into the joy of thy lord. 22 He also that had received two talents came, and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents behold, I have gained two other talents besides them. 23 His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. 24 Then he which had received the one talent came, and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art a hard man, reaping where thou hast not unto him, Well, thou good servant; because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities. And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds. And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities. And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have laid up in a napkin; for I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow. And he saith unto him, Out of thy own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow: wherefore, then, gavest thou not my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury, [literally, with interest.] And he said unto them that stood by, Take from him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten pounds; (and they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds ;) for I say unto you, that unto every one which hath, shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him. But those mine enemies, [viz., the citizens,] which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither and slay them before me." Luke xix. 11-27. This parable, then, (which so manifestly represents the same general subject, as the one in the text,) was spoken by Christ for two reasons: 1. "because he was nigh to Jerusalem;" and, 2. "because the people thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear," and it was sown, and gathering where thou hast not strewed: 25 And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. 26 His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strewed: 27 Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. See 28 Take therefore the talent desirable to correct this misapprehension. Of course, the parable had some special reference to Jerusalem; and it referred, also, to the period when the kingdom of God was to come, at the destruction of the Jews. See note on Matt. xxiv. 32, 33. Accordingly, the time of the Lord's return to reckon with his servants, in the parable, is expressly said to be when he should have "received his kingdom;" that is, when the Son of man should come in his kingdom, before some of those standing there should have tasted of death. Matt. xvi. 28. Again, besides the case of the servants, (or professed followers of Christ,) which is the general subject of both parables, we find here another party introduced, which is not mentioned in Matthew, namely, the citizens, or countrymen of our Lord, the Jews, who would not have him to reign over them, and who were to be slain, at the time when the servants were to be called to their account. All these circumstances and allusions fix the reference of this parable to the time of the destruction of Jerusalem, and confirm the explanation we have traced out of the similar parable in the text. 26. Thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, &c. That is, I will take thee on thine own plea, or, "out of thine own mouth will I judge thee:" if, as thou sayest, thou knewest this, so much the more it behoved thee to improve what I did commit to thee, so as to answer at least my just demands. We are not to suppose that the master here confirms the allegation of this "wicked and slothful servant." from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. 29 For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance but from him that hath not, shall be taken away even that which he hath. 30 And cast ye the unprofitable 29. A proverb repeatedly used by Christ, (see Matt. xiii. 12; Luke viii. 18; xix. 26;) and introduced here as expressing the general principle on which the transfer, awarded in the preceding verse, was made: "give it unto him which hath ten talents, for unto every one," &c. It is a general rule of Providence, that possessions accumulate to greater possessions, and that want grows into destitution; especially in cases like the present, where the receiver is held responsible for the use of advantages committed to him. From him that hath not. Either a strong negative for hath but little, or an elliptical expression for hath not what is required of him; since it is immediately added "shall be taken away even that which he hath." servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory : 32 And before him shall be chapter is referred by nearly all inter- *Not by ail, however. Some of the American Unitarians refer it, apparently, to the time of the destruction of Jerusalem. (See Norton's Statement of Reasons, &c. AppenJesus and his Biographers, pt. II., chap. v., dix, particularly pp. 311, 312; and Furness's particularly p. 201.) Rev. Newcome Cappe, an English Unitarian, refers it explicitly to that time, and traces out its context accor dingly. Bishop Pearce, one of the greatest critics the Church of England has produced, does the same; though he afterwards remarks, inconsistently enough, that, in ver. 41 and 46, "Jesus seems at length to have had the day of general judgment in his thoughts." Dr. Hammond, also of the Church of England, and for a long time the standard commentator in our language, re C. 30. Cast-into outer darkness. Prob-fers it partly to the destruction of Jerusa lem, though principally to a day of general ably, into prison. Among the Romans, judgment hereafter. (See Paige's Selections, who then had the jurisdiction of Pales- sect. xliv.) Among the European continentine, prisons were sometimes dungeons tal interpreters and theologians, J. Harduin under ground, and consequently in ut- applies it to the time of the destruction of ter darkness. Rosenmüller on Matt. Jerusalem, and says, "the sheep" are those viii. 12. Many interpreters, however, Jews who had either been converted, or had understand the expression thus: cast those Jews who had neither been converted, kindly treated the converts; "the goats," him forth into the darkness of night nor shown kindness to the Christians. without, from the hall which was F. Bahrdt applies it to the same time, and lighted for a feast. But the "weeping refers the separation mentioned in it, to the and gnashing of teeth," which follows, distinction then made, not between different seems to denote rather classes of the Jews, but between the Chrisa prison. T There shall be weeping and gnash- the other. So likewise does E. F. C. Oertel. tians on the one hand, and their enemies on ing of teeth. The natural consequence To the same time, and nearly in the same of confinement in such a dungeon. It manner, do J. F. Des Cotes, and G. L. Horn, is the same phrase, and apparently with apply it. C. C. L. Schmidt thinks it was the same reference, that was used just designed to set forth the effect which the before, concerning the unfaithful serdestruction of their nation and temple would vant, in the end of the twenty-fourth have on the Jews, in converting some to Christianity, and plunging the rest into chapter. See note on Matt. xxiv. 51. despair. J. C. R. Eckermann refers it to We need not say that no figure could the complete separation which took place more truly represent the condition to between the Christian and the Jewish com which unfaithful Christians must have munities, after the destruction of Jerusalem. been reduced, when they found them-J. F. Gruner and J. N. Milow explain it selves, with the unbelieving Jews, involved in the "great tribulation such as was not from the beginning of the world to that time." Matt. xxiv. 21. 31. The remainder, at least, of this nearly as Harduin does, of the conversion of the better disposed among the Jews, after the destruction of their country, and of the utter rejection of the rest. (See Keilii Opus cula Academica, De Argumento Loci, Matt. xxv. 31-46, pp. 142-144.) throne of his glory. A Hebraism, for "his glorious throne." Among the Orientals, the throne is the symbol both of the regal and judicial functions united; the idea therefore is, Then shall he appear as king and judge; which is the same thing he had taught on other occasions, namely, that, before the end of that generation, he would come in his kingdom, his kingdom would come with power, and that he would then reward men according to their works. Matt. xvi. 27, 28'; Mark ix. 1. Indeed, the whole tenor of the four gospels shows that he did not consider his kingdom fully " come upon earth, nor his character of King and Judge properly realized, till the overthrow of the Jewish polity, in the end of that age. gathered all nations: and he shall | a shepherd divideth his sheep from separate them one from another, as the goats: previously treated of, and an event altogether foreign to the general subject. It is well known with what difficulty and mutual disagreement, they select the point where the discourse leaps over such a huge interval both of time and subject, and with what violence they are obliged to break up the connexion, fix the point of transition where they will. Nothing, however, can be plainer from the context, than that there is no such point of transition in the discourse. ¶ When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the angels with him. An event, which he had, but just before, told them should take place in that generation see Matt. xxiv. 30, 31, 34, where we find "the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory," and sending his angels, &c., all within that generation. See also xxiv. 37, 39, 42, 44. It should be observed that Christ now only repeats his former phraseology; and, of course, he means the same as before. He repeats it in order to fix anew the attention of his disciples on the period and train of events he had already so abundantly defined.* T Then. At that time of his coming. Shall he sit upon the *Commentators are, for the most part, agreed, that his coming to judgment, mentioned in Matt. xxiv. 29-31, was his coming to the destruction of the Jewish people. Still, they seem to think that passage à striking exception to the general rule, and that he usually means a day of universal judgment hereafter, when he speaks of such a coming. Now, there are a few facts which, we think, will correct this impression. 1. In all of the four gospels, there are ten cases only in which he mentions what is called his second coming, or any coming whatsoever subsequent to his ascension, namely, Matt. x. 23; xvi. 27, 28; xxiv., xxv., (which we put together, being but one discourse,) xxvi. 64; Mark viii. 38, with ix. 1; xiii.; Luke ix. 26, 27; xvii. 20 to 37; xxi.; John xxi. 20 to 23. Several of these are indeed parallel texts. 2. In every one of those passages, except two, namely, Matt. xxvi. 64, and Luke xvii. 20, to 37, his coming is expressly fixed to that generation, or to a time before some of those, then living, should die. 3. Even in the two passages we have excepted, no other time is specified or alluded to. One of them is unquestionably parallel with part of Matt. xxiv., and the other probably refers to the same subject. Such are the facts with respect to Christ's doctrine on this point. 32. Before him shall be gathered, &c. A figure manifestly taken, like most of the figures in this representation, from the customs of eastern courts, before which the parties under trial are arraigned, in propria præsentia. But as neither a visible throne, nor a formal assembling before it, belongs to the processes of divine justice, the simple meaning evidently is, shall then be made the subjects of his special re Matt. Some of these texts, in which he speaks of coming to judgment, are so strikingly illustrative of the one under consideration, that they must not be passed over with a mere reference. "The Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father, with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works. Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom." xvi. 27, 28. "Whosoever, therefore, shall be ashamed of me, and of my words, in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels. And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, that there be some of them that stand here which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power." Mark viii. 38; ix. 1. "For whosoever shall be ashamed of me, and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels. But I tell you of a truth, there be some standing here which shall not taste of death till they see the kingdom of God." Luke ix. 26, 27. 33 And he shall set the sheep | ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: on his right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 For I was a hungered, and tributive administration. The prophets, as is well known, habitually employ the imagery of a throne, with angelic attendants and the congregated nations, in their descriptions of divine judgments on states and parties. T All nations. Or, more literally, "all the nations;" used here merely in the popular sense in which Christ just before used the same phrase, in Matt. xxiv. 9 and 14, where he told his disciples that they should be hated of" all the nations," and that their preaching should be for a witness to "all the nations" before the destruction of Jerusalem. These nations, not only Jews, but Gentiles also, would now be the subjects of his retributive administration. Shall separate them. Namely, the people of those nations. The pronoun, in the original, does not refe immediately to the word nations, it berg of a different gender. (Winer, Gramatik des neutest. Sprach. S. 126.) They should be placed in separate con litions, according to their different courses of conduct described in the sequel. ¶As a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats. The figure in this clause and in the next verse has occasioned the entire paragraph to be called the parable of the sheep and goats, a title not warranted, however, by the incidental use of a single simile and metaphor of this kind; especially, since nearly all the imagery, throughout the representation, is taken from a very different source, namely, from the usages of Oriental kings. 33. On his right hand. The place of favor and honor. ¶ On the left. The place of disfavor. These figures are, of course, but parts of the imagery, and denote only, in a general way, that one party was to be approved, and the other condemned. 34. The forms of regal judicature are still continued by representing the king as pronouncing vocally, in solemn and formal verdict, his award to the first 36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. 37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee a hungered, and fed party. Inherit the kingdom. Namely, the kingdom of Christ, the kingdom of God, which Christ had told the Jews, on another occasion, when referring to this very time, "shall be taken from you, and given unto a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof." Matt. xxi. 43. They were now introduced, for the first time, to its privileges; of course, they had not before enjoyed the inheritance, had not belonged to Christ's kingdom. Prepared for you from the foundation of the world. World,kosmos, (xóouos.) In the divine counsel, this kingdom, or the gospel, had always been designed for them, though they received an inheritance in it only at so late a period. The phrase, “prepared for you," &c., was a proverbial one, as we find from the book of Tobit, where the angel says to him, concerning his wife," she was prepared for thee from the beginning of time;" (apo tou aïonos, àñò тоû alavos, Tobit vi. 17;) that is, was always designed for him in the divine counsel. The phrase in the text may, therefore, refer only in the same general way to the fore-orderings of Providence; although it is, indeed, a specific truth, asserted in other Scriptures, that the original promise of the gospel expressly embraced the Gentiles. 35, 36. The king is represented as proceeding to specify the immediate reason why he awarded the inheritance to them. It was, as he here expresses it, because they had affectionately ministered to the king, that is, to the Messiah. 37-39. The righteous. Or, just, (dikaioi, dinatoi ;) meaning, either comparatively just, or that they were justified on that occasion, in contradistinction to the other party, which was condemned. They, however, are represented as totally unconscious of having served the Messiah, or of having paid him any attention whatsoever. This thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? 38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? 39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? 40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily, I say circumstance must be carefully remarked; because it is here brought forward as one of their distinguishing characteristics. 40. Nor does the king himself imply, when he comes now to state his meaning more definitely, that they had ever paid any attention directly to the Messiah. But they had received his disciples, and ministered to them; all of which he accounted as done to himself. And this was all that he really intended in his previous declaration. It was on this ground alone that the inheritance was now awarded to them. Unto one of the least of these my brethren. Here, be it observed, is a third party brought into view, namely, the brethren of the king, or the disciples of Christ. These were not arraigned as subjects of his trial; their case had already been sufficiently represented, in the preceding parables. In the present scene, they were not a party concerned; were neither on the right hand, nor on the left. Of course, those on the right hand represent a class of people who had not been disciples of Christ, nor recognized a Messiah; but who had nevertheless kindly received and treated his disciples, and who were at that time admitted to the blessings of Christ's kingdom. And it is well known that we find such a class among the Gentiles of that age; who were then received, moreover, into the covenant of the gospel, and, in the striking language of the text, made to "inherit the kingdom prepared for them from the foundation of the world." The kingdom of God was taken from the Jews, and given unto a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. Matt. xxi. 43. 41. The forms of eastern judicature are still continued, and sentence is pronounced on those on the left hand. As those on the right were called "ye blessed of my Father," these are now called "ye cursed." Depart from unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. 41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: me. A form of address, denoting their "The To exemplify still further the frequency and extent of application with which the Jews, just before Christ's time, were accustomed to employ this figure, we subjoin a summary of its use in the Apocrypha, where it denotes merely temporal judgments or sufferings. Many of the expressions will be found to bear a close affinity with the phra seology of such controverted passages as our text, and may help to explain them. vengeance on the ungodly is fire and worms; in the congregation of the ungodly, a flame is kindled, and in a rebellious nation, wrath is set on fire; the congregation of the wicked is like tow wrapped together, and the end of them is a flame of fire to destroy them; let the heathen nations be consumed by the rage of fire; an evil tongue burneth as a flame of fire, and shall not be quenched; the lewd they kindle a fire in their flesh; a hot mind shall be a heritage to moths and worms; is as a burning fire, which will never be quenched till it be consumed; as a punishment upon Babylon, fire shall come down upon her from the Everlasting, long to endure, and she shall be inhabited of demons for a long time; the hardships which Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob suffered were their trial by fire; woe to the nations that rise up against the Jews! the Lord Almighty will punish them in a day of judgment, putting |