17—29.
275
23. Ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ πρησῆλθον αὐτῷ Σαδδουκαῖοι, ot! λέγοντες
μὴ εἶναι ἀνάστασιν, καὶ ἐπηρώτησαν αὐτόν, 24. λέγοντες, “'Διδά-
σκαλε, Μωσῆς εἶπεν, ‘Edy τις ἀποθάνῃ μὴ ἔχων τέκνα, * ἐπιγαμ- ε here only in N. T.
ς ~ a “a in N. βρεύσει ὁ ἀδελφὸς αὐτοῦ τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἀναστήσει σπέρµα (Gen.
τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ. t
25. Ἠσαν δὲ παρ ἡμῖν ἑπτὰ ἀδελφοί: καὶ 6
ε XXXiV. 9; XYXViii. 8).
πρῶτος γαµήσας 3 ἐτελεύτησε" καὶ μὴ ἔχων σπέρµα, ἀφῆκε τὴν u Mk xii. 24,
γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ.
26. ὁμοίως καὶ ὁ δεύτερος, καὶ ὁ
27. 10οΓ. νι. 9; XV. Gal.
τρίτος, ἕως τῶν ἑπτά. 27. ὕστερον δὲ πάντων ἀπέθανε καὶ ὃ ἡ γυνή. viz. Heb.
a Aa v.2. 28. ἐν τῇ οὖν ἀναστάσει,' τίνος τῶν ἑπτὰ ἔσται γυνή; πάντες γὰρ jamesi.
ἔσχον αὐτήν.
1 SQBDZ omit οι (Tisch., W.H.). word. Vide below.
20. ᾽Αποκριθεὶς δὲ ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς εἶπεν αὐτοῖς, “" Ma-
16 (all in- | trans.),
It might fall out by similar ending of previous
2 ynpas in BLE, several cursives. γαμησας has probably been substituted as the more usual word: it is the reading of D, etc. * και omitted in S9BLA, found in D; may have come in from Mk.
4 ovy after αναστασει in BDL.
them as distinct Jesus said in effect: The kingdom of God is not of this world, it is possible to be a true citizen of the kingdom and yet quietly submit to the civil rule of a foreign potentate. This is the permanent didactic significance of the shrewd reply, safe and true (tutum et verum, Bengel), by which Jesus outwitted His crafty foes.—Ver. 22. ἐθαύμασαν, wondered ; the reply a genuine surprise, they had not thought it possible that He could slip out of their hands so com- pletely and so easily.
Vv. 23-33. The Sadducaic pussle (Mk. xii. 18-27, Lk. xx. 27-38).—Ver. 23. προσἢλθον, approached, but with different intent, aiming at amusement rather than deadly mischief. Jesus was of no party, and the butt of all the parties.—eyovres, with oi, introduces the creed of the Sadducees ; without it, what they said to Jesus. They came and said: We do not believe in the resurrection, and we will prove to you its absurdity. This is probably Mt.’s meaning. He would not think it necessary to explain the tenets of the Sadducees to Jewish readers. —Ver. 24. Μωσῆς εἶπεν, what is put into the mouth of all is a free combination of Deut. xxv. 5, 6, with Gen. xxxviii. 8. In the latter text the Sept. has ἐπιγαμ-
βρεύσαι for the Heb. 0 = to perform
the part of a Jevir (Latin for brother-in- law) by marrying a deceased brother’s widow having no children, An ancient custom not confined to Israel, but
practised by Arabians and other peoples (vide Ewald, Alterthiimer, p. 278; Benzinger, H. A., p. 345).—Ver. 25. παρ᾽ ἡμῖν: this phrase ‘with us,” in Matthew only, seems to turn an ima- ginary case into a fact (Holtz., H. C.). A fact it could hardly be. As Chrys. humorously remarks, after the second the brothers would shun the woman as a thing of evil omen (οἰωνίσαντο ἂν τὴν γνναῖκα, H.1xx.).—Ver. 26. ἕως τῶν ἑπτά till the seven, {.ε., till the number was exhausted by death. ‘“ Usque eo dum illi septem extincti essent”’ (Fritzsche).— Ver. 28. οὖν, introducing the puzzling question based on the case stated.—yuvy either subject = whose will the woman be ? or better, the article being wanting, pre- dicate = whose wife will she be? Cf. Luke, where γυνή is used twice. —advres γὰρ ἐ. α., all had her, and therefore (such is the implied thought) all had equal rights. Very clever puzzle, but not insuperably difficult even for Taimudists cherishing materialistic ideas of the resurrection life, who gave the first husband the prior claim (Schéttgen). Vv. 29-33. Christ’s answer.—One at first wonders that He deigned to answer such triflers; but He was willing meekly to instruct even the perverse, and He never forgot that there might be receptive earnest people within hearing. The Sadducees drew from Him one of His great words.—Ver. 20. πλανᾶσθε, ye err, passionless unprovocative statement, as if speaking indulgently to ignorant men.—