The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 1 — Section 121

alwnya in the Gospels. The word (T>..o,ov) the beading of the ne:l:t section (ob. ix. 36- may be used of any sized veesel (equivalent xiv. 12). It is, indeed, remarkable that in to "large ship" in Acts xxvii.), but here, as eh. ix. 35 it occurs .inst before the definite managed by so few men, it is equivalent to "boat." Other words translated "boat" setting apart of the twelve, e.nd again that in the New Testament e.re w>..ott!p,011, "little the phrase, "And seeing the multitudes," is boat" (Mark once, John four times), and found both in eh. v. 1 and in eh. ix. 36. u,d,4>.,,, "small ship's boat" (Acts xxvii. 16, Possibly the saying wns part of the original 30, 32). Josephus says(' Bell. Jud.,' ii. 21. 8) setting of the two discourses, eh. v.-vii that when be gathered all the boats on the and eh, L lake to attack Tiberias, there were" not more than four sailors in each;" by which he Ver. 23.-And J'esns went about all probably moons, not the number of men Galilee; in all Galilee (Revised Version, with wherewith he was able to equip them, but the manuscripts). This indicates, not so much the number he found already managing systema.tio itineration round the cities in them. With Zebedee their father. In Mat- order (contrast the simple accusative in thew only. ]lending their n.eta. The first eh. ix:. 35 [Mark vi. 6): :xxiii. 15), ns going pair of brothers were in the excitement of hither and thither among them (cf. Acts catching; the seconJ had perhaps caught, xiii 11). .All (eh. viii. 34, note). Teaching and were mending their nets with a view - . . preaching . . . healing. Our Lord, to a fresh attempt; in neither case was unlike the Baptist, takes men as and there a moment's delay. A.n.d he called them. where he can find them : the religious, This time his words a.re not given. by teaching in the syna.gogues: the mass Ver. 22.-Left the &hip and their father, of people, by preaching, presumably in e.n.d followed him (f11<0>..068.,,u411 4vri)- St. public places; the sick, by healing them Matthew emphe.sizc'S the facts that they left wherever they are brought to him. Notice both natural relations (so also St. Mark, tho threefold cord of all Ch!'ist-like ministry adding the vi \"id detail," the hired servants") -teaching, especially those who have desires e.nd means of livelihood, and that here their heavenwards; preaching, especially to the continuous following of Christ begl<Il. St. unconverted; healing, which cares for all Mark rather lay stress on their lee.ring the physical life. Synagogues. (For a. detailed old life (-.r'rij>..8011 lnrlu"' 4vrav). account, 'IJ'ide Schurer, II. ii. pp. 52, etc.; and for a. short account, mde Keil, 'Arch.,' § 30.) Vere. 23---25.-The firstjruiu of popular " The synagogues were places of assembly enthusiasm. As on Christ's call e. few for publio worship, where on sa.bba.ths and feast-days (at a later period, also on the followed him (vers. 20-22), so after bis second and fifth days of the week) the people circuit in Galilee did crowds, from all parts met together for prayer, and to listen t.o the of the Holy Land, also follow him (ver. reading of portions of the Old Testament, 25), though less immediately and devotedly. which were translated and explained in the As to these verses (23-25), notice- vernacular dialect. With the permission of the president, any one who was fitted might (!) Nearly all ver. 23 rel!urs ir, eh. ix. 35. deliver addresses" (Meyer). The gospel (2) Yers. 24, 25 occur m the parallels in The firl!t time it occurs in the text of St. different connexions. St. Mark places them Matthew. Of the kingdom. The phrase in eh. iiL 7, 8, after be hr.s ree<,rded details is used thus abaolutely only elsewhere in of many miracles which are found later in eh. ix. 35 and xxiv. 14 (Mark i. 15 is a false reading). This expreBBion (with ver. Matthew. St. Luke places them in eh. vi 17, "Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is 17, 18, immediately be.fore the sermon on at hand") is the earliest form of the meBBage, the mount (as in Matthew), but afur the The good news centred in the kingdom, i.e. call of the Twelve. the realization of the position accepted by the (3) St. Matthew, therefore, did not arrange nation at Sinai, with all that that involved (tnde Introduction, p. x.xiii.). The phrase, Lis Gospel with a sole regard to chronology. " the gospel of the kingdom," refers only to (4) The verses are clea.rly a summary of the blessedness of its approach, and says our Lord's work and influence in the early nothing (unlike ver. 17) of the preparation part of his ministry. for it. Healing (B•paw•{,wv), AB compared ( 5) Weiss (' Manual,' ii. 277, etc.) con- with i&.aµa, (rare iu Matthew, in the u.etive siders that vers. 23 aud 24 are a heading to only eh. xiii. 15, which is from the LXX., but frequent in Luke) B<p41t<V"' thinks rather the description of the teaching and healing of the healer, who renders the service; Id.op.a,, activity of Jesus (eh. iv. 25-iL 34), and that ra.ther of the healed, the com pletencss of the repetition of ver. 23 in eh. ix. 35 ID&lks the cure (cf. eh, viii 7, 8). Bickneu; OH, 1v. 1-25.J THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO BT. MATTHEW. 111