Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [Matthew: Chapter 12].
league with Satan and thus casting out demons who can turn round
and blandly ask for a "sign from thee." As if the other miracles
were not signs! "The demand was impudent, hypocritical,
insulting" (Bruce).
12:39 {An evil and adulterous generation} (\genea pon•ra kai
moichalis\). They had broken the marriage tie which bound them to
Jehovah (Plummer). See Ps 73:27; Isa 57:3ff.; 62:5; Eze 23:27;
Jas 4:4; Re 2:20. What is "the sign of Jonah?"
12:40 {The whale} (\tou k•tous\). Sea-monster, huge fish. In Jon
2:1 the LXX has \k•tei megal•i\. "Three days and three nights"
may simply mean three days in popular speech. Jesus rose "on the
third day" (Mt 16:21), not "on the fourth day." It is just a
fuller form for "after three days" (Mr 8:31; 10:34).
12:41 {In the judgment} (\en t•i krisei\). Except here and in the
next verse Matthew has "day of judgment" (\h•mera krise•s\) as in
10:15; 11:22,24; 12:36. Luke (Lu 10:14) has \en t•i krisei\.
{They repented at the preaching of Jonah} (\meteno•son eis to
k•rugma I•na\). Note this use of \eis\ just like \en\. Note also
\pleion\ (neuter), not \plei•n\ (masc.). See the same idiom in
12:6 and 12:48. Jesus is something greater than the temple,
than Jonah, than Solomon. "You will continue to disbelieve in
spite of all I can say or do, and at last you will put me to
death. But I will rise again, a sign for your confusion, if not
for your conversion" (Bruce).
12:44 {Into my house} (\eis ton oikon mou\). So the demon
describes the man in whom he had dwelt. "The demon is ironically
represented as implying that he left his victim voluntarily, as a
man leaves his house to go for a walk" (McNeile). "Worse than the
first" is a proverb.
12:46 {His mother and his brothers} (\h• m•t•r kai hoi adelphoi
autou\). Brothers of Jesus, younger sons of Joseph and Mary. The
charge of the Pharisees that Jesus was in league with Satan was
not believed by the disciples of Jesus, but some of his friends
did think that he was beside himself (Mr 3:21) because of the
excitement and strain. It was natural for Mary to want to take
him home for rest and refreshment. So the mother and brothers are
pictured standing outside the house (or the crowd). They send a
messenger to Jesus.
http://www.ccel.org/r/robertson_at/wordpictures/htm/MT12.RWP.html (5 of 6) [28/08/2004 09:03:08 a.m.]