5-13:
605
11. ᾽ΑΚΟΥΟΝΤΩΝ δὲ αὐτῶν ταῦτα, προσθεὶς εἶπε παραβολήν,
διὰ τὸ ἐγγὺς αὐτὸν εἶναι Ἱερουσαλήμ,1
καὶ δοκεῖν αὐτοὺς ὅτι παρα- ἀ Acts xxi. e Acts xvii.
χρῆμα μέλλει ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ Θεοῦ 4 ἀναφαίνεσθαι: 12. εἶπεν οὖν, 11. 1 Cor.
““AvOpwmds τις ᾿ εὐγενὴς ἐπορεύθη eis χώραν µακράν, λαβεῖν ἑαυτῷ ο. 13. καλέσας δὲ δέκα δούλους ἑαυτοῦ,
βασιλείαν, καὶ ὑποστρέψαι.
ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς δέκα ΄ μνᾶς, καὶ εἶπε πρὸς αὐτούς, Πραγματεύσασθε
1 εγγυς ειναι |. αντον in NBL 157.
to the social degradation and isolation of the publicans. They were social lepers. With reference to the conduct of Jesus in this case Euthy. Zig. remarks: “Τε is necessary to despise the little scandal when a great salvation comes to any one and not to lose the great on account ofthe little” (χρῆ γὰρ τοῦ μικροῦ σκανδάλου καταφρονεῖν, ἔνθα µεγάλη σωτηρία τινὶ προσγίνεται, καὶ μὴ διὰ τὸ μικρὸν ἀπόλλειν (sic) τὸ µέγα). The significance of Christ choosing a publican for His host in a town where many priests dwelt has beenremarkedon. Art. ‘ Publican ” in Smith’s Dictionary of the Bible.
Vv. 11-27. Parable of the pounds, or of the nobleman who goes to find a kingdom (cf. Mt. xxv. 14-30). Into the vexed question of the connection between this parable and that of the talents in Mt. I cannot here go. That there is a resem- blance between them is obvious, and the hypothesis that the one has grown out of the other in the course of tradition can- not be treated as a mere impertinence. Yet that they are two distinct parables in their main features, both spoken by Jesus, is not improbable. They serve different purposes, and their respective details suit their respective purposes, and the kindred features may only show that Jesus did not solicitously avoid repeating Himself. The parable before us suits the situation as described by Luke, in so far as it cor- rects mistaken expectations with regard to the advent of the Kingdom. It is a prophetic sketch in parabolic form of the real future before them, the fortunes of the King and the various attitudes of men towards him. It is more allied to allegory than most of the parables, and on this ground, according to J. Weiss (in Meyer), it cannot have proceeded from Jesus. One fails to see why Jesus might not occasionally use allegory as a vehicle of truth as well as other teachers.
Ver. αι. The introduction.—raira naturally suggests the words spoken to Zacchaeus by Jesus about salvation, as what was Πεατά.-- προσθεὶς εἶπε imitates
(seven
times)
only in N.T.
the Hebrew construction = He added and said, cf. Gen. xxxviii. 5, προσθεῖσα ἔτεκεν.--ἐγγὺς: about fifteen miles off.— παραχρῆμα: a natural expectation for friends of Jesus to entertain, and for all, friends and foes, to impute to Him, and a good occasion for uttering a parable to correct false impressions; comparable in this respect with the parable of the Sup- per in Lk. xiv.—saying in effect, “' not so soon as you think, nor will all be as well affected to the king and his kingdom as you may suppose”.
Vv. 12-27. The parable.—evyevis, well- born, noble; of such rank and social position that he might legitimately aspire toakingdom. The Herod family might quite well be in view. Herod the Great and his son Archelaus had actually gone from Fericho on this errand, and Arche- laus had had the experience described in νετ. 14. Since the time of Clericus and Wolf, who first suggested it, the idea that the Herod family was in Christ’s mind has been very generally accepted. Schanz thinks Jesus would not have selected so bad a man as Archelaus to represent Him. Yet He selected a selfish neighbour and an unjust judge to represent God as He appears, and an unjust steward to teach prudence !——ets χώραν paxpav: implying lapse of time; Rome, in the case of Arche- laus.—troorpéat: the desired kingdom is in the land of his birth; Palestine in case of Archelaus.—Ver. 13. δέκα ὃ., ten, a considerable number, pointing to an extensive household establishment. ---δέκα μνᾶς, ten pounds, not to each but among them (ver. 16). A Greek pound = about £3 or £4; a Hebrew = nearly double ; in either case a small sum com- pared with the amounts in Mt.xxv. The purpose in the two parables is entirely different. In the Talents the master di- vides his whole means among his servants to be traded with, as the best way οἱ disposing of them during his absence. In the Pounds he simply gives a moderate sum, the same to all, with a view to test fidelity and capacity, as he desires te-