The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 1 — Section 493

unt.o this day; for I l1a-ve seen a certain sooner than yon expected, it has got the man of my own oonntry, whose name WBB start of yon ( cf. 1 Thess. iv. 15); or (2) it Eleazar, releuing people the.t were demo- he.s e.ctue.lly come e.s far e.s you, it haa nincal in the presence of VespBBian, and his e.rri ved. 1'his latter sense seems to be aons,and his captains, and the whole multi- more in e.ccorde.nce with Hellenistic nsaao tude of his soldiers. 'l'he manner of the (cf. Phil. iii. 16; I These. ii. 16). Unto cure was this: he put a ring that had a you; upon 7100 (Revised Version), ,,p' ~µ.a,. root of one of those sorts ruenlioned by Ver. 29.-Parallel po.see.gee: Mark iii, Solomon to the nostrils of the demoniac, 27; Luke xi. 21, 22. Mark is pre.ctically after which he drew out the demon through identical with Matthew. Luke(" the strong his nostrils; and when the man fell down me.n armed," etc.) is more detailed and immediately, he abjured him to return vivid, and is perhaps the original form of into him no more, making still mention the saying. Or else; OT (Revised Version); of Solomon, and reciting the incantations i.e. ir this be not the ce.se, that the kingdom which he composed" (cf. also Dr. Cheet- of God ill come upon yon, how else do you ham'd article on "Exorcism," in • Diet. of explain whe.t bas happened, the fe.ct of Christian Antiq.'). Therefore they. Em- Satan's instruments being taken from him? phatic (a.~-rol), and hence, presumably, the How can one enter into e. strong man's transposition in the Revised Version, shall house; the houae of the strong man (Revised they. Shall be your judges. Our Lord asks Version). (For the article, cf. eh. i. 23, the preceding question, neither de:1ying nor note.) And spoil (cipm!o-a.,) his goods. affirming for himself the fact that their Carry off bis household tools and utensils di.,;ciples cast out devils, but only by way of (-ra ""•V11 a.lrroii). Except he first bind argument. He implies, "Yon will answer the strong man t and then ha will spoil that they do so by God's help. If so, then his house. This is more than merely the your sons sh.A.ll be your judges, convicting conclusion. It is an emphatic slatcmen\ you of insincerity. You acknowledge that that he will do this, yes, utterly plunder they work miracles by God's help, and you (6,a.p,rd.a .. ) the whole house. The interpre- do not acknowledge that I do. But you tation of the pare.hie is self-evident: the cannot stop short there. You must acknow- strong man is Satan; his vessels are those ledge that I also cast out devils by God's afflicted by him; the one who binds, etc., help." is Christ. For Christ's appearance e.nd Ver. 28.-The argument continues: "But work, even before the Crucifixion and Resur- if this be so (I BBY nothing about your rection, bound Satan in this re:ipect. Ob- disciples, but speak only of my own works) serve that there is probably e. tacit reference -if I reCLlly cBSt out devils by God's help, to Isa. xlix. 25, which at e.uy rote now this shows such a strange putting forth of received a fulfilment. God's strength that it MD mean nothing Ver. 30.-Parallel pBBSBge: Luke xi. 23; else but the coming of the Messianic omitted in Me.rk. The aim of this verse is kingdom." Observe the.t this could not be doubtful. (1) It me.y be addressed to the efflrmed from the success of the Pharisees' Pharisees, with the object of showing them disciples, for with them expulsion of devils, what their words really implied. They even if it were real, we.a, e.s it were, e.cci- were not due, e.s some might think, to mere dente.l, standing in no close connexion with indifferentism or to a judicial neutrality; their work ( cf. eh. vii. 22, note). Besides, suoh a relation to him we.s impossible, they did not, e.s our LorJ did, claim to be They were due to opposition of inner \ifo the Messiah, and to ine.ugurate the king- CLnd of outward energy. Thus their words dom. But if I oast out devils by the Spirit denoted complete separation from him. of God ; but if I by the Spirit of God, etc. This he brings out more olenrly in the two (Revised Version). The chief emphBBis lies following verses. (2) This interpretation-, on by the Spirit of God, e.nd there is a h01'l'ever, would attribute to the Pharisees secondary emphCLSis on I, as compared with too great an ignorance of their own feelings " your sons." Observe the absence of the of opposition to Christ, e.nd it is therefore e.rtiole in /11 1111<6p,a.-r, 8•oil; contrBBt vers. best to undcrsfand the verse 118 addressed 31, 32, and comp. eh. i. 18, note. Luke to the mCLny bystnndera. Christ has de- h118, " by the finger of God," a term used fended himself from the aeonse.tion brought to designate God's power u put forth upon against him, and now nrgas these wsverera nature (Exod. viii. 19; xxxi. 18 ; cf. Pd. not to be content with only not opposing viii. S). Then. Little 118 yon think it him, but to te.ke sides-for, in fe.ot, they {lip11); of. Luke xL 48. The kingdom of cannot help doing so. Indifference in this God. In contrast to Satan's king<lom (vcr. Cll8e is only another name for opposition ~ 26). Is oome (l,p9a.a•v: prievenit, Codex not actively to help is really to hinder. Brixianll8; cf. Wordsworth and White's Thus understood, the lesson of thi9 verse Vulgate). This u1a7 mee.n (1) it has comn finds its parallel in vers. 43---45, by which,  490 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW. [en. im. 1-60.