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Matthew 6:30. Τὸν χόρτον τοῦ ἀγροῦ] Placed first for sake of emphasis; ὁ χόρτος, however, is simply the grass, so that Jesus mentions the genus under which the lilies (which grow among the grass) are included, and that intentionally with a view to point them out as insignificant; 1 Corinthians 3:12; 1 Peter 1:24.

σήμερον ὄντα] which to-day exists.

εἰς κλίβ. βαλλόμ.] expresses what is done to-morrow, hence the present. Comp. Buttmann, neut. Gr. p. 178 [E. T. 206]. Dried grass with its flower-stalks and such like was also used for the purpose of heating baking ovens (κλίβανοι, or Attic κρίβανοι, see Lobeck, ad Phryn. p. 179). Comp. remark on Matthew 3:12; Harmar, Beobacht. üb. d. Orient, I. p. 239 f.

πολλῷ μᾶλλ.] expressing certainty.

Matthew 6:32. The second γάρ does not append another reason co-ordinate with the first, but after the injunction contained in Matthew 6:31 has been justified by the reference to the heathen (to whom they are not to compare themselves), this same injunction is provided with an explanation of an encouraging nature, so that the first γάρ is logical, the second explanatory, as frequently in classical writers (Kühner, ad Xen. Anab. v. 6. 6. Frotscher, ad Hieron. xi. 6). The referring of the second γάρ to something to be supplied after τὰ ἔθνη, such as “who know nothing of God” (Tholuck), is arbitrary.

οἶδε is emphatic; is certainly known to your Father, and so on.

ὅτι] that, not ὅ, τι (Paulus: that, which; Fritzsche: quatenus).

Matthew 6:33. Ζητεῖτε δέ] now states what they ought to do, instead of indulging that care forbidden in Matthew 6:31.

πρῶτον] in the first place, before you strive after anything else; your first striving. In that case a second is, of course, unnecessary, because their food, their drink, and their raiment προστεθήσεται. But in the πρῶτον the subordinate striving after something is not even “darkly” sanctioned (de Wette); on the contrary, and notwithstanding the πρῶτον, this striving is excluded as much by Matthew 6:32 as by καὶ … προστεθ. Accordingly, that first striving is the only one.

The simple ζητεῖτε is distinguished from ἐπιζητ. not in respect of degree, but only in such a way that the latter points out the direction of the striving. Hence ἐπιζητεῖν ἐπί τινα, 2 Samuel 3:8. Comp. note on Romans 11:7; Php 4:7.

τὴν βασιλ. καὶ τὴν δικαιοσύνην αὐτοῦ] (see the critical remarks) where the αὐτοῦ belonging to both substantives refers, according to Matthew 6:32, to God, and is meant to convey the idea that what is to form the object and aim of our striving is the Messianic kingdom, the becoming partakers in it, the being admitted into it, and the moral righteousness which God imparts to the believer to assist him to attain the kingdom.

ταῦτα πάντα] See Matthew 6:31-32. The distinction between ταῦτα πάντα and πάντα ταῦτα lies merely in this, that in the former it is the demonstrative idea on which the emphasis is placed, whereas in the latter it is the idea of universality that is so. See Winer, p. 510 [E. T. 686]. Comp. Lobeck, ad Aj. 1023; Saupp, ad Hipparch. VI. 5.

προστεθήσεται] will be added, namely, to the moral result of your striving. Comp. the saying of Christ handed down by Clement, Origen, and Eusebius: αἰτεῖτε τὰ μεγάλα, καὶ τὰ μικρὰ ὑμῖν προστεθήσεται· καὶ αἰτεῖτε τὰ ἐπουράνια, καὶ τὰ ἐπίγεια προστεθήσεται ὑμῖν (Fabricius, Cod. Apocr. i. p. 329), which differs from our passage in the generality of its terms, and in having αἰτεῖτε.

Matthew 6:34. Concluding saying of this section—practical, fresh, bold, and taken from the life.

Fritzsche arranges the words thus: ἡ γὰρ αὔριον μεριμνήσει. Τὰ ἑαυτῆς ἀρκετὸν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ, ἡ κακία αὐτῆς. He takes ἡ κακ. αὐτῆς as in apposition with τὰ ἑαυτῆς; which is forced in itself, and precluded by the reading ἑαυτῆς without τά. If this reading be adopted, the meaning will be as follows: Therefore (inference from all that has been said from Matthew 6:25 onwards) have no care about to-morrow; for to-morrow will care for itself—will have itself as the object of its care, which you ought not, to-day, to take away from to-morrow (ἡ αὔριον is personified). The day, i.e. every day (Bernhardy, p. 315) as it comes round, has enough (does not need to have anything more added, as would be the case if we cared for to-morrow) in its own evil, i.e. in its evil nature, as represented by dangers, sorrows, and so on. Luther well observes: Why wilt thou be concerned beyond to-day, and take upon thyself the misfortunes of two days? Abide by that which to-day lays upon thee: to-morrow, the day will bring thee something else. Comp. on κακία (Chrysostom: ταλαιπωρία), Luke 16:25; Ecclesiastes 7:15; Ecclesiastes 12:1; Amos 3:7; Sir 19:6; 2Ma 4:47. In classical writers, commonly κακοτής; Hom. Il. xi. 382; Od. v. 290; Herod. ii. 128; Soph. El. 228. Comp. however, also κακία, Thucyd. iii. 58. 1; Plato, Legg. vii. p. 814 A. μεριμνᾶν does not occur elsewhere with the genitive, but, like φροντίζειν τινος, may be connected with it; Bernhardy, p. 176 f.; Krüger, § 47. 11; Kühner, IV. 1, p. 325. On the well-known neuter usage, ἄρκετον, sufficient, see Kühner, II. 1, p. 52 f.

CHAPTER 7

Matthew 7:2. μετρηθ.] In opposition to decisive testimony, Elz. has ἀντιμετρηθ., from Luke 6:38.

Matthew 7:4. For ἀπό, Lachm. Tisch. 8 read ἐκ, found only in B א, Curss. With ἐκβάλω and Matthew 7:5 before them, the copyists involuntarily wrote the ἐκ.

Matthew 7:6. Lachm. and Tisch. have the future καταπατήσουσιν, according to B C L X, 33. With such important testimony in its favour, it is to be preferred to the generally received aor. conj.

Matthew 7:9. The omission of ἐστιν in B* L, Curss. and several versions (Lachm.: ἤ τις), as well as the reading ὃν αἰτήσει which follows (Lachm. Tisch. 8), is meant to help out the construction.

Matthew 7:10. καὶ ἐὰν ἰχθὺν αἰτήσῃ] Lachm. Tisch. 8 : ἢ καὶ ἰχθὺν αἰτήσει, as in B C א, Curss. Verss., after Luke 11:11.

Matthew 7:13. ἡ πύλη] is deleted by Lachm. and bracketed by Tisch. 8, but only, however, after א Codd. of the It. and Fathers (Clem. Or. Cypr. Hilar. Lucif.). From its resemblance to πλατεῖα immediately preceding, this word was very liable to be omitted. The authority for its omission in Matthew 7:14 is decidedly weaker (א being in this case against it). Here also it is bracketed by Lachm. and Tisch. 8.

Matthew 7:14. τί] Elz. and Tisch., with a decided preponderance of testimony against them, prefer ὅτι, which owed its origin to ὅτι πλατεῖα, etc., Matthew 7:13, the meaning of τί not being understood.

Matthew 7:16. σταφυλήν] Schulz, Lachm. Tisch. 8 have σταφυλάς, according to B א and several Curss. and Verss. The plural originated in consequence of συλλέγ. and σῦκα.

Matthew 7:18. Tisch. 8. has ἐνεγκεῖν for ποιεῖν in both instances, against decisive testimony. After πᾶν Lachm. has οὖν in brackets (C** L Z, Curss. Verss.). An interpolation for the sake of connection, rendered in Brix. by enim, and in Germ. 2 by autem.

Matthew 7:21. After ἐν (Lachm. Tisch. 8 : ἐν τοῖς, according to B Z א) οὐρανοῖς, Fritzsche, following Bengel, inserts οὗτος εἰσελεύσεται εἰς τὴν βας. τῶν οὐρανῶν, but on far too slender authority. A supplementary gloss.

Matthew 7:24. ὁμοιώσω αὐτόν] B Z א, Curss. Verss. and several Fathers have ὁμοιωθήσεται. Derived from Matthew 7:26 for the sake of the nominat. πᾶς. Adopted by Lachm. and Tisch. 8.

Matthew 7:28. συνετέλεσεν] Lach. Tisch. read ἐτέλεσεν, according to B C Z? Γ א, Curss. Or. Chrys. But how easily might the syllable συν drop out between OTE ETE! especially as συντελεῖν occurs nowhere else in Matth.

Matthew 7:29. Lachm. inserts αὐτῶν καὶ οἱ Φαρισαῖοι after γραμματεῖς, on authorities of unequal value. The evidence is stronger in favour of αὐτῶν, which, moreover, is confirmed by א. Tisch. has adopted merely αὐτῶν after γραμματεῖς, in which, however, he is right; because, whilst there was no reason for adding αὐτῶν, the omission of it was natural in itself, and suggested by Mark 1:22.

Jesus warns (1) against judging, Matthew 7:1-6; urges (2) to prayer, Matthew 7:7-11; then (3) prepares for the transition, Matthew 7:12, to the exhortation to enter the Messianic kingdom through the strait gate, Matthew 7:13-14; warns (4) against false prophets, Matthew 7:15-23; and concludes with the powerful passage regarding the wise and the foolish man, Matthew 7:24-27.

Matthew 7:1. Without any intermediate connection, the discourse passes on to a new subject. Comp. Matthew 5:17, Matthew 6:1.

μὴ κρίνετε] κρίνειν means nothing more than to judge, and the context alone will decide when it is used in the sense of a condemnatory judgment, as in Romans 2:1; Romans 14:4; Galatians 5:10; Hebrews 10:30 (frequently in John). In this respect it resembles the Heb. שָׁפַט. But in this instance it is proved by Matthew 7:2 and Matthew 7:3-5 that κρίνειν is not to be explained as synonymous with κατακρίνειν (in answer to Theophylact, Euth. Zigabenus, Kuinoel, and Olshausen). Nor is this required, but, on the contrary, plainly forbidden, by Luke 6:37, for there the difference between κρίνειν and καταδικάζειν is of the nature of a climax, the latter being the result of the former. Accordingly, the correct interpretation is this: Do not sit in judgment upon others; do not set yourselves up as judges of their faults (Matthew 7:3), meaning thereby an officious and self-righteous behaviour (the opposite of that prescribed in Galatians 6:1-5), that ye may not become obnoxious to judgment, i.e. that ye may not be subjected to the divine, the Messianic, judgment; that instead of obtaining mercy and the forgiveness of your sins in that judgment, you may not draw down upon yourselves that judicial sentence (which, according to Matthew 5:7, Matthew 6:15, is averted by cherishing a forgiving spirit). To refer κριθῆτε to our being judged by others (Erasmus, Calvin, Kuinoel, Fritzsche), and not, with Chrysostom, to the future judgment, is wrong; because Matthew 7:2, if referred to the Nemesis of the existing order of things, would not be altogether true; and further, because, throughout His address, Jesus treats the idea of retribution from the Messianic point of view (Matthew 5:1-12; Matthew 5:19-20; Matthew 5:22; Matthew 5:25; Matthew 5:29 f., Matthew 6:1; Matthew 6:4; Matthew 6:6; Matthew 6:14 f., 18, 20, 33, Matthew 7:13; Matthew 7:19; Matthew 7:21; Matthew 7:23-24 ff.). Of course it is unnecessary to say that, in forbidding judging, Christ is not speaking “de ministeriis vel officiis divinitus ordinatis, sed de judiciis, quae fiunt extra seu praeter vocationes et gubernationes divinas,” Melanchthon. Nor does He forbid the moral judging of others in general, which is inseparable from truth and love, and is at the same time a necessary element in the duty of brotherly νουθετεῖν. “Canis pro cane et porcus pro porco est habendus,” Bengel.

Matthew 7:2. Ἐν] Instrumental repetition of the same thought: Sota, ed. Wagenseil, p. 52. Comp. Schoettgen, p. 78. The second ἐν is also instrumental, by means of, and μέτρον is to be understood as a measure of capacity (Luke 6:38).

Matthew 7:3. Κάρφος, a minute fragment of twig, wood, or straw, which, in entering the eye (see Wetstein), becomes the figurative representation of a slight moral fault; δοκός, again, is the figure by which a heinous[425] fault is denoted. Comp. Lightfoot, p. 307; Buxtorf, Lex Talm. p. 2080. Tholuck prefers to find the point of comparison in the pain caused by the splinter or beam in the eye. This is inadmissible, for otherwise it could not be said, in reference to the beam in the eye, οὐ κατανοεῖς, i.e. thou perceivest not, art not aware. It is the magnitude of his own moral defects that the self-righteous man fails to discover. The brother, as in Matthew 5:22. Notice, further, the arrangement of words so appropriate to the sense in the second clause.

[425] The view of Theophylact, Baumgarten-Crusius, and several others, that the beam in a man’s own eye is calculated to make him conscious of his incapacity for recognising the faults of others, is foreign to the context. Luther correctly observes: “That He may the more earnestly warn us, He takes a rough simile, and paints the thing before our eyes, pronouncing some such opinion as this,—that every one who judges his neighbour has a huge beam in his eye, while he who is judged has only a tiny chip, (and) that he is ten times more deserving of judgment and condemnation for having condemned others.”