Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [Matthew: Chapter 10].
10:35 {Set at variance} (\dichasai\). Literally divide in two,
\dicha\. Jesus uses Mic 7:1-6 to describe the rottenness of the
age as Micah had done. Family ties and social ties cannot stand
in the way of loyalty to Christ and righteous living. {The
daughter-in-law} (\numph•n\). Literally bride, the young wife who
is possibly living with the mother-in-law. It is a tragedy to see
a father or mother step between the child and Christ.
10:38 {Doth not take his cross} (\ou lambanei ton stauron
autou\). The first mention of cross in Matthew. Criminals were
crucified in Jerusalem. It was the custom for the condemned
person to carry his own cross as Jesus did till Simon of Cyrene
was impressed for that purpose. The Jews had become familiar with
crucifixion since the days of Antiochus Epiphanes and one of the
Maccabean rulers (Alexander Jannaeus) had crucified 800
Pharisees. It is not certain whether Jesus was thinking of his
own coming crucifixion when he used this figure, though possible,
perhaps probable. The disciples would hardly think of that
outcome unless some of them had remarkable insight.
10:39 {Shall lose it} (\apolesei aut•n\). This paradox appears in
four forms according to Allen (I) Mt 10:39 (2) Mr 8:35; Mt
16:25; Lu 9:24 (3) Lu 17:33 (4) Joh 12:25. _The Wisdom of
Sirach_ (Hebrew text) in 51:26 has: "He that giveth his life
findeth her (wisdom)." It is one of the profound sayings of
Christ that he repeated many times. Plato (_Gorgias_ 512) has
language somewhat similar though not so sharply put. The article
and aorist participles here (\ho heur•n, ho apolesas\) are
timeless in themselves just like \ho dechomenos\ in verses 40
and 41.
10:41 {In the name of a prophet} (\eis onoma proph•tou\).
"Because he is a prophet" (Moffatt). In an Oxyrhynchus Papyrus 37
(A.D. 49) we find \onomati eleutherou\ in virtue of being
free-born. "He that receiveth a prophet from no ulterior motive,
but simply _qua_ prophet (_ut prophetam_, Jer.) would receive a
reward in the coming age equal to that of his guest" (McNeile).
The use of \eis\ here is to be noted. In reality \eis\ is simply
\en\ with the same meaning. It is not proper to say that \eis\
has always to be translated "into." Besides these examples of
\eis onoma\ in verses 41 and 43 see Mt 12:41 \eis to
k•rugma I•n•\ (see Robertson's _Grammar_, p. 593). {Unto one of
these little ones} (\hena t•n mikr•n tout•n\). Simple believers
who are neither apostles, prophets, or particularly righteous,
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