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King James Bible - Matthew 22:4

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SEV Biblia, Chapter 22:4

Volvi� a enviar otros siervos, diciendo: Decid a los llamados: He aquí, mi comida he aparejado, mis toros y animales engordados son muertos, y todo est� preparado: venid a las bodas.

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Clarke's Bible Commentary - Matthew 22:4

Verse 4. Fatlings] ta sitista Properly, fatted rams, or wethers. 2 Sam. vi. 13; 1 Chron. xv. 26.

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John Gill's Bible Commentary

Ver. 4. Again he sent forth other servants , etc.] The seventy disciples, and other ministers of the Gospel, as Barnabas and Saul, and others that were joined to, and were helpers of the apostles, who were sent, and preached to the Jews, any time before the destruction of Jerusalem: saying, tell them which are bidden ; for these preachers of the word were first sent to the Jews, and preached unto them, until they by their carriage and conduct, showed themselves to be unworthy of the blessing. These men had notice of the Gospel feast by the prophets, and were invited to it, by the forerunner of Christ, by him, and his disciples, and again by them, and others; which strongly expresses the goodness, grace, and condescension of God to these people, and aggravates their stupidity, ingratitude, and wickedness: behold, I have prepared my dinner . The ministry of the word and ordinances under the Gospel dispensation, is signified by a �dinner�; of God�s preparing and providing; which is a full meal at noon, and in it is plenty of food, and of that which is wholesome to the souls of men, sweet and savoury to a spiritual taste, and very nourishing and satisfying; and this dinner is a feast, a rich banquet, a grand entertainment; in which are a variety of provisions, suited to all sorts of persons, and plenty of the richest dainties, attended with the largest expressions of joy; and this feast is a marriage one, and that not for an ordinary person, but for the king�s son, the son of the King of kings; it is large, grand, and noble, rich and costly, and yet all free to the guests; it is kept in the king�s palace, the banqueting house, the church, is common to all, and of long continuance, it will last unto the end of the world. What privileges the patriarchs and prophets, and the people of the Jews enjoyed, in the morning of the world, before the coming of Christ, who made the bright and full day of the Gospel, were but as a �breakfast�, a short meal; the means of grace were not so rich and plentiful, and their knowledge of spiritual things not so large; they had but, as it were, a taste of what is plentifully bestowed under the Gospel dispensation, and therefore that is called a �dinner�; grace and truth in all their fulness, coming by Jesus, by whom God has delivered at once his whole mind and will; whereas, before, it was delivered piecemeal, at sundry times and divers manners; and this is distinguishable from the �supper� of the Lamb, in the evening of the world, in the latter day, when the Jews will be converted, and will not act the part they are represented to do in the parable; and the fulness of the Gentiles will be brought in, and the Gospel will have a general spread all over the world. The dinner is the same with the feast of fat things, which God is said to make for all people, Gentiles as well as Jews, in his holy mountain the church, ( Isaiah 25:6) and the table which wisdom has furnished, ( Proverbs 9:2) with all sorts of suitable food, proper to persons of every age: here�s milk for babes, even the sincere milk of the word, that their souls may grow thereby, who are newborn babes, and have tasted of the grace of God; namely, the plainer and more easy truths of the Gospel, to be taken in, understood, fed upon, and digested; and meat for strong men, the more sublime doctrines of it, which such as are strong in faith, receive, relish, and live upon, and are greatly refreshed and edified with: here�s the wine of God�s everlasting love set forth, in the election, redemption, justification, pardon, adoption, regeneration, and salvation of his people; and fruits served up both new and old, for their comfort, delight, and pleasure; in the ordinances of the Gospel, are the flesh and blood of Christ, the Lamb of God, and fatted calf, whose flesh is meat indeed, and whose blood is drink indeed: here is everything for delight and nourishment, for faith to feed and live upon; and therefore may well be called a dinner, and what is worthy of him, who is the maker of it, and exceedingly well suited to the persons who are to partake of it. My oxen and my fatlings are killed ; in allusion to feasts and large entertainments, when oxen and fatted calves, and the best of the flock were killed and dressed; or to the sacrifices of oxen and other creatures, under the law, as typical of the sacrifice of Christ; and may here represent Christ as crucified and slain, held forth in the ministry of the word and ordinances; who as such, is suitable food for believers, is spiritual, solid, and substantial, and greatly to be desired; is nourishing and strengthening, comforting and quickening, delightful and satisfying: and all things are ready ; for upon the crucifixion and death of Christ, and after the renewed commission of Christ to his disciples, to preach the Gospel, beginning at Jerusalem, it might be justly represented in the ministry of the word, that all things were now ready. Redemption was obtained by Christ; an everlasting righteousness was wrought out and brought in; pardon of sin was procured; peace and reconciliation were made; the sacrifice of Christ was offered up, and full satisfaction given to law and justice; the covenant of grace, with all the blessings and promises of it, were ratified and confirmed; and all were ready in Christ�s hands to distribute, to as many as came to him; in whom are life and salvation, and everything necessary for peace and comfort here, and eternal happiness hereafter. This shows the completeness and perfection of the Gospel dispensation, this being that better thing, which God has provided for his people in the last times, that former saints might not be perfect without them, See Gill �Hebrews 11:40� . The law made nothing perfect; there was nothing got ready by that; the works, sacrifices, rites, and ceremonies of it, could not justify men�s persons, nor sanctify their hearts, nor purge the consciences of the worshippers, nor take away sin, nor pacify God, or give satisfaction to his justice, or procure peace, pardon and salvation; but now all these things are declared to be ready in the Gospel: but this is not owing to man, it is all of God; it is of his providing and preparing; and he is a rock, and his work is perfect; and nothing can be brought by the Creature to be added to it, nor does it need it; there is everything exhibited in the Gospel that a poor sinner stands in need of, or can desire, even that can make him comfortable here, and happy hereafter. Come unto the marriage ; the marriage feast; come into the Gospel dispensation, attend the word and ordinances: the invitation is pressing, the arguments are strong and moving, but the persons invited were averse, self-willed, stubborn, obstinate, and inflexible.

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Matthew Henry Commentary

Verses 1-14 - The provision made for perishing souls in the gospel, is represented by a royal feast made by a king, with eastern liberality, on the marriag of his son. Our merciful God has not only provided food, but a roya feast, for the perishing souls of his rebellious creatures. There is enough and to spare, of every thing that can add to our present comfor and everlasting happiness, in the salvation of his Son Jesus Christ The guests first invited were the Jews. When the prophets of the Ol Testament prevailed not, nor John the Baptist, nor Christ himself, wh told them the kingdom of God was at hand, the apostles and ministers of the gospel were sent, after Christ's resurrection, to tell them it wa come, and to persuade them to accept the offer. The reason why sinner come not to Christ and salvation by him, is, not because they cannot but because they will not. Making light of Christ, and of the grea salvation wrought out by him, is the damning sin of the world. The were careless. Multitudes perish for ever through mere carelessness who show no direct aversion, but are careless as to their souls. Als the business and profit of worldly employments hinder many in closin with the Saviour. Both farmers and merchants must be diligent; but whatever we have of the world in our hands, our care must be to keep i out of our hearts, lest it come between us and Christ. The utter rui coming upon the Jewish church and nation, is here represented Persecution of Christ's faithful ministers fills up the measure of guilt of any people. The offer of Christ and salvation to the Gentile was not expected; it was such a surprise as it would be to wayfarin men, to be invited to a royal wedding-feast. The design of the gospe is to gather souls to Christ; all the children of God scattered abroad Joh 10:16; 11:52. The case of hypocrites is represented by the gues that had not on a wedding-garment. It concerns all to prepare for the scrutiny; and those, and those only, who put on the Lord Jesus, wh have a Christian temper of mind, who live by faith in Christ, and to whom he is all in all, have the wedding-garment. The impute righteousness of Christ, and the sanctification of the Spirit, are bot alike necessary. No man has the wedding-garment by nature, or can for it for himself. The day is coming, when hypocrites will be called to account for all their presumptuous intruding into gospel ordinances and usurpation of gospel privileges. Take him away. Those that wal unworthy of Christianity, forfeit all the happiness they presumptuousl claimed. Our Saviour here passes out of the parable into that which i teaches. Hypocrites go by the light of the gospel itself down to utte darkness. Many are called to the wedding-feast, that is, to salvation but few have the wedding-garment, the righteousness of Christ, the sanctification of the Spirit. Then let us examine ourselves whether we are in the faith, and seek to be approved by the King.

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Greek Textus Receptus

παλιν 3825 ADV απεστειλεν 649 5656 V-AAI-3S αλλους 243 A-APM δουλους 1401 N-APM λεγων 3004 5723 V-PAP-NSM ειπατε 2036 5628 V-2AAM-2P τοις 3588 T-DPM κεκλημενοις 2564 5772 V-RPP-DPM ιδου 2400 5628 V-2AAM-2S το 3588 T-NSN αριστον 712 N-NSN μου 3450 P-1GS ητοιμασα 2090 5656 V-AAI-1S οι 3588 T-NPM ταυροι 5022 N-NPM μου 3450 P-1GS και 2532 CONJ τα 3588 T-NPN σιτιστα 4619 A-NPN τεθυμενα 2380 5772 V-RPP-NPN και 2532 CONJ παντα 3956 A-NPN ετοιμα 2092 A-NPN δευτε 1205 5773 V-XXM-2P εις 1519 PREP τους 3588 T-APM γαμους 1062 N-APM

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Vincent's NT Word Studies

4. Dinner (ariston). Not the principal meal of the day, but a noon-breakfast; luncheon.

Fatlings (sitista). From sitov, corn, grain, or food generally. Properly animals especially fed up or fatted for a feast.

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Robertson's NT Word Studies

22:4 {My dinner} (to ariston mou). It is breakfast, not dinner. In #Lu 14:12 both ariston (breakfast) and deipnon (dinner) are used. this noon or midday meal, like the French breakfast at noon, was sometimes called deipnon mes�mbrinon (midday dinner or luncheon). The regular dinner (deipnon) came in the evening. The confusion arose from applying ariston to the early morning meal and qen to the noon meal (some not eating an earlier meal). In #Joh 21:12,15 aristaw is used of the early morning meal, "Break your fast" (aristesate). When ariston was applied to luncheon, like the Latin _prandium_, akratisma was the term for the early breakfast. {My fatlings} (ta sitista). Verbal from sitizw, to feed with wheat or other grain, to fatten. Fed-up or fatted animals.