'^>iPjv^: ■;*^ ft jkjSSL^^ Stom f^e feifirarg of (pxoftBBot WtMdm J^tnx^ (Breen ^ .^ , Q$equeaf 3e^ 6^ ^tm fo ^ ' * i^c &t6rarg of Qptinceton ^^gecfo^tcctf ^emtndr^ .c\si \'S\\ V.4- b* 7^ ■/ y THE FOUR GOSPELS, TRANSLATED FROM THE GREEK, WITH PRELIMINARY DISSERT ATIONS5 AND NOTES CRITICAL AND EXPLANATORY. BY GEORGE CAMPBELL, D.D. F.R.S. EDINBURGH. Principal of the Marischal College, Aberdeen, IN FOUR VOLUMES. VOL. IV. WITH THE AUTHOR'S LAST CORRECTIONS. MONH ©TTEON TH AAH0EIA. BOSTON : PUBLISHED BY W. WELLS, AND THOMAS B. WAIT AND CO. T. B. Wait dr Co. Printers. 1811. ADVERTISEMENT. It is proper to observe that, in the following Notes, repetitions and unnecessary references are, as much as possible, avoided. When an useful illustration of any word or phrase is to be found in the Notes on one of the succeeding Gospels, the place is com. nionly referred to ; not so, when it is in one of the preceding, because it may probably be remembered ; and if it should not, the margin of the text will direct to the places proper to be con. suited. But when the explanation of a term occurs in the Notes on a preceding Gospel, on a passage not marked in the margin as parallel, the place is mentioned in the Notes. In words which frequently recur, it has been judged convenient to adopt the following ABBREVIATIONS. Al. Alexandrian manuscript E.B. (English Bible in ( common use A n (Anonymous Eng. i latiou in 1729 trans. An. E.T. (English translation — f the same. Ar. Arias Montanu^ Ara. Arabic Eng. English Arm. Armenian Er. Erasmus Be. Beza Eth. Ethiopic Beau. , Beausobre and Lenfant Euth. Euthymius Ben. Bengelius Fr. French Cal. Calvin G. E. , Geneva English Cam. Cambridge manuscript G. F. Geneva French Cas. Castalio Ger. German Cha. Chaldee Go. Gothic Chr. Chrysostom Gr. Greek Com. Complutensian edition Gro. Grotius Cop. Coptic Ham. Hammond Dio, Diodati Heb. Hebrew Diss. Dissertation Hey. Heylyn Dod. Doddridge J. John ABBREVIATIONS. Itc. Italic Sa. Saci Itn. Italian Sax. Saxou L. Luke Sc. Scott La. Latin Sep. Septuagint Lu. Luther Si. Simon L. CI. Le Clerc Sy. Syriac M. G. Modern Greek The. Theophylact Mr. Mark Vat. Vatican manuscript MS. Manuscript Vul. Vulgate Mt. Matthew Wa. Wakefield N. T. New Testament Wes. Wesley 0. T. Old Testament Wet. Wetstein P. Part Wh. Whitby P. R. Port Royal translation Wor. Worsley Per. Persic Wy. Wynne Pise. Piscator Zu. Zuric translation. Rh. Rhemish If there be a few more contractions not here specified, they are such only as are in pretty general use. In terms which occur sel- domer, the words are given at length. NOTES CRITICAL AND EXPLANATORY. THE GOSPEL BY MATTHEW. THE TITLE. The title, neither of this, nor of the other, histories of our Lord, is to be ascribed to the penmen. But it is manifest, that the titles were prefixed in the earliest times, by those who knew the persons by whom, and the occasions on which, these writ- ings were composed. For the sense wherein the word Gospel is here used, see Prel. Diss. V. P. II. § 18. 2 KdTcc M«T,^«i. This phrase, which corresponds to the Heb. nnSm ibd sepher tholdoth^ is supposed, by some, to be the title of the first seventeen verses only ; by others, of the whole book. The former in effect translate it as I have done; the latter The^History. That in the first of these senses, and also for an account of progeny, the Gr. phrase is used by Hellenist writers, is undeniable ; it is not so clear that it is used in the second, for a narrative of a man's life. It is true we sometimes find it where it can mean neither genealogy nor list of descendants, as in that phrase in the Sep. B(/3Ao<; yaeiTtedi apxva jtxi ytn, Gen. ii. 4. the meaning of which is, doubtless, the origin and gradual /iroduction of the universe, which has plainly some analogy, though a remote one, to an ac- count of ancestry. The quotations that have been produced on the other side, from the Pentateuch, Judith, and the Epistle of .Tames, do not appear decisive of the question. Of still less weight is the name Sepher toledath Jesu^ given to paltry, mo- CH. I. S. MATTHEW. dern, Jewish fictions, written in opposition to the Gospel : though this also has been urged as an argument. 2 Christy Xf(5-o?, without the article, is here to be understood, not as an appellative, as it is in almost all other places of the Gospel, but as a proper name. Into this use it came soon after our Lord's resurrection, but not before. Some distinction was necessary, as at that time the name Jesiis was common among the Jews. Diss. V. P. IV. § 7. 3 Son^ hm indefinitely, not m uta the son emphatically. The sense is rightly rendered by Cas. prognati Davide, a descendant of David. There is a modesty and simplicity in the manner in which the historian introduces his subject. He says no more than is necessary to make his readers distinguish the person of whom he speaks, leaving them to form their judgment of his mis- sion and character, from a candid but unadorned narration of the facts. 2. Ji/dah, &c. My reason for preferring the O. T. ortho- graphy of proper names you have Diss. XII. P. III. § 6, &c. 6. Bi/ her who had been wife of Uriah. Ex. rjj? th Ov^ia. Literally, Bj/ her of Uriah. It is not just to say that the femi- nine article thus used denotes the zoife. The relation is in this phrase neither expressed, nor necessarily implied, but is left to be supplied from the reader's knowledge of the subject. We have no idiom in English entirely similar. That which comes nearest is when we give the names, but suppress the relation, on account of its notoriety. Thus, if it were said, that David had Solomon by Uriah's IJathsheba, every body would be sensible that the expression docs not necessarily imply that Bathsheba was the wife, more than the zsidow, the daughter, or even the sister of Uriah. We have an instance in Mark xvi. 1. Mapia '» m Umi^h, where the void must be supplied by the word jttjjrjj^ mo. ther. The like holds of the masculine. In Acts, i. 13. Uku^s AA?)«<«, must be supplied by i/©-, son; and in Luke, vi. 16. Iy,J«v IctKu^a, by cchx)i» (pxys^ucri], adding as an illustration on the margin, vx tjjv Ttoture-^n^ to defame her. ^ To divo7'ce her, uTroXva-xt xvrrsv. In the N. T. the word xtto- Xv£iv is the ordinary term for divorcing a wife, and thereby dis- solving the marriage. Nor did it make any difference in the Jewish commonwealth, that the parties Mere only betrothed to each other, and that the marriage was not completed by cohabita- cH. I. S. MATTHEW. 9 tion. From the moment of their reciprocal engagement, all the laws in relation to marriage were in force between them. He was her husband, and she his wife. Her infidelity to him was adultery, and appointed to be punished as such, Deut. xxii. 23, 24. In comformity to this is the style of our Evangelist. Joseph is called, v. 1€. M-dry^ s husband ; she, v. 20. his wife ; the disso- lution of their contract is expressed by the same word that is uniformly used for the dissolution of marriage by the divorce of the wife. 1 have preferred here, and in other places, the term divorcing^ to that of putting awajf. The latter phrase is very ambiguous. Men are said to put azcai/ their wives, when they put them out of their houses, and will not live with them. Yet the marriage union still subsists ; and neither party is at liberty to marry another. This is not what is meant by ci-sroXveiv ri^y yvvxu XX in the Gospel. Now a divorce with them might be very private. It required not, as with us, a judicial process. The determination of the husband alone was sufficient. Deut. xxiv. 1, 2. The utmost, in point of form, required by the rabbles, (for the law does not require so much) was that the writing should be delivered to the wife, in presence of two subscribing witnesses. It was not even necessary that they should know the cause of the proceeding. They were called solely to attest the fact. Now as the instrument itself made no mention of the cause, and as the practice of divorcing, on the most trifling pretences, was become common, it hardly affected a woman's reputation, to say, that she had been divorced. I should in some places prefer the term repudiate, were it in more familiar use. 20. J messenger, uyyeX(^. Diss. VIII. P. III. § 9, Sec. 22. Verijied, ^P^puSi,. E. T. fulfilled. Though it should be admitted, that the word ■tTXvipu67i is here used in the strictest sense, to express the fulfilment of a prophecy, which pointed to this single event ; it cannot be denied that the general import of the verb -ss-Xtipouj in the Gospel, is more properly expressed by the Eng. verb verifi/, than hyfuljil. Those things are said Ts-Xr^pu^,. vxi, which are no predictions of the future, but mere affirmations concerning the present, or the past. Thus, ch. ii. 15. a decla- ration from the Prophet Ilosea, xi. 1. which God made in rela- tion to the people of Israel, whom he had long before recalled from Egypt, is applied by the historian allusively to Jesus Christ, 10 NOTES ON LR. i, where all that is meant is, that, with equal truth, or rather with much greater energy of signification, God might now say, I have recalled my Son out of Egypt. Indeed the import of the Greek phrase, as commonly used by the sacred writers, is no more, as L. CI. has justly observed, than that such words of any of the Prophets may be applied with truth to such an event. For it is even used, where that which is said to be fulfilled is not a pro- phecy, but a command ; and Avhere the event spoken of is not the obedience of the command (though the term is sometimes used in this sense also), but an event similar to the thing requir- ed ; and which, if I may so express myself, tallies with the words. Thus, in the directions given about the manner of preparing the paschal lamb, it is said, Exod. xii. 46. Nofie of his bones shall be broken. This saying the Evangelist J. xix. 36, finds verified in what happened to our Lord, when the legs of the criminals, who were crucified with him, were broken, and his were spared. ' But were not the recal of Israel from Egypt, and the ceremo- * nies of the passover, typical of what happened to our Lord?' I admit they were. But it is not the correspondence of the anti- type to the type, that we call properly fulfilling : this English word, if I mistake not, is, in strictness, applied only, either to an event to which a prophecy directly points, or to the perfor- mance of a promise. Whereas the Greek word is sometimes em- ployed in Scripture to denote little more than a coincidence in sound. In this sense I think it is used, ch. ii. 23. We have an instance of its being employed by the Seventy, to denote verify. i7ig, or confirming, the testimony of one, by the testimony of another, 1 Kings, i. 14. The y/ovA fulfilling, in our language, has a much more limited signification : and to employ it for all those purposes, is to give a handle to cavillers, where the origi- nal gives none. It makes the sacred penmen appear to call those things predictions, which plainly were not, and which they never meant to denominate predictions. The most apposite word that I could find in English is verify; for, though it will not answer in every case, it answers in more cases than any other of our verbs. Thus, a prophecy is verified (for the word is strictly applicable here also), when it is accomplished ; a promise, when it is per- formed; a testimony, when it is confirmed by additional testimo- ny, or other satisfactory evidence ; a maxim or proverb, when it is exemplified ; a declaration of any kind may be said to be veri- CH. I- S, MATTHEW. li fied by any incident to which the words can be applied. I ac- knowledge that this word does not, in every case, correspond to yrXvifoa. A law \% fulfilled^ not verified ; and if the import of the passage be to denote that additional strength is given to it, it is better to say conjirmed, or ratified. In some places it means to j^// ?/p, in others to perfect^ in others to make known. Thus much I thought it necessary to observe, in regard to my frequent use of a verb which is but rarely to be found in other Eng. trans- lations. 2 hx crAjjpw^s}, literally, that it might be verijied. The conjunc- tion, in all such cases, denotes no more, than that there was as exact a conformity between the event and the passage quoted, as there could have been, if the former had been efl'ected, merely for the accomplishment of the latter. God does not bring about an event, because some Prophet had foretold it : but the Prophet was inspired to foretel it, because God had previously decreed the event. If such particles as hx, or oTrui, were to be always rigorously interpreted, we should be led into the most absurd conclusions. For instance, we should deduce from J. xix, 24. that the Roman soldiers. Pagans, who knew nothing of holy writ, acted, in dividing our Lord's garments, and casting lots for his vesture, not from any desire of sharing the spoil, but purely with a view that the Scriptures relating to the Messiah might be fulfilled ; for it is said that they resolved on this measure, tvx v ypxtpj] -yrMpt^h jj' Xsyairx. — See note on ch. viii. 17. ^ In all this — was verijied. thto h oMi yeyovev Ivx Try^tipuB^. Chr. and some others have considered this and v, 23. as spoken by the angel to Joseph; I consider these verses as containing a re- mark of the evangelist. By messages from heaven, particular orders are communicated, and particular revelations given. But I do not find this method taken, for teaching us how to interpret former revelations : whereas such applications of scripture are common with the evangelists, and with none more than with Mt, The very phrase t»7« S{ oAsv yfyovtv, with which this is introduced, he repeatedly employs in other places, (ch. xxi. 4. xxvi. 56.) Add to all this, that the interpretation given of the name Imma- nuel, God with us, is more apposite, in the mouth of a man, than in that of an angel. 23. The virgin, -k TrxpB'ev^. I do not say that the article is always emphatical^ though it is generally so ; or that there is a f 1^ NOTES OX tH. I. particular emphasis on it, in this passage, as it stands in the Gos- pel. But the words are in this place a quotation : and it is pro. per that the quotation should be exhibited, when warranted by the orijjinal. as it is in the book quoted. Both the Sep. and the Heb. in the passage of Isaiah referred to, introduce the name -cir- gin with the article : and as in this they have been copied by the Evangelist, the article ought doubtless to be preseryed in the translation. 25. Her first-horn son, rav [)<«> ayr*^ Te» 7ri»raT««v. As there were certain prerogatives, which, by the Jewish constitution, be- longed to primogeniture, those entitled to the prerogatives were invariably denominated thejirst-born, whether the parents had issue afterwards or not. Nothing, therefore, in relation to this point, can be inferred from the epithet here used. The turn which Mr. Wes. and others, have given the expression in their Tersions, her son, the first-born^ though to appearance more lite- ral, is neither so natural nor so just as the common translation. It is tounded on the repetition of the article before the word^rs^- born. But is it possible that they should not have observed, that nothing is more common in Gr. when an adjective follows its substantive, especially if a pronoun or other word intervene, than to repeat the article before the adjective r This is indeed so com- mon, that it is accounted an idiom of the tongue, insomuch that, where it is omitted, there appears rather an ellipsis in the ex- pression. Sc. in his notes on this verse, has produced several parallel expressions from Scripture, which it would be ridiculous to translate in the same manner ; and which therefore clearly evince that there is no emphasis in the idiom. 2 In regard to the preceding clause, Joseph knezc her not, un- til f«5 h' ; all we can say, is, that it does not necessarily imply his knowledge of her afterwards. That the expression suggests the affirmative rather than the negative, can hardly be denied by any candid critic. The quotations, produced in support of the contrary opinion, are not entirely similar to the case in hand, as has been proved by Dr. Wh. in his commentary. And as there appears here no Hebraism, or peculiarity of idiom, to vin- dicate our giving a different turn to the clause, I cannot approve Beau.'s manner of rendering it, though not materially different in sense : .^fais il ne I'avoit point connu lors qirelle mit au mondc son fils premier nS, The P. R. translation and Si.'s are to the CH. 1 1. S. MATTHEW. 13 same purpose. The only reason -which a translator could have here for this slight deviation, was a reason which cannot be jus- tified ; to render the Evangelist's expression more favourable, or at least less unfavourable, to his own sentiments. But there is this good lesson to be learnt, even from the manner wherein some points have been passed over by the sacred writers ; name. ly, that our curiosity in regard to them is impertinent ; and that our controversies concerning them savour little of the know- ledge, and less of the spirit, of the Gospel. CHAPTER II. 1. Eastern Magians^ (.ucyoi uto avetTo>Mv. E. T. tcise men from the East; rendering the word /w-aye/, as though it were sy- nonymous with (ro} xvxroXti. E. T. we have sben his star in the East. To see either star or meteor in the East, means in Eng. to see it in the east quarter of the heavens, or looking eastwards. But this is not the Apostle's meaning here. The meaning here manifestly is, that when the Magians themselves were in the East, they saw the star. So far were they from seeing the star in the East, ac- cording to the Eng. acceptation of the phrase, that they must have seen it in the West, as they were, by its guidance, brought out of the east country westwards to Jerusalem. Thus the plural of the same word, in the preceding verse, signifies the countries ly- ing east from Judea, f^^uyot xtto amroXa)!. Some render the phrase fv Tsj «v«£TeA«, at its rise. But, 1st, The words in that case ought to have been, cv tjj xvxtoXi} civth; 2dly, The term is never so ap- plied in Scripture to any of the heavenly luminaries, except the sun ; 3dly, It is very improbable that a luminous body, formed solely for guiding the Magians to Bethlehem, would appear to perform the diurnal revolution of the heavens from East to West. The expression used in Lu's version, tnt tnorgenlanttc, coincides entirely with that here employed. " To do him homage^ '^poo-Kvr/io-cn ctvra. The homage of pros- tration, which is signified by this Gr. word, in sacred authors, as well as in profane, was, throughout all Asia, commonly paid to kings and other superiors, both by Jews and by Pagans. It was paid by Moses to his father-in-law, Exod. xviii. 7. called in the E. T. obeisance. The instances of this application are so numerous, both in the O. T. and in the N. as to render more quotations unnecessary. When God is the object, the word de- notes adoration in the highest sense. In old Eng. the term wor- ship was indifl'erently used of both. It is not commonly so now. 4. The chief priests, t»? ccpx'^P^"^- By the term up^u^ni, chief /iriesfs, in the N. T. is commonly meant, not only those who were, or had been high priests (for this office was not then, as CH. H. S. MATTHEW. U formerly, for life), but also the heads of the twenty.four cour- ses, or sacerdotal families, into which the whole priesthood was divided. ^ Scribes of the people, •ypecf^./Mtrem m Xcts ; the men of letters, interpreters of the law, and instructers of the people, 5. Bethlehem ofJudea, Bn^Xupt t>,? InSxteti. Vul. both here and V. 1. Bethlehem Judcp, this reading has no support from either MSS. or versions, and appears to be a conjectural emendation of Jerom, suggested by the Heb. of the Nazarenes. 6. In the canton of Judah, yn la^x. E. T. in the land of J u- da. The word yjj, without the article joined to the name of a tribe, also without the article, denotes the canton or territory assigned to that tribe. In this sense, yj? Zx^uPmv, and yn H£(p3-ec. ?^eift., occur in ch. iv. 15. As the land of Judah might be under, stood for the country of Judea, I thought it proper to distin- guish in the version things sufficiently distinguished in the original. ^ Art not the least illustrious among the cities of Judah, a^a. fwi eXxpc'^^} el Ev re/5 ■»yei^oi. E. T. mocked. In the Jewish style, we find often that any treatment which appears disrespectful, comes under the general appellation of mockeri/. Thus, Poti- phar's wife, in the false accusation she preferred against Joseph, of making an attempt upon her chastity, says that he came in to mock her. Gen. xxxix. 17. E|M.5r«<|«( is the word employed by the Seventy. Balaam accused his ass of mocking him, when she would not yield to his direction. Num. xxii. 29. And Dalilah said to Samson, Jud. xvi. 10. Thou hast mocked (that is, dcceiv- . ed) me, and told me lies. As one who deceived them, appeared to treat them contemptuously, they were naturally led to express the former by the latter. But as we cannot do justice to the original, by doing violence to the language which we write, I thought it better to give the sense of the author, than servilely to trace his idiom. ^ The male children, rm Tcci^xi. Thus also Dod. and others. E. T. The children. Sc. follows this version, but says in the notes, " Perhaps male children ;" adding, " Not that the mas- *' culine article ry; excludes female children : for had our histo- " rian intended to include both sexes under one word, Tz-a'Joti, he " would have prefixed the masculine article as now." But how does he know that? In support of his assertion, he has not pro- duced a single example. He has shewn, indeed, what nobody doubts, that as -Troiiq is of the common gender, the addition of upf*i'» or ^vtXv serves to distinguish the sex without the article- But it is also true, that the attendance of the article o or »;' an- swers the purpose, without the addition of «^^j)v or !h)Xv. Pueri and puelhe are not more distinguished by the termination in La- tin, than 01 TTxi^ci and ui ■ptm^h are distinguished by the article in Greek. I do not deny, that there may be instances wherein the term o< Treuhi, like o< om/, may mean children in general. The phrase, both in Hebrew and in Greek, is the sons of Israel, which our translators render, the children of Israel, as nobouy doubts that the whole posterity is meant. We address an audi- ence of men and women by the title brethren ; and under the de- nomination, all men, the whole species is included. But in sucli examples, the universality of the application is either previously known from common usage, or is manifest from the subject or occasion. Where this cannot be said, the words ought to be strictly interpreted. Add to this, 1st, That the historian seems 18 NOTES ON CH. lu here purposely to have changed the term veuSm^ which is used for ddld no fewer than nine times in this chapter; as that word being neuter, and admitting only the neuter article, was not fit for marking the distinction of sexes ; and to have adopted a term which he no where else employs for infants, though frequently for men-servants, and once for youths or boys : 2dly, That the reason of the thing points to the interpretation I have given. It made no more for Herod's purpose to destroy female children, than to massacre grown men and women ; and, tyrant though he was, that he meant to go no farther than, in his way of judging, his own security rendered expedient, is evident from the instruc- tions he gave to his emissaries, in regard to the age of the infants to be sacrificed to his jealousy, that they might not exceed such an age, or be under such another. ^ From those entering the second year ^ down to the time, utto SuTHi y.xi KxTuTe^u, Kxrot, rvt x,?ovoy. E. T. From two years old and under, according to the time. There can be no doubt, that in this direction Herod intended to specify both the age above which, and the age under which, infants were not to be involved in this massacre. But there is some scope for inquiry into the import of the description given. Were those of the second year included, or excluded by it ? By the common translation they are included ; by that given above, excluded. Plausible things may be advanced on each side. The reasons which have deter- mined me, areas follows. The word herij^ is one of those which, in scriptural criticism, we call <»9r«| Afyofteva. It occurs in no •other place of the N. T. nor in the Sep. It is explained by He- sychius and Phavorinus, that which lives a whole year, ^t oXa rx £T»5. AuTt] lop^cuvti. But I should not lay much stress on the preposition ev, which, answering to the Heb. a, may denote zinfh as well as in, did not the whole phraseology, in re- gard to this ceremony, concur in evincing the same thing. Ac- cordingly the baptised are said avx^aiveiv, to arise, emerge, or as- cend, V. 16. U7re Tn i/(J«ra?, and Acts viii. 39. ex. m v^xroi;,from or out of the water. Let it be observed further, that the verbs pxiva and pxvri^a, used in scripture for sprinklitig, are never construed in this manner, / zc ill sprinkle you with clean water, says God, Ezek. xxxvi. 25. or as it runs in the E. T. literally fii-om the Heb. / will sprinkle clean water upon you, is in the Sept. Vaivu ttp' vf^ot/i x-xS-ccpov 'u^t»p, and not as ^xTrrt^u is always construed. Txvu vy.ui ev KctB-xpu u^xri. See also Exod. xxix. 21. Lev. vi. 27. xvi. 14. ll&d £x':T7t<^M been here employed in the sense of ^«;c?ro^evoft.;vM ^ix e-rofAxroi Qeov. E. T. jBj/ evertj word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. The whole sentence is given as a quotation. It is written. The place quoted is Deut. viii. 3. where Moses, speaking to the Israelites, says. He humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, ivhich thou knezoest 7iot, neither did thj/ fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but hy every word that proceedeth out of the month of the Lord, doth 28 NOTES ON cH. iv. man live. It is evident that the Jewish lawgiver is speaking here of the food of the body, or sustenance of the animal life ; as it was this purpose solely which the manna served, and which could not, in our idiom, be denominated a word. The reader may ob- serve that the term word in the passage of the O. T. quoted is, in our Bible, printed in Italics, to denote that there is no corres- ponding term in the original. It might therefore have been lite- rally rendered from the Heb. every thing. In the Sep. from ■which the quotation in the Gospel is copied, the ellipsis is sup- plied by p7i)JLci. But let it be observed, that in scripture both the Hob. "13T dabar, and the Gr. pi^f^x, and sometimes A«y«5, mean in- ditferently word or thing. Take the following examples out of a much greater number. L. i. 37. Ovx, cc^vvunia-ei Trxpx ru Qea Trot') pyjf^x. Nothing is impossible with God. — ii. 1 5. Let us now go to Bethlehem, and see this thing, to prjf*.cK, rovro, which is come to pass. The phrase to £K7ropevou.i\ov (or £|4A.9-av) tx. rov s-ajitstra?, is oftener than once to be met with, in the version of the Seventy, for a declared jmrpose, resolution, or appointment. See Num. xxxii. 24. 1 Sam. i. 23. But nothing can be more express io our purpose than Jer. xliv. 17. UoaiToy.,tv ttxvtx A«ya» o; t^eXivo-t^ rxi ey. rov rof^xroi tificov. E. T. IVe will do zchatsoever thing go- eth foi'th out of our own mouth, -ttx^tos, Myov, in Heb. lann Va, col hadabar, every xoord, that is, we zcill do whatsoever we have purposed. The version I have given is, therefore, entirely agree- able both to the sense of the passage quoted, and to the idiom of holy writ. I may add, that it is much better adapted to the con- text than the allegorical explanation which some give of the words, as relating purely to the spiritual life. The historian tells us that Jesus had fasted forty days, that he was hungry, and in a desert, where food was not to be had. The tempter, taking his opportunity, interposes, " If thou be the Messiah, convert " these stones into loaves." The question was simply. What, in this exigence, was to be done for sustaining life ? Our Saviour answers very pertinently, by a quotation from the O. T. pur. porting, that when the sons of Israel were in the like perilous situation in a desert, without the ordinary means of subsistence, God supplied them with food, by which their lives were preserv- ed, (for it is not pretended that the manna served as spiritual nourishment), to teach us that no strait, however pressing, ought io shake our confidence in him. Beau, and the anonymous Eng, translator in 1729, exhibit the same sense in their versions. CH. IV. S. MATTHEW. 29 6. Lcst^ f/.ytvore. E. T. Lest at any time. From aa exces. sive solicitude, not io say less than the original, words have been explained from etymology, rather than from use ; in consequence of which practice, some versions are encumbered with exple- tives, which enfeeble, instead of strengthening, the expression. Of this kind is the phrase at any time, which, in this passage, adds nothing to the sense. The compound itt^j^reTg, in the use of the sacred penmen, rarely signifies more than the simple ^;}, lest. It is used by the Seventy in translating a Heb. term that imports no more. In the Psalm referred to, it is rendered simply lest. And to go no farther than this Gospel, our translators have not hesitated to render it so in the following passages, vii. 6. xiii. 29, XV. 32. XXV. 9. xxvii. 64. Why they have not done so in this, and most other places, I can discover no good reason. 7. Jesus again anszoeredy It is written, sipv xvra d Itis-cvg tfxXiv yeypx'TToci. E. T. Jesus said unto him, It is zoritten again. The words in the original are susceptible of either interpretation, the difference depending entirely on the pointing. I place the com- ma after w«A/v, they after Ir^Tov^. This was the second answer which Jesus made, on this occasion, to the devil. It is not easy to say in what sense the words quoted can be said to have been written again. The punctuation is not of divine authority, any more than the division into chapters and verses. ^ Thou shall not put the Lord thy God to the proof, ev» ttcTrei- pxa-ifi Kvpiov rov ©tav o-ov. E. T. Thou shalt 7iot tempt the Lord thy God. What we commonly mean by the word tempting, does not suit the sense of the Gr. word iKTreipx^u in this passage. The Eng. word means properly either to solicit to evil, or to provoke / whereas the import of the Gr. verb in this and several other pla- ces is to assay, to try, to put to the proof. It is thus the word is used. Gen. xxii. 1. where God is said to have tempted Abra. ham, commanding him to offer up his son Isaac for a burnt offer^ ing. God did not solicit the patriarch to evil, for, in this sense, as the Apostle James tells us, i, 13, he neither can be tempted, nor tempteth any man. But God tried Abraham, as the word pught manifestly to have been rendered, putting his faith and obedience to the proof. His ready compliance, so far from being evil, was an evidence of the sublimest virtue. It was in desiring to have a proof of God's care of them, and presence with them, VOL. IV. 4 30 NOTES ON CH. IV. that the children of Israel are said to have tempted the Lord af Massa, saying, Is the Lord among us or not? Ex. xvii. 7. And on the present occasion, it was God's love to him, and faith- fulness in the performance of his promise, that the devil desired our Lord, by throwing himself headlong from a precipice, to make trial of. As, however, it has been objected that this last phrase, which I at first adopted, is somewhat ambiguous, I have changed it for one which cannot be mistaken. 15. On the Jordan, Tre^xv rn U^^xvs. E. T. Beyond Jordan. The Heb. word "i^jjd megheber, rendered by the Seventy ^rsfctv, signifies indifferently on this side, or on the other side. In Num. xxxii. 19. the word is used in both meanings in the same sen- tence. Unless therefore some other word or phrase is added, as TcxT xvuTiXxi, or Kctrx iocXoio-a-coi, to ascertain the sense, it ought to be rendered as in the text, or as in verse 25th. Zebulon and Naph- tali were on the same side of the Jordan with Jerusalem and Ju- dea, where Isaiah exercised his prophetical office. ^ Near the sea, o^ov ^aAcec-c-jj?. E. T. By the way of the sea- This expression is rather indefinite and obscure. There is an ellipsis in the original, but I have given the sense. What is here called sea is, properly, not a sea, but a lake. It was customary with the Hebrews to denominate a large extent of water, though fresh water, and encompassed with land, by the name sea. Both Mt. and Mr. denominate this the sea oj Galilee ; J. calls it the sea of Tiberias ; L. more properly, the lake of Gennesareth. It was on this lake that Capernaum, and some other towns of note, were situated. Here also Peter and Andrew, James and John, before they were called to the apostleship, exercised the occupation of fishers. The sea of Galilee., and the sea of Tibe- rias, are become, in scripture-style, so much like proper names, that it might look affected to change them, for the lake of Gali.. lee, and the lake of Tiberias. Besides, where it can convenient. ly be done, these small differences in phraseology, which diversi- fy the styles of the Evangelists, in the original, ought to be pre- served in the translation. 16. A region of the shades of death, %«f« ««< c-j^'et iotvotra. In the Sep. in the passage referred to, the words are x'^'f"'' "'"■"^'^ Savx.. Tn, literally from the Heb. of the prophet, rm h-i n« arets tsal. moth. Tsal.mothf it was observed, Diss. VI. P- H- § 2- a»id CH. V. S. MATTHEW. 31 sheol, are nearly synonymous, and answer to « plication of the Eng. word humble, which does not entirely coin* cide with the aforesaid terms in the ancient tongues. In all these the word properly refers to meanness of condition. In the few instances Avherein rccn-ei)i(^ signifies humble, and rxTruvMo-ti humility, there may be justly said to be an ellipsis, of t^ xxi^hcc or T« jryevf/MTt. The proper word for humble is ru7ruvc(p^m, for humility Tx7istvoi. As therefore rci,7F(tvo(p^uv, rctTreiv®" rjj xap- hx, and T«^fo< tm 7rvevf4.xrt is unexam- pled. But is it more so than (/.oncot^ioi ru -xuvfjuxn ? Or do we find any thing in Scripture analogous to this phrase in the man- ner he has explained it ? I have shown that there is at least one phrase, rxTrtit®^ rw Ts-vcvf^xri, perfectly similar to the other, w^hich may well serve to explain it, and remove his other objection, that it ought to mean a bad quality. Besides, I would ask, whether we are to understand in verse 8th, ttj ^xphoe, as likewise constru- ed with fjLct>cc6pioi ? for nothing can be more similar than the ex- pressions f^XKuptoi hi TFTup/oi ru 7rv£Vf^»Ti and fJLXKXptoi oi Ked^xpot T>) ■Kxpoix. 5. They skull inherit^ xvrot x.Xi^p, xxpSix. E. T. The pure in heart. I admit that this is a just expression of the sense, and mf!re in the Eng. idiom than mine. My only reason for prefer- ring a more literal version of the word r.x6»p(^ here is, because I would, in all such instances, preserve the allusion to be found in the moral maxims of the N. T. to the ancient ritual, from which the metaphors of the sacred writers, and their other tropes, are frequently borrowed, and to which they owe much of their lustre and.energy. The laws in regard to the cleanness of the body, and even of the garments, if neglected by any person, ex- cluded him from the temple. He was incapacitated for being so much as a spectator of the solemn service at the altar. The Jews considered the empyreal heaven as the architype of the temple of Jerusalem. In the latter, they enjoyed the symbols of God's presence, who spoke to them by his ministers ; whereas, in the former, the blessed inhabitants have an immediate sense of the divine presence, and God speaks to them face to face. Our Lord, preserving the analogy between the two dispensations, intimates that cleanness will be as necessary in order to precufC admission 40 NOTES ON cii. tr into the Celestial temple, as into the terrestrial. But as the pri-* Tilege is inconceivably higher, the qualification is more impor- tant. The cleanness is not ceremonial, but moral ; not of the outward man, but of the inward. The same idea is suggested, Ps. xxiv. When such allusions appear in the original, they ought, if possible, to have a place in the version. 9i The peacemakers, hi (t^))yo7rotoi. An. the paci/ic : Hey. the peaceable. Weakly both. With us these words imply merely a negative quality, an'd are equivalent to not contentious, not quarrelsome, not litigious. More is comprised here. This word is not found in any other part of Scripture, but (which is nearly the same) the verb ctpv^oTroua of the same origin occurs. Col. i. 20. where the connection shews that it cannot signify to be gen- tle, to be peaceable, but actively to reconcile, to make peace. Etymology and classical use also concur in affixing the sense of reconciler, peacemaker, to ttptjyeTrotC^. It is likewise so explain- ed by Chrysostom. Indeed, if no more were meant by it than those pacifically disposed, nothing additional, would be given here, to what is implied in the first and third of these characters ; for as these exclude covetousness, ambition, anger, and pride, they remove all the sources of war, contention, and strife. Now. though all these characters given by our Lord are closely relat- ed, they are still distinct. 11. Prosecute, hu^ua-t. E. T. Persecute. Some critics think, not improbably, that the word in this place relates to the prose^ cutions of the disciples (to whom Jesus here directly addresses himself) on account of their religion, before human tribunals, tvhereof he often warned them on other occasions. In this verse, he descends to particulars, distinguishing ^<»;6£.x^i?-Mv, E. T. One of these least command/nettts. But if the commandments here mentioned were Christ's least com. ma?idmenis, what, it may be asked, were the greatest ? or, Why have we no examples of the greatest ? That this phrase is not to be so understood, our translators themselves have shewn by their way of rendering ch. xxv. 40. 45. The clause must therefore be explained as if arranged in this manner — i^.iccv ruv iXct^K^ut rm ev. ToXm TiiT»v, the three last words being the regimen of the adjec- tive, and not in concord with it. ** Shall be in no esteem in the reign of heaven — shall be highly esteemed., eXa^is-og xX>iStie-eTcct iv t»; pma-tXiicc rut t^^ocvuv—' «T(^ f^sycti x.Xij.'ha'erxi. E. T. He shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven — he shall be called great. To be called great and to be called little, for to be esteemed and to be disesteemed^ VOL. lY. 6 46 NOTES ON ch. f , is so obvious a metonymy of tjie effect for the cause, that it natu- rally suggests itself to every discerning reader. By rendering therefore jSaa-iXeix rm npxvm^ agreeably to its meaning in most places, the reign of heaven, that is, the Gospel dispensation, there is not the smallest difficulty in the passage. But if this phrase be rendered the kmgdom of heaven, as referring to the state of the blessed, and if he shall be called the least in that king. dom mean, as some explain it, he shall never be admitted into it, a most unnatural figure of speech is introduced, whereof I do not recollect to have seen an example in any author, sacred or profane. 20. Excel, 'jTipiTo-evm]. E. T. Exceed. The original word ex- presses a superiority either in quantity or in kind. The latter difference suits the context at least as well as the former. 21. That it zscas said to the ancients, on eppeB-tj roii ap^onoic. E. T. That it was said by them of old time. Be. Dictum fuissc a veteribus. Be. was the first interpreter of the N. T. who made the ancients those by whom, and not those to whom, the senten- ces here quoted were spoken. These other La, versions, the Vul. Ar. Er. Zu. Cas. Cal. and Pise, are all against him. Among the Protestant translators into modern tongues, Be. whose work ■was much in vogue with the reformed, had his imitators. Dio. in Itn. rendered it chefu detto dagli antichi ; the G. F. qu^il a ete dit par les anciens. So also the common Eng. But all the Eng. versions of an older date, even that executed at Geneva, say to them oj old time. Lu. in like manner, in his Ger. trans- lation says, 5U ten altcit. I have a Protestant translation in Itn. and Fr. published by Giovan Luigi Paschale in 1555, the year before the first edition of Be.'s (the place not mentioned), which renders it in the same way with all preceding translators, with- out exception, a gli antichi, and aux anciens. All the late trans, lators, Fr. and Eng. have returned to the uniform sense of anti- quity, rendering it to, not by, the ancients. For the meaning of a word or phrase, which frequently occurs in scripture, the first recourse ought to be to the sacred writers, especially the writer of the book where the passa-re occurs. Now the verb ^lu (and the same may be observed of its synonymas) in the passive voice, where the speaker or speakers are mentioned, has uniformly the speaker in the genitive case, preceded by the preposition utto or cH. V. b. MATTHEW. 47 hx. And in no book does this occur oftener than in Mt. See ch. ii. 15. 17. 23. iii. 13. iv. 14. viii. 17. xii. 17. xiii. 35. xxi. 4. xxiv. 15. xxvii. 9. xxii. 31. In this last we have an example both of those to whom, and of him by whom, the thing was said, the former in the dative, the latter in the genitive with the preposition i^ra. When the persons spoken to are mentioned, they are invariably in the dative, Rom. ix. 12. 26. Gal. iii. 16. Apoc. vi. 11. ix. 4. With such a number of examples on one side (yet these are not all), and not one from Scripture on the opposite, I should think it very assuming in a translator, without the least necessity, to reject the exposition given by all who had preceded him. It has been pleaded that something like an example has been found in the construction of one or two other verbs, neither synonymous nor related in meaning. Thus Trp®^ ro 6ex9-i]i>xi ecvroti ch. vi. 1. means to be seen by them. 0£««ffc«j in Gr. answers to videor in La. And the argument would be equally strong in regard to La. to say, because visutn est illis signifies it appeared to them. that is, «7 teas seen by them ; dictum est illis must also signify it was said by them. The authority of Herodot-us (who wrote in a style somewhat resembling, but in a dialect exceedingly unlike, that of the N. T.), in regard to a word in frequent use in Scrip- ture, appears to me of no conceivable weight in the question. Nor can any thing account for such a palpable violence done the sacred text, by a man of Be.'s knowledge, but that he had too much of the polemic spirit (the epidemical disease of his time) to he in all respects a faithful translator. Diss. X. P. V. § 5. 21, 22. Shall be obnoxious to, rioy,^ f«"«*'- E- T- shall be in danger of. To be in danger o/evil of any kind, is one thing, to be objioxious to it., is another. The most innocent person may be in danger of death, it is the guilty only who are obnoxious to it. The interpretation here given is the only one which suits both the import of the Gr. word, and the scope of the passage. 22. Unjustly., emt). This word is wanting in two MSS. one of them the Vat. of great antiquity. There is no word answer- ing to it in the Vul. nor in the Eth. Sax. and Ara. versions, at least in the copies of the Ara. transcribed in the Polyglots, which Si. observes to have been corrected on the Vul. and which are consequently of no authority as evidences. Jerom rejected it, imagining it to be an interpolation of some transcriber desirous 48 NOTES ON ch. v. to soften the rigour of the sentiment, and, in this opinion, was followed by Augustine. On the other hand, it is in all the other Gr. MSS. now extant. A corresponding word was in the Itc. or La. Vul. before Jerom. The same can be said of these an- cient versions, the Sy. Go. Cop. Per. and the unsuspected edition of the Ara. published by Erpenius. Chrysostom read as we do, and comments on the word ukti. The earliest Fathers, both Gr, and La. read it. This consent of the most ancient ecclesiastic writers, the two oldest versions, the Itc. and the Sy. the almost universal testimony of the present Gr. MSS. taken together, give ground to suspect that the exclusion of that adverb rests ul- timately on the authority of Jerom, who must have thought this limitation not of a piece with the strain of the discourse. I was of the same opinion, for some time, aud strongly inclinable to reject it; but, on maturer reflection, judged this too vague a principle to warrant any alteration which common sense, and the scope of the place, did not render necessary. Mr. Wes. rejects this adverb, because, in his opinion, it brings our Lord's instruc- tions on this head, down to the Pharisaic model ; for the Scribes and Pharisees, he says, would have condemned causeless anger as well as Jesus Christ. No doubt they would. They would have also condemned the indulgence of libidinous thoughts and looks. [See Lightfoot, Horae Hebraicae, Sfc. on v. 28.] But the diffe- rence consisted in this, the generality of the Scribes, at that time, considered such angry words, and impure looks, and thoughts, as being of little or no account, in themselves, and to be avoided solely, from m^otives of prudence. They might ensnare men into the perpetration of atrocious actions, the only evils which, by their doctrine, were transgressions of the law, and consequently, could expose them to the judgment of God. The great error which our Lord, in this chapter, so severely reprehends, is their disposition to consider the divine law, as extending merely to the criminal and overt acts expressly mentioned in it. From these acts, according to them, if a man abstained, he was, in the eye of the laAv, perfectly innocent, and nowise exposed to divine judgment. We are not, however, to suppose that this manner of treating the law of God was universal among them, though doubt, less then very prevalent. The writings of Philo in that age, and some of their Rabbies since, sufficiently show that the Jews have always had some moralists among them, who, as well as some CH. T. S. MATTHEW. 49 Christian casuists, could refine on the precepts of their religion^ by stretching them, even to excess. ^ To the council^ ru a-vtiSptu. It might have been rendered to the sanhedrim^ G-vvs^picv being the ordinary name given to that supreme judicatory. I accordingly call it so in those places of the history, where it is evident that no other could be meant. But as the term is general, and may be used of any senate or council, though very differently constituted from the Jewish, I thought it better here not to confine it. It is not improbable also, that there is an allusion in the word Kpura, judgment, to the smaller or city-councils, consisting of twenty-three judges. ^ Txicx and f^ape. Preface to this Gospel. § 25. * r££vv«v. Diss. VI. P. II. § 1. 26. Farthing. Diss. VIII. P. L § 10. 27. The words reii ctpx»ioii are not found in a great number of the most valuable MSS. and ancient versions, particularly the Sy. The Vul. indeed has them. Mill and Wetstein reject them. 28. Another man^s it^tfe, ywctuu. E. T. Aiooman. Er. Uxo- rem alterius. The word yvr/) in Gr. like Jemme in Fr. signifies - both woman and zoife. The corresponding word in Ileb. is lia- ble to the same ambiguity. Commonly the distinction is made by some noun or pronoun, which appropriates the general name. But it is not in this way only that it is discovered to signify wife. Of the meaning here given and ascertained in the same way by the context, we have examples, Prov. vi. 32. Ecclus. xxvi. 7. Wet. has produced more instances ; but in a case so evident these may suffice. If we translate y^votixot woman, we ought to render ei^^ix^vTi)) uvthv hath debauched her. The Gr. word ad- mits this latitude. Thus Lucian (Dial. Dor. et Thet.) says of Acrisius, when his daughter Danae, whom he had devoted to per. petual virginity, proved with child, utto nvoi y-ifMiy^eva-B^xt oii^.S-etr, avrttv, ab aliquo stupratam fuisse illam arbilratus. But I pre- fer the other way, as by changing here the interpretation of the word fi-otxivu, the intended contrast between our Lord's doctrine and that of the Jews is in a great measure lost. ^ hi order to cherish impure desire, Trpog to eTriOvf^rxi uvrta, E.T. To lust after her. Vul. Ar. Er. Zu. Cal. Ad concupisccndum earn. Pise. Ut earn concupiscat. The Gr. preposition jr/ie? be- fore an infinitive with the article clearly marks the intention, not 30 NOTES ON en. v. the effect. This all the La. versions also do. The expression, ch. vi. 1. sr^es TO Beu^nioti uvreig^ here rendered in order to be ob. served by them^ is perfectly similar, and is manifestly employed to express the intention from which the Pharisees act. ripoi to means, therefore, in order to, to the end that ; whereas «rE, which we have ch. viii. 24. and L. v. 7. signifies so as to, insomuch that, and marks solely the effect. When an expression, with either of these prepositions, is rendered into Eng. simply by the infinitive, it may be doubted whether we are to understand it as expressing the intention or the effect, and whether we should supply before the sign of the infinitive the words in order, or so as. Hence it is evident, that the common version of this passage is not so ex- plicit as the original. 29. Insnare thee, c-Kxv^xXi^et ere. Y,.T. Offend thee. Vul. Scandalizat te. Nothing can be farther from expressing the sense of the Gr. term than the Eng. word offend, in any sense wherein it is used. Some render the expression cause thee to offend. This is much better, but does not give fully the sense, as it does not hint either what kind of offence is meant, or against whom committed. The translators from the Vul. have generally, after the example of that version, retained the original word, Sa. says, Vous scandalize ; Si. no better, Vous est un sujet de scandale ; the Rh. Scandalize thee. This I consider as no trans- lation, because the words taken together convey no conceivable meaning. The common version is rather a mistranslation, be- cause the meaning it conveys is not the sense of the original. The word o-xctv^aiMv literally denotes any thing which causes our stumbling or falling, or is an obstacle in our way. It is used, by metaphor, for whatever proves the occasion of the commission of sin. The word 7rxyi<;, snare, is another term, which is, in Scripture, also used metaphorically, to denote the same thing. Nay, so perfectly synonymous are these words in their figurative acceptation, that, in the Sep the Heb. word lypm mokesh, an- swering to TTxyii;, laqueus, a snare, is oftener translated by the Gr. word a-KccvSocXev than by 9r«y/5, or any other term whatever. Thus Josh, xxiii. 13. What is rendered in Eng. literally from the Heb. They shall be snares and traps unto you is, in the Sep- tuagint, fc-ovT«( hfjLiv iic, TTxyt^xi x.xi eii o-kxvSxXx. Jud. ii. 3. Their Gods shall be a snare unto you 'Oi 3-eei xvrm, sc-evrxt w,t4(v ?c»¥' »itm ai-uu-aiv To vxi, vxi, khi ro a, n. It is but just that we avail ourselves of this passage of the dis- ciple, to assist us in explaining the words of his Master. It was a proverbial manner among the Jews (see Wet.) of characterising a man of strict probity and good faith, by saying, Kxs yes is yes, and his no is no ; that is, you may depend upon his word, as he 52 NOTES ON cH. V, declares, so it is, and as he promises, so he will do. Our Lord is, therefore, to be considered here, not as prescribing the precise terms wherein we are to affirm or deny, in which case it would have suited better the simplicity of his style, to say barely vix< xxt a, without doubling the words; but as enjoining such an habitu- al and inflexible regard to truth, as would render swearing un- necessary. That this manner of converting these adverbs into nouns, is in the idiom of the sacred penmen, we have another in- stance, 2 Cor. i. 20. For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him amen ; iv ccvrw ro va/, Kxt tv uvra to ccf^tjv' that is, certain and infallible truths. It is indeed a common idiom of the Gr. » tongue, to turn, by means of the article, any of the parts of speech into a noun. And, though there is no article in the passage un- der review, it deserves to be remarked that Chr. in his commen- taries, writes it with the article, to vxi, vxr km to y, a' as in the passage of James above quoted. Either he must have read thus in the copies then extant, or he must have thought the expression elliptical, and in this way supplied the ellipsis. Whichsoever of these be true, it shows that he understood the words in the manner above explained. Indeed they appear to have been al- ways so understood by the Gr. Fathers. Justin Martyr, in the second century, quotes the precept in the same manner, in his second apology, t?a^i ItLuv to veti^ veer «,xt to «, «. And to shew * that he had the same meaning, he introduces it with signifying, that Christ gave this injunction to the end that we might never swear, but always speak truth, f^?ioiu.vveiv oAw?, r' uM^tj ^e Xtynv un. Now, in the way it is commonly interpreted, it has no relation to the speaking of truth ; whereas the above explanation gives a more emphatical import to the sentence. Thus understood, it en- joins the rigid obiiervance of truth as the sure method of supersed- ing oaths, which are never used, in our mutual communications, without betraying a consciousness of some latent evil, a defect in veracity as well as in piety. In like manner Clemens Alexan, drinus, in the beginning of the third century, Stromata, lib. v. quotes these words as our Lord's : {jiA.m tovxi, vxf x-xi to », a. The same also is done by Epiphanius in the fourth century, lib. i. con- tra Ossenos. Philo's sentiment on this subject (in his book Ilf^* Tm ^sKce, Xoytm') is both excellent in itself, and here very apposite. It is to this effect, that we ought never to swear, but to be so uni, formly observant of truth in our conversation, that our word may always be regarded as an oath. K«AAii. E. T. From him that zcould borrozo of thee turn not thou awaj/. Of these two the former version is the closer, but there is little or no difference in the meaning. Either way rendered, the import is. Do not reject his suit. 44. Bless them who curse you. This clause is wanting in the Vul. Sax. and Cop. versions, and in three MSS. of small account. \'0L. IV, T J4 NOTES ON CH. T. ^ Arraign^ tTntpex^ovTm. E. T. Despitefully use, Vul. Co- lumniantibus. This suits better the sense of the word 1 Pet. iii. 16. the only other place in Scripture (the parallel passage in L. excepted) where it occurs, o cTtipeu^ovreg v/mov t^jv ccyuSiiv «v Xpu ?-u «vx?-po'p)jy^ which our translators render, who falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ. Eisner justly observes, that the word has frequently a forensic signification, for bringing a criminal charge against one. Its being followed by the verb ^«- UKM makes it probable that it is used in that sense here. I have translated it arraign^ because it suits the meaning of the word in the above quotation, and is equally adapted to the original in the juridical and in the common acceptation. 45. That ye may be children of your Father in heaven; that is, that ye may shew yourselves by a conformity of disposition to be his children. ^ Maketh his sun arise on bad and good, and sendeth rain on just and unjust, rov ij^iov uvra avxreXXet eTtt Trowipni noit ayetSm, kcU ^pez^i crt ^ix-ctini; x,cci ec^t>cni. E. T. Malceth his sun to rise on the evil a7id on the good, and sejideth rain on the just and on the unjust. An indiscriminate distribution of favours to men of the most opposite characters is much better expressed, in the origi- nal, without the discriminative article, and without even repeat- ing the preposition unnecessarily, than it is in our common ver- sion, where the distinction is marked by both with so much for- mality. Another example of this sort we have ch. xxii. 10. I am surprised that Sc. who, in general, more in the taste of the synagogue than of the church, is superstitiously literal, has, both here and elsewhere, paid so little regard to what concerns the article. 46. The publicans, hi rtXmxi, The toll gatherers, a class of people much hated, not only from motives of interest, but from their being considered as tools employed by strangers and idola- ters for enslaving their country. Besides, as they farmed the taxes, their very business laid them under strong temptations to oppress. Johnson observes that jmblican, in low language, means a man that keeps a house of general entertainment. This is a manifest corruption. The word has never this meaning in the gospel : neither is this ever the meaning of the Latin etymon. CH. VI. - S. MATTHEW. 5* 47. Your friends. E. T. Your brethren. The reading of most MSS. and some of the oldest is rm (ptXavg vf^Mv. Of ancient versions also, the second Sy. and the Go. have read thus. It is the reading of the edition of Alcala, and is favoured by Wet. and other critics. The sense, however, it must be owned, is little affected by the difference. ^ Wherein do ye excel? rt Treptc-e-av tfohits. E. T. IVhatdoye more than others? Our Lord had declared, v. 20. Unless your righteousness excel, euv (mj -Trepny-s-siis-i], the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, ye shall never enter the kingdom of hea- ven. Now to that declaration there appears, in the question n TriptTTov TToinTs, 3. mauifcst reference, which, in the common ver- sion, disappears entirely. I have endeavoured to preserve it, by imitating the original, in recurring to the term formerly used. Our Lord's expostulation is rendered more energet-ical by the contrast. 'If ye do good to your friends only, your righteous- * ness, which, I told you, must excel that of the Scribes and * Pharisees, will not excel even that of the Publicans and Pagans.* ^ The Pagans. The reading is it thiKoi in the Cam. and seve- ral other MSS. It is supported by a number of ancient versions, the Vul. Cop. second Sy. Eth. Ara. Sax. It was so read by Chr. and several of the Fathers. It is, besides, much in our Lord's manner, not to recur to the same denomination of persons, bu^ to others in similar circumstances. Publicans, when exhibited, in the Gospel, as of an opprobrious character, are commonly classed with sinners, with harlots, or, as in this place, with hea- thens. The Go. has both words, but in a different order, Pagang in the 46th verse, and Pubjicans in the 47th. CHAP. VI, 1 . That ye perform not your religious duties, tjj» £Af!?^o"K»)ji» ii/ttA/v iMj Tronic. E. T. That ye do not your alms. Some MSS. have SiKxioFvtTfiv instead of tAfjjiicas-tinjv. The Vul. has Justitiam vestram. The Sy. and Sax. are to the same purpose. Some of the Fathers read so. I do not take ^ix.ccioa-v*}] (which is probably the genuine reading) to be used here for iXv/ifMU'vvyi, and to mean alms, as men- tioned in the next verse ; but I conceive with Dod. this verse to be a common introduction to the three succeeding paragraphs, in 56 NOTES ON en. VI relation lo alms, prayer, and fasting. This removes Wh.'s and Wet.'s principal objection to this reading, namely, that it is not likely the Evangelist would, in the following words, when nam- ing alms, have thrice called them fPifsj^oc-i/vsj, after introducing the mention of them by another name. As to Wet/s objection to the hypothesis here adopted, that he does not find prayer and fasting ever called ^ikmoo-wvi^ it is well answered by Bishop Pearce, that in our Lord's parable of the Pharisee and the Publican, pro- pounded on purpose to rebuke the conceit which the Pharisees had of their own righteousness, mention is made of fasting and paying tithes, as coming under this denomination. Further, in ch. iii. 15. John's baptism, an ordinance in itsrff of a positive, not moral, nature, was comprehended under the same term. However, as the authorities for this departure from tlie common reading are not so numerous as those by Avhich, on most other occasions, I have been determined, it is proper to give the reasons which have inclined me to adopt this correction. It appears to be quite in our Lord's manner to introduce instructions regard- ing particular duties by some general sentiment or admonition, which is illustrated or exemplified in them all. In the preceding chapter, after the general warning, t. 20. Unless your righteous- ness excel, &c. there follows an illustration of the sentiment, iu regard, ist, to murder, next to adultery and divorce, 3dly, to swearing, and, 4thly, to retaliation and the love of our neigh- bour ; the scope of every one of these being to enforce the doc- trine with which he had prefaced those lessons. As, in the for- mer chapter, he showed the extent of the divine law ; in this, he shows that the virtue of the best performances may be annihilat- ed by a vicious motive, such as vain glory. His general admoni. tion on this head is illustrated in these particulars, alms, prayer, and fasting. Add to this, that if we retain the common reading, there is in v. 2. a tautology which is not in our Lord's manner. But if the first verse be understood as a general precept against ostentation in religion, the abstaining from the common methods of gratifying this humour, in the performance of a particular du- ty, is very suitably subjoined as a consequence. 2. They have received their regard, xttixho-i tov f^is-Bov uvrm ; that is, they have received that applause which they seek, and work for. Kjiatchbul and others think that the word ».vexoj her? c„. VI. S. MATTHEW. 57 means hinder or prevent. On this supposition the words may- be rendered, They preclude their reward, to wit, the reward of virtue in heaven. But I do not find that in any other passage of the N. T. where the word occurs, this sense can properly be ad- mitted. Wherever, in the Septuagint, the verb is used actively, the meaning is not io hinder, but to obtain. Were, therefore, the only classical authority that has been produced on the other side, as clear as it is doubtful, the ordinary version of the word, which is also that of the Vul. and Sy. and other ancient transla. tjons, is here, by all the rules of interpretation, entitled to the preference. 4. Recompense thee. In the common Gr. copies, after otTrah. rci c-ot, we read £v 't« (pxtifw ; which our translators render open- ly. But these words are not found in some ancient and valua- ble MSS. were not received by several of the most eminent Fa- thers, nor have been adm.itted into the Vul. the Sax. or the Cop. versions. Wet. thinks that both Jerom and Augustine have been led to reject this expression, by an excessive deference to the opinion of Origen, who did not think it probable that our Lord, in dissuading his disciples from paying a regard to the judgment of men, would have introduced, as an incitement, that the reward should be in public, a circumstance which brought them back, as it Avere by another road, to have still a regard to the esteem ©f men. But from the words which Wet. quotes from Augus- tine, that appears not to have been this Father's reason for re- jecting those words. His declared reason was, because the ex- pression was not found in the Gr. MSS. That by Gr. MSS. he meant Jerom's La. version, is presumed by Wet. without evi- dence, and against probability. The same appears to have been Origen's reason for rejecting the words; though he justly consi- dered their containing something repugnant to the scope of the argument, as adding credibility to his verdict. And even this additional reason of Origen's is, by the way, more feebly an- swered by Wet. than might have been expected : Debebut., says he, speaking of Origen, distinguere gloriam quce a Deo est, et glorium qu(e est ab hominibus. Illi studendum est., nan huic. But did not Wet. advert, that in the promise, God shall regard thee openly, both are contained, honour from God the rewarder, and honour from men the spectators, the most incredulous of whom must be convinced, by so glorious an award of the infalli- 5« NOTES ON CH. VI. ble judge ? Now, if the first ought alone to be regarded, of what significance is it whether the reward, which God gives, shall be public or private ? Er. and Ben. therefore, acted, not without reason, in rejecting these words. It appears to me most proba- ble, that some transcriber, thinking it certain that the recom. pense here meant is that which will be given at the general judg- ment, and perceiving that tv ru ^pavepa made a good antithesis to ev ru Kfiwro)^ in the preceding clause, has added it by way of gloss on the margin, whence it has been brought into the text. This is probably the origin of some other interpolations. This remark should be extended to verses 6th and 18th. In regard to the last mentioned, the number of MSS, as well as of ancient versions which omit the a tu (pxti^u^ are so many, that Wet. himself has thought fit to reject it. 7. Talk not idly f^*i ^ctrroMyiio-yire. E. T. Use not vain re- petitions. This interpretation is rather too confined. Vain repetitions are doubtless included in the prohibition. But they are not all that is here prohibited. Every thing that may justly be called words spoken at random^ vain^ idle^ or foolish^ may be considered as comprehended under the term fixrroXoyeiv. The word TfoXvXoynit^ applied to the same fault in the latter part of the verse, is a further evidence of this. 10. Thy reign come. Diss. V. P. I. 11. Our daily bread, tov ccprov t^iamv rev tTrtHTtov. Vul. Panent nostrum su/iersubstantialem. lihe. Our supersubstantial bread. The same word, £ar/«(r.nii*xrot tSfMiv. That sins are meant, or of- fences ngainst God, there can be no doubt. At first, therefore, for perspicuity's sake, I rendered the verse thus : Forgive us our offences, as zee forgive them who offend us. But reflecting that the metaphor is plain in itself, and rendered familiar by scriptural use; reflecting also, that the remission of real debts, in many cases, as well as injuries, is a duty clearly deducible from our Lord's instructions, and may be intentionally included in the clause subjoined to the petition, I thought it better to retain the general terms of the common version. 13. Abandon us not to temptation, /^^ etc-cviyxTfi ^j^*? si<; tsi^xs-- ,tt.ov. E. T. Lead us not into temptation. The verb sia-ipepeiv^ in the Sept. is almost always used to express the Heb. verb nu to go, in the conjugation /ii/j/j//, which, agreeably to the usual power of that conjugation, denotes, to cause to go, to bring, to lead. But though this be the usual, it is not the constant, import of that form of the verb. The hiphil, sometimes, instead of imply- ing to cause to do, denotes no more than to permit, not to hinder. Nor need we be surprised at this, when we consider that, in all known languages, petitions and commands, things the most con- trary in nature, are expressed by the same mood, the imperative. The words, give me, may either mark a request from my Maker or an order to my servant. Yet so much, in most cases, do the attendant circumstances fix the sense, that little inconvenience arises from this latitude. In the N. T. there appear several ex- amples of this extent of meaning in verbs, in analogy to the power of that conjugation. Mr. v. 12. The devils besought him, saj/. ing. Send us, Tref^Apoy ^fcxg, into the szoine. Here the words, send us, mean no more than the words, suffer us to go, eTrerpBipov >jf^iv a,7nX6nv, do in Mt. In this sense the word is used also in other places, as when God is said, 2 Thess. ii. 11. to send strong delu- sions. Send awaj/, Gen. xxiv. 34. 56. 59. means no more than let go. ^ Preserve us from evil, pve-xt tift-et^ utto m Trevtipa. E. T, Deliver lis from evil. The import of the word deliver in such an application as this, is no more than to rescue from an evil into which one has already fallen : but the verb ^vofAxt, which is 60 NOTES ON cH. vr. frequently used by the Seventy for a Heb. word signifying to save^ or preserve, denotes here as evidently, keep us from fa]ling into evil, as, deliver us from the evils into which we are fallen. See cv. 37. 2. ^ 'Ot/ tra ef/v Jj' ^XTiXeict, ycxi «/ avvetfiii;, x,m V oo^x en rag ctiutcn. AjMjv. E. T. For thine is the kingdom, and the poieer, and the glo. ry for ever. Amen. This doxology is wanting, not only in several ancient Gr. MSS. but in the Vul. Cop. Sax. and Ara. versions. It wa? not in the Gr. copies used by Origen, Gregory Nyssen, or Cyril. Cesarius quotes it, not as from the Scripture, but as from the liturgy used in the Gr. churches, whence, in all human probability, according to the judgment of the most celebrated critics, it has first been taken. I shall only add Wet.'s remark: " Si hsc ^o^oXtyia, non pars est, sed appendix vel antiphona ora- *' tionis dominicae, cui in ecclesia a sacerdote solo, et semper addi " solebat, omnia plana sunt, ct facile intelligimus, cur librarii *' illam Mattheo adjecerint ; sin autem ab ipso Domino fuit pra3- " scripta, qui factum, ut ipso verba pra^eunte, nee omnes disci- *' puli, nee Lucas Evangelista, nee Patres Graeci, nee tota ecclesia " Latina sequerentur ? Porro si quis rem ipsam pro pius consi. " deraverit, deprehendet, utique (J^oloAey^sev loco minus commodo '* hie inseri : apparet enim turn comma 14. hoc modo nimis longe " removeri a prascedente commate 12. cujus tamen explicandi " gratia, adjectum est," &c. 18. To thy Father ; and thy Father to whom, though he is un. seen himself, nothing is secret, ru Trarpi a-a, ru tv rw y.pv7rra>' y.M o TTXTiip a-a 0 ^XiTTuv iv rw y.pvTrru. E. T. Unto thy Father which is in secret ; and thy Father zchich seeth in secret. It must be ac- knowledged that the expression, which is in secret, is rather dark and indefinite. If understood as denoting that every the most secret thing is known to God, the latter clause, which seeth in secret, is a mere tautology : but this cannot be admitted to have been the intention of the sacred writer ; for the manner in Avhich the clause is introduced, shows evidently, that something further was intended by it than to repeat in other words what had been said immediately before. On v. 6. there is indeed a different read- ing, two MSS. want the article ra after Trxrpt c-s, which makes the secresy refer to the act of praying, not to the Father prayed to. In support of this reading, the Vul. and Ara. versions are also pleaded. But this authority is far too inconsiderable to warrant a change, not absolutely necessary, in point of meaning, or of CH. vr. S. MATTHEW. 6t construction. Besides, there is no variation of reading on this 18th verse, either in versions or in MSS. Now the two passa- ges are so perfectly parallel in their aim, and similar in their structure, that there is no ground to suppose a change in the one, -which does not take place in the other. The unanimity, therefore, of the witnesses, that is, of the MSS. editions, and versions, which support the reading of v. 18th, is a strong con- firmation of the common roading of v. 6th. But what then is to be understood by o ev tu y.^vtctuI I answer, with Gro. Wh. and others, that o ev ru >cpv7rru is here a periphrasis for o KovTrray^- v®-, and signifies hidden^ unperce/vcd, unseen. The sentiment resembles that of the poet Philemon, 'O TToivB'' opav re x. ccvr(^ a^' opuf^iv'^ ; zcho sees all things^ and is unseen himself ; or of the more an. cient poet Orpheus, as quoted by Clement of Alexandria (Ad- mo nit. ad Genles.) a^e Tig tuvrov EiTopcc 5-Vi)Tu\i' ecvT(^ ^eys Trxvrxi opxrui. To this purpose the words are rendered by Cas. Pafri tuo qui sccultus est, et pater tuns qui occulta cernit. Si. has understood this to be the meaning of the Vul. which says. Qui est in abscon.. dito, as he translates it in this manner, Votre pere qui ne paroit point ; et votre pere qui voit ce qu''il y a de plus cache. 19. Treasure., BiiFctvpa?. I have here retained the word trea- siire.) though not perfectly corresponding to the Gr. .%7xvpo<;. With us, nothing is treasure but the precious metals. Here it denotes stores of all kinds. That garments were specially in- tended, the mention of moths plainly shows. It was customary for the opulent in Asiatic countries, where their fashions in dress were not fluctuating like ours, to have repositories full of rich and splendid apparel. However, as the sense here could not be mistaken, I thought energy of expression was to be preferred to strict propriety. For the same reason I have retained the com- mon version of ^pua-n; rust (though the word be unusual in this meaning), because it may denote any thing which corrodes, con- sumes, or spoils goods of any kind. Dod. says canker. VOL. IV. 8 62 NOTi:S ON CH. vr. 22. Sound, uTTXovi. E. T. S/nglc. Both Chr. and The. re- present the Greek word as synonymous here with iyirji, sanus. 23. Distempered, ttovij^o^. E. T. evil. The. votnu^tn.^ morbidtis. That there is no reference to the primitive meaning of a9rA«i>?, simple, or single, is evident from its being contrasted to Tnvijpoij and not to ^iTsrXavi;. ^ Hozc great zcill the darkness be ? to g-mtoi; -tcotov. E. T. How great is that darkness ? The words are rendered in the same way in all the Eng. versions I have seen, except those made from the Vul. which says, Ipsa' tenebrw quanta^ erunt? From this the other La. translations do not materially differ ; nor the Itn. ot Dio. Quaiite saranno le tenebre ? nor the Fr. of P. R. Si. Sa. Beau, or L. CI. who concur in rendering it, Combien seront grandes les tenebres memes ? nor the Ger. of Lu. who says, ftitc groiSie toirti aennBtc ftttistcrntsdef gellier jscnn? The only foreign versions 1 have seen, w hich translate this passage in the same man- ner with the Eng. are the G. F. Combien grandes seront icelles tenebres la ? and the Itn. and Fr. versions of Giovan Luigi Pas- chale. In the former of them it is, Esse tenebre quanto saranno grandi? in the latter, Combien grandes seront icelles tenebres? Let it be observed, that there is nothing in the original answer, ing to the pronoun that, which in this place mars the sense, in- stead of illustrating it. The concluding word darkness, it makes refer to the eye, whereas it certainly refers to the body, or all the other members as contradistinguished to the eye. Those who explain it of the eye, represent our Saviour as saying, IJ thine eye be dark, how dark is thine eye ? the meaning of which I have no conception of. In my apprehension, our Lord's argu- ment stands thus : ' The eye is the lamp of the body ; from it ' all the other members derive their light. Now if that which is ' the light of the body be darkened, how miserable will be the ' state of the body? how great will be the darkness of those ' members which have no light of their own, but depend entirely ' on the eye ?' And to show that this applies equally in the figu- rative or moral, as in the literal sense : ' If the conscience, that ' mental light which God has given to man for regulating his ' moral conduct, be itself vitiated; what will be the state of the ' appetites and passions, which are naturally blind and precipi- ' tate ?' Or, to take the thing in another view : ' You, my disci- ' pies, I have called the light of the world, because destined for m. VI. S. MATTHEW. 63 * instrucfers and guides to the rest of mankind ; but if ye should * come, through ignorance and absurd prejudices, to mistake * evil for good, and good for evil, how dark and wretched will ^ be the condition of those who depend on the instructions they ' receive from you, for their guidance and direction ?' 24. Mam?non, that is, riches. Mammon is a Sy. word, which the Evangelists have retained, as serving betfer to convey the energy of our Lord's expression. Wealth is here personified, and represented as a master who rivals God in our hearts. The word is become familiar enough to our ears to answer the same purpose. 25. Be not anxious, ft?? f^ipif^vari. E. T. T(fke no thought. I do not think there is, in the common version, a more palpable deviation than this from (lie sense of the original. Paul says, Eph. v. 18. u}i f^e^vTKic-S-i eivM, Be not drunk zoith zcinc. Should one translate this precept Drink no zt'ine., the departure from the sense of the author would, in my opinion, be neither greater, nor more evident. Ms,% does not more clearly signify excess than f4.£^if4.vce, does ; the former in indulging a sensual gratification, the other in cherishing an inordinate concern about the things of this life. Paul has suggested the boundaries, in his admonition to the Phillppians, iv. 6. Be careful for nothing., f^n^iv f^ip'u.vcirej but in everij thing by prayer and supplication.^ zcith thanksgiv. ing, let your requests be tnadc knozivi unto God. Even here the phrase would have been better rendered, Be anxious about nothing ; for doubtless we ought not to be care- less about whatever is worthy to be the subject of a request to God. To take no thought about what concerns our ow n sup. port, and the "support of those who depend upon us, would ine- vitably prove the source of that improvidence and inaction, which are in the N. T. branded as criminal in a very high degree. See 1 Tim. v. 8. 2 Thess. iii. 8. There is not an apparent only, but a real, contradiction in the Apostle's sentiments to our Lord's precepts, as they appear in the common version, but not the shadow of a repugnancy to them, as expressed by the Evan- gelist. To be without anxiety, is most commonly the attendant of industry in our vocation, joined with an habitual trust in Pro- vidence, and acquiescence in its dispensations. The Vul. renders the words very properly, Ne soliciti sitis, and in this is fol- lowed by Er. Zu. Cal. He. J'isc. and Cas. Ar. has adopted the 64 NOTES ON ch. vi. barbarous word anxtenn'ni, in preference to the classical cogitetis (as the latter does not reach the sense), that he might express in one word in his version, what was expressed in one word in Gr. It is true, that in v. 27. the Vul. renders the word jM,£p<^v»v, cogi- tans. B'jt one vho considers the taste in which the greater part of that version is composed, can be at no loss to assign the rea- son of his changing the word. The translator, though not so extravafjantly attached to the letter, as Arias and Pagnin, yet was attached to it, even to excess ; and having no participle from the same root with soliciius^ to answer to y^tpiu-vuv, chose rather to change the word for a weaker, and say cogifans^ than either to alter the participial form of the expression, or to adopt a bar- barous term. The latter of these methods was afterwards taken by Ar. who said, anxiatus ; the former, which was the better method, by the rest. Er. Zu. Pise, and Be. say, solicite cogi. tando. Qn\. anrie curando. Cas. sua solicifudine. No foreign version that I know, ancient or modern, agrees with the Eng. in this particular. As to the latter Eng. translations, suffice it to observe, that Wes.'s alone excepted, there is none of those I have seen, that does not use either anxious or solicitous. I have preferred the former, both as coming nearer the sense of the ori- ginal, and as being in more familiar use. It may not be impro- per to observe, that Wy. has employed the term over. solicitous, which! think faulty in the other extreme. 'Solicitude, as I un- derstand it, implies excess, and consequently some degree of dis- trust in Providence, and want of resignation. To say. Be not over. solicitous, is in effect to say, Ye may be solicitous, if ye do not carry your solicitude too far; a speech unbefitting both the speaker and the occasion. Dio. a very good translator, is per- haps reprehensible for the same error. Non siate co?i ansicta sollecite. We have, however, a most harmonious suffrage of translators, ancient and modern, against our common version iu this instance. Some would say, that even Wes. might be includ- ed, who does not say, Take no thought, but. Take not thought ; for there is some difference between these expressions. - What ye shall cat, or zchat ye shall drink, n ^xyTtre km n vri'/in. The words, x.cci n Triy^rs, are wanting in two MSS. Like- wise the Vul. Sax. and Eth. versions, have not this clause. But these are of no weight, compared with the evidence on the other side. It adds to this considerably, that when our Lord, in the CH. VI. S. MATTHEW. 65 conclusion of his argument, v. 31st, expresses, for the last time, the precept he had been enforcing, both clauses are found in all the MSS. and versions. ^ Or, y.a,i. This is one example in which the conjunction km is, with equal propriety, translated into Eng. or. When the sen- tence contains a prohibition of two different things, it often hap- pens that either way will express the sense. When the copula- tive, r/«f/, is used, the verb is understood as repeated. Thus : Be not anxious what ye shall eat : and be not anxious what ye shall drink. When the disjunctive, or.^ is used, it expresses with us rather more strongly, that the whole force of the prohibition equally affects each of the things mentioned ; as, Be not anxious either what ye shall eat, or zdiat ye shall drink. In the con. junction, and., in such cases, there is sometimes a slight ambigu- ity. Both the things mentioned may be prohibited, taken jointly, when it is not meant to prohibit them severally. Another in- stance of this kind, not perfectly similar, the critical reader will find, ch. vii. 6. I shall here observe, by the way, that there are two extremes, to one or other of which most interpreters lean, in translating^ the instructions given by our Lord. Some endeavour to soften what to their taste is harsh ; and seem afraid of speaking out to the world, what the sacred historian has authorized them to say. Others, on the contrary, imagining that moral precepts cannot be too rigorous, give generally the severest and most unnatural interpretation to every word that can admit more than one, and sometimes even affix a moaning (whereof i^eptfAjix is an instance) for which they have no authority, sacred or profane. There is a danger on each side, against which a faithful interpreter ought to be equally guarded. Our Lord's precepts are in the Orien- tal manner, concisely and proverbially expressed ; and we ac- knowledge, that all of them are not to be expounded by the mo- ralist, strictly according to the letter. But, whatever allowance may be made to the expositor or commentator, this is what the translator has no title to expect. The character just now given of our Lord's precepts, is their character in the original, as they were written by the inspired penmen for their contemporaries; it is the translator's business to give them to his readers, as much as possible, stamped with the same signature with which they were given by the Evangelists to theirs. Those methods, there. 66 NOTES ON cii. vi.- fore, of enervating the expression, to render the doctrine more palatable to us moderns, and better suited to the reigning senti- ments and manners, are not to be approved. I have given an instance of this fault in Wy. and Dio. I shall add another from the pious Dod. v. 39. TLyu ^e Xeyai Cf^iv^ ftjj civTti-y)va.t tm ttov^j^w, he renders thus: But I say unto you ^ that ii on do not set yourselves against the wjurioiis person. In this he is followed by Wor. and Wa. The phrase, do not set yourself against a man, if it mean any thiui^, means, do not become his enemy, or do not act the part of an enemy; a sense neither suited to the words, nor to the context. To pretend to support it from etymology, is no better than it would be to contend that intelligo should be trans- lated, /rcftt/ betioecn, and manu^nitto, I send zoith the hand ; or (to recur to our ow^n language, which answers equally well) to explain lunderstand, as denoting 1 stand under, or / reflect, as implying / bend back. The attempt was the more futile here, as every one of the three following examples, whereby our Lord illustrated his precept, sufficiently shows that the meaning of «v- T!?-i:voci (had the word been equivocal, as it is not) could be no- thing else than as it is commonly rendered, resist, or oppose. The anonymous translator 1729, seems likewise to have disre- lished this precept, rendering it, Don't return evil for evil; a Christian precept doubtless, but not the precept of the text. Our Lord says expressly, and the whole context vouches his meaning. Do not resist ; his translator will have him to say. Do not re. sent. Jesus manifestly warns us against opposing an injury of- fered; his interpreter will have him only to dissuade us from reven£;ing an injury committed. Yet in the very interpretation "which he gives of the following words, he has afforded an irre- fragable evidence against himself, that it is of the former that Christ is speaking, and not of the latter. But it must be owned, that there is danger also on the other side, to which our translators have, in rendering some passages, evidently leaned. It is in vain to think to draw respect to a law, by straining it ever so little beyond what consistency and right reason will warrant. " Expect no good," says the Bishop of Meaux, " from those who overstrain virtue." Ne croyez jamais rien de bon de ceux qui oiitrent la vertu, Hist, des Variations, &c. liv. ii. ch. CO. Nothing can be better founded than this max- im, though it may justly surprise us to read it in that author, as VH. VI. S. MATTHEW. 67 nothing can be more subversive of the whole fabric of monachism. There is not, however, a more effectual method, than by such immoderate stretches, of affordinaj a shelter and apology for transgression. And when once the plea of impracticability is (though not avowedly, tacitly) admitted in some cases, it never fails to be gradually extended to other cases, and comes at last to undermine the authority of the whole. That this, to the great scan- dal of the Christian name, is become too much the way, in re- ■ gard to our Lord's precepts, in all sects and denominations of Christians, is a truth too evident to admit a question. 27. Prolong his life one hour. L. xii. 25. N. 28. Mark (he lilies of the field. IIozo do they grozo ? KxT»ft,ci3-c- r; Tci K^tvx Ts oiypa ar^y; otv^xvei' So it is commonly pointed in the printed editions. But in tlie old MSS. there is no pointing. Nor are the points to be considered as resting on any other than hu- man authority, like the division into chapters and verses. I agree, therefore, with Palairet, who thinks that there should be a full stop after ay^a^ and that the remaining words should be marked as an interrogation, thus, Kctrxf^x.^£T£ ra xpivcc m uy^ov. Uui ocv. |«ve< ; This perfectly suits both the scope of the place, and the vivacity of our Lord's manner, through the whole discourse. 30. The herbage, Tov xop'^ov. E. T. The grass. But lilies Ere not grass ; neither is grass fit for heating an oven. Thai the lily is here included under the term x'^'^'^i 's (if there were no other) sufficient evidence, that more is meant by it than is signi- fied with us by the term grass. I acknowledge, however, that the classical sense of the Gr. word is grass, or hajj. It is a just remark of Gro. that the Hebrews ranked the whole vegetable system under two classes, sj? ghets, and as'jj ghesheb. The first is rendered |j/A5v,, or ^tv^pov, tree; to express the second, the Se- venty have adopted ;e«^r®-, as their common way was to trans, late one Heb. word by one Gr. word, though :iot quite proper, rather than by a circumlocution. It is accordingly used in their version. Gen. i. 11. where the distinction first occurs, and in most other places. Nor is it with greater propriety rendered grass in Eng. than x'>?'^o(^ in Greek. The same division occurs Rev. viii. 7. where our translators have in like manner had recourse to the term grass. I have adopted, as coming ne.arer the mean- G8 NOTES ON cH. vr-. ing of the sacred writer, the word herbage, which Johnson de- fines herbs collectively. Under the name herb is comprehended every sort of plant which has not, like trees and shrubs, a peren- nial stalk. That many, if not all sorts of shrubs, were included, by the Hebrews, under the denomination tree, is evident from Jotham's apologue of the trees chusing a king, Jud. ix. 7. where the bramble is mentioned as one. ^ Into the oven, en rov kmQodidv. Wes. info the still. But on what authority, sacred or profane, >tA/j3«vo? is made a still, he does not acquaint us. For my part, 1 have not seen a vestige of evidence in any ancient author, that the art of distillation was then known. The only objection of moment, against the common version of KA(/3«ve5, is removed by the former part of this note. Indeed, the scarcity of fewel in those parts, both formerly and at present, fully accounts for their having recourse to withered herbs for heating their ovens. It accounts, also, for the frequent recourse of the sacred penmen to those similitudes, whereby things, found unfit for any nobler purpose, are represented as reserved for the fire. See Harmer's Observations, ch. iv. obs. vi. As to the words to-day and to-morrow, every body knows that this is a proverbial idiom, to denote that the transition is sudden, 3 0 ye distrustful! eXiyoTrtroi. E. T. O ye of little faith ! It is quite in the genius of the Gr. language, to express, by such com- pound words, what in other languages is expressed by a more simple term. Nor do our translators, or indeed any translators, always judge it necessary to trace, in a periphrasis, the several parts of the composition. In a few cases, wherein a single word entirely adequate cannot be found, this method is proper, but not otherwise. I have seen no version which renders eA/yoi/^n^o/, they of little soul, or fA.'M^o6viA.M, length of mind, or (piXontMx;, a lover of quarrels. How many are the words of this kind in the N. T. whose component parts no translator attempts to exhibit in his version ? Such are, ^Pieeve|<«, lA^iyxXovpeTrvn, zAsj^ova^fo;, eU;- KBtr/ii;, and many others. The word distrustful comes nearer the sense than the phrase of little faith ; because this may express any kind of incredulity or scepticism; whereas anxiety about the things of life stands in direct opposition to an unshaken trust in the providence and promises of God. cii. VI. S. MATTHEW. 69 33. Seek — the rigJiteousness rcqjnrcd by him^ ^zTeiTe — rtjv ^r XU10TVV71V avra. E. T. Seek — Jus righteousness. The righteous, ness of God., in our idiom, can mean only the justice or moral Tcctitude of the divine nature, which it were absurd in us to seek, it being, as all God's attributes are, inseparable from his essence. But in the Heb. idiom, that righteousness, which consists in a conformity to the declared will of God, is called /;/* righteous- ness. In this way the phrase is used by Paul, Rom. iii. 21, 22. X. 2». where the righteousness of God is opposed by the Apostle to that of the unconverted Jews; and their ozcn righteousness .^ which he tells us they went about to establish, does not appear to signify their personal righteousness, any more than the righ- teousness of God signifies his personal righteousness. The word righteousness., as I conceive, denotes there what we should call a system of morality, or righteousness, which he denominates their own, because fabricated by themselves, founded partly on the letter of the law, partly on tradition, and consisting mostly in ceremonies, and mere externals. This creature of their own imaginations they had cherished, to the neglect of that purer scheme of morality which was truly of God, which they might liave learnt, even formerly, from the law and the Prophets pro- perly understood, but now, more explicitly, from the doctrine of Christ. That the phrase, the righteousness of God, in the sense I have given, was not unknown to the O. T. writers, ap. pears from Micah vi. What is called, v. 5. the righteousness of the Lord, which God wanted that the poople should know, is explained, v. 8. to be what the Lord requireth of them, namely, to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly zcith their God. It is in this sepse we ought to understand the phrase, James, i. ' 20. The wrath of man zaorketh not the righteousness of God ; that is, is not the proper means of producing that righteousness vvhich God requireth of us. Now, the righteousness of God, meant in this discourse by our Lord, is doubtless what he had been explaining to them, and contrasting to the righteousness of th ■ Scribes and Pharisees. The phrase, seeking righteousness, for seeking to attain a conformity to the will of God, is not un- suitable to the Jewish phraseology. The same expression occurs, 1 Mace. ii. 29. Then many that sought after justice and judg~ ment, ^^jrsvres SitcMoo-vviiv text Kptf^ct, went down into the wilderness to dwell there. And though this book is not admitted by Pro- VOL. lY. 9 70 - NOTES ON cii. vir. teslants into the canon, it is acknowledged to have been written by a Jew, and entirely in the idiom of his country, if not origin- ally in their language. CHAPTER VII. 3. The thorn, ri-,v ^okov. E. T. The beam. That the tropes^ employed by the Orientals often appear to Europeans rather too bold and hyperbolical, is beyond a doubt. But I cannot help thinking, that the effect has been, in many cases, heightened by translators, who, when a word admits different interpretations, seem sometimes to have preferred that which is worst suited to the figurative application. The Gr. word ^exei has, even in cias- sical use, more latitude of signification than the Eng. term beam. It answers not only to the La. trabs or tignum, a beam or raf. tcr^ but also to luncea, hasta, a spear or lance. In the latter signification, when used figuratively, I take it to have been near- ly synonymous to c-koXo-^^, which, from denoting y^a/«* aculcatun. sudes, vallus, seems, at least in the use of Hellenists, to have been employed to denote any thing sharp-pointed (however lit- tle), as aprickle, or thorn. Thus, in Num. xxxiii. 55. s-xo/ojt^s ev roii o; strait is the gate. In the common Gr. we read, on r£V!» ^' "Ts^rjXyj. I3ut in a very great number of MSS. some of them of great antiquity, the reading is r<, not or;. This reading is con- firmed by the Vul. Quam an gusta porta, and by most of the an- cient versions, particularly by the old Itc. both the Sy. the Ara. the Cop. the Go. and the Sax. It was so read by Chr. The. and the most eminent Fathers, Gr. and La. and is received by Wet. and some of the best modern critics. 15. False teachers, -t^evSoTrpocptiTt^v. E. T. False prophets. But 7rpo(p7iTri}rivo-x/^a, v. 2*2. taught ; which, notwithstanding its connection with things really miraculous, is better rendered thus in this passage, because to promote the knowledge of the Gospel is a matter of higher consequence, and vvould therefore seem more to recommend men than to foretel things future. 72 NOTES ON cii. vii-. ^ In the garb of sheep., ev cv^vf^cco-t TrpoQocrm. Si. renders it, Converts de peaiix tie hrehis^ and says in a note, " It is thus we " ought to translate indumentis ov,ium^ because the prophets ^' were clothed with sheep-skins.'''' It is true the author of the epistle to the Hebrews, xi. 37. in enumerating the great things which have been done and suffered, through faith, by prophets and other righteous persons, mentions this, that they wander- ed about in sheep-skins and goal-skins.^ ev f^i}>iUTciii; y.m cnyn. «/5 hpfJLXTiv^ being destitute., ajflictcd, tormented^ alluding to the persecutions to which many of them were exposed from ido- latrous princes. That Elijah was habited in this manner, ap- pears from 2 Ki. i. 7, 8. compared with ch. ii, 13. and 1 Ki. xix. 13. in which two last places, the word rendered in Eng. mantle^ is, in the Sep. translated fojA^r;;. But I have not seen any rea- son to think that this was the common attire of the prophets. The first of the three passages serves as evidence, rather of the contrary, inasmuch as Elijah seems to have been distinguished by his dress, not only from other men, but from other prophets. That some indeed came afterwards hypocritically to affect a simi- lar garb, in order to deceive the simple, is more than probable, from Zech. xiil. 4. But, whatever be in this, as iv^vi^a does not signify a skin, there is no reason for making the expression in the translation more limited than in the original. 17. Evil tree, G-nTrpov hv^pov. E. T. Corrupt tree. The word c-xTrpoz does not always mean rotten or corrupted, but is often used as synonymous to ^evjj/)e5, evil. Trees of a bad kind pro- duce bad fruit, but not in consequence of any rottenness or cor. ruption. See ch. xiii. 48. where, in the similitude of the net, which enclosed fishes of every kind, the worthless, which were thrown away, ^re called ra votTcpx, rendered in the common ver- sion the bad. Nothing can be plainer than that this epithet does not denote that those fishes were putrid, but solely that they were of a noxious or poisonous quality, and consequently use- less, 23. / never kncic you ; that is, / never ackoicledged i/ou for mine, ^ Ye who practise i?iiquitjj, ii ipyoi^o/^aat t^v «v«m-!«v. Be. Qui operam datis iniquitati. Diss. X. P. V. § 12. cH. viii. S. MATTHEW. 73 28. At his maimer of teaching^ btti tti h§ct,x,^ uvtov. E. T. At his doctrine. The word ^iSu^^ denotes often the doctrine taught, sometimes the act of teaching, and sometimes even the maimer of teaching. That this is the import of the expression here, is evi. dent from the verse immediately following. 29. As the Scribes. The Vul. Sy. Sax. and Arm. versions, with one MS. add, and the Pharisees. CHAPTER VIII, 4. The Sy. says, the priests, but in this reading is singular. ^ For notifying the cure to the fieoplc., eii f^a^rv^tev ccvtok;. E. T. For a testimony/ unto them. Both the sense and the connec- tion shew that the them here means the people. It could not be the priests, for it was only one priest (to wit, the priest then en- trusted with that business) to whom he was commanded to go. Besides, the oblation could not serve as an evidence to the priest. On the contrary, it was necessary that he should have ocular evidence by an accurate inspection in private, before the man was admitted into the temple and allowed to make the oblation ; but his obtaining this permission, and the solemn ceremony conse- quent upon it, was the public testimony of the priest, the only legal judge, to the people, that the man's uncleanness was re- moved. This was a matter of the utmost consequence to the man, and of some consequence to them. Till such testimony was given, he lived in a most uncomfortable seclusion from society. No man durst, under pain of being also secluded, admit him inta his house, eat with him, or so much as touch him. The antece- dent therefore to the pronoun them, though not expressed, is easily supplied by the sense. To me it is equally clear, that the only thing meant to be attested by the oblation was the cure. The suppositions of some commentators on this subject are quite extravagant. Nothing can be more evident than that the person now cleansed was not permitted to give any testimony to the priest, or to any other, concerning the manner of his cure, or the person by whom it had been performed, 'opa f^ti^evi uttth, See thou tell nobody. The prohibition is expressed by the Evange- list Mr. in still stronger terms. Prohibitions of this kind were often transgressed by those who received them ; but that is not a good reason for representing our Lord as giving contradictory orders. 74 • NOTES ON ch. viii. 6. Ajjiided^ iiciTxvi^«iu.sM.Qe carried o^, of which the original Heb. as well as the Gr. is capable, that the words, as far as propriety admits, may be conformable to the application. 18. To pass to the opposite shore. Let it be remarked, once for all, that passing or crossing this lake or sea, does not always denote sailing from the east side to the west, or inversely; though the river Jordan, both above and below the lake, ran south- wards. The lake was of such a form, that, without any impro- priety, it might be said to be crossed in other directions, even by those who kept on the same side of the Jordan. 19. Rabbi, h^oiTy.xXe. Diss. VII. P. II. 20. Caverns, /puXiisc,. The word t^aXi®^ denotes the den, ca- vern, or kennel, which a wild beast, by constantly haunting it, appropriates to himself. ^ Places of shelter, KarxTKi^vtua-sti, E. T. Nests. But kxtxt. w,mirti signifies a place for shelter and repose, a perch or roost. CH. Tin. S. MATTHEW. 7a The Gr. name for nest, or place for hatching, is vos-cnK, which oc- curs often in this sense in the Sep. as moo-evu does for to build a nest. But 5is4Ts£^)C}!v«5-<5 is never so'employed. The verb x«r«5-. iuivou is used by the Evangelists Mt. Mr. and L. speaking of birds, to express their taking shelter^ perching, or roosting on branches. In the common version it is rendered by the verb to lodge. 22. Let the dead bury their dead. This expression is evi* dently figurative ; the word dead having one meaning in the be- ginning of the sentence, and another in the end. The import is, ' Let the spiritually dead, those who are no better than dead, ' being insensible to the concerns of the soul and eternity, em- ^ ploy themselves in burying those who, in the common accepta- ' tion of the word, are dead.'' 26. Commanded, emrif^ijtre. Mr. ix, 25. N. 28. Gadarenes. I agree with Wet. that Gergcsenes appears to have been introduced by Origen upon mere conjecture. Ori- gen's words imply as much. Before him most copies seem to have read Gadarenes, but some Gerasenes. The latter is the reading of the Vul. and of the second Sy. The former is prefe- rable on many accounts, and is the reading of the first Sy. I shall only add, that if Origen's conjectural correction were to be ad- mitted, it ought to be extended to the parallel places in Mr. and L. ^ Demoniacs. Diss. VI. P. I. § 7, &-c. _ 29. What hast thou to do zcith us ? n ^'iu.iv xxi o-oi. E. T. What have we to do with thee? The sense of both expressions is the same. . But the first is more in the form of an expostula- tion. J. ii. 4. ^N. , 30. At some distance, f^xxpetv. Y^.T. A good way oJ)\ Vul. Non longe probably from some copy which read a i^ock^m. This is one of those ditferences wherein there is more the appearance of discrepancy than the reality. In such general ways of speak- ing, there is always a tacit comparison ; and the same thing may be denominated /«r, or not far, according to the extent of ground with which, in our thoughts, we compare it. At some distance suits perfectly the sense of the Gr. word in this place, is con- formable to the rendering given in the Sy. and makes no diffe- rence in meaning from the La. The word f^etx-pod-iv (L. xviii. 13.) Th JVOTES ON cii. IX, where it is said of the Publican fi.»)cpe9-sv £5-iflty%v(^oft,«< from o-TrXwyy^vct,, viscera, the bowels. This they consider as corresponding to the Heb. ani richam, both noun and verb. The noun in the plural is sometimes interpreted c-5rA«y%v£«. The verb is never by the Seventy rendered e-xA«y;(iv<^ojM,«c;, a word which does not occur in that version, but generally eXeia or ourupu, which occur often, and are rendered / have compassion, I have mercy, or I have pity. Nay, the Heb. word frequently occurs joined with a ne- gative particle, manifestly denoting to have no mercy, &c. Now for this purpose the verb richam would be totally unfit, if it signified to be affected with an uncommon degree of compassion ; all that would be then implied in it, when joined with a negative, would be, that an uncommon degree of compassion was not shown. In the historical part of the N. T. where the word o-;r>iCty^vi(^6f/.xt occurs pretty often, and always in the same sense, not one of those interpreters who in this passage find it so won- derfully emphatical, judge it proper always to adhere to their method of rendering adopted here, but render it barely / have OH. IX. S. MATTHEW. 81 compassion. Even Wes. who has been more uniform than the rest, has thought fit to desert his favourite phrase, in translating Mr. ix. 22. where the man who brought his son to Jesus to be cured, says, as he renders it, If thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us^ .fA.ivoi. In regard to the reading in tliose copieSj from which the Vul. and other ancient translations were 82 NOTES ON cii. x. made this is one of those cases in which nothing can be con- cluded with certainty. The reason is, one of the senses of the word e^tAfPiyiM-EKfl/, namely, fMigued^ exhausted^ nearly coincides with the meaning of cc-y.v>^f^ivoi ; consequently the version might have been the same, whichsoever way it stood in the translator's copy. Now if these translations be set aside, the preponderancy is not such as ought in reason to determine us against the read- ing which suits best the context. To me the common reading appears, in this respect, preferable. Now the word sxAfw, when applied either to a flock or to a multitude of people, means dts- sipo, I scatter^ as well as debilito^ I weaken; nor can any thing be better suited to the scope of the passage. Be. has preferred that sense, and Eisner has well supported it, as he has, in like manner, the true meaning of (jtytf^y-tvoi in this place, as signify- ing exposed. This interpretation has also the advantage of be- i'Ag equally adapted to the literal sense, and to the figurative ; to the similitude introduced, and to that with which the comparison is made. It is not a natural consequence of the absence of the shepherd that the sheep should be jatigued and worn out, or languid, but it is the consequence that they should be scattered and exposed to danger. The shepherd prevents their wandering, and protects them. CHAPTER X. 2. Afiostles, cfTTo^tt'km . That is missionaries-, messengers. It is rarely applied to any but those whom God, or one represent- ing his person, as the chief magistrate or the high priest, sends on business of importance. The word occurs only once in the Septuagint. 1 Ki. xiv. 6. where Ahijah the prophet is, by those interpreters, represented as saying to the wife of Jeroboam, 'Eyu itf^i x7ro?-oX'^ ■srpoMt cK>i.>^j?. E. T. Canaanite. But this is the name, always given in the O. T. to a descendant of Canaan, son of Ham, and grandson of Noah ; and is in Gr. not Kxvxvtnji but Xotvxvxiog. The Vul. indeed seems to have read so, rendering it Chananceus. But this reading is not supported by either ver. sions or MSS. nor has it any internal probability to recommend it. Some think the Gr. word imports a native or inhabitant of Cana in Galilee. Others are of opinion that it is a Sy. word used by Mt. and Mr. of the same import with the Gr. ^^jA^t;;; employed by L. in reference to the same person. L. vi. 15. N. ^ He zi^ho betrayed him, o xxt Trei^x^m; ccvrev. Vul. Qui et trom didit eum. Er. Zu, Be. Cas. Pise, and Cal. all use prodidit, in- stead oi tradidit. All modern translators I am acquainted with (except Beau, and Si. who say, qui livra Jesus), whether they translate from the Gr. or from the Vnl. have in this particular followed the modern La. interpreters. Now it is evident that in this the Vul. has adhered more closely both to the letter and to the spirit of the original than the other versions. Uxpx^avxi, Wet. observes, is tradere, Tr^e^avxt is prodere. The former expresses simply the fact, without any note of praise or blame ; the other 84 NOTES ON ch. x. marks the fact as criminal, and is properly a term of reproach- Now there is this peculiarity in the spirit of those writers, that, when speaking in their own character as historians, they satisfy themselves with relating the bare facts, without eilher using such terms, or affixing such epithets, as might serve to impres's their readers with their sentiments concerning them, either of censure or of commendation. They tell the naked truth, without hint- ing an opinion, and leave the truth to speak for itself. They have hit the happy medium, in narrative writing, that they avoid equally the slightest appearance, on one hand, of coldness and indifference, and on the other, of passion and prejudice. It was said of their Master, Never man spake like thin man. May it not be justly affirmed of these his biographers. Never men wrote like these men? And if their manner be unlike that of other men in general, it is more especially unlike that of fanatics of all denominations. Some may be surprized, after reading this re- mark, that I have not myself used the more general expression, and said. Delivered him up. Had I been the first who render- ed the Gospels into Eng. 1 should certainly have so rendered that passage. But the case is totally different, now that our ears are inured to another dialect, especially as the customary expres- sion contains nothing but what is strictly true. It is not easy to make so great an alteration, and at the same time preserve a simple and unaffected manner of writing, A translator, by ap- pearing to seek about for an unusual term, may lose more of the genius of the style in one way than he gains in another. There is the greater danger in regard to this term, as, for the same rea- son for which we render it deliver up in this passage, we ought to translate it so in every other, which in some places, in conse- quence of our early habits, would sound very awkwardly. But that the manner of the evangelists may not be in any degree mis- taken from the version, I thought it necessary to add this note. Diss. III. § 23. 5. A Samaritan city^ ttoXiv llxf^xpiiTm. Vul. civitates Sama. ritanorum in the plural. This reading has no support from MSS. or versions. 8. In the common Gr. copies, vsycpsi iyu^ere, raise the dead, is found immediately after MTrpm KaBcu^i^eri. But, it is wanting in a great number of the most valuable MSS. in the com. polyglot, and in the Arm. and Eth. versions. And, though it is retained GH. X. S. MATTHEW. 85 in the Sy. and also in the Vul. where it is transposed, it is evi- dent that Jerom did not find it in any of his best MSS. as he has omitted it totally in his Commentary, where every other clause of the sentence is specially taken notice of. Neither did Chr. Euth. or Theo. find it in the copies used by them. There is this further evidence against it, that it is not mentioned, either in the beginning of the chapter, where the powers conferred on the Apostles are related, whereof this, had it been granted, must be considered as the principal^ or iu the parallel passages of L. where the Apostles are said to have been commissioned, and to have had powers bestowed on them. This power they seem never to have received till after the resurrection of their Lord. 9. In your girdles. Their purses were commonly in their gir. dies. 10. No scrip, u.i, ^yjpa, ui i^o,. E. T. No scrip for your journey. I understand scrip to signify a travelling bag or wallet, and con. sequently to answer to ?ry,px m o^ov. But whatever be in this, the words in connection sufficiently show the meaning. 2 Staves. The common reading in Gr. is ^u^Sov. This is one of the few instances in which our translators have not scrupled to desert the ordinary editions, and say staves, notwithstanding that the Vul. agrees with the common Gr. and has virgam. There is sufficient ground, however, for preferring the other reading, which is not only well supported by MSS. some versions, and old editions, and is approved by Wet. and other critics ; but is entirely conformable to those instructions as represented by the other Evangelists. 3 No spare coats, shoes, or staves, f^^e ho y^nmu,, ^,h Wc hf^-ccrcc, y.y>h f«/37rc^^,^»rc^ is Am. ii. 6. and viii. 6. properly translated ajmir of shoes, being, according to the Masora, in the dual number, I have rendered the word ho here spare ; (that is, such as ye are not using at present), for by this means I both avoid the impro- priety, and exactly hit the sense in them all. VOL. IV. 11 86 NOTES ON cH.x. ^ Of his maintenance, rm rpo^r^i ccvra. E. T. Of his meat. But the three particulars last mentioned, coat, staff, and shoes, are surely not meat, in any sense of the word. This, if there were no other argument, sufficiently shews, that our Lord included more under the term 'rpo(pti than food. He prohibits them from incumbering themselves with any articles of raiment, beside what they were wearing, or with money to purchase more, when these should be worn out. Wliy ? Because they would be entitled to a supply from those on whom their labours would be bestowed, and money would be but an incumbrance to them. The word is used by a synecdoche, perfectly agreeable to the Oriental idi- om, which sometimes makes the term bread denote every thing necessary for subsistence. Sc. has shown that this interpreta- tion of rpotpii is not unsupported by classical authority. - 12. The Vul. subjoins to this verse, Dicentes, Pax huic do.. mui. Saying, Peace be to this house. The corresponding words in Gr. are found in some MSS. but not in so many as to give any countenance for relinquishing the common reading, which agrees with the Sy. and the greater number of ancient versions ; more especially, as some editions of the Vul. omit these words, and as the connection is complete without them. There is ground to think, that such corrections have sometimes arisen from an ill- judged zeal in transcribers, to render the Gospels more confor- mable to one another. That the common Jewish salutation was, Peace be to this house, is well known. I have, therefore, for the greater perspicuity, rendered >]' e;^)jv»} {>(amv, in the 13th verse, the peace ye wish them. This, at the same time that it gives ex- actly the sense, renders the addition to the 12th verse quite unne- cessary. 14. Shake the dust off your feet. It was maintained by the scribes, that the very dust of a heathen country polluted their land, and therefore ought not to be brought into it. Our Lord here, adopting their language, requires his disciples, by this ac- tion, to signify that those Jewish cities which rejected their doc. trine, deserved a regard noway superior to that which they them- selves showed to the cities of Pagans. It is added in the gos- pels of Mr. and L. ag /^cct^rvpiov, for a testimony, that is, not a de-^ nunciation of judgments, but a public and solemn protestation against them. 18. To bear testimony to them, m i^eeprvptcv ccvtok;. Mr. xiii. 9.N. cj£. X. S. MATTHEW. 87 20. It shaUnot he ye bui The meaning is, // sliuU not be ye so much as Ch. ix. 13. ^ Note. 23. When they persecute you in one city^ oTctv ho)y,ea7-tv iiy^xii a T-,} TFoXti Totvr>i. Two or three copies, none of the most esteemed, read ex, rjj^ -jroXeox; rccvrm. Chr. and Orig. also, found this read- ing in those used by them. But neither the author of the Vul. nor any ancient translator, appears to have read so. Had there been ground for admitting this reading, the proper translation would have been, JVhenthey banish you out of one city. 2 Another. Ch. xxvii. 61. N. ^ Ye shall not have gone through the cities of Israel, a vm rt~ Asnire to? voXm t» IrpxriX. Be. Nequaquam obieritis urbes Is- raelis. The late learned Bishop Pearce objects to this version that, though reXetv diJov, and tsAe/v alone ('e,$ov being understood), are used for accomplishing a journey ; he had seen no example of T£AeSo\Tii; r;jv Uu.>,xtr(- y£v. Ye shall not have finished your travelling through Pales. tine. I shall only add, that the word consumtnabi/is, used by the Vul. is rather ambiguous, and maybe differently interpreted, Er. Zu. and Cal. who say perambulaveritis, perfectly agree in sense with Be. So, I imagine, does Cas. though he uses the more indefinite and less proper term, perlustraveritis. 88 NOTES ON cm. x. 25. Beelzebub, BssA^f/Sj^A. Vul. Beelzebub. In this instance, our translators have adopted the reading of the Vul. in prefe- rence to that of the Gr. With the Vul. agree the Sy. Eth. and Ara. versions. It is remarkable, that there is no variation in the Gr. MSS. all of which make the viord terminate in A, not in /3, All the learned seem to be agreed, that Beelzebub was the Ori- ental name. It were superfluous to examine the conjectures of critics on this subject. The obvious reason of this change ap- pears io be that assigned by Gro. No Gr. word ends in /3 ; and those who wrote in that language, in order to accommodate themselves to the pronunciation of the people who spoke it, were accustomed to make some alterations on foreign names. Thus, Sennacherib is in the Sep. 'Zincfx/'^^iuu. ; and Ilabakkuk, for a like reason, is Af^^xy.Hf^. On how many of the Heb. names of the O T. is a much greater change made in the N. in regard to which we find no different reading in the MSS. ? I suppose, however, that the reason of the preference given by our translators, wa5 not because the sound was more conformable to the Oriental word, a thing of no consequence to us, but because, through the universal use of the Vul. before the Reformation, men were ac- customed to the one name, and strangers to the other. The word Beelzebub means the Lord ofjlies. It is thought to be the name of some Syrian idol, but whether given by the worshippers them- selves, or, as was not unusual, by the Jews in contempt, is to us matter only of conjecture. 26. Therefore, fear them not. M?; av Xm g-pK^iav .Siui is equivocal, signifying both life and souly and consequently is much better fitted for exhibiting with entire perspicuity, the two meanings, than the Eng. word life. The Syro-Chaldaic, which was the language then spoken in Palestinej had, in this respect, the same advantage with the Gr. 90 ■ NOTES ON CHAPTER XL CH. XI. 1. Give warning. Diss. VI. P. V. § 2, &c. ^ In the cities^ ev rxi^ TroXea-iv uvrm. E. T. In their cities. It is not uncommon in the Oriental dialects, to employ a pronoun where the antecedent, to which it refers, is not expressed, but un- derstood. In this way ccvrav is here used ; for it must refer to the Galileans, in whose country they then were. But as the pronoun is not necessary in Eng. and as in our ears it would ap. pear to refer to disciples, and so might mislead, it is better omitted. 2. Of the Messiah, th Xpi^-a. A few MSS. and the Eth. ver. 3ion, read m itj/ya. It is not in itself improbable, that this is the true reading, though too weakly supported to authorize an altera, tion in the text. Ijjo-y?, Kvpi(^, ©£^, and X^*?-©-^ having been anciently almost always written by contraction, were more liable to he mistaken than other words. If, however, the common reading be just, it deserves to be remarked, that the word Xpire? is never, when alone, and with the article, used in the Gospels, as a proper name. It is the name of an office. The import of the expression must therefore be, ' When John had heard that ' those works were performed by Jesus, which are characteristi- * cal of the Messiah, he sent.' Diss. V. P. IV. § 6—9. 3. He that cometh, i e^xof^-^^o'^' I^- T. He that should come. I thought it better to render this literally, because it is one of the titles by which the Messiah was distinguished. It answers in Or. to the Heb. Nan haba, taken from Psal. cxviii. 26. where he is denominated, He that cometh in the name of the Lord. The beginning of a description, is usually employed to suggest the whole. Indeed the whole is applied to him, ch. xxi. 9, Mr. xi. 9. L. xix. 38. J. xii. 13. and sometimes the abbreviation, as here, and in J. vi. 14. Heb. x.37. o ip^of^evoi seems to have been a title as much appropriated as « X^/r«5, and o 6ioi m Ax^i^. 5. Good news is brought. Dj^s. V. P. II. 6. To whom I shall not prove a stumbling-blacky o'j icm f^ cnm^»Xtir% a cf^ai. Ch. V. 29. N. sp. XI. ^. MATTHEW. 91 7. A reed shaken by the wind? A proverbial expression ; im» plying, ' It is surely not for any trifling matter that ye have gone 'thither.' 8. Av5^»5r«v EV iMiXocMii If^xTtoti ii(/JpUG-(^iV9V — 01 TO, i^MXetftoc (papal- rti—lt was observed (Diss. X. P. V. § 2.) that, when a particu- lar species was denoted by an adjective added to the general name, the article, on occasion of repeating the name, is made to supply the place of the adjective ; but here we have an example wherein on rejecting the adjective, the substantive is supplied by prefixing the article m fA.xXxx.ci for y.xX!tx.x, 'ifA.xTtx. There is evidently, therefore, neither redundancy nor impropriety in using the article here, as some have vainly imagined. Either it or the repetition of the noun was necessary, in point of precision. 10. Angel. Diss. VIII. P. III. § 9, &c. 12. Invaded. The comparison is here to a country invaded and conquered, or to a city besieged and taken by storm. 13. Were your instruciers, Trpotcpiirevc-uv. Ch. vii. 15. N. 15. Whoever hath ears, &c. Diss, II. P. III. § 5. 16. In the market-place^ ev xyopxii;. E. T. In the markets. But a great number of MSS. as well as the Vul. Go. and Sy. ver- sions, have the word in the singular. The passage was also read thus by some of the ancient expositors. Moreover, the reading itself appears preferable. 17. We have sung mournful songs^ £5fj)Vjj(r«;M.ev. E. T. We have mourned. But mourning and lamenting are nearly synony- mous. Hence that indistinctness in the E. T. which makes a reader at a loss to know what those children wanted of their companions. If it was to join them in mourning, it would have been more natural to retain the word, and say. But ye have not mourned with us. There are other reasons which render this supposition improbable. One is, the former member of the sen- tence shows, that it was one part which one of the sets of boys had to play, and another that was expected from the other. A second reason is, the similarity of the construction in the cor- responding clauses, and the difference in the contrasted ; iivXsjFei- iA,iv ufA.iv. — «5jo;}VJ)er«M,£w uf^JV, on one side, and Hk jy/);^j}5-«5-3-e, — UK exo- -^xT^B on the other. These things add a great degree of proba- 92 NOTES ON ch. xv bilitytothe vprsion I have given, after Er. and Cal. who say lugubria cecinimiis ; Dio. G. F. and L. Cl. who render the words in the san)e way, and Hey. who says, sung mournful tunes. But what puts it, with me, beyond a doubt, is, to find that the Seventy use B-pmoi for elegy^ or song of lamentation ., and S-^iimv for to si7ig such a song. See 2 Sam. i. 17. For that the lamentation there following is a song or poem, is evident from its structure. See also the preamble in the Sep. to the book of Lamentations, where the song which immediately follows, composed alphabeti- cally in tlie manner of some of the Psalms, is denominated S'pijvog, as indeed are all the other poems of that book. That the Jews used such melancholy music, sometimes instrumental, sometimes vocal, at funerals, and on other calamitous occasions, appears from several passages of Scripture. In Jeremiah's time, they had women whose occupation it was to sing them, Jer. ix. 17. They are called in the Sep. S-ptivsa-xi. The word is weakly ren- dered in our version the mourning women ; much better by Cas. proeficas^ women who, in melodious strains, gave vent to their lamentations. For those who know the power of music in con- junction with poetry will admit that these, by a wonderful charm, soothe, at the same time that they excite, the sorrow of the hearers. The words which follow in v. 18. render the justness of this interpretation still more evident. They are thus translated by Houbigant, Ut cito edant in nobis cantus lugubres-, ut la~ chrymas effundant oculi nostri, &c. And in regard to the sense, not much differently by Cas. Quos nceniam de nobis editum pro. pere veniant ; profundantque oculi nostri lacrymas^ &c. In v. 20. which in our version is unintelligible (for how mere wailing, artificially taught, could gratify a person in real grief, is beyond comprehension), the difficulty is entirely removed by a right translation. Houbigant, Instituite ad lamentum filias vestras, suam quceque sodalem ad cantus lugubres. Cas. to the same purpose, Filias vestras nceniam, et alias alia; lamentationem docete. In classical use also S-^fjvetv has often the same significa- tion, and answers to nosniam edere. Neenia, says Festus, est carmen quodinfunere, laudandi gratia, cantatur ad tibiam. 19. Wisdom is justijied. L. vii. 35. N. 20. Began to reproach, 3;/>|««t« omh^m. Mr. v. 17. N, CH. XI. S. MATTHEW. 93 21. JVo unto thee Chorazin. L. vi. 24. N. "^ In sackcloth and ashes ; that is, 'the deepest contrition and ' sorrow.' Sackcloth and ashes were the outward signs of pent- tence in those days. 23. Which hast been exalted to heaven^ ^ iu<; ra apotva u-^a. eeio-M. Vul. Numquid usque in caelum exaltabcris? The Cop. and the Eth. versions read in the same manner. In conformity to these, we find in a very few Gr. MSS. /mj tu^ m evpctvov {/■^u. = Hades. Diss, VI. P. II. § 2, Sfc, 25. / adore thee, e%