Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [Matthew: Chapter 16].
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16:1 {The Pharisees and Sadducees} (\hoi Pharisaioi kai
Saddoukaioi\). The first time that we have this combination of
the two parties who disliked each other exceedingly. Hate makes
strange bedfellows. They hated Jesus more than they did each
other. Their hostility has not decreased during the absence of
Jesus, but rather increased. {Tempting him} (\peirazontes\).
Their motive was bad. {A sign from heaven} (\s•meion ek tou
ouranou\). The scribes and Pharisees had already asked for a sign
(12:38). Now this new combination adds "from heaven." What did
they have in mind? They may not have had any definite idea to
embarrass Jesus. The Jewish apocalypses did speak of spectacular
displays of power by the Son of Man (the Messiah). The devil had
suggested that Jesus let the people see him drop down from the
pinnacle of the temple and the people expected the Messiah to
come from an unknown source (Joh 7:27) who would do great signs
(Joh 7:31). Chrysostom (_Hom_. liii.) suggests stopping the
course of the sun, bridling the moon, a clap of thunder.
16:2 {Fair weather} (\eudia\). An old poetic word from \eu\ and
\Zeus\ as the ruler of the air and giver of fair weather. So men
today say "when the sky is red at sunset." It occurs on the
Rosetta Stone and in a fourth century A.D. Oxyr. papyrus for
"calm weather" that made it impossible to sail the boat. Aleph
and B and some other MSS. omit verses 2 and 3. W omits part of
verse 2. These verses are similar to Lu 12:54-56. McNeile
rejects them here. Westcott and Hort place in brackets. Jesus
often repeated his sayings. Zahn suggests that Papias added these
words to Matthew.
16:3 {Lowring} (\stugnaz•n\). A sky covered with clouds. Used
also of a gloomy countenance as of the rich young ruler in Mr
10:22. Nowhere else in the New Testament. This very sign of a
rainy day we use today. The word for "foul weather" (\cheim•n\)
is the common one for winter and a storm. {The signs of the
times} (\ta s•meia t•n kair•n\). How little the Pharisees and
Sadducees understood the situation. Soon Jerusalem would be
destroyed and the Jewish state overturned. It is not always easy
to discern (\diakrinein\, discriminate) the signs of our own
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Word Pictures in the New Testament
(Matthew: Chapter 16)