as a scribe from the scriptures of the Old Testament ; cf. ver. 35.1
53. 'EriXsff£i>, finished} These parables form a regular and perfect whole, which He is therefore said to have finished ; see ch. xi. I.2 Thus, in Luke vii. 1, we have sVx^wo-s, He completed. These parables contain, however, besides the general condition of the Church of the New Testament, a more special account of future events. Cf. Gnomon on ver. 3, and on John xvi. 13. — fAirqpfv, He departed, Lat. migravit)3 He ended for the time His sojourn at Capernaum.4 Thenceforward Jesus did not remain so long in one place, being harassed by Herod.
54.5 2op/a, tcisdom — dwd/Ati^ mighty works} supernatural poicers : See 1 Cor. i. 24. We ought to be carried forward, by admiration of the teaching and works of our Lord, to a believ ing (fidelem) recognition of His person ; otherwise admiration ends in stupor.
55. Tov rexrovog — y wrrip, of the carpenter — His mother) Hence
1 The new things already have the palm of superiority. — V. g.
2 SC. ireheffev ^ictrotaauv rol; Jtabixot. — ED.
3 The word implies change of abode as well as departure. — (I. B.)
4 In the same manner, the same word, /neriipiu, is used in ch. xix. 1 of the last journey of the Saviour from Galilee to Judea, which He took before the Passion. — Comp. Jer. xxxix. 9. Therefore that verb is opposed to the dwelling which, for a considerably long time, Jesus had had at Capernaum, ch. iv. 1,3. Not long after, the Saviour returned thither afresh ; but after having made a survey [lustratione, a purifying examination : see John vi. 66-71] of His disciples, He presently departed again, John vi. 22-71 [see ver. 24, 59]. The same thing happened after the interval of nearly a year, Matt. xvii. 24: and this was the last of all His visits there. His address to the city of Capernaum, Luke x. 15, was delivered at a distance from it, when He had already finished no inconsiderable part of the journey which led to the Passion : comp. Luke ix 51. He subsequently addressed Jerusalem in the same manner from a distance, Luke xiii. 34. — Harm., p. 324.
5 El; TW -Tfxr^oe, ex.vrov') In the same way as He had gone forth into public, in a manner which was clearly " His custom," at Nazareth, Luke iv. 16 : so, having left Capernaum, He returned afresh to Nazareth. It was then that the people of Nazareth said those things which He had foretold in Luke i v. 23 they would say. [See Gnomon there : where Beng. explains, " Ye will say," etc., thus : This feeling, owing to which ye say (ver. 22), Is not this Joseph's Son ? will wax stronger, when ye shall hear of my future miracles, which, owing to your unbelief, shall be less numerous among you than others : You will then say. Physician, heal thyself. — Eix]— Harm., 1. cit.