The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 1 — Section 85

middle). In John's words, on the oontra.ry, Revised Versiou, is the au laid ; bringing we have the germ of the doctrine a.fuirwards out more emphatlially its pre1ent position. brought ont by St. Pan! (e.g. Gal. iii 9, The American Revisers propose, " the axe 29), that not natural descent, but spiritual lieth at," nvoiding the suggestion of au relationship by faith, leads to inheriting agent; but 1<<<µ.a1 often implies one, being the promises. The argument in John viii. used of vessels set ready for use: e.g. John 39, etc., is closely akin to that presented ii. 6; xix. 29 (cf. Rev. iv. 2). Unto (,rpos); here. In both passages the Jews lay stress brought near to (Thayer, e.t,., i. 2, a). There- on their origin from Abraham ; in both the fore. The axe is lying there, therefore every answer is the.t morally they are sprung from useless tree is sure to be out down (of. Winer, a very different source (supra, ver. 7, note). xl. 2, a). Every tree, eto.; even the noblest But in John 'l"iii. the Jews are thinking (Weiss). However good the tree ought to be, chiefly of their present state, of not being ns from the character of its original stock (you sinful ns Jesus makes them out to be, while claim to be Abraham's children, ver. 9), here they are thinking more of the future, yet, if it does not bear good fruit, it is out that they have no need to take trouble, down (eh. vii. 19, note). Into the fire (,lr because promises for the future belong to ,nip). Not into a fire prepared with a de- them. Hence, perhaps, the exact expression finite purpose, nor into any one fire pictured (oontrast John 'l"iii. 38), "We have Abraham as burning (eh. xvii. 15; of. TO ,riip, John as father," which brings out tho pro- xv. 6), but into fire generally, which may tecting influence of Abraham as still avail- be in many different places. Worthless able. For I say unto you (J,,-yoo -ytlp ilµ.,11). trees are only for burning. (For thought, of. The solemnity of the phrase (oh. vi. 25, 29; Heh. vi 8.) ,, viii 11 ; xi. 9) lies in the self-consciousness Ver. 11.-(Cf. especially John i. 27; Acts which it implies. The absence of the /-ytf, xiii. 25; also :xi.x. 4.) After our ver. 10 St. shows that the speaker has no desire to Luke inserts details of the various kinds of bring out his own personality (contrast eh. fruit that repentance ought to produce, eug- v. 22, etc.), but the message only. That God. gested by the questions of different portions Not" the LORD," because (I) the thought is of the Baptist's audience ; and then, with of power re.ther the.n of covenant rele.tion- an explanatory note that John's words wert ship; (2) be is a.bout to speak of others the.n due to a misconception having arisen that members of the covenant nation. Is able of he was himself the Messiah, he e.dcls what these stones. These; e.podeictic ( c]:i.. iv. 3). we have in vers. 11, 12. But even if vers. Some he.'l"e thought the.t by these stones John 10-12 were, in fact, not said consecutively, directly mee.n.s certain Gentiles who were yet their juxtaposition here may be defended standing near; but it is much more likely by the real connexion between the state- the.t he points to the literal stones at his ments. In ver. 10 John has spoken of the feet, and with strong hyperbole says that he present danger of his audience; he there- who once raised up offspring as the stara for fore now urges repentance, and that in multitude from peraons as good as dead view of the coming of One who will sift (Rom. iv. 19), and who he.cl originally made them to the uttermost. With water; in, man of the dust of the earth, can (6611,mu), Revised Version margin (,11), and so in with both physical power and moral right, the second part of the verse. The thought re.ise out of the 'l"ery rawest material a new is not of the instrument by which the Israel (et Rom. iv. 17; 1 Cor. i 28, "the baptism is effected, but of the element things that are not"). Raise up. The in which it takes place. "In" sugg1asts verb employed ( ey,Cpoo) is, as it seems, not more complete submergence of the person- used in the LXX. with reference to natural ality. But he that cometh after me. The generation, but a.vlcr-r11µ.1 ( of. Gen. xxxviii. 8, expression would recall the thought of" the t(a11l~-r111"; Gen. iv. 25; xix. 32; cf. also Coming One"-a common designation ot eh. xxii. 24). It is, however, very suitable Messiah (eh. xi. 3; xxi. 9). Is mightier here, for while tl.11[~-r11µ., regards future worth, than I. Not in authority (the next clause), t-y,/p., specially contrasts a later with an nor in honour (John i. 30), but in inherent earlier st.a.te (e.g. sleep)-in this case the strength and power. Whose shoe&. Though nature of children with the insensibility of shoes or boots were usual in the winter, at stones. Children. The new Iarael would all events later, Ull(l probably also now (of. possess, not merely Abraham's privileges, but E<leraheim, 'Life,' L G21), yet sandals are his nature and character (-rbcva), in which doubtless meant. "In theLXX.andJosephus you u:, whom I now speak are so deficient. uav6""'-1011 (Mark vi. 9; Acts· xii. 8) and Ver. 10.-Alld now al.Ho; Revioed Version, {n,6~11µ.a [hereJ are used indiscriminately" and even noto. "And" (6,), slightly adver- (Thayer). Worthy. In moral sufficieucy sative. In contrast to the delay supposed (l1Ca110s), and so in lhe pare.llele, but (lil<os) iu in ver. 9a, prepare.ti'lns have already been moral desert in John i. 27. To bear; 1Dade for your destruction. The axe is laid; complementary to " loosen" in the purallol on. m.1-17.] THE GOSPEL .ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW. 73