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Mat_25:28-30. Οὖν ] because his conduct was so inexcusable.
Mat_25:29. Justification of this mode of proceeding, by appealing to a principle founded on universal experience, and which was to find its verification in the case before us. Comp. Mat_13:12.
τοῦ δὲ μὴ ἔχοντος ] see critical remarks. The genitive, here placed first for sake of emphasis, might be regarded as dependent on ἀρθήσεται (Fritzsche), in accordance, that is, with the construction of verbs of depriving with τινός τι (Kühner, II. 1, p. 282). Inasmuch, however, as the ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ which follows would thus be superfluous and clumsy, it is better to take the genitive as absolute: as for him who has not (the poor man); comp. Thuc. v. 18. 8, and Krüger thereon. We thus obtain “duobus membris factis ex uno oppositio nervosior” (Dissen, ad Dem. de cor. p. 272). For ὁ ἔχων , the rich man, comp. Isocr. vii. 55 and Benseler thereon.
For Mat_25:30, comp. Mat_8:12, Mat_13:42; Mat_13:50, Mat_22:13, Mat_24:51. The verse is not here out of place, but acquires a certain solemnity from its resemblance to the conclusion of ch. 24. (in opposition to Weiss, 1864, p. 129).
Teaching of the parable.
By a faithful use, after my departure, of those varied endowments which I have bestowed on each of you according to his special capacity, you are to do your utmost to promote my cause. For when I return and reckon with you (Mat_25:19), then those who have exerted themselves in a dutiful manner will receive a distinguished reward in the kingdom of the Messiah; but those who have allowed their gifts, however small, to lie unused, will be deprived of that which has been entrusted to them, and be cast into Gehenna. For more minute and specific interpretations, all of them of a more or less arbitrary character, see Origen, Chrysostom, Theophylact. The reference to all Christian endowments generally (1 Corinthians 12), is to be regarded rather as an application of the parable in a more comprehensive sense.