A.T. Robertson Commentary Matthew 22

Again in parables (παλιν εν παραβολαις). Matthew has already given two on this occasion (The Two Sons, The Wicked Husbandmen). He alone gives this Parable of the Marriage Feast of the King's Son. It is somewhat similar to that of The Supper in Lu 14:16-23 given on another occasion. Hence some scholars consider this merely Matthew's version of the Lucan parable in the wrong place because of Matthew's habit of grouping the sayings of Jesus. But that is a gratuitous indictment of Matthew's report which definitely locates the parable here by παλιν. Some regard it as not spoken by Jesus at all, but an effort on the part of the writer to cover the sin and fate of the Jews, the calling of the Gentiles, and God's demand for righteousness. But here again it is like Jesus and suits the present occasion.

A marriage feast (γαμους). The plural, as here (2,3,4,9), is very common in the papyri for the wedding festivities (the several acts of feasting) which lasted for days, seven in Jud 14:17. The very phrase here, γαμους ποιειν, occurs in the Doric of Thera about B.C. 200. The singular γαμος is common in the papyri for the wedding contract, but Field (Notes, p. 16) sees no difference between the singular here in 22:8 and the plural (Esther 9:22; Macc. 10:58).

To call them that were bidden (καλεσα τους κεκλημενους). "Perhaps an unconscious play on the words, lost in both A.V. and Rev.,

to call the called " (Vincent). It was a Jewish custom to invite a second time the already invited (Esther 5:8; Esther 6:14). The prophets of old had given God's invitation to the Jewish people. Now the Baptist and Jesus had given the second invitation that the feast was ready.

And they would not come (κα ουκ ηθελον ελθειν). This negative imperfect characterizes the stubborn refusal of the Jewish leaders to accept Jesus as God's Son (John 1:11). This is "The Hebrew Tragedy" (Conder).

My dinner (το αριστον μου). It is breakfast, not dinner. In Lu 14:12 both αριστον (breakfast) and δειπνον (dinner) are used. This noon or midday meal, like the French breakfast at noon, was sometimes called δειπνον μεσημβρινον (midday dinner or luncheon). The regular dinner (δειπνον) came in the evening. The confusion arose from applying αριστον to the early morning meal and then to the noon meal (some not eating an earlier meal). In Joh 21:12,15 αρισταω is used of the early morning meal, "Break your fast" (αριστησατε). When αριστον was applied to luncheon, like the Latin prandium, ακρατισμα was the term for the early breakfast.

My fatlings (τα σιτιστα). Verbal from σιτιζω, to feed with wheat or other grain, to fatten. Fed-up or fatted animals.

Made light of it (αμελησαντες). Literally, neglecting, not caring for. They may even have ridiculed the invitation, but the verb does not say so. However, to neglect an invitation to a wedding feast is a gross discourtesy.

One to his own farm (ος μεν εις τον ιδιον αγρον) or field,

another to his merchandise (ος δε επ την εμποριαν αυτου) only example in the N.T., from εμπορος, merchant, one who travels for traffic (εμπορευομα), a drummer.