of those who were older.1 And the disciples blamed, not the little ones, but those who brought them. — iva, K.T.X., that, etc.) If they had asked for baptism, baptism would, without doubt, have also been given them. — oi 8s /^adnral, but the disciples} The greater part of whom appear to have been unmarried : and un married men, unless they are humble-minded, are not so kind (minus comes) to infants, inasmuch as they remind them of their own former littleness : and the disciples who had left all, do not appear always to have sufficiently favoured the admission of others ; at any rate, they certainly thought that the care of little children was inconsistent with their Master's dignity. The humanity of Jesus, however, descends even to little children ; cf. ch. xviii. 2, 3, etc. — tviripw, rebuked) We ought not to be de terred by those who enjoin an unseasonable timidity,2 cf. ch. xx. 31.
14. E?r£K, X.7-.X., said, etc.) Previously He had defended the law of marriage ; now he defends the rights of children. — ci<psn — xal pri xuh-jtrs, permit — and do not prohibit) A most ample per mission. The verb aply/ii does not always mean to dismiss, but frequently, as here, to permit; see Mark xi. 16. — ra vaidia, the little children} Haffenreffer renders it infantulos, little infants. — roiovruv, of such) i.e., infants, sc. such infants, especially when they desire to come to Christ, roiovro; denotes substance com bined with quality ; see Acts xxii. 22. Grant that such are in tended as are like infants, it follows of necessity, that much rather the infants themselves, who are such, have the kingdom of God, and both can and ought to receive it by coming to Christ. Many of those who then were infants, afterwards be lieved in Christ Jesus, when they had grown up. — ^ 8a.ai7.ila ruv ovpavuv, the kingdom of heaven) He who seeks the kingdom of God must come to Jesus.
15. 'Ecr/0£/s a'jroT; ra$ ^tTpas, having laid His hands upon them) as He had been asked to do in ver. 13. The imposition of the
1 They were therefore in such a state as not yet to be able either to seek earnestly after, or understand anything, of their own accord. — V. g.
2 In the original, " intempestivam verecundiam," lit. unseasonable bash- f,lmss.—a. B.)
Nay, but the desire of the little ones was the more enkindled thereby.
-v.g.