Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox
Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox
Word Pictures in the NT [Matthew: Chapter 6]. obey mammon while pretending to obey God. The United States has had a terrible revelation of the power of the money-god in public life in the Sinclair-Fall-Teapot-Air-Dome-Oil case. When the guide is blind and leads the blind, both fall into the ditch. The man who cannot tell road from ditch sees falsely as Ruskin shows in _Modern Painters_. He will hold to one (\henos anthexetai\). The word means to line up face to face (\anti\) with one man and so against the other. 6:25 {Be not anxious for your life} (\m• merimnate t•i psuch•i h–m•n\). This is as good a translation as the Authorized Version was poor; "Take no thought for your life." The old English word "thought" meant anxiety or worry as Shakespeare says: "The native hue of resolution Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought." Vincent quotes Bacon (Henry VII): "Harris, an alderman of London, was put in trouble and died with thought and anguish." But words change with time and now this passage is actually quoted (Lightfoot) "as an objection to the moral teaching of the Sermon on the Mount, on the ground that it encouraged, nay, commanded, a reckless neglect of the future." We have narrowed the word to mere planning without any notion of anxiety which is in the Greek word. The verb \merimna•\ is from \meris, meriz•\, because care or anxiety distracts and divides. It occurs in Christ's rebuke to Martha for her excessive solicitude about something to eat (Lu 10:41). The notion of proper care and forethought appears in 1Co 7:32; 12:25; Php 2:20. It is here the present imperative with the negative, a command not to have the habit of petulant worry about food and clothing, a source of anxiety to many housewives, a word for women especially as the command not to worship mammon may be called a word for men. The command can mean that they must stop such worry if already indulging in it. In verse 31 Jesus repeats the prohibition with the ingressive aorist subjunctive: "Do not become anxious," "Do not grow anxious." Here the direct question with the deliberative subjunctive occurs with each verb (\phag•men, pi•men, peribal•metha\). This deliberative subjunctive of the direct question is retained in the indirect question employed in verse 25. A different verb for clothing occurs, both in the indirect middle (\peribal•metha\, fling round ourselves in 31, \endus•sthe\, put on yourselves in 25). http://www.ccel.org/r/robertson_at/wordpictures/htm/MT6.RWP.html (7 of 9) [28/08/2004 09:03:00 a.m.]
Word Pictures in the NT [Matthew: Chapter 6]. {For your life} (\t•i psuch•i\). "Here \psuch•i\ stands for the life principle common to man and beast, which is embodied in the \s•ma\: the former needs food, the latter clothing" (McNeile). \Psuch•\ in the Synoptic Gospels occurs in three senses (McNeile): either the life principle in the body as here and which man may kill (Mr 3:4) or the seat of the thoughts and emotions on a par with \kardia\ and \dianoia\ (Mt 22:37) and \pneuma\ (Lu 1:46; cf. Joh 12:27; 13:21) or something higher that makes up the real self (Mt 10:28; 16:26). In Mt 16:25 (Lu 9:25) \psuch•\ appears in two senses paradoxical use, saving life and losing it. 6:27 {Unto his stature} (\epi t•n h•likian autou\). The word \h•likian\ is used either of height (stature) or length of life (age). Either makes good sense here, though probably "stature" suits the context best. Certainly anxiety will not help either kind of growth, but rather hinder by auto-intoxication if nothing more. This is no plea for idleness, for even the birds are diligent and the flowers grow. 6:28 {The lilies of the field} (\ta krina tou agrou\). The word may include other wild flowers besides lilies, blossoms like anemones, poppies, gladioli, irises (McNeile). 6:29 {Was not arrayed} (\oude periebaleto\). Middle voice and so "did not clothe himself," "did not put around himself." 6:30 {The grass of the field} (\ton chorton tou agrou\). The common grass of the field. This heightens the comparison. 6:33 {First his kingdom} (\pr•ton t•n basileian\). This in answer to those who see in the Sermon on the Mount only ethical comments. Jesus in the Beatitudes drew the picture of the man with the new heart. Here he places the Kingdom of God and his righteousness before temporal blessings (food and clothing). 6:34 {For the morrow} (\eis ten aurion\). The last resort of the anxious soul when all other fears are allayed. The ghost of tomorrow stalks out with all its hobgoblins of doubt and distrust. http://www.ccel.org/r/robertson_at/wordpictures/htm/MT6.RWP.html (8 of 9) [28/08/2004 09:03:00 a.m.]
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<strong>Word</strong> <strong>Pictures</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> NT [Mat<strong>the</strong>w: Chapter 6].<br />
{For your life} (\t•i psuch•i\). "Here \psuch•i\ stands for <strong>the</strong><br />
life pr<strong>in</strong>ciple common to man and beast, which is embodied <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
\s•ma\: <strong>the</strong> former needs food, <strong>the</strong> latter cloth<strong>in</strong>g" (McNeile).<br />
\Psuch•\ <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> Synoptic Gospels occurs <strong>in</strong> three senses<br />
(McNeile): ei<strong>the</strong>r <strong>the</strong> life pr<strong>in</strong>ciple <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> body as here and<br />
which man may kill (Mr 3:4) or <strong>the</strong> seat of <strong>the</strong> thoughts and<br />
emotions on a par with \kardia\ and \dianoia\ (Mt 22:37) and<br />
\pneuma\ (Lu 1:46; cf. Joh 12:27; 13:21) or someth<strong>in</strong>g higher<br />
that makes up <strong>the</strong> real self (Mt 10:28; 16:26). In Mt 16:25<br />
(Lu 9:25) \psuch•\ appears <strong>in</strong> two senses paradoxical use,<br />
sav<strong>in</strong>g life and los<strong>in</strong>g it.<br />
6:27 {Unto his stature} (\epi t•n h•likian autou\). The word<br />
\h•likian\ is used ei<strong>the</strong>r of height (stature) or length of life<br />
(age). Ei<strong>the</strong>r makes good sense here, though probably "stature"<br />
suits <strong>the</strong> context best. Certa<strong>in</strong>ly anxiety will not help ei<strong>the</strong>r<br />
k<strong>in</strong>d of growth, but ra<strong>the</strong>r h<strong>in</strong>der by auto-<strong>in</strong>toxication if noth<strong>in</strong>g<br />
more. This is no plea for idleness, for even <strong>the</strong> birds are<br />
diligent and <strong>the</strong> flowers grow.<br />
6:28 {The lilies of <strong>the</strong> field} (\ta kr<strong>in</strong>a tou agrou\). The word<br />
may <strong>in</strong>clude o<strong>the</strong>r wild flowers besides lilies, blossoms like<br />
anemones, poppies, gladioli, irises (McNeile).<br />
6:29 {Was not arrayed} (\oude periebaleto\). Middle voice and so<br />
"did not clo<strong>the</strong> himself," "did not put around himself."<br />
6:30 {The grass of <strong>the</strong> field} (\ton chorton tou agrou\). The<br />
common grass of <strong>the</strong> field. This heightens <strong>the</strong> comparison.<br />
6:33 {First his k<strong>in</strong>gdom} (\pr•ton t•n basileian\). This <strong>in</strong> answer<br />
to those who see <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> Sermon on <strong>the</strong> Mount only ethical<br />
comments. Jesus <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> Beatitudes drew <strong>the</strong> picture of <strong>the</strong> man<br />
with <strong>the</strong> new heart. Here he places <strong>the</strong> K<strong>in</strong>gdom of God and his<br />
righteousness before temporal bless<strong>in</strong>gs (food and cloth<strong>in</strong>g).<br />
6:34 {For <strong>the</strong> morrow} (\eis ten aurion\). The last resort of <strong>the</strong><br />
anxious soul when all o<strong>the</strong>r fears are allayed. The ghost of<br />
tomorrow stalks out with all its hobgobl<strong>in</strong>s of doubt and<br />
distrust.<br />
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