tained. But they are so only inasmuch as, when rightly ex plained, they regulate even the most subtile affections and emotions of the soul, and the slightest movements of the tongue, and thus, when compared with other precepts, appear to men to be the least. — sXd^itfrof, least) Referring to the preceding JXa^/V- TM. An instance of Ploce.1 As we treat the Word of God, so does God treat us ; see John xvii. 6, 11 ; Rev. iii. 10. " A little" signifies " almost nothing" whence " the least" comes to mean " none at all" (for they considered anger, for instance, as of no consequence whatever) ; cf. in ver. 20, " ye shall not enter" os has a different force in this passage from that which 6 (the least) " in the kingdom of heaven" has in ch. xi. 11. — It T-/J fiaffiXtiq TUV ovpctvuv, in the kingdom of heaven) which cannot endure the presence of the unrighteous. — voiriay xai didd^, shall do and teach) The same order of words occurs in Acts i. 1. — To/?j<ty, shall do them, sc. all ; for it is not lawful to break or neglect even one of them. — olrog, this man, he) A pronoun used emphatically. Comp. with this use of ovros, ch. vii. 21 (Latin Version2); Luke ix. 24; John vii. 18. — /^/as, great) All the commandments are of great account to him, especially in their full compass3 (see ver. 18) ; therefore he shall be called great.
20. 'Eav ,«,?) -TTcpiffSivffrj jj dmaioffuvq V/AUV, except your righteousness shall exceed} Our righteousness, even though it should satisfy, could never exceed, the requirements of the law ; but the Scribes and Pharisees thought that theirs did so. We are bound to sur pass their righteousness. Cf. the force of Kipiffffivari (abound, or exceed), with that of mpiaGw (more than others, exceeding the gene ral standard), in ver. 47. We must surpass both Pharisees and publicans : see ver. 48. — vpuv ^ dinouoffuvri, your righteousness) The pronoun, vpuv (your), being placed first, is opposed with
1 See Appendix. The same word employed twice : in the first instance, expressing the simple idea of the word itself; and in the second, an attribute of it.— ED.
2 See Gnomon on vii. 21, and notes. — (I. B.) The Vulgate, referred to, thus renders the ovrog, etc., which abc Hil. and Cypr. read, but which BZ omit, " Qui facit voluntatem patris, etc., ipse intrabit," etc. — ED.
3 " Prsesertim in complexu suo," — i.e. when considered with reference to all that they involve, as explained by our Lord in this discourse, v. 21, etc. -(I. B.) '