46 from ver. 44 ; but as the heathens do not also bless and pray, the verb to salute is put here instead of either blessing or pray ing. — rods adsAp o;)? u^wf, your brethren l — idvixol, the heathen) The Publicans regard their own interest, the Heathens perform also offices of kindness towards their connections and friends, and more especially towards their blood relations. In ver. 46, there fore, the example of the Publicans is cited ; in ver. 47, that of the Heathens. — ri ffepiysbv, what remarkable thing)* such as befits the sons of God.3
48. '!>£%, you) In honourable contradistinction to them. — /, perfect) sc. in love towards all.4
1. npoffs%tri, take ye heed) The hortatory address,8 irpoeiyji take heed to thyself was familiar to the early Christians ; since the Hebrew "i»B>n 6 (which occurs so frequently in Deuteronomy), was thus rendered by the LXX. — rqv bixaio6\jvr,v,'1 U/AWV, your right eousness) This depends upon ^ To/g/'v, not to do.s — Dnuutdtnp) righteousness} The treatment of the subsequent divisions relating to almsgiving, prayer, and fasting, exhibits such an exact analogy that from a comparison of them it becomes evident, that the
1 The margin of Beng. Ed. w and Vers. Germ, prefer (pfaov; to uS
But not so the larger Edition of a.. 1734. Lucifer reads amicos, also of se cond rate Uncial MSS. L A. But the oldest MSS. and Vulg. ctit*(poi>s, fratres. — ED.
2 E. V. What do ye more than others ? — (I. B.)
3 He who does nothing but what is customary ought to stand in fear (soil in Sorge stehen.) — B. G. V.
* See Col. iii. 14.— (L B.)
5 Celeusma, from the Greek x,ftev<rftei — properly an exhortation to any work ; especially of sailors : Either the cry of sailors for encouraging one another, or a beating of time to the rowers. — See RIDDLE. — (I. B.)
e E. V. Take heed, etc.— See Deut. xii. 13, etc.— (I. B.)
7 E. M. ryv thtv)ftoavvir)V. — (I. B.)
8 i.e. -rqv !>ix.!>tioavvYi'j is the accusative after py TTOIIIV — so that the passage must be rendered " Take heed that ye do not your righteousness" etc. — (I. B.)