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Mat 21:28.[930] Τέκνα δύο, two sons) A specimen of two classes.[931]-ΠΡΟΣΕΛΘῺΝ, having come to) sc. kindly.-τῷ πρώτῳ, the first) who went before the other; see Mat 21:31 [“Go into the kingdom of God before you].
[930] τί δὲ ὑμῖν δοκεῖ, But what think ye?) After that the Jews had declined to commit themselves, by expressing an opinion concerning the baptism of John, the Saviour defends Himself along with John, thereby reproving the unbelief of the chief priests.-Harm., p. 460.
[931] In the dialogue which Athanasius is said to have had at Nicæa with Arius, the First Son is referred to the Jews, the Second, to the Gentiles.-See App. Crit., ed. ii., p. 131.-E. B.
In Mat 21:31, Lachm. reads ὁ ὕστερος with B. Ὁ ἔσχατος is read by Dabd, MSS. Amiat. (the oldest existing), and Fuld. and Forojuliensis of the Vulg. However Jerome, though editing, as appears from his commentary, ‘novissimus,’ yet states that good copies have ‘primus’ (ὁ πρῶτος): c also, and some less ancient copies of the Vulg., agree with Rec. Text, ὁ πρῶτος. But Hil. 717 has ‘junior.’ The ὁ ὕστερος or ἔσχατος, as being the more difficult reading, would be more likely to be changed by a corrector into ὁ πρῶτος, than vice versa. Jerome vii. 168e explains the former reading, ‘novissimus,’ thus:-“The Jews understood the truth, but shrunk back, and would not say what they thought; just as, though knowing the baptism of John to be from heaven, they would not acknowledge in words that it was so.” They did not like, I think, to repeat again the same reply as before in Mat 21:27, οὐκ οἴδαμεν, therefore they doggedly, in spite of convictions, replied, ὁ ὕστερος. However, the words, Λέγουσιν ὁ ὕστερος: λέγει αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰνσοῦς, seem to be an interpolation: for Origen, who seldom passes over difficult passages, takes no notice of these words; and besides, ὕστερος as an adjective, is found nowhere in the New Testament except in 1Ti 4:1.-ED.