immediately after vv.88-41, can only refer to such as had confidence in the power of Christ, like the man who cast out demons in His name even though he was not an immediate follower of Christ. The construction does not occur again in Mk. nor in Lk. It is common in Jn. The T&V TIσTEVÓVτwv eis èμé in Mt. is incongruous, and is only explicable as borrowed, i.e. not omitted, from Mk. 7. Woe to the world because of stumbling-blocks! for there is L necessity that stumbling-blocks come; but woe to that man through whom the stumbling-block comes !] Lk 171 has: åvévdektóv čotiv toû τὰ σκάνδαλα μὴ ἐλθεῖν, πλὴν οὐαὶ δι ̓ οὗ ἔρχεται. The editor inserts the saying here because of the verbal connection between σκávdaða and oxavdation of the previous verse; cf. the juxtaposition of 616 (ἀφανίζουσι) and 619 ἀφανίζει. For κόσμος, cf. 514 1338. 8. And if thy hand or thy foot is causing thee to stumble, cut it M off, and cast (it) from thee. It is good for thee to enter into life maimed or halt, than having two hands or two feet to be cast into the eternal fire.] [Mk. has two separate sayings for the hand and the foot: "And if thy hand should cause thee to stumble, cut it off. It is good for thee maimed to enter into life, than having the two hands to go away into Gehenna, into the unquenchable fire. And if thy foot should be causing thee to stumble, cut it off. It is good for thee to enter into life halt, than having the two feet to be cast into Gehenna." Mt. has the saying about the hand in 530. He combines here, selecting Bλnova (Mk 45) rather than åπeλeîv (43). In 529-30 he has both verbs. He assimilates to 5 by substituting εἰ σκανδαλίζει for ἐὰν σκανδαλίσῃ (ίζῃ), and ἔκκοψον for ἀπόκοψον, and by adding καὶ βάλε ἀπὸ σοῦ; cf. Introduction, p. xxx. For "life," see on 714-eis To Top Tò alúviov] Mk. has : εἰς τὴν γεέναν, εἰς τὸ πῦρ τὸ ἄσβεστον. τὸ πῦρ τὸ αἰώνιον eis tò is an assimilation to 2541. αἰώνιος occurs again in 254 of κόλασις, and in 1916. 29 2546 of wn. On the idea of everlasting punishment, see Volz, Jüd. Eschat. p. 287. Cf. Ps-Sol 235 åñódeia alórios; Enoch 919 "eternal judgement"; 273 "judgement-continually, for ever"; 2211 "punishment and torture for ever"; 6718 "fire which burns for ever"; Josephus, Wars, ii. 164, "everlasting punishment" (aidiw Tiμwpią koλáčeσ0αi); Ant. xviii. 14, "an everlasting prison" (eipyμòv audiov); Secrets of Enoch 106 hell is "an everlasting inheritance"; Jubilees 2432 "eternal malediction"; Berakhoth 28b (Jochanan ben Zaccai) "All the more should I weep now that they are about to lead me before the King of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He, who lives and abides for ever, and for ever and ever; whose wrath, if He be wrathful, is an eternal wrath; and if He bind me, His binding is an eternal binding; and if He kill me, His killing is an eternal killing; whom I cannot placate with words, nor bribe with wealth"; Baruch 8512 "there will be no opportunity of returning, nor a limit to the times." In view of this M L L L L general drift of contemporaneous thought upon this subject, there is no justification for the attempt to weaken the meaning of alúvios in this Gospel. For the questions raised as to the duration of punishment in the Rabbinical schools, see Volz. 9. And if thy eye is causing thee to stumble, pluck it out, and cast (it) from thee. It is good for thee with one eye to enter into life, than having two eyes to be cast into the Gehenna of fire.] Mk. has: "And if thy eye should be causing thee to stumble, cast it out. It is good for thee with one eye to enter into the kingdom of God, than having two eyes to be cast into Gehenna, where 'their worm dies not, and the fire is not quenched."" Mt. assimilates to 52 by substituting εἰσκανδαλίζει for ἐὰν—σκανδαλίζῃ, σοί for σέ, ἔξελε for ἔκβαλε, and by adding καὶ βάλε ἀπὸ σοῦ. The addition of Toû Tupós after yeévav is an assimilation to 522 and a substitute for Mk v.48. 10. Take heed, do not despise one of these little ones; for I say to you, That their angels in heaven always see the face of My Father who is in heaven.] The editor adds a saying which clearly has reference to children, not to adult Christians of childlike faith, and is an additional proof that in v.6 he still had literal children in mind. The Tv μкрŵν тоÚтшν of v.6 and of this verse probably suggested the insertion of this saying here. See note on v.7.βλέπουσιν τὸ πρόσωπον] Cf. 1 Κ 1ο, 2 Κ 251, Το 1215. "seeing the face" means that they stand in the immediate presence of God. The verse gives an additional reason for reverencing the Christlike qualities of children; cf. v.. The 12. What think ye? if any man have a hundred sheep, and one of them stray, doth he not leave the ninety-nine, and go to the mountains and seek that which has strayed?] 13. And if it happen that he find it, verily I say to you, that he rejoices more over it, than over the ninety-nine which did not stray.] Lk 153-7 has a similar saying. The parable there illustrates the divine love which seeks to reclaim sinners. In Mt. after v.10 and before v.14 it apparently illustrates from another point of view the value of children in God's sight. Their angels stand in His presence, and He cares for them as a shepherd does for his lost sheep. But this can hardly be an original connection. 14. So it is not the will of (before) your Father who is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.] Vv.12-14 have probably been added here by the editor as a third saying about Tv μukρv TOÚTWV; cf. vv.6. 10. Even if vv.10-14 be interpreted of children in faith, ie. recent converts, vv. 12-14 can hardly be in an original connection. They presuppose a context such as that in Lk. where they would illustrate the divine love, not for children or for childlike believers, but for sinners who had strayed away from His love. For θελημα ἔμπροσθεν, cf. 1128 εὐδοκία ἔμπροσθεν. 10. τῶν μικρῶν τούτων] Dbcf12 g 2 S, add τῶν πιστευόντων εἰς épé, to assimilate to v.. The words are very unsuitable here. 11. ἦλθε γὰρ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου σῶσαι τὸ ἀπολωλός] So D al S2 latt. Omit & BL 1 13 33 eff1 S1. The verse is interpolated from Lk 1910, apparently in order to make some sort of connection between v. 10 and 12-14 15. The thought with which the discourse started was the necessity of an unassuming and unpretentious disposition in those who hope to enter the kingdom. Children and behaviour towards them were the test of this quality, vv.1-5. A change was then made to the consideration of conduct towards children, and the sin of putting stumbling-blocks in their path, v.. Another abrupt change due to Mk. introduced the subject of a man who puts stumbling-blocks in his own spiritual life, vv.7-9. Lastly, in some verses added by Mt. to Mk.'s discourse the thought returned to the consideration of right conduct towards children (or childlike believers ?), vv.10-14. In these last three verses the thought of God's forgiveness of sinners is not prominent. Rather the thought emphasised here is that of His love for children (or childlike believers?). But the love of God is most strikingly expressed in His forgiveness of sin, and the Evangelist is aware that the parable could more appropriately be employed to illustrate His forgiving love. This suggests to him the sayings which follow about forgiveness as a necessary qualification of the Christian character. It seems clear that the juxtaposition of the ideas of giving no offence to little ones, v., and of forgiving sin, v.15, is purely artificial and literary, and that it is due to the editor of the Gospel. Now it is noticeable that vv.6. 7. 15. 21 are paralleled in Lk 172.1.3.4. That is to say, that both Evangelists connect the ideas of giving offence to little ones and of forgiving sin. Since a motive for this connection can be discovered in Mt., whilst in Lk. it seems purely arbitrary, it seems probable that Lk 1714 is due to reminiscence of Mt 18. 15. And if thy brother sin against thee, go convince him between L thee and him alone: if he hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.] Lk (173. 4) has: "If thy brother sin, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. And if seven times a day he sin against thee, and seven times turn to thee, saying, I repent, thou shalt forgive him." Cf. Test. Gad 63-7 "If he admit his offence and repent, forgive him.”ἔλεγξον] cf. Lev 1917 ἐλεγμῷ ἐλέγξεις τὸν πλησιόν σου. μeTagù σoû Kaì aνToû] is an Aramaism. The thought is of personal offences. The Christian disciple is to be reconciled to his offended fellow-Christian before he can bring offerings to God, 523. 24. He must also do everything in his power to bring one who has wronged him to penitence and to forgiveness. 16. But if he will not hear (thee), take with thee one or L two more, that at the mouth of two witnesses or three every word L L may stand.]—èàv dè μǹ åкovσŋ] ie. if he will not admit his wrongdoing and be reconciled to you.—παράλαβε μετὰ σοῦ ἔτι ένα dúo] ie. take with you one or two that they may admonish him, and be witnesses to the fact that you have made efforts to re-establish amity.—va dúo] in order that the Mosaic "two or three" may be satisfied. The two or three are the offended Christian and the one or two whom he takes with him. The matter is not treated from a strictly legal point of view, because the offended person would not be regarded as a witness in a law court. Moreover, the one or two are to witness not to the offence, but to the unwillingness of the offender to be reconciled, and to the efforts made by the offended party to bring about reconciliation. It is probable that the quotation is an addition to the original saying made by the Evangelist, or by the compiler of his Jewish Christian source. The words quoted are from Dt 1915 ἐπὶ στόματος δύο μαρτύρων καὶ ἐπὶ στόματος τριῶν μαρτύρων στήσεται πᾶν ῥῆμα. Luc has δύο μαρτύρων ἢ τριῶν. 17. But if he refuse to hear them, tell it to the Church and if he refuse to hear the Church also, let him be to thee as the Gentile and the toll-gatherer.] mapaκove in the later Greek is to refuse to hear, cf. Es 38. 8, To 34, Polyb. xxvi. 2. 1, xxx. 18. 2, and Mk 536 with Swete's note.-xxλnoía] see on 1618. The Church is the society of disciples of Christ who dwell in any place. For Ovikós and Teλúvηs, see on 546.47. The Christian disciple who refuses to be reconciled to his fellow-Christian is to be regarded as no true member of the Society. 18. Verily I say to you, Whatsoever things you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever things you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.] The saying with the verbs in the singular has already been recorded in 1619. Here it means that the decisions of the community regarding what is or is not justifiable in its members must be regarded as final. L 19. Again I say to you, That if two of you agree upon earth concerning anything which they shall ask, it shall be done for them from My Father who is in the heavens.] This gives the reason for the assurance made in v.18. The decisions of the community will be final, because God will hear the petitions of even two Christians who agree together. But the verse cannot be in an original connection. In v.18 the agreement presupposed is agreement in coming to decisions upon questions which concern the Church's welfare. V.19 is clearly an encouragement to prayer on the ground that the agreement of the smallest number in their petitions will insure an answer. The "on earth" and "in heaven" in both verses suggested the insertion of 19 here. Cf. note on v.7. L 20. For where two or three are gathered in My name, there am I in the midst of them.] That is to say, the prayer of two who are agreed will receive an answer, because Christ is with His disciples in their prayer; cf. Sayings of Our Lord, Log. v.: "Wherever there are (two) they are not without God, and wherever there is one alone I say I am with him"; Mal 316 "They that feared the Lord spake often the one to the other, and the Lord hearkened and heard"; Aboth 38 "Two that sit together and are occupied in the words of the Law have the Shechinah (i.e. the Divine Presence) among them." Cf. 39 and B. Berakhoth 6a quoted by Taylor, The Oxyrhynchus Logia, p. 34 f. 15. els gé] So D al latt S1 S2. The words are wrongly omitted by B1 22 234, and if not expressed would have to be understood. They are not found in Lk 173, but occur in the next verse. Űraye is omitted by S1 S2. 20. DS have this verse in a negative form: "For there are not two or three gathered together in My name that I am not in the midst of them." 21. Then came Peter, and said to Him, Lord, how often shall my L brother sin against me, and I shall forgive him? unto seven times ?] Lk 174 has: "And if seven times in the day he sin against thee, and seven times turn to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him." For the introduction of Peter, cf. 1428 1515; and see note on 1619, p. 180. 22. Jesus saith to him, Not, I say to thee, until seven times; but, L until seventy times seven.] The latter number is meant as an indefinitely great one. There is the same literary contrast between seven and seventy times seven in Gn 424 LXX. Cf. Moulton, p. 98: "A definite allusion to the Genesis story is highly probable. Jesus pointedly sets against the natural man's craving for seventysevenfold revenge, the spiritual man's ambition to exercise the privilege of seventy-sevenfold forgiveness." Dr. Moulton had previously said that the meaning "seventy seven times" is unmistakable in Genesis. It is very probable that Mt.'s ἑβδομηκοντάκις ἕπτα is modelled on the similar phrase in Genesis, but it seems doubtful whether in both passages we should not translate seventy times seven, rather than seventy-seven times. In Mt., D has ẞdoμnкovtákis éttákis, an obvious emendation. Blass renders seventy times seven, p. 145. So Wellhausen and Zahn, in loc. Contrast the teaching in the Babylonian Talmud, Joma 86 "Rabbi Jose ben Jehuda said, If a man commits an offence once they forgive him, a second time they forgive him, a third time they forgive him, the fourth time they do not forgive him: for it is said (here follow Job 3329 and Am 20)"; 87a "Rabbi Isaac said, Every one who vexes his neighbour, if only in words, must appease him." "Rabbi Jose ben Hanina said, He who begs forgiveness from his neighbour must not do so more than three times, for it is said" (here follows Gn 217, in which are here three particles of entreaty). 23. The editor now inserts a parable to illustrate the necessity of forgiveness. |