The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 1 — Section 490

but comp. Luke xiv. 5. And he said unto with Authorized Version margin); of. oh. them. Christ's answer appeals from in- xxii. 15; xxvii. I, 7; :uviii. 12. Age.mat tellectual and theoretical difficulties to the him, how they might destroy him. We practical common sense of ordinary morality learn from lllark that the Herodians e.lao (cf. Rom. iii. 5-7). Their own feelings took part in the deliberation. Profesaor would guide them to help a brute, much Marshall ( Ezposit,or, June, 1891, PJ?· 465, 466) more a man. According to the parallel suggests a too ingenious reoonc1liation of passagea, our Lord first set the man in the this verse and its parallels, in three details, midst of them, wishing, perhaps, to draw out by suggesting an Aramaio original whioh their sympathy, e.nd only afterwards spoke would explain the divergenoes. this verse of censure (see Chrysostom). What man shall there be among you, that Vers. 15 - 21. - Jesus withdraws, and shall have one sheep. One only, and there- although many follow him and are healed fore so much the dearer(Meyer). He would by him, he charges them not to make him feel an interest in it as an animal that he had learned to love; end he would oare for known, thus fulfilling the prophecy of the it as his property. In Christ's case also Ideal Israelite, who is the object of God's there was the love of man as man, and of love and delight, and will receive his Spirit man as belonging to him(John x.14; i. 11). and declare the revelation of him to the In Luke xiv. 5 ("a son or au ox") the Gentiles; he will not strive or exalt himself, double thought is distributed over two objects; the man wonld love his son, and or nse harshness towards the weak; and his care for his property in the OL And if it meekness shall last until he has succeeded (thu, Revised Version) fall into a pit on the in his purpose of revealing God to men ; for sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and he shall succeed, and he shell be the object lift it out 1 Lightfoot (' Hor. Hehr.') con- of the Gentiles' hope. firms this from the Jerusalem Talmud and llfaimonides. Ver. 15.-Vera. 15, 16 are found essen- Ver. 12.-:S:ow much then is a ma.n tially in Mark iii. 7, 12; the remainder of better than a sheep! (eh. vi 26; x. 31). this section, the application of prophecy, Wherefore it is lawful to do well (to do here only. But when Jesus knew it: and good, Revised Version) on the Sabbath days. Jes'U8 perceining it (Revised Version). He answers their question about healing Whether by his own unaided powers, or by (ver. 10) by enunciating a general principle intelligence brought him, is not stated. He whiah would cover more. "Doing good" withdrew himself (cf. eh. iv. 12. he departed, (perhaps merely .. well-doing," Acts x. 33; note) from thence. We see from the next I Cor. vii. 37; but probably '' doing good clause that this withdrawal was not into to " another, cf. Luke vi. 26, 27 ; and the any very retired spot, but rather away from parallel passages here, A-ya801ro,ij.,-a, 1) KaKo• the town in which he had been. His ..-o,ij<Ta,) is to be one test by which the duty motives may have been partly to carry on of resting or of working on the sa.bbath is to his work more quietly elsewhere (fulfilling be determined. his own injunction, eh. x. 23), and partly to Ver. 13.-Then aaith he to the man, avoid stirring up the exoitement of/artisans Stretch forth thine hand. He is bid use like those who a little later wishe to seize his strength before he is told that it is him by force and make him king (John vi. given. The in.tellectne.l difficulties that 15, where observe "withdrew"). And great might have occurred to him lose themselves multitudes followed him, and he healed them in the action. In the somewhat similar cnse all. Almost verbally in eh. xix. 2. in eh. iL 5, 6 there bad been the prepara- Ver. 16.-And oharged them that they tion of forgiveness of sins. And he stretohed should not make him known. Publicity as it forth; and it was restored whole, like as such was rather hindering to his work than the other. Power is linked to obedience. otherwise. Only those who ho.d no spiritual Whole; i.e. sound, in complete health and affinity with him (John vii. 3-5), or at vigour. The word comes more often in the most but little (eh. ix. 81), desired him to e.ccount of the me.n healed at the pool of have it. Bethesda than in ell the rest of the New Ver. 17.-That it might be fu111lled whioh Testament. waa spoken by Esaias the prophet, 1ayina- Ver. 14.-Then the Pharisees went out (Isa. xlil. 1-4). The following quotation (i{el\Bovns Ii* ol ♦ap,.,-wo,). Probably at is not ta.ken from the LXX., but from the once, befo10 the service was over. Note the Hebrew, and this it lui-gely paraphrases. emphatic )JOaition of l£,>..Bovns. They will Ver. 18.-Behold my senant. Primarily, no longer stay in the same building with as would appear, larael in its ideal, up to one who does such e. thing. And held a which true Israelites came in measnre, but oouncil; and took counsel (Revised Version, only One came fully. Whom I have ohosea on. xn.1-50.] THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW. 487