Matthew 7:14

ὅτι is rightly adopted, though τί has a great preponderance of external authority; of the uncials, א* B* and X alone exhibit ὅτι. The variant probably illustrates an interesting cause of error, by which the initial letter was sometimes overlooked through being reserved for subsequent revision and more careful work. Scrivener’s., p. 15.

14. ὅτι. This ὅτι equally with the first, Matthew 7:13, is in construction with εἰσέλθατε διὰ τῆς στενῆς πύλης.

For the reading τί στενὴ see Crit. Notes. The internal evidence against it is strong. (1) The meaning assigned to τί, ‘how narrow,’ is unexampled in the N.T.; Luke 12:49 is not an instance. (2) The reading is harsh and breaks the constructive rhythm of the passage.

τεθλιμμένη, (θλίβω), lit. ‘pressed,’ ‘confined.’ Cp. Theocr. XXI. 18, παρʼ αὐτὰν | θλιβομέναν καλύβαν (angustam casam).

ὀλίγοι οἱ εὑρίσκοντες. An answer to one of the disputed questions of the day, εἰ ὀλίγοι οἱ σωζόμενοι, Luke 13:23, the parallel passage to this (St Luke has instead of εἰσέλθατε the stronger phrase ἀγωνίζεσθε εἰσελθεῖν). It was a question that had been canvassed most earnestly in the reflective period after the cessation of prophecy. An answer to it would be demanded of every great teacher. See Prof. Westcott’s Introduction to N.T., p. 105, especially the quotation from 2Es 7:1-13. ‘The entrance to the fair city was made by one only path, even between fire and water, so small that there could but one man go there at once.’ Before Adam’s transgression it was wide and sure.