The Pulpit Commentary — John — Volume 2 — Section 131

t.be pn.rl of the trno King. Both Me.tthew malice.I grounde; ol 1'"811.-«l, ie the eubject of and John omit the chn.mcteristica of" right- i1ro/11,rav-the1e thing■ unto him. 'E3o(d,r871 1 <'(IUF enrl •e,.crl.'' i.e. "delivered" from the ie need of the uplifting to the glory which lmnrl• of hi• rru<'l enemies. The BUffcring he had before the world Wl\8; not until thon Servant of Goo of th<' great omole of lea. Jiii. we.a the Spirit given that oxple.ined eo much wa• in th<' mind of the Prophet Zecbe.riah. of the myeterioue life. (For other illuetre.- nnd be adds this fee.turo to the triumphant tione of .-b ,rp~.-o.,, in the re.re sense of " e.t <'oming of the true Prinoe of Pence, that he first," eee ah. x. -10; xix. 39,) (1) l\len often would "cut off the ohe.riot from Ephraim e.ot o.nd epee.k without perceiving the full nnd the hol'Be from Jerusalem," i.e. so oot meaning of deed or word, not grasping the that e.-cn the national pride 1md power e.nd link of oonnection thus instituted betwoen military prowess should C'omc to a.n end; e. coneecrated pe.st and a predestined future. " Speak peace to the nations; rule from see. (2) Words e.nd actions a.re freely done from to eee., from the river to the ends of the personal mative.e and in entire spontaneity ee.rth." As John and Matthew both see the when they e.re nevertheless fulfilling the sytnbolice.l fulfilment of the prophecy, they Divine purpose and working out the plan of doubtless would have us boor in mind the God. (ll) The revealing moment comes, e.nd whole pe.sl!8.gll. John tre.nsforme the "Re- the whole signiftoance flo.shes into view. joice greatly, shout," etc., of the prophet Vera. 17-19.-ThP.se verses connect the iuto "Fear not." He seems to te.ke it at enthusiasm of the multitudes with the great one stage only of fulfilment, when anxiety miracle of oh. xi., indicating e. point conoern- might momentarily be put to rest. The ing which the synoptic narrative is silent, .. l<'ear not " is e. lower form of "great re- e.nd further they consociate the miracle and joicing," It is something for men to dis- its effect upon the multitude with aggre.ve.- miss their doubt.s e.nd hush their unrest, tion of the malignant feeling of the consti- even when they cannot burst into song. tuted e.uthoritie.e whioh leads to the oapture Hengst.enberg e.nd Godet urge the.t the and crucifixion of the Lord Jesus. •· meekness e.nd lowliness" t.o which the Ver. 17.-The multitude therefore whioh prophet rcfe:rred, e.nd which Matthew cited was with him when he called Lazarus out from him, we.s imaged in the lowly beast on of the tomb, and ro.ised him from the dead, which never me.n sat. But it must not be were bee.ring witness. The seventeenth forgott.en that the e.ss we.s used, by distin- verse goes be.ck to the ( 6XAos) multitude guished personages ( J udg. v. 9, 10; L 4 ; who a.re mentioned in eh. xi. 42; i.e. to the :! Sam. xvii 28; xix. 26). And e.ll that we.s friends of Me.ry e.nd Me.rtho. and to other rea.lly mee.nt by it we.s the choice of e. inhe.bito.nte of Bethany, e.s well as visitors creature e.ssocie.t.ed ro.ther with daily life from J eruso.lem (eh. xi. 81 ). All these Rl'e in- than with military display. Meyer e.nd volved in the explicit declaration, 6 If,,, /'ET' Moulton urge tho.t it we.s e. chosen symbol 11/n-ou. Which tDaB tDith him tDhen I he called of peace (1ta/Hiµ.EYos is substituted for the Lazarua out of his gTave, and (not only so, ~... ,13,fl111tws .,,.1 of the LXX. e.nd Matt. xxi. but) raised him from among the dead. 5). Contro.ry to Keim's a.nime.dversion, our Those who had actually beheld the miracle, Lord o.nd his disciples adopted here the e.nd were e.s eye e.nd ear witnesses of the idea of e. Jewish Messiah, stripping it of event, who he.d hovered about Bethany since its worldly che.re.cteristics. It should be his return to it,-these tD~e bearing tDitneas. observed the.t, while John's :wi.rre.tive is in They spread themselves a.broad in the crowd harmony with the synoptists, he greatly of Ge.lilman pilgrims and others, e.nd were ubbrevio.tes it. uttering their testimony on e.ll sides. The Ver. 16.-These thi.ngll understood not hiB word is used absolutely, as in eh. ili. 35, diaaiples e.t the :11.nt : but when 1esus we.s gl.orined, then remembered they that these 1 •on, not 3.-,, which would alter the thingll were written of him. This verse meaning of the whole passage, and 1-equire shows that the disciples (of whom John we.s the following cl.e.use to become the object of one) took pe.rt in the celebro.tion, though the verb lµ.ap-r6p .. : "The multitude which they did not see at the time, nOl' lliltil e.fter we.a with him [e.t the time at whioh the the Ascension-not until they saw by faith ne.rrative ree.ched] were bee.ring witness tho.t the oo,a into which the Lord had ent<Jred- he called Laze.rue." But 3.-• is read by e.ll the.t the honour which tl,ey he.d done to him the principal uncial codices, tot, A, B, E, ltad corresponded strangely with the marvel- etc., and versions, and by R.T., although lous words of the old prophecy. And that they Meyer e.nd Tischendorf (8th edit.), me.inly he.d do1111~lee.rly the disciples, on gre.m- on ::~...a.I grounde, prefer 3.-, ; not so Word (6th edit.), Moll, Tregelles, West- 1 The Authoriz.ed Venion inconeotlr, cott e.nd Hort, or Bille Revisers, nor Tisch- translates the: word J7itu "ha,ing B&lva.tion, ' endorf in previous editions. •on is found whereu it mee.us "be~ ee.ved." in D, K, L, n, and some patristic referencea. on. lUI, 1-60,j THE GOSPEi, ACCORDING TO ST. JOHN. 187