FOR (γαρ). The parable of the house illustrates the aphorism in Matthew 19:30.A MAN THAT IS A HOUSEHOLDER (ανθρωπω οικοδεσποτη). Just like ανθρωπω βασιλε (Matthew 18:23). Not necessary to translate ανθρωπω, just "a householder." EARLY IN THE MORNING (αμα πρω). A classic idiom. Hαμα as an "imp... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR A PENNY A DAY (εκ δηναριου την ημεραν). See on Matthew 18:28. "Penny" is not adequate, "shilling" Moffatt has it. The εκ with the ablative represents the agreement (συνφωνησας) with the workmen (εργατων). "The day" the Greek has it, an accusative of extent of time.... [ Continue Reading ]
STANDING IN THE MARKETPLACE IDLE (εστωτας αγορα αργους). The market place was the place where men and masters met for bargaining. At Hamadan in Persia, Morier in _Second Journey through Persia_, as cited by Trench in his _Parables_, says: "We observed every morning, before the sun rose, that a nu... [ Continue Reading ]
WHATSOEVER IS RIGHT (ο εαν η δικαιον). "Is fair" (Allen), not anything he pleased, but a just proportionate wage. Indefinite relative with subjunctive εαν=αν.... [ Continue Reading ]
ALL THE DAY IDLE (ολην την ημεραν αργο). Extent of time (accusative) again. Αργο is α privative and εργον, work, no work. The problem of the unemployed.... [ Continue Reading ]
EVERY MAN A PENNY (ανα δηναριον κα αυτο). Literally, "themselves also a denarius apiece" (distributive use of ανα). Bruce asks if this householder was a humorist when he began to pay off the last first and paid each one a denarius according to agreement. False hopes had been raised in those who c... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY MURMURED (εγογγυζον). Onomatopoetic word, the meaning suiting the sound. Our words murmur and grumble are similar. Probably here inchoative imperfect, began to grumble. It occurs in old Ionic and in the papyri.... [ Continue Reading ]
EQUAL UNTO US (ισους αυτους ημιν). Associative instrumental case ημιν after ισους. It was a regular protest against the supposed injustice of the householder.THE BURDEN OF THE DAY AND THE SCORCHING WIND (το βαρος της ημερας κα τον καυσωνα). These last "did" work for one hour. Apparently they wo... [ Continue Reading ]
TO ONE OF THEM (εν αυτων). Evidently the spokesman of the group. "Friend" (εταιρε). Comrade. So a kindly reply to this man in place of an address to the whole gang. Genesis 31:40; Job 27:21; Hosea 13:15. The word survives in modern Greek.... [ Continue Reading ]
TAKE UP (αρον). First aorist active imperative of αιρω. Pick up, as if he had saucily refused to take it from the table or had contemptuously thrown the denarius on the ground. If the first had been paid first and sent away, there would probably have been no murmuring, but "the murmuring is neede... [ Continue Reading ]
IS THINE EYE EVIL? (ο οφθαλμος σου πονηρος εστιν?) See on Matthew 6:22-24 about the evil eye and the good eye. The complainer had a grudging eye while the householder has a liberal or generous eye. See Romans 5:7 for a distinction between δικαιος and αγαθος.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LAST FIRST AND THE FIRST LAST (ο εσχατο πρωτο κα ο πρωτο εσχατο). The adjectives change places as compared with Matthew 19:30. The point is the same, though this order suits the parable better. After all one's work does not rest wholly on the amount of time spent on it. "Even so hath Rabbi Bu... [ Continue Reading ]
APART (κατ' ιδιαν). This is the prediction in Matthew of the cross (Matthew 16:21; Matthew 17:22; Matthew 20:17). "Aside by themselves" (Moffatt). The verb is παρελαβεν. Jesus is having his inward struggle (Mark 10:32) and makes one more effort to get the Twelve to understand him.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND TO CRUCIFY (κα σταυρωσα). The very word now. The details fall on deaf ears, even the point of the resurrection on the third day.... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN (τοτε). Surely an inopportune time for such a request just after the pointed prediction of Christ's crucifixion. Perhaps their minds had been preoccupied with the words of Jesus (Matthew 19:28) about their sitting on twelve thrones taking them in a literal sense. The mother of James and John... [ Continue Reading ]
YE KNOW NOT WHAT YE ASK (ουκ οιδατε τ αιτεισθε). How often that is true. Αιτεισθε is indirect middle voice, "ask for yourselves," "a selfish request."WE ARE ABLE (δυναμεθα). Amazing proof of their ignorance and self-confidence. Ambition had blinded their eyes. They had not caught the martyr spi... [ Continue Reading ]
YE SHALL DRINK (πιεσθε). Future middle from πινω. Christ's cup was martyrdom. James was the first of the Twelve to meet the martyr's death (Acts 12:2) and John the last if reports are true about him. How little they knew what they were saying.... [ Continue Reading ]
MOVED WITH INDIGNATION (ηγανακτησαν). A strong word for angry resentment. In the papyri. The ten felt that James and John had taken advantage of their relation to Jesus.... [ Continue Reading ]
CALLED THEM UNTO HIM (προσκαλεσαμενος αυτους). Indirect middle again, calling to him.... [ Continue Reading ]
WOULD BECOME GREAT (ος αν θελη μεγας γενεσθα). Jesus does not condemn the desire to become great. It is a laudable ambition. There are "great ones" (μεγαλο) among Christians as among pagans, but they do not "lord it over" one another (κατακυριευουσιν), a LXX word and very expressive, or "play the... [ Continue Reading ]
A RANSOM FOR MANY (λυτρον αντ πολλων). The Son of man is the outstanding illustration of this principle of self-abnegation in direct contrast to the self-seeking of James and John. The word translated "ransom" is the one commonly employed in the papyri as the price paid for a slave who is then set... [ Continue Reading ]
FROM JERICHO (απο Ιερειχω). So Mark 10:46. But Luke (Luke 18:35) places the incident as they were drawing near to Jericho (εις Ιερειχω). It is probable that Mark and Matthew refer to the old Jericho, the ruins of which have been discovered, while Luke alludes to the new Roman Jericho. The two bli... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT JESUS WAS PASSING BY (οτ Ιησους παραγε). These men "were sitting by the wayside" (καθημενο παρα τεν οδον) at their regular stand. They heard the crowd yelling that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by (παραγε, present indicative of direct discourse retained in the indirect). It was their one opp... [ Continue Reading ]
TOUCHED THEIR EYES (ηψατο των ομματων). A synonym for οφθαλμων in Mark 8:23 and here alone in the N.T. In the LXX and a common poetic word (Euripides) and occurs in the papyri. In modern Greek ματια μου (abbreviation) means "light of my eye," "my darling." The verb απτομα is very common in the Sy... [ Continue Reading ]