Heinrich Meyer Commentary - Matthew 25:20 - 25:20

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Heinrich Meyer Commentary - Matthew 25:20 - 25:20


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Mat_25:20 f. Ἐπʼ αὐτοῖς ] in addition to them; comp. on Col_3:14. The ἵδε points the master to what had been gained; the boldness of a good conscience.

εὖ ] is generally taken absolutely: excellent! that is right! But this would have required εὖγε (Plat. Gorg. p. 494 C; Lach. p. 181 A; Soph. Phil. 327), which reading (taken from Luk_19:17, where εὖγε is the original one) Fritzsche actually adopts, following A*, Vulg. It. Or. (once). Consequently we should connect εὖ with ἦς πιστός : Thou wast admirably (probe) faithful in regard to a little. For εὗ when separated from the word to which it belongs, comp. Xen. Cyr. i. 6. 24; Mem. ii. 1. 33, and Kühner thereon. Ἀγαθέ and πιστέ represent the genus and species of an upright character. The opposite of this: Mat_25:26.

εἰς τὴν χαρὰν τοῦ κυρίον σου ] χαρά is not to be understood of a feast (Clericus, Schoettgen, Wolf, Michelsen, Kuinoel, Schott), a sense in which the word is not used (LXX. Est_9:17 is an inaccurate rendering), and which the context does not sanction any more than it countenances the idea of a festival in honour of the master’s return (in opposition to de Wette and Lange); but what is meant is that the slave is invited to participate in the happiness which his master is enjoying (Chrysostom admirably: τὴν πᾶσαν μακαριότητα διὰ τοῦ ῥήματος τούτου δεικνύς ), thus exhibiting the thought of Rom_8:17. The use of the expression εἴσελθε is, in that case, to be regarded as due to the nature of the thing which the parable is meant to illustrate (the Messianic kingdom).