rwp - Matthew:13:41-42

rwp@Matthew:13:41 @{Out of his kingdom} (\ek ts basileias autou\). Out from the midst of the kingdom, because in every city the good and the bad are scattered and mixed together. Cf. \ek mesou tn dikain\ in strkjv@13:49| "from the midst of the righteous." What this means is that, just as the wheat and the darnel are mixed together in the field till the separation at harvest, so the evil are mixed with the good in the world (the field). Jesus does not mean to say that these "stumbling-blocks" (\ta skandala\) are actually in the Kingdom of heaven and really members of the Kingdom. They are simply mixed in the field with the wheat and God leaves them in the world till the separation comes. Their destiny is "the furnace of fire" (\tn kaminon tou puros\).

rwp@Matthew:13:43 @{Shine forth} (\eklampsousin\). Shine out as the sun comes from behind a cloud (Vincent) and drive away the darkness after the separation has come (cf. strkjv@Daniel:12:3|).

rwp@Matthew:13:44 @{And hid} (\kai ekrupsen\). Not necessarily bad morality. "He may have hid it to prevent it being stolen, or to prevent himself from being anticipated in buying a field" (Plummer). But if it was a piece of sharp practice, that is not the point of the parable. That is, the enormous wealth of the Kingdom for which any sacrifice, all that one has, is not too great a price to pay.

rwp@Matthew:13:46 @{He went and sold} (\apelthn pepraken\). Rather eagerly and vividly told thus, "He has gone off and sold." The present perfect indicative, the dramatic perfect of vivid picture. Then he bought it. Present perfect, imperfect, aorist tenses together for lively action. \Empori\ is a merchant, one who goes in and out, travels like a drummer.

rwp@Matthew:13:47 @{A net} (\sagni\). Drag-net. Latin, _sagena_, English, seine. The ends were stretched out and drawn together. Only example of the word in the N.T. Just as the field is the world, so the drag-net catches all the fish that are in the sea. The separation comes afterwards. Vincent pertinently quotes Homer's _Odyssey_ (xxii. 384-389) where the slain suitors in the halls of Ulysses are likened to fishes on the shore caught by nets with myriad meshes.

rwp@Matthew:13:48 @{Vessels} (\agg\). Here only in the N.T. In strkjv@Matthew:25:4| we have \aggeia\.

rwp@Matthew:13:52 @{Made a disciple to the kingdom of heaven} (\matheteutheis ti basileii tn ourann\). First aorist passive participle. The verb is transitive in strkjv@28:19|. Here a scribe is made a learner to the kingdom. "The mere scribe, Rabbinical in spirit, produces only the old and stale. The disciple of the kingdom like the Master, is always fresh-minded, yet knows how to value all old spiritual treasures of Holy Writ, or Christian tradition" (Bruce). Songs:he uses things fresh (\kaina\) and ancient (\palaia\). "He hurls forth" (\ekballei\) both sorts.

rwp@Matthew:13:54 @{Is not this the carpenter's son?} (\ouch houtos estin ho tou tektnos huios?\). The well-known, the leading, or even for a time the only carpenter in Nazareth till Jesus took the place of Joseph as the carpenter. What the people of Nazareth could not comprehend was how one with the origin and environment of Jesus here in Nazareth could possess the wisdom which he appeared to have in his teaching (\edidasken\). That has often puzzled people how a boy whom they knew could become the man he apparently is after leaving them. They knew Joseph, Mary, the brothers (four of them named) and sisters (names not given). Jesus passed here as the son of Joseph and these were younger brothers and sisters (half brothers and sisters technically).

rwp@Matthew:13:57 @{And they were offended in him} (\kai eskandalizonto en auti\). Graphic imperfect passive. Literally, "They stumbled at him," "They were repelled by him" (Moffatt), "They turned against him" (Weymouth). It was unpardonable for Jesus not to be commonplace like themselves. {Not without honour} (\ouk estin atimos\). This is a proverb found in Jewish, Greek, and Roman writers. Seen also in the _Logia of Jesus_ (_Oxyr. Papyri_ i. 3).

rwp@Matthew:13:58 @{Mighty works} (\dunameis\). Powers. The "disbelief" (\apistian\) of the townspeople blocked the will and the power of Jesus to work cures.