Vv. 24, 25 point to another source of consolation—companionship with the Master in tribulation. <A hard lot, but mine as well as yours; you would not expect to be better off than the Master
23—27.
165
δοῦλος ὑπὲρ τὸν κύριον αὐτοῦ. 25. " ἀρκετὸν τῷ µαθητῇ "ἵνα γένηται w tn Ch.
ὡς 6 διδάσκαλος αὐτοῦ, καὶ & Ώοῦλος ds 6
ὁ εἰ τὸν x ινα after αρκ.
4 > a KUPLOS GUTOU.
ον α 7 οἰκοδεσπότην 1 Βεελζεβοὺλ ἐκάλεσαν,; πόσῳ μᾶλλον τοὺς οἰκιακοὺς» Similar
αὐτοῦ; 26. Mh οὖν φοβηθῆτε αὐτούς: οὐδὲν γάρ ἐστι Kexadup- µένον, ὃ οὐκ ἀποκαλυφθήσεται: καὶ κρυπτόν, ὃ οὗ γνωσθήσεται.
phrases in Ch. v. 29, 30 ; XViii. 6. Lk. xvii. 2
a ~ ~ > Be 27. ὃ λέγω ὑμῖν ἐν τῇ " σκοτίᾳ, εἴπατε ἐν τῷ *uti- Kal ὃ “eis τὸ y Ch. <x. τ,
1B has οικοδεσποτη (dat.).
11. z Lk. xii. 3. a Lk.i. 44. Acts xi. 22.
W.H. put this reading in the margin.
3 ewexadeoay in Ν ΒΟΔΣ al., adopted by most editors. δὴ has the middle voice.
8 B has the dative here also.
and Lord.—Ver. 25. ἀρκετὸν, not as in vi. 34 a neuter adjective used as a noun, but a predicate qualifying the clause tva yev., etc., aS noun to verb ἐστι under- stood. ἵνα γένηται instead of the infini- tive; ὁ δοῦλος instead of τῷ SovAw de- pendent like τῷ µαθητῇ on ἀρκετὸν, by attraction of the nearer word γένηται (vide Winer, § 66,5).—oixoSeowérny (-τῃ, B.) points to a more intimate relation between Jesus and the Twelve, that of a head of a house to a family, implying greater honour for the latter, and suggest- ing an added motive for patient endur- ance of the common 1Ο0Ε.- οἰκοδεσπότης is a late form. [Earlier writers said οἰκίας δεσπότης, Lob., Phryn., p. 373. ---Ἠεελζεβοὺλ: an opprobrious epithet ; exact form of the word and meaning of the namie have given more trouble to commentators than it is all worth. Con- sult Meyer ad lec. Weiss (Meyer) re- marks that the name of the Prince of the demons is not yet sufficiently explained. A question of interest is: did the enemies of Jesus call Him Beelzebul (or Beelze- bub), or did they merely reproach Him with connection with Beelzebub? Weiss, taking ver. 25 b as an explanatory gloss of the evangelist, based on ix. 3, ΧΙΙ. 24, adopts the latter view; De Wette and Meyer the former. The reading of Co- dex B, οἰκοδεσπότῃ, favours the other alternative. The dative requires the verb ἐπεκάλεσαν to be taken in the sense of to cast up to one. Assuming that the evangelist reports words of Jesus instead of giving a comment of his own, they may quite well contain the informa- tion that, among the contemptuous epithets applied to Jesus by His enemies, was this name. It may have been a spiteful pun upon the name, master of the house.—wéa@ μᾶλλον implies that still worse names will be applied to the Twelve. Dicetis respondet eventus, remarks
\
Grotius, citing in proof the epithets γόητας, impostores, applied to the apos- tles and Christians by Celsus and Ulpian, and the words of Tacitus: convictos in odio humani generis, and the general use of ἄθεοι as a synonym for Christians.— οἰκιακοὺς (again in ver. 36), those belong- ing to a household or family (from οἰκία, whence also the more common οἰκεῖος bearing a similar meaning).
Vv. 26, 27. μὴ οὖν φοβηθῆτε: “fear not,” and again ‘fear not” in ver. 28, and yet again, 31, says Jesus, knowing well what temptation there would be to fear. οὖν connects with wv. 24, 25; fear not the inevitable for all connected with me, as you are, take it calmly. γάρ sup- plies a reason for fearlessness arising out of their vocation. It is involved in the apostolic calling that those who exercise it should attract public attention. There- fore, fear not what cannot be avoided if you would be of any use. Fear suits not an apostle any more than a soldier or a sailor, who both take coolly the risks of their calling.—exahvuppcvov, ἀποκαλυφ- θήσεται; κρυπτὸν, γνωσθήσεται: the two pairs of words embody a contrast be- tween Master and disciples as to relative publicity. As movements develop they come more under the public eye. Christ’s teaching and conduct were not wholly covered and hidden. There was enough publicity to ensure ample criti- cism and hostility. But, relatively, His ministry was obscure compared to that ofthe apostles in after years to which the address looks forward. Therefore, more not less, tribulation to be looked for. The futures ἀποκαλ. yvwo. with the relative virtually express intention; ¢f. Mk. iv. 22, where tva occurs; the hidden is hidden in order to be revealed. That is the law of the case to which apostles must recon- cile themselves.—Ver. 27. σκοτίᾳ, the darkness of the initial stage; the begin-