_OF THE IMPORTUNATE WIDOW. OF THE PHARISEE AND THE PUBLICAN. CHILDREN BROUGHT TO CHRIST. A RULER THAT WOULD FOLLOW CHRIST, BUT IS HINDERED BY HIS RICHES. THE REWARD OF THEM WHO LEAVE ALL FOR HIS SAKE: HE FORESHEWETH HIS DEATH, AND RESTORETH THE BLIND MAN TO SIGHT._ _Anno Domini 33._... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SPAKE A PARABLE, &C.— _But,_ [δε,] _he taught them by a parable, that men ought to persevere in prayer, and not to be discouraged._ Heylin. The particle. δε, _but,_ plainly implies, that this parable has a relation to the discourse in the preceding chapter, and was delivered at the same time.... [ Continue Reading ]
AVENGE ME, &C.— _Do me justice upon mine adversary._ Heylin, Doddridge, &c. This is the undoubted import of the original phrase; and care should be taken in every version of it to express it so, as not to suggest the idea of revenge.... [ Continue Reading ]
SHE WEARY ME.— 'Υπωπιαξημε : the word properly signifies to _beat on the face,_ and particularly _under the eye;_ so as to make the parts black and blue. Hence it signifies _to beat_ in general: see on 1 Corinthians 9:27. In the present passage it has a metaphorical meaning, as all the translators a... [ Continue Reading ]
THOUGH HE BEAR LONG WITH THEM?— "Though he seem to refrain himself for a while, to _hold his peace, and afflict them very sore."_ Elsner would render this, _Shall he not avenge his own elect, who cry to him and wait patiently for it?_ that is, for his appearance in their favour. Some understand this... [ Continue Reading ]
HE WILL AVENGE THEM SPEEDILY.— Rather _suddenly;_ for so the original εν ταχει, may signify. Besides, scripture and experience teach, that in most cases punishment is not speedily executed against the evilworks of evil men; but that when the divine patience ends, oftentimes _destruction overtaketh t... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SPAKE THIS PARABLE— Our Saviour, having encouraged and enforced the duty of importunity and perseverance in prayer, proceeded, in another instance, to caution against a self-righteous Pharisaical spirit, which must be renounced, and to recommend humility and self-abasement, which must have a... [ Continue Reading ]
THE PHARISEE STOOD, AND PRAYED THUS— The Pharisee, having a very high opinion of his own sanctity, would not mingle with the crowd of worshippers in the temple, lest he should have been defiled by them. See Isaiah 65:5. But he stood on a place by himself alone; this is plainly expressed in the Greek... [ Continue Reading ]
I FAST TWICE, &C.— The _sins_ which the Pharisee mentioned, being such as were severally charged on the publicans, and the _duties_ such as that sort of men were supposed to neglect, it shewed to what an intolerable pitch his vanity was grown, and proved that he possessed none of those virtues, for... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE PUBLICAN, STANDING AFAR OFF,— Impressed with a deep sense of his sins, the publican appeared so vile in his own sight, that he would not go up among the people of God, but stood afar off, in the _court of the Gentiles,_ perhaps without the stone-wall, called by the apostle _the middle wall o... [ Continue Reading ]
JUSTIFIED RATHER THAN THE OTHER:— _Justified, and not the other._ Heylin. The original δεδιχαιωμενος, η εκεινος is a peculiar idiom of the Greek language, and will not admit of a literal construction in English. The following passage will serve to shew, that its true import is as above given. In Joh... [ Continue Reading ]
YET LACKEST THOU ONE THING:— Namely, to love God more than mammon. Our Saviour knew his heart, and presently put him upon a trial, which laid it open to the ruler himself; and to cure his love of the world, which could not in him be cured otherwise, Christ commanded him to sell all that he had. But... [ Continue Reading ]