as their King. — Cf. the phrase in ch. v. 19. He is never called less than John, nor least in the kingdom of heaven. The least in the kingdom of heaven, is the least of the citizens of the king-
dom. In that THIRD point 1 in which John is greater than others, the least in the kingdom of heaven is less than the other citizens of the kingdom of heaven. John did not yet know all, which at present even catechumens know from the Apostles' Creed. A noble climax — prophet, John, apostle or Christian. It is greater, in this kind of comparison of the Old and New Testament, to know things present than things future, however brief be the in terval which separates them from the present;2 but in another point of view, the knowledge of futurity is an especial distinction conferred by GOD.
12. As, but) Used antithetically in this sense — viz., although John is less than the least in the kingdom of heaven, yet even from the beginning of the days of John the Baptist, the king dom of heaven exercises force. The kingdom of heaven came not in John, but immediately after John. — fttdfyrai, pushes itself forward as it were by violence) Consider attentively ch. xiii. 32, 33, and Luke xiv. 23. The LXX. frequently use /3/a£o,aa/ to signify, to employ force. John calls in a mournful, Jesus in a joyful strain.3 And there is a metonymy of kingdom for King, i.e. the Messiah. See Gnomon on ch. iv. 17. — /3/«<rra/, they who employ force) See Luke xiii. 24. There is no com plaint here of hostile force, for the complaint begins at ver. 16. Bidfyra.1 and fiiaarai are correlative.4 — apTafyuaiv, seize) in order that by seizing it with swift force, all obstacles having been
1 Beng. seems to me to use Tertium here in the logical sense of the inter mediate term, affording a point of comparison between the other two : as here John stands midway between the Old Test, covenant and its prophets, on the one hand, and the N. Test, kingdom, and its preachers and members, on the other. — ED.
2 In the original, "scire prsesentia quam futura, quamvis proxime futura ;" lit. " to know present than future [things], although most closely future," i.e. " to knour the things that are, than those that are to be hereafter, however close that hereafter may be to the present." — (I. B.)
3 In the original. "Johannes laraentatur; Jesus canit," — lit. "John laments ; Jesus sings." — (I. B.)
4 It is in this way that the work goes on briskly, and advances as success fully as one could wish. — V. g.
256 vST MATTHEW XI. 13-15.
broken through, they may obtain the blessing which is offered them.1 See Luke vii. 29.
13. Tap, for) Now is fulfilled that which had been predicted up to the time of John. — Kpoffirai — vo/uog — 'ludwov, prophets — law — Johii) Cf. Mai. i. 1, iii. 22, 23; and see Gnomon on Matt. iii. 12. There were prophets also before Moses ; and the law being put in the second place, makes a regular gradation ; for Moses was the greatest of the prophets of the Old Testament. The law also is mentioned in this passage on account of its prophetic office. Where the Old Testament concludes at the end of Malachi, there the New Testament commences at the beginning of Mark. This phrase, therefore, even until John, holds good of Scripture. Its application extends also beyond Malachi, even to the father of John. See Luke i. 67. Even until, without change. Here was the boundary of prophecy and of the Old Testament dispensation ; thenceforward is the fulfilling. — vpoeptinvffav, pro phesied) This was the whole of their office, to bear witness to future things. John was something more. See ver. 9.
14. E/' CAST'S, if ye will) It is your interest that is at stake. The expression, /3/aora/ (used in the last verse), is explained : it is the willing only who are compelled. All is prepared : it only remains that you should be willing. — 'H/./a;, Elias) The absence of the article shows that the word is used antonomati- cally? John makes fiiuerat of both fathers and children. Cf. <5=, but, in v. 1G.3 The prophecy of the Old Testament con cludes with this Elijah at the end of Malachi. John is called Elias on account of the office of forerunner, which he had in common with the Tishbite. — 6 piXXuv sp^seSai, who is about to come) The language is, as it were, that of one looking forward from the Old Testament into the New.4