The National tribune., 1896-05-14
Erplanations Of Words and Phrases.

l. Parable This is the throwing by the side
of something not understood another some
thing which is com pretended; the representa-
ton Of a truth in fkurstive way; the method
OF pedagogical illumin alton. fonnd useful not
only in simplifying religious facts. but scien-
tiic teaching; the attempt TO reduce the OBJ
scure to the grade OF a story, so as to render 1T
attractive and easy OF reception by the learner.
g Another parable. st. Matt, q 30. Christ
kept plying the truth. Practically lie said /:
" II old! Hear, ] am not yet through with
you"
3. Vineyard. The vuIgate has pincam Some
think we are to understand Palestine. Others
say Jerusalem. out Of" in st. Matt, 81 SO,
might mean outside the walls of Jerusalem.
Calvary was beyond said walls.
Much OF Scriptural imagery is drawn from the
vineyard. The lesson reminds Que Of H., 3 1t,
and Ps so SIG.
The owner is supposed to put his vineyard
into most complete order hedge surrounds
il. There Is a tower. Stones were gathered
from it. A wine pross was provided. A trench
was dug. Watchinen were stationed to protect
the ripening grapes.
The people of Palestine were familiar with
vineyard life Selah Merrell wrote: "The
slopes Of the Judean hills have been tho para
disc OF grapes from the days of Noah untO the
present time"
1t WAS very natural for Christ, under the
facts, and SO we are not surprised lie used the
figure OF vineyard. The hearers of the
parable found no trouble in applying it 10
themselves. They knew well that Christ
meant. by the vineyard, the Jewish Nation,
and. by the husbandmen, the Scribes and
Pharisees.
We might say. Palestine was a land of vine
yards. Hills were terTaced to their SUBMITS
with vines.
a. Hcdged. BY hedge we may understand
any inciosure, as literal hedge. or wall, or
fence. The purpose was to keep off intruders
IL served also to keep away animals. Can't.
l: q; 2:15. Farmers and Vineyard owners
often ncosed land by bedgesyof dense thorn
bushes, prckly pear. etc.
5. Wine-prcss. L.. l6 10; 63:2, 3; Joel,
3: b. DIR. Barnes wrote: Tho wine press
was made Of two receptscles. The upper one
at present, in Persia, Is about eight feet square
and four feet high. Into this the grapes are
thrown aud trodden down by men, and the
juice runs into the large receptacle or cistcrn
below"
st. Mark, 1911, says, wnefat"; fat means
vat. We are to understand the lower recep-
tarle vat into which runs the pIessed-o out
juice. On fat (vat) see Joel, 3: ID; Hag, 9: ID.
q. Tower. See Is, .. DIR. Barnes wrote
that tower was sometimes 80 feet high and
80 feet square. twas for the keepers.
DIR. J. A. Broadus wrote: The tower was
for the keepers who defended the vineyard
from thieves and animals, especially foxes. In
tho Eastern countrcs to-day these towers are
often 50 feet high though commonly from Is
To 40 feet, and 30 feet square. These were
built high enough TO secure for the sentinel
always stationed in them view of the whole
vineyard. Within the Enclosure watched
would sometimes be a thousand vines One
man or company of men would take such vine-
yards on contract, paying sometimes all in
nnff limos txy Narti w in
fruits"
z The fruits of it (tle vineyard). The rent
which was paid in kind.
8. Beat. The meaning is, to fay, to whip till
the skin pees of.
o. Saying ST. Matt, 81 This is in ac-
cordance with the proper framing of tho
parable.
Such soliloquy, Of course. when ascribed
to God, is purely iaSaginary. God, the ALL
Knowing, cannot SO balance probabilities. We
must not too definitely literalize the dramatic
gloss of the parable Yet that Jesus by his
| parable plainly affirmed by implication two
things, does not seem to admit of reasonable
| question: lst Hc represents himself as The
Son. 2d. He comes to men as one sent 5y the
| Father"
| 10. Killed. Read XII. 10: 4. 10 1872 TO-;
Jcr., 2: 30; &c: 2l-24; Acts, Z: So; TIL. /: 10,
| 16; ST. Luke, - : SO. Isaiah was sawed in two.
See case of priests of Doeg. Sam, % Is.
Read st. Matt, 81: 1898. Also Neh, 8: 26
| IL. Stoned. Heb, 81. Stoning was the
Jewish method OF execution. Deu.. ID: 10.
See case of achan. JOS, z: % of ST. Stephen,
Acts Z: So; of ST. Paul, Acts. IA: 10; of Christ.
St. John, 8 50; 10: 81 Notice case of Zacha-
riah; 2 Ch., 81; 81. Read general statements