The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 1 — Section 81

Acts xviii. 25 ; xix. S), e.nd for the Impor- "des lieux pet1 hnbib!'s ou non cuUiv~s 11 tant position that he holds in summe.ries (Neubauer,' G1fogr. du Te.Im.,' p. 52: 1868). of the origins of Ohristianity. John's The very place in which John preached be.plism we.a trented by our Lord himself 11s wns pnrt of the symbolism of his whole life. the first stage in his earthly ministry, The expeote.tion of Messiah must load to which culminated in the gift of the Holy separation, but sepnration deeper thnn that Spirit (Acts i. 5), e.nd naturnlly by the of those who co.lied themse~s the "sep:i.- e.postles o.s the historioal introduction to the ro.ted" (Pharisees). Of J'udma. 'l'he exact ex- teaching and work of MeBSiah. Josephus's pression comes elsewhere only in the title e.ccount of John the Baptist is well l..--i1own, of Ps. lxiii. 11nd in Judg. i. 16, ,vbere it is but too interesting to be omitted. "Now, defined as" in the south of Are.d." It seems Eorne of the Jews thought that the destruc- tho.t, while different parts of the rugged tion of Herod's e.rmy [by Aret.as] came from district from Jericho southwards (Josh. xvi. Gou, and tbat very justly, e.s e. pnnishment 1), immediately on the west and north of of what he <lid against John that we.s the Doe.d See., had their distinctive titles- co.lied the Baptist. For Herod he.d he.d the wilderneas of Siph (1 Sam. xxiii. 14, him pnt to death, though he we.s e. good 15), of Mo.on (1 Sam. xxiii. 24), of Engedi man, and commo.nded the Jews to exercise (1 Se.m. xxiv. 1), of Jeruel (2 Chron. xx. virtue both as to righteonsness towards one 16), of Tekoa (2 Chron. xx. 20)-the whole another and piety towards God, and so to district was, as belonging to the tribe and come to baptism; for baptism would be accept- even more certainly to the kingdom and able to God, if they made use of it, not in province of Judo.h, known by the no.me of order to expiate some sins, bnt for the purifica- "the wilderness of Jndma." According to tion of the body, provided that the soul was tradition, John was now preaching near thoroughly purified beforehand by righteous- Jericho. We find him soon e.fter this at ness. Now, as many flocked to him, for Bethany beyond Jordnn (John i. 28), e.ncl they were gree.Uy moved by hearing his later still at lEnon, near Salim, in, or on words, Herod, fee.ring that the great the borders of, Samaria (John iii. 23). influence John had over the people might Ver. 2.-And (omitted by the Revised lead to some rebellion (for the people seemed Version) saying. 'l'he pe.re.Ilel passages ready to do anything he should advise), give the substance of John's preaching-the thought it fe.r best, by putting him to death, baptism of repentance. St. :Matthew to.Ires, to prevent any mischief he might cause, o.s it seems, o. sentence that actually fell and not bring himself into difficulties by from his lips, and presents it as the kernel sparing a me.n who might make him repent of his message (" preaching . . . saying"). of his leniency when it should be too late. This is the more interesting e.s nowhere Accordingly, he WIil! sent e. prisoner, in else e.re we told any wortls uttered by him consequence of Herod's suspicious temper, in this the first stage of his 1ninistry before to MachBlrw, the ce.stle I before mentioned, crowds flocked to hear him. Repent ye . . . and was there put to dee.th. So the Jews at hand ; said word for word by our Lord (eh. had an opinion that the destruction of this iv. 17, note). Repent ye (µ.ETavoein). The army was sent o.s a punishment npon Herod, word'exprcsses the centre.I thought of true re- and we.e a mark of God's displeasure pente.nce, in speaking, o.e it does, of a change against him" ('Ant,' xvili. 5. 2, Shilleto's of mind. Contrastµ.,-raµ.lll.euea, (oh. xxvii. 3; Whiston). Observethe.t(l)Josephusoonfirme 2 Cor. vii. 8-10). As such it goes deeper the Gospel account of the extent of John's than the Old Testament summons" Turn ye" influence over his countrymen ; but (2) (1::11£'), or the ro.bbinio n:ni,n, for it points attributes his imprisonment and dee.th to out in what part of man the alteration a political, not a moral, co.use. It is quite must be. (On voiis meaning more the.n the possible, on the one he.nd, the.t political mere thinking power, e.nd including also reasons were not altogether wanting; and, the willing faoulty, of. especially Delitzsch, on the other, that Josephus was ignorant of • Psych.,' p. 211, etc., Eng. trans., 1875.) It is the more persona.I and stronger motive of noticeable that the LXX. never, o.s it seems, Herod's action. Preaching (K'TJpif,nruw). Un- tranBle.te ::llE' by µ..-ravoiv, but often cni ( of like ,~ayy,ll.i(oµ.w this word refers, not to the man only in J er. viii. 6 ; xxxi. , I 9 ; o.nd matter, but to the manner, the openness, of posl'ibl!J Joel ii. 14; cf. 1 So.m. xv. 29), the proclamation. In contrast to the esoteric which refers to repentance as a matter of methods a.like of heathen philosophers and feeling. As :Messiah wns coming, it was of Jewish teachers, whether Pharisees, only natural that John shonl<l urge repent- Sadducees, or Essenes. The herald pro- ance. Similarly, we find late Jewish writors claims as a herald; cf. Isa. xl. 9 (the expounding Gen. i, 2, "• And the Spirit of original context of our ver. 8); Gen. xli. God was moving (on the face of the waters].' 43 (LXX. ). In the wilderness. Dy this term This is the Spirit of King Messiah, like that i.s Dot necessaril7 meant a.bsobJte deaeri, but which i8 said in lea. xi, 2, • And the Bpiri, err. m. 1-17.] THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW. 69