The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 2 — Section 14

there e.ppcnrs no renaon in the context. and skill. It will be observed that Irencous' The word must therefore be understood of iuterprctttl.ion (IV. ix. I) of new and old Chriatie.n teachers, who by their study of as the New and Old Testaments is only the Gospel should hold a position in the partially right. W. th the disciples, it is Christian Church parallel to that of; scribes trul', the old would naturally be, in the first among the Jews. It is possible thnt our plaoe, Olrl TE"stoment truths, o.nd the new, Lord chose the term in order to aooustom such truths as they learned from Christ; his disciples to the idea of carrying 011 the but these also would, nfter a few ,veeks or study of Di,-ine things which the scribes months, in their tum become old to them, were accustomed to make. Even if the and the fresh truths taught th<'m as their disciples were not to follow their methods, life went on would be e,·er the new ones. they might well imitate their devotion. The thought of l John ii. 7, 8 is very Denn Plumptre has a.n iuteresting note on similar. Weiss' interpretation is different our Lord's comparison of his own work and and even less right. Ac~ording to him, that of the apostles after him, to the work new represents the truths abouL the kingdom of the scribes of the Jewish schools. In of God, and old the long-known arre.nge- eh. u:iii. 34 is found a wider application of ments of nature and hnman life, which, as the term than usual, ha!'dly referring, how- the parables show, ore drawn up on the ever, to Christians, but rather to the Jewish same lines. Origen gives a beautiful appli- scribes in their idea.I character. Which is cation of Lev. xxvi. 10, lla. instructed; ,i,ho hath been made a di,,,·ip7,e Ver. 53.-A.nd it came to pass, that when (Revised Version, µ.a;917nu6,ls). Though the J'esus had finished these parables, he de- correction is right ( cf. eh. xxviii. .19), the parted thence. The formula marks the end word, nevertheless, implies much more than of an excerpt from the di~courses ( cf. eh. mere admission t.o the circle of disciples; xi. l, note, and Introduction, p. iii). It is, H includes e.lso the thought of instruction however, to be noticed that the first and having been reaJly received. Unto (to, Re- last words, Kai . . . <Kei9,v, come in Mark vised Version) the kingdom of heaven. vi. 1, introducing the pare.llel passage to our ( -rj fja.,rv..,/q. .,.;;,v ovpa;v;;,v, dative of refer- following verses. But in the •case of such ence; cf. Winer, § xxxi. 4). The kingdom co=on words this coincidence iB, perhaps, is not regarded as the teacher, but as the to be considered as accidental. He departed school, with reference to which discipleship (µ.,.,.:;,p.v). Elsewhere in the New Testa- is entered upon. Is like. In the preceding ment only in eh. xix. I, where it oomes in parables the general princi plea, etc., of the the same coanexion as here. kingdom of he.aven have been compared; here, only certai11. individuals belonging to Vera. 5i-58.-Unbelief manifested in it. Unto a man that i.8 an householder, Jesus' own country, i.e. Nazarnth. Parallel which bringeth forth out of his treasure passage: Mark vL 1-6. In Luke iv, 16-30 ( cf. eh. ii. 11, note). The thing signified is we have also an account of a scene at his experience and spiritual understanding. Nazareth; but the occe.sion was almost Ch. xii. 35 Las a similar thought, but the treruiure there is rather his personality as certainly e. different one from that described affecting his life; here, as affecting his intel- here. His account, however, seems to have lect. It is curione that the thought of been modified in form from the better eh. xii. 33, 34 should also resemble our known narrative found in the Framework, vers. 47-50. Things new and old. The and used in Matthew and Mark. thought of the saying is that as e. house- holder brings out from his stores food recently Ver. 54.-And when he was oome into his and long ago acquired (cf. Cant. vii. 13), so own country ( .ls .,.t,,, ,ra;.,.p/Ba. atl"Tov) ; i.e. a Chrisliau "scribe" brings out (primarily, Nazareth (eh. ii. 23). In Luke iv. 23 the if not solely, for the nee of others) the new phrase is used with express contrast to truths that he learns, and also old ones Capernaum. In John iv. 44 it is, as· it that he has long since known. It is thus seems, need in a special sense of J udma, a promise that the disciples shall (if they even though it comes in a saying that is use their opportunities rightly) be able to almost identical with our ver. 57 (see Bishop do more tlie.n understand Christ's teaching Westcott). He taugllt them in their syna- (BB they have just claimed to have done); gogue. His teaching appears to have for they shall be able to teach (not merely spread over at least a few days (IB[Ba<T,c<v). to learn), and that not only new truths, but Insomuoh that they were astonished ( eh, vii. also old ones ; they shall be able, that is to 28, 29), and said, Whenoe (1r&9,11). And so say, 1.0 understand the relation of the old to again in ver. 56. The sentence might in tLe new, and to bring out even the old in its itself express an earne•t desire to know the true meaning. Hence old is mentioned origin of our Lord. But the fact that they &ftcr mu,, for it impliee greater know ledge were " offended in him " ( ver. 57) shows that ell. xm.1-5~.J THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW. 15