5066.右边的人作出的回答，即：“主阿，我们什么时候见你饿了给你吃，渴了给你喝？什么时候见你作客旅留你住，或是赤身露体给你穿？又什么时候见你病了，或是在监里，来看你呢”表示如果他们看见了主自己，每个人都会向他做出这些善行，却不是出于对祂的爱，仅仅出于恐惧而如此行，因为祂就要来审判整个世界；因而不是为了祂的缘故，而是为了他们自己；所以不是从内在或发自内心，而是从外在，仅在于外在行为。他们好比一个人看见一个王，他渴望从王那里获得利益，以便他能成为大人物或发财，因此在王面前表现得顺从。或他们好比那些处于外在的神圣敬拜，他们在这样的敬拜中可以说看到主，在祂面前顺从，以为他们以这种方式就会得到永生；然而，他们没有仁爱，不向任何人行善，除非是为他们自己的缘故，因而唯独为了他们自己的利益。他们就像那些表面尊敬他们的王，却又藐视他的吩咐，因为他们从心里藐视他。这些和其它类似例子就是右边的人所作回答的意思。由于恶人的表面行为也是一样的，所以左边的人所作的回答几乎一样。
Potts(1905-1910) 5066
5066. The answer made by those on the right hand:
Lord, when saw we Thee hungry and fed Thee? or thirsty and gave Thee drink? When saw we Thee a stranger and gathered Thee? or naked and clothed Thee? When saw we Thee sick, or in prison, and came unto Thee? signifies that if they had seen the Lord Himself, everyone of them would have performed these offices; yet not from love toward Him, but from fear because He was to be the judge of the universe; thus not for His sake, but for the sake of themselves; thus not from within or from the heart, but from without and in act only. This is as when one sees a king whose favor he desires to gain in order that he may become great or rich, and therefore bears himself submissively toward him. It is similar with those who are in holy external worship, in which they as it were see the Lord, and submit themselves to Him, believing that in this way they will receive eternal life; and yet they have no charity, and do no good to anyone except for their own sake, thus only to themselves. They are like persons who in outward form pay court to their king with much respect, and yet deride his commands because at heart they disregard him. These and similar things are what are signified by those on the right hand so answering; and as the evil also do the like things in outward form, therefore they who were on the left made nearly the same answer.
Elliott(1983-1999) 5066
5066. The reply of those on the right was, Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?
This reply means that if they had seen the Lord Himself, all of them would have performed these acts of kindness to Him. Yet it would not have been love towards Him that would have led them to do so, only fear because He was about to come and judge the whole world. Nor would they have acted for His sake but their own, and so not because of anything present more internally in them, in their hearts, but for quite external reasons, and in outward conduct alone. They may be likened to a person who, when he sees his king whose favour he wishes to secure so that he may become great or rich, therefore conducts himself in a submissive manner before the king. Or they may be likened to those who engage in external holy worship in which so to speak they see the Lord and are submissive before Him. They do this because they believe that by engaging in such worship they will receive eternal life, even though they have no charity and do not do good to anyone except for selfish reasons, thus solely for their own benefit. Those on the right are like people who outwardly show great respect to their king yet scoff at what he commands because in their hearts they despise him. These and other examples like them are what are meant by the reply given by those on the right. And because the outward actions of the evil as well are similar, the reply given by those on the left was practically the same.
Latin(1748-1756) 5066
5066. Quod illi a dextris responderint `Domine, quando Te vidimus esurientem et aluimus Te, aut sitientem et potavimus, quando Te vidimus peregrinum et collegimus, aut nudum et amicivimus, quando Te vidimus aegrotum, aut in carcere et venimus ad Te' significat si Ipsum Dominum vidissent, quod unusquisque fecisset officia illa, at non ex amore erga Ipsum sed ex timore quia futurus judex universi, nec propter Ipsum sed propter se, ita non ex interiore seu corde sed ab exteriore et in gestu; se habet hoc sicut qui regem videt cujus gratiam mereri vult ut magnus aut dives fiat, erga quem se ideo submisse gerit; similiter se habet cum illis qui in sancto cultu externo sunt, in quo quasi vident Dominum, ac Ipsi se submittunt, credentes sic quod accepturi vitam aeternam, et tamen nullam charitatem habent, nec alicui bonum quam propter se, ita solum sibi, faciunt; sunt hi similes illis qui regem suum in externa forma multa veneratione ambiunt, et tamen irrident mandata ejus quia ipsum corde vilipendunt; haec et similia sunt quae significantur per quod illi a dextris ita responderint; et quia similia in externa forma etiam faciunt mali, idcirco illi a sinistris paene similiter responderunt.