γεµισθῇ ὁ οἶκός µου."
24. λέγω γὰρ ὑμῖν, ὅτι οὐδεὶς τῶν ἀνδρῶν
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the second from Josephus. The third, if not a Latinism (Meyer and J. Weiss say no, Schanz and Hahn yes), is at least exactly = excusatum me habeto.— —Ver. 19. ἕτερος, another ; his excuse is also highly respectable, though nothing more than a decent excuse; the pre- occupation very real, though the apology lame. Five yoke of oxen a very important purchase in the owner’s eyes.—Ver. 20. γυναῖκα ἔγημα: most presentable excuse of all, therefore offered sans phrase ; preoccupation this time intense, and surely pardonable? In the natural sphere these are likely forms of: pre- occupation, but not necessarily either the only, or even the chief in the spiritual sphere, or those which kept the lawyers and Pharisees from accepting the teach- ing of Jesus. Their prepossessions were religious and theological.
Not only these three but all decline to come. In the natural sphere this is highly improbable and unexampled. Jesus, from no fault on His part as a parable artist, had to make improbable suppositions to exemplify the fact in the spiritual sphere, which in this instance was that the bulk of the Jewish people were indifferent to the Kingdom as He presented it. On the other hand, in the parables spoken in justification of His own conduct, the case put has the highest measure of probability. Vide, e.g., those in next chapter.
Vv. 21-24. The sequel.—Ver.21. The
servant has done his duty and returns to make his strange τεροΓί.---ὀργισθεὶς, enraged ; no Ψοπάςτ.---ἔξελθε ταχέως, go out quickly ; no time to be lost, as all things are ready; but the thing chiefly to be noted is how the word answers to the master’s mood ---πλατείας καὶ
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ῥύμας, broad streets and narrow lanes (Mt. vi. 2, qg.v.); all sorts of people to be met with there and many of them: in- vitation to be broadcast, no one to be shunned however poor or unsightly ; the poor, maimed, blind, and halt rather to be preferred, therefore expressly named —such is the master’s mood in his disgust at the behaviour of the well-to-do, propertied, happy classes—a violent but natural reaction.—Ver. 22. ἔτι τόπος ἐστί, yet there is room, places for more ; many more, else the servant would hardly think it worth while to mention the fact, though he quite understands that the master wants the banqueting hall filled, were it only to show that he can do without those saucy recusants. Room after such a widespread miscellaneous invitation speaks to a feast on a grand scale, worthy emblem of the magnificence of Divine grace.—Ver. 23. ὁδοὺς καὶ paypors, “highways and hedges ” ; the main roads and the footpaths running between the fields, alongside of the hedges (Hahn); these, in the country, answering to the streets and lanes in the town. ‘The people to be found there are not necessarily lower down socially than those called within the city, perhaps not so low, but they are without, represent- ing in the interpretation the Gentiles.— ἀνάγκασον, compel; reflects in the first place the urgent desire of the master to have an absolutely full house, in the second the feeling that pressure will be needed to overcome the incredulity of country people as to the invitation to them being meant seriously. They would be apt to laugh in the servant’s face.—iva γεµισθῃ: the house must be full, no excuse to be taken; but for a curious reason.—Ver. 24. ὅτι οὐδεὶς, etc.: to keep out the
20—28.