9—14.
τροφῆς αὐτοῦ ἐστιν. 11. Eis ἣν δ᾽ ἂν πόλιν ἢ κώµην εἰσέλθητε, * ἐξετάσατε τίς ἐν αὐτῇ ἄξιός ἐστι: κἀκεῖ µείνατε, ἕως ἂν ἐξέλθητε. hCh. ii. 8
12. εἰσερχόμενοι δὲ εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν, ἀσπάσασθε αὐτήν.
δε 13. και εαν jo.
μὲν ᾖ ἡ οἰκία ἀξία, ἐλθέτω ἡ εἰρήνη ὑμῶν ew αὐτήν: ἐὰν δὲ μὴ Wi Ch. xii. 44. 1
ἀξία, ἡ εἰρήνη ὑμῶν πρὸς Spas | ἐπιστραφήτω.
A ς - ia iy δέξηται ὑμᾶς, μηδὲ ἀκούσῃ τοὺς λόγους ὑμῶν, ἐξερχόμενοι ὃ τῆς οἰκίας ἢ τῆς πόλεως ἐκείνης, ἐκτινάξατε τὸν ) κονιορτὸν
1 S8BCL omit εστιν. 4 SSC add ex (Tisch.).
—péBdov: not even a staff! That can hardly be meant. Even from the romantic or picturesque point of view the procession of pilgrim missioners would not be complete without a staff each in their hand. Ifnot a necessity, at least, it was no luxury. Mark allows the staff, creating trouble for the har- monists. Grotius suggests: no second staff besides the one in hand! Glassius, quoted by Fritzsche in scorn, suggests a staff shod with iron (scipio) for defence. Ebrard, with approval of Godet, thinks of two different turns given to the
2a i ας
either “if you take one staff it is enough,” or ‘‘if, etc., itis too much”. Really the discrepancy is not worth all this trouble. Practically the two ver- sions come to the same thing: take only a staff, take not even a staff; the latter is a little more hyperbolical than the former. Without even a staff, is the ne plus ultra of austere simplicity and self- denial. Men who carry out the spirit of these precepts will not labour in vain. Their life will preach the kingdom better than their words, which may be feeble and helpless.. ‘‘ Nothing,” says Euthy., ‘*creates admiration so much as a simple, contented life” (βίος ἄσκευος καὶ ὁλι- yapkys). — ἄξιος .. . τ. τροφῆς: a maxim universally recognised. A labourer of the type described is not only worthy but sure of his meat; need have no con- cern about that. This is one of the few sayings of our Lord referred to by St. Paul (x Cor. ix. 14), whose conduct as an apostle well illustrates the spirit of the instructions to the Twelve.
Vv. 11-15. ἐξετάσατε (ἐκ ἑτάζω, from ἐτεός, true; to inquire as to the truth of a matter). A host to be carefully sought out ineach place: not to stay with the first who offers.—aétos points to personal moral worth, the deciding consideration to be goodness, not wealth (worth so
Aramaic original