that authority; see ch. xxii. 43. He had often told them before.
28. 1 TsKva dvo, two sons) A specimen of two classes.2 — irpoff- fASa/i', having come to) sc. kindly. — rS> vpuruj, the first) who went before the other ; see ver. 31 [" Go into the kingdom of God before you].
30. Tw tr'tpw, the other) Who, in a different point of view, is called the eldest in Luke xv. 25. — uoavruc, in like manner} with undoubtedly the same spirit. Their calling was equal. — lyu, I) sc. b'Trd-yu, go ; cf. in Acts ix. 10, the reply of Ananias, I&M, syu. Behold, 7, sc. am here; and in S. V. of Judges xiii. 11, that of the angel to Manoah, Jyw, 7, sc. am. — Kvpit, Lord) cf. ch. vii. 22.
31. 3 E/'s, into, or as regards) the kingdom of heaven.
32. 'EC Lbfjj dixaiosvvqs, in the way of righteousness) "The way of righteousness" expresses more than " A righteous way." —
1 TI of vfriv (tow, But what think ye ?) After that the Jews had declined to commit themselves, by expressing an opinion concerning the baptism of John, the Saviour defends Himself along with John, thereby reproving the unbelief of the chief priests. — Harm., p. 460.
2 In the dialogue which Athanasius is said to have had at Nicsea with Arius, the First Son is referred to the Jews, the Second, to the Gentiles. — See App. Grit., ed. ii., p. 131.— E. B.
In ver. 31, Lachm. reads 6 vartpo$ with B. 'O £V%«T05- is read by Dabd, MSS. Amiat. (the oldest existing), and Fuld. and Forojuliensis of the Vulg. However Jerome, though editing, as appears from his commentary, ' novissimus,' yet states that good copies have ' primus ' (6 vpurog) : c also, and some less ancient copies of the Vulg., agree with Rec. Text, 6 x-puTo;. But Hil. 717 has 'junior.' The o vartpos or 'ia-^a.ro;, as being the more diffi cult reading, would be more likely to be changed by a corrector into 6 TrpuToc, than vice versa. Jerome vii. I68e explains the former reading, ' novissimus,' thus : — " The Jews understood the truth, but shrunk back, and would not say what they thought ; just as, though knowing the baptism of John to be from heaven, they would not acknowledge in words that it was so." They did not like, I think, to repeat again the same reply as before in ver. 27, wx. oftciftev, therefore they doggedly, in spite of convictions, replied, o vrrtpo;. However, the words, ^.tywatv 6 vtrrtf/o; : T^iyti a.vro'i; 6 'ly/jove, seem to be an interpolation : for Origen, who seldom passes over difficult passages, takes no notice of these words ; and besides, iiorepo;, as an adjective, is found nowhere in the New Testament except in 1 Tim. iv. 1. — ED.
3 6 vpaTos, the first) Work without words is better than splendid words unaccompanied with work : and also it is better to adopt a praiseworthy course subsequently, rather than not at all. — V. g.