Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [Matthew: Chapter 21].
(cf. sycamine tree in Lk 17:6). Cf. Zec 17:4.
21:22 {Believing} (\pisteuontes\). This is the point of the
parable of the mountain, "faith in the efficacy of prayer"
(Plummer).
21:24 {One question} (\logon hena\). Literally "one word" or "a
word." The answer to Christ's word will give the answer to their
query. The only human ecclesiastical authority that Jesus had
came from John.
21:25 {The baptism of John} (\to baptisma to I•anou\). This
represents his relation to Jesus who was baptized by him. At once
the ecclesiastical leaders find themselves in a dilemma created
by their challenge of Christ. {They reasoned with themselves}
(\dielogizonto\). Picturesque imperfect tense describing their
hopeless quandary.
21:29 {I will not} (\ou thel•\). So many old manuscripts, though
the Vatican manuscript (B) has the order of the two sons
reversed. Logically the "I, sir" (\eg•, kurie\) suits better for
the second son (verse 30) with a reference to the blunt refusal
of the first. So also the manuscripts differ in verse 31
between the first (\ho pr•tos\) and the last (\ho husteros\ or
\eschatos\). But the one who actually did the will of the father
is the one who {repented and went} (\metamel•theis ap•lthen\).
This word really means "repent," to be sorry afterwards, and must
be sharply distinguished from the word \metanoe•\ used 34 times
in the N.T. as in Mt 3:2 and \metanoia\ used 24 times as in Mt
3:8. The verb \metamelomai\ occurs in the N.T. only five times
(Mt 21:29,32; 27:3; 2Co 7:8; Heb 7:21 from Ps 109:4). Paul
distinguishes sharply between mere sorrow and the act
"repentance" which he calls \metanoian\ (2Co 7:9). In the case
of Judas (Mt 27:3) it was mere remorse. Here the boy got sorry
for his stubborn refusal to obey his father and went and obeyed.
Godly sorrow leads to repentance (\metanoian\), but mere sorrow
is not repentance.
21:31 {Go before you} (\proagousin\). "In front of you"
(Weymouth). The publicans and harlots march ahead of the
ecclesiastics into the kingdom of heaven. It is a powerful
indictment of the complacency of the Jewish theological leaders.
21:32 {In the way of righteousness} (\en hod•i dikaiosun•s\). In
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