Ver. 36. ἰδὼν δὲ τοὺς ὄχλους: in the course of His wanderings Jesus had opportunities of observing the condition of the people, and at length arrived at a clear, definite view as to the moral and religious situation. It was very sombre, such as to move His compassion (ἐσπλαγ- χνίσθη, post classical, in Gospels only). The state of things suggested two pictures to His mind: a neglected flock of sheep, and a harvest going to waste for lack of reapers. Both imply, not only a pitiful plight of the people, but a blameworthy neglect of duty on the
32—38.
τῷ had.) 36. ἰδὼν δὲ τοὺς ὄχλους,
ὅτι ἦσαν ἐκλελυμένοι ᾗ καὶ ἐρριμμένοιὸ ὡσεὶ πρόβατα μὴ ἔχοντα
ποιμένα.
37. τότε λέγει τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ, ““ Ὁ μὲν θερισμὸς 14.
7
3 ἐσπλαγχνίσθη περὶ αὐτῶν, n here only
with περὶ; with em, Ch. xiv. Mk.
~ ο Vi. 841 πολύς, οἱ δὲ ἐργάται ὀλίγοι: 38. δεήθητε οὖν τοῦ κυρίου τοῦ θερισ- νῆῖ ρα].
μοῦ, ὅπως Σ ἐκβάλῃ ἐργάτας εἰς τὸν θερισμὸν αὐτοῦ.
1 ey τω λαω brought in probably from iv. 23.
ο Ch. xiii. 30, 30. Mk. iv. 2g John x.4
Lk. x. 2. p Lk. x. 2.
BCDAZ omit (Tisch., W.H.).
2 exdeAupevor (T. R.) is a very weakly-supported reading, having only one im-
portant uncial, L, on its side.
S$ BCDAZ al. have eoxvApevo.—the true reading.
° The variation here is simply a matter of spelling: ep. in BCL (Tisch., W.H.),
ερρ. (T. R.) ΓΔ, pep. D.
part of their religious guides—the shep- herds by profession without the shep- herd heart, the spiritual husbandmen without an eye for the whitening fields and skill to handle the sickle. The Pharisaic comments on the Capernaum mission festival (ix. 11) were sufficient to justify the adverse judgment. Their question on that occasion meant much, and would not be forgotten by Jesus.— ἐσκυλμένοι, ἐριμμένοι, graphic words, clear as to general import, though variously understood as to their precise meaning. The former may mean “flayed” (from σκὂλον, Holtz., H.C.), or ‘*hunted ” and tired out (Weiss-Meyer), the practical sense is ‘exhausted by long, aimless wandering, foot-sore and fleece-torn”. The other points to the natural sequel—lying down, scattered about (ῥίπτω), here one, there another, on the hill side, just where they found themselves unable to go a step further. A flock can get into such a condition only when it has no shepherd to care for it and guide it to the pastures.
Vv. 37, 38. θερισμὸς: a new figure coming in abruptly in the narrative, but not necessarily so close together in Christ’s mind. The one figure suits the mood of passive sympathy; the other, that of the harvest, suits the mood of active purpose to help. It would not be long in the case of Jesus before the one mood passed into the other. He could not be a mere pitying spectator. He must set on foot a mission of help. The Capernaum feast was the first stage ; the mission of the twelve the second. The word “harvest”? implies spiritual susceptibility. Weiss protests against this inference as allegorising interpre- tation of a parabolic saying which simply points to the want of suitable labourers
(vide L. J,. ii. 119). So also Schanz maintains, against Euthy., that not sus- ceptibility but need is pointed to. But, as against Weiss, it is pertinent to ask: what suggested the figure of a harvest if not possibilities of gain to the kingdom of God, given sympathetic workers? This hopeful judgment as to the people of the land, contrasted with Pharisaic despair and contempt, was characteristic of Jesus (vide my Kingdom of God, chap. v.).—€pydtat ὀλίγοι: pro- fessional labourers, men busying them- selves with inculcation of moral and religious observances, abundant; but powerless to win the people because with- out sympathy, hope, and credible accept- able Gospel. Their attempts, if any, only make bad worse—(sub legis on- ere zgrotam plebem, Hilary). “Few” —as yet only one expert, but He is train- ing others, and He has faith in prayer for better men and times.—Ver. 38. δεήθητε: the first step in all reform—deep, devout desire out of a profound sense of need. The time sick and out of joint—God mend it !—Gmws ἐκβάλῃ, etc. The pray- er, expressed in terms of the parabolic figure, really points to the ushering in of a new era of grace and humanity— Christian as opposed to Pharisaic, legal, Rabbinical. Inthe old time men thought it enough to care for themselves even in religion ; in the new time, the impulse and fashion would be to care for others. ἐκβάλῃ, a strong word (cf. Mk. iv. 29, ἀποστέλλει), even allowing for the weakened force in later Greek, implying Divine sympathy with the urgent need. Men must be raised up who can help the time. Christ had thorough faith in a benignant Providence. Luke gives this logion in connection with the mission of the seventy (x. 2).