John Bengel Commentary - Matthew 25:30 - 25:30

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John Bengel Commentary - Matthew 25:30 - 25:30


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Mat 25:30. Ἀχρεῖον, unprofitable) sc. now and hereafter;[1097] cf. Gnomon on Mat 25:21, and Luk 16:11.-ἀχρεῖος is in Attic Greek written ἄχρειος, according to Eustathius.-ἐκβάλετε, κ.τ.λ., cast forth, etc.) There is a contrast between this and Mat 25:21. The Lord Himself commands [the good servants] to enter; He desires His attendants to cast out [the unprofitable one], as in ch. Mat 22:13.[1098]

[1097] Even though he had caused no loss to his master.-V. g.

[1098] Cf. Gnomon on ch. Mat 7:24.-(I. B.)

Ἀχρεῖος, though translated by Bengel, unprofitable, useless, is not to be confounded with ἄχρηστος, which more strictly expresses that meaning. A slave that has done all that his master commands is ἀχρεῖος, not in the sense that he is worthless, useless, which could not be said of such a servant, but he is one οὗ οὐκ ἔστι χρεία, a person to whom the master owes nothing, with whom he could dispense, Act 17:25. God receives no benefit from man for which He owes a return, Luk 17:10. Here, in Mat 25:30, though the servant had been also ἄχρηστος, unprofitable, useless, and slothful, yet the idea conveyed by the ἀχρεῖος is not this, but its consequence: for he who is useless by doing no work is not wanted (the latter expressing the true force of ἀχρεῖος:). The ἄχρηστος, besides being useless, causes also loss to his master. See Tittm. Syn. Gr. Test.-ED.