[Steward.] This word, it should he noted, is specially used hy St. Paul as descriptive of the ministerial office. (1 Cor. iv. 1.) It would seem to show that ministers are primarily pointed at in our Lord's teaching in this parahle.
4A.—lMake him ruler over all that he Tiath.] This expression should he compared with similar expressions in the parahles of the talents aud of the pounds.
45. — [Beat the menservants, Sc.'] Stella, though a Roman Catholic Commentator, remarks how closely this verse descrihes the con- duct of Cardinals and Bishops at Kome in the heginning of the 17 th century.
46. — {WUl cut him in sunder^ It admits of some douht whether the Greek word so translated will hear so strong a sense as our translators have put upon it. It is only found in this passage, and a similar passage in Matt. xxiv. 51.
Parkhurst thinks that it means, "shall scourge with the utmost severity." Others think that it means, "shall separate, or remove, from his office; — shall dismiss." It certainly is worthy of note, that after using this expression, our Lord speaks of the unfaithful servant as yet alive : " He shall appoint him his portion with the unhelievers."
[With the unbelievers!] Some think that this expression means simply "with the unfaithful sei-vants," in contradistinction to the "faithfnl servants," descrihed in the 42nd verse. Compari- son with Matthew xxv. 21, favours this idea.
48. — [Knew not, ..commit things worthy of stripes!] Watson thinks that the ignorance here must he " taken comparativdy, and not absolutely." Few expressions in the Bible are more unfavour- able to the heathen who die in ignorance of the Gospel than this. It is vain to conceal from ourselves the solemn truth, that no degree of ignorance makes a man entirely guiltless and ex- cusable in the sight of God, Our very ignorance is part of our sin.
[ Unto whomsoever much is given, dc.'] In this sentence our Lord lays down a great principle in His kingdom, as an appro- priate conclusion to the parable he has just been speaking.
Baxter remarks on this verse, " Great gifts are to be used with great diligence ; and great trusts, and powers, and charges, are rather to be feared than sought. Little do the conquerors of the world, or those that strive for church preferments, believe and consider what duty, or what deep damnation, they labour for."