For  the  Syriac  creditor  implies  the  same  as  usurer,  and  the  Greek
word  datstarfio  answers  to  the  Hebrew  I~U£0,  nosche,  and  signifies
one  who  gives,  either  outright,  or  on  usury.  Deut.  xv.  6,  xxviii.  1 2  ;
Ecclus.  xxix.  i  and  2.
One  owed  five  hundred  ptnce  and  the  other  fifty.  The  Roman
denarius  or  penny,  originally  of  the  value  of  ten  asses,  was  worth
about  eight  pence  of  our  modern  money.  In  this  parable  we  are  to
understand  by  the  two  debtors,  Mary  Magdalene,  and  Simon  the
Pharisee ;  who  is  not  mentioned  by  name,  lest  he  should  be  offended
or  disheartened.  This  is  clear  from  the  following  verses  wherein
the  Magdalene  is  thrice,  by  antithesis,  brought  into  comparison  with
Simon,  and  preferred  to  him.  She,  therefore,  is  the  debtor  who
owed  five  hundred  pence,  who  considered  that  she  owed  God  much
more  because  of  her  sins  than  Simon ;  and  therefore,  that  she  might
obtain  forgiveness,  she  loved  more  and  showed  greater  proofs  of
her  love.  But  Simon  owed  only  fifty  pence,  his  sins  were  but  venial,
and  therefore  he  considered  that  he  owed  little  to  God.  He  was  self-
righteous,  and  thought  that  he  had  little  or  no  need  of  repentance.
But  S.  Augustine  rightly  observes,  for  this  very  reason  he  ought
ajl  the  more  to  acknowledge  that  he  was  a  debtor  to  God,  who
had  preserved  him  from  committing  greater  offences.  Thou  wast
not  an  adulterer  (as  the  Magdalene)  in  that  past  life  of  thine


208  S.    LUKE,   C.    VII.
