Bible Commentaries

Matthew 10:20 — 20. οὐ γὰρ ὑμ . κ . τ . λ .] This shews the reference of the command to a future mission of the Apostles, see John 15:26-27 . (1) It is to be observed that our Lord never in speaking to His disciples says our Father, but either my Father (ch. Mat

Matthew 13:31-32 — 31, 32. ] THIRD PARABLE. THE GRAIN OF MUSTARD SEED. Mark 4:30-34 .Luke 13:18-19; Luke 13:18-19 . On the connexion of this parable with the two last, Chrysostom observes (Hom. in Matt. xlvi. 2, p. 483), ἐπειδὴ γὰρ εἶπεν ὅτι ἀπὸ τοῦ σπόρου τρία μέρη ἀπόλλυται

Matthew 19:5 — this world: beyond this limit, the marriage is broken by the death of the flesh . And herein alone lies the justification of a second marriage, which in no way breaks off the unity of love in spirit with the former partner, now deceased. Vol. ii. p. 267, edn. 2.

Matthew 22:41-46 — 41 46. ] THE PHARISEES BAFFLED BY A QUESTION RESPECTING CHRIST AND DAVID. Mark 12:35-37 . Luke 20:41-44 . (See also Acts 2:34 .) Our Lord now questions his adversaries (according to Matt.: in Mark and Luke He asks the question not to , but concerning the Scribes or interpreters of the law), and again convicts them of ignorance

Matthew 22:7 — rejection of the Jews and the substitution of the Gentiles did not take place till that event. τὰ στρατ . αὐτοῦ ] The Roman armies; a similar expression for the unconscious instruments of God’s anger is used Isaiah 10:5 ; Isaiah 13:5 ; Jeremiah 25:9 ; Joel 2:25 . τὴν πόλιν αὐ . ] no longer His , but their city. Compare ὁ οἶκος ὑμῶν ch. Matthew 23:38 . This is a startling introduction of the interpretation into the parable ; we knew not before that they had a city .

Matthew 24:14 — ] We here again have the pregnant meaning of prophecy. The Gospel had been preached through the whole ‘orbis terrarum,’ and every nation had received its testimony, before the destruction of Jerusalem: see Colossians 1:6 ; Colossians 1:23 ; 2 Timothy 4:17 . This was necessary not only as regarded the Gentiles, but to give to God’s people the Jews, who were scattered among all these nations, the opportunity of receiving or rejecting the preaching of Christ . But in the wider sense,

Mark 1:1-8 — ΜΑΡΚΟΝ N.B. Throughout Mark, the parallel places in Matthew are to be consulted. Where the agreement is verbal, or nearly so, no notes are here appended, except grammatical and philological ones. 1 8. ] THE PREACHING AND BAPTISM OF JOHN. Matthew 3:1-12 .Luke 3:1-17; Luke 3:1-17 . The object of Mark being to relate the official life and ministry of our Lord, he begins with His baptism ; and as a necessary introduction to it, with the preaching of John the Baptist . His account of John’s baptism

Luke 1:46-55 — 46 55. ] Compare throughout the song of Hannah, 1 Samuel 2:1-10 . As connected with the defence of the hymns contained in these two chapters, we may observe, taking the very lowest ground , that there is nothing improbable, as matter of fact, in holy persons, full of the thoughts which permeate the O.T. prophecies,

Luke 10:2 — 2. ] See Mat 9:37 and notes. If ἐκβάλλῃ were read, the pres. , as usual, would have the force of the continually repeated act: as it is, the aor. (as in [84] Matt.) indicates the whole mission , considered as one great act. [84] When, in the Gospels,

John 15:8 — belongs to the following, not the preceding: ἐν τούτῳ , ἵνα .… as in E. V., see reff. ἐδοξάσθη again is proleptic, representing that in the spiritual dispensation the fact is habitually so. See on this sense of the aorist, Winer, edn. 6, § 40. 5. b. 2. The πολὺς καρπός is not merely ‘large success in the apostolic mission,’ but ‘individual advance in bringing forth the fruits of the Spirit.’ καὶ γένησθε ] and that ye may become My (true) disciples, ἀπαρτισθήσεσθε , Euthym

John 21:2 — 2. ] Nathanael is named by John only , see ch. John 1:46 ff.: Thomas also by John only , except in the catalogues of the Apostles. The junction of ἀπό with a proper name is in John’s style: see ch. John 1:45 ; John 11:1 ; John 19:38 . οἱ τοῦ

Acts 11:30 — 30. πρεσβυτέρους ] These were the overseers or presidents of the congregation, an office borrowed from the synagogues, and established by the Apostles in the churches generally, see ch. Acts 14:23 . They are in the N. T. identical with ἐπίσκοποι , see ch. Acts 20:17 ; Acts 20:28 ; Titus 1:5 ; Titus 1:7 ; 1 Peter 5:1-2 . So Theodoret on Philippians 1:1 , ἐπισκόπους τοὺς πρεσβυτέρους καλεῖ · ἀμφότερα γὰρ εἶχον κατ ʼ ἐκεῖνον τὸν καιρὸν τὰ ὀνόματα

Acts 18:22 — 22. ἀναβάς ] To Jerusalem : for (1) it would be out of the question to suppose that Paul made the long detour by Cæsarea only to go up into the town from the beach , as supposed by most of those who omit δεῖ … Ἱερος . in Acts 18:21 , and salute the

Acts 19:3 — 3. ] Paul’s question establishes the above rendering, to what then ( οὖν , if ye did not so much as hear of the Holy Ghost at your first believing) were ye baptized ? If the question and answer in Act 19:2 regarded, as in E. V., the whole interval since their conversion, this enquiry would have been more naturally expressed in the perfect. See Galatians 3:27 , where there is the same necessity of preserving the historical sense of the aorists. εἰς

Acts 4:27 — 27 .] The γάρ implies an acknowledgment of the truth of God in the fulfilment of the prophecy: Thou art the God who hast , &c., for these events have happened accordingly. ἐν τῇ πόλει ταύτῃ . which has been excluded from the text on account of its

Acts 6:6 — office of giving themselves to prayer is here specially exercised. The laying on of hands , the earliest mention of which is connected with blessing only ( Gen 48:14 ), was prescribed to Moses as the form of conferring office on Joshua, Numbers 27:18 , and from that time was used on such occasions by the Jews. From its adoption by the Apostles, it has ever been the practice of the Christian church in ordaining , or setting apart her ministers. It was also used by the Apostles on those who,

Romans 16:2 — 2. ] ἐν κυρίῳ , in a Christian manner , as mindful of your common Lord: ἀξίως τ . ἁγίων , ‘ in a manner worthy of saints ;’ i.e. ‘ as saints ought to do ,’ refers to προσδέξησθε , and therefore to their conduct to her;

2 Peter 1:1-2 — ΠΕΤΡΟΥ Β 1, 2 .] ADDRESS AND GREETING. Symeon (see var. readd. The form, as belonging to our Apostle, is found, besides here, only in Acts 15:14 . Its occurrence is at all events a testimony in favour of the independence of the second Epistle. It was not adapted

2 John 1:10-11 — Those who harbour or encourage such, make common cause with them, and their evil deeds. If any cometh to you, and bringeth not (the indic. after εἰ shews that the case supposed actually existed: that such persons were sure to come to them: cf. John 11:12 , 2Co 2:5 , 1 John 4:11 . It is not = ἐάν with subj., which always carries a purely hypothetical force, corresponding to an interrogation, whereas the other corresponds to an assertion: e. g. in 1 John 2:15 , ἐάν τις ἀγαπᾷ τὸν κόσμον , which may be

Jude 1:20-23 — 20 23 .] CONCLUDING EXHORTATION TO THE READERS: and a) Jude 1:20-21 , as to their own spiritual life . But ye, beloved (resumed from Jud 1:17 ), building up yourselves ( ἑαυτους , not = ἀλλήλους , but as in Php 2:12 ) upon (as a foundation) your