10:4. — “Simon the Cananean,” that is, as the margin adds, the Zealot. The Zealots were a religious sect existing amongst the Jews of that time. The word Cananean means “zealous,” and has nothing whatever to do with “Canaanite.”
10:18. — “For a testimony to them,” that is, in order to bear witness before them. Precisely the same expression occurs in Luke 5:1414And he charged him to tell no man: but go, and show thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing, according as Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them. (Luke 5:14), where the Authorized Version has “for a testimony unto them.”
11:11. — “He that is but little in the kingdom of heaven.” The comparison is instituted, not between John the Baptist and any other individual, but between John and a class of people who are described as being, but little (or lesser, margin) in the kingdom of heaven.
12:5. — “The word translated “blameless” in the Authorized Version is the same as that used in the seventh verse of this chapter, where it is rendered by “guiltless.” The Revisers very properly translate “guiltless” in both cases, thus showing the connection between the two verses.
12:21. — “In His name shall the Gentiles hope.” “Hope” is here more correct than “trust.” In Isaiah 42:44He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law. (Isaiah 42:4), from which this passage is quoted, we read, “the isles shall wait for his law.” The isles, or rather “coast-lands,” stand here for the Gentiles; especially those to the west of Palestine.
12:40. — “As Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale,” (margin, sea-monster.) In the book of Jonah we read merely of a “great fish,” and the Greek word employed in the New Testament is equally comprehensive.
12:43. — “The unclean spirit, when he is gone out of the man....” The man here spoken of represents the Jews (see v. 45) who had abandoned the practice of idolatry, (called here the unclean spirit) but who, as we know from Scripture, will fall back into that sin in a far more horrible manner, until God “causes the spirit of uncleanness to pass out of the land.” (Zechariah 13:22And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord of hosts, that I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land, and they shall no more be remembered: and also I will cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to pass out of the land. (Zechariah 13:2).) In this verse the Authorized Version has “a man” instead of “the man,” which makes the whole passage appear like a general principle, whereas it is merely a parable, referring to a particular case.
13:2. — “Straightway he stumbleth.” The expression “he is offended” is ambiguous, and is no doubt understood by most readers in a wrong sense on account of the particular meaning which offend has in modern English.
13:39. — “The harvest is the end of the world,” (margin, “or the consummation of the age.”) We cannot help regretting that the marginal reading was not adopted in the text. The event described in this verse is not “the end of the world,” but the end of the “times of the Gentiles,” that is to say, it is the time of the establishment of the kingdom of Christ upon the earth. This is the explanation of the question addressed to the Lord by the disciples in Matthew 24:33And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? (Matthew 24:3), where the same expression occurs. The end or consummation of the age meant, in the mouth of the Jew of that time, the overthrow of the Gentile supremacy, and the final redemption of Israel.
13:52. — “Every scribe who bath been made a disciple to the kingdom of heaven.” The Authorized Version has “instructed into the kingdom of heaven,” which translation falls short of the force of the original. To become a disciple to the kingdom is to have one’s whole moral being associated with it.
(To be continued.)