7. — [Feeding oatUe^\ , The Greek word so rendered does not necessarily mean feeding cattle. It might as well have been sheep. The Greek word for " shepherd" is the substantive from which it is taken.
[By and by.] The Greek word so rendered is translated in seventy-five other places in the New Testament, " immediately/* — " straightway," — " forthwith," and in only one place " by and by." (Luke xxi. 9.) It admits of doubt whether the expression *'by and by" did not mean something more immediate, at the time of our own Bible translation, than it does now. It certainly seems so in the expression, " The end is not by and bye." (Luke xxi. 9.)
It is questionable whether the verse altogether is rightly stopped in our version, or whether the word " by and by " or "immediately," should not be connected with the expression " go and sit down," &c. ' It would then be, " which of you will say unto him, when he is come from the fields, immediately go and sit down to meat." This construction seems more natural and in keeping with the next verse. — The expressions "im- mediately," or "by and by," and "afterward," are evidently meant to be in contrast to the other.
8. — [Gird thyself.] The garments of people in Eastern countries are generally loose and flowing. Before doing anything re- quiring bodily exertion, the first thing necessary was to " gird up the loins," or tie the garments tightly round the waist, after gathering them up.
9. — [T trow.] The Greek word so rendered is generally translated, " think," or " suppose," in a sentence like that before us. The word which our translators have used here they have not used anywhere else in the Bible.
10. — [Say, we are unprofitable servants, So.] The doctrine laid down by our Lord in this verse is plain and evident to any impartial reader. He overthrows entirely all idea of creature-merit When we hare done all that Christ commands, we have done no more than our duty. Yet even what we do is only from grace given to us, and not from natural strength. And even then in what we do there are countless imperfections. To talk therefore of merit or claim to God's favour, in the face of such a verse as this, is absurd and preposterous.
In the fourteenth article of the Church of England this verse is very properly used as an argument against the Romish doc- tiine of works of supererogation.
The Greek word translated " unprofitable," is only used.ia one other place, — in the parable of the talents. (Matt.xxv. 30.) Major renders it, " Servants who have conferred no benefit." It may be doubted whether it does not mean even more, " worthless, valueless."
LXTKE, CaSAF. XVU. VBB. 11 — 19.
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The words of Hooker are worth reading on the doctrine of this Terse. ** We acknowledge a dutiful necessity of doing well : but the meritorious dignity of doing well we utterly renounce. We see how far we are from the perfect righteousness of the law. The little fruit which we have in holiness, it is, God knoweth, corrupt and unsound. We put no confidence in it at all. We challeuge nothing in the world for it. We dare not call God to reckoning, as if we had Him in our debt book. Our continual suit to Him is, and must^ be, to bear with our infirmities, and pardon our offences." f Discourse on Justification, s. 7. J
The contrast between what we must say of ourselves, " we are unprofitable," and what Christ will be gi'aciously pleased to say at the last day, (Matt. xxv. 21, and xxv. 34 — 40.) is very striking.