Matthew 23:34

διὰ τοῦτο. The sense requires that this be connected with both Matthew 23:32-33. The idea is that all God's dealings with Israel have been arranged from the first so as to ensure that the generation addressed shall fill up the measure of Israel's guilt and penalty. The reference of ἀποστέλλω is not confined to what had been done for that generation. It covers all the generations from Abel downwards. The form in which the thought is expressed at first creates a contrary impression: Ἐγὼ ἀποστέλλω. But either the ἐγὼ is used in a supra-historical sense, or it must be regarded as a somewhat unsuitable word, and the correct expression of the source found in Luke's ἡ σοφία τοῦ θεοῦ εἶπεν, what follows becoming thus a quotation, either in reality from some unknown writing, as many think, or in the conception of the speaker. I see no insuperable difficulty in taking Mt.'s form as the original. Olshausen conceives of Jesus as speaking, not as a personality involved in the limits of temporal life, but as the Son of God, as the essential wisdom of God. The ἐγὼ might be justified without this high reference to the Divinity of Jesus, as proceeding from His prophetic consciousness in an exalted state of mind. The prophet habitually spoke in the name of God. Jesus also at such a great moment might speak, as it were impersonally, in the name of God, or of wisdom. Resch, Agrapha, p. 274 ff., endeavours to show that “the wisdom of God” was, like “the Son of Man,” one of the self-designations of Jesus. Whether that be so or not, I think it is clear from this passage, and also from Matthew 11:28-30 (vide remarks there), that He did sometimes, as it were, personate wisdom. The present ἀποστέλλω, regards the history of Israel sub specie aeternitatis, for which the distinction of present and past does not exist. προφήτας, etc.: these names for the Sent clearly show that past and present are both in view. It is not merely the apostles, γραμματεῖς (cf. Matthew 13:52) = ἀποστόλους, Luke 11:49, that are in view. σταυρώσετε, a hint at the impending tragic event, the Speaker one of the Sent. καὶ ἐξ αὐτῶν, etc.: a glance at the fortunes of the Twelve. Cf. chap. Matthew 10:16-23.