The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 2 — Section 13

no poor man, but a rich wholesale dealer story (cf. ver. 25). And sat down. How (tp:rropo1: cf. Rev. xviii. 23; not ,cd1n1ll.01, "a tme to life. Perhaps it " in tim1>tes the reto.ilcr ; " cf. 2 Car. ii. 17). Seeking. Ac- thoughtful <'are with which the work of cording to the usual manner of hie lifo. sepo.ratiou is performed" (Goebel). And Goodly pearls. lle cared nothing o.bont gathered (uvv•"-•(av); ver. 30, n1Jte. The the inferior kinds or specimens. 'fhe man good. Corresponding to their proper nature aimed high; he got more thon he can have also in appearance ('ra 1<a.ll.d: cf. eh. vii. 17, thought possiblo (eh. vii. 7, 8). Origen note). Into vessels, but c88t the bad ("'I 'li, (Commentary, in loo.; Huot, i. p. 210) has ua.1rpd); eh. vii, 17, 18, notes; eh. xii. 33. much curious matter about the different Not to be presded to mean "corrupt, dead kinds of pearls. fish, in a state of rottenness" (Goebel), for Ver. 46.-Who, when he had found (and surely fishermen seldom get many of these, 1,,aving foood, Revised Version,'-' ,&pJJv 'li{) but simply the worthies,,, the unfit for use. one pearl of great prioe (Job xxviii. 18, This would include lhe legally unclean.. Revised Version margin, one); hardly the Tristram writes," The greater number of the indefinitearticle(cf. eh. viii.19,note). Chry- species taken on the lake are rejected by sostom's comment is, M!a. -ydp lt1-rw '1) 0.11.1,e ..a. the fiahermen, and I have sat with them on ,ea.I ob 1roll.vt1xi'li-F,1. Went (a.1r,11.8.Sv); i.e. the gunwale while they went through. th.ei-, some distance, for he might well have to go net, and threw out into the sea those that much further than the man in the preceding were too small for the market or were con- po.rable (6-n-d-y<1), Went (e.orist) . . . ,old sidered unclean" (' Nat. Hist. of Bible,' (perfect) ... bought (e.orist). He starts p. 291, edit. 1889). Away U(01 lf)a.11.ov). without delay; he sells irrevocably; he pnr- Compare, for both language and thought, chases at once (cf. ver. 44). And sold all the treatment of the salt that has lost its that he had, and bought it. All. Genuine savour (eh. v. 13). here. It may have been e. great deal as Ver. 49.-So shall it be at (in, Revised worldly wee.Ith is reckoned. Thus Saul of Version) the end of the world ( cf. vers. 39, 40, Tarsus acted (Phil. iii. 7, 8), e.nd Moses notes): the angels she.II come forth (vcr. 41), (Heb. xi. 26). and sever. Taking them completely e.way (l.4,op,ovu,v). The wicked (-rolrs 1rov11po~s); Vers. 47-50.-The parable of t11e drag- ch.rvii. 18 e.nd vi. 13, notes. As compared net. Thie pa.re.hie at once recalls that of with ua.1rp&s (ver. 48), it refers more directly the tares, but it will be noticed that there to the moral character. Our Lord baa here our Lord's aim is to inculcate patience and left the imagery of the parable. From among hopefulness on the part of hie servants when the just; the righteous (Revised Version}; ver. 43, note. they realize the close proximity of the un- Ver. 50.-And shall cast them, etc. The godly even in districts won over to the faith, verse is word for word the same e..s ver. 42. while here his e.im is rather to warn. To Vere. 51, 52. -The Promise, under th'1 be in the kingdom is not enough; some of Bimi?.e of tlie householde'T'. Matthew only. those now within it moy nevertheless be cast out. It thus greatly resembles the Ver. 51.-Jesns saith unto them. Omitted by the Revised Version e.s a manifest gloss, pare.hie of the ten virgins; save that in that perhaps originally duo to o lectione.ry. parable greater stress is laid on persona.I Have ye understood. Our Lord wishes them preparation and conlinueu wo.tchfulness; in to realize the progress that they hnve already this, on personal worth. made, that be me.y give them a fresh pro- mise, nnd thus summon them to fresh energy. Ver. 47.-Age.in, tho kingdom of heaven All these things 1 Probably the imme- is like unto a net (t1a-y,/vp: eh. iv. 18, note), diately preceding pare.hies and others spoken tho.t was cast into the see., and gathered of at the snme time (cf. var. 31, note). They every kind. (For the thought, of. eh. xxii. say unto him, Yea, Lord. Lord is rightly 10; and for the word, 011v<i-y,w, ver. 30, omitted by the Revised Version. It dis- note.) tracts tho attention from the quiet affir- Ver. 48.-Whioh, when it was full i .fill,ed mative. (Revised Version, l1r"'1p.S811); i.e. not e.s a Ver. 52.-Then said he unto them, There- matter of course, but by those thnt came or fore (3ui-rovro); i.e. because you understand, were brought in. They drew to shore. The I add this. Every soribe (""' -ypa.µµa.nJ s). Revised Version reproduces the local touch, 'l'he interpretation of the following clause, they drew up on tTl8 beach ( ver. 2, note). In naturally suggested by this word in itself, the parable those who cast the net also is that our Lord meant to indicate the poi!- 11eparnte the fish, but this identification of sibilities thnt lo.y before o J ewieh scribe if two distinct sets of persons (vcrs. 24, 30, 37, he were only converted ; but for such a ¾1) i11 merely pnrt of the machinery of the !'eference by our Lord to Jewish dcribc~  14 TIIE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. :MA TrHEW. l_crr. xm. l-68.