Matthew 10:25

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 [vide Winer, § 66, 5). οἰκοδεσπότην (- τῃ, [65].) points to a more intimate relation between Jesus and the Twelve, that of a head of a house to a family, implying greater honour for the latter, and suggesting an added motive for patient endurance of the common lot. οἰκοδεσπότης is a late form. Earlier writers said οἰκίας δεσπότης, Lob., Phryn., p. 373. Βεελζεβοὺλ : an opprobrious epithet; exact form of the word and meaning of the name have given more trouble to commentators than it is all worth. Consult Meyer ad loc. Weiss (Meyer) remarks that the name of the Prince of the demons is not yet sufficiently explained. A question of interest is: did the enemies of Jesus call Him Beelzebul (or Beelzebub), or did they merely reproach Him with connection with Beelzebub? Weiss, taking Matthew 10:25 b as an explanatory gloss of the evangelist, based on Matthew 9:3; Matthew 12:24, adopts the latter view; De Wette and Meyer the former. The reading of Codex [66], οἰκοδεσπότῃ, favours the other alternative. The dative requires the verb ἐπεκάλεσαν to be taken in the sense of to cast up to one. Assuming that the evangelist reports words of Jesus instead of giving a comment of his own, they may quite well contain the information that, among the contemptuous epithets applied to Jesus by His enemies, was this name. It may have been a spiteful pun upon the name, master of the house. πόσῳ μᾶλλον implies that still worse names will be applied to the Twelve. Dictis respondet eventus, remarks Grotius, citing in proof the epithets γόητας, impostores, applied to the apostles and Christians by Celsus and Ulpian, and the words of Tacitus: convictos in odio humani generis, and the general use of ἅθεοι as a synonym for Christians. οἰκιακοὺς (again in Matthew 10:36), those belonging to a household or family (from οἰκία, whence also the more common οἰκεῖος bearing a similar meaning).

[65] Codex Vaticanus (sæc. iv.), published in photographic facsimile in 1889 under the care of the Abbate Cozza-Luzi.

[66] Codex Vaticanus (sæc. iv.), published in photographic facsimile in 1889 under the care of the Abbate Cozza-Luzi.