The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 2 — Section 394

di(ltiona and the woes; bnt it is not very Ver. U.-Seco,id IDOIJ-&gaiust rape.oity ,;u(lc,el!l!ful, being often forced and nnnatur&l; and hypocrisy. There is some doubt about nnd it is better to regard the oontrBBt in a the genuineness of this verse, and our Re- general view, and not to attempt to press it visers have expunged it from their text, in plLJ'ticulare. Jesus hne pours forth his relegating it to the margin. It la omitted righteous anger on those whose obstin11te by ~. B, D, L, Z, some copies of the Vulg:i.te infidelity was about to bring rnin on the and some vorsiona ; on the other hand, it is Jewish oity and nation. Woe unto yon! (eh. found in E, F, G, H, K, M, and other xi. 21). These terrible "woes" are not later uncinls, and in the received Vulgate only evoked by indignation, 11nd pronounced and Syriac Versions. Critics rejcot it BB a RB a solemn judgment, they are e.lso ex- supposed interpolation from Mork xii. 40; pressive of the profoundest pity, and are Luke x..x. 47. At any rate, whether spoken prophetic of the future. They ha ~e, indeed, now or at another time, it is undoubtedly a twofold reference-they refer first to an utterance of Cilrist, and to be received temporal jndgments and visits.tions, now with all reverence. Ye devour widows' rOBdy to fall ; and secondly to the retribu- houses. Women who have lost their natural tion in the eternal world. That the meek protector become their prey. To these they and lowly Jesus should utter such awful de- attach themselves, winning them over by nunciations shows how greatly he wBB moved, flattery and fraud, and persuading them to how he left nothing untried to tum these assist them with their substance to the ruin hard hearts to introspeotion and repentance. of their fortunes. God had e.] ways de- Soribes and Pha.risees (see on ver. 2), hypo- fended the ea.use of widows, e.nd had urged crites (eh. vi. 2). Christ uses this word seven his people to deal gently and meroifully times in the£e denunciationa. It is applied with them (see Dent. L 18; nvii 19; Ps. to the Pharisees as deceiving themselves . lxviii. 5; Iino i. 17; Luke xviil. 3-7). and others, under the mask of godliness This woe is followed in St. Luke by the hiding polluted hearts, persuading them• episode of the widow's mite (Luke xx. 47; selves that formal externali.sm was real xxi.. 1-4). And for e. pretenoe make long piety and devotion, and pr&ctically teaching pr&yer; or, and that, making long prayers ibis fatal delnsion.. Ye ahut up the kingdom for a pretence. They put on e.n e.ppear&nce of heaven aga.inst men; r,,_.,,po<T8w .,.;;,., of extra.ordinary devotion, the.t they might lu,6p,/r,ra,v: before men; ante homina (Vul- more easily secure the favour of the widows; gate. This is the first tDoe-age.inat perverse or else they exacted large sums of money, obstroctiveness. They prevent men from engaging to offer continual prayers for the accepting Christ, and so entering God's donors (compare St. Paul's words in 2 kingdom, by their false interprets.tion of Tim. iii. 6). Thus these hypocrites me.de Scripture, by not allowing that it testifted a gain of godliness e.t the expenae of the of Christ, and by me.king the path impass- most helpless members of the community. able for the poor and ignorant. And this Greater (1r,p1rr<Toupov, more abundant) dam· is done "in tlie fuce of men," when tiley nation. No condemnation in this world or are, Ill! it were, thronging round and wishing the next ce.n be more jus-tJy awarded the.n to enter. "Ye have taken away the key to him who adds hypocrisy to covetousness, of knowledge," he says, in another place and makes religion e. cloke for oruel re.pa.city. (Luke :ri. 52). lieither au:ffer ye them that The comparative me.y refer h "the length- are entering to go in.. The kingdom of ened hypocritical prayers whioh wen.t heaven is here metaphorically regarded Be before" (Lange). e. be.nqneting-he.11. where a.re celebrated the Ver. 15.-Third tDoll-lLgainst evil prose- e.poW!als of Christ and his Church. The lytizing. Ye compass see. and land to make Pharisees watched the access thereto. They one proselyte. 'l'ile word ,rpo<T~A11Tos is stood e.t the door to bar all entrance. If used in the Se~tue.gint to signify "e. any showed signs of yielding to honest con- stranger" or "SOJoumer" (Exod. xii. 48, viction, they sternly forbade them to pro- 49, etc.), and at this time was applied to a ceed ; they repelled them with violence, as convert to Judaism (Acts ii. 10; vi. 5), Ly excommunication (John iL 22, 34), or whether circumcised, "e. proselyte of by calumniating the Teaciler (eh. iL 34, righteousness; " or uncircumcised, "a prose- etc.). There was many a time when the lyte _of the gate." To compa111 ,ea and land people were ready to acknowledge Christ is e. proverbial expression, denoting .the e.nd to follow him Be MeBBiah. A word employment of every mee.na, the exercise of from their authorized leaders would have the utmost effort. One might have thongli.t turned tho scale in his favour; but that that, in its proud isolation and exclusiveness, word WE&S nernr 11pokcn. The weight of Judaism would not have exposed itself to e._uthority was e.lways placed on the opposite this reproach. But what says Joaephus? mde, and naught but prejudice, animOl!ity, In more than one passage of his hi~tories he ar.d slimder befell the catu1e of Jesus. teetifles to the zealous prope.ge.tion of the OB. xxm. 1-30.] THE GOSPEL .ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW. 399