The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 2 — Section 320

foundc'd on Isa. v. 1-7, where, however, the into a far oonntry; ,l,,.,~~1''1"''": went abroad. vineyard is tended by the Lord himself, In the parabolic sense, God withdrew for a not by hnsbandmen, and it bears wild time the sensible tokens of his presence, no grapes. not good gnpes. By these dift"er- longer manifested himself as at Sinni, and enoee different developments of deolension in the oloud and pillar of fire. "Iuuuitur are indicated. In the earlier timee it we.e tempos divinm taoiturnitatis, ubi hominea the nation that apostatized, fell into idolatry e.gunt pro arbitrio" (Bengel). God's long. and rebellion against God, the tbeocratical suffering gives time of probation. Head of their race and polity. In later Ver. 34.-When the time of the fruit drew dnys it is the teachers, rabbis, priests. false near. The vintage season, when the rent, prophets, who neglect the paths of righteous• whether in money or kind, became due. In nees, and lead poople astray. In the parable the Jewish history no particular time seems these last come into painful promiuenoe as to be signified, but rather such periods or criminally guilty of opposing God's mes• crises which forced God's claims upon men's sengers. Hedged it round; put a hedge notioe, and nmdc them consider what fruits around it. Tlie fence would be a stone wall they had to show for all the Lord's care, -a necessary defence against the incursions how they had lived after receiving the Law. of wild animals. This fence bas been re- Such times were the ages of Samuel, Elijah, garded in two senses-first, as referring to the great prophets, the Maocabees, and John the physical peculiarities of the position of the Baptist. Rill servants. The prophets, the Holy Land, separated from alien nations good kings, priests, and govemors. "I have by deserts, seas, rivers, and so isolated from sent onto yon all my servants the prophets, evil contagion ; second, as intimating the rising up early and sending them, saying, peculiar laws and minute reetriotione of the Return ye now every man from his evil way, Jewish polity, which differentiated Judaism and amend your doings" (Jer. xxxv. 15). from all other systems of religion, and tended To reoeive the fruits of it (-robs 1<<>p1rob1 to preserve purity e.nd inoorruption. Pro- alrrov); or, hia fruits, as rent. bably the "hedge" is meant to adumbrate Ver. 35.-Took hie servants. The e:a:- both senses. Many, however, see in it the aotion of rent in kind has always been a protection of angels, or the righteousness of fruitful souroe of dispute. fraud, and discon- saints, which seem hardly to be sufficiently tent. In the Jewish Churoh God's mes- precise for the context. Digged a winepreu. sengers he.d been ill treated and put t.o The phrase refers, not to the ordinary wooden death (see oh. xxiii. 34-87). "Which of tronghs or vats which were nsed for the the prophets he.ve not your fathers perse- pm-pose of expressing and receiving the cuted?" oried St. Stephen; "and they have juice of the grapes, bnt to snch as were cut slain them which showed before the coming in the rock, and were common in all parts of the Jnst One; of whom ye have been of the country. Rema.ins of these recep- the betrayers e.nd murderers " (Aots vii. tacles meet the traveller everywhere on the 52). Beat . . . killed . . . atoned. A olimu hill-slopes of Jndma, e.nd notably in the of iniquity and guilt. The statement ia valleys of Carmel The winepress is ta.ken probably meant to be general; some, how- to signify the prophetio spirit, the temple ever, endeavour to individualize it, referring services, or o.ll things that typified the sacri• the•• beating" to the treatment of Jeremiah fice e.nd death of Christ. A tower ; for the (Jer. lLL 1, 2), "killing" to Isaiah (Heh. :a:i. purpose of watching and guarding the vine- 37, " sawn asunder"), "atoning" to Zacha- yard. This may represent the temple itself, riah son of Jehoiada (2 Obron. :a:xiv. 20, 21). or the civil power. Whatever interpretation Doubtless, the incidents in anch perseontions may be put upon the various details, which, were often repeated. indeed, should not be nnd uly pressed, the Ver. 86.-0ther servants. God's loving- general notion iB that every care was ta.ken kindness was not wearied out with the of the Lord'~ inheritance, nothing was husbandmen's cruelty and violence. Eaoh wanting for its convenience and security. step of their wiokedness and obstinacy we.s Let it out to husbandmen. This is a new met with renewed mercy, with fresh oalls fee.tore introduced into Isaiah's parable. to repentance. More (1rA.,lo11ar). More in Instead of paying an e.nnue.l sum of money number. In the latter days the number of to the /roprietor, these vine-dressers payed God's messengers was mnoh greater than in kin , furnishing a etipnle.ted amount of in earlier times; so it ie nnneoeBBary to take fruit or wine as the hire of the vineyard. ,r/1.olov,u in the sense of "more honourable," We have a lee.ee on the former terms in Oant. "of higher dignity," though euoh interpre- viii 11, where the keepers he.ve "t.o brinr, tation is supported by ite 1188 in oh. vi. 25: a thouse.nd, pieces of silver for the fruit·. ' Mark ili 83 ; Heb. :xi 4. Likewise. They The busbe.ndmen are the children of Israel, resisted these new envoys as they bad re- ".fho had to do their part in the Church, and sisted those first sent., treating them with "how fruits of piety and devotion. Went egna.l ornelty and violence. OH, xu. 1-46.J THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW. 325