Matthew 24:51 - Exposition

Shall cut him asunder διχοτομη ì σει ). This mode of death was inflicted in some cases (see 1 Samuel 15:33 ; 2 Samuel 12:31 ; Daniel 3:29 ; Hebrews 11:37 ; compare also the account of the execution of Mettius in Livy, 1.28; and Horace, 'Sat.,' I. 1.99). Thus in our own country "quartering," after hanging at least, was once a usual penalty for some offences, such as high treason. The term has been here interpreted to refer to the operation of the cruel scourge, which without metaphor might be said to cut a man to pieces; or "to dismiss from his employment," which seems to be hardly an adequate punishment. The difficulty is that the utter destruction of the malefactor implied in his literal cutting asunder is not consistent with his subsequent consignment to the lot of the hypocrites. Hence the Fathers have variously explained the term to signify separation from the company of saints, or from spiritual grace, or from all the blessings promised to the righteous. But we may take the Lord's words as applying first to temporal punishment—the unrighteous steward shall suffer death as horrible as dichotomy, a severance of body and soul, accompanied with unspeakable tortures; as in the History of Susanna, verse 55, "The angel of God hath received the sentence of God to cut thee in two." Appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. The Lord drops the parable, and speaks of the terrible reality. The hypocrites are the faithless and deceitful, who, while pretending to do their lord's work, are mere eye servants, and really neglect and injure it. The remissful steward shares their punishment in the other world. There ( ἐκεῖ ) shall be, etc.; i.e. in the place where the hypocrites receive their punishment ( Matthew 8:12 ; Matthew 22:13 ; Matthew 25:30 ). The expression signifies measureless grief and despair.