The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 1 — Section 84

ecioue ee.notity, were hardly likely to come to Not merely punishment. The thought ia of ooufeee their sine, or the Be.dduceee to even the feeling of e.nger against sin in him listen to so e.ecetio a teacher. He ■ a.id unto who punishes it (cf. eh. xviii. 34; xxii. 7 ; them; i.e. to the Pharisees and Be.dducees ; Mark iii. 5), Luke, Ieee exo.ctly, "to the multitudes that Ver. 8.-Bring forth therefore ( mde aupra) went out to be be.ptized of him." There ie, fruits ;fruit (Revised Version). The plural indeed, nothing, eo.ve the opening sentence, is due to e. false reading taken from the which refers solely to the Pho.risees e.nd po.re.llel paese.ge of Luke-it regards the Sadducees; but this fact does not show various graces of a good life as so many (Bleek) the.t the words were reo.lly spoken different frnits ( eh. xxi. 43); the eingnlar, as to all, e.ud that Me.tthew'e expression is one prodnct from one source (Gal. v. 22). wrong. John doubtless e.ddreeeed the The term used here (,rou,v 1azp1rov), and fre- Pharisees e.nd Se.dduceea prime.rily; but a.a, quently, lays more stress on the effort involved after all, they only formed the apex of than 6,6&va, 1<a,,,,..&v, simple "yielding" ( eh. ordinary Jewish thought, whe.t he said to xiii. 8), or </)lpew, "bee.ring" in the course of them fitted also the me.jority of his listeners. nature (eh. vii. 18; Mark iv. 8; John xv. 0 genere.tion (ye offspring, Revised Version) 4, 5, 8, 16). The pree.cher requires e. re- of vipers! The simile not only expresses pentance which produces results. Meet for the thought the.t, behind their smooth ex- ( cf. Acts xxvi. 20). Though strictly mean- terior, the outward legal strictness of the ing" suitable to" (" answering to," Autho- Pho.riseee, and the worldly decorum of the rized Version margin; cf. Tyndale, "be- Sadducees, lay hidden malice and venom, longyng to"), the phrase might to-day be but also the.t this is due to their very nature, understood as "suitable to produce." John It may have directly implied the.t they really means that true repentance has fruit belonged in a true sense to the seed of the which belongs to its proper nature, e.nd serpent (Gen. iii. 15); cf. our Lord's words which is alone "worthy of" it (Revised (eh. xii. 34; '.xxiii. 33). Who bath (omitted Version). Repentance (T,is µnavolas). The by the Revised Version) warned you 1 The article is either generio (Authorized Version ve1·b (i'nre6.,{,v) has elsewhere in the New and Revised Version ; cf. Acts xi. IS and Testament (St. Luke's writings only) no probably xxvi. 20); or eq ui valeut to "your" thought of warning, nor of secrecy, but of (Revised Version margin). If the latter, the teaching, of placing the mo.tter under the following sentence shows that it is still saitl. eyes of others ( cf. especially Acts ix. 16 ; in good faith. (For repentance, cf. ver. 1, xx. 35 ; Luke vi. 47). John is making no note.) inquiry for information, but only utters Ver. 9.-And. An o.dditione.1 we.ming surprise e.t seeing them (cf. oh. xxiii. 33, against any false feeling of security based ,rrJs </JV'Y'JTE). Whoever can have told you on natural privileges. As this feeling was of your danger? He might have saved common to all Jews, the reference to the himself the trouble, you being what you ere I le.rger e.udience (ver. 7, note) was probably Yet the very violence of hie expression wo.s begun here. Think not to say. Not do not such as to call their attention to the depth think, consider, with o. view to saying; but of their sinfulness, and after all to lead them do not think it right to eo.y, do not be of perho.ps to repentance. For this reason he opinion yon may say (Luke iii. 8, "Begin adds, "Bring forth therefore." To fl.ee; not to say"). St. Luke deprecates the aorist, not exactly indicating" the activity commencement of such an utterance in their o.s momentary, setting forth the point of heart; St. Matthew denies its justice. Within time when the wrath breaks forth, iu which yourselves; cf. Esth. iv. 13 (Hebrew). We the flight also is realized" (Meyer), but the have Abraham to our father. As it wo.s flight as one single action, without any recognized on all hands that the promise reference to the time of the breaking fortl1 of blessing was made to Abraham and his of the wrath. From. The wrath is pic- seed, it is no wonder that many Jews pre- tured as comiug on them from without. In sumed upon their descent from him, "sup- 1 Thess. i. 10 St. Paul says thnt Jesus posing,", as Justin Martyr ee.ys (' Trypho,' delivers out of (11<) it, implying tho.t he § ex!.), "that the everlasting kingdom will himself o.nd all men are naturally in and e.seuredly be given to those who Rre of the under it (but see eh. vi. 13, note). The seed of Abraham e.coording to the flesh, wrr,th to oome. Perhaps connected in nlthough they he sinners o.nd unbelieving John's mind with the wroth of the Messianio and disobedient towards God." In later nge (Isa. !xiii. 3-6). If so, it would find times, when the doctrine of merit was moro its primo.ry fulfilment in the destruction of fully established, God could be representetl. Jeruee.lem, but its complete fulfilment only as saying to Abro.hRm, "If thy children in the manifestation of the wrath at the were like dead bodies withont sinews or last judgment (Aote xxiv. 25; of. Rom. bones, thy merit would avail for them" ii. 5; v. I:); Rev, vi, 16, 17; xi. 18). Wrath. (' Ber, Rabb.,' on Gen, xv. 11. § 44, 72 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MA'l"l'HEW. [cu. m. 1-17.