The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 1 — Section 331

19; also Jer. xvi. 19; Zech. viii. 22. And Vere. 14, 15.-The heaUng of St. Peter'• ahall sit down; i.e. o.t a feast. 'fhe image, ID'ije's mother. Parallel passages: Mark i. taken from lea. u:v. 6, is exceedingly 29-31 ; Luke iv. 38, 39. common in Jewish Haggadio (i.e. mostly parabolic) teaching ( cf. Dr. Taylor's Ver. 14.-A.nd when Jesus we.a come into • Sayings,' etc., iii. 25; Schurer, II. ii. 174). Peter's house. Straight from the synagogue With Abraham, and Isaao, e.nd Je.oob, in (parallel pBBeages), for food, ver. 15 (Cl.irys,,a- the kingdom of heaven. An early" ·western" tom). It seems clear, from the parallel -reading is, " in the bosom of Abraham,'' etc. passages, that St. Peter had not previouol y (cf. Luke xvi. 23). Probably a traditional told our Lord about his mother-in-law's form current among Jewish Christians. But illness, but that he, with others, now aske,l the ohildren; sons (Revised Version). Those (-l,p0>T1Juav, Luke) him to heal her. Among who ought rightfully to enjoy its privileges these others were probably Andrew, who .(eh. v. 9, note). In eh. xiii. 38 those so also lived in the house, and James and called answer fully to the appellation. Of John, who accompanied our Lord (Mark). the kingdom. "Rather than of the king; Whether or not it was Peter's own house, wt, -since many are in the kingdom, whom not- have no means of telling (but see next verse). withstanding the king rejects as traitors ; Xe saw. Presumably on entering, before they whereas all the children of the king are e.eked him about her. Xiii wile's mother .adopted ae co-heirs with hie only begotten (l Cor. ix. 5). As St. Peter lived for some Son" (Beza, in Ford). This interpretation forty years more, he can hardly have been is attractive, but doubtleee false. The now very long married (cf. Bengel). Laid Hebrew idiom enables the writer to suggest (/Je/Jll.11µ.•VT/v); ver. 6. And sick of a fever. the idea of the Jews, who are by nature Ver. 15.-And he touched her hand. heirs of the Divine kingdom, being not- Perhaps with her, as with the leper (rnr. ll), withstanding excluded ( cf. Acts xiii. 46). the word alone would not have been enough. ,Shall be cast out (Revised Version, forth); In both cases the faith seems to have been i1e/All.116~a-ov-ra., (eh. vii. 4, note). The below that of the centurion. And the fever ~•Western" reading, /~ell.eJa-ovTa.1, suggests left her: and she e.rose, a.nd miniatered unto that they shall go out by their own present them; Revised Version, him, with mauu- .act of refusing blessing. Into (Revised soripts. Serving them all (pa:rallel passagea), Version, the) outer darkness. The form of and him in particular. If it were her own the expression, which comes ouly in Mat- house this would be doubly natural (cf. thew (eh. xxii. 13; xxv. 30), points to a Luke x. 40). The change of tense (aorist to -double conception ; they shall be cast into imperfect) contrasts the single act of orising :the darkness, and cast outside the palace from her bed nnd her continued ministry at within which the feast ie going on. Such the meal (cf. eh. iv. 11). is the loss in its personal ( els -rb a-1e&-ros) and in its social (-rb /~c{,npov) aspect. There Vero. 16, 17.-The g,-eat numbe,- of hu -shall be ( Revised Version, tl1e) weeping and mfraclea, and 11,,e secret of his performing ,gnashing of teeth. Tue article, which them. should strictly be repeated before gnashing, points to a recognized cor,ception. The Ver. 16.-Parallel passages: Mark i. 32 ,phrase occurs ( except in tho parallel passage, -S-l; Luke iv. 40. When the even was Luke xiii. 28) only in St. Mattl:ew (oh. xiii. oome; Revised Version, and tJJhen eren. 4.2, 50; u:ii. 13; xxiv. 51; xxv. 30), in According to the original connexion, pre- .each cnse contrasting the place into which served, as it seems, in l\Iark and Luke, ·the wickeli. are sent with that which they thi" was the evening of the day in w\Jioh -might have enjoyed. Observe the descrip- our Lord hail healed the man with the· tion of "hell "-absence of spiritual light; withered hand in tl.ie synagogue. Probably, separation from the company of the saved; therefore, the de.y hnd been a se.bbath. But -lamentation; impotent rage. The 11econd with the setting sun (parallel passage in -couplet corresponds to the first. Luke), or rather, according to 'l'alrnudio Ver. 13.-Malthew· only. The parallel teo.c!ting, when three stars were vi..si.ble nfter ;passage, Luke vii. 10, gives the result sunset (vide Lightfoot, • Hor. Hebr.,' in loc.), -found by the messengers on their return. tho sabbath was over (Lev. u:iii. 32). and And leans se.id unto the centurion, Oo thy people were free to carry out their sick. way; and (omitted by the Revised Version) Should the day not have been o. sabbath, as thou hast believed, so be it done unto we may presume thnt the crnniug we.s chosen thee. .As. Not strictly proportionate, but as cooler for the sick to be moved, and as in the same way as (eh. vi. 12; xviii. 33) more convenient to those who carriod them, ·-thou hast now believed, be it done unto thee. the day's work being done. They brought .And his servant was healed in the selfsame unto him many that were possessed with (Revised Version, in that) hoo.r. • devils (ell. iv. 2-l, note): ancl he nst 011t the  326 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW. [cu. vm.1--34.