— Xsystv, to say) i.e. with safety. — roc 'A/3paa,a, Abraham} as there is no lack of his posterity. — \iyu yap u^, for I say unto you) A most solemn formula, employed by a great man, on an occasion of the highest importance. — Cf. Gnomon on ch. v. 18. — dvvarai, is able) The Jews supposed that they could not fall utterly away. — ex ruv \fouv rovrwv, from these stones) and from any other mate rial, as He produced Adam from the clod. God is not tied to the law of succession in the Church. — rourwv, these) The stones to which John pointed were perhaps those which had been placed there in the time of Joshua, that they might be for a testimony that the people of Israel had crossed the river Jordan, and entered the Land of Promise, and that they owed the land, not to themselves, but to God. The words sound like a proverbial expression, as well as those in Luke xix. 40. — r'sxva, children) i.e. according to the spirit. They were indeed children according to the flesh, who are called nevertheless broods of vipers.
10. "H&J ds, but now) Placed in opposition1 to /z£XXou<r»;c, which is to come, in ver. 7. — xai, x.r.X., also, etc) Where grace mani fests itself, there also is wrath shown to the ungrateful. It is not only possible that you should be punished, but also punishment is nigh at hand. — ryv pi^av, the root) The axe was aimed not merely at the branches, but at the root itself. — ruv devdpuv, of the trees) i.e. the Jews (see Luke xiii. 7—9), in comparison with whom the Gentiles were mere stones. — xtTrai, lies) Although the blow has not yet begun to be struck. — JxxoVrera/, is being cut down) The present tense is used, to show that there will be no delay. — vvp, fire) See Heb. vi. 8.
11. vfj,ag, you) John, therefore, did not exclude the Pharisees from baptism. — sv vdaTi, in water) The conclusion of the verse corresponds with this part of it. John, however, depreciates not so much his baptism as himself. And again, in this place alone, is that fire mentioned in contradistinction to water, whereas the Holy Spirit is mentioned in every case. — slg ptravoiav, for repent ance) This portion of the verse corresponds with ver. 12. — &, but) The contrast does not apply only to those who confer, but to
justiciaries, in order to claim God as their own, even after they have re jected repentance toward God. — Vers Germ.
' In ver. 7 he spoke of the wrath of God as future, as yet to come ; he no:v speaks of it as already present, or close at hand. — (I. B.)