John Bengel Commentary - Matthew 19:17 - 19:17

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John Bengel Commentary - Matthew 19:17 - 19:17


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Mat 19:17. Τί, κ.τ.λ., why? etc.) He who [alone] is Good,[865] should be asked concerning that which is good.[866] For the rest, see Gnomon on Mar 10:18.-εἰ δὲ θέλεις, (but if thou wishest) as thou declarest. The expression εἰ θέλεις (if thou wishest) occurs again at Mat 19:21.-τήρησον τὰς ἐντολὰς keep the commandments) Jesus refers those who feel secure to the law: He consoles the contrite with the Gospel.

[865] In the original, “Qui Bonus est, de bono interrogandus est,” where “Bonus” is used as a substantive (corresponding to the German “der Gute” employed by Bengel in rendering this verse), which has no equivalent in English: for though we speak of “the Evil One,” we cannot say “the Good One.” The passage might be paraphrased thus-“He who is personally and absolutely good, should be asked concerning that which is abstractly and relatively good.”-(I. B.)

[866] The reading is here meant, which the margin of both Editions prefers to the reading λέγεις-Θεός, VIZ. ἐρωτᾶς περὶ τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ; εἷς ἐστιν ὁ ἀγαθός. Comp. the margin of the Vers. Germ. and Michaelis’ Einleitung, etc., T. i., p. m. 224.-E. B.

BDLabc, Vulg. Memph. Orig. 3,664bc, read τί με ἐρωτᾶς περὶ τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ (D and Origen 3,664c omit τοῦ). Τί με λέγεις ἀγαθόν is the reading of Rec. Text with Iren. 92, Hil. 703, 994ac (‘vocas’ for λέγεις). Origen 3,664cd, writes, Ὁ μὲν Ματθαῖος, ὡς περὶ ἀγαθοῦ ἔργου ἐρωτηθέντος τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἐν τῷ τί ἀγαθὸν ποιήσω; ἀνέγραψεν· ὁ δὲ Μάρκος καὶ Λουκᾶς φασὶ τὸν Σωτῆρα εἰρηκέναι, τί με λέγεις ἀγαθόν; οὐδεὶς ἀγαθὸς εἰ μὴ εἶς ὁ Θεός. BDabc Vulg. Orig. Iren. 92 read εἷς ἐστιν ὁ ἀγαθός (D omits ὁ. bc Vulg. Memph. add ὁ Θεος; evidently, as I think, a gloss of the Harmonies from Mar 10:18 and Luk 18:19. Iren, adds “pater in cœlis”). Rec. Text, with Hil. 994, reads οὐδεὶς ἀγαθὸς εἰ μὴ εἶς ὁ Θεός. This is still more palpably a reading copied from the parallels in Mark and Luke.-ED.