THE PARABLE OF THE ROYAL MARRIAGE FEAST Peculiar to St Matthew The parable recorded by St Luke (Luke 14:16-24), though similar to this in some respects, differs in its context and special teaching and in many details. As of the other parables of the Passion, the primary intention of this regards th... [ Continue Reading ]
ΓΆΜΟΥΣ, ‘a marriage feast.’ εἰλαπίνη ἠὲ γάμος; ἐπεὶ οὐκ ἔρανος τάδε γʼ ἐστίν, _Od._ I. 226.... [ Continue Reading ]
ἈΠΈΣΤΕΙΛΕΝ ΤΟῪΣ ΔΟΎΛΟΥΣ. This was in accordance with Eastern custom. Cp. Esther 5:8; Esther 6:14. ΟΥ̓Κ ἬΘΕΛΟΝ, ‘refused,’ the imperfect expresses the successive refusals: cp. singuli introducebantur, Livy X. 38.... [ Continue Reading ]
ὨΡΓΊΣΘΗ. For a subject to scorn the summons to the royal feast implied disloyalty and rebellion. ΤᾺ ΣΤΡΑΤΕΎΜΑΤΑ, ‘troops.’ Cp. Luke 23:11, where the word is used of Herod’s soldiers, σὺν τοῖς στρατεύμασιν αὐτοῦ, and Revelation 9:16. The soldiers of Titus literally achieved the purposes of God.... [ Continue Reading ]
ΤᾺΣ ΔΙΕΞΌΔΟΥΣ ΤΩ͂Ν ὉΔΩ͂Ν. διεξ. here only in N.T. Either (1) the outlets of the streets, i.e. the central place into which the streets converge. This has the authority of Chrysostom. Hom. 69, _in Matt_. (see Trench, _Parables_, p. 230, and cp. Schleusner). Or (2) roads leading out of the city into t... [ Continue Reading ]
ΝΥΜΦῺΝ for γάμος on the evidence of אB*L. 10. ἘΞΕΛΘΌΝΤΕΣ ΟἹ ΔΟΥ͂ΛΟΙ. The ‘servants’ are the earliest Christian missionaries, Paul, Silas, Barnabas and others. ΕἸΣ ΤᾺΣ ὉΔΟΎΣ. Cp. this with εἰς τὰς διεξόδους above. The servants’ performance did not rise to the thoroughness of the Master’s command. S... [ Continue Reading ]
ἜΝΔΥΜΑ ΓΆΜΟΥ. The festive robe (χλανὶς γαμική, Arist. _Av._ 1693) which in this instance it is supposed the master of the feast himself provided, so that there was no excuse. The supposition is required by the conditions of the parable, and gifts of robes were, and still are, too common in the East... [ Continue Reading ]
ἙΤΑΙ͂ΡΕ. See note, ch. Matthew 20:13. ΠΩ͂Σ ΕἸΣΗ͂ΛΘΕΣ. ‘How didst thou presume to enter’. ἘΦΙΜΏΘΗ. See Matthew 22:34.... [ Continue Reading ]
ἄρατε αὐτὸν καὶ omitted before ἐκβάλετε on the highest authority. Alford suggests that the insertion was made from ‘the difficulty presented by a person bound hand and foot being cast out, without some expression implying his being taken up by the hands of others.’ 13. ΤῸ ΣΚΌΤΟΣ ΤῸ ἘΞΏΤΕΡΟΝ. The da... [ Continue Reading ]
ΠΑΓΙΔΕΎΕΙΝ, ‘to ensnare,’ as a fowler ensnares birds: used here only in N.T. All the previous attempts had been to discredit Jesus as a religious teacher; the present is an attempt to expose Him to the hostility of the Roman government. Will He follow Judas the Gaulonite, in disowning all human aut... [ Continue Reading ]
THE TEMPTATION OF THE HERODIANS. THE TRIBUTE MONEY Mark 12:13-17; Luke 20:20-26... [ Continue Reading ]
ΤΟῪΣ ΜΑΘΗΤᾺΣ ΑΥ̓ΤΩ͂Ν ΜΕΤᾺ ΤΩ͂Ν ἩΡΩΔ. An unnatural coalition, for the Pharisees represented the patriotic resistance to all foreign power; whereas the Herodians, as their name implies, supported the Herodian dynasty, and, as the context shews, acquiesced in the Roman rule. With the form of the name c... [ Continue Reading ]
ἜΞΕΣΤΙΝ ΔΟΥΝΑΙ ΚΗ͂ΝΣΟΝ ΚΑΊΣΑΡΙ Ἢ ΟΥ̓́; The injunction, ‘thou mayest not set a stranger over thee’ (Deuteronomy 17:15), was interpreted to mean that the Jews should pay tribute to no foreign power. But their history exhibits them as tributary in turn to Assyria, Babylon, Egypt and Persia. The questi... [ Continue Reading ]
ΓΝΟΎΣ, ‘having recognised.’... [ Continue Reading ]
ΤῸ ΝΌΜΙΣΜΑ ΤΟΥ͂ ΚΉΝΣΟΥ. The current coin of the census, i.e. the coin in which the tax is paid. ΔΗΝΆΡΙΟΝ. A _denarius_, bearing probably the image of Tiberius. The Jewish coins were not impressed with the effigy of their kings. Herod Philip, alone of his family, out of flattery to the Emperor, had... [ Continue Reading ]
ἘΠΙΓΡΑΦΉ. ‘Inscription’ or ‘legend.’... [ Continue Reading ]
ἈΠΌΔΟΤΕ ΟΥ̓͂Ν ΤᾺ ΚΑΊΣΑΡΟΣ ΚΑΊΣΑΡΙ. ‘Pay back _therefore_.’ The Jewish doctors laid down the principle that ‘He is king whose coin passes current.’ St Paul expands this principle, which underlies our Lord’s answer (Romans 13:1 foll.). The claim of earthly rulers to obedience rests on the delegated au... [ Continue Reading ]
ΛΈΓΟΝΤΕΣ for οἱ λέγοντες, on the best authority—אBD (C is defective here), and many other uncials. 23. ΣΑΔΔΟΥΚΑΙ͂ΟΙ. See note ch. Matthew 3:7. This is the only direct contact of the Sadducees with Jesus. ΛΈΓΟΝΤΕΣ. ‘Then came Sadducees saying,’ i.e. with their argument that, &c. For the omission of... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SADDUCEES TEMPT JESUS. THE CONDITION OF THE FUTURE LIFE Mark 12:18-27; Luke 20:27-39... [ Continue Reading ]
ἘΠΙΓΑΜΒΡΕΎΣΕΙ Ὁ�.Τ.Λ. This is sometimes called the ‘levirate law,’ from Lat. _levir_, a brother-in-law; see Deuteronomy 25:5. ‘The law on this subject is not peculiar to the Jews, but is found amongst various Oriental nations, ancient and modern.’ _Speaker’s Comment_., Deuteronomy 25:5.... [ Continue Reading ]
ΓΉΜΑΣ replaces the unclassical γαμήσας, probably an insertion when the latter form became the usual one.... [ Continue Reading ]
ΜῊ ΕἸΔΌΤΕΣ, i.e. ‘because ye do not know’ (μὴ states the ground or reason of the mistake) (1) _the Scriptures_, which affirm the doctrine; nor (2) _the power of God_, which is able to effect the resurrection, and after the resurrection to create a new order of things in the new world.... [ Continue Reading ]
ἘΝ ΤΗ͂Ι�, i.e. in that world or that phase of existence which begins with the resurrection. The logical difficulty vanishes; for in this respect the analogy between the present world and the next does not hold good. The danger of the argument from analogy always lies in the fallacy that the things... [ Continue Reading ]
Against the repeated θεός, θεὸς the most ancient testimony is conclusive; between ὁ θεὸς and θεὸς the great MSS. are divided, θεὸς (אD), ὁ θεὸς (BLΔ). Tischendorf omits the article, Lachmann and Tregelles retain it. 32. Jesus appeals to the Pentateuch when arguing with the Sadducees, with whom the... [ Continue Reading ]
ΔΙΔΑΧΗ͂Ι. Teaching. ἘΞΕΠΛΉΣΣΟΝΤΟ. The imperfect well expresses the thrill of amazement passing through the crowd from one to another.... [ Continue Reading ]
ἘΦΊΜΩΣΕΝ. Literally ‘gagged’ or ‘muzzled,’ hence silenced completely, not only for the moment. φιμὸς is a muzzle for dogs, or a nose-band in a horse’s bridle: φιμοὶ δὲ συρίζουσι βάρβαρον τρόπον. Æsch. _Sep. c. Th._ 463. The verb is rare in the classics, ἢν … φιμώσητε τούτου τῷ ξύλῳ τὸν αὐχένα, Arist... [ Continue Reading ]
THE GREATEST COMMANDMENT Mark 12:28-34; comp. Luke 10:25-28 In Luke the question is asked at an earlier period of the ministry, after the return of the Seventy; and the meaning of ‘neighbour’ is illustrated by the parable of the ‘Good Samaritan.’... [ Continue Reading ]
Omit καὶ λέγων before διδάσκαλε with אBL, versions, and patristic evidence. 35. ΕἿΣ ἘΞ ΑΥ̓ΤΩ͂Ν ΝΟΜΙΚΌΣ, i.e. an interpreter of the written law, as distinguished from the ‘traditions’ or unwritten law.... [ Continue Reading ]
See Deuteronomy 6:5. ΚΑΡΔΊΑΙ … ΨΥΧΗ͂Ι … ΔΙΑΝΟΊΑ. St Mark and St Luke add ἰσχύς. In Deut. the words are heart … soul … might. καρδία includes the emotions, will, purpose; ψυχή, the spiritual faculties; διάνοια the intellect, the thinking faculty. This greatest commandment was written on the phylacte... [ Continue Reading ]
The article before μεγάλη is a gain to the sense. It is strongly supported.... [ Continue Reading ]
ἘΝ ΤΑΎΤΑΙΣ ΚΡΈΜΑΤΑΙ. The classical expression would be ἐκ τοῦτων κρέμανται.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SON OF DAVID Mark 12:35-37; Luke 20:41-44... [ Continue Reading ]
ὙΠΟΚΆΤΩ for ὑποπόδιον on conclusive evidence. 44. ΚΎΡΙΟΣ ΤΩ͂Ι ΚΥΡΊΩΙ ΜΟΥ. Psalms 110:1. According to the Hebrew, ‘Jehovah said to Adoni,’ i.e. to my sovereign Lord, the Messiah, the Son of David. The repeated κύριος … κυρίῳ seems to be an indication of what must certainly have been the fact, that J... [ Continue Reading ]