SEV Biblia, Chapter 3:10
Ahora, ya tambin el hacha est puesta a la raíz de los rboles; y todo rbol que no hace buen fruto, es cortado y echado en el fuego.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Matthew 3:10
Verse 10. And now also the axe is laid] Or, Even now the axe lieth. As if he had said, There is not a moment to spare-God is about to cut off every impenitent soul-you must therefore either turn to God immediately, or be utterly and finally ruined. It was customary with the prophets to represent the kingdoms, nations, and individuals, whose ruin they predicted, under the notion of forests and trees, doomed to be cut down. See Jer. xlvi. 22, 23; Ezek. xxxi. 3, 11, 12. The Baptist follows the same metaphor: the Jewish nation is the tree, and the Romans the axe, which, by the just judgment of God, was speedily to cut it down. It has been well observed, that there is an allusion here to a woodman, who, having marked a tree for excision, lays his axe at its root, and strips off his outer garment, that he may wield his blows more powerfully, and that his work may be quickly performed. For about sixty years before the coming of Christ, this axe had been lying at the root of the Jewish tree, Judea having been made a province to the Roman empire, from the time that Pompey took the city of Jerusalem, during the contentions of the two brothers Hyrcanus and Aristobulus, which was about sixty-three years before the coming of Christ. See Joseph. Antiq. l. xiv. c. 1-5. But as the country might be still considered as in the hands of the Jews, though subject to the Romans, and God had waited on them now nearly ninety years from the above time, expecting them to bring forth fruit, and none was yet produced; he kept the Romans as an axe, lying at the root of this tree, who were ready to cut it down the moment God gave them the commission.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 10. And now also the axe is laid , etc.] These words may be rendered, for now also, and contain in them a reason why they might expect future wrath; why they should bring forth good fruit; and why they should not trust to nor plead their descent from Abraham, because the axe is now laid: by which is meant, not the Gospel which now began to be preached by John; though this was like an axe laid to the root of, and which cut down, their pride and vanity, their self-confidence and glorying in their righteousness, holiness, carnal wisdom, and fleshly privileges: but rather; the axe of Gods judgment and vengeance is here designed, which, because of the certainty and near approach of it, is said to be now laid; and that not to some of the branches only, to lop them off, to take away from the Jews some particular privileges, but to the root of all their privileges, civil and ecclesiastical; even the covenant which God had made with that people as a nation, who was now about to write Lo Ammi upon them; so that henceforward they would have nothing to expect from their being the seed of Abraham, Israelites, or circumcised persons. The time was just at hand, when the Lord would take his staff Beauty and cut it asunder, that he might break the covenant he had made with all the people, ( Zechariah 11:10) in a short time their civil polity and church state would be both at an end. The Romans, who were already among them and over them, would very quickly come upon them, and cut them off root and branch; and utterly destroy their temple, city, and nation: and this ruin and destruction was levelled not at a single tree, a single person, or family only, as Jesses, or any others, but at the root of the trees : of all the trees of the whole body of the people; for the covenant which was made with them all being broke, and which was their hedge and fence, they were all exposed to the wild boar of the forest. Therefore every tree , every individual person, though one of Abrahams children, and made never such a fair show in the flesh, which bringeth not forth good fruit ; does not perform good works from a right principle, to a right end, such as are meet for repentance; particularly, does not believe in the Messiah now ready to be revealed, which is the main and principal work; and does not continue so doing, and thus believing, is hewn down and cast into the fire . Temporal ruin and destruction shall come upon him; he shall not escape divine vengeance here, and shall be cast into everlasting burnings hereafter; which is quite contrary to a notion of theirs, that hrbad ytwkzb by the merits of Abraham, the Israelites shall be delivered from the fire of hell f172 .
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 7-12 - To make application to the souls of the hearers, is the life of preaching; so it was of John's preaching. The Pharisees laid their chief stress on outward observances, neglecting the weightier matter of the moral law, and the spiritual meaning of their legal ceremonies Others of them were detestable hypocrites, making their pretences to holiness a cloak for iniquity. The Sadducees ran into the opposit extreme, denying the existence of spirits, and a future state. The were the scornful infidels of that time and country. There is a wrat to come. It is the great concern of every one to flee from that wrath God, who delights not in our ruin, has warned us; he warns by the written word, by ministers, by conscience. And those are not worthy of the name of penitents, or their privileges, who say they are sorry for their sins, yet persist in them. It becomes penitents to be humble an low in their own eyes, to be thankful for the least mercy, patien under the greatest affliction, to be watchful against all appearance of sin, to abound in every duty, and to be charitable in judgin others. Here is a word of caution, not to trust in outward privileges There is a great deal which carnal hearts are apt to say withi themselves, to put aside the convincing, commanding power of the wor of God. Multitudes, by resting in the honours and mere advantages of their being members of an outward church, come short of heaven. Here in a word of terror to the careless and secure. Our corrupt hearts cannot be made to produce good fruit, unless the regenerating Spirit of Chris graft the good word of God upon them. And every tree, however high i gifts and honours, however green in outward professions an performances, if it bring not forth good fruit, the fruits meet for repentance, is hewn down and cast into the fire of God's wrath, the fittest place for barren trees: what else are they good for? If not fi for fruit, they are fit for fuel. John shows the design and intentio of Christ's appearing, which they were now speedily to expect. N outward forms can make us clean. No ordinances, by whomsoeve administered, or after whatever mode, can supply the want of the baptism of the Holy Ghost and of fire. The purifying and cleansin power of the Holy Spirit alone can produce that purity of heart, an those holy affections, which accompany salvation. It is Christ wh baptizes with the Holy Ghost. This he did in the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit sent upon the apostles, Ac 2:4. This he does in the grace and comforts of the Spirit, given to those that ask him, Lu 11:13; Jo 7:38, 39; see Ac 11:16. Observe here, the outward church is Christ' floor, Isa 21:10. True believers are as wheat, substantial, useful, an valuable; hypocrites are as chaff, light and empty, useless an worthless, carried about with every wind; these are mixed, good an bad, in the same outward communion. There is a day coming when the wheat and chaff shall be separated. The last judgment will be the distinguishing day, when saints and sinners shall be parted for ever In heaven the saints are brought together, and no longer scattered they are safe, and no longer exposed; separated from corrupt neighbour without, and corrupt affections within, and there is no chaff amon them. Hell is the unquenchable fire, which will certainly be the portion and punishment of hypocrites and unbelievers. Here life an death, good and evil, are set before us: according as we now are in the field, we shall be then in the floor.
Greek Textus Receptus
ηδη 2235 ADV δε 1161 CONJ και 2532 CONJ η 3588 T-NSF αξινη 513 N-NSF προς 4314 PREP την 3588 T-ASF ριζαν 4491 N-ASF των 3588 T-GPN δενδρων 1186 N-GPN κειται 2749 5736 V-PNI-3S παν 3956 A-NSN ουν 3767 CONJ δενδρον 1186 N-NSN μη 3361 PRT-N ποιουν 4160 5723 V-PAP-NSN καρπον 2590 N-ASM καλον 2570 A-ASM εκκοπτεται 1581 5743 V-PPI-3S και 2532 CONJ εις 1519 PREP πυρ 4442 N-ASN βαλλεται 906 5743 V-PPI-3S
Vincent's NT Word Studies
10. Is laid (keitai). Not, is applied, as "She layeth her hands to the spindle" (Prov. xxxi. 19), but is lying.Is hewn down and cast. The present tense is graphic, denoting what is to happen at once and certainly.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
3:10 {Is the axe laid} (he axine keitai). this verb keitai is used as the perfect passive of tiqemi. But the idea really is, "the axe lies at (pros, before) the root of the trees." It is there ready for business. The prophetic present occurs also with "is hewn down" and "cast."
