A Brighter Day Begins with His Word.

PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK

Gnomon of the New Testament — Volume 1

Bengel, Johann Albrecht, 1687-1752 · 248,436 words · 558 reading sections

SECTION 61

Xxi.

of Arithmetic, provided the fractions l)e carefully observed. Many others, nay by far the greater number, laying aside the labour of investigation, proceed with greater ease and celerity, and fancy that they are riding in port, when in reality they are at sea with their eyes shut. Let them consider well what they …

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Xxiii.

Those, who have learnt, or are learning Greek, cannot fail to derive great advantage from the present work. I wish, how- THE AUTHOR'S PREFACE. cs ever, to be of service also to other lovers of truth. And they will see, that I have endeavoured to hinder them, as little as possible, by the introduction (at times nec…

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SECTION 63

Xxv.

Technical terms1 occur throughout this work, such as Aniliy- Of Apodioxis, Asyndeton, 'iv dia duoTv, Epiphonema, Epitasis, Eiliopoeia, Ilypallage, Litotes, Mimesis, Oxymoron, Ploce, Ilpo- Sipa.'Triia, xai 'E-TrftepuKsla, Prosopopoeia, Sejugatio, Zeugma, etc. : in which cases, the reader must be warned, not to pass …

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SECTION 64

Xxvi.

1 This individual (author of the Gnomon to the twelve minor prophets, published at Heilbronn in 1753, and at present pastor of the Church of Markgriiningen, and special superintendent of the neighbouring parishes) has revised this second edition of the Gnomon of the New Testament, has added the author's latest labo…

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SECTION 65

Xxvii.

men, who, after a life spent in literary avocations, have been overtaken by imbecility. Whatsoever remains to me and my contemporaries of life or strength, I recognise as a debt overdue, and I adopt the words of David — " Grant that I may recover myself, before I go hence, and be no more" The multifarious abuse, o…

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68 Translator'S Note.

N.B. — I have very great pleasure in acknowledging my obli gations to the following very valuable works, from which I have translated, copied, abridged or compiled many of the Foot-notes appended to The Author's Preface and The Commentary on St Matthew. DICTIONNAIRE Historique, Critique, Chronologique, Geogra- ph…

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SECTION 67

Gospel According To St Matthew.

THE name of New Testament is sometimes given to that collec tion of sacred writings, in which the New Testament, strictly so called, is described. What the New Testament, strictly so called, really is, we have explained in our notes on Matthew xxvi. 28. This collection may be divided into two parts, one of which c…

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SECTION 68

72 Bengel'S Gnomon.

firmed to mankind, more fully, the works of Mark and Luke, already sufficiently firm in themselves.1 Matthew wrote especi ally to show the fulfilment of the Old Testament Scriptures, and to convince the Jews. Mark produced an abridgement of Matthew, adding at the same time many remarkable things which had been omi…

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SECTION 69

St Matthew. 73

(3.) By a still further metonymy,1 the written remains of those who have committed the Gospel narrative to writing. If you wish, in Greek, to name at once the four books, which Tertullian styles the Gospel Engine (Evangelicum Instrumentwri), you ought in strictness to make use of the singular number, and say, rt> x…

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St Matthew.

I. The Nativity, and the matters immediately following, a. The Genealogy : . . Ch. i. 1—17 j8. The Generation : . . . 18-25 v. The Magi: ... ii. 1-12 d. The Flight and Return. . 13-23 II. Our Lord's Entrance on His Ministry. a. John the Baptist : . , iii. 1—12 /3. The Baptism of Jesus: . . 13-17 7. His Temptat…

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SECTION 71

St Matthew.

c 4. Unwaslien hands ; . . Ch. xv. 1-20 5. The woman of Canaan ; . 21—28 6. Many sick healed ; . . 29-31 7. Four thousand fed ; . . 32-38 8. In the coasts of Magdala, those who demand a sign are refitted ; 39— xvi. 4 9. The warning concerning leaven, 5—12 IV. Our Lords Predictions of His Passion and Resurrectio…

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SECTION 72

Bengel'S Gnomon.

b. By two Parables : (1) The Two Sons, . 28-32 (2) The Vineyard, . 33-44 ii. Proceeds to lay snares for Him. 45—46 2. The Parable of the Marriage Feast: . . . xxii. 1-14 3. The Questions of our Lord's Ad versaries — i. Concerning Tribute, ii. the Resurrection, iii. the Great Command ment: 4. Our Saviour's q…

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Chapter I.

79 d e and delivers Jesus to be crucified. 5. Jesus is mocked and led forth, ii. The Third Hour. The Vinegar and Gall : the Cross : the Garments di vided: the Inscription on the Cross : the two Thieves : the Blasphemies, iii. From the Sixth to the Ninth hour : the Darkness : the De sertion. 13. The Death. …

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82 St Matthew I. 1.

and conclusions, the other writings everywhere. — See Notes on Rom. iii. 24 and Gal. ii. 16. Comp. ver. 16 below. — u/'oD Aau/3,1 viou 'Afipadfj,, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham) Our Lord is called the Son of David and the Son of Abraham, because He was promised to both. Abraham was the first, David the last …

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St Matthew I. 2-5. 83

2. ' A/3gaa/A, Abraham} St Matthew, in enumerating our Lord's ancestors, adopts the order of descent (though he employs that of ascent in ver. 1), and begins also from Abraham, instead of Adam, not however to the exclusion of the Gentiles (cf. xxviii. 19), since in Abraham all nations are made blessed. — »&} rovg …

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84 St Matthew I. 6-8.

it is recorded that she dwelt in Israel (See Josh. vi. 25). In Ruth i. 1, the earliest times of the Judges seem to be meant, so that the verb DQ& (which might otherwise be supposed redun dant) may have an inceptive1 force, as in like manner "]ta2 often signifies he took the kingdom, or began to reign : and Naomi mu…

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St Matthew I. 8. 85

verse of this chapter, where our Lord is called the Son of David, who was His remote ancestor. In like manner Joram is here said to have begotten Josiah, who was his great-grandson, • — that is to say, he was his progenitor. Thus, by referring to 1 Chron. vi. 7, 8, 9, we find, that six generations are left out in …

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86 St Matthew 1. 11.

desirable on other grounds. — See Gnomon on Acts vii. 16. Oziah was previously called Azariah, but by the omission of one Hebrew letter (l» R) his name becomes Oziah. 11. 'luffta$ & syevvriffi rbv 'li^oi/lav, But Josiah begat Jechoniah) Many transcribers both in ancient and in modern times, and those principally G…

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St Matthew I. 12, 13. 87

who is expressly called the brother in 2 Chron. xxxvi. 10, and 2 Kings xxiv. 17, instead of the uncle of Jechoniah, are appro priately mentioned after Jechoniah as his brothers.1 — litl rys /j.£roixsffia$, about the time of the migration2) The preposition IT/, which is contrasted with ^tra (after) in the twelfth ve…

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88 St Matthew I. 16.

particularly well known to the Jews ; and there was, conse quently, the less need that St Matthew should repeat it in extenso. In this generation, then, concludes the scripture of the Old Tes tament. The remainder of the genealogy was supplied by St Matthew from trustworthy documents of a later date, and, no doubt…

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St Matthew I. 16. 89

V. The genealogy in Matthe^v from Solomon, and that in Luke from Nathan, is brought down to Joseph, not with the same, but with a different view [respectu, relation, regard.^ This is clear from the preceding section. VI. Jesus Christ was the Son of Mary, but not of her husband Joseph. This is evident from Matt. i…

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90 St Matthew I. 16.

were His first cousins, not His half-brothers. It is needless to attempt, as some have done, to prove the consanguinity of Joseph and Mary from their marriage : for even if David be their . nearest common ancestor, St Matthew's object is attained. St Matthew then has traced the genealogy of Joseph, but still so as…

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St Matthew I. 16. 91

does not, however, name Mary in his genealogy ; for it would have sounded ill, especially to Jewish ears, had he written " Jesus was the Son of Mary, the daughter of Heli, the son of Matthat," etc. — on which account he names the husband of Mary, but that in such a manner that all may be able to understand (from t…

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92 St Matthew I. 16.

Antonomasia* for " The Messiah." And that family consisted so exclusively of Jesus and His relatives, that any one who knew Him to belong to it could not fail, even without the light of faith, to acknowledge Him as the Messiah, since the period foretold by the prophets for His manifestation had already arrived, and…

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St Matthew I. 16. 03

See xxii. 42, 43, and ix. 28. In the first instance our Lord's descent from David was rather a ground of faith, afterwards it became rather an obstacle to faith. No difficulty can now be a hinderance to them that believe. — See 2 Cor. v. 16. Jesus is the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning s…

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94 St Matthew I. 17.

take advantage of the formula uc, Ivopifyro, as was supposed, and in an exquisite manner to conclude the whole series with God. — 6 Xfyoptvos Xpieros, who is called Christ) St Matthew is dealing with the Jewish reader, who is to be convinced that Jesus is the Christ, by such means as His genealogy. And accordingly …

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St Matthew I. 17.

95 5. Pharez. Asa. Eliakim. 6. Hezrom. 7. Aram. Jeliosliaphat. Jehoram. Azor. Sadoc. 8. Aminaclab. Ahaziah. Achin. 9. Naasson. Jotham. Eliud. 10. Salmon. Aliaz. Eleazar. 11. Boaz. Hezekiah. Matthan. 12. Obed. Maiiasseh. Jacob. 13. Jesse. 14. David. Amon. Josiah. Joseph. JESUS, who is calle…

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06 St Matthew I. 17.

are counted not to Jechoniah, but to the Babylonian captivity. Vallesius1 (p. 454) thinks Jechoniah, as it were, a double person ; you might assert that with greater correctness of David. V. In each case, his object was to prove that Jesus was truly called, and was, the Christ. He proceeds in a marked manner from …

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SECTION 89

O

promise was given ; the second is that of adumbration, by means of the Davidical sovereignty, and the fact that it is considerably shorter than either of the others, furnishes a reasonable ground for expecting that the kingdom of David, as fulfilled in Christ (see Luke i. 32), will be far more glorious hereafter, a…

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98 St Matthew 1. ] 7.

whilst contemplating the future as coming nearer and nearer their own times.1 VIII. St Matthew makes the three periods equal with each other. This is evident from his repeating the number FOURTEEN three times with the utmost deliberation. — See Section IV. IX. He makes up both the third and the second Fourteens by…

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St Matthew I. 17. 99

which we are already acquainted from the Old Testament, are in St Matthew passed over and left to be understood, the Evangelist has not omitted in the New Testament a single generation, which was subsequent to those that are mentioned in the Old : and in the Old Testament, not a single generation is omitted. The fi…

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St Matthew I. 17. 101

c»/ »/ numbers of generations, as, for example, in Seder Olam.3 St Matthew, therefore, skilfully propounds to the reader a Chrono logy under the garb of a Genealogy, combining both in this summary. The particle olv (therefore} has an inferential, and the article a/4 (the) a relative force, indicating that those id…

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Anno Mundi

1946 Birth of Abraham. 2016 The Promise, I. [characteristic of the first period], 2121 Death of Abraham. 2852 Birth of David. 2882 David becomes King, II. [characteristic of the second period]. 2923 Death of David. 3327 Birth of Jechoniah. 3345 Jechoniah Bound, III. [characteristic of the third period]. 3939 …

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St Matthew I. 17. 103

double those of the third period. On the same principle, Moses has reduced the times of Isaac, Jacob, Levi, Kohath, Amram, Moses, which might have exhibited more or fewer genealogical generations in this or that family, to four chronological genera tions, or four centuries, those years only being omitted, in which …

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104 St Matthew I. 17.

that these two arguments reciprocally strengthen each other. The first and second periods were far more glorious than the third, which could not therefore fail to have the conclusion most desired, after so long a cessation of both the Promise and the Kingdom.1 In the Treatise on the birth of the Lord JESUS, publis…

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St Matthew I. 17. 105

deliberately passed over an entire Fourteen, which is made up of these nine descendants of Zorobabel, of the father of the same Phaidaiah, of three descendants of Joram, and of the father of Jechoniah, and that this is not without mystery for the con struction of the three periods of time, which he then computes a…

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100 St Matthew I. 17.

divided by " David, the King" who, in the mere genealogy of Ruth iv. 22, is not called " the king :" the second and third are divided by the Babylonian Captivity, which is not a generation, but an epoch. Dr Baumgarten's Programm itself (p. 24) does not differ much from this. (2.) I am more doubtful now than I was …

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St Matthew 1. 17. 107

rates fifty-six generations from Abraham to the time when Jesus was thirty years of age. They agree, therefore." On consider ing this passage, it will, I think, become evident, that the anti thesis between the words " implied" and " expressed" is perfectly harmless ; and that the apparent difference in the numbers …

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108 St Matthew I. 17.

logy which he imagines to be concealed in this genealogy, and to be conducive to the exposition in his Gnomon) must appear at first sight. We at least have not experienced that which he thought would be the case, namely, that it would grow less harsh by being more frequently thought over ; for though we have read …

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St Matthew I. 18. 109

genealogical steps, which were really more numerous than those mentioned. See by all means his Panastratise Catholicae, vol. iii. b. 18, ch. 2. Very lately also John Frederick Frese- nius has produced a commentary on the thrice fourteen gene rations of Matt, i., which not only exists in a separate form, but has al…

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110 St Matthew I. 18.

Christ was on this wise) By this most ancient reading 1 the text refers to ver. 17, and the advent of the Messiah, expected for so many generations, is declared and exhibited (exserte demon- stratur) to the reader. Thus, too, the words, gyswjjS»j, (was generated), and ybvjjff/f, (generation), refer mutually to each…

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112 St Matthew I. 20.

1 In Bengel, "Justus" which, as well as the original, li'xeuos, signifies, and is translated, either just or righteous, as the case may require. In Bengel's own German version, it is rendered in the present instance GEBECHT, which is equally ambiguous. — (I. B.) Justus1 (which signifies primarily unjust or unrighte…

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St Matthew I. 21. 113

when mentioning other women of the same name. And St Luke does mostly the same. Miriam, according to Hiller, sig nifies Rebellion, sc. of the Israelites in Egypt. Scripture teaches tis to look to the etymology of the name, not of Mary, but of JESUS. — rb yap sv airy ytwrftzv, for that which is conceived in her) Th…

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114 St Matthew I. 22.

for Emmanuel and Jesus are equivalent terms. — See notes on w. 22, 23. Nay, even if the ' in y\W be considered as merely the sign of the third person, still, as is frequently the case with Hebrew names, " GOD" must be understood, and here with especial force. — AM$, He) The pronoun avTog, in the nominative, is alw…

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St Matthew I. 23. 115

phecies, the context of which must, at the time that they were first delivered, have been interpreted of things then present, and that, too, according to the Divine intention. But the same Divine intention, looking forward to remote futurity, so framed the language of prophecy, that it should apply with still great…

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116 St Matthew I. 23.

call his name Emmanuel. — The LXX. render Isaiah vii. 14, thus — 'l8ou q <ra,p$evo$ fv yaffrpi hq-^trai Tibv, xai xa/Sefftic x.r.A. — Be hold the virgin shall conceive in her womb a Son, and thou shall call, etc. — Idol, Behold !) — a particle especially adapted for point ing out a Sign. — See Isa. vii. 14. — r\ -t…

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St Matthew I. 23. 117

The virginity of our Lord's Mother is not fully proved by the words of the prophet taken alone ; but the manifestation of its fulfilment casts a radiance back on the prophecy, and discloses its full meaning. — T/ov, a Son} sc. the Messiah, to whom the land of Israel belongs. — See Isa. viii. 8. — xa'ksaovffi, THEY …

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118 St Matthew I. 24, 25.

foundation of the union of God with men, nor can any one con sider the latter apart from the former, especially when treating of the birth of Christ. 24. 'Evoirjesv, did) sc. without delay. — ug x.r.X., as, etc.) Hence the command of the angel and the performance of Joseph are described in the same words in this p…

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St Matthew I. 25. 119

mencement of his book against him, thus quote the words of St Matthew — et non cognovit earn, donee peperit filium suum, i.e., and he knew her not till she brought forth her Son ; but more com monly they quote thus donee peperit filium, i.e., until she brought forth (a or the) Son, without the addition of either su…

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The Family Of The Hebod3.

1. 'EV B>)SXgf/t* Trig lovdaiag, in Bethlehem of Judaea) It is thus distinguished from Bethlehem of the Zabulonites, mentioned in Josh. xix. 15. — 'UpuiBou, of Herod) i.e. Herod the Great, a native of Ascalon, a foreigner by descent, the sceptre being just on the point of departing from Judah. Amongst his sons1 wer…

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St Matthew Ii, 1. 121

Bern ice Mariamne Drusilla, d young, king of Trachonitis, m . 1. Marcus ; i m. 1. Archelsus ; m. 1. AZJIUI; d. A.D. 95. 2. Herod ol Chalclt; 2. Demetriu§. 2. Felix. The laiti'flhe HeroJi. 3. Polemo. 1 Ajrrfrpfl. d. A.D. 79. by this their condition ; he does not define either the rest of their dignity …

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SECTION 112

122 St Matthew Ii. 2.

It was natural to sugpose, that the metropolis would be the place where the truth would be most easily ascertained, and they conceived, no doubt, that the King had been born there. 2. no?, where ?) They are so sure of the event and the time, that they only ask where ? The Scribes only knew the place. It was incumb…

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St Matthew Ii. 2. 123

vii. 21, we read o/ rtybwrtc, iv TT\ y?j, who were born in the land. — TUV 'louddiun, of the Jews) The name of Jews after the Baby lonian Captivity included all the children of Israel, being op posed to Greeks or Gentiles. Whence it is given also to Galileans in Luke vii. 3 ; John ii. 6 ; Acts x. 28, etc. The Jews,…

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124 St Matthew Ii. 3, 4.

according to the analogy of these beginnings. It was certainly not on any political grounds, that after having undertaken and performed so long and arduous a journey, and being so soon about to return home, they worshipped1 a King distant and an infant, and that too without paying the same homage to Herod : nor di…

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St Matthew Ii. 5, (5. 125

scribes of the people)) occurs in 1 Mace. v. 42, cf. also Deut. xx. 5. They render also "iSD1 by ypa^^a.rfjc,. And that signification suits also the present passage, where a Theological Reply is spoken of. The scribes of the people are spoken of in contradistinction to the chiefs of the priests : and were private m…

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126 St Matthew It. G.

the thousands of Judah, if tins dignity which is not otherwise to be despised, and which far exceeds thy proportion and measure, be compared with that dignity exclusively thine own, by virtue of which thou art by no means the least, but altogether the greatest among the princes and thousands of Judah, sc., that fr…

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St Matthew Ii. (>. 127

/3,1 and the Aldine reprint of Erasmus' first edition.2 Others combine both readings thus, 1% ao\j TAP MOI sfyl.evffirai — FOR from thee shall go forth FOR ME.3 The pronoun MOI (to, or /or, ME) evidently represents God the Father, speaking of Christ as His Son. — See Luke i. 32, and Cf., ver. 13. But the conjuncti…

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SECTION 118

St Matthew Ii. 10-12. 12!)

1 So great enmities did that monarch indulge in and foster, although he did not esteem as a fable the doctrine concerning Christ, but was by this time aware of the time and place of His nativity. — Vers. Germ. 2 In the original the passage stands thus — " Prsesens tempus, quo conspici cospta esset stella, quce appa…

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SECTION 119

130 St Matthew Ii. 13-15.

13. 'EytpSsic, rising) i.e. immediately. — TO vra/Siov, the child) Greater regard is paid to Him than to His mother.1 — tug civ, x.r.X., until, etc.) Thus the faith of Joseph was exercised ; all things were not revealed to him at once ; he was to await the time of returning [till it should please God to direct him …

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St Matthew Ii, 1(5-18. 131

sojourn of Christ in Egypt was the prelude to the Christianiza- tion of that country ; see Deut. xxiii. 7. In the first ages of Christianity, the Egyptian Church was greatly distinguished : perhaps it will be so again hereafter : cf. Isa. xix. 24, 25. Con cerning the double fulfilment of the single meaning of a sin…

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Source & rights

Public domain historical edition (1857-1858); scan/OCR from Internet Archive.

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Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.