EXPOSITION. [parallel passages : Mark vi. 46; John vi, CHAPTER V. 15) ; xv. 29). 'fhe actual spot here referred Ver. 1.-And aeeing the multitudes; i.e. to may he.ve been for from, or, and more those spoken of in eh. iv. 25-the multi- probably (eh. iv. 18), nc11r to, the Lake of tudes who were at that point of time follow- Gennesnreth. It cannot now be i<lentified. ing him. Ke went up. From the lower 'l'he tmditional "Mount of Beatitudes" is ground by the lake. Into a mountain j l{a'l'n-lfa!tin, "a round, rocky hill" (Socin's Revised Version, into the mountain (<ir -ro Bredeker, p. 366), "a square-slrnped hill /Spos) : i.e. not any special mountain, but with two tops" (Stanley, p. 368), about five "the mountain nearest the place spoken of- miles north-west of Tiberias. 'l'his trntlition, the mountain near by" (Thayer); in con- dating only from the time of the Crusa,lcs, is trast to any lower place, whether that was accepted by Stanley (cf. also EWcott, 'Hist. itself fairly high ground (as probably Luke Lects.,' p. 178), especi&lly for the reasons iJ;.. ~8) or the shore of the lnke (eh. xiv. 23 that (1) Tb ~pos i■ equiyalent to "the moun- MATTIJEW, L THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW. [on. v. 1-48.
tain" es n distinct name, and this mountain v. S-10), whioh must be allowed to appear alone, with the exception of Tabor which is (eh. v. 11-Hi). too distant, stands separate from the nniform 2. The reuition that they ought to hold barrier of hills round the lake; (2) "the platform at the top is evidently suitable for towards the religion of the do.y, of wbioh the oolleotion of a multitude, aud corre- the Law was the accepted standard (oh. v. sponds precisely to the ' level place' ( .-orou 17-vi. 18). w,~woii, Lnke vi. 17) to which our Lord (I) The fundamental principle of this would • come down,' as from one of its relation is found in the relation whioh Christ higher horns, to o.ddress the people." But these reasons seem insufficient. And himself holds towards the Law (oh. v. 17- when he was set ; Revised Version, had sat 20). down; as his custom was when preaching (2) Their relation further defined by illus- (eh. xiii. 1; :uiv. S; Me.rk ix. 35). lli.s trations ta.ken from the religion of the do.y, disoiples ; i.e. the twelve, and also those as this ia seen in- others out of whom they bad, as it seems, inst been chosen (Luke vi. 12, 20). The ( a) Cases deduced directly from the Law word is used of all those personal followers (eh. v. 21-48). who, as still more distinctly indicated in (b) Ca.sea not so deduced (eh, vi. 1-18). the Fourth Gospel, attached themselves to S. General principleB regarding- him to learn of him, at least until the time (!) Their relation to wealth. They musl of the crisis in John vi. 66, when many withdrew ( cf. also infra, eh. viii 21, and for remember that only the single eye receives an example in the end of his ministry, the light (eh. vi. 19-34). Lnke xix. 87). In English we unavoid- (2) Their relation to men. They must ably miss some of the meaning of µ.0.871.-1,s, remember the dangers of differentiating to our loss, as may be seen from the saying others. They must treat them as they of lgnatins, 'Magn.,' § 10, Mo.871.-cil cw.-oii would themselves be treated (eh. vii.1-12). 'l'E116p.E110t µ.,l.8wµEII IC4T4 Xpt<TTt411t<Tp),11 (j11, Ca.me unto him (-rpa<Tij>..8411 o.,mj). Qi.me up 4. Epiwgue ( eh. vii. 13-27). A ca.11 to to him, and, presumably, sat down in front decision and independence of walk (eh. vii. of him to listen. 13--28), .Assent is useless if it becomes not Ver. 2.-And he opened his month. Fre- action (eh. vii. 24-27). quent in the Old Testament; e.g. Job iii 1. There is little doubt that the two accounts A Hebra.imn, indicating that the words (here and Luke vi.) represent one and the ea.me spoken are not the ntterance of chance, but of set will e.nd purpose. In the Gos- discourse, the main arguments for this belief pels (in this sense) only eh. xiii 35 (from being thus given by Ellicott (' Hist. Lects.,' Pa. l.x.xvili. 2, LXX.) ; also in Aots viii. p. 179) : " That the beginu ing and eud of the 85 (Philip); L 34: (Peter); xviii. 14 (Paul); Sermon are nearly identical in both Gospels; Rev. xiii. 6 (the beast); cf. 2 Cor. vi. 11, of that the precepts, as recitf,d by St. Luke, are perfect frankness of expression, and Eph. vi. 19, perhaps of courage in the nttera.nce of in the same genera.I order o.s those in St. the Divine message. And taught them Matthew, and that they a.re often expressed (,li[lio.<T1<•11 ,uhol,s). That which follows is in nearly the same words; and lastly, that represented, not e.s a proclamation., but aa each Evangelist speciµes the. same miracle, teaching, given to those who in some measure viz. the healing of the centurion's servant, o.s desired to follow and serve him. Some pro- gress already me.de by the listeners, if only having taken place shortly after the Sermon, in a relation of respect and reverence, is im- on our Lord's entry into Capernaum." plied in " tea.ching." The discourse we.a Vera. S-16.-L The ideal oharacter o/ tLerefore spoken, not simply to the mul- MB discipka. titudes, a cha.nee audience, but with primary and special reference to those who had already Ver. S.-Blessed (p.41edp,01); Vulga.te, made some advance in relation to him. The beati; hence " Beatitudes." The word multitudes, however, were standing by, and describes "the poor in spirit," etc., not as were amazed at the unique character of his recipients of blessing ( •~A0"/7/µ.l110,) from God, teaching ( cf. eh. vii. 28, 29; cf. alao Luke or even from men, but a.a possessors of Vi. 20 with vii. 1). " happiness" (cf. the Authorized Version of Ver. 3-ch. vii 27.-TRE SERMON Ol!I' TH:111 John llili. 17, and frequently). It describes them in reference to their inherent state, not MOUNT. The following may serve as a brief to the gifts or the rewards that they reooive. llllmmo.ry. It thus e.nswers in thought to the common 1. The irual chtwa.cter of his disciples (oh. •il?ltt of the Old Testament; e.g. I Kings ;a;. llB, v. 1-:-4,B,l THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW. 147