‘8—16,
Ἀβλέπουσι τὸ Ἐ πρόσωπον τοῦ πατρός µου τοῦ ἐν οὐρανοῖς.ὶ p pés µ ρ ἦλθε γὰρ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου σῶσαι τὸ ἀπολωλός.»
239
ΤΙ. kthis phrase A oe we nexcionly, 12. Τί ὑμῖν
ι ~ 33 a ld 3 tA ς 9 , 9 aad δοκεῖ; ἐὰν γένηταί τινι ἀνθρώπῳ ἑκατὸν πρόβατα, καὶ πλανηθῇ ay, | es xx, 16.
ἐξ αὐτῶν : οὐχὶ ἀφεὶς τὰ ἐννενηκονταεννέα, ἐπὶ τὰ Spy * πορευθεὶς {ητεῖ τὸ πλανώμενον; 13. καὶ ἐὰν | γένηται εὑρεῖν αὐτό, ἀμὴν λέγω ὁμῖν, ὅτι χαίρει éw αὐτῷ μᾶλλον, ἢ ἐπὶ τοῖς ἐννενηκονταεννέα τοῖς
μὴ πεπλανημένοις.
πατρὸς ὑμῶν ὃ τοῦ ἐν οὐρανοῖς, ἵνα ἀπόληται els © τῶν μικρῶν τούτων. 15. Ἐὰν δὲ ἁμαρτήσῃ εἰς σὲ ὁ ἀδελφός σου, ὕπαγε καὶ ὃ " ἐλεγξον
al. vi. 14 (same const. with inf. as here, cf. in ver.
> ” ne 12). 14. οὕτως οὐκ ἔστι θέληµα "' ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ m Ch. xi 26
n Lk. iii. το, 1 Tim. v.
re a A ‘ 3 a 27 9 , ο 5 20. αὐτὸν μεταξὺ σοῦ καὶ αὐτοῦ µόνου. ἐάν σου ἀκούσῃ, ° ἐκέρδησας ο 1 Cor. ix
2 A 19-22. τὸν ἀδελφόν σου” 16. ἐὰν δὲ μὴ ἀκούσῃ, παράλαβε μετὰ σοῦ ἔτι ἕνα Pet. iii.
I I,
1 B has εν tw ovpavw (W.H. margin, bracketed). 2 Ver. 11 is wanting in NBL, 1, 13, 33, Egyptian verss., Syrr. Jerus. Sin., Orig.,
etc.; doubtless imported from Lk. xix. 1o.
3 αφησει in BL (Tisch., W.H.); D has αφιησιν. δεν in NBDL. 8 SSBD omit και.
5 pov in B al. 7 SB omit εις σε.
the little, is true”. This is an important text for Christ’s doctrine of the Father- hood. It teaches that, contrary to the spirit of the world, which values only the great, the Father-God cares specially for that which is apt to be despised.— βλέπουσι τ. πρ. In Eastern courts it is the confidential servants who see the face ofthe king. The figure is not to be pressed to the extent of making God like an Eastern despot.—Ver. 11 an inter- polation from Lk. xix. 1ο, 4. v.
Vv. 12-14. Parable of straying sheep (Lk. xv. 4-7) ; may seem less appropriate here than in Lk., but has even here a good setting, amounting to a climax = God cares not only for the lowly and little but even for the low—the morally erring. In both places the parable teaches the precious characteristically Christian doctrine of the worth of the individual at the worst to God.—Ver. 12. τί ὑ. δοκεῖ as in xvii. 25.—éav γένηταί τ. a. ἐ, πρόβατα: if a man happen to have as large a number, yet, etc.—kal π. év: only one wanderer, out of so many.— -wopevOeis ζητεῖ: does he not go and seek the one ?—Ver. 13. kat. . . αὐτό: if it happen that he finds it. In Lk. he searches till he finds it. —aphv λέγω: specially solemn, with a view to the application to the moral sphere of what in the natural sphere is self-evident.— Ver. 14, application of the parable less emphatic than in Lk.—6éAnpa, a will, for an object of will.—éumpoo@ev τ. π. .: before the face of = for, etc.
* και after ορη in BL. εις is a grammatical correction.
Vv. 15-17. How to deal with an erring brother.—The transition here is easy from warning against giving, to counsel how to receive, offences. The terms are changed: μικρὸς becomes ἀδελφός, giving offence not suiting the idea of the former, and for σκανδαλίζειν we have the more general ἁμαρτάνειν. —Vv. 16 and 17 have something answering to them in Lk. xvii. 3, coming in there after the group of parables in chaps, xv. and xvi., in which that of the Shepherd has its place; whence Wendt recognises these verses as an authentic logion probably closely connected with the parable in the common source. Ver. 17 he regards as an addition by the evangelist or a later hand. Holtzmann (H. C.) regards the whole section (15-17) as a piece of Church order in the form of a logion of the Lord.