The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 2 — Section 4

Rnd therefore they e.re thus judged, in slight difference in one word of the original e.ccorde.noe with the words of Ise.ie.h (vers. Aramaic text, the phrase in llle.r![ (" them JS-15). that are without") combining both readings The privilege of the disciples further (see Expositor IV. iv. HG). The eugges- insisted upon (vers. 16, 17). tion is ingenions, buteeems he.rdlynecessary. Ver. 12.-Matthew only in this context, Ver. 10.-1\letthew nlone in this form. but found iu the pe.ro.llel po.ssages shortly m Luke the disciples asked our Lord what after the explanaiion of this pare.hie-Mark 'i.he parable was ; in Mark, more generally, iv. 25; Luke viii. 18. The ea.me scLying i11 they "asked of him the parables." Whether found in eh. xxv. 29 (the talents) o.nd Luke the question as given by St. Matthew was xix. 26 (the pounds). For. The reason of e.ctually spoken by the disciples or not, the God's nction spoken of in the preceding Lord's answer, the substance of which is verse. It is based on the following principle. the same in e.ll three accounts, suggests that Whosoever he.th, to him she.11 be given, e.nd it at least represents their thoughts. St. he shall he.ve more abundance. The last Matthew probably wishes to bring out with phrase (llle.tlhew only) is probobly due to a special clearness, by his version of their reminiscence of the form in which the saying words, the point of our Lord's reply. And was uttered e.t e. much later period in our the disciples. Including more than the Lord's ministry, where it e.risee naturally twelve; so !fark, "They thal were a.bout out of the parable (eh. xxv. 29). Bat him with the twelve" (cf. eh. v. l, note) whosoever he.th not, from him ehe.11 be taken Came. Presumably some little time after- away even that he he.th. A paradox. What wards, for he must have left the boat (ver. he already possesses, if it is so small as to 2). And said unto him, Why spee.kest thou be not worth speaking of, shall be lost to unto them ill parables 1 Them; i.e. those him. Luke's "thinketh he bath" ca.lls outside the circle of Christ's followers (o/ attention to the superficial character of the- i(w, Mark). For the general meaning of man'e mind. The unfit ground loses the our Lord's reply to this question, see the seed it receives (cf. the remarks at the be- remarks at the beginning of this chapter. ginning ofthis chapter). Other questions about our Lord's reasons Ver. 13.-Therefore (lid& Toii"To). To carry for what he did are to be found in eh. ix. out the principle of the whole preceding 11, 14; xv. 2; :uii. 19; xxvi 8 (of. also verse, but with special reference to the eh. xii. 2 with Luke vi 2). second half of it. Because, in· this case, Ver. 11.-He answered and said unto they " have not," therefore I speak to them them, :Because. Omit becawie, with the Re- thus. Speak I to them ill parables : vised Version. The on is merely recitative. becaUBe. In the parallel passages Christ In this verse our Lord does not directly says that he speaks in parables "in O"Tde'I' reply to their question, but only states God's that seeing," etc. ; but here, "because see- ways of dealing with the two dtiferent classes ing," etc. The difference of the thought, of people (of. eh. xi 25, note). It is given which is more formal thau real, is that un.to yon ( unto you it is gfoen, Revised Ver- (1) in the parallel passages their more.I sion); which betterreprcsents the sharpness blindness and deafness are ropresen tod e.s of the antithesis in the Greek. It is given; the effect of whnthe says, parables being used already (li,lio"Tcu), i.e. in the counsel of God, to bring about the punishment for what was though now given in possession, so far as presumably earlier sloth (thus laying stree& regn.rds this parable, by the explanation on the idea of" shall be taken away" in our that I will e.dd. To know the mysteries of ver. 12; cf. "that they which see not may be the kingdom of heaven. The secrets about made blind," John ix. 39 ; and Bishop West- the establishment and development of God's cott's note). (2) In Matthew. their present realm, which cannot be discovered by human moral blindness and deafness are represented reason, Lut which are ma.de known to the 11s the reason for the use of parables. Pa- initiated. Under the ter.:::: "myatery," St. rables are themselves the punishment; the Paul refers to such revealed sec,ets as the people are fit for nothing else (thus laying preaching of the gospel to the Gentiles stress on the" has not" ofver.12); therefore (Eph. iii. 3, 4, 9; Col i 26), the conversion Christ speaks to them in parables. They of the J ewe (Rom. :Ii. 25), the relation of •eeing see not (suing they see wt, Revised Christ to the Church being like that of Version, keeping the order of the Greek, aa. hm,band and wife (Eph. v. 32), e.nd the even the Authorized Version in the next general resunection (1 Cor. xv. 51). (Cf. eh. clause); and hearing they hee.r not, neither xi. 25, note, " revealed ; " and infra, ver. 35, do they understand. The participlee "see- note, e.nd especially Bishop Lightfoot on ing," "hearing," in Matthew and Luke. the passage iu Colossians.) :But to them it is probably do not represeut the Hebrew in- not given. Professor Me.rebo.ll suggests that finitive in its common usnge of giving inten- the variation "the rest" (Luke), points to a sity or continuance to the illca of the finite- en. xm. 1-58.] THE GOSl'EL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW. 6