John Bengel Commentary - Matthew 24:43 - 24:43

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John Bengel Commentary - Matthew 24:43 - 24:43


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Mat 24:43.[1069] Γινώσκετε, ye know.[1070]-εἰ ᾔδει, if he had known) He would have watched; and that care on his part would not have been much to be wondered at.-ποίᾳ φυλακῇ, in what (Lat. quali) watch) It is supposed that the goodman of the house has been warned of the coming of the thief. In carnal concerns we are vigilant, even though we know not in what portion of the night our goods will be endangered, if we know only that the danger will occur either on this, or on one of the next few nights.-φυλακῇ, watch) although a watch is longer than an hour.-ὁ κλέπτης, the thief) The last temptation, arising from the concealment of that hour, accompanied by other circumstances of difficulty, is the most severe. For the nearer that the actual accomplishment of anything approaches, so much the more keen become both hope and fear; and, generally speaking, so much the more impatient of any, even the least, delay. And thus will it be with those who live during the last small portion of time, when the other events which precede it in Revelation 20 shall have come to pass.-οὐκ ἂν εἴασε, κ.τ.λ., he would not have allowed, etc.) by yielding to sleepiness.-διορυγῆναι, to be dug through[1071]) which would take some time to accomplish.

[1069] Three parables in Matthew refer to watchfulness, or else careless security; a fourth refers to faithfulness, or else the want of it.-Harm., p. 484.

[1070] The word in the original of St Matthew may be either Indicative or Imperative. Bengel renders it as the former in the Gnomon, by “scitis,” and in his German Version by “das ist euch aber bekannt.” E. V. in the latter, by “know ye;” in which it is supported by the Vulgate, which has “scitote.”-(I. B.)

[1071] E. V. “broken up.”-(I. B.)