. a (Vv. 35- . Mark vi. 6 . Lields) ee larvest.’ . Cp. Mark vi. 7; Luke ix. 1. * Apostles) The word occurs here for the first time. The meaning is ‘those who were sent,’ ‘emissaries,” ‘missionaries.’ This noun (apostolos) ' is derived from the verb (apostelio) that occurs in verse 5, and is there translated ‘sent.’
6. Cananaean) This is a totally different word from ‘Canaanite,’ and probably means ‘ Zealot.’
7. rbsgha dad man of Kerioth’ (Josh. xv. 25).
8. (vv. 5-15.) Cp. Mark vi. 7-13; Luke ix. 1-6.
9. Sent] Probably two and two, like the Seventy at a later time (Luke x. 1).
10. Lost sheep| Or, as we should say, ‘lapsed masses.'.—ED,
ix, Ratse to life} Lit. ‘ wake.’
27
AW Sw
34
35
36
37
38
1 10
[<s)
MATTHEW X.
demons: you have received without payment, give without payment.
“Provide no gold, nor even silver nor copper to carry in your pockets; no bag for your jour- ney, nor change of linen, nor shoes, nor stick ; for the labourer deserves his food.
“‘Whatever town or village you enter, inquire for some good man; and make his house your home till you leave the place. When you enter the house, ‘salute it ; and if the house deserves it, the peace you invoke shall come upon it. If not, your peace shall return to you. And whoever refuses to receive you or even to listen to your Message, as you leave that house or town, *shake off the very dust 3from your feet. I solemnly tell you that it will be more endurable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of Judgement than for that town.
‘‘4Remember it is I who am sending you out, as sheep into the midst of wolves; prove your- selves as sagacious as serpents, and as innocent as Sdoves. But beware of men; for they will deliver you up to appear before ’Sanhedrins, and will flog you in their synagogues ; and you will even be put on trial before gover- nors and kings for my sake, to bear witness to them and to the, Gentiles. But when they have delivered you up, have *no anxiety as to how you shall speak or what you shall say ; for at that very time it shall be given you what to say ; for it is not you who will speak : it will be the Spirit of your Father speaking °through you. Brother will betray brother to death, and father, child; and children will rise against their own parents and will put them to death. And you will be objects of universal hatred because you are called by my name; but he who holds out to *the End—he will
1, Salute zt] When the two Apostles entered the building, they were to salute ae hoeeol doubtless in the words prescribed in Luke x. 5, ‘“ Peace be to this
jouse
. Shake off &c.] Cp. xviii. 173 Acts xiii. 51.
From your feet) Or ‘ which is on your feet.’ p. Luke x. 3.
. Doves] Lit. ‘pigeons.”
(vv. 17-22.) ¢ . Mark xiii. 9-13; Luke xxi. 12-17.
4. Sanhedrins] Or ‘High Courts of Justice.’ See the Commentators.
8. The innocent seldom need to make the same elaborate defence as the guilty. They can afford to speak the simple truth and to rely upon God and the justice wof their causé!—En. : ca Spon ie
9. Through yor] Lit. ‘in you.’ :
10. The End, This phrase also occurs xxiv. 6, 13, 143 1 Cor. i. 8; Heb. iii. 6, 143 vi. 113 Rey. ii. 26; and in a different sense 1 Cor. xv. 24. See also Acts ii, 17, m3 1 Cor, x. 11; Heb, ix, 26, n.—Eb,
28
Their Food promised
Where to lodge
Persecution foretold
PaEey
II
MATTHEW X.
be saved. *Whenever they persecute you in one town, “escape to the next; for I solemnly tell you that you will not have gone the round of all the towns of Israel 3before the Son of Man comes.
Vista “The ‘learner is never superior to his teacher, Master they and the Sservant is never superior to his °master. would suffer Fnough for the learner to be on a level with his teacher, and for the servant to be on a level with his master. If they have called the master of the house 7 Baal- zebul, how much more will they slander his servants? ®Fear them not, however ; there is nothing veiled which will not be uncovered, nor secret which will not become known. What I tell you in the dark, speak in the light ; and what is whispered into your ear, proclaim upon the roofs of the houses.
“‘And do not fear those who kill the body,
pe pee but cannot kill the %soul; but rather ‘fear
him who is able to destroy both ®soul and body
in Gehenna. Do not two sparrows sell for a *halfpenny ?
Yet not one of them will fall to the ground without your
Father’s leave. But as for you, the very hairs on your heads
are all numbered. Away then with fear; you are more ™ precious than a multitude of sparrows.
re gets “Every man, who “acknowledges me before i sity for open men I also “will acknowledge before my Father —
__Avewal Swho™is in Heaven. But whoever disowns me tease, spd
1. (vv. 23-25.) Cp. Luke vi. 4o. ;
2. Escape] ‘‘ Preserving yourselves for further service” (Baxter).
3. Before the Son of Man comes] Some have supposed that the reference is to a spiritual and judicial Coming of Christ at the time of the destruction of Jeru- salem in 70, A.D. Cp. xvi. 28; xxiv. 34.—Ep.
4. Learner] Or ‘disciple.’
5. Servant] Or ‘slave.’
6. Master] Or ‘owner.’
7. Baal-zebul] See 2 Kings i. 3, 6.
8. (vv. 26-33.) Cp. Luke xii. 2-9.
9. SoZ] Or ‘life.’ Cp. verse 39. :
to. Fear him)\1.E. the Devil Or ‘fear Him,’ i.e. God. Against the latter rendering it may be urged that the word translated ‘power’ in the parallel passage, Luke xu. 5, usually denotes ‘delegated authority,’ ‘power enjoyed on sufferance,’ and that in Matt. x. 3: fear of the Heavenly Father is forbidden. See also Luke xxii. 53; John xix. 11; Acts xxvi. 18; Col. i.13; Rev. xiii. 7. In Heb. ii. 14 the ‘power of death’ is expressly attributed to the Evil one, but a different word is used for ‘ power.’—Ep.
11. Hal, ny] The coin named (the ‘ assarion’) was probably worth a farthing and four-fifths. Contrast Luke xii.6: ‘‘ Are not five sparrows sold for a penny ?” The birds were reckoned as being of such little value, that upon double the number being bought, an extra one was given gratis!—Ep.
12, Precious] Implving not merely worth, but high worth, great value.
13. Acknowledges m-] Or ‘avows his loyalty to me.’ Lit. ‘confesses (coae fidence) in The expression occurs only in this verse and in Luke xii. 8. |
14. Will acknowledge] He shall find me, on my part, loyal to him. See
om. iii. 3, 0.
2g
23
24
25
MATTHEW X.—XI.
before men I also will disown before my Father who is in Heaven.
Gans “*Do not suppose that I.came to * bring
must pre- peace to the earth: I did not come to bring _ cede Peace Feace but a sword. For I came to set a man against his father, A DAUGHTER AGAINST HER MOTHER, AND A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST HER MOTHER-IN-LAW ; AND A MAN’S OWN FAMILY WILL BE HIS FOES (Mic. vii. 6). 3Any one who loves father or mother more than me ‘is not worthy of me, and any one who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and any one who does not take up his 5cross and follow where I lead is not worthy of me. To save your ® life is to lose it, and to lose your life for my. sake is to save it. aan “‘7Whoever receives you receives me, and ihe, Apostles. Whoever receives me receives Him who sent me.
Ficiucm Every one who receives a *prophet, because he
is a prophet, will receive a prophet’s reward, and every one who receives a righteous man, because he is a righteous man, will receive a righteous man’s reward. ° And whoever gives one of these little ones “even a cup of cold water to drink because he is a disciple, I solemnly tell you that he will not lose his reward.”
When Jesus had concluded His instructions to His twelve disciples, He left in order to teach and to ™ proclaim His Message in the neighbouring towns.
John the 3Now John had heard in prison about the
Baptist’s Christ’s doings, and he sent “some of his
Perplexity disciples to inquire :
I. phe 34-36.) Cp. Luke xii. 51-53. 2. Bring peace io] Lit. ‘cast peace upon.”
3. (vv. 37-38.) Cp. Luke xiv. 26, 27.
4. Ls not worthy of me] L&E. ‘is not fit to be my disciple. —Ep.
§- Cross] Our Lord thus hints at His being about to die on the cross. Cp. Jobn xii. 16, n.
6. Cp. Luke xvii. 33- Life) Or ‘soul.’ The literal rendering of the verse is, ‘He who shall have found his life shall lose it, and he who shall have lost his life for my sake shall find it.’ See Aor?st vi. 5.
4. (vv. 40-41.) Cp. Luke x. 16.
8. ‘Prophet| Preacher or teacher of the truth. See xi. 1g, n. and x Cor. xii. 28, n.
g. Cp. Mark ix. qr.
10. Little ones] Possibly some children were present.
1x. Even} Lit. ‘only.’
12. Proclaim His Message] One word in the Greek. The exact sense of the word (kerusso) is to gaits the function of a public herald or crier. ‘Preach’ has associations which zerusso does not suggest.
13. (vv. 2-6.) Cp. Luke vii. 18-23.
14. Some of| Lit. ‘by.’ We learn from Luke vii. 18 that the messengers were two in number. In Matthew, according to the four most ancient MSS., the number is not specified.
30
fi
MATTHEW XI.
** Are you the Coming One, or is it a different person that we are to expect ?”
‘*Go and report to John what you see and hear,” replied Jesus ; ‘‘ blind eyes ‘receive sight, and cripples walk ; lepers are cleansed, and deaf ears hear; the dead “are raised to life, and the poor have the Good News proclaimed to them ; and blesséd is every one who does not stumble and fall because of my claims.”
Gncicts 3 When the messengers had taken their leave, Testimony Jesus proceeded to say to the multitude concern- as to John ing John,
‘““What did you go out into the Desert to gaze at? A reed waving in the wind? But what did you go out to see? A man luxuriously dressed? Those who wear luxurious clothes are to be found in kings’ palaces. But why did you go out? To seea prophet? Yes, I tell you, and far more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is written,
‘¢* SEE, [ AM SENDING My 4MESSENGER BEFORE THY FACE,
AND HE WILL MAKE THY ROAD READY BEFORE THEE’ (Mal. iii. 1).
“I solemnly tell you that among all of woman born no greater has ever been raised up than John the Baptist ; yet one who is of lower rank in the Kingdom of the Heavens is greater than he. 5 But from °the time of John the Baptist till now, the Kingdom of the Heavens ’has been suffering violent assault, and the violent have been seizing it by force. For all the Prophets and the Law *taught until John. And (if you are willing to receive it) he is the Elijah who %was to come. Listen, every one who has ears!”
The Per- ‘*But to what shall I compare the present
versityof generation? It is like children sitting in the
eerie open places, who call “to their playmates.
. Receive) Cp. Luke vii. 22.
. Are eof to ife Lit. ‘awake.’
. (vv. 7-19.) Cp. Luke vii. 24-35.
. Messenger] Or ‘angel.’
. (vv. 12-13.) Cp. Luke xvi. 16.
. The time) 1.£. the early time of his ministry, John being still alive.
. Has been suffering ... have been seizing| These Serbs are in the present tense in the Greek in accordance with the idiom of that language. See Aorist
TAN PWD H
fii. 2, 3.
8. Taught] Lit. ‘prophesied;’ but in modern English this verb is limited in its meaning to the mere prediction of future events, which is not the proper force of the Greek word. Cp. x. 41, n.; 1 Cor. xii. 28, n.
9. Was to come) OF is to come.” Cp. xvii. x1.
1o. Ears] v.L. adds ‘to hear.’ .
11. To their playmates] v.L. ‘to the other party,’ the sense being the same.
31
on
10
Il
12
13 14 15 16
MATTHEW XI.
““¢We have played the flute to you,’ they say, ‘and you have not danced: we have sung dirges, and you have not beaten your breasts.’
‘‘For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they sav, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came ‘eating and drinking, and they exclaim, ‘See this man !—given to gluttony and tippling, and a friend of tax-gatherers and notorious sinners!’ And yet Wisdom *is vindicated by her 3 actions.”
eres 4Then began He to upbraid the towns where
Bethsaida, most of His mighty works had been done—
Capernaum because they had not repented.
‘©5 Alas for thee, Chorazin!” He cried. ‘‘ Alas for thee, 7 Bethsaida! For had the mighty works been done in Tyre and Sidon which have been done in * both of you, they would long ere now have repented, covered with sackcloth and ashes. Only I tell you that it will be more endurable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of Judgement than for you. And thou, Capernaum, shalt thou be exalted even to Heaven? Even to Hades shalt thou “descend. For had the mighty works been done in Sodom which have been done in thee, it would have remained until now. Only I tell * you all, that it will be more endurable for the land of Sodom on the day of Judgement than for thee.”
About that time “Jesus exclaimed,
t. Eating and drinking] Like other men, with no asceticism or austerity of e
t.
2. Is vindicated] Lit. (see Aorist iv. 4, 5) ‘has been vindicated,’ implying ‘is wont to be.’
3. Actions] v.L. reads ‘children,’ as in Luke vii. 35.
4. (vv. 20-24.) Cp. Luke x. 1-16.
5. Alas for| Or perhaps ‘Woe to.’ ‘‘ The interjection here is declarative, not imprecative” (Bengel). Cp. Luke vi. 24, n.
6. e] Not ‘you;’ for even in 20th century English ‘thou’ and ‘thee’ might be used in an apostrophe such as this.
4. Bethsaida] v.L. ‘ Bethsaidan ;’ and so elsewhere.
8. Both of you] Lit. ‘ you,’ in the plural.
9. Hades] The unseen World, the abode of departed spirits. In the A.V. both this word and ‘Gehenna’ are rendered ‘ Hell.’ Each occurs twelve times. In this translation the two words are everywhere kept distinct.
10. Descend] v.L. ‘be caused to descend.’
11. Fou ail] Lit. ‘you’ in the plural, either as addressed to all three of the towns named, or parenthetically to the bystanders who heard these denun- ciations.
12, (vv. 25-30.) Cp. Luke x. 17-24, a passage which proves that it was for the eae of the Seventy that our Lord here gave thanks. About that time]
ee xii, 1, ny
13. Jesus exclaimed] A too literal rendering is ‘‘ Jesus answered and said.” There is no ‘answer’ here in the English sense of the worg. The expression is simply a late Hebraism. In late Hebrew, under the influence of the Chaldee, the verb that had commonly meant ‘to answer’ came to signify ‘to commence speaking’ (Gesenius).
32
17
18
19
20
21
22 23
24
25
MATTHEW XI.—XII.
ening te “T heartily praise Thee, *Father, ?Lord of the Success Heaven and of earth, that Thou hast hidden Oo e
Seventy these things from sages and men of discernment, and hast unveiled them to babes. Yes, Father, for such has been Thy gracious will.
‘‘All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one fully knows the Son except the Father, nor does any one fully know the Father except the Son and all to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him.
A sublime Claim
‘‘Come to me, all you toiling and burdened ones, and Z will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me; for I am 3 gentle
and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your. souls. For ‘it is good to bear my yoke, and my burden is light.”
Acchanes 5 About that time Jesus passed on the
of Sabbath- Sabbath through the wheatfields; and His
breaking disciples “became hungry, and began to gather ears of wheat and eat them. But the Pharisees saw it and said to Him,
“Look! your disciples are doing what the Law forbids them to do on the Sabbath.”
““Have you never read,” He replied, ‘‘ what David did when he and his men were hungry? how he entered the House of God 7and ate the Presented Loaves, which it was not lawful for him or his men to eat, *nor for any except the priests (1 Sam. xxi. 1-6)? And have you not read in the Law how on the Sabbath the priests in the Temple 9break the Sabbath without incurring guilt? But I tell
A glorious Invitation
1. Father] This is our Lord's first public mention of God as His Father.
2. Lord of Heaven and of earth] ‘‘He does not address the Father as His Lord” (Bengel).
3- Gentle] Or ‘meek.’ Cp. v. 5, n. | Shs
4. ft ds good &c.] Lit. ‘my yoke is good.’ Cp. Lam. iii. 27. The ‘good’ conveys the idea not so much (as in the Vulgate) of easiness to bear, which is the thought in the next clause, as of actual benefit received from bearing it.
5: (wy, 1-8.) Cp. Mark ii. 23-28; Luke vi. 1-5. About that time) Lit. ‘At that
‘was Paced The action is regarded as a whole. The most idiomatic renderin woul
8. Nor for any exch Or ‘but only. Cp. Luke iv. 26, 27. 9. Break the Sabbath] Not so much by offering sacrifices as by baking bread (Lev. xxiv. 8; 1 Chron. ix. 32; 2 Chron. it. 4).
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26
27
1 12
MATTHEW XII.
you that there is here * that which is greater than the Temple. And if you knew what this means, ‘Ir 1s Mercy I DESIRE, NOT SACRIFICE’ (Hos. vi. 6), you would not have condemned those who are without guilt. *For the Son of Man is the Lerd of the Sabbath.” 3Departing thence *He went to their syna- A Paralytic . = restored gogue, where there was a man with a shrivelled onaDay 5 . ‘ Abita arm. And they questioned Him, 7 «6 Is it right to cure people on the Sabbath ? Their intention was to bring a charge against Him. ‘‘ Which of you is there,” He replied, ‘‘ who, if he has but a single sheep and it falls into a hole on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out? Is not a man, however, far superior to a sheep? Therefore it is right to do good on the Sabbath.” Then He said to the man, **Stretch out your arm.” And he stretched it out, and it was restored quite sound like the other. But the Pharisees after leaving the synagogue fh acne, consulted together against Him, how they might destroy Him. Aware of this, Jesus departed elsewhere ; and a great number of people followed Him, all of whom He cured. But He gave them strict injunctions not to blaze abroad His doings, that those words of the Prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled, “7 THis 1s My SERVANT WHOM I HAVE CHOSEN, My DEARLY LOVED ONE IN WHOM My SOUL ®TAKES PLEASURE. I witt pur My Spirit upon Hm, AnD HE WILL ANNOUNCE JUSTICE TO THE NATIONS. HE WILL NOT WRANGLE OR RAISE HIS VOICE, Nor WILL His voIcE BE HEARD IN THE BROADWAYS. 9 A CRUSHED REED HE WILL NOT UTTERLY BREAK, . Thar which zs gveater| Or ‘a Being greater.’ . Cp. Mark ii. 27, 28. . (vv. 9-14.) Cp. Mark iii. 1-6; Luke vi. 6-11. He went &c.}) At another place, and (Luke vi. 6) ‘on another Sabbath. . Arm] Rather than ‘hand.’ So Shadwell rightly, and see Aorist, p. 5. . Is tt right to cure] Or ‘Is there any authority for curing.’ . This ts| The more lit. ‘Behold!’ is not the verb, but only an interjection of verbal origin. In French it might be rendered ‘ Voici’ or ‘Voila.’ See viii. 24, n. 8. Takes pleasure] On the tense see Aorrst, p. 21. 9. A crushed reec'| The idea is lad that of a shepherd who picks up a reed
in order to play a tune upon it. But discovering that it is bruised and crushed, and therefore little suited for his purpose, he breaks it in two and throws it away.
34
TOAARH SH
II
I2
13
14 15
16 17
13
19
20
MATTHEW XII.
Nor WILL HE QUENCH THE STILL SMOULDERING WICK,
Untit HE HAS ‘LED ON JUSTICE TO VICTORY.
AnD ON HIS NAME SHALL THE NATIONS *REST THEIR
Hopes” (Isa. xli. 8; xlii. 1).
8 capilles = At that time a demoniac was brought to Him,
toa blind and 4dumb; and He cured him, so that
Slander the dumb man could speak and see. And the crowds of people were all filled with amazement and said,
“‘Can this be 5the Son of David?”
The Pharisees heard it and said,
‘““This man only expels demons by the power of Baal- zebul, the Prince of demons.”
Knowing their thoughts He said to them,
“Every kingdom in which civil war has raged suffers desolation ; and every city or house in which there is in- ternal strife will be brought low. And if Satan is expelling Satan, he has * begun to._make war on himself: how there- fore shall his kingdom last? And if it is by Baal-zebul’s power that I expel the demons, by whose power do your 7 disciples expel them? They therefore shall be your judges. But if it is by the power of the Spirit of God that I expel the demons, it is evident that the ®* Kingdom of God %has come upon you. Again, how can any one enter the house of *a
Reeds seem also to have been used as pens to write with (3 John 13), and even as canes or light walking-sticks. Cp. Isa. xxxvi.6; Rev. xi.1. The first interpre- tation, however, yields the best sense. Christ, the chosen, and dearly-loved Servant of the Lord, does not cast us awa: because Our'lives yield-such imperfect music, and ‘when our light burns dimly He trims. instead of utterly extinguish- ing it.—ED.
1. Led on Justice] Headed its charge through the host of foes and brought it clear of them all.
2. Rest their hopes] This is one of no fewer than 18 passages in the A.V. of the N.T. in which ‘trust’ is erroneously used for ‘hope.’
3. (vv. 22-37.) Cp. Mark iti. 20-30; Luke vi. 43-455 xi. 17-23.
4. Dumb] The word perhaps means a deaf-mute. ‘
5. The Son of David) This title had already been applied to Jesus (ix. 27) by persons who perhaps but dimly discerned its significance.
6. Begun] The tense implies this. See Aorist vi. 6. We may render ‘has engaged in conflict with himself.’
7. Disciples] Lit. ‘sons.’ So ‘the sons of the prophets’ are repeatedly men- tioned in the O.T. The disciples of the Pharisees (verse 24) and of the Scribes tad come down from Jerusalem (Mark iii. 22). :
8. Kingdom of God] Matthew here (as also in vi. 33; xix. 243 xxi. 31, 43), for- sakes his usual expression ‘Kingdom of the Heavens,’ and adopts this other, which alone is found in other parts of the N.T. i
9. Has come upon you] The verb here employed (found nowhere else in the Gospels except in the parallel passage Luke xi. 20) probably implies ‘Before you were expecting its arrival.’ Cp. xxiv. 42, 44. This sense of the verb is preserved in Modern Greek. ay : ‘.
10. A strong man] Lit. ‘the strong man’ named generically, like ‘the sower, xiii. 3, The overthrow of the Prince of evil would be followed by the sure but gradual undoing of the mischief he had wrought.—Ep. i
35
21
22
24
25
27
28
29
MATTHEW XII.
strong man and carry off his goods, unless first of all he masters and secures the strong man: then he will ransack his house.
: “‘The man who is not with me is against me, ee fae and he who is not gathering with me is scat- oe tering abroad. This is why I tell you that
cae *men may find forgiveness for every other sin and impious word, but that for impious speaking against the Holy Spirit they shall find no forgiveness. And who- ever *shall speak against the Son of Man may obtain forgiveness ; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, neither in this nor in the coming age shall he obtain forgiveness.” ‘MokKO ‘Either grant the tree to be wholesome and Heartso its fruit wholesome, or the tree poisonous and theLife its fruit poisonous; for the tree is known by its fruit. O vipers’ 3brood, how can you speak what is good when you are evil? For it is from the overflow of the heart that the mouth speaks. A good man from his good store produces good things, and a bad man from his bad store produces bad things. But I tell you that for every careless word that men shall speak they will be heid accountable on the day of Judgement. For each of you by his words shall be justified, or by his words shall be condemned.” 4Then He was accosted by some of the The Jews Scribes and of the Pharisees who said, more guilty i a a 3 than the Teacher, we wish to see a sign 5 given by
ancient ” Heathen YOu.
“Wicked and faithless generation!” He re- plied, ‘‘ they clamour for a sign, but none shall be given to them except the sign of the Prophet Jonah. For just as Jonau WAS ° THREE DAYS IN THE SEA-MONSTER’S BELLY (Jonah i. 17), so will the Son of Man be three days in the heart of the
. Men) v.L. ‘you men.’ . Shall speak) Cp. Luke xii. ro, n. . Brood] Cp. iii. 7, n. . (vv. 38-42.) Cp. Luke xi. 16, 29-36. . Given by) Lit. ‘from.’ Three days) Lit. ‘three days and three nights,’ a striking Hebraism. Ac- Sording to the Talmud a day and a night together make up a ‘night-day,’ and any part of such a period is counted as a whole. Thus in our Saviour’s case the three ‘ night-days’ consist of about three hours of the Friday, the whole of the Saturday (reckoned in the Jewish mode from sunset to sunset), and the first half =the night— f the Sunday.
36
OnPe pw
30
31
32
33
40
MATTHEW XII.
earth. There will stand up men of Nineveh at the Judgement together with the present generation, and will condemn it; because they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and mark! there is *One greater than Jonah here. The Queen of the south will awake at the Judge- ment together with the present generation, and will condemn it; because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and mark! there is ‘One greater than Solomon here. a ““2No sooner however has 3the foul spirit ey would become yet gone out of the man, than he ‘roams about more wicked i places where there is no water, seeking rest but finding none. Then he says, ‘I will return to my house that I left ;’ and he comes and finds it unoccupied, swept clean, and ‘in good order. Then he goes and brings back with him seven other spiritst more wicked than himself, and they come in and dwell there; and in the end that man’s condition becomes worse than it was at first. So will it be also with °the present wicked generation.” An 7While He was still addressing the people Bes de. His mother and His brothers were standing sire to speak on the edge of the crowd desiring to speak to Him. *®So some one told Him, ““Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, and desire to speak to you.” ‘“Who is my mother?” He said to the man; ‘‘and who are my brothers ?” And pointing to His disciples He added, “See here are my mother and my brothers. To obey my Father who is in Heaven—that is to be my brother and my sister and my mother.”
1. One greater] Lit. ‘more.’
2. (vv. 43-45.) Cp. Luke xi. 17-26.
. The foul spirit gone out] An apparent reference to the temporary moral gelbcmation produced among the Jews by the preaching of John the Baptist, Jesus and the Apostles.—Ep. 7 :
4. Roems about] To a variety of places. Such is the force of the same verb in Acts viii. 4 and elsewhere. .
. In good order] Decoration and ornament may be the sense here intended, rather than orderly arrangement. For the former sense see Rev. xxi. 2, 19; for the latter Matt. xxv. 7 (‘trimmed’). 2
6. The present wicked generation] Cp. Josephus, Wars, v. 10, 55 13, 6; Vii. 8, 1. The Jewish historian declares that his countrymen at the time of the de- struction of Jerusalem were far more ungodly than the people of Sodom had been, Cp. Rev. xviti. 2.—Eb. he es
7. (vv. 46-go.) Cp. Mark iii. 31-35 5 Luke viii. xg-a1.
8. v.l. omits verse 47.
34
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49 50
MATTHEW XIII.
ASeriesof Lhat same day Jesus had left the house Parables. and was sitting on the shore of the Lake, ‘TheSower’ \hen a vast multitude of people crowded
round Him. He therefore went on board a boat and sat there, while all the people stood on the shore. *He then spoke many things to them in 3figurative language.
‘The sower * goes out,” He said, ‘to sow. As he sows, some of the seed falls by the way-side, and the birds come and peck it up. Some falls on rocky ground, where it has but scanty soil. It quickly shows itself above ground, because it has no depth of earth; but when the sun is risen, it is scorched by the heat, and through having no root it withers up. Some falls ‘among the thorns ; but the thorns spring up and stifle it. But a portion falls upon good ground, and gives a return, some a hundred for one, some sixty, some thirty. Listen, every one who has ears7!”
ars (@ And His disciples came and asked Him,
y Jesus ie ‘ . made use of Why do you speak to them in figurative
Parables language ?”
‘“ Because,” He replied, ‘“‘ while to you it is granted to know the secrets of the Kingdom of the Heavens, to them it is not. For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he shall have abundance; but whoever has not, from him even what he has shall be taken away. I speak to them in figurative language for this reason, that while looking they do not see, and while hearing they neither hear nor understand. And in regard to them the prophecy of Isaiah is receiving signal fulfilment :
‘** You WILL HEAR AND HEAR AND BY NO MEANS UNDER-
STAND,
4. (vv. 14) Cp. Mark iv. 1, 2; Luke viii. 4. That same day] So the same words plainly signify in Mark iv. 35, but in Acts viii. 1 they seem to mean only ‘about that time.’ The preposition and the construction are the same here as in xii. 1.
2. (vv. 3-9.) Cp. Mark iv. 3-9; Luke viii. 5-8.
3. Figurative language) Or ‘ parables.’
4. Goes out] Or ‘went out’; and so throughout the parables in this chapter. Cp. Luke viii. 5, n.
‘ Among) Lit. ‘upon’; i.e. upon ground full of the roots of the plants here called ‘thorns.’ See Matt. vii. 16, n.
6. Gives] Or ‘begins to give.’ The verbs in the original are all in past tenses, but this one alone is in the imperfect, indicating prolonged action.
7. Ears] v.L. adds ‘to listen with.’
8. (vv. 10-17.) Cp. Mark iv. ro-12 ; Luke viii. 9, ro.
9. Came and asked] Later in the day, as we learn from Mark iv. 10. After verse 23 the series of parables (verse 3) is resumed.
38
10
It
12
13
14
MATTHEW XIII.
AND YOU WILL LOOK AND LOOK AND BY NO MEANS SEE.
For THIS PEOPLE’S 7 MIND 71S STUPEFIED,
THEIR HEARING HAS BECOME DULL,
AND THEIR EYES THEY HAVE CLOSED ;
To PREVENT THEIR EVER SEEING WITH THEIR EYES,
OR HEARING WITH THEIR EARS,
OR UNDERSTANDING WITH THEIR MINDS,
AND TURNING BACK,
3So THAT I MIGHT HEAL THEM’ (Isa. vi. 9, 10).
** But as for you, blesséd are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. For I solemnly tell you that many Prophets and holy men have longed to see the sights you see, and have not seen them, and to hear the words you hear, and have not heard them.
The Btorvet “*4To you then I will explain the parable of the Sower the Sower. When a man hears. the Message explained Concerning the Kingdom and does not under-
stand it, the Evil one comes and catches away what has been sown in his heart. This is he who Shas received the seed by the road-side. He who ‘has received the seed on the rocky ground is the man who hears the Message and immediately receives it with joy. It has struck no root, however, within him. He continues for a time, but when suffering comes, or persecution, because of the Message, he at once stumbles and falls. He who Shas received the seed among the thorns is the man who hears the Message, but the cares of the present age and the delusions of riches quite stifle the Message, and it becomes unfruitful. But he who Shas received the seed on good ground is he who hears and understands. Such hearers give a return, and yield one a hundred for one, another sixty, another
thirty-”’)
1. Mind] Lit. ‘heart,’ a common Hebraism. The ordinary Greek word for ‘mind’ or ‘intellect’ is nowhere used by Matthew or Mark.
2. Is stupefied| Lit. ‘has grown thick’ (or ‘ fat’).
3. So that I might] Lit. ‘and I shall.’ This use of ‘and’ is a common Hebraism. For instance ‘‘that it_might save us” (1 Sam. iv. 3) is literally in the Hebrew “and it shall save us.” See Mark i. 20, n., and Aorist, pp. 54, 55>
4. (vv. 18-23.) Cp. Mark iv. 13-20; Luke viii. 1-15.
5. Has received the seed) Namely, as land receives seed. Lit. ‘has been sown,’ as we talk not only of sowing wheat, but of sowing a field with wheat. For the latter is not peculiarly an English idiom. It occurs in several passages of the O.T., both in the Hebrew original and in the Greek LXX.; for instance, Gen. xlvii. 23; Exod. xxiii. 10; Lev. xxv. 3, 43 while in Deut. xxix. 23 and Ezek. xxxvi. 9 the verb in the same sense is used in the passive, just as in these verses of Matthew.
39
TS
16 17
21
22
23
MATTHEW XIII.
eke whese. 1 Another parable He put before them. and the ‘The Kingdom of the Heavens,” He said, Darnel’ «2 may be compared to a man who has sown good
seed in his field, but during the night his enemy comes, and over the first seed he sows darnel among the wheat, and goes away. But when the blade shoots up and the grain is formed, then appears the darnel also.
“©So the farmer’s ‘men come and ask him,
“<< Sir, was it not good seed that you sowed on your land ? Where then does the darnel come from ?’
“©*Some enemy has done this,’ he said.
“Shall we go, and collect it?’ the *men inquire.
‘** No,’ he replied, ‘for fear that while collecting the darnel you should at the same time root up the wheat with it. Leave both to grow together until the harvest, and at harvest-time I will direct the reapers, Collect the darnel Sfirst, and make it up into bundles to burn it, but ° bring 7 all the wheat into my barn.’”
we 8 Another parable He put before them.
Mustard “The Kingdom of the Heavens,” He said,
Seed’ = «ig like a mustard-seed, which a man takes and sows in his ground. It is %the smallest of all seeds, and yet when full-grown it is larger than any “herb and forms a tree, so that the birds come and build in its branches.” Another parable He spoke to them. ‘“‘The Kingdom of the Heavens,” He said, “is like ™ yeast which a woman takes and buries in a bushel of flour, for it to work there till the whole mass has risen.”
‘The Yeast’
1. (vv. 24-30.) Cp. Mark iv. 26-29.
2. May be compared to] Lit. ‘has been made like.’ The same form of the verb Occurs IN XVI. 235 XX. 2.
3. During the night] Lit. ‘while men’ (or ‘his men’) ‘ were sleeping.”
4. Men] Lit. ‘slaves.’
5. First] An interesting indication that the distinction in time which some would make between the Egiphany (Christ's Coming to take away His people) and the Pavrousia (His Coming, later on, to judgement) is groundless. Phe ‘harvest-time’ is one and the same, and judgement precedes, instead of following, the gathering of believers into the heavenly home.—Ep.
6. Bring] V.L., a form of the verb that signifies prolonged action; ‘go on bringing.
7. All] Lit. ‘together.’
8. (vv. 31-33.) Cp. Mark iv. 30-32; Luke xiii. 18-21.
9. The smallest of] Lit. ‘smaller than.’
10. Herb] Or ‘ garden vegetable.’
11, Veas#] Or ‘leaven,’ ‘barm.’
40
24
30
31
32
33
MATTHEW XIII.
* All this Jesus spoke to the people in figurative Christ’s Use Bi * ofParables language, and except in figurative language He spoke nothing to them, in fulfilment of the say- iag of ?the Prophet, *“T WILL OPEN MY MOUTH IN FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE, I WILL UTTER THINGS KEPT HIDDEN SINCE THE CREATION OF ALL THINGS” (Ps. Ixxviii. 2). When He had dismissed the people and had
*The Wheat eae eaqeee
andthe returned to the house, His disciples came to Darnel. ts Him with the request,
eaning : ‘Explain to us the parable of the darnel sown in the field.”
““The sower of the good seed,” He replied, ‘‘is the Son of Man ; the field is the world ; the good seed—these are the %sons of the Kingdom ; the darnel, the sons of the Evil one. The enemy who sows the darnel is the Devil; the harvest is the +Close of the Age; the reapers are the angels. As then the darnel is collected together and burnt up with fire, so will it be at the Close of the Age. The Son of Man will commission His angels, and they will gather out of His Kingdom all Scauses of sin and all who violate His laws ; and these they will throw into the fiery furnace. There will be °the weeping aloud and the gnashing of teeth. Then will the righteous shine out 7like the sun in ®their Father’s Kingdom. Listen, every one who has ears?!
epewae. a The Kingdom of the Heavens is like
sure found treasure buried in the open country, which a
and buried’ man finds, but buries again, and, in his joy about it, goes and sells all he has and buys that piece of ground.
1. (vv. 34-35.) Cp. Mark iv. 33, 34.
2. The PiapieAl Daan See Ps. Ixxviii. 2 and heading.
3. Sons) LE. ‘heirs.’ :
4. Close] Or ‘consummation.’ See xxviii. 20, n. Age] Cp. verse 493 xxiv. 3, .} Xxviii. 20, n. Some understand the ‘Age’ in question to have been the Jewish dispensation which ended in 70, a.D., and infer from our Lord’s teaching that the physical destruction of the Hebrew nation at that time was immediately followed by their spiritual judgement in the unseen world. Such an interpreta- tion does not necessarily diminish the solemn interest and significance of this parable for us. An equally certain separation between the righteous and wicked, of later generations, comes either at_the death of the individual or'at the close of the Christian era. See John v. 29; Rev. xx. 7, 11-13.—Eb.
5. Causes of sin] Lit. ‘stumbling-blocks.’ Cp. v. 29, n.; xv. 12, u.
6. The weeping] See viii. 12, n. .
». Like the sun] “ Like Christ Himself. Rev. i. 16” (Wordsworth),
8. Thetr Father's Kingdom] Cp. xxvi. 29. g. Ears] Vv... adds ‘ to hear,’ 41
34
35
42
43
44
MATTHEW *IIT.
“ Again the Kingdom of the Heavens is like ot eee ta jewel merchant who is in quest of choice ing Value’ pearls. He finds one most costly pearl ; he goes
away; and though it costs all he has, he buys it. ;
“‘ Again the Kingdom of the Heavens 1s like
‘The Fisher- 5 draw-net let down into the sea, which encloses
eu fish of all sorts. When full, they haul it up on the beach, and sit down and collect the good fish in baskets, while ? the worthless they throw away. So will it be at the 3Close of the Age. The angels will go forth and separate the wicked from among the righteous, and will throw them into the fiery furnace. There will be the weeping aloud and
the gnashing of teeth.” : ‘Have you understood all this?” He asked.
Learners i
must “Yes,” they said. aoe become <©4Therefore,” He said, ‘‘ remember that every Teachers
Scribe well trained for the Kingdom of the Heavens is like a householder who brings out of his store- house new things and old.”
Jesus concluded this series of parables and
A Visit t0 then departed. 5 And He came into His own
andits country and proceeded to teach in their syna-
SHReee gogue, so that they were filled with astonish- ment and exclaimed,
“¢ Where did he obtain such wisdom, and these wondrous powers? Is not 7this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers, James, Joseph, Simon and Judah? And his sisters—are they not all living here among us? Where then did he get all this?”
So they *turned angrily away from Him.
But Jesus said to them,
‘‘There is no prophet left without honour except in his own country and among-his own 9 family.”
1. A jewel merchant] Lit. (according to most authorities) ‘a man, a merchant." Soin verse 52 and in xx. 1, xxi. 33, ‘aman, a householder’; xviii. 23, xxii. 2, ‘7 man, a king.’
2. The worthless] The legally unclean, Lev. xi. g-12.
3. Close of the Age] Cp. verse 39, n. 3 XXIV. 3, n, 3 XXVIil. 20, n.
4. Therefore remember that\ Or ‘ Well then’ (Alford).
5. (vv. 54-58.) Cp. Mark vi. 1-6.
6. Country] Lit. ‘native place.’ So in verse 57.
rs This] Or ‘this fellow.’
. Turned angrily away] Lit. ‘they were caused to stumble.’ Cp. verse 41.
9. Family] Or ‘house.’
42
45 46 47 48 49
50
51
52
53 54
55
MATTHEW XIII.—XIV
And He performed but few mighty deeds there because ef their want of faith.
* About that time Herod the Tetrarch heard ieeonicedd of the fame of Jesus, and he said to his and Murder courtiers, ee “This is John the Baptist : he has come back
to life—and that is why these miraculous Powers are working in him.”
?For Herod had arrested John, and had put him in chains, and imprisoned him, for the sake of Herodias his brother Philip’s wife, because John had persistently said to him,
“Tt is not lawful for you to have her.”
And he would have liked to put him to death, but was afraid of the people, because they regarded John as a Prophet. %But when Herod’s birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced before all the company, and so pleased Herod that with an oath he promised to give her whatever she asked. So she, instigated by her mother, said,
“* Give me here on a dish the head of John the Baptist.”
The king was deeply vexed, yet because of his repeated oath and of the guests at his table he ordered it to be given her, and he sent and beheaded John in the prison. The head was brought on a dish and given to the young girl, and she took it to her mother. Then John’s disciples went and removed the body and buried ‘it, and came and informed Jesus.
5 Upon receiving these tidings, Jesus went
ae neue away by boat to an uninhabited and secluded
Peep 5,000 district ; but the people heard of it and followed
Him in crowds from the towns by land. So Jesus “went out and saw an immense multitude, and_felt compassion for them, and cured those of them who were a £o. Cb. Mate vi, ao Lube if ip'an vv. 6-12.) Cp. Mark vi. 21-29.
. 7) Lit. ‘him’; according to the best MSS. In Mark the pronoun is neuter. . (vv. 13-21.) Cp. Mark vi. 30-44 ; Luke ix. 10-17; John vi, 1-14,
Went out] Jesus seems to have retired to meditate in perfect solitude (near Bethsaida Julias, Luke ix. ro), and then to have been called by His disciples to see the vast concourse of people who were coming to listen to His teaching and obtain relief for the afflicted among them. Some however suppose that ‘went out’ means ‘landed from the boat,’ and that the crowds were alieady assembled on the shore. Some undoubtedly had run on ahead (Mark vi. 32), but the majority appear to have followed Him (verse 13 and Luke ix. rz), and to have &ept on coming all day in increasing numbers (John vi. 5).
43
SHEED
1 14
13
14
MATTHEW XIV.
out of health. But when ‘evening was come, the disciples came to Him and said,
“This is an uninhabited place, and the best of the day is now gone; send the people away to go into the villages and buy something to eat.”
‘‘They need not go away,” replied Jesus; ‘you your- selves must give them something to eat.”
“‘We have nothing here,” they said, ‘‘ but five loaves and a couple of fish.”
‘“Bring them here to me,” He said, and He told all the people to sit down on the grass.
Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, and after looking up to heaven arid blessing them, He broke up the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples dis- tributed them to the people. So all ate, and were fully satisfied. The ?broken portions that remained over they gathered up, filling twelve baskets. Those who had eaten were about 5,000 adult men, without reckoning women and children.
3 Immediately afterwards He made the disciples rere go on board the boat and cross to the opposite shore, leaving Him to dismiss the people. When He had done this, He climbed the hill to pray in solitude. 4 Night came on, and he was there alone. Mean- while the boat was 5 far out on the Lake, buffeted and tossed
by the waves, the wind being adverse. But towards daybreak He went to them, ees walking over the waves. When the disciples saw Him walking on the waves, they were
greatly alarmed.
“It is a spirit,” they exclaimed, and they cried out with terror.
But instantly Jesus spoke to them, and said,
‘“ There is no danger ; 7it is I; do not be afraid.”
1. Evening] Lit.*a late’ hour. The time referred to is probably that of offer- ing the events sacrifice, about p.m. The feeding of the multitude would then be ‘between the two evenings,’ Exod. xii. 6, margin, A.V.
2. Broken portions] Those into which the Lord had broken the loaves ; not sie scraps oa cruml|
3. (vv. 22-33. ) Cp. Mark vi. 45-52; John vi. 15-21.
4. Night] Lit. ‘a late’ hour, the same word as in verse rs.
5. Far out on the Lake) Lit. ‘in the middle of the sea.’ v.L. ‘was many furlog s from land.’
owards daybreak) Lit. ‘in the fourth watch of the night.’ . Zé ¢s J} Lit. ‘I am," as in John viii. 38
44
20
22
23 24
ta Nor
27
MATTHEW XIV.—XV.
** Master,” answered Peter, ‘‘if it is you, bid me come to you upon the water.”
‘“Come,” said Jesus.
Then Peter climbed down from the boat and walked upon the water *to go to Him. But when he ’ felt 3 the wind he 4 grew frightened, and beginning to sink he cried out,
‘Master, save me.”
Instantly Jesus stretched out His hand and caught hold of him, saying to him,
“O little faith, why did you doubt?”
So they climbed into the boat, and the wind lulled; and the men on board fell down before him and said,
**You are indeed God’s Son.”
8 When they had quite crossed over, they put
P selene ashore at Gennesaret ; and the men of the place,
recognizing Him, sent word into all the country round. So they brought all the sick to Him, and they entreated Him that they might but touch the tassel of His outer garment ; and all who did so were restored to perfect health. ;
Aiea ®Then there came to Jesus a party of
inward and Pharisees and Scribes from Jerusalem, who in-
iv quired, ed
‘‘Why do your disciples transgress the tra- dition of the Elders by not washing their hands 7 before meals?”
‘Why do you, too,” He retorted, ‘‘transgress God’s com- mands *for the sake of Yyour tradition? For God said, ‘HonoUR THY FATHER AND THY MOTHER’ (Exod. xx. 12); and ‘Ler HIM WHO “REVILES FATHER OR MOTHER ™ BE CERTAINLY PUT TO DEATH’ (Exod. xxi. 17); but you—this is what you say: ‘If aman says to his father or mother, That is * consecrated, whatever it is, which otherwise you should
. Zo yo) V.L. ‘and went.’ | Feit} it. ‘saw.’ The wind) v.L. ‘how strong the wind was.’ - Grew fri 38) Coy Mack Although he was a fisherman and a swimmer (John xxi. 7). » (VV. 34-36.) ark vi. 53-56. (vv. 1-20.) C P Mark vii, 1-23. . Before meals] ] Lit. * whenever they eat bread.’ Cp. Mark vii. 5, 0 . For the sake of|1.£. ‘in order to honour.’ g: Your tradition] Yours, not God's, to. Reviles| Or ‘ curses. ur. Be certainly put to death] Lit. ‘die by death.’ Or, as in Mark vii. ro, ‘die the death’; or ‘die by the hand of justice.” na, Consecrated] Lit, ‘a gift that is a sacrifiee to God, See Mark vii. 11, u
45
BD QOSTNC RULES U3) ss
28
29)
30
31
115
MATTHEW XV.
have received from me—*the shall be absolved from honour- ing his father’*; and so you have abrogated God’s 3 Word for the sake of your tradition. Hypocrites! well did Isaiah prophesy of you,
““¢Tuyis 1s A PEOPLE WHO HONOUR ME WITH THEIR
LIPS,
WHILE THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME;
BuT IT IS IN VAIN THEY WORSHIP ME,
WHILE THEY LAY DOWN PRECEPTS WHICH ARE MERE HUMAN RULES’” (Isa. xxix. 13).
Then, when He had called the people to Him, Jesus said,
“‘Hear and understand. It is not what goes into a man’s mouth that ‘defiles him; but it is what comes out of his mouth—that defiles a man.”
Then His disciples came and said to Him,
““Do you know that the Pharisees were greatly * shocked when they heard those words?”
“Every plant,” He replied, ‘‘which my Heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up. Leave them alone. They are blind guides °of the blind; and if a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into some 7 pit.”
‘‘Explain to us this figurative language,” said Peter.
“Are even you,” He answered, ‘‘ still without intelligence? Do you not understand that whatever enters the mouth passes into the stomach and is afterwards ejected from the body? But the things that come out of the mouth proceed from the heart, and it is these that defile the man. For out of the heart proceed wicked *thoughts, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, perjury, impiety of speech. These are the things’ which defile the man; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile.”
w
1. The first clause is by some assigned to the Pharisees, as completing their sentence: and so in the Resultant Greek Tesiament. But, after all, ‘‘the Pharisees were too shrewd to say that” (Wordsworth) in barefaced opposition to God's command. it is better to supply words to add to verse 5 (cp. Luke xiii. 9, n.); ‘‘that is an exceptional case,” or, as in the A.V., ‘he shall be free,” or with Luther “‘he acts rightly” (der thut wohl).
2. His father] v.t. adds ‘or his mother.’
3. Word] Vv... reads ‘law.’
4. Defiles| Lit. ‘makes common.’ See Heb. ix. 13, n.
5» Shocked] As when in walking one strikes one’s foot violently against some obstacle. Cp. v. 29, n.
6. Of the blind] v.L. amits these words
c Pit) Or ‘hole.’ Cp. xii. 11, where the same word is used.
Thkoughts| Or ‘reasonings.’
aD
Io
Il
12
MATTHEW XV.
"Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew into the vicinity of Tyre and Sidon. Here a Canaanitish woman of the district came out and ? persistently
A Gentiie Girl cured
cried out, “Sir, Son of David, pity me; my daughter is cruelly harassed by a demon.” But He answered her not a word. Then the disciples interposed, and begged Him, saying, .“ Send her away because she keeps crying behind us.” ‘*I have only been sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel,” He replied. ; : Then she ¢came and ‘threw herself at His feet and entreated Him. is “‘O Sir, help me,” she said. “It is not right,” He said, ‘‘to take the children’s bread and throw it to the °dogs.” ““7 Be it so, Sir,” she said, ‘‘*for even the dogs eat the scraps which fall from their 9 masters’ tables.” ““O woman,” replied Jesus, ‘‘ great is your faith: be it done to you as you desire.” : And from that moment her daughter was restored to health. Again, moving thence, Jesus went along by Many other the Lake of Galilee ; and ascending “the hill, He “sat down there. Soon great crowds came to Him, bringing with them those who were crippled in feet or hands, blind or “dumb, and many besides, and they hastened to lay them at His feet. And He cured them, so
1 pa 21-28.3 Cp. Mark vii. 24-30. 2. Persistently cried| Or the tense (imperfect) may mean ‘began to cry out to ’ Hin,’ as in Mark iii. 8.
3. Lost sheep] Or, as we should say, ‘lapsed masses.’ On account of the limitations divinely imposed upon Him at His first Coming, our Lord doubtless felt a real difficulty in helping this Gentile woman. He did not invent difficulties, in order to test and increase her faith !—Ep.
4. Came] Into the house. See Mark vii. 24.
5. Threw herself at His feet) The tense (imperfect) indicates that she remained there.
6. Dogs] Lit. ‘puppies,’ or ‘whelps’ (McClellan). Dogs are not domesticated animals in Palestine. Puppies are often cared for and petted while still young, especially by the children, but when full grown they are driven away to herd with their savage congeners, which are so serious a nuisance and terror in most Eastern cities.
7. Be it so] Namely, that the Gentiles resemble the dogs.
8. For] The rendering ‘ yet’ is wholly unauthorized. She means that if we are like the dogs that very fact constitrtes our claim.
9. Masters'] Or ‘ owners’.
10. The Hill] Cp. v. 1.
11. Sat down] Phe tense (imperfect) implies ‘and continued sitting’ ; or ‘ tools up His abode’ (‘‘y demeura,” Stapfer). See v. 1, n.
12, Dumb] Or ‘deaf-mutes.’
47
21 22
23
24
25
26
27 28
29
30
31
MATTHEW XV.—XVI.
that the people were amazed to see the dumb speaking, * the
maimed with their hands perfect, the lame walking, and the
blind seeing ; and they gave the glory to the God of Israel. ?But Jesus called His disciples to Him and
A Crowd .
of more said, :
Boas hard “My heart yearns over this mass of people,
for it is now 3the third day that they have been
with me and they have nothing to eat. I am unwilling
to send them away hungry, lest they should faint on the road.”
‘‘ Where can we,” asked the disciples, ‘‘ get bread enough in this remote place to satisfy so vast a multitude?”
“How many loaves have you?” Jesus asked.
‘* Seven,” they said, ‘‘and a few small fish.”
So He bade all the people sit down on the ground, and He took the seven loaves and the fish, and after giving thanks He broke them up and then distributed them to the disciples, and they to the:people. And they all ate and were satisfied. The broken portions that remained over they took up— seven full 4hampers. Those who ate were 4,000 adult men, without reckoning women and children.
5 He then dismissed the people, went on board the boat, and came into the district of Magadan.
: Here the Pharisees and Sadducees came to A Sign from Him; and, to make trial of Him, they asked Him to show them a sign ‘in the sky. 7He
replied, :
““°In the evening you say, ‘It will be fine weather, for the sky is red ;’ and in the morning, ‘It will be rough weather to-day, for the sky is red and murky.’ You learn how to distinguish the aspect of the heavens, but the signs of the times you cannot. ° A wicked and faithless generation
1. The maimed with their hands perfect) v.L. omits these words.
2. (vv. 32-38.) Cp. Mark viii. 1-9.
3. The third day] Lit. ‘three days.’ According to English idiom ‘two days’ would probably express the true sense, the time indicated being one full day and pre {rection of the day preceding and of the day following. Cp. xii. 40, n., and
uke ti. 46, n.
4. Hampers] Or ‘store-baskets,’ or (Westcott) ‘frails.’ Except in connexion with this miracle, the word is only found in Acts ix. 25. The baskets used in feeding the 5,000 were hand-baskets.
5+ (XV. 39-xVi. 4.) — Mark viii. 10-12.
6. In the so &. ark viii. 11, n.
7. (vv. 2-3.) Cp. Luke xii. 54.
3. In the evening . . you cannot] V.L. omits,
@ (vv. 4-12.) Cp, Mark viii, 13-21.
32
MATTHEW XVI.
are eager for a sign ; but none shall be given to them except the sign of Jonah.”
And He left them and went away.
ies When the disciples arrived at the other side Teaching *of the Lake, they found that they? had forgotten pe pall to bring any bread; and when Jesus said to
them, ‘‘See to it: beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees,” they reasoned among themselves, saying, ‘
“*4]t is because we have not brought any bread.”
Jesus perceived this and said,
‘““Why are you reasoning among yourselves, you men of little faith, because Syou have no bread? Do you not yet understand? nor even remember the 5,000 and the five loaves, and how many basketfuls you carried away, nor the 4,000 and the seven loaves, and how many hampers you carried away? How is it you do not understand that it was not about bread that I spoke to you? But beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
Then they perceived that He had not warned them against bread-yeast, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
j 6 When He arrived in the neighbourhood of pe uicacee Caesarea Philippi, Jesus ’ questioned His dis- the Messiah ciples.
““Who do people *say that the Son of Man is?” He asked.
“‘Some say John the Baptist,” they replied; ‘‘ others Elijah ; others Jeremiah or one of the Prophets.”
‘*But you, who do you say that I am?” He asked again.
“You,” replied Simon Peter, ‘‘are the Christ, the Son of the *ever-living God.”
“‘Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah,” said Jesus; ‘‘ for
1. Of the Lake] Notinthe Greek. § ,
2. Had forgotten) They made this discovery before they left the boat (Mark viii. 14). See Aorzst vi. 2, 3, p. 19
3. Veast] Or fleaven,’ ‘barm.’ So in verses tr and 12.
4. It 7s because] Or these words may be omitted, as in the R.V.
5. Vou have] v.L. ‘you have taken,’ 7 i‘
6. (vv. 13-28.) Cp. Mark viii. 27-29; Luke ix. 18-27; John vi. 66-71.
7. Questioned] Repeatedly. See ii. 4, n., where the tense is the same, though the verb is different. . :
8. Say that the Son of Man 7s) v.v. ‘say that I the Son of Man am.
9. Simon pad Now, as frequently, the mouth of the Apostles (Chrysostom).
10. Ever-living] Lit. ‘living.
49
12
13
MATTHEW XVI.
2mere human nature has not revealed this to you, but my Father in Heaven. And I declare to you that you are * Peter, and that upon this ? Rock I will build my Church, and the 3might of Hades shall not triumph over it. I will give *you the keys of the Kingdom of the Heavens ; and whatever you bind on earth shall 5remain bound in Heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall remain loosed in Heaven.”
Then He urged His disciples to tell no one that He was the Christ.
From this time * Jesus began to explain to His Jesus ee oes
predicts disciples that He 7must go to Jerusalem, and
His ow" suffer much cruelty from the Elders and the
and Resur- High Priests and the Scribes, and be put to
rection Geath, and on the third day ®be raised to life again. Then Peter ° took Him aside and began taking Him to task.
““Master,” he said, ‘‘*God forbid; this ™“ will not be your lot.”
But He turned and said to Peter,
“Get behind me, “Adversary; you are a *hindrance to me, because your thoughts are not God’s thoughts, but men’s.”
Then Jesus said to His disciples, pt ae “If any one desires to follow me, let him re- rae the nounce self and take up his cross, and se be nly follower. For whoever desires to save his life
s. Mere human naturej Neither your own nor any one else’s. Lit. ‘flesh and blood.’
2. Peter. Rock] In the Greek ‘ Petros’ and ‘Petra.’ In Classical Greek these signify ‘stone’ and ‘rock’ respectively. But the latter, being feminine, would be manifestly unsuitable as the name of aman. Cp. Johni. 42, n.; Acts xii. 13.
3. Might] Lit. ‘gates.’ Cp. the expression othe Ottoman Porte.” The Jews regarded Sheol, or Hades, as the place where all the dead upon their departure from this world were imprisoned for a time. But so far as His real saints are concerned Christ has abolished this Intermediate State. Not for a_ single moment do the prison gates of Hades detain them, at death, from entering the very Presence of God. Cp. Rev. xiv. 13, n.—Epb.
4. You] Peter. In John xx. 23 the pronoun is plural.
5. Remain bound] See Aorist vii. 3, 4.
6. Feu) v.L. ‘Jesus Christ.’
z Must} According to God's appointment. Cp. Luke xxiv. 26; John iii. 14.
. Be raised to life] Or ‘awake.
9. Took Him aside and] Lit. ‘having taken Him to him.’
10. God forbid] Lit. (The Lord be) ‘ merciful to you.’
11. W7ll not] Or ‘shall not,’ for there is no difference in the Greek —if we may suppose the forward and energetic Peter to assume on this occasion a tone of authority towards his Master.
12. Adversary] Lit. ‘Satan,’ a Hebrew word signifying ‘Adversary.’ Peter, as a Jew, would at once understand the meaning.
13. Hindrance} Stumbling-block in my*way. See v. 29, n.
sq. Ltfe] Or ‘soul.’
50
18
20
21
22
23
24
25
Sd
MATTHEW XVI.—XVII.
* shall lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake ‘shall find it. Why, what benefit will it be to a man if he gains the whole world but ? forfeits his life? Or what shall a man give 3to buy back his life? For the Son of Man is soon to come in the glory of the Father with 4 His angels, and then will He requite every man according to his actions. I solemnly tell you that some of those who are standing here will certainly not taste death till they have 5seen the Son of Man coming in His Kingdom.”
°Six days later, Jesus took with Him Peter and the brotherg James and John, and brought them up 7a high mountain to a solitary place. There in their presence His form underwent a change; His face shone like the sun, and His raiment became as white as the light. And suddenly Moses and Elijah appeared to them conversing with Him.
Then Peter said to Jesus, ;
‘*Master, *we are thankful to you that we are here. If you approve, I will put up three tents here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” ;
He was still speaking when a luminous cloud ° spread over them; and a voice was heard from within the cloud, which said,
‘‘ This is My Son dearly beloved, in whom is My delight. Listen to Him.”
On hearing this voice, the disciples fell on their faces and were filled with terror. But Jesus came and touched them, and said,
“* Rouse yourselves and have no fear.”
So they looked wp, and saw no one but Jesus.
As they were descending the mountain, Jesus laid a command upon them.
The Trans- figuration
1. Shad] Or ‘will.’
2. Forfetts| Cp. Luke ix. 25, n. . r eee
3. To buy back his life] After he has lost it, having paid it as the penalty of his misdeeds.
4. His angels} Cp. xiii. 41. .
. Seen the Son of Man comin, apne have supposed that the reference is to a spiritual and judicial Coming of & rist at the time of the destruction of Jeru: in 70, A.D. ros x. 235 xxiv. 34; Luke ii. 26.—Eb.
6. (vv. 1-13.) Cp. Mark ix. 2-13; Luke ix. 28-36.
4. A high mountain] Cp. Luke ix. 28, n.
8. We are thankful to you] Cp. Acts x. 33; Phil. iv. 14. ; :
9. Spread over] Lit. ‘overshadowed’; but that which is all light, there being no second object, can throw no shadow on its only object. We must understand this luminous cloud as outspread to cover the disciples in the form and manner of acommon cloud shading men from the sun.
51 S
26
27
Leal 4
al
y
MATTHEW XVII.
‘* Tell no one,” He said, ‘‘ of the sight you have seen till the.Son of Man has risen from among the dead.”
“Why then,” asked the disciples, ‘‘do the
Banaee Scribes say that Elijah must first come?”
“ie ‘Elijah was indeed to come,” He replied,
“©and would reform everything. But I tell you
that he has already come, and they did not recognize him,
but dealt with him as they chose. And before long the Son of Man will be treated by them in a similar way.”
Then it dawned upon the disciples that it was John the Baptist about whom He had spoken to them.
* When they had returned to the people, there
“Miteptic. came to Him a man who fell on his knees before
Him and besought Him.
“Sir,” he said, ‘‘have pity on my son, for he is an epileptic and is very ill. Often he falls into the fire and often into the water. I have brought him to your disciples, and they have not been able to cure him.”
“2 unbelieving and 3 perverse generation!” replied Jesus; “Chow long shall I be with you? how long shall I endure you? Bring him ‘to me.”
Then Jesus reprimanded the demon, and it came out and left him ; and the boy was cured from that moment.
Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and The Fewer -astzed Himy ““Why could not we expel the demon ?”
“Because your faith is so small,” He replied; ‘‘for I solemnly declare to you that if you have faith Slike a mustard-seed, you shall say to this mountain, ‘ Remove from this place to that,’ and itwill remove; and nothing shall be impossible to you. /® But an evil spirit of this kind is only driven out by prayer and fasting.” 9"
_..2.As..they were *travelling “about in ‘Galilee, Jesus said to them,
1. (vv. 14-21.) Cp, Mark ix. 14-29; Luke ix. 37-43.
2. ‘It is long of your own aabeher and perverseness that they could not cure him ” (Baxter).
3. Perverse) Or ‘ crooked-minded.’
4. To me] The ‘to,’ not expressed with the usual preposition (as in the parallel passage in Mark ix. 19, 20), implies ‘‘ Bring him for me to deal with.” Cp. xxi. 2.
5 Like] I.E. ever growing, however small at first.
6. V.L. omits verse 21.
z (vv. 22-23.) Cp. Mark ix. 30-32; Luke ix. 43-45. . Travelling about] As in hunting, in which sense the verb and its cognate
moun are used in the LXX., Ezek. xiil. 20, 21. Some render (as in margin of the, .
R.V.) ‘were gathering themselves together.’ v.L. ‘they abode.’
52
to
18
19
20
21
MATTHEW XVII.—XVIII.
f “‘The Son of Man is about to be * betrayed pheeideaarstid into the hands of men ; they will put Him to own Death death, but on the third day He will be raised to
and Resur- ,- a rection life again.”
And they were exceedingly distressed. ? After their arrival at Capernaum the collec- Fone res tors of the half-shekel came and asked Peter, ~ © Yoes not your Teacher pay $the half-shekel ?”
““ Yes,” he replied, and then went into the house.
But before he spoke a word Jesus said,
“What think you, Simon? From whom do this world’s kings receive customs or capitation tax? from their own children, or from others?”
** From others,” he replied.
“Then ‘the children go free,” said Jesus. ‘‘ However, lest we 5cause them to sin, go and throw a hook into the Lake, and take the first fish that comes up. When you open its mouth, you will find a shekel in it: bring that coin and give it to them ° for yourself and me.”
?Just *then the disciples came to Jesus and A Besson in asked umility ? ‘“Who ° ranks higher than others in the King-
dom of the Heavens ?”
So He called a young child to Him, and, bidding him stand in the midst of them, said,
“In solemn truth I tell you that unless you turn and become like little children, you will in no case be admitted into the Kingdom of the Heavens. Whoever therefore shall humble himself as this young child, he it is who "is superior
1. Betrayed] 1.x. by Judas. Or ‘delivered up,’ i.e. by the Almighty. Cp. Rom. viii. 32.
2. (vv. 24-247.) Cp. Mark ix. 33.
- 3. re he halpshowel] Levied on all Jews for the support of the Temple services,
xOd. XXX. 13.
4. The children go free] Jesus, as God's own Son, might justly have claimed exemption from this tax for the maintenance of His Father's House.
5. Cause them to sin] Through their imitating the action without having the reason. Cp. v.29. V.L. a different tense of the verb—‘ should be causing &c.’
6. For Latetgs & and me] Not for us, ‘ because the footing on which it was given was different’ (Alford). Cp. John xx. 17.
7. (vv. 1-5.) Cp. Mark ix. 33-41 ; Luke ix. 46-50.
8. Then] Their discussion of this question among themselves while on their way through Galilee (Mark ix. 33, 34) had probably been suggested by the special favour twice shown (xvii. 1; Mark v. 37) to Peter, James, and John.
9. Ranks higher than others] Lit. ‘is greater.’ Or perhaps it may be rendered ‘is greatest,’ the ordinary form of the superlative, which occurs only in 2 Peter i. 4, being almost obsolete in the language of the N.T. (as it is quite obsolete in modern Greek) and the comparative being substituted for it.
10. Zurn] From such ambitious rivalry and self-seeking.
11. Is superior to others] Lit. ‘is greater.’ See verse 1, n.
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23
24
25
26
1 18
MATTHEW XVIII.
to others in the Kingdom of the Heavens. .And whoever ior my sake receives one young child such as this, receives me. = But whoever shall ? occasion the fall of one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for him to have a 3millstone hung round his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.
“* Alas for the world because of causes of fall-
‘ ene ing! They cannot but come, but alas for each
Rehan aa man through whom they come! If your hand
n 5 4 :
ry or your foot is causing you to fall into sin, cut
it off and away with it. It is better for you to enter ‘into
Life crippled in hand or foot than to remain in possession of
two sound hands or feet but be thrown into the fire Sof the
Ages. And if your eye is causing you to fall into sin, tear it
out and away with it; it is better for you to enter into Life
with only one eye, than to remain in possession of two eyes but be thrown into the ® Gehenna of fire.
7** Beware of ever despising one of these little
‘ i Pes peste ee oe oe > us
peel ones, for I tell you that in Heaven * their angels Shoat 9have continual access to my Father who is in Heaven. * What do you yourselves think ? Sup- pose a man gets a hundred sheep and one of them strays away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go and look for the one that is straying ? And if he succeeds in finding it, in solemn truth I tell you that he rejoices over it more than he does over the ninety-nine that have not gone astray. Just so it is not the will “of your Father in Heaven that one of these little ones should be lost.
1. (vv. 6-9.) Cp. Mark ix. 42-50; Luke xvii. 1, 2.
2. Occasion] g e xvii. 27, n., which applies also to the three verses following. The English words ‘offend’ and ‘ offence’ are altogether misleading.
3. Millstone) Lit. ¢ ass-millstone,’ i.e. a millstone which an ass turns,
4. Into Life] Or ‘into the Life.’ See xix. 16, n.
5. Of the Ages] Greek ‘aeonian.’ In the present Translation this word, which occurs here for the first time, is thus rendered in each of the seventy passages in which it occurs. _Etymologically this adjective, like others similarly formed, does not signify ‘during,’ but ‘belonging to’ the aeons or ages, or age. Whether asage gives it a different sense is another question. That the word sometimes means ‘everlasting’ in the strongest sense of that word, cannot reasonably be doubted. Let the reader judge for himself in every case. (Where ‘of the Ages,’ as in Gal. i. £ represents the article and noun in the Greek, and not the adjective, no note is added.) See xix. 16, n.
6. Gehenna of fire} See v. 22, n., the only other place where this expression occurs.
7. (vv. 10-14.) Cp. Luke xv. 3-7.
8. Their angels| Seems to mean the angels who have special charge of them.
9. Have continual access to] Lit. ‘continually behold the face of.’
10. V.L, inserts verse 11, ‘For the Son of Man came to save that which is lost,’ What do you think] Cp. Luke xii. 57.
11. Of your Father] Lit. ‘before your Father,’ a Hebraism. v.L. ‘of my Father.’
4
10
12
13
14
f
MATTHEW XVIII.
Howto treat
“If your brother * acts wrongly * towards you,
asinning 0 and point out his fault to him when only you Fellow and he are there. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he will not listen to
you, go again, and ask one or two to go with you, that every word spoken may be attested by two or three witnesses. If he
Christian
refuses to hear them,
appeal to 3 the Church ; and if he refuses
to hear even the Church, ‘regard him just as you regard a
Held to be loosed.
I also solemnly tell you that if two of
you here on earth agree together concerning anything what-
ever that they shall my Father who is in
ask, the boon will come to them from Heaven. For where there are two or
three assembled in my name, there am I °in the midst of
them.”
How often
7At this point Peter came to Him with the
heistobe question,
forgiven : “ Mas wrongly towards me
ter, how often shall my brother act and I forgive him ? seven times ? ”
‘*T do not say seven times,” answered Jesus, ‘‘ but * seventy
times seven times. a “For
The Duty of 9 may be mutual For-
this reason the Kingdom of the Heavens compared to a king who determined
giveness to have a settlement of accounts with his ™ ser-
vants.
But as soon as he began the settlement,
one was brought before him who owed ™ 10,000 talents, and
was unable to pay.
So his 3 master ordered that he and his
1. Acts wrongly] Lit. ‘shall have sinned.’
2. Towards you] v.L. omits these words here, as they are omitted by all the best authorities in the parallel passage Luke xvii. 3.
3. The Church] Or ‘the Assembly.’ Cp. verses 19, 20. The term is used here
un a narrower sense than in 4. Regard him &c.\,No appeal to the Gentile law.
xvi. 18, where our Lord uses it for the first time. longer as a Christian brother: you are at liberty to
5. As a Church] Understood, but not expressed in the Greek. 6. In the midst of them] The central Figure.
7. (vv. 21-35.) Cp. Luke x
Vil. 3 4.
8. Seventy times seven times) 1.£. without limit, constantly, and always (Chry- sostom). Some however prefer to render ‘seventy-seven, times,’ comparing this passage with Gen. iv. 24 (where the Greek in the LXX. is the same as here) in contrast with verse 15 of that same chapter.
9. May be compared to\ See xiii. 24, n.
to. A king} Lit. ‘a man, a king.’
11. Servants] Or ‘officials.’ Lit. ‘slaves.’ Cp. the use of the term ‘servants {in Exod. bigs % &c.) for the nobles of Pharaoh’s court.
‘a
12. 10,000
13. Master] Or ‘ owner.’
nts} A gold talent was worth £6,000; a silver talent £400.
So in verses 27, 31, 32) 34
55
15
16
i7
18
19
20
21
22
23
24 25
MATTHEW XVIII.—XIX.
wife and children and everything that he had should
be sold, and payment be made. The servant theréfore 26 falling down, prostrated himself at his feet and entreated him.
“Only give me time,’ he said, ‘and I will pay you the whole.’
“Whereupon his master, tou¢hed with compassion, set him 27 free and forgave hirn the *debt. But no sooner had that 28 servant gone out, than he met with one of his fellow servants who owed him 100 shillings ; and seizing him by the throat and nearly strangling him he exclaimed,
“** Pay me all you owe.’
“* His fellow servant therefore fell at his feet and entreated 29 him,
‘©* Only give me time,’ he said, ‘ and I will pay you.’
“He would not, however, but went and threw him into 30 prison until he should pay what was due. His fellow 31 servants, therefore, seeing what had happened, were ex- ceedingly angry; and they came and told their master with- out reserve all that had happened. At once hismaster called 32 him and said,
“«« Wicked servant, I forgave you all that debt, because you entreated me: ought not you also to have had pity on your 33 fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’
‘*So his master, greatly incensed, handed him over to the 34 3jailers until he should pay all he owed him.
ts In the same way *my Heavenly Father will deal with 35 you, if you do not all of you forgive one another from your nearts.” :
Jaeue SWhen Jesus had finished these discourses, 1 19 erosses the He removed from Galilee and came into that vordan 6 part of Judaea which lay beyond the Jordan. And a vast multitude followed him, and He cured them there.
to
1. Debt) Lit. ‘loan.’ Cp. the Parable of the Pounds in Luke xix.
2. Shillings) This is McClellan's rendering, and it is perhaps the best. The coin referred to, the Roman denarius, was a silver one worth a little more than our sixpence. ‘Penny’ is by no means an equivalent term.
3. fans) Or‘ beet iigtas
4. My] Not ‘your,’ in this connexion. ‘‘ The unforgiving servant has to be a true child of God ” (Chrysostom). oe ae
5. (vy. 1-2.) Cp. Mark x. 13; Duke XVii. EI.
6. Part of Judaea &c.] ‘ Judaea beyond the Jordan’ is mentioned by Josephus. also, though ‘Judaea’ in the N.T. scems generally to be bounded by the Jordan on the east, as in iv. 25.
56
MATTHEW XIX.
a Gucstion *'Then came * some of the Pharisees to Him to about put Him to the proof by the question,
Divorce ‘““Has a man a right to divorce his wife 3. whenever he chooses?”
‘‘Have you not read,” He replied, ‘‘ that. He who made them ‘MADE THEM’ from the beginning ‘MALE AND FEMALE (Gen. i. 27), AND SAID, FoR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND 4BE UNITED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BE 5 ONE’ (Gen. ii. 24)? Thus they are no longer two, but 5‘one’! What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”
“‘ Why then,” said they, ‘‘ did Moses command the husband to give her ‘a written notice of divorce,’ and so put her away (Deut. xxiv. 1)?”
“‘ Moses,” He replied, ‘‘°in consideration of the 7 hardness of your nature permitted you to put away your wives, but it has not been so from the beginning. And I tell you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except her unfaith- fulness, and marries another woman, * commits adultery.”
“If this is the case with a man in relation to his wife,” said the disciples to Him, ‘‘it is better not to marry.”
“Tt is not every man,” He replied, ‘‘ who can receive this teaching, but %only those on whom the grace has been bestowed. There are men who from their birth have been disabled from marriage, others who have been so disabled by men, and others who have disabled themselves for the sake of the Kingdom of the Heavens. He who is able to receive this, let him receive it.”
Littlechil. _ ~” Lhen young children were brought to Him
dren wel- for Him to put His hands on them and pray;
oaou ae but the disciples interfered. Jesus however said,
1. (vv. 3-12.) Cp. Mark x. 2-12. ;
2. Some of the Pharisees] v.L. ‘ the Pharisees.’
3. Whenever &c.] Or ‘on any and every age
4. Be united) The same verb occurs in Luke x. 11; xv. 15; Acts viii. 293
XVI. 34. 5. Bre Lit. ‘one flesh.’ 6. In ac of) tae “Coeisre) OF ak 4 & . Hardness r ‘cruelty.’ ‘‘He permitted, divorce in order, to prevent ondider” (Jerome), or because however strifigéntly he might hae Rute i ness of human nature was such that the prohibition would have been disregarded.—Ep.
Commits adultery| v.L. reads (as in Matt. v. 32) ‘causes her to com- mit adultery’; and some autherities add, ‘and he who has married: her oe so put away’ (or perhaps ‘has married a divorced woman’) ‘commits adultery.’ *
9 Ont Cp. Luke xvii. ro, n. - to. (vv. 13-15.) Cp. Mark x. 13-16; Luke xviii. 15-17,
57
16
II
I2
13
14
si
MATTHEW XIX.
“Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them ; for it is to those who are childlike that the Kingdom of the Heavens belongs.” = '” So He laid His hands upon them and went away.
“©r Teacher,” said one man, coming up to Him, The wealthy «what that is gcod shall I do in order to win the Life * of the Ages?”
‘©3Why do you ask me,” He replied, ‘‘ about what is good? There is only One who is truly good. But if you desire to enter into Life, keep the Commandments.”
“¢4 Which Commandments 2?” he asked.
Jesus answered,
‘““©THOU SHALT NOT KILL;’ ‘THOU ADULTERY ;’ ‘THOU SHALT NOT STEAL ;’ ‘ THOU SHALT NOT LIE IN GIVING EVIDENCE ;’ ‘HONOUR THY FATHER AND THY MOTHER ’ (Exod. xx. 12-16; Deut. v. 16-20); and ‘THou SHALT LOVE THY FELLOW MAN AS MUCH AS THYSELF’ ” (Lev.
Ruler
xix. 18).
SHALT NOF COMMIT
‘* All of these,” said the young man, ‘‘I have 5 carefully kept. What do I still lack?”
“If you desire to be perfect,” replied Jesus, ‘‘ go and sell all that you have, and give to the poor, and you shall have wealth in Heaven ; and come, follow me.”
On hearing those words the young man went away much cast down ; for he had much property. So Jesus said to His disciples,
“TI solemnly tell you that it is with difficulty
Wealth has serious Dis- advantages
that a rich man will enter the Kingdom of the
Heavens. Yes, I tell you, it is easier for a° camel to go
eacher.
1. (vv. 16-30.) Cp. Mark a. 17-313 Luke xviii. 18-30. Teacher] v.L. ‘Good ; 3
2. Of the Ages} Greek ‘aeonian.’ See xvii. 8, n. The compound expression * Life of the Ages’ (or ‘ Aeonian Life’) seems to have been regarded by the sacred writers as a sort of proper name, aad therefore to have been commonly used without an article preceding. (See Theological Monthly, April 1889, p. 275.) Yet where this same life is spoken of without the adjective appended, the article is generally used in the Greek ‘the Life’ ; as in vii. 14; xviii. 8, 9, and in the Greek of the next verse in this chapter.
3. Why do you ask &c.] v.L., as in Mark x. 18, Luke xviii. 19, ‘Why do you
call me good? None is good but One, namely God.
4. Which] The assertion that this is literally ‘of what kind’ is inexact. The word here rendered ‘ which,’ does bear the meaning of ‘ of what kind’ in Classical Greek and in a few passages in the N.T. (as J xii. 333 x1 Cor. xv. 35;
re
x Pet. i. rr), but not in the majority of cases. In
ellenistic
ek the sense of
our ‘what’ in agreement with a noun which is the name of a thing (not of a person) is most commonly—and in the LXX. exclusively, if Trommius’ Concord- ance may be trusted—expressed by this word.
5. Carefully Rept)
6. Camel] A six
Lit. ‘guarded.’ A stronger word ar hyperbole occurs in xxitt, a4.
58
than that in verse 12.
18
19
20
2!
22
23
24
MATTHEW XIX.—XxX.
through tne eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God.”
These words utterly amazed the disciples, and they asked,
‘* Who then can be saved ?”
Jesus looked at them and said,
‘‘ With men this is impossible, but with God everything is possible.”
, Then Peter said to Jesus, Self-sacrifice .
for Christ ““See, we have forsaken everything and
enriches followed you ; what then will be owr reward ?”
‘*T solemnly tell you,” replied Jesus, ‘‘that tin the New Creation, when the Son of Man has taken His seat on ? His glorious throne, all of you who have followed me shall also sit on twelve thrones and judge the twelve tribes of Israel. And whoever has forsaken houses, or brothers or sisters, or father ?or mother, or children or lands, for my sake, shall receive ‘many times as much and shall have as his inheritance the Life 5 of the Ages.
“But many who are now first will be last, and many who are now last will be first.
ithe “For the Kingdom of the Heavens is like °an
Vineyard employer who went out early in the morning to
Labourers’ hire men to work in his vineyard, and having made an agreement with them for a shilling a day, sent them into his vineyard. About nine o’clock he went out and saw others loitering in the market-place. To these also he said,
*** You also, go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.’
“‘So they went. Again about twelve, and about three o’clock, he went out and did the same. And going out about five o’clock he found others loitering, and he asked them,
“«* Why 7 have you been standing here all day long, doing nothing ?’ ;
1. In the New Creation] Or ‘in the again-birth,’ Greck palin-genesta, in which there will be a new Genesis either of this earth and all that is in it, or of the individual man, as in Tit. iii. 5. (The word occurs only in these two passages.) Some are of opinion that the latter is the meaning in this place also, and that the vhrase should be taken with ‘followed me.’
2. His glorious throne] Cp. xxv. 31.
3. Or mother] v.L. adds ‘or wife.
4. Many ea V.L. ‘ahundred times.’
5. Of the Ages] Greek ‘aeonian.’ See xviii. 8, n.
6. An employer] Lit. ‘a man, a master of a house.’ See xiii. 45, n.
4. Have you been standing] On this English perfect see Theological Monthly, July 1890, pp. 39, 40; and Aorist, pp. 10, 11. ‘
39
25 26
27
28
29
MATTHEW XX.
.
«© « Because * no one has hired us,’ they replied.
“© You also, go into the vineyard,’ he said.
‘© When evening came, the master said to his steward,
“© ¢Call the men and pay them their wages. Begin with the last set and finish with the first.’
““When those came who had begun at five o’clock, they received a shilling apiece ; and when the first came, they expected to get more, but they also each got *the shilling. So when they had received it, they grumbled against the employer, saying,
‘“« These who came last Shave done ‘only one hour’s work, and 5 you have put them on a level with us who have worked the whole day and have borne the scorching heat.’
‘«« My friend,’ he answered to one of them, ‘Jam doing you no injustice. ° Did you not agree with me fora shilling ? Take your money and go. I choose to give this last comer just as much as I give you. Have I not a right to do what I choose with my own property? Or are you envious be- cause I am ’ generous?’
“So the last shall be first, and the first last.” ®
9Jesus was now going up to Jerusalem, and
Jesus pre- He took the twelve disciples aside by themselves, Partita and on the way He said to them,
‘* We are going up to Jerusalem, and there the Son of Man will be betrayed to the High Priests and Scribes. They will condemn Him to death, and hand Him over to the Gentiles to be made sport of and scourged and crucified ; and on the third day He * will be raised to life.”
® pequest Then the mother of the sons of Zabdi came
for worldly to Him with her sons, and knelt before Him to
Meneur” naales a request of Him.
1. Wo one has hired us| The whole parable turns on this fact. God's call comes to different individuals at different times. All will share in an equal blessedness who respond to it with equal readiness, when it comes.—ED.
2. The shilling] v.v. ‘a shilling.’
3. Have done. . were) te verb bears the same meaning in Ruth ii. 19, LX X.
4. Only|In the English language the numeral needs to be thus emphasized. Cp. xviti. 9; xix. 12.
5. Vou have] Or ‘have you?’
6. Did you not agree with me] v.L. ‘did not I agree with you?’
7. Generous] The principle seems to be the same as that which leads a kind- pear ee poo to buy an article from a beggar or street-arab at twice its known Value.—ED.
8. v.L. adds ‘For many are called, yet few are chosen.’
9. (vv. 17-19.) Cp. Mark x. 32-34; Luke xviii. 31-34.
10. Will be raised] Or ‘ will rise.’ Or—as the same verb is rendered in i. 24 and elsewhere—‘ will awake.’ ep. ‘be united,’ xix. 5, where also the verb, although passive in form, does not of necessity imply a separate agent.
11, (vv, 20-28.) Cp. Mark x. 25-45.
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It
12
13
14 15
16 17
18
19
20
MATTHEW XxX.
‘What is it you desire?” He asked.
“Command,” she replied, ‘‘ that these my two sons may sit one’at your right hand and one at your left in ‘your Kingdom.”
‘“None of you know what you are asking for,” said Jesus; *‘can you drink ? out of the cup ?from which I am about to drink?”
““We can,” they replied.
“You shall drink out of my cup,” He said, ‘‘ but a seat at my right hand or at my left it is not for me to allot, but it belongs to those for whom it has been 3prepared by my Father.”
The ‘other ten heard of this, and their indignation was aroused Sagainst the two brothers. But Jesus
Humble Ser- : ; “yree tetra called them to Him, and said, Sreainess “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles
lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. Not so shall it be among you; but whoever desires to be great among you shall be your servant, and whoever desires to be first among you shall be your bond- servant ; just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as the 7 redemption-price ° for many.”
ea Ritid 9As they were leaving Jericho, an immense Men receive crowd following Him, two blind men sitting by
Sight the roadside heard that it was Jesus who was
passing by, and cried aloud,
“*Sir, Son of David, pity us.
The people angrily tried to silence them, but they cried all the louder.
‘*O Sir, Son of David, pity us,” they said.
So Jesus stood still and called to them.
‘‘What shall I do for you?” He asked.
‘« Sir, let our eyes be opened,” they replied.
1. Four Kingdom] Which she doubtless conceived of as an earthly one. 2. Out of, from] Words not in the Greek, but required by our modern English
idiom. 3. Prepared] Or ‘destined.’ See Hatch, Essays in Biblical Greek, pp. 51-55. 4. Other ten] Lit. simply ‘ten.’ 5. Against] Lit. ‘ concerning.’ 6. Shall tt be] V.L. ‘is it.’ : : 4. Redemption-price] For those who have been made prisoners and are now in
slavery. 8. Por] Or ‘instead of.’ ss g. (vv. 29-34.) Cp. Mark x. 46-52; Luke xviii. 35-43. 61
21
2a
23
24 25
26 27
28
29 30
31
32
33
MATTHEW XX.—XXI.
Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes, and immediately they regained their sight and followed Him. When they were come near Jerusalenr and An Ass and 5 its Coltare had arrived at Bethphagé and the Mount or borrowed Ojives, Jesus sent two of the disciples on in front, saying to them,
“‘Go to the village you see facing you, and as you enter it you will find a she-ass tied up and a foal with her. Untie her and? bring themtome. Andif any one says anything to you, say, ‘?The Master needs them,’ and he will at once send them.”
This ‘took place in order that the Prophet’s prediction might be fulfilled :
“‘TeLL THE 5 DAUGHTER OF ZION, ‘Sez, THY KING IS COMING °TO THEE, GENTLE, 7AND YET MOUNTED ON AN ASS, EVEN ON A COLT THE ® FOAL OF A BEAST OF BURDEN (Isa. Ixii. 11 ; Zech. ix. 9). 4 F So the disciples went and did as Jesus had esusrides , into instructed them: they brought the she-ass and Jerusalem the foal, and threw their outer garments on them. So He sat on them; and most of the crowd kept spreading their garments along the road, while others 9cut branches from the trees and °carpeted the road with them, and the multitudes—some of the people preceding Him and some following—sang aloud,
‘©10GoD SAVE THE SON OF Davip!
BLessincs ON H1IM WHO COMES IN THE LoRD’s NAME! Gop IN THE HIGHEST HEavens sAvVE Him!” (Ps. cxviii. 25, 26).
x,
1. (vv. 1-11.) Cp. Mark xi. 1-11; Luke xix. 29-44; John xii. 12-19.
2. Bring them to me) The ‘to,’ not expressed in the usual form, conveys the idea of utility or convenience, like the word ‘for’ in our familiar mode of expression, ‘Fetch it for me.’ Cp. xvii. 17.
. The Master] Or perhaps, ‘The Lord,’ i.e. God. So Alford, but Olshausen, Stier, and others understand the expression as referring to Jesus.
4. Took place] See i. 22, n., and Theological Monthly, Sept. 1890, p. 169, n.
5. Daughter of Zion] A Hebrew idiom for ‘inhabitant of Zion.’—Ep.
6. To thee] The ‘to’ as in verse 2; ‘for thy benefit,’ ‘to be a king for thee.’
7. And yet] Such is often the force of the simple ‘and’ both in Hebrew and in Hellenistic Greek.
8. Foal] Lit. ‘son.’
9. Cut, carpeted] The tense (imperfect) of the Greek implies that they kept on doing this as the long procession gradually wound onwards to Jerusalem.
10. God save] ‘God’ is not expressed here in the Greek. Cp. xvi. 22. The word “Hosanna” is apparently the Greek form of the Hebrew words that finish the first clause of Ps. cxvili. 23, which may be literally rendered ‘‘ Ah, I pray, O Lord; save, I pray.” The full meaning seems to be, ‘‘Grant help and_victory, we pray, to the Son of David!” See the R.V. of Ps. ili. 8; ix. 14; xx. 5, and the marginal renderings.
62
34
MATTHEW XXI.
When He thus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was thrown into commotion, every one inquiring,
‘* Who is this ?”
‘This is Jesus, the Prophet, from Nazareth in Galilee,” replied the crowds.
*Entering *the Temple, Jesus drove out all
Ghe Dealers who were buying and selling there, and over-
re eee turned the money-changers’ tables and the seats of the pigeon-dealers.
““It is written,” He said, ‘‘ ‘ My Hous SHALL BE CALLED 3THE House OF PRAYER’ (Isa. lvi. 7), but you are making it A ROBBERS’ CAVE ” (Jer. vii. 11).’
And ‘the blind and the lame came to Him in the Temple, and He cured them.
But when the High Priests and the Scribes saw the wonderful things that He had done and the children who were crying aloud in the Temple, ‘‘Gop save THE SON OF Davin,” they were filled with indignation.
““Do you hear,” they asked Him, ‘‘ what these children are saying ?”
“Yes,” He replied ; ‘‘ have you never read, ‘Out OF THE MOUTHS OF INFANTS AND OF BABES AT THE BREAST THOU HAST BROUGHT FORTH THE PRAISE WHICH IS DUE’ (Ps. viii. 2)?”
So He left them and went out of the city to Bethany and passed the night there.
A F 5Early in the morning °as He was on His
n unfruit- ‘
ful Fig Tree way to return to the city He was hungry, and cursed seeing 7a fig-tree on the road-side He went up to it, but found nothing on it but leaves.
1. (vv. 12-17.) Cp. Mark xi. 15-19; Luke xix. 45-48; xxi. 37, 38.
2. The Temple] VL. reads ‘ God's Temple.’ Note that ‘ Pemple " here does not mean the Sanctuary (see xxiii. 16, n.), but the outer enclosure, with its porticos, balconies and courts. Into the Sanctuary itself not even Jesus entered.
3. The Hou.e of Prayer| It seems better to regard this (as coming after ‘ shall be called’) as a compound proper name, ‘ Beth-tephillah,’ as in the Hebrew of Isa. Ivi. 7. In such compound names the English idiom requires the definite article, although there is none in the Hebrew, or where occasionally (as in Judges xv. 17; Mic. iv. 8) the LXX. translates the word as Matthew translates it here. Thus we should say ‘The Hill of the Jawbone’ (Ramath-lehi), ‘The House of Bread’ (Beth-lehem), ‘The Son of (my), Right Hand’ (Ben-jamin), ‘The Village of Fountains’ (Hatsar-enan), ‘The Tower of the Flock’ (Migdol-eder), ‘The Kid’s Fountain’ (Ain-gedi), and so on. a hcoh
4.. The blind and the lame] Lit. ‘ blind and lame,’ but the English idiom requires the insertion of the article.
5. (vv. 18-19.) Cp. Mark xi. 12-14. 7
6. As He was on His way to return] More lit. ‘having gone to return.’ The same verb in Luke v. 3, 4 signifies ‘to put out to sea again.’ v.L. simply
‘returning. ; E 7 ». A fig-tree] Probably a single and solitary tree; but see vi, 27, n,
63
10
II
12
13.
14
15
16
17
13 19
MATTHEW XXI.
“©On you,” He said, ‘‘no fruit shall ever again grow.”
And immediately the fig-tree withered away.
*When the disciples saw it they exclaimed in astonish- ment,
“© How instantaneously the fig-tree has withered away !”
“‘T solemnly tell you,” said Jesus, ‘‘ that if you have an unwavering faith, you shall not only perform such a miracle as this of the fig-tree, but that even if you say to this mountain, ‘ Be thou lifted up and hurled into the sea,’ it
shall be done ; and everything, whatever it be, that yeu ask-
for i in your prayers, if you have faith, you shall obtain.” -?He entered the Temple ; and while He was The Leaders teaching, the High Priests and the Elders of Pitta aban the people came to Him and asked Him, ‘*By 3what authority are you doing ‘these things ? and who gave you this authority?”
‘And I also have a question to ask you,” replied Jesus, ‘‘and if you answer me, I in turn will tell you by what authority I do these things. John’s Baptism, whence was it ?—had it a heavenly or a human origin?”
So they debated the matter among themselves.
“If we say ‘a heavenly origin,’” they argued, ‘‘he will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ and if we say ‘a human origin’ we have the people to fear, for they all hold John to have been a Prophet.”
So they answered Jesus,
“© We do not know.”
“*sNor do I tell you,” He replied, ‘‘ by what authority I do these things.” wissbedieRne “« But give me your judgement. -There was a
apparent man who had two *sons. He came to the elder
andreal of them, and said,
“°* My 7son, go and work in the vineyard to-day.’
“««T will not,’ he replied.
*. (vv. 20-22. ve Cp. Mark xi. 20-25. 2. (Vv. 2: » Mark xi. 27-33; Luke xx. 1-8. 3. i eats ‘what kind of.’ p- John x. 32.
4. TI hese things] A vague expression. Cp. verse 37,n. They will not recognize the ‘things’ as miracles or signs.
5. It is noteworthy that our Lord did not really leave their question un- answered. His own question about the Baptist was in reality a reply to theirs. John, whom in their secret hearts they knew to have been a true prophet, had borne eloquent testimony to Him as Redeemer and Judge.—Ep.
6. Sons] Lit. ‘children.’
7. Son) Lit. ‘ child.’
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20
21
24
26
27
29
MATTHEW XXI.
‘* But afterwards he was sorry, and went. He came to the second and spoke in the same manner. His answer was,
“ «JT will go, Sir.’
* But he did not go. Which of the two did as his father desired ?”’
“The first,” they said. :
“T solemnly. tell you,” replied Jesus, ‘‘that the tax- gatherers and the notorious sinners are entering the Kingdom of God ?in front of you. For John came to you observing all sorts of ritual, and you put no faith in him: the tax-gatherers and the notorious sinners did put faith in him, and you, though you saw this example set you, were not even afterwards sorry so as to believe him.
; “3Listen to another parable. There was a
‘Tee wine; héuseholder who planted a vineyard, made a
fence round it, dug a wine-tank in it, and built a strong lodge; then let the place to vine-dressers, and went abroad. When vintage-time approached, he sent his 4servants to the vine-dressers to receive his share of the 5 rapes; but the vine-dressers seized the servants, and one they cruelly beat, one they killed, one they pelted with stones. Again he sent another party of servants more numerous than the first; and these they treated in the same manner. Later still he sent to them “his son, 7saying,
“« «They will respect my son.’
“« But the vine-dressers, when they saw the son, said to one another,
““*Here is the heir: come, let us kill him and get his inheritance.’
““So they seized him, dragged him out of the vineyard, and killed him. When then the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vine-dressers ? ”
‘‘He will put the wretches to a wretched death,” was the
1. The first] v.L. ‘the latter,’ inverting also the order of the two parts of the Parable. The sense remains the same. Others read ‘the latter,’ without invert- ing the order of the two parts of the Parable, explaining it to mean ‘he who afterwards (repented and went).’_ But this seems an impossible translation.
2. In front of you] They walk first, taking precedence of you.
3. (vv. 33-46.) Cp. Mark xii. 1-12; Luke xx. 9-19.
4. Servants] Or ‘slaves ;’ and so in verses 35, 36.
5. Grapes] Or perhaps the price epuanes Ey the sale of them (Meyer). The
rent appears to have been a share of the produce (‘his grapes’) whether paid in
kind or in money. ae 6. His son) Here therefore we have the real answer to the question in verse 23,
4. Saying] To those about him. 65
30
31
40
41
MATTHEW XXI.—XXII.
reply, “‘and will entrust the vineyard to other wine tresses who will render the produce to him at the vintage season.
‘‘ Have you never read in the Scriptures,” said Jesus,
““« THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED
Has BEEN MADE THE CORNERSTONE : TuIs CORNERSTONE 7 CAME FROM THE Lorp, AND IS WONDERFUL IN OUR EYES’ (Ps. cxviii. 22, 23)?
‘« That, I tell you, is the reason why the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you, and given toa nation * that will exhibit the power 3 of it. He who‘ falls on this stone will be severely hurt ; but he on whom it falls will be utterly crushed.”
After listening to His parables the High Priests and the Pharisees perceived that He was speaking about them ; but though they were eager to lay hands upon Him, they were afraid of the people, for by them He was regarded as a Prophet.
5Again Jesus spoke to them in figurative language.
“The Kingdom of the Heavens,” He said, ‘6 may be compared to 7a king who celebrated the marriage of his son, and sent his ® servants to call the invited guests to the wedding, but they were unwilling to come.
‘*Again he sent other servants with a message to those who were invited.
“““ My %bredkfast is now ready,” he said, ‘my bullocks
‘The Wed- ding Feast’
1. Came from the Lord] More freely ‘is the Lord's workmanship.’ Or per- haps the meaning of the clause is, ‘this (preference for the rejected stone) is the Lord's act.’ The latter explanation assumes a Hebraism, thus. The word ‘this’ is feminine both in the Greek here and in the Hebrew original which our Lord was quoting from, Ps. cxviii. 22, 23. But ‘cornerstone’ in both these lan ages is feminine, and therefore the demonstrative may refer to that noun. In Hebrew. however, where no noun is distinctly referred to and in English the word ‘ thing’ is or may be supplied, as in, ‘At this (thing) also my ‘heart trembleth ” (Job xxxvii. 1), the Hebrew feminine is regularly used. In Latin or Classical Greek the neuter would be employed, but in Hebrew there is no neuter gender. The LXX. generally has the neuter in such cases; but there are a few exceptions, sufficient to demonstrate the possibility of the Hebrew idiom being borrowed into Hellenistic Greek, and the possibility also of its existence in the passage now before us. Yet the other seems the preferable rendering.
2. That will exhibit the power] Lit. ‘producing the fruits.’
3. ae LE., ‘of the Kingdom.’
4, Falls] v.L. omits this verse. It is possible to ‘stumble’ without actually falling. See xxvi. 31; Rom. xi. 11.
5: Again Jesus] Lit. ‘and Jesus answered.’ See xi. 25, n.
6, May be compared to) See xiii. 24, n.
7. A king] Lit. ‘a man a king.’
8. Servants] Or ‘slaves,’ five times in this Parable.
9. Breakfast] The morning meal, whether early or late, as among ourselves.
his noun occurs also in Luke xi. 38; xiv. 12, 15; and the cognate verb in Luke mi. 373 John xxi. 12, 15. But some take it here, in a wider sense, for any meal.
66
42
43
MATTHEW XXII.
and fat cattle are killed, and every preparation is made: come to the wedding.’
‘“They however gave no heed, but went, one to his home in the country, another to his business; and the rest seized the king’s servants, maltreated them, and murdered them. So the king’s anger was stirred, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burnt their city. Then he said to his servants, :
““*The wedding banquet is ready, but those who were invited were unworthy of it. Go out therefore to the cross- roads, and everybody you meet invite to the wedding.’
“*So they went out into the roads and gathered together all they ‘could find, both bad and good, and the ? banqueting- hall was filled with guests.
“‘Now the king came in to see the guests; AbresemP” and among them he discovered one who was not aes wearing a wedding-robe.
‘“* My friend,’ he said, ‘how is it that you came in here without a wedding robe?’
‘‘The man stood speechless. Then the king said to the servants,
‘¢* Bind him hand and foot and fling him into the darkness outside : there will be the weeping aloud and the gnashing of teeth.’
‘* For there are many called, but few chosen.”
7 4Then the Pharisees went and consulted A Question t 8 . . : about together how they might entrap Him in His
Tribute conversation. So they sent to him their dis- ciples together with the Herodians; 5 who said,
‘‘Teacher, we know that you are truthful and that you faithfully teach God’s truth; and that no fear of man misleads you, for you °are not biased by men’s wealth or rank. Give us your judgement therefore: is it allowable for us to pay a poll-tax to Caesar, or not?”
Perceiving their wickedness, Jesus replied,
1. Could find] Lit. ‘found,’ a Hebraism. So in Esther ix. 2, ‘no man could withstand” is lit. ‘no man withstood.”
2. Banqueting-hall\ Lit. ‘ bridal-chamber.’ v.L. ‘wedding.’ i
3. Stood speechless) Lit. ‘was gagged’ or ‘muzzled.’ Khe same verb is em- ployed in verse 34.
4. (vv. 15-22.) Cp. Mark xii. 13-17; Luke xx. 20-26. Ale
S. sazd] Or ‘to say:' lit. ‘saying.’ V.L. reads ‘saying’ in the nominative, referring to ‘they.’ Thesense then is ‘saying’ (by the mouth of these messengers).
Are not biased &c.} Lit. ‘do not look at men’s faces (or ‘outward appear ance’). Cp. Luke xx. 21, n. . 67
1a
It
12
-
14 15
16
17 18
MATTHEW XXII.
‘“Why are you hypocrites trying to ensnare me? Show me the tribute coin.”
And they brought Him a shilling.
‘* Whose likeness and inscription,” He asked, ‘‘is this?”
“*Caesar’s,” they replied.
‘‘Pay therefore,” He rejoined, ‘‘what is Caesar’s to Caesar; and what is God’s to God.”
They heard this, and were astonished ; then left Him, and went their way.
*On the same day a party of Sadducees came wheres" to Him, contending that there is no resurrection. jen Seecn. And they put this case to Him.
‘*Teacher,” they said, ‘‘ Moses enjoined, ‘Ir a
MAN DIE CHILDLESS, HIS BROTHER SHALL MARRY HIS WIDOW, AND RAISE UP A FAMILY FOR HIM’ (Deut. xxv. 5). Now wehad among us seven brothers. The eldest of them married, but died childless, leaving his wife tohis brother. So also did the second and the third, down to the seventh, till the woman also died, after surviving them all. At the Resurrection, therefore, whose wife of the seven-will she be? for they all married her.”
The reply of Jesus was,
“You are in error, through ignorance of the Scriptures and of the power of God. For in the Resurrection, men neither marry nor are women given in marriage, but they are like 7angels in Heaven. But as to the Resurrection of the dead, have you never read what God says to you, ‘I amM THE Gop OF ABRAHAM, THE GoD OF ISAAC, AND THE GOD OF JACon: (Exod. iti. 6)? Heisnot the God of dead, but of liying men.’
All the crowd heard this, and were filled with amazement at His teaching.
3 Now the Pharisees came up when they heard
suprenis Law that He ‘had silenced the Sadducees, and one “~~ > of them, an expounder of the Law, asked Him as a test question,
‘“Teacher, 5 which is the greatest Commandment in the Law?”
1. (vv. 2-43-) Up. Mark xii. 18-27; Luke xx. 27-39.
2. Angels) V.L. ‘ God's angels.’ eles ced) Soe Cen 5. Which] Not ‘of what kind.’ Cp. xix. 18, n.
6. Greatest] Lit. ‘great,’ a Hebraism. ‘Adjectives i in Hebrew have neither the comparative nor the superlative degree, but only the positive. See also xviii. 1, ps
68
23
24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33
34
re)
36
' MATTHEW XXII.—XXIII.
6¢ © TOU SHALT LOVE THE LorD THY Gop,’” He answered, 8¢ ¢rwitH THY WHOLE HEART, THY WHOLE SOUL, THY WHOLE MIND’ (Deut. vi. 5). This is the greatest and foremost Commandment. And the second is similar to it: ‘THou SHALT LOVE THY_FELLOW..MAN-~? AS- MUCH: AS THYSELF’ (Lev. xix. 18). The whole of the Law and the Prophets is summed up in these two Commandments.” Faery , 3While the Pharisees were still assembled avid’s Son fi and ‘David’s there, Jesus put a question to them. Eord? ‘* What think you about the Christ,” He said, “‘ whose son is He?” ‘* David’s,” they replied. ‘*How then,” He asked, ‘‘does David, taught by the Spirit, call Him Lord, when he says, ““«THE LorpD saID TO My Lorp, Sit at My RIGHT HAND Untit I HAVE PUT THY FOES BENEATH THY FEET’ (Ps. cx. i)? “Tf therefore David calls Him Lord, how can He be his son?” No one could say a word in reply, nor from that day did any one venture again to put a question to Him. sarees i Then Jesus addressed the crowds and His Pharisees disciples. denounced “The Scribes,” He said, ‘‘and the Pharisees 6 sitin the chair ot Moses. Therefore do and observe every- thing that they command you ; but do not imitate their lives, for though they tell others what to do, they do not do it themselves. 7? Heavy ®and cumbrous burdens they bind together and load men’s shoulders with them, while as for themselves, not with one finger do they choose to lift them. And everything they do they do with a view to being observed by men; for they widen their °phylacteries and make the tassels large, and love the best seats at a dinner
1. With] Lit. ‘in,’ three times repeated.
2. As much as thyself] This of course implies that there is a legitimate love of ‘self.’ ‘Selfishness’ is sinful not because it includes care for one’s own welfare, but because it excludes (or subordinates to this) care for the welfare of others. There is sin rather than virtue in mere self-neglect !—Ep.
3. (vv. 41-46.) Cp. Mark xii. 35-37; Luke xx. 41-44.
4. Taught by] Lit, ‘in.’
5. (vv. 1-39.) Cp. Luke xiii. 34, 35.
6. Sit] Or ‘have seated themselves.” See Aorist, top of p. 21. Cp. Luke i. 473 Phil. iv. 10; Rev. xvii. 7.
vA Cp. Luke xi. 46.
8. And cumbrous] V.L. omits these words. et Phylacteries| Two small leather cases, worn by very religious Jews on the
t arm and the forehead, and containing passages of Scripture.
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37
38 39
40 41 42 43
44
‘ Brotherhood
MATTHEW XXIII.
party or in the synagogues, and like to be bowed to in places of public resort, and to be addressed by men as ‘ Rabbi.’
‘“‘As for you, do not accept the title of
among ‘Rabbi,’ for one alone is your Teacher, and
Christians
you are all brothers. And call no one on
earth your Father, for One alone is your Father—the Heavenly Father. And do not accept the name of ‘leader,’
for your Leader is one alone—the Christ.
He who is
the greatest among you shall be your servant; and one who exalts himself shall be abased, while one who abases
himself shall be exalted.
“‘But alas for you, Scribes and Pharisees,
Stern De- nunciations
hypocrites, for you lock the door of the King-
» sy. .e+y, dom of the Heavens against men; you your- selves do not enter, nor do you allow those to enter who
are seeking to do so."
‘‘Alas for you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you scour sea and land in order to win one convert—and when he is gained, you make him twice as much a son of
Gehenna as yourselves.
‘‘Alas for you, you blind guides, who say, ‘«* Whoever swears by *the Sanctuary it is nothing; but whoever swears by