Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [Matthew: Chapter 10].
not just life in the body. "Destroy" here is not annihilation,
but eternal punishment in Gehenna (the real hell) for which see
on ¯5:22. Bruce thinks that the devil as the tempter is here
meant, not God as the judge, but surely he is wrong. There is no
more needed lesson today than the fear of God.
10:29 {Two sparrows} (\duo strouthia\). Diminutive of \strouthos\
and means any small bird, sparrows in particular. They are sold
today in the markets of Jerusalem and Jaffa. "For a farthing"
(\assariou\) is genitive of price. Only here and Lu 12:6 in the
N.T. Diminutive form of the Roman _as_, slightly more than half
an English penny. {Without your Father} (\aneu tou patros
h–m•n\). There is comfort in this thought for us all. Our father
who knows about the sparrows knows and cares about us.
10:31 {Than many sparrows} (\poll•n strouthi•n\). Ablative case
of comparison with \diapherete\ (our differ).
10:32 {Shall confess me} (\homolog•sei en emoi\). An Aramaic
idiom, not Hebrew, see also Lu 12:8. So also here, "him will I
also confess" (\homolog•s• k'ag• en aut•i\). Literally this
Aramaic idiom reproduced in the Greek means "confess in me,"
indicating a sense of unity with Christ and of Christ with the
man who takes the open stand for him.
10:33 {Shall deny me} (\arn•s•tai me\). Aorist subjunctive here
with \hostis\, though future indicative \homolog•sei\ above. Note
accusative here (case of extension), saying "no" to Christ,
complete breach. This is a solemn law, not a mere social breach,
this cleavage by Christ of the man who repudiates him, public and
final.
10:34 {I came not to send peace, but a sword} (\ouk •lthon balein
eir•n•n, alla machairan\). A bold and dramatic climax. The aorist
infinitive means a sudden hurling of the sword where peace was
expected. Christ does bring peace, not as the world gives, but it
is not the force of compromise with evil, but of conquest over
wrong, over Satan, the triumph of the cross. Meanwhile there will
be inevitably division in families, in communities, in states. It
is no namby-pamby sentimentalism that Christ preaches, no peace
at any price. The Cross is Christ's answer to the devil's offer
of compromise in world dominion. For Christ the kingdom of God is
virile righteousness, not mere emotionalism.
http://www.ccel.org/r/robertson_at/wordpictures/htm/MT10.RWP.html (6 of 8) [28/08/2004 09:03:05 a.m.]