Matthew 9:17

οἶνον νέον εἰς�. The Oriental bottles are skins of sheep or goats. Old bottles would crack and leak. This may be regarded as a further illustration of the doctrine taught in the preceding verse. But it is better to give it an individual application. The new wine is the new law, the freedom of Christianity. The new bottles are those fitted to live under that law. The old wine is Judaism, the old bottles those, who trained in Judaism, cannot receive the new law, who say ‘the old is better’ (or ‘good’), Luke 5:39.

Our Lord’s answer then is threefold, (1) specially as to fasting, (2) as to Christianity in regard to Judaism, (3) as to individuals trained in Judaism.

(1)

This is a joyous time, not a season for fasting, which is a sign of sorrow.

(2)

Christianity is not a sect of Judaism, or to be judged according to rules of Judaism.

(3)

It is not every soul that is capable of receiving the new and spiritual law. The new wine of Christianity requires new vessels to contain it.

εἰ δὲ μήγε, ‘otherwise.’ Literally, ‘unless he acts thus.’ Cp. Epict. Diss. I. 15, οὐκ ἐπαγγέλλεται ἔφη φιλοσοφία τῶν ἐκτός τι περιποιήσειν τῷ�.τ.λ., where εἰ δὲ μὴ = nisi ita esset ut ego dico. (Schweighäuser).

οἶνον νέον. ‘New wine,’ i.e. wine of this vintage. ἀσκοὺς καινούς, ‘new skins,’ i.e. that have not been used before; cp. καινὸν μνημεῖον, a sepulchre that had never been used, not one that had been lately hewn out; νέα διαθήκη, a covenant that is quite recent; καινὴ διαθήκη, one that is distinct from the old covenant. See Trench, Synonyms, part 2, § 10.