Matthew 24:51

διχοτομήσει, he will cut him in sunder as with a saw, an actual mode of punishment in ancient times, and many commentators think that this barbarous penalty is seriously meant here. But this can hardly be, especially as in the following clause the man is supposed to be still alive. The probable meaning is: will cut him in two (so to speak) with a whip = thrash him, the base slave, unmercifully. It is a strong word, selected in sympathy with the master's rage. So Schott: “verberibus multis eam castigavit”. Koetsveld, De Gelijk., p. 246, and Grimm (Thayer) but with hesitancy. Beza and Grotius interpret: will divide him from the family = dismiss him. μετὰ τῶν ὑποκριτῶν, with the hypocrites, i.e., eye-servants, who make a great show of zeal under the master's eye, but are utterly negligent behind his back. In Lk. the corresponding phrase is τῶν ἀπίστων, the unfaithful.