XXVII. 35.

And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, "They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots."

The quotation is from a poem which has with probability been ascribed to David (Ps. xxii. 18). The writer, whoever he was, is called in this text a "prophet," by no means in the sense of a foreteller of future events, which is but a modern and indefensible interpretation of the word as used in Scripture; but simply in the sense of a writer, or, more specifically, a poet. (See "Lectures," &c., Vol. II. pp. 368-370; comp. Tit. i. 12.) It would seem that no conclusion, relating to the construction of language, could be clearer or more unquestionable, than that the Psalmist is treating of his own sorrows, and not of those of any other person in a distant future age. Confining his attention to the piece itself, it is impossible that a reader should dream of any other sense. Whether the Evangelist, in taking a sentence from it, and prefacing his quotation with the words "that it might be fulfilled,” &c., meant to put upon it an interpretation so entirely different as has been supposed, is a question which a reader will be prepared to answer, according to the view which he may have seen cause to take of my argument on this class of expressions in the preceding pages. (See pp. 25-33, et al.) I understand the Evangelist as simply pointing out the striking coincidence through which an incident of the crucifixion of his Master might be aptly described in the Psalmist's words.

I have thus treated this passage, as if written by Matthew, because English readers will look for a note upon it in its place. But it was not written by Mat

thew. The whole latter part of the verse, as given in our common editions, beginning with the words "that it might be fulfilled," is spurious, and as such is eliminated in Griesbach's edition. In other words, Matthew made no allusion to the words of the Psalmist in this connection. Nor did Mark (xv. 24). Nor did Luke (xxiii. 34). John did (xix. 24), in the sense which I have above explained.

The fact is remarkable. If the words of the Psalmist, with their peculiar verbal coincidence, had in fact been a prediction of a circumstance attending the crucifixion of Jesus, is it supposable that Mark and Luke would have neglected to put them to their proper use? Especially, can it be supposed that Matthew would have neglected to do so, who is so fond of enlivening his narrative with references to the Old Testament Scriptures?

XXVII. 46.

Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" that is to say, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?"

These words are taken from the same composition as the quotation last commented upon (Ps. xxii. 1). They are in the original Hebrew, except the verb ("hast thou forsaken "), which is Syriac, the sentence being constructed in that mixed dialect which was in use in Judea in the Evangelist's time. (See "Lectures," &c., Vol. I. p. 4, note *.)

We easily clothe our thoughts and emotions in language supplied by memory, even when we should be unwilling to admit that our state of mind was the same as that by which the language was originally prompted. (Matt. xxvii. 43; comp. Ps. xxii. 8.) At all events, nothing is more natural or common than to

express an emotion of one's own in language which, under similar circumstances, has been used by some other person. And that Jesus should have so used the language of the Psalmist, if for the moment his soul had been overshadowed, like the Psalmist's, by a sense of wretchedness and desertion, would be a fact requiring no further explanation. But as I do not think that this was the state of mind of Jesus at this time, I do not regard this as the right explanation of his quotation from the Psalm. I believe that, in uttering the first sentence of that composition, he did not mean to adopt that sentence alone as an expression of his feelings, but that he intended so to adopt the composition taken as a whole. It begins, it is true, with a wail of misery (Ps. xxii. 1-18). But it passes into a strain of confiding supplication (19-21), and ends with an exulting shout of triumph (22-31). As Jesus hung upon the cross, his revilers had mocked him in language taken from one of its verses (Matt. xxvii. 43). Possibly their allusion reminded him of it, and caused him to ponder its whole sense, so suitable to his circumstances of apparent abandonment by his Father, but of real glory and close and blissful communion with him. And, in uttering its first words, he at once recalls to his own mind its animating sense, and intimates to the by-standers that if in appearance his outward affliction, so too his inward joys, were like those of that ancient sufferer, beloved of God, who had closed his lament with such words as these: "All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the Lord; and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee. For the kingdom is the Lord's, and he is the Governor among the nations.

They shall come and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this." (Ps. xxii. 27-31.)

XXVIII. 20.

Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.

"The end of the world," or of the age, (ʼn ovvreλeía Toû aiŵvos,) is the same phrase which was used by the disciples of Jesus when they asked him (Matt. xxiv. 3) respecting the tokens of his "coming, and of the end of the world," and is to be understood here in the same sense. (See above, pp. 78, 111.) The end of the age is the winding up of the Jewish dispensation. Jesus promises his Apostles his presence, encouragement, and support in their labors to bring the old order of things to a close, and to introduce the new one.

SECTION II.

GOSPEL OF MARK.

I. 1.

Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

See above, pp. 1, 50–53.

I. 2.

As it is written in the Prophets, "Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way; the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight." "

The first part of this quotation is inexactly taken from Malachi (iii. 1); the second from the pseudoIsaiah (xl. 3). To meet this fact, the later manuscripts, followed by the earlier printed editions, appear to have corrupted the Evangelist's text. According to the best evidence which we have (see Griesbach's

critical edition, ad loc.), Mark wrote, not "as it is written in the prophets," but "as it is written in Isaiah the prophet." His memory deceived him, and he supposed the whole of what he quoted to be taken from Isaiah. There is nothing extraordinary in this, if rhetorical embellishment, as I maintain, was the object in such quotations. But if the Evangelist had intended any thing so important as a reference to a supernatural prediction fulfilled, is it possible to conceive that he would have allowed himself in such a negligence? Is it possible to imagine him to have argued that an ancient writer, by supernatural foresight, had used certain words, which the event had now fulfilled, when he had not ascertained that that writer had used those words, and when, in fact, he had not used them?

For remarks on the quotations, which are also separately made by Matthew, see above, pp. 48, 49, 72, 73.

I. 11.

There came a voice from heaven, saying, "Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

See above, pp. 50 – 53.

I. 14, 15.

Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.”

See above, pp. 46–48, 56.

I. 43, 44.

He straitly charged him, and forthwith sent him away; and saith unto him, "See thou say nothing to any man: but go thy way, show thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing those things which Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them."

See above, p. 62.