The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 1 — Section 365

mand. Forgiven thee; Revised Version poiuts to varying translations of JI,. (10 omits "thee" (genuine in Luke), with Peshito, in each plnoe). Perlmps the ea.me mn.uusoripts (acpi,VTa.i o-ov a./ ti.µa.p-rla.,). Mat- caUBe may also account for the diff,1re11oe thew and Murk use the present of general in the next words, iv9vµ./io- .. s, Jv9vµ,io-8,, Etatcmeut, Luke the perfect (licp.!owra.,, but in the parallel p11SBa.ges, 31<1Ao-yl(ov.-a.1, Doric; Winer, xiv. 3. a), to express a past 8,a.>..oy,o-µo~s, 8,a.>..o 1•i(,o-9, (cf. also ver. 8). fact of prrmanent significonce. Observe the (For eirnilnr instances of our Lord's know- order of the Lord's assuranoe, as recnrded leilge, cf. eh. xii. 25; Luke Yi. 8; ix. 47; in the true text. Courage, sympathy. for- John ii. 25; cf. further, aupra., eh. viii. l 0-, giveness, and, only after all else, recalling note.) Their thoughts, said, Whrefor3 individual sins. As the aHiuranoo of for- think yo evil in your hearts 1 Evil (1rov11p&). gi,·enes& is delightful to the soul, so is it Does the plural point to stages in lhei, often helpful to the body. Hence pos~il,ly reasoning? or is it merely used becauso he m,r Lord's method in this case, for the man was addressing wore tl,a.u one person? "iuter spcm metumque dubius peudebat" Ver. 5. - l'or. The expansion of hi■ (\\'et.stein). Cump11.re for the conjunction rebuke of their e.ccUBation, by his question of the two, Jas. v. 15, and, as a still closer and the command connected with it. parallel to our passage, Ta.lm. Bab.,' Neda.- Whether is ea.sier, to sa.y, Thy sins bo rim,' Ha. "It. 1,1.ija. bar Abba. said, The forgiven thee (Revised Version, are for• sick doth not rccorer from his sickness until given, omitting "thee"): or to sa.y, Arise. all his sins be forgiven him, for it is said, and wa.lk I The forwer, because the truth 'Who pardonclh o.11 thy iniquities, who or otherwise of the lo.tter is at once visible. healcth all thy diseases.'" So also Qiml)i Observe that the two alternatives cover the ( on Ps. xii. 5, "Heal my soul, for I have two realms of influeuce, the spiritual and sinned against thee"): "IIe docs not say, the physical. l\len will not believe pro- 'Heal my bo,ly,' for it is !,is sins that are fession in the former realm if it be unaccom- the co.use of his sickness, but if God heo.l panied by visible results in the latter. his soul from its s;ckuess, Yiz. by making Ver. 6.-Bnt that ye may know. From atonement for his ,ins, then hi.i body is his authority in the physical world they healed." may have direct knowledge (,16,j-r,) of his Yer. 3.-And certa.i.!l of the scribes. From authority in the spiritual world. Observe St. Lnke's account (ver. 17) ,re lea.m that that the claim is even in the so-ea.lied the miracle took place before a. large o.s- "Triple Tradition." That the Son of man sembly of "Pharisees and teachers of the hath power (better, authority, with Revised Law, who bad come ont of every village of Version margin, and the American Com• Galilee, and Judma., and Jeruso.lem." Yt>t mitlee) on earth to forgive sins (lfr, l{ovtTlav even among these there was a. division fx., 6 v/bs .,.;; liv8p~1rov l1rl -,ijs -,,;is licp«vcu (nv.!r). Said within themselves. So lUo.rk, aµa.p-rla.s). Observe (1) tl,at our Lord doca " reo.soning in their hearts.'' This man not say "I," but "the Son of man"; (2) (o;)-ros). The word seems to couvey a notiun that the empl,atio words in the sentcnoe of contempt and of vindictive joy that they are "bath authority," and '' on earth." It have ca.ught him (cf. Mark, -,/ oi-ros oilnd would therefore appear as though our Lord 7'.a.>..,i; and perhaps eh. xii. 24). Bla.s- wished to call the attention of those present ph~meth (fJ>..a.cT<p11µei). In its fullest mean- to a. phmse which they alreudy knew, but ing; through o.ssumption of Divine authority did not rightly nndersto.ml. He aeems to (so al.so eh. xxvi. 65; John x. 33, 36). point them to Dan. vii. 13, and reminding "No passage of the Old Testament affirms them that evcu there "one like unto a. sou that the lllesoiah himself will forgive sine. of man" (cf. s·upra, eh. viii. 20, note) receives ThUB Jesus ascribes to himself what even the authority (~ l{ovo-la; a./rroii i{outTla; a.iC:111,os, highest OIJ Testament prophecies of the ver. 14), tells them that this authority Me,sia.uic time hllod resen-ed to God; e.g. includes forgiving sius, and that this may Jer. xxxi. 31; Isa.. :xliii. 25" (Kiibcl). Ob- be exercised not only in the future a.nil in. 11erve that JUe.rk lays more streBll upon the "the clouds of hco.ven," but now (tx .. ) and process of theil' ihonght.s, Matthew a.nil "on earth." Further, if, as seems likely, Luke on the cocclusion at which they the phrase was understood to symbolize the arri vcd, Luke also iudicating that the sup- nation, he desired them to see mhi111Belf the posed sin had wnny parts (.\aA,i fJ>..a.tT- great means whereby the nation should rie& q>11µ[a.s }-they thought," Every word he has to its ideal. If, as is poBBible, though hardly uttered is blasphemy.'' probable, this saying of our Lord's is chrono- Yer. 4.-And lesua knowing; ,i3~r (but logioally earlier than eh. viii. 20, and there- Texlus Reccptus, with margin of Westcott fore the ca.rlie•t occaaion on which be used and llo, t, and of Reviired Versiou, j3~,,, tl ,e phrase, the almost diroot reference to "sceini; "); pa.re.lie) passages, l1r11wous. The Dan. vii. 13 makes it the more iutore~ting. dtirercnce of form wil.h a.grccwellt ill sell8e (Thon 111.ith ha to the alck of tha pally). en. 1x. 1-38.] THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW. 361