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Galilee.

SECTION XXX.

Parable of the Sower 6.

MATT. xiii. 1-10. MARK iv. 1-10. LUKE viii. 4–96.

The same day went Jesus out of the house, and Matt, xiii. 1. sat by the sea-side.

64 The order seems to be so decisively settled by St. Matthew xiii. 1. év dè tỷ iμépa ¿кeivŋ ¿žeλOwv, &c. &c. that Doddridge, Pilkington, Lightfoot, and Michaelis have placed it in its present position. Archbishop Newcome, however, has inserted before Matt. xiii. 1. various passages of St. Luke (xi. 37. fin. xii. and xiii. 1-9.) His arguments for so doing have not appeared to be satisfactory, and I have preferred therefore the concurrent testimony of the other harmonizers. Michaelis also places the parable of the sower after Luke viii. 1; but so much of his arrangement is put together without adequate reasons, that his authority does not weigh so much with me as to induce me to reject, in this instance, the testimony of Lightfoot, &c. &c.

In the present order of St. Luke, we find that the account of Jesus's mother and his brethren desiring to speak with him, is mentioned as what happened after he had spoken the parable of the sower, &c.; whereas St. Matthew and St. Mark place it before the parable. Now, though it is evident from this observation, that the exact chronological order of facts is not strictly adhered to by all the Evangelists, yet it may appear also that the variation here is very inconsiderable : for we find, from all the accounts, that it was on the same day that the parable was spoken, and his friends came to him: and even a diary could not be esteemed very incorrect on account of such a transposition as this; so far is an historian from being liable to be charged with impropriety, in taking a liberty which all writers have freely indulged themselves in.

I have here followed the order of St. Matthew and St. Mark, as the circumstances related seem to require us to do: for, (1.) The multitudes that hindered Jesus's mother, and his brethren, from coming at him, seem to be those mentioned Mark iii. 19-22. And the reason why he would not go out unto them, was probably because he knew that they were come out to lay hold on him. (2.) When his mother and his brethren came, he was yet in the house; for they stood without, desiring to speak with him: but we find that, before he spake the parable, he went out of the house, and sat by the sea-side; and when he went into an house again, in the latter end of that day, he had sent the multitudes away. So that, had his relations come after he had spoken the parable (as is said by St. Luke) they would have found no difficulty in getting access to him. -Pilkington, notes, p. 25.

65 St. Luke relates, in a succession of chapters, several events not mentioned by the other Evangelists; and, with the exception of some few, which are supposed, from internal evidence arising from minute coincidences, to be the same as those related by the others, much difficulty has been generally experienced as to the order in which these events are to be placed. Lightfoot begins at Luke xi. 23, and goes on to chap. xviii. 1-15. Pilkington, from chap. x. 17, proceeds without one interruption to chap. xiii. 1-23, when he inserts the events related by St. John, chap. x. 22, &c.; he then proceeds to Luke xiii. 23, and thence

Mark iv. 1.

and he began again to teach by the sea-side: Matt. xiii. 2. and great multitudes were gathered together unto him.

Luke viii. 4.

Mark iv. 1.

Galilee.

And when much people were gathered together, Sea of Galilee. and were come to him out of every city,

he entered into a ship, and sat in the sea; and the whole multitude was by the sea, on the land, (and) Matt.xiii. 2. stood on the shore.

Mark iv. 2.

And he taught them many things by parables 66, and said unto them in his doctrine,

through the intermediate chapters to Luke xvii. 1-11. Michaelis goes from Luke x. 37, to Luke xvii. without the incorporation of other passages. Doddridge begins with Luke x. 17-24, and proceeds without interruption to Luke xviii. 1-14, excepting that he transposes Luke ix. 51-56, to the last mentioned passage. Newcome has bestowed very great labour on these chapters: he begins Luke x. 17-24; and, omitting from chap. xi. 14, to chap. xiii. 22, proceeds without interruption to chap. xvii. 1-10. From this brief statement it will appear, that the larger proportion of these chapters ought to be continuously put together. The several alterations and transpositions proposed by these harmonizers will be considered in the various notes in which the arrangements which have appeared most advisable will be defended. Archbishop Newcome seems to have departed, in some instances, from the order proposed by Lightfoot, without sufficient cause.

66 It will be observed, that our Lord did not speak to the people in parables till the Scribes and Pharisees had accused him of working his miracles by the power of an evil spirit. The Messiah then, in mercy and compassion to these hearers, and to all who were captious, began to address them in parables. This is well expressed in the translation of Matt. xiii. 13, 14. in the version published in 1729, 2 vols. 8vo. anonymously dedicated to Lord King, the then lord chancellor: the name of the author has escaped my memory. Therefore speak I to them in parables; because they overlook what they see, and are inattentive ta what they hear, neither will they comprehend. And in them is fulfilled that prophecy of Esaias, "by hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand: and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive. For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see," &c. &c. &c.; and in ver. 16, happy are you that your eyes have sight, and that your ears have their hearing. The common idea, that our Lord spoke in parables, that the people might not understand him, and their condemnation be still increased, is as unfounded as it is blasphemous. The parallel passage, in Mark iv. 12, must be interpreted likewise according to the tenor of the context. It is a prophecy, fulfilled at the very time that our Lord was speaking; that though the people saw with their eyes the outward proofs of his divine power, yet they should not perceive the evidence arising therefrom, that he was their Messiah.

Dr. Adam Clarke has inserted, from Glassius, a very good dissertation on the nature and use of parabolical writing, at the end of his notes on Matt. xiii. He finds the following ten significations in Scripture.

SOW

Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower, to Mark iv. 3.

his seed:

Luke viii. 5.

and it came to pass as he sowed, some fell by the Mark iv. 4. wayside;

and it was trodden down,

Luke viii. 5.

and the fowls of the air came, and devoured it up. Mark iv. 4.
And some fell on stony ground, where it had Mark iv. 5.
not much earth; and immediately it sprang up,
because it had no depth of earth:

But

as soon as it was sprung up,

when the sun was up, it was scorched;

it withered away, because it lacked moisture:

and, because it had no root, it withered away.

Mark iv. 6.

Luke viii. 6.

Mark iv. 6.

Luke viii. 6.

Mark iv. 6.

And some fell among thorns; and the thorns Mark iv. 7.

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o Gen. xxvi. and brought forth fruit, some an hundred-fold, Matt. xiii. 8. some sixty-fold, some thirty-fold.

12.

And when he had said these things, he cried,

Luke viii. 8.

1. The word parable means a simple comparison, Matt. xxiv. 32-38.

2. An obscure similitude, Matt. xv. 13-15: where Pharisaism is represented as a plant, &c.

3. A simple allegory, as in Matt. xiii.

4. A maxim, or wise sentence, as the corresponding Hebrew word Swn is used in 1 Kings iv. 22.

5. A by-word, or proverb of reproach, 2 Chron. vii. 20. Psalm xliv. 14. and lxix. 11. Jerem. xxiv. 9.

6. A frivolous, uninteresting discourse, or a disregarded and despised address, Ezek. xx. 49.

7. A simple proverb, or adage, Luke iv. 23.

8. A type, illustration, or representation, Heb. ix. 9; where the first tabernacle is said to have been a figure, a parable, to last only for a time.

9. A daring exploit, an unusual and severe trial, a case of imminent danger and jeopardy. It may be doubted whether this part of Dr. Clarke's criticism is managed with equal judgment. There appears to be no proper authority for the use of the word in this sense. The instance he adduces, Heb. xi. 19, where Abraham is said to have received his son from the dead, iv rapabóλn, "he being in the most imminent danger of losing his life," does not seem satisfactory; the common translation being undoubtedly preferable.

10. The word parable signifies also a very ancient and obscure prophecy, Ps. xlix. 4. Prov. i. 6. Matt. xiii. 35.

Mark iv. 9.

2

and he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear,
let him hear.

MATT. xiii. part of ver. 2. ver. 3-7. part of ver. 8. and ver. 9.

so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude

3 And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, 'P Behold, a p Luke viii, 5. sower went forth to sow;

4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way-side, and the fowls came

and devoured them up:

5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth; and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:

6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.

7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them. 8 and brought forth fruit, some an hundred-fold, some sixty-fold, some thirty-fold.

9 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

MARK iv. part of ver. 1. ver. 6, 7. and part of ver. 8.

1 -and there was gathered unto him a great multitude, so that

5 But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.

7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.

8 And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up-and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.

LUKE viii. part of ver. 5, 6, 7, 8.

5 A sower went out to sow-and as he sowed, some fell by the way-sideand the fowls of the air devoured it.

6 And some fell upon a rock; and—

7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up-and choked it.

8 And other fell on good ground—and bare fruit an hundred-fold-He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Mark iv. 10.

SECTION XXXI.

Reasons for teaching by Parables "7.

MATT. xiii. 10-18. MARK iv. 10, 11, 12.
And when he was alone,

These sections, to the end of the chapter, are arranged in their present order upon the concurrent testimony of Lightfoot, Newcome, and Doddridge, and the regularity of the Scripture narrative. Pilkington has observed the same method, excepting that he has placed elsewhere the dining at the house of Matthew; an event which he inserts after the call of that apostle, and which has been already discussed. Michaelis varies too but little from this disposition. He

q ch. xxv. 29.

r Isa. vi. 9.

the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speak- Matt. xiii. 10. est thou unto them in parables?

He answered, and said unto them, Because it Matt. xiii. II. is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but unto them it is not given.

For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, Matt. xiii. 12. and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.

but unto them that are without, all these things are Mark iv. 11. done in parables:

That seeing they may see, and not perceive; Mark iv. 12. and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.

г

And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, Matt. xiii. 14. which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall John xii. 40. not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive :

Luke viii. 10.

Acts xxviii.

26. Rom. xi. 8.

8 Luke x. 24.

For this people's heart is waxed gross, and Matt. xiii. 15. their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

S

But blessed are your eyes, for they see; and Matt. xiii. 16. your ears, for they hear.

For verily I say unto you, That many prophets Matt. xiii. 17. and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.

10-and

MATT. xiii. part of ver. 10. and ver. 13.

13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing, see not; and hearing, they hear not: neither do they understand.

MARK iv. first part of ver. 11.

11 And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God

LUKE viii. part of ver. 9, and ver. 10.

9 And his disciples asked him

10 And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.

seems doubtful where to place the treatment received by our Lord at Nazareth, (section 41,) and supposes that this event took place but once: he reasons from the similarity of the two circumstances. See note on section 4, of this chapter,

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