some of the inferior stations in life, that opposed to the latter must be expressive of the lowest. When this sufficiently suits t ordinary signification of the words, there can hardly remain any doubt. As this is manifestly the case here, I did not know any words in our language by which I could better express a difference in degree, so clearly intended, than the words servant and slave. The word minister is now appropriated to the servants, not of private masters, but of the public. It is from the distinctions in private life, well known at the time, that our Lord's illustrations are borrowed. 31. Charged them to be silent, επετίμησεν αυτοις ἵνα σιωπησωσιν. E. T. Rebuked them, because they should hold their peace. The historian surely did not mean to blame the poor men for their importunity. Our Lord, on the contrary, commends such im. portunity, sometimes expressly in words, and always by making the application successful. But to render iva because, appears quite unexampled. It answers commonly to the La. ut, sometimes to ita ut, but never, as far as I remember, to quia. It is rendered ut in this passage in all the La. versions. The import of iva ascertains the sense of Taw, which is frequently translated to charge, even in the common version. In proof of this, several places might be produced; but I shall only refer the reader to the parallel passage in Mr. x. 48. where жETIμWV AVTW KOÀnos iva canon is translated, Many charged him that he should hold his peace; and to Mr. ix. 25. N. CHAPTER XXI. 4. Now all this was done, that the words of the prophet might be fulfilled, τετο δε όλον γεγονεν, ένα πληρωθη το ρηθεν δια το προφητε. Our Lord's perfect knowledge of all that the prophets had predicted concerning him, gives a propriety to this manner of rendering these words, when every thing is done by his direction, which it could not have in any other circumstances. 5. The daughter of Zion, that is, Jerusalem, so named from Mount Zion, which was in the city, and on which was erected a fortress for its defence. This poetical manner of personifying the cities and countries, to which they addressed themselves, was familiar to the prophets. 2 From the other Evangelists it would appear, that our Lord rode only on the colt; from this passage, we should be apt to think that both had been used. But it is not unusual with the sacred authors, when either the nature of the thing spoken of, or the attendant circumstances, are sufficient for precluding mis. takes, to employ the plural number for the singular. 7. Covering them with their mantles, επέθηκαν επάνω αυτων τα ἱματια αυτών. The Sy. interpreter, either from a different reading in the copies he used, or (which is more likely) from a desire to express the sense more clearly, has rendered it they laid their mantles on the colt. 9. Blessed be he that cometh, evrogner exoμesvos. ερχόμενος. E. T. Blessed is he that cometh. But acclamations of this kind are always of the nature of prayers, or ardent wishes; like the Fr. vive le roy, or our God save the king. Nay, the words connected are entirely of this character. Hosanna to the son of David, is equivalent to God preserve the Son of David; and consequently what follows is the same as prosperous be the reign of him that cometh in the name of the Lord. 2 In the highest heaven. L. ii. 14. N. 12. The temple, to igov. Let it be observed that the word here is not vass. By the latter, was meant properly the house, includ ing only the vestibule, the holy place or sanctuary, and the most holy. Whereas, the former comprehended all the courts. was in the outermost court that this sort of traffic was exercised. For want of peculiar names in European languages, these two are confounded in most modern translations. To the vxos, or temple, strictly so called, none of those people had access, not even our Lord himself, because not of the posterity of Aaron. L. i. 9. N. It may be thought strange that the Pharisees, whose sect then predominated, and who much affected to patronize external decorum in religion, should have permitted so gross a violation of decency. But, let it be remembered that the merchandize was transacted in the court of the Gentiles, a place allotted for the devotions of the proselytes of the gate, those who having renounced idolatry, worshipped the true God, but did not subject themselves to circumcision and the ceremonial law. To the religious service of such, the narrow-souled Pharisees paid no regard. The place they did not account holy. It is even not improbable that in order to put an indignity on those half-conformists, they have introduced, and promoted, this flagrant abuse. The zeal of our Lord, which breathed nothing of the pharisaical malignity, tended as much to unite and conciliate, as theirs tended to divide and alienate. Nor was there any thing in the leaven of the Pharisees, which he more uniformly opposed, than that assuming spirit, the surest badge of the sectary, which would confine the favour of the universal parent to those of his own sect, denomination, or country. See ch. viii. 11, 12. L. iv. 23, &c. x. 29, &c. 13. A house. Mr. xi. 17. 2 Of robbers, Answy. E. T. Of thieves. Diss. XI. P. II. § 6. 25. Whence had John authority to baptise? to Barriqua Iwav18 Todεv ny; E. T. The baptism of John, whence was it? But a man's baptism means, with us, solely his partaking of that ordinance; whereas this question relates, not to John's receiving baptism, but to his right to enjoin and confer baptism. The question, as it stands in the common version, conveys, to the unlearned reader, a sense totally different from the author's. It sounds, as though it had been put, Was John baptised by an 'angel, sent from heaven on purpose, or by an ordinary man?' In all such cases, if one would neither be unintelligible, nor express a false meaning, one must not attempt to trace the words of the original. Diss. XII. P. I. § 14. 31. The first, i par. In the old Itc. it was novissimus. The Cop. Arm. Sax. and Ara. read in the same manner. In the Cam. and two other Gr. MSS. it is exatos. This is one of those readings which it would require more than ordinary external evidence to authorise. 32. In the way of sanctity, ev oda dixaiocturns. E. T. In the way of righteousness. This is one proof among many of the various significations given to the word dixatorun in the N. T. There can. be no doubt that this is spoken principally in allusion to the austerities of John's manner of living in the desert, in respect of food, raiment, and lodging. The word sanctity, in our language, though not quite so common, suits the meaning here better than righteousness. 33. Went abroad, andunov. E. T. Went into a far country. This is an exact translation of what is said of the prodigal, L. xv. 13. απεδήμησεν εις χωραν μακαραν, but not of what is said here. The word axeonun implies barely that it was a foreign country he went to; nothing is added to inform us whether it was far or near. 35. Drove away with stones another, iv de exilobodnσav. E. T.. Stoned another. But loc does not always denote to kill by stoning, as the Eng. word stoned seems to imply. That it does not signify so in this place, is evident from the distinction made in the treatment given, εν δε απεκτειναν. E. T. More than 36. More respectable, πλείονας των πρωτων. the first. Thelovas means more either in number, or in value. As vouchers for the latter use in the N. T. see Mt. v. 20. vi. 25. xii. 41, 42. Mr. xii. 33. L. xi. 31, 32. Heb. xi. 4. The Heb. rab signifies both many and great. The reasons which have induced me, on reconsidering this passage, to prefer, with Markland, the 2d meaning, are these. 1. If the number of servants first sent had been mentioned, or even alluded to by an epithet as many, or few, λelovas could not have been rendered otherwise than in greater number; but not, where there is neither mention of number, nor allusion to it. 2. A climax is evidently intended by the historian, in representing the husbandmen, as proceeding from evil to worse. Now the climax is much better sup ported by making as relate to dignity, than by making it refer to number. He first sent some inferior servants; afterwards, the most respectable; last of all, his son. 41. He will put those wretches to a wretched death, naxxs xaκως απολέσει αυτός. E. T. He will miserably destroy those wicked men. This idiom is entirely Grecian. Lucian says, xaxo xαzws añodsvτai, Icaromenippus. Several other examples have been produced by Sc. and Wa. I have been lucky enough here to express the meaning, without losing the paronomasia, which is not without its emphasis. Wretches and wretched, like xx8 and xxxs, are equally susceptible of both significations, wicked and miserable. It is not possible always, in translating, to convey both the sense and the trope. And when both cannot be done, no reasonable person will be at a loss which to prefer. 43. Know therefore. This is one of the clearest predictions of the rejection of the Jews, and of the call of the Gentiles, which we have in this history. 2 To a nation, ε9ver. Some render the word To the Gentiles. That the Gentiles are meant, cannot be doubted. But the Eng. (especially where there is no risk of mistake) ought not to be more explicit than the Gr. Had it been our Lord's intention flatly to tell them this, his expression would have been, Tois Ever. The article and the plural number are invariably used in such cases. They are here called a nation, because, though collected out of many nations, they will as christians constitute one nation, the dyev mentioned 1 Pet. ii. 9. CHAPTER XXII. 12. Friend, itape. Diss. XII. P. I. § 11. 14. For there are many called, but few chosen, wo2201 Yap 1101 κλητοι, ολίγοι δε εκλεκτοι. E. T. For many are called, but few are chosen. The difference in these two ways of rendering is, to appearance, inconsiderable, but it is real. Let it be observ. ed, that the Gr. words zλnto and ExλTO are merely adjectives; called and chosen, in the E. T. can be understood no otherwise than as participles, insomuch that, if we were to turn the Eng. into Gr. we should use neither of those words, but say, Пλλ08 γαρ εισι κεκλημενοι, ολίγοι δε εκλελεγμένοι, which does not perfectly coincide in meaning with the expression of the Evangelist. I acknowledge, it is impossible to mark the difference, with equal precision, in any language, which has only one term for both The distinction with us is similar, and nowise inferior to that which is found between Olivetan's, and more modern Fr. versions. The former says, Plusieurs sont appellés, mais peu sont elus; the latter, Il y a beaucoup d'appellés, mais peu d'elus. uses. 16. Herodians. Probably partizans of Herod Antipas, tetrarch of Galilee; those who were for the continuance of the royal power in the descendants of Herod the Great. This was an object which, it appears, the greater part of the nation, especially the Pharisees, did not favour. They considered that family, not indeed as idolaters, but as great conformists to the idola. trous customs of both Greeks and Romans, whose favour it spared no pains to secure. The notion, adopted by some, that the Herodians were those who believed Herod to be the Messiah, |