1, xxii. 2. — sfAfopifj, a merchant) The word sptfopos denotes one who travels and voyages for the sake of merchandise. — papyaptTa^ pearls) The plural passes to the singular in the following verse.
46. "Eva, one) An incomparable one ; that is, the kingdom of heaven itself.1
47. 'Ex iravrbg yevovg, of every kind) See John xxi. 11, and Gnomon thereon.
48. 'EtfX»jf>w0»j, was filled) The number of the wicked and the righteous will be completed in the last days. — xai xad/Vamj, and having sat down) Deliberately, with the purpose of performing their task. — xaXa — ea-rpa, good — putrid) Individuals out of every kind of fishes.2 — e'gw, ivithout) sc. the net.
49. Tlovqpovg, the ivicked) and unrighteous. — Jx /o/iffou, from the midst) The wicked, although they are more in number, are not accounted of any value ;3 cf. ver. 30. — rw dmaiuv, of the righteous) and good.4
51. llai/ra, all things) Our Lord was ready to explain the other parables also to His disciples ; but they understood them, if not perfectly, yet truly.
52. nag ypa'A/jbarivi;, every scribe) Jesus Himself is neither ypai^ari-jg, a scribe^ nor (ta,6qrev6e}S) discipled, i.e. instructed as or made a disciple (initiatus). He speaks therefore in the present instance of His disciples ; and that which had previously been said to the disciples in plain words (ver. 12), is now (that they have made such advance in learning as to be styled even scribes) confirmed to them by a parable. A scribe is a man imbued with the doctrine, or even the letter, of the Old Testa ment ; by T«Xa/a (old), therefore, are meant things known from Moses and the prophets. This is the genus : the species5 is supplied by the clause fiadqnv'Siis, x.r.X — i.e. a man instructed
e, sold) This is indeed to renounce all things whatsoever thou mayest possess. — V. g.
2 How is it that the bad man does not loathe himself? — V. g.
8 Cf. Gnomon on ch. iii. 12, in voc. oi.%vpoy. — (I. B.)
* Ver. 50. E/j T«JJ> xaptvov rov Kvpos, into the furnace of fire) O what wretched beings are they who are tormented in that fire ! — V. g.
6 The words genus and species are here used in their logical sense. Bengel means to say that the character indicated is not only that of a " scribe" generically (or universally), but of one who is " instructed to the kingdom of heaven." — (I. B.)