Matthew 13:41

Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun,.... The time referred to is, when the tares shall be separated from the wheat: when they that offend and do iniquity, shall be gathered out of Christ's kingdom; when the wicked shall be cast into hell: then the "righteous", not who are so merely in their own apprehensions, and in the judgment of others; nor by their obedience, legal or evangelical; but who are made so, by the righteousness of Christ imputed to them: these, though they have been in this world loaded with reproaches, and attended with many afflictions and persecutions; and have been despised for their poverty and meanness, and want of outward glory, honour, riches, and prosperity; shall now "shine forth" in the robe of Christ's righteousness, in perfect holiness of nature, in all felicity and prosperity of soul; and in the shining dazzling robes of glory, incorruption, and immortality, on their bodies; eves the sun, having no spot in them, or upon them, and without any clouds of darkness: they will be as Christ himself, the sun of righteousness, with whom, and in whose glory they shall appear, both in soul and body,

in the kingdom of their father; meaning either the same with the kingdom of Christ, the Father's and his, being one and the same; or as distinct from Christ's, see Mat 13:41 the church, and the government of it in this world, in all ages of time, and especially in the latter day, and during the thousand years, Christ and his saints shall reign together, may be peculiarly called the kingdom of Christ; when it will be delivered to the Father, and God shall be all in all: so that the ultimate glory may, though not to the exclusion of the Son, be styled the kingdom of the Father; of God, who is the Father of Christ and of his people; and which is observed, to assure the saints of their interest in it, right unto it, and certain enjoyment of it. Some copies read, "the kingdom of heaven". Much the same images, here made use of, to set forth the glory of the saints, both in soul and body, in the world to come, are expressed by the Jews,

"The faces of the "righteous", they say, (h) in time to come, shall be , "like to the sun", and moon, to the stars and planets, and lightnings, and lilies, and to the lamp of the sanctuary.

And elsewhere (i) they observe, that "God in time to come, will beautify the body of "the righteous", as the beauty of the first man, when he entered into paradise, according to Isa 58:11 and that the soul, whilst in its dignity, shall be sustained with the superior light, and be clothed with it; and when it shall enter into the body hereafter, it shall enter with that light; and then shall the body shine, , "as the brightness of the firmament": as is said in Dan 12:3. And a little after (k) it is said, that when.

"the soul goes out, the body is left, which shall be there built again, , "as the light of the sun", and as the brightness of the firmament.

Who hath ears to hear, let him hear; and seriously consider of the several things said in this parable, concerning the wheat and tares, the righteous and the wicked, as being matters of the greatest moment and importance,

(h) Vajikra Rabba, fol. 170. 1. Siphre apud. Ceseph. Misna in Maimon. Hilch. Teshuba, c. 9. (i) Midrash haunealam apud Zohar in Gen. fol. 69. 1. (k) lb. fol. 70. 1. Vid. Midrash Tillim. in Psal. xi. apud Galatin. de Arcan. Cathol. ver. 1. 12. c. 6. p. 712.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

13:41 his Kingdom: Not until the “end of the world” (13:40) will the rule of the Son of Man be visible over all things.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Mat 13:41. Αὐτοῦ, His—Αὐτοῦ, His) Such is the majesty of the Son of Man. His are the angels (see the end of Mat 13:39); His is the kingdom of heaven; His is the world; cf. Mat 13:24, with Mat 13:38.—βασιλείας, the kingdom) which is the kingdom of grace.—σκάνδαλα, stumbling-blocks) obstacles, which had hindered the good seed even in the case of others. The punishment of these is peculiarly great.[636]

[636] Τήν ἀνομίαν, iniquity) for their part—to the utmost of their ability, and as far as in them lies.—V. g.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Mat_13:41. Αὐτοῦ … αὐτοῦ] they are His to serve Him whenever He chooses to command; majestas filii hominis, Bengel; comp. note on Mat_8:20.

συλλέξουσιν ἐκ] pregnant expression, equivalent to: colligent et secernent ex.

ἐκ τῆς βασιλ. αὐτοῦ] for the judgment will take place as soon as the earth has undergone that process of renovation (Mat_24:29 f.; 2Pe_3:13) which is to transform it into the scene of the Messiahs kingdom. Moreover, the separation about which Jesus here speaks is a separation of personsof the good on the one hand, from the bad on the other, which, again, is the only means of likewise effecting a separation between good and bad things. Comp. Mat_24:31. Jesus distinguishes only between σκάνδαλα and δίκαιοι, without recognising any intermediate classes of men (Mat_25:32 f.), a view which subsequently found its explanation in the doctrine of faith and of justification by faith. The question as to whether or not there are various degrees of felicity for the righteous, as of punishment for the wicked, is one upon which the present passage does not touch.

σκάνδαλα] stumbling-blocks, i.e. men who, through their unbelief and sin, may put temptation in the way of others. Comp. Mat_16:23. Euth. Zigabenus is correct, so far as the substantial meaning is concerned, when he observes: σκάνδαλα καὶ ποιοῦντες τὴν ἀνομίαν τοὺς αὐτοὺς ὀνομάζει. For this abstract way of designating individuals by means of the characteristic feature in their character, see Kühner, II. 1, p. 10 f. The ἀνομία is immorality, as in Mat_7:23, Mat_23:28, Mat_24:12.

Meyer — Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament — English translation by Peter Christie, edited by Frederick Crombie (T&T Clark, 1880) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Mat 13:41 . ἀποστελεῖ : cf. chap. Mat 24:31 . συλλέξουσιν , collect, and so separate. τὰ σκάνδαλα : abstract for concrete; those who create stumbling blocks for others. καὶ , epexegetical, not introducing a distinct class, but explaining how the class already referred to cause others to stumble. ποιοῦντας τ . ἀνομίαν : cf. Mat 7:23 , where for ποι . stands ἐργαζόμενοι . Has ἀνομίαν here the technical sense of religious libertinism, or the general sense of moral transgression? Assuming the former alternative, some critics find here the sign-mark of a later apostolic time.

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom--to which they never really belonged. They usurped their place and name and outward privileges; but "the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners [abide] in the congregation of the righteous" (Psa 1:5).

all things that offend--all those who have proved a stumbling-block to others

and them which do iniquity--The former class, as the worst, are mentioned first.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

(41) His angels . . . his kingdom.—The vision of One who stood before men outwardly as the carpenter’s son stretches forward to the far future, and sees that the angels of God and the kingdom are alike His.

All things that offend.—Literally, all stumbling-blocks; the word being explained by the clause that follows as including all that work iniquity. It lies in the nature of the case that the interpretation should recognise only the great broad divisions of good and evil, leaving the apportionment of rewards and punishments, according to the varying degrees of each, to be filled into the outline afterwards.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;

Ver. 41. All things that offend] Gr. All scandals (σκανδαλα), pests, botches, blocks to others in the way to heaven. Scandalum est rei non bonae sed malae exemplum, aedificans ad delietum, saith Tertullian. Such were those proud, contentious, covetous prelates in the primitive Church, that Ammianus Marcellinus stumbled and stormed at. {a} Such were those loose and ungirt Christians of whom Lactantius {b} complaineth in his time, that they dishonoured their profession, to the scandal of the weak and the scorn of the wicked. Such was Pope Clement V, who so ill governed the Church, that Frederick, King of Sicily, began to call the truth of Christian religion into question, and had fallen utterly off from it, had he not been settled aud satisfied by Arnoldus de Villa Nova, a learned man of those times. Forasmuch as Christians (the Papists he meant) do eat the God whom they adore, sit anima mea cum philosophis, said Averroes the Mahometan, let my soul be with the philosophers rather. Nothing more stumbleth that poor people the Jews, and hindereth their conversion, than the idolatry of Papists, and blasphemies of Protestants. Oh that God would once cut off the names of those idols, and cause the unclean spirit to pass out of the land, according to his promise, Zec 13:2. Fiat. Fiat. Do it, Do it.

{a} Marcell. Episcoporum furores, luxum regio maiorem, astum in captandis matronarum oblatiouibus, &c., taxavit.

{b} Nunc male audiunt castiganturque Christiani, quod aliter quam sapientibus convenit vivant, el vitia sub obtentu nominis celent. Lactant. de Opific. Dei praeem. Jac. Revius, Hist. Pontiff Rom.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

41. All things that offend — All evil things and all that seduce to evil.

Them which do iniquity — Evil persons.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The Son of man. Observe how expressly Christ identifies the Sower with the Lord of the angels. Shall send forth (apostelei) as his representatives (Mat_10:2, note) his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom though they are now thereall things that offend, and them which do iniquity (panta ta skandala kai touv poiountav thn); all things that offend (that cause stumbling, Revised Version); Mat_5:29, note. In itself it would naturally be understood of persons, in accordance with the meaning of "tares." But what is its relation to the following clause, for this latter cannot be merely tautological? There are two answers:

(a) The two phrases bring out different aspects under which the persons are regarded. They, as "sons of the evil one," are both stumbling blocks to others ("the sons of the kingdom"), and also active workers of lawlessness (vide infra). They sin against men (cf. Mat_24:24) and against God.

(b) The first term regards not so much them as their actions their scandalous acts (Goebel); the second, the persons themselves. The former of the two answers seems preferable, as keeping closer to the parable. It also agrees with the personal use of skandalon in Mat_16:23, and the use of autouv alone in the next clause. With respect to the whole phrase, observe:

(1) It is taken partly from Zep_1:3 (Hebrew), "I will consume the verb psea; would readily lend itself to the interpretation "gather... the stumbling blocks with the wicked (twl psa).

(2) Yet, as it stands, it is taken partly also from Psa_37:1, for the Greek of them that do iniquity is the same as in the LXX there. Besides, the context (comp. Kirkpatrick) is not dissimilar; it is that the righteous should not be envious at the prosperity of the wicked, for it is only transitory, "They shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.

(3) The phrase, them which do iniquity, (rather, lawlessness; Mat_7:23, note) looks as though St. Paul"s teaching of "the man of sin" (o anyrwpov thv anomiav : Westcott and Hort, in 2Th_2:3; cf. 7, 8) might have some basis in the direct teaching of the Lord (cf. ver. 43, note; and on this question generally, Chase, "The Lord"s Prayer," etc., p. 19).

(4) Ephraem Syrus, evidently quoting this passage, but in the form in which, presumably, it existed in the "Diatessaron," deduces from it that the earth will be the abode of the glorified saints: "Quod autem dicit: Mandabit domum regni sui ab omni scandalo, intellige de terra et rebus creatis, quas renovabit, ibique justos suos collocabit" (Resch, "Agrapha," p. 295).

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

They shall gather all things that offend - Whatever had hindered or grieved the children of God; whatever things or persons had hindered the good seed which Christ had sown from taking root or bearing fruit. The Greek word is, All scandals.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

Son of man (See Scofield "Mat 8:20").

angels (See Scofield "Heb 1:4").

kingdom (See Scofield "Mat 3:2").

them which do Sin. (See Scofield "Rom 3:23").

The Scofield Reference Bible (1917 edition), notes by C. I. Scofield — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

41. πάντα τὰ σκάνδαλα. Everything that ensnares or tempts men to destruction; see ch. Mat 5:29.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

41. τὰ σκάνδ.] generally understood of those men who give cause of offence, tempters and hinderers of others: Stier would rather understand it of things, as well as men, who are afterwards designated. On ὁ κλ. κ. ὁ βρ., see note at ch. 8:12.

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

(L) 41. The Son of Man shall send forth His angels, and they shall gather together out of His kingdom all stumbling-blocks, and they who do lawlessness.]—ἀποστελεῖ] cf. 24:31.—ἐκ τῆς βασιλείας αὐτοῦ] This must not be interpreted in such a way as to suggest that the kingdom is conceived of as a present condition of things within which tares and wheat grow together. When the Son of Man has come, then the kingdom also will have come. Hence at that future date the tares can be said to be gathered out of His kingdom.

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.