Matthew 9:36

ἐσκυλμένοι. A certain change for ἐκλελυμένοι.

ἐριμμένοι, for ἐρριμμένοι, in accordance with the more ancient MSS; but D* has ῥεριμμένοι.

36. ἐσπλαγχνίσθη. σπλάγχνα = the nobler organs, heart, liver, lungs, then specially the heart as the seat of various emotions. In a literal sense Acts 1:18; in the sense of ‘pity’ frequent in St Paul’s epistles. In the classics the meaning is extended to other feelings: μὴ πρὸς ὀργὴν σπλάγχνα θερμήνῃς, Aristoph. Ranæ, 844. ἀνδρὸς σπλάγχνον ἐκμαθεῖν, Eur. Med. 220. The verb, which is post-classical, is confined to the sense of ‘feeling pity,’ and occurs in the Synoptic Gospels only.

ἐσκυλμένοι. ‘Worn out, harassed.’ The literal meaning of σκύλλειν is ‘to flay,’ then to ‘vex,’ or ‘harass,’ τί ἔτι σκύλλεις τὸν διδάσκαλον, Mark 5:35. It is a striking instance of the softening and refining process in the meaning of words: cp. ἐρεύγομαι, χορτάζω.

ἐριμμένοι. Either (1) ‘prostrate,’ or (2) ‘neglected,’ set at naught by the national teachers.

μὴ ἔχοντα. ‘When they have no shepherd,’ the condition that excites pity is expressed by μή, οὐκ ἔχοντα would indicate the fact simply.