an appellative. Cf. John vi. 70, where our Lord says, concern ing Judas Iscariot, y.al e? V/AUV fTg didSoXos sffnv, and one of you is a devil. — But cf. Gnomon on Rev. xii. 9. — Peter thought him self very kind when he said J'Xewc, /c.r.X., but yet he is called Satan for so doing. Cf. 2 Sam. xix. 22, where }OB> signifies one who puts himself in the way as a hinderance.1 — ffxuvdctXov Mow, My stumbling-block2) i.e. thou dost not only stumble or take of fence at My words, but, if it were possible, thou wouldst furnish Me with a hurtful stumbling-block by thy words. This is said with the utmost force, and declares the reason of our Lord's swift severity towards Peter.3 If anything could have been able to touch the soul of Jesus, the words of the disciple would have been more dangerous than the assaults of the tempter, mentioned in the fourth chapter of this Gospel. Cf. Gnomon on Heb. iv. 15. — Rock and stumbling-block (LAPIS offensionis, lit. stumbling STONE) are put antithetically. Our Lord sends away behind Him the stumbling-block placed before His feet. — TO, TO\J QioZ, the things of God) sc. the precious word of the Cross. The perception of Jesus is always divine.4 — ruv avdpuffuv, of men) the same as flesh and blood in ver. 17.
24. QiXsi, x.r.X., wishes, etc.) No one is compelled; but if he wishes to do so, he must submit to the conditions. — fafffu Mou eXSiTv, to come after Me) This denotes the state and profession, as axoXovdilru (let him follow) does the duty, of a disciple.5 — avap- , let him abnegate, or utterly deny) Weigh well the force of
1 Where David so calls the sons of Zeruiah. — (I. B.)
2 E. V. « An offence unto Me."— (I. B.)
3 In this way the Saviour repelled, at the very moment of their approach, all things whatever might have been a stumbling-block or offence, just as fire repels water which approaches very close to it, but which cannot possibly mix with it. — V. g.
4 The Cross is a stumbling-block to the world : the things which are op posed to the Cross were a stumbling-block (offence) to Christ. This feeling and perception concerning the ' suffering' of Christ, and of those who belong to Christ, and concerning the ' glory' which follows thereupon [1 Pet. i. 11], Peter cherished at a subsequent time, as his own first Epistle abundantly testifies. — V. g.
5 " Id denotat statum et professionem ; sequatur, officium/' For a person may go after or behind another without following in his steps. In the one case, he appears and professes to walk in his steps ; in the other, he really does so: the one implies profession — the other involves practice. — (I. B.)