14. Kareffdhn, x.r.X., ye devour, etc.) The extreme of avarice. To devour widows' houses3 is the most atrocious species, which is put for the whole class of rapacious actions. — x«/, even) — /y,a-/.pa} long) The word has here the force of an adverb.4 Some MSS. also read suitably enough, paipa, in which case it must be con strued with Tfopa<r£/, sc. with a long, or great pretence — i.e. they made of their prayers a great pretence, pretext, or plea for devouring widows' houses. Herodian uses the expressions, ••^•pofasi; 6X/J/7), gursX^j, fjuxpd, sc. a small, useful, little pretext or plea. — Xjj-vJ/sirtJg, x.r.>.., ye shall receive, etc.) sc. as the reward of such prayers. — nspiaaurtpov xpi,ua, more abundant damnation) He who acts ill is condemned ; he who abuses that which is good, to adorn that which is bad, is condemned to sorer punish ment.
15. nzpidysrz, x.r.X., ye compass, etc.) A proverbial expression. Ye compass, or go about, as Rabbis ; see ver. 7. — eva, xposq'kvrov, one proselyte) with great zeal, but little efficacy ; so that you hardly obtain one. — vibv Teewris, a child of hell) i.e. worthy of hell. Thus in Deut. xxv. 2, man p5 is rendered by the LXX. «g/oc
1 Although that verse seems likely to come first, which Mark and Luke represent as spoken separately. — App. Crit. Ed. ii. p. 134.
2 E. V. " against men." — (I. B.)
3 Who of all persons ought especially to be spared, but who, as being liable to be easily acted on by persuasion, are most open to oppression. —
v.g.
4 According to this reading, which is that of EM, it must be construed with rpoctt/jtfftuni, praying ; and the words must be rendered. " who pran long" — i.e. " who spend a long time in prayer." — (I, B.)
5 Literally, " a son to be beaten." — (I. B.)
408 ST MATTHEW XXlli. 10-23.
r, worthy of stripe*.* — divAorepov, twofold more) on account of his greater hypocrisy,2 though he might have attained to a high rank among the people of God.
16. 'Odyyoi rv<pXoi, blind guides) Previously they were styled hypocrites, and that again and again ; now the appellation is changed according to the subject in hand. The two appella tions are combined in ver. 23, 24, and ver. 25, 26. The de nunciation reaches its climax in ver. 33. — ovdev sartv, he is no- thing)* sc. £i<ps!Xuv, owing, i.e. he owes nothing. — kv T& %puaf, by the gold) with which the temple was adorned.
17. Mcupot xai rupXo/, fools and blind) They sinned even against common sense ; according to the judgment of which that thing, on account of which another thing is of a certain character, must be much more so, than that which merely de rives its character inferentially therefrom.
18. 'Ev rSi dupu, by the gift) The error originated in the mis taken views entertained by the offerers with regard to their own righteousness. They esteemed their own gifts more highly than the Divine institution. — JTobw aOroD, upon it) sc. the altar.
20. 'EI/ Kaffi TO?S evdvu auroD, by all things thereon) As in ver. 21 the gold of the temple is not again mentioned, but He is men tioned who dwelleth therein ; so in this verse the expression, all things which are upon the altar, signifies something much greater than the gift on the altar, nay, something in contrast with that gift, sc. the sacred fire and the whole divinely ap pointed ministry of the priests, who stood and walked, not only beside, but upon the altar.
23. ' A--odix,aroiJTs, x.r.X., ye tythe, etc.) And command others to tythe ; cf. in ver. 24 the expression "guides" — qbvoGpwf mint) not only grain but herbs. — xvpivov, cummin) which is proverbially a small thing. — ap7jm«, x.r.X., have omitted, etc.) sc. long since ; or also, ye have remitted to others, by your silence. —