were smiling expression, of His eyes. — A ev did, 8voTv, He lovingly beheld,1 in order that He might thereby give him a token of His love for the time to come, if he would follow Jesus : and that He might counteract his ' sadness.' The antithetic word is ffruyvdaas, with saddened look [countenance], ver. 22. It is for this reason mention is made in Christ's life of tears, rather than of laughter, because He had come to bear our sins. Yet be nignity and joy sometimes shone forth from His countenance, as was the case in this passage, with the view of alluring the youth, who now was standing on the threshold of following Christ. Comp. ver. 16; Luke x. 20-24, xii. 32. A similar use of
this verb OCClirs in Ps. Ixxviii. 36, ^/dv^ffav aurbv sv r& tiro/nan avruv and 2 Chron. xviii. 2, ^ya-ra avrbv TOU ovmva[3rivai : SO also the use of the verb &zs7v (oi)» 8s shears [fonto] sv <p &'/3w), Jude ver. 22. — svj one thing) In antithesis to raiJra -rai/ra, all these, ver. 20. \_The faithful Master ivished to render the business (his obtaining eter nal life) more easy and delightful to the man. — V. g.] This one thing is a heart freed from the [idolatry of] creatures : the selling of his goods was intended to be the proof of his freedom. Gene rally speaking, to men, severally and individually, there is want ing some one thing, this or that ; and by the want of that one thing they are kept back from Christ. — erawpw, cross) Viz. that of poverty, etc. So the words, ivith persecutions, ver. 30, express the same sentiment.
[22. 'o di, but he) How quickly do men refuse the happiest of all conditions ! — V. g.]
23. nipifiXf-^dpevog, having looked round about) We have often the look [countenance] of Christ described, corresponding as it did to PI is inward feeling, and adapted to the inward feelings of His hearers : Comp. v. 21, 27. — vrus, hoiv) The proposition stated is, A rich man is with difficulty saved : the subject of the proposition is limited in ver. 24 [They that trust in riches being substituted for, they that have riches] : the predicate is enlarged [amplified : ver. 25 being the amplification of the simple predi cate, enter into the kingdom of God]. They [the subject and predicate of the proposition, A rich man is with difficulty saved]
1 Comp. with these remarks what I). Ernesti has written against Gerh. de H.tas. in der Theol. Bill., T. I., p. 130, etc.— E. B.