The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 1 — Section 491

(fu, '{iplncra.). The Hcltrew denotes "lay omits th~ words, " ?;Ie shall not bum dimly hold of" (7cnN), i.e. for myself. Bengel nor be discouraged, because he is not con- bas a beautiful note on the Eis 811 of the cerned with anything else than Christ'■ Received Text," Elr, in, denotat perpetuam relation to others; (2) be combines into mentis paternm tendentinm erga dilectum, one lho two clauses of Isaiah, "He shall 2 Petr. i. 17." According to the LXX. of bring forth judgment in truth" and "Till he I Chron. :nix. 1, DaTid's expression about have set judgment in the earth." Till he Solomon affords. a curious parallel, 'O vl&s send forth (e01s &11 l,c8d>..ri), This being the µ.av, ,ls &11 yiplT11t•11 l11 ci/rrrp K6pws (edit. supreme object of Messiah's life and energy Dr. Swete). But Lagarde's edition of the -bringing out, as from his own plans and Luciauio text punotuates and accents dif- resources, judgment unto victory; i.e. the ferently, 'O vlds µ.ov ,Ts, &11 y/plT1,c,11 l11 a.bT<i revelation of the Divine Law (ver. 18, note) 1t6p,as, e.nd this is much nearer to the to a successful issue in human hearts. Unto Hebrew. My beloved, in whom my soul is flictory. Apparently only a pare.phrase of well pleased ( eh. iii. 17, note) : I will put the thought in Isaiah. my Spirit upon him, and he shall show Ver. 21.-A.nd in his Name shall the (declare, Revised Version) judgment to the Gentiles trust; hope (Revised Ver.ion). The Gentiles (,ca.l 1tplrr111 Tois (611,u,11 &1rcry-yeA<i), evangelist thus completes the parallelism Although 1tplrru usually represents in the with the end of the first stanza (ver. 18). New Testament God's decision as to the However Jews treat Messiah, Gentiles shall character and life of men, it here must be place their hope in his Name, which, in understood, like mishpaf in the original, of fact, sums up for man all that can be known the Divine right as made known to them of God (eh. vi. 9, note). In his Name. So for their acceptance and imitation. It is even the LXX. But the Hebrew, "in his "the true religion viewed on its practical Law." '011&µ.11n is possibly due to a con- side as a norm and standard for life in all its fusion with 11&µ.r,,, but is more probably relations" (Delitzsch). 'fhe thought here, merely a paraphrase bringing out more therefore, is not of Christ's power to punish <?!early the fact that the Christian religion and avenge (though he refused to use it as is emphatically trust in a Person. The yet), but of his bringing a revelation which Gentiles; rather, GentileB, as such. This should tiventuo.lly spread, not only to the paraphrase for "isles" in the original is also Jews who now rejeoted him, but to the found in the LXX. (For the whole verse, Gentiles whom they despised. cf. eh. xxviii. 19, an utterance never lost Ver. 19.-He shall not strive, nor ory. sight of by the evangelist.) In Ise.ilih the ole.use is, "He shall not cry Vere. 22-32.-The healing of a me.n aloud nor lift up his 1,oice (NI!" Nr,, p17:r N',);" blind and dumb, o.nd the consequent and so the LXX. But "strive" would blasphemy of the Pharisees. The miracli, represent one very frequent connotation of leads them to the extreme of spirituo.l "ory aloud" and its synonyms, for in opposition. (On the assimilation to our E11stem lands disputants use their voice much more loudly than we do. This close vers, 22-24, found in eh. ix. 32-34, see connexion between the two ideas is seen notes there.) The parallel passages 11re also in the Syriac Version of Isaiah, where Luke xi. 14-23 and, for the blo.sphemy "lift up his !Joice" is trai:.~Inted narib, a an<l our Lord's consequent defence only, word meaning primarily "he shnll strive," Mark iii. 22-30. and only secondarily "he shall lift up his voice." It is possible, but not probable, that Ver. 22.-Then was brought. So West- M11tthew's "strive" is taken directly from cott and Hort margin, but text, "then they narib, adopting its primary and commoner brought," as in eh. ix. 32. Unto him one me11ning, and transposed. Neither shall possessed with a devil, blind (this faot is not any man hear his voioe in the streets. A mentioned by Luke), ll.lld dumb. "The slight paraphrase of the original, "nor cause devil had ~hut up each entrance by whioh his voice to be heard in the street," perhaps he might come to faith, his sight and hi1II due to different vocalization of the Hebrew. hearing, yet Christ opened each" (Ohrysos- Ver. 20.-A bruised reed shall he not tom). And he healed him, insomuch that the break, and smoking 11.ax shall he not quenoh. blind and dumb both spe.ke and saw. The Though what more feeble than 11 cracked cnse wns worse than even that of oh. ix. 82, reed or a wick just 11.ickering? Yet he where the man we.a not blind. reckons neither ns useless; he allows for Ver. 23.-And all the paople; the multi- possibilities of improvement. His treatment tudes (Uevised Version) ; i.('. the various of the believer who is weakest, and, so to concourses of people that formed themselves speak, lenst alive, is marked by long-suffnring nt difforent times of the day and in ditrorent and gentleuese. Observe that (1) Matthew parts of the town (cf. eh. riii. 1; xiv. 15, ~88 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTIIEW. [en. xn. 1-50-.