Commentari biblici

CHAPTER 18

Matthew 18:1. ὥρᾳ] Lachm.: ἡμέρᾳ, which Fritzsche has adopted, against decisive evidence; although ancient, since both readings are found as early as the time of Origen, ἡμέρᾳ is a gloss instead of ὥρᾳ, as there appeared to be nothing in the context to which the latter might be supposed to refer.

Matthew 18:4. ταπεινώσῃ] The future ταπεινώσει is, with Lachm. and Tisch., to be adopted on decisive evidence.

Matthew 18:6. εἰς τὸν τρ.] for εἰς Elz. has ἐπί, while Lachm. and Tisch. 8 read περί. Only εἰς and περί have anything like important testimony in their favour. But περί is taken from Mark 9:42; Luke 17:2.

Matthew 18:7. On weighty evidence we should follow Lachm. in deleting ἐστιν after γάρ, and ἐχείνῳ in the next clause, as words that might naturally have been inserted; Tisch. 8 has deleted ἐστιν only.

Matthew 18:8. αὐτά] B D L א, min. vss. and Fathers: αὐτόν. So Lachm. and Tisch. correctly; αὐτά is an emendation to include both.

Further on Lachm. and Tisch. 8 have κυλλὸν ἢ χωλόν, following B א, Vulg. It.; a transposition to suit χείρ and ποῦς.

Matthew 18:10. The evidence is too weak to warrant us in substituting ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ (so Lachm. in brackets) for the first ἐν οὐρανοῖς; still weaker is the evidence in favour of omitting the words, although they are omitted at an early period (as early as the time of Clem. Or. Syr.?).

Matthew 18:11. This verse does not occur in B L* א, 1*, 13, 33, Copt. Sahid. Syrjer. Aeth. (cod. 1), Eus. Or. Hil. Jer. Juv. Deleted by Lachm. and Tisch.; condemned also by Rinck. Already suspected by Griesb. to have been an interpolation from Luke 19:10, which in fact it is, considering how much evidence there is against it, and considering, on the other hand, that, if it had been genuine, there was no obvious motive on exegetical grounds for the omission.

Matthew 18:12. ἀφεὶς … πορευθείς] Lachm.: ἀφήσει … καὶ πορευθείς, following B D L, min. Vulg. It. (of which, however, D, Vulg. have ἀφίησιν, and D, πορευόμενος). Exegetical analysis, in order to remove ambiguity as to the connection.

Matthew 18:14. εἷς] Lachm. and Tisch.: ἕν, following B D L M* א, min. Altered to εἷς in accordance with Matthew 18:10; while πατρός μου, which Lachm. substitutes for πατρ. ὑμῶν (following B F H J, min. vss. Or.), is to be regarded in the same light.

Matthew 18:15. εἰς σέ] deleted by Lachm. and Tisch. 8, after B א, I, 22, 234*, Sahid. Or. Cyr. Bas. This evidence is too weak, especially as the omission of ΕΙΣΣΕ might easily enough have happened from its following ΗΣΗ (ἁμαρτήσῃ), while it is further to be borne in mind that, in what goes before, it was sin in general, not merely an offence, that was in question. The εἰς σέ, which is here genuine, was inserted from our passage into Luke 17:3, Elz.

ἔλεγξον] Elz., Scholz: καὶ ἔλ., against B C א and many min. vss. and Fathers. The καί was inserted as a connective particle.

Matthew 18:19. πάλιν ἀμήν] Elz. (so also Griesb. Scholz, Fritzsche, Rinck, Tisch. 8) has merely πάλιν, and Lachm., following min. only (B being erroneously quoted), has merely ἀμήν. But the attestation for πάλιν ἀμήν (Tisch. 7) is about equal in weight (incl. B) to that in favour of the simple πάλιν (incl. א), and one of the words might easily enough have been omitted from the combination not occurring anywhere else.

συμφωνήσωσιν] Seeing that the future συμφωνήσουσιν is supported by the preponderating evidence of B D E H I L V Δ א, min., and seeing, on the other hand, that it might very readily have been supplanted by the subjunctive as being the mood most in accordance with the usual construction, it is, with Tisch., to be adopted as the correct reading.

Matthew 18:24. προσηνέχθη] Lachm. and Tisch. 7 : προσήχθη, following B D Or. Correctly; this and Luke 9:41 are the only instances in which προσάγειν occurs in the Gospels, προσφέρειν being the form most familiar to the copyists.

Matthew 18:25. εἶχε] Lachm. and Tisch. 7 : ἔχει, following only B, min. Or.; but it is to be preferred, since to the mechanical transcribers the present would doubtless seem to be improper.

Matthew 18:26.] κύριε before μαχρ. is to be regarded as interpolated, being omitted by B D, min. Vulg. codd. of It. Syrcur Or. Chrys. Lucif., and deleted by Lachm. and Tisch.

Matthew 18:27. ἐκείνου] omitted by Lachm., only after B, min., as is also ἐκεῖνος, Matthew 18:28, only after B.

Matthew 18:28. μοι] not found in the more weighty witnesses; deleted by Lachm. and Tisch. An interpolation.

εἴ τι] Elz.: ὅ, τι, against decisive evidence. Erroneous emendation.

Matthew 18:29. αὐτοῦ] Elz. Fritzsche, Schulz, Scholz, Tisch. 7, insert εἰς τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ, which, however, is omitted by B C* D G L Δ א, min. Copt. Sahid. Aeth. Syrcur It. (Brix. excepted) Vulg. Or. Lucif. Gloss on the simple πεσών. In regard to εἰς, comp. John 9:32, al.

πάντα] Deleted by Matth., Scholz, Tisch., on preponderating evidence; bracketed by Lachm. It is a mechanical interpolation from Matthew 18:26.

Matthew 18:31. For the first γενόμενα Fritzsche and Tisch. substitute γινόμενα, following only D L א**, min. Vulg. It. Chrys. Lucif., but correctly. The transcribers failed to notice the difference of meaning.

For αὐτῶν or αὑτῶν we should, with Lachm. and Tisch., read ἑαυτῶν, upon decisive evidence; the reflexive reference of the pronoun was overlooked, as was often the case.

Matthew 18:34. αὐτῷ] not found in B D א**, min. vss. Lachm.; but it may easily enough have been left out in conformity with Matthew 18:30.

Matthew 18:35. ὑμῶν] Elz. Fritzsche, Schulz, Scholz insert τὰ παραπτώματα αὐτῶν, which is not found in B D L א, min. and several vss. and Fathers. Gloss from Matthew 6:14-15; Mark 11:25-26.

But ἐπουράνιος, for which Fritzsche, Lachm. Tisch. 8 substitute οὐράνιος (B C** D K L Π א, min. Or. Damasc.), is to be retained, all the more that the expression ὁ πατὴρ ὁ ἐπουρ. occurs nowhere else, though we frequently find ὁ π. ὁ οὐράνιος.

Matthew 18:1. Ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ὥρᾳ] the account of Matthew, which is throughout more original in essential matters than Mark 9:33 ff. and Luke 9:46 ff., bears this impress no less in this definite note of time: in that hour, namely, when Jesus was holding the above conversation with Peter.

τίς ἄρα] quis igitur (see Klotz, ad Devar. p. 176). The question, according to Matthew (in Mark otherwise), is suggested by the consideration of the circumstances: Who, as things stand, is, etc.; for one of them had just been peculiarly honoured, and that for the second time, by the part he was called upon to take in a special miracle. Euthymius Zigabenus says well: ἀνθρώπινόν τι τότε πεπόνθασιν οἱ μαθηταί.

μείζων] greater than the other disciples in rank and power.

ἐστίν] they speak as though the approaching Messianic kingdom were already present. Comp. Matthew 20:21.

Matthew 18:2. Παιδίον] According to Nicephorus, ii. 35, the child in question is alleged to have been St. Ignatius. Chrysostom correctly observes that it is a little child (σφόδρα παιδίον); τὸ γὰρ τοιοῦτον παιδίον καὶ ἀπονοίας καὶ δοξομανίας κ. βασκανίας κ. φιλονεικείας κ. πάντων τῶν τοιούτων ἀπήλλακται παθῶν, καὶ πολλὰς ἔχον τὰς ἀρετὰς, ἀφέλειαν, ταπεινοφ ροσύνην, ἀπραγμοσύνην, ἐπʼ οὐδενὶ τούτων ἐπαίρεται. Comp. Mark 9:36; Luke 9:47.

Matthew 18:3. Εἴ τις ἀπέχεται τῶν προαιρετικῶν παθῶν, γίνεται ὡς τὰ παιδία, κτώμενος διʼ ἀσκήσεως, ἅπερ ἔχουσι τὰ παιδία ἐξ ἀφελείας, Euthymius Zigabenus.

To turn round (στραφῆτε, representing the μετάνοια under the idea of turning round upon a road), and to acquire a moral disposition similar to the nature of little children—such is the condition, without complying with which you will assuredly not (οὐ μή) enter, far less be able to obtain a high position in, the Messianic kingdom about to be established. The same truth is presented under a kindred figure and in a wider sense in John 3:3; John 3:5 ff.; the divine agent in this moral change, in which child-like qualities assume the character of manly virtues, is the Holy Spirit; comp. Luke 11:13; Luke 9:55.

Matthew 18:4. Inference from the general principle of Matthew 18:3 to the special child-like quality in which the disciples were deficient, as well as to the special subject of their question. If your entering the future Messianic kingdom at all is determined by your returning again to a child-like frame of mind, then above all must you acquire, through humble self-abasement, the unassuming character of this child, in order to be greater than others in the Messiah’s kingdom.

ὅστις] quicunque; “de individuo, de quo quaerebant, non respondet,” Bengel. In what follows ταπεινώσει is emphatic, and accordingly stands near the beginning of the sentence. Had the subjunctive been critically certain, we should not have had to borrow ἐάν from the second part of the statement (Fritzsche), but rather to observe the distinction in the manner of presenting the idea, according to which the insertion of ἄν marks the presupposition as conditioned. The future assumes the action as actually occurring in the future; while the subjunctive after the relative without ἄν keeps the future realization still within the domain of thought, without, however, conceiving of the realization as conditioned (ἄν). For this usage among Attic prose writers, see Kühner, ad Xen. Mem. i. 6. 13.

Moreover, the words of Matthew 18:3-4, inasmuch as they are essentially connected with the question of the disciples, are certainly original, not an anticipation of Matthew 19:13 ff. (Holtzmann), and dispose us to prefer the account of Matthew to that of Mark or Luke.

Matthew 18:5. Comp. Mark 9:37; Luke 9:47. The question of the disciples has been answered. But His eye having lighted upon this child who happened to be present, Jesus now seizes the opportunity of inculcating upon them the duty of taking an affectionate interest in such little ones,—an exhortation, of which the jealous and ambitious spirit evinced by their question in Matthew 18:1 must have shown they stood but too much in need.

παιδίον τοιοῦτον] such a little child, i.e. according to the context, not a literal child (Bengel, Paulus, Neander, de Wette, Arnoldi, Bleek, Hilgenfeld), which would give a turn to the discourse utterly foreign to the connection, but a man of such a disposition as this little child represents—one who with child-like simplicity is humble and unassuming. So Chrysostom (παιδίον γὰρ ἐνταῦθα τοὺς ἀνθρώπους τοὺς οὕτως ἀφελεῖς φησὶ καὶ ταπεινοὺς καὶ ἀπεῤῥιμμένους παρὰ τοῖς πολλοῖς), Erasmus, Beza, Calvin, Grotius, Wetstein, Kuinoel, Olshausen, Kern, Baumgarten-Crusius, Ewald, Keim. Jesus well knew how much the unassuming, child-like disposition, free from everything like self-assertion, was just that which others, animated by an opposite spirit, were in the habit of overlooking, slighting, and thrusting aside.

ἕν] a single one. So very precious are they!

δέξηται] denotes a loving reception with a view to further care for the soul; the opposite to this is σκανδαλίζειν, Matthew 18:6.

ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματί μου] on the ground of my name (Matthew 24:5)—i.e. on account of my name, which, however, is not, with de Wette, to be taken subjectively, and referred to the faith of the one who receives (whosoever confessing my name, on account of his faith in me, etc.), but is to be understood as referring to the παιδίον τοιοῦτον that is to be received (Mark 9:41; Matthew 10:42), because my name (Jesus the Messiah) contains the sum of his belief and confession (“non ob causas naturales aut politicas,” Bengel).

ἐμέ] comp. Matthew 10:40, Matthew 25:40; John 13:20.

Matthew 18:6. Comp. Mark 9:42; Luke 17:2.

σκανδαλίσῃ] Opposite of δέξηται, meaning: will have been to him the occasion of his fall, especially of his apostasy from the faith (Matthew 5:29, Matthew 11:6).

τῶν μικρῶν τούτων] not to be understood, any more than παιδίον τοιοῦτο, Matthew 18:5, of literal children (Holtzmann), and consequently not to be used as proof of the faith of little children (Baur, Delitzsch), but as meaning: one of those little ones,—a way of designating modest, simple-minded, unassuming believers, that had just been suggested by seeing in the child then present a model of such simplicity. This is not quite the same as τῶν μικρῶν τούτων, Matthew 10:42 (Matthew 25:40), where the expression is not borrowed from the illustration of a child.

συμφέρει αὐτῷ, ἵνα, κ.τ.λ.] For the construction; comp. note on Matthew 5:29. “But whoever will have offended one of those little ones,”—it is of service to him, with a view to, i.e. in hunc finem ut. That, which such a person may have come to deserve, is thus expressed in the form of a divine purpose, which his evil deed must help him to bring about; comp. John 11:50. A comparative reference of συμφέρει (Jerome: “quam aeternis servari cruciatibus;” others: than again to commit such a sin) is a pure importation.

μύλος ὀνικός] The larger mills (in contradistinction to the χειρομύλαι, Matthew 24:41) were driven by an ass; Buxtorf, Lex. Talm. p. 2252. Comp. also Anth. Pal. ix. 301; Ovid, A. A. iii. 290.

The καταποντισμός (Wesseling, ad Diod. Sic. xvi. 35; Hermann, Privatalterth. § 72, 26; Casaubon, ad Suet. Oct. 67) was not a Jewish method of putting to death, neither was it a practice in Galilee (Joseph. Antt. xiv. 15. 10), but belonged to the Greeks, Romans, Syrians, and Phoenicians. Consequently it here expresses in a manner all the more vivid and awe-inspiring that punishment of death to which the man in question has become liable, and which is intended to represent the loss of eternal life; comp. Matthew 18:7-9.

Matthew 18:7. Οὐαί] θρηνεῖ ὡς φιλάνθρωπος τὸν κόσμον ὡς μέλλοντα βλαβῆναι ἀπὸ τῶν σκανδάλων, Theophylact.

ἀπό] indicating the causal origin of the woe for humanity (τῷ κόσμῳ). The world is not conceived of as giving the offence (in answer to Jansen, Arnoldi, Bleek), but as suffering from it. With regard to ἀπό, see Buttmann, Neut. Gramm. p. 277 [E. T. 322].

ἀνάγκη γάρ] assigns the reason for the ἀπὸ τῶν σκανδάλ. immediately before: on account of offences, I say, for they cannot but come. This necessity (necessitas consequentiae) has its foundation in the morally abnormal condition of mankind, yet (comp. 1 Corinthians 9:19) is to be traced back to the divine purpose (not merely permission), which, however, does away neither with the moral freedom of him who, by word or deed, gives offence (Romans 14:13), nor with his liability to punishment. Hence: πλὴν (yet) οὐαὶ τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ, κ.τ.λ.

τὰ σκάνδαλα] temptations, as a general conception.

τὸ σκάνδ.] the temptation as conceived of in each individual case.