The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 2 — Section 275

whatever its spiritual mee.ning may be, ia nobody, he benefits many; who :should pre- most. natural and lire-like. sume to censure him ? Ver. 12.-Theae last be.ve wrought but Ver. 15.-With mine own; lP -roi's lµoi's: <'De hour; µla.• /:,pa.• hro!.,crav: una hora in tlui case of what ia mine 010ft. These words feoeru,,t (Vulgate); have spent but one hour are omitted by the Vulga.te, which has, .A.ut (Revised Version). The verb 1ro,,iv is used (~) non lwet mihi quod volofacere 1 Is thine with nouns of time in the sense of" spend," eye evil t The evil__e_ye is here expressive of "paBII," as in Ruth ii. 19 (Septuagint); Acts envy, as Prov. xxvm. 22. The Latin word· xv. 33, et.o. They speak of the late workers invidia, Cicero informs us (' Tueo. Diep.,' contemptuously (o~-ro, ol frxa.-ro,), "these iii. 9), "ductum est a nimis intuendo fortu- fellows who are last." They do not allow ne.m altorius." For nimis Bentley conjeo• that they laboured-they " made" one hour turee limis, "with sidelong glances," The nominally. Eqnal nnto ns. Bengel notes, idea is the same, envy being indicated by "Envy does not dem,md more for itself, the look of the eye. Good ; generous. Wh:y, but wishes that others should have lees." should yon view with dicifavour my libe- TLeir complaint is that others who have rality? The master says no more; he give& worked less are not docked of their wages no further account of hie determination. in due proportion. Barden and hea.t of the Ver. 16.-So the last, etc. The pa.re.hie day; -r~ /3&,,o, 'Iii• 71µ,pa.s rca.l -rbv rca.6cr,,wa.: concludes with the saying with wliioh it the burden of the day and tM BCO'l"ching heat began (eh. xix. 30), but with some inversion ,(Revised Version). The latter word is used fo the order " the words. There it was, for the hot dry wind which, blowing from "Many first shall be last ; and last first ; " the east, was fatal to vegetation and pre- here it is, The last shall be first, and th& judicial to human comfort, if not to life. fl.ret last. The circumste.nces of the parable The remonstrance of these men may be necessitate this cbe.nge. The last called compared with that of the elder brother were first pa.id, and were eque.l to the first in the parable of the prodigal son (Luke in recompense ; the first were behind tlie xv. 29, 30). They show somewhat of the others in time of payment, e.nd in the spirit spirit of the apostles when they asked, with which they received their wages; they "What shall we have therefore?" (eh. were also treated with less generosity than. :rix. 27). the others. l!'or many be called ... chosen Ver. 13.-Re answered one of them. The (eh. :xxii. 14). Thie clause is omitted by Lord condescended to show, not to all the N, B, and other manuscripts; but it has labourers, but to one of them-the ringleader good authority, e.ndis most probably genuine. probably-the futility of the ground of his It is added in explanation or justification of murmur. Christ often explains himself to hie the preceding statement. From not seeing friends, while be refuses further el ucide.tion to its applicability, and regarding it as oppos- enemies and the hardened. 7riend(o-ra.ip,). ing the intention of the parable, some tran- Not e. term of affection, or special good will, scribers and some editors have expunged it but one of indifference, e.ddreBSed to an in- from the text. But it would seem that ferior. It was the word used to Judas (eh. Christ takes occasion from the particular :a:vi. 50) when he came to betray his Lord, case in the parable to make a general state- " Friend, wherefore e.rt thou come? " I do ment, that not all who a.re called would thee no wrong. The labourer had really recei..-e reward, because many would not nothing to complain of in strict justice; he a.newer the call, or would nullify it by their had received the full amount of the stipu- conduct; not, as Theophyle.ct says, that lated wages. But he very naturally felt se.l ve.tion is limited, but men's efforts to that he had not been fairly dealt with. He obtain it a.re feeble or negative. In other would say to him.Bell, "If one hour's work, words, many outwardly members of the aod that in the cool of the evening, is kingdom of God a.re unworthy of, and shall deemed worth e. penny, surely a whole day's not share in, its spiritual blessings. Chosen. labour, in the full heat of the sun, ought to Many, that is virtually all, a.re chosen; but deserve a higher remuneration." The diffi- there is an election within the election, culty here must he felt by every one. Nor and they only who a.re of this inner circle is the master's solution perfect; it would shall be recompen.sed o.t the resurrection of scarcely commend itself to the dissatisfied the just. murmurer. And doubtless it is not in- tended to be complete. The interpretation of the parable.-As in Ver. 14.-Take that thine is; tkiM own. all pe.re.bles, so here, we are to regard the Take your agreed wages, and go; there is general scope, and not la.y too mnoh stress nothing more to be said. I will (Bb.u, 31) on details, which often, while adding to the give; but it i, mv will to give. The lord vi vidneBB of the picture, contribute nothing defends hie conduct on the ground that such to its spiritual side. The explo.nation of ill LiB will and pleasure. By it he injure& this difficult parable has greatly exercised_ on. xx.1-34,] THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. M.A.TTIIEW. 279