Cometh

Elijah cometh first. An abstract statement expressing the fact that Elijah's coming precedes in time the coming of the Messiah. It is a point of Jewish chronology; just as a teacher of history might say to his pupils, "The Saxons and Danes precede the Normans in England." Elijah had already come in the person of John the Baptist.

Is lunatic (σεληνιάζεται)

Rev., epileptic. The A. V. preserves the etymology of the word (σελήνη, the moon), but lunatic conveys to us the idea of demented; while the Rev. epileptic gives the true character of the disease, yet does not tell us the fact contained in the Greek word, that epilepsy was supposed to be affected by the changes of the moon. See on Matthew 4:24.

Perverse (διεστραμμένη)

Wyc., wayward. Tynd., crooked; διά, throughout ; στερέφω, to twist. Warped.

Unbelief (ἀπιστίαν)

But the better reading is ὀλιγοπιστίαν, littleness of faith. Hence Rev., Because of your little faith.

They that received tribute-money (οἱ τὰ δίδαχμα λαμβάνοντες)

Rev., They that received the half-shekel. Every male Israelite of age, including proselytes and manumitted Jews, was expected to pay annually for the temple-service a half-shekel or didrachm, about thirty-five cents. This must be paid in the ancient money of Israel, the regular half-shekel of the treasury; and the money-changers, therefore, were in demand to change the current into the temple coin, which they did at a rate of discount fixed by law, between four and five cents on every half-shekel. The annual revenue to the money-changers from this source has been estimated at nearly forty-five thousand dollars; a very large sum in a country where a laborer received less than twenty cents for a day's work, and where the good Samaritan left about thirty-three cents at the inn for the keeping of the wounded man. Jesus attacked a very powerful interest when he overthrew the tables of the money-changers.

Yes (ναί)

Indicating that Jesus had paid the tax on former occasions.

Prevented (προέφθασεν)

Rev., rather awkwardly, but following Tynd., Spake first to him. Prevent, in its older sense, to anticipate, get before, was a correct translation. Compare Shakspeare:

"So shall my anticipation prevent your discovery."

Hamlet, ii., 1.

Out of this grew the secondary meaning, to hinder. By getting before another, one hinders him from accomplishing his purpose. This meaning has supplanted the other. Wyc. renders came before him. The meaning is that Jesus did not wait for Peter to tell him of the demand of the collectors. He anticipated him in speaking about it.

Custom or tribute (τέλη ἢ κῆνσον)

Rev. gives toll for custom. Toll is duty upon goods; tribute, tax upon individuals. Κῆνσος tribute, is merely a transcription of the Latin census, which means, first, a registration with a view to taxation, and then the tax itself.

Strangers (ἀλλοτρίων)

Not foreigners, but others than those of their own families; their subjects. In other words, Does a king tax his own children or his subjects?

Hook (ἄγκιστρον)

The only mention in the New Testament of fishing with a hook. A single fish is wanted.

A piece of money (στατῆρα)

The A. V. is very inadequate, because Christ names a definite sum, the stater, which is a literal transcription of the Greek word, and represents two didrachmas, or a shekel. Hence Rev., a shekel.

The Rev. inserts then after who, thus restoring the Greek ἄρα, which the A. V. overlooks. Who then? Who, as things stand. Since one of our number has been doubly honored in being called "the rock," and in being appointed to take part in a special miracle, who then is greatest?

Be converted (στραφῆτε)

The word converted has acquired a conventional religious sense which is fundamentally truthful, but the essential quality of which will be more apparent if we render literally, as Rev., except ye turn. The picture is that of turning round in a road and facing the other way.

Shall not enter (οὐ μὴ εἰσέλθητε)

But the double negative is very forcible, and is given in Rev. in nowise. So far from being greatest in the kingdom of heaven, ye shall not so much as enter.

As this little child

Not, as this little child humbles himself, but, shall make himself humble as this little child is lowly; shall willingly become by spiritual process what the child is by nature.

In my name (ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματί μου)

Lit., upon my name; on the ground of, or on account of; for my sake.

A millstone (μύλος ὀνικός)

Two kinds of millstones were in use; the one turned by hand, the other, and larger, by an ass (ὄνος). Here Jesus says an ass-millstone; or, as Rev., a great millstone; Wyc., millstone of asses.