employs 'multitude' in 9 places, but also 'company' (Lk 231), ' luunber of the people' (61"), and 'people' in 837, where liv!Li\\\))xc\ {Commentary on the Uecused Veision) says it would not be in accordance with English idiom to say ' the whole multitude of the country' ; yet the latter is thetr.of AV, which does not usually err in this respect. 'Peoi)le' is elsewhere almost invariably reserved by RV to tr. >.a.o;. All three Gr.
words occur in Lk Gl' ix>-'; t«/.:,; ua.th;rut xCtcu XXi T/.r.Ox TcXo
T6V Xxou (AV ' the company of his disciples and a great nmlti- tude of people,' RV 'a great multitude of his disciples and a great number of the people').
The multitude occupies a distinct position in the Gospels ; those of whom it was composed are marked ott" from the disciples (cf. Mk 8^, Lk 9'"- **, and Mt 23', where tlie disciples appear round Jesus in the foregi-ound, the multitude farther off, and the Pharisees in the background). They are also distinguished from the ruling classes who tlespised them and held them in contemjjt, regarding them as accursed through their ignorance of the Law ( Jn T"*''). and a prey to any designing teacher (7'-- ■*"'• ). Thus the ' multitude ' an.swers to' a in ho'drez, ' peo{)le of the land,' 'common persons,' %\hich was the name given to those who were not lifibcrim, i.e. not strict observers of the Law (see Hastings" DB iii. 7-43*, 826). Hillel used to say, ' No brutish man is sin-fearing, nor is one of the people of the land pious,' and Rabbinical writers used such con- temptuous expressions as ' the ignorant is imijious ; only the learned shall have part in the res-urrec- tion ' (Godet on Jn 7''"). Yet it was felt that the multitude would be formidable from its very num- bers if it were only united under a leader in one common purpose. Accordingly we read that Herod was restrained from putting John the Baptist to death since he feared the multitude, becau.se they counted him as a prophet (Mt 14^). lor the same reason the chief priests and elders dared not say that John's baptism was of men (21-*). This same fear jjrevented the chief priests and the Pharisees from laying hold on Jesus (21*) ; they decided not to arrest Him on the feast day (Mk 14-), ' lest haply there shall be a tumult of the people ' (XaoO, note the future eorai, which shows their positive expecta- tion of trouble) ; and they arranged with Judas for His betrayal 'in the absence of the multitude' (RVm ' wilhout tumult,' 6lt€p bx\ov, Lk 22«, cf. PJ""''-). The multitude, however, at ordinary times was gTeatly under the influence of their rulers, looking up to them as guides in religious matters, cf. Jn 7'-- '^ ' there was much murmuring among the multitudes concerning him : some said. He is a good man ; others said. Not so, but he leadeth the nmltitude astray. Howbeit no man spake openly of him for fear of the Jews.' This whole chajiter is important as showing the relations between the ruling classes and the multitude, and al.so the dis- cussions between difi'erent sections of the latter as to the claims of Jesus, and the gradual development into belief or disbelief (see especially vv. •"'-"• ^'- *'-** and art. MURMURIXG). Here also perhaps may be noted Lk 12^ The violent scene of ch. 1 1 ' had found its echo outside ; a considerable crowd had flocked together. Excited by the animo.«ity of their chiefs, the multitude showed a disiMsition hostile to Jesus and His disciples. Jesus feels the need of turning to His own, and giving them, in presence of all, those encouragements which their situation demands' (Godet). The power of the same influence is .seen in the account of the Trial, cf. Mt 27-'^ ' the chief priests and the elders per- suaded the multitudes that they should ask for Barabbas and de.stroy Jesus ' — words which suggest that if left to themselves they might have listened to Pilate's proposal, but their leaders turned the scale against Jesus. It must l>e remembered tliat this multitude which cried for His blood was mainh", if not entirely, composed of Jews of Jerusalem. It was therefore quite distinct from the multitude which had accompanied Jesus at His triumphal
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MUEDER
entry, and which largely consisted of pilgrims from Galilee coming to the feast. For the meeting of the two multitudes see Mt 2V- ", and note how the answer of v. '^ is already greatly modified from the Hosanna cries of v.". Accordingly the favourite use of these incidents as illustrations of the pro- verbial fickleness of a crowd — shouting Hosanna and waving palm branches one day, and crying ' Crucify him ' the next — ■ though attractive, is without justification.
Jesus regarded with deep pity the multitudes who came to Him. We read that on one occasion He had compassion on them because they were ia-KvX- ixevoi Kal ^ppL/jifj.evoi., as sheep not having a shepherd. (Mt 9^«).
If these words primarily describe the physical aspect of those who came to Him on this occasion, then iaxuAf/.ivoi, which pro- periy means ' fia>'ed.' ' mangled,' will signify here ' distressed and wearied by long travelling ' ; and ipf'iu.u.aoi, ' prostrated bj' fatigue, lying down like tired sheep ' (cf. Vulg. jacentes). Thus they will express mute misery, and a half unconscious appeal to the Divine conipassion, and they are so taken by Meyer, and Bruce in Expos. Or. Testament. But if, as seems more likely, the expressions are mainly figurative, iirxuXu-ivoi will mean ' hunted and distressed by spiritual foes,' harassed b.v the tyranny of the scribes and Pharisees with their ' heavy burdens' (cf. Mt 23^) ; and ippifx.u,i\ii>i, ' scattered,' without true spiritual shep- herds, John the Baptist being imprisoned and their regular teachers shamefully neglecting their duties. This agrees better with the Lord's remark in v.^' that ' the labourers are few,' and with the commission of the Twelve immediately following in ch. 10, as the result of His conipassion ; so RV ' distressed and scattered ' ; AV ' they fainted,' following TR, which reads 'ixy.-/.u- fi.uoi for icx.\j'KyLiioi, with very little MS support.