John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 8. But that which beareth thorns and briers , etc..] To which wicked men answer; who are unfruitful and unprofitable, and are hurtful, pricking and grieving, by their wicked lives and conversations, by their bitter and reproachful words, and by their violent and cruel persecutions; and particularly carnal professors, and especially apostates, such as before described; for to such earth, professors of religion may be compared, who are worldly, slothful, defrauding and overreaching, carnal and wanton; as also heretical men, and such as turn from the faith, deny it, and persecute the saints: and the things or actions produced by them are aptly expressed by thorns and briers; such as errors, heresies, and evil works of all kinds; and which show that the seed of the word was never sown in their hearts, and that that which they bear, or throw out, is natural to them: and such earth is rejected ; as such men are, both by the church, and by God himself; or reprobate, as they are concerning the faith, and to every good work; and are given up by God to a reprobate mind: and is nigh unto cursing; and such men are cursed already by the law, being under its sentence of curse and condemnation; and are nigh to the execution of it; referring either to the destruction of Jerusalem, which was near at hand; or to the final judgment, when they shall hear, Go, ye cursed: whose end is to be burned ; with everlasting and unquenchable fire, in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-8 - Every part of the truth and will of God should be set before all wh profess the gospel, and be urged on their hearts and consciences. We should not be always speaking about outward things; these have their places and use, but often take up too much attention and time, whic might be better employed. The humbled sinner who pleads guilty, an cries for mercy, can have no ground from this passage to be discouraged, whatever his conscience may accuse him of. Nor does i prove that any one who is made a new creature in Christ, ever becomes final apostate from him. The apostle is not speaking of the fallin away of mere professors, never convinced or influenced by the gospel Such have nothing to fall away from, but an empty name, or hypocritica profession. Neither is he speaking of partial declinings of backslidings. Nor are such sins meant, as Christians fall into throug the strength of temptations, or the power of some worldly or fleshl lust. But the falling away here mentioned, is an open and avowe renouncing of Christ, from enmity of heart against him, his cause, an people, by men approving in their minds the deeds of his murderers, an all this after they have received the knowledge of the truth, an tasted some of its comforts. Of these it is said, that it is impossibl to renew them again unto repentance. Not because the blood of Christ is not sufficient to obtain pardon for this sin; but this sin, in its very nature, is opposite to repentance and every thing that leads to it. I those who through mistaken views of this passage, as well as of their own case, fear that there is no mercy for them, would attend to the account given of the nature of this sin, that it is a total and willing renouncing of Christ, and his cause, and joining with his enemies, it would relieve them from wrong fears. We should ourselve beware, and caution others, of every approach near to a gulf so awfu as apostacy; yet in doing this we should keep close to the word of God and be careful not to wound and terrify the weak, or discourage the fallen and penitent. Believers not only taste of the word of God, but they drink it in. And this fruitful field or garden receives the blessing. But the merely nominal Christian, continuing unfruitful unde the means of grace, or producing nothing but deceit and selfishness was near the awful state above described; and everlasting misery wa the end reserved for him. Let us watch with humble caution and praye as to ourselves.
Greek Textus Receptus
εκφερουσα 1627 5723 V-PAP-NSF δε 1161 CONJ ακανθας 173 N-APF και 2532 CONJ τριβολους 5146 N-APM αδοκιμος 96 A-NSM και 2532 CONJ καταρας 2671 N-GSF εγγυς 1451 ADV ης 3739 R-GSF το 3588 T-NSN τελος 5056 N-NSN εις 1519 PREP καυσιν 2740 N-ASF
Vincent's NT Word Studies
8. But that which beareth thorns and briers (ekferousa de akanqav kai tribolouv). Wrong. As given in A.V. the illustration throws no light on the subject. It puts the contrast as between two kinds of soil, the one well-watered and fertile, the other unwatered and sterile. This would illustrate the contrast between those who have and those who have not enjoyed gospel privileges. On the contrary the contrast is between two classes of Christians under equally favorable conditions, out of which they develop opposite results. Rend. but if it (the ground that receives the rain) bear thorns and thistles, etc. Akanqai thorns, from ajkh a point. Tribolov, from treiv three and belov a dart; having three darts or points. A ball with sharp iron spikes, on three of which it rested, while the fourth projected upward, was called tribulus or tribolus, or caltrop. These were scattered over the ground by Roman soldiers in order to impede the enemy's cavalry. A kind of thorn or thistle, a land-caltrop, was called tribulus So Virgil,"Subit aspera silva, Lappaeque tribulique." Georg. i. 153.
Is rejected (adokimov). Lit. unapproved. See on reprobate, Rom. i. 28. Nigh unto cursing (katarav egguv). See on Gal. iii. 10. Enhancing the idea of rejected. It is exposed to the peril of abandonment to perpetual barrenness.
Whose end is to be burned (h=v to telov eijv kausin). Hv whose, of which, may be referred to cursing - the end of which cursing: but better to the main subject, gh the land. Telov is consummation rather than termination. jEiv kausin, lit. unto burning. Comp. LXX, Isa. xl. 16. The consummation of the cursed land is burning. Comp. John xv. 6. The field of thorns and thistles is burned over and abandoned to barrenness. 196
