Matthew 20:1-16
THE PARABLE OF THE LABOURERS IN THE VINEYARD Peculiar to St Matthew... [ Continue Reading ]
THE PARABLE OF THE LABOURERS IN THE VINEYARD Peculiar to St Matthew... [ Continue Reading ]
ὉΜΟΊΑ ΓΆΡ ἘΣΤΙΝ Κ.Τ.Λ. There are many possible applications of the parable, but the only true explanation of its meaning to the disciples at the time must be reached by considering the question to which it is an answer. The parable is addressed solely to the disciples. The thread of thought may be t... [ Continue Reading ]
ἘΚ ΔΗΝΑΡΊΟΥ. ‘On the terms of a denarius,’ ἐκ indicates the point from which the bargaining proceeds, the starting point and so the basis of the compact. It is not = δηναρίου, Matthew 20:13, genitive of price or rate of pay. A _denarius_ was the ordinary day’s wage of a labourer, that of a common so... [ Continue Reading ]
Ὃ ἘᾺΝ ἮΙ ΔΊΚΑΙΟΝ. This time there is no stipulated sum. The labourers are invited to leave all to the justice of the householder. It is a lesson in faith and an implied rebuke to the spirit displayed in the question, τί ἄρα ἔσται ἡμῖν;... [ Continue Reading ]
ΠΆΛΙΝ ΔῈ ἘΞΕΛΘΏΝ. The householder himself goes forth to summon labourers to his vineyard. Thus not only in the beginning of the gospel, but in every age Christ Himself calls labourers to His work. The Master never stands idle.... [ Continue Reading ]
ὥραν after ἙΝΔΕΚΆΤΗΝ and ἀργοὺς after ἙΣΤΩ͂ΤΑΣ omitted on the highest evidence. 6. ΠΕΡῚ ΤῊΝ ἙΝΔΕΚΆΤΗΝ. The various hours may be referred in the first instance to the call of a Paul, a Barnabas, and a Timothy, who adopted the Cause later than the Twelve. In a secondary and less immediate sense they... [ Continue Reading ]
After ἈΜΠΕΛΩ͂ΝΑ omit as אBDLZ the words καὶ ὃ ἐὰν ᾖ δίκαιον λήψεσθε. The thought of. 4 was probably repeated in a marginal note.... [ Continue Reading ]
ΤΩ͂Ι ἘΠΙΤΡΌΠΩΙ. ‘To his steward,’ as in Luke 8:3, Ἰωάννα γυνὴ Χουζᾶ ἐπιτρόπου Ἡρώδου. In the only other passage where the word occurs in the N.T., Galatians 4:2, ἐπίτροποι, ‘guardians’ of a minor’s person, are distinguished from οἰκόνομοι, stewards of his property. The word was Hebraized and used in... [ Continue Reading ]
ἈΝᾺ ΔΗΝΆΡΙΟΝ, ‘a denarius each.’... [ Continue Reading ]
ΓΟΓΓΎΖΕΙΝ and ΓΟΓΓΥΣΜῸΣ were ancient Ionic words synonymous with τονθυρίζειν and τονθυρισμὸς in the Attic dialect. Phrynichus quotes from Phocylides of Miletus χρή τοι τὸν ἑταῖρον ἑταίρῳ | φροντίζειν ἅσσʼ ἂν περιγογγύζωσι πολῖται. The word was probably formed from the sound of the cooing of doves, a... [ Continue Reading ]
The omission of ὅτι after ΛΈΓΟΝΤΕΣ is on the best evidence (אBC2DI versions and fathers). 12. ΜΊΑΝ ὭΡΑΝ ἘΠΟΊΗΣΑΝ. Cp. Acts 15:33, ποιήσαντες δὲ χρόνον�. So _facere_ in Latin, ‘quamvis autem paucissimos una fecerimus dies tamen multi nobis sermones fuerunt.’ Seneca, _Epist._ 67. ὭΡΑΝ. ‘During the r... [ Continue Reading ]
ἙΤΑΙ͂ΡΟΣ is used of any temporary connection, without the idea of affectionate friendship. It is used by a master to his slave; by a guest to a fellow-guest; as a general address on meeting. Cp. ch. Matthew 22:12 and Matthew 26:50, where it is a term of reproachful rebuke.... [ Continue Reading ]
ὈΦΘΑΛΜῸΣ ΠΟΝΗΡΌΣ. The belief in the evil eye still prevails in the East. The envious or malevolent glance is thought to have an injurious effect. Here the sense is: Art thou envious because I am just?... [ Continue Reading ]
After ἜΣΧΑΤΟΙ the _textus receptus_ has: πολλοὶ γάρ εἰσι κλητοί, ὀλίγοι δὲ ἐκλεκτοί. Here the older MSS. are followed, but CD and the mass of later uncials and many versions and patristic quotations contain the clause, which is certainly genuine, in ch. Matthew 22:14. 16. ΟἹ ΠΡΩ͂ΤΟΙ. Not only as pr... [ Continue Reading ]
JESUS GOING UP TO JERUSALEM FORETELLS HIS PASSION FOR THE THIRD TIME See chs. Matthew 16:21; Matthew 17:22-23; and Mark 10:32-34; Luke 18:31-34. St Mark and St Luke add ‘shall spit upon him’ (Mark); ‘shall be spitted on’ (Luke); St Matthew alone names ‘crucifixion;’ St Luke, who mentions only the s... [ Continue Reading ]
ΠΑΡΈΛΑΒΕΝ ΚΑΤʼ ἸΔΊΑΝ. Cp. Plat. _Apol. Socr._ 26 A, ἰδίᾳ λαβόντα διδάσκειν καὶ νουθετεῖν.... [ Continue Reading ]
18, 19. Observe the exactness of the prediction; the Sanhedrin shall condemn but not kill, the Gentiles shall scourge and crucify.... [ Continue Reading ]
ἘΓΕΡΘΉΣΕΤΑΙ for ἀναστήσεται. Here the evidence is conflicting, the two great uncials א and B are on opposite sides. ἐγερθήσεται (א C*L and other uncials), ἀναστήσεται (B D E and the majority of MSS.). 19. ΕἸΣ ΤῸ ἘΜΠΑΙ͂ΞΑΙ Κ.Τ.Λ. The use of εἰς with the infinitive is equivalent to a final clause. Thu... [ Continue Reading ]
Ἡ ΜΉΤΗΡ ΤΩ͂Ν ΥἹΩ͂Ν ΖΕΒΕΔΑΊΟΥ. Her name was Salome, as we learn by comparing Matthew 27:56 with Mark 15:40. ‘Among which was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee’s children.’ Matthew 27:56. ‘Among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the... [ Continue Reading ]
SALOME’S PRAYER FOR HER SONS, AND THE ANSWER OF JESUS Mark 10:35-45. St Mark begins ‘And James and John the sons of Zebedee came unto him, saying, &c.’ For once St Matthew is more graphic and true to detail than St Mark.... [ Continue Reading ]
ΕἸΠῈ ἽΝΑ ΚΑΘΊΣΩΣΙΝ Κ.Τ.Λ. Cp. for the thought ch. Matthew 19:28, for the construction ch. Matthew 1:22.... [ Continue Reading ]
Omit καὶ τὸ βάπτισμα ὃ ἐγὼ βαπτίζομαι βαπτισθῆναι after πίνειν, and καὶ τὸ βάπτισμα ὃ ἐγὼ βαπτίζομαι βαπτισθήσεσθε after πίεσθε (Matthew 20:23) with אBDLZ and Origen. The words are genuine in Mark. 22. ΟΥ̓Κ ΟἼΔΑΤΕ. Observe, Jesus addresses the sons, not the mother. ΤΊ ΑἸΤΕΙ͂ΣΘΕ. There is some forc... [ Continue Reading ]
ΤῸ ΜῈΝ ΠΟΤΉΡΙΌΝ ΜΟΥ ΠΊΕΣΘΕ. James was slain by the sword of Herod Agrippa I. (Acts 12:2). John suffered many persecutions, but died a natural death. The rebuke of Jesus is very gentle; his soul knew what suffering was in store for the two brothers. ἈΛΛʼ ΟἿΣ ἩΤΟΊΜΑΣΤΑΙ. The A.V. is right in understa... [ Continue Reading ]
ΟἹ ΔΈΚΑ ἨΓΑΝΆΚΤΗΣΑΝ. _In his ingenuus Evangelistes_. Bengel. The indignation of the ‘Ten’ displayed the same spirit and motive as the request of the sons of Zebedee. It seemed as if the jealousies and intrigues of an earthly court were breaking out among the disciples of Jesus.... [ Continue Reading ]
Jesus points out the inversion of earthly ideas in the Kingdom of heaven. This important ‘rule’ of the Master is thrown into the form of Hebrew parallelism. The antithesis is complete. In the Kingdom of heaven the ambition must be to serve not to reign; that Kingdom is in every way the reverse of th... [ Continue Reading ]
After this verse an early insertion is found in D and the Curetonian Syriac Version: the first words are ὑμεῖς δὲ ζητεῖτε ἐκ μικροῦ αὐξῆσαι καὶ ἐκ μείζονος ἔλαττον εἶναι, the rest reproduce to a great extent Luke 14:8-10. See Scrivener’s _Introduction_, pp. 8 and 500. 28. ΟΥ̓Κ ἮΛΘΕΝ Κ.Τ.Λ. ‘Came not... [ Continue Reading ]
ὌΧΛΟΣ ΠΟΛΎΣ. The caravan of Galilæans and others going up to Jerusalem for the Passover. Their numbers would protect them from attack in the dangerous mountain defiles leading to the capital. Jericho was at this time a flourishing city. It was opulent even in the days of Joshua from the fertility of... [ Continue Reading ]
TWO MEN CURED OF BLINDNESS Mark 10:46-52; Luke 18:35-43 There are remarkable divergences in the Synoptic accounts of this miracle. Some indeed have supposed that different miracles are related by the Evangelists. St Mark speaks of one man, ‘blind Bartimæus, the son of Timæus.’ St Luke also mention... [ Continue Reading ]
ΥἹῈ ΔΑΥΕΊΔ. An appeal which reflects the thought that especially signalizes this period of our Lord’s ministry, the Son of David entering upon his kingdom.... [ Continue Reading ]
αὐτῶν οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ omitted (אBDLZ); the insertion is not very easy to account for. 34. ἨΚΟΛΟΎΘΗΣΑΝ ΑΥ̓ΤΩ͂Ι. It is probable that very many of those who had received sight and soundness of limb by the word or touch of Jesus followed Him to Jerusalem. ἨΚΟΛΟΎΘΗΣΑΝ. Jesus Himself leads the procession. S... [ Continue Reading ]