— v,u,?v, to you) This word is antithetic' to ro?g d^a/o/i, from whence it is evident, that roTg ap^aiag (antiquis) is not in the ablative, but in the dative case ; and the construction is more easy if we render the passage thus, " it was said TO them of old time, than thus, " it was said BY them of old time" — oy tpovsvfftis, thou shalt not kill) Our Lord begins with the clearest precept. — rfj xpieei, to the judgment) The Hebrew p^, rendered xpiffig, was the inferior tribunal existing in the several towns, and consisted of twenty-three judges, who had the power of life and death. The dative, rjj xpisn, signifies, as far as belongs to2 the judgment, or municipal tribunal : in like manner, in the next verse r£> gwidpi'jj signifies as far as belongs to the Sanhedrim : for tvoyjic, criminal, is here used absolutely.
22. Hag, x.r.A., every one, etc.) This is opposed to the lax rule3 of the Scribes. — 6 opy/^o/tgvog, icho is angry) either with a lasting feeling or a sudden emotion. — r& ridi\<pp avrov, with his brother) 'This appellation shows the unworthiness of anger. — s/xJj, without a cause) This gloss4 evidently betrays its human origin.6 He who is angry without a cause is superfluously angry : not even the Pharisees taught that it was lawful to be angry without a cause. Even if there be a cause for being angry, there ought to be no anger. God also forbids us to hate even with cause, in that He commands us to love our enemies. — Tertullian de Spectaculis, ch. xvi. On the other hand, the magistrate, in killing those who ought to be killed, does rightly, and yet it is never said, Thou shalt not kill without a cause. — tvo-yjog larat rq Kfiati, shall be criminal as far as belongs to the judgment or municipal
quity their own innovations, as generally happens in religious controversies, or when morals are being corrupted. — Vers. Germ.
1 See Explanation of technical terms in Appendix. — (I. B.)
2 In the original, " quod adjudicium attinet" where in the phrase, " quod attinct," generally rendered " with respect to," "as regards," etc., attinet seems to have its own more peculiar and precise force of pertains; — and to signify, "is the province of," "comes under the jurisdiction of;" — a meaning which appears to coincide with Bengel's observations on the next verse. — (I. B.)
8 In the original " sanctione," a somewhat peculiar expression. — (I. B.)
4 "Which Luther rightly omitted."— Not. Grit.
6 It is retained by E. M. — (I. B.) B Vulg. Origen, omit it, and Lachm. and Tisch. read accordingly. But Dabc Iren. 242, 247, Cypr. 306, Lucf. 121, and after cpyigoft,., Iren. 165, Hilary 128 (625) retain s/xij.— ED.