CHAPTER 10. THE GALILEAN MISSION. The beginnings of the mission to the neglected “lost” sheep of Israel may be found in the Capernaum feast (Matthew 9:10). As time went on Jesus felt increasingly the pressure of the problem and the need for extended effort. Matthew's call was connected with the fi... [ Continue Reading ]
προσκαλεσάμενος : this does not refer to the call to become disciples, but to a call to men already disciples to enter on a special mission. τοὺς δώδεκα, _the Twelve_. The article implies that a body of intimate disciples, twelve in number, already existed. The evangelist probably had Mark 3:14 in v... [ Continue Reading ]
_The Twelve: their names, mission, and relative instructions_ (Mark 3:14-19; Mark 6:7-13; Luke 9:1-6).... [ Continue Reading ]
τῶν δὲ δώδ. ἀποστόλων : etc., the evangelist finds here a convenient place for giving the names of the Twelve, called here for the first and last time ἀπόστολοι, with reference at once to the immediate minor mission (from ἀποστέλ. λειν, _vide_ Matthew 10:5) and to the later great one. One half of th... [ Continue Reading ]
Βαρθολομαῖος, the 6th, one of the doubtful names, commonly identified with _Nathanael_ (John 1:46). Ματθαῖος ὁ τελώνης, one of four in the list with epithets: Peter the _first_, Simon the _zealot_, Judas the _traitor_, Matthew the _publican_; surely not without reason, except as echoing Matthew 9:9... [ Continue Reading ]
Σίμων ὁ Καναναῖος : Luke gives τὸν καλ. Ζηλωτὴν = the zealot, possibly a piece of information based on an independent reliable source, or his interpretation of the Hebrew word קַנְאָנִי. The form Καναναῖος seems to be based on the idea that the word referred to a place. Jerome took it to mean “of Ca... [ Continue Reading ]
Τούτους τ. δώδ : _These, the Twelve_, Jesus sent forth, under the injunctions following (παραγγείλας). εἰς ὀδὸν ἐθ. μὴ ἀπέλθητε. This prohibition occurs in Matthew only, but there is no reason to doubt its authenticity except indeed that it went without saying. The very prohibition implies a conscio... [ Continue Reading ]
_Instructions to the missioners_.... [ Continue Reading ]
ἀπολωλότα, “the _lost_ sheep,” an expression consecrated by prophetic use (Jeremiah 50:6, Swete's ed., Matthew 27:6), the epithet here first introduced, often occurring in Gospels, was used by Jesus not in blame but in pity. “Lost” in His vocabulary meant “neglected” (Matthew 9:36), in danger also o... [ Continue Reading ]
πορευόμενοι κηρύσσετε, as ye go, keep preaching; participle and finite verb, both present. Preaching first in the Master's thoughts, if not in the evangelist's (Matthew 10:1). ἤγγικεν ἡ βασιλεία τ. ο.: the theme is, of course, the kingdom longed for by all, constantly on the lips of Jesus. The messa... [ Continue Reading ]
νεκροὺς ἐγείρετε. This clause is wanting in several Codd., including L [58], so often associated with [59] [60] in good readings. It is, however, too well attested to be omitted. It must either have found a place in the autograph, or it must have crept in as a gloss at a very early period. The evang... [ Continue Reading ]
μὴ κτήσησθε : Vulgate: nolite possidere. But the prohibition is directed not merely against possessing, but against _acquiring_ (κέκτημαι, perfect = possess). The question is as to the scope of the prohibition. Does it refer merely to the way, or also to the mission? In one case it will mean: do not... [ Continue Reading ]
πήραν, a wallet for holding provisions, slung over the shoulder (Jdt 13:10, πήραν τῶν βρωμάτων). δύο χιτῶνας): not even two under-garments, shirts; one would say very necessary for comfort and cleanliness in a hot climate, and for travellers along dusty roads. In Mark the prohibition seems to be aga... [ Continue Reading ]
ἐξετάσατε (ἐκ ἐτάζω, from ἐτεός, true; to inquire as to the truth of a matter). A host to be carefully sought out in each place: not to stay with the first who offers. ἄξιος points to personal moral worth, the deciding consideration to be goodness, not wealth (worth so much). The host to be a man ge... [ Continue Reading ]
τὴν οἰκίαν, the house selected after due inquiry. ἀσπάσασθε, salute it, not as a matter of formal courtesy, but with a serious mind, saying: “peace be with you,” thinking the while of what peace the kingdom can bring.... [ Continue Reading ]
ἐὰν μὲν ᾖ ἡ ο. ἀξία : after all pains have been taken, a mistake may be made; therefore the worthiness of the house is spoken of as uncertain (ᾖ, in an emphatic position, so μὴ ᾖ, in next clause). ἐλθέτω ἡ εἰρήνη … ἐπιστραφήτω. The meaning is: the word of peace will not be spoken in vain; it will bl... [ Continue Reading ]
γῇ Σ. καὶ Γ.: Sodom and Gomorrah, a byword for great iniquity and awful doom (Isaiah 1:9), γῇ, land for people. ἀνεκτότερον : yet the punishment of these wicked cities, tragic though it was, or the punishment still in store, more endurable than that of city or village which rejects the message of th... [ Continue Reading ]
ἰδού, something important is going to be said. ἐγὼ, emphatic: Jesus is conscious that connection with Him will be a source not only of power, but of trouble to the Twelve. ἐν μέσῳ : not _to_ wolves (πρὸς λύκους, Chrys.). They were not sent for that purpose, which would be a mission to destruction, b... [ Continue Reading ]
_Prophetic picture of future apostolic tribulations_. An interpolation of our evangelist after his manner of grouping _logia_ of kindred import. The greater part of the material is given in other connections in Mark, and especially in Luke. No feeling of delicacy should prevent even the preacher fro... [ Continue Reading ]
τῶν ἀνθρώπων : Weiss, regarding Matthew 10:17 as the beginning of an interpolation, takes τῶν generically = the whole race of men conceived of as on the whole hostile to the truth = κόσμος in the fourth Gospel (Matthew 15:19; Matthew 17:14). It seems more natural to find in it a reference to the λύκ... [ Continue Reading ]
ἡγεμόνας, provincial governors, including the three degrees: Propraetors, Proconsuls, and Procurators. From the point of view of the evangelist, who conceives the whole discourse as connected with the Galiean mission confined to Jews, the reference can only be to Roman governors in _Palestine_. But... [ Continue Reading ]
μὴ μεριμνήσητε, etc.: a second counsel against anxiety (Matthew 6:25), this time not as to food and raiment, but as to speech at a critical hour. With equal emphasis: trouble not yourselves either as to manner or matter, word or thought (πῶς ἢ τί). δοθήσεται : thought, word, tone, gesture everything... [ Continue Reading ]
εἰς τέλος, to the end (of the tribulations) described (Matthew 10:21-22); to the end, and not merely at the beginning (Theophy., Beza, Fritzsche, Weiss, etc.). No easy thing to do, when such inhumanities and barbarities are going on, all natural and family affections outraged. But it helps to know,... [ Continue Reading ]
ὅταν δὲ : the thought takes a new comforting turn, much needed to reconcile disciples to the grim prospect. With courage and loyalty effort for self-preservation is quite compatible. Therefore, when they persecute here flee there. ἐν τῇ πόλει ταύτῃ, in _this_ city, pointing to it, _this_ standing fo... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 10:24-25 point to another source of consolation companionship with the Master in tribulation. A hard lot, but mine as well as yours; you would not expect to be better off than the Master and Lord.... [ Continue Reading ]
ἀρκετὸν, not as in Matthew 6:34 a neuter adjective used as a noun, but a predicate qualifying the clause ἵνα γεν., etc., as noun to verb ἐστι understood. ἵνα γένηται instead of the infinitive; ὁ δοῦλος instead of τῷ δούλῳ dependent like τῷ μαθητῇ on ἀρκετὸν, by attraction of the nearer word γένηται... [ Continue Reading ]
μὴ οὖν φοβηθῆτε : “fear not,” and again “fear not” in Matthew 10:28, and yet again, 31, says Jesus, knowing well what temptation there would be to fear. οὖν connects with Matthew 10:24-25; fear not the inevitable for all connected with me, as you are, take it calmly. γάρ supplies a reason for fearle... [ Continue Reading ]
σκοτίᾳ, the darkness of the initial stage; the beginnings of great epoch-making movements always obscure. φωτί, the light of publicity, when causes begin to make a noise in the wide world. εἰς τὸ οὖς : a phrase current among Greeks for confidential communications. For such communications to disciple... [ Continue Reading ]
New antidote to fear drawn from a greater fear, and from the paternal providence of God. φοβήθητε ἀπὸ like the Hebrew יָרֵא מִן, but also one of several ways in which the Greeks connected this verb with its object. τὸ σῶμα : that is all the persecutor as such can injure or destroy He not only cannot... [ Continue Reading ]
στρουθία, im. for στρουθός, small birds in general, sparrows in particular. ἀσσαρίου, a brass coin, Latin _as_, 1/10 of a δραχμή = about 3/4d. The smallness of the price makes it probable that sparrows are meant (Fritzsche). We are apt to wonder that _sparrows_ had a price at all. ἓν … οὐ looks like... [ Continue Reading ]
ὑμῶν, emphatic position: _your_ hairs. τρίχες : of little value all together, can be lost without detriment to life or health. πᾶσαι, all, every one without exception. ἠριθμημέναι, counted. Men count only valuable things, gold pieces, sheep, etc. Note the perfect participle. They have been counted o... [ Continue Reading ]
π. σ. διαφέρετε : once more, as in Matthew 6:26, a comparison between men and birds as to value: ye of more worth than many sparrows; one hair of your head as much worth to God as one sparrow. “It is a litotes to say that there is a great difference between many sparrows and a human being” (Holtz.,... [ Continue Reading ]
_Solemn reference to the final Judgment_. οὖν points back to Matthew 10:27, containing injunction to make open proclamation of the truth. πᾶς ὅστις : nominative absolute at the head of the sentence. ἐν ἐμοὶ, ἐν αὐτῷ : observe these phrases after the verb in Matthew 10:32, compared with the use of th... [ Continue Reading ]
μὴ νομίσητε, do not imagine, as you are very likely to do (_cf._ Matthew 5:17). ἦλθον βαλεῖν : the use of the infinitive to express aim is common in Matt., but Christ has here in view result rather than purpose, which are not carefully distinguished in Scripture. For βαλεῖν Luke has δοῦναι, possibly... [ Continue Reading ]
The whole foregoing discourse, by its announcements and consolations, implies that dread experiences are in store for the apostles of the faith. To the inexperienced the question might naturally suggest itself, why? Can the new religion not propagate itself quietly and peaceably? Jesus meets the que... [ Continue Reading ]
escription of the discord. διχάσαι, to divide in two (δίχα), to separate in feeling and interest, here only in N.T.; verifies the truth of Grotius' comment as to the “sword”. ἄνθρωπον κατὰ τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ. In this and the following clauses it is the _young_ that are set against the _old_. “In all g... [ Continue Reading ]
ἔχθροὶ : the predicate standing first for emphasis; _enemies_, not friends as one would expect, the members of one's family (οἰκιακοὶ, as in Matthew 10:25). The passage reproduces freely Micah 7:6.... [ Continue Reading ]
uch a state of matters imposes the necessity of making a very painful choice between relatives and truth. φιλῶν : this verb denotes natural affection as distinct from ἀγαπάω, which points to love of an ethical kind. The distinction corresponds to that between _amare_ and _diligere. vide_ Trench, _Sy... [ Continue Reading ]
σταυρὸν. There is here no necessary allusion to the death of Jesus Himself by crucifixion, though one possessing such insight into the course of events, as this whole discourse indicates, must have known quite well when He uttered the words what awaited Himself, the worst possible probable if not ce... [ Continue Reading ]
εὑρὼν … ἀπολέσει, ἀπολέσας … εὑρήσει : crucifixion, death ignominious, as a criminal horrible; but horrible though it be it means salvation. This paradox is one of Christ's great, deep, yet ever true words. It turns on a double sense of the term ψυχή as denoting now the lower now the higher life. Ev... [ Continue Reading ]
ἐμὲ δέχεται : first the principle is laid down that to receive the messenger is to receive the Master who sent him (Matthew 25:40), as to receive the Master is to receive God.... [ Continue Reading ]
The following sentences might have been spoken in connection with the early Galilean mission, and are accordingly regarded by Weiss as the conclusion of the instructions then given. Luke gives their gist (Matthew 10:16) at the close of the instructions to the seventy. After uttering many awful, ster... [ Continue Reading ]
hen in two distinct forms the law is stated that to befriend the representative of Christ and God ensures the reward belonging to that representative. εἰς ὄνομα, having regard to the fact that he is a prophet or righteous man. The prophet is the principal object of thought, naturally, in connection... [ Continue Reading ]
he last word, and the most beautiful; spoken with deep pathos as an aside; about the disciples rather than to them, though heard by them. “Whosoever shall do the smallest service, were it but to give a drink to one of these little ones (ἕνα τῶν μικρῶν τούτων, _cf._ Matthew 25:40) in the name of a di... [ Continue Reading ]