1ο---17.
353
veto ἐν τῷ 1 κατακεῖσθαι αὐτὸν ἐν τῇ οἶκίᾳ αὐτοῦ, καὶ πολλοὶ τελῶναι a « ‘ a 32 ~ | -~ A a καὶ ἁμαρτωλοὶ συνανέκειντο τῷ ᾿Ιησοῦ καὶ τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ»
Ά- 5) ’ 43 ΄ 9 [ο ἦσαν γὰρ πολλοί, καὶ ἠκολούθησαν 3 αὐτῷ.
16. καὶ οἱ γραμματεῖς
καὶ ot Φαρισαῖοι," ἰδόντες αὐτὸν ἐσθίοντα μετὰ τῶν τελωνῶν καὶ ἁμαρτωλῶν,;ὸ ἔλεγον τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ, “΄Τίδ ὅτι μετὰ τῶν τελωνῶν
καὶ ἁμαρτωλῶν ἐσθίει καὶ πίνει; Ἱ
17. Καὶ ἀκούσας 6 ᾿Ιησοῦς
λέγει αὐτοῖς, “OU χρείαν ἔχουσιν οἱ ἰσχύοντες ἰατροῦ, ἀλλ᾽ of κακῶς
έχοντες.
νοιαν. 8
οὐκ ἦλθον καλέσαι δικαίους, ἀλλὰ ἁμαρτωλοὺς eis µετά-
1 Instead of εγενετο ev τω ΔΝ ΒΙ, 33 have simply γινεται (Tisch., W.H.). 3 ηκολουθουν in SBLA (modern editors). 3 For και οι Φ. BLA have των Φαρισαιων, which doubtless the ancient scribes
stumbled at as unusual.
‘For avrov εσθιοντα B 33 have οτι εσθιει (W.H., R.G.T.), SDL οτι ησθιε
(Tisch.). The Τ.Ε. follows ACAZ.
> αµαρτωλων και τελωνων in BDL 33, to be preferred just because unusual.
6 Omit te BL 33 (W.H.).
7S8BD omit και πινει, which the scribes would be ready to insert. 8 SABDLASX al. verss. omit εις µετανοιαν, which has been imported from Lk.
pains to prevent us from overlooking the πολλοὶ of the previous clause = for they, the publicans, and generally the people who passed for sinners, were many, and they had begun to follow Him. Some (Schanz, Weiss, etc.) think the reference is to the disciples (μαθηταῖς), mentioned here for first time, therefore a statement that they were numerous (more, ¢.g., than four), quite apposite. But the stress of the story lies on the publicans, and Christ’s relations with them. (So Holtz., H.C.) It was an interesting fact to the evangelist that this class, of whom there was a large number in the neighbourhood, were beginning to show an interest in Jesus, and to follow Him about. To explain the number Elsner suggests that they may have gathered from various port towns along the shore. Jesus would not meet such people in the synagogue, as they seem to have been excluded from it (vide Lightfoot and Winsche, ad Mt. xviii. 17). Hence the necessity for a special mission.— Ver. 16. ἔλεγον: the scribes advance from thinking (ii. 6) to speaking ; not yet, how- ever, to Jesus but about Him to His disciples. They note, with disapproval, His kindly relations with ‘“ sinners ’”’. The publicans and other disreputables had also noted the fact. The story of the palsied man and the “‘ blasphemous ” word, ‘“‘thy sins be forgiven thee,” had
got abroad, making them prick up their ears, and awakening decided interest in these tabooed circles, in the ‘ Blas- phemer ’’.—Ver. 17. καλέσαι: to call, suggestive of invitations to a feast (Fritzsche, Meyer, Holtz.), and making for the hypothesis that Jesus, not Matthew, was the real host at the social gathering: the whole plan His, and Matthew only His agent ; vide notes on Mt. He called to that particular feast as to the feast of the kingdom, the one a means to the other as the end.—8.xafovs, ἁμαρτωλούς: Jesus preferred the com- pany of the sinful to that of the righteous, and sought disciples from among them by preference. The terms are not ironical. They simply describe two classes of society in current language, and indicate with which of the two His sympathies lay.
Vv. 18-22. Fasting (Mt. ix. 14-17, Lk. v. 33-39).—Ver. 18. καὶ, and, con- nection purely topical, another case of οοπβ]οῖ.--ἦσαν νηστεύοντες, either : were wont to fast (Grotius, Fritzsche, Schanz, etc.), or, and this gives more point to the story: were fasting at that particular time (Meyer, Weiss, Holtz., H. C.).—€pyovrat καὶ λέγ., they come and say, quite generally ; they = people, or some representatives of John’s dis- ciples, and the Pharisees.—Ver. το. μὴ δύνανται, etc.: the question answers
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