Ver. I. ἐν παραβολαῖς, the plural does not imply more than one parable, but merely indicates the style of address = parabolically.—Ver. 2. ydpous, a wedding feast; plural, because the festivities lasted for days, seven in Judges xiv. 17. The suggestion that the feast is connected with the handing over of the kingdom to the son (‘‘ quem pater successorem declarare volebat,’’ Kuinoel) is not to be despised. The marriage
270
a here sev- eraltimes; XXV. I0. Lk. xii. 36;
XXII. 1. ΚΑΙ ἀποκριθεὶς ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς πάλιν εἶπεν αὐτοῖς ἐν παρα- Bodais,! λέγων, 2. “" Ὡμοιώθη ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν ἀνθρώπω
xiv. 8 Gin βασιλεῖ, ὅστις ἐποίησε "γάμους τῷ vid αὐτοῦ» 3. καὶ ἀπέστειλε
all plural).
b vide Ch. ix; 1. I ; a Cor. x.27. οὐκ ἤθελον ἐλθεῖν.
c Lk. xi. 38; xiv. 12.
ἆ Acts xiv. Fy 13. ix.13;X.4.
ε here only yapous.
Εἴπατε τοῖς κεκληµένοις, Ιδού, τὸ * ἄριστόν µου ἠτοίμασα, οἱ
τοὺς δούλους αὐτοῦ " καλέσαι τοὺς KexAnpévous εἰς τοὺς γάμους, καὶ
4. Πάλιν ἀπέστειλεν ἄλλους δούλους, λέγων,
d A , ταῦροί
Heb. µου καὶ τὰ ᾿σιτιστὰ τεθυµένα, καὶ πάντα ἔτοιμα Seite εἰς τοὺς 5. Ot δὲ ἀμελήσαντες ἀπῆλθον, ὁ μὲν ὃ εἰς τὸν ἴδιον
in Ν. . a (Joseph, ἀγρόν, 6 δὲ δ εἰς * τὴν ἐμπορίαν αὐτοῦ: 6. οἱ δὲ λοιποὶ κρατήσαντες
Ant., Viii. i 2,4. Cf. ovrevros in Lk. xv. 23, 27, 30).
1 αντοις after παραβολαις in BDL (modern editors). 2 ητοιµακα in ΝΒΟΡΙ,Σ and adopted by modern editors, 3 og pev, ος Se in BCL, several cursives.
4 em in $BCD, 13, 33, 69, etc.
and recognition of the son as heir to the throne might be combined, which would give to the occasion a political signifi- cance, and make appearance at the marriage a test of loyalty. Eastern monarchs had often many sons by different wives, and heirship to the throne did not go by primogeniture, but by the pleasure of the sovereign, deter- mined in many cases by affection for a favourite wife, as in the case of Solomon (Koetsveld, de Gelijk.)—Ver.3. καλέσαι τοὺς κεκληµένους, to invite the already invited. This second invitation seems to accord with Eastern custom (Esther vi. 14). The first invitation was given to the people of Israel by the prophets in the Messianic pictures of a good time coming. This aspect of the prophetic ministry was welcomed. Israel never responded to the prophetic demand for righteousness, as shown in the parable of the vine-dressers, but they were pleased to hear of God’s gracious visitation in the latter days, to be invited to a feast in the indefinite future time. How they would act when the feast was due remained to be seen.—rovs δούλους, the servants, are John the Baptist and Jesus Himself, whose joint message to their generation was: the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand, feast time at length arrived.—ovx ἤθελον ἐλθεῖν. Israel in all her generations had been willing in a general way, quite in- tending to come; and the generation of John and Jesus were also willing in a general way, if it had only been the right son who was going to be married. How could they be expected to accept the obscure Nazarene for Bridegroom
a ΄ αριστόν
and Ἠεῖτ ?—Ver. 4. ἄλλους δούλους refers to the apostles whose ministry gave to the same generation a second chance.—etware: the second set of messengers are instructed what to say ; they are expected not merely to invite to but to commend the feast, to provoke desire.—t8ov, to arrest attention.— pov, the midday meal, as distinct from δεῖπνον, which came later in the day (vide Lk. xiv. 12, where both are named = early dinner and supper). With the ἄριστον the festivities begin.— ἠτοίμακα, perfect, I have in readiness.— ταῦροι, σιτιστὰ, bulls, or oxen, and fed beasts: speak to a feast on a vast scale. ---τεθυμένα, slain, and therefore must be eaten without delay. The word is often used in connection with the slaying of sacrificial victims, and the idea of sacrifice may be in view here (Koetsveld). —wayvra, etc.: all things ready, come to the feast. This message put into the mouths of the second set of servants happily describes the ministry of the apostles compared with that of our Lord, as more urgent or aggressive, and pro- claiming a more developed gospel. “They talked as it were of oxen and fed beasts and the other accompaniments of a feast, with an eloquence less dignified, but more fitted to impress the million with a sense of the riches of Divine grace” (The Parabolic Teaching of Christ).