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Mat_12:32. Κατὰ τοῦ υἱοῦ τ . ἀνθρ .] against the Son of man, such as Daniel promised that the Messiah should be. In this case also (comp. on Mat_9:6, Mat_8:20) this select expression indicates the majesty of the Messiah in His human manifestation, in contrast to the hostile terms with which it has been assailed. Grotius and Fritzsche erroneously understand it as in contrast to man in general.
ἀφεθήσεται αὐτῷ ] For if the hostile expressions are directed only against the person of the Messiah as such, not against the Holy Spirit who may be recognised in that person, even without our ascribing to it a Messianic character, it is possible that fuller knowledge, change, of disposition, faith, may be created by the Spirit’s own influence, whereupon the man will be forgiven. Comp. Luk_23:34.
ὁ αἰὼν οὗτος is the period previous to the coming of the Messiah, òåÉìÈí äÇæÌÆä , as Jesus understood it: the time before the second coming. Ὁ αἰὼν μέλλων , the period that succeeds the coming of the Messiah, òåÉìÈí äÇáÌÈà , as Jesus understood it: the time that follows the second coming. Bertholdt, Christol. p. 38; Koppe, Exc. 1, ad Ep. ad Eph. p. 289 ff.
οὔτε ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι ] where it would be granted in the shape of acquittal in the judgment, combined with the eternal consequences of such acquittal (everlasting felicity). The threatening of a very different fate—that is to say, the thought of endless punishment—must not be in any way softened down (Chrysostom, de Wette). Schmid, bibl. Theol. I. p. 358 (comp. Olshausen and Stirm in the Jahrb. f. Deutsche Theol. 1861, p. 300), is quite mistaken in thinking that the period referred to is that between death and judgment, which, in fact, does not belong to the αἰὼν μέλλων at all.