Nothing, little, great : there is a higher grade still, the highest. It belongs to Christ Himself, the Fulfiller, who is neither a sophistical scribe, nor an im- patient reformer, nor a strict performer of all laws great and small, walking humbly with God in the old ways, with- out thought, dream or purpose of change, but one who lives above the past and the present in the ideal, knows that a change is impending, but wishes it to come gently, and so as to do full justice to all
106
Vv.
k Rom. iz. 21. ᾿Ηκούσατε ὅτι * ἐρρέθη 1 τοῖς | ἀρχαίοις, OF φονεύσεις: ὃς 8 ἂν
again » pe. Φονεύση, ™ ἔνοχος ἔσται τῇ
Ἀκρίσει: 22. ἐγὼ δὲ λέγω ἐμ, ὅτι πᾶς
Wig. Ke Acts ὁ ὀργιζόμενος τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ εἰκῆ 2 ἔνοχος ἔσται τῇ κρίσει: ὃς δ᾽ Pet. ii, * sav εἴπῃ τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ, ‘Paxd,® ο ἔσται τῷ "συνεδρίῳ" ὃς
γε Ώ a the Cor σα, here only.
m with dat. here four times; with gen. of Mk. xiv. 55. Lk.xxn.66 Often in Acts.
ο Ch. xxvi. 59.
ὰερρηθη in BD; text in LMA al. pl. (W.HL).
Greek.
Ch. xxvi.66. Mk. xiv. 64.
ερρεθη was more usual in later
2 axn is an ancient gloss found in many late MSS. but omitted in QB, Origen,
Vulgate, and in the best modern editions.
5 paxa in ΝΤ abe (Tisch.); text in §bBE (W.H.).
that is divine, venerable, and of good tendency in the past. His is the unique greatness of the reverently conservative yet free, bold inaugurator of a new time. Vv. 21-26. First illustration of Christ's ethical attitude, taken from the Sixth Commandment. In connection with this and the following exemplifications of Christ's ethical method, the interpreter is embarrassed by the long-continued strifes of the theological schools, which have brought back the spirit of legalism, from which the great Teacher sought to deliver His disciples. It will be best to ignore these strifes and go steadily on our way.—Ver. 21. “Hxovoare. The common people knew the law by hearing it read in the syn ¢, not by reading it paca ag -- aorist εχ- presses what they were accustomed to hear, an instance of the ‘‘ gnomic”’ use. Tholuck thinks there may be an allusion to the tradition of the scribes, called Shema.—toig ἀρχαίοις might mean: in ancient times, to the ancients, or by the ancients. The second is in accord with Ni T; and is adopted by Meyer, Weiss and Holtzmann (H.C.). How far back does Christ in thought? To Moses Pps Ezra? The ession is vague, and might cover the whole past, and perhaps intended todoso. There is no reason ἃ i why the criticism should be restricted to the interpretation of the law by the scribes. Christ's position as fulfiller entitled Him to point out the defects of the law itself, and we must be prepared to find Him doing so, and there is reason to believe that in the sequel He --- does (so Wendt, L. F., ii., 332).—Od This is a correct statement, not only of the Pharisaic interpretation of the law, but of the law itself. Asa law for the life of a nation, it could forbid and punish only the outward act. But just here lay its defect as a summary of human duty.
It restrained the end not the beginning of transgression (Euthy. Zig.).—évoyos = όµενος, with dative of the tribunal here.—Ver. 22. ἐγὼ δὲ ἡμῖν. Christ supplies the defect, as a painter fills in a rude outline of a_ picture (σκιαγραφίαν), says Theophy. He goes back on the roots of crime in the feel- ings: anger, contempt, etc.—was . . . αὐτοῦ. Every one; universal interdict of angry passion.—4&8eA¢@: not in blood (the classical meaning) or in faith, but by common humanity. The implied doctrine is that every man is my brother ; companion doctrine to the universal Fatherhood of God (νετ. 45).---εἰκῆ is of course a gloss ; Beng, 5 of the interdict against may be required, but it was not Christ's habit to supply qualifications. His aim was to impress the main idea, anger a deadly sin.— here as in ver. 21. The a an a is to the provincial court of seven (Deut. xvi. 18, 2 Chron, xix. 5, Joseph. Ant. iv. 8, 14) possessing power to nish capital offences by the sword. Chri hrist’s words are of course not to be taken literally as if He were enacting that the an man be tried as a criminal. So understood He would be simply introducing an ex- tension of legalism. He deservesto go before the seven, He says, meaning he is as great an offender as the homicide who is actually tried by them.