ILLUSTRATED WITH NOTES. MATT. XXV. 14 For the kingdom of heaven is [rather, For it is] as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. 15 And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and 16 Then straightway took his journey. he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them 17 And likewise he other five talents. 24th chapter. Our English version, following the Received Text, adds, "wherein the Son of man cometh;" but this clause is rejected as spurious by Griesbach, and most of the later erities. REMARK.-It should be observed, that three of the successive parables in this prophecy, viz. that in the end of the 24th chapter, this of the virgins, and the next of the talents, appear designed to represent the case exclusively of the disciples or Christian converts themselves, in relation to Christ's coming at the destruction of the Jews. These parables are distinguished, however, by the following peculiarities: In the first, a sober, correct discharge of stewardship is contrasted with recklessness, debauchery, and abusive administration; in the second, a wise precaution is opposed to foolish oversight; in the third, or that of the talents, we shall find an enterprising devotion to the interests of the master contrasted with repining slothfulness. How far we ought to carry these minute distinctions into the application of the several parables, may be a question: whether we are to look for several classes of Christians at that time, answering respectively to all these different characters, in detail; or whether we are to take the several representations together as denoting, in a more general way, the faithful Christians with their deliverance on the one hand, and the unfaithful Christians with their fate on the other. We have adopted the former plan, choosing to err on the side rather of particularity than of generalization. A middle course, perhaps, would better comport with the usual character of parables. MẠTT. XXV. that had received two, he also gained other fluence in his kingdom, and enjoy a season Ver. 15. five talents.] A Jewish talent of silver is estimated at a little more than $1500. The specific number five belongs, doubtless, to the frame-work only of the parable; and so likewise the numbers two and one. There is, however, this moral conveyed, viz. that whether the means placed in their hands were great or small, the Christians would be treated according to their improvement or neglect of them. Ver. 21.-thou hast been faithful over a few things; I will make thee ruler over many things;] i. e. promote him to a wider sphere of activity and influence; not absolve him from all obligation to further exertion, as some imagine; but "make him ruler over many things," instead of the fewer things hitherto under his charge. And it is evident, Ver. 14. For it is as a man, &c. ;] i. e. the from the nature of the case, that the faithful case, in general, on which he had been speak- Christians must have found their field of ening, might again be represented thus, &c. terprise greatly enlarged, as well as melioChrist here proceeds with another parable, to rated, when they were relieved from the rage illustrate the consequences which would be of persecution by the overthrow of the Jews, visited on his disciples and followers, for and when the great obstacle to the progress their devoted activity, or slothfulness, in the of the gospel was thus removed. Then it trust committed to them. He, their Lord, was that "the kingdom of God came with was about to depart, (it was then only three power," (Mark ix. I,) and operated with indays before his crucifixion,) and to leave creased energy. -enter thou into the joy of But he was to thy Lord;] i. e. share in his joy; as it is evithem in charge of his cause. return "after a long time;" (his coming to dent the Christians must have done at the the destruction of Jerusalem was about thirty-time of their "redemption," when they seven years afterwards;) and then they would "looked up, and lifted up their heads." (See fare according to their faithfulness. Those note on Matt. xxiv. 31.) who had abounded in the work of their Lord would be promoted to wider spheres of in REMARK.-Luke has preserved a parable, delivered two or three days before the pre 143 MATT. XXV. thou good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. 22 He also that had received two talents came, and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents besides them. 23 His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. 24 Then he which had received the one talent came, and said, Lord, I knew thee MATT. XXV. that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strewed; 25 And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. 26 His lord answered, and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strewed; 27 Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury, [literally, with interest.] 28 Take, therefore, the talent from him, by, Take from him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten pounds; (and they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds!) for I say unto you, that unto every one which hath, shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him. But those mine enemies, [viz. the citizens,] which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither and slay them before me." (Luke xix. 11-27.) This parable, then, (which so manifestly represents the same general subject, as the one in the text,) was spoken by Christ for two reasons: 1. "because he was nigh to Jerusalem;" and, 2. "because the people thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear," and it was desirable to correct this misapprehension. Of course, the parable had some special reference to Jerusalem; and it referred, also, to the period when the kingdom of God was to come, at the destruction of the Jews. (See note on Matt. xxiv. 32, 33.) Accordingly, the time of the Lord's return to reckon with his servants, in the parable, is expressly said to be when he should have "received his kingdom;" that is, when the Son of man should come in his kingdom, before some of those standing there should have tasted of death. (See Matt. xvi. 28.) Again, besides the case of the servants, (or professed followers of Christ,) which is the general subject of both parables, we find here another party introduced, which is not mentioned in Matthew, viz. the citizens, or countrymen of our Lord, the Jews, who would not have him to reign over them, and who were to be slain, at the time when the servants were to be called to their account. All these circumstances and allusions fix the reference of this parable to the time of the destruction of Jerusalem, and confirm the explanation we have traced out of the similar parable in the sent, which is so like this, in every one of its Ver. 26. thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, &c.;] i. e. I will take thee on thine own plea, or, "out of thine own mouth will I judge thee:" if, as thou sayest, thou knewest this, so much the more it behoved thee to improve what I did commit to thee, so as to answer at least my just demands. We are MATT. XXV. and give it unto him which hath ten talents. 29 For unto every one that hath, shall be given, and he shall have abundance; but from him that hath not, shall be taken away even that which he hath. 30 And cast ye the unprofitable servant not to suppose that the master here confirms the allegation of this "wicked and slothful servant." Ver. 29. A proverb, repeatedly used by Christ, (see Matt. xiii. 12; Luke viii. 18; xix. 26;) and introduced here as expressing the general principle on which the transfer, awarded in the preceding verse, was made: "give it unto him which hath ten talents, for unto every one," &c. It is a general rule of Providence, that possessions accumulate to greater possessions, and that want grows into destitution; especially in cases like the present, where the receiver is held responsible for the use of advantages committed to him. -from him that hath not;] either a strong negative for hath but little, or an elliptical expression for hath not what is required of him; since it is immediately added, "shall be taken away even that which he hath." MATT. XXV. into outer darkness: there shall be wee ing and gnashing of teeth. 31 When the Son of man shall come i his glory, and all the [holy spurious, ao cording to Griesbach] angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his widely separated from the one previously treated of, and an event altogether foreign to the general subject. It is well known with what difficulty and mutual disagreement, they select the point where the discourse leaps over such a huge interval both of time and subject, and with what violence they are obliged to break up the connection, fix the point of transition where they will. Nothing, however, can be plainer from the context, than that there is no such point of transition, in the discourse. When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the angels with him,] which he had, but just before, told them should take place in that generation: see Matt. xxiv. 30, 31, 34, where we find "the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory," and sending his angels, &c. all within that generation. (See, also, xxiv. 37, 39, 42, 44.) It should be obVer. 30. -cast .. into outer dark- served that Christ now only repeats his former ness] probably, into prison. Among the phraseology; and, of course, he means the Romans, (who then had the jurisdiction of same as before. He repeats it in order to fix Palestine,) prisons were sometimes dungeons anew the attention of his disciples on the under ground, and consequently in utter dark-period and train of events he had already so ness. (Rosenmüller in Matt. viii. 12.) Many abundantly defined.* then,] viz. at that interpreters however, understand the expres- time of his coming. shall he sit upon the sion thus: cast him forth into the darkness of night without, from the hall which was to a day of general judgment hereafter. (See Paige's Seleclighted for a feast. But the "weeping and tions, in loco.) Among the European continental interpreters and theologians, J. Harduin applies it to the time of the gnashing of teeth," which follows, seems to destruction of Jerusalem, and says, "the sheep" are those denote rather a prison. there shall be weep-Jews who had either been converted, or had kindly treated ing and gnashing of teeth;] the natural consequence of confinement in such a dungeon. It is the same phrase, and apparently with the same reference, that was used just before, concerning the unfaithful servant, in the end of the 24th chapter. (See Note on Matt. xxiv. 51.) We need not say that no figure could more truly represent the condition to which unfaithful Christians must have been reduced, when they found themselves, with the unbelieving Jews, involved in the "great tribulation such as was not from the beginning of the world to that time." (Matt. xxiv. 21.) Ver. 31. The remainder, at least, of this chapter is referred by nearly all interpreters, to the yet future end of time,*. -a period *Not by all, however. Some of the American Unitarians refer it, apparently, to the time of the destruction of Jerusalem. (See Norton's Statement of Reasons, &c. Appendix, particularly pp. 311, 312; and Furness's Jesus and his Biographers, pt. ii. chap. v. particularly p. 201.) Rev. Newcome Cape, an English Unitarian, refers it explicitly to that time, and traces out its context accordingly. Bishop Pearce, one of the greatest critics the Church of England has produced, does the same; though he afterwards remarks, inconsistent. ly enough, that, in ver. 41 and 46, "Jesus seems at length to have had the day of general judgment in his thoughts." Dr. Hammond, also of the Church of England, and for a long time the standard commentator in our language, refers it partly to the destruction of Jerusalem, though principally 3 the converts; "the goats," those Jews who had neither been converted, nor shown kindness to the Christians. C. F. Bahrdt applies it to the same time, and refers the separatien mentioned in it, to the distinction then made, not between different classes of the Jews, but between the Christians on the one hand, and their enemies on the other. So likewise does E. F. C. Oertel To the same time, and nearly in the same manner, do J. F. Des Cotes, and G. L. Horn apply it. C. C. L. Schmidt thinks it was designed to set forth the effect which the destruction of their nation and temple would have on the Jews, in converting some to Christianity, and plunging the rest into despair. J C. R. Eckermann refers it to the complete separation which took place be tween the Christian and the Jewish communities, after the destruction of Jerusalem. J. F. Gruner and J. N. Milow explain it nearly as Harduin does, of the conversion of the better disposed among the Jews, after the destruction of their country, and of the utter rejection of the rest. (See Keilii Opuscula Academica De Argumento Loci Matt. xxv. 31-46, pp. 142-144.) Commentators are, for the most part, agreed, that his coming to judgment, mentioned in Matt, xxiv. 29-31, was his coming to the destruction of the Jewish people. Still, they seem to think that passage a striking exception to the general rule, and that he usually means a day of universal judgment hereafter, when he speaks of such a coming. Now, there are a few facts which, we think, will correct this impression. 1. In all of the four Gospels, there are ten cases only in which he mentions what is called his second coming, or any coming whatsoever subsequent to his ascension, viz. Matt. x. 23; xvi. 27, 28; xxiv, xxv. (which we put together, being but one discourse,) xxvi. 64. Mark viii. 38, with ix. 1: xiii. Luke ix 26, 27; xvii 20 to 37; xxi. John xxi. 2010 23 Several of these are indeed parallel texts. 2. In every one of these passages, except two, viz. Matt xxvi. 64, and Luke xvii. 20 to 37,) his coming is erpressly fixed to that generation, or to a time before some of those then living, should die. 3. Even in the two passages we have excepted, no other time is specified or alluded to. One of them is unquestionably parallel with part of Matt. xxiv. and the other B 2 145 MATT. XXV. MATT. XXV. glory: And before him shall be gathered the goats on the left. 34 Then shall the all nations; and he shall separate them king say unto them on his right hand, one from another, as a shepherd divideth Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit his sheep from the goats: 33 And he the kingdom prepared for you from the shall set the sheep on his right hand, but foundation of the world; 35 For I was an throne of his glory;] a Hebraism, for "his Ver. 32. before him shall be gathered, &c. ;] a figure manifestly taken, like most of the figures in this representation, from the customs of eastern courts, before which the parties under trial are arraigned, in propria præsentia. But as neither a visible throne, nor a formal assembling before it, belongs to the processes of divine justice, the simple meaning evidently is, shall then be made the subjects of his special retributive administration. The prophets, as is well known, habitually employ the imagery of a throne, with angelic attendants and the congregated nations, in their descriptions of divine judge ments on states and parties. all nations;] or, more literally, "all the nations;" used here merely in the popular sense in which Christ just before used the same phrase, in Matt. xxiv. 9 and 14, where he told his disciples that they should be hated of "all the nations," and that their preaching should be for a witness to all the nations," before the destruction of Jerusalem. These nations, not only Jews, but Gentiles also, would now be the subjects of his retributive administration. -shall separate them,] viz. the people of those probably refers to the same subject. Such are the facts with 1 of him als shail the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels And he said unto them. Verily I say unto you, that there be some of them that stand here which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power." (Mark yiii. 39; ix. L.) For whosoever shall be ashamed of me, and of my words, of him shail the Son of man be ashamed, when he shali come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels. But I tell you of a truth, there be some standing her which shall not taste of death till they see the kingdom of God." (Luke ix. 26, 27.) nations. The pronoun, in the original, does not refer immediately to the word nations, it being of a different gender. (Winer, Grammatik des neutest. Sprach. S. 126.) They should be placed in separate conditions, according to their different courses of conduct described in the sequel. -as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats.] The figure in this clause and in the next verse has occasioned the entire paragraph to be called the parable of the sheep and goats,-a title not warranted, however, by the incidental use of a single simile and metaphor of this kind; especially, since nearly all the imagery, throughout the representation, is taken from a very different source, viz. from the usages of Oriental kings. Ver. 33. on his right hand;] the place of favour and honour. -on the left; the place of disfavour. These figures are, of course, but parts of the imagery, and denote. only, in a general way, that one party was to be approved, and the other condemned. Ver. 34. The forms of regal judicature are still continued by representing the king as pronouncing vocally, in solemn and formal verdict, his award to the first party. inherit the kingdom,] viz. the kingdom of Christ, the kingdom of God, which Christ had told the Jews, on another occasion, when referring to this very time, "shall be taken from you, and given unto a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof." (Matt. xxi. 43.) They were now introduced, for the first time, to its privileges; of course, they had not before enjoyed the inheritance, had not belonged to Christ's kingdom. -prepared for you from the foundation of the world;] World,-kosmos. In the divine counsel, this kingdom, or the gospel, had always been designed for them, though they received an inheritance in it only at so late a period. The phrase, "prepared for you,” &c. was a proverbial one, as we find from the book of Tobit, where the angel says to him, concerning his wife, "she was prepared for thee from the beginning of time;" (apo tou aiōnos, Tobit vi. 17;) i. e. was always designed for him in the divine counsel. The phrase in the text may, therefore, refer only in the same general way to the fore-orderings of Providence; although it is, indeed, a specific truth, asserted in other Scriptures, that the original promise of the gospel expressly embraced the Gentiles. Ver. 35, 36. The king is represented as proceeding to specify the immediate reason why he awarded the inheritance to them. It was, as he here expresses it, because they had affectionately ministered to the king, that is, to the Messiah. MATT. XXV. hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: 36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. 37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee? or, thirsty, and gave thee drink? 38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? 39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? 40 And the king shall answer, Ver. 37-39. the righteous,] or just, (dikaioi;) meaning, either comparatively just, or that they were justified on that occasion, in contradistinction to the other party, which was condemned. They, however, are represented as totally unconscious of having served the Messiah, or of having paid him any attention whatsoever. This circumstance must be carefully remarked; because it is here brought forward as one of their distinguishing characteristics. Ver. 40. Nor does the king himself imply, when he comes now to state his meaning more definitely, that they had ever paid any attention directly to the Messiah. But they had received his disciples, and ministered to them; all of which he accounted as done to himself. And this was all that he really intended in his previous declaration. It was on this ground alone that the inheritance was now awarded to them. -unto one of the least of these my brethren.] Here, be it observed, is a third party brought into view, viz. the brethren of the king, or the disciples of Christ. These were not arraigned as subjects of his trial: their case had already been sufficiently represented, in the preceding parables. In the present scene, they were not a party concerned; were neither on the right hand, nor on the left. Of course, those on the right hand represent a class of people who had not been disciples of Christ, nor recognized a Messiah; but who had nevertheless kindly received and treated his disciples, and who were at that time admitted to the blessings of Christ's kingdom. And it is well known that we find such a class among the Gentiles of that age; who were then received, moreover, into the covenant of the gospel, and, in the striking language of the text, made to "inherit the kingdom prepared for them from the foundation of the world." The kingdom of God was taken from the Jews, and given unto a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. (Matt. xxi. 43.) MATT. XXV. and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. 41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels; 42 For I was an hungered, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: 43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. 44 Then shall they also answer Ver. 41. The forms of eastern judicature are still continued, and sentence is pronounced on those on the left hand. As those on the right were called "ye blessed of my Father," these are now called "ye cursed." -depart from me;] denoting their rejection.-into ever lasting fire, (eis to pur to aiōnion;)] denoting a long-enduring state of tribulation. Fire is the favourite metaphor, in the New Testament as well as in the Old, to represent the sufferings of nations and communities, or the divine judgments. For this purpose had John the Baptist used it, ("unquenchable fire,") with reference to the time alluded to in the text. (Matt. iii. 12.) So likewise had Christ, with reference to the troubles that followed his ministry: "I am come to send fire on the earth." (Luke xii. 49, comp. Matt. x. 34.) We need not quote other examples, particularly from that storehouse, the book of Reve lation; nor refer to the Old Testament, where they are known to abound in such profusion.* Everlasting, or aiōnion; often applied to things of the present life. -prepared for the devil and his angels;] an allusion to the contemporary Jewish opinions; as in the parable of the wheat and tares, Matt. xiii. 37-43; also Rev. xx. Ver. 42, 43. As in the former case, the king is here represented as proceeding to specify the grounds of his decision; which were, that they had not ministered to the king, i. e. to the Messiah. Ver. 44. They, however, were surprised at this charge, confident that they had bee faithfully devoted to the cause of their king. or Messiah; they even challenged the proof of delinquency in this respect. Their self To exemplify still further the frequency and extent of application with which the Jews, just before Christ's time, were accustomed to employ this figure, we subjoin a summary of its use in the Apocrypha, where it denotes merely temporal judgments or sufferings. Many of the expressions will be found to bear a close affinity with the phraseology of plain them. "The vengeance on the ungodly is fire and such controverted passages as our text, and may help to exworms; in the congregation of the ungodly, a flame is kindled, and, in a rebellious nation, wrath is set on fire; the congregation of the wicked is like tow wrapped together, and the end of them is a flame of fire to destroy them; let the heathen nations be consumed by the rage of fire; an evil ed; the lewd shall be a heritage to moths and worms; they tongue burneth as a flame of fire, and shall not be quench kindle a fire in their flesh; a hot mind is as a burning fire, which will never be quenched till it be consumed; as a punishment upon Babylon, fire shall come down upon her from the Everlasting, long to endure, and she shall be inhabited of demons for a long time; the hardships which Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob suffered were their trial by fire; woe to the nations that rise up against the Jews! the Lord Almighty will punish them in a day of judgment, putting forever," (eōs aiōnos.) fire and worms in their flesh, and they shall feel and weep 147 |