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YALE UNIVERSITY
LIBRARY

THE
COLLEGE OF MISSIONS LIBRARY
at the
YALE DIVINITY SCHOOL

THE

NEW TESTAMENT COMMENTARY.

Vol. I. — Matthew aud Mark.

BY J. W. Ml'GAEVEY.

CUNT-CUNT NAT I:
CHASE & HALL, PUBLISHEES.
1878.

Entered according to Act ol Congress, In the year 1875, by
CHASE & HALL,
In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Wasliington.

PUBLISHERS' PREFACE.

It is believed that such a work as " The New Testament Commentary '"
is designed to be is greatly needed. This age has been characterized by
unusual activity in the department of Biblical Criticism. There never
¦was a time when the Bible was more severely attacked. But it is
equally true, there never was a time when the friends of the Bible felt
more secure in their plea for its genuineness and divine authenticity.
Opposition has only stimulated earnest inquiry, and this has brought
to light a vast amount of heretofore unknown evidence, as well as de
veloped an exegesis which promises the best results to all earnest
students of the sacred volume.
We think it may be fairly claimed that the Bible, as a divine revela
tion, has been fully vindicated. It only remains to apprehend the truth
•which the Bible teaches, and then we may hope for the complete reali
zation of the blessed influence which it is designed to exert in the sal
vation and civilization of our race. To secure this result, it is very de
sirable that the present means for enlightened criticism should be used
in giving the world a commentary that will at once be popular, and employ
all the best learning that is now so abundantly accessible in this depart
ment of study. It was the belief that such a work as would meet this
demand of the age could now be produced, that suggested the publica
tion of
THE NEW TESTAMENT COMMENTARY.
Within the last few years several able commentaries have been pub
lished on the Old Testament, and it is believed little more can be done
for this portion of the Bible. But as the New Testament contains what
we are more particularly interested in, it is all the more important that
the best results of biblical criticism should be applied in elucidating its
teaching. And yet we are inclined to believe that this- is just the part
(iiij

IV

PUBLISHERS' PREFACE.

of the Bible that has failed to receive that enlightened treatment
which is necessary to give it its true meaning. Taking this view
of the matter, it was thought that a commentary on the New Testament,
projected on a liberal basis and wrought out by skillful and able men,
possessed of the clearest and ripest views of the Christian Dispensation,
would commend itself to the public in a way that would at once secure
a large patronage. Hence, after much correspondence and conference
on the subject, the publishers of the present work called a meeting of
such persons as had been agreed upon to take part in the proposed com
mentary, to consider the whole matter and make such arrangements as
were deemed necessary to push the work to completion. At this meet
ing it was unanimously agreed that the work should proceed at once
upon the general character and plan indicated as follows :
1. When completed, to consist of eleven volumes, divided and
assigned as follows :

1. Matthew and Mark,
2. Luke 
3. John, .....
4. Acts, 
5. Romans, ....
6. First and Second Corinthians,
7. Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, 1
and Colossians, . . j
8. First and Second Thessalonians, }
Timothy, Titus, and Philemon, j
9. Hebrews, 
10. James, Peter, John, and Jude,
11. Revelations, . . . *

J. W. McGarvbt.
J. S. Lamar.
C. L. Loos.
W. T. Moore.
W. K. Pendleton.
Isaac Errett.
R. Richardson.
To be assigned.
R. Milligan.
To be assigned.
To be assigned.

2. The text used to be same as Bagster's Critical English New Tes
tament. To be arranged into paragraphs. Chapters and verse-marks
retained, but subordinated to this arrangement.
3. The text to be printed at the top of the page. The different read
ings and purely critical notes to be printed in small type immediately
under the text.
4. Following the text to be, first, a brief analysis of each section
when necessary; second, Exegetical and Critical notes, as concisely
made as can be done to present clearly the meaning, provided that such
notes as are not suitable for the body of the work shall be arranged at the
end of the volume ; third, brief Practical Reflections; fourth, each book
to contain an Introduction, giving history, canonicity, general purpose,

PUBLISHERS' PREFACE.

etc. The whole work to be made as popular as possible, at same time
scholarly" and critical enough for preachers and Bible students.
5. Parallel references to be placed in the margin of the text ; and
such maps, illustrations, chronological index, tables, etc., to be provided,
as are necessary for ample illustration.
6. The size of volume to be crown octavo. The text in long primer
and notes in bourgeois. Each volume to contain about 400 pages.
Since the meeting referred to above, considerable progress has been
made in the various divisions of the work — several of the volumes be
ing .already completed, or nearly so. It is the purpose of all concerned
to push the work forward as rapidly as possible.
We do not propose to discuss here the merits of the present volume,
and yet we feel that~lt would not be out of place to call the attention of
the public to the following important special features :
a. It distributes the subject matter of the narratives into the Parts,
Sections, and Paragraphs which are the natural divisions made by the
inspired authors, instead of observing the unnatural division into chap
ters and verses which has been introduced into our printed Bibles.
This arrangement makes the plan of the inspired writers more intelli
gible, and greatly facilitates both the comprehension and the remem
brance of what they have written.
b. It treats these narratives as historical proofs of the Messiahship and
Sonship of Jesus, and the logical bearing on this question of all the
facts recorded, is carefully pointed out in the form of an "Argument"
at the end of every section. This feature of the work, which is entirely
new, is calculated to greatly exalt the reader's appreciation of the testi
mony for Jesus, and it should not fail to increase his faith.
c. It discusses elaborately, and by a method in many respects new,
the interesting subject of the genealogy of our Saviour, as given by
Matthew. d. A note on the genuineness of the last twelve verses of the gospel
of Mark, is appended at the close of the volume, which we think will be
accepted as a complete refutation of the argument advanced by some
eminent critics and commentators of the present age in favor of reject
ing these verses from the inspired canon. We believe that this note
alone will be regarded by appreciative readers as worth the entire price
of the volume.

INTKODUCTION.

2 1. The Authorship.
When the authorship of a book has never been disputed, its friends
have usually but little to say on the subject. Such is the case with the
narrative of Matthew. The article in Smith's Bible Dictionary on the
gospel of Matthew disposes of the entire question in these few words:
" The gospel which bears the name of St. Matthew was written by the
apostle, according to the testimony of all antiquity." Dean Alford, in the
Prolegomena to his Greek Testament, disposes of it almost as briefly.
He says, "The author of this gospel has been universally believed to be
the Apostle Matthew. With this belief the contents of the gospel are
not inconsistent ; and we find it current, in the earliest ages." By the
earliest ages the learned writer means the earliest ages of uninspired Chris
tian literature : for the book of Matthew is not mentioned in the later books
of the New Testament, although the latter reach down in date of compo
sition to the close of the first century. The first in the list of early
writers who ascribe this gospel to Matthew is Papias, who wrote in the
beginning of the second century, about seventy or eighty years after
the death of Jesus ; he is followed by Irenseus of the same century, then
by Eusebius, Origen, Epiphanius, Jerome, and others, reaching down to
the fourth century.
Such testimony as this, to a mind accustomed to reflection on questions
of the kind, is conclusive. But for the benefit of such readers as are un
familiar with inquiries of this nature, and who frequently hear the ques
tion, how do you know that the books of the New Testament were writ
ten by the men whose names they bear, we think it proper to add a few
observations on the force of this testimony.
The history of literature shows that it is almost impossible to conceal the
authorship of a work which makes any impression on the public mind,
even when there is a studied effort to do so. In the absence of such an
effort it is unheard of; when, therefore, the narrative now called Matthew's
was first put into circulation, we may assume that its authorship was known
to its readers, and that as its circulation extended this knowledge extended
with it. This is true of ordinary books, and must especially have
been true of this, which depends for its value in part on the author's
means of knowing the facts of which he testifies, and in part on his hon
esty in reporting them.
Again, when the authorship of a book is once generally known, it is
nearly if not quite impossible that it should afterward be accredited to an-
(7)

8 INTRODUCTION.

other. This would require complicity in a fraud by too many different
and disinterested witnesses. In the present instance it would have re
quired the complicity of the foes as well as the friends of Christ; for,
when the book first came into circulation, both parties within the range
of its circulation must have known its authorship. Moreover, if it had
been in the power of the early disciples to falsely represent the author
ship with success, it is inconceivable that they should have fixed it on
Matthew, one of the most obscure of all the ajjostles. Their object in the
fraud would have been to give the book a fictitious credit, which could
have been done only by ascribing it to some apostle of greater note than
Matthew. In view of these considerations the reader will readily perceive that the
name of the real author could not have been lost and a fictitious name
substituted so early as the days of Papias, who, if we adopt the earliest
supposed date of Matthew, A. D. 42, lived and wrote only some sixty or sev
enty years after the composition of the book. There were men then liv
ing who could remember the first appearance of the book, and thousands
of both friends and foes to whom all the facts of the authorship were fa
miliar. The earliest mention of the authorship, then, which the fragment
ary remains of ancient Christian literature have preserved to us, reaches
within the period when living witnesses were still abundant ; and from
that time an unbroken chain of testimony has come down to us. There
is no book of antiquity, in either sacred or profane literature, whose au
thorship is more unquestionable. § 2. The Language.
There has been much difference of opinion among scholars as to whether
Matthew originally wrote his narrative in Greek, or in the Hebrew dialect
of his age. The most satisfactory statement of the evidence pro and con
accessible to the general reader may be found in Smith's Bible Dictionary,
Art. Matthew, Gospel op. The essential facts in the case are the follow
ing : All of the ancient writers, whose extant writings allude to the ques
tion, represent Matthew as having written a narrative in Hebrew ; but not
one of them claims to have seen it except Jerome, and he subsequently ex
presses doubt as to whether the book which he saw under this name was
the genuine Matthew. If a genuine Hebrew narrative at any time existed,
it perished with the age which gave it birth. All of the writers just
named were familiar with the Greek Matthew ; and none of them speak
of it as a translation. A large majority of the modern writers regard the
Greek as the original, and it is a singular confirmation of the correctness
of this opinion that Alford, who, in the first edition of his commentary,
took ground.in favor of a Hebrew original, in the later editions acknowl
edges, that he has been constrained to abandon that position. (See Prole
gomena to third edition.)

INTRODUCTION.

I 3. The Date.
The exact date ofthe composition of Matthew's narrative is not known.
Our judgment as to the probable date must be formed chiefly by consider
ing the following facts : First, the early writers uniformly represent it as
the first of the New Testament books. But the date of Luke is very def
initely fixed as not later than Paul's Csesarean imprisonment, which con
tinued from the summer of A. D. 58 to the fall of A. D. 60; consequently,
Matthew must have written previous to the former date, or within less
than twenty-four years after the death of Jesus. Second, Eusebius, in his
Ecclesiastical History, book iii. chap. 24, says that Matthew wrote when
he was about to leave his own country for other nations. This is indef
inite as to date, and is intended by the author not to fix the time, but to
state the occasion of the composition; for he adds, that Matthew "thus
supplied the want of his presence to them by his writings." Third,
Irenseus declares that Matthew wrote "while Peter and Paul were preach
ing the gospel in Rome, and founding the church." (Haer. iii. 1.) But
Peter and Paul never did preach together in Rome; and it is certain that
they did not jointly found the church there, for Paul had not yet been in
Rome when he wrote his epistle to the church already established there.
(Rom. i. 8, 13 ; xv. 24-32.) Fourth, Nicephorus, a writer of thefourteenth cen
tury, is cited as asserting that this gospel was published fifteen years after
the ascension of Jesus; while Euthymius, a writer of the twelfth century,
and Theophylact, of the eleventh century, place the publication eight years
after the ascension. (See Alford's Prolegomena and Smith's Dictionary.)
But the last three writers lived at too late a period to be of any authority
on the subject. Fifth, the text of Matthew contains two remarks which
show that it was composed at least a number of years after the death of
Jesus, viz., the remark that the potter's field, purchased by the blood
money of Judas, " was called the field of blood unto this day," and the re
mark concerning the false report of the soldiers who guarded the
sepulchre, that " this saying is commonly reported among the Jews unto
this day." (Matt, xxvii. 8; xxviii. 15.) It is thought by Alford, and by the
writer in Smith's Dictionary, that these remarks are inconsistent with the
supposition that only so short a period as eight years had intervened.
But the inconsistency is not apparent ; for the name of the field might
have had a very brief existence, and it was well worthy of remark that this
name, and that the report of the soldiers so soon and so thoroughly ex
ploded, should have continued to be repeated after a lapse of even eight
years. ' I think that only the first and last of these facts should have any weight
in deciding this question. The last renders it highly probable that the
date was not earlier than that mentioned by Euthymius and Theophylact,
eight years after the ascension, or A. D. 42; while the first proves conclu-

10 INTRODUCTION.

sively that it was not later than A. D. 58, or twenty-four years after the
ascension. In some of the sixteen intervening years the narrative first
made its appearance.
In this brief statement of the case I have purposely omitted many argu
ments of former writers which I regard as irrelevant or inconclusive.
? 4. The Canonicity.
If Matthew is the author of this narrative, as we have proved in ? 1,
above, its canonicity is necessarily implied in this fact. But in addition
to the evidence arising from this source, we may cite the following : First,
passages are quoted from Matthew as from an authoritative work by the
author of the epistle ascribed to Barnabas, by Clement of Rome, by
Hermas, Ignatius, Polycarp, Justin Martyr, Hegesippus, Irenasus, Tatian,
Athenagoras, Theophilus, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, and Origen.
(See Smith's Dictionary and citations in Milligan's Reason and Revelation.)
This list of writers extends in point of time from the close of the first cent
ury to within the third century; and some of them lived within the time
when living men, both inspired and uninspired, could testify as to the ex
act origin of all the books of the New Testament. Second, Irenseus, of
the second century, recognized our present four gospels ; Tatian, who died
A. D. 170, recognized them and composed a harmony of them ; Theophi
lus, 168, wrote a commentary on them ; and Clement of Alexandria, 189,
distinguished them from an uncanonical gospel according to the Egyp
tians. (See Smith's Dictionary.) These authorities make it unquestionable
that the book of Matthew was universally received as an inspired docu
ment at a date too early for men to be mistaken in reference to its origin.
2 5. Purpose and Character.
The purpose of a writer is to be ascertained from his own avowal, or by
considering what he has written. Matthew's narrative contains no formal
avowal of his- purpose, but its matter shows clearly that his chief object
was the one avowed by John, " that you might believe that Jesus is the
Christ, the Son of God ; and that believing you might have life through his
name." (John xx. 31.) Subordinate to this was the manifest purpose of
recording, for the practical guidance of Christians, many precepts, prom
ises and predictions selected from the oral teaching of Jesus. The truth
of these two observations will be made to appear continually in the course
of the following work.
In pursuit of his main purpose, Matthew presents an array of prophecies
fulfilled in the person of Jesus, of miracles wrought by him and with ref
erence to him, of characteristics possessed by him, and of predictions
uttered by him, which constitute an overwhelming proof of his Messiahship
and his divinity. It will be an important part of our task in the follow-

INTRODUCTION. 11

ing pages to call particular attention to this proof; and the reader will be
able to see the entire body of it in a narrow compass if he will read con
nectedly the "arguments" appended to the several sections into which the
notes are distributed.
In pursuit of his secondary object, our author has enriched his narrative
with such a selection of gems from the treasury of the Great Teacher, as
must ever make his book the most attractive and the most frequently
read of all the books in the New Testament. To those who are in pursuit
of the fundamental maxims of a pure morality and » consistent piety, it
is indispensable.While Matthew maintains throughout his narrative a purely Christian
Bpirit, he looks at every thing with Jewish eyes, and keeps his own
countrymen in view as his readers. He is not unmindful of the fact that
many of his Jewish kinsmen spoke only the Greek language, and conse
quently he sometimes translates into Greek Hebrew words which he has
occasion to employ. (See i. 23; xxvii. 33, 46.) But, unlike the other his
torians, he omits those explanations of Jewish customs and of local refer
ences, which Gentile readers would naturally expect (Comp. Mark vii. 3, 4;
xiii. 3) ; yet he devotes more attention than do all of the others to the ful
fillments of prophecy ; and he is alone in giving that line of ancestry by
which Jesus was heir of the throne of David. .
? 6. Plan op this Commentary.
A proper presentation of any subject according to the methods of mod
ern thought, requires a formal designation of its natural divisions. Such
designation was not made by the writers of antiquity, but is an invention
of modern times. The division of the Bible into chapters and verses
was intended merely to facilitate references, and is in many instances
quite arbitrary. These divisions have become indispensable, but they
should be so printed as to make them only a convenience ; and the natural
divisions of each book should be restored. In order to this" end, the text
of Matthew and Mark has been distributed in this Commentary into para
graphs, and in the comments the subject-matter of each paragraph is
printed in capital letters at the head of the notes thereon. The larger di
visions called sections, each including a group of closely-related para
graphs, are also indicated in the notes by proper headings ; and under the
heading of each is a brief analysis of the section by paragraphs. This
latter arrangement will enable the reader to see at a glance Matthew's
treatment of each section before he reads it, and to trace more easily the
thread of thought which pervades it. In addition to these smaller di
visions there is a more general division of the matter of nearly every
book of the Bible into what we call, for want of a better name, its Parts.
Matthew's narrative consists of three parts, Part First extending from the

12 INTRODUCTION.

beginning to the eleventh verse of the fourth chapter, and treating of
the birth, the childhood, the baptism, and the temptation of Jesus; Part
Second extending from iv. 12 to xviii. 35, and including his ministry in
Galilee ; Part Third extending from xix. 1 to the end of the book, and
including events which transpired in Perea and Judea. It is necessary
to observe these divisions in order to an intelligible appreciation of
Matthew's plan ; and, therefore, they are indicated in the following notes.
I have written on Matthew very much as if it stood alone, paying but
little attention to the differences between it and the other gospels ; but in
the notes on Mark I have taken pains to notice all the differences be
tween him and Matthew which I have thought worthy of remark, and
some of those between him and the other evangelists. In the main, how
ever, I have left it to Messrs. J. S. Lamar and C. L. Loos, who are to
write the volumes on Luke and John for this series of commentaries, to
notice the differences between those narratives and the two included in
this volume.
In order to facilitate a comparison of the four gospels in reference to
matters mentioned by two or more of them, I have indicated by suitable
references appended to the headings of paragraphs, the parallel passages.
All other references which I have thought necessary to the elucidation of
the text, I have given in the body of the notes.
The Commentary is intended primarily for the people, and only second
arily for scholars. I have, therefore, avoided, so far as I could consist
ently with the demands of exegesis, the use of Greek words and of
elaborate criticisms on the original. I have also taken pains to make
prominent such points in the narrative, and such lessons in the speeches
and conversations of Jesus, as promised to make a deep impression on the
religious sentiments and daily life of the reader.
While the matter of the work is arranged with a view to its being used
as a work of reference, I have also striven to adapt it to consecutive read
ing. To those who may attempt to Tead it consecutively, and such
readers I especially covet, I suggest the propriety of uniformly reading
the text of each paragraph before reading the notes which belong to it.
It would argue unwonted egotism to send forth among the many works
which have taxed the powers of great minds, a commentary on any por
tion of the Scriptures, without some degree of misgiving about its recep
tion by the public ; and especially is this true of a commentary on so
familiar a portion of Scripture as that assigned to the present author. I
would hesitate to do so, but for the fact that a respectable portion of the
public are known to desire a commentary from scholars of the religious
body with which I am connected ; and I hope in some measure to gratify
this desire. Having been engaged for eight years in giving instruction to
thoughtful and inquisitive young men in the entire range of sacred his-

INTRODUCTION. 13
tory, and by a method which required me to commit to memory the text,
and to study carefully all the works on the subject within my reach, I
flatter myself that I have acquired a respectable familiarity with the
subject, and some degree of skill in exhibiting it to the inquiring mind.
The borrowed materials which I have employed have been drawn from so
great a variety of sources — many of them now forgotten — that I think
proper to give no list of the authors whom I have consulted. All especial
credits which are thought necessary are given in the body of the notes.
The reader will also observe that I have occupied but little space in stat
ing the opinions of other writers, for the purpose either of combating
their views or of confirming my own. I have preferred to let the views
which I advance depend for acceptance on their own intrinsic merits, and
on the reasons which are given to support them; this, indeed, is the only
support which can justly entitle them to respect.
Praying that Jesus, the Christ; the Son of the living God, the exhibi
tion of whom to the world is the glory of Matthew's narrative, whose
footsteps from the manger to the cross have been fondly traced in these
pages, may be ever enthroned in the hearts of my readers, I trustfully
commit this labor of my hands to the destiny which he has provided for
it. THE AUTHOR.
Lexington, Ky., 1875.

MATTHEW.

PART FIRST.
FROM THE BIRTH OF JESUS TO THE BEGINNING OF HIS
MINISTRY.

CHAPTERS I. 1— IV. 11,

I. 'The book of the generation
of Jesus Christ, the son of Da'vid,
the son of A'braham. 2 A'bra-

SECTION I.
Genealogy op Jesus, I. 1-17.
Title of theList, 1 : First Division, 2-6 ;
Second Division, 6-11 ; Third Divis
ion, 12-16; The Divisions Stated, 17.

Title of the List, 1.
1. The book. — The expression
with which this narrative opens —
" The book of the generation of Je
sus Christ" — is not the title of the
entire narrative, for as such it would
be inadequate ; but it is the title of
the genealogical list which follows.
(See a similar use of the word book,
Gen. v. i.) The title shows both the
nature of the list and its object. It
is the genealogy of Jesus, and its
object is to show that He is "son of
David, son of Abraham." God had
promised to each of these patriarchs
that the Christ should be of his off
spring, and Matthew shows by this
list that Jesus is the offspring of
both. The term book is without the
article in the original, and should
have the indefinite article in Eng-

ham begat I'saac ; and I'saac be
gat Ja'cob; and Ja'cob begat
Ju'das and his brethren; "and

lish. It is not called the book, as
if there were no other, but a book.
Another, differing materially from
this, is preserved in the third chap
ter of Luke.
the generation.-^ The Greek
term rendered generation (yheeis)
has here the unusual sense of gene
alogy. It designates the line of
ancestry through which the flesh
ly nature of Jesus was generated.
(Comp. Rom. i. 3, in the original.)
First Division, 2-6. (Luke iii.
31-34.)
2. Abraham begat. — In pur
suance of the object indicated in
the title,. Matthew proceeds first to
reproduce from the Old Testament
records the line of descent from
Abraham to David. This he may
have taken either from the list
given in 1 Chron. i. 34— ii. 15, or
from the original history of the
persons found in Genesis and Ruth.
(See Gen. xxi. 1-3; xxv. 21-26;
xxix. 35; xxxviii. 29; Ruth iv. 18-
21.) (15)

16

MATTHEW.

[i. 3-6.

Ju'das begat Pha'res and Za'ra of
Tha'mar ; and Pha'res begat Es'-
rom ; and Es'rom begat A'ram ;
*and A'ram begat Amin'adab;
and Amin'adab begat Naas'son ;
and Naas'son begat Sal'mon;
6 and Sal'mon begat Bo'oz of
Ra'chab ; and Bo'oz begat O'bed

3. of Thamar. — Contrary to the
usual custom of omitting names of
females from genealogical tables,
Matthew here mentions Tamar as
the mother of Pharez, and, in verse
5, Ruth, as the mother of Obed. He
also states the fact, nowhere else
mentioned in the Scriptures, that
Salmon begat Booz of Rachab —
that is, as understood by the com
mentators in general, of Rahab the
harlot. (Comp. Josh. ii. 1-21 ; v. 1,
22-25.) These three females, to
gether with Bathsheba (verse 6),
are mentioned because of remark
able peculiarities in their history.
The Gentile origin of Tamar, Ra
hab, and Ruth ; the singular incest
of the first (Gen. xxxviii. 12-26) ;
the depraved life but subsequent
remarkable faith of the second
(Josh. ii. 8-11; Heb. xi. 31); and
the virtues of the third, so remark
able for one of heathen education,
combined to render them objects
of especial interest tb the Jews
when remembered as maternal an
cestors of David and hia royal off
spring. It was equally worthy of
note that Bathsheba, the guilty and
unfortunate wife of Uriah (2 Sam.
xi. and xii.), became, in the mysteri
ous workings of God's providence,
the mother of the heirs of David's
throne. That all of these women
were among the maternal ancestors
of Jesus, was equally worthy of no
tice, and is in keeping with his
mission as the Savior of both Jews
and Gentiles, and of the most sinful
in both classes who can be brought
to repentance.

of Ruth ; and O'bed begat Jes'se.
6 And Jes'se begat Da'vid the
king; and Da'vid [the king] be
gat Sol'omon of her that had
been the wife of Uri'as ; ' and
Sol'omon begat Robo'am ; and
6 6 SturcAeus Rec. Omitted t>y Lach.,
Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.

5, 6. Salmon ... David.—
Commentators have long noted the
singular circumstance that David
is named as the fourth in descent
from Salmon the husband of Ra
hab, although the time between the
mention of Rahab and the birth of
David is 366 years. The time is
ascertained by the following cal
culation : From the departure out
of Egypt to the founding of Solo
mon's temple was 480 years. (1
Ks. vi. 1.) Counting back from
this event to the birth of David,
we have four years of Solomon's
reign (ibid.), the forty years of
David's reign (1 Ks. ii. 11), and
the thirty years of David's life be
fore he came to the throne (2 Sam.
v. 4) — making an aggregate of sev
enty-four years to be deducted from
the 480, and leaving 406. From
this number we again subtract the
forty years between the exode and
Rahab' s appearance in the history,
which leaves 366 years for the time
between this event and the birth of
David. Now if we suppose that
Salmon took Rahab to wife during
the same year in which she was
delivered from the destruction of
Jericho, and that Boaz was born
the following year, we have 365
years to divide between three gen
erations. This would require, on
the supposition of a division about
equal, that Boaz should have been
122 years old at the birth of Obed,
Obed 122 at the birth of Jesse, and
Jesse 121 at the birth of David.
These figures are altogether im
probable, unless we suppose a

7,8.]

MATTHEW.

17

Robo'am begat Abi'a ; and Abi'a
begat A'sa ; 8 and A'sa begat Jos'-
providence even more remarkable
than that connected with the birth
of Isaac when his father was 100
years old — a supposition not to be
adopted in the absence of indubi
table proof. Some writers, to avoid
the difficulty involved in these fig
ures, have suggested that the Ra
hab here mentioned may have been
some other than the harlot of Jeri
cho; but this affects not the case
materially, for Salmon, being son
of Nahshon, captain of the tribe of
Judah at the beginning of the forty
years of wandering (Num. i. 7),
must have been cotemporary with
Rahab of Jericho; and if the Ra
hab of our text is a different wo
man, still the birth of her son Boaz
must have occurred not much later
than the time above mentioned.
We think there is no reason to
doubt the opinion of the best re
cent commentators, that some names
are omitted in this place, the more
noted ones alone being retained.
This opinion becomes a necessity
if, as is not unlikely, it be found
that the true chronology of this pe
riod is that given by Paul in Acts
xiii. 18-20. He makes it 450 years
from the entrance into Canaan to
the reign of Saul, and Saul's reign
commenced ten years before the
birth of David. (Acts xiii. 21.
Compare 2 Sam. v. 4.) This gives
460 years, instead of 366, between
Rahab and David, all of which
must be divided as above — making
Boaz, Obed, and Jesse each 153J
years old at the birth of his son,
unless we suppose some of the gen
erations to have been omitted. If
such omissions have occurred, they
were made by the author of the
book of Ruth. The bearing of
omissions on the correctness of
genealogies is considered below
under wrses 8 and 11.
2

aphat ; and Jos'aphat begat Jo'-
ram; and Jo'ram begat Ozi'as.

Second Division, 6-11. (Luke iii.
27-31.)
The names in this division of the
list are derived from the history of
the persons as given in the two
books of Kings and Second Chron
icles, or from the list in 1 Chron.
iii. 10-19. We know not that the
Jews had any other records which
could have furnished the informa
tion; and if they had, the Script
ures would still be naturally pre
ferred by Matthew as being more
accessible and more authoritative.
8. Joram begat Ozias. — Be
tween Joram and Ozias, called in
the Old Testament Uzziah and Az-
ariah, Matthew omits three names
which are in the text from which
he copied. These are : Ahaziah, son
and successor of Joram (2 Chron.
xxii. 1) ; Joash, son and successor
of Ahaziah (xxii. 11; xxiv. 1); and
Amaziah, son and successor of Jo-
ash (xxiv. 27). Thus Uzziah, here
said to have been begotten by Jo
ram, was actual son of Amaziah,
and was in the fourth generation
of descent from Joram.
This omission gives rise to three
important inquiries : First. Does it
vitiate the list? Second. How can
it be true that Joram begat Uzzi
ah ? Third. Why was the omission
made ? We will discuss these ques
tions in their order.
First. If it had been Matthew's
object to give a full list of the an
cestry of Jesus, or if his object had
required a full list, the omission
would certainly impair the value of
the list given, and would tend to
shake our confidence in his accu
racy. But neither of these supposi
tions is true. Matthew's object was
logical rather than historical. De
siring to prove Jesus to be a son of
David, he uses the history of David's

18

MATTHEW.

[i.9.

'And Ozi'as begat Jo'atham ; and

posterity exclusively with reference
to this purpose. Now, in order to
prove a man a descendant of a cer
tain other, it is not always neces
sary to name all of the intervening
persons in the line. If I could show,
for example, by authentic records,
that my grandfather was a grandson
of Christopher Columbus, I would
thereby prove my own lineal descent
from the great discoverer, even
though I should not be able to
furnish the other two names in the
list. Or if the entire line of descent
were published in the history of
my country, I would be at liberty,
in stating my proof, to mention my
connection with any one or more of
the names, leaving my reader to
test my accuracy, if he chose to do
so, by means of the published rec
ords. This is Matthew's case. In
proving that Jesus descended from
David, it is immaterial how many
names he omits, provided those
which he gives are correct: for the
list from which he copied is three
times repeated in the Jewish Scrip
tures, and the means of testing his
accuracy were in the possession of
every synagogue throughout the
world. Any Jew who desired to see
whether the names in this division
of the list actually belonged to it,
had only to open his own Bible,
whether written in Hebrew or in
Greek, and read for himself.
Second. As to the statement that
Joram begat Uzziah, if we judge
according to our own use of the
term begat, we must pronounce it
untrue. But the language of every
nation and of every period must be
understood in the light of its own
peculiar usages. Now, it so hap
pens that genealogical terms wore
used by the Jews in a much wider
sense than by ourselves. For ex
ample, in describing Jaoob's family
at the time of going into Egypt,

Jo'atham begat A'chaz; and A'-
Moses names the sons, grandsons,
and great-grandsons of Leah, and
then says: "These be the sons of
Leah which she bore to Jacob in
Padan-Aram." (Gen. xlvi. 8-15.)
Here the term sons is used to in
clude persons of the second and
third generations of descendants,
and Leah is said to have borne per
sons who were actually borne by
her daughters-in-law and the wives
of her grandsons. These terms are
used again in the same sense con
cerning the offspring of Zilpah, of
Rachel, and of Bilhah (18, 22, 25).
Again, in the twenty-sixth verse of
the same chapter, it is said of the
same offspring, "All the souls that
came with Jacob into Egypt, which
come out of his loins, all the souls
were three-score and six." Here
all are said to have come out of
Jacob's loins, another mode of say
ing that he begat them, although
grandsons and great grandsons arc
included. These are the most strik
ing examples of the kind which I
have been able to find in the Scrip
tures, but there are many others
which show that all the terms ex
pressive of kindred were used by
the Hebrews in a wider sense than
by us. For example, Laban calls
Jacob his brother, whereas we
would call him his nephew (Gen.
xxix. 15); Jacob calls Abraham his
father, whereas we would call him
his grandfather (xxxii. 9); Mephib-
osheth, the gra,ndson of Saul, is
called his son (2 Sam. xix. 24; comp.
ix. 6); and Athaliah, daughter of
Ahab, and granddaughter of Omri,
is called the daughter of Omri (2
Ch. xxi. 6; oomn. xxii. 2). Such ex
amples abound in the Old Testa
ment, and are familiar to every care
ful student of the Scriptures. They
originated from the sparsity of
words in the Hebrew language, re
quiring that one word should serve

10.]

MATTHEW.

19

chaz begat Ezeki'as ; 10 and Eze-

a variety of purposes. The lan
guage had no such compound terms
as grandson, granddaughter, etc.,
but used the simple terms son and
daughter, leaving the reader to
gather from the context the exact
relationship. In like manner, as we
have seen above, a woman was said
to bear all who descended from her,
and a man to beget all who de
scended from him. It is a singular
circumstance, that although we have
discarded this extended use of the
word beget, we have never found a
single word to substitute for it, but
have to employ a periphrasis, and
say a certain one was the progenitor
or the ancestor of another. Matthew
speaks strictly in accordance with
the usage of his own nation, then,
when he says, "Joram begat Uzziah;"
and the statement is strictly true in
the sense which he attaches to the
term begat.
Third. Having thus far consid
ered those objections to the omission
which arise from a peculiar use of
terms, and from a failure to notice
the author's exact purpose in giving
the genealogy, we proceed next to
inquire as to his object in making
the omission. It certainly must have
been made intentionally; for it is
scarcely possible, leaving his inspir
ation out of view, that Matthew could
have accidentally omitted three
names in one group; and if he had
done so, it is equally unlikely that
the mistake would nave remained
uncorrected. Both friend and foe,
so far as the Jewish Scriptures were
known, would have detected the
error, and have demanded a correc
tion. It is equally certain that
Matthew was not prompted to the
omission by a desire to deceive, or
by any other evil motive. He had
no motive for deception, seeing that
his object as regards the claims of
Christ could have been secured as

ki'as begat Manas'ses; and Ma-

well, to say the least, by retaining
the names as by omitting them ; and
even if he had had this, or any
other evil motive, the omission was
too. easily detected to be ventured
upon for an improper purpose. It
is also a fact that lie had a prece
dent for such omissions in his own
Bible: for Ezra, in giving his own
genealogy as proof of his descent
from Aaron, omits six names in a
srngle group. (Ez. vii. 1-3; comp. 1
Ch. vi. 6-11.) The candid reader
will now acquit Matthew of the
slightest suspicion of having omitted
these names in order to gain any
improper advantage, or because he
was not aware of their existence.
Why, then, did he omit them ?
The only answer we can give to
this question is one which must ap
pear somewhat inadequate to the
modern mind, because we have been
so differently educated, or rather be
cause we have not been at all edu
cated on the subject of genealogies.
It is this: Seeing there were just
fourteen names in the preceding di
vision, that from Abraham to David,
he desired, for the sake of aiding
the memory, to have the same num
ber in this division. By leaving out
the three which we have been con
sidering, and one yet to be men
tioned (verse 11), he secured the re
quisite number. The importance of
adopting all innocent devices to aid
the memory is realized when we
remember that the only means of
learning the Scriptures which the
masses enjoyed in that age was
hearing them read in public. More
over, the disciples had constant use,
in their disputations with the Jews,
for the genealogy of Jesus, and this
furnished a special call for some aid
to the memory in this case. If it be
objected to this, that such a purpose
could not justify a mode of writing
which would puzzle Bible readers

20

MATTHEW.

[i. 11.

lias'ses begat A'mon ; and A'mon
begat Josi'as; "and Josi'as be

ef subsequent ages, we reply that
none are puzzled who approach the
subject aright, and that God has seen
fit to so construct the Bible as to call
forth the best efforts of its readers in
seeking to understand some of its
parts. That he is wise in doing so
is seen in the fact that such efforts
are highly beneficial to those who
make them, securing a blessing to
every diligent student of the Bible
which well repays him for all his
toil. 11. Josias begat Jechonias.—
Between Josiah and Jechoniah Mat
thew omits another name, that of
Jehoiakim. When Josiah was slain
in battle at Megiddo, the people
elected his son Jehoahaz to be his
successor, but Pharaoh-necho, who
had then overrun Judea, removed
him and put his brother Eliakim on
the throne, changing his name to Je
hoiakim. Jechoniah was thesonand
successor of Jehoiakim, and conse
quently was grandson^ to Josiah.
(See 2 Kings xxiii. 29-31; xxiv. 6.)
All that we have sa-id above in ref
erence to the omissions in verse 8 is
applicable to this omission.
and his brethren. — These were
probably not brethren of Jechonias,
in our sense of the term, but the
kindred of the young king, called in
the text of 2 Kings his "princes,"
and here called his brethren in that
broad sense of the term peculiar to
Hebrew usage. (See 2 Kings xxiv.
12.) Third Division, 12-16. (Luke iii.
23-27.)
Only three of the names in this
division of the list are found in the
Old Testament, viz: Jechoniah, Sa
lathiel, and Zerubbabel. This is
because the Old Testament history
terminated in the days of Zerubba- 1
bel, who was a cotemporary of Ne- '

gat Jecho-ni'as and his brethren,
about the time they were carried

hemiah, the latest historical writer
of that Testament. True, there are
a few items of history in Nehe-
miah's book reaching down to a
later period, but they were append
ed by a later hand, e. g., Ne. xii.
22. It is also true that five sons of
Zerubbabel are mentioned in 1 Ch.
iii. 19, 20, but Abiud, the son men
tioned in this list, is not among them,
unless he appears there under a dif
ferent name. He was more likely
a younger son, born after the latest
additions to the list in Chronicles.
All of Matthew's list, therefore, from
Abiud to the immediate ancestors of
Joseph, who were known to Matthew
without the aid of written records,
was derived from records made sub
sequent to the close of Old Testa
ment history. If we suppose that
Jacob, the father of Joseph, was
known to Matthew, the number
which he derived from such records
was eight, including Abiud and the
seven between him and Jacob. That
such records were kept is attested
by Josephus, himself an enemy of
Christ and therefore not to be sus
pected of manufacturing history to
support the Christian Scriptures.
In the first section of his autobi
ography, after tracing his ancestry
back to hjs grandfather's father, he
says : " Thus have I set down the ge
nealogy of my family as I found
it described in the public records."
He further asserts in his book
against Appian (B. i. 8, 7), "We
have the names of our high priests
from father to son, set down in our
records for the interval of two thou
sand years;" and still further, he
says that when a priest proposes to
marry, in order to be sure that his
intended wife is of pure Jewish
blood, " he is to make a scrutiny, and
take his wife's genealogy from the
ancient tables, and procure many

12, 13.]

MATTHEW.

21

away to Bab'ylon: "and after
they were brought to Bab'y
lon, Jechoni'as begat Sala'thiel;

witnesses to it." This shows that not
only the priestly family, but other
families kept their genealogies; for
if not, how could the priest trace
the ancestry of any woman whom
he might wish to marry? The ne
cessity for keeping such tables grew
out of the Mosaic law of inheri
tance, which transmitted landed es
tates from father to son throughout
all generations, and which, even
when lands were sold, restored them
to the original owner every fiftieth
year. (See Nu. xxvii. 1-11; xxxvi.
1-12; Lev. xxv. 23-28.) Joseph, in
deed, was in the very act of contin
uing his family record when Jesus
was born; for the journey from Naz
areth was for the purpose of enrol
ment, not of taxation. (See Luke
ii. 4, 5.) The public record in our
own country of all marriages, and
in Great Britain of both marriages
and births, as also the private rec-
ouds kept in family Bibles, are mod
ern substitutes for the ancient Jew
ish custom.
12. Jechonias begat Salath
iel. — Jechoniah was on the throne
at the time of the captivity, and in
predicting his captivity the prophet
Jeremiah used these words : " Write
ye this man childless, a man that
shall not prosper in his days: for
no man of- his seed shall prosper,
sitting on the throne of David, or
ruling any more in Judah." (Jer.
xxii. 30.) Some have supposed from
this that there is a contradiction be
tween Jeremiah and Matthew. An
attempt has been made to reconcile
them by supposing that Neri, men
tioned in Luke's list as father of
Salathiel, was his actual father, and
that Matthew calls him the son of
Jechoniah because Neri took Jech-
oniah's widow, according to a provis
ion of the law, and raised up seed

and Sala'thiel begat Zorob'abel ;
13 and Zorob'abel begat Abi'ud;
and Abi'ud begat Eli'-akim ; and

to his brother. But this is a lab
ored attempt to remove a difficulty
which has no real existence. Jere
miah does not say that Jechoniah
should be literally childless, but he
says, "Write this man childless,"
and then explains by the statement,
"for no man of his seed shall pros
per, sitting on the throne of David
or ruling any more in Judah." He
was to be childless only in the sonso
of having no son to succeed him on
the throne. It should also be ob
served that Matthew is not alone re
sponsible for the statement that
Jechoniah begat Salathiel, for the
same statement is made by the
author of Chronicles, who was,
doubtless, Ezra, a cotemperary of
both Salathiel and Zerubbabel. (1
Ch. iii. 17.)
Salathiel begat Zorobabel. —
In 1 Ch. iii. 19, Zerubbabel is rep
resented as the son of Pedaiah,
and not of Salathiel, as Matthew
here has it; but Ezra and Nehe-
miah both agree with Matthew; and
their statements occur in historical
passages which are not so liable
to corruption through mistakes of
transcribers, as are genealogical
tables like that in Chronicles. (See
Ez. iii. 2; Ne. xii. 1.) Luke also
follows these two writers instead of
Chronicles. (Luke iii. 27.) This
uniform agreement of all the paral
lel passages renders it almost cer
tain that the passage in Chronicles
has undergone an accidental chango
by the hands of transcribers, Pe
daiah having been written in the
place of Salathiel. The present read
ing of Chronicles is also that of tho
Septuagint version, made two hun
dred and eighty years before Christ,
which shows that the reading is
quite an ancient one.
13. Zorobabel begat Abiud.

22

MATTHEW.

[i. 14-17.

Eli'akim begat A'zor ; "and A'-
zor begat Sa'doc ; and Sa'doc be
gat A'ehim; and A'chim begat
Eli'ud; "and Eli'ud begat El-
ea'zar ; and Elea'zar begat Mat'-

— As above stated, the name of
Abiud is not given in the Old Tes
tament, although five other sons of
Zerubbabel are mentioned. Some
writers have conjectured that Abiud
is another name for some one of
these, but the greater probability is
that he was a younger son. At any
rate, Matthew must have had a
sufficient reason for giving us Abiud,
seeing that either of the names men
tioned in Chronicles would have
suited him as well if it had been the
true name. The Divisions Stated, 17.
17. fourteen generations. —
We have already considered the list
in three divisions, because Matthew
himself so divides it in this verse.
The divisions are not arbitrary, but
altogether natural. The persons in
the first, from Abraham to David,
were Patriarchs, David being the
first in the entire line who was both
a patriarch and a king. (See Acts
ii. 29.) Those of the second were
all kings, successors of David, Jech
oniah being the last king of Judah
in the direct line of descent from
David, although his brother Zede-
kiah reigned eleven years after he
and the chief part ofthe royal family
had been carried into captivity. (2
Kings xxiv. 15-18.) Those ofthe
thira division were all heirs of
David's throne, but none of them
reigned except Jesus, who now sits on
David's throne according to the prom
ise. (See Acts xv. 15-17; ii. 29-35.)
The manner in which Matthew
counts fourteen in each division is
some what singulir. The first actually
contains fourteen names. The second
is made to contain fourteen, as we

than; and Mat'than begat Ja'
cob ; 16 and Ja'cob begat Jo'seph
the husband of Ma'ry, of whom
was born Je'sus, who is called
Christ. " So all the generations

have seen above, by omitting four
names. The third contains only thir
teen new names, but is made to count
fourteen by repeating, as the first of
this division, the name of Jechoniah,
which was the last of the second divis
ion. This is apparent to any one who
will take the trouble to count. It de
ceives no one, because it lies on the
very surface ofthe text; but it shows
once more how careful Matthew was
to have an even count in the divisions
of his list. This circumstance also
shows that there are no omissions
in the last division ; for if the actual
number of generations had been
fourteen or more, there would have
been no occasion to repeat the name
of Jechoniah.
Before closing our remarks on the
genealogy it is proper to say some
thing of the great difference between
the forms of proper names in tli*e
Old Testament and in the New. This
difference forces itself on the atten
tion of the reader here more than
anywhere else in the New Testa
ment. The difference arises from
three distinct causes: First, from
the loss of certain letters by Hebrew
names in passing through the Greek,
the language in which the New
Testament was written. The Greek
has no h nor j, and it usually ter
minates masculine proper names
with an s ; so that Hebrew names with
the former letters in them must be
spelt in Greek without them^ and
those terminating in h, which is a
very common Hebrew termination,
must have h changed to s. Thus,
Rehoboam becomes Roboam, Heze
kiah becomes Ezekias; Elijah, Elias,
etc. Second, the Hebrews were
much given \o contraction of proper

18.]

MATTHEW.

23

from A'braham to Da'vid are
fourteen generations; and from
Da'vid until the carrying away
into Bab'ylon are fourteen gen
erations ; and from the carrying

names: thus, Jehoshaphat is con
tracted into Josaphat, Jehoram into
Joram, Azariah into Uzziah. This
last name furnishes an example of
the co-working of both these causes.
Originally Azariah, it became by
contraction Uzziah, and then, by the
peculiar mode of spelling in Greek,
it became Ozias, as in verses 8 and
9 above. Third, all living lan
guages undergo some changes of pro
nunciation, and subsequent changes
of spelling to suit the new pronun
ciation. Some of these differences
are doubtless to be accounted for in
this way, e. g., Salathiel, of Chron
icles and Matthew, is Shealtiel in
Ezra and Nehemiah; while Zerub
babel, of all these Old Testament
writers, is Zorobabel in Matthew
and Luke. Argument of Section 1.
Matthew's chief object, as we have
stated in the Introduction, § 5, is to
prove the Messiahship and the di
vinity of Jesus, and every section
of the narrative has some bearing
on this question. His object in the
genealogy, as the superscription suf
ficiently indicates (verse 1), is to
show that Jesus is of the right lin
eage to be the Messiah. God had
promised with an oath to David
that he would raise up from his
offspring the Messiah to sit on his
throne. (Ps. lxxxix. 3, 4.) This
was well understood by both the
friends and the foes of Jesus.
(See Matt. xxii. 42.) The section
shows that Jesus possessed this
characteristic of the promised Mes
siah. It does not prove him to be
of the blood of David, for the blood
line, according to Matthew's own

away into Bab'ylon unto Christ
are fourteen generations.
18 Now the birth of [Je'sus]
18 'Irjo-oO Rec. Omitted by T. S, Gieen,
Tregelles, 71, d, N. Syriac, Old Latin, Vul
gate, etc.

showing in the latter part of this
chapter, did not pass from Joseph
to Jesus; but Jesus was born to
Mary after her marriage with Jo
seph, and consequently, he was
Joseph's lawful heir, and inherited
the throne through him. The ar
gument does not prove that Jesus
is the Messiah, but only that he is
of the right lineage. It establishes
one of the facts necessary to the
proof of the Messiahship. Luke's
genealogy supplements Matthew's
by showing that Jesus, on his moth
er's side, inherited the blood of Da
vid; but Luke does not follow the
line of kings, and consequently he
proves nothing as regards the in
heritance of the throne. Thus we
see that by a line of ancestry which
brought Jesus no inheritance he
received the blood of David, and by
a line which established no blood
connection he inherited the throne
of David. We can but admire the
providence which first brought about
this striking coincidence and then
caused it to be recorded in so sin
gular a manner by two independent
historians. SECTION II.
Birth op Jesus, I. 18-25.
Joseph's Trouble, 18-23; The Marringe
Consummated and the Child Born,
24,25. 18. found with child— Mat
thew's narrative is here elliptical.
He omits the account of the angel's
visit to Mary, and of her immediate
departure out of Galilee into Judea,
where she remained three months
with Elisabeth. (Luke i. 26-56.)
It was doubtless very soon after

24

MATTHEW.

[i. 19-23.

Christ was on this wise : When
as his mother Ma'ry was espoused
to Jo'seph, before they came to
gether, she was found with child
of the Holy Ghost. 19 Then Jo'-
peph her husband, being a just
man, and not willing | to make
her a public example : to expose
her | , was minded to put her away
privily. 20 But while he thought
on these things, behold, the angel
of the Lord appeared unto him
in a dream, saying, Jo'seph, thou
19 rrapaSeiyfiaTta-at Rec. Betyfiarttrat, Lach.,
Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles, B, z, 1.

her return into Galilee that her
pregnancy was discovered by her
relatives and by Joseph. Matthew
does not mean by the statement,
"she was found with child by the
Holy Spirit," that her friends knew
it to be from the Holy Spirit, for
the next verse shows that Joseph
knew it not.
19. to put her away. — Suppos
ing that Mary had committed adul
tery, Joseph at once resolved to put
her away ; but he hesitated whether
to expose her publicly or to put her
away privately. According to the
law a public exposure would have
subjected her to the penalty of death
by stoning (Deut. xxii. 23, 24) ; but
although, "being a just man," one
who favored the execution of jus
tice, he thought i, i' this course, he
was unwilling to make a public ex
ample of her, so he resolved to take
advantage of another statute which
allowed an unconditional and unex
plained separation at the will of the
husband. (Deut. xxiv. 1.)
20, 21. appeared to him iu
a dream. — How those dreams in
which God or angels communi
cated with the dreamers were dis
tinguishable from those in which
there was only an appearance of
such visitations, is nowhere declared

son of Da'vid, fear not to take
unto thee Ma'ry thy wife : for
that which is conceived in her is
of the Holy Ghost. 21 And she
shall bring forth a son, and thou
shalt call his name JESUS : for
he shall save his people from
their sins. 22Now all this was
done, that it might be fulfilled
which was spoken of the Lord
by the prophet, saying, " Be
hold, a virgin shall be with
child, and shall bring forth a
son, and they shall call his name
Emmanuel, which being inter-

in the Scriptures. Certain it is,
however, that God, who causes such
visitations, can make the dreamer
know their reality. The statement
of the angel confirmed the story
which Mary, no doubt, had already
related, but which Joseph had re
garded as incredible.
thy wife. — Mary is called the
wife of Joseph, although the mar
riage had not been consummated,
because she virtually sustained this
relation to him, and was regard
ed as his wife in the eyes of the
law. Jesus. — The word means savior,
and points to the chief purpose ofthe
incarnation. Little did Joseph then
realize what was meant by the state
ment, " he shall save his people from
their sins."
22, 23. that it might be ful
filled. — The words here quoted
from Isaiah are part of a predic
tion addressed to King Ahaz, con
cerning a threatened invasion of
his territory by the kings of- Israel
and Syria. (Isa. vii. 10-16; viii.
1-4.) All of it was fulfilled within
a few years except what is hero
quoted — that a virgin should con
ceive and bring forth a son, and
that his name should be called Em
manuel. When the people of Isai-

i. 24, 25.]

MATTHEW.

25'

preted is, God with us. "Then
Jo'seph being raised from sleep
did as the angel of the Lord had
bidden him, and took unto him
his wife : a and knew her not till
25 ere/ce rbv vlbv airrjt rbv irpuroroKov Rec.

ah's time saw the fulfillment of part
of the prediction they should have
looked forward with confidence to
the fulfillment of the remainder;
and so should the succeeding gen
erations of the Jews down to the
time of Jesus. Had they done so
they would have been more ready
to believe the story here recited by
Matthew. The Marriage Consummated and
the Child Born, 24, 25. (Luke ii.
1-7.)
24. took unto him his wife-
Joseph seems to have made no de
lay in obeying the voice of the an
gel ; consequently the marriage oc
curred some months previous to the
birth of the child. To marry a wo
rn an in Mary's condition must have
subjected Joseph to much obloquy.
Mary's explanation of her concep
tion had already been discredited;
and when Joseph excused himself
for marrying her by telling of the
visit and command of the angel, he
had the appearance of inventing
the story as an excuse for marry
ing a fallen woman. Under this
cloud of ill fame the holy couple
must have lived until the miracles
attendant on the birth of the child
confirmed their story, and the works
of his life demonstrated that he was,
as Mary had affirmed from the be
ginning, the actual Son of God.
25. knew her not. — The state
ment that Joseph knew not Mary
(sexually) until she brought forth
a son, implies that he did know her
after this. The Romish assumption
that Mary always remained a vir
gin, is inconsistent with what is
here implied, and is unsupported
ii

she had brought forth | her first
born son : a son \ : and he called
his name JESUS.
viiw Lach., Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford. Tra-
gelles, X , b, z, 1, 33, a b c, etc., N. Syriac,
Coptic, Sahidic.

by any other passage of Scripture.
The reader should observe, how
ever, that the term first-born be
fore son, which has been used to
prove that Mary had other sons
after Jesus, has been thrown out
by the critics. (See critical notes.)
It was probably interpolated to em
phasize the fact of Mary's previous
virginity. Argument of Section 2.
In this section Matthew exhibits
the fact that Jesus was actually
born the Son of God, and that this
was in fulfillment of a prediction
long previously made by Isaiah.
That the prediction had been in
existence ever since the reign of
Ahaz, was a fact well known to
the Jews, both believers and unbe
lievers. It was equally well known
that although Emmanuel was not
the personal name of Jesus, he
tad claimed to be Emmanuel (God
with us), and had demonstrated the
claim both by the acts of his life
and his resurrection from the dead.
This part of the prediction, then,
was certainly fulfilled in him, and
the proof of this contains the proof
that the other part was likewise
fulfilled ; for if we inquire how a
being could come into this world
at once unquestionably the Son of
God and the Son of man, we find
no other way in which the event
could occur than by his being born
of a virgin through the miraculous
power of God, as declared by Mat
thew. Thus our historian, with his
mind directed to the compound
proposition first affirmed by Peter.
that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of

26

MATTHEW.

[ii. 1, 2.

II. 1 Now when Je'sus was born
in Bethlehem of Judse'a in the
days of Her'od the king, behold,
there came wise men from the

the living God, proves in his first
section that he is of the right lin
eage to be the Christ, and in the
second that he is the actual Son
of God.

SECTION in.
Events in the Childhood op
Jesus, II.
Visit of the Wise Men, 1-12 ; Flight
into Egypt, 13-15; Slaughter of the
Infants, 16-18 ; Return flora Egypt
and Residence in Nazareth, 19-23.

Visit of the Wise Men, 1-12.
1. Herod the king. — Matthew's
nearest approach to giving the date
of the birth of Jesus is the state
ment that it occurred " in the days
of Herod the king." (See below on
19.) Herod is called "the king,"
to distinguish him from the other
Herods who were his descendants,
and especially from Herod the te
trarch, subsequently mentioned by
Matthew." (xiv. 1.) His history
is given with great fullness of de
tail by Josephus, Ant., Books xiv
to xvii.
in Bethlehem of Judea. — We
learn from Luke that Joseph and
Mary had resided previous to the
birth of Jesus in Nazareth of Gali
lee, and that it was the decree of
Augustus Caesar concerning the en
rollment which had brought them
to Bethlehem. (Luke i. 26, 27; ii.
1-4.) Matthew omits this, and be
gins his narrative as if Bethlehem
was the permanent home of Joseph.
This is accounted for by the fact
that Joseph intended to make Beth
lehem his home for the future. (See
21,22.) wise men from the east. — The

east to Jerusalem, 'saying,
Where is he that is born King
of the Jews? for we have seen
his star in the east, and are
Greek word here incorrectly rend
ered "wise men" (iiayoc) designates
an order of priesta and philosophers
called magi, which had existed in
the countries east of the Euphrates
from a remote period. Various kinds
of superstition prevailed among them
at different periods, but they pos
sessed all the real learning and phi
losophy of those countries. The men
called magicians in the book of Dan
iel belonged to this order. (Dan. i.
20; iv. 9.) For a further account of
them see Smith's Dictionary.
2. his star in the east. — Much
learned labor has been expended in
efforts to determine what star it was
that guided the magi, and how they
knew its significance. Without de
tailing any of the theories in refer
ence to the first of these questions,
it is enough to remark that one fact,
almost universally overlooked by the
commentators, demonstrates the
truth of the old supposition. that the
star was a miraculous meteor which
hung but a short distance above the
earth. This fact is, that when the
magi left Jerusalem the star " went
before them, and came and stood
over where the young child was."
This could not be true of a real star,
because a real star can not move on
before men, and stand over a par
ticular house so as to distinguish it
from other houses. A child, looking
at a star near the horizon, may
imagine that it hangs over a certain
house ; but when it walks up to that
house it finds that the star is as far
off as before and is hanging over
another house. The star of the magi
stood over the house where the child
was until they came up and entered
the house, thus preventing them
from entering the wrong house and
finding the wrong child.

3-8.]

MATTHEW.

27

come to worship him. ."When
Her'od the king had heard these
things, he was troubled, and all
Jeru'salem with him. 4And
when he had gathered all the
chief priests and scribes of the
people together, he demanded
of them where Christ should
be born. 6And they said unto
him, In Bethlehem of Judse'a :
for thus it is written by the

As to their source of information
concerning the significance of the
star, it must have been such as not
only revealed to them the birth of a
king of the Jews, but also inspired
them with the disposition to visit
Judea for the purpose of doing him
homage and presenting him with
gifts. It is most in harmony with
all of the known facts of the history
to suppose that when the star ap
peared a direct revelation was made
to the magi which led to all of their
subsequent movements. The child
was in this way revealed to the
shepherds of Bethlehem, to Simeon
and to Anna; and in this way the
magi themselves were instructed not
to return to Herod, but to go home
by another route. (Verse. 12.)
3. he was troubled. — The
trouble of Herod, when he heard the
inquiry of the strangers, was_ natu
ral. Being near the close of his own
reign, and naturally anxious con
cerning the succession to the throne,
he could not hear with equanimity
that the founder of a rival dynasty
had been born. All Jerusalem was
troubled with him because they
dreaded a conflict between two
claimants for the throne.
4. chief priests and scribes-
Hearing that one was born to be
king of the Jews and heralded by
the appearance of a star in the heav
ens, Jtlerod assembles the chief
priests and scribes, and inquires
where the Christ should be born.

prophet, 6And thou Bethlehem,
in the land of Ju'da, are not the
least among the princes of Ju'da :
for out of thee shall come a Gov
ernor, that shall rule my people
Is'rael. 7 Then Her'od, when he
had privily called the wise men,
enquired of them diligently what
time the star appeared. 8And
he sent them to Bethlehem,
and said, Go and search dili-

Hc inferred that the coming king
was the Christ, becaiise the Jews
were looking for the Christ, and be
cause no ordinary king would be
heralded in this wonderful manner.
The chief priests included both the
high priest and the chiefs of the
twenty-four courses or classes into
which the priests were divided by
David. (1 Ch. xxiv. 1-19.) The
scribes were men trained to penman
ship," and occupied with transcrib
ing the Scriptures, keeping public
records, and all similar work. They
naturally acquired familiarity with
the contents of the Scriptures and
skill in their interpretation. (Comp.
2 Sam. viii. 17; 1 Ks. iv. 3; Jer.
xxxvi. 26; Ezra vii. 6; Matt. xiii.
52; Mark xii. 35.)
5, 6. — The promptness with which
the priests and scribes answered
that the Christ was to be born in
Bethlehem, shows that the matter
was well understood by the Jews.
The prediction cited from Micah
(Mi. v. 2) taken in connection with
the fact that the Messiah was to be
of the house of David whose landed
patrimony was at Bethlehem, was
conclusive. (1 Sam. xvi. 1.)
7, 8. bring me word. — Herod's
careful inquiry as to the time when
the star appeared, and his order
that the magi, when they found him,
should bring him word again, show
that he had already conceived the
purpose which he afterward at
tempted to execute.

28

MATTHEW.

[ii. 9-13.

gently for the young child ; and
when ye have found him, bring
me word again, that I may come
and worship him also. " When
they had heard the king, they
departed; and, lo, the star,
which they saw in the east,
went before them, till it came
and stood over where the young
child was. "When they saw
the star, they rejoiced with ex
ceeding great joy.
"And when they were come
into the house, they saw the

9, 10. and lo, the star.— The
star which they had seen in the east
had evidently disappe'ared before
they reached Jerusalem, but now it
reappeared when its guidance was
needed. Their exceeding joy at see
ing it arose from the fact that with
out some guidance they might be
unable to find the child they sought,
and partly also from the fact that it
was au assurance of God's presence
and approbation. The star served
another important purpose which
was unperceived by the magi. It
enabled them to find the child with
out making such inquiries in Beth
lehem as would have direoted pub
lic attention to him, and have inter
fered with his escape from a danger
yet unforseen. The entrance of the
magi into the city by night, which
is clearly implied in the fact of the
star being visible, contributed still
further to the privacy which was so
necessary to safety.
11. and worshiped him. — The
homage which the magi paid to the
child was something more than that
which was due to royalty, for the
miraculous manner in which they
had been guided to the spot must
have taught them that the child was
more than mortal. These Gentiles,
for such we suppose them to be,
were the first to pay homage to

young child with Ma'ry his
mother, and fell down, and wor
shiped him : and when they had
opened their treasures, they pre
sented unto him gifts ; gold, and
frankincense, and myrrh. 12And
being warned of God in a dream
that they should not return to
Her'od, they departed into their
own country another way. 13And
when they were departed, be
hold, the angel of the Lord ap
peareth to Jo'seph in a dream,
saying, Arise, and take the

Jesus, a token of the yet undevel
oped purpose of God concerning
the Gentile world. The gifts which
they presented in compliance with
an eastern custom constituted a
timely provision for the unexpected
sojourn in Egypt.
12. warned of God in a dream.
— That the magi were warned in a
dream not to return to Herod, shows
that they retired to sleep after pre
senting their gifts; being thus
aroused from slumber they departed
at once, and thus again avoided giv
ing publicity in Bethlehem to the
startling facts connected with their
visit. Flight into Egypt, 13-15.
13, 14. when they were de
parted. — It appears from the text
that immediately after the departure
of the magi the angel appeared to
Joseph in a dream, warned him of
the danger, and commauded him to
flee; and that he started while it
was yet night. Neither the arrival
of the niagi, nor their departure,
nor the flight of Joseph and Mary,
was known to the people of Bethle
hem. To Joseph and Mary that
was a night of conflicting emotions.
Equally surprised and delighted by
the congratulations and presents of
the Gentile strangers, they had gone

ii. 14-16.]

MATTHEW.

29

young child and his mother,
and flee into E'gypt, and be
thou there until I bring thee
word: for Her'od will seek the
young child to destroy him.
"When he arose, he took the
young child and his mother by
night, and departed into E'gypt :
10 and was there until the death
of Her'od : that it might be ful-

to sleep only to be terrified by the
announcement that Herod would
seek to kill the child whom the magi
had worshiped; and now they are
oppressed by the excitement attend
ing an instantaneous flight, and by
the sadness with which they antici
pate an indefinite sojourn in a for
eign land. They find, as they had
found from the beginning, that the
high honor of being the earthly par
ents of the Lord of glory, like every
other God-given honor, must be at
tended by sorrow and self-sacrifice.
To protect and rear at all hazards
that child was the work to which
God had called them, and faithfully
they fulfilled the heavenly trust.
Mary and Joseph, however, are not
the only parents who have been
thus situated; often it is that parents
perform their greatest work in life
by bringing into being and properly
rearing a single child.
15. Out of Egypt. — The words
bere quoted from Hosea and applied
to Jesus were originally spoken con
cerning Israel : " When Israel was
a child, then I loved him, and called
my son out of Egypt." (Hos. xi. 1.)
In applying these words to Jesus
Matthew makes Israel's entrance
into Egypt and departure therefrom
typical of the same movements on
the part of Jesus.
Slaughter of the Infants, 16-18.
16. mocked of the wise men,
— The departure of the magi with
out returning to Herod was taken by

filled which was spoken of the
Lord by the prophet, saying,
Out of E'gypt have I Called my
son. "Then Her'od, when he saw
that he was mocked of the wise
men, was exceeding wroth, and
sent forth, and slew all the chil
dren that were in Bethlehem,
and in all the coasts thereof,

him as a mockery of his authority.
It tended both to enrage him and to
magnify his conception of the
danger which threatened his dy
nasty. all the children.— The Greek
word rendered children (-tovf italtias)
is masculine, and means male chil
dren. As it was a male child that
he was seeking to destroy, he could
have no reason for destroying the
female infants. At this point the
reason why both the visit of the
magi and the flight of Joseph and
Mary had been kept so secret be
comes apparent. If these events
had been known in Bethlehem the
people could have saved their own
infants by sending swift messengers
to bring back the real object of
Herod's jealousy. The infants of
Bethlehem died for the safety of
him who was destined to die for the
safety of all.
two years old and under. —
Herod's plan was to slay so many
children, and of such an age, as to
certainly include the young king.
He had ascertained the time at
which the star appeared, but he
could not know from this the ex
act time of the child's birth; for
the star might have appeared either
before or after the birth. His plan,
therefore, required him to give him
self a margin on both sides — that is,
to include children of such an age
that if the star appeared either a
few months after or a few months
before the birth of Jesus, Jesus

30

MATTHEW.

[ii. 17, 18.

from two years old and under,
according to the time which he
had diligently inquired of the
wise men. "Then was fulfilled
that which was spoken | by :
17 iirt> Rec. Sia Lach., Tisch., T. S.
Green, Alford, Tregelles, x , b, c, D, z, etc.,
Vulgate, etc.

would be included. As he went
back to two years, and came for
ward to the last male child born
in Bethlehem, it is probable that
the star had appeared within the
previous year.
17, 18. spoken by Jeremy the
prophet. — The words here quoted
were originally written concerning
the Babylonish captivity. (Jer. xxxi.
15.) Rama was a town of Benjamin.
(Josh, xviii. 25.) Jeremiah was car
ried thither in chains with the other
captives, but was there released by
order of Nebuchadnezzar. (Jer. xl.
1 ; xxxix. 11, 12.) Here he saw the
captives depart for Babylon, and
heard the weeping of the poor who
were left in the land (xxxix. 1 0) ;
hence the mention of Kama as the
place of the lamentations. He rep
resents Rachel as weeping, because
the Benjamites were descendants of
Kachel, and, perhaps, because the
tomb of Rachel was " in. the border
of Benjamin," and not far away.
(1 Sam. x. 2.) The image of the
ancient mother of the tribe rising
from her tomb to weep, and refus
ing to be comforted because her
children wore not around her, is
inimitably beautiful; and this im
age so strikingly portrayed the
weeping in Bethlehem that Mat
thew adopts the words of the proph
et, and says they were here ful
filled. It was the fulfillment, not
of a prediction, properly speaking,
but of certain words spoken by
the prophet.
The three quotations from the
prophets contained in this chapter
(6, 15, 18) belong to and illustrate

through | Jer'emy the prophet,
saying, 18 In Ra'ma was .there a
voice heard, [lamentation, and]
weeping, and great mourning,
18 9pi>o? mt. Omitted by Lach., Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles, se, e, z, 1,
22, Old Latin, Vulgate, Coptic, Sahidic,
P. Syriac, etc.

three distinct classes of such quo
tations whieh are found in the
New Testament, and which espe
cially abound in Matthew. The
first, concerning the birth-place of
Jesus, is strictly a prediction, for
it refers directly to the event. The
second, concerning the call out of
Egypt, is an example of words
used with a double reference, hav
ing both a primary and secondary
reference and fulfillment. Such
predictions are sometimes called
typical, because they are originally
spoken concerning a type and find
another fulfillment in the antitype.
(See Lange, Matt. ii. 15.) The,,
third, concerning the weeping at
Bethlehem, is an example in which
the event fulfills the meaning of
words used by a prophet, though
the words had originally no refer
ence at all to this event. It is a
verbal fulfillment, and not a real
fulfillment, as in the other two
cases. Matthew's account of this slaugh
ter has been objected to as highly
improbable, if not incredible, for
three reasons: First, Because of
the absence of a sufficient motive
to induce so great a crime; Jiec-
ond, Because of the silence of Jo
sephus, who details very fully the
crimes of Herod, but says nothing
of this ; Third, Because of the si
lence of Mark, Luke and John in
reference to it. The last reason
has no force whatever, for Maik
and John omit all mention of the
birth and childhood of Jesus ; and
Luke, though he writes more on
this part of the history than Mat-

19.]

MATTHEW.

31

Ra'chel weeping for her chil
dren, and would not be com
forted, because they are not.
thew does, chooses to repeat noth
ing which Matthew records. The
second is without force, because
Josephus was an unbeliever, and
studiously avoided the recital of
such facts as would furnish evi
dence in favor of Jesus. A faith
ful record of this event would have
proved that Jesus was an object of
special divine protection. The first
reason is equally untenable, for the
motive presented was abundantly
sufficient to excite such a man as
Herod to commit the crime in
question. He had previously been
moved by jealousy to murder two
high priests, his uncle Joseph, his
favorite wife Mariamne, and three
of his own sons, besides many other
innocent persons. When about to
die, knowing that his subjects would
be inclined to rejoice at his death,
he determined to make them mourn,
and, to this end, he shut up a largo
number of prominent men in a hip
podrome and ordered them to be
massacred the moment he should
breathe his last. (Josephus, Ant.,
books xiv-xvii.) It is in perfect
keeping with this career of jeal
ousy and bloodshed that when the
birth of a new king not of his fam
ily was so mysteriously announced,
he should adopt the most desperate
measures for putting him out of the
way. True, it was not very likely
that the child just born would de
mand the throne during Herod's
lifetime, but his jealousy had ref-
ence to the perpetuity of his dyn
asty, as well as to his own personal
reign. There is strong confirma
tion both of this view of the sub
ject and of the principal fact itself
found in the writing of Macrobius,
a heathen author who lived at. the
close of the fourth or the beginning
of the fifth century, and who says :

18 But when Her'od was dead,
behold, an angel of the Lord ap-
pearetb in a dream to Jo'seph in

" Augustus, having been informed
that Herud had ordered a son of
his own to be killed among the
male infants about two years old
whom he had put to death in Syria,
said, It is better to be Herod's ht«j
than his son." (Home's Int., Part
11., book ii, chap, vii, § 7.) Tim
marked difference between this ac
count and that of Matthew, and tho
introduction of the emperor's re
mark, show that Macrobius did not
obtain his information from Mat
thew's narrative, but frcm si.me in
dependent source. He makes tho
same mistake made by the magi— that
of supposing that the new-born king
was Herod's son. He further sup
poses, as Herod and his friends did,
that the child whese destruction
was sought actually perished among
the infants. The remark quoted
from the emperor Augustus has
reference to the fact that Herod,
being a Jew, would not kill a hog;
and it shows that the massacre was
a well-known fact and a subject of
public remark at the time, as far
away from Bethlehem as the impe
rial palace in Rome.
Return from, Egypt and Residence
in Nazareth, 19-23.
19. when Herod was dead-
According to the received chronol
ogy Jesus was born in the last year
of Herod, and he was, therefore, less
than a year old when Herod died.
His birth occurred four years pre
vious to our common era, the era
having been erroneously fixed by
Dyonisius Exiguus in the sixth
century. (For a statement of the
facts and figures on this subject
see Smith's Dictionary, Art. Jesua
Christ.) By remaining in Egypt
until the Lord brought him word,

32

MATTHEW.

[ii. 20-23

E'gypt, 20 saying, Arise, and take
the young child and his mother,
and go into the land of Is'rael :
for they are dead which sought
the young child's life. aAnd
he arose, and took the young
child and his mother, and came
into the land of Is'rael. 22But
when he heard that Archela'us

Joseph obeyed the command of
God. (Comp. 13.)
22. afraid to go thither. —
The statement that Joseph, when
he heard that Archelaus was reign
ing in Judea, was afraid to go
thither, implies that he had intend
ed to return to Judea, and doubts
less to Bethlehem. This intention
explains the fact that after the pres
entation of the child in the temple
(Luke ii. 22) he returned to Beth
lehem and was found there by the
magi. When he came from Naza
reth to Bethlehem before the birth
of the child he intended to make
the latter place his permanent resi
dence ; and now, although he was
afraid to return thither, he did
not change his purpose until God
warned him in another dream to
go into Galilee. His prompt com
pliance with all these heavenly di
rections, and this in behalf of a
child that was not his own, shows
how fit a man he was for the mo
mentous trust committed to his
hands. 23. spoken by the prophets. —
The words "He shall be called a
Nazarene," here said to have been
spoken by the prophets, are not
found in any of the extant pro
phetic writings. It should be ob
served that Matthew's expression
concerning them is peculiar. He
does not say, as is usual with him,
"spoken by the prophet," but "spo
ken by the prophets." This ex
pression may mean either that the
prophets generally had used this

did reign in Judse'a in the room
of his father Her'od, he was
afraid to go thither : notwith
standing, being warned of God
in a dream, he turned aside
into the parts of Gal'ilee : B and
he came^and dwelt in a city
called Naz'areth : that it might
be fulfilled which was spoken

language, or that they had said
what is equivalent to this. The
latter is doubtless the real mean
ing. Many of the prophets had
predicted the lowly life of the Sav
ior, and this is proverbially ex
pressed when he is called a Naz-
arene. Such was the reputation
of Nazareth that even the guile
less Nathaniel, when told that the
Christ had been found, and that
he was of Nazareth of Galilee, ex
claimed, "Can any good thing come
out of Nazareth? (John i. 45,
46.) Matthew says not that he
shall be a Nazarene, but that he
shall be called a Nazarene. It
was the circumstance of his resi
dence in Nazareth that led to his
being called a Nazarene when he
was really a Bethlehemite. It after
ward furnished his enemies with
an opprobrious epithet, and all this
is summed up in the words into
which Matthew condenses the pro
phetic utterances.
Argument op Section 3.
The preceding section furnishes
three more arguments in favor of
the claims of Jesus; First, It proves
that God acknowledged him as the
predicted king of the Jews by mi
raculously guiding the magi ; Second,
it shows, that after having been thus
acknowledged he was miraculously
protected from the machinations of
Herod, as we would expect the
Christ to be; Third, It shows, that
in the place of his birth, in the at
tempt to murder him, in his flight

111.

1,2.]

MATTHEW.

33

by the prophets, He shall be
called a Naz'arene.
III. x In those days came John
the Baptist, preaching in the wil-

into Egypt, and in his residence at
Nazareth, utterances of the prophets
were fulfilled. Such a combination
of miraculous events in the first
year's history of the child goes far
to pro re him to be the Son of God;
and when these events are consid
ered in connection with the argu
ments of the first and second sec;
tions, the proof must appear conclu-

SECTION IV.
John's Ministry and the Baptism
op Jesus, HI.
John in the Wilderness, 1-6; John's
Preaching and the Christ An
nounced, 7-12 ; Jesus Baptized, 13-17.

John in the Wilderness, 1-6. (Mark
i. 1-6; Luke iii. 1-6.)
1. In those days. — These words
connect the events about to be re
lated with those of the preceding
chapter. But those events occurred
during the infancy of Jesus, and
these when he was about thirty
years of age. (See Luke iii. 23.)
Consequently a period of more than
twenty-eight years had intervened,
and we see that Matthew uses the
expression "in those days" very in
definitely. This accords with Mat
thew's general inattention to chro-
\nology. the Baptist — The title Baptist
is given to John, because he was the
originator under God of the ordi
nance of baptism. It is supposed
by many that the ordinance did not
originate with him, but that he
copied it from the Jewish proselyte
baptism. It is doubtful, however,
whether proselyte baptism existed
among the Jews previous to this
time, as it is not mentioned in h'is-

derness of Judse'a, 2 [and] say
ing, Repent ye : for the king-
2 ml Rec. Omitted by Lach., T. S. Green,
Alford.

tory until the third century of the
Christian era. Moreover, it was a
different rite in its form from John's
baptism; for, while John immersed
others, in proselyte baptism the can
didate immersed himself by going
into the water to a convenient depth
and dipping himself under, (boo
Kitto's Cyclopedia and Smith's Dic
tionary.) Such a baptism was by
the law required of all persons who
wore unclean. When the sprink
ling of blood or of the ashes of the
red heifer was required, this bath
ing always followed; and it consti
tuted a part of the process of puri
fication in all other cases. (See
Lev. xiv. 9; Num. xix. 19; 7; 8;
Lev. 15. passim; xvi. 24-28; xvii.
15.) Some twenty distinct cases are
specified in which the law required
this bathing, and ill is to these that
Paul refers when he states that the
law consisted in part of "divers bap
tisms." (Heb. ix. 10.) But the law
required nothing of this kind in the
case of proselytes as a means of ini
tiation; and when the practice of
proselyte baptism was introduced it
was a human appendage to the Jew
ish ritual, just as infant baptism was
to the Christian ritual.
2. Repent ye — The theme of
John's preaching was repentance,
and the chief motive by which ha
enforced the duty of repenting was
the near approach of the kingdom
of. heaven. The latter event served
as a. motive to induce repentance
because only by repentance could
the people be prepared for it. A
people totally indifferent to their vi
olations of the law already given,
would be ill-prepared to receive an
additional revelation. John's theme,
therefore, was well adapted tn his

34

MATTHEW.

[iii. 3-7.

dom of heaven is at hand. 3 For
this is he that was spoken of | by :
through | the prophet Esa'ias, say
ing, The voice of one crying in
the wilderness, Prepare ye the
way of the Lord, make his paths
straight. 4A_nd the same John
had his raiment of camel's hair,
3 in* Rec. Sia Lach., Tisch., T. S. Green,
Alford, Tregelles.

mission as the herald of the coming
kingdom. 3. The voiee. — That John was
certainly the person spoken of by
Isaiah as "the voice crying in the
wilderness," is evident from the
fact that he alone, among all the
great preachers known to history,
chose a wilderness as his place of
preaching. All others, not except
ing Jesus and his apostles, went into
the cities and villages where the
people could be found: John alone
began and ended in the wilderness,
the people going out to him instead
of his going to the people.
Prepare ye the way. — The ob
ject of John's mission was to pre
pare the people for Jesus and for
the subsequent preaching of the
apostles. (See Luke i. 177) Here
this preparation is figuratively rep
resented by the physical prepara
tion of a path by straightening it,
and thus making the journey over it
more rapid and loss laborious.
(Comp. Luke iii. 4, 5.)
4. nis raiment. — John's dress,
a coarse fabric woven from camel's
hair, with a raw hide girdle attached
to it; and his food, consisting of the
Egyptian locust and wild honey,
were so unusual that the Pharisees
saidhehadademon(xi. 18);butnoth-
ing could be more appropriate than
that he whose mission it was to call
men to repentance should himself.
set an example of austere self-denial.
5. went ont to him. — Not-

and a leathern girdle about his
loins; and his meat was locusts
and wild honey. 6Then went
out to him Jeru'salem, and all
Judse'a, and all the region round
about Jor'dan. 6 And were bap
tized of him in Jor'dan, confess
ing their sins.
'But when he saw many of
the Phar'isees and Sad'duceea

withstanding the unfavorable local
ity selected by John, he had no lack
of an audience. The term all, how
ever, is used here according to a
Hebrew idiom by which it is put for
the greater part. This appears from
Matthew's subsequent statement
that the chief priests and elders of
the people- did not accept John's
baptism, and from Luke's statement
that the Pharisees and lawyers, as
a class, rejected it. (xxi. 23-25;
Luke vii. 30.)
6. confessing their sins. — We
have seen (verse 2) that John's
chief theme was repentance, and
here we learn that those baptized by
him confessed their sins. Repent
ance and confession of sins, then,
were the prerequisites to his bap
tism, and these imply faith in what
he preached. The confession must
have been of a very general charac
ter; for the brief duration of John's
ministry, and the vast numbers that
he baptized forbid the supposition
of a detailed confession of all the
sins of each individual.
John's Preaching and the Christ
Announced, 7-12. (Mark i. 7, 8 ;
Luke iii. 7-18.)
7. Pharisees. — The term Phar
isee is derived from a Hebrew word
which means separated. It repre
sents a party among the Jews who
were so called because of their ex
treme care to keep themselves sep-

111.

7-]

MATTHEW.

35

come to his baptism, he said
unto them, O generation of vi-
arated from all persons and things
which were legally unclean. The
sect originated in the early part of
the interval between the close of the
Old Testament history and the birth
of Jesus, but at what exact time is
not now known. The fundamental
peculiarity of their system was be
lief in the traditions of the elders,
which they understood to consist in"
laws and regulations orally trans
mitted from Moses and the proph
ets. On account of the supposition
that these traditions originated with
inspired men, they were regarded
as equal in authority with the writ
ten word. (See xv. 1-9.) The
Pharisees lived abstemiously, be
lieved in the resurrection of the
dead, and had almost unbounded in
fluence with the masses of the peo
ple. For further details in refer
ence to thoir history and doctrine,
see Josephus, Ant. xii. 9: 5; 10: 5;
xviii. 1: 3, 4; Wars. ii. 8: 14;
Smith's Dictionary; and the passages
of the New Testament in which they
are mentioned.
Sadducees. — The Sadducees de
rived their name, according to Jew
ish tradition, from one Zadok, the
founder of their sect. Tt is ingen
iously argued, however, by a writer
in Smith's Dictionary, that this tra
dition is incorrect, and that the
name was taken from that Zadok
who was high priest under Solomon.
His descendants were called "sons
of Zadok" (Ezek. xl. 46; xlviii. 11),
from which expression the term
Zadokites or Sadducees, as it
comes to us through the Greek,
might very readily be formed. They
we're diametrically opposed to the
Pharisees, rejecting the authority
of oral tradition, living a luxurious
life, and denying the resurrection
of the dead and the existence of
angels and spirits. (Matt. xxii. 23;

pers, who hath warned you to
flee from the wrath to come?

Acts xxiii. 8; Josephus, Ant. xviii.
1:4; Wars. ii. 8: 14.)
come to his baptism. — Many
understand these words as meaning
that the Pharisees and Sadducees
came to be baptized by John. His
question, " Who hath warned you
to flee> from the wrath to ctrjic,"
naturally suggests this meaning.
But we are expressly informed that
the Pharisees rejected John's bap
tism (Matt. xxi. 25-27; Luke vii.
30), and the argument whioh John
employs below (verse 9) implies that
they were trusting in the 'fact of be
ing Abraham's children, and that,
consequently, they denied a neces
sity for either the baptism or the
repentance which John preached.
Moreover, the question which he
put to them is susceptible cf an
easy interpretation in harmony
with these facts. Seeing that they
affected to despise John and to ut
terly disregard his warnings, it was
not expected that they would go
near to his place of baptizing ; but
they came, and, by coming, indi
cated that they felt some of the
alarm which had been generally
awakened by his preaching. By
demanding, "Who hath warned you
to flee from the wrath to come?"
John taunts them with the fact
that they were alarmed, and that
his preaching had alarmed them.
Luke's report of this speech repre
sents it as being addressed to " the
multitude" (iii. 7), but Matthew's
more specific language points out
the particular portion of the mul
titude for whom it was intended.
generation of vipers. — More
correctly rendered offspring or
brood of vipers. This expression
emphasizes the guile and malice cf
these men, and shows that they Iir.d
no good motive in coming to tho
baptism.

36

MATTHEW.

[iii. 8-10.

"Bring forth therefore | fruits:
fruit | meet for repentance. 9And
think not to say within your
selves, We have Abraham to
our father : for I say unto you,
that God is able of these stones
8 Kap?rous Rec. KapTftv Lach., Tisch., T.
S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.

8. fruits meet for repent
ance. — In this expression men are
represented as trees, and the change
of conduct brought about by repent
ance as fruit which they should
bring forth. It probably suggested
io John the allegory of ver. 10, below.
9. We have Abraham. — It was
thought by all of the Jews that the
Messiah's kingdom would be a king
dom over the Jews as a nation, and
that all Jews would be citizens of
it. They relied, therefore, for their
admittance into the kingdom, on the
mere fact that they were Abraham's
children. It was this thought which
led Nicodemus, after hearing Jesus
declare that " except a man be born
of water and of the Spirit, he can
not enter into the kingdom of God,"
to exclaim, "How can these things
be?" (John iii. 9.)
of these stones. — The point in
this remark is to show that it is the
mere creative power of God that
makes men children of Abraham,
and that, therefore, there is no spir
itual virtue in the connection.
10. the axe is laid. — Return
ing now to the metaphor of fruit
trees, which he had introduced be
fore (verse 8), John employs a brief
allegory in which his hearers are
compared to trees in an orchard.
An axe lies at the root of every
tree which has not hitherto brought
forth fr.uit, in readiness for the
woodman to out it down if fruit
shall not soon appear. Thus he
insists on the personal responsibil
ity of every man, without regard
to ancestry.

to raise up children unto A'bra-
ham. 10And now [also] the axe
is laid unto the root of the trees :
therefore every tree which bring-
eth not forth good fruit is hewn
down, and cast into the fire. u I
10 ital Rec. Omitted by Lach., Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles, x , b, c, m,
A, etc., Coptic, Sahidic, etc.

11. I indeed. — John advances
from the warning contained in his
allegory to the announcement of
him who would inflict the punish
ment therein indicated. He pre
sents the Coming One, first, as con
trasted with himself in reference to
the baptism he would administer;
and, second, as a judge who would
separate the righteous from the
wicked as a husbandman separates
his wheat from the chaff.
with water. — The Greek prep
osition (iv) here translated with
primarily means in, and should be
so translated in all instances, ex
cept where the context or the na
ture of the case forbids. It must
be admitted by all that there is
nothing in this context to exclude
its ordinary meaning, unless it be
the use of the same preposition with
the terms Holy Spirit and fire. But
the apostles were certainly bap
tized in the Holy Spirit ; * and it is
equally certain that the wicked will
be baptized hi fire. (See below.)
The immediate context, then, in
stead of forbidding the ordinary
sense of the preposition, requires
it. The remoter context has the
same force, for it had just been
said that the people were baptized
by John in the Jordan ; and there
it is impossible to render the prop
osition by with. Baptized " with
the Jordan'' would be absurd.
unto repentance. — The render
ing, "I baptize you unto repent-

* See the author's Commentary on .Vets
ii. 1-1.

iii. 11.]

MATTHEW.

37

indeed baptize you with water
unto repentance : but he that

ance," implies that the baptism
brought them to repentance. But
such is not the fact in the case,
for John required repentance as a
prerequisite to baptism, and it is
rather true that repentance brought
them to baptism. If we adopt
the rendering, " into repentance,"
which is more literal, we are in
volved in a worse difficulty; for, if
baptism did not bring the baptized
unto repentance, it certainly did
not bring them into it. Again, if
to avoid these two difficulties we
suppose the term repentance to be
used by metonymy for the state of
one who has repented, we encoun
ter another difficulty not less se
rious ; for the state of one who has
repented is entered, not by being
baptized, but by repenting. Final
ly, to assume, as some have done,
that the preposition has the sense
of because of, is to seek escape
from a difficulty by attaching to a
word a meaning which it never
bears. The preposition (h;) is
never used to express the idea that
one thing is done because of anoth
er having been done. Neither, in
deed, would it be true that John
baptized persona because of their
repentance; for, while it is true
that repentance did precede the
baptism, it was not because of this
that they were baptized; but bap
tism had its own specific object,
and because of this object it was
administered. The phrase under
consideration has another meaning
which, though somewhat obscure
as regards its connection with the
facts, is very naturally expressed by
the words themselves. The prepo
sition is often expressive of pur
pose, and the phrase may be prop
erly rendered "in order to repent
ance." The baptism was not in
order to the repentance of the

cometh after me is mightier than
I, whose shoes I am not worthy

party baptized. To so understand
it would be to encounter the diffi
culty first mentioned above. But
a baptism which required repent
ance as a prerequisite would have
a tendency to cause those yet un-
baptized to repent, in order that
they might receive the baptism and
enj oy its blessings. Prizes in schools
are given in order to good behavior
and good recitations, although the
good recitations and the good be
havior must precede the recep
tion of the prizes. Promotions in
the army are in order to the en
couragement of obedience and val
or, although these qualities of the
good soldier- must appear before
promotion can take place. In the
same way was John s baptism in
order to repentance. The inesti
mable blessing of remission of sins
being attached to baptism (see Mark
i. 4; Luke iii. 3), the desire to. ob
tain this blessing would prompt
those yet unbaptized to repent, so
that they might be baptized. The
words declare simply that the gen
eral purpose of John's baptism was
to bring the people to repentance.
with the Holy Spirit. — In the
Holy Spirit. (See first note on
this verse.) The prediction here
made that the Coming One would
baptize in the Holy Spirit, began to
be fulfilled on the day of Pentecost.
(Comp. Acts i. 5; ii. 4.) But John
speaks as if the baptism in the Holy
Spirit was to be as general under
Christ as baptism in water was
under his own ministry. Some have
inferred from this that all of the
subjects of Christ's kingdom were
to be baptized in the Holy Spirit;
and another reason for the same
conclusion is the fact that the bap--
tism in the Holy Spirit and that m
fire seem to include all men; tho
latter, all the wicked; the former,

38

MATTHEW.

[iii. 11.

to bear: he shall baptize you

all the righteous. But a prediction
is best understood in the light of
its fulfillment; and it is a fact that
the apostles on Pentecost, and the
household of Cornelius, are the only
persons said in the New Testament
to have received this baptism. (See
Acts i. 5; ii. 4; xi. 15, 16.) True,
others, by imposition of apostolic
hands, received miraculous gifts of
the Spirit, and we would be justifi
able in regarding these as instances
of baptism in the Spirit if they were
precisely like the two so called.
But between these two and all oth
ers there is at least this remarkable
difference, that in these two the
Spirit came directly from Christ
without human intervention, while
in all others it was imparted through
human hands. While the baptism
in the Spirit, then, was actually con
fined to these two groups of persons*
the benefits resulting from it ex
tended to all. The benefit of this
baptism in the house of Cornelius
was the admission of all Gentile
converts into the church on an
equality with the Jews; and the
benefit of that on Pentecost was to
extend the blessed fruits of plenary
inspiration to all disciples, both
Jews and Gentiles. These consid
erations are sufficient to account for
the general terms of John's predic
tion. Some have supposed that the bap
tism in the Spirit is not confined to
those who received miraculous gifts,
but is enjoyed by all who receive
the Holy Spirit at all * This hy
pothesis, which I am not prepared
to adopt, would very satisfactorily
explain John's language.
with fire. — A few eminent com
mentators refer the expression in

* See the recent work of Dr. Robert Rich
ardson, entitled, "The Office of the Holy
Bpirlt.''

with the Holy Ghost, and with

fire to the cloven tongues which sat
upon the apostles when they were
baptized in the Holy Spirit. Alford
affirms, "This was literally fulfilled
on the day of Pentecost; ' and, in
opposition to the more usual inter
pretation which refers it to the final
punishment of the wicked, he says:
"To separate 'the Holy Spirit' as
referring to one set of persons and
'fire' as belonging to another, when
both are united in 'you,' is in the
last degree^ harsh, besides introduc
ing confusion into the whole." As
to the literal fulfillment on Pente
cost, the learned author seems to
have forgotten that it was not literal
fire which sat on the apostles, but
"cloven tongues like as of fire"
(Acts ii. 2); and that, even if these
tongues had been actual fire, their
sitting on the heads of the apostles
could not have constituted a baptism
of the apostles in fire. As regards
the separation of the persons ad
dressed into two parties, we see no
difficulty, for such a division is
clearly indicated in the context. In
the preceding verse John uses the
fruitful trees for good men and the
unfruitful for bad men; and in, the
following verse he uses the wheat
and the chaff in the same way. It
is not at all harsh, then, to under
stand him as keeping up the distinc
tion in the intermediate verse, and
as using the term you to compre
hend both classes. The term you,
indeed, must be understood indef
initely, because the parties he was
addressing had not been baptized,
and he could not say to them in the
strict sense of the pronoun, "I bap
tize you." The term is used indef
initely for the people at large. Fi
nally, in both of the connected sen
tences, the term^Jre is connected with
the fate of the wicked, and used as
thesymbol of punishment. The un
fruitful trees arc to be burned with

iii. 12-16.]

MATTHEW.

39

fire : 12 whose fan is in his hand,
and he will thoroughly purge his
floor, and gather his wheat into
the garner ; but he will burn up
the chaff with unquenchable fire.
13 Then cometh Jesus from
Gal'ilee to Jor'dan unto John,
to be baptized of him. "But
John forbade him, saying, I

fire, and the chaff is to be burned
with, "unquenchable fire;'' it is,
then, "in the last degree harsh" to
understand it differently in this
sentence. It is clearly the wicked
who are to be baptized in fire, and
the fulfillment ofthe prediction will
be realized when they are cast into
the lake of fire. (Rev. xx. 15.)
12. whose fan. — The term render
ed fan (ittvov) means a winnowing
shovel, and is rendered fan because
the modern implement for separat
ing the grain from the chaff is so
called. The ancients, after the grain
was trodden out on the threshing-
floor by oxen, winnowed it by toss
ing it repeatedly into the air with a
large wooden shovel until the wind
blew away all the chaff. This was
called cleaning the floor; that is,
the threshing-floor. The world is
here represented by a threshing-
floor; its mingled population of
saints and sinners, by the chaff and
grain covering the floor; the work
of Christ, by that of a farmer who
cleans up the floor with his winnow
ing shovel; the salvation of the
righteous, by gathering the wheat
into the garner; and the punishment
of the wicked, by burning up the
chaff. Jesus Baptized, 13-17. (Mark i.
9-11; Luke iii. 21, 22.)
13. from Galilee.— The depart
ure of Jesus from Galilee to the Jor
dan for the purpose of being bap
tized by John, is the first voluntary
act of his life recorded by Matthew.

have need .to be baptized of
thee, and comest thou to me?
15 And Jesus answering said
unto him, Sufferer it to be so
now : for thus it becometh us to
fulfill all righteousness. Then
he suffered him. "And Jesus,
when he was baptized, went up
straightway out of the water:

It was the beginning of his publio
career. 14. John forbade him.— John's
objection to baptizing Jesus shows
clearly that he believed him to be
the Coming One whom he had pre
dicted, although he had not wit
nessed the final proof of this fact,
which was the descent of the Holy
Spirit on him after his baptism.
(John i. 33, 34. ) The baptism which
he needed from Jesus was evidently
that in the Holy Spirit.
15. thus it becometh us. — In
his reply Jesus acknowledges some
force in John's objection. By the
term now, " suffer it to bo so now!'
he intimates that the appearance of
inferiority to John was to be but
temporary. The specific reason for
which he submitted to baptism is
then given. Baptism had two as
pects: it was an act in connection
with which remission of sins took
place, and it was an act of obedience
to a positive command of God. In
its latter aspect it was incumbent on
Jesus as a Jew, though he needed
not the promised remission of sins.
If he had neglected it he would have
fallen thus far short of perfect right
eousness, and this defect would have
clung to him to the end of life.
What is true of Jesus in this partic
ular is certainly true of other men;
so that even if we could in our
thoughts divest baptism of its con
nection with remission of sins,
it would still bo an act of obedience
the neglect of which would be a sin.
16. out of the water.— The

40

MATTHEW.

[iii. 16, 17.

and, lo, the heavens, were opened
unto him, and he saw the Spirit
of God descending like a dove,
and lighting upon him: "and

preposition here rendered out of
(djto) means from. It is frequently
used where the motion is out of, e. g.,
Matt. ii. 1; iii. 13; vii. 4; xii. 43;
xiii. 1; xiv. 13, 29; but in such cases
it is from the circumstances and not
from the preposition alone that this
fact is ascertained. It here desig
nates the departure from the water
after he had come out of it, and
should be rendered/rom. In Mark,
according to the corrected Greek
text, we have ix, and the parallel
there is correctly rendered "coming
up out of the water." (Mark i.
he saw the Spirit. — The state
ment that he saw the Spirit descend
ing, which is also the language of
Mark (i. 10), has been taken by some
as implying that the Spirit was in
visible to the multitude. But we
know from John's narrative that it
was also seen by John the Baptist
(John i. 33, 34): and if it was visible
to him and to Jesus, and if it de
scended, as Luke affirms, in a bodily
shape like a dove (Luke iii. 22), it
would have required a miracle to
hide it from the multitude. More
over, the object of the Spirit's visible
appearance was to point Jesus "out,
not to himself, but to others; and to
point him out as the person concern
ing whom the voice from heaven was
uttered. No doubt, then, the Spirit
was visible and the voice audible to
all who were present.
17. a voice from heaven. — The
voice from heaven gave expression
to two distinct thoughts : First, That
Jesus was God's beloved Son; Sec
ond, That in him — that is, in him
as entering now on the work of hu
man redemption — God was well
pleased. It gave a pledge that the

lo a voice from heaven, saying,
This is my beloved Son, in whom
I am well pleased.
IV. 1 Then was Je'sus led up
mediatorial work of Christ would
be accepted on the part of God.
Argument of Section 4.
In this section Matthew presents
two more proofs of the claims of
Jesus. He shows, first, that he was
attested by John, himself a prophet,
as the one mightier than himself,
who should baptize in the Holy
Spirit and in fire — which was equiv
alent to declaring him the Messiah.
Second, he shows that Jesus was
declared both by the Father and
by the Holy Spirit to be the Son
of God — the Father uttering the
words, and the Holy Spirit point
ing out the person. Thus again,
in a single section of his narrative,
our author exhibits both the Messi
ahship and the Sonship of Jesus.

SECTION V.
The Temptation of Jesus, IV. 1-11,
Preparation, 1, 2 ; First Temptation,
3,4; Second Temptation, 5-7; Third
Temptation, 8-11.

Preparation, 1, 2. (Mark i. 12, 13 ;
Luke iv. 1, 2.)
1. led up. — The statement that
Jesus was fed up by the Spirit to
be tempted shows that he was sub
jected to temptation in accordance
with a deliberate purpose, but a
purpose not his own. -Mark uses
the more forcible expression, "the
Spirit driveth him into the wilder
ness." It is an example, then, not
of voluntary entrance into tempta
tion, but of being divinely led into
it for a special divine purpose. The
traditionary supposition that the wil-

iv. 1-4.]

MATTHEW.

41

of the Spirit into the wilderness
to be tempted of the devil. 2 And
when he had fasted forty days
and forty nights, he was after
ward an hungred.

derness into which he was led was
the rugged mountainous region back
of Jericho, is altogether probable.
2. when he had fasted.— The
fast of forty days was intended, at
least in part, to excite the intense
hunger which Satan tried to take
advantage of in the first tempta
tion. That "he was afterward
hungered" implies that his appe
tite was miraculously suspended
during the forty days. There are
twro types of this fast in the Old
Testament — the fast of Moses (Ex.
xxxiv. 28), and that of Elijah (1 Ks.
xix. 1-8).
First Temptation, 3, 4. (Luke iv.
3,4.)
Before we can properly estimate
the temptation of Jesus we must fix
a standard by which to judge of the
force of temptations. All tempta
tion results from the excitement of
some lust- or desire. '(Jas. i. 14.)
The more intense the desire ex
cited, other things being equal, the
greater the temptation. Human ex
perience teaches, also, that, other
things being equal, the more cun
ningly the sinfulness of a wrong
act is disguised, the more easily
are we induced to commit it. Ev
idently, then, the force of a temp
tation is to be estimated by consid
ering the degree of desire excited
and the skill with which the sin
fulness of the proposed act is dis
guised. When these two circum
stances exist in the highest degree
we have the strongest temptation.
3. If thou be the Son of God —
In addition to the desire for food,
resulting from a forty days' fast,
Satan seeks by the words, "If thou
4

8 And wfien the tempter came
to him, he said, If thou be the
Son of God, command that these
stones be made bread. * But he
answered and said, It is written,

be the Son of God," to excite in Je-
bus another desire — that of rebuk
ing the doubt which these words im
ply. It is impossible that a fleshly
appetite more intense could be ex
cited, or one in the gratification of
which we would realize so little sus
picion of evil. A good motive for the
proposed act is suggested, and the sin
fulness of it is so skillfully disguised,
that few persons even to this day
arc able to detect it. It would be
difficult, therefore, if not impossi
ble, to conceive of a stronger temp
tation. It is one which no merely
human being could resist.
4. he answered. — As soon as
the suggestion of Satan was made
the mind of Jesus reverted to' the
Scriptures and rested ou the words
of Moses : " Man shall not live by
bread alone, but by every word that
proceeds out of the mouth of God."
(Deut. viii. 3.) Israel had been led
by God into the wilderness, where
there was no bread; had been
subjected to intense hunger there,
and had then been fed by bread
from heaven. Moses explains that
this was to teach them that "man
shall not live by bread alone, but
by every word that proceeds out of
the mouth of God " — that is, by ev
ery means which God may appoint.
Jesus finds in this a precedent for
himself. He, too, had been led by
God into a wilderness where there
was no bread, and he was now
suffering from consequent hunger.
The duty of Israel is now his duty,
for his circumstances are like theirs.
They sinned by murmuring against
Moses, and by proposing to seek
bread in their own wny — that is,
by returning into Egypt. (Ex. xvi.

42

MATTHEW.

[iv. 5-7.

Man shall not live by bread alone,
but by every word that proceed-
eth out of the mouth of God.
6 Then the devil taketh him up
into the holy city, and setfeth
him on a pinnacle of the tem
ple, 6and saith unto him, If

1-9.) He will commit a similar sin
if, distrustful of God, he seeks to
turn stones into bread. They were
taught to rely upon the God who
had brought them into trouble to
deliver them from it. This, now,
is his duty, and he accepts the
precedent as his guide.
Second Temptation, 5-7. (Luke iv.
9-12.)
5. the devil taketh him. — In
what way the devil removed Jesus
from the wilderness to the temple
is not stated, and it would be vain
to inquire. It is a question of no
practical value.
on a pinnacle. — The word trans
lated pinnacle (ttttpvyiov) means lit
erally a little wing. Its force as an
architectural term does not enable us
to determine what part ofthe temple
is meant. But the context shows
that it was a point so high that a
fall from it would be fatal ; and with
this the south-east corner of the
outer wall around the temple best
coincides. From this point to the
valley of the Kedron below is said
by Josephus to have been about 600
feet. This is doubtless an exagger
ation, but recent explorations nave
proved that the descent was once
much greater than it now is. The
foundations of the wall are nearly
ninety feet below the present sur
face of the ground.*
6. cast thyself down.— This

* See "Our Work in Palestine," a vol
ume put forth by the Committee of the
Palestine Exploration Fund in Great Brit
ain, pp. 119, l'JO.

thou be the son of God, cast
thyself down : for it is written,
He shall give his angels charge
concerning thee : and in their
hands they shall bear thee up,
lest at any time thou dash thy
foot against a stone. 'Je'sus

temptation, like the first, was ad
dressed to the feeling uppermost
in the mind of Jesus. While gaz
ing down from a dizzy height the
idea of a fall and its consequences
instinctively possessed him. The
suggestion of the tempter is Sup
ported by the written promise of
God that Jesus shall not be allowed
even to strike his foot against a
stone, much less to be dashed to
pieces by a fall like this. No in
jury, then, can result from the at
tempt if he is the Son of God; and
this if, as in the former instance,
contributed to the force ofthe temp
tation. Moreover, some good might
result from the act. It would show
how completely he trusted in the
promise of God, and it would con
vince the Jews that he was under
special; divine protection. Every
consideration seemed to be in fa
vor of making the leap except the
fear of personal injury, and this
consideration must be rejected as
indicating distrust of God.
7. Jesus said. — Jesus parried
this stroke of the adversary, not,
as some have since done for him,
by objecting to the accuracy of
Satan' s quotation ; nor by denying
that the promise referred to him
self ; nor by making a subtle dis
tinction in reference to the "ways"
mentioned in the quotation; but
by remembering that the promiso
quoted is modified by the precept,
"Thou shalt not' tempt the Lord thy
God." The word rendered tempt
(rt£tpo<ju) means to put to proof,
whether for a good or a bad pur
pose. When used with reference

8-10.]

MATTHEW.

43

said unto him, It is written
again, Thou shalt not tempt
the Lord thy God.
8 Again, the devil taketh him up
into an exceeding high mountain,
and sheweth him all the king
doms of the world, and the
to enticement to sin it is properly
rendered tempt ; but when it refers
to God putting men to proof, or
men putting God to proof, test is
the best rendering. The answer
of Jesus is as if he had said:
True, these words are written;
they are applicable to me and to
all good men, and they will be ful
filled in their season; but to throw
one's self into unnecessary danger
because of these words would be
merely testing God in reference to
his promise, and this we are for
bidden to do.
Third Temptation, 8-11. (Luke iv.
5-8.)
8. sheweth him all the king
doms. — If all the kingdoms of the
world and the glory, of them were
presented visibly to Jesus, Satan
must have exerted supernatural
power ; if they were presented only
to his mental vision, it might have
been accomplished by a vivid de
scription such as Satan is capable
of, aided by the excited imagination
of Jesu8 as he looked abroad from
the top of the " exceeding high
mountain." Which of these meth
ods was adopted the text does not
determine. 9. will I give thee— Satan's
promise to give Jesus the kingdom,
when considered in connection with
the capacities of Jesus himself, in
volves no very arrogant assumption
of power. The promise implied, of
course, that Jesus must unite his
own efforts with Satan's in seeking
to obtain the prize ; and it is quite
certain that if he had consented,

glory of them ; * and saith un
to him, All these things will I
give thee, if thou wilt fall down
and worship me. "Then saith
Jesus unto him, Get thee hence,
Satan : for it is written, Thou
shalt worship the Lord thy God,

and had not by this consent lost the
power and wisdom which belonged
to him, he could have attained in a
short time to universal dominion.
The expectation of the Jews that
their Messiah would assume this
very position, and a vague expec
tation which pervaded the most in
telligent nations of the heathen
world, that some great hero and
conqueror was about to appear,
would have been ready instruments
in Satan's hands for fulfilling his
promise. For success in this, the final
struggle, Satan depended solely on
the intensity of the desire which
he expected to excite. With no
attempt to disguise the sin, there
was a bold offer of the grandest
prize which had ever dazzled the
eves of ambition. The doubting
if—" if thou art the Son of God "—
is also omitted, for it would have
militated against the purpose of the
tempter to remind Jesus of his Son-
ship in the very act of enticing him
to worship Satan.
10. Then saith Jesus. — Satan
estimated bo highly the force of this
temptation that he relied on it for
overcoming one who had resisted
all of his previous efforts. It was,
in his own estimation, the most
powerful temptation which he could
employ; but so void of ambition
was the spirit of Jesus that it ex
cited in him only disgust. "Get
thee hence, Satan," is his first ex
clamation; and the next, the well
remembered command, "Thou shalt
worship the Lord thy God, and him
only shalt thcu serve."

44

MATTHEW.

[iv. 11.

and him only shalt thou serve.

. 11. the devil leaveth him. —
Satan now leaves Jesus— "for a sea
son," as Luke adds — because he had
exhausted bis power. The Apostle
John distributes the lusts through
which we may be tempted into
three classes, viz : The lust of the
flesh, the lust of the eye, and the
pride of life. (1 John ii. 16.) Of
all the lusts of the flesh, the one
most usually gratified without sin,
and the one most imperative in its
demands, is hunger. Satan had
tried Jesus by means of this under
circumstances the most favorable to
success, and had failed. His next
appeal was to the lust of the eye,
or the love of display. To this pas
sion he could not hope to address
himself more plausibly then he had
on the pinnacle of the temple. To
"the pride of life," or worldly am
bition, he had just made the strong
est appeal in the bounds of possibil
ity, and had met with worse than
defeat. Having, then, addressed to
each class of lusts the temptation
best of all calculated to succeed, he
retires, baffled and disappointed, to
devise some new and different mode
of attack. We shall find him here
after returning to the conflict in the
Eersons of hostile Pharisees and un-
tithful disciples.
angels came. — It seems that the
hunger which was tormenting Jesus
at the beginning of his temptation
was not yet appeased. As soon as
Satan left him, angels came and
ministered to him, supplying his
physical wants. The suffering pre
ceded the refreshment; the strug
gle with Satan preceded the enjoy
ment of angel company. So with
his followers. The coming of the
angels also completed the parallel
between himself and Israel in the
wilderness. As they learned by the
falling of the manna that man shall
not live by bread alone, so he, ad-

11 Then the devil leaveth him,
hering to the same lesson, was fed
at last, not by turning stones into
bread, but by receiving bread from
the hands of angels. At the same
time the promise, " He will give his
angels charge concerning thee,"
which had been quoted by Satan
in tempting him, is now fulfilled
to him, and this without putting
God to the test in reference to it.
Argument of Section 5.
In this section Jesus is presented
as overcoming temptations by which
all merely human beings have been
overcome. The unexpressed con
clusion is, that Jesus must be more
than human. The story of his temp
tation is an argument for his divin
ity. But besides this, Matthew accom
plishes two other important pur
poses in this section. He exhibits
first the skill of Satan. -This is seen
both in his perfect adaptation of
each proposal to the feeling which
was at the moment uppermost, or
supposed to be uppermost, in the
mind of Jesus ; and in the selection
for this attempt of him on whose
resistance depended the salvation
of the world. Twice has the des
tiny of the world been suspended
on the action of a single person,
and each of these was made an ob
ject of especial temptation by our
cunning adversary. The first Adam
fell, and the race fell with him. The
second Adam defeated Satan and re
deemed the race from the effects of
the fall. Secondly, our author shows
us in this section how Satan can be
resisted. Jesus achieved his victory
by familiarity with the word of God,
coupled with unhesitating accept
ance of even the slightest indica
tions of God's will. No man can
resist, as he did, without his rever
ence for God's will and his acquaint
ance with God's word. As we tip-

11.]

MATTHEW.

45

and, behold, angels came and

proach him in these two particulars
we will approach him in his perfect
resistance to the temptations of the
devil. Historical Character of Section 5.
In discussing the foregoing sec
tion I have purposely omitted the
questions, whether Satan appeared
visibly and spoke audibly to Jesus,
whether any part of the account is
merely symbolical, and many other
questions more curious than profit
able which have been discussed by
other writers. For a brief state
ment of these questions, the various
theories to which they have given
rise, and the various works in which
these theories are defended, see
Lange (Commentary on Matthew
iv. 3), who is not himself free from
the supposition that the account is
partly symbolical. It must be ad
mitted by every candid reader that
Matthew supposed himself, through
out this account, to be describing a
real transaction precisely as it oc
curred. It is evident also, from the
nature of the case, that he must
have obtained his conception of the
facts from an account given by Je
sus himself. If, then, the account
is not to be understood literally,

ministered unto him.

Matthew was deceived, and Jesus
deceived him. The deception, too,
is one that remained after the plen
ary inspiration of the apostles had
taken, place, and was not one of
those misconceptions of the Mas
ter's words which characterized the
disciples during his personal minis
try, and passed away when they
became fully inspired. Any hy
pothesis which involves such con
sequences has in it the seeds of in
fidelity, and must be rejected by all
who believe in the inspiration of
the apostles. If Matthew is to bo
credited in reference to other events
of which he was not an eye-witness,
he is to be credited in reference to
this. And, after all, if we admit
any thing at all supernatural in the
career of Jesus, there is no difficulty
in admitting the reality of this en
tire account. The absurdities and
contradictions in which the ablest
men are involved when they deny
the reality of the account, and in
vent hypotheses of their own con
cerning the transaction, can be seen
by the reader if he will but glance
over Lange's note above referred
to; and they constitute no mean
proof of the wisdom of those who
humbly and unquestioningly accept
the inspired narrative as we find it.

PART SECOND.
MINISTRY OF JESUS IN GALILEE.

CHAPTERS IV. 12— XVIII. 35.

" Now when [Je'sus] had heard
that John was cast into prison,
he departed into Gal'ilee ; 1S and
leaving Naz'areth, he came and
126 "IifiroCs Rec. Omitted by Tisch., T.
S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.

SECTION I.
Introductory Statements.
Kemoval to Galilee, and Theme of his
Pi'eaching, 12-17; Call of the Fishei*-
jnen, 18-22; General Circuit of Gali
lee, 23-25.

Removal to Oalilee and Theme of
his Preaching, 12-17. (Mark i.
14, 15; Luke iv. 14-32; John
iv-,) 12. when Jesus had heard. —
The text here introduces the re
moval of Jesus into Galilee next
after the account of his temptation,
and fixes the time of it as immedi
ately after Jesus heard of John's
imprisonment. We are not to infer,
however, that the imprisonment of
John and the removal of Jesus oc
curred immediately after the temp
tation; for John's narrative clearly
shows that all of the events of his
first three chapters occurred in the
interval, and that the events of his
fourth chapter occurred on the
journey into Galilee, which is here
mentioned. In other words, if the
first three chapters of John were to
be inserted chronologically in Mat
thew's narrative, they would come
in between the eleventh and twelfth
verses of the fourth chapter of Mat-
(46)

dwelt in Caper'naum, which is
upon the sea coast, in the bord
ers of Zab'ulon and Neph'thalim :
"that it might be fulfilled which
was spoken by Esa'ias the
prophet, saying, 15The land of

thew. (See John i. 29, 32; iv. 1-4,
43.) 13. and leaving Nazareth.—
The remark about leaving Nazareth
implies that Jesus, on returning into
Galilee, first came to Nazareth, but
that, for some reason not given by
Matthew, he changed his place of
residence. The reason is given by
Luke in iv. 16-31 ; a passage in
Luke, ' which, notwithstanding the
opinions of -some eminent writers, I
am constrained to regard as parallel
to this. Capernaum, the place to
which Jesus now removes, was the
most important city in Galilee, and
was situated on the north-western
shore ofthe lake of Galilee. Scarcely
a vestige of it can now be found.
14, 15. beyond Jordan.— The
lands of Zebulon and Naphthali.iiere
described as "beyond Jordan," were
west of the Jordan, and Isaiaii, who
wrote these words in Jerusalem, was
on the same side of the river. The
expression " beyond Jordan," there
fore, has not here its usual sense of
on the other side of Jordan, but
must mean beyond the source of the
Jordan. The southern end of the
lake of Galilee was the immediate
source of tho lower Jordan, and a
Sart of Zebulon and the whole of
Fnphthali were beyond this point.

iv. 16-22.]

MATTHEW.

47

Zab'ulon, and the land of Neph'-
thalim, by the way of the sea,
beyond Jor'dan, Gal'ilee of the
Gen' tiles ; 16 the people which sat
in darkness saw great light ; and
to them which sat in the region
and shadow of death light is
sprung up. "From that time
Je/susbegan__to preach, and to
sayT~Eepent : for the kingdom
of heaven is at hand.
18 And [Je'sus] walking by the
sea of Gal'ilee, saw two brethren,

18 o 'Iijo-oBj Sec. Omitted by Lach.
Tisch., T, S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.

Galilee of the Gentiles. — The
name Galilee was originally confined
to a small district in the tribe of
Naphthali. (Josh. xx. 7.) In the
days of Solomon it included twenty
insignificant cities. (1 Kings ix.
11-13.) It was afterward extended
until it included all the lands of
Naphthali, Asher, Zebulon, and
Issachar. It was called by tiie
prophet "Galilee of the Gentiles,"
because in his day the population
was largely intermixed with Gen
tiles and corrupted by Gentile
habits.- 16. saw great light.— A great
light springing up in a dark place
might fitly represent any great
teacher or reformer; but the light
here predicted by the prophet is lo
cated in the very land whieh wit
nessed the chief part of the ministry
of Jesus, and here no great light but
Jesus ever appeared. The enemies
of Jesus themselves declared that
"out of Galilee ariseth no prophet."
(John vii. 52.) It is certam, then,
that Isaiah's prediction was fulfilled,
as Matthew affirms, in Jesus.
17. Repent: for the kingdom.
— The theme of Jesus in the begin
ning was the same as that of John.
He never ceased to preach repent-

Si'mon called Pe'ter, and An'-
drew his brother, casting a net
into the sea : for they were fish
ers. "And he saith unto them,
Follow me, and I will make you
fishers of men. 20And they
straightway left their nets, and
followed him. 2IAnd going on
from thence, he saw other two
brethren, James the son of Zeb'-
edee, and John his brother, in a
ship with Zeb'edee their father,
mending their nets; and he
called them. 22And they im
mediately left the ship and their
father, and followed him.

ance, and to enforce it by announc
ing the speedy approach of his king
dom; though, in his later ministry,
other subjects became more prom
inent. As we have remarked before
in speaking of John's preaching,
this was the theme best calculated
to prepare the people for the recep
tion of the kingdom when it shculd
be preached by the apostles. (See ,
note on iii. 2.)
'Call of the Fishermen, 1.8-22.
1 (Mark i. 16-20; Luke v. 4-11.)

.20, 22. and followed him.—
Matthew's narrative furnishes no
sufficient reason why these four men
so promptly followed Jesus at his
call. True, it would be naturaUy
inferred that they knew more of him
than the narrative declares, but we
are dependent on the other gospels
for the details. We learn ircm
John's first four chapters that Peter
and Andrew' at least had been his
disciples for a considerable length
of time; and from Luke, that they
had witnessed some startling mira
cles just previous to their call.
(Luke v. 1-11.) This was their call
not to be his disciples, but to be his
constant companions. Their call to

43

MATTHEW.

[iv. 23-25.

!3And [Je'sus] went about all
Gal'ilee, teaching in their syna
gogues, and preaching the gospel
of the kingdom, and healing all
manner of sickness and all man
ner of disease among the people.
24And his fame went throughout
all Syr'ia: and they brought
unto him all sick people that
were taken with divers diseases
/
23 6 'Itjaovs Rec. Omitted by Lach.,
Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford.

be apostles was at a still later pe
riod. (See Luke vi. 12-13.)
General Circuit of Galilee, 23-25.
(Mark i. 35-39; Luke iv. 42-44.)
23. went about all Galilee.—
This paragraph contains a general
statement of the journeying and la
bors of Jesus in Galilee, the details of
which are given in subsequent chap
ters. It shows that in the course of
these journeyings he visited every
part of Galilee.
in their synagogues. — The
synagogues were buildings erected
for a species of public instruction
which had originated since the close
of Old Testament history. It arose
from a felt necessity for a more gen
eral knowledge of the law, and for
such admonitions and exhortations
as would lead to a better observance
of it. The synagogues furnished
Jesus, and the apostles after him,
with a suitable place for public
teaching on the Sabbath, and with a
ready congregation. In them the
law and the prophets were publicly
read in such portions as to include
the whole of the Old Testament in
the course of the year. After the
reading, comments were made, and
exhortations delivered. A body of
rulers, usually called elders, pre
sided over each synagogue, and a
discipline was enforced which some-

and torments, [and] those which
were possessed with devils, and
those which were lunatic, and
those that had the palsy ; and he
healed them. 25And there fol
lowed him great multitudes of
people from Gal'ilee, and from
Decap'olis, and from Jeru'salem,
and from Judse'a, and from be
yond Jor'dan.
Sinai Rec. Omitted by Lach., T. S.
Green, Alford, Tregelles.

times resulted in expulsion, and
sometimes in the use of the scourge.
(See x. 17; Luke iv. 16-20; John ix.
22; xii. 42; Acts xiii. 14-16.)
24, 25. And his fame went.—
In these two verses we have a sum
mary of the miracles wrought by
Jesus, and of the regions whence
the afflicted were brought to him, and
whence the multitudes came who
flocked around him. Syria was the
country lying next north of Galilee.
Decapolis lay south-east of the lake
of Galilee, and was so called because
it included ten cities and their sub
urbs. "Beyond Jordan" means
the region east of the Jordan called
by the Greeks and Romans Perea.
Argument of Section 1.
The facts of this section furnish
another argument in favor of the
claims of Jesus. They show that
his dwelling-place was that in which
the prophet Isaiah had predicted the
appearance of a great light, and that
he was such a light; that he was so
great a light that some men left all
things to follow him, and that mul
titudes came from all surrounding
regions to receive his- blessing and
to enjoy his instruction. No clearer
proof could be given that he was the
great light whose rising was pre
dicted by the prophet.

1-6.]

MATTHEW.

49

V. 'And seeing the multi
tudes, he went up mto a moun
tain: and when he was set, his
disciples came unto him : 2And
he opened his mouth, and taught
them, saying,
3 Blessed are the poor in spirit :
for their's is the kingdom of
heaven.

SECTION H.
Christ's Disciples and His Moral
Law, V.
SEKMON ON THE MOUNT.
The Beatitudes, 1-12; Relation ofthe
Disci pies to the World, 13-16 ; General
Statement about the Law of Moses,
17-20: The Law against Murder,21-26 ;
The Law against Adultery, 27-30 ; The
Law of Divorce, 31, 32 ; The Law of
Oaths, 33-37 ; The Law of Retaliation,
88-42 ; The Law of Love, 43-48.

The Beatitudes* 1-12.
1. when he was set. — Through
out the ministry of Jesus we find a
remarkable absence of action and
attitude in the delivery of his public
addresses. The apostles were not
regardless of these aids to oratory,
but Jesus usual!y delivered his ad
dresses, as on the present occasion,
in a sitting posture. (Comp. Luke
iv. 20; v. 3.)
2. the poor in spirit.— By the
poor in spirit are meant those who
are sensible of spiritual destitution,
and who long for a better spiritual
state. The kingdom of heaven is
theirs because they are the class who
seek it, and who, when once ad
mitted, abide in it.
5. the meek. — Meekness is op
posed to arrogance. The arrogant
grasp after dominion and power;
but the meek will inherit the earth.

6 Blessed are the meek: for
they shall inherit the earth.
* Blessed are they that mourn :
for they shall be comforted.
6 Blessed are they which do
bunger and thirst after righteous
ness : for they shall be filled.
4 and 5 transposed. Laeh., Tisch., T. S.
Green, Tregelles.

* So called from tcatus, the word in the
Latin version for blessed.
5

They will inherit it in two ways:
First, they shall enjoy it morn
fully while in it; Second, they shall
finally, in the membership ef a tri
umphant church, have possession
and control of it. Possibly, the
Savior also alludes to the final pos
session by the saints of the new
earth. 4. they that mourn.— Not all
that mourn — for " the sorrow of the
world worketh death" (2 Cor. vii.
10) — but those who mourn in ref
erence to sin. " They shall be com
forted" because now there is an
ample provision made for pardon.
Perhaps we should also include in
the reference those righteous per
sons who mourn over the follies
and perversities of men, and who
sigh under the bereavements of
lite; they shall be comforted aa
Lazarus was when received into
Abraham's bosom.
6. hunger and thirst.— Hunger
and thirst being our most imperious
appetites, to " hunger and thirst af
ter righteousness' is to feel the
most intense desire to obtain it.
Under a heathen religion, and even
under Judaism, such a desire could
not be fully satisfied; but under the
rich provisions of the kingdom of
Christ it may be ; and -the promise
is that it shall be. (Comp. Horn.
viii. 3, 4; Heb. vii. 11, 19, 25.) The
promise is realized in part by the
actual attainment of a higher de
gree of righteous living, and in
part by the perfect forgiveness of
our sins.

50

MATTHEW.

[v. 7-12.

7 Blessed are the merciful : for
they shall obtain mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart :
for they shall see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers :
for they shall be called the chil
dren of God.
10 Blessed are they which are
persecuted for righteousness'
sake : for their's is the kingdom
of heaven.

7. the merciful. — Mercy, strict
ly defined, has reference to the for
giveness of offenses; and in this it
is . distinguished from pity. The
merciful are blessed because they
shall obtain mercy ; that is, as they
are merciful to others, God will be
merciful to them. (Comp. vi. 14,
15.) 8. the pure in heart. — Purity
of heart is freedom from evil de
sires and purposes. All human
purity is only comparative, but it
may exist in a very eminent de-
§:ee. The pure in heart shall see
od by faith, as a source of enjoy
ment on earth, and shall see him
face to face in heaven. (Comp. 1
John iii. 2.)
9. the peacemakers. — No par
ticular class of peacemakers is des
ignated. The term includes all who
make peace between men, whether
as individuals or as communities.
It includes even those who worthi
ly endeavor to make peace though
they fail of success. They shall be
"called the children of God," be
cause they are like God, whose su
preme purpose it is to secure "peace
on earth and good-will among men."
(Luke ii. 14.)
10. persecuted for righteous
ness.— To be persecuted for right
eousness' sake is to be persecuted,
not merely because you are right
eous, but because of righteous acts
which are offensive to the persecu-

11 Blessed are ye, when men
shall revile you, and persecute
you, and shall say all manner
of evil against you [falsely] for
my sake. 12 Rejoice, and be ex
ceeding glad: for great is your
reward in heaven : for so perse
cuted they -the prophets which
were before you.
11 ¥euS<>>evot Rec. Omitted by Lach., T.
S. Green, D, b, c, etc., Origen, Tertullian,
etc.
tors. In the lips of the persecutor
himself his severe dealing is always
because of some wrong with which
he charges you. It is when the
thing charged as wrong is actually
right that the persecution is for
righteousness' sake. The kingdom
of heaven belongs to those thus
persecuted, because it is the right
eousness required by the laws of
that kingdom which causes the per
secution, and because, on the other
hand, the persecution binds the
persecuted still more closely to the
kingdom for which they suffer.
11, 12. revile you. — This beati
tude is chiefly an amplification of
the preceding. Here we have per
secution mentioned again, which
refers to suffering in property and
person, and, in addition to it, the
reviling and evil speaking by which
one suffers in reputation. We are
to " rejoice and be exceeding glad"
under this annoyance for the two
reasons, that our reward is great in
heaven, and that such suffering puts
ua into companionship with the he
roic prophets of the olden time. To
be of that goodly company is a great
reward on earth; while the prom
ised reward in heaven exceeds all
conception. In requiring us to re
joice and be glad under such cir
cumstances, Jesus makes a heavy
draft on our capability ; but it is a
draft in the direction of our own hap
piness, and one to which some mon

v. 13, 14.]

MATTHEW.

51

13 Ye are the salt of the earth :
but if the salt have lost his savor,
wherewith shall it be salted ? it
is thenceforth good for nothing,

have been able to respond. (See
Acts v. 41.)
General Remarks on the Beati
tudes.
The reader should observe that
the first seven of these beatitudes
have reference to traits of character
or states of mind, viz : poverty of
spirit, meekness, mourning for sin,
desire for righteousness, merciful
ness, purity of heart, peacemaking;
while the last two have reference to
external circumstances.
It should also be observed that
most of them are paradoxical. The
world's conception of the man who
is superlatively blessed has always
been the reverse of what is here
taught. The doctrine was new and
strange, not only to the heathen
world, but even to the most culti
vated students of the Mosaic law;
yet those who have received the
fullness of grace that is in Christ,
have learned to realize the unques
tionable truth of all these maxims.
We are not to understand that a
man who possesses any one of the
enumerated traits of character, and
is void of the others, will enjoy the
corresponding blessing; that, for
example, the peacemaker shall be
called a child of God, though nei
ther merciful nor pure in heart;
but, rather, that the seven specifi
cations are to be found in a single
person — thus making up the per
fect character who shall receive in
their fullness all of the specified
blessings. It is impossible to imag
ine a character more admirable.
On the other hand, if we imagine
a man the opposite of all thw —
proud in spirit, arrogant in de
meanor, taking pleasure in sin, de

but to be cast out, and to be trod
den under foot of men. 14Ye
are the light of the world. A
city that is set on an hill can not

spising righteousness, unmerciful,
foul at heart, and a disturber of
the peace — we have the utmost ex
treme of the cursedness to which
sin can bring down a human being.
Relation ofthe Disciples io the
World, 13-16.
13. salt of the earth. — Salt be
ing chiefly used to preserve animal
flesh, the metaphor here employed
means that the disciples sustain a
similar relation to human society — ¦
the physical earth being put by me
tonymy for its inhabitants. They
keep back the world from that com
plete moral corruption which would
require its destruction. There was
not salt enough in the antediluvian
world, nor in the city of Sodom,
nor in the tribes of Canaan, to save
them. if the salt have lost. — In the
expression, "if the salt have lost its
savor," the reference is to the per
sons represented by salt. If they
have lost the qualities which make
them the salt of the earth, where
with, it is demanded, shall the earth
be salted ? They are then good for
nothing, as salt would be if it had
no saltness.
14. the light of the world. — As
light dispels darkness from the
world, and enables men to see how
to journey and labor, so the disci
ples, by their good works, their
teaching, and their example, dispel
ignorance and prejudice, and ena
ble men to see the way of eternal
life. In this way they are the light
of the world.
city set on a hill. — There is
here a tacit comparison of the dis
ciples as a body to a city situated
on a hill^-the point of comparison

52

MATTHEW.

[v. 15-18.

be hid. I5 Neither do men light
a candle, and put it under a
bushel, but on a candlestick;
and it giveth light unto all that
are in the house. 16 Let. your
light so shine before men, that
they may see your good works,

being the fact that it can not be
hid. The Church has ever occu-
Eied such a position. Neither her
eautiea nor her blemishes can be
concealed. Her constant aim should
be to present as few as possible of
the one, and as many as possible of
the other.
15. a candle. — Properly, a lamp.
Candles were not known till after
the time of Christ. Having indi
cated by the symbol of a city on a
hill the prominent position of the
Church, Jesus now gives the reason
why it was to be placed in such a
position. Being intended as the
light of the world, it is placed, like
a lamp on the lamp-stand, in a po
sition whence its light may shine
abroad. w
under a bushel, — The original
word here rendered bushel (//.oSios)
is the name of a measure which held
about a peck. Instead of the incor
rect rendering, bushel, it would have
been better to use the generic term
measure. 16. Let your light so shine. —
No ostentatious display of piety or
righteousness is here enjoined, but
the natural and unavoidable force
of a good example, and the intend
ed influence of our actions on the
world. We are to studiously pur
sue such a line of conduct in the
presence of the world as will in
duce them to glorify God.
General Statement about the Law,
17-20.
17. Think not. — The remark,
"Think not that I am come to. de
stroy the law or the prophets," is

and glorify your Father which
is in heaven.
17 Think not that I am come to
destroy the law, or the prophets :
I am not come to destroy, but to
fulfill. 18 For verily I say unto you,
Till heaven and earth pass, one

prefatory to what follows in this
section of the sermon, and it was
intended to prevent a misconstruc
tion of some things about to be said
in apparent opposition to the law.
destroy the law. — The term de
stroy is here used in antithesis, not
with perpetuate, but with fulfill.
To destroy the law would be more
than to abrogate it, for it was both
a system of statutes designed for
the ends of government, and a
system of types foreshadowing the
kingdom of Christ. To destroy it,
therefore, would be both to abro
gate its statutes and to prevent the
fulfillment of its types. The for
mer Jesus eventually did; the lat
ter he did not. As regards the
prophets, the only way to destroy
them would be to prevent the ful
fillment of the predictions con
tained in them. Instead of com
ing to destroy either the law or
the prophets, Jesus came to fulfill
all the types of the former and all
the unfulfilled predictions of the
latter. He fulfilled them partly in
his own person, and partly by his
administration of the affairs of his
kingdom. The latter part of the
process is still going on, and will
be until the end of the world. Je
sus also fulfilled the law in the
sense of maintaining sinless obe
dience to it; but this is not the
fulfillment to which the text re
fers. 18. one jot or tittle. — The words
jot and tittle, both of which mean
something very small, represent, in
the original, yod, the smallest letter
in the Hebrew alphabet ; or iota, the

v. 19-22.]

MATTHEW.

53

jot or one tittle shall in nowise
pass from the law, till all be ful
filled. u Whosoever therefore
shall break one of these least
commandments, and shall teach
men so, he shall be called the
least in the kingdom of heaven :
but whosoever shall do and teach
them, tne same shall be called
great in the kingdom of heaven.
20 For I say unto you, That
except your righteousness shall
exceed the righteousness of the

smallest in the Greek alphabet; and
keraia, a turn in the stroke of the
pen, by which some letters were dis
tinguished from others. That not
a jot or tittle was to pass from the
law until all was fulfilled, means that
the law should remain in full force
until the fulfillment above described.
19. least in the kingdom. —
The man who would break what
he considered the small command
ments of God, under one dispensa
tion, would be proportionately dis
obedient under a better dispensa
tion; for habits of disobedience once
formed are not easily laid aside.
For this reason obedience or diso
bedience while under the law was
an index to what a man would be
under Christ. The text shows that
the relative greatness of persons in
the kingdom of heaven is measured
by their conscientiousness in refer
ence to the least commandments.
To the great commandments, as
men classify them, even very small
Christians may be obedient ; but it
requires the most tender conscience
to be always scrupulous about the
least commandments.
20. righteousness of scribes
and Pharisees.— The scribes and
Pharisees were models of right
eousness, both in their own esti
mation and in that of the people.
When the disciples were told, there-

scribes and Pharisees, ye shall
in no case enter into the king
dom of heaven.
21 Ye have heard that it was
said by them of old time, Thou
shalt not kill ; and whosoever
shall kill shall be in danger of
the judgment : 22 but I say unto
you, That whosover is angry with
his brother [without a cause] shall
22 eiitij Rec. Omitted by Lach., Tisch.,
T. S. Green, X, B, 48, 19b, Vulgate, JEXhx-
opic, etc.

fore, that unless their own right
eousness should excel that of the
scribes and Pharisees, they would
not be admitted into the kingdom,
it gave them a lofty conception of
the righteousness which would be
required.- The disciples here ad
dressed were those who, when tho
kingdom was first set up, were its
citizens. The righteousness in ques
tion was to be attained by them be
fore entering the kingdom; but such
would not necessarily be the case
with candidates for admission sub
sequent to that time. Still, the text
indicates that all within the kingdom
shall attain to such righteousness as
a condition of remaining in it.
The Law against Murder, 21-26.
21. said by them of old time.—
The reference is to the sixth com
mandment. It was said to them of
old time, rather than by them. To
them is a better rendering, both here
and in, verses 27 and 33 below.
danger of the judgment.— Not
the final judgment of the world, but
the tribunal established by the law
of Moses in each city for the trial
of murderers and other criminals.
(See Deut. xvi. 18.) Every man-
slayer was tried before this tribu
nal, and either put to death or con
fined in the city of refuge.
22. whosoever is angry. — Je.

54

MATTHEW.

[v. 23, 24.

be in danger of the judgment : and
whosoever shall say to his broth
er, Ea'ca, shall be in danger of
the council : but whosoever shall
say, Thou fool, shall be in dan
ger of hell fire. ffl Therefore if

sus goes back of the murderous act,
and forbids the anger and the re
proachful words which always pre
cede it and are likely to lead to it.
The council mentioned is the su
preme court provided for by the
law of Moses (Deut. xvii. 8-13), and
represented in the days of Jesus by
the Sanhedrim. The difference be-
between it and "the judgment" was,
not that it could inflict penalties
which the judgment could not — for
either could inflict the death pen
alty — but that the council was the
more august tribunal, and the more
dreaded. The thought is, that to
call a brother raca (empty) was a
more fearful sin than to be angry
with him. The reader will observe
that the words "without a cause"
are omitted from the Greek text on
very high authority.
in danger of hell fire. — Here
the climax is reached — the climax
of sin in saying "Thou fool," and
the. climax of punishment in hell
fire. Jesus here passes entirely
away from the reference to Jewish
courta and punishments, and speaks
of the final punishment of the wick
ed. The valley of Hinnom was a
deep, narrow valley south-east of
Jerusalem, and lying immediately
to the south of Mount Zion. The
Greek word gehenna is first found
applied to it in the Septuagint trans
lation of Josh, xviii. 16. (For the
history of the valley see the follow
ing passages of Scripture : Josh. xv.
8 ; 2 Chron. xxviii. 3 ; xxxiii. 6 ; Jer.
vii. 31; xix. 1-5; 2 Ks. xxiii. 10-14;
2 Chron. xxxiv. 4, 5.) The only fire
certainly known to have been kin
dled there was the fire in which

thou bring thy gift to the altar,
and there rememberest that thy
brother hath ought against thee ;
^ leave there thy gift before -the
altar, and go thy way ; first be
reconciled to thy brother, and
children were sacrificed to the god
Moloch. This worship was entirely
destroyed by King Josiah, wh j pol
luted the entire valley, so as to make
it an unfit place for even heathen
worship. There is not the slightest
authentic evidence that in the days
of Jesus any fire was kept burning
there ; nor is there any evidence at all
that casting a criminal into fire there
was ever employed by the Jews as a
punishment. It was the fire of idol
atrous worship in the offering of hu
man sacrifice which had given the
valley its bad notoriety. This caused
it to be associated in the mind of the
Jews with sin and suffering, and led
to the application of its name, in the
Greek form of it, to the place of final
and eternal punishment. When the
conception of such a place was
formed it was necessary to give it a
name, and there was no word in the
Jewish language more appropriate
for the purpose than the name of
this hideous valley.
23, 24. leave there thy gift.—
Having forbidden anger and evil
speech toward a brother, Jesus here
teaches the proper course to be pur
sued when we have committed an
offense, and a brother has something
against us. The offender is com
manded to go and be reconciled to
his brother, by making, of course,
the proper amends; and he is to al
low no other duty, not even the of
fering of a gift to God, to take prec
edence of this duty. If remem
brance of the offense is brought to
the mind after the gift has been al
ready brought to the altar, the duty
of reparation must even then be at
tended to first. This places on very

v. 25-30.]

MATTHEW.

55

then come and offer thy gift.
25 Agree with thine adversary
quickly, whiles thou art in the
.way with him ; lest at any time
the adversary deliver thee to the
judge, and the judge deliver thee
to the officer, and thou be cast
into prison. 26 Verily I say un
to thee, Thou shalt. by no means
come out thence, till thou hast
paid the uttermost farthing.
27 Ye have heard that it was
said [by them of old time], Thou
shalt not commit adultery : M but
I say unto you, That whosoever
looketh on a woman to lust after
27 rots dpxaiot? Rec. Omitted by Lach.,
Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford,. Tregelles.

her hath committed adultery
with her already in his heart.
29 And if thy right eye offend
thee, pluck it out, and cast it
from thee : for it is profitable
for thee that one of thy mem
bers should perish, and not that
thy whole body should be cast
into hell. 30And if thy right
hand offend thee, cut it off, and
cast it from thee : for it is prof
itable for thee that one of thy
members should perish, and not
that thy whole body | should be
cast : go away | into hell.
30 B\ri8n Rec. iirekO-n Lach., Tisch., T. S.
Green, Alford. Tregelles, X, B, 1, 21, 22,
33, 157, Vulgate, etc.

high ground a duty which is often
totally neglected. It shows that no
offering which we can make to God
. is acceptable while we are conscious
of an uncompensated wrong to a fel
low-man. 25. Agree with thine adver
sary. — In this brief allegory one is
supposed to have an adversary at
law who has a just cause against
him, and who will certainly gain a
verdict when the case comes into
court. He is advised to agree with
this adversary; that is, to make rep
aration to him in advance of the
trial and to prevent a trial. Jesus
still has in his mind the preceding
case of one who has given offense to
his brother. Every such one is go
ing to the final judgment, and will
there be condemned unless he now
becomes reconciled to his brother.
26. till thou hast paid.— There
is allusion here to imprisonment for
debt. In such a case the debtor was
held until the debt was paid, either
by himself or some friend. If it
were not paid at all, he remained
in prison until he died. In the case
' which -this is made to represent, the
offender will have let pass all oppor

tunity to make reparation, and no
friend can make it for him; there-.
fore the last farthing never will be
paid, and he must remain a prisoner
forever. The Law against Adultery, 27-30.
27, 28. whosoever looketh. —
Here, as in the reference to murder,
Jesus goes behind the act which
alone is mentioned in the Mosaic
law, and legislates against the look
and the feeling which might lead to ¦
the act. That which is condemned
is not a look of admiration or of af
fection, but a look of lust. He cuts
off the enormous evil of adultery at
its lowest root; for he who allows
not himself to look upon a woman
with a lustful feeling will never
commit the act of adultery.
29, 30. right eye offend thee.
— Knowing the intensity and univer
sality of the passion against which
he is here legislating, Jesus supports
his precept by the most powerful
incentive to obedience. The imag
ined pleasure of indulgence is con
fronted with the final ajid eternal
consequences in hell, while the self-
denial which refuses to indulge is

56

MATTHEW.

[v. 31, 32.

81 It hath been said, Whoso
ever shall put away his wife, let
him give her a writing of divorce
ment: 32But I say unto you,
That whosoever shall put away

stimulated by the promise of eter
nal life. As it is better to be de
prived of all the pleasure and advan
tage of the right eye or the right
hand during life and then enter
into eternal life, rather than enjoy
these and then be cast into hell, so
in reference to the pleasures of lust.
Better never to taste these pleasures
at all than, having enjoyed them to
the full, to be finally cast into hell.
The Greek word (axavSa%i,^u) ren
dered offend is derived from anoth
er (exavSahov) which means the trig
ger of a snare or trap. Primarily,
then, it means to ensnare ; and this
term well expresses the meaning-in
this and several other places, such
as, xviii. 6-9; Mark ix. 42-47; Luke
xvii. 2; 1 Cor. viii. 13. But that
which, like a trap catching a man's
foot, causes surprise and pain, al
ways gives offense; hence the sec
ondary meaning of the term, which
is to offend. (See xi. 6; xv. 12;
xvii. 27.)
into hell.— The term gehenna,
here rendered hell, as it always is,
designates the place of punishment
for those who allow themselves to
be ensnared. There was no such
punishment as being " cast into the
valley of Hinnom; therefore the
reference must be, as above (verse
22), to the final place of torment.
(Comp. Mark ix. 43.)
The Law of Divorce, 31, 32.
32. saving for the cause. — Tt
ib perfectly clear that Jesus here
prohibits divorce except for the sin
gle cause of fornication. For this
cause it is implied that divorce may
rightly take place. The fornication
may be cither that which takes

his wife, saving for the cause of
fornication, causeth her to com
mit adultery : and whosoever
shall marry her that is divorced
committeth adultery.

place after marriage, or that which
takes place before marriage — the
husband being ignorant of it at the
time of marriage. In no part of
the New Testament is there any
relaxation of the law here given.
Paul's teaching in 1 Cor. vii. 10-15,
contains no such relaxation, but
merely furnishes directions for a
Christian woman who, contrary to
the law here given, is abandoned
by ber heathen husband.
causes her. — A woman, when
divorced by her husband, naturally
seeks a second marriage, if for no
other reason than to vindicate her
self from the imputation cast on her
by the divorce. The second hus
band, in accepting her hand, pro
nounces against the act of the first
husband. But her second marriage
is adultery, and her first husband,
by divorcing her, indirectly causes
her to commit this crime.
whosoever shall marry her. —
The second marriage of the divorced
woman is pronounced adultery both
on her part and on that of her new
husband ; that is, her marriage while
her first husband still lives. (See
Rom. vii. 2.) Whether the man
who puts away his wife because'
of fornication, or the woman who
leaves her husband for the same
crime, is at liberty to marry again,
is not made so clear. It is clearly
implied, however, that the marriage
bond is broken; and it is almost
universally conceded by commen
tators and moralists that the inno
cent party to such a divorce can
marry again. This subject is men
tioned again in the following places:
xix. 3-9 ; Rom. vii. 1-3 ; 1 Cor. vii.
10-16, 39.

v. 33-36.]

MATTHEW.

57

83 Again, ye have heard that
it hath been said by them of old
time, Thou shalt not forswear
thyself, but shalt perform unto
the Lord thine oaths: 34But I
say unto you, Swear not at all ;

It is much to be regretted that in
many Protestant countries the civil
authorities have practically set aside
this law of Christ by allowing di
vorce and remarriage for a variety
of causes. No man who respects
the authority of Christ can take ad
vantage of such legislation.
The Law of Oaths, 33-37.
33-36. But I say unto you.—
In this paragraph, as in the one next
preceding on divorce, and in the one
next following on retaliation, Jesus
takes away liberties which had been
granted by the law of Moses, and
imposes on his disciples restrictions
not known before. The precept of
the law, "Thou shalt not forswear
thyself" (commit perjury), "but
shalt perform unto the Lord thine
oaths, is unchangeably right and
proper. It is not repealed by Je
sus, but the unlimited privilege of
making oaths, which it implies, is
taken away.
Swear not at all. — The only
oath authorized by the law of Moses
was one taken in the name of God.
(Deut. vi. 13.) The oaths which
Jesus here proceeds to prohibit —
"by heaven, "by the earth," "by
Jerusalem," "by thy head" — were
all unauthorized by the law. More
over, it was taught by the scribes
that these oaths, and all others
which did not include the name
of God, had not the binding force
of an oath. The universal prohi
bition, "Swear not at all," is dis
tributed by the specification of these
four forms of oaths, and is, there
fore, most strictly interpreted as

neither by heaven ; for it is
God's throne ; 35 nor by the
earth; for it is his footstool:
neither by Jeru'salem ; for it is
the city of the great King.
36 Neither shalt thou swear by

including only such oaths. Jesus
surely did not intend to abolish
now, in advance of the general ab
rogation of the law, those statutes of
Moses which allowed, and in some
instances required, the administra
tion of an oath. (See Ex. xxii. 11 ;
Num. v. 19.) What we style the
judicial oaths of the law of Moses,
then, were not included in the pro
hibition. This conclusion is also
reached when we interpret the pro
hibition in the light of authoritative
examples. God himself, " because he
could swear by no greater, awore by
himself " in confirming the promise
to Abraham (Heb. vi. 13) ; and he
did the same in declaring the priest
hood of Christ. (Heb. vii. 21.) Je
sus answered to an oath before the
Sanhedrim — Caiaphas administer
ing the oath in the form: "I adjure
thee by the living God." (Matt.
xxvi. 63.) Paul also made oath to
the Corinthian Church, saying : " I
call upon God as a witness on my
soul, that to spare you I came not
as yet to Corinth." (2 Cor. L 23.
See, also, Rom. i. 9; Gal. i. 20;
Phil. i. 8 ; 1 Cor. xv. 31 ; Rev. x. 5,
6.) We conclude, then, that judi
cial oaths, and oaths taken in the
name of God on occasions of sol
emn religious importance, are not
included in the prohibition ; but as
these are the only exceptions found
in the Scriptures, we conclude that
all other oaths are forbidden. All
of these remarks apply with the
same force to the parallel passage
in Jas. v. 12. For the teaching of
the scribes and Pharisees on the
subject see Matt, xxiii. 16-22, and
notes thereon.

58

MATTHEW.

[v. 37-42.

thy head, because thou canst
not make one hair white or
black. "But | let your com
munication be: your communi
cation shall be\ Yea, yea; Nay,
nay : for whatsoever is more
than these cometh of evil.
38 Ye have heard that it hath
been said, An eye for an eye,
37 Iotw Sec. Sinai Lach., T. S. Green,
Alford.

for it is God's throne. — Swear
ing by any person or thing is either
to invoke the power thereof, or to
pledge our own power in reference
to it. To swear by heaven, by the
earth, by Jerusalem (verse 35), or
by your own head, conveys the lat
ter idea. The Savior shows in each
case that the idea is an absurd one,
and thus exposes the folly of such
oaths. As heaven is God s throne,
the earth his footstool, and Jerusa
lem the city of the great King, the
man who made oath had no control
over theae ; and over his own head
he had so little that he could not
make one hair white or black.
37. your communication shall
bs. — -Instead of an oath for confir
mation on ordinary occasions, Jesus
enjoins a aimple affirmation or de
nial — "Yea, yea; Nay, nay." The
reason given is, that "whatsoever is
more than these cometh of evil." It
comes of evil because it ariaes either
from a want of veracity on the part of
the person taking the oath, or from a
suapicion of this on the part of him
who exacts it. James gives another
reaaon: "Leat ye fall into condem
nation." (Jas. v. 12.) Frequent and
unnecessary swearing naturally di-
miniahea men's respect for an oath,
and increases to this extent their
liability to fall into condemnation
by swearing falsely.
The Law against Retaliation, 38-42.
33. An eye for an eye.— It was

and a tooth for a tooth: ^but
I say unto you, That ye resist
not evil : but whosoever shall
smite thee on thy right cheek,
turn to him the other also.
40 And if any man will sue thee
at the law, and take away thy
coat, let him have thy cloak
also. "And whosoever shall
compel thee to go a mile, go
with him twain. *2 Give to him

never the law of God that he whose
tooth or eye was knocked out should
proceed, without judge or jury, to
knock out the tooth or eye of his as
sailant; but in every case of maiming
under the Mosaic law the guilty party
was regularly tried in the courts, and
the penalty was inflicted by the-offi-
cers of the law. (See Deut. xix. 17-
21; Ex. xxi. 22-25.) The injured
party was not required to prosecute,
but was at liberty, if he saw proper,
to show mercy by declining to do so.
(Comp. Lev. xix. 18.)
39. resist not evil. — This pro
hibition must be understood in the
light of the context. Evil, in one
sense, is to be resisted with all our
might, and without cessation; but
the reference here is to evil treat
ment at the hand of a neighbor, as
when he knocks out your eye or
your tooth. While the law of Moses
allowed the injured party to seek
revenge, Jesus prohibits "his disci
ples from taking the advantage of
this law.
39-42. whosoever shall smite
thee. — Under the general precept,
"Resist not evil,", we here have
three specifications] The first, which
requires that when smitten on one
cheek we shall turn the other, is
best illustrated by the Savior's own
conduct. When smitten in the pres
ence of the high priest, he mildly
remarked : " If I have spoken evil,
bear witness -of the evil; but if well,
why do you smite me?" (John xviii.

v. 43, 44.]

MATTHEW.

59

that asketh thee, and from him
that would borrow of thee turn
not thou away.
43 Ye have heard that it hath
been said, Thou shalt love thy
neighbor, and hate thine enemy.
"But I say unto you, Love
44 eii\oyeire. • ¦ • t*.i<rovvTas Vfiaq Rec.
Omitted by Lach., Tisch., T. S. Green, Al-

22, 23.) If we imitate his example
we will meet the requirements of
his precept. The second specifica
tion (verse 40) supposes a man sued
at the law, and his coat (the inner
garment of the Jew) unjustly taken
from him. He is told to let the op
pressor have also his mantle, which
waa the outer garment, and more
valuable. Under the law it was for
bidden to keep a poor man's gar
ment from him through the night,
even when it was taken as a pledge
(Ex. xxii. 26, 27) ; therefore the case
here supposed is one of extreme op
pression. The lesaon taught can
not be less than thi8 : that even the
most unjust and extreme exactions
by forms of law are to be endured
without seeking revenge. The third
specification (41) supposes a man
impressed by a government official
to go a mile. ' The custom alluded
is said to have originated with Cy
rus, king of Persia, and it empow
ered a government courier to im-
Eress both men and horses to help
im forward. The exercise of this
power by the Romans was exceed
ingly diatasteful to the Jews, and
this circumstance gave eapecial per
tinency to the Savior's mention of
it. (See Herodotus viii. 98; Xen.
Cyrop.viii. 6,17; Josephus, Ant. xiii.
2, 3.) The command, " Go with him
two, requires a cheerful compli
ance with the demands of a tyran
nical government. The specifica
tions about giving and lending (42)
do not strictly belong to the precept,
"Resist not evil," but tbey consti-

your enemies, [bless them that
curse you, do good to them that
hate you], and pray for them
which [despitefully use you, and]

ford, Tregelles, N, B, 1, 11, 17, 22, 58, 113,
209, k, Coptic, N. Syriac.
44 €irripta£6vTtAV v/jias KaX Rec. Omitted
by Lach., Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford, Tre
gelles, X, B, 1, 11, 22, 24, li, N. Syriac, H,
Syriac, Coptic, iEthiopic, etc.

tute a further extension of the be
nevolent disposition which this pre
cept requires. No lending was pro
vided for by the law of Moses except
for benevolent purposes, for no in
terest was allowed, and all debts
were canceled every seventh year
The giving and lending referred to,
then, are -limited to cases of real
want, and the amount given or
loaned is to be regulated accord
ingly. Giving or lending to the
encouragement of vice or indolence
can not, of course, be here included.
The Law of Love, 43^8.
43. hate thine enemy— "Love
your neighbor as yourself" was an
express precept ofthe law of Moses
(Lev. xix. 18), while the aentiment
"Hate thine enemy" is not found
in the law as a precept. But the
Jews were forbidden by law to make
peace with the Canaanites (Ex.
xxxiv. 11-16; Deut. xxiii. 6), and
the bloody wars which by God s own
command they frequently waged
against their enemies inevitably
taught them to hate them. This
was the feeling of their most pious
men, and it found utterance even
in their devotional hymns; e. g. Ps.
cxxxix. 21, 22. It is a true repre
sentation of the law, therefore, in
its practical working, that it taught
hatred of one's enemies. This is
one of the evils of the Jewish dis
pensation, which, like the privilege
of divorce at will, was to endure
but for a time.
44. love your enemies.— To

60

MATTHEW.

[v. 45-48.

persecute you; a that ye may
be the children of your Father
which is in heaven : for he mak-
eth his sun to rise on the evil and
on the good, and sendeth rain on
the just and on the unjust. 4e For
if ye love them which love you,
what reward have ye? do not
even the publicans |the same:
so |? "And if ye salute your
46 rb airb Rec. otiru! Lach., T. S. Green,
Alford, Tregelles, D, z, h, k, etc.
47 reAixai Rec. eflj-ucoi Lach., Tisch., T.

love an enemy, has appeared to
many persona impossible, because
they understand the word love aa
here expreaaing the same feeling
in all respects which we entertain
toward a friend or a near kinsman.
But love has many shades and de
grees. The exact phase of it which
is here enjoined is best understood
in the light of examples. The para-
ble of the good Samaritan ia given
by Jesus for the express purpose of
exemplifying it (Luke x. 25-37);
his own example in praying ou the
croas for thoae who crucified him
serves the same purpose (Luke
xxiii. 34) ; and so does the conduct
of David when he spared the life
of Saul (1 Sam. xxiv, xxvi.) The
feeling which enables us to deal
with an enemy as the good Samar
itan did, as Jeaus did, and aa David
did, is the love for our enemies
which is here enjoined. It is by
no means an impossible feeling.
45-47. that ye may be. — Two
reasons are here given why we
should obey the preceding precept :
First, that we may be children of
our Father in heaven, which means
that we may be like him ; and sec
ond, that we may be unlike the pub
licans and the heathen. Aa even
the publicans and the heathen love
thoae who love them, and salute
those who salute them, if we do
no more than that we are no bet-

brethren only, what do ye more
than others? do not even the
| publicans : heathen | | so : the
same\ ? 48Be ye therefore per
fect, even as your | Father which
is in heaven : heavenly Father | is
perfect.

S. Green, Alford, Tregelles, X, e, d, z, 1,
22, 33, 209, etc., N. Syriac, H. Syriac, etc.
47 ovtw Rec. rb avrb Lach., Tisch., T. S.
Green, Alford, Tregelles, j^i n, n, m, u, z,
etc., Vulgate, Coptic, etc.
48 iv Tolq ovpavols Rec. ofipactos Lach.,
Tisch,, T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.

ter in respect to the law of love
than they. We are rather to be
like God, who causes his sun to
shine on the evil as on the good,
and sends his rain on the just as
on the unjust.
publicans — A word of Latin or
igin, designating those who hired
themselves to the Roman govern
ment as collectors of the Roman
tax. The fact that the Jews were
a conquered people paying tax to
a foreign power, made the tax it
self odious, and equally odious the
men through whom it was extorted
from them. These men were re
garded in the double aspect of op
pressors and traitors. The odium
thus attached to the office prevent
ed men who had any regard for the
good opinion of their countrymen
from accepting it, and left it in the
hands of those who had no self-re
spect and no reputation. They gen
erally deserved the oontempt with
which they were regarded. )They
were justly accused of extortion
(Luke iii. 13), and of false accu
sation for the sake of gain. (Luke
xix. 8.) In the other provinces of
the empire they were held in no
better repute than in Judea, for
Cicero pronounces their business
"the basest of -all means of liveli
hood." (De Officiis i. 42.)
48. Be perfect. — The command,
Be perfect as your heavenly Father

vi. 1-4.]

MATTHEW.

61

VI. lTake heed that ye do
not your | alms : righteousness | be
fore men, to be seen of them :
otherwise ye have no reward of
your Father which is in heav
en. 2 Therefore when thou doest
thine alms, do not sound a trump
et before thee, as the hypocrites
do in the synagogues and in the
streets, that they may have glo-

1 eKer])iO(rvvi}V Rec. SiKatoa-vvrjv Lach.,
Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles, x, E,
B, 1, 209, 217, Vulgate, H. Syriac, etc.

is perfect, makes the moral perfec
tion of God our model. It is", of
course, impossible for man to attain
to this perfection; yet any thing
short of it is short of what we ought
to be. While man can not attain
to so much, God can not require
less; for to require less would im
ply satisfaction with that which is
imperfect, and this would be incon
sistent with the character of God.
To require this is to keep man for
ever reminded of his inferiority,
and, at the same time, to keep him
forever struggling for a nearer ap
proach to his model. The require
ment is eminently wise and good.
[See the argument of the entire
sermon at the end of § 5.]

SECTION III.
Against Hypocrisy and Worlbly
Care, VI.
SERMON ON THE MOUNT— CONTINUED.
Against Hypocrisy in Almsgiving, 1-4 ;
In Prayer, 5-15; In Fasting, 16-18;
Against Care about Riches, 19-24;
About the Necessaries of Life, 25-34.
Against Hypocrisy in Almsgiving,
1-4.
1. Tour righteousness— This
term, which is adopted in the cor
rected text in the place of alms,
gives the precept contained in this

ry of men. Verily I say unto
you, They have their reward.
8 But when thou doest alms,
let not thy left hand know what
thy right hand doeth : 4 that
thine alms may be in secret :
and thy Father which seeth
in secret [himself] shall re
ward thee [openly].
4 airbs Rec. Omitted by Lach., T. S.
Green, Alford, Tregelles.
4 ev ni <pavepw Rec. Omitted by Lach.,
Tisch., f. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles, X,
B, D, z, 1, 22, 118, 209, etc., N. Syriac, Cop
tic, Vulgate, etc.

verse a general character, making
it include all acts of righteousness
done to be seen by men. It is de
clared that for none such have we
any reward from God. In the next
verse almsgiving is introduced aa a
specification under this general pre
cept. 2. sound a trumpet. — Trumpets
are sounded aa signals to large bod
ies of men. From thia circumstance
a man who takes pains to draw at
tention to himself is said to sound a
trumpet before him. This the hyp
ocrites did when they gave alms.
As the alms were given to be seen
by men, every effort was made to
prevent any from missing the sight.
We still say of a man who acts thus,
that " he blows his own trumpet."
their reward. — The Pharisees,
to whom there is especial reference
here, had in hand the reward which
they sought— the admiration of the
people. More accurately translated,
the remark is: "they have in full
their reward;" which implies that
the praise of men was the only re
ward which they would ever receive.
In contrast with this it is asserted
below (verse 4) that if alms are
given properly God himself will
reward the giver.
3, 4. thy left hand know.—
"Let not thy left hand know what
thy right hand doeth" is a very

62

MATTHEW.

[vi. 5, 6.

6 And when |thou prayest,
thou shalt : ye pray, ye shall \ not
be as the hypocrites are : for
they love to pray standing in
the synagogues and in the cor-

5 irpo(reiixv °^K <"rT? Rec. irpocreiixi^rfle om
iaevSe Lach., Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford,
Tregelles.

ners of the streets that they
may be seen of men. Verily
I say unto you, They have their
reward. 6 But thou, when thou
prayest, enter into thy closet,
and when thou hast shut thy
door, pray to thy Father which
is in secret; and thy Father

striking expression. Once heard
it is never forgotten; neither is it
easily misunderstood, but it may
be misapplied. While it very em
phatically condemns all attempts
to publish abroad our almsgiving,
it does not condemn the publica
tion of it for a proper purpose by
others. Jesus, in order to teach a
good lesson, published the liberal
ity of the poor widow (Mark xii.
41-44) ; and Luke, in order to stim
ulate the liberality of others, made
public mention of the benevolence
of Barnabas. (Acts iv. 36, 37.)
Even in thia, however, we must be
on our guard, lest we tempt men
to give for the sake of the notorie
ty with which they expect others to
reward them.
4. shall reward thee. — Not
withstanding the truth so clearly
revealed in the Scriptures, that our
salvation is a matter of favor and
not of reward, it still remains true,
as this verse clearly asserts, that
for all the good which we do God
will reward us. The joys of the
eternal world, as well as the bless
ings of this, are included in the
roward. (Comp. Matt. xxv. 34-40.)
Against Hypocrisy in Prayer,
5-15.
5. as the hypocrites.— Public
prayer — that is, prayer spoken aloud
for the edification of others — is not
referred to in this paragraph; for
this must be offered in public, while
the prayer here spoken of is to be
offered in the closet. (Verse 6.)
The practice condemned is that of

assuming an attitude of prayer in
public places, when the prayer it
self is not for the public. The
hypocrites would stand up in the
synagogues, and, with upturned
faces and uplifted hands, would
offer a silent prayer. They did
the same on the streets, and es
pecially on the cornerB of the
streets where men coming from
four different directions could see .
them. Nothing but a desire to be
seen by men could have prompted
this practice. It was hypocritical,
because it was a pretended act of
homage to God, while it was really
an effort to obtain honor from men.
The same fault is committed now
by preachers who assume attitudes
of private prayer in the pulpit, and
by members who do the same in
the pew. Jesus says to all such,
Go to your closet, and shut the
door. their reward. — Their reward, as
in the case of almsgiving (verse 2),
was what they sought and obtained —
the praise of men. What was actual
hypocrisy appeared to the unsus-
pecting people to be great religious
boldness, and they praised the men
who were not ashamed to be seen
praying even on the corners of the
streets. 6. enter into thy closet.— In
asmuch as a closet is not found in
every house, or in every place where
private prayer ought to be made, we
understand the Savior as using it to
represent any place of privacy.
That the door is to be shut, indicates
the strictness of the privacy which

VI.

7-13.]

MATTHEW.

63

which seetb in secret shall re
ward thee [openly.] ' But when
ye pray, use not vain repetitions,
as the heathen do: for they
think that they shall be heard
fo! their much speaking. 8Be not
ye therefore like unto them : for
your Father knoweth what things
ye have need of, before ye ask
him. 9 After this manner therefore
6 ev t<o tjtavepm Rec. Omitted by Lach. ,
Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford, TregeUes.

is to be observed. Of all our earthly
hours, those which we spend in
prayer to God should be the most
completely freed from disguise and
pretense. When we are alone with
him, no eye but his to see us, no
being near to be deceived by false
appearances, we have the least pos
sible incentive to hypocrisy.
shall reward thee.— For such
prayerfulness as is here enjoined
there is a reward. The prayer thus
offered "is likely to be answered;
but in addition to the answer a re
ward is bestowed for the fidelity
with which the praying is done.
7. vain repetitions. — There is
some uncertainty as to the exact
meaning of the Greek word (j3atct-
%ayrpin-tt) rendered " use vain repe
titions; ' but this rendering har
monizes well with the context, and
can not be far from the exact mean
ing. The reason given why the
heathen are guilty of this fault is
that " they think they shall be heard
for their much speaking." Much
speaking includes not only vain
repetitions, but all unnecessary
words. The precept restricts us,
then, to simplicity of expression,
and to a single utterance of each
petition in the same prayer. It is
especially violated by the multiplied
repetitions of the Roman Catholic
rosary. When we pray we speak to
God : we can not order our speech |
too carefully. i

pray ye : Our Father which art
in heaven, Hallowed be thy
name. _10 Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done in earth, as it
is in heaven. " Give us this day
our daily bread. 12 And forgive
us our debts, as we | forgive :
liave forgiven] our debtors. 18And
lead us not into temptation, but
12 a<pCep.ev Rec i^Ka/iev Loch., Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles, tf, B, z, 1, etc.

8. before you ask him.— That
God knows what things we have
need of before we ask him, is a
good reason why we should not use
vain repetitions. If he were ignorant
of them we might be excused for
excess of words in striving to make
them known; but as he already
knows them, a single statement of
each at any one time must be suffi
cient. If it be objected that the
fact of God's knowledge renders
prayer itself unnecessary, we an
swer that it certainly would if the
only object of prayer were to give
God information : but as this is not
even one of its objects, the objection
is irrelevant.
9-13. After this manner. — The
expression "after this manner" in
dicates that the prayer which fol
lows, called the Lord's prayer be
cause it was taught by him, is
intended as a model of matter,
arrangement and expression. The
following analysis of it will help
the reader to appreciate its value as
a model :
I. The Invocation. — " Our Father
who art in heaven." Nearly all of
the prayers recorded in the Script
ures begin with a solemn address
to God, which is called the invoca
tion. The most common invocation
of the Jewish fathers had been, " O
Lord God of our fathers ; " but now
that the Son of God had appeared
as the brother of man, a new form

64

MATTHEW.

[vi. 13

deliver us from evil : [For thine
is the kingdom, and the pow-
13 on (rov eo-rtv ¦ ¦ • a.p.jjv Rec. Omitted
by Lach., Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford, Tre-

is introduced, and the disciples are
taught to say, " Our Father.
II. Three Petitions for Others.
a. " Hallowed be thy name." " Hal
lowed" means, firat, made holy;
second, treated as holy. The peti
tion calls for that reverence which
is duo to the name of God. There
is no limit assigned it, and there
fore it embracea the univerae of in
telligent creatures, and calls for
universal worship of God. b. " Thy
kingdom come." This is a petition
for the inauguration of the king
dom which Jesua came to establish.
c. " Thy will be done in earth as it is
in heaven." This contemplates the
conversion and the complete sancti
fication of the whole human race.
III. Three Petitions for Self.
After praying for the glory of God,
the establishment of his kingdom,
and the spiritual good of all men,
the speaker is next allowed to speak
of his own wants, a. "Give us this
day our daily bread." Bread, the
staff of life, is the representative of
the things needful for the body.
The petition is not for milk and
honey, the symbols of luxury, but
for bread, and bread sufficient for
thia day. We are to be moderate
in our requests for even necessary
things. 6. " Forgive us our debts
as we have forgiven our debtors."
Here the term debts is used for
trespasses, as appears from the com
ment on this petition in verses 14,
15. Thia petition expresses the one
thing needful to the soul in regard
to the paat. It ia conditional, and
the condition is expressed in the
petition itself — the same condition
previously indicated in the fifth
beatitude (v. 7). c. " Lead us not
into temptation, but deliver us from
evil." Here the one want of the

er, and the glory, forever.
Amen.]
gelles, X, E, D, z, 1, 17, 118, 130, 209, Coptic,
Vulgate, Scholia.

soul for the future is expressed.
God does not tempt us (Jas. i. 13),
but by his providence he sometimes
leads us into circumstances which
become the means of temptation.
This petition expresses our natural
desire not to be thus led, and at the
same time, by adding, " deliver us
from evil," it indicates that we ex
pect to be brought more or less into
conflict with evil, notwithstanding
our expressed desire to avoid it.
The counterpart to the petition is
found in Paul's assurance that " God
is faithful, who will not suffer you
to be tempted above what you are
able ; but will, with the temptation,
make a way to escape, that you may
be able to bear it." (1 Cor. x : 13.)
For thine is the kingdom. —
This doxology is rejected, on good
ground, as an interpolation. (See
critical note.) It is a mark of the
singular simplicity of the prayer
that it closes without a doxology,
and even without the Amen which
was customarily employed in the
apostolic churches (1 Cor. xiv. 16),
and is now an invariable termination
of public prayer.
Brief as this prayer is, it compre
hends all for which we should pray.
The first petition comprehends all
that pertains to the honor and glory
of God; the second and third, all
that was requisite to the coming of
God's kingdom and to the conver
sion and sanctification of men; the
fourth, all the daily wants of the
body; the fifth, all that the soul
now needs or can enjoy in regard
to the past; and the sixth, all that
the soul needs to care for in regard
to the future.
Two changes are necessary in
order to adapt this prayer to present
use. We must omit the petition,

vi. 14-13.]

MATTHEW.

65

14 For if ye forgive men their
trespasses, your heavenly Father
will also forgive you : 16 but if
ye forgive not men [their tres
passes], neither will your Fa
ther forgive your trespasses.
"Moreover when ye fast, be
not. as the hypocrites, of a sad
countenance : for they disfigure
their faces, that they may appear
15 Tcapa.TrTiap.ara. avtttv Rec. Omitted hy
Tisch., T. S. Green, X, D, 1, 118, 209, etc.,
a, c, h, k, etc., P. Syriac, Vulgate, etc.

"Thy kingdom come:" for in the
sense of tiie petition the kingdom
has already come, and it is improper
to retain the words and yet attach
to them a sense different from that
in which Jesua employed them. We
must also insert the name of Jesus
as the mediator through whom we
pray ; for on the night of the be
trayal ho taught his disciples to
thenceforward ask in his name.
(John xvi. 24. See also Col. iii.
17.) 14, 15. For if ye for give.— These
two verses are appended to show why
the petition for forgiveness of sins
must be conditional. It fills us with
awe to think that one condition of
the forgiveness of our own sina is
the forgiveness by us of sins com
mitted against us. One of the most
difficult duties of life is to forgive
our fellows, yet the most essential
thing that we pray for is contingent
on it. Let us realize the fact, and
act and pray accordingly.
The manner in which we are to
imitate this model prayer must con
sist in imitating its peculiarities aa
they appear in the prayer itself, and
in the instructions which accom
pany it. We must pray, first, in
privacy; second, without useless
words or repetitions ; third, having
forgiven those who have trespassed
against us; and fourth, with that
unselfishness which places the glory
0

unto men to fast. Verily I say
unto you, They have their re
ward. "But thou, when thou
fastest, anoint thine head, and
wash thy face ; 18 that thou ap
pear not unto men to fast, but
unto thy Father which is in se
cret : and thy Father, which
seeth in secret, shall reward thee
[openly].

18 ev Tcp Qavepbi Ree. Omitted by Lach.,
Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.

of God and the good of othera in
advance of our own interests. It is
strictly a prayer, and not an ex
pression of thanks.
Against Hypocrisy in Fasting,
16-18.
16. as the hypocrites —The
hypocrisy in this instance consisted
in the pretense that the sad coun
tenance assumed and the disfigured
appearance were the reault of deep
devotion to God, when they were
really intended to attract the atten
tion and to excite the admiration of
men. 17, 18. anoint and wash.— The
Christian ia here required to main
tain the same personal appearance
when faating as on ordinary occa
sions, that he may not appear to
men to be fasting, and may thereby
avoid the temptation to hypocrisy.
As in the caae of almsgiving and
praying when done in secret, a re
ward is promised. (Comp. 4, 6.) One
object of fasting ia self-abasement;
but when it is observed to be seen
by men it cultivates religious pride.
It was doubtless the influence of
teaching like this which led the
Christian Jews to abandon the ab
surd practice prevalent among their
ancestors of putting on sackcloth
and sitting down in a pile of aahea
on occasions of fasting and lamenta
tion.

66

MATTHEW.

[vi. 19-24.

"Lay not up for yourselves
-treasures upon earth, where
moth and rust doth corrupt, and
where thieves break through and
steal: 20but lay up for your
selves treasures in heaven, where
neither moth nor rust doth cor
rupt, and where thieves do not
break through nor steal: 21for
where |your: thy\ treasure is,
21 v/iHv Rec. a-ov Lach., Tisch., T. S.
Green, Alford, Tregelles.

Against Care about Riches, 19-24.
19. Lay not up. — The prohibi
tion is not against the mere accu
mulation of property; for this, if
accompanied by a proper use of it,
is one means of laying up treasures
in heaven; but it is against hoard
ing earthly possessions for selfish
purposes. The uncertainty attached
to such poaaessiona, exposed, as they
are, to moth and rust, and to the
depredations of robbers, is given as
one reason for not hoarding them,
while a still better reason is reserved
for verse 21 below.
20. but lay up. — The precept,
"Lay up for yourselves treasures in
heaven, ' is not explained ; but the
meaning of it and the methods of
accomplishing it are both left to the
good aenae of each individual. The
security of such treasures against
the moth and the rust and the
thieves which threaten earthly pos
sessions is presented as a motive to
obedience. The contrast is very
striking. No man who pauses a
single moment for reflection can
fail to realize it.
21. for where thy treasure is.
— Here is the chief reason for lay
ing up treasures in heaven and not
on the earth. Where the heart is,
there ia our source of happiness.
If it is on the earth, our happiness
must partake of all the uncertainty
of earthly things, and it must bo

there will |your: thy\ heart be
also. Z2 The light of the body is
the eye : if therefore thine eye
be single, thy whole body shall
be full of Hght. 2S But if thine
eye be evil, thy whole body shall
be full of darkness. If there
fore the light that is in thee be
darkness, how great is that dark
ness ! M No man can serve two
masters : for either he will hate
the one and love the other; or

lost forever when we leave the
world. But if it is in heaven, when
we leave this world we go away to
the real sources of our happiness,
and we find them as durable aa
eternity. 22, 23. The light of the body.
— In these two verses there is a
brief allegory, the meaning of which
is to be ascertained from the con
text. The subject under considera
tion is the propriety of laying up
treasures, not on earth, but in
heaven. The man whose eye is sin
gle — that is, it sees nothing double
or with confused vision — repreaents
him who lays up treasure in heaven.
As the good eye fills the whole body
with light, or supplies to the whole
body the advantages of light, so
does the rule of life insisted on in
the context, enable the man to "see
in a proper light all matters of duty
and of enjoyment. But he who
lays up treasures on earth has the
evil eye, or the eye whose vision is
distorted, and which sees all things
incorrectly. The light that is m
him ia darkness; that is, the rule
by which his life is guided is false
and pernicious : and this being the
case, how great is the darkness in
which he walks !
24. two masters. — Two masters
whose interests are different aud
conflicting, as God and mammon.
He who lays up his treasures in
heaven serves God, while he who

vi. 25, 26.]

MATTHEW.

67

else he will hold to the one, and
despise the other. Ye can not
serve God and mammon.
25 Therefore I say unto you,Take
no thought for your life, what ye

shall eat, or what ye shall drink ;
nor yet for your body, what ye
shall put on. Is not the life
more than meat, and the body
than raiment? 26 Behold the

lays up his treasures on earth serves
mammon. Mammon is a Chaldee
term for riches. God will accept
none of our service unless he has it
all Satan is willing to accept a
part because he knows that by se
curing a part he really gets all.
Against Care about the Necessaries
of Life, 25-34.
25. Take no thought.— Dean
Trench, in his admirable little work
on Bible Revision, has shown clearly
that when our translation was made
the word thought was often uaed for
melancholy ; and that the expression
take thought, meant to go into a
state of melancholy or despondency.
He quotes from Lord Bacon this
example: "Harria, an alderman in
London, waa put in trouble and died
with thought and anxiety before his
business came to an end." From
one of the Somera Tracts, written
in the reign of Elizabeth, he quotes :
"In five hundred years only two
queens have died in childbirth.
Queen Catharine Parr died rather
of thought." But still more to the
point is an example found _ in
Shakespeare. When the conspira
tors against Julius Cassar were dis-
cuaaing the effect which the pro
posed assassination would have on
Mark Antony, Brutus is made to say :
" Alas, good Cassius, do not think of him :
If he love Caasar, all that he can do
Is to himseU— take tho^lgM., and die for
Casar." (Jul. Caes. Act II, Scene ii.)
These examples illustrate the ex
pression as used by our translators
who were cotemporaries of Shakes
peare. It expresses, not the mental
act of thinking, but the state of
feeling which results from a de
spondent view of the future. In

this sense alone does it correctly
represent the original word lupttwao,
which means io be anxious or to be
full of care. It is rendered in two
passages of the New Testament by
the term careful. " Martha, thou
art careful and troubled about
many things." (Luke x. 41.) "Be
' careful for nothing." (Phil. iv. 6.)
Here the term careful is not used
in its modern sense of painstaking,
but it means, as its etymology indi-
catea, full of care. (See also 1 Cor.
vii. 32-34.) I would render it in the
passage before us, " be not anxious."
The prohibition ia not againat an
excessive degree of anxiety, but sim
ply againat being anxious.
life more than meat,— In the
prohibition of anxiety, two general
objects of anxiety are named — life
and the body; that is, the prolonga
tion of life, and the comfort of the
body. In reference to the former
there are two apecitications, "what
ye shall eat," and " what ye shall
drink;" and in reference to the
latter, one, "what ye shall put on."
The prohibition is aupported, in the
remainder of the paragraph, by
several forcible reasons, of which
the first is that life is more than
food,* and the body than raiment;
that ia, life has more important aims
than to provide food and drink;
and the body has wants more press
ing than the want of raiment.
Theae are inferior wants, and there
fore unworthy of anxiety. The su-
perior wants are specified below in
verse 33.
26. the fowls of the air —

* Throughout our English Bible the word
meat means food in general, and not flesh
alone as in modern usage.

68

MATTHEW.

[vi. 27-33.

fowls of the air : for they sow
not, neither do they reap, nor
gather into barns ; yet your heav
enly Father feedeth them. Are
ye not much better than they?
27 Which of you by taking thought
can add one cubit unto his stat
ure ? MAnd why take ye thought
for raiment? Consider the lilies
of the field, how they grow ; they
toil not, neither do they spin :
88 and yet I say unto you, That
even Sol'omon in all his glory
was not arrayed like one of
these. 30 Wherefore, if God so

Here is the second reaaon. The
birda are free from anxiety, although
they neither sow, nor reap, nor
gather into barna. Though they do
none of these thinga, the heavenly
Father feeda them. Men are much
better than they ;. much more cer
tainly, then, will God feed them.
Let us sow and reap and gather into
barns, then, without anxiety.
27. can add one cubit. — The
third reason ia baaed on the fact
that anxiety is unavailing. Inatead
of stature, we ahould have age ; for
thia ia the more usual meaning of
the Greek word, rfKixlo., and ia bet
ter auited to the context. If anxiety
will not avail to add even a cubit to
one'a age, how idle and impotent
it is in reference to the necessities
on which life depends !
28-30. Consider the lilies —
The fourth reason, like the two pre
ceding, ia an argument a fortiori :
If God clothes the lilies which
neither toil nor spin; and if he
clothes them more beautifully than
Solomon in all his glory, although
they are of so little value as to be
buried jnthe ovon, how much more
will he clothe his people. The
grass, or rather the herbage, is
spoken of as being cast into the
oven, because it was used by the

clothe the grass of the field,
which to day is, and to morrow
is cast into the oven, shall he not
much more clothe you, O ye of
little faith? 31 Therefore take no
thought, saying, What shall we
eat? or, What shall we drink?
or, Wherewithal shall we be
clothed ? 32 (For after all these
things do the Gen'tiles seek :) for
your heavenly Father knoweth
that ye have need of all these
things, ^But seek ye first the
kingdom of God, and his right
eousness; and all these things
Jews to heat their bake-ovens. The
country about Jerusalem had long
ago been stripped of its timber.
31, 32. For after all these —
The fifth reason is, that food, drink
and raiment are the things which
the Gentiles, or the heathen, seek
after, and Chriatians muat be differ
ent from them. We have a God
who can supply us, and they have
none. Closely associated with this,
is the sixth reason : "Your heavenly
Father knows that you have need
of all these things." As he knows
that we need them, and as he is
able to supply them, we may expect
to obtain them and be free from
anxiety. 33. But seek first. — Here we
learn the true objects of anxiety,
and the true method of obtaining
all that is necessary to the present
life. We are to seek, and to seek
first, the kingdom of God, admis
sion into it, and the righteousness
which he requires of us. If we do
thia we have the promise of him
who feeds the birda and gives rai
ment to the lily, that we shall have
food and clothing. The righteoua-
neaa which God requires leads to
that cheerful and undistracted in
dustry which alwaya, with the divine
blessing, securoa food and raiment

vi. 34-vii. 5.]

MATTHEW.

69

shall be added unto you. 34Take
therefore no thought for the
morrow : for the morrow shall
take thought for [the things of]
itself. Sufficient unto the day
is the evil thereof.
VII. ' Judge not, that ye be not
judged. 2For with what judg-
34 tA Rec. Omitted by Lach., T. S.
Green, Alford, Tregelles, X, B, G, L, s, v,
etc., Old Laiin, Vulgate, etc.

while we are in health, and which
helps to surround us with friends
when we come to want.
34. Sufficient unto the day.—
Here is another reaaon why we
should rid ourselves of anxiety.
Each day brings with it some evil
of its own : if to this we add anxi
ety about the morrow, we but add
to the unavoidable evil of to-day.
We can not too greatly admire
the conception of human life con
veyed in this paragraph, nor the
inimitable style in which it is ex
pressed.

SECTION IV.
Miscellaneous Pkecepts, Vn, 1-12.
SERMON ON" THE MOUNT— CONTINUED.
Against Judging, 1-6; A Caution, 6;
Prayer Encouraged, 7-11; Summary
of the Moral Law, 12.

Against Judging, 1-5.
1. Judge not. — The terms of this
prohibition are universal; but in
the paragraph below (16-20) which
speaks of false prophets, we are
authorized to judge men by their
fruits. Limiting this paragraph by
that, we conclude that only such
judging as is not required by the
actual conduct of men ia here con
demned. All judging from Burmise,
or from insufficient prcmiaes, or

ment ye judge, ye shall be
judged : and with what measure
ye mete, it shall be measured to
you [again]. 3 And why behold
est thou the mote that is in thy
brother's eye, but considerest not
the beam that is in thine own
eye? 4 Or how wilt thou say to thy
2 aVTip.€Tpf]6rjaeTal Red. p.erprf9rio-€Tat.
Lach., Tisli., T. S. Green, Alford Tre
gelles.

from ill-will, is prohibited. It is
adverse judging, of course, that is
referred to.
2. ye shall be judged. — God's
judgment of us ia* always just,
whether we judge others justly or
unjustly; but men will uaually
judge us as we judge othera. It is
man, therefore, by whom we will be
judged as we judge others, yet it, is
also true that God will judge with
out mercy those who show no mercy.
(Jas. ii. 13.)
3-5. Thou hypocrite. — It is <*
very common thing that men who
pronounce forbidden judgments on
their brethren, possess themselves
in a greater degree the fault which
they condemn. They are satirized
here by the figure of a man with u.
beam in his own eye officiously pro
posing to extract a mote from his
neighbor's eye. Thia is hypocrisy,
"because it is aasuming to be far
better than we are. The command,
"First caat the beam out of your
own eye," must not be construed as
requiring us to get rid of all faults
before we attempt to correct others;
for on this condition none would bo
qualified for the position of teach
ers; but it requires that we shall
rid ourselves of a given fault pre
paratory to rebuking that fault in
another. This lesson is eapecially
important to public teachers, for
they have power for good only as
their conduct coincides with their
teaching.

70

MATTHEW.

[vii. 6-11.

brother, Let me pull out the
mote out of thine eye ; and, be
hold, a beam is in thine own
eye ? 6 Thou hypocrite, first cast
out the beam out of thine own
eye ; and then shalt thou see
clearly to cast out the mote out
of thy brother's eye.
6 Give not that which is holy
unto the dogs, neither cast ye
your pearls before swine, lest
they trample them under their
feet, and turn again and rend you.

A Caution, 6,
6. unto the dogs. — In this pre
cept there is an allusion to the holy
meats connected with the service of
the altar. Thoae . parts of the vic
tims which were not consumed ou
the altar, were eaten by the priests
or by the people ; but as they were
Jioly, no unclean person, much less
an unclean brute, was allowed to
eat of them. What was left, after
the clean persons had eaten, was
not, aa at the close of an ordinary
meal, cast to the dogs, but it waa
burned with fire. (Lev. vi. 24-30;
vii. 15-21.) To give holy things to
dogs was to profane them : we are
here forbidden, then, to use any re-
ligioua office, work, or ordinance, in
such a manner as to degrade or pro
fane it.
pearls before swine. — The
thought here is slightly different
from the preceding. If a herd of
hungry and ferocious hogs are called
up to be fed, and instead of grain
you throw before theni a basket of
pearls, they will not only trample
the pearls under their feet, but in
their eagerness for the expected
food they may rush upon you, pull
you down, and tear you to pieces.
Likewise, some men, when you
preas the claims of truth on their
attention, will not only despise the
truth, but persecute you for annoy-

7 Ask, and it shall be . given
you ; seek, and ye shall find ;
knock, and it shall be opened
unto you: 8for every one that
asketh receiveth; and he that
seeketh findeth ; and to him that
knocketh it shall be opened.
9 Or what man is there of you,
whom if his son ask bread, will
he give him a stone ? 10 Or if he
ask a fish, will he give him a
serpent? "If ye then, being
evil, know how to give good

ing them with it. When such men
are known they are to be avoided.
Jesus acted on thia principle in
often refusing to answer the Phari
sees, and the apostles did the same
in turning to the Gentiles when
their Jewish hearers would begin
to contradict and blaspheme. (Comp.
xv. 2, 3; xxi. 23-27; Acts xiii. 46;
xix. 9.)
Prayer Encouraged, 7-11.
7. Ask . . . seek . . . knock.
— The two latter terms are figura
tive expressions of the same idea
expressed literally by the first. Ask
ing God for what we want is in the
one compared to knocking at a door
for admission ; and in the other, to
seeking for something which we
wish to find.
8. for every one. — The uni
versal declaration that every one
who asks receives, is modified by
the prescribed conditions of accept
able prayer. We have already seen
that we need not ask for forgiveness
unless we forgive (vi. 14, 15). We
also learn that we must ask in faith
(Jas. i. 6, 7); that we must not ask
amias to gratify our lusts (Jas. iv. 3) ;
and that we must ask according to
the will of' God (1 John t. 14).
Every one who asks according to
these conditions, receives.
9-11. how mucli pore.— Here

vii. 12-13.]

MATTHEW.

71

gifts unto your children, how
much more shall your Father
which is in heaven give good
things to them that ask him?
12 Therefore all things whatso

ever ye would that men should
do to you, do ye even so to
them : for this is the law and the
prophets. 18 Enter ye in at the strait

is an argument from analogy. It is
assumed that the paternal feeling
which prompts us to give good
things to our children exists in a
still higher degree in God with
reference to Ins children ; and
hence it is argued that he will
much more give good things to
those who ask him. As it is Jeans
who assumes the likeness on which
the argument rests, we may rely
on the correctness of the reason
ing; but we must be cautious how
we derive arguments of our own
from the analogy between God's
attributes and the correaponding
characteristics of man. We are in
constant danger of fallacious rea
soning here, because God's attri
butes are not sufficiently compre
hended to make our deductions
from them reliable. For example,
this attribute of paternal feeling
has been employed to disprove the
reality of the eternal punishment
with which God himself threatens
the sinner, because the paternal
feeling in man would prevent him
from so punishing his own children.
The fallacy of the argument consists
in assuming that the feeling in
question must work the same results
in every particular in God that it
does in man. But revelation teaches
that such is not the case.
Summary of the Moral Law, 12.
12. Therefore.— There is noth
ing in the preceding paragraph
from which the precept in this verse
is drawn as a conclusion. The con
junction rendered therefore (bw) is
not illative, but transitional. In
stead of specifying other moral
duties, Jesus here closes this divis

ion of his diacourse with a precept
which includes them all. The title,
Golden Kule, which has been at
tached to this precept, ia a fitting
expression of its value.
all things. — Notwithstanding the
universal form of this precept, it is
obvious that one limitation must be
understood. What 1 could rightly
or reasonably wiah another to do
for me, our places being exchanged,
is what I must do for him, no more.
To understand the precept other
wise would be to make Jesus ap
prove of unreaaonable wishes, and
erect them as the standard of right.
I must deal with my child, not al
together as 1 would wish were "1
the child and he the parent, but aa
I could rightly wiah : and so in all
the other relations of life.
this is the law.— The statement,
"this is the law and the prophets,"
means that in this is condensed all
that ia required by the law and the
propheta as regards our'duty to our
fellow-men. It extends not to the
ceremonial duties, or to the poaitive
precepts of the. law.

I

SECTION V.

The Way of Life, VII. 13-29.
SEKMON ON THE MOUNT— CONCLUDED.
The Way a JN arrow One, 13, 14; How
io Avoid MisguidHnre, 15-20; The
Way not by Prayer or Miracles
Alone, 21-23; The Way Pointed out,
24-27 ; Effect of the Sermon, 2S, 29.

The Way a Narrow One, 13, 14.
13. at the strait gate.— Life
and destruction — that is, eternal life
and eternal destruction — are here

72

MATTHEW.

[vii. 14-21.

gate : for wide is the gate, "and
broad is the way, that leadeth
to destruction, and many there
be which go in thereat : u be
cause strait is the gate, and nar
row is the way, which leadeth
unto life, and few there be that
find it.
15 Beware of false prophets,
which come to you in sheep's
clothing, but inwardly they are
ravening wolves. 16 Ye shall
know them by their fruits. Do
men gather grapes of thorns, or
figs of thistles ? " Even so every

represented by two walled cities:
the one having a wide gate and a
broad road leading' to it; and the
other, a strait gats approached by a
narrow path. It is implied that
dare and precision are necessary in
order to enter the latter; hence the
few that find it : but that none is
needed in order to enter the former;
hence the many who go in thereat.
It -is to be hoped that in some
future generation the preponder
ance will be reversed.
How to Avoid Misguidance, 15-20.
15, false prophets, — The term
prophets includea only those who
lay claim to inspiration. Having
the appearance of harmlessnesa,
here represented by sheep's cloth
ing, while secretly filled with mis
chievous purposes like those of a
wolf in the sheenfold, the ' f.ilae
prophets were well calculated to
lead disBiples out of tho narrow
way. What is true, in this par
ticular, of false prophets, is alao
true of other false teachers, and
consequently the precept is in
tended to guard us against all per
sons who by false teaching might
lead us astray.
16-20. by their fruits— As
tho fatae prophet? appear in sheep's

good tree bringeth forth good
fruit ; but a corrupt tree bring
eth forth evil fruit. 18A good
tree can not bring forth evil
frait, neither can a corrupt tree
bring forth good fruit. "Every
tree that bringeth not forth good
fruit is hewn down, and cast into
the fire. 20 Wherefore by their
fruits ye shall know them.
21 Not every one that saith un
to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter
into the kingdom of heaven ;
but he that doeth the will of my
Father which is in heaven.
clothing, it must always be difficult
to detect them. In judging them by
their fruits we are doubtless to ob
serve both their conduct as men and
the effects of' their teaching. If
either ia predominantly bad, the
man is to be avoided. We say pre
dominantly bad, because, aa a good
tree may have some specimens of
bad fruit, so may a good teacher.
19. hewn down. — The hewing
down of the bad trees and casting
them into the fire indicate the final
destruction of the false prophets.
This verse contains a solemn warn
ing against the personal ambition
and the pride of opinion which are
the chief incentives to false teach
ing. The true path to honor and
usefulness lies in the moat scrupu
lous restriction of our teaching to
that which is true beyond all ques
tion. The Way not by Prayer or Mira-
'cles Alone, 21-23.
21. Lord, Lord, — To say, "Lord,
Lord," ia to call on the Lord in
prayer. While it is almost impos
sible to overestimate the value of
prayer when associated with a con
sistent life, it has been too common
to attribute to it a virtue which it
docs not possess. The Pharisees

vii. 22-25.]

MATTHEW.

73

82 Many will say to me in that
day, Lord, Lord, have we not
prophesied in thy name ? and in
thy name have cast out devils ?
and in thy name done many
wonderful works? MAnd then
will I profess unto them, I
never knew you: depart from
me, ye that work iniquity.

" Therefore whosoever heareth
these sayings of mine, and doeth
them, I will liken him unto a
wise man, which built his house
upon a rock : a and the rain
descended, and the floods came,
and the winds blew, and beat
upon that house ; and it fell not :
for it was founded upon a rock.

were excessively devoted to prayer,
and they led the people to believe
that every prayerful man would be
saved. The Mohammedans and the
Romanists are subject to the same
delusion, as may be seen in their
punctilious observance of the forms
of prayer while habitually neglect
ing many of the common rules of
morality. It is here taught that
prayer, unattended by doing the will
of the Father in heaven, can not
save us.
doeth the will.— Doing the
will of God must be understood, not
in the sense of sinless obedience,
but as including a compliance with
the conditions on which sins are
forgiven. Whether under the old
covenant or the new, sinless obedi
ence is an impossibility ; but obedi
ence to the extent of our ability
amid the weaknesses of the flesh,
accompanied by daily compliance
with the conditions of pardon for
our daily sins, has ever secured the
favor of God.
22. Many will say to me.— In
this verse many who have prophe
sied, cast out demons, and wrought
other miracles, are represented as
seeking admission into heaven, and
as urging in proof of their fitness
the miraculous powers which they
had exercised. The context shows
(verse 23) that the exercise of such
powers is not conclusive proof of
one's acceptance with God. It is
proof of a commission from God,
and, from the fact that God usually
commissions good men, it estab-
7

lishes a presumption in favor of a
man's goodness, the very presump
tion expressed in the text ; but such.
gifts are no certain proof of good
character. A bad man, as Balaam,
might be selected for the exercise
of such powers; and a good man,
like Paul, after having exercised
them, might at length become a
castaway. (1 Cor. ix. 27.)
23. profess to them.— The Greek
word here employed, b/ioxoyia,
means to confess, not to profess.
The appropriateness of the term is
seen in the fact that while these
men were working miracles in the
name of the Lord, he appeared to
be accepting them and approving
their lives, but now he confesses that
this appearance was not real; jt
arose from a misconception on their
part and on that of others.
never knew you. — Here the
word knew, according to a Hebra
istic usage, has the sense of ap
proval, or of knowledge favorable
to the person in question.
We are warned in this paragraph
against uncandid dealing with our
own hearts, and partial estimates
of our own characters. Unless we
are well guarded at these two
points we are in constant danger
of self-deception, and of supposing
that we are in the narrow way
when we are actually walking in
the broad road that leads to destruc
tion. The Way Pointed Out, 24-27.
24-27. Therefore whosoever

74

MATTHEW.

[vii. 26-29.

86 And every one that heareth
these sayings of mine, and doeth
them not, shall be likened unto
a foolish man, which built his
house upon the sand : " and the
rain descended, and the floods
came, and the winds blew, and
beat upon that house; and it
fell : and great was the fall of it.

heareth. — In the preceding para
graph it was clearly intimated that
the way of life consisted in doing
the will of our Father in heaven
(verse 21). In this the same lesson is
taught and is made the leading
thought of the paragraph. The
difference between the two builders
whose houses are used to illustrate
the lesson, is only this, that one
built on solid rock and the other
on sand. Both represent men who
hear the sayings of Jesus (24-26);
the latter, those who hear and do
not; the former, those who hear
and do. The rock, then, is doing ;
and the sand is doing not. To
enter by the narrow way through
the strait gate, ia to do the will
of God ; to fail of thia doing is to
travel the broad road. Compliance
with the conditions of pardon must
of course have its proper place in
the doing. (See above on 21.)
Effect of the Sermon, 28, 29.
28, 29. as one having author
ity. — The most notable effect of
the preceding sermon on the people
who heard it, was the astonishment
produced by a single feature of it,
the authority with which Jesus
taught. The authority assumed was
absolute — the authority which be
longs to God alone. It was not that
of the scribes, who spake by the
authority of Moses; nor that of
Moses himself, whose expression
was, "Thus saith the Lord; but it
was authority inherent in himself,

28 And it came to pass, when
Je'sus had ended these sayings,
the people were astonished at his
doctrine: a9for he taught them
as one having authority, and not
as | the: their \ scribes.
29 airwv Added hy Lach., Tisch., T. S.
Green, Alford, Tregelles, x, n, K, A, 1, 13,
22, etc., H. Syriac, Sahidic, Coptic.

enabling him to say, even when
adding to the law of God itself, "I
say unto you." Well might this
astonish a people who, though they
had learned to respect his goodness
of character, were not yet believers
in his divinity.
Argument of the Sermon ou the
Mount.
No doubt Matthew's chief object
in reporting this sermon was to put
on record the lessons which it
teaches ; but his closing remark in
which he states its effect on the
people (28, 29) shows that he had
not lost sight of the line of argu
ment which pervades the other
parts of his narrative. Having in
previous sections exhibited Jesus
as the actual Son of God, he here
represents him as speaking with
authority suited to his divine nature.
If he was the Son of God, he could
not properly speak with less au
thority; and if he was not, it was
the extreme of madness and wick
edness for him to speak as he did.
The latter conclusion is inconsistent
with the entire course of his life,
and we are forced to the only alter
native, that he was conscious of be
ing the actual Son of the living God.

SECTION VI
A Series of Miracles, Vin. 1-IX. 35.
A Leper Cleansed, 1-4; Healing a Cen
turion's Servant, 5-13; Cures at Peter'a
House, 11-17; Stilling the Tempest,

viii. 1-6.]

MATTHEW.

75

VIII. 1When he was come
down from the mountain, great
multitudes followed him. 2 And,
behold, there | came : drew near \
a leper and worshiped him,
saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou
canst make me clean. 8And
[Je'sus] put forth his hand, and
touched him, saying, I will ; be
thou clean. And immediately
his leprosy was cleansed. 4And
2 e^Sutv Rec. wpoo-eXflaif Lach., Tisch., T.
S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.
3 6 'iTftrous Rec. Omitted- by Lach.,
Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.

18-27; Demons Cast Out, 28-34 ; Heal
ing a Paralytic in Capernaum, ix.
1-8; Matthew's Call and Feast, 9-13;
Question about Fasting, 14-17; The
Killer's Daughter and the Bloody
Issue, 18-26 ; Two Blind Men Healed,
27-31 ; The Dumb Demoniac, 32-35.

A Leper Cleansed, 1-4. (Mark i.
40-45; Lukev. 12-16.)
1. great multitudes. — The great
multitude's that now followed Jeaus
are mentioned not only to show his
popularity at this time, but also to
emphasize the fact that the miracles
about to be described were per
formed in the presence of many
witnesses. 2. and worshiped him.— The
Greek word rendered worship
(rfposjcwiu) is used both for the mere
obeisance paid to a man of superior
rank, and the supreme homage paid
to God. Here it is used in the lower
sense; for the leper, being a Jew,
and having no adequate conception
of the divinity of Jesus, would not
pay to him the homage due to God.
if thou wilt. — Convinced by the
previous miracles which he had
either witnessed or heard of, that
Jesus could make him clean, the
only question in the man's mind
was, TRW he do it? hence the words,
"If thou wilt, thou canst."

Je'sus saith unto him, See thou
tell no man ; but g'o thy way,
shew thyself to the priest, and
offer the gift that Mo'ses com
manded, for a testimony unto
them. 5 And when [Je'sus] was en
tered into Caper'naum, there
came unto him a centurion, be
seeching him, 6and saying, Lord,
my servant lieth at home sick
of the palsy, grievously tor-
5 Tip 'Iijcroij Rec. airtS Tisch., T. S. Green.
avTou Lach,, Alford, Tregelles.

3. and touched him. — The touch
of a leper rendered a person legally
unclean, and put him to the incon
venience of a legal cleansing. That
Jesus touched this man in healing
him was therefore an additional
proof of his compasaion.
4. tell no man. — Thia is the first
mention of a prohibition which we
will meet with frequently as we pro
ceed with Matthew's narrative. It
is accounted for by the necessity of
guarding against such undue excite
ment among the people as might
have provoked an interference from
the military authorities, and such
as would have rendered the people
incapable of calm thought in refer
ence to the teachings of Jesus.
(Comp. Mark i. 45.) Sometimes, as
occasion required, he reversed his
course, and commanded men to go
and tell what he had done for them.
(See Mark v. 19, 20.)
For other remarks on this miracle,
see the parallel in Mark, i. 44.
Healing a Centurion's Servant, 5-13.
(Luke viii. 1-10).
5. a centurion.— An officer of
the Roman army, called a centurion
from centum, a hundred, because
he commanded one hundred men.
This centurion was a foreigner (10),
and was probably connected with a

76

MATTHEW.

[viii. 7-11.

mented. 7 [And Je'sus] saith
unto him, I will come and heal
him. 8 The centurion answered
and said, Lord, I am not worthy
that thou shouldest come under
my roof: but speak | the word :
with a word\ only and my serv
ant shall be healed. 9 For I am
a man under authority, having
7 o 'IijcroSi Rec. Omitted by Lach.,
Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford.
8 hire \6yov Rec. ein-e Koyta Lach., Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles, X, b, c, e, f,
k, l, m, s, u, v, x. A, etc.

garrison which kept the town of
Capernaum. 8. I am not worthy. — The cen
turion knew that it was considered
unlawful for a Jew to go into the
house of a Gentile, and that this
was on account of the sanctity
which they desired to maintain.
Whatever he may have thought of
this as regards the Pharisees, he
attributed to Jesus so high a degree
of sanctity that he thought the doc
trine certainly true in reference to
him. 9. under authority. — There is
peculiar force in the expression
under authority. If the centurion,
who was under authority to his
superior officers, could still say to
those under him, "Go," and " Come,"
much more could Jesus, who ap
peared to be under no authority,
command the powers of life and
death to go and come at his bidding.
The man reasoned well.
10. so great faith. — The great-
ness of his faith was shown partly
in his belief that Jesus could heal
the servant by a word without go
ing into the house; but chiefly in
his lofty conception of the dignity
of Jesus as compared with himself.
Men of no faith regard Jesus and
his religion as unworthy of them ;
faith reverses the scales of judg
ment, and the greater one's faith in
Jesus, the less his comparative esti-

soldiers under me : and I say to
this man, Go, and he goeth ;
and to another, Come, and he
cometh ; and to my servant, Do
this, and he doeth it. "When
Je'sus heard it, he marveled,
and said to them that followed,
Verily I say unto you, I have
not found so great faith, no, not
in Is'rael. "And I say unto
you, That many shall come from
the east and west, and shall sit
down with A'braham, and I'saac,
mate of himself — he goes down as
Jesus goes up.
he marveled. — Jesus had all the
feelings which are common to men,
and consequently he was capable,
like other men, of being astonished.
If this seems to conflict with 'any
theory concerning his nature, we
should remember that it is one of
the facta to be considered in form
ing our theory. The cause of
aatoniahment was not merely the
greatness of the man's faith, but
that it was such faith as he had not
found, "no, not in Israel." That
an Israelite, educated under the law
and the prophets, and prepared for
the Lord by the preaching of John,
should have ready faith in >Jesus,
was to be expected ; butthls man,
with the greatest faith yet exhib
ited, was a Gentile, reared in
hereditary heathenism. The re
mark of Jesus was a severe rebuke
to the Jews. We may observe, in
cidentally, that the surprise of Jesus
is inconsistent with the theory that
he had himself, by a direct opera
tion of the Spirit, wrought this
great faith in the centurion; if he
had he could not have marveled.
11. from the east and west. — ¦
This verse contains a prediction of
the conversion of the Gentiles, and
was very naturally suggested by the
great . faith of the Gentile centu
rion.

viii. 12-16.]

MATTHEW.

77

and Ja'cob, in the kingdom of
heaven. Vi But the children of
the kingdom shall be cast out
into outer darkness : there shall
be weeping and gnashing of
teeth. 13And Je'sus said unto
the centurion, Go thy way ;
[and] as thou hast believed, so
be it done unto thee. And

13 «:<u Rec. Omitted by Lach., T. S.
Green, Alford.
13 arVroS Rec. Omitted by Lach., T. S.
Green, Tregelles.

12. children of the kingdom.
— The Jews were " children of the
kingdom" in the sense that they
were children and heirs of those to
whom the kingdom was originally
promised. To them it was first
offered, and it was because they re
jected it that they were to be " cast
out into outer darkness." No doubt
this prediction of Jesus was quite
unwelcome to his hearers. .
outer darkness. — The kingdom
of heaven in which many Gentiles
were to sit down with Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob (verse 11), must
be the kingdom in its final state of
. glory ; for these patriarchs lived too
soon to sit down in the earthly
kingdom. The outer darkness, then,
which is contrasted with it, and into
which those are to be cast out who
are not admitted into the kingdom,
must represent the final punishment
of the wicked. Weeping and gnash
ing of teeth are expressive of sorrow
and of anguish.
13. as thou hast believed —
The centurion believed that Jesus
could heal his servant by speaking
the word without going into the
house, and aa he believed it came
to pass ; he returned into the house
and. found the servant well.
Cures at Peter's House, 14-17. (Mark
i. 29-34; Luke iv. 38-41).
14. Peter'shouse.— Peter's home

| his: the\ servant was healed in
the selfsame hour.
"And when Je'sus was come
into Pe'ter's house, he saw his
wife's mother laid, and sick of
a fever. 15And he touched her
hand, and the fever left her :
and she arose, and ministered
unto | them : him \ . ls When
the even was come, they brought
15 airoK Rec. at)™ Lach., Tisch., T. S.
Green, Alford, Tregelles.

was originally in Bethsaida, which
was a suburb of Capernaum, and it
may still have been there at this
time. (See John i. 45, and note on
Mark i. 29.)
his wife's mother.— The text
shows that Peter was a married
man and keeping house, and that
his mother-in-law was living with
him. His brother Andrew also
lived in the same house. What
proviaion was made for his family
when he left all to follow Jesus, we
are not informed; but at a late
period of apostolic history, he was
still "leading about a sister wife."
(1 Cor. ix. 5.)
15. the fever left her— The
fever was so high that the patient
was prostrated and bedfast ; yet at
the touch of Jesus " she arose and
ministered to them," being instantly
restored to both health and strength.
It was impossible for the witnesses
to doubt that the cure was miracu
lous. 16. When the even was come.
— See note on Mark i. 32.
possessed with devils.-j-Prop-
erly, with demons. There is only
one devil, and he is never desig
nated in the Greek by the word
( Sai/iuiv ) here translated devils.
This term was applied by the
Greeks to their inferior deitiea, some
of whom were the offspring of tho
goda, and some the deified sprits

78

MATTHEW.

[viii. 17, 18.

unto him many that were pos
sessed with devils : and he cast
out the spirits with his word,
and healed all that were sick :
" that it might be fulfilled which

of dead men. On this account Paul
says that " The things which the
Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice un
to demons and not to God." (1 Cor.
x. 20.) He also said to the Atheni
ans, "I perceive that you are
(SeitsiSai/iovs etipovs) very much given
to demon-worship." (Acts xvii. 22.)
Some of the same Athenians had
just concluded that Paul was him
self a proclaimer of foreign demons
(%£i/av Scu/iovIlov), because he spoke
of Jesus and the resurrection — that
is, of Jesus as one who had died
and risen agaiu. (Ib. 18.) Governed
by the same conception, Pestua,
when he learned that the dis
pute between Paul and the Jews
was about " one Jesus who was
dead and whom Paul affirmed to be
alive," concluded that it was a
question about their (Stidibo.i,jiovlac)
demon-worship. (Acts xxv. 19.) In
the Jewish usage of the term it is
applied exclusively to the departed
spirits of wicked men. (See Jo
sephus, Wars, B. VII. ch. vi. g 3.)
This uaage was adopted by Jesus
and the apostles, and consequently
all that is said of demons in the
New Testament agrees with it. In
what way these wicked spirits
gained posseasiou of men ; under
what condition of mind or body a
person was exposed to the posses
sion ; . what degree of natural con
sciousness was still retained by the
demoniac ; and at what periods of '
history this strange phenomenon
began and ended, are questions
which remain as yet unanswered.
That the phenomenon was, how
ever, as it is represented on the
sacred page, an' actual possession
of a person's faculties and powers

was spoken by Esa'ias the
prophet, saying, Himself took
our infirmities, and bare our
sicknesses. 18 Now when Je'sus saw great

by a foreign spirit, and not the
mere effect of disease superstitiously
regarded as demon-possession, is
proved by the manner in which
Jesus dealt with the demons, and
by the superior intelligence which
the demons displayed. (See the
notes on xvii. 18 ; Mark v. 15-18 ;
vii. 32.) Similar diseaaea of the
body, and mental aberrations sim
ilar to those produced by the de
mons, occurred then from natural
causes, as they occur now; but all
such examples are distinguished
from demon-possession by the ab
sence of marks of intelligence
and will in the causes of the afflic
tion. 17. took our infirmities. — Took
away our infirmities and "bore our
sicknesses," by healing them. The
connection (16) shows that this is
the meaning. This is not a literal
quotation from Isaiah (Isa. liii. 4),
but it expresses, without exhausting
the prophet's meaning. The prophet
referred, not merely to the cure of
bodily and mental diseases by Jesus,
but also and chiefly to the final
sufferings of Jesus by which
our spiritual maladies may be
healed. Stilling the Tempest, 18-27. (Mark
iv. 35-41; Luke viii. 22-25; ix.
57-62.) 18. saw great multitudes. —
When the multitudes about Jesus
became too great he withdrew from
them for the same reason which led
him to forbid certain persons to
speak of his cures. (Comp. verse 4.)
To cross the lake was an easy
method of escape, and it was fre
quently adopted.

viii. 19-24.]

MATTHEW.

79

multitudes about him, he gave
commandment to depart unto
the other side. "And a certain
scribe came, and said unto him,
Master, I will follow thee whith
ersoever thou goest. 20And
Je'sus saith unto him, The foxes
have holes, and the birds of the
air have nests; but the Son of
21 aiToS Rec. Omitted by Lach., Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Tregelles.

19, 20. I will follow thee —
The scribe who proposed this was a
disciple (comp. 21), but not one of
those whom Jesus had commanded
to forsake all and follow him. He
seems to haye desired to go as a
guest, but Jesus gently declines his
company by telling him that, unlike
the beasts and the birds, he has no
place of shelter, and can not, there-
tore, entertain his friends. We thus
incidentally learn that Jesus was
now without a home, and that for
food and lodging he was dependent
on the hospitality of the people.
We find him frequently eatiDg by
invitation in the houses of his ene
mies, but sleeping in those of his
friends. 21, 22. another of the disci
ples. — This man was doubtless one
of the twelve, and it has been con
jectured with a good degree of
probability that he was James or
John, Zebedee being the father who
was to be buried. Comp. xx. 20,
where Salome is called "the mother
of Zebedee's children,1' instead of
Zebedee' s wife, implying that Zebe
dee was no longer living. In the
answer of Jesus there is a play on
the term dead. It was a man
physically dead who was to " be
buried; but those who were to bury
him were dead in another sense, in
a sense in which the disciple was
not dead; that is, they were dead to
JSsus. Under ordinary circum
stances it is proper for a disciple

man hath not where to lay his
head. 21And another of |his:
the\ disciples said unto him,
Lord, sutler me first to go and
bury my father. 22But Je'sus
said unto him, Follow me; and
let the dead bury their dead.
23 And when he was entered into
a ship, his disciples followed
him. 24 And, behold, there arose
a great tempest in the sea, in-

not only to assist in paying respect
to the dead, but to be foremost in
it ; but the call on this diaciple came
into direct conflict with the com
mand of Jesus, "Follow me;" and
he was taught that even the most
solemn and tender duties of social
life must give way to a command of
Jesus. The case is an extreme one,
and on this account the lesson it
teaches has greater emphasis. It
should be noted, as partly illustra
tive of the case, that to assist at a
funeral made a man unclean, and
that not less than seven days were
requisite for his purification. This
would require a considerable delay
on the part of the disciple. (See
Num. xix. 11-22.)
We have in this incident a strik
ing exhibition of the extremes
which met in Jesus. Here is au
thority as exacting as that of an
eastern autocrat, combined with
poverty as extreme as that of an'
eastern beggar. The poverty is con
fessed without a blush, and the au
thority is asserted without an apol
ogy. In any other than the Son of
God these two extremes could not
have met without the most ludicrous
absurdity. 23, 24. he was asleep.— The
deep sleep into which Jesus fell
during the short voyage, a sleep so
profound that the noise of the ter
rific storm and the roiling of the
vessel failed to awake him, is ac
counted for by the fatigue and the

80

MATTHEW.

[viii. 25-34.

somuch that the ship was cov
ered with the waves : but he
was asleep. 25And | his disci
ples : they] came to him, and
awoke him, saying, Lord, save
[us] : we perish. ,6And he
saith unto them, Why are ye
fearful, O ye of little faith?
Then be arose, and rebuked the
winds and the sea; and there
was a great calm. 2,But the
men marveled, saying, What
manner of man is this, tbat even
the winds and the sea obey
him !
^¦And when be was come to
the other side into the country
of the Ger'gesenes, there met
him two possessed with devils,
coming out of the tombs, exceed
ing fierce, so that no man might
Eass by that way. 29And, be-
old, they cried out, saying,
What have we to do with thee,
25 oi p.aOrjra.1 airov Ree. Omitted by T.
S. Green, Tregelles, X, b, a, c, ff, k, 1, etc.,
Coptic, Sahidic, etc.
25 ij/j.ai Rec. Omitted by Lach., Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.
29 'Irjo-oO Rec. Omitted by Lach., Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.

nervous exhaustion consequent on
his preaching to the great multi
tude. He was the only one asleep
on the vessel.
25, 26. 0 ye of little faith —
The terror of the disciples would
have been excusable but for the
presence of Jesus. With him in
the vessel it argued weakness of
faith, because the many miracles
which he had wrought should have
convinced them that he had power
over the winds and the waves.
Notice, here, that fear and faith
stand in opposition to each other.
27. the men marveled. — Their
astonishment when Jesus calmed
the tempest by his word is another

[Je'sus,] thou Son of God? art
thou come hither to torment us
before the time ? . ™ And there
was a good way off from them
an herd of many swine feeding.
31 So the devils besought him,
saying, If thou cast us out,
| suffer us to go away : send us \
into the herd of swine. S2And
he said unto them, Go. And
when they were come out, they
went intp the herd of swine :
and, behold, the whole herd of
swine ran violently down a steep
place into the sea, and perished'
in the waters. ^And they that
kept them fled, and went their
ways into the city, and told
every thing, and wbat was be
fallen to tbe possessed of the
devils. 3i And, behold, the whole
city came out to meet Je'sus:
and when they saw him, they
besought him that he would de
part out of their coasts.
31 errtrpe}J/ov r)fxZv aTre\6eZv Rec. diro(TTet\ov
r)p.i-s, Lach., Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford,
Tregelles, N, b, 1, Ii, H. Syriac, Sahidic,
Coptic, Vulgate, etc.

evidence of weak faith. Had they
realized the fullness of his divine
power, they would have been sur-
Erised at nothing he did. It is well,
owever, that he adapted himself to
the weakness of human faith, by
working so great a variety of mira
cles as to leave even the weakest
disciple no room to doubt that with
him all things are possible.
Demons Cast Out, 28-34. (Mark v.
1-20; Luke viii. 26-40.)
For comments on this miracle see
the notes ou Mark v. 1-20, where
all the details here given are re
peated, and others of importance
are added.

ix. 1-8.]

MATTHEW.

81

IX. 'And he entered into a
ship, and passed over, and came
into his own city. 2And, be
hold, they brought to him a man
sick of the palsy, lying on a bed :
and Je'sus seeing their faith said
unto the sick of the palsy ; Son,
be of good cheer; thy sins be
forgiven [thee]. sAnd, behold,
certain of the scribes said within
themselves, This man blas-
phemeth. 4 And Je'sus knowing
their thoughts said, Wherefore
think ye evil in your hearts?
2 o-ov Rec. Omitted by Lach., Tisch., T.
S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.

Healing the Paralytic in Caper
naum, ix. 1-8. (Mark ii. 1-12 ;
Luke v. 17-26.)
1. his own city. — At the be
ginning of his ministry in Galilee
Jesus left Nazareth and came and
dwelt in Capernaum (iv. 12, 13),
and the latter was thenceforward
"his own city."
2. thy sins be forgiven— As
the terms of pardon prescribed in
the law were yet in full force, this
speech of Jesus was a surprising
assertion of authority. It was also
exceptional in the ministry of Jesus ;
for only on three recorded occa
sions did he thus forgive sins. (See
Luke vii. 48; xxiii. 43.) Being ex
ceptional, and not the established
method of pardon, it must have
been designed for a special purpose.
The purpose is plainly declared in
verse 6 below.
3. This man blasphemeth —
The scribes were right in charging
him with blasphemy if he was not
the Son of God. He doubtless made
the remark for the purpose of form
ing this issue, and thereby preparing
his hearers for the demonstration
which followed.
4. think ye evil.— The thought
of the scribes was evil, not because

6 For whether is easier, to say,
Thy sins be forgiven thee ; or to
say, Arise, and walk? "But
that ye may know that the Son
of man hath power on earth to
forgive sins, (then saith he to
the sick of the palsy,) Arise,
take up thy bed, and go unto
thine house. 'And he arose,
and departed to his house. "But
when the multitude saw it, they
| marveled : were afraid \ , and
8 eoavp-ao-av Rec. e$op-fj9r}o-av, Lach.,
Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles, X, B,
D, 1, 22, 33, 59, 118, P. Syriac, Coptic,
Sahidic, iEthiopic, Old Latin, Vulgate
etc.

it was illogically drawn from their
premises, but because their premises
were wrong in that they denied the
divinity of Jesus.
5. whether is easier. — This use
of whether is now obsolete, having
been supplanted by which. The
scribes could not deny that it was
as easy to say with effect to the
man, "Thy sins are forgiven;" as
to say, "Arise and walk." The
power to work miracles does not in
itself imply the authority to forgive
sins ; but it does when the author
ity is asserted and the miracles are
wrought in proof of it.
6. that ye may know. — As
suming the only possible answer to
his question as granted, he now
demonstrates his power to forgive
sins by commanding the man who
was paralyzed to arise from his bed,
and take it up, and go home. He
had been brought there on his bed,
perfectly helpless; he returns, car
rying the bed in his arms. The
proof was demonstrative, showing
that Jesus was in the highest sense
a Savior, because he could save men
from their ains as well as from the
diseases of the body, the stormy ele
ments of the sea, and the power of
demons. 8. they were afraid.— Here La

82

MATTHEW.

[ix. 9-13.

glorified God, which had given
such power unto men.
'And as Je'sus passed forth
from thence, he saw a man,
named Mat'thew, sitting at the
receipt of custom: and he saith
unto him, Follow me. And he
arose, and followed him. J0 And
it came to pass, as Je'sus sat at
meat in the house, behold, many
publicans and sinners came and
sat down with him and his disci
ples. u And when the Pharisees
saw it, they said unto his disci
ples, Why eateth your Master

the same fear that was exhibited by
the Gergesenes (viii. 34); but in
stead of asking Jesus to leave their
country, the people "glorified God
who had given such power to men."
Notice here Matthew's peculiar use
of the plural. It was to the man,
Jesus, that the power was given,
and to men only as he was contem
plated as one of the race.
For remarks on the faith dis
played by the friends of the para
lytic, see the note on Mark ii. 5,
where the details are more fully
stated.
Matthew's Call and Feast, 9-13.
(Mark ii. 15-17; Luke v. 29-32.)
9. the receipt of custom. — The
Greek word (ts^viov) here rendered
" receipt of custom, ' means " the
office of publican," or, " a collector's
office." Matthew was a publican
(x. 3), and was receiving the taxes
assessed by the Roman government.
(Comp. notes on v. 46, 47.)
he arose and followed him. —
That Matthew promptly obeyed
when Jesus said "Follow me, is
proof that he was already a disciple.
lie now becomes one of the imme
diate personal attendants of the
Lord, preparatory to being appointed
one of the twelve. We arc not to

with publicans and sinners?
"But when Je'sus heard that,
he said [unto them], They that
be whole need not a physician,
but they that are sick. 13But
go ye and learn what that
meaneth, I will have mercy,
and not sacrifice : for I am not
come to call the righteous, but
sinners [to repentance].
12 airoU Rec. Omitted by Lach., Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.
13 eEs peravoiav Rec. Omitted by Lach.,
Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles, X, E,
D, v, A, 1, 22, 33, 118, 209, etc., P. Syriac,
Ph. Syriac, jEthiopic, Armenian, Old
Latin, Vulgate, etc.

conclude, from the apparent abrupt
ness of his movement, that he neg
lected to settle the accounts of his
office. An honest setdement of ac
counts was indispensable to a good
name in the future.
10. at meat 'in the house. —
From Mark ii. 15, and Luke v. 29,
we learn that this feast was in
Matthew's own house. It was a
kind of farewell feast, preparatory
to leaving all and following Jesus.
The publicans and sinners who
made up the company were his old
associates, and the only persons,
except Jesus and his companions,
who would honor Matthew's invita
tion. 11. with publicans and sin
ners. — The publicans and other
sinners habitually neglected the
law and the traditions in regard to
legal purifications, and therefore the
Pharisees regarded it as incompati
ble with religious purity to associate
with them.
12, 13. he said. — Had Jesus
been unable to vindicate himself in
reference to these associations, his
cause would have been damaged in
the estimation of many good per
sons. But he here presents three
brief arguments which are so con
clusive, and bo tersely oxpressed,

ix. 14-17.]

MATTHEW.

83

u Then came to him the disci
ples of John, saying, Why do
we and the Phar'isees fast oft,
but thy disciples fast not ? 15And
Je'sus said unto them, Can the
children of the bridechamber
mourn, as long as the bride
groom is with them ? But the
days will come, when the bride-

that they must have taken his ac
cusers by surprise. First, his office
being analogous to that of a physi
cian who visits fhe sick and not
the well, sinners are the very per
sons whom he should visit. Second,
God himself had said in the Script
ures, " I will have mercy and not sac
rifice" — a Hebraism, which means,
" I will have mercy in preference to
sacrifice." (Hos. vi. 6.) The mercy
shown to these publicans and sin
ners by mingling with them for
their good, was more acceptable to
God than the sacrifices of the altar.
(See the context in Hosea.) Third,
"I am not come to call the right
eous, but sinners." His call was a
call to repentance, and therefore
sinners alone were those to whom
he should go ; and the greater the
sinners, the greater the need that he
should be among them. It is im
possible to conceive a more com
plete vindication, or one more hap

pily expressed.
It shouli"

lid be observed, before we
dismiss this incident, that neither
the example nor the arguments of
Jesus justify us in keeping com
pany with bad people, except for
the purpose of doing them good—
the purpose for which the physician
visits the sick.
Question about Fasting, 14-17-
(Mark ii. 18-22; Luke v. 33-39.)
14. the disciples of John. —
The fact that the question about
fasting was propounded by the dis
ciples of John should not be over-

groom shall be taken from them,
and then shall they fast. 16 No
man putteth a piece of new cloth
unto an old garment, for that
which is put in to fill it up tak
eth from the garment, and the
rent is made worse. "Neither
do men put new wine into old
bottles : else the bottles break,

looked. It shows that the question
was not intended as a captious
objection, but as an honest inquiry:
for although the disciples of John
were not, as yet, identical with those
of Jesus, we can not class them
among the enemies of Jesus. Fast
ing twice in the week was regarded
by the Pharisees as a mark of supe
rior piety (Luke xviii. 12), and the
disciples of John seem to have
agreed in this matter with the Phar
isees. Indeed, John himself prac
ticed what may be regarded as a
continual fast, eating only locusts
and wild honey, and this was well
calculated to impress his disciples
with great respect for fasting. It
appeared to them, therefore, as a
serious defect in the religious life
of Jesus and his disciples, that they
paid no respect to the regular fast
days. The feast at Matthew's house,
which occurred on a fast day (see
note on Mark ii. 18), very naturally
brought the matter up for consider
ation, because it shocked the sensi
bility of the objectors.
15-17. Jesus said unto them. —
Jesus reduces the objection to an
absurdity by three arguments from
analogy. First, he refers to the
wedding customs of the day, and
demands, "Can the children of the
bridechamber" — that is, the invited
guests at a wedding — " mourn, as
long as the bridegroom is with
them?" While he remained with
his disciples, they were enjoying a
wedding feast, and it would be ab
surd to fast as if they were mourn-

84

MATTHEW.

[ix. 18-22.

and the wine runneth out, and
the bottles perish : but they put
new wine into new bottles, and
both are preserved.
18 While he spake these things
unto them, behold, there | came :
came in I a certain ruler and wor
shiped him, saying, My daugh
ter is even now dead, but come
and lay thy band upon her, and
she shall live. "And Je'sus
18 eMuv Rec. eio-eAi9aij'Tisch.,T. S.Green,
Alford.

ing. But when he should leave
them they would fast, because that
would be a time of sorrow. Sec
ondly, he draws an argument from
the absurdity of putting a patch of
new (properly rendered unfilled)
cloth ou au old garment. The un
billed piece, never having been
shrunk, would shrink the first time
it got wet, and would tear open the
rent still wider. Thirdly, it would
be equally absurd to put new wine
into old bottles. The bottles being
made of goat skins, an old one had
little strength and no elasticity, and
therefore the fermentation of new
wine would burst it. The argument
drawn from these two examples is
not, as some have supposed, that it
would be absurd to patch the old
Jewish garment with the unfulled
cloth of the gospel, or to put the
new wine of the gospel into the old
Jewish bottles; for the question at
issue was not one concerning the
proper relation of the gospel dis
pensation to the Jewish law, but
one concerning the propriety of
faating on a certain occasion. More
over, in Luke's report" of this an
swer we find the additional argu
ment, "No man, having drunk old
wine, straightway desireth new; for
he says the old is better." (Luke
v. 39.) To carry out the interpre
tation just named, would make Je-

arose, and followed him, and so
did his disciples. 20And, behold,
a " woman, which was diseased
with an issue of blood twelve
years, came behind him, and
touched the hem of his gar
ment : 2l for she said within
herself, if I may but touch his
garment, I shall be whole. 22 But
Je'sus turned him about, and
when he saw her, he said,
Daughter, be of good comfort ;
thy faith hath made thee whole.

sus here argue that the old dispen
sation was better than the new.
But the argument is the same as in
the first example: It shows that it
would have been absurdly inappro
priate to the occasion for his disci
ples to fast, as much so as to mourn
at a wedding, to pateh an old gar
ment with unfulled cloth, or to put
new wine into old bottles. The ar
guments not only vindicated his dis
ciples, but taught John's disciples
that fasting has value only when
it is demanded by a suitable occa
sion. The Ruler's Daughter and the
Bloody Issue, 18-26. (Mark v.
22^3; Luke viii. 41-56.)
18. a certain ruler. — Ruler of
a synagogue. (Mark v. 22.) Even
men of this class were ready to
honor Jesus when they were in dis
tress and wanted his aid. So it is
with sinners generally.
even now dead. — On this ex
pression see note on Mark v. 23.
20-22. — See for remarks on the
cure of the bloody issue the notes
on Mark v. 25-34, where the account
is more elaborate than here. Mat
thew mentions it briefly as an in
stance of the cure of a chronic dis
ease by merely touching the hem
of the Savior's garment.

ix. 23-28.]

MATTHEW.

85

And the woman was made whole
from that hour. 23And when
Je'sus came into the ruler's
bouse, and saw the minstrels and
the people making a noise, u he
said [unto them], Give place :
for the, maid is not dead, but
sleepeth. And they laughed
him to scorn. MBut when the
people were put forth, he went
24 airoU Rec. Omitted by Lach., Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.

23. saw the minstrels.— Min
strels in a house of mourning would
be incongruous according to west
ern taste. But among the Jews it
had been customary for ages to
call to their service, on funeral occa
sions, certain women who were pro
fessional mourners, and who, by
continual wailing and plaintive in
strumental music, intensified the
grief of the family and friends of
the deceased. (Comp. Jer. ix. 17,
18; Amos v. 16; and see Smith's
Dictionary, Art. Mourning.)
24. not dead but sleepeth. —
The maid was actually dead (Luke
viii. 53), but not, as the company
thought, permanently so. She was
about to be revived, and her death
would then be more like sleep than
death. The remark of Jesus was
easily understood by the Jews after
he had raised her to life, but before
he did so it appeared so absurd that
" they laughed him tq scorn," or de
rided him. This is the only instance
given by Matthew of raising the
dead. The account is singularly
free from suspicion as to its authen
ticity. If it were a pretended death
and revival, we would expect to see
an anxiety on the part of Jesus to
make it appear that 'the girl was
dead, and a disposition on the part
of the unbelievers present to ques
tion thia fact. But the reverse _ is
true : it is the unbelievers who in-

in, and took her by the hand,
and the maid arose. 26And the
fame hereof went abroad into
all that land.
27 And when Je'sus departed
thence, two blind men followed
him, crying, and saying, Thou
son of Da'vid, have mercy on
us. ^And when he was come
into the house, the blind men
came to him : and Je'sus saith
unto them, Believe ye that I am

sist that the girl ia dead, while Jesus
alone raiaes a queation about it.
Perhaps the chief object of the re
mark, " She is not dead, but sleep
eth," was to bring forth from the
inmates of the house, who had the
best opportunity to know the fact,
a more emphatic affirmation that she
was certainly dead.
For a more elaborate discussion
of the details of this miracle, see
the notes ou Mark v. 22-43.
Two Blind Men Healed, 27-31.
27. Thou son of David— By
thus addressing Jesus, the blind
men acknowledged him to be the
Christ ; for it was understood by all
the Jews that the Christ was to be
a son of David. (See xxii. 42.)
28. Believe ye.— Being blind,
the two men could not see the mir
acles for themselves ; hence the per
tinency of the question, " Believe ye
that I am able to do this ? ' ' That they
believed with so little opportunity
to know the evidence, being neces
sarily dependent on the testimony
of others, shows, on the one hand,
the abundance of the evidence, and,
on the other, the obduracy of those
\who could see and still would not
.•believe. Jesus questions them in
order to draw attention to this con
sideration. He had also paid no
attention to their cries until after
they followed him into the house,

86

MATTHEW.

[ix. 30-35.

able to do this ? They said un
to him, Yea, Lord. 29 Then
touched he their eyes, saying,
According to your faith be it
unto you. S0And their eyes
were opened ; and Je'sus straitly
charged them, saying, See that
no man know it. slBut they,
when they were departed, spread
abroad his fame in all that
country. 82 As they went out, behold,
they brought to him a dumb
man possessed with a devil.
83 And when the devil was cast

in order that they might show their
faith by their perseverance.
30, 31. See that no man know
it. — The cure of the woman with
the issue of blood, immediately fol
lowed by the resurrection of the
ruler's daughter, and this by the
cure of the blind men, had proba
bly thrown the people into an ec
stasy which once more required
repression by the injunction of si
lence. (Comp. viii. 4.) Mark tells
us that Jesus gave the same injunc
tion to the parents of the girl just
mentioned. The two blind men,
however, were too much exhilarated
by the recovery of their eyesight,
to heed the command of Jesus, or,
perhaps, to believe that he meant
what he said. They were too full
to hold in ; so " they spread abroad
his fame throughout all that coun
try." The Dumb Demoniac, 32-35.
32. a dumb man. — He was
dumb in consequence -of the demon-
possession, as appears from the fact
that he spoke as soon as the demon
left him. (Verse 33. ) Demon-pos
session had different effects on dif
ferent persons. Some it deprived
of reason, as in case of the man in
the land of the Gergesenes (Mark

out, the dumb spake : and the
multitudes marveled, saying, It
was never so seen in Is'rael.
84 But the Phar'isees said, He
casteth out devils through the
prince of the devils. 85And Je'
sus went about all the cities and
villages, teaching in their syna
gogues, and preaching the gos
pel of the kingdom, and healing
every sickness and eyery disease
[among the people].
35 ev tc3 \aw Rec. Omitted by Lach.,
Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles, B, c,
D, s, A, 1, 22, 33, etc., Versions.

v. 15) ; some it deprived of one or
more of the senses, as in the pres
ent case ; and some it threw into
convulsions or distortions. (See
Mark ix. 18; Luke xiii. 11, 16.)
33. the multitude marveled. —
With every new variety of miracles
there came fresh surprise among
the people. After seeing a few sick
persons cured, they naturally ceased
being surprised at cures of sick
ness ; but when they saw this dumb
man restored to speech, they were
almost as much surprised as if they
had seen no previous miracle. The
range of fresh miracles, however,
necessarily had a limit, and there
fore miracle working, as a means
of impressing men, had to be of
temporary duration. A permanent
continuance of miracles would have
robbed them of their value by mak
ing them common.
34. through the prince of the
devils. — It seems that when the
Pharisees now accused Jesus of
casting out demons by the prince
of the demons, he made no reply,
but waited till a subsequent occa
sion when they repeated the charge,
and then he replied exhaustively.
(See xii. 22-30.)
35. Jesus went about. — In this
verse Matthew groups together in a

ix. 36-38.]

MATTHEW.

87

86 But when he saw the multi
tudes, he was moved with com
passion on them, because they
| fainted : were troubled \ , and
36 eK\e\vp.evoi Rec. ea-nv\pevoi Lach.,
Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles, X,
B, C, D, E, F, G, K. M, S, U, X, A, etc., Old
Latin, Vulgate, etc.

general statement a multitude of
miracles and discourses, of which
those in the section which is here
brought to a close are specimens.
Argument op Section 6.
Thev obvious purpose of Matthew
in the preceding section is to pre
sent miraculous proofs of the claims
of Jesus. The fact that his word
was attended by divine power is
proof that he spoke by divine au
thority. He is represented as mak
ing this argument himself in the
case of the paralytic (ix. 5, 6), and
it is Matthew's argument throughout
the section. The demonstration is
manifold, including the miraculous
cure of six diseases — leprosy, paral
ysis, fever, chronic female hemor
rhage, blindness, and dumbness. It
includes also the expulsion of de
mons, the stilling of a tempest at
sea, and the raising of the dead.
All the ills to which humanity is
exposed — the diseases of the flesh,
the dangers of land and sea, the do
minion of demons, and the power
of death — are proved to be alike
under the control of Jesus, and they
are all controlled for the good of
man. The benevolent purpose of
his mission is demonstrated at the
same time with its divine origin.

section vn.
Fiest Commission op the Apostles,
IX. 35-X. 42.
Occasion of the Commission, ix. 36-3S;
Names and Endowment of the
Twelve, x. 1-4 ; The Commission
Given, 5-8 ; Their Means of Support,
9, 10 ; Their Mode of Dealing with

were scattered abroad, as sheep
having no shepherd. 87Then
saith he unto his disciples, The
harvest truly is plenteous, but
the laborers are few ; ss pray ye
therefore the Lord of the harvest,
that he will send forth laborers
into his harvest.

the People, 11-15; Pei-secntions Pie-
dicted, 10-23 ; Motives lo Endui-ance,
24-33; Persecutions Intended as a
Test, 34^39; Kind Treatment of Dis
ciples to be Rewarded, 40-42.

Occasion of the Commission, ix.
36-38.
36. moved with compassion.
— -The masses of the people in Gal
ilee had now been deeply stirred by
the teaching and miracles of Jesus,
but they knew, not as yet what di
rection was to be given to this pop
ular movement. Jesus very aptly
compares them, in their bewildered
state, to a flock of sheep without a
shepherd, scattered over the hills,
and faint from fright and running.
He has compassion on them, and is
moved by this to provide for their
relief by appointing twelve men
who shall assist him in teaching
them now, and shall be shepherds
to them hereafter. Men are still
like sheep — they must have shep
herds to lead them.
37. The harvest.— The figure is
here changed from that of a flock
to that of a harvest. The condition
of the people, as represented in the
previous comparison, rendered them
like an abundant harvest ready to
be gathered in for the master's use.
But as Jesus contemplates it, he
laments the absence of laborers, as
he has lamented the want of a shep
herd. Shepherds to gather them
into the fold, and laborers to reap
an abundant harvest, are two figures
to represent the one want of the
unhappy people.
38. pray ye. — When any want

MATTHEW.

[x. 1-4.

X. xAnd when he had called
unto him his twelve disciples, he
gave them power against unclean
spirits, to cast them out, and to
heal all manner of sickness and
all manner of disease. 2Now
the names of the twelve apostles
are these; The first, Si'mon,
who is called Pe'ter, and An'-
drew his brother; James the

is realized, the first impulse of a
worshiping soul, and rightly so, is
to pray. Jesus here teaches us to
pray for more laborers to reap the
world's great harvest, and so long
as the laborers continue to remain
few in proportion to the harvest, the
disciples must continue to offer this
prayer. Our compassion should be
moved, like his, toward a scattered
and distracted world. Like him,
too, we must not be content with
praying, but we must act. Having
told his disciples to pray that labor
ers be sent, he proceeded in the
same discourse to command them
to go. (x. 5-7.) It is in vain that
we pray God to send laborers unless
we go ourselves, or co-operate in
finding and sending those whom
God makes willing to go.
Names and Endowment of the
Twelve, x. 1-4. (Mark iii. 14-19;
vi. 7; Lukevi. 12-19; ix. 1.)
1. his twelve disciples. — This
does not mean that the twelve were
his only disciples; for we learn
from Luke (vi. 13) that "he called
to him his disciples, and of them
he chose twelve. ' They are -here
called his twelve disciples because
of their subsequent conspicuity as
the twelve apostles.
he gave them power. — The ob
ject of the miraculous powers now
bestowed on the apostles, was to
enable them to prove the divine au
thority of their mission, and, in do
ing so, to prove the divine authority

son of Zeb'edee, and John his
brother ; s Phil'ip, and Barthol'-
omew; Thom'as, and Mat'thew
the publican ; James the son of
Alphse'us, and Lebbae'us [whose
surname was Thaddse'us] ; * Si'
mon the Ca'naanite, and Ju'das
Iscar'iot, who also betrayed him.
3 6 eiriKXijflets ©aSSalos. Rec. Omitted
by Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford, n, 122, k.
Lach., Tregelles, omit Ae/3/Saios 6 eirucAjtiVif.

of Jesus, by whom these powers
were bestowed.
2. The first.— The term " first" is
not used in the sense of pre-eminent,
but it is employed numerically to in
dicate that here the enumeration of
the twelve begins. Peter's conspic
uity is indicated, however, by the
fact that his name is numerically
the first in all the catalogues of
their names, and it was doubtless
placed first on account of the pre
eminence which he subsequently
attained. (See Mark iii. 16-19;
Luke vi. 14-16 ; Acts i. 13 ; and
comp. Mat. xvi. 19.)
3. Matthew the publican.—
Notwithstanding the reproach at
tached to the name publican, and
the long period since Matthew had
ceased to be a publican when his
narrative was written, he still writes
himself, "Matthew the publican."
It is probable that the old name still
adhered to him in popular speech,
and that this led to its perpetuation
in his narrative. He does not at
tach the term fishermen to the
names of the first four.
Lebbseus. — On this name, see
note on Mark iii. 18.
4. Simon the Canaanite. — The
form in which the term Canaanite
is spelt, has led many English read
ers to suppose that Simon was
either a descendant of the original
Canaanites, or a citizen of the town
of Cana ; neither of which supposi
tions is true. The original is the
Syro-Chaldaic name of a sect among

5-9.]

MATTHEW.

89

6 These twelve Je'sus sent
forth, and commanded them,
saying, Go not into the way of
the Gen'tiles, and into any city
of the Samaritans enter ye not :
6 but go rather to the lost sheep
of the house of Is'rael. 'And
as ye go, preach, saying, The
kingdom of heaven is at hand.
the Jews, who took into their own
hands, without process of law, the
punishment of flagrant offenses.
They acted the same part in Jewish
society that those bands of men
sometimes called "Regulators'' per
form in American society at the
present day ; and they justified their
conduct by. the example of Phine-
has, who, in the time of general cor
ruption about Baal-peor, executed
summary vengeance on Zimri and
Cozbi. (See Num. xxv.) Luke
translates the name into Greek, and
calls this apostle Simon Zelotes, or
Simon the Zealot, (vi. 15.)
Judas Iscariot. — Iscariot desig
nates Judas by his former place of
residence It means a man of Ker-
ioth, a town in the tribe of Judah.
(Josh. xv. 25.)
The Commission Given, 5-8.
5. Gentiles . . . Samaritans. —
There are two good reasons why
the apostles under this first com
mission should be prohibited from
going among Gentiles or Samari
tans, and be restricted to the Jews.
In the first place, the Jews alone
were prepared for that which was
to be preached — the speedy coming
of the kingdom of heaven. It was
proper that the laborers be sent
only into that part ofthe harvest
which was ready for the sickle.
Again, the time was limited, and
not even the entire land of Israel
could be traversed ere the mission
would end. (Verse 23.)
6. to the lost sheep.— Jesus still
8

6 Heal the sick, cleanse the lep
ers, [raise the dead,] cast out
devils : freely ye have received,
freely give.
9 Provide neither gold, nor sil-
8 VEKpovs eyetpere Rec. Omitted by
Lach., Tisch, T. S. Green, Tregelles, E, F,
g,k,l, M, s, u, V, x, etc., f, Sahidic, Arme
nian, etc., Jerome, Eusebius, Athanasius,
Chrysostom, etc.

has in mind the simile with which
the discourse was introduced (ix.
36), and as the people are like sheep
without a shepherd, he sends the
twelve as shepherds to hunt up the
lost sheep.
7. preach, saying. — Observe,
they were not to preach Jesus now,
but they were to preach, " The
kingdom of heaven is at hand ;"
thus echoing the words of John
and of Jesus.
8. freely. — Without price (Sapt-
dv). It applies not to their labor as
a whole, for they were to receive
wages for this (verse 10) ; but to
their miracle working. The power
to heal the sick, to cleanse lepers,
and to cast out demons, might have
been made a source of great gain,
had the apostles been allowed so to
employ it; but this would have
robbed the power of its dignity
and turned it into an article of mer
chandise; hence in no age of the
world did the true prophets of God
accept fees for the exercise of their
miraculous powers.
Their Means of Support, 9, 10.
(Mark vi. 8, 9; Luke ix. 3.)
9, 10. Provide neither.— The
prohibition is against procuring the
articles mentioned before starting,
and at their own expense. They
were to thus procure neither money
to pay expenses; nor a scrip (pro
vision bag) which would enable
them to carry cold provisions ; nor
two coats, nor two pairs of shoes,
so that one might replace the

90

MATTHEW.

[x. 10-15.

ver, nor brass in your purses,
"nor scrip for your journey,
neither two coats, neither shoes,
nor yet staves : for the workman
is worthy of his meat.
"And into whatsoever city or
town ye shall enter, inquire who
in it is worthy ; and there abide
till ye go thence. 12And when ye
come into an house, salute it.
"And if the bouse be worthy,

other when worn out; nor were
they to carry more than one staff,
seeing that a second one which was
used only for carrying a pack across
the shoulder, would be superfluous.
The reason for the prohibition is
not that they would have no need
for the articles mentioned, but that
"the workman is worthy of his
meat," and they were to depend on
the people for whose benefit they
labored, to furnish what they might
need. This passage is alluded to
by Paul when he says, " The Lord
ordained that they who preach the
gospel shall live of the gospel."
(1 Cor. ix. 14.) The prohibition in
the text was removed preparatory
to the second commission (Luke
xxii. 35, 36), because under it the
apostles would go out among the
Gentiles, who had not learned,
like the Jews, to provide for the
wants of religious teachers, and
they would often be compelled to
provide for themselves.
Their Mode of Dealing with the
People, 11-15. (Mark vi. 10, 11 ;
Luke ix. 4, 5.)
11. who in it is worthy. — That
is, worthy to entertain a preacher
of the gospel. The house at which
a strange preacher lodges, on enter
ing a town or city, has often much
to do with his influence and success.
and there abide. — An unneces
sary chan™ 0f one's lodging-place,

let your peace come upon it:
but if it be not worthy, let your
peace return to you. "And
whosoever shall not receive you,
nor hear your words, when ye
depart out of that house or city,
shake off the dust of your feet.
15 Verily I say unto you, It shall
be more tolerable for the land of
Sod'om and Gomor'rhainthe day
of judgment, than for that city.

while temporarily laboring in a
town or city, is attended with many
slight disadvantages, as every expe
rienced evangelist can testify, and
the Savior exhibited a wise foresight
in forbidding it during this hurried
mission of the twelve.
12, 13. let your peace return.
¦ — The form of salutation on enter
ing a house was, "Peace to this
house." The apostles are told to
salute each house, and are assured
that the peace prayed for shall re
turn to them if the house is not
worthy ; that is, they shall receive,
in this case, the blessing they pro
nounce on the house.
14. shake off the dust. — Ac
cording to Mark (vi. 11), shaking
off the dust from the feet was in
tended as "a testimony against"'
those who would not receive the
preachers. It testified that they
were rejected by Him whose mes
sengers had been rejected by them.
It is twice recorded of Paul that he
complied with this precept. (Acts
xiii. 51 ; xviii. 6.)
15. more tolerable. — It is a fixed
principle in the divine government
that men shall be judged with refer
ence to their opportunities. Though
the sin of these Jews in rejecting
the apostles was not of so gross a
character as the sins of Sodom and
Gomorrha, it was more inexcusable
on account of their superior oppor
tunities.

x. 16-21.]

MATTHEW.

91

" Behold, I send you forth as
sheep in tbe midst of wolves :
be ye therefore wise as serpents,
and harmless as doves. "But
beware of men : for they will
deliver you up to the councils,
and they will scourge you in
their synagogues ; 18 and ye shall
be brought before governors and
kings for my sake, for a testi
mony against them and the
Gen'tiles. ls But when they de-

Perseeutions Predicted, 16-23.
16. as sheep in the midst of
Wolves. — At this point in the dis
course, Jesus passes from the first
to the second mission of the apos
tles ; for all of the persecutions enu
merated were encountered under
the latter. They were to be like
sheep in the midst of wolves, be
cause they were to be visited with
cruelties, and they were to bear these
without resistance. Under these
circumstances they were to be as
wise as serpents, whose only wis
dom is displayed in escaping from
danger (comp. note on 23), and as
blameless (axipaioi) as doves. Being
blameless, they would encounter no
merited severity ; - and, being wise
as serpents, they would escape all
danger that could be avoided with
out dereliction of duty.
17. councils . . . synagogues.
— The councils (ovviSpia) and syna
gogues here mentioned were Jewish
powers. It seems from this verse
that synagogue rulers exercised the
power of scourging men for minor
offenses. (See also xxiii. 34; Acts
xxii. 19; xxvi. 11,
18. governors and kings.—
These are Gentile powers. This
appears both from the fact that even
the governors and kings who ruled
in Judea were appointees of the
Roman government, aud from the
statement of the text that the apos-

liver you up, take no thought
how or what ye shall- speak : for
it shall be given you in that
same hour what ye shall speak.
20 For it is not ye that speak, but
the Spirit of your Father which
speaketh in you. 21And the
brother shall deliver up the
brother to death, and the father
the child : and the children shall
rise up against their parents,
and cause them to be put to

ties were to be brought before these
" for a testimony against them and
the Gentiles." Paul's arraignment
before such men as Lysias, Pelix,
Festus, Agrippa, and Nero, was in
fulfillment of this prediction, and it
resulted in testimony against them
because they rejected the gospel
which was thus providentially forced
upon their attention.
19. take no thought. — Here we
have the same word in the Greek,
as in Mat. vi. 25, and the meaning
is the same, " be not anxious ". We
learn from Mark (xiii. 11) that they
were not, under such circumstances,
even to "premeditate;" and the
promise, "It shall be given you, in
that same hour, what you shall
speak," saved them from both pre
meditation and anxiety.
20. not you that speak. — Of
course, the physical act of speaking
was theirs, but it was not theirs
to determine how or what they
should speak (verse 19). Both the
manner and the matter were to be
supplied by the Spirit of God.
There could not be a more explicit
declaration of the complete verbal
inspiration of the apostles on such
occasions. 21. shall deliver up. — The
statement is not that brother shall
put brother to death; but that he
shall deliver him up to death ; that
is, deliver him up to those who
would put him to death. This was

92

MATTHEW.

[x. 22-27.

death. 22And ye shall be hated
of all men for my name's sake :
but he that endureth to the end
shall be saved. 23But when
they persecute you in this city,
flee ye into another : for verily
I say unto you, Ye shall not
have gone over the cities of Is'
rael, till the Son of man be
come. 24 The disciple is not above his
master, nor the servant above
his lord. 25 It is enough for the
disciple that he be as his master,

done by giving testimony, and act
ing the part of an informer.
22. hated of all men.— The
apostles always had some friends;
hence we are to understand that
the term all here is used hyperbol-
ically. to the end. — To the end of life :
for it is persecution unto death (21)
that is to be endured.
23. flee ye into another. — This
is a specification under the more
general precept, "Be ye wise as
serpents (verse 16) ; and the spe
cial reason for fleeing so promptly
from a city where they were perse
cuted, is, "Ye shall not have gone
over the cities of Israel till the Son
of man be come." What coming
of the Son of man is meant, has
been a matter of dispute. But it is
a coming which was to take place
before all the cities of Israel should
be evangelized, and hence the ref
erence must be, we think, to the
providential coming to destroy the
Jewish nationality. The apostles
were to make no delay, even under
their first commission, in cities that
would not receive them, and were
to promptly flee when, under the
second commission, they should be
violently persecuted ; because by
their labors under both combined
they would not evangelize all the

and the servant as his lord. If
they have | called : surnamed |
the master of the house Beel'ze-
bub, how much more shall they
call them of his household ?
26 Fear them not therefore : for
there is nothing covered, that
shall not be revealed ; and hid,
that shall not be known. "What
I tell you in darkness, that speak
ye in light : and what ye hear
25 eieaXea-av Rec. ejreKaAeffap Lach., Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles, B, c, E, F,
G, K, m, s, v, x, A, etc.
Jewish cities before the time set for
their desolation.
Motives to Endurance, 24-33.
24, 25. enough for the disci
ple. — The argument here is, that
the disciple should expect exemp
tion from no hardship endured by
his teacher (master here means
teacher), nor the servant from any
endured by his lord. As Jesus,
then, was to suffer, his disciples
and servants must not expect to fare
better than he, but it is enough for
them to escape with no more than
he suffered. When a disciple suf
fers and feels like complaining of
his hard lot, let him think, Who am
I, to complain of suffering, when
my Lord and Master suffered so
much more than this for me !
28, 27. that shall not be re
vealed. — Here is another motive to
endurance. Disciples often suffer
from injustice that is so covered up
from the eyes of the world as to ap
pear like justice, and there is noth
ing more disheartening than this.
But Jesus assures them that no
hidden or covered up iniquity shall
escape exposure, and urges that no
truth shall be allowed to remain in
obscurity through fear of danger in
proclaiming it: hence they are to
preach " on the house-tops all that

x. 28-33.]

MATTHEW

93

in the ear, that preach ye upon
the housetops. 28And fear not
them which kill the body, but
are not able to kill the soul :
but rather fear him which is able
to destroy both soul and body
in hell. 29Are not two sparrows
sold for a farthing ? and one of
them shall not fall on the ground

they hear from him, even what he
had whispered in their ears.
28. fear not them who kill. —
The fear of men who would kill
them, as previously predicted, was
calculated to deter the apostles from
the mission on which they were about
to be sent. Should they yield to
this fear they are reminded that
they must,, as an alternative, en
counter " Him who is able to destroy
both soul and body in hell.'' Let
the danger, then, of going be as
great as it might be, the danger of
refusing to go, or of turning back,
is still greater. As a mere choice
of evils, the most cruel persecution
is to be patiently endured in prefer
ence to neglect of duty to God.
destroy. — Materialists are wont
to catch at the word destroy in this
place, as proof that the soul can be
annihilated. But in doing so they
ascribe to the term destroy a sense
which it does not bear, and they
overlook the fact that this passage
utterly refutes the doctrine that the
soul dies with the body. Jesus
says, "Pear not them who kill the
body- but can .not kill the soul ; "
but if the soul dies with the body,
then he who kills the body kills the
soul too, aud can not avoid killing
it. To destroy, is not to annihilate,
but to bring to ruin ; and the soul
and body are brought to ruin when
they are cast into hell.
in hell. — As the body and soul
both are to be destroyed in hell,
hell (yi-li/i/a) can not belong to the
intermediate state, but to that state

without your Father. *°But the
very hairs of vour head are all
numbered. S1 Fear ye not there
fore, ye are of more value than
many sparrows. 32 Whosoever
therefore shall confess me before
men, him will I confess also be
fore my Father which is in
heaven. M But whosoever shall

which follows the reunion of body
and soul at the resurrection. Hell,
then, lies beyond the final judg
ment. 29-31. ye are of more value.
— Another motive to endurance —
the tender protection which God ex
tends to those who endure. If a
sparrow, of so little value that two
of them are sold for a farthing
(dasaptoj/ = 1 Jets), doe's not fall with
out your Father, and if all the hairs
of your head are numbered, why
should you, who are of more value
than many sparrows, be afraid to
serve God rather than man ? Here
is an incidental affirmation of
special providence in its most mi
nute manifestations, and an assur
ance that even if we fall by the
hand of man, God is with us in the
fall, and this makes it a blessing in
stead of a calamity.
32, 33. shall confess . . .
shall deny. — Here is the fifth and
last motive to endurance. The
time was coming when the disciples
would often be questioned concern
ing their faith, and when life or
death would depend on the answer.
They are encouraged to confess
Jesus on these and all occasions, by
the assurance that if they do so he
will confess them before the Father
in heaven, and that if they deny
him he will deny them. The con
fession before the Father in heaven
is doubtless an approving recogni
tion of the person as a faithful dis
ciple, and the denying is the reverse
of this. A denial like Peter's, fol-

94

MATTHEW.

[x. 34-39.

deny me before men, him will I
also deny before my Father
which is in heaven.
34 Think not that I am come
to send peace on earth : I came
not to send peace, but a sword.
85 For I am come to set a man at
variance against his father, and
the daughter against her mother,
and the daughter-in-law against

lowed by immediate repentance, is
not here included. The confession
of Jesus which is made at the be
ginning of the Christian life is not
directly alluded to, but what is true
of this is true of the later confes
sions more especially the subject
of remark, seeing that there is the
Bame temptation to be overcome,
and often the same danger to be en
countered.Persecutions Intended as a Test,
34-39.
34. not to send peace. — In one
sense Jesus came to send peace —
peace among those who would re
ceive him, and between them and
God. So sang the angels at the
time of his birth. (Luke ii. 14.)
But between his friends and those
who would persist in being his foes,
he came to send not peace, but a
sword. He knew that the existence
and activities of the Church would
cause the sword of persecution to
be drawn, and in ordering the es
tablishment of the Church he as
sumed the responsibility of indi
rectly sending that sword into the
world. 35,38. at variance against his
father. — In nearly all quarrels, ex
cept those about religion, the mem
bers of the same family stand to
gether, but in religious feuds the
fnmily circle is often broken, and
ifei parts arrayed against each other.
When a man abandons the religion
of his ancestors, his own kindred

her mother-in-law. ^And a
man's foes shall be they of his
own household. s,He that lov
eth father or mother more than
me is not worthy of me : and he
that loveth son or daughter more
than me is not worthy of me.
38And he that taketh not his
cross, and followeth after me, ia
not worthy of me. M He that

feel more keenly than others the
shame which the world attaches to
the act, and are exasperated against
the supposed apostate in a degree
proportionate to their nearness to
him. Jesus came to set a man thus
at variance with his kindred, be
cause this evil is unavoidable in
saving some.
37. He that loveth father.— In
this verse is clearly indicated the
providential purpose of these family
alienations : they would put the
disciple to the test by showing
whether he loves earthly relatives
more than he loves Jesus, and
whether, therefore, he is worthy of
Jesus. 38. taketh not his cross.— The
cross, on account of its use in the
execution of the basest criminals,
was a symbol of dishonor. The
dishonor attached to being a disci
ple of Jesus is here graphically
symbolized by taking a cross on
one's shoulder and following Je
sus. Perhaps there is also, as
Alford suggests, an allusion to his
death on the cross — an allusion
which, at the time, must have es
caped the notice of his disciples,
because it preceded all of his pre
dictions on that subject.
39. findeth his life shall lose
it. — Here is a play on the word
life, which is used alternately for
temporal life and eternal life. He
that finds it is he who saves his
E resent life by shrinking from duty :
e shall jqse flic eternal life. He

x. 40-42.]

MATTHEW.

95

findeth his life shall lose it : and
he that loseth his life for my
sake shall find it.
10 He that receiveth you re
ceiveth me, and he that receiv
eth me receiveth him that sent
me. 41He that receiveth a
prophet in the name of a prophet
shall receive a prophet's reward ;

who loses the present life for the
sake of Jesus, finds life eternal.
Kind Treatment of Disciples to
be Rewarded, 40-42.
40. He that receiveth. — By a
very natural transition Jesus now
passes from the persecutions await
ing his disciples to the kind treat
ment • which they would receive
from the hands of others, and he
encourages such treatment by the
assurance that he will accept it as
if extended to himself.
41, 42. in the name. — " In the
name of a prophet " is a Hebraism for
"because he isaprophet." (Alford.)
He who receives a prophet be
cause he is a prophet, or a righteous
man because he is a righteous man,
or who gives a drink of water
to a disciple because he is a disciple,
distinctly recognizes the person's
relation to God as the ground of
the act; and to that extent God is
honored by the act. Not so, how
ever, with him who performs a sim
ilar act in the name of humanity,
or because the recipient is a man.
a prophet's reward. — A proph
et's reward is not synonymous with
final salvation; for while it is true
that in heaven we will have full re
ward for all the good we do on
earth, we will have infinitely more
than this, and our admission into
heaven is a matter of grace, and
not of reward. So, then, the prom
ise of the text does not imply the
salvation of all that receive u,
prophet, etc., but simply that he
shall be rewarded. If he be a par-

and he that receiveth a righteous
man in the name of a righteous
man shall receive a righteous
man's reward. "And whosoever
shall give to drink unto one of
these little ones a cup of cold
water only in the name of a dis
ciple, verily I say unto you, he
shall in no wise lose his reward.

doned man, he may receive his re
ward in heaven; if not, he will
receive it only on earth.
Argument of Section 7.
In this section, Matthew has ex
hibited the compassion of Jesus as
the moving cause which led to the
first mission of the twelve; he has
furnished the names and stated
the miraculous- endowments of
the twelve ; and he has shown
the foreknowledge of Jesus by
his predictions concerning the dis
ciples, and his honesty by his fail-
dealing with them in reference
to their own future. In this last
particular, there is a contrast be
tween Jesus and the originators of
earthly enterprises, whether secular
or religious. It is the custom of
the latter to paint in glowing colors
the brighter prospects of the causes
they plead, and to conceal from
both themselves and others the
darker side of the picture. But
Jesus presents faithfully before his
disciples all of the hardships and
sufferings which await them, not
omitting death itself — and death, it
may be, on the cross. The fore
knowledge displayed is proof of
his divinity, while the compassion
and the candor which accompany
it are such as we would expect in
the Sou of God.
It is worthy of note, as indicating
Matthew's peculiar method as a his
torian, that he closes this section on
the first mission of the twelve with
out a word about the labors of the

96

MATTHEW.

[xi. 1-5.

XI. x And it came to
when Je'sus had made an end of
commanding his twelve disciples,
he departed thence to teach and
to preach in their cities. 2Now
when John had heard in the

2 Svo Rec. SiaLach. Tisch., T. S. Green,
Alford, Tregelles, X. B, c, D, F, z, A, 33, 124,
P. Syriac, Ph. Syriac, Armenian, etc.

apostles under this commission.
Mark mentions the latter subject,
though but briefly. (Mark vi. 12, 13. )

SECTION VIII.
Rejection of John and of Jesus, XI.
John's Message from Prison, 1-6; True
Estimate of John, 7-15; Childishness
of (he Opposition, 16-19; Impeniient
Cities Upbraided,' 2U-24; Thanksgiv
ing of Jesus, 25, 2ti; Invitation, 27-30.
John's Message from Prison, 1-6.
(Luke vii. 18-23.)
1. he departed thence. — The
probability is that Jesus now la
bored separately from the apostles
for a time — they laboring under the
Commission just given them, and
he remaining with the multitudes
who still flocked about him.
2. in the prison.— According to
Josephus, the place of John's im
prisonment and death was the castle
of Machserus, east- of the Dead Sea.
(Ant. B. 18, ch. 5, §3 1, 2.) Itwas
not very far from that part of the
Jordan in which John had baptized;
and it is probable that Herod was
residing in this castle when he
went to hear John's preaching.
3. Art thou he. — Various hy-
Eotheses have been advanced by
oth ancient and modern expositors
in reference to the purpose of
John's inquiry. The natural and
obvious supposition that he inquired
merely because he wanted to know,
has been very generally rejected as
inconsistent with his previous testi-

prison the works of Christ, he
sent | two of : through | his disci
ples, 3and said unto him, Art
thou he that should come, or do
we look for another? 4 Je'sus
answered and said unto them,
Go and shew John again those
things which ye do hear and
see : 6 the blind receive their

mony for Jesus, and with his inspi
ration. But we must remember
that his inspiration passed away
with the ministry on account of
which it was bestowed, and that it
was only the man John who made
the inquiry. Moreover, it was the
man John in hopeless imprison
ment, and filled with the despond
ency natural to his situation. . He
may have still believed all that he
had formerly said of Jesus, and yet
have made the inquiry in the text.
The inquiry is not, Are you what I
declared you to be? but, being all
of that, are you the one who should
come, or must we look for another?
Looking, as John did, in common
with all the Jews, for an earthly
king in the coming Messiah, and
seeing in Jesus no aspirations for
such a position, he was so far con
fused as to think that while Jesus
fulfilled apart of the promises, there
might be another Coming One who
would fulfill the remainder. To
satisfy his own mind, then, was the
object of his inquiry, and he shows
unabated confidence in Jesus by
submitting the decision of the ques
tion to him.
4, 5. Go and show John. — Je
sus did not choose to send a categor
ical answer, although John's ques
tion called for no more than this.
He preferred to let his works testify
for nim, and therefore he merely
reiterated their testimony by saying,
" Go and show John again those
things which ye do hear and see."
He was engaged in a variety of

XI.

6-11.]

MATTHEW.

97

sight, and the lame walk, the
lepers are cleansed, and the
deaf hear, the dead are raised
up, and tbe poor have the gos
pel preached to them. 6And
blessed is he, whosoever shall
not be offended in me.
'And as they departed, Je'sus
began to say unto the multitudes
concerning John, What went ye
out into the wilderness to see ?
A reed shaken with the wind?.
8 But what went ye out for to
see? A man clothed in soft

cures when the messengers arrived.
(Luke vii. 21.) The answer re
quired John to revert once more to
all that the prophets had written
about the Coming One, and to
thereby determine whether another
after Jesus should be expected. It
directed his mind especially to Isa.
lxi. 1-3, a passage to which Jesus
had before appealed when preach
ing in the synagogue at Nazareth.
(Luke iv. 18-21/)
6. not be offended in me. — The
chief reason why the scribes were
offended at the claims of Jesus, was
because he did not come up to their
expectations concerning the Mes-
sian; and now John seemed in dan
ger of falling into the same fatal
error: -hence the warning to John,
" Blessed is he who shall not be
offended in me."
True Estimate of John, 7-15.
(Luke vii. 24-30.)
7, 8. A reed . . . soft raiment.
— A reed shaken by the wind sym
bolizes a man who is swayed by
public opinion ; and one clothed in
soft raiment, is a man of self-indul
gence. The questions of Jesus
brought out with great emphasis
the contrast between John and all
such characters. In contrast with
a reed shaken by the wind, stood
9 *

raiment ? behold, they that wear
soft clothing are in kings' houses.
'But what went ye out for to
see ? A prophet ? yea, I say
unto you, and more than a
prophet. 10[For] this is he, of
whom it is written, Behold, I
send my messenger before thy
face, | which : and he \ shall pre
pare thy way before thee.
11 Verily I say unto you, Among
- 10 yip Rec. Omitted hy Tisch., T. S.
Green, X, b, d, z, N. Syriac, etc.
10 6s, Rec. /cal Lach., T. S. Green, Tre
gelles.

bis firmness in withstanding the
Pharisees, and his fearlessness in
rebuking sin even when Herod was
the sinner, and when liberty and
life were at stake. In contrast with
soft raiment stood his camel' s-hair
coat with its raw hide girdle, and
his food of locusts and wild honey.
To remind the people of these
things, was to rekindle their admi
ration for John.
9, 10. more than a prophet.
— More than a prophet, in being
the messenger sent before the face
of Jesus, and in sustaining a closer
relation to Jesus than any other
prophet. 11. not risen a greater. — A
greater prophet; continuing the
comparison between him and the
other prophets. If there were any
doubt of this, it would be removed
by Luke, who, in reporting the
same speech, inserts the word
prophet after greater. (Luke vii.
28. But see the critical note.) The
point of superiority is that men
tioned in the previous verse, his
closer connection with Jesus.
greaterthan he. — The point of
comparison is still the same — the
superiority consisting in closer con
nection with Jesus, and greater
knowledge of him. In these re
spects, the least in the kingdom is

98

MATTHEW.

[xi. 12, 13.

them that are born of women
there hath not arisen a greater
than John the Baptist : notwith
standing lie that is least in the
kingdom of heaven is greater

greater than John, because he is a
member of the body of. Christ, and
this is more than to be the messen
ger to go before him and to inquire,
" Art thou he that should come, or
look we for another ? "
This remark implies that John
was not in the kingdom; for, other
wise, the least in the kingdom could
not be greater than he. The lan
guage can not be treated as a hyper
bole, as when Paul declares himself
"less than the least of all saints"
(Bph. iii. 8) ; for the contradiction
in terms employed by Paul shows
that he speaks hyperbolically ; but
there is no evidence of hyperbole
in the passage before us. Neither
can the expression "kingdom of
heaven" be construed as equivalent
to heaven, for in the next verse it is
said to suffer violence, and this lan
guage can not be construed as re
ferring to heaven. Neither is the
present tense, " He that is least in
the kingdom," to be construed as
implying that some were already in
the kingdom ; for, in that case, John
himself would have been in it, and
the comparison could not have been
made. Moreover, it is not uncom
mon to use the present tense in
making comparisons between things
yet in the future. (See Matt. xxii.
30.) The comparison in question
is accounted for only by the fact-
that the kingdom of heaven, though
preached, was not yet set up, and
therefore John was not a citizen of
it. 12. suffereth violence. — The
correct translation of this verse is
that given by Mr. Green in his
Two-fold New Testament: "The
kingdom of heaven is being forced,
and men of force are seizing on it."

than he. "And from the days
of John the Baptist until now
the kingdom of heaven suffereth
violence, and the violent take it
by force. 1S For all the prophets

The kingdom of heaven can not be
literally forced ; therefore, this
term is to be understood metaphor
ically. The kingdom is compared
to a walled city, into which men
are tiying to force their way in or
der to get possession of it, and this
is said to have been going on " since
the days of John the Baptist." In
order to see what actual conduct of
men is thus depicted, we must
glance back at the history from the
time of John. When the multi
tudes first rushed out to John at the
Jordan, many of them thought that
he was the expected Messiah, and
they were eager to set up by force
the expected kingdom. Disappointed
in this, the same "men of force"
soon gathered around Jesus, and on
the very day in which the news of
John's death reached Galilee, there
followed Jesus into the wilderness
about five thousand men, who, near
the close of the day, tried to " take
him by force and make him a
king." (xiv. 12-21 ; comp. John
vi. 15.) It was this disposition to
force their way into the miscon
ceived kingdom, which made it
necessary for Jesus to frequently
avoid the multitudes, and to some
times command persons whom he
had healed, "Tell it to no man."
The verse, then, refers to the eager
ness of the people to enter by vio
lence into the privileges and honors
of the kingdom — a disposition which
arose from the mistaken idea that
it was to be a political or military
kingdom. The kingdom is com
pared to a walled city, and these
men who wished to set up the king
dom by military force, to an army
besieging the city.
13, until John.— The statement

xi. 14-19.]

MATTHEW.

99

and the law prophesied until
John. u And if ye will receive
it, this is Elias, which was for
to come. 15 He that hath ears
[to hear], let him hear.
16 But whereunto shall I liken
this generation ? It is like unto
children sitting in the markets,
and calbng unto their fellows,
" and saying, We have piped
unto you, and ye have not
15 dKoveii' Rec. Omitted by Tisch., T. S.
Green, Alford, Tregelles.

that "all the prophets and the law
prophesied until John," implies that
then there was a change. The
change is not stated, but may
be supplied from the almost iden
tical sentence in Luke, " The law
and the prophets were until John:
since that time the kingdom of
heaven is preached." (Luke xvi.
16.) The change consisted in add
ing the preaching of the kingdom.
14. this is Elias. — The Jews
expected the prophet Elijah to re
appear, according to the prediction
of Malachi, aud they believed his
coming would immediately precede
the Messiah's kingdom. (Mai. iv.
5, 6; comp. Matt. xvii. 10.) They
had at first thought it probable that
John was the literal Elijah. (John i.
21), but John denied it. Jesus now
informs them that John, though not
literally Elijah, was the person so
called by Malachi; and he does
this to show that Malachi' s predic
tion had been fulfilled, and that
consequently, according to their
own doctrine, the kingdom of God
must be at hand, and what he had
just said about the kingdom, should
be -believed. John was called Eli
jah, because, as predicted by the
angel who announced his birth, he
was to go before the Lord " in the
spirit and power of Elijah." (Luke
i. 17.) He had the spirit of Elijah,

danced ; we have mourned
[unto you], and ye have not
lamented. 18 For John came
neither eating nor drinking, and
they say, He hath a devil.
19 The Son of man came eating
and drinking, and they say, Be
hold a man gluttonous, and a
winebibber, a friend of public
ans and sinners. But wisdom
is justified of her children.
17 iplv Rec. Omitted hy Lach., Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.

in that he exercised similar self-
denial in his mode of life, and
maintained the same stern opposi
tion against prevalent iniquity; and
the power of Elijah, in that he
swayed the people by his word, and
gained a popular triumph analogous
to that which Elijah gained at Mt.
Carmel. (1 Ks. xviii. 20-40.)
15. He that hath ears— Jesus
used the proverb contained in this
verse when he desired to fix especial
attention on something which his
hearers were inclined to reject.
The foregoing speech about John
was distasteful to those who had
rejected his preaching and baptism;
yet it was of the utmost importance
to the cause of Jesus that the repu
tation of John, thus far his chief
human witness, should be properly
sustained, and the more so, as he
was now in prison, and men were
likely to think less of him on ac
count of his waning fortune.
Childishness of the Opposition,
16-19. (Luke vii. 31-35.)
16-19. like unto children. —
In the comparison here instituted,
two groups of children are supposed
to be at play. One group makes a
sound in imitation of a pipe, for the
others to dance by, thus imitating
the professional dancers; but the
others refuse to dance. Supposing,

100

MATTHEW.

[xi. 20, 21.

20 Then began he to upbraid
the cities wherein most of his
mighty works were done, because

then, that they feel more like weep
ing, the first group begin to mourn
in imitation of the hired mourners
at a funeral (see note on ix. 23),
but the others will not lament. In
like manner, when John came,
neither eating bread nor drinking
wine, the unbelievers were dis
pleased, and said he had a demon.
When Jesus, as if for the very pur
pose of pleasing them in that
wherein John displeased them,
came eating and drinking, they
were still displeased, and said, Be
hold a glutton and a wine-bibber, a
friend of publicans and sinners.
They acted like the ill-tempered
children. justified of her children. —
Wisdom is justified by her children
when they act as wisdom's children
should, thereby showing that she
has trained them wisely. Jesus
here assumes that he and John were
both children of wisdom, and that
they acted wisely though" they acted
bo differently. John's life of Nazarite
abstinence was wisely adapted to
the special mission on which he was
sent, that of preaching repentance.
But Jesus, coming on a mission
addressed not to one but to all the
aspects of human life, assumed no
peculiar personal habits, but pre
served that evenness of balance and
harmony of attributes which wis
dom demanded in the Son of God.
Wisdom was thus justified in both
of her children; and she is justified
in all of her children when they
prudently adapt their habits each
to the peculiar mission which God
by providence assigns him.

Cities
20-24.

Upbraided,

20. most of his mighty works.
— The meaning is, that more of his

they repented not : 21 Woe unto
thee, Chora'zin ! woe unto thee,
Betbsa'ida ! for if the mighty

mighty works were done in these
cities than in any other cities ;rnot,
more than in all others. Notwith
standing this fact, however, we have
no record of any miracles at all
wrought in either Chorazin or Beth
saida. This shows that compara
tively few. of the miracles are re
corded. they repented not. — Notwith
standing the admiration of the peo
ple in these cities for Jesus, the
dominion of sin within them was
not broken down; they did not re
pent, and consequently they were
not benefited by their heavenly
opportunities. There were doubt
less many individual exceptions.
21. Chorazin . . . Bethsaida.
— Chorazin is not mentioned in the
Scriptures except in the denuncia
tions of it. Jerome, who traveled
in Palestine in the latter part of
the second century, represents it
as two miles from Capernaum (Al
ford, Lange). Bethsaida was the
home of Peter and Andrew (John
i. 44), and was also near Caper
naum (viii. 14). No trace of these
villages is now seen by the trav
eler. in Tyre and Sidon— We are
not to infer that these two were the
wickedest Gentile cities in the
world ; but they are mentioned be
cause they were near by, and their
wickedness was well known to the
Galileans. would have repented. — Jesus
here assumes that miracles, when
rightly regarded, lead to repentance.
Their power is not inherent, but
depends on the proposition demon
strated by them. As Jesus preached
repentance, his miracles demon
strated his divine authority to de
mand it, and the impenitence of hi-s
hearers proved them to be perverse

xi. 22-25.]

MATTHEW.

101

works, which were done in you,
had been done in Tyre and
Si' don, they would have repented
-long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
22 But I say unto you, it shall be
more tolerable for Tyre and
Si'don at the day of judgment,
than for you. 2S And thou, Ca-
per'naum, which art exalted
unto heaven, shalt | be brought :
come | down to hell : for if the
23 KaraPtfiaa-Srjo-ri ReC. Kara^T/jo-fl Lach.,
Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford, TregelhS.

and obdurate. High privileges
abused render men more and more
obdurate. The Galileans had abused
their former privileges, and now
they were not so susceptible to good
influences as their Gentile neigh
bors, who had never known the will
of God. The same difference is
still seen between communities, and
between individuals of the same
community. ' When the proper
time came for evangelizing the Gen
tiles, Tyre and Sidon both received
the gospel, and verified the words
of the text. (See Acts xxi. 3-6 ;
xxvii. 3.)
in sackcloth and ashes.— Not
that they would literally have put
on sackcloth and set down in the
ashes, which was the ancient cus
tom in times of great affliction (Job
ii. 12; Jonah iii. 6), but that their
repentance would have been attended
with extreme sorrow, such as often
found expression in this way.
22. more tolerable. — The cities
of Tyre and Sidon, if judged by
their actions alone, were far more
wicked than these Galilean cities;
but, bad as they were, they were
better in proportion to their oppor
tunities, and therefore they de
served less severity of punishment.
The relative merits of men are to
be determined by the correspond
ence between their lives and their
opportunities.

mighty works, which have been
done in thee, had been done in
Sod'om, it would have remained
until this day. 2* But I say un
to you, That it shall be more toler
able for the land of Sod'om in the
day of judgment, than for thee.
25At that time Je'sus answered,
and said, I thank thee, 0 Father,
Lord of heaven and earth, be
cause thou hast hid these things
from the wise and prudent, and
hast revealed them unto babes.

23. shalt come down to hell.—
Not hell (yslwa), but hades (tf&rjf).
Not the final abode of the wicked,
but the disembodied state. On ac
count of the suffering which wicked
spirits endure there (see Luke xvi.
25), when hades is mentioned in
connection with the wicked, the
idea of punishment is conveyed.
The expressions,"exalted to heaven,"
and "brought down to hades," are
both used figuratively; the former,
to denote the high privileges which
Capernaum had enjoyed, and the
latter, the ruin which awaited her.
The prediction has long since been
fulfilled, and the traveler now
searches among the rank weeds on
the lake shore to find, in the frag
ments of stone which lie there, un
certain vestiges of the once popu
lous and well built city.
Thanksgiving of Jesus, 25, 26.
25. I thank thee. — After ex
pressing himself so fully in regard
to those who rejected him, Jesus
now, by a natural transition, pro
ceeds to speak of those who received
him. That he renders thanks for
the result, shows that he was not
displeased with it. On the contrary,
it was an actual cause of rejoicing
to him that he was received by
those whom he calls "babes," and
rejected by "the wise and prudent."
God had "hid these things" from

102

MATTHEW.

[xi. 26-30.

26 Even so, Father : for so it
seemed good in thy sight.
27 All things are delivered unto
me of my Father : and no man
knoweth the Son, but the Father;
neither knoweth any man the
Father, save the Son, and he to
whomsoever the Son will reveal

the latter class through the natural
operation of their own corrupted
hearts and perverted minds (comp.
notes on xiii. 14, 15 ; Mark iv. 12),
and he had revealed them to the
former through their more teachable
moral and mental condition; the
same light,- meanwhile, shining on
both alike. The ground of rejoic
ing is not stated, but we can see at
least two considerations which were
probably included in it. First,
those called " the wise and pru
dent" — the educated Jews — were so
wedded to tradition and false theo
ries that the truth would not have
been so safe in their keeping as in
that of men fresh from the masses
of the people. It is certain that the
chief corrupters of the truth in
every age have sprung from the for
mer class of men. Second, the fact
that the gospel was originally estab
lished in the earth chiefly by the
labors of the poor and the illiterate,
in the face of bitter opposition from
the rich and powerful, is an over
whelming argument in its favor;
but this argument would stand re
versed, if it had been the " wise
and prudent" instead of "babes"
who at first received it. The antic
ipation of this result may have con
tributed to the Savior's rejoicing.
26. for so it seemed good.—
Instead of for, we should have that.
The entire verse is an abbreviated
repetition of the thanksgiving, and
is introduced for the sake of empha
sis. It should be rendered thus :
" Even so, Father, that so it seemed
good in thy sight." "I thank thee"

him. 2B Come unto me all ye
that labor and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest. 29 Take
my yoke upon you, and learn of .
me; for I am meek and lowly
in heart : and ye shall find rest
unto your souls. so For my yoke
is easy, and my burden is light.
is understood after Father. (For a
different opinion, see Lange on this
verse.) Invitation, 27-30.
27. All things are delivered.
— Jesus here speaks by anticipa
tion. In God's purpose, all things
were already delivered to him, but
they were not actually delivered
until his glorification. (See note on
xxviii. 18.)
no man knoweth. — That is,
knoweth completely. No one but
the Father thus knew the Son at
that time ; nor, indeed, does any so
know him even at this time. And
no one thus knows the Father ex
cept the Son and those to whom the
Son will reveal him. This reveal
ing is done partly in this world and
partly in the world to come. The
assertion makes it certain that no
correct knowledge of God can be
obtained except through revelation.
28. Come unto me. — The pre
ceding remarks are prefatory to this
invitation. The dominion which he
exercises, and the knowledge which
he can impart, justify him in invit
ing men to come to him.
labor . . . rest. — The labor and
the rest here spoken of are those
which affect the soul (verse 29);
the labor and the heavy burden
which sin imposes, the rest which
follows the forgiveness of sins.
Physical burdens are also made
lighter by coming to Jesus, because
the soul is made stronger to bear
them. 29, 30. meek and lowly.— That

Xll.

1-4.]

MATTHEW.

103

XII. *At that time Je'sus
went on the sabbath day through
the corn ; and his -disciples were
an hungered, and' began to pluck
the ears of corn, and to eat.
2 But when the Phar'isees saw it,
they said unto him, Behold, thy
disciples do that which is not

Jesus is meek and lowly in heart,
assures the invited that no grievous
exactions will be made of them;
and that his yoke is easy, and his
burden light, is a good reason why
the heavily laden should come. The
tenderness and beauty of this invi
tation are the admiration of the
world. Argument op Section 8.
By the speech of Jesus, which
constitutes the body of this section,
Matthew proves that the Jews were
both inconsistent and inexcusable
when they rejected John and Jesus.
Inconsistent, because they con
demned each for not living as the
other did ; and inexcusable, because
they disregarded evidence which
would have convinced the wickedest
cities in the world. There is also a
dignity and grandeur in the author
itative sentence which Jesus pro
nounces on the impenitent cities;
in his lofty assertion of divine power
and knowledge ; and in his benevo
lent invitation for all who are weary
and heavy laden to come to him,
which are in perfect keeping with
his claim to be the Son of God.
These sentiments impress the soul
as being truthful and pertinent
utterances from a being full of di
vine power and goodness, whereas
in any created being they would
appear the extreme of arrogance
and pretentiousness. They could
not have originated in a false and
deceitful spirit, such as the spirit
of Jesus must have been if he was
not the Son of God. It is internal

lawful to do upon the sabbath
day. 'But he said unto them,
Have ye not read what David
did, when he was an hungered,
and "they that were with him:
4 how he entered into the bouse
of God, and did eat the shew-
bread, which was not lawful for

evidence such as this that enables
the Bible to furnish in itself the
proof that it came from God.

SECTION IX.
Disputations with the Pharisees,
XII.
About Plucking Grain on the Sab
bath, 1-8; About Healing on the
Sabbath, 9-13; Jesus Retires from
Strife, 14-21; About Casting out De
mons, 22-30; The Unpardonable Sin,
31-37; A Sign Demanded, 38-42; Par
able of the Unclean Spirit, 43-45;
In terference of His Mother and Broth
ers, 46-50.

About Plucking Grain on the
Sabbath, 1-8. (Mark ii. 23-28;
Luke vi. 1-5.)
1. through the corn. — The
fields of small grain called corn in
our version, were frequently un
fenced, being protected from live
stock by the vigilance of shepherds
and herdsmen. The narrow roads
ran through the fields, and the
bending heads of the ripening
grain were within reach of the
passer-by on either side.
2. not lawful to do. — The
charge of the Pharisees was false.
The law did not forbid eating or
preparing food on the Sabbath.
3, 4. what David did.— Jesus
expressly admits that what David
did was unlawful; and some have
supposed that he here intends to
justify it on the ground of neces
sity, and then to argue that his dis
ciples, though guilty of violating
the law of tne Sabbath, are justifia-

104

MATTHEW.

[xii. 5-7-

him to eat, neither fbr them
whicb were with him, but only
for the priests? 6Or have ye
not read in the law, how that on
the sabbath days the priests in
the temple profane the sabbath,
and are blameless ? 6 But I say
unto you, That in this place is

ble on the same ground. There is
no doubt that on this ground David
excused himself for eating the show-
bread, and that the Pharisees did
the same for him. But it can not
be that he who refused to turn
stones into bread when tortured by
a forty days' fast, and who said,
" Whosoever shall break one of
these least commandments, and
teach men. so, shall be called the
least in the kingdom of heaven,"
would approve such a violation of
law as David was guilty, of. Neither
can it be that he allowed his own
disciples while under the law to
break the Sabbath. If Christians
may violate law when its observance
would involve hardship or suffer
ing, then there is an end of suffer
ing for the name of Christ, and an
end even of self-denial. But it is
clear that by the Pharisees David's
act was thought excusable; other
wise they could have retorted on
Jesus thus : Out of your own mouth
we condemn you : you class your
act with David's ; but David sinned,
and so do you. Now the real argu
ment of Jesus is this : David, when
hungry, ate the show-bread, which
it was confessedly unlawful for him
to eat, yet you justify him : my dis
ciples pluck grain and eat it on the
Sabbath, an act which the law does
not forbid, and yet you condemn
them. 5. the priests in the temple. —
Having silenced his opponents by
the argument ad hominem, he next
proves by the law itself that some
work may be done on the Sabbath-

| one greater : a greater thing \
than the temple. ' But if ye
had known what this meaneth,
I will have mercy, and not sac
rifice, ye would not have con-

6 (iei'fwi- Rec. iieifov, Lach., Tisch., T. 8.
Green, Alford, Tregelles.

day. The priests in the temple
were required to offer sacrifice, trim
the golden lamps, and burn incense
on the Sabbath, and these acts re
quired manual labor. In this case,
the general law against labor on the
Sabbath was modified by the specific
law concerning the temple service.
The term " profane " is used, not
because it was a real profanation,
but because, being labor, it had the
appearance of profanation. The
example proves that the prohibition
of labor on the Sabbath was not
universal, and as it was not, it
might not include what the disci
ples had just done.
6. greater than the temple.
— A greater thing, not person.
(See the critical note.) The disci
ples who ate the grain are compared
to the priests in the temple ; and the
temple, with that which led the dis
ciples to the act in question. This
was the service which they were
rendering to Jesus — a service which
sometimes prevented the usual
means of providing food. It was
their obligation to serve him which
was greater than the temple; that
is, greater than the obligation of the
temple service on the priests. If,
then, the priests were justifiable,
much more the disciples.
7. mercy, and not sacrifice.—
On the meaning of this expres
sion, see note on ix. 13. The argu
ment is, that mercy toward these
hungering disciples was more ac
ceptable to God than sacrifices at
the altar ; and that, if the Pharisees
had known the meaning of the pas-

xn.

8-12.]

MATTHEW.

105

demned the guiltless. 8 For the
Son of man is Lord [even] of
the sabbath day.
"And when he was departed
thence, be went into their syna
gogue: 10and, behold, there
was a man which had his hand
withered. And they asked him,
saying, Is it lawful to heal on
the sabbath days? that they

8 ical Rec. Omitted by Lach., Tisch., T.
S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.

sage, they "would not have con
demned the guiltless."
8. Lord of the sabbath— That
he was Lord of the Sabbath — a fact
which his previous works had dem
onstrated — placed his conduct in
regard to the Sabbath above criti
cism, and made it really a guide as
to the proper way to observe the
Sabbath. This remark takes the
question outside the range of ar
gument, and brings it within the
range of authority.
It should be observed that, in this
discussion, Jesus sought chiefly to
expose the inconsistency of his as
sailants, and to assert his own di
vine authority. He reserved to an
other opportunity a more detailed
argument to prove the innocence
of acts of mercy on the Sabbath.
(See next paragraph.)
About Healing on the Sabbath.
9-13. (Mark iii. 1-6; Luke vi.
6-11.)
9. into their synagogue. — It
is highly probable that when the
preceding disputation occurred, Je
sus, foreknowing what would take
place afterward in the synagogue,
reserved other remarks about the
Sabbath for that occasion.
10. to heal on the sabbath. —
In the field the Pharisees had bold
ly declared that it was unlawful to

might accuse him. "And he
said unto them, What man
[shall there be] among you,
that shall have one sheep, and
if it fall into a pit on the sab
bath day, will he not lay hold
on it, and lift it out? 12How
much then is a man better than
a sheep? Wherefore it is law
ful to do well on the sabbath

11 ea-rai Rec. Omitted by Tisch., T. S.
Green, Alford, Tregelles.

pluck the grain on the Sabbath; in
the house, reminded of another as
pect of the Sabbath question by
seeing the man with a withered
hand, but taught discretion by their
previous defeat, they approached the
subject with a question: "Is it law
ful to heal on the Sabbath-days?"
They desired to appear as if seek
ing information, but Matthew says
they asked the question " that they
might accuse him;" that is, that
they might find in his answer or
his act some ground of accusation.
11, 12. lawful to do well. —
The argument in this case is drawn
from the practice of his accusers,
and on this account it is an argu-
ument ad hominem; but the prac
tice was proper in itself, and there
fore it is also an argument ad rem.
Assuming, with the consent of all
parties, that it was lawful to relieve
the. sufferings of " one sheep " on
the Sabbath, he argues, much more
is it lawful to do the same for a
man ; and hence the general con
clusion that "it is lawful to do well
on the Sabbath-days." It is not an
excusable violation of law, but it is
lawful. From the two disputations
taken together, the people learned
that works of religion, like those
of the priests in the temple, and
works of humanity, like feeding
the hungry and healing the sick,
were lawful on the Sabbath.

106

MATTHEW.

[xii. 13-21.

days. 13Then saith he to the
man, Stretch forth thine hand.
And he stretched it forth; and
it was restored whole, like as
the other.
"Then the Phar'isees went
out, and held a council against
him, how they might destroy
him. 15But when Je'sus knew
it, he withdrew himself from
thence : and great multitudes
followed him, and he healed
them all; 16and charged them
that they should not make him
known : " that it might be ful-

13. saith he to the man. — Men
are apt to be content with merely
proving the propriety of a certain
course of action; but Jesus fol
lowed the proof with the act. He
commanded the man to stretch forth
his withered hand: he did so, and
it was withered no longer.
Jesus Retires from Strife, 14-21.
(Mark iii. 7-12.)
14. a council against him.—
When men are determined to main
tain a position, without regard to
truth or justice, defeat in argument
always throws them into a passion.
The Pharisees were true to de
praved human nature in now hold
ing a council to determine how
they might destroy Jesus.
15, 16^ he withdrew himself. —
In contrast with the course of his
enemies, Jesus, though victorious,
retires from the conflict, and pur
sues, in other places, the even tenor
of his way— —still healing the sick
and forbidding them to give un
necessary publicity to his name.
17-20. that it might be ful
filled. — The first part of the quota
tion from Isaiah (verse 18) is de
scriptive of the person and charac
ter of Jesus; that contained in
versos 19 and 20 is fulfilled in the

filled which was spoken by Esa'-
ias the prophet, saying, "Be
hold my servant, whom I have
chosen; my beloved, in whom
my soul is well pleased: I will
put my spirit upon him, and he
shall shew judgment to the Gen'-
tiles. 19 He shall not strive, nor
cry ; neither shall any man hear
his voice in the streets. 20A
bruised reed shall he not break,
and smoking flax shall he not
quench, till he send forth judg
ment unto victory. 21 And in his
name shall the Gen' tiles trust.

events of this paragraph. The
quiet retreat of Jesus from the vio
lence threatened by the Pharisees
fulfilled the prediction, "He shall
not strive, nor cry; neither shall
any man hear his voice (angry
voice) in the streets ; " and the
healing of the multitudes who fol
lowed him (15) fulfilled the predic
tion about the bruised reed and the
smoking flax. A bruised reed, bare
ly strong enough to stand erect, or
bowed with its head toward the
earth; and smoking flax (a lamp-
wick), its flame extinguished and its
fire almost gone, fitly represent the
sick, and lame, and blind who were
brought to Jesus to be healed. The
statement that he would not break
these bruised reeds, nor quench this
smoking flax, was an emphatic dec
laration, by contrast, that he would
heal their bruises and fan their dy
ing energies into a flame.
judgment unto victory. — In
this expression the term judgment
is put for that authoritative an
nouncement of the divine will
which was sent forth in the gos
pel ; and the victory is that which
the gospel is winning.
21. snail the Gentiles trust,—
This verse refers to the reception
of the gospel by the Gentiles, and

xii. 22-26.]

MATTHEW.

107

22 Then was brought unto him
one possessed with a devil, blind,
and dumb: and he healed him,
insomuch that [the blind and]
dumb [both] spake and saw.
23 And all the people were amazed,
and said, Is not this the son of
Da'vid? 24But when the Phar
isees heard it, they said, This
22 rv<p\bv' Kai Rec. Omitted by Lach.,
Tisch., N, B, D, k, etc., N. Syriac, Coptic.
22 Kai Rec. Omitted by Lach., Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.

is quoted here merely to complete
the connection, not because it was
fulfilled in the incidents of the par
agraph.About Casting out Demons, 22-30.
(Mark iii. 22-27 ; Luke xi. 14-23.)
22, 23. were amazed, and
said. — The astonishment was un
usual, because this man was not
only a demoniac, but also blind
and dumb. It was a triple cure.
By their question, " Is not this the
sou of David?" the people ex-
. pressed in a, tone of triumph their
faith in Jesus.
24. but by Beelzebub.— Beel
zebub is a corruption of Baalze-
bub, the god of the fly, a deity of
the Ekronites. (See 2 Ks. i. 2.)
How this old god of the fly, who
was worshiped by the Philistines
of Ekron to protect them from the
flies and other pestiferous insects,
came to be identified in the Jewish
mind with Satan (see verse 26), is
not known by modern scholars.
The name occurs in the Bible only
in 2 Ks. i. 2, and in this and the
parallel places in Mark.and Luke.
In their explanation of this mir
acle, the Pharisees displayed some
thought and ingenuity. There are
only two possible methods of evad
ing the logical force of a miracle :
one is to deny the reality of the
miracle; and the other, to refer the
effect to some other cause than the

fellow doth not cast out devils,
but by Beel'zebub the prince of
the devils. 26And [Jesus] knew
their thoughts, and said unto
them, Every kingdom divided
against itself is brought to des
olation ; and every city or house
divided against itself shall not
stand: 26and if Sa'tan cast out
Sa'tan, he is divided against
25 6 'Iijo-oOs Rec. Omitted bv Lach.,
Tisch. T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.

power of God. The Pharisees, be
ing unable to deny the reality of
the miracle, and knowing that de
mons are under the command of
Satan, resorted to their only alter
native by affirming that the power
was satanic. They did not affirm
this in regard to all of Christ's
miracles ; for it would have been
absurd to represent Satan as a heal
er of diseases and a friend of man ;
but it was affirmed only of casting
out demons. The assertion, if be
lieved by the people, would not
only have destroyed their confi
dence in the divine mission of Je
sus, but it would have established
in the place of it the injurious sup
position of a league with Satan.
It derived great plausibility from
the consideration, that as there
were at least two powers by which
demons might be cast out, and as
both were invisible, it might ap
pear impossible to decide whether
it was the power of God or .the
power of Satan. The Pharisees
thought that they had advanced an
explanation which, whether true or
false, Jesus could not clearly dis
prove; and Jesus himself consid
ered it worthy of the very thor
ough and exhaustive reply which
follows. 25, 26. Every kingdom di
vided. — Here we have the first ar
gument of Jesus in reply. The ex
planation given by the Pharisees

108.

MATTHEW.

[xii, 27, 28.

himself; how shall then his
kingdom stand? 27And if I by
Beel'zebub cast out devils, by
whom do your children cast

represented Satan as divided against
himself; for he never achieved so
signal a triumph over living men
as when he held them in possession
of evil spirits; and, to rob himself
of so great a victory would be to
fight against his own kingdom, and
to involve it to that -extent in the
desolation common to all kingdoms
divided against themselves. He ar
gues, not that Satan could not do
this, but that he would not, and that
therefore the explanation which
supposes him to do it is absurd.
27. by whom do your chil
dren. — The persons referred to
were exorcists, a class of persons
among the Jews who were accred
ited with the power of casting out
demons, and who. were held- in high
esfeem by the Pharisees. (See Acts
xix. 13; Josephus Ant. B. 8, ch. 2,
§5.) The truth of the charge that
Jesus cast out demons by the pow
er of Satan, depended on the as
sumption that he had access to no
other power by which it could be
done. But if this assumption wore
true, then it would affect the exor
cists as well as himself. On the
other hand, if they cast out de
mons by divine power, then the
same might be true of him. This
was an argument ad hominem,
which could be answered only by
showing that the exorcists had some
reason to claim favor with God,
which Jesus had not; and this
they dared not pretend.
It is not implied in this argu
ment that the exorcists actually
cast out demons, but only that the
Pharisees believed they did. It is
quite certain that they could not
cast out demons by a word, as Je
sus did; for this would have been

them out? therefore they shall
be your judges. ^But if I cast
out devils by the Spirit of God,
then the kingdom of God is

a miracle. But it was some dis
eased condition of mind, or of
body, or of both, which enabled
demons to possess certain persons;
otherwise they would have possessed
all ; and it is probable that, by some
method of treatment through which
the disease was cured and the de
mon, in some instances, thrown off,
the exorcists had gained credit with
the people; but their usual attempts
at exorcism have all the marks of
trickery and imposture.*
28. by the Spirit of God.—
Having sufficiently proved by the
two preceding arguments that he had
not cast out demons by the power
of Satan, he now takes as granted
the only alternative, that he did it
by the Spirit of God; and from
this established fact he draws the
conclusion, "then the kingdom of
God is come to you.'' The argu
ment, fully stated, is this : If I cast
out demons by the Spirit of God,

* As an illustration, both of the trickery
referred to and of the surprising contrast
between the maneuvers of the exorcists
and the miracles of Jesus, we copy from
Josephus the following account of an ex
orcism : " I have seen a certain man of my
own country, whose name was Eleazar,
releasing people who were demoniacal iu
the presence of Vespasian, and his sons,
and his captains, aud the whole multi
tude of his soldiers. The manner of the
cure was this : he put a ring which had a
root of oue of those sorts mentioned by
Solomon, to the nostrils of the demoniac,
after which he drew out the demon
through his nostrils ; and when the man
fell down immediately, he adjured him
to return into him no more, making still
mention of Solomon, and reciting the
incantations which he composed. And
when Eleazar would persuade and dem
onstrate to the spectators that he had such
a power, he sat a little way off a cup or
basin full of water, and commanded the
demon, as he went out of the man, to
overturn it, and thereby to let the spec
tators know that he had left the man."
Ant. B. 8, ch. 2, 85.

xii. 29-31.]

MATTHEW.

109

come unto you. 290r else how
can one enter into a strong
man's house, and spoil his goods,
except lie first bind the strong
man? and then he will spoil his
house. S0He that is not with

this proves the divine authority of
all that I say; and therefore- you
should believe that the kingdom of
God is at hand, as I have preached
it to you.
29. bind the strong man. —
Here we have the fourth and last
argument of the series. Satan is
the strong man, his house the body
of the demoniac, and his goods the
evil spirit within the man. Jesus
had entered his house and robbed
him of his goods; and this proves
that, instead of being in ieague
with Satan, he had overpowered
him. Great must have been the sur-
Erise' of the Pharisees when they
eard this reply. An explanation
by which they thought they had
both refuted the" argument drawn
from his miracle, and turned the
force of the miracle against him,
has only furnished him with an
occasion to show the absurdity of
their explanation and their logical
inconsistency in propounding it ; to
prove, more clearly than ever, that
he acted by divine authority; and
to demonstrate the fact that he was
making successful warfare agains't
• the dominion of Satan.
30. not with me is against
me. — This remark was intended, I
. think, for the by-standers. It was
important for them to see that
there was no middle ground — that
those who were not with him and
helping him to gather, were with
the Pharisees, and helping them to
scatter abroad. In the figure of
gathering and scattering, the peo
ple are compared to a flock of

me is against me; and he that
gathereth not with me scatter-
eth abroad.
"Wherefore I say unto you,
All manner of sin and blasphemy
shall be forgiven unto men : but

sheep, which Jesus was endeavor
ing to gather into the fold, while
his enemies were trying to scatter
them abroad.
The Unpardonable Sin, 31-37.
(Mark iii. 28-30.)
31. blasphemy against the
Holy Spirit.— Blasphemy is any
kind of injurious speech. The
blasphemy against the Holy Spirit
here denounced is the evil speech
just made by the Pharisees, in
which a work performed by the
Holy Spirit was attributed to Sa
tan. This is made still plainer in
Mark's report of this conversation.
(Mark iii. 30.) Whether a man
can commit this blasphemy in any
other way, does not appear from the
text. It is m'ost likely that John
refers to this sin when he says:
"There is a sin unto death: I do
not say you should pray for it."
(1 John v. 16.) There has been
much superstition and some idle
speculation connected with this.
subject, which we will not pause
to consider in detail. It is best
in this, as in all other matters, to
be content with what is clearly
taught. 31, 32. shall be forgiven.—
The statement that all manner of
sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven
to men, is not a declaration of uni
versal pardon. George Campbell
thinks that shall be is here a He
braism for may be* The Hebrew
language, having no potential mood,

* Notes on the Gospels in loco.

110

MATTHEW.

[xii. 32-34.

the blasphemy against the Holy
Ghost shall not be forgiven [unto
men]. 82And whosoever speaketh
a word against the Son of man, it
shall be forgiven him : but who
soever speaketh against the Holy
31 rots avSpirroK Rec. Omitted by Lach.,
T. S. Green, Tregelles, x, E, etc., k, Vul
gate, Coptic, etc.

used the future indicative as a sub
stitute for it; and Jews, in writing
Greek, sometimes did the same
through habit. But it is true, liter
ally, that all manner of sin and
blasphemy, with the exception
stated in the text, will be forgiven
to men; that is, among the innu
merable sins forgiven through
Christ, some to one man and some
to another, every conceivable sin
will be forgiven except the one in
question. 32. shall not be forgiven —
Why it is more certainly fatal to
speak against the Holy Spirit than
against the Son of man, may be in
part beyond our powers of compre
hension ; but this much we know,
that one who speaks against the
latter may subsequently be con
vinced by the testimony of the Holy
Spirit, and become a believer. But
if he reject the evidence given by
the Holy Spirit and ascribe it to
Satan, he rejects the only evidence
on which faith can be based; and
without faith there is no forgive
ness. If it be answered that a man
might do this at one period of his
life, and subsequently be convinced
and repent, we reply that this is
preoisely what the Savior, in effect,
says he can not do ; and we there
fore suppose that one who is so
desperately wicked as to be guilty
of this sin, is already beyond -the
reach of redemption. Such was
the condition of some of the Phar
isees, (xxiii. 33; John viii. 21.)
the world to come. — The term

Ghost, it shall not be forgiven
him, neither in this world,
neither in the world to come.
33 Either make the tree good,
and his fruit good ; or else make
the tree corrupt, and his fruit
corrupt: for the tree is known
by his fruit. 3*0 generation of
vipers, how can ye, being evil,

here rendered world (aluv) is by
most scholars rendered age. Whether
"this age" and "the age to come"
mean the Jewish age which then
was, and the Christian age which
was to come ; or the age of time,
and the coming age of eternity, is
not clear. In either case, however,
the sin remains forever unforgiven ;
for the Christian age extends to the
day of judgment, and beyond that
there is no forgiveness. To be
guilty of sin that never shall be
forgiven, whether it be the sin that
is unpardonable, or merely sin that
is not pardoned, is to be eternally
miserable. This alone is sufficient
proof of everlasting punishment.
33. known by his fruit. — By
this brief allegory, the application
of which is indicated below, Jesus
lays bare the cause of the evil
speech ofthe Pharisees, and prepares
the way for a general statement in
reference to all evil speech. As a
tree is known by its fruit, a man is
known by his speech.
34. how can ye. — As the alle
gory imports, they, being like the
bad tree which could not bear good
fruit, could not " speak good things."
The epithet " generation of vip
ers " (more accurately rendered '
".offspring (yev^uo-ta.) of vipers"),
is thrown in to intensify the thought
of their " being evil," and it points
to the venomous malice and cunning
with which they laid their plots
against him.
34, 35. of the heart.— Still
tracing up the cause of the bias-

xiii. 35-39.]

MATTHEW.

Ill

speak good things? for out of
the abundance of the heart the
mouth speaketh. ^A.good man
out of the good treasure [of the
heart] bringeth forth good
things : and an evil man out of
the evil treasure bringeth forth
evil things. 36But I say unto
you, That every idle word that
men shall speak, they shall give
35 Tijs Kap&ias Rec. Omitted by Lach.,
Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.

phemy and of all evil speech, he
here locates it in the heart, assert
ing that both the good things of the
good man, and the evil things of
the evil man, are brought forth out
of the heart. The state of the
heart, then, determines the speech
and action of the man; and these,
on the other hand, determine the
state of the heart. The popular
proverb, " If the heart is right, all
is right," is strictly true; and it
is true, not, as is often supposed,
because God overlooks evil conduct
when the heart is right; but be
cause, when the heart is right, all
the conduct is just such as it ought
to be. Whenever there is an evil
word spoken, an evil act performed,
or a duty neglected, it is because the
heart is not right at that point.
Let us not deceive our own hearts
(Jas. ii. 26), nor be deceived as to
their state. (Ps. xix. 12.)
36, 37. every idle word.— Not
only for words spoken with evil
purpose; but for idle words, those
which are spoken for no purpose,
we shall give account in the day of
judgment, and by them be con
demned or justified. Were it not
for the gracious provisions of the
gospel by which our evil speeches
shall be forgiven (31), who would
be able to stand? "Let us fear,
* lest, a promise being left us of en
tering into his rest, any of you

account thereof in the day of
judgment. 8' For by thy words
thou shalt be justified, and by thy
words thou shalt be condemned.
88 Then certain of the scribes
and of the Phar'isees answered
[Aim], saying, Master, we would
see a sign from thee. S9 But he
answered and said unto them,
An evil and adulterous genera-
38 airS Added by Lach., Tisch., T. S.
Green, Alford, Tregelles.

should seem to come short of it."
(Heb. iv. 1.)
A Sign Demanded, 38-42. (Luke
xi. 29-32.)
38. we would see a sign. — Both
their request for a sign, and the an
swer of Jesus saying that none
would be given except the sign of
Jonah, show that they meant a sign
different from those he had been
showing, and one which they might
regard as more directly and unmis
takably from God. They meant
the same as when they afterward
demanded a sign from heaven.
(xvi. 4.)
39, 40. sign of the prophet—
This remark shows that the very
singular incident of being swallowed
by a great fish and thrown up on
dry land after three days, occurred
to the prophet as a type of the
burial and resurrection of Christ.
This was a sign from heaven because
it was wrought by God without hu
man instrumentality.
three days and three nights.
— As Jesus was buried late Friday
afternoon, and arose before sunrise
Sunday morning, he was in the
tomb only an hour or two of Fri
day, all of Saturday, and between
eleven and twelve hours of Sunday,
counting the day, according to Jew
ish custom, as beginning with sun
set. It was not, then, according to

112

MATTHEW.

[xii. 40.

tion seeketh after a sign ; and
there shall no sign be given to

our mode of expression, three days
and three nights, but only two
nights and a part of three days.
We inquire how the statement of
the text can be true, and, in order
to an intelligible answer, we note
the following facts and considera-
tions. 1. The time between his death
and his resurrection is expressed in
three different forms. Most fre
quently it is said that he would rise
again on the third day. (xvi. 21 ;
xvii. 23, et al.) Once it is said
that he would rise after three days
(Mark viii. 31) ; and once, in our
text, that he would be in the heart
of the earth three days and three
nights. 2. The Jews, in all periods of
Bible history, used the expressions
after three days and on the third
day, as equivalents. Thus Moses
says that Joseph put his brethren
into prison three days; yet in the
next sentence he represents him as
releasing them " on the third day."
(Gen. xiii. 17, 18.) When the peo
ple petitioned Kehoboam to lighten
their burden, he said, "Depart ye
for three days, then come again to
me." They departed, and "came
again the third day, as the king had
appointed." (1 Ks. xii. 5, 12.)
When Esther was about to venture
into the king's presence, she in
structed the Jews in Shushan to
fast three days, night and day; yet
she went in on the third day. (Es.
iv. 16; v. 1.) Still more in point,
when the Pharisees petitioned
Pilate for a guard, they said to him,
" This • deceiver said while he was
yet alive, After three days I will
rise again. Command, therefore,
that the sepulcher be made sure
until the third day." (xxvii. 63, 64.)
Now with us, if he were going to

it, but the sign of the prophet
Jo'nas : w for as Jo'nas was three

rise after three days, it would be
necessary to guard the sepulcher
until within the fourth day; and
so, the fast for Esther should have
run into the fourth day, the people
should have returned to Behoboam
on the fourth day, and Joseph should
have released his brethren on the
fourth day. It is the peculiar and
inaccurate usage of the Jews which
makes the difference; and that the
New Testament writers continued
this established usage is proved by
the fact, that when Matthew and
Mark report the same words of
Jesus, one of them uses the expres
sion " on the third day," and the
other, " after three days." (xvi. 21;
Mark viii. 31.)
3. In reality, after three days,
and, after - three days and three
nights, are equivalent expressions;
for if you count, for example, from
Friday at sunset, after three days
would be after sunset on Monday,
the three days being Saturday, Sun
day, and Monday. But in this pe
riod would be included three nights,
viz, Friday night, Saturday night,
and Sunday night. Now it is not
always true in the use of words, as
it is in Mathematics, that things
which are equal 'to the same thing
are equal to each other; but seeing
that the expression after three days
means the same with a Jew as on
the third day, and that the expres
sion after three days covers the
same length of time as the expres
sion three days and three nights,
the last expression would most nat
urally be used as an equivalent for
the first. That it was so used by
Jesus, is clear from the fact that, in
speaking of the same lapse of time,
he sometimes says on the third day,
and at least once he says, " three <
days and three nights." The only

xii. 41, 42.]

MATTHEW.

113

days and three nights in the
whale's belly ; so shall the Son
of man be three days and three
nights in the heart of the earth.
41 The men of Nin'eveh shall rise
in judgment with this genera
tion, and shall condemn it : be
cause they repented at the
preaching of Jo'nas ; and, behold,

escape from this conclusion is to
suppose that on the occasion of our
text he deliberately and without
reason contradicted himself in the
presence of his enemies. But those
enemies themselves, as we have
seen, understood and employed the
usage as he did, and it appears that
all parties among the Jews under
stood these expressions as equiva
lents. There is no contradiction,
then, between this and other pas
sages on the subject, but the appear
ance of- contradiction arises entirely
from a peculiar Jewish usage.
It may be well to remark at this
point, that the above mentioned
facts refute the hypothesis of some,
that Jesus was buried on the after
noon of Thursday. If he had been
buried ou Thursday, and had risen
Sunday morning, he would have
been in the grave three nights, but
he would also have been there parts
of four days, and the Jewish ex
pression would have been, he will
arise the fourth day, or, after four
days. As proof of this, if we count
the time from the appearance of
the angel to Cornelius (Acts x.) till
the arrival of Peter at the house of
Cornelius, we find that it is pre
cisely three days, according to our
mode of counting ; but it includes
three nights and parts of four days,
and hence Cornelius says to Peter,
" Four days ago I was fasting until
this hour," etc. (Acts x. 30.)
41, 42. and condemn it.— When
one man does well, and another,
under more favorable circumstances,
10

a greater than Jo'nas is here.
42 The queen of the south shall
rise up in the judgment with
this generation, and shall con
demn it : for she came from the
uttermost parts of the earth to
hear the wisdom of Sol'omon ;
and, behold, a greater than Sol'
omon is here.

does ill, the former condemns the
latter by showing that he could
have done much better if he would.
That the Ninevites repented at *
the preaching of Jonah was in this
way a condemnation of the Jews,
because the latter would not repent
at the preaching of a far greater
than Jonah; and that the queen of
the South came so far to hear the
wisdom of Solomon, was a still
severer condemnation of them,
because they despised a much
greater wisdom which was in their
midst.

* The preposition here rendered at is
In, which usually means into. Some writ
ers have contended that it here means
because of, or in consequence of, a meaning
quite foreign to the word. It is true, as a
matter of fact, that the Ninevites repented
in consequence of the preaching of Jonah;
but if it had been the purpose of the
writer to express this thought, he would
have used the preposition Sla instead of
et5. The thought of the passage is quite
distinct from this. They repented into
the preaching of Jonah. This is not
idiomatic English, but it conveys the exact
thought which a Greek would derive from
the original. The term preaching is put
for the course of life required by the
preaching, and it is asserted that they re
pented into this. Their repentance, in other
words, brought them into the course of
life which the preaching required. If
Jesus had merely said that they repented
in consequence of Jonah's preaching, he
would have stopped short with the inter
nal change which they underwent; but
he chooses to go further, and indicate the
terminus of their repentance, that it
brought them into the condition which
the preaching demanded. The rendering,
"at the preaching," does not bring out
the idea in full, but it would be difficult
to translate the passage any more accu
rately without adopting an awkward cir
cumlocution.

114

MATTHEW.

[xii. 43-47.

"When the unclean spirit is
gone out of a man, he walketh
through dry places, seeking rest,
and findeth none. "Then he
saith, I will return into my
house from whence I came out ;
and when he is come, he findeth
it empty, swept, and garnished.
45 Then goeth he, and taketh
with himself seven other spirits
more wicked than himself, and

Parable of the Unclean Spirit,
43-45. (Luke xi. 24-28.)
•
43. is gone out of a man. —
This remark implies that unclean
spirits sometimes went out of men
voluntarily. When they did so,
they wandered through "dry places,"
that is, through places such as wa
terless deserts are to living men,
seeking rest, and finding none. A
more graphic description of utter
wretchedness, it would be difficult
to imagine.
44. into my house— The house
is the man's body which he had
left; and it is called a house be
cause it afforded the evil spirit some
relief from the wretchedness of his
wanderings. That the house was
empty, swept, and garnished, means
that the man's body was well pre
pared for the demon's return.
45. more wicked. — That the
seven other spirits were more wicked
than the first, is proof that some
demons are" worse than others;
that he went and got them, is proof
that evil spirits have communica
tions among themselves ; and that
the man was then worse than at
first, shows that the greater the
number and the wickedness of the
demons within a man, the worse his
condition. Even so shall it be. — In the
application of this parable, only
one point of comparison is made,

they enter in and dwell there :
and the last state of that man is
worse than the first. Even so
shall it be also unto this wicked
generation. 46 While he yet talked to the
people, behold, his mother and
his brethren stood without, de
siring, to speak with him: " Then
one said unto him, Behold, thy
mother and thy brethren stand

and we will save ourselves much
useless labor if we content ourselves
with this. It is expressed in these
words : " The last state of that man
is worse than the first: even so
shall it be with this wicked genera
tion ; " that is, the last state of this
generation will be worse than the
first. The reference is to the con
tinually increasing wickedness of
the Jews, which culminated in the
dreadful scenes preceding the de
struction of Jerusalem. They were
now like a man with one evil spirit ;
they were then to be like a man
with eight, and each of the seven
worse than the one.
Interference of His Mother and
Brothers, 46-50. (Mark iii. 2l,
31-35; Luke viii. 19-21.)
46. and his brethren. — The
fact that these persons called his
brothers came with Mary, estab
lishes a strong presumption that
they were sons of Mary, and liter
ally brothers of Jesus. (See also
the parallel in Mark.)
47. desiring to speak with
thee. — To send a message to him
in the house (xiii. 1) while he was
speaking to the people, was an in
terruption; and the message itself,
that they desired to speak with hiin,
was an interference. It was assum
ing that the business which they
had for him was more urgent than
his business with the people, and

xii. 48-50.]

MATTHEW.

115

without, desiring to speak with
thee. ^But he answered and
said unto him that told him,
Who is my mother? and who
are my brethren? 49And he
Stretched forth his hand toward

that the latter should give way to the
former. A more definite statement
of their purpose is given by Mark.
(Mark iii. 21, 31.)
48. Who is my mother ?— The
tone of his answer showed plainly
to the audience that he would allow
no interference with his work pn
the score of earthly relationships;
and it shows plainly to us that the
supposed subserviency of Jesus to
his mother, which is the ground of
the worship of Mary, is most em
phatically repudiated by Jesus him
self. To all who now call on the
" Mother of God," as Mary is blas
phemously styled, Jesus answers, as
he did to the Jews, Who is my
mother ?
49,50. the same is my brother.
— It is here taught with emphasis
that Jesus holds all who do the will
of God as his brothers, sisters,
mother; that is, as sustaining a re
lation to him as intimate as that
sustained by these relatives. This
statement not only shows the ex
treme absurdity of the worship of
Mary, but it teaches us that our
duty to the Church is never to be
sacrificed to the caprices, prejudices,
or preferences of our earthly rela
tives. Argument op Section 9.
In the preceding section the his
torian reports the disputation be
tween Jesus and the Pharisees in
reference to the two charges that
he had violated the Sabbath, and
that he had cast out demons by the
prince of the demons. In the
course of the disputations the fol-

his disciples, and said, Behold
my mother and my brethren 1
50 For whosoever shall do the
will of my Father which is in
heaven, the same is my brother,
and sister, and mother.
lowing facts containing proof of the
claims of Jesus are brought into
prominence. 1. That his conduct was above
reproach. His enemies were so
watchful that his disciples could
not pluck a few heads of grain as
they passed through the fields on
the Sabbath without their notice,
and so captious that he could not
heal an afflicled man on the Sabbath
without incurring their censure.
Their watchfulness in these small
matters proves how certainly they
would have detected in him any
real fault; and that they did not do
so, is proof that no real fault was
discernible in his conduct.
2. His meekness in retiring from
the presence of angry contention
(14-21), was just such as we would
expect to" find in the Son of God,
and it was the fulfillment of predic
tions concerning him uttered hun
dreds of years before his coming.
3. In reply to the charge that he
cast out demons by the power of
Satan, it is proved beyond contro
versy that his miracles were wrought
by the power of the Spirit of God ;
that God, therefore, was with him ;
and that, consequently, all that he
claimed for himself was true.
4. The above evidences are con
firmed by the manner in which, as
described in the last paragraph, he
arose above all the narrower and
cramping influences of family ties,
and asserted the higher claims of
religious fraternity. A failure in
this respect would have argued hu
man weakness; that he did not fail,
is an argument for his divine per
fection.

116

MATTHEW.

[xiii. 1-8.

XIH. : The same day went
Je'sus out of the house, and sat
by the sea side. 2And great
multitudes were gathered to
gether unto him, so that he went
into a ship, and sat ; and the
whole multitude stood on the
shore. 3And he spake many
things unto them in parables,
saying, Behold, a sower went
forth to sow ; 4 and when he
sowed, some seeds fell by the
way-side, and the fowls came

SECTION X.
A Series op Parables, 2QII. 1-52.
Parable of the Sower, 1-9: Why He
Spoke in Parables, 10-17 ; Parable of
the Sower Explained, 18-23; Pai-able
of the Tares, 24-30; Parable of the
Mustard Heed, 81, 32 p Parable of the
Leaven, 33; Speaking in Parables a
Fulfillment of Prophecy, 34, 35;
Parable of the Tares Explained,
36-43 ; Parable of the" Hid Treasure,
44 ; Parable of the Precious Pearl, 45,
40; Parable of the Net, 47-50; The
Parables Understood, 51-53.

Parable of the Sower, 1-9. (Mark
iv. 1-9; Luke viii. 1-8.)
1, 2. sat by the sea. — The sit
ting posture which Jesus habitually
assumed in his public addresses,
rendered it impossible for him to
be seen or heard at a great distance
when the people thronged him.
On this occasion, as the crowd be
came great, he moved from his seat
on the shore to a more conspicuous
place on the prow of the fishing
boat, where the people could not
press very closely to him, and
whence he could be seen and heard
by all as they stood or sat on the
sloping shore.
3. in parables. — A parable is a
species of allegory. An allegory is
a discourse in which an object is
described by describing another
which resembles it, or which is
analogous to it. Parables differ

and devoured them up : ° some
fell upon stony places, where
they had not much earth : and
forthwith they sprung up, be
cause they had no deepness of
earth : 6 and when the sun was
up, they were scorched ; and
because they had no rOot, they
withered away. 7 And some fell
among thorns; and the thorns
sprung up, and choked them :
8 but other fell into goed ground,
and brought forth fruit, some an
from other allegories in that they
are taken from actual occurrences,
while most others are taken from
imaginary occurrences. Every par
able contains an illustrating exam
ple, and indicates certain points of
resemblance between it aud the
subject which it illustrates. The
interpretation of a parable consists
in pointing out the subject illus
trated and the points of analogy
intended by the author. These are
to be ascertained from the context,
and from the terms of the parable
itself. In interpreting the parables
of Jesus two fundamental rules
must be observed : first, when Jesus
himself gives an interpretation, it
must be accepted as final and ex
haustive; second, only those points
of analogy which were certainly
in the mind of the author should
have a place in the interpretation.
The chief error to be guarded
against is a violation of the latter
rule; and in order to successfully
guard against it, one must have a
well balanced judgment and an ac
curate knowledge of the subjects
which the parables illustrate. No
rules can be given which will ena
ble a person who is deficient in
either of these two qualifications,
to become a successful interpreter
of these wonderful discourses.
8-9. a sower went forth. — As
Jesus himself gives an intcrpreta-

xiii. 9-12.]

MATTHEW.

117

hundredfold, some sixtyfold,
some thirtyfold. 'Who hath
ears [to hear], let him hear.
10 And the disciples came, and
said unto him, Why speakest
thou unto them in parables?
9 aKoveiv Rec. Omitted by Tisch., T. S.
Green, Alford.

tion of the parable of the sower
(18-23), we attempt none of our
own. We note here only the fidel
ity to nature which is maintained
throughout. Every person ac
quainted with farming operations
must be struck with the faithfulness
of the picture.
9. Who hath ears to hear.—
This warning, habitual with Jesus
when he desired to direct especial
attention to a speech or a remark,
was necessary to prevent the people
from regarding the parable as
merely a beautiful and life-like de
scription. It warns them of a
meaning beneath the surface, and
hidden as yet from their view.
Why He Spoke in Parables, 10-17.
(Markiv. 10-13; Luke viii. 9, 10.)
10. Why speakest thou . . .
in parables ?-*— The question of the
disciples shows that this method of
teaching had not been employed by
Jesus before, and the question was
extorted by the obvious fact that
the people could not understand the
parables. It is not likely that the
question is inserted by Matthew in
its chronological place, but that it
was propounded after this entire
series of parables had been spoken.
11. it is given unto you. — Jesus
proceeds to give several reasons for
speaking in parables, the first of
which is that it was given to the dis
ciples, but not to the unbelievers, to
know the mysteries of the kingdom
of God. This is merely an assertion
of the fact that it was so ordered
by God, without assigning a reason

"He answered and said unto
them, Because it is given unto
you to know the mysteries of
the kingdom of heaven, but to
them it is not given. "For
whosoever hath, to him shall be
given, and he shall have more
abundance : but whosoever hath

why he so ordered. By the mys-
teaaes of the kingdom of heaven, are
not meant things incomprehensible ;
for, in that case, the disciples could
not know them ; but the yet unre-
vealed truths of the kingdom, which
were mysteries only because they
were as yet unrevealed.
12. whosoever hath. — This
verse contains the reason why it
was given to the disciples to know
the mysteries of the kingdom, and
not given to the unbelievers. It is
a law of God's moral government,
often repeated by the Savior, that
to him who has, more shall be given,
and from him who has not, even
that he has shall be taken away.
In order to understand this singular
phraseology, we must observe that
the thing which is taken away from
him who has not, is necessarily
something that he has. He has,
and at the same time he has not.
Now the unbelieving Jews had, in
common with the believers, the
heavenly privilege of hearing Jesus
and seeing his miracles; but, unlike
the believers, they had not the faith
and the knowledge which they
should have derived from these op
portunities. These opportunities
were now to be taken from them by
a kind of teaching which they could
not understand, and which would
not be explained to them. But to
the disciples, who had some profit
from previous opportunities, more
instruction was to be given by
means of the parables. In general
terms, the law is, that to those who
have made improvement by their

118

MATTHEW.

[xiii. 13-15

not, from him shall be taken
away even that he hath. "There
fore speak I to them in parables.:
because they seeing see not ; and
hearing they hear not, neither
do they understand. 14And in
them is fulfilled the prophecy
of Esa'ias, which saith, By hear
ing ye shall hear, and shall not

opportunities, other opportunities
will be given; but from him who has
made no improvement, the oppor
tunities themselves will be taken
away. (Por further illustration of
this law, see the note on xxv. 29.)
13. Therefore speak I ... in
parables. — The illative therefore
(8(.a toi-to, on this account) refers
not to the preceding, but to the
statement which follows. Another
reason for speaking in parables is
given : because, when the people
saw they saw not, and when they
heard they heard not; that is,
though they saw the miracles, they
saw them not in their true light,
and when they heard his words,
they heard them not in their true
meaning. This was a good reason
for speaking to them in parables;
for it showed that it was immaterial
whether he spoke intelligibly' or
unintelligibly; and it left nim free
to speak as best suited the wants
of his disciples alone. It may be
observed, also, that he spoke more
for future readers than for present
hearers. 14, 15. in them is fulfilled.—
In these verses Jesus gives the
fourth and final reason for speaking
to the people in parables, and at
the same time he -points lout the
cause of those facts on which the
preceding reasons were baaed. As
Isiiah had written concerning his
own generation (Isa. vi. 9, 10), this
people's heart had " waxed gross ; "
that is, it has become filled with
earthly and sensual desires., and

understand ; and seeing ye shall
see, and shall not perceive :
16 for this people's heart Li waxed
gross, and their ears are dull of
hearing, and their eyes they
have closed ; lest at any time
they should see with their eyes,
and hear with their ears, and
should understand with their

especially so with reference to the
expected kingdom of the Messiah.
This state of heart made their ears
dull of hearing; that is, it made
them indisposed to hear with favor
the words of Jesus. It led them
also to close their eyes ; that is, to
refuse to see. the evidences of his
messiahship and his divinity. This
closing of their eyes is treated (15)
as the fatal act ; for he proceeds to
say, "their eyes they* have closed,
lest at any time they should , see
with their eyes, and hear with their
ears, and should understand with
their heart, and should turn, and I
should heai them." The evil state
of the heart might have been over
come, had it not been for closing
their eyes. Their continuance in
sin arid unbelief, therefore, was the
result of' having voluntarily closed
their eyes against the light which
had come into the world, causing
parables and dark sayings to be as
intelligible to them as the simplest
lessons which Jesus taught; their
ears were equally closed against
both. 15. be converted. — This render
ing is incorrect. The original word
(iitwtpetyuaw) is in the active voice,
and means turn. The rendering
" be converted " was first employed
in English by Wickliffa, who fol
lowed the Latin Vulgate from which
his translation was made. Tyndal
and the Geneva translators both
rejected it, using turn ; but King
James's translators restored the
rendarin" of Wickliffa, being led

xiii. 16-20.]

MATTHEW.

119

heart, and should be converted,
and I should heal them. 16 But
blessed are your eyes, for they
see : and your ears, for they
bear. " For verily I say unto
you, That many prophets and
righteous men have desired to
see those things which ye see,
and have not seen them ; and to
bear those things which ye hear,
and have not heard them.

thereto, no doubt, by their concep
tion of conversion as a change in
which the sinner is perfectly pas
sive. Only in one passage, Matt, xviii.
3, is the passive rendering correct.
16, 17. blessed are your eyes.
— Here we have a cheering contrast
between the spiritual condition of
the disciples, and that of the unbe
lieving multitude. They were see
ing with profit, aud hearing with
delight, not only that which the
multitude would neither see nor
hear, but things which the prophets
and righteous men of many genera
tions had desired to see and had
not seen. The disciples, doubtless,
failed to realize the full measure of
their blessedness, so little do the
men of any generation know their
own privileges.
Parable of the Sower Explained,
18-23. (Mark iv. 14-20; Luke
viii. 11-15.)
18, 19. by the way-side.— The
disciples are now taught the mean
ing of the parable of the sower — to
them more is given. They learn
that the different places in which
the seed fell represent different
classes of persons who hear the
'.' word of the kingdom." The pecul
iarity of him who is represented
by the way-side consists in the two
circumstances, that he does not un
derstand the word, and that the
wicked one catches away that which
was sown in his heart. * The word

18 Hear ye therefore the para
ble of the sower. 10 When any
one heareth the word of the
kingdom, and understandeth it
not, then cometh the wicked
one, and catcheth away that
which was sown in his heart.
This is he which received seed
by the wayside. 20But he that
received the seed into stony
places, the same is he that hear-

reaches his heart, which fact im
plies some favorable impressions on
him; but his not understanding it,
implies a want of proper attention
to it. Failing of proper attention,
he allows tho devil, by taking it
away, to deprive him of the little
good which he had received, and of
all that he might have received in
the future. (Comp. Luke viii. 12.)
Satan catches the word away by
means of all those worldly allure
ments through which men are led
to be inattentive to the word of
God. The class of persons repre
sented are those whose ideas of
Scripture teaching are too crude for
an intelligent faith, or who allow
good impression made by the word
to speedily pass away.
20, 21. into stony places —
The fault of the stony ground
hearer consists in allowing trouble
or persecution on account of the
word to make him stumble and fall
away from the word which he had
previously received with joy. In
the. statement, "he hath not root in
himself," there is a metaphor drawn
from the shallow roots of the grain
which grows on stony ground, and
it means that he is deficient in
tenacity of purpose. Sometimes
very slight opposition from friends
or relatives turns a person back into
partial or total apostasy. The class
represented are those who are
turned back by opposition, whether
slight or severe.

120

MATTHEW.

[xiii. 21-24.

eth.the word, and anon with joy
receiveth it ; 21yet hath he not root
in himself, but dureth for awhile :
for when tribulation or persecu
tion ariseth because of the word,
by and by he is offended. " He
also that received seed among
the thorns is he that heareth the
word ; and the care of this
world, and the deceitfulness of
riches, choke the word, and he

21. offended. — The term here
rendered is offended (axavSaxl^stai,)
means, is made to stumble. There
is nothing in tribulations aud perse
cutions to make one feel offended
at the word; but there is, to cause
him to stumble, as when his foot is
caught in a snare. (See the note
on v. 29, 30.)
22. among the thorns. — Those
represented- by the thorny ground,
do not, like the first class, allow
Satan to catch away the word, nor
do they, like the second, allow per
secutions to cause them to stumble ;
but, while retaining the word, they
allow care about worldly matters,
and the deceitfulness of riches —
that is, the deception which love of
riches causes men to practice on
themselves — or both these com
bined, to render the word unfruitful.
Men who are engaged in the eager
pursuit of wealth, as well as those
already in possession of it, are in
danger from the deceitfulness of
riches; while those engaged in a
hard struggle for a mere livelihood,
or in buffeting the waves of misfort
une, are most in danger from the
•care of this world. The great ma
jority of the disciples of every age
and country have been more or less
chargeable with the sin of this
class. We need oonstant and ear
nest exhortations on the subject from
our religious teachers.
23. into the good ground. —
The man represented by the good

becometh unfruitful. ^But he
that received seed into the good
ground is he that heareth the
word, and understandeth it;
whicb also beareth fruit, and
bringeth forth, some an hun
dredfold, some sixty, some
thirty. 24 Another parable put he
forth unto them, saying, The
kingdom of heaven is likened

ground differs from the wayside
man in that he "understands" the
word, and does not allow Satan to
take it from him. His understand
ing it is the result, not of some nat
ural superiority, but of the superior
attention which he gives to it. He
differs from the stony ground char
acter, in that, though assailed by
tribulation and persecution because
of the word, and often more vio
lently assailed than his vacillating
neighbor, he overcomes them in
stead of allowing them to overcome
him. He differs from the thorny
ground character, in that he endures
.the cares of life so patiently, and
resists the deceitful influences of
riches so successfully, that the word
of God in him triumphs over both.
Finally, he differs from all, in that
he alone " beareth fruit." Some of
this class bear more fruit than
others, " some a hundredfold, some
sixty, and some thirty ; " but the
characteristic of the class is that
they bear fruit. The fruit is the
course of life which the word re
quires ; therefore, dropping the fig
ure, the fourth class continue to
obey the word of God, while the
others either never begin, or, begin
ning, sooner or later discontinue
their obedience. The parable is a
prediction of the manner in which
the word of God would be dealt
with by those who would hear it;
and it warns us against the exam
ples of tTie first three characters,

xiii. 25-33.]

MATTHEW.

121

unto a man which sowed good
seed in his field : 25 but while
men slept, his enemy came and
sowed tares among the wheat,
and went his way. 26 But when
the blade was sprung up, and
brought forth fruit, then ap
peared the tares also. " So the
servants of the householder
came and said unto him, Sir,
didst not thou sow good seed in
thy field ? from whence then
bath -it tares ? 2S He said unto
them, An enemy hath done this.
| The servants: and they\ said
unto him, Wilt thou then that
we go and gather them up ?
29 But be said, Nay; lest while
ye gather up the tares, ye root
28 Sov\oi Rec. Omitted by Tisch., T. S.
Green, Alford.

while it stimulates us to imitate the
fourth. Parable of the Tares, 24-30.
25. sowed tares.— -It has been
doubted by some whether such an
act of enmity as sowing a neigh
bor's field with tares was ever per
petrated ; and . consequently it has
been supposed that this parable,
unlike the others, is drawn from
imaginary incidents. But Trench,
in his work on the parables, ad
duces one instance in India, and
one in Ireland; and Alford, in his
Commentary, mentions one that
occurred in a field of his • own in
England. It is likely that the prac
tice was somewhat common in the
days of Christ. The word tare is
now obsolete, having been sup
planted by darnel. (For the expla
nation of this parable, see below,
36-43.) Parable of the Mustard Seed, 31,
32. (Mark iv. 30-32.)
31, 32. least of all the seeds.
11

up also the wheat with them.
30 Let both grow together until
the harvest : and in the time of
harvest I will say to the reapers,
Gather ye together first the
tares, and bind them in bundles
to burn them : but gather the
wheat into my barn.
31 Another parable put he forth
unto them, saying, The kingdom
of heaven is like to a grain of
mustard seed, which a man took,
and sowed in his field: 32whicb
indeed is the least of all seeds :
but when it is grown, it is the
greatest among herbs, and be
cometh a tree, so that the birds
of the air come and lodge in the
branches thereof.
33 Another parable spake he
unto them : The kingdom of

— The mustard seed is not the
smallest known seed, but it was the
smallest usually sown in Jewish
fields. In the same limited sense,
the mustard plant was the " greatest
among herbs" (32); that is, the
greatest herb grown by the Jews.
kingdom ... is like.— As the
emphasis, in this parable, is placed
on the smallness of the seed and
the greatness of its subsequent
growth, we must take these as the
points of significance and resem
blance. The kingdom of heaven,
like the seed, was very small in its
beginning on the day of Pentecost,
but afterward it became a very
great kingdom. The parable is
prophetic, and is still in process of
fulfillment. Parable of the Leaven, 33.
33. till the whole is leavened.
— It is a property of leaven that it
quietly but certainly diffuses itself
through the mass in which it is
placed. The kingdom of heaven
is like it, in that it spreads itself in

122

MATTHEW.

[xiii. 34-39.

heaven is like unto leaven, which
a woman took, and hid in three
measures of meal, till the whole
•was leavened.
"All these things spake Je'sus
unto the multitude in parables ;
and without a parable spake he
not unto them : 35 that it might
be fulfilled which was spoken by
the prophet, saying, I will open
my mouth in parables ; I will
utter things which have been
kept secret from the foundation
[of the world].
35 toS mSo-jiov Rec. Omitted by Lach.,
Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles, B, 1,
22, e, k, N. Syriac, Origen.

like manner through human society.
This parable is also prophetic, and
its fulfillment is constantly going
on. The reason why three meas
ures of meal are supposed, rather
than any other number, is doubt
less because this was the quantity
that the women usually made up
for one baking; and the reason
why a woman rather than a man is
mentioned, is because it was the
business of women to make bread.
Speaking in Parables a Fulfill
ment of Prophecy, 34, 35. (Mark
iv. 33, 34.)
34. without a parable spake
he not. — This remark has refer
ence only to that particular occa
sion. Both before and after this he
taught much without parables.
35. that it might be fulfilled.
— Jesus is the only great teacher
known to history who is distin
guished in a high degree by the use
of parables, and his skill in their
use has never been approached by
any other person. He fills up the
measure of the prediction here
quoted from Psalm lxxviii. 2; it
has not been filled by another; and
therefore Matthew's application of

86 Then [Je'sus] sent the mul
titude away, and went into the
house : and his disciples came
unto him, saying, Declare unto
us the parable of the tares of ^
the field. 3,He answered and
said [unto them], He that sow
eth the good seed is the Son of
man; ^the field is the world;
the good seed are the children
of the kingdom ; but the tares .
are the children of the wicked
one ; 89 the enemy that sowed
36 o 'Irjo-oSj Rec. Omitted by Lach.,
Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.
37 airoU Rec. Omitted by Lach., Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.

it is manifestly correct. We may
further add that Jesus can not have
chosen to speak in parable's in order
to make a false appearance of ful
filling the prediction; for to speak
in such parables is beyond the un
aided powers of any man.
Parable of the Tares Explained,
J 36-43. *
36. Declare unto us— This par
able and that of the sower are the
only two that Jesus explained to his
disciples, the others being so simple
as not to be easily misunderstood;
yet, strange to say, these two, not
withstanding his explanations, are
more frequently misconstrued than
any others of the series.
37-39. He that soweth.— In
these verses the individual corre
spondences between the parable
and the kingdom are stated. The
field in which the seeds were sown
represents the world of mankind;
the man who sowed good seeds rep
resents Jesus; the enemy who
sowed tares, the devil ; the good
seed, Christians; the tares, wicked
persons; the harvest, the end of
this world ; the reapers, the angels.
These explanations are preliminary

xiii. 40-43.]

MATTHEW.

123

them is the devil; the harvest
is the end of the world ; and the
reapers are the angels. 40As
therefore the tares are gathered
and burned in the fire ; so shall
it be in the end of | this : the j
world. 41 The Son of man shall
40 rovrov Rec. Omitted by Lach., Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Tregelles.

to- the chief lesson of the parable ;
they do not teach it.
40-43. As therefore.— Here is
introduced a formal comparison
which presents the chief lesson of
the parable : "As therefore the tares
are gathered and burned in the
fire ; so shall it be in the end of the
world." This being the intended
point of comparison, he proceeds to
state, in unfigurative language, how
it will be in the end of the world :
" The Son of man shall send forth
his angels, and they shall gather out
of his kingdom all things that
offend, and them which do iniquity,
and shall cast them into a furnace
of fire." In brief, the final separa
tion of the wicked from the right
eous, and the destruction of the
latter in fire, is the burden of the
parable. Whether reference is
made to all the wicked in the world,
or only to those in the Church, has
been a matter of dispute. In favor
of the latter supposition is the fact
that the wicked are to be gathered
by the angels " out of his kingdom,"
the term kingdom being usually
limited to the Church. But inas
much as " all authority in heaven
and on earth" is given to Christ
(xxviii. 19), his kingdom in reality
includes the whole earth, and- in at
least one of the parables, that of
the pounds (Luke xix. 14, 15, 27),
the term is used to include both his
willing subjects, and those who
"will not have this man to rule
over them." We are to know,
then, by the context, whether the

send forth his angels, and they
shall gather out of his kingdom
all things that offend, and
them which do iniquity ; 42 and
shall cast them into a furnace
of fire : there shall be wailing
and gnashing of teeth. ^Then
shall the righteous shine forth
as the sun 'in the kingdom of

term is here used in its wider or
in its narrower sense. That the
former is the sense here, we think,
is clear from two considerations :
first, the field in which the seeds,
both good and bad, were sown, and
the kingdom out of which both were
gathered, are evidently the same;
but the field is the world, and
therefore the kingdom is the world.
Second, while the good seed repre
sent the "children of the kingdom,"
that is, those who accept and sub
mit to the reign of Christ over the
world, and all of these, the tares
represent all of the children of the
wicked one within the field, that is,
all the wicked in the world. If it
be objected to this, that the enemy
sowed after the good seed had been
sown, and therefore the wicked
represented by the tares must be
the wicked who sprang up among
the disciples after the kingdom was
established: we answer, that this
point of comparison is not found
in the Saviors interpretation, and
this is sufficient proof that it was
not in his mind.
The most common interpretation
of this parable makes its chief sig
nificance depend on the prohibition
against pulling up the tares lest the
wheat slipuld be rooted up with
them, and supposes it to teach a les
son of caution in church discipline.
Some understand the parable as
prohibiting all exclusions from tho
Church, and others, with less con
sistency, understand it to prohibit
exclusions only in doubtful cases,

124

MATTHEW.

[xiii. 44.

their Father. Who hath ears
[to hear], let him hear.
41 [Again,] the kingdom of
43 iKoveiv Rec. Omitted by Tisch., T. S.
Green, Alford.
44 t:6.\i.v Rec. Omitted by Tisch., T. S.
Green, Alford, Tregelles.

as the exclusion of one would
lead to the exclusion bf others who
are more worthy, but who sympa
thize with the guilty party. The
latter view is condemned by the
very premises on which it is based :
for it was not until the tares were
unmistakably known as such, that
the question about plucking them
up was raised. If the exclusion of
any from the Church is prohibited,
it must be those who are known to
be children of the wicked one, and
the conclusion comes into direct
conflict with the teaching both of
Jesus and the apostles on the sub
ject of withdrawing from the dis
orderly. (See xviii. 17 ; 1 Cor. v.
5, 11, 13; 2 Thess. iii. 6.) There
are also two other insuperable objec
tions to both of the views above
stated. In the first place, Jesus
makes the servants of the house
holder, who made the proposition
to pull up the tares, and who were
the reapers of the harvest, repre
sent, not the officers of the Church,
but the angels of God — " the reap
ers are the angels." (39, 41.) In
the second place, this interpretation
ignores the fundamental rule, that
when Jesus himself expounds a
parable, his exposition must be ac
cepted without modification. Now,
in his exposition he passes by this
prohibition and gives it no part
whatever in the significance of the
parable. It is true, that gathering
out the tares at the end of the
world implies that they will be al
lowed to grow until that time, but
it implies nothing at all as to
whether such of them as can be
shall be excluded from the Church.
43. shine forth as the sun-

heaven is like Tinto treasure bid
in a field ; the which when a
man hath found, he hideth, and
for joy thereof goeth and selleth
all that he hath, and buyeth
that field.

In this verse, and the last clause of
the preceding verse, Jesus presents
some additional thoughts not fore
shadowed in the parable — that in
the furnace of fire there shall be
wailing and gnashing of teeth, and
that the righteous shall shine forth
as the sun in the kingdom of their
Father. On the significance of
wailing and gnashing of teeth, see-
note on viii. 12. Shining forth as
the sun, is expressive of the glory
which shall attach to the saints in
their resurrection bodies.
Who hath ears. — A note of
warning to arrest the attention of
the wicked, and to cheer the hearts
of the saints.
Parable of the Hid Treasure, 44.
44. hid in a field.— In the ab
sence of the iron safes and vaults
of modern times, the ancients fre
quently buried articles of value in
the ground. The ease supposed is
one in which, by the death of the
original owner of the field and the
treasure, all knowledge of the treas
ure had perished; otherwise the
present owner would not sell the
field without an equivalent for the
treasure. he hideth. — The man must again
hide the treasure, after finding it,
lest some one else should discover
it, or lest its existence should be
come known to the owner of the
field before the purchase.
like unto treasure. — The king
dom is not like the treasure in being
hid, for although its provisions are
unknown to many, they have always
been known to some. . But the
man's joy at discovering the treas
ure, and the eagerness with which

xiii. 45-51.]

MATTHEW.

125

45 Again, the kingdom of
heaven is like unto a merchant
man, seeking goodly pearls :
46 who, when he had found one
pearl of great price, went and
sold all that he had, and bought
it. 47 Again, the kingdom of heav
en is like unto a net, that was
cast into the sea, and gathered
of every kind : 48 which, when
it was full, they drew to shore,
and sat down, and gathered the

he sold his other possessions in
order to obtain the treasure, are the
points of significance. Similar joy
is experienced by every one who
discovers the blessedness of the
kingdom, and all such make every
sacrifice necessary to gain posses
sion of its privileges.
Parable of the Precious Pearl,
45, 46.
45. like unto a merchant—
The thought in this parable, though
similar to that in the preceding, is
distinct from it. The merchant is
represented as seeking goodly
pearls, and as already in possession
of a number, while the man of the
hid treasure had nothing which he
especially prized before he found
the treasure. There is a compari
son in this parable between things
of great value already sought and
obtained, and a new prize which
excels them all. It teaches that
whatever a man may have sought
for and obtained before becoming
acquainted with the kingdom of
God, whether it be wealth, or fame,
or a system of religion, the king
dom of God will be cheaply ob
tained by the loss of all.
Parable of the Net, 47-50.
47. like unto a net. — Here
again, as in the parable of- the

good into vessels, but cast the
bad away. 49 So shall it be at
the end of the world : the angels
shall come forth, and sever the
wicked from among the just,
50 and shall cast them into the
furnace of fire: there shall be
wailing and gnashing of teeth.
61 [Je'sus saith unto them,]
Have ye understood all these
51 Ae^et avTois 6 'Itjo-ov* Rec. Omitted
by Lach., Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford, Tre
gelles.

tares, it is taught that at the end of
the world the angels shall sever the
wicked from among the just, and
shall cast them into the furnace of
fire (49, 50) ; but now it is only the
wicked in the Church. The king
dom is like the net, in that it gath
ers both good and bad into it, and
in that there will eventually be a
separation of the two classes.
SO. the furnace of fire.— The
furnace of fire mentioned here and
at the close of the parable of the
tares (42), can be no other than the
final abode of the wicked ; for the
casting of the wicked into it is to
take place "at the end of the
world. ' The term rendered world
(aiav) can not here mean the Jewish
age ; for no such separation of the
wicked from the righteous took
place at the end of the Jewish age,
nor has it taken place since then.
It means the Christian age, which
terminates with time itself.
The Parables' Understood, 51, 52.
51. Have ye understood. — By
the help of his explanation of two
of the parables, the disciples were
able to answer that they understood
all of them ; but while this was true
in a limited sense, they doubtless
failed to gather the full import cf
some whose meaning needed the
light of experience in order to Le
clearly seen.

126

MATTHEW.

[xiii. 52, 53.

things ? They say unto him,
Yea, [Lord]. MThen said he
unto them, Therefore every
scribe which is instructed unto
51 K-Spie Rec. Omitted by Lach., Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.

52, every scribe, — Not every
Jewish scribe, but every disciple pos
sessed of the information and pow
ers of thought which would enable
him to rank as the Jewish scribes
did. instructed unto the kingdom.
— More correctly rendered by Mr.
Green " schooled for the kingdom
of heaven" — possessed of suci in
struction as fits him for a teacher in
the kingdom of heaven.
things new and old. — The allu
sion is to the fact that a good house
holder, in entertaining his guests,
brings forth from his treasure of
provisions and drinks, both old ar
ticles long laid away for special
occasions, and new ones recently
provided. So the Christian scribe
or teacher brings forth for the in
struction of his hearers both the
old lessons with which he has long
been familiar, and new ones which
he has but recently acquired. While
teaching others, he is himself a
learner, and he is able, out of the
new or the old, to find something
suitable to every class of Hearers.
Argument op Section 10.
In this section Jesus is presented
both as a prophet and a subject of
prophecy. By speaking in parables
he fulfilled a prediction of David
concerning him (34, 35), and each
of the parables which he spoke con
tains a prediction. In the parable
of the sower -he predicted the fu
ture effects of preaching the word
of God; in that of the tares, the
final separation of the good and
bad, and the destruction of all the
latter ; in that of the mustard seed,

the kingdom of heaven is like
unto a man that is an house
holder, which bringeth forth out
of his treasure things new and
old. 63 And it came to pass that
the future growth of the kingdom;
in that of the leaven, the certainty
that the principles of his kingdom
would permeate iuman society ; in
that of the hid treasure, the pecul
iar joy and prompt self-sacrifice
with which men would lay hold on
the blessings of the kingdom ; in
that of the precious pearl, the ex
alted estimate which men would
place on the kingdom ; and in that
of the net, the intermingling of bad
men with the good in the Church
until the final day, when they will
be removed into the furnace of fire.
All of these predictions, with the
exception of the two concerning the
last day, have been in process of
fulfillment before the eyes of the
world from the apostolic age to the
present time, and they present, .
therefore, a continuing demonstrar
tion of the divine foresight of
Jesus.

SECTION XI.
Phases op Opinion Concbenino
Jesus, XIH. 53-XV. 20.
Opinion of the Nazarenes, xiii. 53-58;
Opinion of Herod, xiv. 1-12; Admi
ration of the People, aud Feeding
the P'ive Thousand, 13-21; Walking
on the Sea, and Faith of the Disci
ples, 22-33 ; Cures iuUennesaJ-et and
Faith ofthe People, 34-36; Opposi
tion of the Scribes and Pharisees,
xv. 1-9; Christ's Law of Unclean
ness, 10-20.

Opinion of the Nazarenes, xiii.
53-58.
53. he departed thence.— As

xiii. 54-58.]

MATTHEW.

127

when Jesus had finished these
parables, he departed thence.
64 And when he was come into
his own country, he taught them
in their synagogue, insomuch
that they were astonished, and
said, Whence hath this man this
wisdom, and these mighty works ?
65 Is not this the carpenter's son ?
is no t his mother called Ma'ry ?
and his brethren, James and

we learn from Mark, the disciples
took him even as he was in the
ship, and started across the lake on
that Voyage during which the tem-
Sest was stilled. (Mark iv. 34-37.)
latthew, with his usual disregard
of chronology, having already de
scribed that event (viii. 23-27), now
follows Jesus to Nazareth.
54. in their synagogue. — It
seems from this expression that
there was only one synagogue in
Nazareth, which argues but a small
population. 54-57. Whence hath this man.
— By the question, " Whence hath
this man this wisdom and these
mighty works," they admitted his
wisdom and his miracles, but they
claimed to be at a loss to account
for them; and they were offended
(57) at his pretensions. They knew
his father the carpenter, and his
mother Mary ; and his brothers and
sisters they knew by name. They
had also known him from his child
hood; and until recently he had
exhibited no such powers. They
were filled with envy that he should
suddenly be lifted so high above
themselves and above his humble
origin. Their extreme familiarity
with his humanity made them blind
to the evidences of his divinity,
while their unwillingness to admit
his divinity made them incapable
of answering their own question;
and so, from that day to this, the
words and miracles of Jesus have

| Jo'ses : Jo'seph | and Si'mon,
and Ju'das? MAnd his sisters,
are they not all with us?
Whence then hath this man all
these things ? " And they were
offended in him. But Je'sus
said unto them, A prophet is
not without honor, save in his
own country, and in his own
house. 58 And he did not many
55 'Iwo-i}? Rec. 'Icoo-iiA, Lach., Tisch., T.
S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.

proved an unsolved mystery to sll
who deny that he was literally the
Son of God.
his brethren . . . his sisters.
— On the relationship between Je
sus and these persons, see note,
Mark vi. 3.
57. not without honor. — That
which prevents a prophet from
being honored as such in his own
country and among his own kin
dred, is jealousy. Base as this pas
sion is, it is one of the most preva
lent of our passions, and is not
easily subdued by even the best of
men. In Nazareth Jesus was no
more than the son of the carpenter,
and the brother of certain very
common young men and girls ;
while abroad he was hailed as the
prophet of Galilee, mighty in word
and deed. Similar misjudgment
had been the lot of all or nearly all
the prophets of the Old Testament
period. (Comp. Luke iv. 24-27.)
58. not many mighty works.
— See note on Mark vi. 5.
In this paragraph Matthew exhib
its a degree of candor which is one
of the surest marks of honesty.
Had it been his purpose to deceive,
he would not have admitted that
Jesus was rejected and dishonored
by the people who had known him
from his childhood. He would
have been afraid that such an ad
mission would throw suspicion on
his representation of the character
of Jesus. That he does make thia

128

MATTHEW.

[xiv. 1-3.

mighty works there because of
their unbelief.
XIV. xAt that time Her'od
the tetrarch heard of the fame
of Je'sus, 2and said unto his
servants, This is John the Bap-

admission, not, indeed, in the form
of an admission, but as a fact which
existed, and for the record of which
he makes no apology, proves that
he had an unvarnished stpry to tell,
and that he told it as it was. The
facts admitted, moreover, when
rightly considered, contain a strong
argument in favor of Jesus : for if
the Nazarenes, who had known him
from his childhood, when making
their best efforts to find fault with
him, could bring against him noth
ing worse than his humble family
connections, this is proof that he
had been guilty of uo perceptible
wrong-doing. Opinion of Herod, xiv. 1-12.
(Mark vi. 14-29 ; Luke ix. 7-9.)
1. Herod the tetrarch. — Herod
the Great left a will by which, his
kingdom was divided into four une
qual parts. He gave Judea to his
son Archelaus (ii. 22) ; Galilee and
the region beyond Jordan, to his
son Herod Antipas, the one here
mentioned; Iturea and Trachonitis,
districts north and north-east from
Galilee, to his son Herod Philip;
and Abilene, the extreme northern
Eart, to Lysanias, of whom little is
nown. Each of these was called a
tetrarch (ruler of a fourth), be
cause he ruled over one of the four
parts of the former kingdom.
(Comp. Luke iii. 1.)
2. This is John. — The opinion
that Jesus was John the Baptist
risen from the dead originated with
others (Luke ix. 7-9), but was
adopted by Herod. So tragic an
end as had befallen John, in early

tist ; he is risen from the dead ;
and therefore mighty works do
shew forth themselves in him.
'For Her'od had laid bold on
John, and bound him, and put
him in prison for Hero'dias' sake,

manhood and in the midst of so
brilliant a oareer, was well calcu
lated to startle the imagination, and
the guilty conscience of Herod was
ready to second any suggestions
which might spring from tiie super
stition of the people. His concep
tion was not, as some have sup
posed, that John's spirit, according
to the doctrine of transmigration
of souls, had been born again in
the person of Jesus ; for John had
but recently died, and Jesus was
nearly as old as he ; but it was the
conception, as expressed in the
text, that Jesus was John risen from
the dead.
therefore mighty works. —
There was a prevalent idea among
the ancients that departed spirits
were endowed with superhuman
powers; hence Herod's conclusion
that the supposed resurrection of
John would account for the mighty
works in question.
3. For Herod had.— The for
connects the statements which' fol
low with the opinion of Herod ex
pressed in the previous verse. In
quoting that opinion, Matthew had
indirectly introduced the fact of
John's death, although he had not
yet mentioned the fact in his narra
tive. For the double purpose of
supplying this omission and ac
counting for the singular opinion
which Herod formed concerning
Jesus, he relates .the following cir
cumstances. in prison for Herodias' sake.
— The imprisonment of John had
been mentioned before (iv. 12), but
not the cause of it. Here the cause
aud the final result are given.

XIV.

4-11.]

MATTHEW.

129

his brother [Phil'ip's] wife. 4For
John said unto him, It is not
lawful for thee to have her.
6 And when he would have put
him to death, he feared the mul
titude, because they counted
him as a prophet. 6But when
Her'od's birthday was kept, the
daughter of Hero'dias danced
before them, and pleased Her'od.
' Whereupon he promised with
3 «iAi7nro» Rec. Omitted by T. S. Green,
Alford, Tregelles.

4. For John said unto him. —
The singular impartiality and fear
lessness of John are here exhibited.
While rebuking the sins of the
common people, and of the Phari
sees and Sadducees, who had no
civil power in their hands, he might
be considered entirely safe; but
when Herod, who was living in
adultery with his brother's wife,
and who had the power of life and
death in his hand, came to hear
him, the inquiry would naturally
occur to the people, will he rebuke
Herod, as he has rebuked us. To
their surprise, no doubt, he admin
istered the rebuke. The conse
quence was to be expected — he lost
his liberty, and eventually his life.
The time-servers of his day may
have thought that he recklessly sac
rificed his life and his continued
usefulness ; but subsequent ages,
however they may fail to imitate
him, have ever admired the nobility
of his conduct. No man is worthy
to stand before the people and call
them to repentance, who can wink
at sin in high places and show a
truckling respect of persons.
5. feared the multitude.— It
was only in consequence of the per
sistent entreaties of Herodias, that
Herod "would have put him to
death;" for his own inclination
was to spare him. (See Mark vi.
19, 20.) He was restrained not

an oath to give her whatsoever
she would ask. 8And she, be
ing before instructed of her
mother, said. Give me here John
Baptist's head in a charger.
9 And the king was sorry : nev
ertheless for the oath's sake, and
them which sat with him at
meat, he commanded it to be
given her. 10And he sent, and
beheaded John in the prison.
"And his head was brought in
a charger, and given to the dam-

only by his own respect for John,
but by fear of a violent insurrection
of the people — a result which would
have occurred but for the refusal
of Jesus to head the movement.
(See below, 12, 13, and John vi. 15.)
6-8. before instructed. — The
girl was instructed by her mother,
not before she went in, but after
the promise was made to her by
Herod, and she had gone to her
mother for advice. (Mark vi. 24.)
9, 10. the king was sorry. —
He was sorry that the request
was made, for the same reason
which had restrained him before
(verse 5); but his reluctance was
overcome by the consideration of
his oath, and by his respect for
" those who sat with him at meat."
The latter reason implies that the
company insisted on his compli
ance, failing, as he did, to see that
the proposed act was really not
within the scope of his oath. It
was a present of pecuniary value
which he had promised, and not the
commission of a crime. In his
case, as in that of many other
wicked men, the great sin of his life
was committed in prosecution of a
course of evil previously begun, and
at the instigation of evil com
panions. 11. brought it to her mother.
— Herodias had thirsted for revenge,
and sought it persistently ever since

130

MATTHEW.

[xiv. 12-14.

sel, and she brought it to her
mother. "And his disciples
came, and took up the body,
and buried it, and went and
told Je'sus.
13 When Je'sus heard of it, he
departed thence by ship into a
desert place apart : and when

John administered the fatal rebuke;
but when the gory head was laid in
her lap, instead of the pleasure
which she anticipated, there must
have been kindled within her heart
the flames of a remorse, which, like
the fires of hell, never shall be
quenched. The crime stamped the
names of the guilty couple with
greater infamy than that for which
John had rebuked them ; and who
can depict the scene when they
shall meet John in the day of judg
ment? Such is revenge. Let all
who allow themselves to thirst for
it take warning.
12. went and told Jesus.—
After decently burying the headless
trunk of the great preacher, John's
disciples went to Jesus, not merely
to tell him the news, but to find in
him a leader. As Herod had antic
ipated, they were greatly exasper
ated (verse 5); they knew the
friendship of John for Jesus ; they
knew that the latter intended to set
up a kingdom ; they believed that
this would involve the overthrow of
Herod's power ; and they were
ready now to revolt and make Jesus
a king. (See 13, and John vi. 1 , 2,
15.) Had their wish been gratified,
they would have obtained revenge ;
but, like Herodias, they would have
obtained none but bitter fruits
therefrom.Admiration of the People, and
Feeding the Five Thousand, 13-
21. (Mark vi. 30-34; Luke ix.
12-17; Johnvi. 5-14.)
13. into a desert place.— It

the people had heard thereof,
they followed him on foot out
of the cities. "And [Je'sus]
went forth, and saw a great
multitude, and was moved with
compassion toward them, and
14 6 'Irjo-oOs Rec. Omitted bv Lach.,
Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.

was a moment of intense excite
ment. Jesus himself could not fail
to be deeply moved by the mourn
ful fate of John. The' cruelty of
the deed, the love which he bore to
the victim, the thought of his own
fate which it brought to mind, and
the excitement of the people, all
combined to stir within him a vari
ety of emotions. These feelings
must be held in abeyance, and the
excitement among the people must
be allowed to subside. To promote
both of these ends, he sought the
privacy of the desert, where, as the
sequel shows (22), he intended to
spend a long time in prayer. Thus
did Jesus demean himself in a great
crisis of his career.
followed him on foot— The
people would not allow him to
shake them off. As fast as they
heard of John's death,* they rushed
out of their cities to go to him, so
that when he reached the shore
toward which his vessel had been
headed, the multitude, who had
some means of knowing his destina
tion, were in great numbers await
ing him.
14. he healed their sick. —
While the chief part of the multi
tude had been drawn together by
the prevailing excitement, some had
not forgotten to bring with them

* " Heard thereof " 0.3), refers not to the
departure of Jesus, but to the death of
John. It is a repetition, in connection
with " people," of the same word just used
in connection with "Jesus." " When Je
sus heard of it he departed," and "when
the people heard ot it they followed him,"

xiv. 15-23.]

MATTHEW.

131

he healed their sick. 15 And
when it was evening, his disci
ples came to him, saying, This
is a desert place, and the time is
now past; send [then] the mul
titude away, that they may go
into the villages, and buy them
selves victuals. 16But Je'sus
say unto them, They need not
depart ; give ye them to eat.
" And they say unto him, We
have here but five loaves, and
two fishes. 18He said, Bring
them hither to me. 19And he
commanded the multitude to sit
down on the grass, and took the
five loaves, and the two fishes,
and looking up to heaven, he
15 aZv Added by Tisch., T. S. Green, Al
ford.

their sick and afflicted friends, that
they might be healed.
15. and buy victuals. — So
great was the excitement of the
people, that they had come out
many miles from home without the
precaution of bringing food. Hav
ing fasted till late in the afternoon,
they still seemed inclined to re
main, when the compassion of the
disciples prompted the request that
they be sent away.
16. give ye them to eat. — This
proposal was intended to try the
disciples (John vi. 6) ; yet it was
also an earnest proposal which he
intended that they should carry
into effect.
19. blessed and brake. — John
says, " he returned thanks." (John
vi. 11.) He blessed the loaves and
fishes by returning thanks for them.
This and similar acts of Jesus are
our precedents for giving thanks, or
"asking the blessing," at our tables.
20, 21. the fragments. — These
were gathered up not merely " that
nothing be lost (John vi. 12), but

blessed, and brake, and gave
the loaves to his disciples, and
the disciples to the multitude.
20 And they did all eat, and were
filled : and they took up of the
fragments that remained twelve
baskets full. "And they that
had eaten were about .five thou
sand men, beside women and
children. 22 And straightway [Je'sus]
constrained | his : the | disciples
to get into a ship, and to go be
fore him unto the other side,
while he sent the multitudes
away. 23And when he had sent
the multitudes away, he went
22 6 'iTtfo-ous Rec. Omitted by Lach.,
Tisch., T. S. Green, AMord, Tregelles.
22 aiirov Rec. Omitted by Tisch., T. S.
Green, Alford, Tregelles.

also to exhibit more strikingly the
extent of the miracle : for the quan
tity of fragments left after five
thousand persons and more had
been fed was much greater than
the entire quantity at the begin
ning. The increase had occurred
by the instantaneous restoration of
the size of the loaf, as each man
broke off a peace more than suffici
ent for himself. Thus the miracle
was witnessed by each one of the
five thousand, and it was really re
solved into five thousand repetitions
of the same miracle. On this ac
count it was the most surprising
miracle which the people had yet
witnessed. Walking on the Sea, and the Faith
of the Disciples, 22-33. (Mark
vi. 45-52; John vi. 15-21.)
22, 23. into a mountain apart.
— As we observed in the beginning'
of the previous paragraph (note on
13), Jesus started for the desert in
the morning for the purpose of sol
itary prayer. His purpose had

132

MATTHEW.

[xiv. 24-31.

up into a mountain apart to
pray: and when the evening
was come, he was there alone.
24 But the ship was now in the
midst of the sea, tossed with
waves, for the wind was con
trary. 25And in the fourth
watch of the night [Je'sus] went
unto them', walking on the sea.
26 And when the disciples saw
him walking on the sea, they
were troubled, saying, It is a
spirit ; and they cried out for
fear. 27 But straightway Je'sus
25 6 'Irjo-oili Rec. Omitted by Lach.,
Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.
been frustrated throughout the day
by the presence of the people ; but
now, having dismissed the people
and sent his disciples away in their
boat, he climbs the mountain side
and remains in the coveted solitude
until the fourth watch of the night
(25), or till after three o'clock.
Why he spent so long a time in
prayer, it is difficult for us who
know so little of the value of
prayer, and so little of the inner
life of Jesus, to understand.
24. for the wind was con
trary. — It is a singular providen
tial coincidence, that while Jesus
was struggling with prayer on the
mountain, his disciples were strug
gling with a wind on the sea. This
wind detained them as if on pur-
'pose to give occasion for the mira
cle which startled them just before
the break of day.
26. It is a spirit.— The scene
occurred in the night; consequently,
when Jesus first came into view, the
disciples could see nothing but the
dim outline of » man's form walk
ing over the rough waves, and it is
no wonder that they thought him a
disembodied spirit, and that they
were overcome with that unreason
ing fear which all men experience

, spake unto them, saying, Be of
good cheer ; it is I ; be not
afraid. 28 And Pe'ter answered
him and said, Lord, if it be
thou, bid me come unto thee on
the water. s9And he said,
Come. And when Pe'ter was
come down out of the ship, he
walked on the water, to go to
Je'sus. 30 But when be saw the
wind boisterous, he was afraid ;
and beginning to sink, he cried,
saying, Lord, save me. 31And
immediately Je'sus stretched
forth his hand, and caught him,
and said unto him, O thou of
in the visible presence of beings
from the other world.
27, 28. bid me come unto thee.
— Their fear was instantly removed
when they heard the well known
voice of the Master, exclaiming,
"It is I; be not afraid," and Peter,
with the impulsiveness of a boy,
who always wants to attempt any
surprising feat which he sees an
other person perform, requests the
Lord to let. him too walk on the
water. 30. he was afraid. — Like other
hasty adventurers, Peter soon found
himself in a more trying situation
than he anticipated. Too far from
the vessel to catch back upon it,
and not near enough to Jesus to
seize hold of him, he thought of
the strong wind and the rough sea,
and being seized with fear he began
to sink.
31. of little faith. — As Jesus
steps forward and catches up the
sinking disciple, he points out to
him the immediate cause of his
danger. His faith was so weak
that danger had turned it into
doubt. The incident shows that
fear is a source of doubt and an
enemy of faith ; and it illustrates
the fact that those who possessed

xiv. 32-xv. 2.]

MATTHEW.

133

little faith, wherefore didst thou
doubt ? 82 And when they were
come into the ship, the wind
ceased. S3Then they that were
in* the ship came and worshiped
him, saying, Of a truth thou
art the Son of God.
34 And when they were gone
over, they came into the land
of Gennes'aret. 35And when
the men of that place had
knowledge of him, they sent out

miraculous gifts could only succeed
in working miracles when their
faith was in lively exercise.
32, 33. the wind ceased.— The
sudden cessation of the wind im
pressed the disciples as deeply as
the walking on the water. They
gathered around Jesus, and bowing
down before him, exclaimed with
one voice, " Of a truth thou art the
Son of God." In the very hour in
which Peter was rebuked for the
weakness of his faith, the faith of
the whole party gathered new
strength and found a.most emphatic
expression. How curiously the
great Teacher was playing on the
chords of their hearts, and tuning
them to the harmonies of heaven.
Cures in Gennesaret, and Faith of
the People, 34-36. (Mark vi.
53-56.) 34. Gennesaret. — The land of
Gennesaret was a plane at the north
west curve of the lake of Galilee,
which Josephus describes as about
thirty furlongs in length by about
twenty in average width, and
bounded on the west by a semicir
cular line of hills. It was exceed
ingly fertile, and was thickly set
with cities and villages. Caper
naum was near its northern extrem
ity,- and near the southern was the
city of Magdala. The lake itself
was sometimes called, from the
name of this plane, the sea of Gen-

into all that country round
about, and brought unto him
all that were diseased ; S6 and
besought him that they might
only touch the hem of his gar
ment : and as many as touched
were made perfectly whole.
XV. "Then came to Je'sus
scribes and Phar'isees, which
were of Jerusalem, saying,
2 Why do thy disciples transgress
the tradition of the elders ? for

nesaret. (Josephus, Wars, B. iii,
ch. x, U 7, 8.)
35, 36. they sent out. — The
prompt action of the people in send
ing out into every part of the plane
for the sick, was the result of their
previous acquaintance with Jesus,
and their faith in his power and
goodness. That the touch of the
hem of his garment made many
perfectly whole, was the surprising
reward of their implicit faith.
Opposition of Scribes and Phari
sees, xv. 1-9. (Mark vii. 1-13.)
1. were of Jerusalem. — The
career of Jesus in Galilee, together
with the two visits which he had
made to Jerusalem (John ii. 13; v.
1), had arrested the attention of the
leading minds in that city. The
scribes and Pharisees here men
tioned were in all probability sent
up by their associates in Jerusalem
to counteract his influence. They
expected to put him to a severer
test than had been applied by the
less cultivated scribes and Pharisees
of Galilee, and they entered the
contest with confident hope of suc
cess. 2. transgress the tradition. —
Not being able to find any ground
for denying the miracles of Jesus,
or any violation of the law in
either himself or his disciples, they
make the best attack in their power
by charging the latter with trans-

134

MATTHEW.

[xv. 3-8.

they wash not their hands when
they eat bread. sBut he an
swered and said unto them, Why
do ye also transgress the com
mandment of God by your tra
dition ? 4 For God commanded,
saying, Honor thy father and
mother: and, He that curseth
father or mother, let him die the
death. 5 But ye say, Whosoever
shall say to his father or his

gressing the tradition of the elders.
(For a statement of their doctrine on
this subject, see note on iii. 7.) The
tradition that a man should not eat
without first washing his hands,
was an extension by human author
ity of the Mosaic law of unclean
ness. Other traditions belonging
to the same category are mentioned
in Mark vii. 3, 4. It could not be
denied that the disciples trans
gressed this tradition, and as the
accusers held the traditions to be
equal in authority to the written
word, they thought they had cer
tainly convicted Jesus of sin in al
lowing this transgression.
3. transgress the command
ment. — Tacitly admitting the
charge, Jesus defends his disciples
by attacking tradition itself; not
this particular tradition, but all
tradition. He charges that they,
by their tradition, transgressed the
commandment of God, and that the
tradition itself was therefore sinful.
4-6. For God commanded. —
In order to sustain his charge, he
specifies their tradition in regard to
the support of indigent parents.
The commandment, "Honor thy
father and thy mother," requires a
son to support his parents when
they become dependent. And the
statute, "He that curseth father or
mother, let him die the death," re
quired the death of any son who
would practically curse his aged
parents by casting them off into

mother, It is a gift, by whatso
ever thou mightest be profited
by me ; 6 and honor not his father
or his mother, he shall be free.
Thus have ye made | the com
mandment : the law | of God of
none effect by your tradition.
' Ye hypocrites, well did Esa'ias
prophesy of you, saying, "This
6 tV evroXV Rec. rbv vop.ov Tisch., T. S.
Green, Alford.

beggary or starvation. But they
had taught that a son could say of
that part of his estate by which his
parent might be profited, It is a
gift ; that is, a gift to God ( Corban,
Mark vii. 11), and thereby free
himself from the obligation. Thus
the commandment was made of no
effect by freeing from it every un
grateful sou who was mean enough
to desire such freedom. This exam
ple did not touch the question of
uncleanness, but it proved that tra
dition was an unauthoritative and
mischievous guide, and as the
objection of the scribes was based
on the authority of tradition, it de
stroyed the force of the objection.
The particular tradition about eat
ing with unwashed hands is dis
cussed on its merits in the next
paragraph: principles are settled
first, and details afterward.
7. Ye hypocrites. — There was
hypocrisy in the device of the tra-
ditionists, because in proposing to
honor God by vowing to him what
should go to the poor parent, there
was the false pretense of doing for
his honor what was really done to
gratify avarice. All similar substi
tutions of human expedients in the
place of God's appointments are
prompted by some improper desire,
aud are therefore liable to the same
charge. (See on verse 9.)
7, 8. prophesy of you. — To
prophesy is to speak by inspiration,
whether of the future, the past, or

XV.

9-12.]

MATTHEW.

135

people [draweth nigh unto me
with their mouth and] honoreth
me with their lips; but their
heart is far from me. 9But in
vain they do worship me, teach
ing for doctrines the command
ments of men.
8 'Eyvifei ftoi To, (rropLart airajv Kai Rec.
Omitted by Lach., Tisch, T. S. Green, Al
ford, Tregelles, X, B, d, l, 33, 124, Old
Latin, Vulgate, N. Syriac, Coptic, jEthi-
opic, Armenian, etc., many writers.

the present. Isaiah did not proph
esy these words with special refer
ence to these particular persons ;
but he spoke primarily of the Jews
of his own age. (Isa. xxix. 13.)
In prophesying of them, however,
he spoke what is equally true of all
others who are guilty of the same
hypocrisy, and on this account Jesus
applied the words to his accusers.
9. in vain they do worship —
This verse is rather a conclusion
than a quotation. The words of
Isaiah are, " Their fear toward me
is taught by the precept of men."
Fear toward God, if pure and rightly
inspired, springs from the word of
God, and not from the command
ment of man. So far, therefore, as
a man's worship of God is the result
of human authority, it springs from
an improper source, and is vain.
Every human addition to the com
mandments of God, so far as it in
duces any worship at all, induces
vain worship, and there is probably
not one such addition which does
not, to a greater or less degree,
make some commandment void.
Thus the tradition of infant bap
tism, to the extent that it is adopted,
makes of no effect the command
ment concerning the baptism of be
lievers, by baptizing persons in their
infancy; and if it should become
universally prevalent, by the bap
tism of all persons in their infancy
it would bring to an end forever the
only baptism commanded of God.

10And he called the multitude,
and said unto them, Hear, and
understand : u Not that which
goeth into the mouth defileth a
man ; but that which cometh
out of the mouth, this defileth a
man. 12 Then came | his : the \
disciples, and said unto him,
Knowest thou that the Phar'i-
12 airov Rec. Omitted by Lach., Tisch,
T. S. Green, Alford.
Christ's Law of Uncleanness, 10-20.
(Mark vii. 14-23.)
10, 11. he called the multi
tude. — In the preceding paragraph
Jesus did not touch the question of
uncleanness raised by the Phari
sees, but performed the more impor
tant task of showing the want of
authority and the mischievous effects
of all tradition ; in this, he defends
the conduct of his disciples by stat
ing that a man is defiled, not by
that which goes into his mouth, but
by that which comes out. He gives
this explanation, not to the Phari
sees, who were captious objectors
not willing to hear any defense, but
to the more teachable multitude;
and he makes the statement on the
naked authority of his own word,
relying on their good sense for its
acceptance. Such appeals to the
common sense of mankind, when
the proposition affirmed is true, are
often more effective than a process
of reasoning, and they were often
employed both by Jesus and the
apostles. 12. Pharisees were offended.
— The disciples were pained at the
offense given to these highly re
spectable strangers from Jerusalem ;
for, like many Christians of the
present day, their respect for the
feelings of men was greater than
their zeal for the truth. The "say
ing" (a,oyoi/) which had given of
fense was the entire speech. He

136

MATTHEW.

[xv. 13-17.

sees were offended, after they
heard this, saying? 13But he
answered and said, Every plant,
which my heavenly Father hath
not planted, shall be rooted up.
14 Let them alone : they be blind
leaders of the blind. And if
the blind lead the blind, both
shall fall into the ditch. 15 Then
answered Pe'ter and said unto

had proved that by their tradition
they were nullifying the, word of
God; he had charged them with
hypocrisy ; he had declared that all
of their worship based on the au
thority of tradition was vain wor
ship; and he had swept away the
entire fabric of their traditionary
law of uncleanness, by declaring
that a man is not defiled by that
which goes into his mouth. He
had not only defended himself, but
he had turned their own weapons
with irresistible effect against them,
and it is not surprising that they
were offended.
13. Every plant. — In reply to
the modest complaint of the disci
ples, Jesus compares the Pharisees
to plants in a garden that were not
planted by the owner of it, and
declares that they shall be rooted
up. They were teaching without
divine authority or approbation ;
and what he had said was intended
not to please them, but to root them
up. 14. Let them alone— Let them
alone, not in the way of ceasing to
expose their error's, but in the sense
of making no effort to appease them.
The disciples were to be regardless
of them as Jesus was, making no
change in either the matter or man
ner of discourse for their sake.
Sometimes the best way to move
men is to be totally indifferent to
them; and when men stand opposed
to the truth from corrupt motives,
the only possible chance to do them

him, Declare unto us |this: the]
parable. 16And [Je'sus] said,
Are ye also yet without under
standing? "Do not ye [yet]
understand, that whatsoever en-
tereth in at the mouth goeth
15 Taiinji" Rec. Omitted by Lach., T. 8.
Green, Alford, Tregelles.
1G 'Iijo-oSs Rec. Omitted b^ Lach., Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelle.s.
17 outtu Rec. oi Lach., Tisch., T. S.
Green, Tregelles.

good is to offend them, for -when
you please them you only confirm
them in their wicked ways.
both fall. — It is sometimes
thought, that if a man is misled by
his teacher, he will be excused for
going astray; but Jesus here teaches
that the blind man who is led will
fall into the ditch with his blind
leader. This is clear enough in
reference to the literally .blind, and
Jesus asserts it in reference to the
spiritually blind. If a man, know
ing himself to be blind, allows an
other blind man to lead him, he
deserves to fall into the ditch. He
should choose a leader who can see,
and as there is no leader who can
see all the way that we have to
travel except Jesus, -let us take his
word as our only £;uide, going only
as it leads us. The word of God
must be our pillar of cloud by day,
and of fire by night; we move
when it moves, and stop where it
stops. 15, 16. the parable. — The dis
ciples were themselves so much
under the influence of tradition,
that they supposed the remark
about that which defiles to be a
parable. They had been blindly
led by the blind guides.
17-19. they defile the man.—
Here the Christian idea of unclean
ness is fully stated, and the disci
ples were the better prepared for it
by the gradual manner in which it
was approached. In this entire
paragraph Jesus treats of that

xv. 18-21.]

MATTHEW.

137

into the belly, and is cast out
into the draught ? ls But those
things which proceed out of the
mouth come forth from the
heart ; and they defile the man.
19 For out of the heart proceed
evil thoughts, murders, adulter-

which the uncleanness of the law
typified, and not of legal unclean
ness itself. Although, according to
the law of Moses, eating with un
washed hands did not defile a man,
yet some things entering into the
mouth did have this effect. (See
Lev. xi. 40.) But the Pharisees,
confounding the type with the anti
type, taught that the soul was de
filed by that which caused only
legal uncleanness. Jesus corrects
this mistake, and in giving the true
significance of the type, gives the
true conception of uncleanness un
der the Christian dispensation.
Argument of Section 11.
Several arguments for the claims
of Jesus are involved in the facts
of this chapter. First, it is made
manifest that the opinions adverse
to his claims originated either in
envy, as in the case of the Naza
renes ; in the workings of a guilty
conscience, as in the case of Herod
and his courtiers ; or in the preju
dices which resulted from hypocrit
ical practices, as in the case of the
scribes .and Pharisees. Opposition
arising from such sources argues,
with strong probabilitv, the right
eousness of the cause against
which it is arrayed. Second, it is
made to appear that all atteihpts to
justify the opposition by condemn
ing the conduct of Jesus were foiled
and made to recoil on the heads of
their authors. The two examples
recorded are those in which the
opposition was most likely to be
successful if success were possible ;
the first being an attempt of the
12

ies, fornications, thefts, false
witness, blasphemies : 20 these are
the things which defile a man :
but to eat with unwashen hands
defileth not a man.
21 Then Je'sus went thence,
and departed into the coasts of

Nazarenes who had been familiar
with his conduct from his child
hood; and the other, that of a com--
pany of scribes and Pharisees from
the religious capital of the nation,
who visited Galilee for the purpose,
and who were supposed to have the
best qualifications for this task.
Third, it is also apparent from the
section, that even those who held
opinions adverse to the claims of
Jesus, either admitted the reality
of his miracles, or made no effort
to deny it ; and that it was on ac
count of his oft. repeated and won
derfully varied miracles, wrought
under such circumstances that men
could not be mistaken about them,
that the disciples and the multitude
believed in him. His claims, then,
were unquestionably sustained by
miraculous evidences.

SECTION XII.
Tours to Tyre and Sidon and to
Cesarea Philippi, XV. 21-XVII.
- 27.
The Canaanite Woman's Daughter,
xv. 21-28 ; Cures near the Lake Shore,
29-31; Feeding the Four Thousand,
32-39 ; A Sign from Heaven De
manded, xvi 1-4 : Leaven of the
Pharisees and Sadducees, 5-12 ; Con
versation near Csesarea Philippi,
13-20; First Plain Prediction of His
Death, 21-23: Self-sacrifice and the
Judgment, 24-28; The Transfigura
tion, xvii. 1-13 ; An Obstinate Demon
Cast Out, 14-21 ; Second Prediction
of Jesus' Death ,22, 23.

The Canaanite Woman's Daughter,
xv. 21-28. (Mark vii. 24-30.)
21. coasts of Tyre and Sidon.
— rThe term rendered coasts (,1^)7)—

138

MATTHEW.

[xv. 22-27.

Tyre and Si'don. 22And, be
hold, a woman of Ca'naan came
out of the same coasts, and cried
unto him, saying, Have mercy
on me, O Lord, thou son of
Da'vid ; my daughter is griev
ously vexed with a devil. 23But
he answered ber not a word.
And his disciples came and be
sought him, saying, Send her
away; for she crietb after us.

more literally parts — means those
parts of the country which belonged
to these two cities. Jesus was now
on Gentile soil, in Phoenicia, north
west of Galilee. He was remote from
his usual places of resort, and among
a people to whom he was a stranger.
22. a woman of Canaan. — The
Canaanites were the founders of
Sidon (Gen. x. 19), and the Phoeni
cians were their descendants. (For
another designation of this woman,
see Mark vii. 26.)
0 Lord, thou son of David. —
These words in the mouth of a
Gentile woman on Gentile soil are
remarkable. They show that she
was acquainted with the Jewish
idea of the Messiah, and they indi
cate the_spread of Jewish ideas and
hopes among surrounding nations.
Jesus had never been here before,
nor had this woman, in all proba
bility, ever visited him in Galilee ;
but his fame had spread through all
Syria (Matt. iv. 24), of which Phoe
nicia was a part, and she had doubt
less longed for an opportunity to
bring his healing power to bear on
her child. Her great need of him
caused her to know of his presence,
though " he would have no man to
know it." (Mark vii. 24.)
23. answered her not. — Con
trary to his uniform custom hith
erto, Jesus appeared to be deaf to
the woman's entreaties, until the
disciples, annoyed by her cries, and
pained by his apparent indifference,

24 But be answered and said, I
am not sent but unto the lost
sheep of the house of Is'rael.
25 Then came she and worshiped
him, saying, Lord, help me.
26 But he answered and said, It
is not | meet: allowed] to take
the children's bread, and to cast
it to dogs. 27And she said,
26 etm Kakbv Rec. ffecrri Lach., Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Alford, D, a, b, c, etc.

besought him to send her away.
They did not mean that he should
dismiss her without granting her
request; but that he should send
her away by granting it.
24. I am not sent.— This an
swer was made to the disciples, not
to the woman. It was the response
to their request that he should send
her away. It is true that his min
istry was limited to the Jews, and
that to extend it beyond them, ex
cept in extraordinary cases, would
be going beyond bis general plan.
This ¦ limitation was imposed, be
cause, in the wisdom of God, it was
seen to be the very best method for
the final evangelization not only of
the Jews, but of the Gentiles them
selves. 25. and worshiped him. — Still
persisting in her efforts to arrest
his attention, and determined, not
withstanding his apparent indiffer
ence, to extort from him a re
sponse, the woman now comes near
and prostrates herself (rtpoaxwfi)
before him, as if to block up his
path, and utters the piteous cry,
"Lord, help me."
26, 27. Truth, Lord. — The
woman's faith was put to a still se
verer test, when, with unfeeling
look and tone, as if his heart were
made of adamant, he -at last looked
down on the pleading face and said,
"It is not meet to take the chil
dren's meat and cast it to dogs."
Many a woman, at such a speech,

xv. 28-30.]

MATTHEW.

139

Truth, Lord : yet the dogs eat
of the crumbs which fall from
their masters' table. 28Then
Je'sus answered and said unto
ber, O woman, great is thy faith :
be it unto thee even as thou wilt.
And her daughter was made
whole from that very hour.
29 And Je'sus departed from
thence, and came nigh unto the

would have risen in despair, and
gone away in anger. In her inimi
table reply, ."Truth, Lord, yet the
dogs eat of the crumbs which fall
from their masters' table," we know
not which to admire more — the read
iness of her wit, or the depth of
her humility.
28. great is thy faith.— The
chilling silence of Jesus had gained
its purpose in drawing out from
the woman this admirable expres
sion of her faith, and now his
tone and manner undergo a change.
He is like himself again. We
can readily see that her humility
was great; but where is the evi
dence of her great faith? Men
who have no faith in Jesus, look on
him as beneath themselves. Those
who have little faith in him, regard
him as only a little their superior ;
but as faith increases, he goes up
and we go down, so that the greatest
humility before him is one evidence
of the greatest faith. He looked
into the bottom of her heart, and
commended that which was the
source of all of her humility and her
perseverance. even as thou wilt. — The ear
nest perseverance of the faithful
woman gains its point, and her
mother's heart is made to rejoice.
Less love for her child, or less faith
in Jesus, would have caused a fail
ure. The entire scene is often re
peated in pious households. How
often a pious mother, with a child
grievously vexed with the demon

sea of Gal'ilee ; and went up
into a mountain, and sat down
there. 30And great multitudes
came unto' him, having with
them those that were" lame,
blind, dumb, maimed, and many
others, and cast them down at
| Je'sus' : his | feet ; and he healed
30 tov 'I?jo-oC Rec. airov Lach., Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.
of sin, cries piteously and long to
the blessed Savior, saying, " Lord,
help me." And how often does
Jesus appear, for awhile, to give no
heed to the cry, until even a cold
world begins to pity the wretched
petitioner. But finally, when a
mighty faith has been developed
out of sorrow and weeping, the un
heard answer comes, "Be it unto
thee as thou wilt." The story of
the Canaanite woman is a type, and
it is written for our admonition on
whom the ends of the world have
come. It is another illustration of
the Savior's doctrine, that "men
ought always to pray, and not to
faint." (Luke xviii. 1-8.)
Cures near the Lake Shore, 29-31.
(Mark vii. 31-37.)
29. came nigh unto the sea.—
Jesus is now again near the lake
of Galilee, and as we learn from
Mark (vii. 31), near the south-east
ern shore, having come through
Decapolis. The last paragraph lo
cated him north-west of Galilee,
and the present locates him on the
opposite side of Galilee, without
noting the route by which he had
made the transit.
30. great multitudes came. —
Only once before, when he cured
the man with the legion of demons,
had Jesus been in this district ; and
then the people had requested him
to go away. (viii. 34.) But now,
influenced partly by their own re
flections, and partly by the preach-

140

MATTHEW.

[xv. 31-39.

them : sl insomuch that the mul
titude wondered, when they saw
the dumb to speak, the maimed
to be whole, the lame to walk,
and the blind to see : and they
glorified the God of Is'rael.
32 Then Je'sus called his disci
ples unto him, and said, I have
compassion on the multitude,
because they continue with me
now three days, and have noth
ing to eat : and I will not send
them away fasting, lest they
faint in the way. 3S And | his :
the | disciples say unto him,
Whence should we have so much
bread in the wilderness, as to
fill so great a multitude ? S4And
Je'sus saith unto them, How
33 airov Rec. Omitted by Tisch., T. S.
Green, Alford.

ing of the demoniac (Mark v. 19,
20), they flock around him with
their "lame, blind, dumb, and
maimed." 31. glorified the God of Israel.
— This was naturally the first effect
of witnessing the miraculous cures,
after fear of him^who wrought them
had passed away. The people saw
clearly that the power by which
Jesus worked was the power of
God; but being comparatively ig
norant in reference to the Messiah-
ship, they formed no definite concep
tion at first of his person and office.
Feeding the Four Thousand, 32-39.
(Mark viii. 1-9.)
32. three days, and have noth
ing to eat. — The statement is not
that they had been three days with
nothing to eat, but that they had
been with him three days, and now
had nothing to eat. His compas
sion was excited, not because they
wore now suffering, but because, if
he sent them away fasting, they
would " faint in the way."

many loaves have ye? And
they said, Seven, and a few lit
tle fishes. 35And he commanded
the multitude to sit down pn
the ground. 30 And he took the
seven loaves and the fishes, and
gave thanks, and brake themj
and gave to [his] disciples, and
the disciples to the multitude.
37 And they did all eat, and were
filled : and they took up of the
broken meat that was left seven
baskets full. 3BAnd they that
did eat were four thousand
men, beside women and chil
dren. S9 And he sent away
the multitude, and took ship,
and came into the coasts of
Mag'dala. 36 a«T05 Rec. Omitted by Tisch., T. S.
Green, Alford.

33. Whence ... so much
bread. — The disciples had forgot
ten the feeding of the five thousand
under similar circumstances; or, at
least, they did not expect a repeti
tion of the miracle.
34. How many loaves.— It was
only when he sent the disciples out
on their first hurried mission, that
they were told to carry no' scrip
with them (x. 10) ; ordinarily, as
on the present occasion, they had
more or less food about them.
(Comp. xvi. 5.)
37. seven baskets full.— The
baskets were different from those
used when the five thousand were
fed, the two kinds being called by
two different names in Greek (seo$&-
vovs, and srfvptSas). It is probable
that the latter, the kind used on the
present occasion, were the larger,
as it was one of them in which
Paul was let down from the wall of
Damascus. (Acts ix. 25.)
39. into the coasts of Mag
dala. — Magdala was on the west
ern shore of the lake, and when

xvi. 1-3.]

MATTHEW.

141

XVI. lThe Phar'isees also
with the Sad'ducees came, and
tempting desired him that he
would shew them a sign from
heaven. 2He answered and
said unto them, When it is even
ing, ye say, It will be fair
weather : for the sky is red.

Jesus reached its vicinity, he was
again in his1 former field of labor,
having completed his tour to Tyre
and Sidon, and his return through
Decapolis. The points named in
the tour are places which he had
seldom or never visited before.
A Sign from Heaven Demanded,
xvi. 1-4. (Mark viii. 10-12.)
1. with the Sadducees. — This
is the first and only time that the
Pharisees and Sadducees are men
tioned as acting in concert against
Jesus. Their extreme jealousy
toward each other, and the very dif
ferent grounds on which they were
opposed to Jesus, rendered concert
of action almost impossible. The
chief cause for which the Pharisees
opposed, was his disregard of their
traditions ; and in this the Sadducees
sympathized with Jesus, because
they also denied the authority of
tradition. In regard to his mira
cles they occupied common ground,
and hence their agreement in ask
ing for a sign from heaven.
tempting. — That is, testing the
extent of his miraculous powers.
As they could not deny the mira
cles which he had wrought, they
wanted to be able to say that there
were some miracles which he could
not work. Once before a demand
like this had been made of him
(xii. 38), and his refusal then in
spired them with greater boldness
in making the demand again. Thus,
with ingenuity truly devilish, they
sought an apparent advantage over
him before the people.

3And in the morning, It will be
foul weather to-day : for the
sky is red and lowering. [O ye
hypocrites], ye can discern the
face of the sky ; but can ye not
discern the signs of the times ?
3 iiroKpirai Rec. Omitted by Lach.,
Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.

2, 3. discern the face of the
sky. — These signs are good at the
present day, and in our own coun
try. It is an almost unfailing sign
of foul weather to see clouds about
the sun in the morning, and an
equally unfailing sign of fair
weather to see the sun set clear
and fiery.
signs of the times. — The times
of the Messiah, and the miraculous
evidences which he had given that
they were at hand. These were as
plainly to be seen as the clouds at
sunrise and at sunset, but the Phar
isees and Sadducees failed to see
them in their real significance.
4. adulterous generation. —
Prom this and similar remarks else
where, it has been thought that the
Jews of the Savior's time were a very
adulterous people. They certainly
were when compared with a perfect
standard, but not when compared
with the heathen nations about
them. The severe penalties of the
law against vices of this class placed
a wholesome restraint on the pas
sions of the people, and made them
very zealous for the punishment of
the guilty. (Comp. John viii. 3-5.)
but the sign of Jonas— As on
the occasion of their previous de
mand for a sign (xii. 39), he meant
that no sign should be given of the
kind which they demanded. He
fave many more of the kind which
e had been giving. The reference
to Jonah was an enigma to both the
friends and the foes or Jesus; for
neither party as yet anticipated his
death, burial, and resurrection. It

142

MATTHEW.

[xvi. 4-12.

4 A wicked and adulterous gen
eration seeketh after a sign;
and there shall no sign be given
unto it, but the sign of [the
prophet] Jonas. And be left
them, and departed.
6 And when | his : the\ disci
ples were come to the other side,
they had forgotten to take
bread. "Then Je'sus said unto
them, Take heed and beware of
the leaven of the Phar'isees and
of the Sad'ducees. ' And they
reasoned among themselves, say
ing, It is because we have taken
no bread. 8 Which when Je'sus
perceived, he said [unto them],
4 rov -npofyrfTov Rec. Omitted by Lach.,
Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.
a airov Rec. Omitted by Lach., Tisch.,
T. S. Green.Alford, Tregelles.
8 airoU Rec. Omitted by Lach., Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.

is one of a number of remarks
which Jesus let fall, the very obscu
rity of" which caused them to be
remembered and talked about until
subsequent developments made them
intelligible, and then they furnished
very surprising proofs of his fore
knowledge. Leaven of the Pharisees and Sad
ducees, 5-12. (Mark viii. 13-21.)
5. the other side. — The inci
dent of the last paragraph was lo
cated in the vicinity of Magdala
(xv. 39), which was on the western
side of the lake, When they came
" to the other side," then, they were
on the eastern side, and as they
were on the way to Csesarea Phi
lippi (13), they were probably near
the northern extremity of the east
ern shore.
forgotten to take bread. — This
remark shows that they were in the
habit of taking bread with them
when they went on journeys like
the present. ,

O ye of little faith, why reason
ye among yourselves, because
ye have brought no bread ? 9Do
ye not yet understand, neither
remember the five loaves of the
five thousand, and how many
baskets ye took up ? 10 Neither
the seven loaves of the four
thousand, and how many bas-'
kets ye took up? "How is
it that ye do not understand
that I spake it not to you con
cerning bread, | that ye should :
but] beware of the leaven of
the Phar'isees and of the Sad'
ducees ? 12 Then understood they
how that he bade them not be
ware of the leaven [of bread],
11 irpoo-eyeiv ReC. wpotreyeTe fie Lach.,
Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.
12 toS aprov Rec. Omitted by Tisch., T.
S. Green, d, 124, a, b, etc., Armenian.

6-7. beware of the leaven. —
Jesus was still thinking of the hy-
Soerisy of the Pharisees and Sad-
ucees, which, like leaven, spreads
through society when practiced by
influential persons; but the disci
ples had fallen into other trains of
thought, and hence their awkward
mistake of supposing that he was
reproaching them for bringing no
bread. 8T11. 0 ye. of little faith.—
Their mistake implies weakness of
faith, because Jesus had given
abundant evidence of his ability to
feed them whether they had with
them much bread or little. If they
had remembered the feeding of the
five thousand and of the four thou
sand, they would not have been
much concerned about bread.
12. Then understood they. —
As soon as they learned that he was
using the term leaven in a meta
phorical sense, they understood the
remark, for the metaphor was sim
ple and familiar,

xvi. 13-16.]

MATTHEW.

143

but of the doctrine of the Phar'
isees and of the Sad'ducees.
13 When Je'sus came into the
coasts of Cajsare'a Philip'pi, he
asked his disciples, saying,
Whom do men say that |I the
13 pe Rec. Omitted by Tisch., T. S.
Green, Alford, Tregelles.

Conversation near . Cossarea Phi
lippi, 13-20. (Mark viii. 27-30;
Luke ix. 18-21.)
13. Csesarea Philippi. — This
city was situated at the foot of Mt.
Hermon, which rises some seven or
eight thousand feet above it, and at
the more eastern of the two princi
pal sources of the Jordan. It was
built on a limestone terrace, and
was strongly fortified. It was a
very ancient city, and had been
known by the name of Panium;
but it had been recently improved
by Philip, tetrarch of Trachonitis,
and called by him Csesarea Philippi,
in honor of himself and the reign
ing Csesar. ¦ It is the most northern
point mentioned in the travels of
Jesus. Who do men say. — The world's
greatest question is the one here
propounded, Who is Jesus? In
answer to it the Nazarenes had said
that he was only the Bon of the
carpenter; yet they acknowledged
that on this hypothesis they could
not account for his wisdom and his
mighty works. Throughout the
other parts of Galilee it was ad
mitted that he was something more,
but what he was more than this
was a matter of dispute then, and
it has been ever since. Concerning
Jesus alone, of all the men of_bis-
tory, has such a question existed.
14. Some say.— The different
opinions as to who he was, are ac
counted for partly by the circum
stances of the men who uttered
them, and partly by the different

Son of man am : the Son of man
is\ ? "And they said, Some say
that thou art John the Baptist :
some, Eli'as ; and others, Jere-
mi'as, or one of the prophets.
15 He saith unto them, But
whom say ye that I am ? 16And
Si'mon Pe'ter answered and said,

aspects presented in the career of
Jesus. The opinion that, he was
John the Baptist raised from the
dead, as we have already seen (xiv.
2), arose from the superstition of
the people, and was adopted by
Herod, as a natural result of his
guilty fears. Some thought that he
was the prophet Elijah returned
again to earth, because of the bold
ness with which he denounced the
sins Of the age ; while this charac
teristic, combined with the sorrow
ful tone of his speech, suggested to
others that he was Jeremiah. Others,
unable to decide which prophet he
most resembled, thought that he
was " one of the prophets." None
regarded him as less than a prophet,
and therefore all were inexcusable
for not accepting the account which
he gave of himself. Their unbelief
on this point was the result of pre
conceived opinions as to the charac
ter and career of the Messiah,
which they held tenaciously, and
which were not verified in Jesus.
15. whom say ye. — This is the
first time that Jesus formally pre
sented to his disciples this question.
He had reserved it until he had
given them the means of forming a
matured judgment, and until this
judgment had actually been formed.
16. Simon Peter answered. —
Peter, always first to speak, answers
for the whole company. His an
swer contains two propositions :
first, that Jesus was the Christ;
second, that he was the Sou of the
living God. The former identified
him as the long-expected deliverer

144

MATTHEW.

[xvi. 17, 18.

Thou art the Christ, the Son of
the living God. "And Je'sus
answered and said unto him,
Blessed art thou, Si'mon Bar-

of whom the prophets had written ;
and the latter declared him, what
the Jews had not expected their
Messiah to be, the Son of God.
This was an intelligent confession
of the whole truth concerning1 the
personality of Jesus.
17. Blessed art thou. — Simon
was blessed because the truth which
he had expressed and whioh he
believed, was his as a source of
happiness, both temporal and eter
nal. The statement that flesh and
blood had not revealed it to him,
but God, is the proof that he was
blessed. That it was a revelation
from God, and not a discovery made
by unaided human reason, was
proof that it was a blessing from
heaven. God had revealed it
through the works and words of
Jesus. Bar-jona. — Son of Jona, a re-.
flection of Peter's expression, Son
of God.
18. upon this rock. — To what
the term rock ..refers, whether to
Peter," to Christ, or to the truth
which Peter had just confessed
concerning Jesus, has been a matter
of much disputation. In a highly
figurative passage like this, it is
important that we take into view
all of the imagery employed ; other
wise' we are likely to overlook the
significance of some parts, and to
form distorted conceptions of others.
This important consideration has
not, we think, received due atten
tion from expositors in considering
the present passage. Observe,
then, that the leading image of this
and the following verse is that of
two opposing cities, one represent
ing the kingdom of heaven, and the
other representing hades. The for
mer is represented as about to be

jo'na : for flesh and blood hath
not revealed it unto thee, but
my Father which is in heaven,
18 And I say also unto thee, That
built on a rock, its builder, its gate
keeper, and its keys are mentioned,
and the assurance is given that the
gates of the latter city shall not
prevail against it. Of the former
city Jesus is the builder; Peter is
the gate-keeper, for to him the keys
are given; and the foundation on
which its walls were to be erected,
like that of Csesarea Philippi, which
was close at hand and in all proba
bility supplied the imagery, is a
solid rock.
Now, it is impossible, without
throwing this imagery into confu
sion, to make either Jesus or Peter
the rock; for Jesus assigns to him
self the position of the builder, or
chief architect, and he assigns to
Peter that of gate-keeper, or holder
of the keys. We can realize this
more vividly if we will suppose the
entire imagery to be thrown upon
canvas. On one side of your pict
ure you see the dark city of hades,
out of whose gates are pouring the
grim legions of death, led to the
assault by Satan himself. On the
other, you see a beautiful city in
process of construction, with Jesus
standing on a finished portion of
the wall and superintending the
labor of all the workmen, while
Peter stands at one of the gates
with the keys in his hand, ready to
open at the Master's bidding. You
also see that this city is built on a
ledge of rock, the precipitous face
of which is seen beneath the walls.
In gazing on this picture, and seek
ing to ascertain the symbolic mean
ing of its parts, you would never
conceive that the rock beneath the
city symbolizes either Jesus or
Peter; for you see them both clearly
represented in the picture and occu
pying positions altogether different.

xvi. 18.]

MATTHEW.

145

thou art Pe'ter, and upon this rock I will build my church;

The rock, then, must represent
some other object of thought in the
context, and this can be np other
than the truth which Peter had just
confessed concerning Jesus. This
truth, that he is the Christ, the Son
of the living God, is the most fun
damental truth in the Christian sys
tem — it is that on which the whole
superstructure depends; and it is
therefore most appropriately repre
sented by the rock in the Savior's
picture. It is objected to this interpreta
tion, that the name of Peter in the
original means a stone (John i. 42),
and that when Jesus says to him,
"Thou art Petros (a stone), and on
this rock I will build my church,"
the term this identifies rock with
the stone just mentioned, or the
person of Peter. But there are
two insuperable obstacles in the
way of this objection: first, after
saying, "Thou art Petros," he
changes the phraseology, as if for
the very purpose of avoiding this
meaning, and says, " on this petra
1 will build my church." If he had
intended to identify Peter with the
rock, he would have repeated the
term petros, instead of introducing
the new term petra, which means
a ledge of rock, while petros means
a stone. Again, if he had meant
that he would build on Peter, it is
inconceivable that he adopted so
unnatural a method of expressing
the idea, instead of saying, "Thou
art Peter, and on thee I will build
my church."
It is urged by Alford as an objec
tion to our interpretation, that in
the New Testament usage, " not
doctrines nor confessions, but men
are uniformly the pillars and stones
of the spiritual building." This is
Irue ; but in the passage before us
neither the pillars nor stones of the
spiritual building are spoken of,
13

but the solid rock on which all the
pillars and stones of the spiritual
building are erected. The objec
tion, therefore, misses its aim.
If it be asked, why did Jesus say
" Thou art Peter," unless he in
tended to make him the rock, we
answer, that, like the expression
Bar-jona, it was a very natural re
echoing of Peter's own mode of
address. Peter had said, " Thou
art the Christ," giving Jesus his
official title, and " the Son of the
living God." Jesus answers, " Si
mon, son of Jona," "Thou art Pe
ter" — the symbolical name which
had long since been given him
(John i. 42), and which referred to
the solidity of character he was yet
to acquire though he showed very
little promise of it at present.
As for the supposition that Jesus
is himself the rock, there is nothing
in the context to even suggest it.
It is suggested by other passages in
which he is called a stone or a
foundation. But in those passages
it will be found that the imagery is
entirely different. When Paul
says, "Other foundation can no
man lay than that is laid, which is
Jesus Christ" (1 Cor. iii. 11), the
image is not that of a city built on
a natural rock, but that of a single
building (verse 9), and of its arti
ficial foundation which Paul had
laid. Furthermore, the way in
which Paul had laid Jesus as a
foundation in Corinth was by prov
ing him to be the Christ the Son of
God, so that the idea taught in this
passage is not materially different
from that in our text. When Paul
says that the Gentiles are "built
upon the foundation of apostles
and prophets, Jesus Christ himself
being the chief corner-stone," the
image is that of a temple with the
apostles and prophets for the layer
of stones at the foundation, and

146

MATTHEW.

[xvi. 19.

and the gates of hell shall not
prevail against it. 19And I will
give unto thee the keys of the
kingdom of heaven : and what-

Jesus for the chief corner-stone on
which the two walls, Jewish and
Gentile, meet, and by which they
are held together. Again, when
Jesus is represented as a stone re
jected by the builders, but made by
God the chief stone ofthe corner,
the image is that of a company of
men trying to build a house, but
rejecting the only stone which had
been cut for the chief corner, and
therefore unable to go on with the
work. (Matt. xxi. 42; Acts iv. 11 ;
1 Pet. ii. 4-7.) As the imagery in
all these passages is entirely differ
ent from that of the text, the for-
. mer can not be allowed to control
in the interpretation of the latter.
We conclude, then, that the inter
pretation given above is without
valid objection.
gates of hell. — Not correctly
rendered hell, but hades. As we
have remarked above, hades is con
templated as a walled city waging
war against the Church. Its gates
are made the symbols of its power,
because the military forces of an
ancient city always issued forth
from its gates, and the gates may
be considered as sending them out.
All the powers by which hades, the
place of disembodied spirits, assails
the Church, are included in the fig
ure, the powers of demons, of Satan,
and of death. The text is a pledge
that the Church would never be
tempted into total apostasy, nor be
depopulated by the death of all its
members. I will build. — Notice the force
of the future tense: not, I have
built; nor, I am building; but, "I
will build." The entire work,
from laying the foundation on the
solid " rock," to the completion of
the superstructure, was yet in the

soever thou shalt bind on earth
shall be bound in heaven : and
whatsoever thou shalt loose on
earth shall be loosed in heaven.

future. The apostles and the New
Testament prophets (Eph. ii. 20— iii.
5) had yet to be laid on the rock,
by being commissioned and quali
fied; and the corner-stone itself
had yet to be fitted and laid in its
place by the death, burial, and res
urrection of Jesus. The idea of a
pre-existence of the Church, either
in the family of Abraham, or among
the disciples of John the Baptist, is
inconsistent with the language here
employed. 19. keys of the kingdom. —
As we have already remarked under
the previous verBe, the promise to
give Peter the keys made him the
porter, and gave him the power to
open the kingdom to those who
were entitled to admission. This
office he exercised by admitting the
first Jews on the day of Pentecost,
and the first Gentiles in the house
of Cornelius. Since the gates were
first opened they have never been
closed, and therefore the keys have
been used no more. The plural
number of the term keys has no
significance in the interpretation,
but was suggested by the fact that
ancient cities usually had a plural
ity of gates requiring a plurality
of keys. The kingdom was not
opened to the Jews and the Gentiles
by different keys; for both were
admitted on the same terms.
bound . . . loosed. — Prom the
figure of the keys, the symbol of:
opening and shutting, Jesus passes
to the figure of binding and loos
ing; but the reference is still to
admission into the kingdom. To
bind represents pronouncing against
a man as unworthy of a place in
the kingdom, and to loose is to pro
nounce him freed from condemna
tion. Peter would do both by lay-

xvi. 20-23.]

MATTHEW.

147

10 Then charged he I his : the \ disci
ples that they should tell no man
that he was [Je'sus] the Christ.
21 From that time forth began
Je'sus to shew unto his disciples,
how that he must go unto Jeru
salem, and suffer many things
of the elders and chief priests
20 airov Rec. Omitted by Lach., Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.
20 'Iijo-oO; Rec. Omitted by Lach. , Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles, N, E, L, X,
A, etc., a, be, N. Syriac, Armenian, etc.

ing down tne conditions on which
men would be admitted into the
kingdom. Jesus could safely say
that his acts in this particular
would be ratified in heaven, because
he foreknew that Peter would be
guided in all by the Holy Spirit.
20. tell no man. — Though the
disciples believed Jesus to be the
Christ, they had as yet but a very
inadequate conception of what it
was to be the Christ, and were not
yet qualified to proclaim it aright.
It was important that no miscon
ception should now go abroad from
their lips which would have to be
recalled at a future day ; hence the
restriction here imposed.
First Plain Prediction of His
Death, 21-23. (Mark viii. 31-33;
Luke ix. 22.)
21. From that time forth be
gan. — Jesus began to give obscure
intimations concerning nis death at
a very early period of his ministry.
Two of these are quoted by John as
having been uttered during his first
visit to Jerusalem (John ii. 19-22 ;
iii. 14) ; one is quoted by Matthew
in his-- reply to the demand for a
Bign (xii. 38-40) ; but none of
these was understood at the time by
either friend or foe. He had wisely
postponed a plain declaration on
the subject until the faith of the
disciples had taken the definite
shape just indicated by Peter's con-

and scribes, and be killed, and
be raised again the third day.
22 Then Pe'ter took him, and be
gan to rebuke him, saying, Be
it far from thee, Lord : this
shall not be unto thee. 23But
he turned, and said unto Pe'ter,
Get thee behind me, Sa'tan :
thou art an offense unto me : for
thou savorest not the things
that be of God, but those that
be of men.

fession (verse 16), and had acquired
sufficient strength to endure the
shock which this announcement
gave. 22. Peter took him.— The con
duct of Peter in taking Jesus aside
and rebuking him, shows how se
vere was the shock which the disci
ples received from this announce
ment. Peter seems to have dreaded
its effect on the other disciples, as
well as on the world ; for he thought
that such a termination of the
career of Jesus would prove that
he was not the Christ. In this
Peter exemplified the common
weakness of human judgment in
spiritual matters, and the proneness
of men, through a misguided judg
ment, to fight against their own best
interests. 23. behind me, Satan.— Peter
received a severer rebuke than he
administered. It was impossible to
serve Satan more effectually than
by dissuading Jesus from the death
of which he had spoken; hence the
metaphorical application of Satan's
name to Peter. The vehemence
with which Jesus spoke is also ac
counted for by the fact that he in
stinctively shrank from the dreaded
sacrifice, and needed encourage
ment in regard to it instead of dis
suasion. savorest not. — Obsolete for
" thinkest not." Mr. Green hap
pily renders the clause, " Thy mind

148

MATTHEW.

[xvi. 24-28.

24 Then said Je'sus unto his
disciples, If any man will come
after me, let him deny himself,
and take up his cross, and follow
me. 25For whosoever will save
his life shall lose it : and whoso
ever will lose his life for my sake
shall find it. 26 For what | is a
man : will a man be \ profited, if
26 aHpeheiral Rec. SifyeXydfjo-erai. LiJCll.,
Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford, TregeUes.

is not on the things of God, but
those of men." His mind was on
the worldly conception of the Mes
siah's kingdom which had been
adopted by men, and not on that
conception of it which was in the
mind and word of God.
Self-sacrifice and the Judgment,
24-28. (Mark viii. 34-ix. 1;
Luke ix. 23-27.)
24. deny himself and take up
his cross. — To deny oneself is to
avoid ease or indulgence; to take
up the cross is to endure reproach
or dishonor in the eyes of the
world. The latter expression came
into use from the fact that criminals
who were to be crucified carried
their own crosses to the place of
execution. Peter had objected, as
recorded in the preceding para
graph, to the contemplated death
of Jesus, and now he and his fel
lows are taught that not only must
thia be endured, but they must
themselves take up the cross and
follow his example ; and so must
all who would be his followers.
25. save his life shall lose it.
¦ — In this verse there is a play on
the two meanings of the word life,
temporal and eternal. Whoever,
by failing to follow Jesus, would
save life in the one sense, would
lose it in the other, and vice versa.
26. lose his own soul. — The
term rendered soul (tyv%f/) in this

he shall gain the whole world,
and lose his own soul ? or what
shall a man give in exchange
for his soul? "For the Son of
man shall come in the glory of
his Father with his angels ; and
then he shall reward every man
according to his works. M Ver
ily I say unto you, There be
some standing here, which shall
not taste of death, till they see
verse is the same that is rendered
life in the preceding. There the
sense requires it to be rendered
life, and as its meaning in this
verse is the same, life should be
the rendering here. The sense,
however, is the same as when ren
dered soul ; for it is the future and
eternal life that is referred to, and
to lose this is what our translators
meant by losing the soul. The sol
emn truth here declared was most
appropriate in this connection, be
cause Peter's opposition to his Lord's
death was inspired chiefly by his ex
pectation that the latter would estab
lish an earthly kingdom and conquer
the whole world. He is taught
that something far more valuable
than the whole world is to be gained
by following Christ, even though it
should involve the loss of life.
27. For the Son of man shall
come. — The fact here declared fur
nishes proof of the preceding re
marks concerning the loss and gain
of life. If men are to be finally
rewarded according to their works,
all the preceding remarks must be
true. That the final coming of
Christ is the coming here men
tioned is evident from the three
facts, that it is a coming "in the
glory of his Father;" it is to be
" with his holy angels ; " and he is
then to " reward every man accord
ing to his works."
28. coming in his kingdom.
— The coming to judge the world

xvii. 1.]

MATTHEW.

149

the Son of man coming in his
kingdom. XVII. *And after six days

naturally suggested the mention of
another coming which was nearer
at hand, and which also had an
important connection with the pre
ceding conversation. If he were
destined to die at the hands of his
enemies, as stated in the preceding
paragraph, it would appear to his
disciples that he must fail to estab
lish the expected kingdom ; but he
assures them that notwithstanding
his contemplated death, some of
the present company would not
taste of death till they would see
him coming in his kingdom. The
expression " coming in his king
dom " means entering formally
upon his reign as a king, which
occurred when his exaltation to the
right hand of God was first pro
claimed on the day of Pentecost,
and which they then saw by the
eye of faith. (See Acts ii. 33-36;
also my Commentary on Acts^ i. 6.)
None but himself and Judas were
to die previous to that time ; but
he intended to be indefinite about
the time, and hence the very vague
expression, " There be some stand
ing here who shall not taste of
death till they see," etc.
Some expositors understand that
the coming here mentioned took
place at the transfiguration. But
that event took place only six days
afterward (xvii. 1); none of the
company tasted death before its
occurrence ; and Jesus was then no
more in his kingdom than at the
time of our paragraph. Others,
again, refer it to the destruction of
Jerusalem; but he came in his
kingdom long before this event,
and had already been seen in his
kingdom as clearly as when that
event occurred.'' (For a statement
of these and other opinions, see
Lange on this verse.)

Je'sus taketh Pe'ter, James, and
John his brother, and bringeth
them up into an high mountain
The Transfiguration, xvii. 1-13.
(Mark ix. 2-13; Luke ix. 28-
36.) 1. after six days. — Six days
after the time of the conversation
last mentioned.
Peter, James, and John. —
There were two objects to be con
sidered in selecting witnesses of
the transfiguration; first, to insure
the desired secrecy (verse 9) ; and
second, to insure from the event
itself the best final results. On
account of the pre-eminence which
these three apostles now had and
were yet to acquire, tbey were the
most likely to turn to good account
the impression which the scene
would make on themselves, and
they were probably the most likely
to keep the event a secret until the
time should come for making it
known. The present increase of
their faith would also bring an indi
rect advantage to the entire com
pany, even though the others knew
not what had caused it.
into a high mountain. — The
scene of the transfiguration was
formerly supposed to be Mt. Tabor,
a very beautiful conical mountain
west of the lake of Galilee ; but as
Jesus was on his tour to Csesarea
Philippi, which town was situated
at the base of Mt. Hermon, it is
now generally believed that the lat
ter is the mountain mentioned in
the text. Moreover, Mt. Hermon
better corresponds to the designa
tion "a high mountain;" for it is
the highest mountain in Palestine,
being about 10,000 feet above the
level of the sea. Its top is covered
with almost perpetual snow, and is
visible from high points in all parts
of Galilee and Judea. Some lofty
terrace on its side would have been

150

MATTHEW.

[xvii, 2-5.

apart, '' and was transfigured be
fore them : and his face did
shine as the sim, and his rai
ment was white as the light.
'And, behold, there appeared
unto them Mo'ses and Eli'as
talking with him. *Then an
swered Pe'ter, and said unto
Je'sus, Lord, it is good for us to

in every way a suitable spot for the
transfiguration. 2. transfigured before him.—
Transfigured means changed in
form, yet the description indicates
only a change in the appearance of
his person. Though " his face did
shine as the sun," we suppose that
the features maintained their nat
ural form; and though "his rai
ment was white as light" — that is,
light reflected from some polished
surface — we suppose it was un
changed in other particulars. It
is impossible for us to realize his
appearance until we shall be like
him and see him as he is. (1 John
iii. 2.)
3. Moses and Elias talking. —
It must have been from the course
of the conversation that the disci
ples learned that the visitors were
Moses and Elias ; for they could
not have known them by sight.
They talked, as we learn from
Luke, about his "decease, which he
should accomplish at Jerusalem.
4, Then answered Peter. —
There was a, divine attraction' in
the scene, a foretaste of heaven's
own glory, and no wonder that Pe
ter exclaimed, " It is good for us to
be here." But his proposition to
build tabernacles (uxr}va;, booths
made out of branches from the
trees) for the three glorified per
sons to dwell in, was hasty and in
considerate. The best excuse for
it is the one given by Mark : " He
knew not what he should say: for
they were frightened." It shows

be here : if thou wilt, | let us
make : I will make \ here three
tabernacles ; one for thee, and
one for Mo'ses, and one for
Eli'as. 5 While he yet spake,
behold, a bright cloud overshad
owed them : and behold a voice
4 rroi.rio-iap.ev Rec. rrotijo-ia, Lach., Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Alford, X, B, c, b, etc.

that men in the flesh are not pre
pared to judge of the fitness of
things in the spiritual world. In
all probability many of our most
cherished conceptions of that world
are as incongruous as that of the
frightened Peter.
5, 6. While he yet spake. —
The scene had been witnessed long
enough by the disciples, and it was
abruptly terminated by the intro
duction of another. The entire
transaction, as we may safely infer
from Luke's narrative, occurred in
the night. (Notiee, that Jesus had
been praying until the disciples
were "heavy with sleep;" and that
they came down from the mountain
" on the next day." Luke ix. 28,
32, 37.) Out of the womb of dark
ness .had suddenly appeared the
three glowing forms of Jesus, Mo
ses, and Elijah, and now, while the
disciples were trembling at that
sight, there floats near to them out
of the same darkness a cloud all
radiant with light like that which
shone from the face of Jesus, and
as it begins to overhang them, they
hear that voice which has never yet
been heard by mortals except with
fear and trembling. It came just
as Peter's incongruous proposal
had escaped his lips, and it is no
wonder that the three fishermen
" fell on their faces and were sore
afraid." This is my beloved Son— The
words uttered are a repetition of
the oracle which was heard at the
Jordan (iii. 17), with the addition

xvii. 6-12.]

MATTHEW.

151

out of the cloud, which said,
This is my beloved Son, in
whom I am well pleased ; hear
ye him. 6And when the disci
ples heard it, they fell on their
face, and were sore afraid.
'And Je'sus came and touched
them, and said, Arise, and be
not afraid. 8And when they
had lifted up their eyes, they
saw no man, save Je'sus only.
9 And as they came down from
the mountain, Je'sus charged
them, saying, Tell the vision to
no man, until the Son of man

be risen again from the dead.
10 And | his ; the | disciples asked
him, saying, Why then say the
scribes that Eli'as must first
come ? nAnd [Je'sus] answered
and said [unto them], Eli'as
truly shall [first] come, and re
store all things. 12 But I say unto
10 airov Rec. Omitted by Lach., Tisch.,
T. S. Green, .Tregelles.
11 'Itjo-oOs liec. Omitted bv Lach., Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.
11 avrots Rec. Omitted by Lach., Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.
11 Trpairov Rec. Omitted bv Lach., Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Alf'ra-d, Tregelles, N, B. D, 1,
22, 33, etc.. Old Latin, Vulgate, N. Syriac,
Coptic, Sahidic, Armenian, etc.

of the significant words, "Heae
him." This command contains the
chief significance of the entire
scene. Uttered in the presence of
Moses the lawgiver, and of Elijah
the prophet, it meant that Jesus
should be heard in preference to
the law and the prophets. In the
exalted pre-eminence thus bestowed
on Jesus, accompanied by a change
of his appearance harmonious with
the glory of his position, his divine
majesty was displayed in a manner
never witnessed on earth before or
since. Peter afterward presented
this view of the transaction, when
he wrote, "We followed not cun
ningly devised fables when we
made known to you the power and
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ,
but were eye-witnesses of his maj
esty. For he received from God
the Father honor and glory, when
there came such a voice to him
from the excellent glory, This is
my beloved Son, in whom 1 am well
pleased. And- this voice which
came from heaven we heard when
we were with him in the holy
mount." (2 Pet. i. 16-18.)
7, 8. they saw no man. — Their
prostration when they heard the
voice of God prevented them from
Beeing the departure of Moses and

Elias, and the disappearance of the
glory. When Jesus touched them
and told them to arise, he alone was
before them, and he was there in
his natural appearance.
9. Tell the vision to no man.
— To have published abroad the
vision could at that time have done
no good; for the people would have
discredited the story and would
have reflected adversely on the ve
racity of the three disciples. But
to lock up the secret in the breasts
of these three was to cause them to
reflect on it much and to converso
with one another about it often.
Furthermore,' the more intensely
and the longer it burned within
them as a secret, the more joyously
would they speak of it when the
proper time arrived, and their own
miraculous powers rendered credi
ble all that they said of it. That
they told it then is evident not only
from Peter's words above quoted,
but from its being recorded by Mat
thew, Mark, and Luke, none of
whom were witnesses of the event,
and all of whom wrote before the
publication of Peter's epistle.
10-13. the disciples asked
him. — Expecting a literal fulfill
ment of Malachi's well known pre
diction concerning the coming of

152

MATTHEW.

[xvii. 13-17.

you, That Eli'as is come already,
and they knew him not, but
have done unto him whatsoever
they listed. Likewise shall also
the Son of man suffer of them.
13 Then the disciples understood
that he spake unto them of John
the Baptist.
14 And when they were come
to the multitude, there came to
him a certain man, kneeling

Elijah (Mai. iv. 5, 6), the disciples
were surprised that when he ap
peared on the mountain he did not re
main to do the work predicted of him ;
hence their question. Jesus teaches
them a second time that Malachi
used the name Elijah figuratively
to represent John the Baptist. (12,
13. Comp. note on xi. 14.)
An Obstinate Demon Cast Out,
14-21. (Mark ix. 14-29; Luke
ix. 37-43.)
14. to the multitude.— Prom
the expression " Wh,en they were
come to the multitude,'' we infer
that Jesus and the three had left a
multitude when they went into the
mountain, and that they now re
turn to the same.
14-16. have mercy on my son.
—The father's description repre
sents the sou as a lunatic subject to
fits. The term lunatic (moon
struck), and the Greek word which
it here represents (ffEtoJutotfu), came
into use from the superstitious be
lief that the affliction was caused
by a malign influence of the moon ;
and this idea arose from the fact
that in some cases of insanity the
symptoms vary at monthly inter
vals. But although the term origi
nated in this way, it is applied in
usage to all kinds of insane per
sons; consequently we can not infer
from its use in this case that the
young man's insanity was periodic;
or that his father supposed it to bjt

down to him, and saying, 15Lord,
have mercy on my son : for he
is lunatic, and sore vexed: for
ofttimes he falleth into the fire,
and oft into the water. 16 And
I brought him to thy disciples,
and they could not cure him.
"Then Je'sus answered and said,
O faithless and perverse genera
tion, how long shall I be with
you? how long shall I suffer

caused by the moon. On the con
trary, as we learn from Mark's
account, the father believed, as our
text represents (18), that the afflic
tion was caused by a demon. The
failure of the disciples to cast out
the demon increased the distress
and anxiety of the father as he
came to Jesus and kneeled down
before him with his petition.
17. 0 faithless and perverse.
— This lamentation, showing that
Jesus had become wearied and sad
dened by the constant manifesta
tions of insufficient faith among his
disciples, was not addressed to the
father of the youth, but to the dis
ciples and the multitude. Some
infidel writers have represented
this speech as a manifestation of
impatience and irritation inconsist
ent with the perfection of character
ascribed to Jesus. If it were true
that the speech exhibits impatience
and irritation, it would still be a
question whether these feelings,
kept under proper restraint, are
inconsistent with a perfect human
character. The rebuke itself was
eertainly just, and, under the cir
cumstances, altogether proper; then
why should the feeling which nat
urally accompanies such a rebuke,
be improper? The perfection of
human character consists not in the
impassiveness of a statue, but in
the just and harmonious exercise
of ail the emotions which belong to
our nature.

xvii. 18-23.]

MATTHEW.

153

you? bring him hither to me.
18 And Jesus rebuked the devil;
and he departed out of him :
and the child was cured from
that very hour. 19 Then came
the disciples to Je'sus apart, and
said, Why could, not we cast
him out ? a0 And [Je'sus] said
unto them, Because of your un
belief: for verily I say unto
you, If ye have faith as a grain
20 TijtroSs Rec. Omitted by Lach., Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.

18. the child was cured. — The
unsuccessful attempt of the disci
ples argues nothing against the
miraculous powers of Jesus, seeing
that the demon departed immedi
ately when commanded by him. It
proves only that the disciples did
not at this time fully exert the
power over demons which Jesus
had imparted to them.
19, 20. Because of your unbe
lief. — In order to work a miracle it
was necessary not only to have a
miraculous endowment, but also to
exercise faith. This is declared in
the Savior's answer, and it had al
ready been indicated to the disci
ples at the time of Peter's attempt
to walk on the water, (xiv. 31.)
The faith in question was the belief
that what was commanded would be
done — faith in the power with
whieh they were endued. When
they spoke doubtingly to the demon
he had power to resist them.
faith as a grain of mustard
seed. — Faith comparable to a mus
tard seed is very weak faith ; and
if this would enable them to remove
"this mountain" (the lofty Mt.
Hermon), how weak must be the
faith they had exercised ! This re
mark added a rebuke to the expla
nation. 21. by prayer and fasting.—
As weakness of faith was the point

of mustard seed, ye shall say
unto this mountain, Eemove
hence 'to yonder place ; and it
shall remove ; and nothing shall
be impossible unto you. 21How-
beit this kind goeth not out but
by prayer and fasting.
22 And while they abode in
Gal'ilee, Je'sus said unto them,
The Son of man shall be be
trayed into the hands of men :
23 and they shall kill him, and
the third day he shall be raised

of failure, we understand that the
prayer and fasting would be effect
ive, not by imparting directly the
power in question, but by intensify
ing their faith, and thus enabling
them to fully exert the power which
had been imparted to them. That
"this kind" goes not out but by
prayer and fasting, shows that it
was more difficult to cast out this
kind than some other kinds. De
mons, like spirits in the flesh, are
characterized by different degrees
of will-force, and the one in ques
tion was an obstinate demon. (See
the parallel in Mark, where the
account is more circumstantial. )
Second Prediction of His Death,
22, 23. (Mark ix. 30-32; Luke
ix. 43-45.)
22. while they abode.— While
they were yet abiding in Galilee,
subsequent to the transfiguration,
and before their departure into Ju
dea. Again, as on the first occasion
(see note on xvi. 21), Jesus makes
the discouraging announcement of
his death at a time when their faith
in him was in liveliest exercise.
Three of them had just witnessed
his transfiguration, aud all had seen
a demon, whom they could not cast
out, depart promptly at his com
mand. 23. exceeding sorry.— The ef-

154

MATTHEW.

[xvu. 24.

again. And they were exceed
ing sorry.

feet of the second prediction was
quite different from that of the first.
Then Peter rebuked his master,
and uttered an expression of incre
dulity- (xvi. 21-23) ; but now they
were exceedingly sorry. Their sor
row arose partly from the disheart
ening thought of his death, and
partly, no doubt, from the fact that
he persisted in repeating an an
nouncement which they knew not
how to credit.
Argument of Section 12.
We have now reached the close
of the tour to Csesarea Philippi;
for the first verse of the next para
graph (verse 24) locates Jesus again
in Capernaum. The history of this
tour and of the one to Tyre and
Sidon, contains proofs of the claims
of Jesus not only conclusive but
overwhelming. The casting out of
two demons, one from the girl near
Tyre and Sidon, and the other from
a boy at the foot of Mt. Hermon,
the innumerable cures at the lake
shore, and the feeding of four thou
sand hungry men with seven barley
loaves and a few little fishes, have
once more exhibited his divine
power; while his compassion for the
woman of Canaan, and his unwilling
ness to send the four thousand away
hungering, have exhibited once
more his goodness. It is also shown,
by the conversation at Caasarea
Philippi, that no one in Galilee,
not even his enemies, counted him
less than a prophet, while his imme
diate attendants, who had the best
opportunity for judging, had reached
the assured conviction that he was
the Christ, the Son of the living
God. The two! predictions of his
own death proved his divine fore
knowledge, and his consciousness
of being engaged in a mission of

24 And when they were come
to Caper'naum, they that re-
self-sacrifice; while the vision of
the transfiguration at once displayed
his divine majesty, and proclaimed
him the supreme lawgiver and the
prophet of prophets.
Matthew here brings to a close
his account of the public career of
Jesus in Galilee, reserving for the
next and last section of this general
division of his narrative only a
private conversation between him
and his disciples. We think that
the reader who will carefully re
view the arguments of the several
sections will realize that they pre
sent an array of evidence that could
not be honestly resisted; and that
the Galileans who had seen them
all, but still refused to believe and
repent, most richly deserved the
woes that Jesus uttered against
them. And if the sentence pro
nounced on them was just, what
shall be said of those in our day
who repent not though they see all
that the Galileans saw, and all yet
to be related by Matthew and the
other New Testament historians,
and see all in the light which the
accumulating evidence of centuries
has thrown upon them? "How
shall we . escape if we neglect so
great salvation?"

section xm.
Closing Scenes in Galilee, XVH.
24-XVIII. 35.
The Temple Tribute, xvii. 24-27; About
Who shall be Greatest, xviii. l-fl;
Against Despising a Disciple, 10-14 ;
How to Deal with an Offending
Brother, 15-20; The Duty of Forgive
ness, 21-35.

The Temple Tribute, xvii. 24-27.
24. Doth not your master
pay. — The question of the col-

xvii. 25-xviii. 1.]

MATTHEW.

155

ceived tribute money came to
Pe'ter, and said, Doth not your
master pay tribute ? K He saith,
Yes. And when he was come
into the house, Je'sus prevented
him, saying,Whatthinkestthou,
Simon ? of whom do the kings of
the earth take custom or tribute ?
of their own children, or of
strangers ? 26 [Pe'ter] saith unto
him, Of strangers. Je'sus saith
26 6 ne'rpos Rec. Omitted by Lach.,
Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.

lectors implies that the tribute was
not compulsory, but voluntary; and
that consequently it was .not the
Roman poll-tax, for it was compul
sory. (See further below, on 25,
26.) 25. Jesus prevented him.— The
word prevent has here its primary,
but now obsolete sense. Derived
from the Latin prevenio, to go be
fore, or to precede, it means here
to anticipate. Prom the fact that
you get before a man to hinder
him, the word acquired the sense
in which it is now currently used —
a sense which it has acquired since
our English translation was made.
Every-where in the Bible it means
to precede, or to anticipate.
25, 26. of whom do the kings.
— The argument is this : As the
kings of the earth take tribute
from strangers, and not from their
own children, so I, being a Son of
the King for whom this tribute is
collected, should be free from pay
ing it. It is clear from this argu
ment that it was the Jewish temple
tribute which was in question ; for
the force of the argument depends
on the assumption that Jesus was a
soft of the king for whom the trib
ute was collected. (For an account
of this tribute, see 2 Chron. xxiv.
5, 6; Ex. xxx. 12-16.)
27. lest we offend them.— Bas-

unto him, Then are the children
free. '" Notwithstanding, lest
we should offend them, go thou
to the sea, and cast an hook,
and take up the fish that first
cometh up ; and when thou
hast opened his mouth, thou
shalt find a piece of money :
that take, and give unto them
for me and thee.
XVIH. *At the same time
came the disciples unto Je'sus,
saying," Who is the greatest in

ing his compliance now on the
ground, of expediency, and not on
that of absolute right, Jesus tells
Peter how to get the money, and
directs him to pay it. When the
hook was cast and almost instantly
brought up a fish with a piece of
money of the required value in its
mouth, Peter saw another proof
that Jesus was truly the son of the
king for whom the tribute was de
manded. His foreknowledge that
Peter would catch the fish, and his
power in putting the coin there
were both exhibited.
piece of money. — The Greek
word (a-iai'r/p ) is indefinitely trans
lated, because the value of the coin
would not be known to the common
English reader from its name. It
was the Attic stater, about equal to
the Jewish shekel and to the Amer
ican half-dollar. As this paid for
Peter and Jesus both, the amount
of the tribute for each person was
the same that had been prescribed
by Moses — a half-shekel. (Ex.
xxx. 13.)
About Who shall be Greatest, xviii.
1-9. (Mark ix. 33-37; Luke ix.
46-50. 1. Who is the greatest— The
form in which Matthew quotes the
question of the disciples, would
leave it uncertain whether they

156

MATTHEW.

[xviii. 2-7.

the kingdom of heaven? 2And
Je'sus called a little child unto
him, and set him in the midst
of them, 3 and said, Verily I say
unto you, Except ye be con
verted, and become as little
children, ye shall not enter into
the kingdom of heaven. * Who
soever therefore shall humble
himself as this little child, the
same is greatest in the king
dom of heaven. 5And who
so shall receive one such lit-

meant which person, or what char
acter, would be greatest in the king
dom; but from a reference to the
same question made by Luke (xxii.
24), we learn that the former was
their meaning. In his answer Je
sus takes the question in the other
sense, and tells them the character
which would be greatest.
2-4. Except ye be converted.
— Except ye be turned. (See note
on xiii. 15.) The expression has ref
erence, not to turning from sin in
general, but to turning from the
particular sin -of personal ambition
which had exposed itself in their
question. The little child was
placed in their midst, and made
their model in this particular be
cause of its well known freedom
from this passion. The humblest
shall be the greatest because they
will live the most unselfishly and
be the most like Jesus.
5. one such little child.— The
term "such" is not used to distin
guish this particular child from
others ; for all little children are
alike in the particular referred to,
and this was indicated in the pre
ceding words, "become as little
children;" but "such" is used to
limit the term child to the charac
ter who has become like a little
child. The remark, then, has no
reference to receiving little children,
but to receiving those who have

tie child in my name receiveth
me. 6But whoso shall offend
one of these little ones which
believe in me, it were better for
him that a millstone were hanged
about his neck, and that he were
drowned in the depth of the
sea. ' Woe unto the world be
cause of offenses! for it must
needs be that offenses come; but
woe to | that : the | man by whom
7 eKeCvta Rec. Omitted by Lach., T. S.
Green, Tregelles.
become like little children in their
freedom from personal ambition.
In the next verse the same charac
ter is designated as "one of these
little ones that believe in me."
6. whoso shall offend. — Wheth
er we render the original (axav-
SaXi^a) offend, or ensnare, the
thought is practically the same.
Contentions as to who shall be
greatest always give offense, and at
the same time, by exciting evil pas
sions, they ensnare the persons en
gaged in them. Jesus desired that
his disciples should see this tend
ency of their discussion, and to
show how fearful the final result
would be to the offender, he assures
them that it were hotter for such
to have a millstone hung about his
neck, and to be cast into the sea. It
were better, because his actual fate
will be worse than that. (Comp.
8, 9.)
7. Woe unto the world.— By a
natural transition Jesus here passes
from the particular cause of offense
under consideration, to offenses in
general. " It must needs be that of
fenses come," not because it is the
will of God that they should come,
but because the depravity of men
makes them inevitable. For tiiis
reason he adds, " Woe to the
man by whom the offense cometh. '
No man should look for the day
when there will be no offenses,

xviii. 8-11.]

MATTHEW.

157

the offense cometh ! 8 Whore-
fore if thy hand or thy foot of
fend thee, cut them off, and cast
them from thee : it is better for
thee to. enter into life halt or
maimed, rather than having
two hands or two feet to be cast
into everlasting fire. "And if
thine eye offend thee, pluck it
out, and cast it from thee : it is
better for thee to enter into life
with one eye, rather than hav-

but each should see to it that he is
not the cause of them.
8. if thy hand or thy foot. —
The hand aud the foot in this verse,
and the eye in the next, are used as
symbols of those desires by which
a man is caused to offend, or is en
snared. As the original term
(axaiv$a%i£ca) has in it both the idea
of ensnaring so as to cause a fall,
and of offending as a result of the
ensnaring, Jesus uses it in this
connection sometimes with the one
idea more prominent, aud some
times with the other. The former
is the prominent idea here. We
are taught that it is better to deny
ourselves all the gratification which
the indulgence of those desires
would give, even if the denial
should be as painful as the loss of
a limb or an eye, than to suffer the
consequences of indulgence.
8, 9. everlasting fire . . . hell
fire. — These two expressions are
here unquestionably used as equiv
alents. Being cast into hell fire,
or everlasting fire, is made the al
ternative of entering into life. The
life referred to can not be physical
life, nor spiritual life, for the disci
ples had already entered into both
of these ; it must, then, be eternal
life, and the alternative, being cast
into hell fire, must mean, being
consigned, to eternal punishment.
Far better to undergo all conceiva
ble self-denial and suffering in this

ing two eyes to be cast into hell
fire. 10 Take heed that ye despise
not one of these little ones ; for
I say unto you, That in heaven
their angels do always behold
the face of my Father which is
in heaven. " [For the Son of
man is come to save that which
11 Omitted by Lach., Tisch., T. S. Green,
Tregelles, X b, l, 1, 13, 33, H. Syriac, Sa
hidic, Coptic, etc.

life, than to be cast into that
fire. Against Despising a Disciple,
10-14.
10. that ye despise not. — Tc
despise (xai'a^poj'lu) is not to hate,
but to regard with contempt. We
are not likely to so regard any but
those who have sinned or who are
supposed to have sinned, and the ref
erence, as the context below more
clearly shows (12-14), is to such
disciples. their angels. — This expression-
shows that the " little ones " in
question have angels which are in
some sense theirs. All the angels
are " ministering spirits sent forth
to minister for them who shall be
heirs of salvation;" but this gen
eral ministration is effected by a
ministration for particular individ
uals. "Their angels," then, are
the angels especially charged with
ministering to them individually.
The fact stated of these angels is
that "they do always behold the
face of the Father in heaven " — a
fact which shows the efficiency of
their guardianship, seeing that in
addition to their own power they
have access to the helping power
of God. The fact that these weak dis
ciples have such angels to watch over
them, makes it exceedingly prepos
terous that we should despise them.
11. For the Son of man.— Here

158

MATTHEW.

[xviii. 12-15.

was lost.] 12How think ye? if
a man have an hundred sheep,
and one of them be gone astray,
doth he not leave the ninety
and nine, and goeth into the
mountains, and seeketh that
which is gone astray ? 15 And
if so be that he find it, verily I
say unto you, he rejoiceth more
of that sheep, than of the ninety

is another good reason for not de:
spising an erring disciple ; but it is
omitted from the text by the critics,
manuscripts, and versions mentioned
in the critical note. It was doubt
less copied from Luke xix. 10, where
it is genuine.
12-14. Even so. — This parable
illustrates and enforces the lesson
in hand. As it is not the will of
the shepherd that one stray sheep
should perish, even so it is not the
will of God that an erring disciple
shall perish. And now, if the
shepherd does not despise the fool
ish sheep, and leave it to perish
because it has gone astray, and if
God does not despise the erring dis
ciple, why should we despise him ?
On the one hand, the disciple is of
much more value than a sheep, and,
on the other, God against whom he
has sinned could much more prop
erly despise him than we who are
so much like him.
How to Deal with an Offending
Brother, 15-20.
15. trespass against thee. —
The word rendered trespass (afiap-
trfiri) means to sin ; and the clause
should be rendered, " if thy brother
sin against thee." In the former
part of the discourse Jesus had
warned the disciples against giving
offense, or in any way mistreating
a brother ; now he tells them how
to proceed when a brother sins
against them.
go and tell him his fault —

and nine which went not astray.
" Even so it is not the will of
your Father which is in heaven,
that one of these httle ones
should perish.
15 Moreover if thy 'brother
shall trespass against thee, go
and tell him his fault between
thee and him alone : if he shall
hear thee, thou hast gained thy

More correctly rendered "go and
(ixsy^ov anitov) rebuke him. The
character of the rebuke is indicated
by the object of it, which is to gain
the brother. He is supposed to
have committed that sin which is
described above (verse 6) as being
worse than to have a millstone
about the neck, and to be cast into
the sea; and he is therefore lost,
for the time at least, to duty and to
friendship: the object of the rebuke
is to win him back to both. Ob
serve, too, that it is not, as men are
inclined to have it, the offender, but
the offended who must go. True,
it is elsewhere made the duty of an
offender, when he remembers that
his brother has aught against him,
to go and be reconciled to his
brother (v. 23, 24) ; but according
to the teaching of the present par
agraph, the offended is not to wait
for this. The offender has fallen
into sin, and without help he may
never recover from it. You, who
have not sinned, but have only been
sinned against, have an opportunity
to save him, and you may thus be
like the shepherd of the preceding
paragraph — you may avoid the sin
of despising an erring disciple. It
is well also to observe that the time,
place and circumstances of going
to the offending brother are not
specified, but must, like the matter
and manner of the rebuke, be
chosen with reference to the one
purpose of gaining the brother.
Go at a time, and select a place,

xviii. 16-18.]

MATTHEW.

159

brother. 16But if he will not
hear thee, then take with thee
one or two more, that in the
mouth of two or three witnesses
every word may be established.
"And if he shall neglect to hear
them, tell it unto the church :

and seek for other surroundings,
which are most favorable to success
in your effort.
16. one or two more. — The one
or two more are to be taken pri
marily for the same purpose with
which you at first went alone — the
Purpose of gaming the brother.
'his is implied in the scope of the
context. But secondarily, in case
of a failure, the one or two may serve
as witnesses of all that passed be
tween the parties.
17. tell it to the church. — Only
when both of the preceding steps
shall have been taken and found in
effectual, is the sin to be reported
to the Church. Then, as is implied
in the words "if he shall neglect
to hear the Church," the Church is
to speak. But a church can speak
only through her spokesmen, her
officials appointed for the purpose ;
consequently, the action of the
Church's disciplinary officers is here
implied. This rule of procedure is given
only for cases of personal offense,
where one individual has sinned
against another. We are to learn
from other portions of the New
Testament how to deal with offenses
of other kinds.
The Church is here spoken of
before it had an actual existence,
because the Savior was giving pre
paratory instruction and was com
pelled, as in many other instances,
to speak by anticipation. The dis
ciples, at the time, had but an im
perfect conception of the Church,
but they knew that worshiping as
semblies of some kind would be

but if he neglect to hear the
church, let him be unto thee as
an heathen man and a publican.
18 Verily I say unto you, What
soever ye shall bind on earth
shall be bound in heaven: and
whatsoever ye shall loose on

established in the coming kingdom,
and to these they necessarily re
ferred the word church, which
means an assembly.
as a heathen man and a pub
lican. — Not as a heathen and a pub
lican was to the unbelieving Jew, but
as such characters are to a Christian.
In other words, when a man who
has sinned against his brother re
fuses to hear the Church, he is to
be treated as we properly treat
heathen men and publicans, or
men of wicked habits. We have
known persons to express a doubt
whether this implies an exclusion
of the sinning party from the fel
lowship of the Church ; but to deny
that it does would involve a great
absurdity. It would require the
offended party to live in the Church
with a man whom he justly treats
as though he were a heathen and a
publican ; and it would require the
Church to hold in her fellowship
men who are rightly so treated by
her own members. Surely if hea
then men and impenitent publicans
are to be kept out of the Church,
disciples who deserve to be treated
by their brethren as heathen and
publicans, must be cut off from the
Church. 18. Whatsoever ye shall bind.
— The binding and loosing of this
verse must be limited by the subject
of the context, which is the proper
treatment of offenders. Binding is
the infliction of the penalty of non-
fellowship, while loosing is with
holding it or removing it in cases of
penitence. The promise is that
whatsoever the apostles should thus

160

MATTHEW.

[xviii. 19-25.

earth shall be loosed in heaven.
19 Again I say unto you, That if
two of you shall agree on earth
as touching any thing that they
shall ask, it shall be done for
them of my Father which is in
heaven. 20 For where two or
three are gathered together in
my name, there am I in the
midst of them.
21 Then came Pe'ter to him,
and said, Lord, how oft shall
my brother sin against me, and
I forgive him ? till seven times ?

bind or loose would be bound or
loosed in heaven; and it follows,
that whatsoever the Church now
binds and looses in accordance with
apostolic precept and precedent is
also bound and loosed in heaven. It
is from this promise that the act of
excommunication derives its pecul
iar solemnity and its fearful effects.
19. if two of you. — The prom
ise here made is necessarily lim
ited, like all other promises of the
kind, by the well understood condi
tion that the thing for which we ask
shall be in accordance with the will
of God. (See note on vii. 7, 8.)
20. there am I. — This statement
confirms the promise that the pray
ers of any two of them would be
answered, and at the same time it
gives . us the comforting assurance
of the Savior's presence whenever
we meet in his name.
The Duty of Forgiveness, 21-35.
21. Lord, how oft. — Peter saw
clearly that the rules just given
would require on our part a large
amount of forbearance and forgive
ness, and he naturally inquired now
many times he should forgive a
brother who would sin against him.
He seems to have thought that
seven times would be often enough.
It is highly probable, though by no

22 Je'sus saith unto him, I say
not unto thee, Until seven times :
but, Until seventy times seven.
23 Therefore is the kingdom of
heaven likened unto a certain
king, which would take account
of his servants. MAnd when he
had begun to reckon, one was
brought unto him, which owed
him ten thousand talents. 25 But
forasmuch as he had not to
pay, | his : the \ lord commanded
25 airov Rec. Omitted by Tisch., T. S.
Green, Alford, Tregelles.

means certain, that this number
had been suggested by some of the
Jewish teachers of tradition.
22. seventy times seven. —
This is a play on the word seven
in Peter's question, and means that
there is to be no numerical limita
tion of the forgiveness enjoined.
23. unto a certain king. — In
the comparison which now follows,
the kingdom of heaven, as the con
text shows, is contemplated with
regard to the duty of forgiveness,
and it is like the king only in this
respect, that the administration of
its affairs is, in the particular under
consideration, analogous to the
king's administration in the given
case. 24. ten thousand talents. — As
a Jewish talent was equal to about
$1600 of our American coin, ten
thousand talents were equal to
$16,000,000. This enormous amount
is given in the parable in order to
represent the debtor as in a hope
less condition.
25. to be sold.— The law of
Moses tolerated the selling of men
for debt. (Lev. xxv. 39, 47; 2 Ks.
iv. 1.) It seems from verse 30 that
in the Savior's time imprisonment
was also employed, and the latter
penalty for insolvency has been
continued among the most enlight-

xviii. 26-33.]

MATTHEW.

161

him to be sold, and his wife,
and children, and all that he
had, and payment to be made.
26 The servant therefore fell
down, and worshiped him, say
ing, [Lord], have patience with
me, and I will pay thee all.
17 Then the lord of that servant
was moved with compassion,
and loosed him, and forgave him
the debt. 28But the same serv
ant went out, and found one of
his fellow-servants, which owed
him an hundred pence : and he
laid hands on him, and took him
by the throat, saying, Pay [me]
that thou owest. 29 And his fel-

26 Kv'pie Rec. Omitted bv Lach., Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.
28 n°' Rec Omitted by Lach, Tisch., T.
S. Gieen, Alford, Tregelles.

ened nations until a very recent
date. It is only within the present
century that it has been abolished
in the various States of our own
Union. 26, 27. I will pay thee all —
Of course it was impossible for the
poor man to pay such a debt, but
the promise indicated a right pur
pose and a strong will, and excited
the compassion of the king to such
a degree that he forgave him the
.entire debt.
28. a hundred pence. — The
coin here mentioned is the Roman
denarius, which was equal to fifteen
cents of our money. The fellow-
servant's debt, then, was only fifteen
dollars. took him by the throat. — The
description is very graphic. The
debtor, rendered timid by his ina
bility to pay, bears patiently every
abuse, while the greedy creditor
first lays hands on him as if to
shake the money out of him, and
then seizes him by the throat as if
to choke it out of him, all the time
14

low-servant fell down [at his
feet], and besought him, saying,
Have patience with me, and I
will pay thee [all]. so And he
would not : but went and cast
him into prison, till he should
pay the debt. S1 So when his
fellow-servants saw what was
done, they were very sorry, and
came and told unto their lord
all that was done. S2Then his
lord, after that he had called
him, said unto him, 0 thou
wicked servant, I forgave thee
all that debt, because thou de-
siredst me : 33 shouldest not thou
29 ets tous 7rdSa? airov Rec. Omitted by
Lach, T. S. Green, Tregelles, X, b, c, d, l,
a, etc., Old Latin, Vulgate, N. Syriac, Sa
hidic. 29 mixTa Rec. Omitted by Tisch, T. S.
Groen, Alford, Tregelles,

knowing that the poor fellow had
no money, yet all the time exclaim
ing, "Pay me that thou owest."
'29,30. into prison. — To be cast
into prison was a more hopeless and
painful fate than to be sold into
slavery; so that the creditor in
flicted a severer punishment on his
fellow-servant for the sake of fifteen
dollars, than his own master had
threatened to inflict on him for the
sake of sixteen millions ; and he did
this while listening to the same hum
ble entreaties by which he had ex
cited his master s compassion.
31. when his fellow-servants.
— The fellow-servants acted a very
natural part; for no matter how
much we are inclined to deal
harshly with men ourselves, we are
always indignant, when, as disinter
ested witnesses, we behold such
conduct in others.
32, 33. Shouldest thou not al
so. — While the man was dealing
with his fellow-servant, he was for
getful of the king's kindness to him
under similar circumstances, or he

162

MATTHEW.

[xviii. 34, 35.

also have had compassion on thy
fellow-servant, even as I had
pity on thee ? 84 And his lord
was wroth, and delivered him to
the tormentors, till he should
pay all that was due unto him.
85 So likewise shall my heavenly

remembered it only to congratulate
himself on his good fortune. He is
now reminded of his base ingrati
tude, and of his obligation to do as
he would be done by.
34. to the tormentors. — The
king was now in a rage, as well he
might be. He recalls his past for
giveness of the debt, and commands,
not as formerly, that the man and
his family shall be sold, but that he
shall be tormented until payment
is made. This was equivalent to
tormenting him to death ; for it was
impossible at best for the man to
procure so much money, and es
pecially when confined in the hands
of the tormentors.
35. So likewise. — The compari
son has reference only to the last
act of the king, that of delivering
the unforgiving servant to the tor
mentors. The heavenly Father will
so deliver all disciples who do not
from their hearts forgive their of
fending brethren. This is the chief
lesson of the parable ; but in order
to reach this lesson the Savior had
depicted to his hearers, by the con
duct of the king and that of the
unforgiving servant, God's forbear
ance toward us and our severity to
ward one another. Our sins against
God, for which we can make no rep
aration, aud which are freely for
given us, are like the ten thousand
talents, while the sins committed
a<minst us, which we are so unwill
ing to forgive, are like the fifteen
dollars. This is a truthful repre
sentation of human habits, and at
the same time a cutting satire on
Peter's idea of forgiveness.

Father do also unto you, if ye
from your hearts forgive not ev
ery one his brother [their tres
passes]. 35 Ta Trapajrrtopara airtav Rec. Omitted
by Lach., Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford, Tre
gelles, X, b. d, i„ 1, 22, etc., N. Syriac, Cop
tic, Sahidic, JEthiopic, etc.

We are not to infer, from the
fact that the king retracted the for
giveness first granted, that God will
do so with us. Our sins,' once for
given, are remembered no more.
(Heb. viii. 12.) This, then, is not
a significant part of the parable,
but it is introduced because it is
what a heathen king under such
circumstances would be likely to do,
and Jesus paints the picture true to
life. It is nevertheless- true, that if
a man, once delivered from sin,
turn back to it again, his condition
is made worse than if his former
sins had not been forgiven. (2 Pet.
ii. 20+22.) Argument of Section 13.
In this section there is not the
usual amount of argument for the
claims of Jesus ; yet the manner in
which he procured money for the
temple tribute exhibited both his
divine power and his foreknowl
edge; and the discourse which fills
the eighteenth chapter is replete
with wisdom suited to his exalted
pretensions. Such lessons on the
subject of ambition (1-9); on the
subject of sympathy and care for
the erring (10-14); on the right
method of dealing with offenders
(15-20); and on the duty of forgive
ness (21-35), had never before been
taught, nor have subsequent gener
ations been able to discover a defect
in them or to suggest an improve
ment on them. Besides accomplish-,
ing the logical purpose of the sec
tion, our author has placed these
divine lessons on record for the

xix.

1-3.]

MATTHEW.

163

guidance of disciples in all ages.
This, indeed, seems to have been
the leading object of the section;
and eternity alone will be able to

reveal the amount of good which
will have accrued to the Church
from this single discourse of the
Great Teacher.

PART THIRD.
MINISTEY OF JESUS IN PEEEA AND JUDEA.

CHAPTEES XIX-XXVIII.

XIX. 1 And it came to pass,
that when Je'sus had finished
these sayings, he departed from
Gal'ilee, and came into the coasts

SECTION 1.
Conversations in Pekea, XIX.l-
XX. 16.
Conversation about Divorce, xix. 1-12 ;
About. Little Children, 13-15 ; With a
Rich Man, 16-22; About the Salva
tion of Rich Men, 23-27; About Sac
rifices for Jesns, 27-30 ; Parable of the
Laborers in the Vineyard, xx. 1-16.

Conversation about Divorce, xix.
1-12. (Mark x. 1-12.)
1. departed from Galilee. —
This is the final departure of Jesus
from Galilee. He returned thither
no more until after his resurrec
tion from the dead, when he sud
denly appeared to his disciples
there on two occasions. (See xxviii.
16, 17; John xxi. 1.) He had made
one visit to Jerusalem during his
ministry in Galilee, which is not
recorded by Matthew, nor by Mark,
or Luke. (See John v. 1.) He had
labored in Galilee about twenty-two
months.

of Judse'a beyond Jor'dan ; 2 and
great multitudes followed him ;
and he healed them there. s The
Phar'isees also came unto him,

coasts of Judea beyond Jor
dan. — The Jewish territory beyond
the Jordan was called Perea, from
rj rtEpcua, the region beyond. It is
here called the coasts (upia, borders)
of Judea because, though not strict
ly a part of Judea, it belonged to it
somewhat as the Territories of the
United States belong to the States.
2. he healed them there. — The
healing continues, but in the re
mainder of the narrative Matthew
speaks of it in more general
terms, and devotes less space than
formerly to describing individual
cases. 3. The Pharisees .... tempt
ing him. — Testing him as to nis
fealty to the law of Moses and as to
his own consistency. They thought
that they could compel him to con
tradict either his own former teach
ing on the subject of divorce (v. 32),
or the law of Moses; hence their
question, "Is it lawful for a man
to put away his wife for every
cause ? " By every cause they meant

164

MATTHEW.

[xix. 4-8. »

tempting him, and saying [unto
him], Is it lawful for a man to
put away his wife for every
cause? 4And he answered and
said [unto them], Have ye not
read, that he which made them
at the beginning made them
male and female, 6 and said,
For this cause shall a man leave
father and mother, and shall
3 air<? Rec. Omitted by Lach., Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.
4 airois Rec. Omitted by Lach,, Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.

every cause which was satisfactory
to the husband.
4-6. he answered. — The argu
ment contained in his answer pre
sents the following premises and
conclusions : First, in the begin
ning God made a male and a female,
aud said, "For this cause shall a
man leave father aud mother, and
shall cleave to his wife." (4, 5. Comp.
Gen. ii. 24.) Now the relation to
father and mother can be dissolved
only by death, yet the marriage rela^
tion is more intimate than that, aud
its obligations are more binding. Sec
ond, in the same sentence (Gen. ii.
24) God said, " They two shall be
one flesh." If they are one flesh
the relation can be dissolved only
by death, which dissolves the body
itself. Third, from these premises
the conclusion follows (verse 6) that
what God has thus joined together
man shall not put asunder. Of
course, God who joined them to
gether may put them asunder by
prescribing the conditions of lawful
divorce, but man has nothing to do
in the case except to obey God's law.
Any act of divorce, therefore, or any
legislation by State or Church on
the subject, inconsistent with the
divine law, is open rebellion against
the authority of Christ.
7. Why did Moses then.— On
hearing his answer the Pharisees

cleave to his wife : and they
twain shall be one flesh? "Where
fore they are no more twain, but
one flesh. What therefore God
hath joined together, let not man
put asunder. 'They say unto
him, Why did Mo'ses then com
mand to give a writing of di
vorcement, and to put [her]
away? 8He saith unto them,
Mo'ses because of the hardness

7 airrjv Rec. Omitted by Lach., Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Tregelles.

thought they had gained the advan
tage which they were seeking, and
they demand of him, with an air of
triumph, why did Moses command
to give a writing of divorcement,
and to put her away.
8. Moses . . . suffered you.—
Jesus states more accurately their
citation of Moses. He did not
" command to give a writing of di
vorcement and put her away," he
only "suffered" them to do so, and
he suffered it on account of the
hardness of their hearts, though it
had not been so from the beginning.
Previous to the law of Moses God
had not permitted divorce, but when
the law was given, such was the
prevalent hardness of heart in rela
tion to women and marriage, that
a positive prohibition of divorce
would have led to promiscuous inter
course, or to secret assassination of
wives who were displeasing to their
husbands (see on 10 below) ; and as
there was no immutable principle
of the divine government involved
in tolerating divorce for a time, the
privilege was granted as a choice
between evils. It was a concession
to the hardness of men's hearts, but
it was part of a system of adapta
tions by which at last this hardness
would be more effectually overcome.
When the gospel was introduced
God's chosen time had arrived for

XIX,

9-12.]

MATTHEW.

165

of your hearts suffered you to
put away your wives: but from
the beginning it was not so.
"And I say unto you, Whoso
ever shall put away his wife,
except it be for fornication, and
shall marry another, committeth
adultery : and whoso marrieth
her which is put away doth corn-

bringing this concession to an end,
and since then it has been the most
daring interference with the divine
prerogative, for men to venture on a
continuance of the same concession,
as though they were possessed of di
vine authority. (See Olshausen on
verse 9.)
9. I say unto you. — Having
answered their objection, he now,
by his own authority, re-affirms the
law which had existed in the be
ginning, and which he had already
re-enacted in his sermon on the
mount, (v. 32.)
her that is put away.— That
is, put away for some other cause
than fornication. Whether it would
be adultery to marry a woman who
had been put away on account of
fornication, is neither affirmed nor
denied. No doubt such a woman
is at liberty to marry again if she
can, seeing that the bond which
bound her to her husband is broken.
10. His disciples say. — The
conclusion of the disciples, that if
divorce at will is prohibited, it is
not good to manly, proves the wis
dom of allowing divorce under the
law of Moses ; for if these men
would so conclude, how much more
those Jews who were less disposed
to obey God? And if marriage
were avoided, licentiousness would
necessarily prevail. Even in the
Savior's day, then, the hardness of
heart among the Jews was still an
obstacle in the way of the original
law; but motives to obedience
greater than any that had been

mit adultery. 10 1 His : the | dis
ciples say unto him, If the case
of the man be so with his wife,
it is not good to marry. " But
he said unto them, All men can
not receive this saying, save
they to whom it is given. 12 For
10 airov Rec. Omitted by Tisch., T. S.
Green.known under the Jewish law were
about to be presented in the com
pleted gospel, and this made it wise to
withdraw the temporary concession.
11, 12. he said to them.— The
answer of Jesus to the objection of
the disciples is confessedly obscure.
In searching for its meaning, the
first tiling to be determined is the
reference of the expression, "this
saying." It must refer either to
the saying of the disciples (verse
10), " If the case of the man be so
with his wife, it is not good to
marry ; " or to the saying of Jesus
in his answer to the Pharisees. It
can not refer to the former, because
that saying was objectionable, and
the saying in question is one that
should be received ; for Jesus says
(verse 12), " He that -is able to re
ceive it, let him receive it." It
must, then, refer to his own saying
in answer to the Pharisees. His
entire speech to the Pharisees is a
unit, and its point of unity is the
remark that the married couple are
one flesh. It is this which makes
the marital relation more intimate
than that of parent and child, and
that makes it wrong to put asunder
those whom God has thus joined
together. (Verses 5, 6.) Now
Jesus says of this saying, " Not all
men receive this saying (oi Ttavtrs
xupovei), but they to whom it is
given; " that is, they to whom it is
given to receive it. This implies
that the greater part of men do,
and that those who do not are the
exceptions. Eunuchs are then in-

166

MATTHEW.

[xix. 13, 14.

there are some eunuchs, which
were so born from their moth
er's womb : and there are some
eunuchs, which were made eu
nuchs of men.: and there be
eunuchs, which have made them
selves eunuchs for the kingdom
of heaven's sake. He that is

traduced as an exceptional class.
They can not receive the saying
because a eunuch can not become
" one flesh ". with a woman ; and,
seeing that his marriage would be
a nullity, separation after such a
marriage would not be the divorce
which Jesus forbids, nor would sub
sequent marriage on the woman's
part be adultery. Jesus admits,
then, that, so far as eunuchs are
concerned, it is good not to marry,
because his doctrine can not be re
ceived or be made practical in their
cases; but he insists that all shall
receive it and abide by it who can
and do enter really into marriage.
some eunuchs. — Of the three
classes of eunuchs mentioned in
this verse, the first and second —
that is, those born so, and those made
so by men — -are certainly eunuchs
in the literal sense of the word.
The third class, those who make
themselves eunuchs for the king
dom of heaven's sake, are those
who, by a life of celibacy under
taken for the sake of better serving
the kingdom of heaven, make them
eunuchs practically but not really.
We think so, because we know of
none in the apostolic age who for
this purpose made themselves real
eunuchs. The " saying " which the
other two classes could not receive
was equally inapplicable to these,
for the marriage of a man who
would maintain practical celibacy
would be a nullity, and separation
from him would not be the divorce
prohibited. Paul and Barnabas
belonged to this class, and there

able to receive it, let him receive
it. 13 Then were there brought
unto him little children, that he
should put his hands on them,
and pray: and the disciples re
buked them. " But Je'sus said,
Suffer little children, and forbid
may have been many others of
whom we have no account. (See
1 Cor. ix. 5, 6; and comp. vii. 25-
27,32-34.)About Little Children, 13-15.
(Mark x. 13-16 ; Luke xviii. 15-
17.)13. put his hands on them
and pray. — These words express
the object for which the children
were brought. The prayers of a
good man in our behalf have always
been regarded as a blessing : no
wonder that the mothers of these
children desired the prayers of
Jesus in behalf of their little ones.
the disciples rebuked them.
— Not the children, but those who
brought them. (Mark x. 13.) The
disciples thought it an unnecessary
annoyance to the Master.
14. to come to me. — That is, to
come for the purpose declared,
" that he might put his hands on
them and pray." Those who have
imagined that there is an allusion
here to infant baptism, or to infant
church membership, are indebted
for the idea, not to their Bibles, but
to their creeds.
of such is the kingdom of
heaven. — Not of little children,
but of such as little children.
Neither the kingdom as it now is,
nor the kingdom as it will be, is
composed of little children, but in
both states of its existence it is
composed of persqns with characters
like theirs. (Comp. xviii. 1-6.)
As, , however, children are here
made the models of those in the

xix. 15-19.]

MATTHEW.

167

them not, to come unto me : for
of such is the kingdom of
heaven. 15 And Ire laid his
hands on them, and departed
thence. J6 And, behold, one came and
said unto him, [Good] Master,
what good thing shall I do, that
I may have eternal life ? "And
he said unto him, | Why callest
thou me good : Why dost thou
16 ay a8e Rec. Omitted by Lach., Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles, N, E, D, l,
1, 22, a, e, etc.
17 Tt pe Aeyeis ayad6v Rec. rl pe epw-ra?
Trepl toD ayadov; Lach., Tisch., T. S. Green,
Alford, Tregelles, X, B, L, 1, 22, Old Latin,
Vulgate, N. Syriac, Coptic, «a5thiopic, Ar
menian, etc.
kingdom, it is quite certain that ou
account of their freedom from per
sonal transgression they will be
admitted unconditionally into the
eternal kingdom.
The fortuitous coincidence of
these two conversations has been
noticed by the commentators gener
ally. The little children, the off
spring of happy wedlock, and a
source of constant happiness to
faithful husbands and wives, were
brought into notice at the close of
a conversation about divorce and
about the supposed inconvenience
of an indissoluble marriage bond.
The pleasant incident served as a
comment ou the discussion, and left
a better impression in reference to
married life.
Conversation with a Rich Man,
16-22. (Mark x. 17-22; Luke
xviii. 18-23.)
16. what good thing. — The
man evidently thought that there
was some one thing of merit so
exalted that by doing it he would
secure eternal life.
17. Why dost thou ask— The
words, "Why callest thou me
good," were interpolated from Mark

ash me about that which is good | ?
| there is none good but one,
that is, God : the good Being is
one | : but if thou wilt enter into
life, keep the commandments.
18 He saith unto him, Which?
Je'sus said, Thou shalt do no
murder, Thou shalt not commit
adultery, Thou shalt not steal,
Thou shalt not bear false witr
ness, la Honor thy fatlier and
thy mother : and, Thou shalt
love thy neighbor as thyself.

17 ouSeU ayadbs ei prj els, 6 ©eos Rec, els
e(rriv 6 dyafld? Lach., Tisch., T. S. Green,
Alford, Tregelles, N, B, i,, 1, 22, a, H. Syr
iac, Armenian, etc. els e. d-y. d.

x. 18, where see the note on the
other words of this verse which are
placed in brackets.
keep the commandments. —
The reply, " If thou wilt enter into
life, keep the commandments," was
given from the stand-point of- the
law of Moses, under which the man
was living. In the broadest sense
of the word commandments, includ
ing the statutes concerning sacri
fices for sin, this answer covered
the entire ground of salvation under
the law. From the point of view
which obtained after the death and
resurrection of Jesus, the answer
would have been different, but still,
obedience would have been required
as a condition. (Comp. Acts ii. 37,
38 ; 2 Thes. i. 8, et al.)
18, 19. Which ?— The man still
thought that some one command
ment was pre-eminent, and he was
greatly surprised, no doubt, when
Jesus repeated the last six in the
decalogue, substituting for "Thou
shalt not covet," the equivalent,
"Thou shalt love thy neighbor as
thyself." We_ suppose that he
named the last six rather than the
first four, because the six were then
more frequently violated fcian the

168

MATTHEW.

[xix. 20-24.

80 The young man saith unto
him, All these things have I
kept [from my youth up] : what
lack I yet ? 21 Je'sus said unto
him, If thou wilt be perfect, go
and sell that thou hast, and
give to the poor, and thou shalt
20 eK ve6-rrrr6's pov Rec. Omitted by Lach.,
Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles, K, B,
L, 1, 22, etc.

four, and obedience to them was on
this account a better test of char
acter. 20. The young man saith —
Here it first appears that the ques
tioner was a young man. Farther
on he appears also as a rich man.
That both of these facts are intro
duced incidentally shows the want
of formality which characterizes
Matthew's descriptions. The young
man's claim that he had kept all
these commandments, was doubtless
true so far as he knew his own
heart and understood the import of
the commandments. He thought
that there must be something more
in order to be certain of eternal
life; hence his next question,
"What lack I yet?" The brack
eted words, " from my youth up,"
were interpolated from Mark x. 20.
21. If thou wilt be perfect. —
That is, perfect in keeping the com
mandments and in securing eternal
life. The commandment, "Thou
shalt love thy neighbor as thyself,"
does, in some instances, require the
selling of one's possessions and dis
tribution of all to the poor ; and a
perfect character is one which goes
to the utmost limit of every require
ment, leaving nothing undone which
benevolence can suggest aud our
ability execute. This benevolent
sacrifice would have made the
young man perfect in reference to
the commandments reoited, and
^obedience to the additional com
mand, " Come and follow me,"

have treasure in heaven : and
come and follow me. 22But
when the young man heard that
saying, he went away Sorrowful :
for he had great possessions.
23 Then said Je'sus unto his
disciples, Verily I say unto you,
That a rich man shall hardly
enter into the kingdom of
heaven. 2*And again I say unto
would have brought him to the '
complete and final atonement for
his sins, rendering him perfect ia
his preparation for eternal life.
22. he went away sorrowful.
— That he went away sorrowful
rather than angry, speaks well for
the young man. A man of extreme
avarice, or of little concern for
eternal life, or of little faith in
Jesus, would have been offended at
the extravagance of the demand.
His sorrow shows that he had re
spect for the authority of Jesus,
that he really desired to seek eter
nal life under his guidance, and
that it required a struggle to give
up his purpose even for the sake
of his great possessions. This is
an example not of the worst class
of rich men, but of that olass whoso
love of their possessions barely pre
ponderates over their desire to
serve God with unswerving devotion.
About the Salvation of Rich Men,
23-26. (Mark x. 23-27; Luke
xviii. 24-27.)
23. shall hardly enter. — Shall
with difficulty (Svax6%u>i). enter;
that is, it will be difficult for a rich
man to enter into the kingdom of
heaven. 24. It is easier. — Here is indi
cated the extent of the difficulty
declared in the previous verse. It
is illustrated by the physical impos
sibility of a -camel passing through
the eye of a needle. The conceit,
which originated I know not where,

xix. 25-28.]

MATTHEW.

169

you, It is easier for a camel | to
go : to make entrance | through
the eye of a needle, than for a
rich man [to enter] into the
kingdom | of God : of heaven \ .
25 When | his : tive \ disciples
heard it, they were exceedingly
24 SieMeiv Rec. eio-e\9elv Tisch., T. S.
Oreen, Alford, Tregelles.
24 eio-ekOeiv Rec. Omitted by Tisch., T.
S. Green, Alford, N, L, z, 1, 33, etc., N. Syr
ian, etc.
24 tou ®eov Rec. ru>v oipavwv, Lach.,
Tisch.. T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.
25 airov Rec. Omitted bv Lach., Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.

that " the eye of a needle " here
means a low and narrow gate
through which the camel could not
fo except on his knees and after
is burden had been removed, is
not only without historical founda
tion, but is inconsistent with the
context, which contemplates some
thing impossible with men. (Verse
260 25. exceedingly amazed. — The
amazement of the disciples must be
considered in connection with the
incident which gave rise to the
astonishing remark. If they had
been thinking of rich men who
grind the poor and live licentiously,
they would not have been sur-prised.
But the case before their minds was
that of a rich man who lacked only
one thing of being perfect. It was
the statement that it was easier for
a camel to go through the eye of a
needle than for such a rich man to
be saved, that amazed them and
suggested the question, " Who then
can be saved?
26. With men . . . with God.
— The remark, "With men this is
impossible," refers primarily to the
passage of a camel through a nee
dle's eye; but it hints secondarily at
the asserted difficulty of saving a
rich man. Likewise, the declara
tion that " with God all things are
possible," looks first to the case of
15

amazed, saying, Who then can
be saved ? 26 But Je'sus beheld
them, and said unto them, With
men this is impossible ; but with
God all things are possible.
27 Then answered Pe'ter and
said unto him, Behold, we have
forsaken- all, and followed thee ;
what shall we have therefore?
28 And Je'sus said unto them,
Verily I say unto you, That ye
which have followed me, in the
regeneration when the Son of

the camel, and secondly to that of
the rich man, but has chief refer
ence to the latter. As it is pos
sible for God, though impossible
with men, to cause a camel to go
through the eye of a needle ; so it
is possible with God, though a work
in itself difficult, to save a rich
man. The point of difficulty was
seen in the case of the man who
had just gone away — -his disposition
to esteem riches more highly than
eternal life. This part of the les
son is more clearly developed in
Mark, where see the note on x. 24.
About Sacrifices for Jesus, 27-30.
(Mark x. 28-31; Luke xviii. 28-
30.)27. we have forsaken all.—
The refusal of the rich young man
to sell all and follow Jesus (21, 22),
reminded Peter that a similar de
mand had been made of him and
his companions, and that although
they had but little to forsake, they
had forsaken all they had. He now
wishes to know what shall be their
reward for this.
28. in the regeneration.— Re
generation means, either the proc
ess of regenerating, or the result
attained by that process, according
to the context in which it is found.
Here it evidently means the former,
for it designates a period during

170

MATTHEW.

[xix. 29.

man shall sit in the throne of
his glory, ye also shall sit upon
twelve thrones, judging the
twelve tribes of Is'rael. 29 And
every one that hath forsaken

which the apostles would sit on
thrones. We can not connect the
words "in the regeneration" with
the preceding clause, "ye who have
followed me, ' for the obvious rea
son that Jesus had gone through no
regeneration, and they could have
followed him through none. The
words, "ye who have followed me,"
Bimply describe the parties addressed
as having done what the rich man
refused to do. The period desig
nated by the term regeneration is
further limited by the words,
" when the Son of man shall sit on
the throne of his glory." He sat
down on that throne when he as
cended up to heaven, and he will
still be seated on it in the day of
judgment. (Acts ii. 33-35 ; Heb.
i. 13; Matt. xxv. 31 f 1 Cor. xv. 24-
28.) "The regeneration," then,
is cotemporaneous with this period,
and therefore it must be that proc
ess of regenerating men which
commenced on the Pentecost after
the ascension, and will continue
until the saints are raised with re
generated bodies, and the heaven
/;and earth shall themselves be re
generated as the home of the re
deemed. upon twelve thrones judging.
— The statement of Paul that " the
saints shall judge the world" (1
Cor. vi. 2), has led many to sup-
'pose that the judging here men
tioned is to take place at the final
judgment. But clearly the judg
ing and the sitting on thrones are
declared to be cotemporaneous with
the regeneration and with Christ's
sitting on his throne ; and therefore
they must be regarded as now in
progress. If we are correct in
r this, of which we entertain no

houses, or brethren, or sisters,
or father, or mother, [or wife],
or children, or lands, for my
29 ?! yvvatKa Rec. Omitted by Lach.,
Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles, B,
d, 1, a, b, e, etc., H. Syriac, Origen, etc.

doubt, the judging consists in pro
nouncing decisions on questions of
faith and practice in the earthly
kingdom, and the twelve are figura
tively represented as sitting on
thrones, because they are acting as
judges. During their personal
ministry they judged in person;
since then they judge through their
writings. True, we have written
communications from only a part
of them, but judgments pronounced
by one of a bench of judges with
the known approval of all, are the
judgments of the entire bench.
The twelve thrones had reference,
of course, to the twelve original
apostles, and the place of Judas was
filled by Matthias. (Acts i. 26.)
The apostle to the Gentiles is left
out of view.
the twelve tribes. — The apos
tles have sustained no such relation
to the twelve tribes of Israel, liter
ally so called, as the text indicates,
nor is there any intimation in the
Scriptures that they ever will.
Their work is with the true Israel,
and not with Israel according to the
flesh; consequently, we are to con
strue the terms metaphorically,
the twelve tribes representing the
Church of God of which they were
a type. 29. shall receive manifold. —
Not manifold in the same exact
form, but manifold in value as af
fecting real happiness. This is the
reward in time, while in eternity
the party shall inherit everlasting
life. This last is an inheritance as
well as a reward, because it results
from having become a child of God.
Doubtless Peter felt satisfied when
he heard that these honors and bless
ings were to be his reward.

xix>. 30-xx. 8.]

MATTHEW.

171

name's sake, shall receive |an
hundredfold : manifold | , and shall
inherit everlasting life. 30 But
many that are first shall be
last ; and the last shall be first.
XX. 1 For the kingdom of
heaven is like unto a man that
is an householder, which went
out early in the morning to hire
laborers into his vineyard. 2And
when he had agreed with the la
borers for a penny a day, he sent
them into his vineyard. "And
he went out about the third
hour, and saw others standing
idle in the market-place, 4and
said unto them ; Go ye also into
29 eKarovraTrXatriova ReC. TTo\\a-ir\ao-Cova,
Lach., Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford, Tre
gelles.

30. first shall be last— This
proverbial expression, in its' present
connection, means that many who
are first in prospect of everlasting
life shall be last, aud many who are
last in this respect shall be first.
For example, the rich young mau
whose inquiries had given rise to
this conversation (16-20), had been
among the first, but now it appeared
that he was among the last. Judas,
also, who was then among the first,
was destined to be last, and Mat
thias, who was among the last, being
then only an obscure disciple (Acts
ii. 21-23), was to take his place.
Parable of the Laborers in the
Vineyard, xx. 1-16.
1. For the kingdom. — For
. connects this paragraph with the
closing remark in the preceding,
"many that are first shall be last,
and the last shall be first." This
parable is therefore intended to ex
pound and to illustrate that thought.
This intention is also indicated in
verse 16, in which the parable is
brought to a close by the statement,

the vineyard, and whatsoever is
right I will give you. And they
went their way. 'Again he
went out about the sixth and
ninth hour, and did likewise.
6 And about the eleventh hour
he went out, and found others
standing [idle], and saith unto
them, Why stand ye here all the
day idle ? ' They say unto him,
Because no man hath hired us.
He saith unto them, Go ye also
into the vineyard ; [and whatso
ever is right, that shall ye re
ceive]. 8So when even was
6 ipyovs Rec. Omitted by Lach., Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.
7 Kai 6 eav r) mKatov >.Trjipea9e Rec. Omit
ted by Lach., Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford,
Tregelles, N, b d, l z, 1, a, b, c, e, etc., Vul
gate, Sahidic, etc.,

" So the last shall be first, and the
first last; for many are called but
few chosen."
hire laborers into his vine
yard. — An elliptical expression for
" hire laborers to work in his vine
yard." 2. penny a day. — A denarius a
day, fifteen cents. This seems to
have been the regular price for a
day's labor.
3-8. the third hour . . . the
sixth. — As the Jews numbered the
hours from six in the morning, the
third was nine o'clock, the sixth
was noon, the ninth was three
P. M., and the eleventh was five
P. M., or an hour before the close
ofthe day.
7. no man hath hired us.—
They had stood all the day idle be
cause no man had hired them, and
they had probably stood in the mar
ket-place (»j dyopa, the place of pub
lic resort) for the purpose of find
ing employment. It is implied that
the others were found idle for the
same reason.
8. beginning from the last to

172

MATTHEW.

[xx. 9-16.

come, the lord of the vineyard
saith unto his steward, Call the
laborers, and give them their
hire, beginning from the last
unto the first. 9 And when they
came that were hired about the
eleventh hour, they received

every man a penny.

'But

when the first came, they sup
posed that they should have re
ceived more ; and they likewise
received every man a penny.
11 And when they had received
it, they murmured against the
goodman of the house, 12 saying,

the first. — Another elliptical ex
pression, in which going is omitted.
Beginning thus had the double ef
fect of making conspicuous the fact
that the last received a full day's
wages, and of calling forth a com
plaint from those who had come
first. (9,10.)
11, 12. they murmured. — They
had received all that they had bar
gained for, and all that they had
earned ; but it caused them pain to
see others receive the same for only
one-twelfth of the labor which they
had performed.
13, 14. I do thee no wrong. —
No wrong was done to the mur-
murer, for he had agreed to work
for what he received. The settle
ment with him was strictly just.
Nor was any wrong done to the
others, for they received more than
they had earned.
15. Is it not lawful.— Having
shown that no injustice was done,
the employer now justifies the gra
tuity which he had given to the
others, on the ground of his right
to do as he would with his own, to
bestow his gratuities where and
when he chooses. He also traces
the complaint of the murmurer to
its true source by demanding, "Is
thine eye evil because I am good ? "

These last have wrought but one
hour, and thou hast made them
equal unto us, which have borne
the burden and heat of the day.
13 But he answered one of them,
and said, Friend, I do thee no
wrong: didst not thou agree
with me for a penny? "Take
that thine is, and go thy way : I
will -give unto this last, even as
unto thee. 15Is it not lawful
for me to do what I will with
mine own? Is thine eye evil,
because I am good? 16So the
last shall be first, and the first

An evil eye is a synonym for jeal
ousy, and it acquired this meaning
from the malicious leer with which
j ealousy regards its obj ect. (Comp.
Mark vii. 2; 1 Sam. xviii. 9.) These
laborers were jealous of the others
because of the unmerited favor
which the latter had received.
16. So the last. — Here Jesus
states the point of comparison in
the parable. "So" — that is, as in
the parable, so in the kingdom of
heaven — "the last shall be first, and
the first last." How, then, were
the last first and the first last in the
parable? In the payment of the
laborers the householder told his
steward to begin with the last and
end with the first (verse 8) ; but
this mere order of sequence in re
ceiving the reward can not be the
point of comparison, for there is
nothing in the rewards of the king
dom of heaven to correspond with
it. The last were first in another
and much more important sense;
they received a reward much great
er in proportion to the labor which
they had performed. Those who
came last were first of all in re
spect to the ratio between the re
ward and the labor, and those who
came first were last of all in this
particular. The payment of wages

xx. 16.]

MATTHEW.

173

last : for many be called, but few

was not regulated by the rule of
quid pro quo, so much money for
so much labor; but, while there was
a full reward in every case, in all
except the first there was more than
a reward — there was an undeserved
gratuity, which showed the good
ness of the householder. The con
tract with those who came first, and
who receive no more than they had
earned, is evidently mentioned for
the purpose of showing the real
price of a day's work, and setting
forth the fact that the others did
receive a gratuity. It has no sig
nificance in the application of the
parable, but is, like a shade in a
picture, intended to make the sig
nificant figures more conspicuous.
Thus it is in the parable : now
what is there like this in the king
dom ? Peter and his companions
had left all and followed Jesus, had
come at his call to work in his
vineyard, and he had just inquired
ofthe Master, "What shall we have
therefore?" What shall be our
wages? (xix. 27.) He was told
what their reward was to be, and
then, lest they might think that
those with the best prospects would
be in every instance most certain
of the reward, Jesus tells them
that many first shall be last, and the
last first; and, lest they should
think that the promised reward
would be only a just compensation
for their sacrifices and toils, he re
cites the parable and says, " So the
last shall be first and the first last."
That is, in the kingdom of heaven,
as in the parable, rewards are not
distributed on the principle of a just
compensation for labor performed,
but, while all labor receives a just
compensation (for God is not un
righteous to forget your work and
love — Heb. vi. 10), all the laborers
will receive a reward far greater
than they deserve — a reward which
will show the goodness (verse 15)

chosen.

of the Master. And as a conse
quence of this principle of reward,
the last shall be first, and the first
last; that is, the last in amount of
labor performed shall be first in the
ratio between labor and reward, and
the first in amount of labor shall be
last in said ratio. This we know
to be a fact; for eternal life is in
conceivably more than a compensa
tion for all that a man can do and
suffer in pursuit of it, and among
those who will inherit it those who
will have done and suffered the
least will be first in the ratio be
tween their labor and their reward,
and vice versa. Compare the thief
on the cross, for example, with the
apostle Paul.
From the preceding interpreta
tion it follows, that the different
hours at which the laborers we're
called into the vineyard do not rep
resent different periods of human
life : for although two old men, one
of whom had spent his life in the
Church, and the other had just en
tered it, would be cases in point,
yet he who becomes a Christian in
childhood may, and often does, on
account of early death, do less la
bor for the Lord than he who is
called in the meridian of life, or
even in old age.
This parable has often been used
to encourage hope in cases of death
bed repentance. It certainly does
teach, that however little the labor
which a man does in the Lord's
vineyard, he will receive the final
reward if only he be really in the
vineyard ; that is, if he be really a
child of God. But whether a man
who repents on his death-bed act
ually becomes a child of God, is
a different question, and is not
touched by the parable. Certainly,
the eleventh-hour laborer who had
stood idle all day only because no
man had hired him, and who came
into the vinevard as soon as he was

174

MATTHEW.

[xx. 16.

called, can not represent the man
who has been called by the gospel
every, hour of his life, but has re
jected every call until his sun has
sunk so low that he knows he can do
but little work when he comes. In
order to represent this class of sin
ners, the eleventh-hour men should
have been invited early in the morn
ing, and should have replied, "No,
it is too early ; I will not go now."
Then they should have been invit
ed at the third, the sixth, and the
ninth hours, and should have made
some equally frivolous excuse each
time; then, finally, at the eleventh
hour, they should have said, " Well,
as you pay a man just the same for
an hour's work as for a day's work,
and as I am very anxious to get
your money, I believe I will now
go." Had they acted thus, it is
not likely that they would have
found the vineyard gate open to
them at all. Yet such is the sharp
practice which some men attempt
in dealing with God.
Argument of Section 1.
In the series of conversations
which fill the preceding section,
Matthew has given proof of both
the divine knowledge and the divine
wisdom of Jesus. The conversation
about marriage and divorce shows
that he had a conception of the
subject far transcending that ofthe
age in which he lived and of all
preceding ages. Indeed, it is a
conception too pure and lofty for
the subsequent generations of his
own disciples; for thousands of
them have appreciated it so little as
to excuse themselves in disregard
ing it.
In the conversation about little
children, Jesus revealed in a single
sentence their true relation to God—
a relation which the world had not
discovered, and which it has ever
been slow to recognize. How many
there are at the present day who re

gard children as totally depraved,
and who either go through the
form of baptizing them in order to
fit them for heaven, or teach that
they undergo a spiritual regenera
tion in the article of death I Here
again the wisdom of Jesus towers
high above that of the most philo
sophical of his followers.
The conversation with the rich
young man shows the power of Je
sus to read the secrets of men's
hearts, detecting faults which are
hidden from their own eyes. The
man had said nothing to indicate a
love of money; on the contrary,
the extreme rectitude of his life
appeared inconsistent with the
damning sin of covetousness, and
left him to wonder what he yet
lacked of being perfect. But Jesus
laid bare the hidden sin by saying
to him, "Go and sell that thou hast
and give to the poor, and thou shalt .
have treasure in heaven."
In reference to the salvation of
rich men Jesus had also made a
revelation which amazed his disci
ples, and which many of his friends
in later ages have tried to explain
away because it requires too much
unselfishness to suit their taste. It
was a wisdom not of this world by
which he spake.
Finally, the foreknowledge of Je
sus is exhibited in his statements
about the reward awaiting his dis
ciples, and in his illustration of
that subject in the parable of the
laborers. Part of his prediction
had already been fulfilled when
Matthew wrote his narrative; for
the apostles were already sitting on
thrones judging the twelve tribes
of Israel, and others had already
experienced that those who forsake
houses, brethren, etc., on account
of his name, " shall receive mani
fold, and shall inherit everlasting
life." Now it is barely possible that
any one of the above named oxhi-

xx. 17-20.]

MATTHEW

175

"And Je's(us going up to Je
rusalem took the twelve disci
ples apart in the way, and said
unto them, 18 Behold, Ave go up
to Jeru'salem ; and the Son of
man shall be betrayed unto the
chief priests and unto the scribes,

bitions of wisdom might be ac
counted for by the supposition that
Jesus was a man of transcendent
genius ; but when we consider them
all together, and in connection with
them consider the miraculous fore
knowledge which is intermingled
with them, we can account for tliein
only on the supposition of divine
inspiration. And if Jesus spoke
by divine inspiration, his claim to
be the Messiah and the Son of God
is established beyond controversy.

SECTION II.
Journey from Perea to Jerusa
lem, XX.17-XXI. 22.
Third Prediction of His Death, 17-19;
Ambition of James and John, 20-28 ;
The Blind Man at Jericho, 29-34;
Public Entry into Jerusalem, xxi. 1-
11; The Temple cleared, and the
Praises of Children, 12-16; The Bar
ren Fig-tree, 17-22.

Third Prediction of His Death
17-19. (Mark x. 32-34; Luke
xviii. 31-34.)
17. going up to Jerusalem. —
Having followed Jesus, on his de
parture from Galilee, into Perea,
where the conversations of the last
section took place, Matthew now
starts with him from some point
in that country, on his last journey
to Jerusalem. Much matter re
lated by John (perhaps all from his
seventh to his eleventh chapter in
clusive), and some related by Luke
(xvii. 1-xviii. 14), are here omit
ted. the twelve disciples apart —

and they shall condemn him to
death, 19 and shall deliver him to
the Gen'tiles to mock, and to
scourge, and to crucify him: and
the third day he shall rise again.
20 Then came to him the moth
er of Zeb'edee's children with

As on the two former occasions, Je
sus makes the announcement of his
death to his immediate followers
alone. Such an announcement to
the unbelieving multitude would
have confirmed them in their unbe
lief, and at the same time it might
have encouraged his enemies in
their machinations against him.
18, 19. shall be betrayed— In
these verses Jesus describes his ar
rest, condemnation, and sufferings,
precisely as they afterward oc
curred. First, he was to be "be
trayed unto the chief priests and
unto the scribes," which was done
by Judas. Second, he was to be
condemned by them to death, and
to be delivered to the Gentiles,-
which was done when the Sanhe
drim pronounced him guilty and
called on Pilate to execute him.
Third, the Gentiles were "to mock,
and to scourge, and to crucify him,"
which was done by the soldiers of
Pilate with his consent. Fourth,
on the third day he was to rise
again, and this was effected by the
power of God. If we only credit
Matthew's statement, that this pre
diction was made by Jesus while he
was yet alive and before he made
his last visit to Jerusalem, we must
regard it as one of the most re
markable predictions recorded even
in the Bible.
Ambition of James and John, 20-
28. (Mark x. 35^5.)
20. mother of Zebedee's chil
dren. — Her name was Salome.
(xxvii. 61. Comp. Mark xv. 40.)
The fact that both here and in

176

MATTHEW.

[xx. 21-23.

her sons, worshiping him, and
desiring a certain thing of him.
21 And he said unto her, What
wilt thou? She saith unto him,
Grant that these my two sons
may sit, the one on thy right
hand, and the other on the left,
in thy kingdom. 22But Je'sus
answered and said, Ye know not
what ye ask. Are ye able to
drink of the cup that I shall
drink of [and to be baptized with
22 to pdTrrto-pa o eyoj pa-irri^opat, fta-trrio--
»i)vai; Rec. Omitted by Lach., Tisch., T.
S. Green, Alford, Tregelles, K, B, r>, L, z, 1,
22, Old Latin, Vulgate, N. Syriac, Coptic,
Sahidic, etc.

xxvii. 56, she is called " the
mother of Zebedee' s children," rath
er than the wife of Zebedee, has
led to the very probable conjecture
that Zebedee had died since his two
sons had left him in the fishing
boat. (Mark i. 20.) This conject
ure has also led to another, that the
disciple who had asked leave to go
and bury his father (viii. 21) was
James or John, their father having
died just previous to that time.
Worshiping him. — Worshiping
in the sense of humble prostration
before him, not in the sense of pay
ing him divine honors.
21. What wilt thou?— She had
asked, in indefinite terms, "a cer
tain thing of him " (verse 20, comp.
Mark x. 35), but he declines to an
swer until she states in specific
terms what she desires.
on thy right hand. — The place
of highest honor in the courts of
kings is at the right hand of the
throne, and the next, at the left
hand. Salome therefore desired to
secure for her two sons the highest
possible honors in the expected
kingdom. 22. Ye know not. — Although
the mother alone had spoken, Je
sus treats the request as that of the
two sons, by using the plural "ye,"

the baptism that 1 am baptized
with] ? They say unto him, We
are able. 23[And] he saith un
to them, Ye shall drink indeed
of my cup [and be baptized
with the baptism that I am bap
tized with] : but to sit on my
right hand, and on my left, is
not mine to give, but it shall be
given to them for whom it is
23 koI Rec. Omitted by Lach., Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.
23. Kat to fta-irrio-pa 6 eyoj j3airTi'£bjUcu, Bair-
ritxe-no-eo-Be Rec. Omitted by Lach., Tisch.
T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles, X, B, D, 1.,
z, l, 22, etc., Old Latin, Vulgate, N. Syriac,
etc.and addressing his answer, exclu
sively to them. The request was
understood in the same way by the
ten. (Verse 24.) They knew not
what they were asking, because to
sit on his right hand and on his left
was far different from what they
thought, and was to be obtained in
a way of which they had no concep
tion. the cup that I shall drink.— It
was common in ancient times to ex
ecute criminals by compelling them
to drink a cup of poison, and assas
sination and suicide were often ef
fected by the same means. The
cup, therefore, became a symbol of
suffering and of death, and -it is so
used here. The words of this aud
the next verse that are in brackets
are copied from Mark x. 38, 39,
where they will be considered.
23. Ye shall drink. — James
drank the cup by suffering martyr
dom at the hands of Herod Agrip
pa, being the first of the apostles
to suffer death. (Acts xii. 2.) John
lived to an old age, outliving all of
the other apostles, and died a nat
ural death; but he drank the cup by
the sufferings through which he
passed. not mine to give. — The render
ing should be, " not mine to give

xx

24-32.]

MATTHEW.

177

prepared of my Father. 24 And
when the ten heard it, they were
moved with indignation against
the two brethren. 25 But Je'sus
called them unto him, and said,
Ye know that the princes of the
Gen'tiles exercise dominion over
them, and they that are great
exercise authority upon them.
26 But it shall not be so among
you: but whosoever will be great
among you, let him be your
minister ; 2? and whosoever will
be chief among you, let him be
your servant : 28 even as the
Son of man came not to be min
istered unto, but to minister,
except to those for whom it is pre
pared by my Father." (Alford.) It
was his to give it, but only to those
for whom it is prepared by the
Father. 24. moved with indignation.
Nothing moves the indignation of
men more than to know that one of
a company of equals is plotting to
get an undue advantage over the
others. It was now necessary that
Jesus should interfere as a peace
maker. 25-28. not be so among you.
— To sit on his right hand and on
his left in the kingdom would not
only be an honor, but it would give
authority. Jesus informs them that
while the princes and the great
among the Gentiles exercise domin
ion and authority, it is not to be so
in bis kingdom, but that the post
of honor is to be the post of servi
tude. The one who would be great
must be their minister (Sidxovoc, do
mestic servant), and he who would
be chief (rtputos, first), must be
their slave (&oi%og). He enforces
the lesson by his own example, in
that he came not to have men serve
him, but that he might serve them.
In this way both the ambition of

and to give his life a ransom for
many. 29 And as they departed from
Jer'icho, a great multitude fol
lowed him. S0And, behold, two
blind men sitting by the way
side, when they heard that Je'
sus passed by, cried out, saying,
Have mercy on us, O Lord,
thou son of Da'vid. slAnd the
multitude rebuked them, be
cause they should hold their
peace : but they cried the more,
saying, Have mercy on us, O
Lord, thou son of Da'vid. S2And
Je'sus stood still, and called
them, and said, What will ye

James and John, and the indigna
tion of the others, were suppressed.
It is impossible for preachers, teach
ers, and other workers in the
Church, to study this lesson too care-
fully. The Blind Men at Jericho, 29-34.
(Mark x. 46-52; Luke xviii. 35-
xix. 1.)
29. departed from Jericho. —
Departed in the direction of Jeru
salem ; for they were then, as pre
viously stated, " going up to Jerusa
lem." (Verse 17.) Their arrival
at Jericho is not mentioned, because
the writer is not aiming to give an
account of all that was done, but
only of certain detached incidents.
30. thou Son of David.— On
the meaning of this expression, and
on the faith of blind men, see the
notes, ix. 27, 28.
31. the multitude rebuked
them. — Their clamor appeared to
the multitude indecorous, and it
interrupted conversation ; hence
their desire to suppress it. The
multitude were thinking of their
own comfort and dignity instead of
sympathizing with the unfortunate.
32, 33. stood still and called

178

MATTHEW;

[xx. SS'-xxi. 0.

that I shall do unto you ? 33 They
say unto him, Lord, that our
eyes may be opened. 3t So Je'
sus had compassion on them,
and touched their eyes : and
immediately | their eyes : they j
received sight, and they followed
him. XXI. aAnd when they drew
nigh unto Jeru'salem, and were
come to Beth'phage, unto the
mount of Ol'ives, then sent Je'
sus two disciples, 2 saying unto
them, Go into the' village over
against you, and straightway ye
shall find an ass tied, and a colt
34 airSiv ot oipBakpol Rec. Omitted by
Lach., T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles, X, B,
r>, L, z, etc., Old Latin, Vulgate, N. Syriac,
H. Syriac, Coptic, Sahidic, etc.

them. — To rebuke the indifference
of the multitude, as well as to grant
the petition of the blind men, Jesus
showed, by stopping and calling
them to him, that he had not been
indifferent to their cries. They
had cried only for mercy : he makes
them tell in what way they desire
him to manifest it, and then he
grants their request. They needed
far more of his mercy than they
called for ; but, like men in gen
eral, they thought more of their
bodily than of their spiritual ills.
34. they followed him. —
Though they came not for spiritual
comfort, the bodily blessing which
they received attached their hearts
to Jesus and led them in the direc
tion of the blessings yet more to be
desired. Public Entry into Jerusalem, xxi.
1-11. (Mark xi. 1-11; Luke
xix. 29-44; John xii. 12-19.)
1. come to Bethphage. — Beth-
phage and Bethany were two vil
lages on the eastern slope of the
Mount of Olives, so close together

with her : loose them, and bring
them unto me. 3And if any
man say aught unto you, ye
shall say, The Lord hath need
of them; and straightway he
will send them. 4 [All] this was
done, that it might be fulfilled
which was spoken by the proph
et, saying, 5 Tell ye the daughter
of Si'on, Behold, thy King com
eth unto thee, meek, [and] sit
ting upon an ass, and [onl a
colt the foal of an ass. 6And
the disciples went, and did as
4 bkov Rec. Omitted by Lach. , T. S. Green,
Alford, Tregelles, N, c, d, l, z, Old Latin,
N. Syriac, Coptic, .ffithiopic, etc.
5 mI Rec. Omitted by Tisch., T. S.
Green-, Alford.
5 iiri Added by Lach., Tisch., T. S.
Green, Alford, Tregelles.

that in coming to one Jesus came
also to the other. (Comp. Luke
xix. 29.)
2, 3. The Lord has need of
them. — If the owner of the ass
and colt had been a stranger to
Jesus, it would have been very un
satisfactory to give him as an excuse
for taking away the animals, the
statement that " The Lord has need
of them." But Jesus foreknew
both the person whose asses would
be found at the designated place,
and his willingness to let the disci
ples bring them to him.
4, 5. spoken by the prophet.
— The quotation is from Zech. ix.
9, aud its context shows clearly
that it was written concerning the
Messiah. Foreseeing tho strange
figure of a king riding in triumph
into the capital city of nis kingdom,
not on a richly caparisoned steed
and surrounded by pomp and glory,
but on the colt of an ass, the last
animal which vanity would choose
for a grand display, the as3 without
a bridle and with no saddle but a
man's coat thrown across its back,

XXL

7-12.]

MATTHEW.

179

Je'sus | commanded : appointed \
them, ' and brought the ass, and
the colt, and put on them their
clothes, and they set him there
on. 8And a very great multi
tude spread their garments in
the way ; others cut down
branches from the trees, and
strewed them in the way. 9And
the multitudes that went before
[Aim], and that followed, cried,
saying, Hosanna to the son of
Da'vid : Blessed is he that com-

6 irpaa-ira^ev Rec. trvveragev, Lach., T. S.
Green, Alford, Tregelles, B, c, D, 33, etc.
9 airbv Added by Lach., Tisch., T. S.
Green, Alford, Tregelles.

the prophet exclaims, " Behold, thy
King cometh to thee meek, sitting
upon an ass, and a colt the foal of
an ass."
7. set him thereon. — More ac
curately, set him on them (irtdvui
av-tuv). "They put on them their
clothes, and they set him on them."
The last them must refer to the
clothes, for they could not set Jesus
on both the animals. They put the
garments on both because they
knew not which he would ride ; but
he chose the colt. (Verse 5 ; Mark
xi. 7.)
8. spread their garments —
The people were wild with delight
and admiration. Only the most
extravagant state of feeling could
prompt them to make a carpet
along the mountain path with their
garments, and with the soft branches
of the palm-tree. (John xii. 13.)
It was " a very great multitude,"
and their numbers enabled them to
spread this carpet all the way from
the mountain top to the gate of the
citv. Hosanna. — A Hebrew word
whose etymological meaning is,
"Save, we pray!" Originally a
formula of supplication, it became

eth in the name of the Lord ;
Hosanna in the highest. 10And
when he was come into Jerusa
lem, all the city was moved,
saying, Who is this ? "And the
multitude said, This is Je'sus
the prophet of Naz'areth of
Gal'ilee. 12 And Je'sus went into the
temple [of God], and cast out
all them that sold and bought
in the temple, and overthrew
the tables of the money-chang
ers, and the seats of them that
12 tou 0eo5 Rec. Omitted by Lach., T.
S. Green, Tregelles, K, B, h, etc., b, Coptic,
Sahidic, JEthiopic, etc .

by usage a formula of gratulation.
(Alford.) 10, 11. all the city was moved.
— The Mount of Olives, from the
top of which the vast multitude es
corted Jesus, was about two hun
dred feet higher than the temple
mount, and was separated from it
only by the narrow valley of Jehosh-
aphat ; consequently the proces
sion could be seen and the shouts
of the people distinctly heard in all
parts of the city. To the question
on every body's lips," Who is this?"
the people exultingly responded,
" This is Jesus the prophet, of Naz
areth of Galilee."
The Temple Cleared, and the
Praises of Children, 12-16.
(Mark xi. 15-19; Luke xix. 45-
48.) 12. sold and bought.— There
was general traffic going on besides
that of the money-changers and the
dealers in doves. The excuse for
allowing doves to be sold and money
to be changed there, was that this
was an accommodation to the poor,
whose offerings consisted largely in
doves, and who needed small change
for their contributions. The admis-

180

MATTHEW.

[xxi. 13-16.

sold doves, 13 and said unto them,
It is written, My house shall be
called the house of prayer ; but
ye | have made : are making | it
a den of thieves. "And the
blind and the lame came to him
in the temple ; and he healed
them. 15And when the chief
13 67ronJo-aTe Rec. -noieXre, Lach., Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles, N, B, L, 124,
Coptic, etc.

sion of these traffickers opened the
way for the others.
13. It is written, — The words,
" My house shall be called a house
of prayer," are quoted from Isaiah
lvi. 7 ; and some have supposed
that the words, " ye have made it a
den of thieves," are taken from
Jeremiah vii. 11, where a similar
expression occurs. I prefer to re
gard the latter as the words of
Jesus. The expression " den of
thieves ;; is a hyperbole to indicate
the dishonesty with which their
sacrilegious traffic was conducted.
This clearing of the temple must
not be confounded with that men
tioned in John ii. 13-18, for the de
tails are quite different, and the
latter occurred during the first visit
of Jesus to Jerusalem, while the
one in our text occurred during his
last visit. It is useless to conjecture
what would have been the conse
quences ou either of these occa
sions, had the traders refused to
move at his bidding, for he knew
before he began his demonstration
against them that they would move.
He is now in his Father's house,
where his authority is most appro
priately exercised, and where even
Csesar could not assume to be his
rival. 14. the blind and the lame. —
The high authority which Jesus
assumed in the temple was sup
ported by the miracles which he
there performed. It was no longer

priests and scribes saw the won
derful things that he did, and
the children crying in the tem
ple, and saying, Hosanna to the
son of Da'vid ; they were sore
displeased, 16 and said unto him,
Hearest thou what these say?
And Je'sus saith unto them,
Yea; have ye never r-ead, Out
of the mouth of babes and suck
lings thou hast perfected praise ?

in the obscure towns and the desert
places of Galilee that his power to
heal was displayed, but in Jerusa
lem, in the court of the temple,
and surrounded by his bitterest
foes. 15. sore displeased. — The
chief priests and scribes were of
fended by the authority which Jesus
assumed in regard to the traders in
the temple, and by the unfavorable
reflection on their "own toleration
of this traffic implied in his sup
pression of it. His triumphant
vindication of his act, both by the
manifest righteousness of it and by
the "wonderful things which he
did," aud the praises of the chil
dren, who now caught up the Ho
sanna which had been dropped by
the multitude, increased their irri
tation, and roused them up to an
expression of it.
16. hast perfected praise.—
It was both the thought which the
children uttered, declaring Jesus to
be the Son of David, and the noise
which they were making in the
temple, which displeased the priests
and scribes. They claimed that
his zeal for good order in the tem
ple demanded a suppression of this
noisy outcry. But they were as
greatly mistaken in wishing to sup
press the Hosannas of the children
as they had been in not suppressing
the traffic of the dove-sellers and
the money-changers. The outcries
of these children was the perfection

xxi. 17-22.]

MATTHEW.

181

17 And he left them, and went
out of the city into Beth'any ;
and he lodged there. 18 Now in
the morning as he returned into
the city, he hungered. 19And
when he saw a fig-tree in the
way, he came to it, and found
nothing thereon, but leaves only,
and said unto it, Let no fruit
grow on thee henceforward for
ever. And presently the fig-
tree withered away. 20And
when the disciples saw it, they

of praise, and therefore the most
appropriate of all places for it was
the temple. It was the perfection
of praise, because, beinsj an irre
pressible outburst of admiration in
the midst of solemnities which
were likely to overawe the children,
and under the frown of the priests
which would ordinarily frighten
them into Bilence, it was the strong
est attestation to the completeness
of his triumph. The quotation is
made with a slight variation from
Ps. viii. 2.
The Barren Fig-tree, \1-1%
(Mark xi. 12-14.)
17. Bethany. — A village on the
eastern slope of the Mount of
Olives, the home of Martha and
Mary, and of Lazarus whom Jesus
had recently raised from the dead.
(John xii. 1.) Here Jesus spent
the nights of this last week of his
life. (Luke xxi. 37, 38.)
18. ne hungered. — He was go
ing to the temple, as was custom
ary, early in the morning, before
the morning meal; hence the hun
ger. 19. the fig-tree withered. —
The incident is more accurately
narrated and its significance made
more apparent by Mark. (See the
notes, Mark xi. 12-14, 20-26.)
20. they marveled. — Every

marveled, saying, How soon is
the fig-tree withered away !
21 Je'sus answered and said unto
them, Verily I say unto you, If
ye have faith, and doubt not,
ye shall not only do this which
is done to the fig-tree, but also
if ye shall say unto this mount
ain, Be thou removed, and be
thou cast into the sea; it shall
be done. 22And all things,
whatsoever ye shall ask in
prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

miracle affecting a new department
of nature, filled the disciples with
fresh surprise. They had seen mir
acles wrought on the human body,
on demons, on the winds and the
waves, on bread aud flesh ; but they
had not until now seen one that
took effect on a tree. Their sur
prise, though by no means philo
sophical, was not unnatural.
21. ye shall not only. — It is
not necessarily implied that they
would actually "wither fig-trees and
remove mountains, but that they
should do miracles equally surpris
ing with these. On the nature of
the faith necessary to such miracles,
see the note, Mark xi. 23.
22. whatsoever ye shall ask.
¦ — This, like all the other promises
to answer prayer, is limited by the
conditions laid down in the Script
ures. (See the note ou vii. 7, 8.)
Argument of Section 2.
In this section we have two more
exhibitions of the foreknowledge
of Jesus: one in the minute pro
phetic description of his own con
demnation and death, and the other
in the prediction concerning the
cup which James and John were
yet to drink on account of his
name. These were predicted by
him in terms which prove that he

182

MATTHEW.

[xxi. 23-26.

23 And when he was come into
the temple, .the chief priests and
the elders of the people came
unto him as he was teaching,
and said, By- what authority
doest thou these things? and
who gave thee this authority ?
s* And Je'sus answered and said
unto them, I also will ask you
one thing, which if ye tell me,

foresaw them as clearly as they
were seen by his disciples when
they transpired.
The section also presents two
more physical miracles, in one of
which is displayed his compassion
toward the unfortunate, and in the
other, his wrath against the hypo
critical. The bright eyes of the
recently blind, and the active move
ments of the recently lame, attest
the former, while the withered
leaves falling from the barren fig-
tree in spring time attest the latter.
Besides the double proofs of mi
raculous power, the section brings
to view a multitude of people who
had witnessed miracles previously
wrought, and who proclaimed his
praise with an extravagance ap
proaching to wildness, while he, as
if unconscious of the kingly honors
conferred on him, sat meekly on the
back of an ass colt and thus rode
into the holy city. Who can con
template this unparalleled combinar
tion of facts without exolaiming,
with the exultant multitude and the
irrepressible children, " Hosanna
to the son of David ? "

SECTION m.
Disputations in the Temple, XXI.
23-XXII. 46.
His Authority Demanded, 23-27 ; Par
able of the Two Sons, 28-32 ; Parable
of the Wicked Husbandmen, 33-46;
Parable of the Eoyal Wedding, xxii.
1-14; Question about Tribute to Cce-

I in likewise will tell you by.
what authority I do these things.
25 The baptism of John, whence
was it ? from heaven, or of men?
And they reasoned with them
selves, saying, If we shall say,
From heaven ; he will say unto
us, Why did ye not then believe
him ? n But if we shall say,
Of men ; we fear the people ;

sar, 15-22 ; Question about the Resur
rection, 23-33; Question about the
GreatestComnoandment, 34-40; Ques
tion about the Lordship oi the
Christ, 41-46.

His Authority Demanded, 23-27.
(Mark xi. 27-33 ; Luke xx. 1-8.)
23. By what authority.— What
authority to cast out the traders, as
he had done on the previous day,
to teach, and to allow himself to be
called the Son of David. As he
was neither a priest nor a civil
ruler, and had not been commis
sioned either by Cassar or the San
hedrim, they denied that he had
rightful claim to the authority which
he exercised.
24, 25. I will ask you.— It
was absurd and impertinent to ask
him for his authority when his mir
acles had given an unmistakable
answer; consequently his reply
was not an attempt to enlighten
them, but to expose their folly.
They had often tried to place him
in a dilemma, and had never suc
ceeded ; he sometimes tried the
same with them, and never failed.
He does so on this occasion by ask
ing them the source of authority
for John's baptism.
25-27. We can not tell— They
were forced either to tell a lie,
which they did, or to acknowledge
the fact that John's baptism was
from heaven. Had they made this
acknowledgment they foresaw that
he would demand of them, " Why,

xxi. 27-32.]

MATTHEW.

183

for all hold John as a prophet.
"And they answered Je'sus, and
said, We can not tell. And he
said unto them, Neither tell I
you by what authority I do
these things.
28 But what think ye ? A cer
tain man had two sons ; and he
came to the first, and said, Son,
go work to-day in |my: the\
vineyard 29 He answered and
said, I will not: but afterward
he repented, and went. 3° And
he came to the second, and said
28 pov Rec. Omitted by Tisch., T. S.
Green, Alford. Tregelles.

then, did you not believe him"
(verse 25), which means not merely,
Why did you not believe in John as
a prophet, but, Why did you not
believe what he said about me ?
This second question was the one
they dreaded ; so, fearing to offend
the people by saying that John's
baptism was of men, they fell upon
the false and foolish alternative,
" We can not tell." The response
of Jesus, " Neither tell I you by
what authority I do these things, '
exposed their hypocrisy and at the
same time made it very apparent to
the people that his authority was
the same as John's.
Parable of the Two Sons, 28-32.
28-31. Whether of them twain,
— An obsolete form of expression
for Which of the two. Neither of
them did in full the will of his
father, but, leaving out of view the
improper answer of the first, and
looking only at his subsequent con
duct, it was correctly answered that
he did his father's will.
31. publicans and harlots . . .
before you. — Here the conduct of
the publicans and harlots as a class
is declared to correspond with that
of the first son, and that of the

likewise. And he answered and
said, I go, sir : and went not.
"Whether of them twain did
the will of his father? They
say [unto him], The first. Je'
sus saith unto them, Verily I
say unto you, That the publi
cans and the harlots go into the
kingdom of God before you.
32For John came unto you in
the way of righteousness, and
ye believed him not: but the
publicans and the harlots be
lieved him: and ye, when ye
31 airC Rec. Omitted bv Lach., Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.

chief priests and elders (verse 23)
to the conduct of the second son.
The assertion that they " go into
the kingdom of God before you,"
does not mean that either party
had already gone into the kingdom
of God, but it declares the direction
in which they were moving, and
points to the result soon to be at
tained. The publicans and harlots
had made one step in that direction
by believing in John (verse 32),
while the priests and elders had
not gone so far as that. The re
buke was a stinging one on account
of the contempt with which publi
cans and harlots were regarded by
the priests and elders, and the great
disparity which had formerly ex
isted between the two classes.
32. For John came.— The pre
cedence declared in favor of the
publicans and harlots had reference,
not to their reception of Jesus, but
to their regard for John. Previous
to John's coming these wicked char
acters had been like the first son,
saying, "I will not," making no pre
tense of obedience to God, while
the priests and elders had been like
the second son, saying, " I go, Sir,"
making great professions of respect
and obedience. But when John

184

MATTHEW.

[xxi. 33, 34.

had seen it, repented not after
ward, that ye might believe
him. 33 Hear another parable: There
was a [certain] householder,
33 ri! Rec. Omitted by Lach., Tisch., T.
S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.

came and by his preaching put both
parties to the test, the latter " be
lieved him not," made no change in
their conduct; but the former "be
lieved him," giving up their evil
practices, confessing their sins, and
being baptized for the remission of
sins. (iii. 6; Mark i. 4.)
repented not. — The word trans
lated repented here and in verse 29,
is not metanoeo the one usually so
rendered, but metamelomai. The
former expresses a change of
thought or purpose, the latter a
change of feeling. The latter is
used in the case of Judas (xxvii. 3),
who did not repent as sinners are
required to repent, though he expe
rienced regret even to the degree
of remorse. Regret is its best Eng
lish representative, and by this term
Mr. Green renders it throughout
his Two-fold New Testament. The
first son and the publicans and har
lots did experience a change of
purpose as well as a change of feel
ing; but the change of feeling only
is expressed in the word, while the
change of purpose is ascertained
only by its being implied in their
subsequent action.
that ye might believe. — In the
statement ye " repented not after
ward, that ye might believe him,"
the dependence of their belief on
previous regret is clearly assumed.
The nature of the dependence is
made apparent by the following
considerations. When John first
came " in the way of righteous
ness," the chief priests and elders,
after a formal inquiry as to who he
was, rejected him. (John i. 19-25;

which planted a vineyard, and
hedged it round about, and
digged a wine-press in it, and
built a tower, and let it out to
husbandmen, and went into a
far country : S4 and when the '
time of the fruit drew near, he

Luke vii. 30.) Afterward, when
they saw the wonderful effect of his
preaching on the lives of the pub
licans and harlots, they should have
regretted the inconsiderate manner
in which they had rejected him;
and this regret, had they felt it,
would have caused them to re-exam
ine his claims, and, as a conse
quence, to become believers in him.
Their belief depended on regret as
one of its remote causes, and so does
the belief of all persons in analo
gous circumstances.
Parable of the Wicked Husband
men, 33-46. (Mark xii. 1-12;
Luke xx. 9-19.)
33. digged a wine-press. — The
wine-presses of the ancients were
literally dug, for they consisted in
an excavation in the solid rock a
foot or two in depth and several
feet square. The grapes were
thrown into these excavations and
mashed by young men tramping
them with their feet. Another ex
cavation lower down the hill side,
whose top was on a level with the
bottom of the press, received the
juice as it ran from the mashed
grapes through an orifice provided
for the purpose. Bobinson de
scribes one of these presses which
he saw. in Judea whose dimensions.
were eight feet square by fifteen
inches deep, with a vat for the juice
four feet square and three feet deep.
This method of expressing the
juice is frequently alluded to in the
Scriptures. (Neil, xiii. 15 ; Lam.
i. 15 ; Isa. lxiii. 2, 3 ; Jer. xlviii. 33
et al.)

xxi. 35-43.]

MATTHEW.

185

sent his servants to the husband
men, that they might receive
the fruits of it. S5 And the hus
bandmen took his servants, and
beat . one, and' killed another,
and stoned another. 36 Again,
he sent other servants more
than the first : and they did
unto them likewise. s'But last
of all he sent unto them his son,
saying, They will reverence my
son. 38 But when the husband
men saw the son, they said
among themselves, This is the
heir ; come, let us kill him, and
let u.3 seize on his inheritance.
39 And they caught him, and cast
him out of the vineyard, and
built a tower. — The Jews lived
in cities and villages, knowing noth
ing of tho farm life so common in
America. They went to their fields
in the morning and returned at
night, except in times of harvest
and vintage, when they sometimes
slept in the fields. (See Ruth iii.
1-7.) This tower was built for pro
tection at such times, and also for
the purpose of guarding the vine
yard when necessary. (Comp. Isa.
v. 1-7.)
41. They say unto him. — By
Eausing at this point and asking his
earers what should be done with
those husbandmen, Jesus made them
pronounce judgment before they
saw'the drift of the parable, and
then in the conclusion (43) he
showed them that they had pro
nounced judgment against them
selves. 42. The stone. — By a singular
irregularity of arrangement Jesus
here interrupts the progress of the
parable to introduce the .figure of
the rejected corner-stone; then, in
the next verse, he makes the appli
cation of the parable ; and finally,
at verse 44, he returns to the fig-
lb'

slew him. "When the lord
therefore of the vineyard com
eth, what will he do unto those
husbandmen ? 41 They say unto
him, He will miserably destroy
those wicked men, and will let
out his vineyard unto other hus
bandmen, which shall render
him the fruits in their seasons.
42 Je'sus saith unto them, Did ye
never read in the scriptures, The
stone which the builders reject
ed, the same is become the head
of the corner : this is the Lord's
doing, and it is marvelous in
our eyes ? a Therefore say I
unto you, The kingdom of God
shall be taken from you, and
ure of the stone. In the figure of
the rejected corner-stone, the chief
priests and Pharisees are repre
sented as trying to build the walis
of a house, but being unable to fit
the stones at the corner because they
rejected the only stone that was cut
for that place. They were guilty
of this folly in rejecting Jesus while
trying to construct a conception of
the kingdom of God.
43. Therefore say I — This
verse contains the application of the
parable, and the key to its interpre
tation. The vineyard represents
all of the religious privileges grant
ed to the Jews who are the hus
bandmen, from the beginning of
their history until the kingdom it
self was offered to them by Jesus
and afterward by the apostles. The
prophets, from Samuel down to
John, are the messengers sent to
demand the fruits of righteousness ;
the son who was sent last is Jesus ;
the destruction of the husbandmen
is the final destruction of the Jew
ish nationality ; and the transfer of
the vineyard to other husbandmen,
tho transfer of the kingdom of heav
en to the Gentiles. Tiie kingdom

186

MATTHEW.

[xxi. 44-xxii. 6.

given to a nation bringing forth
the fruits thereof. 44And who
soever shall fall on this stone
shall be broken: but on whom
soever it shall fall, it will grind
him to powder. 45And when
the chief priests and Phar'isees
had heard his parables, they
perceived that he spake of them.
"But when they sought to lay
hands on him, they feared the
multitude,' because they took him
for a prophet.
XXII. 1 And Je'sus answered
and spake unto them again by
parables, and said, 2The king-

of heaven was chiefly Jewish before
the destruction of Jerusalem, but
it became, after that event, almost
exclusively Gentile, both in its mem
bership and in the predominant
characteristics of its membership ;
and thus it was taken away from
the Jews and given to a nation
which would bring forth the fruits
thereof. 44, shall fall on this stone. —
Here the rejected corner-stone is
again brought into view (verse 42),
and a person represented as falling
on it and being "broken;" that is,
breaking some of his limbs. As
Jesus is the stone, falling on it is
coming into conflict with him ; and
being broken represents the injury
which persons who thus fall will
sustain. Jesus warned John the
Baptist against this when he said
to him, "Blessed is he who shall
not be offended in me." (xi. 6.)
on whomsoever it shall fall. —
The falling of this corner-stone
upon a person evidently symbolizes
the bringing of Christ's power to
bear against the person. Such a
person, like a small stone ground to
powder by the fall of a large one,
shall be utterly crushed and ruined
forever. The Pharisees were then

dom of heaven is like unto a
certain king, which made a mar
riage for his son, 3 and sent forth
his servants to call them that
were bidden to the wedding:
and they would not come.
4 Again, he sent forth other serv
ants, saying, Tell them which
are bidden, Behold, I have pre
pared my dinner : my oxen and
my fatlings are killed, and all
things are ready: come unto the
marriage. 5But they made
light of it, and went their ways,
one to his farm, another to his
merchandise : 6 and the remnant

being broken ; they were yet to be
ground to powder.
45, 46. they perceived. — It
was easy for them to perceive
that both of the parables were
spoken against themselves ; and
though they can not have fully
comprehended the import of either,
they saw enough to enrage them,
and but for the people they would
have laid hands on him:
Parable of the Royal Wedding,
xxii. 1-14.
1. Jesus answered. — He an
swered, not a question or an argu
ment from them, but their violent
purpose declared by Matthew in the
preceding verse (xxi. 46). The
parable points out, as did the para
ble ofthe laborers in the vineyard,
the fate which their violence was
preparing for them
3. 4. to call them that were
bidden.- — The guests had been in
vited before, but no exact time
had been fixed for them to come.
Now they are notified that it is
time to come; that "all things are
ready." 5-7. the king was wroth. — It
was an insult to the king to treat
his invitation with contempt by

xxn. i

-14.]

MATTHEW.

187

took his servants, and entreated
them spitefully, and slew them.
'But ]when the king heard
thereof, he : the king | was wroth :
and he sent forth his armies, and
destroyed those murderers, and
burned up their city. 8Then
saith he to his servants, The
wedding is ready, but they which
were bidden were not worthy.
9 G-o ye therefore into the high
ways, and as many as ye shall
find, bid to the marriage. 10 So
those servants went out into the
highways, and gathered together
7 'Aieoutra? «5e 6 Bao-iAeu? Rec. 'O Be /3<x<r-
<Acus T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles, N, B, L,
1, 22, 118, 209, N. Syriac, Sahidic.

going, one to his farm and another
to his merchandise; but to seize
the servants who had brought the
kind invitation, and to mistreat and
slay them, was an act of the most
malignant hostility, justifying, ac
cording to the usages of kings, the
most fearful retribution.
8-10. into the highways. — The
first invitations had been extended
only to those of suitable rank to be
guests of the king ; but now all per
sons found on the highways, "both
bad and good," are invited, and
they, appreciating the honor con
ferred on them, accept tho invitar
tion, and the king triumphs in refer
ence to the number, if not in refer
ence to the rank of his guests. The
conduct of those first invited brought
ruin on themselves without defeat
ing the purpose of the king.
11, 12. a wedding garment. —
There is much difference of opinion
among the commentators (see Lange
in loco) as to whether kings and men
of wealth were in the habit of fur
nishing the proper garment for their
guests on such occasions ; but what
ever may be the truth on this point,
this guest, when called on to say

all as many as they found, both
bad and good : and the wedding
was furnished with guests. u And
when the king came in to see
the guests, he saw there a man
which had not on a wedding
garment : 12 and he saith unto
him, Friend, how earnest thou
in hither not having a wedding
garment? And he was speech
less. "Then said the king to
the servants, Bind him hand
and foot, [and take him away,]
and cast him into outer dark
ness ; there shall be weeping
and gnashing of teeth. 14For
13 apare airbv Kai Rec. Omitted by Lach.,
T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.

why he had not on the wedding
garment, was "speechless," which
shows that he had no excuse.
13. there shall be weeping. —
In this verse there is a transition
from the symbol to the thing sym
bolized, beginning with the binding
of the insolent guest, and ending
with the weeping and gnashing of
teeth in outer darkness which are
to befall those represented by the
guest. 14. many called . . . few chos
en. — This is the subject illustrated
by the preceding parable. The
parties first called, who slighted the
invitation and mistreated the king,
are the Jews. The words, "He
sent forth his armies and destroyed
those murderers, and burned up
their city," would answer for a de
scription of the destruction of Je
rusalem. The persons called in
from the highways are the Gen
tiles ; and the fact that the wedding
was supplied with guests from this
source, after these first invited had
been slain and their city burned,
answers to the fact that after the
destruction of Jerusalem the Church
was filled up almost exclusively from

188

MATTHEW.

[xxii. 15-17.

many are called, but few are
chosen. ¦16Then went the Phar'isees,
and took counsel how they might
entangle him in his talk. 16 And
they sent out unto him their di
sciples with the Hero'dians, say-

the Gentiles, The entrance of the
king to see his guests (11) clearly
represents the final judgment; and
the man without a wedding gar
ment, those who will be found in
the Church without a suitable char
acter. All such, together with all
who reject the gospel invitation,
are among the many who are called
but not chosen ; while the few who
are chosen are those who shall be
found at their posts clothed in the
garments of righteousness. These
will be few, not absolutely but rel
atively; that is, few as compared
with the number that should be
chosen. Such is the leading train of
thought in the parable, but inci
dentally it contains other valuable
suggestions. The parties who slight
ed the invitation were moved, a
part of them by indifference born
of business cares (verse 5), and a
part of them by malice (verse 6).
The enemies of the gospel, and those
indifferent to its claims, are both
represented. Again, the man with
out the wedding garment was guilty
of insolence as well as neglect, and
so it is with him who holds a place
in the Church without the charac
ter of a Christian.
Question about Tribute to Ccesar,
15-22. (Mark xii. 13-17; Luke
xx. 20-26.)
15. how they might entangle
him. — The task of a detective who
seeks to entangle a bad man in his
talk for the sake of exposing him,
is not an enviable one; but to lay
such snares for a good man is truly

ing, Master, we know that thou
art true, and teachest the way
of God in truth, neither carest
thou for any man : for thou re-"
gardest not the person of men.
17 Tell us therefore, What think-
est thou? Is it lawful to give

diabolical. Yet this is what the
Pharisees deliberately took counsel
to do, and the wonder is that they
could look each other in the face
while taking counsel for such a
purpose. 16. their disciples with the
Herodiahs. — The leading Pharisees
did not themselves go on this detesta
ble mission, for fear that Jesus would
suspect their design; but they sent
their "disciples," or pupils, young
men acquiring an education like
Paul under Gamaliel; and with
them some Hcrodians. The Hero-
dians were political partisans of
Herod — men who defended his ad
ministration against the opposition
of the chief part of his subjects, and
whose services were engaged on this
occasion in order that they might
report promptly to Herod ¦ or to
Pontius Pilate any disloyal utter
ances which might be extorted from
Jesus. 16, 17. Master, we know. —
Though the plot does great discred
it to the hearts of the Pharisees, it
does none to their shrewdness and
their knowledge of human nature;
its malice is equaled by its cun
ning. They would try him in a
way which they had never before
attempted; they would compliment
him until they induced him to
speak words which they would al
most put into his mouth. Their
compliments would be based on
characteristics which were in them
selves most admirable, and would
be spoken by persons who came in
the guise . of honest inquirers.
They say, "Master we know that

xxii. 18-21.]

MATTHEW.

189

tribute unto Cse'sar, or not?
"But Je'sus perceived their
wickedness, and said, Why
tempt ye me. ye hypocrites?
"Show me the tribute money.
And they brought unto him a

you are true, and that you teach the
way of God in truth, neither do you
care for any man; for you regard
not tho person of men. Tell us,
therefore, what think you? Is it
lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or
not?" Thus, his unimpeachable
veracity, his truthful exhibition of
the " way of God," his disregard
of human opposition and of the dis
tinctions of rank and .power, traits
of character which should have ex
cited their admiration, they endeav
ored to employ, as instruments for
his destruction.
Is it lawful. — That is, in accord
ance with the law of Moses. It
was said in the law, "When thou
comest into the land which the Lord
thy God giveth thee, and shalt pos
sess it, and shalt dwell therein, and
shalt sa}', I will sec a king over me
like as all the nations that are
about me ; thou shalt in any wise
set him king over thee whom the
Lord thy God shall choose : one
from among thine own brethren
shalt thou set king over thee ; thou
mayest not set a stranger over thee
who is not thy brother." (Deut.
xvii: 14, 15.) This passage fur
nished at least plausible ground for
refusing to _pay tribute to any for
eign potentate, and the idea was
popular with the Jews. The Phar
isees supposed that Jesus was in
sympathy with the people on this
Bubject, and that the kingdom which
he intended to set up would be in
opposition to Csesar' s; consequently
they expected him to say that the
tribute was unlawful, and the Ho-
rodians were present to report the
fact. On the other hand, if they

penny. 20And he saith unto
them, Whose is this image and
superscription? 21 They say un
to him, Cos'sar's. Then saith he
unto them, Kender therefore un
to Caa'sar the things which are

should fail in pressing him to this
answer, the alternative which they
left him was to say that the tribute
was lawful, and this would be cal
culated to impair his popularity.
18. Why tempt ye me.— Deep
ly as they had laid their plot, and
cunningly as they had approached
him, they knew, from the first word
of his answer, that he saw through
it — that he detected their design
and their hypocrisy.
.19-21. Render therefore.— Af
ter showing them that he detected
their design, he proceeds to answer
their question, first asking them to
show him a piece of the tribute
money, or the coin in which the
tribute was paid. The image and
superscription were indicative of
the sovereignty under which the trib
ute was exacted, and the fact that
this coin was the tribute money,
showed that this sovereignty was
here established. As these were
Cajsar's, the answer logically fol
lowed, "Bender to Caasar the things
which are Cassar's." The answer
is general, and in teaching that
tribute must be rendered to those
to whom tribute is due, it teaches
that other obligations to civil rul
ers are to be discharged as well.
While thus pronouncing unmistak
ably in favor of paying the tribute,
he saves himself from popular prej
udice by adding, "and untoGod the
things that are God's," asserting, in
a manner which carried conviction
with it, that the payment of en
forced tribute was not inconsistent
with maintaining complete allegi
ance to God. The answer was not
inconsistent with the statute in

190

MATTHEW.

[xxii. 22-28.

Cse'sar's ; and unto God the
things that are God's. 22 When
they had heard these words,
they marveled, and left him, and
went their way.
23 The same day came to him
the Sad'ducees, which say that
there is no resurrection, and
asked him, 24 saying, Master,
Mo'ses said, If a man die, hav
ing no child ren, his brother shall

Deuteronomy, for this had reference,
not to enforced subjection by a for
eign power, but to the voluntary
choice of a king.
22. they marveled and left
him. — They had several causes for
astonishment: his instantaneous dis
covery of their plot, his skillful es
cape from their dilemma, his loyal
ty to Caesar while proposing him
self to establish a kingdom, and his
insusceptibility to flattery. Amazed
and baffled, they left him and went
their way.
Question about the Resurrection,
23-33. (Mark xii. 18-27; Luke
xx. 27-40.)
23. The same day.— Only on
one previous occasion have we found
the Sadducees engaged in active op
position to Jesus. (See xvi. 1.)
Although, as a party, they were un
believers, they had participated but
little in the controversy with Jesus
and his friends; but now that all Je
rusalem and the multitudes who had
come to the passover were in a
fever of excitement over his preten
sions, they too come forward and
try him with their favorite argu
ment against the resurrection of the
dead. which say ... no resurrec
tion. — They denied not only a res
urrection, but also the existence of
angels and of spirits. (See Acts
xxiii. 8.) All of their errors sprang
from tho last; for if there arc no

marry his wife, and raise up seed
unto his brother. ffiNow there
were with us seven brethren : and
the first, when Ije had married
a wife, deceased, and, having no
issue, left his wife unto his broth
er : 26 likewise the second also,
and the third, unto the seventh.
27 And last of all the woman died
also. M Therefore in the resur
rection whose wife shall she be

spirits, then there are no such be
ings as angels, who are spirits, and
there is no need of a resurrection
of the body, seeing that there is no
spirit awaiting such a resurrection.
On the other hand, if spirits exist,
then there may be such an order of
spirits as are called angels, and
there is a demand for the resurrec
tion of the human body in order
that the disembodied spirit may
again dwell in it, and make use
of its organs of communication and
enjoyment. 24. Master, Moses said. — The
saying is found in Deuteronomy
xxv. 5. The custom of taking a de
ceased brother's wife when he died
childless, and raising up seed to the
brother, was much older than the
law which gave it divine sanction.
It was observed in the family of
Jacob long before the giving of the
law. (See Gen. xxxviii. 6-11.)
25-28. whose wife shall she
be. — The force of the question de
pended on the assumption that the
marital relation would still exist in
the resurrected state, and this as
sumption could be denied only by
one competent to speak authorita
tively of that state. On this ac
count the Pharisees could not an
swer the objection satisfactorily.
The case was strongly put; for not
only were seven men supposed who
would have equal claims on the
same woman, but these seven men
wore brothers, between whom a

xxii. 29-32.]

MATTHEW.

191

ofthe seven? for they all had
her. 29 Je'sus answered and said
unto them, Ye do err, not know
ing the scriptures, nor the power
of God. 30For in the resurrec
tion they neither marry, nor are
given in marriage, but are as the

wife in common, or a strife for pos
session of her, would appear more
incongruous than if the seven were
strangers to each other.
29, 30. Ye do err. — Jesus strikes
their argument in its weak point —
its assumption that marriage would
exist after the resurrection. He
declares on his own authority, that
" in the resurrection they neither
marry nor are given in marriage,"
but that they will be " as the angels,"
among whom there is no marriage.
He also traces their false assump
tion to its source in their ignorance
of the Scriptures and of the power
of God. Had they known the
Scripture doctrine of the resurrec
tion, they would have known that
it did not involve the continuance
of marriage ; and had tlrey known
the power of God, they would have
known that he could raise the
saints without those carnal propen
sities on which marriage is based.
31, 32. as touching the resur
rection. — Having refuted the ob
jection of the Sadducees, Jesus
next furnished a proof of the res
urrection. The major premise of
his argument is the proposition that
"God is not the God of the dead,
but of the living." Here the term
dead is used in the sense attached
to it by the Sadducees. If he had
been disputing with Pharisees, they
could have answered, He is the God
of the dead; for Abraham and
Isaac and Jacob were dead when he
said "I am their God." But to the
Sadducees a dead man was non est—
he had ceased to exist, he was noth
ing; and to say, in their sense of

angels [of God] in heaven.
31 But as touching the resurrec
tion of the dead, have ye not
read that which was spoken unto
you by God, saying, 32 1 am the
30 to5 ®eov Rec. Omitted by Laeh.,T. S.
Green, Tregelles, B, D, 2, 209, a, b, c, e, f,
etc., N. Syriac, Sahidic, Armenian, etc.
the term, that God is the God of the
dead, is to say he is the God of
nothing. It. would be nonsense.
But God did say, hundreds of
years after the death of the three
patriarchs, " I am the God of
Abraham, and the God of Isaac,
and the God of Jacob.1' (Ex. iii.
6.) The conclusion follows, that
these patriarchs were not dead in
the Sadducean sense of the term;
and as the conclusion applies
only to their spirits, it proves that
spirits continue to be alive after the
bodies which they inhabited are
dead. The thoughtful reader may have
observed that the conclusion of this
argument falls short, in its terms,
of the demands of the subject.
The subject is the resurrection of
the dead, while the conclusion
affects only the question whether
the spirits of the dead are still
alive. We can not escape the diffi
culty by supposing, as some have
done, that the resurrection spoken
of is that of the spirit, not that of
the body ; for there is no such thing
as a resurrection of the spirit. The
spirit does not die, and therefore it
does not rise from the dead. It
leaves the body as the latter dies,
its departure is the immediate cause
of death, and it departs in the full
possession of life. Resurrection
is always spoken of in the Script
ures with reference to the body.
How, then, does the Savior's proof
that spirits continue to live apart
from the body, include proof of a
resurrection? It seems quite ceft
tain that the argument appeared

192

MATTHEW.

[xxii. 33-36.

God of A'braharn, and the God
of I'saac, and the God of Ja'cob ?
God is not the God of the dead,
but of the living. S3 And when
the multitude heard this, they
were astonished at his doc
trine. 34 But when the Phar'isees had

conclusive to the Sadducees ; for
Jesus assumed that it was so, and
they tacitly admitted the fact, while
the bystanders who knew the views
of the party "were astonished at
his doctrine." (Verse 33.) In other
words, the Sadducees admitted that
if the existence of human spirits
apart from the body were proved,
the necessity for a resurrection
would follow. The argument, then,
was conclusive at least to them ; but
was it no more than an ad hominem
argument ? We think not ; for
human spirits, having been origi
nally created for the exercise of
their powers through the organs of
a body, must, unless their original
nature be changed, which is an in
admissible supposition because un
supported by evidence, be depend
ent for their highest enjoyment on
the possession of a body. This
being so, the continued existence
of spirits after the death of the
body creates a demand for the res
urrection of the body, and the Sad
ducees were philosophical enough
to see this.
33. they were astonished. —
The astonishment of the multitude
arose from two circumstances : first,
that Jesus was at all able to answer
the boasted objection of the Saddu
cees ; and second, that he found the
answer in the writings of Moses,
where it was supposed then, and
has been supposed since, that the
doctrine of a future life is' not
taugbt.

heard that he had put the Sad'-
ducees to silence, they were
gathered together. 35 Then one
of them, which was a lawyer,
asked him a question, tempting
him, [and saying,] 30 Master,
3n xni kiyiov Rec. Omitted by Lach., T.
S. Green, Tregelles.
Question about the Great Com
mandment, 34^40. (Mark xii.
28-34.)34. when the Pharisees had
heard. — The rivalry which existed
between the Pharisees and the Sad
ducees caused each to rejoice at the
discomfiture of the other. When
the Pharisees, therefore, heard that
Jesus had " put the Sadducees to
silence," they were not only "gath
ered together," but they came with
a bettor spirit and purpose than be
fore. This will appear as we proceed.
35. a lawyer. — Lawyers among
the Jews were not attorneys as with
us, but simply men well versed in
the law of Moses. He was a, suit
able person to propound the ques
tion which follows, for he was qual
ified to judge of the answer.
tempting him. — The purpose
of the lawyer, as the nature of his
question implies, was not to incite
Jesus to evil, but to test his knowl
edge of the law. The Pharisees
had given up the contest in regard
to his miracles, and now they hoped
to defeat him in a trial of his knowl
edge. 36. the great commandment.
— The one pre-eminently great.
Here is exhibited the same concep
tion with which the rich young
man had inquired, "What 1700a
thing shall I do that I may have
eternal life ? " (xix. 16.) The Phar
isees themselves had fallen into the
mistake of supposing that there was
pre-eminent merit in fasting and
paying tithes. (See xxiii. 23; Luke
xviii. 12.)

xxii. 87-45.]

MATTHEW.

193

which is the great command
ment in the law ? 37 Je'sus said
unto him, Thou shalt love the
Lord thy God with all thy heart,
and with all thy soul, and with
all thy mind. 38 This is the first
and great commandment. 39And
the- second is hke unto it, Thou
shalt love thy neighbor as thy
self. *° On these two command
ments hang all the law and the
prophets. 41 While the Phar'isees were
gathered together, Je'sus asked

37, 38. first and great com
mandment. — The commandment
cited was not, as the lawyer might
have expected, taken from the deca
logue, but from a comparatively
obscure place in the Pentateuch.
(See Deut. vi. 5.) It is called the
first and great, as the sequel shows
(verse 40), not because, apart from
all others it is great, but because in
observing it all others are observed.
39. second is like.— The second
was also selected from an obscure
passage (Lev. xix. 18), and was as
little expected as the first. The
best explanation of its meaning is
that given by Jesus when another
lawyer, conversing on the same
subject, inquired, "Who is my
neighbor?" Jesus showed him by
the parable of the good Samaritan
that every man, even an enemy.is
our neighbor, and that to love him
aa the commandment requires is to
entertain toward him such feeling
as will cause us to relieve him when
in distress. (See Luke x. 25-37.)
The love enjoined is a benevolent
good-will toward all persons.
40. On these two . . . hang
all. — There is a tacit comparison
of these two commandments to a
hook in the wall on which are hung
all the books of the law and the
prophets. As the hook supports
17

them, *2 saying, What think ye
of Christ? whose son is he?
They say unto him, The son of
Da'vid. 4S He saith unto them,
How then doth Da'vid in spirit
call him Lord, saying, 44The
Lord said unto my Lord, Sit
thou on my right hand, till I
| make thine enemies thy foot
stool : shall limie put thine enemies
beneath thy feet\l "If Da'vid
44 iiroir68iov Rec. iiroKaria Lach., Tisch.
T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles, X, B, D. g'
i, z, r, A, etc., N. Syriac, Coptic, Sahidic'
etc.

all, so to keep these two command
ments is to do all that is required
by the Scriptures. He who loves
God as required will keep all of
God's commandments, and he who
loves his neighbor will fulfill every
obligation to his neighbor. The
lawyer went away with the idea
not that one specific commandment
of God is more important than an
other, but that the great thing is to
have a heart for doing all that God
commands. Question about the Lordship of
the Christ, 41-46. (Mark xii.
35-37; Luke xx. 41-44.)
42. What think ye of Christ?
— It should be, ot the Christ.
Waiving, for the time, his own
claim to be the Christ, he" inquires
of them, "What think ye ofthe
Christ?" And to give a specific
aim to his question he adds, " Whose
son is he ? It is not, then, a gen
eral question about their opinion
concerning the Christ, nor is it at
all a question concerning their
opinion of Jesus; but he inquires
whose son the true Christ must be.
Their answer was his own answer
— he was to be the son of David.
43-45. How then. — The argu
ment is this : If David in the spirit — •
that is, by inspiration — called the

194

MATTHEW.

[xxii. 46.

then call him Lord, how is he
his son ? u And no man was
able to answer him a word,

Christ his Lord, as he does in the
passage quoted (Ps. ex. 1), how
could the Christ be at the same time
the son of David. The two are in
consistent if the Christ is not divine
as well as human.
46. no man was able to an
swer. — They were not able to an
swer because they believed not in
the divinity of the Christ. They
supposed that he would be only a
man: they were Unitarians. By
propounding the question, Jesus
gained two important points : he
showed that the promised Christ
was to be divine, and he showed
that his own claim to be the Son
of God was in perfect harmony
with his claim to be the Christ. If
lie is the Christ, then he is David's
Lord. neither durst any man. — Ever
since his arrival in the city his op
ponents of every party had plied
him with questions, taxing their
ingenuity "to entangle him in his
talk; " but all their questions had
been answered successfully, and
some of them had been turned to
his own advantage. Finally,- he
had propounded to them one ques
tion which they could not answer,
and whig h carried with it an unan
swerable argument for his own di
vinity. They were so completely
discomfited that they feared to ask
him any more questions.
Argument of Section 3.
The disputations of the preceding
section contain two distinct' argu
ments in favor of Jesus — one based
on the conduct of his enemies, and
the other on his own words. In
all of these disputations except the
last two, the wickedness of his ene
mies is made to appear. In their

neither durst any man from that
day forth ask him any more
questions. answer concerning the source of
John's mission, the"ir hypocrisy ap
pears (xxi. 23-27) ; in the parable
of the two sons it appears again in
unfavorable contrast with the open
wickedness and subsequent repent
ance of the publicans and harlots
(28-32) ; in that of the wicked hus
bandmen, their wanton cruelty, de
manding their final destruction, is
made prominent (33-46) ; in that
of the royal wedding, the indiffer
ence of some and the malice of
others (xxii. 1-14); and, finally, the
wickedness of the Pharisees and
the ignorance of the Sadducees are
exhibited in their attempts to " en
tangle him in his talk. Now, if
the enemies of Jesus had been the
candid and the honest-hearted of
his generation, it would have puz
zled his friends to reconcile thia
circumstance with the character
which is ascribed to him, and with
the evidence which he is said to
have placed before them. But see
ing that it was the dishonest and
the hypocritical who were his ene
mies, their characters furnish an
argument in his favor.
The other argument of the sec
tion is more direct. In answer to
the demand for his authority, the
latter was proved to be divine ; in
the two parables, that of the hus
bandmen and that of the royal
wedding, his prophetic powers are
displayed by his very clear predic
tion of the destruction of Jerusa
lem and of the predominance of
the Gentiles in the kingdom of
God; while his transcendent wis
dom is displayed in his answers to
the questions concerning tribute,
the resurrection, and the great com
mandment. The reader should observe that
in this part of Matthew's narrative,

xxm.

1-4.]

MATTHEW.

195

XXIII. 'Then spake Je'sus
to the multitude, and to his dis
ciples, ^saying, The scribes and
the Phar'isees sit in Mo'ses' seat :
8 all therefore whatsoever they
bid you [observe], that observe
3 mipetv Rec. Omitted by Lach., Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles, X, B, J., z, 1,
124, 209, Old Latin, Vulgate, N. Syriac,
Coptic, Sahidic, iEthiopic, Armenian,
etc.

including all from the public entry of
Jesus into the city until his arrest,
Jesus is presented, not as a miracle-
worker and a fulfiller of prophecy,
but as himself a prophet. His mira
cles of power were chiefly, though not
exclusively, wrought in Galilee and
Perea, while his miracles of knowl
edge were wrought chiefly in the
intellectual center of the nation.
Even here, however, as John's nar
rative abundantly shows, had oc
curred some of the most signal mir
acles of the former class. (See
Johnv. 1-5; ix. 1-7; xi. 43-46'.)

SECTION IT.
- Denunciation of the Sceibes and
Pharisees, XXIII.
Their Moral Inconsistency, 1-4 ; Their
Ostentation, 5-12; Their Conduct
toward Believeis and Proselytes, 13-
16 ; Their Folly in Reference to
Oaths, 16-22; Their Corruption in
Refei-ence to Tithes and Morals, 23,
24; Their Outward Purity and In
ward Corruption, 25-28; Their Imita
tion of the Ancient Persecutors, 29-
36; Lamentation over Jerusalem,
37-39.

Their Moral Inconsistency, 1-4.
1. to the multitude and to
his disciples. — Jesus is still in the
temple, and in the presence of the
opponents with whom he had been
disputing, but he now addresses him
self to the disciples and the multi
tude. The change of his address
is accompanied hy a change in his

and do ; but do not ye after
their works : for they say, and
do not. 4 1 For : And | they bind
heavy burdens and grievous to
be borne, and lay them on men's
shoulders ; but they themselves
will not move them with one of
their fingers.
4 yap Rec. Sk Lach., Tisch., T. S. Green,
Alford, Tregelles.

subject-matter. Having exhausted
on his hypocritical foes the power
of proof and argument, he proceeds
to deal with them as hopeless repro
bates by depicting to the multitude
their true character, and by heap
ing upon them the sentences of
condemnation which were justly
their due.
27 3. sit in Moses' seat. — He
begins by recognizing his enemies
as teachers of the law of Moses,
and the only source of information
on that subject accessible as yet to
the uneducated people. But his
advice, " All therefore whatsoever
they bid you, that observe and do,"
must be understood as limited to
things written in the law ; for the
traditions which the scribes taught
he had already repudiated.
3, 4. do not after their works
— While their teaching, so far as it
was drawn from the law, was to be
strictly observed, their example
was to be carefully avoided. " They
say, and do not." The " heavy bur
dens and grievous to be borne "
which they bound and laid on men's
shoulders, were the traditions which
they added to the law ; for although
the law. itself was a yoke which
neither they nor their fathers were
able to bear (Acts xv. 10), it could
not be said of the law that it was
a burden which the scribes bound
and laid on men's shoulders. They
avoided the task of bearing these
burdens themselves, not moving
them with one of their fingers, by

196

MATTHEW.

[xxiii. 5-7.

6 But all their works they do
for to be seen of men : they
make broad their phylacteries,
and enlarge the borders [of their
garments], 6 and love the upper-
5 riiiV ipariiav airuv Rec. Omitted by

introducing a class of subtle dis
tinctions iike that of the corban
(xv. 4-6), and those in reference to
oaths (verses 16-22).
Their Ostentation, 5-12. (Mark
xii. 38, 39; Luke xx. 45, 46.)
5. to be seen of men.— While
avoiding all heavy burdens, they
performed some works, yet only
such as would attract the attention
of men and secure to themselves
reputation for piety. These they
carried to an excess, as is seen in
the specifications mentioned below.
broad their phylacteries, —
Phylacteries were pieces of parch
ment with certain portions of the
law written on them, and worn
usually on the sleeve of the left
arm, though sometimes on the fore
head, and sometimes on the breast.
The authority for wearing them was
entirely traditionary, the tradition
having its origin in a literal inter
pretation of Ex. xiii. 9, 16, and
Deut. xi. 18-21. For a minute de
scription of them, and for some of
the frivolous notions of the Rabbis
concerning them, we "refer the in
quisitive to Smith's Dictionary, arti
cle Frontlets. The sin of the Phar
isees was not in wearing phylac
teries, for it was in itself a harmless
practice, but in making theirs broad
for ostentatious display.
enlarge the borders. — The chil
dren of Israel were required by the
law to make fringes in the borders
of their garments, and to put upon
the fringes " a ribband of blue."
(Num. xv. 37-39.) The Pharisees
made these, as they did their phy
lacteries, larger than did other peo-

most rooms at feasts, and the
chief seats in the synagogues,
' and greetings in the markets,
and to be called of men, Eabbi,
Lach., Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford, Tre
gelles, X, b, d, 1, 22, Vulgate, etc.
pie, in order to appear more relig
ious than others.
6. uppermost rooms. — Not
rooms in the modern sense, but re
clining places (rtpatox%iaias). The
Jews, in the Savior's time, like the
Greeks and Romans, ate their meals
in a reclining posture. Long
couches were provided in their din-
iug-halls, on each of which three
persons would usually recline. The
first, reclining on his left side,
rested his left elbow on a cushion
at the end of the couch, his feet
thrown back toward the rear so as
to allow another to recline just be
low and in front of him. The third
was an equal distance below the
second, the head of each being far
enough below his neighbor above
to keep from interfering with the
free use of his hands in eating.
The middle position was the posi
tion of honor, here called the up
permost room, and the Pharisees
are charged with loving to secure
it. chief seats in the synagogues.
— At the end of the synagogue
building, opposite to the entrance,
was the chest or ark containing the
books of the law, and the seats
near that end were the " chief seats
in the synagogue."
7. greetings in the markets.
— Not .markets in the modern sense,
but open spaces in the city to which
the populace resorted for conversa
tion and for business transactions
of various kinds, and where judi
cial tribunals often held their sit
tings. There was one such in ev
ery city, called by the Greeks the
agora, and by the Romans, tho

8-13.]

MATTHEW.

197

Rabbi. 8But be not ye called
Rabbi : for one is your Master,
[even Christ] ; and all ye are
brethren. 9And call no man
your father upon the earth : for
one is your Father, which is in
8 6 Xptcrros Rec. Omitted by Lach., Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles, E, etc., N.
Syriac, P. Syriac, Ph. Syriac.
forum. The Pharisees delighted
in the formal greetings and saluta
tions which were here lavished on
men of distinction by the fawning
multitude. 8-11. Rabbi . . . father . . .
master. — The ostentation which
showed itself in the dress of the
Pharisees and in their greediness
for popular applause, was also seen
in their fondness for honorary titles.
Rabbi means teacher, but it was
used not merely to point out the
fact that one was a teacher, but as
a title of honor; and it is only the
latter use of it that is here prohib
ited. The apostles frequently ap
plied the title teacher to those who
were such in the churches. (See
Actsxiii.l;lTim.ii.7;2Tim.i 11.)
The term father was also applied
figuratively by Paul to himself, when
he said to the Corinthians, " You
have not many fathers; for in
Christ Jesus I have begotten you
through the gospel." (1 Cor. iv.
15.) He also called Timothy his
"own son in the faith," thus by
implication calling himself Timo
thy's father. He had reference in
each of these cases to his actual re
lationship in the gospel to these
parties ; hence it is the merely honor
ary use of the term which is prohibit
ed. So of the title Muster (xa6r]yr]-(aC,
leaders) ; its use in au honorary pr
complimentary style is alone prohib
ited. Our modern titles, Reverend,
Right Reverend, Doctor of Divinity,
etc., are all of the prohibited class
and should be scrupulously avoided

heaven. 10 Neither be ye called
masters : for one is your Master,
even Christ. "But he that is
greatest among you shall, be
your servant. "And whosoever
shall exalt himself shall be
abased ; and he that shall hum
ble himself shall be exalted.
13 But woe unto you, scribes

by men who desire to please God.
Alford, in this place, combating a
note by Albert Barnes, says that
"to understand aud follow such
commands in the slavery of the let
ter, is to fall into the very Pharisee-
ism against which our Lord is
uttering the caution.'' This remark
would be unaccountable but for the
fact that the learned commentator
was himself a dignitary in a church
which has been peculiarly given to
the practice here condemned. Sure
ly it can not be Phariseeism to
scrupulously avoid that for which
the Pharisees were condemned ;
and in repudiating all honorary
titles we are complying with the
spirit of the command even- more
certainly than with the letter ; for
in the letter only three such titles
are specified.
11, 12. shall be your servant.
— In these two verses the meekness >
becoming a Christian is put in con
trast with the ostentation of tho
Pharisees, and the consequences of
both .are stated. The pathway to
true greatness is found in humble
service for others, while self-exalta
tion insures abasement. The re
sults are brought about providen
tially in this world, and judicially
in the world to come.
Their Conduct toward Believers
and Proselytes, 13-15.
13. ye shut up the* kingdom.
— Here the term " shut up " (x%n-
eti) is used metaphorically ; for
the scribes and Pharisees could not

198

MATTHEW.

[xxiii. 14-17.

and Phar'isees, hypocrites ! for
ye shut up the kingdom of
heaven against men : for ye
neither go in yourselves, neither
suffer ye them that are entering
to go in. [14 Woe unto you,
scribes and Phar'isees, hypo
crites! for ye devour widows'
houses, and for a pretense make
long prayer : therefore ye shall
receive the greater damnation.]
14 Omitted by Laoh., Tisch., T. S. Green,
Alford, Tregelles, N, B, r>, i, z, 1, 28, 33, 118,
209, 346, Armenian, etc.,Eusebian Canons.

literally shut up the kingdom of
heaven. There is a tacit comparison
of the kingdom to a walled city,
and of the conduct of the Pharisees
to men standing at the gate but re
fusing to go in, and ' shutting the
gate against those who would go in.
The application is easy. Their re
fusal to go in represents their re
fusal to accept the doctrine of the
kingdom of Christ; and their shut
ting the gate, their efforts to keep
those who would accept this doc
trine from doing so. To argue
from this passage, as some have
done, that the kingdom of heaven
must have been already set up, is
illogical, because the figure is as
well suited to a kingdom about to
be established as to one already in
existence. 14. — • This verse is omitted, as
appears in the critical note, by the
rCcent critics and bv some of the
best manuscripts. It was interpo
lated from Mark xii. 40, or Luke
xx. 47, in both of which places it
is genuine. We will consider it at
the proper place in Mark.
15, to make one proselyte. —
Not a proselyte from heathenism
to the worship of the true God, but
a Jewish proselyte to the sect of
the Pharisees — to the traditionary
observances and corrupt practices
which they exalted above the word

15 Woe unto you, scribes and
Phar'isees, hypocrites ! for ye
compass sea and land to make
one proselyte, and when he is
made, ye make him twofold
more the child of hell than your
selves. 16 Woe unto you, ye blind
guides, which say, Whosoever
shall swear by the temple, it is
nothing ; but whosoever shall
swear by the gold of the tem
ple, he is a debtor! 17Ye fools

of God. To compass sea and land
for the former purpose would have
been most commendable, for it
would have made men better; but
for the latter purpose it was de
plorable, because it made men worse.
(See a fine article on Proselytes, in
Smith's Bible Dictionary.)
twofold more. — Their proselytes
were worse than themselves, be
cause it is the tendency of corrupt
systems to make their adherents
worse and worse, generation after
generation ; and also because the
proselyte, having, as a general rule,
less knowledge of the law than his
teacher, was under less restraint
from that source, and was more
completely devoted to the traditions
of the sect.
Their Folly in Reference to Oaths,
16-22.
16. blind guides. — In this par
agraph the denunciatory term is not
hypocrites, as above and below,
but "blind guides," "ye fools and
blind ; " for here it is not so much
their hypocrisy as their folly which
is exposed.
17-19. whether is greater. —
The first point made against their
teaching is that it reverses the rel
ative importance of things. They
esteemed more highly the gold of
the temple (16) than the temple

xxiii. 18-24.]

MATTHEW.

199

and blind : for whether is greater,
the gold, or the temple that
sanctifieth the gold? 18And,
Whosoever shall swear by the
altar, it is nothing ; but whoso
ever sweareth by the gift that
is upon it, he is guilty. . w Ye
[fools and] blind: for whether
is greater, the gift, or the altar
that sanctifieth the gift ? "Who
so therefore shall swear by the
altar, sweareth by it, and by all
things thereon. "And whoso
shall swear by the temple, swear-
19 imuioI io-I Rec. Omitted by Lach.,
Tisch., T. S. Gi'een, Alford, Tregelles.

which gave that gold all its saered-
. ness ; and the gift at the altar, than
the altar which made the gift holy
by its touch. (Ex. xxix. 37.)
" 20-22. whoso shall swear. —
Here the people were taught the
binding nature of every oath, and
• both the folly and wickedness of
the distinction made by the Phar
isees. Their Corruption in Reference to
Tithes and Morals, 23, 24.
23. tithe of mint. — The articles
here mentioned, mint, anise, and
cummin, were garden herbs grown
in small quantities and used chiefly
for flavoring. To pay tithes of
these was to be scrupulous to the
last farthing, for the tithe was
scarcely worth the trouble of re
moving it from the garden.
the weightier matters. —
Weightier matters than paying
tithes, because the interests of soci
ety are more deeply involved in
them. "Judgment' means here
right judgment of our fellow-men;
" mercy," forbearance toward the
guilty and compassion toward the
suffering. " Faith " is both the be
lief of the truth and habitual man
ifestation of that belief in the life.

eth by it, and by him that dwell-
eth therein. 22And he that
shall swear by heaven, sweareth
by the throne of God, and by
him that sitteth thereon.
23 Woe unto you, scribes and
Phar'isees, hypocrites ! for ye
pay tithe of mint and anise and
cummin, and have omitted the
weightier matters of the law,
judgment, mercy, and faith :
these ought ye to have done,
and not to leave the other un
done. M Ye blind guides, which
strain* at a gnat, and swallow a
camel.

The Pharisees omitted these habit
ually, and especially had they done
so in reference to Jesus. They pro
nounced unjust judgments against
him ; they were unmerciful toward
him in reference to the faults which
they pretended to find in him ; and
they had no faith either in his
word or the words of the prophets
which were written of him . Greater
extremes of conscientiousness in
some things and unrighteousness in
others were never, perhaps, united in
the same persons ; nor has such wick
edness ever been exposed in terms
more felicitous than these words of
Jesus. They have become house
hold words wherever the gospel is
known. these ought ye.— It is not un
common to understand Jesus as
teaching in this paragraph that it is
not important to be particular about
small matters, provided we observe
the weightier matters. But while
he says in reference to the latter,
" These ye ought to have done," he
says of the former, "and not to
leave the other undone." They
should not have left undone even
the tithe of mint, anise, and cum
min. 24. strain at a gnat.— Greek,

200

MATTHEW.

[xxiii. 25-29.

25 Woe unto you, scribes and
Phar'isees, hypocrites! for ye
make clean the outside of the
cup and of the platter, but with
in they are full of extortion and
excess. 26Thou blind Phar'isee,
cleanse first that which is with
in the cup [and platter], that
the outside of | them : it | may be
clean also. 2'Woe unto you,
26 «al tt)s Trapo^iiooi Rec. Omitted by
Tisch., T. S. Green. Alford, i>, 1, 209, a, e. etc.
26 airiav Rec. airoi) Lach., Tisch., T. S.
Green, Alford, Tregelles.

" strain out a gnat." Reference is
had to the custom of straining wine
as it was poured into the drinking-
cup, lest a gnat, which was an un
clean insect, should be swallowed.
While thus particular about the
gnats, if a camel were in the cup
they would swallow him. The hy
perbole is an extravagant one, but
the more impressive on that ac
count. The fault exposed does not
consist in straining out the gnat,
but in swallowing the camel. Je
sus would have us to swallow nei
ther the camels nor the gnats.
Their Outward Purity and In
ward Corruption, 25-28.
25. clean the outside. —The
reference is to their traditionary
ablutions, such as had caused them
to find fault with him when his di
sciples ate bread with unwashed
hands. (See xv. 2; Mark vii. 3, 4,
8.) Their conduct is satirized by
comparing it to that of a woman
who would carefully cleanse the
outside of a cup or plate, and leave
the inside unclean; but when he
comes to speak of the inside he
passes from the figure to the re
ality, and says, " within they are
full of extortion and excess."
26. that the outside may be
clean. — Cleansing tho inside of a
cup would not necessarily cleanse
the outside, yet ordinarily it so re-

scribes and Phar'isees, hypo
crites! for ye are like unto
whited sepulchers, which indeed
appear beautiful outward, but
are within full of dead men's
bones, and of all uncleanness.
28 Even so ye also outwardly ap
pear righteous unto men, but
within ye are full of hypocrisy
and iniquity.
29 Woe unto you, scribes and
Phar'isees, hypocrites ! because
ye build the tombs of the proph-

sults : and so, if a man purify him
self inwardly he will be pure ex
ternally, and far more certainly
than in the case of the cup. He
who aims at external purity of life,
should therefore exert himself
chiefly to cleanse that which is
within, that the outside may also
be clean.
27, 28. like whited sepulchers.
— Jesus still has his eye ou the
wickedness of their hearts, but he
now contrasts it, not with their caro
about tithing, nor with their legal
cleanliness, but with their pretense
of righteousness. (28.). While
they maintained such outward con
duct as gave them great credit with
the people, like the beautifully
whited sepulchers which were " full
of dead men's bones and of all un
cleanness," they were full of hy
pocrisy and iniquity.
Their Imitation ofthe AncientPer-
secutors, 29-36.
29-31. Wherefore ye be wit
nesses. — The argument is obscure.
In building the tombs of the proph
ets and garnishing the sepulchers
of the righteous, and also in their
speech — "If we had been in the
days of our fathers, we would not
have been partakers with them in
the blood of the prophets"— they
were acting and speaking eoni-
mendably; but in this very speech

xxiii. 30-36.]

MATTHEW.

201

ets, and garnish the sepulchers,
of the righteous, 30 and say,
If we had been in the days of
our fathers, we would not have
been partakers with them in the
blood of the prophets. 31 Where
fore ye be witnesses unto your
selves, that ye are the children
of them which killed the proph
ets. sa Fill ye up then the meas
ure of your fathers. 33 Ye ser
pents, ye generation of vipers,
how can ye escape the damna
tion of hell? "Wherefore, be
hold, I send unto you prophets,
and wise men, and scribes :

they were acknowledging them
selves to be the children of those
who persecuted the prophets, and
Jesus uses that circumstance against
them. They were themselves wit
nesses that they were children of
those persecutors, and he argues
that notwithstanding their good
professions, they, as children, in
herited the very character which
they were repudiating. Further
more, by the term "hypocrites"
with which he addresses them (29),
he assumes that all their good pro
fessions were hypocritical.
32. Fill up the measure. — The
accumulating iniquity of the na
tion is represented as a measure
which their fathers had provided
and partly filled, and which they
were now to fill to the brim.
(Compare what is said of the Am-
orites, Gen. xv. 16.)
33. how can ye escape.— This
is the most fearful passage in the
entire speech. "Ye serpents! Ye
offspring (y£w*;ixa*a) of vipers!"
What words could depict a more
despicable eharacter? And what
sentence pronounced in advance of
the final judgment can be compared
with this : " How can ye escape
the damnation of hell?" By the

[and] some of them ye shall
kill and crucify ; arid some of
them shall ye scourge in your
synagogues, and persecute them
from city to city : 35 that upon
you may come all the righteous
blood shed upon the earth, from
the blood of righteous A'bel unto
the blood of Zachari'as son of
Barachi'as, whom ye slew- be
tween the temple and the altar.
36 Verily I say unto you, All
these things shall come upon
this generation.
34 (cal Rec. Omitted bv Lach., Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.

figure of erotesis it is asserted with
awful emphasis that for them there
was no escape. It is well remarked
by Alford that in this, the last pub
lic discourse of the Lord, he re
peats almost verbatim the denunci
ation pronounced against these
parties by John in the beginning
of his ministry, " thus denoting the
unchanged state of these men on
whom the whole preaching of re
pentance had now been expended."
He notes one point of difference,
however, that John demanded of
them, "Who hath warned you to
flee from the wrath to come? " while
Jesus demanded, " How can you
escape ? "
34. I send unto you.— Tho
"prophets, wise men, and scribes"
here mentioned are the apostles and
their co-laborers, whom Jesus in
tended to send, and who are desig
nated by titles familiar to his hear-
35, 36. That upon you may
come. — The expression, "upon you
may come all the righteous blood,"
etc., can not mean that they would
be held responsible for it all ; for
they could not be responsible for
what occurred before they were
born. But that course of iniquity

202

MATTHEW.

[xxiii. 37-39.

3T O Jeru'salem, Jeru'salem,
thou that killest the prophets,
and stonest them which are sent
unto thee, how often would I
have gathered thy children to
gether, even as a hen gathereth
her chickens under her wings,

which began with the murder of
Abel, and which, so far as the
Jews were as yet concerned, had
terminated with the death of Zach
arias, was to reach its final con
summation in that generation by
the crucifixion of Jesus ; and the
series of earthly judgments which
had been visited on the world on
account of such bloodshed, was also
to reach its consummation by the
unparalleled sufferings attendant
upon the siege and destruction of
Jerusalem. All these things came
upon that generation in the sense
that the consummation of earthly
punishments for such deeds befell
that generation.
Zacharias son of Barachias.
— The only person mentioned in
the Old Testament by this name is
Zechariah the prophet (Zech. i. 1);
but if he perished in this way
there is no other record of the fact
now extant. Zachariah the son
of Jehoiada was stoned " in the
court of the house of the Lord,"
and it may be " between the tem
ple and the altar;" but be would
not be confounded with Zechariah
the son of Barachiah. It is con
jectured by Alford that the text
was originally written, as in Luke
xi. 51, without the words " son
of Barachiah," and that copy
ists at an early period inserted
these words through a mistaken
desire to make the reference more
definite. If this conjecture shall be
found, on further investigation, to
be correct, we shall conclude that
some more recent Zachariah is
meant, and this would agree better

and ye would not! 3S Behold,
your house is left unto you des
olate. 39For I say unto you,
Ye shall not see me henceforth,
till ye shall say, Blessed is he
that cometh in the name of the
Lord.with the force of the argument ; but
otherwise we shall be constrained
to think that the prophet Zachari
ah is the one alluded to, and that
he was slain as is declared in the
text. Lamentation over Jerusalem, 37-39.
37. and ye Would not. — The
inimitable tenderness and pathos
which breathe through this lamen
tation, following immediately the
burning denunciations of the pre
ceding speech, show plainly that the
latter were not instigated by malice.
They were j udicial utterances wrung
from a heart full of longings in be
half of the people denounced. Not
withstanding the killing of the
prophets and the stoning of heaven
sent messengers in times gone by,
his feeling toward them now was
like the maternal tenderness of the
hen when she nestles her brood
under her wings ; and the only ob
stacle to their salvation was, that
they " would not." A stubborn will
was, with them, as it is so likely to
be with us, the only hindrance to
the saving favor of God.
38. your house is left. — In the
personification, "O Jerusalem, Jeru
salem," etc., the people of the city
are addressed, and consequently
their "house" must be the city in
which they dwelt, and not the tem
ple which belonged to all Israel. It
was to be left desolate by his depart
ure to return no more until the time
indicated in the next verse.
39. till ye shall say.— The ref
erence can not be to the return
of Jesus after his resurrection, nor

XXIV.

1-2.]

MATTHEW.

203

XXIV. 'And Je'sus went
out, and departed from the tem
ple: and his disciples came to
him for to shew him the build
ings of the temple. 2And
| Je'sus : he answering \ said unto

to what might be figuratively styled
his appearance on the next Pente
cost; for on neither of these occa
sions did the people of the city in
general welcome him; but it is to
is final coming, when, as the pre
diction clearly implies, the city will
contain a believing population, and
will welcome him, as the multitude
had done at the time of his pub
lic entry, with the acclamation,
"Blessed is he that cometh in the
name of the Lord."
Akgttment op Section 4.
The argument for the claims of
Jesus implied in the preceding sec
tion is identical in part with that
of the third section (soe Argu
ment of § 3, p. 195), but it is
here more elaborately presented.
If his enemies had been the honest
and candid men of his generation,
it would have been difficult to
reconcile this fact with the suppo
sition that his character was unim
peachable and his miracles un
questionable. But when we find
what is so clearly disclosed in this
chapter, that his enemies were the
hypocrites, the arrogant pretenders,
the zealous partisans, the extenua-
tors of perjury, the pervorters of
morals, the extortioners, the un
clean at heart, and the bloody per
secutors of innocent men, the argu
ment is reversed, and the character
of the opposition is found to be no
mean proof of the righteousness of
Jesus. A man of spotless purity
aud of unoompromising zeal against
all iniquity is the very man to arouse
tho enmity of such people.

them, See ye not all these
things? verily I say unto you,
There shall not be left here one
stone upon another, that shall
2 'bjo-oij? Rec. o 8e aiTOKpideis Lach.,
Tisch., T. S. Ureen, Alford, Tregelles.
SECTION V.
Destruction op the Temple Pre
dicted, XXIV. 1-28.
Occasion of the Prediction, 1-3 ; Warn
ing ag:iinst, False Chrisis, 4, 5 ; Wars
and Providential Calamities, (j-S ;
SuiTei-ings and Success of tiie Dis
ciples, 9-14; The Signal for Flight
and the Greatness of the Tribula
tion, 15-22; Another Warning against
False Christs aud False Prophets,
23-28.

Occasion of the Prediction, 1-3.
(Mark xiii. 1-4; Luke xxi. 5-7.)
1. went out and departed. —
Went out of the temple and de
parted from its vicinity. This was
his final departure from the temple,
and the preceding discourse denun
ciatory of the scribes and Phari
sees contained the last words which
he spoke therein — sad foreshadow
ing of the doom which impended
over the unhappy city.
to show him the buildings. —
As he had already departed from
the temple wh'en the disciples came
to show him the buildings of the
temple, the buildings referred to
must have been the walls and for
tifications surrounding the outer
court and constituting the defenses
of the temple. They were very
massive and well calculated to ex
cite the admiration of the Galilean
disciples. 2. one stone upon another.—
The reply of Jesus to the admiring
expressions of the disciples was as
brief as it was astonishing. With
the simple statement that "there
shall not be left here one stone
upon another that shall not be

204

MATTHEW.

[xxiv. 3-7.

not be thrown down. 3And as
he sat upon the mount of Ol'ives,
the disciples came unto him
privately, saying, Tell us, when
shall these things be ? and what
shall be the sign of thy coming,
and of the end of the world ?
4 And Je'sus answered and said
unto them, Take heed that no
man deceive you. 6For many

thrown down," he dropped the sub
ject until the astonished disciples
brought it up again.
3. as he sat upon the mount. —
Struck dumb by his announcement,
the disciples seem to have said no
more until, having climbed the
slope of the Mount of Olives, on the
way toward Bethany, Jesus ¦took a
seat and looked back over the city.
Then they come to him " privately"
and ask, "When shall these things
be, and what shall be the sign of
thy coming and of the end of the
world?" Their question is twofold,
having reference first to the time,
and secondly to the sign by which
they might know that the event
was near. He had said nothing
about his own coming or the end
of the world, but they inferred from
the strength of the temple walls
that the time when all these stones
would be thrown down could not
be sooner than the end of the
world and the second coming of the
Son of man. So much of this in
ference as was incorrect he cor
rected in the course of his answer :
for he makes a very clear distinc
tion, as we will see, between the
time of his final coming and that
of the destruction of the temple.
The question had been propounded
by the four fishermen, Peter, James,
John, and Andrew (Mark xiii. 3),
and only these four were present
to hear the remarkable discourse
which begins with the fourth verse

shall come in my name, saying,
I am Christ; and shall deceive
many. 6 And ye shall hear of wars and
rumors of wars: see that ye be
not troubled: for | all these
things : they | must come to pass,
but the end is not yet. 'For
6 vavra Rec. Omitted hy Lach., T. S.
Green, Tregelles.

of this chapter and ends with chap
ter twenty-fifth.
Warning Against False Chrisis, 4;
5. (Mark xiii. 5, 6; Luke xxi. 8.)
4, 5. many shall come. — They
were to come previous to the end
(verse 6), and were to come claim
ing to be the Christ, thus denying
the Christhood of Jesus. We nave
no history of the appearance of
such persons,* but this, furnishes
no evidence against the fulfillment
of the prediction; for even Jesus
does not appear in secular history
until after his Church had become
a power in the world; and as the
false Christs left no institutions
behind them, they naturally escaped
the notice of the historians of the
time. Wars and Providential Calami
ties, 6-8. (Mark xiii. 7, 8; Luke
xxi. 9-11.)
6, 7. wars and rumors of
wars. — Not wars in distant nations,
but wars particularly affecting the
Jews, as appears from the warning,
" see that ye be not troubled" (verse
6), and from the fact that the com
ing trouble of the Jews was the
subject of discourse. The nations
and kingdoms which were to rise
up against each other were those

* See Josephus, Ware, B. ii. ch. xiii.
M 4, S, for the nearest approach to such
history.

xxiv. 8-11]

MATTHEW.

205

nation shall rise against nation,
and kingdom against kingdom :
and there shall be famines, and
pestilences, and earthquakes, in
divers places. 8A11 these are
the beginning of sorrows.
9 Then shall they deliver you
whose military movements would
affect the peace of Judea. History
i? more satisfactory in reference to
this prediction than in reference to
the false Christs. Alford, in jcom-
menting on this paragraph, takes
the pains to enumerate three threats
of war made against the Jews by as
many Roman emperors; three up
risings of Gentiles against Jews,
in which many thousands of the
latter perished ; an indefinite number
of famines referred to by Roman
writers; at least one pestilence,
during which thirty thousand per
sons perished in Home alone; and
five earthquakes. These have been
gleaned from the writings of
Josephus, Tacitus, Suetonius, and
other unbelieving writers, and they
sufficiently attest the literal fulfill
ment of the Savior's prediction.
This fulfillment served the double
purpose of answering as a sign in
'reference to the destruction, of the
temple, and of confirming the faith
of the disciples in the foreknowl
edge of Jesus.
Sufferings and Success of the Dis
ciples, 9-14. (Mark xiii. 9-13;
Luke xxi. 12-19.)
9. Then shall they deliver
you. — "Then" means, not after the
preceding events', but at the time
in which they are transpiring. The
delivering up to be afflicted com
menced with the imprisonment of
Peter and John (Acts iv. 1-3), and
the killing, with the death of
Stephen. These persecutions were
cotemporary with the events of the
preceding paragraph, and preceded

up to be afflicted, and shall kill
you : and ye shall be hated of all
nations for my name's sake.
10 And then shall many be offend
ed, and shall betray one an
other, and shall hate one another.
11 And many false prophets shall

" the end " mentioned in verse 6,
Peter, James the elder, James the
younger, Paul, and a great many
who were not apostles, having been
killed before the destruction of the
temple. hated of all nations. — That
this part of the prediction was ful
filled, appears not only in the per
secutions of the time, but in the
statement of the Roman historian
Tacitus, that the Christians were
" a class of men hated on account
of their crimes." (Annals, xv. 44.)
10. many be offended. — Many
of the disciples themselves. The
mere allusions to passing events
which we find in the epistles give
sufficient evidence that this predic
tion was fulfilled. For example,
among the sufferings of Paul, were
some at the hands of false brethren
(2 Cor. xi. 26) ; the Galatian dis
ciples were taught by false teachers
to regard him as an enemy (Gal.
iv. 16); and some persons in the
church at Corinth denied his
authority and sought to bring him
into contempt (1 Cor. ix. 1-4 ; 2
Cor. x. 1, 10).
11. many false prophets. —
The epistles of Paul show that
many false prophets did arise. He
speaks of men in the Jerusalem
church who were "false brethren
unawares brought in, who came in
privily to spy out our liberty." (Gal.
ii. 1—4.) In Corinth there were
" false apostles, deceitful workers,
transforming themselves into the
apostles of Christ," and ministers of
Satan transformed into ministers
of righteousness. (2 Cor. xi. 13-15.)

206

MATTHEW.

[xxiv. 12-15

rise, and shall deceive many.
12 And because iniquity shall
abound, the love of many shall
wax cold. 13 But he that shall en
dure unto the end, the same shall

The same apostle warns Timothy
against similar characters (1 Tim.
i. 3-7, 19, 20; 2 Tim. iii. 8, 9), and to
Titus he writes, "There are many
unruly and .vain talkers and de
ceivers, specially they of the cir
cumcision ; whose mouths must be
stopped, who subvert whole houses,
teaching things which they ought
not for filthy lucre's sake." (Tit. i.
10, 11.) The testimony of Peter
and Jude is also very explicit on
the same point, for they speak in
words of terrifying earnestness
concerning bad characters infest
ing the churches, " wandering stars
to whom is reserved the blackness
of darkness forever." (Jude, and 2
Pet. ii.)
12. love of many shall wax
cold. — It is the universal experi
ence of the Church, that when
iniquity abounds the love of many
grows cold ; and it is also true that
under such circumstances the love
of some grows warmer, thus reserv
ing and concentrating a sufficient
amount of warmth to produce a re
action by and by, and to save the
body from utter destruction.
13. endure to the end. — The
end here referred to is not the end
of the city and the temple ; for
endurance to this end was impos
sible with those who were killed
for the truth, and those who died
a natural death; nor would en
durance to the end of the city in
sure salvation, unless the salvation
promised is salvation from the de
struction of life attendant on the
siege and sacking of the city; and to
say that he who endured to the end
of that destruction would be saved
from it would be a mere truism.

besaved. "And this gospel of the
kingdom shall be preached in all
the world for a witness unto all na
tions; and then shall the end come.
15 When ye therefore shall see

The end, then, is not the end men
tioned before in verse 6, but the
end of life ; and the promise is,
that he who would resist the false
prophets, and would not allow his
love to be cooled by the abounding
iniquity, until the end of his life,
would be saved. (See the same
promise in x. 22.)
14. then shall the end come. —
Here the nature of the case forbids
us to understand "the end" as the
end of life, just as, in the precede
ing verse, it requires this meaning.
Here it is used again in the sense
of verse 6, for the destruction of
the temple, or, as the apostles had
expressed it, " the end of the
world " (di'iov, age), verse 3. That
the gospel was "preached in all
the world" before that event, is
declared by Paul when he says,
"Be not moved away from the
hope of the gospel, which you have
heard, and which was preached to
every creature which is under
heaven." (Col. i. 23.) Of course
the language of both Jesus and
Paul must be understood with ref
erence to the Geography of the
earth as then known ; and we
should doubtless also understand
Paul as meaning, not that every
creature had actually heard the
gospel, but that it had been preach
ed so universally as to be accessi
ble to all. Paul's declaration was
written in the year 63 A. D., about
seven years before "the end."
The Signal for Flight, 15-22.
(Mark xiii. 14-20; Luke xxi.
20-24.) 15. the abomination of deso
lation, — Many conflicting inter-

xxiv. 16-20.]

MATTHEW.

207

the abomination of desolation,
spoken of by Dan'iel the proph
et, stand in the holy place,
(whoso readeth, let him under
stand :) 16 then let them which
be in Judse'a flee into the mount
ains : " let him which is on the
housetop not come down to take
I any thing : the things | out of

pretations of this passage have
been suggested by the commenta
tors (see Alford for a statement of
them); but after considering them
all, I am constrained to adopt the
one most commonly received. It is
derived from a comparison of this
verse with the parallel in Luke,
where the idea is expressed in un-
figurative language: "When you
shall see Jerusalem compassed with
armies, then know that the desola
tion thereof is nigh." (Luke xxi.
20.) The armies referred to are
unquestionably the Roman armies
which finally besieged and destroy
ed the city. They are called the
abomination of desolation because,
being heathen armies, they were an
abomination to the Jews, and be
cause they brought desolation on
the country. The " holy place " in
which they were to stand is the
holy territory round about the holy
city. It is a remarkable confirma
tion of this interpretation, that
Josephus attaches the same signifi
cance to the words in question.
With evident reference to the
" abomination of desolation spoken
of by Daniel the prophet" (Dan.
xi. 31), he says, " Daniel also wrote
concerning the Roman government,
and that our country should be
made desolate by them." (An
tiquities, B. x. ch. xi. § 7.)
whoso readeth. — This note of
warning, which we also find in
Mark's narrative, must be either a
remark of Jesus addressed to the
reader of Daniel, or a remark of the

his house: 16 neither let him which
is in the field return back to take
his clothes. 19And woe unto
them that are with child, and to
them that give suck in those
days ! 20 But pray ye that your
flight be not in the winter,
17 ti Rec. ra. Lach., Tisch., T. S. Green,
Alford, Tregelles.

two evangelists addressed to their
own readers. . In favor of the latter
supposition is the consideration that
a reader of Daniel, unless guided
by this speech of Jesus, could not
understand the abomination of
desolation as the sign which Jesus
here makes it, while the reader of
the gospel narrative would if he
would only accept the words of
Jesus. Moreover, Mark, in his re
port, does not mention the writings
or name of Daniel (see Mark xiii.
14, critical note), and this makes it
almost certain that this remark does
not refer to the reading of Daniel.
We conclude, then, that the paren
thesis was thrown in by Matthew
and Mark to fix the attention of
their readers on the passage, so that
those Christians who would be in
Judea at the time might remember
the sign and flee as here directed.
16. flee into the mountains. —
This direction is given, not to men
in general, but to Christians who
would be " in Judea." They were
to flee to the mountains, because
there they would find the safest re
treat from the bodies of armed
men who would be desolating the
land. 17-20. on the housetop . . .
in the field. — In these verses are
four admonitions, all indicating the
haste with which the disciples were
to flee to the mountains on the ap
pearance of the " abomination of
desolation." The man on the house-
stop was not to " take the things out
of his house," because he would be

208

MATTHEW.

[xxiv. 21-24.

neither on the sabbath day :
21 for then shall be great tribula
tion, such as was not since the
beginning of the world to this
time, no, nor ever shall be.
22 And except those days should
be shortened, there should no
flesh be saved : but for the elect's

delayed in packing them up, and
the attempt to carry them would
impede his flight. The man in the
field was not even to go home for
his extra clothing, for the same rea
son. Women with child and those
with infants at the breast (19)
would be unfortunate, because they
could not flee rapidly. They were
to pray that the flight should not be
in the winter nor on the Sabbath-
day, because the former would im
pede them by its rains, and the
latter by the shortness of the Sab
bath-day's journey. It is here
noticeable that Jesus expected his
Jewish disciples to continue, at
least until after the destruction of
the temple, to observe the Sabbath,
and even the tradition in reference
to a Sabbath-day's journey; and it
is a fact that at least the chief part
of them did so.
21. such as was not . . . nor
ever shall be. — The statement that
there would then be tribulation
" such as was not since the begin
ning of the world to this time, no,
nor ever shall be," is to be under
stood literally. It is fully con
firmed by the narrative of Josephus,
who was an eye-witness of the siege
of Jerusalem. In order to appre
ciate the facts, it is necessary to
read his very graphic account, and
enter into all the details;* we
quote from him only the following
expression of opinion, and call at
tention to the striking coincidence
between it and the words of Jesus :

?.Wars, Books iv. v. vi.

sake those days shall be short
ened. 23 Then if any man shall say
unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or
there; believe it not. "For
there shall arise false Christs,
and false prophets, and shall
shew great signs and wonders;

"It appears to me that the misfort
unes of all men from the begin
ning of the world, if they were
compared to those of the Jews, are
not so considerable as they were."
(Preface to Wars, § 4.)
22. no flesh be saved. — As it is
Jewish flesh alone whose sufferings
are the subject of discourse, this
passage means that but for the
shortening of those days no Jewish
flesh would be saved; and it fol
lows that the elect, for whose sake
those days were to be shortened,
were the elect Jews, or Jewish
Christians. The Romans made no
distinction between believing and
unbelieving Jews, but slaughtered
all alike. The only safety for
Christian Jews, then, was in flight,
and even this might not have saved
them but for the providences by
which those days were "short
ened."
Another Warning against False
Christs and False Prophets, 23-
- 28. (Mark xiii. 21-23.)
23, 24. false Christs and false
prophets. — The former reference
to these pretenders (verse 5) was
indefinite as regards the time of
their appearance, but this shows •
that some of them would appear at
the time of flight just preceding
the final catastrophe.
signs and wonders.— These
may have been either pretended
signs and wonders, or real signs
and wonders of which these men
pretended to give the interpreta
tion. That a great many such signs

xxiv. 25-28.]

MATTHEW.

209

insomuch that, if it were possi
ble, they shall deceive the very
elect. 25 Behold, I have told
you before. 26 Wherefore if they
shall say unto you, Behold, he is
in the desert ; go not forth : be
hold, he is in the secret cham
bers; believe it not. 27For as
the lightning cometh out of the

and wonders and such prophets did
appear during the siege of Jeru
salem, and for some years previous,
is attested by Josephus in the re
markable chapters already referred
to under verse 21 above.
deceive the very elect. — The
elect are those who would main
tain their faith in Christ, and who,
however they might be puzzled and
d istressed by the signs and wonders
of the pretenders, could not be de
ceived into the recognition of false
Christs. The believer in Jesus in
all ages and countries has this ad
vantage, that no pretenders can
present credentials equal to his,
nor give us ground for such confi
dence in them as we have in him:
25, 26. go not forth ... be
lieve it not. — The reference is not
to the appearance of false Christs,
but to reported appearances of the
true Christ. (Comp. verse 27 be
low.) Jesus had said much about
coming again, which was but im
perfectly understood by his disci
ples, and it would be quite natural
in times of great commotion and
tribulation among his disciples for
the report to go abroad that he had
come. 27. as the lightning.— The
comparison here introduced en
forces the warning of the previous
verse. Men will not need to be
told, "Behold, he is in the desert;"
or "Behold, he is in the secret
chamber;" for his coming will be
like lightning, in that it will shine
forth instantly from the east to the
18

east, and shineth even unto the
west ; so shall [also] the coming
of the Son of man be. 28 [For]
wheresoever the carcass is, there
will the eagles be gathered to
gether. 27 ical Rec. Omitted bv Lach., Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.
28 yap Rec. Omitted by Lach, T. S.
Green, Alford, Tregelles.

west, and all men will see him at
the same moment.
28. the carcass . . . the eagles.
— There is nothing in the three
verses next preceding this which
can be represented by a carcass or
by carrion birds (asiai, vultures)
flocking to it. The reference is to
the false Christs and false prophets
of verse 24. The carcass is the
decaying Jewish nation, and the
eagles or vultures are the false
Christs and false prophets who
would flock together and prey upon
the sufferings and fears of their
countrymen. If the for (yap) is
correctly omitted by the critics (see
critical note), this removes the ap
pearance of close connection with
the preceding verse, and tends to
confirm our interpretation.
Akgument of Section 5.
It is impossible for a candid per
son to study the history of the
Jewish nation from the death of
Jesus to the destruction of Jeru
salem, and compare it with the
predictions contained in the pre
ceding section, without being over
whelmed with the evidences which
it furnishes of the divine fore
knowledge of Jesus. And if such
is the force of the evidence to us,
who depend for our knowledge of
the events on the fragmentary his
torical records which have come
down to us, what must it have
been to those who stood in the
midst of the stirring events them-

210

MATTHEW.

[xxiv. 29;

. 29 Immediately after the tribu
lation of those days shall the sun
be darkened, and the moon shall

selves, with the open pages of
Matthew in their hands? As sign
after sign appeared, they were able
to read it in the book as plainly as
they saw it, with their eyes. We
are not slow, therefore, to believe
the statement of Eusebius, that the
whole body of the church at Jeru
salem removed from the city before
the final siege began. (Ec. Hist.
B. iii. ch. v.) Nor can we fail to
recognize these fleeing Christians
among those persons of whom
Josephus speaks when he says,
that "Many of the most eminent
of the Jews swam away from the
city as from a ship when it was
going to sink." (B. ii. ch. xx.
f 1.) This flight occurred at the
very crisis at which Jesus had
warned his disciples to flee to the
mountains (verses 15-22); that is,
after Cestius Gallus, having laid
siege to Jerusalem, with every pros
pect of taking it, suddenly, as Jo
sephus expresses it, "retired from
the city without any reason in the
world. (Book ii. ch. xix. §§ 6, 7.)

SECTION VI.
Second Coming of the Son of Man,
XXIV. 19-XXV. 46.
Description of His Coming, 29-31 ; Par
able of the Fig-tree, 82-35; Uncei--
tainly of the Day, 36-11 ; Watchful
ness Enjoined, 42-51 ; Parable of the
Ten Virgins, xxv. 1-13; Parable of
the Talents, 11-30; The Final Judg
ment, 31-46.

Description of His Coming, 29-31.
(Mark xiii. 24-27 ; Luke xxi. 25-
27.) -
29. Immediately after. — The
events of this paragraph were to
take place "after the tribulation of
those days;" that is, after the tribu
lation connected with the siege and

not give her hght, and the stars
shall fall from heaven, and the
powers of the heavens shall be
sacking of Jerusalem already men
tioned in verse 21. This makes it
entirely certain that this coming of
the Son of man did not take place
during the siege of the city, nor at
the time of its destruction. It is
equally certain that they have not
transpired since that time. It fol
lows, therefore, that the term " im
mediately" must be understood in
a modified sense. The difficulty in
the case was anticipated by the
apostle Peter when he wrote of
the scoffers who would arise in the
last days, and say, "Where is the
promise of his coming ? For since
the fathers fell asleep all things
continue as they were from the
beginning of the creation." The
apostle answers, "Be not ignorant
ot this one thing, that one day is
with the Lord as a thousand years,
and a thousand years as one day.
The Lord is not slack concerning
his promise, as some men count
slackness." (2 Pet. iii. 4-9.) This
is equivalent to an inspired com
ment on the term in question, and
proves that it is used in an unusual
sense. It proves, in other words,
that the one group of events was to
be immediately after the other, not
as it would appear to men, but as
it appears to God.
sun be darkened. — Frequently
in the Old Testament the darkening
of the sun and moon is used as a
symbol for the gloom which spreads
over the country in a time of war,
or pestilence, or other great public
calamity. (See, for examples, Isa.
xiii 10; Joel ii. 10.) But the
words of the text correspond so
strictly with other descriptions of
the second' coming as to leave but
little probability that they have a
figurative meaning. Peter declares
that " the heavens shall pass away

xxiv. 30-32.]

MATTHEW.

211

shaken : so and then shall appear
the sign of the Son of man in
heaven : and then shall all the
tribes of the earth mourn, and
they shall see the Son of man
coming in the clouds of heaven
with power and great glory.

with a great noise" (2 Pet. iii.
10) ; Paul says, " As a vesture thou
shalt fold them up, and they shall
be changed" (Heb. i. 12); and
John, in his vision of the second
coming, saw " a great white throne
and him that sat on it, from whose
face the earth and the heaven fled
away, and there was found no place
for them" (Rev. xx. 11). The dis
appearance of the visible heavens
aud earth, so that something entire
ly different will appear in their
places, is to occur simultaneously
with- the final coming of the Son
of man.
30. the sign of the Son of
man. — The sign is not something
preceding his appearing, but the ap
pearing is itself the sign. The term
is used in its usual N. T. sense —
that of a miraculous sign. Mark
and Luke both use the words " they
shall see the Sou of man." (Mark
xiii. 26; Luke xxi. 27.)
all the tribes mourn.— To those
who. are unprepared for it, this will
be the most mournful of all days;
and that all the tribes of the earth
shall mourn, implies that portions,
aud perhaps large portions, of all
tribes of men will be found thus
unprepared. The term " all " is
not to be construed as including all
individuals. (1. Thes. iv, 15-17.)
31. send his angels. — The fact
that the angels will be employed
in gathering together the elect from
all parts of the earth, is declared
both here and in the parable of the
tares (Matt. xiii. 41); but in what
way their ministry will be exer
cised to this end, we know not.

31 And he shall send his angels
with a great sound of a trumpet,
and they shall gather together
his elect from the four winds,
from one end of heaven to the
other. 32 Now learn a parable of the

Parable of the Fig-tree, 32-35.
(Mark xiii. 28-31 ; Luke xxi. 29-
33.) 32, 33. So likewise. — The
point of comparison in the parable
is here clearly stated. As you
know that summer is nigh when
the fig-tree puts forth leaves, " so
likewise " when you see " all these
things " you will know that it is
nigh. The comparison, however, is
still obscure until we determine
what things are included in " all
these things," and what is meant
by the it which was to be near
when " all these things" had been
seen. The object designated by it is
one of the previously mentioned
events, and yet it is distinguished
from " all these things." The term
all, then, is not to be construed as
including every single event previ
ously mentioned, seeing that one
of them is expressly excluded.
Furthermore, the fact that the oc
currence of the other events was
to be a sign that the excepted one
was drawing near, shows that the
latter was to be the last of the se
ries. But the last event of the
series is the coming of the Son of
man, accompanied by the darkening
of the heavenly bodies, and the
gathering together of the saints.
This is the event, then, which was
to be near when all the others had
been seen.
This conclusion is confirmed
when we inquire for the grammat
ical antecedent of the pronoun it.
The pronoun is not expressed in
the original, but is understood, and

212

MATTHEW.

[xxiv. 33-35.

fig-tree; When his branch is
yet tender, and putteth forth
leaves, ye know that summer is
nigh : 33 so likewise ye, when ye
shall see all these things, know

its gender is to be determined by
that of its antecedent. The antece
dent must be either the word " com
ing " in the expression, " coming of
the Son of man " (verse 27), or the
word " Son " in the expression,
" Son of man," in the more imme
diate context, verse 30. On either
supposition the sense of the pas
sage is the same ; for when the Son
of man is near, his coming is near.;
but the former reference requires
the neuter pronoun it, as in our Eng
lish text, while the latter requires the
masculine pronoun he. The latter is
the more natural and obvious, and is,
I think, the correct reference, and
the text should be rendered, " So
likewise, when ye shall see all
those things, know that he is near,
even at the door." This rendering
is not only required by the syntax
of the passage, but it also makes
the passage more harmonious with
in itself. It is persons that come
to the door, and are " even at the
door," and not events. Such lan
guage can be used in reference to
events only when the events are
personified. The passage, then,
taught the disciples that when they
should have seen all of the preced
ing events except the chief one,
which was the Son of man coming
in the clouds, they might know that
he was near. His coming would
still be in the future, but it would
be near at hand, in that same divine
sense in which it was to be "imme
diately after the tribulation of
those days."
34. This generation. — Some
very superior scholars understand
the word rendered generation (ysv-
td) to mean race, and the passage

that it is near, even at the
doors. S4 Verily I say unto you,
This generation shall not pass,
till all these things be fulfilled.
25 Heaven and earth shall pass
to mean, this Jewish race shall
not pass away till all these things
be fulfilled. (See Alford.) But, as
we have just seen, the expression
" all these things " designates
things to be witnessed and experi
enced by the Jews, and it would be
a mere truism to say that their race
would not pass away till all of
their own experiences had termi
nated. The true key to the inter
pretation of this much disputed
passage is found in the expression
" all these things," repeated from
the preceding verse. It must here
have the same meaning as there ;
for an identical expression repeat
ed in consecutive sentences always
has the same meaning, except when
something is introduced in the new
connection to force upon it a differ
ent meaning. There is certainly
nothing of the kind here. We there
fore conclude, that in the two state
ments, "This generation shall not
pass till all these things be fulfilled,"
and, "When ye see all these things,
know that he is near," the ex
pression all these things has the
same meaning. But in the latter
instance, as we have shown under
verse 33, it means all the events
previously mentioned in the speech
except the coming of the Son of
man. This last event, then, is not
included in " all these things ; " aud
it is not one of the things which
were to take place before that gen
eration passed away.
35. not pass away.— The dec
laration contained in this verse is
intended to emphasize the absolute
certainty of all that Jesus had just
predicted. The passing away of
prophetic words would be their

xxiv. 36-42.]

MATTHEW.

213

away, but my words shall not
pass away.
36 But of that day and hour
knoweth no man, no, not the an
gels of heaven, but |my: t7ie|
Father only. 3' But as the days
of No'e were, so shall also the
coming of the Son of man be.
88 1 For as in the days that were
before the flood : .As in the days
of the flood | they were eating and
36 jiov Rec. Omitted by Lach., T. S.
Green, Tregelles.
38 roils irpo ltec. Omitted by Lach., Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.

passing into oblivion through fail
ure to be fulfilled.
Uncertainty of the Day, 36^11.
(Mark xiii. 32-37; Luke xxi.
34-36.)36. of that day and hour —
The day and hour of the coming
of the Son of man. This is clear,
both from the fact that this coming
is the subject of remark in the two
preceding paragraphs (29-35), and
from the fact that after asserting
that no man knows the hour, he
adds, "But as the days of Noe
were, so shall also the coming of
the Son of man be." (37.) The
object of this remark, and of the
entire paragraph, was to prevent a
misconception of the previous re
marks that his coming would be
" immediately after the tribulation
of those days," and that when they
should have seen all of the signs
given, they might "know that he
is near, even at the door." It was
to prevent the strict construction
of those words which hap been the
mistake of many expositors, both
ancient and modern.
37-39. as the days of Noe —
The point of comparison with the
davs of Noah is not the wicked
ness of. the world at the time of

drinking, marrying and giving
in marriage, until the day that
No'e entered into the ark, 89 and
knew not until the flood came,
and took them all away ; so shall
[also] the coming of the Son of
man be. "Then shall two be
in the field; the one shall be
taken, and the other left.
41 Two women shall be grinding
at the mill; the one shall be
taken, and the other left.
42 Watch therefore: for ye
39 Kai Rec. Omitted by Lach., Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.

the second coming, for all the prac
tices mentioned, eating, drinking,
marrying, and giving in marriage,
are in themselves innocent. But it
is the suddenness with which the
event will come to an unexpecting
world. As " they knew not until
the flood came and took them all
away, so shall the coming of the
Son of man be."
40, 41. one taken, the other
left. — One changed in a moment,
in the twinkling of an eye (1 Cor.
xv. 52), and then caught up into
the clouds to meet the Lord in the
air (1 Thess. iv. 17); the other left
to be consumed in the conflagra
tion of the earth (2 Pet. iii. 10),
and then called up to the resurrec
tion of condemnation (John v. 29).
41. two women grinding. —
The millstones of the ancients were
turned by hand. In the upper mill
stone and near its edge was in
serted a wooden pin which served
as a handle. Two persons, seated
on opposite sides of the mill, gave
this stone the necessary rotation by
alternately seizing the handle and
each turning it half-way around.
Watchfulness Enjoined, 42-51.
42. Watch therefore.— The ex-

214

MATTHEW.

[xxiv. 43-51.

know not what | hour : day | your
Lord doth come. "But know
this, that if the goodman of the
house had known in what watch
the thief would come, he would
have watched, and would not
have suffered his house to be
broken up. "Therefore be ye
also ready : for in such an hour
as ye think not the Son of man
cometh. w Who then is a faith
ful and wise servant, whom his
lord hath made ruler over his
household, to give them meat in
due season? *" Blessed is that
42 &pa Rec. r)aepa, Lach., Tisch., T. S.
Green, Alford, Tregelles.

hortation to watchfulness is based
on the uncertainty of the day as
declared in the previous para
graph and here repeated for the
sake of emphasis : " for you know
not what day your Lord doth come."
Unlike the day of the destruction
of Jerusalem, there is no sign by
which its near approach will be
certainly known.
43, 44. he would have
watched. — The comparison be
tween the coming of Jesus and that
of a thief is the .more striking from
the dissimilarity between the two
characters. There is but one point
of comparison — the uncertainty of
the time of their coming. As the
goodman of the house, had he
known what hour the thief would
come, would have watched and
have prevented his house from be
ing broken into, so we, by watch
ing for the coming of the Son of
man, may prevent it from finding
us unprepared.
45-17. faithful and wise serv
ant. — The figure is now changed
from that of a householder watch
ing against a thief, to that of a
servant appointed in his master's
absence to take the oversight of

servant, whom his lord when he
cometh shall find so doing.
47 Verily I say unto you, That he
shall make him ruler over all his
goods. 48But and if that evil
servant shall say in his heart,
My lord delayeth [his coming] ;
49 and shall begin to smite his
fellow-servants, and to eat and
drink with the drunken; ^the
lord of that servant shall come.
in a day when he looketh not for
him, and in an hour that he is
not aware of, 51 and shall cut him
asunder, and appoint him his
48 ik9eZv Rec. Omitted by Lach., T. S.
Green, Tregelles.

his fellow-servants. This servant
represents persons who, like the
apostles whom Jesus was address
ing, occupy positions of authority
in the Church. The words, " he
shall make him ruler over all his
goods," are descriptive of the lit
eral promotion of the faithful serv
ant, and indicate that a promotion
analogous to this will be enjoyed
by the faithful officer in the Church.
The number of faithful ones who
will be found will prevent a literal
promotion of each one over all the
Master's goods ; hence this point
in the parable is not a point of
significance in the interpretation.
48-51. that evil servant. —
From the reward of the faithful
servant the speaker here passes to
the fate of the evil servant, still
retaining the idea of one in au
thority. The evil servant, encour
aged by the apparent delay of his
master's coming to think that all
danger is in the distance, begins to
exercise tyranny and to give him
self to dissipation. His master
comes upon him unexpectedly, and
punishes him with the utmost se
verity. In stating the punishment,
Je3us passes from the figure to the

xxv. 1-7.]

MATTHEW.

215

portion with the hypocrites;
there shall be weeping and gnash
ing of teeth.
XXV. 1 Then shall the king
dom of heaven be likened unto
ten virgins, which took their
lamps, and went forth to meet
the bridegroom. 2And five of
them were wise, and five were
foolish. 3 They that were foolish
took their lamps, and took no oil

reality, and merges the parable in
the description : cutting him asun
der (51) terminates the parable
which had been itself almost a de
scription, and the description be
gins with appointing him his por
tion with the hypocrites, where shall
be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
At this point it may be wall to
Temind the reader that all the
warnings in reference to his second
coming, given by Jesus in the pre
ceding as well as in the following
divisions of this discourse, are
equally applicable to our depart
ure to meet him. Whether he first
comes to us, or we 'first go to him,
the result will be the same, for as
we are at death we will be at his
coming, seeing that it is concerning
the deeds done in the body that we
will be judged. (2 Cor. v. 10.)
Parable of the Ten Virgins, xxv.
1-13.
1. to meet the bridegroom. —
According to Jewish custom the
bridegroom went to the house of
his father-in-law to receive his
bride, leaving at his own house a
company of virgins, who were to
come out with lanterns or torches
to meet him on his arrival, and to
escort him into the house. Tho
ten virgins of this parable were to
perform this pleasant service.
2-4. five wise . . . five fool
ish. — The difference between the
wise and the foolish virgins con-

with them: 4but the wise took
oil in their vessels with their
lamps. 6 While the bridegroom
tarried, they all slumbered and
slept. 6And at midnight there
was a cry made, Behold, the
bridegroom [cometh] ; go ye out
to meet him. 'Then all those

6 epxerai Rec. Omitted by Lach., Tiscl.,
T. S. Ureen, Alford. Tregelles, X, B, c, D, h,
z, 102, Coptic, Sahidic, etc.

sisted exclusively in the fact that
the latter carried an extra supply
of oil. Under ordinary circum
stances the foolish virgins would
have been safe with the amount of
oil which they had ; for it seems
that it was the tarrying of the
bridegroom (verse 5) which led to
their trouble. Had he come when
they expected him, they would
have been ready. The wise vir
gins, on the other hand, knowing
the delays frequently attending the
movements of wedding parties,
provided so much oil that they
would be prepared for the latest
possible hour. The oil in their
lamps would burn till midnight
(verse 6), and that in their vessels
would burn, if need be, till day
light. 5. slumbered and slept. — Moro
accurately rendered " nodded and
slept." They did not lie down
to regular slumber, but nodded in
their seats. As there were serv
ants on the watch who would an
nounce the approach of the bride
groom (verse 6), there was no need
that they should remain awake,
and a little sleep now would enar
ble them to be wider awake during
the festivities of the latter .part of
the night.
6, 7. at midnight. — At an hour
later than was expected, the bride
groom and his company came in
sight, and those who were watch
ing raised the cry that he was com-

216

MATTHEW.

[xxv. 8-13.

virgins arose, and trimmed their
lamps. 8And the foolish said
unto the wise, Give us of your
oil ; for our lamps are gone out.
0 But the wise answered, saying,
Not so ; lest there be not enough
for us and you : but go ye rather
to them that sell, and buy for
yourselves. 10And while they

ing. There was now time for all
to awake, trim their lamps, and go
out to meet him at the appointed
place. " Then all those virgins
arose aud trimmed their lamps."
8-10. Give us of your oil. —
The lamps had not gone out, as ex
pressed by our version, but they
were going out; and the lamps of
all were alike ; but the foolish vir
gins had no oil- with which to re
plenish theirs, while the wise had
oil in their vessels. It was not till
now that the wisdom of the latter
and the folly of the former became
manifest. Just -at the moment
when all should have started out
with blazing lamps to meet the
bridegroom, the foolish virgins
must hasten away to make the neg
lected preparation.
11, 12. I know you not.— In
this answer the term know is used,
according to the Jewish idiom, for
favorable knowledge. (Comp. vii.
23.) The answer was a refusal to
recognize them, as when a man
passes an old acquaintance who
has given him an offense as if he
knew him not. It sent away the
poor virgins in bitter disappoint
ment and shame.
13. Watch therefore. — This
warning is suggested by the para
ble, and springs as a conclusion
irom the analogy between it and
the kingdom of heaven. The com
ing of the bridegroom represents
the coming of the Son of man, and
the uncertainty as to what hour of
the night the bridegroom would

went to buy, the bridegroom
came ; and they that were ready
went in with him to the mar
riage : and the door was shut.
11 Afterward came also the other
virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open
to us. 12But he answered arid
said, Verily I say unto you, I
know you not. ls Watch the in

come, represents the fact that " ye
know neither the day nor the hour
wherein the Sou of man comes."
All of the virgins represent those
who are waiting for his coming and
are supposed to be ready for it. The
foolish virgins are not the uncon
verted, for they make no prepara
tion ; they are not apostates, for
they, after waiting at their post
for a time, abandon it and go their
way; but they evidently represent
those who enter the Cfhurch and
stand at their post until the bride
groom comes, and are then found
without sufficient preparation to
meet him. They make the prepa
ration which they are led by their
own indolence or indifference to
regard as sufficient, and content
themselves with that, knowing that
they run some risk of being lost.
All who allow themselves any ques
tionable indulgences ; all who neg
lect any of the ordinances of God ;
and all who are indifferent about
soundness in the faith as it is in
Christ, belong to this class. The
wise virgins, on the other hand, are
those who make such preparation
as to " make their calling and elec
tion sure ; " aiming in all things to
err, if err they do, on the side
of safety. The bridegroom may
come before midnight, and if he
does, a certain limited quantity of
oil will be enough, but more will
do no harm ; and if he comes at a
later hour, that which would have
appeared superfluous will save me.
The wise virgins always appear too

xxv. 14-20.]

MATTHEW.

217

fore, for ye know neither the
day nor the hour [wherein the
Son of man cometh].
14 For the kingdom of heaven
is as a man traveling into a far
country, who called his own
servants, and delivered unto
them his goods. "And unto one
he gave five talents, to another
two, and to another one ; to ev
ery man according to his several
ability ; and straightway took
his journey. 16Then he that
13 ev v o vt&s rov avSp&irov epverat Rec.
Omitted by Lach., Tisch., T. S. Green,
Alford, Tregelles, X, a, B, c, r>, k, x, a, 1,
etc., Old Latin, Vulgate, H. Syriac, P. Syr
iac, Ph. Syriac, Coptic, Sahidic, etc.

scrupulous in the eyes of the fool
ish. The warning, " Watch there
fore, for ye know neither the day
nor the hour," bids us imitate the
wise and take warning from the
fate of the foolish. The canceled
words, " wherein the Son of man
cometh," are thrown out on the saf
est grounds (see critical note), but
they really express in full the sense
of the verse. Though not ex
pressed in the original, they were
understood, being supplied by the
train of thought in the context.
(See xxiv! 37, 39, 42, 44, 50.)
Parable of the Talents, 14-30.
14. as a man traveling.— In
the clause, " For the kingdom of
heaven is as a man traveling into a
far country," the words "the king
dom of heaven" are supplied by
the translators incorrectly. The
object of comparison is much more
specific, being the duty enjoined in
the preceding verse. The words,
" Watch therefore, for ye know
neither the day nor the hour,"
form the conclusion drawn from
the parable of the ten virgins, and
indicate the subject to be illustrated
in that of the talents. The former
19

had received the five talents went
and traded with the same, and
made them other five [talents],
"And likewise he that had re
ceived two, [he also] gained
other two. lsBut he that had
received one went and digged in
the earth, and hid his lord's
money. 19 After a long time the
lord of those servants cometh,
and reckoneth with them. 20And
so he that had received five tal-

16 rdkavra Rec. Omitted by Lach., T. S.
Green, Tregelles.
17 /tai outm Rec. Omitted by Lach., T.
S. Green, Tregelles, N, B, c, L, etc., Old
Latin, Vulgate, P. Syriac, Coptic, Sahidic,
ete.

parable illustrated the importance
of watching, or of making suitable
preparation, and the following par
able illustrates the method of doing
this. The rendering should be,
" For as a man traveling into a far
country called his servants," etc.
The comparison indicated by " as "
is not expressed, but is to be sup
plied from the context by the
reader. his own servants. — The fact
that the servants were "his own"
and not hired servants, has signifi
cance, showing that he had a claim
on their time and labor.
15-17. according to his sev
eral ability. — As each servant
was intrusted with * an amount
suited to his ability, the distribu
tion was relatively equal, and jus
tified the demand of an equal per
centum of profit in the returns,
and this demand was met by the
first two.
18. digged in the earth.— It
was very common in that day, as it
is yet with nations unprovided with
safes and vaults, to bury gold and
silver in the earth. (Comp. xiii.
44)._ The talent was about $1600
in silver.

218

MATTHEW.

[xxv. 21-28.

ents came and brought other five
talents, saying, Lord, thou de-
liveredst unto me five talents :
behold, I have gained [beside
them] five talents more. 21 His
lord said unto him, Well done,
thou good and faithful servant :
thou hast been faithful over a
few things, I will make thee
ruler over many things : enter
thou into the joy of thy lord.
22 He also that had received two
talents came and said, Lord,
thou deliveredst unto me two
talents: behold, I have gained
two other talents [beside them].
23 His lord said unto him, Well
done, good and faithful servant-;
thou hast been faithful over a

20 iir' airow Rec. Omitted by Lach., T.
S. Green, Tregelles.
22 eir' airoU Rec. Omitted by Lach., T.
S. Green, TregeUes.

21-23. into the joy of thy
Lord. — In this part of the parable
there is a transition to the language
of the Lord from heaven when be
stowing the everlasting benedic
tion; for the words, "Enter thou-
into the joy of thy lord," are not
those of an earthly master when
rewarding his servants. This ben
ediction was pronounced on the
two servants alike, because, having
gained the Same per centum on
their respective amounts, they had
proved themselves equally faithful.
24, 25. an hard man.— It was
because the servant ignored his ob
ligations as a servant that the mas
ter appeared a hard man in de
manding a return of more than he
had given.
26, 27. wicked and slothful
servant. — In the answer, the right
of the lord to the time and labor
of the servant is waived, and he is
condemned on his own ground.

few things, I will make thee
ruler over many things : enter
thou into the joy of thy lord.
24 Then he which had received
the one talent came and said,
Lord, I knew thee that thou art
an hard man, reaping where
thou hast not sown,' and gather
ing where thou hast not strawed :
26 and I was afraid, and went and
hid thy talent in the earth : xlo,
there thou hast that is thine.
26 His lord answered and said
unto him, Thou wicked and
slothful servant, thou knewest
that I reap where I sowed not,
and gather where I have not
strawed : 2' thou oughtest there
fore to have put my money to
the exchangers, and then at my
coming I should have received
mine own with usury. ^Take
therefore the talent from him,

His lord's money had been in his
possession for along time, and even
if he had been a free man he
would have owed interest on it.
But he had been too slothful to
labor, and he had been too neglect
ful of his obligations to even loan
the money to the exchangers and
secure the interest on it : be could
not, therefore, truthfully say, " Lo,
there thou hast that is thine."
It was unlawful to loan money
to a brother Israelite on interest,
but interest could be lawfully ex
acted from Gentiles, and the Jews
of later ages found abundant op
portunities to loan at good rates all
of their surplus capital
28. unto him which hath ten.
— It is easy to see why the talent
should be taken away from, him who
had it, but not so clear that it
should have been given to him who
had ten. Why not divide it be
tween hini who had ten and him

xxv. 29-31.]

MATTHEW.

219

and give it unto him which hath
ten talents. ffl For unto every
one that hath shall be given,
and he- shall have abundance :
but from him that hath not shall
be taken away even that which

who had four ? I see no reason for
this, except that the man who had
successfully managed the largest
amount had exhibited the greatest
capacity, and the lord's interests
were safest in his hands.
29. unto every one who hath.
• — This statement, though intro
duced by " for " does not give a
reason for the act just mentioned
(28), but presents a general rule of
God's government which applies
in the case. The man of the five
talents had — that is, he had profit
on what was given him — and to him
more was given; while the man
ofthe one talent had not, and from
him was taken what he had.
30. into outer darkness. — Here
again, as in xxiv. 51, there is a
transition from the parable to the
reality ; for there was no such pun
ishment of servants as casting
them out into the dark. The dark
ness is that which lies outside of
all the light and blessedness which
the faithful servants are to enjoy
with their Lord. The darkness
symbolizes the desolation of that
state ; the weeping, its sorrow ; and
the gnashing of teeth, its anguish.
No picture could be drawn more
awful than this.
The significance of this parable
is clear and striking. The lord of
the servants is the Son of man,
whose coming is the subject of the
discourse. (See note on 14.) The
servants are his own disciples whom
he has purchased with his own
blood; and the. talents intrusted to
them are the means of usefulness
given by Christ to all that are his.
The conduct of the two faithful
servants points out the way in

he hath. 80And cast ye the un
profitable servant into outer
darkness : there shall be weeping
and gnashing of teeth.
31 When the Son of man shall
come in his glory, and all the

which we are to "watch" (verse
13), and that of the slothful servant,
the course to which our indolence
or indifference or ingratitude will
lead us if we do not watch. The
reckoning with the servants is the
final judgment, which will take
place when the Son of man comes.
The transfer of the one talent from
the slothful seryant to him who had
ten, indicates, if it have any sig
nificance, that the reward of the
faithful servants of Christ will be
magnified on account of the failure
of the unfaithful ; aud this is but
just, for the faithful ones have to
resist not only the temptations com
mon to all, but also the discourage
ment and hinderance arisin'g from
the unfaithfulness of their brethren.
The fact that the man who had
the least capacity and the small
est amount intrusted to him was
the one who proved unfaithful, is
worthy of note: for although in
actual experience we see many di
sciples with great possessions and
great influence burying their talents
in the ground, we also find that
those who consider themselves weak
and possessed of little means of
usefulness, are peculiarly liable to
this sin on account of this very
circumstance in their condition.
The word talent, which is the
Greek word td%avtov anglicized,
and means a certain amount of
money, has acquired in English the
sense of intellectual endowments
from its use in this parable.
The Final Judgment, 31-46.
31. come in his glory.— There
are three specifications in this
verse which show that the coming

220

MATTHEW.

[xxv. 32-36.

[holy] angels with him, then
shall he sit upon the throne of
his glory : S2 and before him shall
be gathered all nations : and he
shall separate them one from an
other, as a shepherd divideth his
sheep from the goats : "* and he
shall set the sheep on his right

31 SiywiRec. Omitted by Lach., Tisch., T.
S, Green, Alford, Tregelles, X, B, D, L,
etc., Old Latin, Vulgate, H. Syriac, Coptic,
^Ethiopic, Armenian, etc.

described is the final coming of
Christ: first, that he will "come
in his glory;" second, that all the
angels will come with him ; and
third, that he will then sit on the
throne of his glory. The throne
of judgment is called the throne of
his glory, because by the decisions
of that day his glory will be exhib
ited more brightly than ever before.
All the obscure things in the past
administration of his government
will then be made clear.
32. all nations. — The univer
sality of the judgment is here de
clared. Not only all the nations
which will then be living, but all
that have ever lived are included ;
for Jesus had already said, "The
queen of the South shall rise up in
the judgment with this generation
and shall condemn it ;" " the men of
Nineveh shall rise up in the judg
ment with this generation and con
demn it" (Luke x. 31, 32); and
" the hour is coming when all that
are in the graves shall heaT the
voice of the Son of man and shall
come forth, they that have done
good to the resurrection of life, they
that have done evil to the resurrec
tion of damnation" (John v. 28, 29).
32, 33. shall separate them. —
The original pronoun is in the mas
culine gender (cwtovs), and its an
tecedent, nations (-id e9vv) is neuter,
showing that not the nations, as
such, but the individuals composing

hand, but the goats on the left.
84 Then shall the King say unto
them on his right hand, Come,
ye blessed of my Father, inherit
the kingdom prepared for you
from the foundation of the
world : ^ for I was an hungered,
and ye gave me meat: I was
thirsty, and ye gave me drink:
I was a stranger, and ye took me
in : 36 naked, and ye clothed me :
I was sick, and ye visited me:

the nations, are to be separated.
A similar construction is found in
the original of xxviii. 19.
34. from the foundation. — The
kingdom was not fully prepared
from the foundation of the world,
for Jesus says on a subsequent oc
casion, "I go to prepare a place
for you." (John xiv. 2, 3.) The
meaning is, that it had been in
course of preparation from the
foundation of the world.
35, 36. for I was an hun
gered. — An hungered is an obso
lete expression for hungry. The
acts hero specified are all deeds of
benevolence ; all belong to the cat
egory of good works. We are not
hence to conclude that good works
alone can secure to us everlasting
life, seeing that in the midst of our
good works we commit sin, and
before the beginning of our good
works we lived in sin. Forgive
ness for these sins must be secured
by complying with the conditions
thereof, or we will be condemned
on their account, notwithstanding
all the benevolence which we can
perform. The lesson taught in the
passage is this : that works of
Christian benevolence, as we have
opportunity to perform them, con
stitute one of the conditions of our
acceptance in the day of judgment.
They are, indeed, but the outgrowth
of faith and love, and their ab
sence proves that our faith is dead,

xxv. 37-46.]

MATTHEW.

221

I was in prison, and ye came
unto me. 87Then shall the
righteous answer him, saying,
Lord, when saw we thee an
hungered, and fed thee? or
thirsty, and gave thee drink?
88 When saw we thee a stranger,
and took thee in ? or naked, and
clothed thee ? 39 Or when saw
we thee sick, or in prison, and
came unto thee ? *° And the
Bang shall answer and say unto
them, Verily I say unto you, In
asmuch as ye haVe done it unto
one of the least of these my
brethren, ye have done it unto
me. 41 Then shall he say also
unto them on the left hand, De
part from me, ye cursed, into
everlasting fire, prepared for the

and that love has not been born
within us. (Comp. 42 below.)
37-40. shall the righteous
answer. — It is not necessary _ to
suppose that such a conversation
as is here stated will actually take
place, for the mass of the saints
will already have learned -the les
son here taught; but the form of
a conversation is probably em
ployed as the best method of pre
senting the thought. The passage
shows that all deeds of benevo
lence done to the brethren of Je
sus are accepted by him as if done
to himself. We have the precious
privilege of ministering to him in
ministering to his.
41. prepared for the devil-
That is, primarily prepared for the
devil and his angels, though not
without anticipation of its use for
the punishment of men. The fact
that wicked men must suffer the
same punishment as the devil and
his angels, shows the enormity of
our sins.
42-45. you gave me no meat-

devil and his angels : 42 for I was
an hungered, and ye gave me no
meat: I was thirsty, and ye
gave me no drink : 43 1 was a
stranger, and ye took me not in :
naked, and ye clothed me not :
sick, and in prison, and ye vis
ited me not. " Then shall they
also answer [him], saying, Lord,
when saw we thee an hungered,
or athirst, or a stranger, or
naked, or sick, or in prison, and
did not minister unto thee ?
45 Then shall he answer them,
saying, Verily I say unto you,
Inasmuch as ye did it not to one
of the least of these, ye did it
not to me. "And these shall go
44 aurtp Rec. Omitted bv Lach., Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.

The performance of good works on
the one hand, and the neglect of
them on the other, constitute the
specified difference between the
parties. We here learn, that what
ever other sins may or may not
have been committed, the sin of
neglecting to feed the hungry, to
clothe the naked, and to minister
to the sick and the imprisoned dis
ciple, is enough to consign one to
the fate of the devil and his angels.
Such neglect proves the absence of
that faith and love which are essen
tial to Christian character.
46. everlasting . . . eternal.
— The two terms everlasting and
eternal have the same meaning, the
former being of Anglo-Saxon, and
the latter of Latin origin. They
also represent the same Greek word
(duivtos), translated here by these
two words for the sake of variety
of expression. Whatever this
Greek word means in the last
clause of this sentence it means in
the first; for it is an invariable rule
of exegesis, that a word when thus

222

MATTHEW.

[xxvi. 1-3.

away into everlasting punish
ment : but the righteous into life
eternal. XXVI. 'And it came to pass,
when Je'sus had finished all
these sayings, he said unto his
disciples, 2Ye know that after
two days is the feast of the pass-

repeated in the same sentence must
be understood in the same sense,
unless the context or the nature of
the subject shows that there is a
play on^the word. There is cer
tainly nothing in the context to in
dicate the slightest difference in
meaning, nor can we know by the
nature of the subject that the pun
ishment spoken of is less durable
than the life. It is admitted ou all
hands that in the expression " ever
lasting life " the term has its full
force, and therefore it is idle and
preposterous to deny that it has the
same force in the expression. " ever
lasting punishment." The ever
lasting punishment of this verse is
the same as the everlasting fire in
verse 41. The punishment is by
fire, aud its duration is eternal.
Argument op Section. 6.
The argument of this section de
pends for its conclusiveness on the
fulfillment of the predictions con
tained in it, all of which look to'
the end of time for their fulfill
ment. They' are introduced not so
much for proof as for instruction.
Our author, having already proved
Jesus to be a prophet by presenting
predictions fulfilled in his own gen
eration, and some in process of ful
fillment even to the present day,
here quotes for the benefit of his
readers a series of predictions con
cerning the last day, tacitly refer
ring us to the fulfillment of the for
mer as proof that these also will be
fulfilled in their time.

over, and the Son of man is be
trayed to be crucified.
3 Then assembled together the
chief priests, [and the scribes],
and the elders of the people,
3 Kai oi ypapparels Rec. Omitted by
Lach., Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford, Tre
gelles, X, a, B, D, l, etc., a, b, etc., Vulgate,
Coptic, Sahidic, JSthiopic, etc.

SECTION VII.
Plots anto Preparations, XXVL
1-56.
Fourth Prediction of His Death, 1, 2 ;
The Council at the House of Caia
phas, 3-5; The Anointing at Beth
any, 6-13 ; The Agreement with Ju
das, 14-16; The Passover Prepared,
17-19 ; Conversation about the Be
trayal, 20-26 ; The Lord's Supper In
stituted, 26-30; Desertion and Denial
Predicted, 31-35; Agony in Gethsem
ane, 36-48 ; The Arrest, 47-56.

Fourth Prediction of His Death,
1,2.
1, 2. after two days. — This ex
pression, in Jewish usage, means,
on the second day after the one
then present. As the Passover that
year was on Friday, this remark,
and the entire speech of which it
was the concluding part (verse 1),
were delivered on Wednesday.
This is the fourth time, as recorded
by Matthew, that Jesus predicted
his own death. (Comp. xvi. 21-23 ;
xvii. 22,23; xx. 17-19.)
Council at the House of Caiaphas,
3-5. (Mark xiv. 1, 2; Luke xxii.
1,2.)
3. Then assembled. — Then con
nects the assembling of this coun
cil with the preceding remark of
Jesus, showing that it was on the
same day; that is, Wednesday.
(See also Mark xiv. 1, 2.) The de
nunciation of the scribes and Phar
isees contained in chap. 23, was
pronounced on the morning of
Wednesday, and the prophetic dis-

xxvi. 4-8.]

MATTHEW.

223

unto the palace of the high
priest, who was called Ca'iaphas,
4 and consulted that they might
take Je'sus by subtilty, and kill
him. s But they said, Not on
the feast day, lest there be an
uproar among the people.
6 Now when Je'sus was in
Bethany, in the house of Si'mon

course oi' chaps. 24 and 25, in the
after part of the same day. Before
the close of the same day, the chief
priests and elders, filled with bitter
resentment for the denunciations
of the morning, assembled together,
as here declared.
4, 5. by subtilty. — The fear of
the people, which had restrained
these parties earlier in the week
(xxi. 46), was still the chief ob
stacle to the revenge which they
sought. The subtilty which was in
requisition now was needed for the
purpose of getting possession of
Jesus and securing his condemna
tion before the people could inter
fere. So far as the future could be
foreseen, plans for this purpose were
now devised.
The Anointing at Bethany, 6-13.
(Mark xiv. 3-9; John xii. 2-8.)
6. when Jesus was in Beth
any. — This language is indefinite
as to time. John mentions' the
same feast, and dates it six days be
fore the Passover, which fixes it
on Sunday night. (John xii. 1.)
Matthew's indefinite language is
entirely consistent with this date.
He mentions it here, out of its
chronological order, because it is
associated in thought with the
counsel of the priests and elders to
put Jesus to death (verses 3-5), and
with Jesus' own prediction just
mentioned (verses 1, 2). The ac
counts of the feast, as given by
Matthew and John, are too nearly
identical to allow the supposition

the leper, ' there came unto him
a woman having an alabaster
box of very precious ointment,
and poured it on his head, as he
sat at meat. 8But when |his:
the\ disciples saw it, they had
indignation, saying, To what pur-
8 airov Rec. Omitted by Lach., Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.

that two different feasts are referred
to. (Compare with this paragraph
John xii. 1-8.)
house of Simon the leper. — As
the law forbade a leper to mingle
with the people (Lev. xiii. 45, 46),
this man had probably been healed
of" the leprosy by Jesus, and was
still called Simon the leper from
habit. Lazarus, whom Jesus had
raised from the dead, was at the
supper; the woman who anointed
Jesus (verse 7) was Mary; whilo
Martha, according to her well known
habit (Luke x. 40), was one of
those who served. (John xii. 2, 3.)
It was an interesting group of
notable persons, who were full of
gratitude for benefits conferred, and
whose unfeigned love was about
the only human solace enjoyed by
the Savior during the last week of
his sufferings.
7. on his head. — Matthew's ac
count of the act of anointing is
quite indefinite. He mentions nei
ther the quantity of the ointment
nor its value ; nor does he state that
the feet of Jesus were anointed as
well as his head. It was the fact that
ointment so precious was lavished
on his feet, that gave especial cause
for the indignation expressed by
Judas. These items are supplied
by Mark and John.
8, 9. they had indignation. —
Not all of tne disciples, for Judas
alone made the complaint. (John
xii. 4.) This is an instance in
which Matthew uses the plural in
definitely to represent what came

224

MATTHEW.

[xxvi. 9-14.

fose is this waste? 'For this
ointment] might have been sold
for much, and given to the poor.
10 When Je'sus understood it, he
said unto them, Why trouble ye
the woman ? for she hath wrought
a good work upon me. "For
ye have the poor always with
9 rb pvpov Rec. Omitted by Lach.,
Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.

from a group of persons, although
it was uttered by only one of them.
10. a good work. — It was a
good work, because it was a man
ifestation of devotion and gratitude.
Mary thought that nothing was too
costly to be lavished on Jesus, and
he indorsed the sentiment. The
incident shows that no expenditure
is unacceptable to Jesus that is
prompted by unmixed love for him.
Let us beware, however, of extrava
gant expenditures in the name of
Jesus which are prompted in part
by love of show, or by any other
earthly lust.
11. poor always with you. —
This is one of those far-reaching
sayings of Jesus, which display his
superhuman foresight and the in
tensely practical view which he
took of human life. He was not a
humanitarian visionary, dreaming
of the day when all poverty should
be banished from the earth, and
when men should all be equal in
worldly goods. He contemplated
as the perpetual condition of his
earthly kingdom, the inequalities
of riches and poverty, the blessed
ness of receiving sifts in the name
of Christ, and the still greater
blessedness of bestowing them.
How literally has the prediction
been fulfilled !
12. for my burial.— If we
understand these words as express
ing tho purpose of Mary, and this
is their natural force, we must oon-

you ; but me ye have not always.
12 For in that she hath poured
this ointment on niy body, she
did it for my burial. 13 Verily
I say unto you, Wheresoever this
gospel shall be preached in the
whole world, there shall also
this, that this woman hath done,
be told for a memorial of her.
14 Then one of the twelve,

elude that she realized, as the other
disciples did not, the truth of what
Jesus had predicted concerning his
death. It was not merely gratitude
for past blessings, but womanly
sympathy for him in view of his ex
pected sufferings, which prompted
her costly expression of love.
13. wherever this gospel. —
Persons frequently perform, with
out the least thought of notoriety,
actions which are destined to make
them famous. No human being
could have foreseen what Jesus here
declares concerning the future fame
which would attach to Mary and
her simple act of love. On the
contrary, the act at first appeared
reprehensible, and was favorably
regarded by none present except
Jesus. His divine foreknowledge
is demonstrated by the literal ful
fillment of his prediction, and as
the knowledge of this incident
reaches forward into coming ages
and spreads abroad still farther in
the earth, the demonstration be
comes continually more surprising.
The Agreement with Judas, 14-16.
(Mark xiv. 10, 11; Luke xxii. 3-
6.)
14. went to the chief priests.
— Judas knew, by public rumor, the
desire of the chief priests to secure
the death of Jesus, and he had
probably heard of their lately
formed purpose "to take him by
subtilty ' (verse 4). When such a

xxvi. 15-21.]

MATTHEW.

225

called Ju'das Is'cariot, went
unto the chief priests, I6 and said
unto them, What will ye give
me, and I will deliver him unto
you? And they covenanted with
him for thirty pieces of silver.
16 And from that time he sought
opportunity to betray him.
1T Now the first day of the
feast of unleavened bread the
disciples came to Je'sus, saying
[unto him], Where wilt thou
that we prepare for thee to eat
17 airy Rec. Omitted by Lach., T. S.
Green, Alford, Tregelles.

plot is concocted among a number
of men, it is very likely to reach
the ears of some one friendly to
the intended victim. (Comp. Acts
xxiii. 12-22.) Judas was therefore
well assured that he could make a
profitable bargain with the enemy.
15. for thirty pieces of silver.
— The pieces of silver were most
likely the Jewish shekel, and the
amount $15.00. This was a low
price for so base a deed : but Judas
anticipated no personal danger; he
shut out from his mind the thought
of all other evil consequences to
himself, and he expected his task
to cost him but a few minutes of
labor when the time should come.
16. he sought opportunity.—
He soon found the opportunity ; for
this contract was entered into on
Wednesday or Thursday (verses 2,
3), and on Thursday night the be
trayal occurred.
The Passover Prepared, 17-19.
(Mark xiv. 12-16; Luke xxii. 7-
13.)
17. first day of the feast. —
Not the first of the seven days dur
ing which they ate unleavened
bread, but the day in which they
performed the first act of prepare
tion for the feast, the slaying of
the paschal lamb at evening, and

the passover? I8And he said,
Go into the city to such a man,
and say unto him, The Master
saith, My time is at hand; I
will keep the passover at thy
house with my disciples. 19 And
the disciples did as Je'sus had
appointed them ; and they made
ready the passover.
20 Now when the even was
come, he sat down with the
twelve [disciples']. 21 And as
they did eat, he said, Verily I
20 pa9r,rS,v Added by Lach., Tisch., T. S.
Green, Alford, Tregel&s.

called the first day on this account.
(See Ex. xii. 14-20.)
18. at thy house. — It was cus
tomary for all the residents of Je
rusalem to open their houses for
guests during this feast, and there
fore Jesus might have presumed on
the hospitality of almost any one ;
but the probability is that the man
to whom he sent this message was
an acquaintance and a friend.
19. made ready the passover.
— The making ready consisted in
slaying and roasting the lamb, and
providing the unleavened bread
and bitter herbs which were eaten
with it. (Ex. xii. 8.)
Conversation about the Betrayal,
20-25. (Mark xiv. 18-21 ; Luke
xxii. 21-23; John xiii. 21-35.)
20. when the even was come.
— The preparation had been made
during the afternoon of Thursday,
and this is the only incident re
ported by any of the evangelists
which certainly occurred on that
day. Jesus seems to have remained
at Bethany in the quiet circle of
his intimate friends until the pas
chal supper was ready at the close
of the day. He was certainly outside
of the city when he sent the disciples
to make preparation. (Seeverse 18.)
81, 22. Lord, is it I?— If the

226

MATTHEW.

[xxvi. 22-26.

say unto you, that one of you
shall betray me. 22And they
were exceeding sorrowful, and
began every one of them to say
unto him, Lord, is it I ? ** And
he answered and said, He that
dippeth his hand with me in the
dish, the same shall betray me.
24 The Son of man goeth as it is
written of him: but woe unto

disciples had known what kind of
a betrayal was meant, and that it
was to occur that night, they would
have answered as. positively as they
did in reference to denying him
that night (verse 35 below) ; but
they knew not what they might be
tempted to do in the distant future,
and each only wished to know at
present whether he were tho person
referred to.
23. dippeth his hand with
me. — It was customary, as it is yet
in Palestine, for several persons to
dip bits of bread into a vessel of
sauce which was served to them in
common. The answer did not dis
tinctly designate Judas, for he still
inquired (verse 25), " Master, is it
I? but it narrowed the field of
inquiry to the group of which he
was one, and proved to the disci
ples that Jesus was not speaking
vaguely. The more definite answer
which he gave privately to John
was given at a later moment. (John
xiii. 24-26.)
24. but woe unto that man. —
Although it was written of the Son
of man, and predetermined by God,
that he should go as Judas had cov
enanted, yet the woe is pronounced
on Judas, and it is said of him that
it had been good for him if he had
not been born. This shows that a
man who, _by a wicked act, brings
about a purpose of God, bears the
same guilt as though God had no
purpose in it. It is his own act
and motive for which he is judged,

that man by whom the Son of
man is betrayed! it had been
good for that man if he had not
been born. *¦ Then Ju'das,. which
had betrayed him, answered and
said, Master, is it I? He said
unto him, Thou hast said.
26 And as they were eating,
Je'sus took bread, and blessed it,
and brake it, and gave it to the

and not the results which God may-
have intended to bring out of his
act. The statement that "it had
been good for that man if he had
not been born," is a denial of the
doctrine of universal salvation ; for
if a man, after any conceivable
amount of suffering, shall at last en
joy everlasting life, it is not true
of him that it had been better for
him if he had not been born.
25. Then Judas . . . answered.
— The object of this conversation
was both to show the foreknowledge
of Jesus, and to give Judas a sol
emn warning in reference to the
crime which ne was about to com
mit. If it had been the purpose of
Jesus to overwhelm the guilty
wretch with fear and dismay, and
thereby compel him to desist from
his horrible undertaking, we can
not conceive words better adapted
to this purpose. Yet so utterly cal
lous had the conscience of Judas
become that with brazen effrontery
he asks, "Master, is it I?" Such
hardihood in crime is a more con
vincing evidence of deep depravity
than his previous covenant with the
chief priests.
The Lord's Supper Instituted, 26-
30. (Mark xiv. 22-25; Luke
xxii. 19, 20; 1 Cor. xi. 23-25.)
26. took bread. — As none but
unleavened bread was eaten during
the paschal supper, the bread which
is here spoken of must have been
unleavened, and this makes it a

xxvi. 27, 28..]

MATTHEW.

227

disciples, and said, Take, eat ;
this is my body. 27 And he took
the cup, and gave thanks, and
gave it to them, saying, Drink
ye all of it; ^for this is my

matter of propriety at least that
unleavened bread be still used in
the Lord's Supper.
this is my body.— It is held by
the advocates of the doctrine of tran-
substantiation that these words are
to be understood literally, and that
the bread, therefore, was trans
formed into the actual body of Je
sus. It is also affirmed, although it
would by no means follow, that
when a priest consecrates the wafer
there is a similar transformation,
and the communicants eat not
bread, but the actual body of Christ
under the appearance of bread.
Waiving all that may be said as to
the absurdity of this doctrine, we
content ourselves with the inquiry
whether the words of Jesus can be
thus understood; and in order to
the settlement of the question we
place ourselves in the position of
the apostles to whom the words
were first addressed. If, as Jesus
spoke the words, " this is my
body," he had suddenly disap
peared, and the apostles had seen
nothing but the bread, they would
have understood that the body had
been miraculously transformed into
the loaf. But as his body was still
there, and the loaf which he held in
his hands was also there ; and as
his body still remained there after
the loaf had been broken, and
passed around, and eaten up, it is
impossible that they could have
understood him as meaning that
the loaf was literally his body, and
impossible that he could have in
tended to be so understood. This
is an end of the controversy. The
language declares only that the
bread was a symbol of his body,

blood of the [new] testament,
which is shed for many for the

28 Kaivij; Rec. Omitted by Lach., Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles, N, 13, L, z,
33, Coptic.

and it is the usual mode of expres
sing such an idea ; e. g., " The field
is the world ; the good seed are the
children of the kingdom ; the tares
are the children of the wicked one ;
the enemy that sowed them is the
devil," etc. (Matt. xiii. 38, 39.
See also verses 19, 20, 22, 23 of the
same chapter, and the note on verse
29 below.)
27. Drink ye all of it — All
the persons, not all of the wine.
Whether Judas was still present,
we are# unable to determine with
certainty. John, the only writer
who mentions the departure of
Judas, says that he went out imme
diately after the conversation about
the betrayal : " He then having re
ceived the sop went immediately
out." (John xiii. 30.) This would
settle the question if we could as
certain whether the supper was
instituted before or after this con
versation; but John says 'nothing
about the institution of the supper,
and while Luke mentions it before
the conversation in question, Mat
thew aud Mark both mention it
after the conversation, and none of
them gives any notes of time by
which we can determine the chron
ological order of the two events.
(Comp. Mark xiv. 18-25 ; Luke
xxii. 19-23.) The probability is,
however, that there was no eating
done after the institution of the
Lord's Supper, that the sop given to
Judas was therefore given before
the supper, and that he had already
gone out when the supper was insti
tuted. 28. blood of the testament —
Instead of testament, the rendering
should be covenant. The term new,

228

MATTHEW.

[xxvi. 29-81.

remission of sins. ""But I say
unto you, I will not drink hence
forth of this fruit of the vine,
until that day when I drink it
new with you in my Father's

pronounced an interpolation here
by the critical authorities (see crit
ical note), is found in Paul's re
port of the institution of the sup
per (1 Cor. xi. 25), whence it was
doubtless obtained by the interpo
lator. The covenant referred to is
the one mentioned prophetically by
Jeremiah (xxxi. 31-34), and quoted
with comments by Paul in Heb.
viii. 7-13.
shed for many. — The term
many is not. used in contradistinc
tion from all, for we know by ex
plicit statements in other passages
that Jesus died for every man.
(Heb. ii. 9; 2 Cor. v. 14, 15.) It
is used here as in Rom. v. 15, 19,
where the context shows that it
means all. When the persons in
cluded are contemplated individ
ually, the term many is employed
on account of the vast number of
them ; for no man can number the
individuals for whom Christ died.
But when they are contemplated
under the feebler conception of the
whole, the term all is employed.
for the remission of sins. —
These words declare the prime ob
ject of the death of Christ. All
other purposes which it served are
subordinate to this, and all other
blessings which his death secures to
us are consequent upon this. With
out the remission of sins there
could be no happiness for man in
time or in eternity; with it there
is peaco of mind here and heaven
hereafter.: for he who dies with
all the sins, of his life forgiven has
nothing to fear beyond the grave,
and he who lives in the daily for
giveness of his daily sins, lives in
blissful communion with God.
29. drink it new with yon-

kingdom. m And when they had
sung an hymn, they went out in
to the mount of Ol'ives.
slThen saith Je'sus unto them,
All ye shall be offended because

The literal use of wine is not here
meant; for Jesus does not literally
drink wine with his disciples in
the kingdom as it now is, nor will
he do so in the eternal kingdom.
The term drink, therefore, is used
figuratively for that communion
which Jesus has with his disciples
while they are drinking the wine
of the Lord's Supper. The term
new is most naturally understood
as modifying wine, but as the wine
of the supper is not necessarily
new wine, I think it rather indi
cates the new method of drinking
wine just indicated.
Observe here that Jesus still calls
the wine "the fruit of the vine"
after he had said of it, " This is my
blood" — a clear proof that it was
still wine, and had not been changed
into his actual blood.
30. when they had sung.— It
was a custom of the Jews, though
the law did not require it, to sing
Ps. cxiii-cxviii, during the paschal
supper. They called this passage in
the Psalms the Hallel, because it be
gins in the Hebrew with Hallelujah.
into the mount of Olives.— The
garden called Gethsemane, the pre
cise place to which they went
(verse 36), was at the base of the
Mount of Olives and was included
within its limits.
Desertion and Denial Predicted,
31-35. (Mark xiv. 26-31 ; Luke
xxii. 31-38; John xiii. 36-38.)
31. offended because of me.—
Mr. Green renders it, " shall be
stumbled in me." This is literal
and accurate. " Stumbled" is used
metaphorically for their partial fall
when they fled from the danger,
and "in me" indicates that the oo-

xxvi. 32-38.]

MATTHEW.

229

of me this night : for it is writ
ten, I will smite the shepherd,
and the sheep of the flock shall
be scattered abroad. S2 But after
I am risen again, I will go be
fore you into Gal'ilee. 8S Pe'ter
answered and said imto him,
Though all men shall be offended
because of thee, yet will I never
be offended. M Je'sus said unto
him, Verily I say unto thee,
That this night, before the cock
crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.
85 Pe'ter said unto him, Though

casion of the stumbling would be
found in him : it was in his volun
tary and unexpected surrender to
the guards who arrested him.
for it is written. — In Zecha
riah xiii. 7, where the connection
shows plainly that the reference is
to the Messiah. The smiting of a
shepherd and the consequent scat
tering of his flock of sheep, is a
striking symbol of the scene at the
arrest of Jesus.
32. before you into Galilee. —
This appointment to meet the dis
ciples in Galilee after the resur
rection, was afterward referred to
by the angel at the sepulcher, and
by Jesus himself when he appeared
to the women, (xxviii. 7, 10.)
33-35. will I never be offend
ed — Never be stumbled.- — No read
er of this passage, not even a child,
can fail to see reflected in it the
uncertainty of human resolutions,
and man's ignorance of himself.
We can not, for our own good, too
frequently reflect on the incident,
nor too earnestly pray, "Lead us
not into temptation, but deliver us
from evil."
Agony in Gethsemane, 36^46. (Mark
xiv. 32-42; Luke xxii. 39^16;
.John xviii. 1.)
86. a place called Gethsem-

I should die with thee, yet will
I not deny thee. Likewise also
said all the disciples.
96 Then cometh Je'sus with
them unto a place called Geth-
sem'ane, and saith unto the dis
ciples, Sit ye here, while I go
and pray yonder. 87 And he took
with him Pe'ter and the two
sons of Zeb'edee, and began to
be sorrowful and very heavy.
38 Then saith |he: Jesus \ unto
38 o 'Itjctous Added by Lach., Tisch., T. S.
Green, Alford, Tregelles.
ane. — Gethsemane means a place
of ^oil-presses, and doubtless this
place had once been used for press
ing out olive-oil, but it was at this
time a garden. (John xviii. I.)
37. he took with him.— To the
main body of the disciples he had
said, "Sit ye here while I go and
pray yonder," (36) but now he takes
Peter and the two sons of Zebedee
nearer to the spot which he had se
lected for his prayer.
38. then saith Jesus. — Mat
thew's remark in verse 37, that Je
sus "began to be sorrowful and
very heavy,1' expresses what was
apparent to the disciples from his
manner. Here he gives the words
in which the sorrow was expressed.
even unto death. — He felt as if
he could not survive the pressure
that was upon his soul, and the
utter helplessness into which he had
sunk is seen in the request to the
chosen three, " Tarry ye here, and
watch with me." He who had
been their comforter in every hour
of trouble and danger, now calls
on them for the help which their
wakeful sympathy wCuld give him
in the hour of his agony. Wonder
ful sight ! Tha Son of God longin,
fiMLthLigmpathv ofhuman hjjartl
aniileaning^n'irtim^, of weakness
OB— &e.LarnT of human friendship I

230

MATTHEW.

[xxvi. 39-44

them, My soul is exceeding sor
rowful, even unto death: tarry
ye here, and watch with me.
38 And he went a little farther,
and fell on his face, and prayed,
saying, O my Father, if it be
possible, let this cup pass from
me : nevertheless not as I will,
but as thou wilt. • "And he
cometh unto the disciples, and
findeth them asleep, and saith
unto Pe'ter, What, could ye
not watch with me one hour ?
" Watch and pray; that ye enter
not into temptation: the spirit

Leaning, too, as so many sufferers
have done, on a broken reed ! ,
.. 39. fell on his face and
prayed. — He first kneeled down
(Luke xxii. 41), and then bowed
his face to the ground — the lowliest
attitude of prayer, assumed only
when the strength of man gives
way under a load of sorrow, and
some unutterable desire struggles
within the soul. The burden on
the soul of Jesus is revealed in the
piteous cry, " 0 my Father, if it be
possible, let this cup pass from
me." There is a pause — a solemn
and momentous pause freighted
with the destinies of a world — when
there follows the ever blessed words,
" Nevertheless, not as I will, but as
thou wilt."
if it be possible. — In one point
of view it was possible. As he
could, an hour later, have called for
twelve legions of angels to deliver
him (verse 53), so now the cup
would have passed from him had he
refused to drink it. But it was
impossible without frustrating the
purpose for which he had come into
the world, and disregarding the
will of Him who had sent him. If
that purpose, the salvation of men,
could have been accomplished with
out it, the cup both could and would
have passed from him. On tho fig-

indeed is willing, but the flesh is
weak. 42He went away again
the second time, and prayed,
saying, O my Father, if this
[cup] may not pass away [from
me], except I drink it, thy will
be done. 43And he came and
found them asleep again: for
their eyes were heavy. "And
he left them, and went away
42 rb iroTifpiov Rec. Omitted by Lach.,
Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford.Tregelles, x, a,
b, c, F, L, 1, 33, 102, etc., Sahidic, ^Ethiop-
ic, Ph. Syriac, etc.
42 oir' epov Rec. Omitted by Lach.,
Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.

urative iise_of the word cup, see
note or/xx. 22J p. I f) 6
40. fedetn Them asleep. —
After uttering once his prayer he
returns to the three disciples, that
he may get close to their side and
feel the support of their sympathy.
How shameful that he finds them
asleep and utterly oblivious of his
sorrow! He can not endure this:
he wakes them up ; and how touch
ing the reproof, " Could you not
stay awake with me one hour ? "
41. Watch and pray. — Though
sinking under the weight of his
own sorrow, he forgets not the dan
ger which threatens his disciples.
He exhorts them to watch for it
and against it, and to pray that
they "enter not into temptation; "
that is, into the power and dominion
of the temptation which was com
ing. Then, as they awaken full of
self-reproach, he apologizes for
them by the remark, " The spirit
, indeed is willing, but the flesh is
iweak." 42-44. the second time . . .
the third time. — The severity of
the struggle is seen in the fact that
although at the close of his first
prayer he was able to say, " Not as
I will, but as thou wilt," he returned
to repeat the same prayer a second
and a third time. The struggle was

XXVI.

-47.]

MATTHEW.

231

again, and prayed the third
time, saying the same words.
45 Then cometh he to | his : tfie |
disciples, and saith unto them,
Sleep on now, and take your
45 airov Rec. Omitted by Lach., Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Alford. Tregelles.

perhaps in some degree protracted
by the indifference of his disciples,
whom he found asleep at each return
to their presence.
45, 46. Sleep on now . . . Rise.
— The command, " Rise, let us be
going," follows so closely on the
words, "Sleep on now, and take
your rest," that some have suggested
the propriety of pointing the latter
clause interrogatively : "Do you
sleep on now, and take your rest? "
•But this is not at all necessary, nor
does it yield a sense in so complete
harmony with the context. We
have only to suppose, in order to
remove all difficulty, that between
the two remarks he saw the torches
of the approaching band of officers
led on by Judas. Coming the third
time to his slumbering disciples,
-resigned now to his fate, and feeling
able to bear without sympathy the
burden that was on his soul, he
gays to the three, " Sleep on now,

rest : behold, the hour is at
hand, and the Son of man is
betrayed into the hands of sin
ners. ^Kise, let us be going:
behold, he is at hand that doth
betray me.
47 And while he yet spake, lo,

. and take your rest '

will not

account. But just then the glim
mer of torches is seen in the dis
tance ; he knows what it means,
and he exclaims, " Rise, let us be
foing: for he is at hand that doth
_ etray me." The words, " let us be
"going," were intended for them, not
for himself.
It is perhaps in vain to attempt
an explanation of the extreme
agony which Jesus endured in the
garden. That it was not an un
manly fear of death is sufficiently-
proved by the entire course of his
previous life, and is demonstrated
by the fortitude with which he actu
ally endured his cruel fate when it

came upon him. -The natural fear
of death, it is true, was saddening
to his soul, and the remembrance
of the world's cruelty in the past,
mingled with the anticipation of
their still greater cruelty and their
base ingratitude yet to be developed,
must have greatly increased the
intensity of this sadness ; but when
we consider all this, and all that we
can by imagination distinctly real
ize, we feel that we are still snort of
the reality. There was something
in the dual nature of Jesus which
gave him an experience when about
to die for the sins of the world,
into which the human heart can
not enter. Even when Paul at
tempts a remark on the subject, he
contents himself with these words :
"Who, in the days of his flesh,
when he had offered up prayers
and supplications with strong cry
ing and tears unto him who was
able to save him from death, and
was heard in that he feared ; though

disturb your slumber again jguny. .he were a son, yet he learned obe
dience by the things which he suf
fered." (Heb. v. 7, 8.) Here let

our attempts at explanation rest,
and let ua rather direct our thoughts
to the everlasting bonds of love
with which he has bound us by en
during agony so great in our behalf.
The Arrest, 47-56. (Mark xiv.
43-52; Luke xxii. 47-53; John
xviii. 2-12.)
47. one of the twelve. — As
Matthew had not mentioned the
departure of Judas from the supper-
table, he thought it necessary to
identify him bere as one of the
twelve. The multitude who accom-

232

MATTHEW.

[xxvi. 48-62.

Ju'das, one of the twelve, came,
and with him a great multitude
with swords and staves, from the
chief priests and elders of the
people. " Now he that betrayed
him gave them a sign, saying,
Whomsoever I shall kiss, that
same is he: hold him fast.
"And forthwith he came to
Je'sus, and said, Hail, master ;
and kissed him. "And Je'sus

panied him with swords and staffs
were considered necessary to' over
power any resistance which might
be offered, and to prevent a rescue.
Perhaps, also, each needed the en
couragement of numbers to embold
en him to lay hands on one who
had wrought such miracles.
48, 49. gave them a sign. —
In the dim light of the sinking
moon,* and in the shadow of the
temple mount, which probably
stretched across the valley, only
those very familiar with the feat
ures of Jesus could distinguish him
from his disciples; hence the sign
which Judas was to give. That he
selected a kiss as the sign, shows
that he foolishly expected to deceive
Jesus until the guards would lay
hold of him. When a man is en
gaged in crime, he is sure to be
guilty of some folly in the planning,
on in the execution. Judas forgot
the superhuman knowledge of Je
sus, and in the act of kissing him
gave the finishing touch to the pict
ure of his own infamy. Little did he
think that the kiss of Judas would
become a proverb in every nation.
50. wherefore art thou come?
— Jesus makes no parade of his
foreknowledge, but, as if he were
taken by surprise, he calls on
Judas for a statement of his pur
pose. John reports more fully

* The moon was always full at tbe feast
of the Passover.

said unto him, Friend, wherefore
art thou come? Then came
they, and laid hands on Je'sus,
and took him. 61And, behold,
one of them which were with
Je'sus stretched out his hand,
and drew his sword, and struck
a servant of the high priest's,
and smote off his ear. 82Then
said Je'sus unto him, Put up
again thy sword into his place :

the conversation which here en
sued (John xviii. 4-8).
51. drew his sword. — The apos
tles were not in the habit of wear
ing swords, but Jesus had made a
remark at the supper which, being
misconstrued, had caused them to
procure two of these weapons.
(Luke xxii. 36-38.) Peter had one
of them, and used it as here de
scribed (John xviii. 10), but the
other was in less valiant hands.
The blow was aimed at the head of
the servant, and would probably
have proved fatal had he not
dodged and escaped with the Iobs
of an ear.
52. shall perish with the
sword. — As it is not true in his
tory that all individuals who take
the sword perish with the sword,
we must understand this remark
rather of organized communities of
men, both political and religious.
In this sense the statement has
E roved true, so far as history has
ad time to test it. Every kingdom
which was built up in ancient times
by violence has perished, and doubt
less those of modern times will.
Popery, also, which established it
self by the sword and the fagot, has
been compelled at last to succumb
to military power, and will proba
bly be eventually overthrown by
the same instrumentality. So with
Mohammedanism. It should be
further observed here, that the
reason for commanding Peter to

xxvi. 53-56.]

MATTHEW.

233

for all they that take the sword
shall perish with the sword.
°3Thinkest thou that I can not
now pray to my Father, and he
shall presently give me more
than twelve legions of angels?
64 But how then shall the script
ures be fulfilled, that thus it
must be ? 65 In that same hour

put up his sword, was not drawn
from the circumstances of the case.
It was not because the use of the
sword would prevent Jesus from dy
ing for the world; nor because its
use was wrong in the cause of Je
sus but innocent in other causes ;
but because " all who take the
sword shall perish with the sword."
The universality of the proposition
made it applicable to the case of
Peter. The statement has the form
of a prediction, and the force of a
prohibition in reference to appeals to
the sword, whether by churches, na
tions, or other organized bodies
of men.
53, 54. twelve legions of an
gels. — Peter's resistance, even if
allowable, would have been in vain,
for the guards had come expecting
, resistance and prepared for it ; but
Jesus here reminds Peter of the
proper and infinitely more effective
defense which God has provided for
his children. The ministering an
gels are our guardians, and they
would have rescued Jesus had he
demanded it; but then the script
ures and the purpose of God de
clared in them would not have been
fulfilled; so he submitted.
55, 56. as against a thief, —
Jesus tantalizes the guards with
their cowardice in coming against
him with such an array of weapons,
instead of making an open arrest
in broad daylight. He was not like
a thief plotting resistance or seek
ing concealment, but "sat daily
teaching in the temple."
20

said Je'sus to the multitudes,
Are ye come out as against a
thief with swords and staves for
to take me? I sat daily [with
you] teaching in \he temple, and
ye laid no hold on me. 66 But
all this was done, that the script-
55 irpbs 1VS5 Rec. Omitted by Lach.,
Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.

forsook him and fled.-^-In their
alarm the disciples forgot the pre
diction about their dispersion like
sheep when the shepherd is smit
ten (verses 31, 35), or else they
thought it was best to fulfill it ; and
Jesus had himself demanded for
them the privilege of retreat, by
saying, "If you seek me, let these
go their way." (John xviii. 8.)
Argument of Section 7.
If Jesus had been put to death
after violent resistance, or after
exhausting all means within* his
reach to escape death, he could not
have been preached to the world
as a voluntary sacrifice for sin ; and
his cross, if robbed of this element,
would have been robbed of the
chief part of its power over men.
In the preceding section, Matthew
has exhibited more fully than before
the fact that his death was volun
tary. Again and again, within the
section, have we seen Jesus referring
to it as an event about to take
place; the symbols which are to
commemorate it throughout all time
had been appointed ; the final con
sent of his soul, after a protracted
struggle in prayer, had been given ;
all aid looking to his release,
whether from earth or from heaven,
had been declined ; and he now ex
tended his hands to receive the
bonds which were to be loosed only
at the foot of the cross.
The second object ofthe section is
to show that the death of Jesus,
which was thus voluntary on his

234

MATTHEW.

[xxvi. ,57-61.

ures of the prophets might be
fulfilled. Then all the disciples
forsook him, and fled.
"And they that had laid
hold on Je'sus led him away to
Ca'iaphas the high priest, where
the scribes and the elders were
assembled. 68 But Pe'ter fol
lowed him afar off unto the high
priest's palace, and went in, and
sat with the servants, to see the
end. 59Now the chief priests,
[and elders,] and all the council,
59 Kai ot Trpeo-fSvrepoi Rec. Omitted by
Lach., T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.

part, was brought about by malice
and corruption on the part of his
enemies. It shows that the plot
for his arrest was instigated by mal
ice and tainted with hypocrisy
(3-5) ; that it was rendered practi
cable by bribery and corruption, as
exhibited in the covenant with Ju
das; and that its execution was
marked by that cowardice which
usually attends corrupt transactions.
All of these circumstances consti
tute an argument for his innocence,
by proving the malice," the hypocri
sy, and the cowardice of his enemies.

SECTION vin.
The Trial of Jesus, XXVI. 57-
XXVII. 26.
Testimony Sought in Vain, 57-63 ; Con
demned on His own Confession, 63-
68; Peter's Denial, 69-75; The Final
Counsel, xxvii. 1,2; Remorse and
Death of Judas, 3-10; Silence of Je-
kiis before Pilate, 11-14 ; Barabbns
Preferred, and the Message from Pi
late's Wife, 15-23; Pilate Yields to
the People, 21-26.

Testimony Sought in Vain, 57-63.
(Mark xiv. 53-59 ; Luke xxii. 71 ;
John xviii. 19-23.)
57. to Caiaphas. — Matthew
omits the fact mentioned by John

sought false witness against Je'
sus, to put him to death ; 60 but
found none [ : yea], though
many false witnesses came [, yet
found they none]. At the last
came two [false witnesses], 61and
said, This fellow said, I am able
to destroy the temple of God,
and to build it in three days.
60 «<ii Rec. Omitted by Lach., Tisch, T.
S. Green, Tregelles.
60 oi* e8po» Rec. Omitted by Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.
60 tyev&opdprvpes Rec. Omitted by Lach.,
Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles, X,
B, L, 1, 102, 118, 124, 209, P. Syriac, H. Syr
iac, Coptic, Sahidic, JSth'opic, etc.
(xviii. 13), that they led Jesus first
to Annas, and that Annas sent him
to Caiaphas.
were assembled. — While Mat
thew here represents "the scribes
and the elders" as already assem
bled, Luke represents them as
coming together " as. soon as it was
day." (Luke xxii. 66.) Doubtless
a part of them, having been notified
when Judas started with the band
to arrest Jesus, were already assem
bled, but the main body of them
did not arrive till about daylight,
nor did the regular proceedings be
gin till that time.
58. Peter followed him. — For
a more circumstantial account of
Peter's movements, and of his ad
mission into the palace of the high
priest, see. John xviii. 15-18.
59, 60. but found none.— The
statement that " they found none" — ¦
that is, no false witness — though
many false witnesses came, appears
self-contradictory. But the term
witness, in verse 59, means testi
mony; and testimony " to put him
to death," — testimony on which he
could be condemned to death; and
it was such testimony that they
found not, " though many false wit
nesses came."
60-62, At the last came two.

xxvi. 62-67.]

MATTHEW.

235

wAnd the high priest arose, and
said unto him, Answerest thou
nothing ? what is it which these
witness against thee ?
63 But Je'sus held his peace.
And the high priest answered
and said unto him, I adjure thee
by the living God, that thou
tell us whether thou be the
Christ, the Son of God. 64 Je'sus
saith unto him, Thou hast said :
nevertheless I say unto you,
Hereafter shall ye see the Son

— These two came nearer giving
the required testimony than the
others: but while their statement, if
true, would have convicted Jesus of
what might be considered a very
boastful speech, it could hardly
have been construed as blasphemy;
and consequently, though Caiaphas
demanded of Jesus, in a tone of
triumph, "Answerest thou noth
ing," he was evidently unwilling to
rest the case on this testimony. ¦
63. Jesus held his peace-
Had Jesus answered, and explained
what he really meant by the speech
about building the temple in three
days (see John ii. 19-22), it would
have made his cause appear no
better in the eyes of his judges,
and it would have given his enemies
a fresh notice, which he did not wish
them to have, of his intended resur
rection. He wisely chose, there
fore, to hold his peace.
Condemned on His own Confession,
63-68. (Mark xiv. 60-65; Luke
xxii. 66-71.)
63. the high priest answer
ed. — The silence of Jesus had a
significance, and to this the high
priest answered. It meant that the
testimony ofthe witnesses was un
worthy of an answer ; and the high
priest therefore called on him for his
own testimony. The words, "" I

of man sitting on the right hand
of power, and coming in the
clouds of heaven. 65 Then the
high priest rent his clothes, say
ing, He hath spoken blasphemy ;
what further need have we of
witnesses? behold, now ye have
heard | his : the | blasphemy.
69 What think ye? They an
swered and said, He is guilty of
death. 67Then did they spit in
65 aiToD Rec. Omitted by Lach., Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.

adjure thee by the living God,"
were intended to put Jesus on his
oath. The question, " whether thou
art the Christ, the Son of God,"
shows that Caiaphas understood cor
rectly and fully the claims of Jesus.
64. Thou nast said. —Jesus
might with all propriety have re
fused to be made a witness against
himself, but he declined to take ad
vantage of his privilege, and an
swered the question in the affirma
tive, by the Jewish formula, "Thou
hast said ; " that is, thou hast said!
what I am.
Hereafter ye shall see.— Not
content with answering the ques
tion, Jesus announces another meet
ing between himself and the assem
bled elders, in which their relative
positions will be reversed ; then he
will be on the right hand of power,
and they will be the prisoners be
fore his bar.
65. rent his clothes. — Here
Caiaphas acted the hypocrite. He
was glad to hear the statement of
Jesus ; it was the answer he was
trying to extort from him ; and yet
he pretended to be exceedingly
shocked when he heard it.
68. guilty of death.— That is,
guilty of a crime worthy of death —
the crime of blasphemy in claim
ing to be the Son of God.
67, 68. they spit in his face. —

236

MATTHEW.

[xxvi. 68-75.

his face, and buffeted him ; and
others smote him with the palms
of their hands, *" saying, Proph
esy unto us, thou Christ, Who
is he that smote thee ?
69 Now Peter sat without in
the palace : and a damsel .came
unto him, saying, Thou also
wast with Je'sus of Gal'ilee.
70 But he denied before them all,
saying, I know not what thou
sayest. nAnd when he was
gone out into the porch, another

The spitting and buffeting were
done, not by the members of the
court, but by "the men that held
Jesus." (Luke xxii. 63-65.) Mat
thew speaks indefinitely, not using
the pronoun in close connection
with the preceding context. He
also omits the blindfolding men
tioned by Luke ; but his statement
that they demanded, "Prophesy
unto us ; who is he that smote thee, '
implies the blindfolding. Had he
not been blindfolded he could have
seen who smote him. Here one of
the sacred narratives incidentally
supplements the other, and fur
nishes evidence for the truthful
ness of both.
Peter's Denial, 69-75. (Mark xiv.
66-72; Luke xxii. 54^62; John
xviii. 17, 18; 25-27.)
69. without in the palace. —
He was without as regards the
apartment in which the Sanhedrim
was in session, but within as
regards the palace; for he was in
the open court around which the
palace was built.
69, 70. a damsel came. — She
came to the gate, at John's request,
to let Peter in (John xviii. 16, 17),
and then she came to him at the
fire where he was warming him
self (Mark xiv. 66, 67).

maid saw him, and said unto
them that were there, This fellow
was also with Je'sus of Naz'areth.
"And again he denied with an
oath, I do not know the man.
73 And after awhile came unto
him they that stood by, and said
to Peter, Surely thou also art
one of them ; for thy speech be-
wrayeth thee. 74 Then began he
to curse and to swear, saying, I
know not the man. And imme
diately the cock crew. ,5And

71, 72. into the porch. — Not a
porch, in our sense of the term. It
was the arched passage (rcvXuv)
which led from the street through
the front part of the building into
the court.
another maid. — By comparing
the parallel passages the reader
will see that after the charge. was
first made by the porteress, it was
repeated by quite a number of
others, both male and female, and
that Peter made various answers,
though all amounted to but three
denials. 73. they that stood by. — Here
the by-standers in general unite
in the clamor, and Matthew ceases
to designate individuals.
thy speech bewrayeth thee.—
Bewray eth is obsolete for "betray eth.
Peter and the other Galileans spoke
the same language as the Jews of
Jerusalem, but they had some pecul
iar pronunciations like the pro
vincialisms of our own'country, by
which they were distinguished.
From his being a Galilean, they in
ferred that he was a follower of
Jesus — an illogical conclusion, and
yet a correct one.
74, 75. Peter remembered—
The wonder is that he did not re
member the words of Je3us the
moment he began to fulfill them;
but the excitement of the moment

XXVII.

1-J

MATTHEW.

237

Peter remembered the word of
Jesus, which' said [unto him],
Before the cock crow, thou shalt
75 aurcu Rec. Omitted by Lach., Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.

rendered him oblivious of every
thing except the present danger,
until a cock, perhaps at roost in
the very court where he was, rang
out his clarion notes on the morn
ing air, and brought back the en
tire speech of Jesus to Peter's
memory. A glance from the eye
of Jesus at the same moment helped
to bring him to consciousness. Over
whelmed and forced to tears, he
went out, that he might hide his
bitter weeping.
It is surprising that Peter, was
capable of such a denial, but there
are several considerations that help
•to account for it. When he said,
the night before,. that he would fol
low Jesus to prison and to death,
he spoke his real sentiment; and
that he would, under ordinary
circumstances, have been true to
his pledge, is proved by the fact
that when the guards appeared he
was ready to fight the whole band
single-handed. But when Jesus
commanded him to put up his
sword, and then allowed himself
to be bound and led away, Peter
foresaw the result; his hope of the
coming kingdom expired, his faith
in Jesus as the expected Messiah
wavered, and with the loss of faith
and hope he lost all courage. Then,
having denied once, he was driven
to desperation, and 'plunged head
long into guilt, until the reproach
ful glance of Jesus accompanying
the shrill signal of the cock roused
again the man that was in him,
and brought him to repentance.
His speedy recovery attests the
nobility of his character: for the
food man is not he who never sins,
uthc who quickly repents of sin and
makes all possible atonement for it.

deny me thrice. And he went
out, and wept bitterly.
XXVII. 1 When the morning
was come, all the chief priests
and elders of the people took

The honesty and candor of the
sacred historians are strikingly ex
hibited in the fact that they all
mention Peter's denial. When the
narratives of Matthew, Mark, and
Luke were published, Peter was in
the midst of his career as chief of
the apostles to the Circumcision;
and when John's was published ho
had ended his career, and his
memory was embalmed in the
hearts of millions. His reputation
was a large part of the reputation
of the entire Church, and while he
was still alive it would be supposed
that undue mention of so discredit
able an incident in his history
would be offensive to him. Yet,
without regard either to the feel
ings of Peter or to the good name
of the Church, they all mention it.
They mention it, too, after having
omitted many things, in preference
to which we would suppose that
they would have omitted this.
An uninspired historian would
have been certain to omit it, or
to give the most ample apoiogy
for it.
The Final Counsel, xxvii. 1, 2.
(Mark xv. 1 ; Luke xxiii. 1 ; John
xviii. 28.)
1. took counsel. — The counsel
now taken was different from that
described in the previous chapter.
They had then pronounced him
worthy of death ; they now take
counsel "to put him to death.1' It
was not lawful for the Sanhedrim
to put any one to death (John xviii.
31), that power having been taken
away by the Eomans and lodged
in the Roman governor. The
question now discussed was the
best method of obtaining Pilate's

238

MATTHEW.

[xxvii. 2-4.

counsel against Je'sus to put him
to death : 2and when they had
bound him, they led him away,
and delivered him to Pon'tius
Pi'late the governor.
3 Then Ju'das, which had be-

consent to the execution of Jesus.
Doubtless the course which they
proceeded to take before Pilate was
the one which they now agreed
upon. 2. whentheyhadboundhim. —
He was bound when he was first
arrested (John xviii. 12), and the
fact that he was now bound again
shows either that his bonds had
been loosed while in the presence
of the Sanhedrim, or that he was
now bound more securely on ac
count of the greater danger of his
being rescued by his friends. The
latter is the more probable supposi
tion. Pontius Pilate the governor. —
After Archelaus, son of Herod the
Great (ii. 22), had reigned over
Judea ten years, he was deposed by
the Roman government, and Judea
was placed under Procurators sent
out from Rome. Pilate was the sixth
of these, and was appointed in the
twelfth year of Tiberius Oaasar, or
about three years before the begin
ning of John's ministry. (Comp.
Luke iii. 1.) He had now been m
office about six years. His char
acter is sufficiently indicated by the
incidents connected with the death
of Jesus. His official career is
fully described in Josephus, and a
very succinct account of it is given
in Smith's Dictionary.
Remorse and Death of Judas,
3-10.
3. saw that he was condemn-
ei. — The condemnation is that; by
Pilate, not that by the Sanhedrim.
This appears from the fact that
when Judas came to the chief i

trayed him, when he saw that
he was condemned, repented
himself, and brought again the
thirty pieces of silver to the
chief priests and elders, 'saying,
I have sinned in that I have be-

priests to return the money, they
were in the temple (verse 5); but
after the condemnation by the San
hedrim "the whole multitude of
them arose aud led him to Pilate "
(Luke xxiii. 1), and they remained
about the hall of Pilate until he
pronounced the desired sentence of
death. It was now time for them
to be at their posts in the temple to
execute the morning service, and
there Judas found them. The in
cident is introduced in advance of
its chronological order so as not to
interrupt the subsequent narration.
repented himself. — The word
here rendered repented (fin afihua-
/Aai) means, as we have already
stated under xxi, 29, 32, not to re
pent, but to regret. In this place
the regret was most intense, amount
ing to remorse.
4. the innocent blood. — Not
the innocent blood; the article is
not in the original, and is not need
ed in English. This confession has
been rightly regarded as forcible
testimony in favor of Jesus. If
Judas could have named as an ex
cuse for himself any wrong-doiug
in the life of his victim, he would
surely have done so, and have saved
himself the mortification of making
this confession.. But Judas had en
joyed every possible opportunity of
knowing the private life of Jesus,
and if he pronounced him innocent
he must have been so. It is the
unwilling testimony of an enemy
whose every interest prompted him
to. withhold it. The only escape
from the argument would be to
deny the credibility of the story;
but this is prevented by the natural-

xxvii. 5-6]

MATTHEW.

239

trayed the innocent blood. And
they said, What is that to us?
see thou to that. 5 And he cast
down the pieces of silver in the
temple, and departed, and went

ness of the description, and by the
exceeding improbability that just
such a story could have been in
vented. What is that to US ?— This reply
of the priests was both hypocritical
and cruel. If Jesus was innocent,
it concerned them as much as it did
Judas, and now that they had used
him as a tool, it was the extreme of
meanness to try to throw the entire
responsibility on him.
5. he cast down the pieces.—
Bad as Judas was, there is one
point in which he compares favor
ably with many men who consider
themselves his superiors. How
many there are possessed of ill-
gotten gain who never think of
returning it, but cling to it with
desperation until death loosens their
grasp ! But Judas could not do
this': he offers to return it, and
when the offer is refused he
dashes it ou the ground as a
thing that he hates. While in pur
suit of that money it glittered in
his eyes ; but now that he has it he
spurns it as a thing accursed.
went and hanged himself—
The extreme remorse of Judas is
hardly reconcilable ' with the idea
that he had been moved by malice
toward Jesus, and it shows that in
all probability he had not expected
a fatal result. He had seen Jesus
escape from death too often to
think that he would now allow
himself to be slain. He had been
instigated to the foul deed of be
trayal by love of money alone, and
never has that overmastering pas
sion displayed its power more
strikingly. Jesus had said every
thing to him that had a tendency

and hanged himself. 6 And tho
chief priests took the silver
pieces, and said, It is not lawful
for to put them into the treasury,
because it is the price of blood.

to shake his purpose. He had told
the disciples that one of them
would betray him, and by the an
nouncement had drawn from them
an expression of horror against
such an act. He had then pointed
out Judas as the man, and had
said in his hearing that it were
better for him that he had never
been born than that ho should do
the deed. At last, when he was
about to depart from the supper to
fulfill his contract, Jesus had said,
with reproachful sadness, " That
thou doest, do quickly." Deaf to
all these warnings, and untouched
by sympathy for his unresentful
victim, he hod doggedly and stolidly
maintained his purpose. It was
not until his purpose was gained,
and consequences against which he
had deliberately shut his eyes began
to show themselves, that he realized
how' worthless was his prize and
how villainous the means by which
he had won it. So it is with every
man who comes under the dominion
of this base passion : it blinds his
eyes and blunts his sensibilities
while in the pursuit of gold, only to
show him at last that he has bar
tered his soul for a price which,
even while he holds it in his hands,
becomes an object of loathing and
disgust. 6. It iB not lawful.— It would
be almost incredible, did not thou
sands of other examples present
themselves, that men could be as
blind and inconsistent as these
chief priests and elders; too con
scientious to put this blood nionoy
into the Lord's treasury, but not
at all scrupulous about paying it
out as the price of innocent blood.

240

MATTHEW,

[xxvii. 7-13.

'And they took counsel, and
bought with them the potter's
field, to bury strangers in.
8 Wherefore that field was called,
The field of blood, unto this
day. 8 Then was fulfilled that
which was spoken by Jer'emy
the prophet, saying, And they
took the thirty pieces of silver,
the price of him that was valued,
whom they of the children of
Is'rael did value; 10and gave

Well did Jesus charge them with
straining out gnats and swallowing
camels. In the present instance,
too, the gnat was one of their own
making; for it was their own tra
dition and not the law which for
bade the putting of such money
into the treasury. They are ' not
the only men in history who have
been less scrupulous about shedding
innocent blood than about the ob
servance of their own traditions.
7. the potter's field— The defi
nite article shows that it was some
well known potter's field, and the
low price indicates that it was but
a small piece of ground, or one of
little value. Tne strangers, for
whose burial-place it -was purchased,
were of course poor strangers, aud
hence the modern application of
the name "potter's field" to all
burial-grounds for the poor.
8. unto this day.— This remark
shows that Matthew wrote a con
siderable length of time after the
transaction — long enough for it to
be worthy of remark that the field
still retained its name, " The' field
of blood."
9, 10. spoken by Jeremy the
prophet. — No such passage as the
one here quoted is found in the ex
tant writings of Jeremiah ; but the
following passage from Zechariah
bears a striking resemblance to it:
"And I said to them, If you think

them for the potter's field, as
the Lord appointed me;
"And Je'sus stood before the
governor : and the governor
asked him, saying, Art thou the
King of the Jews? And Je'sus
said unto him, Thou sayest.
"And when he was accused gf
the chief priests and elders, he
answered nothing. 13 Then said
Pi'late unto him, Hearest thou
not how many things they wit-

good, give me my price ; and if not,
forbear. So they weighed for my
price thirty pieces of silver. And
the Lord said to me, Cast it unto
the potter : a goodly price that I
was prized at of them. And I took
the thirty pieces of silver and cast
them to the potter in the house of
the Lord." (Zech. xi. 12, 13.) It
is altogether probable that the
quotation in the text is a free ren
dering of this passage, and that the
name Jeremiah has been substituted
by transcribers for that of Zech
ariah. It may be, however, that the
quotation is made from some passage
of Jeremiah's prophecies not now ex
tant. This is a question for future
investigation by critical scholars.
Silence of Jesus before Pilate,
11-14. (Mark xv. 2-5.)
11. the King of the Jews. —
Pilate understood the cause of
Jesus better than the Pharisees
pretended to understand it: for al
though in answer to_ his question
Jesus admitted that he claimed to
be King of the Jews, Pilate so con
strued this claim that ho found no
fault in Jesus. He knew that the
kingdom in question was not to be
a rival of Caesar's.
12-14. he answered nothing.
— It was to the accusations of the
priests and elders that he answered
nothing. He left Pilate to discover

xxvii. 14-20.]

MATTHEW.

241

ness against thee ? 14 And he
answered him to never a word ;
insomuch that the governor mar
veled greatly.
15 Now at that feast the gov
ernor was wont to release unto
the people a prisoner, whom
they would. ls And they had
then a notable prisoner, called
Barab'bas. " Therefore when
they were gathered together,
Pi'late said unto them, Whom

from the words and actions of his
accusers themselves that their accu
sations were false and malicious.
There is no vindication so complete
as that which is found in the proofs
presented by the accuser : this vin
dication was accorded to Jesus by
Pilate. marveled greatly. — Pilate had
never before known a prisoner, ac
cused of a capital crime, and prose
cuted by powerful enemies, appear
eo indifferent to the result of his
trial. He marveled greatly, because
he felt sure that Jesus could vindi
cate himself, and yet he was making
no effort to do so.
Barabbas Preferred, and the Mes
sage from Pilate's Wife, 15-23.
(Mark xv. 6-15 ; Luke xxiii. 18-
23; John xviii. 39, 40.)
15. to release ... a prisoner —
Under the ordinary and just admin
istration of government the people
do not desire the release of prison
ers; but Judea was a conquered
country, and the Jews naturally
sympathized with their own coun
trymen who were prisoners in the
hands of the Romans, even when
the imprisonment was just; and
especially was this the case in re
gard to political prisoners. It
added, therefore, to the general wood
feeling prevalent during the Pass
over, and rendered the governor
21

will ye that I release unto you ?
Barab'bas, or Je'sus which is
called Christ? Tor he knew
that for envy they had delivered
him, u When he was set down
on the judgment seat, his wife-
sent unto him, saying," Have
thou nothing to do with that
just man: for I have suffered
many things this day in a dream
because of him. M But the chief
priests and elders persuaded the

himself more popular, to release to
the people such a prisoner as tho
majority of them would call for:
hence the custom here stated.
16. a notable prisoner. — For
what he was notable, Matthew does
not say; but Mark and John inci
dentally supplement his account by
supplying the needed information.
(See John xviii. 40, and note on Mark
xv. 7.) Here again the narratives
furnish incidental proofs of each
other's fidelity to the truth.
18. for envy. — Nothing had
transpired during that morning to
convince Pilate that they were
moved with envy toward Jesus,, ex
cept as he connected it with what he
had known of their feelings before.
This shows that he was familiar
with the issues between the parties.
19. his wife sent to him. — The
statements concerning Barabbas,
and the people's preference for him,
are interrupted in order to mention
this message from Pilate's wife, and
from this we infer that the message
was received at this juncture. He
hod probably left her in bed, and
the early arousing of her husband to
hear the case of Jesus hod caused
her, when falling asleep again, to
have the dream in question. She,
too, it seems, was already convinced
that Jesus was a "just man."
20. persuaded the multitude.
— The common people who had

242

MATTHEW.

[xxvii. 21-24.

multitude that they should ask
Barab'bas, and destroy Je'sus.
21 The governor answered and
said unto them, Whether of the
twain will ye that I release unto
you? They said, Barab'bas.
22 Pi'la'te saith unto them, What
shall I do then with Je'sus which
is called Christ? They all say
[unto him], Let him be crucified.
23 And | the governor : he\ said,
22 airu Rec. Omitted by Lach., Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.
23 T,yepi>v Rec. Omitted by T. S. Green,

by this time assembled about Pi
late's pretorium, were not of them
selves so disaffected toward Jesus as
to prefer Barabbas; on the con
trary, Pilate made the proposal to
them in the expectation that they
would call for Jesus, and that he
would thus get rid of the case; but
" the chief priests and elders per
suaded the multitude," and their
persuasions prevailed. They doubt
less represented to the people that
Jesus had been guilty of blasphemy,
and that he had already been tried
and convicted by the highest
tribunal of .their nation. This story,
strongly supported by the most in
fluential men of the city, produced
a sudden revolution in public senti
ment, so that the multitude whose
friendship for Jesus had two days
ago made the Pharisees afraid to
arrest him (xxvi. 4, 5), were now
persuaded to cry out for his cruci
fixion. This was doubtless a part
of the plan agreed upon at the
counsel before they brought Jesus
to Pilate. (Verse 1.)
22, 23. what evil hath he
done ? — Pilate's question was perti
nent and demanded an answer ; but
in the response we see nothing
but the unreasoning spirit of a mob :
no argument; no answer to ob
jections; no patience with opposi-

Why, what evil hath he done?
But they cried out the more,
saying, Let him be crucified.
24 When Pi'late saw that he
could prevail nothing, but that
rather a tumult was made, he
took water, and washed his
hands before the multitude, say
ing, I am innocent of j the blood
of this just person: this blood]:
Alford, Tregelles, X, E, 33, 69, 102, Sahidic,
Armenian, etc.
24 tou SiKaiov Rec. Omitted by Lach.,
Tisch., T.S. Green, Alford, Tregelles, E, D,
102, a, b, etc.

tion ; no attention to entreaties ;
nothing but an insane clamor for
the one thing desired.
Pilate Yields io the People, 24-26.
(Mark xv. 15; Luke xxiii. 24,
25).24. and washed his hands. —
Pilate could have done nothing to
more forcibly, declare the innocence
of Jesus. If the people had not
been phrensied, when they saw
him solemnly washing his hands,
and declaring himself free from the
innocent blood about to be shed,
they . would surely have been
deterred from their purpose. But
while Pilate's act had this signifi
cance, it also displayed his own
weakness and hypocrisy. He was
there with his men of war to
execute justice among the people,
and to restrain them when tempted
to deeds of lawlessness ; but instead
of this he consents to the murder of
a man in the same breath in which
he pronounces him innocent, and
he hypocritically pretends to wash
away a responsibility which rested *
more on him than on any other
man. For this act his name must
ever stand intimately associated
with that of Judas Iscariot, and the
world scarcely knows which to look
upon with greater loathing, the

xxvii. 25-29.]

MATTHEW.

243

see ye to it. ^Then answered
all the people, and said, His
blood be on us, and on our chil
dren. 26Then released he Ba
rab'bas unto them : and when he
had scourged Je'sus, he deliv
ered him to be crucified.

time-serving politician, or the
money-loving traitor.
25. His blood be on us.— With
the same desperation which prompt
ed the cry, " Crucify him," the peo
ple accepted the blood guiltiness
thrown upon them by Pilate. Little
did they think what fate they were
bringing down ou themselves and
their children.
26. released Barabbas.— We
know not what afterward became of
Barabbas. If he lived to know more
of Jesus, he must have experienced
strange reflections in reference to
his own escape from crucifixion.
The sentence of death pronounced
against Jesus released one man from
a similar death, and the execution of
the sentence opened for every man
a way of escape from death eternal.
The innocent suffered that the
guilty might go free, Barabbas
being the first man saved by the
death of Jesus.
scourged Jesus. — It was cus
tomary to scourge men just before
crucifying them, and Pilate made
no exception in favor of "this just
person.' Argument op Section 8.
The evidence which the forego
ing section furnishes in behalf of
Jesus is very striking. It shows
that a court organized to convict,
and resorting to the most unscru
pulous measures to effect their pur
pose, utterly failed to find in his
conduct any thing worthy of cen
sure, much less any thing worthy
of death. His condemnation was
based on his confession of that

27 Then the soldiers of the gov
ernor took Je'sus into the com-,
mon hall, and gathered unto
him the whole band of soldiers.
28 And they stripped him, and
put on him a scarlet robe.
29 And when they had platted a

which he had always openly pro
claimed, and which he had substan
tiated by his life and his miracles.
The man who betrayed him into
the hands of his enemies declared
him innocent, and the judge who
pronounced the sentence of death
declared him, in the same breath, a
just person. Never did such cir
cumstances attend the death of any
other man. They attest with a
force which no honest mind can
resist, the unspotted character of
Jesus, and thereby they attest the
truthfulness of his claim to be the
Christ, the Son of the living God.
Moreover, his demeanor throughout
these iniquitous proceedings, so
perfectly in harmony with his ex
alted pretensions, affords no mean
support to the argument in his favor.

SECTION IX.
Death, Bueial, and Resurkection
of Jesus, XXVII. 27-XXVIII. 20.
Mocked anil l>d away by the Soldiers,
27-32; Tive Crucifixion, 33-38; Bevil-
ings of the People, 39-44 ; The Dark
ness and the End, 45-56; The Burial,
57-61 ; Precaution of the Pharisees,
62-66 ; The Women at (he Sepulcher,
xxviii. 1-8 ; Jesus Appears to the
Women, 9, 10; The Stoi-y of the
Watch, 11-15; The Meeting in Gali
lee, 16-20.

Mocked and Led away by the Sol
diers, 27-32. (Mark xv. 16-21;
Luke xxiii. 26-32; John xix.
1-3.)27-29. Mocked him. — It seems
that after the scourging, Jesus was
given up for a few moments to the
pleasure of the heathen soldiery.

244

MATTHEW.

[xxvii. 30-35.

crown of thorns, they put it
upon his head, and a reed in his
right hand : and they bowed the
knee before him, and mocked
him, saying, Hail, King of the
Jews! 30And they spit upon
him, and took the reed, and
smote him on the head. 31 And
after that they had mocked him,
they took the robe off from him,
and put his own raiment on him,
and led him away to crucify

More amused than offended at his
pretensions to be a king, they began
their mocking in a spirit of levity.
30. spit upon him. — The scene
which commenced in sportive mock
ery terminated in more serious
feeling and more contemptuous con
duct. Exasperated, perhaps, by
the meek demeanor of Jesus, the
soldiers turned their mockery into
indecency and violence. . Next to
the crucifixion itself, here was the
greatest extreme of the world's cru
elty to its Maker and its Benefac
tor. This was a strange sight to
the angels. It can not be contem
plated by men without a shudder.
31. took the robe off. — Before
leading him away to the crucifixion
they restored to him his own rai
ment, but not till Pilate had led
him forth to the people wearing
the crown of thorns and the purple
robe, and said, "Behold the man."
(John xix. 5.)
32. a man of Cyrene. — Cyrene
was a flourishing city in the north
of Africa, but Simon, as his name
indicates, was a Jew. They com
pelled him to carry the cross mere
ly because he was a stranger, and
they met him at the moment that
a man was needed for the purpose,
Jesus himself having borne it thus
far (John xix. 17), and being in
all probability exhausted by the ef
fort. Simon, like all of us when
called on to bear the cross, took it

him. S2And as they came out,
they found a man of Cyre'ne,
Si'mon by name : him they com
pelled to bear his cross.
33 And when they were come un
to a place called Gol'gotha, that
is to say, a place of a skull, 34 they
gave him vinegar to drink min
gled with gall : and when he
had tasted thereof, he would not
drink. 35And they crucified
him, and parted his garments,

up reluctantly, no doubt, but like
us when we have borne it faith
fully, he was brought to Calvary
and to the blood of atonement.
There were many Cyrenians after
ward engaged in spreading the gos
pel (Acts ii. 10; xi. 20; xiii. 1),
and we may indulge the thought
that in all probability Simon was
one of them.
The Crucifixion, 33-38. (Mark xv.
22-28 ; Luke xxiii. 33, 34; John
xix. 16-24.)
33. Golgotha.— A Syro-Chaldaic
word, meaning, as translated in the
text, " a place of a skull." The spot
was so called, no doubt, from some
circumstance of which we know
nothing, and in reference to which
conjectures are in vain. All that
we certainly know of the locality is
that it was outside of the city
(Heb. xiii. 12), and yet " nigh to the
city" (John xix. 20).
34. he would not drink. — The
mixture of vinegar (sour wine) and
gall was intended to render him
less susceptible to pain ; but Jesus,
having resolved to suffer, declined
any such relief.
35. casting lots. — Here again
Matthew states a fact needing ex
planation, and John incidentally
furnishes the explanation needed.
There appears from Matthew's ac
count no reason why they should

xxvii. 36-43. J

MATTHEW.

245

casting lots: [that it might be
fulfilled which was spoken by
the prophet, They parted my
garments among them, and upon
my. vesture did they cast lots].
86 And sitting clown they watched
him there ; 37 and set up over
his hsad his accusation written,
THIS IS JESUS THE KING
OF THE JEWS. 38 Then were
there two thieves crucified with
him, one on the right hand, and
another on the left.
39 And they that passed by re
viled him, wagging their heads,
35 'iva irkrtpaiSfj . . . Kkrjpov Rec. Omitted
by Lach., Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford, Tre-
folleS, X, A, B, D, E, F, G, H, K, L. M, S, U, V,
. Syriac, Coptic, Sahidic, iEthiopic, etc.

have cast lots in order to divide the
garments ; but we learn from John
that the coat, which was the prin
cipal garment, was seamless, so that
the goods in it could not be divided,
and that it was on this the lots were
cast. (John xix. 23, 24.) The ref
erence to the prophet in this verse
is interpolated from John xix. 24.
36. they watched him. — That is,
they kept guard over him to prevent
his being removed from the cross.
37. his accusation.— That is,
the ground or cause of his accusa
tion, which was the title that he
claimed as King of the Jews.
38. two thieves. — Not (xtex-tai)
thieves, but (%-rjatai) robbers.
They had been condemned to death
for robbery, and were executed at
this time probably to save the
trouble of a separate execution ; but
the circumstance, whether so in
tended or not, added materially to
the indignity heaped upon Jesus.
Revilings of the People, 39-44.
(Mark xv. 29-32 ; Luke xxiii. 35-
43.) 39, 40. that destroyest the

40 and saying, Thou that destroy
est the temple, andbuildest it in
three days, save thyself. If thou
be the Son of God, come down
from the cross. " Likewise also
the chief priests mocking him,
with the scribes and elders,
said, 42He saved others; him
self he can not save. | If he be :
He is\ the King of Israel, let
him now come down from the
cross, and we will believe [on]
him. 43 He trusted in God ; let
him deliver him now, if he will

42 ei Rec. Omitted bv Lach., Tisch., T.
S. Green, Alford, Tregelles, X, B, d, l, 33,
102, Sahidic.
42 «tt Added by Lach., Tisch., T. S. Green,
Alford, Tregelles.

temple. — It is strange how tena
ciously the minds of the people
clung to the old slander that Jesus
threatened to destroy the temple
and build it again in three days.
The remark from which it sprang
was made during his first visit to
Jerusalem after his baptism (John
ii. 18-22), and yet it is now thrown
in his teeth while he hangs ou the
cross, as though it were the most
boastful speech that he had ever
made. 41, 42. He saved others.— The
chief priests, with the scribes and
elders, mock him with reference not
to his boast of power, but to his ex
ercise of it. They bad doubtless
feared that he would save himself,
and they were now exulting in the
thought that he could not do so.
43. He trusted in God. — As he
seemed unable to save himself, they
now taunt him with his profession'
of trust in God, and assume that he
can not be the Son of God, or the
Father himself would deliver him.
All of these revilings are indicative
of guilty fear mingled with cruel
exultation.

246

MATTHEW.

[xxvii. 44-49.

have him: for he said, I am the
Son of God. " The thieves also,
which were crucified with him,
cast the same in his teeth.
45 Now from the sixth hour
there was darkness over all the
land unto the ninth hour. 46 And
about the ninth hour Je'sus
cried with a loud voice, saying,
E'li, E'li, lama sabachtha'ni ?

44. The thieves also.— They
felt exasperated, perhaps, because
his. execution hastened their own.
We learn from Luke, however, that
one of them repented (Luke xxiii. 35-
43), and rebuked his companion for
reviling Jesus. Matthew, therefore,
either uses the plural indefinitely
here, as he does in xxvi. 8, 9, or
he states what both the robbers did
at the beginning, and omits the sub
sequent repentance of one of them.
The Darkness and the End, 45-56.
- (Mark xv. 33-41 ; Luke xxiii. 44-
49; John xix. 28-30.)
45. there was darkness. — This
darkness, as Alford well remarks,
can not have been caused by an
eclipse of the sun, because the moon
was full at the time, as it always
was on the first day of the Passover.
Whether the darkness was over "all
the earth," in our sense of the
terms, or only over the small por
tion of it to which the Jews often
.applied these words, is uncertain.
It came suddenly at noon, and
passed away at three o'clock; con
sequently it prevailed during the
three hours in which the sun has
usually its greatest heat and brill-
¦ iancy. 46. why hast thou forsaken
me? — The depth of meaning con
tained in this bitter outcry can
never, we suppose, be fathomed by
human thought, yet the word "for
saken" directs our thought in the
right channel. If a good man who

that is to say, My God, my' God,
why hast thou forsaken me?
47 Some of them that stood there,
when they heard that, said, This
man calleth for Eli'as. 48And
straightway one of them ran,
and took a sponge, and filled it
with vinegar, and put it on a
reed, and gave him to drink.
48 The rest said, Let be, let us

has long trusted in God and de
lighted in his favor could suddenly
realize that God had forsaken him,
he would enter, at least partly, into
the Savior's feeling. But the pecul
iar relation which Jesus sustained
to the Father rendered this feeling
more intense than human hearts
can experience, and at the same
time it renders most mysterious to
us the forsaking itself. It is enough
to know that in it lay the chief
bitterness of the Savior s death.
47. calleth for Elias. — I am
constrained to think, notwithstand
ing various opinions of commenta
tors to the contrary (see Lange and
Alford), that the persons who made
this remark misunderstood Jesus,
aud took the word Eli for Elias.
The mistake arose, not from igno
rance of the language, but from the
indistinct articulation of Jesus. He
had now been on the cross about
six hours, and the feverish thirst
produced by his intense suffering
and some loss of blood, together
with the great strain on the muscles
of his chest, which resulted from
hanging on his outstretched hands,
must have rendered articulation
difficult and indistinct.
48. gave him to drink.— The
drink of vinegar was to remove the
Eainful dryness of the throat which
is articulation betrayed. We learn
from John also that he said, "I
thirst." (John xix. 28, 29.)
49. The rest said.— The rest
of those who thought that he called

xxvii. 50-54.]

MATTHEW.

247

see whether Eli'as will come to
save him. M Je'sus, when he
had cried again with a loud
voice, yielded up the ghost.
61 And, behold, the veil of the
temple was rent in twain from
the top to the bottom ; and the
earth did quake, and the rocks
rent; 52and the graves were
opened ; and many bodies of the

for Elias. On the import of their
remark, see the note, Mark xv. 36.
50. yielded up the ghost. — An
obsolete expression for "gave up
the spirit." It contemplates the
body as the man, and the spirit as
being released that it may depart.
The thought is utterly inconsistent
with Materialism. Luke reports
that Jesus said, " Father, into thy
hands I commend my spirit," and
that " having said thus, he gave up
the spirit." (Luke xxiii. 46.)
51. the veil of the temple. —
This is the heavy curtain which
hung between the holy and most
holy places within the temple. By
shutting out from the most holy
place all persons except the high
priest, who alone was permitted to
pass through it, and this only once
in the year, it signified that the
way into the holiest — that is, into
heaven — was not yet made manifest
while the first tabernacle was stand
ing. (Heb. ix. 7, 8.) But the mo
ment that Jesus died, thus making
the way manifest, the veil was ap
propriately rent in twain from top
to bottom, disclosing the most holy
place to the priests who were at
that time offering the evening in
cense in the holy place.
52, 53. arose, and came out.—
The earthquake, the rending of the
rocks (verse 5l), and the conse
quent opening of graves, occurred
at the moment that Jesus died;
while the resurrection and visible
appearance in the city of the bodies

saints which slept arose, 63and
came out of the graves after his
resurrection, and went into the
holy city, and appeared unto
many. 6<Now when the centu
rion, and they that were with
him, watching Je'sus, saw the
earthquake, and those things
that were done, they feared
greatly, saying, Truly this was

of the saints occurred "after his
resurrection." Matthew chooses to
mention the last event here because
of its association with the rending
of the rocks, which opened the
rock-hewn sepulchers in which the
saints had slept. There has been
much speculation as to what be
came of these resurrected saints.
We have no positive information,
but the natural presumption is that
they ascended to heaven. The fact
that this very singular incident is.
mentioned by Matthew alone, does
not detract from its credibility.
54. this was the Son of God.
— From the fact that the centurion
was of heathen education, and that
the words Son and God are without
the article in Greek, some have
understood him as meaning, "This
was a son of a god." (See George
Campbell' s notes on Matthew. ) But
the expression Son of God, with
both words anarthrous, occurs fre
quently in connections which show
that it means the same as when
the article is used. (Verse 43 ; Luke
i. 35; John xix. 7.) It must be re
membered also that these Boman
officers, while resident in _ Judea,
made it a part of their business to
study the peculiarities of the peo
ple with whom they had to deal,
and that sometimes, as in the case
of Cornelius and the centurion of
Capernaum (viii. 8-10), they be
came converts to the Jewish relig
ion. This man lived in Jerusalem
in the midst of the excitement

248

MATTHEW.

[xxvii. 55-61.

the Son of God. MAnd many
women were there beholding
afar off, which followed Je'sus
from Gal'ilee, ministering unto
him : 56 among which was Ma'ry
Magdale'ne, and Ma'ry the
mother of James and Jo'ses, and
the mother of Zeb'edee's children.
57 When the even was come,
there came a rich man of Ari-
mathse'a, named Jo'seph, who
also himself was Je'sus' disci
ple: 68he went to Pi'late, and

about Jesus; he had this very day
heard him charged with blasphemy
for claiming to be the Son of God;
and he had heard the same idea ex
pressed concerning him since- he
was suspended on the cross (verse
43); and therefore he must have
been stupid indeed if he did not
know what was meant by the ex-
Eression. It is almost certain that
e knew what Jesus claimed to be,
and that when he saw the miracles
accompanying his death, he was
convinced that the claim was just.
55, 56. many women. — These
women, " who had followed Jesus
from Galilee, ministering to him,"
are represented aa "beholding afar
off." This accounts for the fact that
the mother of Jesus, though present,
is not mentioned among them ; for
she, with the apostle John, was stand
ing nearer, near enough for Jesus to
point her out by a look (his only way
of doing so) as the one whom John
was henceforth to regard as his own
mother. (John xix. 25-27.)
58. among which. — Matthew
names only three of the "many
women" (verse 55) who were " be
holding afar off." (For a brief ac
count of Mary Magdalene, see note
on Mark xvi. 9.) "Mary the mother
of James and Joses" is called by
John the wife of Cleophas (John
xix. 25), another form of the name
Alpheus; consequently the James

begged the body of Je'sus.
Then Pi'late commanded the
body to be delivered. ^And
when Jo'seph had taken the
body, he wrapped it in a clean
linen cloth, '"and laid it in his
own new tomb, which he had
hewn out in the rock: and he
rolled a great stone to the door
of the sepulcher, and departed.
61 And there was Ma'ry Mag
dale'ne, and the other Ma'ry,
sitting over against the sepulcher.
here mentioned as her son is
"James the son of Alpheus" (x.
3), who was one of the apos
tles. "The mother of Zebedee's
children" was so called because
of the celebrity of her two sons,
James and John, and probably
also because of the death of her
husband. (Comp. xx. 20.) Her
name was Salome. (Mark xvi. 1.)
The Burial, 57-61. (Mark xv. 42-
47; Luke xxiii. 50-56; John
xix. 31-42.)
57, 58. and begged the body.
— It was seldom that persons who
were crucified had friends to care
for their remains ; but Pilate knew
too well the popularity of Jesus to
be surprised that even a man in
Joseph s position should propose to
give him a decent burial, and hav
ing no malice to gratify, he readily
granted the request.
59, 60. in his own new tomb.
— The circumstance that Joseph
had a new tomb near the spot, in
all probability suggested to him the
thought of burying the body. That
he rolled a stone to the door of it,
indicates that it was a vault hewn
horizontally into the rock. He un
dertook the task alone, aided of
course by servants, but Nicodemus
joined him ere he had completed ¦
his task. (John xix. 38-41.)
61. sitting over against.— The

xxvii. 62-xxviii 1.] MATTHEW.

249

62 Now the next day, that
followed the day of the prepa
ration, the chief priests and
Phar'isees came together unto
Pi'late, ra saying, Sir, we remem
ber tbat that deceiver said,
while he was yet alive, After
three days I will rise again.
64 Command therefore that the
sepulcher be made sure until
the third day, lest his disciples
come [by night], and steal him
64 vvktos Rec. Omitted by Lach., Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.

two Marys had remained near the
cross till the body was taken down,
and had followed the men, who
were probably strangers to them, as
they bore the body to the tomb.
No doubt it had been their own
purpose to have it cared for as best
they could, and now that they see
all needful attention given to it by
others, they quietly sit down oppo
site the sepulcher and watch the
proceedings.Precaution of the Pharisees, 62-66.
62. the next day.— How early
the next day is not stated, but as
the purpose was to prevent the dis
ciples from stealing the body away
(64), the earlier the better. The
next day commenced at sunset, and
the probability is that the guard was
stationed at the tomb before dark.
63, 64. After three days.— It
should be observed that although
the Pharisees quote Jesus as saying
that he would -rise "after three
days," they ask that the sepulcher
be guarded only "until the third
day, showing that they regarded the
time designated by "after three days"
as terminating "on the third day."
(For a full discussion of this pecul
iar usage, see note under xii. 40.)
lest his disciples. — Nothing
was farther from the minds of the
disciples than the resurrection of

away, and say unto the people,
He is risen from the dead : so
the last error shall be worse
than the first. M Pi'late said
unto them, Ye have a watch :
go your way, make it as sure as
ye can. 66So they went, and
made the sepulcher sure, seal
ing the stone, and setting a
watch. XXVHI. *In the end of the
sabbath, as it began to dawn
toward the first day of the week,
came Ma'ry Magdale'ne and the

Jesus, and the fact that when
the resurrection took place, they
knew not till fifty days had passed
what use to make of the fact, is
sufficient proof that they could not
have planned a pretended resurrec
tion. The singular fact that the
enemies of Jesus were more appre
hensive of his resurrection than
his friends, is accounted for by the
consideration that the latter, with
their present conceptions, had little
to hope for in his resurrection,
while the former had much to dread
from either the fact itself or a be
lief of it among the people. A
guilty fear makes men more watch
ful than a languid hope.
65. Ye have a watch. — Not
that they had a watch already, for in
that case they would not have applied
to him for one, but Pilate used this
formula to place one at their disposal.
66. sealing the stone. — This
was to prevent any one from remov
ing the stone, taking away the
body, then replacing the stone and
pretending that Jesus had arisen.
The stone could not be removed
without breaking the seal, and the
seal at once would tell the story.
The Women at the Sepulcher, xxviii.
1-8. (Mark xvi. 1-18; Luke xxiv.
1-11.)
1. In the end of the sabbath.

250

MATTHEW.

[xxviii. 2-6.

other Ma'ry to see the sepulcher.
2 And, behold, there was a great
earthquake : for the angel of
the Lord descended from heaven,
and came and rolled back the
stone [from the door], and sat
2 aTrb ttjs Ovpas Rec. Omitted by Lach.,
Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles, X, B,
D, 60, 81, a, b, c, etc., Vulgate, vEthiopic,
etc.

— The English version is here self-
contradictory: for if the event men
tioned occurred " in the end of the
Sabbath," it could not have occurred
"as it began to dawn toward the
first day of the week." The word
rendered " in the end " (6-fye), usu
ally means late, and is sometimes
translated " in the evening." (Mark
xi. 19; xiii. 35.) But it is some
times used with the genitive in the
sense of after (see Robinson's N.
T. Lexicon), and such must be its
meaning here : " after the Sabbath,
as it began to dawn," etc.
and the other Mary.— The one
mentioned above, xxvii. 61. The
two Marys, having remained at the
sepulcher on the evening of the
burial until Joseph and Nicodemus
departed, now return, as Matthew
expresses it, " to see the sepulcher."
Their more especial object was to
complete the embalming of the
body (Mark xvi. 1) ; but as Matthew
had said ^nothing of their previous
preparation of spices, he chooses
now to speak in vague terms of
their object in coming.
2. a great earthquake. — It
was probably great in intensity, but
not in extent. It was produced by
the power of the angel who de
scended and rolled back the stone,
as appears from the use of for
(yap), in the next clause.
3, 4. for fear of him. — Both the
appearance and the action of this
angel were majestic in the extreme.
He came down from heaven like a
stream of light; he stood at the

upon it. 8 His countenance was
like lightning, and his raiment
white as snow : 4 and for fear of
him the keepers did shake, and
became as dead men. 5And the
angel answered and said unto
the women, Fear not ye : for I
know that ye seek Je'sus, which
was crucified. 6 He is not here :
door of the sepulcher, with raiment
white as snow and a countenance
gleaming like lightning; with re
sistless hand he rolled back the
great stone, at whose fall the ground
trembled with an earthquake ; then
he calmly "took a seat on the stone
and turned his gleaming face upon
the soldiers, as if to say, See what I
have done ! No wonder that " the
keepers did shake and become as
dead men."
5. the angel answered— We
learn from Mark and Luke that the
angel first spoke to the women after
they went into the sepulcher (Mark
xvi. 5, 6 ; Luke xxiv. 2-5) ; conse
quently we are to understand that
after the flight of the guards and
just before the arrival of the
women, the angel left his seat on
the stone and went inside the sepul
cher. All that occurred previous to
the arrival of the women was
learned from the report of the
guards, who at first gave a true and
full account of what they had wit
nessed. (Verse 11.)
6. Come, see the place.— Not
the sepulcher, but the particular
spot within it where the body was
laid. They had already entered
the sepulcher and seen that the body
was gone. (Luke xxiv. 3, 4.) The
angel had now become visible, and
invites them to examine the spot
marked, as we learn from John
(xx. 7), by the napkin, which had
been about his head, lying in one
place, and the linen clothes in an
other. The presence of these grave-

xxvm.

7-11.]

MATTHEW.

251

for he is risen, as he said. Come,
see the place where | the Lord :
lie\ lay. 7And go quickly, and
tell his disciples that he is risen
from the dead ; and behold, he
goeth before you into Gal'ilee;
there shall ye see him : lo, I have
told you. 8And they departed
quickly from the sepulcher with
fear and great joy ; and did run
to bring his disciples word.
6 6 Kiipios Rec. Omitted bv Lach., Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles, X, b, S3,
102, etc., Coptic, iEthiopic, Armenian, etc.

clothes confirmed the statement that
he had risen, for had he been car
ried away they would scarcely have
been left behind. The sepulcher,
it must be observed, was not a nar
row grave, but a chamber of consid
erable size, in which at this moment
not less than four women and two
visible angels were moving about.
7. tell his disciples. — The word
disciples, in Greek, is in the mascu
line gender, and distinguishes the
male from the female disciples. The
women are charged with the double
announcement that Jesus had arisen,
and that he would go before the
disciples into Galilee. They would
naturally return to Galilee after the
Passover week expired, because
there were their homes.
8. and did run.— The " fear and
great joy " with which they were
excited gave swiftness to the feet of
the women as they ran to tell the
news to the. male disciples, aud
never before had such a message
burned within the heart of man or

Jesus Appears to the Women, 9, 10.
9. Jesus met them. — He had
the instant before parted from Mary
Magdalene, to whom he appeared
first. (See note on Mark xvi. 9.)
It seems that no one saw him come

9And_
disciples],

as they went to tell his
behold, Je'sus met
them, saying, All hail. And
they came and held him by the
feet, and worshiped him. 10 Then
said Je'sus unto them, Be not
afraid : go tell my brethren that
they go into Gal'ilee, and there
shall they see me.
11 Now when they were going,
9 ws Se etzopevovro dirayyelkal rots pa9i}rals
airov Rec. Omitted by Lach., Tisch., T. S.
Green, Alford, Tregelles, X, B, D, 33, 69,
435, etc., a, b, c, etc., Vulgate, P. Syriac,
Coptic, Armenian, etc.

out of the sepulcher, not even the
soldiers. Whether he was invisi
ble at the moment, or was not seen
because the soldiers were over
whelmed by the appearance of the
angel, we can not tell.
held him by the feet. — The wo
men, according to the custom of the
J ews when greatly overpowered with
religious emotion, prostrated them
selves before him, and in this
posture took hold of his feet as he
stood on the ground.
10. Then said Jesus.— The in
terview was but momentary. The
women identify him, he repeats the
message already given by the angel
about the meeting in Galilee, he
instantly disappears, and then the
women hasten on their errand more
excited than before.
Report of the Watch, 11-15.
11. when they were going.—
Here Matthew informs us of the
exact relative time at which " some
of the watch" arrived in the city
and reported to the chief priests
what they had seen : it was " when
the women were going " to deliver
their message, and it was after their
meeting with Jesus. Notice that,
not all, but some of the watch went
to the chief priests, the remainder
going doubtless to their own quar
ters. Some went to the chief priests

252

MATTHEW.

[xxviii. 12-15.

behold, some of the watch came
into the city, and shewed unto
the chief priests all the things
that were done. "And when
they were assembled with the
elders, and had taken counsel,
they gave large money unto the

besause they knew that it was at
their instance that the sepulcher
had been guarded.
12. and had taken counsel —
This was doubtless a hurried gath
ering of such chief priests and
elders as were near by, not includ
ing such men as Joseph and Nico
demus, who would be unfavorable to
the villainy in contemplation.
13. Say ye. — The object of the
chief priests, as is common with
men who persist in crime, was to
keep hid from the eyes of men the
proof that they had put to death an
innocent person. They were oblivi
ous of the power and wrath of God,
and they proceeded to still further
inflame the divine wrath by putting a
lie into the lips of the soldiers and
hiring them to tell it.
while we slept. — The new story
bore its falsity on its face. It was
an affirmation as to what was done,
and by whom it was done, while the
affirmants were asleep. Moreover,
it was the affirmation of an impossi
bility ; for it is impossible, even had
they been asleep, that a company of
men sufficiently numerous to per
form the task, could have walked
up to the sepulcher, rolled away the
great stone, and borne the body
away, without awaking some of the
guards, who were stationed about
the door of the sepulcher for the
very purpose of preventing such a
removal of the body. Matthew's
account of the origin of this story
is confirmed by the character of the
story:, it is utterly incredible that
such a story could be told by honest
men for an honorable purpose.

soldiers, 13 saying, Say ye, His
disciples came by night, and
stole him away while we slept.
14 And if this come to the govern
or's ears, we will persuade him,
and secure you. 15 So they took
the money, and did as they were
14. we will persuade him.— It
would have been hazardous for the
soldiers to tell the new story with
out some guarantee of protection, for
it contained an admission that they
had fallen asleep while on guard, and
this, in the Roman army, was pun
ishable with death. This fact, be
it noticed, adds to the improbability
that the story itself is true. The
chief priests promised to persuade
Pilate and protect the soldiers, in
case of their arraignment, and this
they could safely promise, both be
cause Pilate was interested like
themselves in concealing the fact
of the resurrection, and because, if
it came to the worst, they would not
be afraid to confess to him the lie
which they had put into the lips of
the soldiers.
15. is commonly reported.— Up
to the day that Matthew wrote his
narrative, this false report was cur
rent among the unbelieving Jews.
If the truth of a historical proposi
tion can be established by the
absurdity of its contradictory, the
resurrection of Jesus is established
by the absurdity of all efforts to ac
count in another way for the disap
pearance of his dead body. His
enemies of that generation, men of
learning and of ingenuity whose
honor was involved in the issue,
were able to invent no better ac
count of said disappearance than
this absurd story put into the mouths
of the soldiers; and men of subse
quent ages have made no improve
ment on this original falsehood.
One of the latest efforts of the kind,
that of Monsieur Renan, though

xxviii. 16-19.]

MATTHEW.

253

taught: and this saying is com
monly reported among the Jews
until this day.
16 Then the eleven disciples
went away into Gal'ilee, into a
mountain where Je'sus had ap
pointed them. 17 And when they

more imaginary, is not less absurd.
This philosopher (?) says : " The
strong imagination of Mary Magda
lene here enacted a principal part.
Divine power of love I sacred mo
ments in which the passion of a
hallucinated woman gives to the
world a resurrected God ! "
The Meeting in Galilee, 16-20.
16. where Jesus had ap
pointed. — Here we learn that the
mountain on which the oft prom
ised meeting in Galilee was to take
place (xxvi. 32; xxviii. 7, 10), had
already been designated by Jesus ;
and we may safely infer that the
time had also been named, for other
wise the disciples would not have
known when to assemble at the ap
pointed place.
17. but some doubted. — The
doubt is accounted for in part by
the fact that he first appeared at a
distance, as appears from the words,
" he came and spoke to them" (18),
and in part by the fact that others
were there besides the eleven. This
is undoubtedly the time at which
he was seen by " above five hundred
brethren at once " (1 Cor. xv. 6) ;
for it was the only appointed meet
ing, and the appointment gave op
portunity for all who would to be
present. In so large a crowd it is
not surprising that some even of
the eleven did not recognize him
at the first moment of his appear
ing. 18. All power. — More correctly
rendered all authority. The asser
tion that all authority in heaven
and on earth was given to him was

saw him, they worshiped [him] :
but some doubted. 18 And Je'sus
came and spake unto them, say
ing, All power is given unto me
in heaven and in earth. 19 Go
17 air™ Rec. Omitted by Lach., T. S.
Green, Allbrd, Tregelles.

a proper prelude to the command
which follows, for the possession of
such authority was requisite to the
effective issuing of such a com
mand. 19. teach all nations. — The
term rendered teach (fiaSatsvu)
means to make disciples. The
clause should be rendered, "Go,
disciple all nations." A disciple is
one who accepts the teaching of
Jesus ; and men are made such by
preaching the gospel to them.
baptizing them. — Not baptiz
ing the nations, but baptizing those
Aiscipled. Them, in the Greek, is
in the masculine gender (aitovt),
and can not refer for its antecedent
to nations {tBvti), because the latter
term is in the neuter gender. Its
antecedent is the masculine noun
disciples (iwBrflac), implied in the
verb (/xaSaffvu), make disciples.
(For another example of this con
struction, see note on xxv. 32.)
in the name.— As is well re
marked by Alford, "It is unfortu
nate again here that our English
Bibles do not give us the force of
this sl(. It should have been into
(as in Gal. iii. 27, al.), both here and
in 1 Cor. x. 2, and wherever the
expression is used." So depose
Lange, Olshausen, and the best
critics generally. It has been ob
jected, especially by Dr. Conant
(Notes on Bible Union Version), that
into the name is not good English.
The objection may as well have
been urged against such expres
sions as " into Moses," " into Christ,"
" into his death." There is no fault
to be found with any of these ex-

254

MATTHEW.

[xxviii. 20.

ye [therefore], and teach all na
tions, baptizing them in the
name of the Father, and of the
Son, and of the Holy Ghost :
30 teaching them to observe all
19 oiv Rec. Omitted by Lach., Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.

pressions, unless it be their ob
scurity, and this can not be avoided
except by a circumlocution. The
name of the Father and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit means the
combined authority of all the man
ifestations of God. To be baptized
into this, is to be brought by bap
tism into actual subjection to it.
He that is baptized is brought into
subjection by that act to the Father,
to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit;
and in consequence of this subjec
tion he receives the remission of
his sins and the gift of the Holy
Spirit. (Acts ii. 38.)
20. teaching them.— Here the
word teaching is a proper render
ing, and it indicates the third step
to be taken with those to whom the
apostles would preach. Having
made disciples by persuading men to
accept the teaching of Jesus, and hav
ing baptized such into the name of
the Father and of the Son and of the
Holy Spirit, they were next to teach
them all that Jesus had commanded
— all the duties of the Christian
life. I am with you alway.— This
promise includes more than his mere
presence. When we urge men to a
dangerous and difficult undertaking,
and say, We will be with you ; we
promise them our co-operation and
support. Such is the meaning of
Jesus : he is with his people to help
them and to protect them. The
promise is limited only by "the end
of the world." The term rendered
world (atHv) frequently means age :
but whether we render it world or
age in this place • the meaning is

things whatsoever I have com
manded you : and, lo, I am with
you alway, even unto the end of
the world. [Amen.]

20 'Ajiiji/ Rec. Omitted by Lach., Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.

the same, for the age referred to
must be the Christian age, and this
will end with the world itself. The
promise was made primarily to the
eleven, but inasmuch as they were
not to live till the end of the world,
it properly extends to the entire
Church of which they were the
recognized representatives. While
the world stands, therefore, Christ,
possessed of all authority in heaven
and in earth, is pledged to be with
his Church. This is a most appro
priate conclusion for a narrative
whose object it was to record some
of the labors, sufferings, and tri
umphs by which Jesus laid the
foundation of his Church, and from
which the promise of his presence
derives all of its heavenly consola
tion. Argument of Section 9.
This section contains at least two
historical proofs of the divinity of
Jesus. The first is found in the
demonstrations of divine power
which accompanied his death. The
miraculous darkness which covered
the land for three hours previous
to his last breath, was an unmis
takable sign from heaven. The
invisible hand which at the moment
of his last cry rent in twain the veil
of the temple, could have been no
other than the hand of God or that
of an angel sent from heaven. The
earthquake, bursting solid rocks
and opening the chambers of the
dead, was a divine response from the
earth to the divine token of wrath
which hung over the face of the
sky. All these are unmistakable

MATTHEW.

255

manifestations of God's displeasure,
and none of them could have ac
companied the death of Jesus had
he been an impostor. The conclu
sion forced upon the mind of the
centurion, and extorting from him
the exclamation, "Truly this was
the Son of God," is the conclusion
which must be echoed back from
the soul of every honest man who
reads the story.
The second proof in the section,
and the grand final demonstration,
is found in the resurrection of
Jesus from the dead. That he did
arise is attested by conclusive evi
dence. The women can not have
been mistaken as to the statement
of the angel at the sepulcher, nor
as to the appearance of Jesus to
them on the way. Their testimony
on these two points is true unless
they lied, and they had no motive
prompting them to lie. Their
statement, too, is such, in its details,
as they could not have invented:
to suppose that they invented it is
a far more violent supposition than-ij
to suppose it is. true. Again, the
eleven can not have been mistaken
in asserting that Jesus appeared to

thom on the mountain in Galilee
and spoke to them the words of the
commission; nor can the commis
sion itself have been an invention
of men, and especially of these men.
Matthew was himself one of the
eleven, and an eye-witness to this
part of the proof. The resurrection
of Jesus being thus established as a
fact, his Messiahship and his Son-
ship are established beyond all rea
sonable doubt. Conclusion.
We here conclude our comments
on a narrative which, whether we
consider its merits as a mere nar
rative; the momentous character of
the leading proposition which it
advocates; or the completeness
and amplitude of the historical
demonstration which it furnishes,
has no superior among the writings
of earth, and no rival except its
own three companions. To the
God of peace, who brought again
rom the dead our Lord Jesus, that
great Shepherd of the sheep; be
glory everlasting for this inestima
ble gift of his grace I

INTRODUCTION TO MARK.

§ 1. The Authorship.

If we were to transcribe from our Introduction to the book of Matthew,
what we have written on the subject of its authorship, almost every word
would be equally appropriate to the book of Mark. There is the same
uniformity in the testimony of early writers; the same absence of doubt
among both ancient and modern scholars ; the same improbability that the
authorship could have been attributed in early times to the wrong person,
and the same or even greater certainty, that if a fictitious authorship had
been assumed for the book by the early Christians, it would have been
attributed to some one supposed to have a higher claim to credibility and
to the reverence of the disciples. It would certainly have been attributed
to some one of the apostles. We request the reader to reexamine the first
section of our Introduction to Matthew, and to suppose all that is there
said of Matthew on the points just enumerated, to be said of " John whose
surname was Mark." He will then realize the force of the evidence that
Mark is the author of the book which bears his name.
I 2. Qualifications of the Writes.
Mark was not an apostle, nor is there any evidence that he was at any
time a personal attendant of Jesus. He was not, then, an eye-witness of
the scenes, at least of the chief part of the scenes, which be describes. In
this respect he was like Luke (Luke i. 2), but unlike Matthew and John,
This fact, connected with the circumstance that Mark is nowhere said
in express terms, to have been an inspired man, has given prominence to
the question, whether he was qualified to write an infallible account of
incidents in the life of Jesus. In order to a right judgment on this ques
tion, we should consider, first, his natural opportunities for information,
and second, the evidences of his inspiration.
1. John Mark was the son of a woman named Mary, who was a promi
nent disciple in the city of Jerusalem at the time of the death of James
and the imprisonment of Peter, and whose dwelling in that city was a
well known place of resort for the disciples. All of this appears from the
incident recorded in Acts xii. 12-17. The house was so well known as a
place of resort for the brethren, that when Peter was released from prison
by the angel, though it was the dead of night, he at once repaired thither
to give notice of his release, and to send word to the surviving James and
other leading brethren. Mary was also a sister to Barnabas (Col. iv. 10) ;
which fact would in itself render her somewhat conspicuous ; for
22 (257 )

258 INTRODUCTION.

Barnabas became at a very early period one of the most noted men in the
Jerusalem Church. (See Acts iv. 36, 37 ; ix. 26, 27 ; xi. 22-24.) The land
which Barnabas had owned in the island of Cyprus, and which he sold
for the benefit of the poor, points to the probability that his sister Mary,
besides owning a residence in Jerusalem, was possessed of other property.
The indications are that she was a widow in easy circumstances, full of
hospitality, and intimately associated with the apostles and the other
leaders of the Church in Jerusalem. Thus it appears that from the very
beginning of the Church, if not during the life of Jesus, John Mark
enjoyed the company of the apostles in his own home, where their con
versations with one another and with inquiring friends, must have per
fected that knowledge of Jesus which, in common with the masses of the
people, he acquired by listening to their daily discourses in the temple
court. Had he been, then, but an ordinary youth, with a disposition to
remember facts and to record them, he might have written from what he
heard the inspired witnesses relate, an account which would have been
fallible only in so far as he used his own words instead of theirs.
But besides these opportunities, Mark spent some years in most intimate
association with Paul and Barnabas, laboring as their " minister," or
assistant (Act xii. 25; xiii. 5; xv. 37-39); at a later period he was as
sociated in a similar way with Peter (1 Peter v. 13) ; and then again with
Paul (Col. iv. 10 ; 2 Tim. iv. 11).
During these associations, Mark must have heard the inspired preachers,
in preaching to different communities and different individuals, rehearse
many hundreds of times the leading events in the life of Jesus ; and he
must have been an exceedingly inattentive listener, if these events, in the
very language of the apostles, were not indelibly imprinted on his memory.
It is impossible, then, for Mark to have enjoyed better natural opportuni
ties than he did, except by having, in addition to these, the opportunity
of witnessing for himself the events of which he writes. He could truly
have said with Luke : " Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set
forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed
among us, even as they delivered them unto us, who from the beginning were
eye-witnesses and ministers of the word ; it seemed good to me also, having
obtained perfect understanding of all from the beginning, to write."
(Luke i. 1-4.) Those, then, who are disposed to regard the gospel narra
tives as nothing more than uninspired records, should abate nothing from
the credibility of Mark's narrative on the ground of his want of informa
tion ; for surely no uninspired writer ever had better facilities for inform
ing himself with entire accuracy concerning events of which he had not
been an eye-witness.
2. As we have intimated before, there is no express statement in the
Scriptures of the fact that Mark was an inspired man ; yet there are
various facts which force us to the conclusion that he was. In the first

INTRODUCTION. 259

place, it was a custom of the apostles to impart spiritual gifts to promi
nent men in the churches, and especially to their traveling companions
and fellow-laborers. Thus Philip, Barnabas, Simeon, Lucius, Manaen,
Silas, Judas, and Timothy, enjoyed miraculous gifts (Acts viii. 6 ; xiii. 1 ;
xv. 32; 2 Tim. i. 6); and individuals in the churches in Samaria,
Ephesus, Corinth, Bome, ' Galatia, etc., enjoyed similar gifts. (Acts viii.
14-17 ; xix. 6 ; 1 Cor. i. 4-7 ; Eom. xv. 14 ; Gal. iii. 5.) Now to assume that
Mark, who was, at different times, and for many years, a companion and
fellow-laborer of two apostles, was overlooked in the distribution of these
gifts, would be unwarrantable and even absurd. In the second place, there
are evidences that Mark was regarded as especially fitted for labors which
were usually performed by men possessed of miraculous gifts. He was
chosen by Paul and Barnabas as their assistant on their first tour -among
the Gentiles (Acts xii. 25 ; xiii. 5) ; and although, on their second tour,
Paul declined his company, Barnabas still preferred him and separated
from Paul rather than separate from Mark. (xv. 36-39.) At a later
period he was sent by Paul on important missions among the churches
(Col. iv. 10) ; and he was sent for by Paul during the last imprisonment
of the latter, because he was profitable to him for the ministry. (2 Tim.
iv. 11.) Finally, if a tradition preserved by Papias, who wrote in the first
half of the second century, has any foundation in fact, the apostle Peter
had some connection with the labors of Mark in preparing his gospel, and
it isjiighly improbable that he would have allowed him to undertake such
a work without imparting to him the Holy Spirit if he were not already
endowed with the requisite gifts.®
Prom these considerations we think there can be no reasonable doubt,
that in addition to Mark's free and long continued access to original and
infallible sources of information, he enjoyed such direct aid from the
Holy Spirit as must have guarded him absolutely against errors of every
kind in the composition of his narrative.
I 3. Characteristics of the Narrative.
Mark's, narrative is distinguished from Matthew's, which it resembles
more than it does either Luke's or John's, by several striking peculiari
ties, of which we mention the following :
1. While Matthew begins with the genealogy of Jesus, intended to show
that he was a son of Abraham through David, and follows this with a

* The words of Papias as quoted by Eusebius, are these : '" This also the elder [John-]
said : Mark, being the interpreter of Peter, wrote down exactly whatever things he
remembered, but yet not in the order in which Christ either spoke or did them ; for he
was neither a hearer nor a follower of the Lord's, but was afterward, as I [Papias] said,
a follower of Peter." See Smith's Dictionary, Art. Mark ; and on the value of this and
some similar traditional statements, see Alford's Introduction to Mark, Section II.

260 INTRODUCTION.

brief account of his childhood, Mark, omitting all the ground covered by
the first two chapters of Matthew, announces Jesus at once as the Christ,
the Son of God (i. 1), hurriedly touches the ministry of John and the
temptation of Jesus, and enters on his main theme with the commence
ment of the ministry in Galilee. He also omits other passages of the his
tory which Matthew treats at considerable length, such as the sermon on
the Mount, the denunciation of the scribes and Pharisees found in the 23d
chapter of Matthew, and the prophetic discourse found in the 25th chapter.
2. In his treatment of the material which is common to himself and
. Matthew, he is, on the whole,, more brief, but at times is much more
elaborate; and his arrangement of the matter is often widely different.
For an illustration of the difference in arrangement, we refer the reader
to the note headed " Difference from Matthew," at the end of chapter first.
His more elaborate treatment of some passages results from his peculiar
treatment of the argument from miracles. While Matthew mentions a
larger number, Mark selects those which are the more striking, and
describes them with greater minuteness. See the Argument at the end of
, Section v. Part I.
3. Throughout the portions in which the matter of the two narratives
is the same, .there is constantly occurring an identity of thought accom
panied by variety of expression, and especially by a more graphic style,
showing clearly that Mark is an independent writer even in those passages
which have been erroneously regarded as extracts from Matthew. Bemark-
able instances of this are pointed out in the notes, at 1. 16-20 ; II. 19—22.
4. Another peculiarity which we have frequently mentioned in the
course of the notes, is that of selecting from a group of persons acting in a
given scene, or from a group of miracles wrought on a given occasion, a
single one which is described particularly, while nothing at all is said
of the others. For references to many instances of this kind, see the
note on xi. 2.
All of these peculiarities combine to prove what is now almost univer
sally believed by critics, that neither is Mark's narrative an abridgment,
as some have thought, of Matthew's and Luke's ; nor are theirs, as others
have thought, expansions of Mark's. Each evidently wrote without hav
ing even seen the manuscript of either of the other two.
\ 4. Apparent Discrepancies.
In many passages in which Mark treats of matter common to himself
and the other historians there are various appearances of discrepancy,
which have been regarded by some as irreconcilable contradictions. Each
of these which is regarded as worthy of notice at all, has been treated in
the body of the notes, and we think it is there made to appear that in
none of them is there a real contradiction. We allude to them here

INTRODUCTION. 261

because of the argument which has been based on them to disprove the
plenary inspiration of the writers.
It has been argued, that if the Holy Spirit guided the inspired writers
not only in the thoughts which they should express, but also in their
choice of words, there would be none of these appearances of discrepancy,
but the same thought would always be expressed in about the same words.
Indeed, it is argued that on this supposition we ought to find a uniform
style pervading the writings of all the inspired men, seeing that it was not
they but the Holy Spirit who spoke and wrote. But all such reasoning is
fallacious in two particulars : first, in assuming that the Holy Spirit either
would not or could not vary his style to suit the peculiar mental organiza
tion of each writer; and second, in assuming that there is not a style
common to all the writers of Sacred History. Both of these assumptions
are illogical, and the latter is contradicted by facts. There are charac
teristics of style common to all the historical writers of both the Old
Testament and the New, which distinguish them from all uninspired
historians, and which mark their style as that of the Holy Spirit.
We can not here elaborate this proposition, but we mention first, the
purely dramatic form in which they depict the characters of men,
allowing them to act their respective parts without a word of comment,
without an expression by the historian, of approbation or disapprobation,
and utterly without those attempts at analysis of character which all other
historians have found indispensable. Second, the unexampled impartial
ity with which they record facts, speaking with as little reserve concerning
the sins and follies of their own friends, as of the most cruel deeds of their
enemies — as freely, for example, of Peter's denial, as of the high-priest's
malice and cruelty. Third, the imperturbable calmness, the utter freedom
from passion, with which they move along the current of history, relating
with as little apparent feeling the most wonderful and exciting events as
those the most trivial. The final sufferings of Jesus, for example, are
described with as much calmness, as the fact of his taking a seat on Peter's
fishing boat to address the people. This characteristic of the inspired his
torians has been noticed by every appreciative reader of the sacred volume,
and it fixes the primary authorship unmistakably in Him,
" Who sees with equal eye, as God of all,
A hero perish, or a sparrow fall ;
Atoms or systems into ruin hurled,
And now a bubble burst, and now a world."
For other specifications of the style that is peculiar to the inspired
writers, we refer the reader to the recent admirable volume of lectures by
Henry Bogers, on the Superhuman Origin of the Bible, and especially to
Lectures vi. and vii.
As it was desirable that the Bible should touch every cord in every

262 INTRODUCTION.

human soul, it was needful that the presentation of truth should be charac
terized by very great diversities of style. While preserving, then, as it
does, those characteristics which' mark it as divine, God has wisely chosen,
in order to secure the needed variety, that its various parts should be
written by men of great diversity of mental peculiarities, and that each
of these should leave the impress of his own style of thought and ex
pression on his composition. As the light which starts from the sun
in passing through a cathedral window takes on the many hues of
the stained glass, allowing each pane to impart its own particular hue,
and spreads them all in delightful harmony on the objects within,
so tiie truth that came down from heaven was allowed to pass through the
minds of many men ere it reached the written page, bearing with it the
impress of each without being changed from truth to error. In this way
alone can all of the peculiarities of this book of books be accounted for.
§ 5. For What Beaders Intended.
We think that there are no conclusive evidences that Mark intended hi9
narrative for any special class of readers. From his omission of the
genealogy of Jesus, and of all references to the prophecies fulfilled in the
career of Jesus (See note on xv. 28), it is inferred that he did not, like
Matthew, write especially for Jewish readers; but the evidences commonly
relied on as proof that he wrote especially for Gentiles, are, we think, in
conclusive. True, he translates into Greek, some Hebrew or Aramaic
terms which he employs, but Matthew does the same almost as often, and
the only apparent reason why Mark does so more frequently is because he
introduces two words more which need translation than does Matthew.
(Comp. Mark v. 41 ; v. 11, 34 ; xv. 22, 34, with Matt. i. 23 ; xvii. 33, 46.)
In neither writer, however, should this be regarded as an adaptation to Gen
tile readers ; for they were writing in the Greek language, and it is but
compliance with an ordinary rule of composition, that foreign terms intro
duced are accompanied by a translation. Moreover, Jews as well as Gen
tiles, in that age, seldom read any other language than the Greek. The
argument in favor of the proposition that Mark wrote especially for Gen
tile readers, depends, when fairly stated, on nothing more than the fact
that in one instance (vii. 3, 4) he explains a custom which Jews, at least
those who resided in Palestine, well understood. But this only shows that
he was not unmindful of his Gentile readers, not that he wrote with
especial reference to them. (On another passage supposed to bear on the
question, see the note on xiii. 3.) I conclude that while Matthew wrote
especially for Jews, and Luke especially for the Gentiles, Mark, whose
evangelical labors had been divided between the two classes, wrote with
out especial reference to either, buj; with both classes constantly before his
mind.

MARK.

PART FIRST.
THE MINISTRY OF JESUS IN GALILEE.

CHAPTERS I.— IX.

I. 1 The heginning of the gos
pel of Je'sus Christ, the Son of
God ; 2 as it is written in | the
2 ev rots 7rpo$ijT(US Rec. ev Tw 'Haaiq TtjJ

SECTION I.
The Baptism and the Temptation
of Jesus, I. 1-13.
John's Ministry Described, 1-8 ; The
Baptism of Jesus, 9-11 ; The Temp
tation of Jesns, 12, 13.

John's Ministry Described, 1-8.
(Matt. iii. 1-12 ; Luke iii. 1-18.)
1. The beginning of the gos
pel. — Not the beginning absolutely
considered, but Mark's beginning,
each of the other historians having
a beginning different from this.
Matthew begins with the genealogy
aud birth of Jesus ; Luke, with the
announcement to Zachariah con
cerning the birth of John; John,
with the pre-exis'tence of the Word
and the testimony of John the Bap
tist; Mark, with a brief account
of John's ministry introductory to
the baptism and the ministry of
Jesus. the Son of God.— Unlike Mat
thew, who introduces Jesus first as

prophets: Esa'ias tiie prophet],
wpo^-fj-tyi, Lach., Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford,
Tregelles, JK, B, i„ d, etc., Old Latin, Vul
gate, P. Syriac, H. Syriac, Ph. Syriac, Cop
tic, etc.

"Son of David, son of Abraham''
(Matt. i. 1), Mark introduces him
at once as "the Son of God." With
a view to Gentile readers, he empha
sizes the relation of Jesus to God
rather than that to Abraham and
the Jewish people.
2, 3. in the prophets. — Two
prophets are here quoted ; the pas
sage beginning, "Behold, I send
my messenger, ' being taken from
Malachi iii. 1 ; and that beginning,
"The voice of one crying," being
taken from Isaiah xl. 3. If the
reading, " in the prophets," be re
tained, there is no difficulty in the
passage; but if the reading, "in
the prophet Isaiah," which is- pre
ferred by the critics (see critical
note)," be substituted, it presents the
difficulty of two passages from two
different prophets being both appar
ently referred to one of them. Be
sides the great weight of authority
exhibited in the critical note in
favor of the'latter reading, it has in
its favor the consideration that it is
less likely to have been the result
(203)

264

MARK

[i. 3, 4.

Behold, I send my messenger
before thy face, which shall pre
pare thy way [before thee].
8 The voice of one crying in the
wilderness, Prepare ye the way
2 epirpoo-9ev <rov Rec. Omitted by Lach.,
Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles, X, B,
n, k, l, p, 36, 102, a,b, c, etc., P. Syriac, H.
Byriac, Coptic, iEthiopic, etc.

of a change. If it had been the
original reading, there would have
been a temptation to substitute " in
the prophets," in order to get rid
of tho difficulty just stated; where
as, if "in the prophets" had been
the original, there would have been
not only no temptation to make the
change, but a reason for not mak
ing it. We accept, therefore, the
corrected reading, and suppose that
"in the prophets" was adopted by
transcribers in order to avoid the
difficulty, and because they thought
that a mistake had been made by
former copyists. We suppose also
that Mark s reason for mentioning
Isaiah and omitting the name of
Malachi, was that the essential part
of the quotation was that taken
from the former prophet. (Comp.
Lange in loco.)
my messenger. — The passage in
Malachi (Mai. iii. 1-6) from which
this is an extract, has unmistakable
reference to the Messiah, and the
messenger to be sent before his face
can be no other than John. We
can see for ourselves that Mark's
application of the words is correct.
The voice. — See note on Mat
thew iii. 3.
4. baptism of repentance. —
The exact meaning of this expression
is to be ascertained by considering
the relation between John's baptism
and repentance. That relation is
indicated by the fact that men were
required to repent as a condition
of being baptized. (Matt. iii. 8, 9.)
Repentance was the one antecedent
condition of baptism ; for although

of the Lord, make his paths
straight. *|Jbhn did baptize:
There was John the Baptist \ in
the wilderness, | and preach :
preaching] the baptism of re-
4 /Smm'fuij' Rec. o Baur. T. S. Green, Al
ford, Tregelles, X, B, l, a, 33, Coptic.
4 koX Rec. Omitted by T. S. Green, Al
ford, B, 33, 73, 102.

none were baptized who were not
believers in the true God, this was
because John preached only to
Jews who were believers before his
preaching began. As regards faith
in Christ, this was enjoined as a
duty which was to follow baptism
and to be performed when the
Christ should make his appearance.
(Acts xix. 4.) John's baptism was
called " the baptism of repent
ance," then, because it was neces
sary for a man to repent in order
that he might be baptized, and
because this was the only condition
enjoined. If the baptism of the
new covenant were designated after
the same manner, it would be
called the baptism of faith, because
faith, though not the only prerequi
site, is the chief of all.
for the remission of sins.—
Remission of sins is but another
expression for pardon, or the for
giveness of sins. "For the remis
sion of sins" declares the object
for which the baptism of repent
ance was administered; or, in other
words, it points out the blessing to
be enjoyed by the penitent Jew
when baptized. This would need
no argument to an unprejudiced
mind ; for it is the natural and ob
vious meaning of the words. But
those who have been taught to deny
the divinely established connection
between baptism and remission of
sins, have resorted to various ingen
ious devices in order to put a dif
ferent meaning on passages like
this. One of these devices is the
assumption that the preposition

5-8.]

MARK.

265

pentance for the remission of
sins. 6And there went out unto
him all the land of Judse'a, and
EaS] they of Jeru'salem, and were
alfj baptized of him in the river
of Jor'dan, confessing their sins.
5 'le. Kai ePanri^ovro jrdvres Rec. 'Ie.
irdi/res, /cal e/3-, Lach., Tisch., T. S. Green,
Alford, Tregelles.

" for '' connects " remission," not
with the term baptism, but with the
term repentance ; and that repent
ance, not baptism, is declared to be
for the remission of sins. Accord
ing to this assumption, "repentance
for the remission of sins" is an
adjunct of "baptism," showing what
baptism John preached — a baptism
preceded by repentance for remis
sion of sins. But this is a forced
construction of the sentence, and it
bears all the marks of having been
invented for a purpose. By the
natural aud grammatical construc
tion, "of repentance" must be re
garded as an adjunct of "baptism,"
showing that it is a baptism of re
pentance, while " for the remission
of sins" declares the object of this
baptism. We have examples of
the same construction, in both Eng
lish and Greek, in the following
places : " Christ is the end of the
law for righteousness." (Rom. x.
4. ) " He ff (the civil ruler) " is the
minister of God to thee for good."
(Rom. xiii. 4.) In each of these
examples the preposition " for "
connects its object with the leading
substantive of the sentence, while
the subordinate substantive with its
preposition " of" constitutes an ad
junct of the principal subject. So,
in the instance before us, " for "
connects "baptism" with "remis
sion of sins, while " of repent
ance " is an adjunct of " baptism."
Another device has been to as
sign to "for," the meaning, "on ac
count of;" thus making the passage
23

3 And John was clothed with
camel's hair, and with a girdle
of a skin about his loins ; and he
did eat locusts and wild honey;
'and preached, saying, There
cometh one mightier than I after
me, the latchet of whose shoes I
am not worthy to stoop down
and unloose. 8I indeed have

mean that John preached the bap
tism of repentance on account cf
the remission of sins which had al
ready taken place. But this is
assigning to the Greek preposition
(tij) rendered "for" a meaning
which it never bears, and it makes
John announce as a reason for
baptism that which could not be a
reason for it. How could the fact
that a man's sins had already been
forgiven be a reason why he should
be baptized? Even if forgiveness
had preceded baptism, baptism
would still have an object of its
own, as it has in the system even
of those who accept this interpre
tation, and for this object it would be
administered. The course which
candor and fair dealing with the
word of God requires, is to accept
the meaning which the inspired
writer has left on the very surface
of the passage, and not to seek for
forced interpretations in order to
save a theory which must be false
unless it can find better support
than this. It follows, that in addi
tion to the animal sacrifices for sin
which the law still required, John
commanded the Jews to be also
baptized for the same purpose, and
thus his baptism served as a tran
sition from the Jewish law of par
don to that which prevails under
the reign of Christ.
5-8. — In these verses Mark em
ploys phraseology almost identical
with that of Matthew, but he pre
sents the thoughts more briefly, and
arranges them in a different order.

266

MARK.

[i. 9-13.

baptized you with water: but
he shall baptize you with the
Holy Ghost.
"And it came to pass in those
days, that Je'sus came from
Naz'areth of Gal'ilee, and was
baptized of John in Jor'dan.
10 And straightway coming up
out of the water, he saw the
11. <S Rec. troi, Lach., Tisch., T. S.
Green, Alford. Tregelles, N, E, d, l, p, 1,
13, 22, 33, 69, 118, 331, 209, 435, etc., a, c,
etc., Vulgate, P. Syriac, Ph. Syriac, Coptic,
etc.

(For special remarks, see the notes
on Matthew iii. 4-6, 11, 12.)
The Baptism of Jesus, 9-11. (Matt.
iii. 13-17; Luke iii. 21-23.)
9. came from Nazareth. — That
Jesus "came from Nazareth of
Galilee," to be baptized by John,
shows that he had continued to
make his home at Nazareth until
the time of his baptism.
in Jordan. — The preposition
here rendered " in " (&j) means
into, and it represents the passage
of the person of Jesus into the
water as the act of baptism took
place. "Baptized in the Jordan"
would not be ambiguous or obscure;
but " baptized into the Jordan " is
more expressive, and is the correct
rendering. 10. out of the water. — The
Greek text from whieh our version
was made has here the Greek pre
position apo (cwto), rendered " out
of;" but all of the more recent
critics unite in regarding ek (ix) as
the true reading. So depose Lach-
rnann, Meyer, Tischendorf, Alford,
Green, Tregelles. This is the read
ing of the Sinaitic, the Vatican, and
many other less authoritative man
uscripts, and the question is settled
beyond all reasonable doubt. This
question being settled, the question
as to the immersion of Jesus is also
settled : for if he came up out of

heavens opened, and the Spirit
like a dove descending upon
him: "and there came a voice
from heaven, saying, Thou art
my beloved Son, in | whom : thee \
I am well pleased.
12 And immediately the spirit
driveth him into the wilderness.
"And he was [there] in the
wilderness forty days, tempted
13. «el Rec. Omitted by Lach., Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles, X, a, b, d,
l, etc., Old Latin, Vulgate, Coptic, etc.

the water, as ix necessarily implies,
he had gone down into it; and if
he went down into the water to be
baptized, there is no room for an
honest doubt that he was immersed.
the Spirit like a dove. — See
note on Matthew iii. 16.
11. a voice from heaven.— On
the import of the words uttered by
this voice, see the note on Matthew
iii. 17. Mark's report of it, as
Luke's also, differs from Matthew's
in representing the words as ad
dressed to Jesus in the second per
son. It is most likely that Mark
and Luke give us the words in their
exact form, while Matthew adopts
the less definite form of the third
person, because his mind was
chiefly directed to the effect of the
speech on the by-standers, or be
cause he is given to the less definite
forms of speech.
The Temptation of Jesus, 12, 13.
(Matt. iv. 1-11; Luke iv. 1-13.)
12. driveth. Mm. — While Mat
thew says that Jesus was "led" by
the Spirit into the wilderness, Mark
says " the Spirit driveth him," using
a much more forcible term, and
indicating still more clearly that it
was not at the volition of Jesus
that he entered into the temptation.
(Comp. Matt. iv. 1.)
13. forty days tempted.—
While Mark states that Jesus was

i. 14, 15.]

MARK.

267

of Sa'tan ; and was with the wild
beasts ; and the angels ministered
unto him.
"Now after that John was
put in prison, Je'sus came into
14 tt); jSamfci'a; Rec. Omitted bv Lach.,
Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles, x,
B, L, 1, 28, 33, 69, 209, etc., b, c, etc., Coptic,
Armenian, Ph. Syriac.

tempted forty days, Matthew repre
sents that at the end of the forty
days " the tempter came to him. '
Luke's statement is like Mark's.
(Luke iv. 2.) 1 think the best ex
planation of this is that Mark and
Luke regarded the forty days! fast
as a part of the temptation; and
rightly so, because it was a neces
sary preparation for the trial in re
gard to bread. Had it not been for
the hunger superinduced by the
fast, the suggestion, "Turn these
stones into bread," would have had
no force.
with the wild beasts. — Mark
is alone in mentioning the presence
of wild beasts. Their presence
added materially to the dreariness
of the" forty days of fasting, and
was calculated to make Jesus im
patient of the long detention.
angels ministered. — This is $ie
ministering mentioned by Matthew
as occurring after Satan had left
Jesus. (Matt. iv. 11.)
Mark's account ofthe temptation
is exceedingly brief. He barely
mentions the fact as he hurries on
to the chief theme of this part of
his narrative, .the ministry of Jesus
in Galilee. Argument of Section 1.
In this section Mark has set forth
three facts which have an impor
tant bearing on his proposition that
Jesus is the Son of God : first, that
the prophet John, with direct allu
sion to him, announced- the speedy
appearance of one so much more
exalted than himself, that he was

Gal'ilee, preaching the gospel
[of the kingdom] ' of God,
16 [and] saying, The time is ful
filled, and the kingdom of God
is at hand : repent ye, and be
lieve the gospel.

15 Kai Rec. Omitted by Tisch., T. S.
Green, Alford.

not worthy to stoop down anl
loosen his shoe; second, that when
Jesus was baptized, God himself, in
an audible voice, proclaimed him
his Son ; and third, that immediate
ly after this proclamation, Satan
commenced against him such a
warfare as we would naturally ex
pect him to wage against God's Son
in human flesh.

SECTION II.
The Beginning- of the Ministry
in Galilee, I. 14^45.
Time and Theme of His Preaching,
14,15: Call of the Four Fishermen,
16-20; A Demon Cast Out, 21-28;
Cores at Simoji's House, , 29-34 ;
Prayer and Departure, 35-39 ; A Lep
er Cleansed, 40-45.

Time and Theme of His Preach
ing, 14, 15. (Matt. iv. 13-17;
Luke iv. 14, 15; John iv. 1-3.)
14. after John was put in
prison. — The imprisonment of
John is the only event named in
the gospels to fix the time when
the Galilean ministry of Jesus be
gan. (Comp. Matt, iv 12). Au
account of the imprisonment is
given in Mark vi. 17-20.
15. The time is fulfilled.— The
time fixed in the writings of the
prophets and in the purpose of God,
for the long expected Messiah to
make his appearance, and for the
kingdom of heaven to be at band.
repent ye, and believe.— Jesus
was preaching to persons who al-

268

MARK.

[i. 16-22,

16 Now as he walked by the sea
of Gal'ilee, he saw Si'mon and
An'drew his brother casting a net
into the sea : for they were fishers.
17 And Je'sus said unto them,
Come ye after me, and I will
make you to become fishers of
men. 18And straightway they
forsook their nets, and followed
him. 19 And when he had gone
a little farther [thence], he saw
James the son of Zeb'edee, and
John his brother, who also were

19 iKel9ev Rec. Omitted by Lach., Tisch.
T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.

ready believed in the true God, and
iu the revelation which God had
already made, and his object,' at this
stage of his ministry, like that of
John, was to bring them to repent
ance as a preparation for faith in
himself and his kingdom. This
accounts for the order in which re
pentance and faith are here men
tioned. To repent toward the God
in whom they already believed, but
whose revealed will they were vio
lating, naturally and properly took
precedence over believing in him
whom God was about to reveal. It
was not a necessary order, for some
who had not repented toward God,
might have been induced to believe
in Jesus ; but it was the more prac
ticable order, and it enabled Jesus
to begin his argument on common
ground with his hearers. At the
same time, a penitent state of heart
was the best possible preparation
for considering favorably the claims
of Jesus, and for ready "faith in
him. Call of the Four Fishermen, 16-20.
(Matt. iv. 18-22; Luke v. 1-11.)
This paragraph is almost identic
al with the parallel in Matthew,
differing from it chiefly in some

in the ship mending their nets.
20 And straightway he called
them : and they left their father
Zeb'edee in the ship with the
hired servants, and went after
him. 21 And they went into Caper'
naum ; and straightway on the
sabbath day | he entered into the
synagogue, and taught : /is taught
in tiie synagogue | . 22 And they
were astonished at his doctrine :
for he taught them as one that
21 eio-ekStav Rec. Omitted by Lach.,
Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford, TregeUes, c, L,
28, 69, 346, etc., P. Syriac, etc.
forms of expression, which show
that Mark did not copy from Mat
thew. The human sources of in
formation enjoyed by the two must
have been the same.
20. with the hired servants.
¦ — The presence of hired servants
is the only item added by Mark to
those given by Matthew. The fact
that the four partners (Luke v. 10),
Simon and Andrew, and James
and John, with Zebedee, the father
of the latter two, had hired
servants in their employ, shows
that they were conducting a busi
ness of respectable proportions.
Though their capital was probably
very small, they were enterprising
business men.
A Demon Cast Out, 21-28. (Luke
iv. 31-37.)
21. the synagogue. — For an
account of the Jewish synagogues,
see note on Matthew iv. 23.
22. astonished at his doctrine.
— Not at the subject-matter of it,
but because " he taught them as one
that had authority, and not as the
scribes." They had not yet believed
in his divinity, and they could not
reconcile his tone of divine author
ity with his human nature and

i, 23-27.]

MARK.

269

had authority, and not as the
scribes. 23And there was in
their synagogue a man with an
unclean spirit ; and he cried out,
24 saying, [Let us alone;] what
have we to do with thee, thou
Je'sus of Naz'areth? art thou
come to destroy us ? I know thee
24 l« Rec. Omitted by Lach., T. S.
Green, Alford, Tregelles.

his humble position in human so
ciety. (Comp. note ou Matt. vii.
28, 29.)
23. an unclean spirit. — The
uncleanness of the Mosaic law,
which excluded persons affected by
it from the congregation, was so
striking a type of sin, that it came
to be almost synonymous with sin
in the Jewish mind. . Consequently
the spirit in this demoniac was
called, on account of his wicked
ness, an " unclean spirit." It is
singular that this wicked spirit,
whose eternal doom had been fixed,
should resort to a worshiping as
sembly where prayer was offered,
the Scriptures were read, and men
were exhorted to avoid all sin.
24. Let ns alone. — This outcry
was a disturbance of the quiet
which should reign in a religious
assembly, and the thoughts to which
it gave utterance were very start
ling. The spirit's recognition of
Jesus as "the Holy One of God,"
and the fear which he manifested
that Jesus had come to destroy him
and his fellows, must have made a
deep impression on the people.
25. Jesus rebuked him. — This
was probably the first demon which
Jesus had encountered ; at lea»t, it
is the first in point of time men
tioned by any of the historians.
We see, then, that from the begin
ning of his encounters with these
beings he rebuked them for speak
ing of him, and commanded them
to hold their peace and depart from

who thou art, the Holy One of
God. z5 And Je'sus rebuked him,
saying, Hold thy peace, and
come out of him. 26 And when
the unclean spirit had torn him,
and cried with a loud voice, he
came out of him. 27 And they
were all amazed, insomuch that
they questioned among them
selves, saying, What thing is
their victims. It was important
that he should do this for two rea
sons : first, that the faith of those
who believed in him should not
rest even in part on the testimony
of evil spirits; second, that he
should not appear to sustain friend
ly relations with these evil beings,
and with Satan who ruled over
them. In spite of all his precau
tions the charge was made that he
cast out demons by the power of
Satan (iii. 22-26) ; and it was per
haps for the very purpose of giving
apparent ground for this charge,
that Satan prompted the demons to
testify as they did.
26. had torn him. — Had con
vulsed him (aiiapd^av). The de
mon, on leaving the man, gave ex
pression to his impotent rage and
malignity, by throwing his victim
into a convulsion, and by uttering
a loud outcry through the unfortu
nate man's lips.
27. they were all amazed. —
They expressed their amazement
by the remark, "with authority he
commandeth even the unclean spir
its, and they do obey him." The
power to command disembodied
spirits is more surprising, because
it is more mysterious than the
power to work physical miracles.
The authority with which he taught
had first surprised them (verse 22)
but the authority with which he
commanded the demons was more
surprising still, and it confirmed
the authority of bis teaching.

270

MARK.

[i. 28-34.

this? | what new doctrine is
this ? for with authority : a new
doctrine with authority ; | com-
mandeth he even the unclean
spirits, and they do obey him.
28 And immediately his fame
spread abroad throughout all
the region round about Gal'
ilee. 29 And forthwith, when they
were come out of the synagogue,
they entered into the house of
Si'mon and An'drew, with James
and John. 30 But Si'mon's wife's
27 Tiff rj oioaxr] 7j KaivTj avrrj ; on Kar*
eiova-Cav Rec. Sioaxy] Kaivr] Kar' e£ovo-iav Kai
tow Lach., Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford,
Tregelles, X, B, L, 33.

28. his fame spread abroad.
— This was a necessary conse
quence of the excitement created
iu Capernaum. Any community,
whether intelligent or ignorant, and
whether of ancient or of modern
times, would go wild over such ex
hibitions of power and authority.
Cures at Simon's House, 29-34.
(Matt. viii. 14-17; Luke iv. 38-
41.) 29. And forthwith. — They went
immediately from the synagogue
to the " house of Simon and An
drew, with James and John." If
this house was in Bethsaida, the
home of these brethren previous to
their call (John i: 45), this village
must have been a suburb of Caper
naum ; for below (verse 33) it is
said that the whole city was gath
ered together at the door, and the
only city mentioned in the context
is Capernaum. (Verse 21.)
30, 31. Simon's wife's mother.
— From this expression it appears
that Simon, unlike his so-called
successors, the Popes of Rome, was
a married man. For the two rea
sons, that she was suffering, and

mother lay sick of a fever, and
anon they tell him of her.
31 And he came and took her by
the hand, and lifted her up ;
and [immediately] the fever left
her, and she ministered unto
them. 32And at even, when
the sun did set, they brought
unto him all that were diseased,
and them that were possessed
with devils. 33 And all the city
was gathered together at the
door. 34And he healed many
that were sick of divers diseases,
and east out many devils; and
31 tWius Bee. Omitted by T. S. Green,
Tregelles.

that her services were needed for
the proper entertainment of the
company, she was healed, and " she
ministered to them."
32. when the sun did set.— It
was the Sabbath-day; for the com
pany in Simon's house had come
immediately from the synagogue
when the assembly had adjourned.
(Verse 29.) The healing of Si
mon's mother-in4aw, the first cure
of the kind effected in Capernaum,
was the signal for a general rush
of the people to secure the healing
of their sick. But the traditional
interpretation of the Sabbath law,
which prohibited the bearing of
burdens on the Sabbath-day (John
v. 10), restrained them until after
sunset, when, the Sabbath being
over, they were at liberty to engage
in any kind of labor. That was a
night of joy in the city. Jesus was
bestowing his blessings on them,
and had as yet said little or nothing
to them in regard to their sins.
They were now like the seed that
fell on the stony ground.
34. suffered not the devils to
speak. — See the notes on verse 25,
and Matt. viii. 16.

i. 35-41.]

MARK.

271

suffered not the devils to speak,
because they knew him.
35 And in the morning, rising
up a great while before day, he
went out, and departed into a
solitary place, and there prayed.
36 And Si'mon and they that
were with him followed after
him. "And when they had
found him, they said unto him,
All men seek for thee. m And
he said unto them, Let us go
into the next towns, that I may
preach there also : for therefore

Prayer and Departure, 35-39.
(Luke iv. 42-44.)
35. a great while before day.
— This is Mark's first allusion to
the prayerfulness of Jesus. There
are two circumstances connected
with this prayer that are worthy of
note : first, the very early hour — " a
great while before day ' — at which
he arose and went out to the soli
tary place where he prayed ; and
second, his abrupt departure when
he learned (verses 37, 38)_ that the
people were seeking for him. The
unbounded admiration with which
the people were regarding him
might have swelled him with van
ity, hod not some means been em
ployed to guard against this weak
ness. The means employed were
prayer and flight. Jesus lived a
spotless life, not merely because he
was the Son of God, but because he
used, with unfailing success, the
means of resisting and of avoiding
temptation. What an example for
us who by nature are so weak!
When temptation draws near, let
us pray, and rise up, if need be, " a
great while before day," that we
may pray in solitude while all the
world is wrapt in slumber. And
if the temptation still draws near,
let us flee from its presence. This

came I forth. 39And he preached
in their synagogues throughout
all Gal'ilee, and cast out devils.
*°Ajid there came a leper to
him, beseeching him, [and kneel
ing dowii to him,] and saying
unto him, If thou wilt, thou
canst make me clean. "And
[Je'sus], moved with compas
sion, put forth his hand, and
40 Kai vonuireiw airov Rec. Omitted by
Lach., Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford, Tre
gelles, B, d, r, 102, 124, etc., a, b, c, etc.
41 6 ii 'l-no-ois Rec. Kai Lach., Tisch., T.
S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.

prayer and flight occurred on Sun
day morning. (Comp. verses 29,
32, 35.)
36-38. All men seek for thee.
— Simon and the other disciples
were elated by the sudden popular
ity of their Master, and they
thought they were bringing most
welcome tidings, when, after a dili
gent search to find Jesus, they said
to him, " All men seek for thee."
What was their surprise when their
announcement met with only this
response: "Let us go into the next
towns, that I may preach there
also : for therefore came I forth."
39. in their synagogues —
Though Jesus preached much in
the open air, especially during the
secular days of the week, the syna
gogue was his constant resort on
the Sabbath-day.
and cast out devils. —Mark
singles out this species of miracles
in his general statement of the la
bors of Jesus, not because other
kinds of miracles were not wrought
in the time referred to (see Matt.
iv. 23), but because this was the
most surprising and may stand as
the representative of all.
A Leper Cleansed, 40-45. (Matt.
viii. 2-4; Luke v. 12-16.)
40-43. — For remarks on this

272

MARK.

[i. 42-45.

touched him, and saith unto
him, I will ; be thou clean.
"And [as soon as he had spoken],
immediately the leprosy departed
from him, and he was cleansed.
"And he straitly charged him,
and forthwith sent him away;
"and saith unto him, See thou
say nothing to any man : but go
42 eiir6vro<s airov Rec. Omitted by Lach.,
Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles, X, B,
D, l, 16, 69, 102, a, b, c, e, etc., P. Syriac,
Coptic, etc.

part of this paragraph, see notes on
the parallel in Matthew.
44. for thy cleansing. — The
man had already been cleansed in
the sense of being cured of his
unclean disease, but that cleansing
is not the one here referred to.
According to the law of Moses a
leper was still unclean, in the legal
sense of the term, after the leprosy
had entirely departed from him.
When the disease had departed be
was to be examined by a priest, to
see if this were a fact, and then he
was to procure two birds, one of
which was to be slain and its blood
caught in a vessel of running
water; he was to be sprinkled
seven times with this bloody water ;
was to wash his clothes, shave off
his hair, and bathe his body in
water, both on that day and the
seventh day thereafter ; and after
all this he was clean. He was then
aUowed to approach the altar, where
certain other offerings were to be
presented. (See Lev. xiv. 1-20.)
It is this legal cleansing that is re
ferred to in the text, and the offer
ings were in order to this cleans
ing, not, as some have supposed,
because of the cleansing which had
been already effected by the touch
and the word of Jesus.
for a testimony. — While the
uncleanness from leprosy contin
ued, the unfortunate victim of it

thy way, shew thyself to the
priest, and offer for thy cleans
ing those things which Mo'ses
commanded, for a testimony
unto them. a But he went out,
and began to publish it much,
and to blaze abroad the matter,
insomuch that Je'sus could no
more openly enter into the city,
but was without in desert places :
and they came to him from every
quarter. ,
was excluded from all society, aud
compelled to remain outside the
camp or city. (See the law on the
subject, Lev. xiii. 45, 46; and an ex
ample of its enforcement, 2 Ks.
vii. 3, 4). When the offerings were
presented these were a testimony
that the person had been pro
nounced by the priest both physic
ally and legally clean.
45. could no more openly en
ter. — Every miracle which Je
sus wrought of a kind different
from those which had become some
what familiar, increased the already
intense excitement among the Gal
ileans, and to such a pitch did the
excitement now run, that the crowds
became immense. This was unfa
vorable to calm thought, and there
fore Jesus retired to desert places
where comparatively few would
follow him.
Argument of Section 2.
In this section Mark has fur
nished a striking exhibition of both
the divine authority and the divine
power of Jesus. Such was the au
thority which he could exercise
over men, that when he commanded
the four fishermen to follow him,
they left all they had ou earth,
without a question or a moment's
delay, and followed him. And such
was the authority with which he

ii. 1, 2.]

MARK.

273

II. ' And again he entered
into Caper'naum after some
days; and it was noised that he
was in the house. 2 And straight-

commanded demons, that although
these wicked spirits were not will
ingly obedient, they instantly de
parted from their victims at his
bidding. Such, too, was his power,
that at his touch the malignant
fever, the incurable leprosy, and
all the maladies which afflict the
body, were instantly healed. Such,
finally, was his unexampled meek
ness, that amid these displays of
divine authority and power, when
popular applause ran high, he re
tired by night to pray, or wandered
away into desert places. His meek
ness was as high above the capac
ity of a merely human being, as
were his miracles.
DIFFERENCE FKOM MATTHEW.
One of the characteristic differ
ences between Mark and Matthew,
their difference in regard to ar
rangement, is conspicuous in their
modes of treating the subject-mat
ter of the preceding section. Mark
uses almost the same material with
Matthew, but how differently he
arranges it 1 They both begin with
the removal of Jesus to Galilee,
after the imprisonment of John,
and follow this with the call of the
four fishermen; but Matthew next
introduces the general statement
of the preaching throughout Gali
lee (iv. 23-25), which Mark re
serves until after the cures at Si
mon's house (i. 39) ; he next de
votes considerable space to the
sermon on the mount, which Mark
omits; then he introduces as his
first mentioned miracle the cure of
the leper (viii. 1-A), which is the
third miracle mentioned by Mark
(i. 40-45); his second miracle is

way many were gathered to
gether, insomuch that there was
no room to receive them, no, not
so much as about the door : and

the cure of the centurion's servant
(viii. 5-13), of which ,Mf.rk says
nothing; his third is that of Si
mon's mother-in-law, which is the
second with Mark; and finally, they
unite in following this last miracle
with the cures at Simon's door.
This difference alone is sufficient
proof that Mark's narrative is not
an abridgment of Matthew's.

SECTION ni.
Discussions with Scribes and Phar
isees, II. AND III.
About Power to Forgive Sins, ii. 1-12 :
About Eating with Publicans and
Sinners, 13-17; About Fasting, 18-
22; About Plucking Gj'ain ou the
Sabbath, 23-28; About Healing on the
Sabbath, iii. 1-6; The Great Multi
tudes, 7-12; The Twelve Chosen, 13-
19; Alarm of His Friends, 20, 21;
About Casting Out Demons, 22-30 ;
About His Brothers and Mother, 31-
35. 
About Power to Forgive Sins, ii.
1-12. (Matt. ix. 1-8; Luke v.
17-26.)
1, 2. into Capernaum. — There
is no inconsistency between this
statement and the one just previ
ously made, that after the healing
of the leper he " could no more
openly enter into the city'' (i.
45); for the present statement is
that "he entered into Capernaum
after some days ; " and even now
he enters in privately, as appears
from the remark, "it was noised
abroad that he was in the house."
When it was thus noised abroad,
" straightway many were gathered
together, insomuch that there was
no room to receive them, no, not
so much as about the door; " and
this confirms the previous state
ment.

274

MARK.

[ii. 3-13.

he preached the word unto
them. 3 And they come un
to him, bringing one sick of
the palsy, which was borne of
four. *And when they could
not come nigh unto him for the
press, they uncovered the roof
where he was : and when they
had broken it up, they let down
the bed wherein the sick of the
palsy lay. 5When Je'sus saw
their faith, he said unto the sick
of the palsy, Son, thy sins be
forgiven [thee].- 6But there
were certain of the scribes sitting
there, and reasoning in their
hearts, "Why doth this man
| thus speak blasphemies ? : speak
mus t he blasphemes. \ who can for
give sins but God only ? s And im-
5 o-ov Rec. Omitted by Lach., Tisch., T.
S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.
7 kakel fikao-ipYipias ; Rec. fikao-Qrjpei
Lach., Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford, Tre
gelles, N, E, d, l, Vulgate,, etc.

3-5. When Jesus saw their
faith.- — Their faith was very clearly
seen in their actions. The man
could not walk, but he had four
friends whose faith in the power
and willingness of Jesus to heal
him was so great, that they bore
him on his bedding to the house.
Unable to get into the house, on
account of the eager pressure of
the crowd, but determined not to
be baffled, they contrived by some
means, most likely by an outside
flight of stairs, to get upon the
roof with their burden. It was no
easy task for them to make the as
cent, carrying a man who was per
fectly helpless. They found, or
perhaps they knew before, that the
roof was one which could be broken
open easily (it was a tile roof,
Luke v. 19), and now, notwith
standing the expense they would
incur, and the probable displeasure

mediately when Je'sus pereeived
in his spirit that they so reasoned
within themselves, he said unto
them, Why reason ye these things
in your hearts ? 9 Whether is it
easier to say to the sick of the
palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee ;
or to say, Arise, [and] take up
thy bed, and walk ? 10 But that ye
may know that the Son of man
hath power on earth to forgive
sins, (he saith to the sick of the
palsy,) u I say unto thee, Arise,
[and] take up thy bed, and go thy
way into thine house. 12 And im
mediately he arose, took up the
bed, and went forth before them
all ; insomuch that they were all
amazed, and glorified God, saying,
We never saw it on this fashion.
13 And he went forth again by
9 Kai Rec. Omitted by Tisch., T. S.
Green, Alford.
11 Kai Rec. Omitted by Tisch., T. S.
Green, Alford, Tregelles.

of the owner of the house, they
tear open the roof and let the man
down as low as they can reach,
above the heads of t,he people with
in. It is difficult to see how they
could have shown their faith more
plainly. The reason why sinners
do not now show their faith in him
as plainly, when they have it, is
because they have not so great a
desire to be healed. Men who
would risk every thing for the cure
of bodily disease, often bear very
patiently the maladies of the soul.
5-12. — On the argument of Jesus
from this cose, and the general
design of the miracle, see notes,
Matt. ix. 1-8.
About Eating with Publicans and
Sinners, 13-17. (Matt. ix. 9-13 ;
Luke v. 27-32.)
13. by the sea-side. — The slop
ing shore of the lako of Galilee was

ii. 14-18.]

MARK.

275

the sea side; and all the multi
tude resorted unto him, and lie
taught them. "And as he
passed by, he saw Le'vi the son
Alphse'us sitting at the receipt
of custom, and said unto him,
Follow me. And he arose
and followed him. 15And it
came to pass, that, as Je'sus
sat at meat in his house, many
publicans and sinners sat also
together with Je'sus and his dis
ciples : for there were many, and
they followed him. 16And when

a favorite resort of Jesus when sur
rounded by a multitude. By taking
his position at the water's edge, or
on some fishing boat tied up at the
shore, he could prevent the crowd
from surrounding him, and as they
stood or sat on the slope he could
easily make his voice reach them
all. 14. Levi the son of Alpheus. —
Levi is the Hebrew name of Mat
thew, the latter being a Greek sur
name, adopted probably when he
became a tax collector. (Comp.
Matt. ix. 9.) Whether his father
Alpheus is the same Alpheus who
was the father of James the younger
(iii. 18), is quite uncertain. The
name is too common to furnish safe
ground for a conclusion, and we
have no other evidence on the ques
tion. 15-18. — For remarks on the re
mainder of this paragraph, see the
notes on Matt. ix. 9-13, where the
argument of Jesus is more fully re
ported. About Fasting, 18-22. (Matt. ix.
14-17; Luke v. 33-39.)
18. used to fast. — Literally,
were fasting. They were at that
timekeepingafast. Such is the force
of the Greek verb, rjeav vrjarHvovrtsi.
Alford objects to. this rendering,

the scribes and Phar'isees saw
him eat with publicans and sin
ners, they said unto his disciples,
How is it that he eateth and
drinketh with publicans and sin
ners ? " When Je'sus heard it,
he saith unto them, They that
are whole have no need of the
physician, but they that are
sick : I came not to call the right
eous, but sinners [to repentance].
18 And the disciples of John and
17 eU perdvoiav Rec. Omitted by Lach.,
Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.

which was first insisted on by the
German Commtntator, Meyer, but
the passages which lie cites in sup
port of his objection do not sustain
it, and he admits that this may be
the meaning. Mark certainly uses
this combination of the verb and
participle to express what was at
the time being done, and not what
was customary, in x. 32 and xiv. 4,
as the reader of the Greek can see
for himself. It was the circum
stance that the Pharisees and the
disciples of John were observing a
fast at the very time that Jesus and
his disciples were feasting in the
house of Levi, which gave rise to
the question, or which at least gave
especial emphasis to it. Fasting
was regarded as a mark of peculiar
sanctity (Luke xviii. 12), and there
fore it seemed unaccountable to the
Jews that Jesus, with his lofty pre
tensions, should be feasting at a
time when other holy men were
fasting. It is worthy of note that Matthew
represents this question about fast
ing as having been raised by the
disciples of John (Matt. ix. 14);
Luke puts it into. the mouths ofthe
scribes and Pharisees (Luke v. 30
33) ; while Mark says that the Phar
isees and the disciples of John
united in putting the question.

276

MARK.

[ii. 19-26.

of the Phar'isees used to fast:
and they come and say unto him,
Why do the disciples of John
and of the Phar'isees fast, but
thy disciples fast not? 19And
Je'sus said unto them, Can the
children of the bridechamber
fast, while the bridegroom is
with them? as long as they have
the bridegroom with them, they
can not fast. 20 But the days
will come, when the bridegroom
shall be taken away from them,
and then shall they fast | in those
days : in that day \ . 21 No man
[also] seweth a piece of new cloth
on an old garment : else the new
piece that filled it up taketh
away from the old, and the rent
is made worse. 22And no man
putteth new wine into old bottles :
else the [new] wine doth burst the
20 ev fiKCiVais Tats r/pepais Rec. ev eKeivrj
rjj ripepa Lach., Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford,
Tregelles. 21 Kai Rec. Omitted by Lach., Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.
22 6 ve'os Rec. Omitted by Lach., Tisch.,.
T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.

Thus it appears from the statement
of Mark that Matthew and Luke,
though apparently in conflict, are
both correct. The disciples of John
did put the question, as represented
by Matthew, and the scribes and
Pharisees did so, as represented by
Luke. Each tells the truth, but
each tells only a part of what was
true, and we get at the whole truth
by putting both of their statements
together as one. This circumstance
furnishes a key to the reconciliation
of the different writers in many
other places where there is an ap
pearance of discrepancy, and we
have used it freely. We should
always, in such cases, suppose both
statements to be true, and regard
eacl^as a part ofthe whole truth.

bottles, and the wine j is spilled,
and the bottles will be marred : is
lost and the bottles \ : [but new wine
must be put into new bottles].
23 And it came to pass, that
he went through the corn fields
on the sabbath day; and his
disciples began, as they went, to
pluck the ears of corn. 24And
the Phar'isees said unto him,
Behold, why do they on the
sabbath day that which is not
lawful? ^And he said unto
them, Have ye never read what
Da'vid did, when he had need,
and was an hungered, he, and
they that were with him?
26 How he went into the house
of God in the | days of Abi'athar
the high priest : highrpriestliodd
22 6 olvos eKxeirai Kai oi aOTCOi dirokovvrat
Rec. 6 oi an-dAAuTaL «ai oi ao-Koi Tisch., T. S.
Green, Alford, Tregelles, B, a, b, e, etc.,
Copt. 22 aAAd olvov veov ciy aovcovs koivovs SAijTeow
Rec. Omitted by Tisch., T. S. Green,
Alford, d, a, b, ff, i.
26 en-i 'A. rov apyiepeas Rec. TOu omitted
by Lach., Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford, Tre
gelles. 19-22, — For remarks on the an
swer of Jesus, see the notes on Mat
thew ix. 15-17. By comparing the
answer as given by the two writers,
the reader will again discover an
identity of thought indicating a
common choice of materials, and at
the same time a variety of expres
sion indicating perfect independ
ence in composition.
About Plucking Grain on the Sab
bath, 23-28. (Matt. xii. 1-8;
Luke vi. 1-5.)
26. of Abiathar. — The reader
will observe that the critical notes
correct the reading of the common
version here, giving us "in the
high-priesthood of Abiathar," in
stead of " in the days of Abiathar."

ii. 27-

2-]

MARK.

277

of Abi'athar \ , and did eat the
shewbread, which is not lawful
to eat but for the priests, and
gave also to them which were
with him? 2'And he said unto
them, The sabbath was made for
man, and not man for the sab-

This is doubtless the correct ren
dering, but it involves an apparent
conflict between this passage and
the account in 1 Sam. xxi. 1-6,
where Ahimelech is said to have
been the high priest at the time re
ferred to. Abiathar is there repre
sented as a son of Ahimelech, who
took refuge with David after his
father and the other priests had
been slain by Doeg (1 Sam. xxii.
18-20), and who was high priest
throughout the reign of David. This
confusion of the two names is not
confined to the New Testament, for
in 2 Sam. viii. 17, and 1 Chron.
xviii. 16, the names are reversed,
and Ahimelech is called the son of
Abiathar. It is evident that some
mistakes of transcribers in this mat
ter have crept into the text of the
Old Testament, and it is probable
that in a similar way Abiathar has
been substituted for Ahimelech in
the text of Mark. For other opin
ions on the subject, see the note on
this verse in Lange.
27, 28. sabbath was made for
man. — These verses contain an
argument not reported by either
Matthew or Luke. That the Sab
bath was made for man, and not man
for the Sabbath, implies that when
the welfare of man conflicts with
the observance, of the Sabbath, the
latter must give way. But of this,
man himself is not to judge, be
cause he can not judge with im
partiality his own interests. No
one is competent to judge in the
case who does not know all that
pertains to the welfare of man, and
this is known only by the Lord. For

bath : 28 therefore the Son of
man is Lord also of the sa°bbath.
III. 'And he entered again
into the synagogue ; and there
was a man there which had a
withered hand. 2 And they
watched him, whether he would

this reason Jesus adds, "Therefore
the Son of man is Lord also of the
Sabbath; " that is, as the Sou of
man came to provide for man's wel
fare, and as the Sabbath law might
need modification or even abroga
tion for the highest good of man,
therefore lordship over the Sabbath
was given to the Son of man. The
passage teaches, then, not that men
might violate the law of the Sab
bath when their welfare seemed
to them to demand it, but that
Jesus could set it aside, as he after
ward did, when his own judgment
of man's welfare required him to
do so. He made it clear on this
occasion that said law was not to
be so construed as to prevent men
from providing necessary food on
the Sabbath-day.
For comments on other parts of
this paragraph, see the notes on
Matt. xii. 1-8.
About Healing on the Sabbath, III.
1-6. (Matt. xii. 9-14 ; Luke vi.
6-11.) 1, 2. And they watched him.
— The people were assembled in
the synagogue for worship. A man
with a withered hand was present
when Jesus came in. They watched
him to see whether, according to
his custom, he would heal the man,
or decline to do so through respect
for the Sabbath-day. Luke, more
minute in his description, tells us
that it was the man s right hand
that was withered — a more serious
affliction than if it had been the
left. Matthew also tells us that
" they asked him, saying, Is it law-

278

MARK.

[iii. 3-6.

heal him on the sabbath day;
that 'they might accuse him.
8 And he saith unto the man
which had the withered hand,
Stand forth. *And he saith
unto them, Is it lawful to do
good on the sabbath days, or to
do evil ? to save life, or to kill ?
But they held their peace. 6And
when he had looked round about

ful to heal on the Sabbath-day?
that they might accuse him ; " from
which we infer that they were fear
ful lest he might not notice the
man, and so, by propounding the
question, they caused him to look
around and see if any one there
needed healing.
3. he saith to the man. — Both
Mark and Luke represent that be
fore answering the question . pro
pounded, Jesus said to the man,
"Stand forth," and thus caused him
to stand up in full view of all the
people, so as to make more striking
what he then proceeded to say and
do. 4. Is it lawful. — In answer to
their question as given by Matthew,
"Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath-
day," he puts to them the question,
" Is it lawful to do good on the Sab
bath-day, or to do evil? To save'
life, or to kill ? " To heal this man
would be doing good ; it would be
making alive. To pass him by,
having the power to heal him — a
power given for the purpose of
being thus exercised — would be
doing evil, to kill where he might
make alive. He must do one or the
other, and he calls on them to say
which. They refused to answer,
because the only answer they could
five would condemn themselves.
[atthew reports an additional argu
ment which comes in at this point :
"What man shall there be among
you, that shall have one sheep, and
if it fall into a pit on the Sabbath-

on them with anger, being
grieved for the hardness of their
hearts, he saith unto the man,
Stretch forth thine hand. And
he stretched it out : and his
hand was restored [whole as the
other]. 6And the Phar'isees
went forth, and straightway took
5 tVyi7>? iiis i] ixAAtj Rec. Omitted by Lach.,
Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford. Tregelles.
day, will he not lay hold on it and
lift it out? How much then is a
man better than a sheep ? " (Matt.
xii. 1 1 , 1 2. ) To neither of these ques
tions did they give an answer.
5. with anger. — Anger mingled
with grief — " being grieved for the
hardness of their hearts." Anger,
when rightly directed and con
trolled, is not a sinful feeling; but
it is a dangerous one, because it is
very likely to end in sinful speech
or action : hence the admonition of
Paul, " Be angry and sin not. Let
not the sun go down on your
wrath." In this case Jesus showed
anger only in his look : there was
none in his words.
he saith to the man. — He
first, according to Matthew (Matt.
xii. 12, 13), answered his own ques
tions and the argument which they
contained, by saying, " Wherefore,
it is lawful to do well on the Sab
bath-days." Then he saith to the
man, "Stretch forth thy hand." He
did so, and it was restored.
6. took counsel. — They took
counsel not as to whether they
should destroy him, but as to " how
they might destroy him." They
took the Herodians, the political
partisans of Herod, into their con
fidence, because they were looking
to Herod as the effective instrument
for the destruction of Jesus. He
had already shown his aptitude for
such work by the manner in which
he had disposed of John, and now
they want his services again. Un-

iii. 7-11.]

MARK.

279

counsel with the Hero'dians
against him, how they might
destroy him.
' But Je'sus withdrew himself
with his disciples to the sea : and
a great multitude from Gal'ilee
followed [him], and from Ju
dse'a, 8 and from Jeru'salem, and
from Idumae'a, and from beyond
Jor'dan ; and they about Tyre
7 airf Rec. Omitted by Tisch., T. S.
Green, Alford, Tregelles.

like Jesus, who was angry and
sinned not, they were angry and
sinned. Their malignity, provoked
by so slight a cause, would amaze
us, did not history furnish so many
examples of men who sought the
destruction of those by whom their
erroneous teachings were exposed.
The Great Multitudes, 7-12. (Matt.
xii. 15-21.)
7. Jesus withdrew. — On the
contrast here presented between
Jesus and his enemies, see the note
on Matt. xii. 15.
7, 8. a great multitude. — Mark
here states more fully than it is
elsewhere stated, the places whence
came the multitudes who followed
Jesus. Galilee, of course, was
largely represented, and so it seems
wore Judea and Jerusalem. The
two visits which Jesus had made to
Jerusalem since his baptism (see
John ii. 13; v. 1), had gained him
a few disciples there, and had
greatly excited both his friends and
his foes. As a consequence, both
parties naturally sought every op
portunity for visiting Galilee, that
they might see and hear more.
Some had come from Idumea, the
Edom of the Old Testament, which
lay south of Judea; others, from
beyond Jordan — that is, from the
populous region which stretched
away from the eastern bank of the
Jordan to the Arabian desert; and

and Si'don, a great multitude,
when they had heard what great
things he did, came unto him.
9 And he spake to his disciples,
that a small ship should wait on
him because of the multitude,
lest they should throng him.
10 For he had healed many; inso
much that they pressed upon
him for to touch him, as many as
had plagues. nAnd unclean
spirits, when they saw him, fell
others, from Tyre and Sidon, the
ancient capitals of Phoenicia. Thus,
from all the surrounding countries,
and from some quite distant re-
fions, were men assembled around
esus at this particular juncture.
They came, says Mark, " when they
had heard what groat things he
did." They came at great expense
of time and money, that they might
see and hear and judge for them
selves. 9. that a small ship. — The
pressure of the people to get near
him often caused discomfort to him,
confusion among themselves, and
indistinct hearing of his speeches.
The small ship enabled him to
place a narrow strip of water be
tween him and them, thus remov
ing all occasion for their crowding
one another, and securing that
quietness which is necessary to
thoughtful attention.
10. pressed upon him to touch
him. — Here is an additional rear
son for procuring the boat. Too
eager to await his pleasure, or to
wait for one another, the diseased
would press upon him, and against
each other, in the struggle to touch
him and be healed. Much un-
sanctified noise and strife were
prevented by the use of the "little
ship." 11. And unclean spirits.— Here
again the ey.il spirits are called
"unclean" (comp. note on i. 23);

280

MARK.

[iii. 1.2-17.

down before him, and cried, say
ing, Thou art the Son of God.
12 And he straitly charged them
that they should not make him
known. 13 And he goeth up into a
mountain, and calleth unto him
whom he would : and they came
unto him. "And he ordained
twelve, that they should be with
him, and that he might send

they fall down before Jesus, as
usual ; they acknowledge his di
vinity with a loud voice; they are
rebuked for making him known;
and they are expelled from their
victims. The Twelve Chosen, 13-19. (Matt.
x. 1-4; Luke vi. 12-16.).
13. and calleth to him. — Jesus
went up into the mountain the pre
vious night, as we learn from Luke
(Luke vi. 12), and after remaining
there all night iu prayer, called to
him whom he would in the morn
ing. He probably made the call
through one of them as a messenger
to the others.
14, 15. he ordained twelve. —
We must not associate with the
word "ordain" in this place, any
ofthe ceremonials of a modern, or
even of an ancient ordination. The
original is rtouu (to make), some
times used in the sense of appoint ;
e. g., Acts ii. 36; Heb. iii. 2;
Rev. i. 6. He simply " appointed
twelve, that they should be with
him, and that he might send them
forth to preach." They were to be
with him except when he would
send them forth, aud when sent
forth, the work which they were to
do is expressed in the three .words,
" preach," " heal sicknesses," " and
cast out demons." From the crit
ical notes it appears that " to heal
sicknesses" is probably an inter
polation here, but we know from

them forth to preach, 15 and to
have power [to heal sicknesses,
and] to cast out devils; 16and
Si'mon he surnamed Pe'ter;
"and James the son of Zeb'e
dee, and John the brother of
James; and he surnamed them
Boaner'ges, which is, The sons

15 9epaireveiv Tas voa-ovs Kai Rec. Omitted
by Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles, N,
B, c, L, A, 102, Copt.

the parallel passages that the words
were spoken by Jesus, whether re
ported by Mark or not. (See Matt.
x. 1; Luke ix. 1.)
16. he surnamed Peter. — Mark
chooses to mention here a fact
which occurred when Simon was
first led into the presence of Jesus
by his brother Andrew ; for it was
then that he surnamed him Cephas,
which is the same as Petros (rtitpoc)
in Greek and Peter in English.
(John i. 42.)
17. Boanerges. — This surname
ofthe sous of Zebedee may have
been given, as Simon's was, at an
earlier period, or it may have been
given at this time. They were called
" sons of thunder," ou account of
their stormy and destructive temper.
A striking manifestation of it is
mentioned by Luke. When a Sa
maritan village in which Jesus de
sired to lodge, refused to receive
him, James and John proposed to
call down fire from heaven and
burn up the inhabitants. (Luke ix.
51-56.) On another occasion, a
man was found casting out demons,
and because he was not of the im
mediate followers of Jesus, John
ordered him to abandon his benev
olent and miraculous work. The
early death of James, and our
scant knowledge of him, leave us
without data as to any change in
his disposition ; but the lovely
temper of John in his old age,
shows that the transforming powor

iii. 18-22.]

MARK.

281

of thunder: 18and An'drew, and
Phil'ip, and Barthol'omew, and
Mat'thew, and Thom'as, and
James, the son of Alphaeus, and
Thadde'us, and Si'mon the | Ca'-
naanite : Ca'nancean \ . 19 And
Ju'das Iscar'iot, which also be
trayed him : and they went into
an house.
18 KavavC-rqv Rec. Kavavalov Lach., TiSCh.,
T. S Green, Alford, Tregelles.

of the gospel wrought a groat
change iu him. Great as this
change was, however, a slight mut
tering of the old thunder was heard
when John came to speak of such
men as Diotrephes, and certain false
teachers who went about not bear
ing the doctrine of Christ. (See 2
John 10, 11 ; 3 John 9, 10.)
18. and Andrew. — Matthew
and Luke both name Andrew in
connection with his brother Simon
Peter; but Mark names James and
John with Peter, and puts Andrew
next, in company with Philip. He
was doubtless led to this arrange
ment by the fact that Peter was
more intimate officially with James
and John, than with Andrew, and
that Jesus bestowed on the three
special honors iu which Andrew did
not have a part. (Comp. ix. 2 ;
xiv. 33.)
Thaddens. — Matthew styles this
apostle, " Lebbaeus, whose surname
was Thaddseus " (x. 3) ; Mark calls
him by his surname alone; while
Luke uses neither of these names,
but calls him " Judas the brother of
James" (Luke vi. 16; Acts i. 13);
and John calls him " Judas, not
Iscariot." As Matthew was the
earliest, and John the latest of the
four writers, we infer that the man
was known in earlier life as Leb-
bseus, surnamed Thaddseus ; but
that late in life he came to be
known exclusively by the name
Judas. 24

20 And the multitude cometh
together again, so that they
could not so much as eat bread.
21 And when his friends heard of
it, they went out to lay hold on
him : for they said, He is beside
himself. 22 And the scribes which came
down from Jeru'salem said, He
hath Beel'zebub, and by the
prince of the devils casteth he

For remarks on other names in
the list, see the notes on Matthew
x. 2-4.
Alarm of His Friends, 20, 21.
20. so much as eat bread. —
Great must have been the importu
nity of the afflicted, and tho eager
ness of all to come near to Jesus,
when he and his disciples could
not so much' as eat bread on their
account. Neither by entering some
dwelling, nor by retiring to the
desert, could they secure the privacy
necessary for eating ' a common
meal. 21. his friends. — These were
his mother and his brothers, as ap
pears from verses 31, 32, below.
They did not think him actually
insane, but they supposed that he
was borne away -by the enthusiasm
which possessed him into a reckless
disregard of his personal safety:
for they foresaw the conflict with
the religious leaders and the mili
tary authorities, in which his pres
ent course would involve him. The
probability is that Mary's faith
was in advance of that of the
brothers, but she naturally sympa
thized with them in their fears for
the personal safety of her son.
About Casting Out Demons, 22-30.
(Matt. xii. 22-37; Luke xi. 14-23.)
22. which came from Jeru
salem. — Matthew gives the fullest
report of this discussion, but Mark

282

MARK

[iii. 23-32.

out devils. ^And he called
them unto him, and said unto
them in parables,. How can Sa'tan
cast out Sa'tan? 24And if a
kingdom be divided against
itself, that kingdom can not
stand. ^And if a house be
divided against itself, that house
can not stand. 26 And if Sa'tan
rise up against himself, and be
divided, he can not stand, but
hath an end. 27 [Nay,] No man
can enter into a strong man's
house, and spoil his goods, except
he will first bind the strong
man ; and then he will spoil his
house. M Verily I say unto you,
All sins shall be forgiven unto
27 akk' Added by Tisch., T. S. Green,
Alford, Tregelles, N, b, c, l, A, etc.,
Coptic, Armenian.

here furnishes an item which Mat
thew omits. It was not some of
the enemies of Jesus in Galilee,
but shrewd' and cultivated scribes
from Jerusalem, who suggested
that he cast out demons . by the
power of Beelzebub.
23-29. — The discussion contain
ed in these verses is fully treated in
the notes on Matthew xii. 24-32.
30. because they said. — This
verse is appended by Mark to the
Savior's speech about the unpar
donable sin, to show why he made
that speech, and to state explicitly
the unpardonable sin which they
had committed — the sin of saying
concerning Jesus, " He hath an un
clean spirit.'' This was, indeed, a
sin against the Son, but chiefly
against the Spirit, because it was
classing the Holy Spirit with un
clean spirits; and this was the
blasphemy against the Holy Spirit
of which they were guilty.

the sons of men, and blasphemies
wherewith soever they shall
blaspheme: 29but he that shall
blaspheme against the Holy
Ghost hath never forgiveness,
but is in danger of eternal
| damnation : guilt | : "° because
they said, He hath an unclean
spirit. 31 There came then his breth
ren and his mother, and, stand
ing without, sent unto him, call
ing him. 32And the multitude
sat about him, and they said
unto him, Behold, thy mother
and thy brethren [and thy sisters]
29 KpiVews Res. djLaprfipaTos Lach.,
Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles, X,
B, L, A, 28, 33, Old Latin, Vulgate, Coptic,
Armenian, etc.
32 Kai oi aSek<pal o-ov Added by Lach.,
Tisch., T. S. Green.

About His Brothers and Mother,
31-35. (Matt. xii. 46-50; Luke
viii. 19-21.)
31. then came his brethren.—
The previous statement about his
friends coming out to lay hold of
him (21) seems to have reference
to their starting from home, or
from some place of consultation, for
this purpose ; while the present, re
mark refers to their arrival at the
outskirts ;of the crowd which sur
rounded him. They " sent to him,
calling him," because, as Luke ex
plains (viii. 19), "they could not
get to him for the press."
32. sat about him. — He was
still in the house (19, 31), and the
people were seated around him so
compactly that no one could pass
through. All the available space
within hearing distance was packed
with the quiet throng. When some
one, perhaps a person near the
door, spoke out and said, "Thy
mother and thy brethren without
seek thee," the people may havo

iii. 33-iv. 5.]

MARK.

283

without seek for thee. 33And
he answered them, saying, Who
is my mother, or my brethren?
84 And he looked round about on
them which sat about him, and
said, Behold my mother and my
brethren ! K [For] whosoever
shall do the will of God, the
same is my brother, and my
sister, and mother.
IV. * And he began again to
teach by the sea side : and there
was gathered unto him a great
35 ydp Rec. Omitted by Lach., Tisch.,
T.S.Green, Alford.

expected him to go, and they may
have thought that it was his duty
to go.
33-35. For remarks on his reply,
see the notes on Matthew xii. 48-50.
Argument of Section 3.
There are three facts set forth in
the preoediug section, which have
an important bearing on the claims
of Je^us. The first is the fact that
he had authority to forgive sins.
This was demonstrated iu the case
of the paralytic (ii. 1-12), and it is
the one fact which proves Jesus
adapted to the highest demands of
human salvation. Sins being for
given, all other blessings follow as
a consequence. Iu the second place, it is shown
that his conduct as a man was ir
reproachable. He was attacked in
reference to the company he kept
(ii. 13-17); in reference to his
neglect of fasting (ii. 18-22) ; and
in reference to Sabbath-keeping
(ii. 23-28; iii. 1-6); but in all
these matters he vindicated his con
duct, and put his accusers to shame.
That they made no more serious
attacks on his conduct, proves that
they could not, and that in morals
he was irreproachable.

multitude, so that he entered
into a ship, and sat in the sea ;
and the whole multitude was by
the sea on the land. 2 And he
taught them many things by
parables, and said unto them in
his doctrine, s Hearken ; Be
hold, there went out a sower to
sow : 4 and it came to pass, as
he sowed, some fell by the way
side, and the fowls [of the air]
came and devoured it up. 6 And
some fell on stony ground, where
4 tou oipavoQ Rec. Omitted by Lach.,
Tisch., T. S: Green, Alford, Tregelles.

In the third place, it was demon
strated by his discussion with the
Jerusalem scribes, that the power by
which he cast out demons, and, a
fortiori, the power by which his
other miracles were wrought, was
not, as they alleged, satanic, but
divine. Finally, his answer to the
people, in reference to the call of
his mother and his brothers, is in
perfect keeping with the character
and position which the text assigns
him. It is a singular infatuation
which has led the Koman Catholic
Church to attribute to Jesus even in
heaven, a subserviency to his mothei
which he so expressly repudiated
while on earth.

SECTION IV.
A Series of Parables, IV. 1-34.
Parable of the Sower, 1-9: Why he
Spoke in Parables, 10-18; Parable of
the Sower Explained, 14-20 ; Parable
of the Candle, 21-25; Parable of the
Seed, 28-29; Parable of the Mustard
Seed, 30-32; Other Parables not Ke-
corded, 33, 34.

Parable of the Sower, iv.- 1-9.
(Matt. xiii. 1-9; Luke viii. 4-10.)
Mark's report of this parable is
almost identical with Matthew's,

284

MARK.

[iv. 6-13.

it had not much earth : and im
mediately it sprang up, because
it had no depth of earth : 6 but
when the sun was up, it was
scorched ; and because it had no
root, it withered away. ' And
some fell among thorns, and the
thorns grew up, and choked it,
and it yielded no fruit. 8 And
other fell on good ground,
and did yield fruit that sprang
up and increased ; and brought
forth, | some : as much as | thirty,
and | some : as much, as j sixty,
and | some : as much as | an hun
dred. 9 And he said unto them,
He that hath ears to hear, let
him hear.
10 And when he was alone,
they that were about him with
the twelve asked of him the
8 ev Rec. eis, Tisch., T. S. Green, Tre
gelles, X, b, c, A, etc.

differing only in verbiage, and only
slightly in this. For remarks on it,
see the parallel in Matthew.
Why He Spoke in Parables, 10-13.
(Matt. xiii. 10-17.)
10. when he was alone. — Com
pare the note on verse 34 below.
11. to them that are without.
— Here Jesus distinguishes his dis
ciples from " them that are with
out," showing that there was a
sense in which the former were
within. Some have argued from
this that the Church must have
been then in existence, and that
one class were within and the other
without the Church. This con
clusion would follow, if the terms
without and within in this con
nection could apply to nothing but
the Church. But it is clear that
the terms may have been used with
a different reference. Tho unbe-

| parable : parables | . u And he
said [unto them], TJnto you | it is
given to know : has been granted \
the mystery of the kingdom of
God : but unto them that are
without, all these things are
done in parables : 12 that seeing
they may see, and not perceive ;
and hearing they may hear, and
not understand ; lest at any time
they should be converted, and
| their sins: it\ should be for
given them. 13And he said
unto them, Know ye not this
parable? and how then will ye
know all parables?

10 Trjv napafiokyv Rec. Tas TrapajSoAaff
Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.
11 atJTois Rec. Omitted by Lach., Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Jregelles.
11 yvSivat Rec. Omitted bv Lach., Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles, X, a, b, c,
k, I., etc.
12 ra apaprypara ReC. Omitted by
Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.

lievers were without the circle of
the disciples, and those whom Jesus
was addressing were within *that
circle, whether we regard the dis
ciples as organized into a church,
or as still in an unorganized con
dition. The argument, therefore,
contains an undue assumption.
12. that seeing they may see.
— The reason here given is so con
densed by Mark as to render it
quite obscure. Matthew's more
elaborate report makes the reason
clear and satisfactory. (See notes
on Matt. xiii. 10-17.)
13. how then will yon know ?
— In this verse, which is peculiar
to Mark, Jesus administers a mild
rebuke to the disciples for not un
derstanding the parable, and inti
mates that it is easy in comparison
with -some others: "Know ye not
this parable? How then will you
know all the parables?"

iv. 14-23.]

MARK.

285

14 The sower soweth the word.
15 And these are they by the way
side, where the word is sown;
but when they have heard, Sa'tan
cometh immediately, and taketh
away the word that was sown
| in their hearts : onthem\. 16And
these are they likewise which are
sown on stony ground ; who, when
they have heard the word, imme
diately receive *it with gladness;
" and have no root in themselves,
and so endure but for a time:
afterward, when affliction or per
secution ariseth for the word's
sake, immediately they are of
fended. 18 And | these are they :
15 ev Tais KapSi<U9 airbiv Rec. ei? auTOiJs
Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles, B, 1,
13, 28, 69, 118, 209.
18 oJtoi Rec. dkkoi Lach., Tisch., T. S.
Green, Alford, Tregelles.

Parable of the Sower Explained,
14-20. (Matt. xiii. 18-23; Luke
viii. 11-15.)
We have already commented ou
the Savior's explanation of this
parable, in the parallel place in
Matthew; and to this we refer the
reader, remarking only, that the
use of the singular instead of the
plural in speaking of the parties
represented, and a slightly different
arrangement of the matter, consti
tute the differences between the
two reports. These differences, oc
curring as they do iu almost every
synoptical passage in the four gos
pels, show that in reporting the
speeches of the Savior the apostles
were not always restricted to his
exact language, but were led by the
Spirit to reproduce his words only
to the extent necessary for a correct
report of his thoughts.
Parable of the Candle, 21-25.
(Luke viii. 16-18.)
21. Is a candle brought —

there are otters | which are sown
among thorns ; such as hear the
word, "and the cares of this
world, and the deceitfulness of
riches, and the lusts of other
things entering in, choke the
word, and it becometh unfruitful.
20 And these are they which are
sown on good ground ; such as hear
the word, and receive it, and bring
forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some
sixty, and some an hundred.
21 And he said unto them, Is a
candle brought to be put under
a bushel, or under a bed? and
not to be set on a candlestick?
22 For there is nothing hid, which
shall not be manifested : neither
was any thing kept secret, but
that it should come abroad. 23 If
anv man have ears to hear, let

This parable, like the preceding
one of the sower, treats of the
means of profiting by the word of
God. The word, there represented
by the seed sown, is here repre
sented by the lighted lamp (%v%voc).
As a lamp is brought into a room
not to be covered up, but to be
placed on the lampstand, so the
word of God, intended for the en
lightenment of men, is not to be
left in obscurity, but to be held up
before the world.
22. nothing hid.— Nothing in
the counsel and purpose of God
concerning man. To some extent
these had hitherto been hid and
kept secret, but now all that had
been hid was to be made manifest,
and all that had been kept secret
was to come abroad.
23. let him hear. — This ad
monition is appropriate. Dropping
the figure of the lamp, and return
ing to the word which it repre
sented, those who have ears to hear
are advised to hear it. If it was

286

MARK.

[iv. 24-29.

him hear. 24And he said unto
them, Take heed what ye hear :
with what measure ye mete, it
shall be measured to you: and
unto you [that hear] shall more
be given. 25For he that hath,
to him shall be given: and he
that hath not, from him shall be
taken even that which he hath.
26 And he said, So is the king
dom of God, as if a man should
24 rots okoHovo-iv Rec. Omitted by Lach.,
Tisch., T. S. Green Alford, Tregelles, N,
B, c, d, g, l, A, etc., Old Latin, Vulgate,
JEthiopic, etc.

to make manifest what had hitherto
been hidden, and to bring abroad
what had hitherto been kept secret
in the mind of God, it was becom
ing in every man who had ears, to
use them in hearing it. Nothing
that ever struck the human ear is
so worthy of being heard as the
word of God.
24. Take heed what ye hear.
— They were inclined, like our
selves, to hear only so much as was
agreeable to their feelings and pre
conceived notions: hence this ad
monition. with what measure yon mete.
— This was a proverbial expression,
and applies to our dealings with
God as well as to our dealings with
one another. If we give him_good
measure by taking heed to hear all
that he says, we nave the promise
of good measure from him: "To
you that hear shall more be given."
25. For he that hath— This
proverb is quoted in a different
connection from that which it has
in the parallel part of Matthew,
being here applied especially to
the disciples, and there to the un.
believers. The meaning, however,
is tiie same in both instances.
(Comp. Matt. xiii. 12.)
Parable of the Seed, 26-29.
26, 27. he knoweth not how.

cast seed into the ground; 27and
should sleep, and rise night and
day, and the seed should spring
and grow up, he knoweth not
how. 28 [For] the earth bringeth
forth fruit of herself; first the
blade, then the ear, after that
the full corn in the ear. 29 But
when the fruit is brought forth,
immediately he putteth in the
sickle, because the harvest is
come. .
28 yip Rec. Omitted by Lach., Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.

— To some extent he knoweth how;
it is by the process described in
the next verse: "The earth bring
eth forth fruit of herself; first the
blade, then the ear, after that the
full corn iu the ear." He may know
still further, that it grows by the
chemical action of light, warmth,
and moisture; but still there is a
part of the process that he does not
know. 28, 29. But when the fruit.—
Although the sower knows not how
the seed grows, and remains not to
see its growth, still it grows. From
sowing time till harvest the man
has nothing to do : no intermediate
cultivation is required. This is true
of the "corn" (wheat and barley)
referred to, though not of our In
dian corn.
The kingdom of heaven is like
this (verse 26), in that the seed of
the kingdom, which is the word of
God, when sown in a community,
even though the sower go away and
neglect it, will spring up of itself
and bear fruit, and will be ready
at a future day for the harvest.
This is often exemplified in
the labors of the evangelist.
He preaches in a community
faithfully, and apparently without
success, for a length of time, and
then, after a lapse of months or
years, returns to the same place,

iv. 30-34.]

MARK.

287

30 And he said, |Whereunto:
Sow | shall we liken the kingdom
of God ? or | with what compar
ison shall we compare it : under
what semblance are we to set it | ?
81 It is like a grain of mustard
seed, which, when it is sown in
the earth, is less than all the
seeds that be in the earth : S2 but
when it is sown, it groweth up,
30 tiVi Rec. niis Tisch.. T. S. Green,
Alford, Tregelles, N, b, c, l, a, etc.,
b, c.
30 ev Troia rrapafiokfj Ttapafidktopev airrjv
Rec. ev rCvt airrjv rrapafiokr] 9uipev Lach.,
Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles, X,
e, c, l, A, etc.

and with comparatively little exer
tion reaps an abundant harvest.
The parable teaches, what observa
tion abundantly confirms, that such
an adaptation exists between the
human soul and the word of God,
that when the latter is once im
planted a future harvest will usually
be the result.
Parable of the Mustard Seed, 30-
32. (Matt. xiii. 31, 32.)
30. Wherennto shall we liken.
— Mark quotes Jesus as introduc
ing this parable with questions im
plying that he had well-nigb ex
hausted appropriate comparisons :
" To what shall we liken the king
dom of heaven, and with what
comparison shall we compare it?"
The three parables just preceding
are not sufficient to account for
these questions, but we must sup
pose that a considerable number
of those referred to iu verse 33,
below, had been introduced before
this. the kingdom of God. — This ex
pression is used habitually by Mark
and Luke where Matthew uses the
equivalent expression, " kingdom
of heaven." The latter is the more
indefinite of the two, but desig-

and becometh greater than all
herbs, and shooteth out great
branches; so that the fowls of
the air may lodge under the
shadow of it.
33 And with many such para
bles spake he the word unto
them, as they were able to hear
it. 34But without a parable
spake he not unto them: and
when they were alone, he ex
pounded all things to his [own]
disciples. 34 TOis paSrjrais airov Rec. Tots ISiois
paBriraU Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford, X, B,
C, L, A.

nates precisely the same object of
thought. 31, 32. like a grain of mus
tard. — See the note on Matt. xiii.
31, 32.
Other Parables not Recorded, 33,
34. (Matt. xiii. 34, 35.)
33. with many such. — Matthew
gives several more, not reported by
Mark (see Matt. xiii. 24-50), but
not so many aB this expression indi
cates. Besides all given by both
writers, many such were uttered,
"as they were able to hear."
34. without a parable spake
he not. — That is, from the time
when he took his seat on the ship
(verse 1), until he dismissed the
multitude iu the evening and de
parted (verses 35, 36).
when they were alone. — Ac
cording to this verse all the exposi
tions of the parables which were
found necessary, were given after
the multitude had been dismissed ;
consequently, we are to understand
that the explanation of the parable
of the sower, though reported in
connection with the parable itself,
was actually given after the day's
teaching was ended. (Comp. Matt.
xiii. 36.)

288

MARK.

[iv. 35-38.

36 And the same day, when
the even was come, he saith unto
them, Let us pass over unto the
other side. 36And when they
had sent away the multitude,
they took him even as he was in
the ship. And there were also

Argument of Section 4.
In the parables of this section,
especially in those of the sower, the
seed and the mustard seed, the pro
phetic power of Jesus is clearly
exhibited. Without superhuman
foresight he could not have so accu
rately traced out the manner in
which different classes of men
throughout all time would deal with
the word of God, as he describes it
in the parable of the sower; nor
could he have known in advance
of experiment, that the seed of the
kingdom would grow from its plant
ing until the time for harvest, as
described in the next parable ; nor
that, as declared in the third, the
kingdom would ever attain to the
prodigious growth which our eyes
have witnessed. His divinity is
attested by his unfailing foresight
into the distant future.

SECTION V.
A Series op Miracles, IV. ,35-V. 43.
Stilling the Tempest, iv. 35-41 ; A Le
gion of Demons Cast Out, v. 1-20;
The Ruler's Daughter and the Bloody
Issue, 21-43.

Stilling the Tempest, iv. 35-41.
(Matt. viii. 18-27; Luke viii. 22-
25.) 35. the same day. — The same
day in which he had been teaching
in parables. Another striking dif
ference between Mark's arrange
ment and that of Matthew is appar
ent here. While Mark follows the

with him other little ships.
37 And there arose a great storm
of wind, and the waves beat into
the ship, so that it was now full.
38 And he was in the hinder part
of the ship, asleep on a pillow :
and they awake him, and say.

parables with the stilling of the.
tempest, and informs us that it oc
curred on the evening of the same
day, Matthew gives the stilling of
the tempest among the miracles of
his eighth chapter, and reserves the
parables to his thirteenth chapter.
Matthew also introduces in connec
tion with the miracle in question,
the conversation with the scribe
and the disciple about going with
him (viii. 19-22), which Mark omits,
and which Luke mentions in an
entirely different connection. (Luke
ix. 57-62.)
36. even as he was. — The ship
on whieh Jesus had been sitting
during the day was doubtless the
same that he had previously ordered
to be in waiting for him (iii. 9) ;
consequently, in that ship they
started with him to cross the lake.
Other little ships. — Mark men
tions the presence of "other little
ships," to show that there were
other witnesses of the storm and
its miraculous cessation besides the
immediate companions of Jesus.
37, 38. on a pillow.— Note the
minuteness of Mark's description.
With a master-hand he selects
those touches in the details of his
picture which impart the liveliest
conception of the entire scene :
"In the hinder part of the ship,"
and" asleep ou a pillow," paint to
perfection the calm repose of Jesus
while the tempest was raging and
the vessel was filling with water.
carest thou not.— This is an
addition to their exclamation as
quoted by Matthew, not a different
version of it. Putting the two to-

iv. 39-v. 3.]

mark:.

289

unto him, Master, carest thou
not that we perish ? 39 And he
arose, and rebuked the wind,
and said unto the sea, Peace," be
still. And the wind ceased, and
there was a great calm. 40And
he said unto them, Why are ye
| so fearful ? how is it that ye
have: fearful f have ye yet\ no
faith? "And they feared ex
ceedingly, and said one to an
other, What maimer of man is
40 ojjtw; ttw? oiK Rec. ovirta Lach., T. S.
Green, Tregelles, X, b, d, l, a, etc., Old
Latin, Vulgate, Coptic.

gether, we have the hurried and
confused exclamation, "Master, car
est thou not that we perish ? Lord,
save us; we are perishing." Strange
ly forgetful that he was in the same
danger with themselves, they re
garded his calm slumber as proof
of indifference in regard to them.
39-41. — On this, part of the inci
dent, see the notes on Matt. viii.
26, 27.
A Legion of Demons Cast Out, v.
1-20. (Matt. viii. 28-34; Luke
viii. 26-40.)
1. Gadarenes. — Both "Gada
renes " and " Gerasenes " are found
in the manuscripts, but the prefer
ence is given (see the critical note)
to the latter. The same is true of
the parallel in Luke. Matthew
employs neither of these names,
but calls the place " the country of
the Gergesenes." The reason of
the difference is not certainly
known; but the conjecture of Alford,
that the country of the Gergesenes
was a part of the country ojjgihe
Gerasenes, Matthew using the Store
specific designation, and Mark and
Luke the more general one, is
highly probable. (See Alford on
Matt. viii. 28.) The place desig
nated was in the still larger dis
trict called Decapolis.
25

this, that even the wind and the
sea obey him ?
V. 'And they came over unto
the other side of the sea, into
the country of the | Gad'arenes :
Gerasenes \ . 2And when he was
come out of the ship, immedi
ately there met him out of the
tombs a man with an unclean
spirit, 8who had his dwelling
among the tombs; and no man
could bind him, no, not with
1 TaSap-nvStv ' Rec. Tcpaanjvtav Lach.,
Tisch., T. S. Green, Tregelles.

2. immediately there met him.
— The demoniac did "not wait for
Jesus to draw near, but as soon as
he came out of the ship, and while
he was yet afar off (verse 6), the
demons ran, in the person of their
victim, to meet him and to do hom
age to him. They probably had
two purposes in this : first, by cun
ning flattery and fawning to dis
suade Jesus from casting them out ;
and second, to injure his cause by
making it appear that there was
friendship between him and them
selves. (On the meaning and usage
of the word demon, see the note on
Matt. viii. 16.)
a man. — Matthew says there
were two men. The one men
tioned and described by Mark and
Luke was doubtless the fiercer and
the more notorious of the two.
Intending to' speak particularly of
him, and to say nothing about the
other, they use the singular num
ber throughout the account. (For
examples of a similar usage, see
the note on xi. 2, and the references
there given.)
3. among the tombs.— It may
be that the demons, selected tho
tombs as a dwelling-place, because
of a preference for a place of gloom
and seclusion; or it may be that
their own bodies were buried there,

290

MARK.

[v. 4-8.

chains: * because that he had
been often bound with fetters
and chains, and the chains had
been plucked asunder by him,
and the fetters broken in pieces :
neither could any man tame him.
6 And always, night and day,
he was in the mountains, and in
the tombs, crying, and cutting

aud that on this account they had
a fondness for the spot. It was
certainly a very unnatural and un
desirable dwelling-place for the
man, especially as he was a Jew,
educated to regard a burying-
ground as an unclean place. Mat
thew adds that " no man might
pass that way" (Matt. viii. 28) —
meaning, that the demoniac was
dangerous. 4. fetters broken in pieces. —
The fact that "no man could bind
him" (that is, effectually), because
he broke the chains and fetters
that were put upon him, shows that
he was possessed of supernatural
strength. The normal strength of
the human muscles depends largely
on the force of will which is brought
to bear on them. The multitude
of demons seem to have concentra
ted their combined force of will on
the man's muscles, and by this
means imparted to him his amazing
strength. It must have been at
intervals of quietude that his friends
succeeded in binding him and
taking him home; but when the
demons willed, he was thrown into
a phrensy, aud, bursting through
all restraints, was driven out again
into the mountains and the tombs.
5. crying, and cutting him
self. — Jn the statement that he was
"always, night and day," crying,
and cutting himself with stones, the
term " always " is explained by the
expression "night and day:' he
was there not merely all the day,
but all through the night. His ex-

himself with stones. 6 But when
he saw Je'sus afar off, he ran
and worshiped him, ' and cried
with a loud voice, and said,
What have I to do with thee,
Je'sus, thou Son of the most
high God? I adjure thee by
God, that thou torment me not.
8 For he said unto him, Come
treme wretchedness is accounted
for in part, no doubt, by the strug
gle of the natural spirit to throw
off the burden of the foreign spirits
which possessed it, and in part by
the unspeakable misery of these
foreign spirits themselves. Certain
it is that a wretchedness compara
ble only to that of wicked spirits
in perdition, possessed the unfort
unate man, and made hideous both
the night and the day on that lonely
mountain. Let the sinner listen
to that cry, and learn what it is to
be under the dominion of Satan.
6. and worshiped him. — Wor
shiped him in attitude otily, by
falling prostrate at his feet. (For
the reason of this, see above on
verse 2.)
7. cried with a lond voice. —
In quoting the words of this outcry,
Mark omits the question quoted by
Matthew, "Art thou come to tor
ment us before the time?" and he
adds what Matthew omits, "I ad
jure thee by the living God that
thou torment us not." (Comp.
Matt. viii. 29.) Doubtless both re
marks were made, and in the order
in which we have placed them:
first, "Art thou come to torment
us before the time?" and then,
without waiting for an answer, "I
adjure thee by the living God that
thou torment me not."
8. For he said unto him.— The
fact that Jesus said, " Come out of
the man, thou unclean spirit," is
given as the reason why the demon
entreated Jesus not to torment him ;

v. 9-13.]

MARK.

291

out of the man, thou unclean
spirit. "And he asked him,
What is thy name ? And he
answered, saying, My name is
Legion: for we are many.
"And he besought him much
that he would not send them
away out of the country. u Now
there was there nigh unto the
mountains a great herd of swine
feeding. 12 And I all the devils :

and this implies that the command
to come out was given before the
outcry. The flattery and fawn
ing of the demons, then (see note
on verse 2), had been met by a
prompt command to come out of
the man, and had therefore failed
of its purpose. It is further evi
dent from the connection between
the command and the outcry, that
the demon considered it a torment
to be driven out. His position in
the man's .person was a compara
tive relief from the torment which
he experienced when utterly dis
embodied. 9. What is thy name ?— This
question naturally followed the en
treaty of the demon. The case was
so unusual that Jesus chose to
develop it to the multitude, before
commanding the demon into silence.
The answer, "My name is legion,
for we are many, ' at once brought
out the fact that not a single demon,
but a multitude of them, had pos
session of the man. A legion was
a division of the Roman army,
composed, when full, of six thou
sand men, but varying in number,
like the brigades of a modern army,
according to losses experienced in
the service. The amazing fact is
therefore developed iu this case,
that some thousands of evil spirits
had crowded into this one unfort
unate man. Their statement on
this point is confirmed by the fact,
that when they left the man they

they | besought him, saying, Send
us into the swine, that we may
enter into them. "And | forth
with Je'sus: he- 1 gave them leave.
And the unclean spirits went
out, and entered into the swine :

12 rrdvres oi Saipoves Rec. Omitted by
T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles, N, B, c, L,
A, etc., Coptic, ^Ethiopia
13 ei9etas 6 'Iwo-ous Rec. Omitted by T.
S. Green, Tregelles, N, b, c, l, A, etc., P.
Syriac, Coptic, Armenian.

entered into the bodies of two thou
sand hogs. (Verse 13.)
10. he besought him. — Even
after developing the fact that a
legion of evil spirits were speak
ing, Mark still uses the singular
number, doubtless ou account of
the fact that there was but one
voice and one man through whose
mouth they found utterance. The
entreaty which they had begun
when first commanded to come out
of the man, is here continued, but
the form ofthe request is, "that h«
would not send them away out of
the country." Luke has it, "that
he would not command them to go
out into the deep" (dfivoaos), the
abyss. The abyss, rendered "the
bottomless pit" in Revelations ix.
1, 2, 11, and in other places, was
their proper abode. To be expelled
frorii^ a man, under ordinary cir
cumstances, was to be driven back
into this abode, and consequently,
to be sent away " out of the coun
try." How they had managed to
escape from the abyss and get into
this man, is one of the unsolved
mysteries ofthe spirit world. Know
ing so little as we do of that world,
we need not be surprised that we
know not this.
11-13. he gave them leave. —
After beseeching Jesus not to send
them away out of the country, the
demons besought him for permis
sion to go into the swine, snowing
that in the bodies of these brutes

292

MARK.

[v. 14-17.

and the herd ran violently down
a steep place into the sea, ( [they
were] about two thousand;) and
were choked in the sea. "And
they that fed the swine fled, and
told it in the city, and in the
country. And they went out to
see what it was that was done.
15 And they come to Je'sus, and
13 i)o-av Se Rec. Omitted by Tisch., T.
8. Green, Alford, Tregelles.

they hoped to be less wretched than
in the abyss. That he gave them
leave, and thus permitted the de
struction of so much property, is an
isolated fact iu the career of Jesus.
The only instance approaching it is
the blasting of the fig-tree, but it
was a barren tree which cumbered
the ground. He doubtless justified
himself on the ground that the hog
was au unclean animal according
to the law; that the Jews who
owned and those who herded them
were engaged in an unlawful busi
ness ; and that the loss of the prop
erty was a righteous retribution for
their evil conduct.
the herd ran.— The demons
could not control the hogs as they
did the man. Phrensied by their
presence, as the man had been, they
rushed madly forward, and their
heads being toward the lake, into
it they rushed and were droVned.
The death of the swine expelled
the demons, and thus at last they
were forced back into the abyss.
14. they that fed the swine, —
The country was unfenced, and all
kinds of stock were guarded by
herdsmen. The swineherds had
heard the outcry of the fierce de
moniac as he ran to meet Jesus,
and had watched with interest all
that was done (Matt. viii. 33) ; but
when they saw that the demoniac
had no sooner been quieted than
their own hogs were seized with
the phrensy which had left him,

see him that was possessed with
the devil, and had the legion,
sitting, [and] clothed, and in his
right mind : and they were afraid.
16 And they that saw it told them
how it befell to him that was
possessed with the devil, and also
concerning the swine. "And
they began to pray him to de-
is (cal Rec. Omitted by Lach., T. S. Green,
Alford, Tregelles.
and ran grunting and squealing
down the precipice, they concluded
it was time for them to leave.
They took to their heels, some fly
ing to the city, and some to the
country, and told every body what
had happened. As a matter of
course, the people '"went out to see
what it was that was done."
15. sitting, and clothed.—
Hitherto the demoniac had not
worn any clothing (Luke viii. 27),
and he had been almost constantly
in motion. Now he is sitting still;
they have put clothes ou him which
he is wearing quietly; and he is in
his right mind. The remark that
he was "in his right mind," im
plies that he had been insane, as
he certainly had been: but this de
tracts nothing from the reality of
demon possession; it only shows
that the presence of a foreign spirit
within a man disturbed, as from the
nature of the case it must, the nor
mal workings of his own spirit.
16, 17. to pray him to depart.
— The people were afraid of Jesus
(verse 15), being filled with awe in
the presence of his miraculous
power. They knew not how .soon
the power which had delivered the
man and destroyed the demons
might be visited on them for their
many sins, and therefore his pres
ence was painful to. them. They
were somewhat in the condition of
guilty Felix when he said to Paul,
" Go thy way for this time : when

v. 18-21.]

MARK.

293

part out of their coasts. IS And
when he was come into the ship,
he that had been possessed with
the devil prayed him that he
might be with him. "Howbeit
| Je'sus : he | suffered him not,
but saith unto him, Go home to
19 'Iijo-oSs Rec. Omitted by Tisch., T. S.
Green, Alford, Tregelles.

I have a convenient season I will
call for thee;" but unlike the un
fortunate Roman governor, they
subsequently became more favora
bly acquainted with Jesus. (See
vii. 31-37.)
18. that he might be with
Mm. — Very different were the feel
ings of the man who had been de
livered from so great a death. If
Jesus should leave him he knew not
how soon the legion of demons
might again possess him ; so, like a
little child who has awakened from
a terrific dream, and cries for the
presence of its mother, he begs
Jesus for permission to "be with
him." Thus it is with every true
disciple : having been delivered by
Jesus from the power of Satan, he
knows no safety except in keeping
close to the side of his Redeemer.
19, 20. Go . . . and tell —
Jesus here departs from his usual
custom, and, instead of forbidding
this man to tell what had been
done, commands him to go and tell
it. This was because he was about
to depart from that region, leaving
only this one proof of his power
among that people, and avoiding
the possibility of their gathering
about him iu superexcited multi
tudes. As the man went preach
ing, both the power and the com
passion of Jesus were made known,
and the people who had been
frightened by the former were re
assured by the latter. The man's
preaching, moreover, had the greater
effect, because he was remembered

thy friends, and tell them how
great things the Lord hath done
for thee, and hath had compas
sion on thee. 20 And he departed,
and began to publish inDecap'olis
how great things Je'sus had done
for him : and all men did marvel.
21 And when Je'sus was passed
over again by ship unto the other
as the demoniac who made hideous
the mountains and burial-places
about the lake-shore, aud he was
himself a monument of the power
and compassion which he pro
claimed. We leave this most interesting
piece of history, one of the most
suggestive, and one of the most
carefully described of all the inci
dents recorded by Mark, with a
feeling of thankfulness for the large
amount of light which it throws on
a very obscure subject.
The Ruler's Daughter, and the
Bloody Issue, 21-43. (Matt. ix.
18-26; Luke viii. 41-56.)
21. when Jesus was passed
over. — From the south - eastern
shore of the lake, where the legion
of demons was cast out, Jesus
passed over "to the other side;"
or, as Matthew more definitely ex
presses it, "to his own city;" which
was Capernaum. (Matt. ix. 1.)
Matthew follows his account of this
voyage with thatof the healing of the
paralytic, the call of Matthew, and
the conversation about fasting; and
states that, "While he spoke these
things to them" — that is, the things
about fasting — ' ' a certain ruler came
to him," etc. (Matt. ix. 1-18.)
Mark, having already mentioned
these incidents in a different con
nection (ii. 1-22), omits them here,
and passes immediately to the com
ing of the ruler, and, according to
his usual method, he gives us the
name of the ruler — Jairus.

294

MARK.

[v. 22-30.

side, much people gathered unto
him : and he was nigh unto the
sea. 22And, [behold,] there
cometh one of the rulers of the
synagogue, Ja'irus by name;
and when he saw him, he fell at
his feet, 23and besought him
greatly, saying, My little daugh
ter lieth at the point of death :
I pray thee, come and lay thy
hands on her, that she may be
healed ; and she shall live.
24 And Je'sus went with ' him ;
and much people followed him,
and thronged him. 25And a
certain woman, which had an
22 iSoii Rec. Omitted by Tisch., T. S.
Green, Alford, Tregelles.

22. fell at his feet.— This ex
plains Matthew's statement, that
"he worshiped him." He ren
dered homage to Jesus by falling at
his feet. This was a lowly act for
a ruler of a synagogue in the pres
ence of the Man of Nazareth. But
the ruler was now in trouble, aud
trouble often brings men to- their
senses. 23. My little daughter.— More
exact than Matthew's report, which
simply says, " My daughter." She
was twelve years of age. (Verse 42. )
at the point of death. — Mat
thew reports him as saying, " even
now dead." (Matt. ix. 18.) The
two reports are not at all inconsist
ent, but each writer, as in so many
other places, reports a part only of
what was said. The man made
both remarks: "My little daughter
is at tho point of death. She is
even now dead." The latter re
mark proved not to be strictly true,
but he supposed it was ; for he left
her in a dying condition, and she
was dead when they got back to the
house. 25, 26. a certain woman.—
The condition of this woman, in-

issue of blood twelve years,
26 and had suffered many things
of many physicians, and had
spent all that she had, and was
nothing bettered, but rather
grew worse, "when she had
heard of Je'sus, came in the
press behind, and touched his
garment. MFor she said, If I
may touch but his clothes, I
shall be whole. 29 And straight
way the fountain of her blood
was dried up; and she felt in
her body that she was healed of
that plague. '"And Je'sus, im
mediately knowing in himself
that virtue had gone out of him,
turned him about in the press,

eluding the long duration of her
affliction, the vain efforts of many
physicians to heal her, and the fact
that she grew worse rather than
better, is described, in order to
show tha't her instantaneous cure
by Jesus was an unmistakable and
a very surprising miracle.
27-29. If I may touch— Her
faith in his power is shown by this
remark which she made to herself;
"If I may touch but his clothes, I
shall be whole." She seems to
have been led to this conclusion by
what she had " heard of Jesus '
(verse 27), rather than by what she
had seen; and her ready faith re
ceived a rich reward when, upon
touching his garment, she felt the
thrill of health and vigor pass
through her frame.
30. that virtue had gone out.
— Not till the moment that the
cure was effected did Jesus know
what the woman was doing ; and it
seems that the virtue went out
from him without any volition on
his part. The heavenly Father was
observing the woman, and caused
virtue to go out from the Son to re
ward her implicit faith.

v. 31-37.]

MARK.

295

and said, Who touched my
clothes? 8IAnd his disciples
said unto him, Thou seest the
multitude thronging thee, and
sayest thou, Who touched me?
32 And he looked round about to
see her that had done this thing.
33 But the woman fearing and
trembling, knowing what was
done in her, came and fell down
before him, and told him all the
truth. 34 And he said unto her,
Daughter, thy faith hath made
thee whole ; go in peace, and be
whole of thy plague. 35 While

31. Thou seest the multitude.
— It was strange to the disciples
that he should ask, "Who touched
me ? " when the multitude were
thronging him, and many were
touching liim every moment. They
knew not the peculiar touch to
which he referred.
33. fearing and trembling. —
The manneT of Jesus as he de
manded, ' ' Who touched my clothes? ' '
together with the well known fact
that the touch of a person in her
condition rendered one unclean
(Lev. xv. 19-25), caused her to fear
that she had given a serious offense.
For a moment the joy she felt in re
covery was clouded by apprehen
sion in regard to the means which
she had employed; but instead of
running away as with stolen treas
ure, she humbly "fell down before
him and told him all the truth."
34. faith hath made thee
whole. — The way in which her
faith had made her whole is very
apparent, and it illustrates the man
ner in which faith saves us from
sin. It caused her to force her
way through the crowd until she
could touch the garment of him
from whom the deliverance was to
come. Had she stopped short of
this, her faith would not have made

he yet spake, there came from
the ruler of the synagogue's
house certain which said, Thy
daughter is dead : why troublest
thou the Master any further?
36 1 As soon as Jesus heard : But
Jesus, overhearing | the word that
was spoken, he saith unto the
ruler of the synagogue, Be not
afraid, only believe. 37 And he
suffered no man to follow him,
36 eMAos Rec. Omitted by T. S. Green,
Tregelles, X, b, c, d, l, etc., Vulgate, P.
Syriac, Coptic. ' iEthiopic, Armenian, etc.
36 aKOvaras Rec. -irapaKova-as Tisch., T. 8.
Green, Alford, N, b, l, a, e.

her whole. In like manner faith
saves the sinner, not by the mere
fact that he believes, but by that
which it leads him to do. It brings
him through the pangs of sorrow,
and the deep resolve of repentance,
to the public confession of Jesus
and baptism into his name, and
thus, by bringing him in the ap
pointed way to Jesus who saves, it
saves him.
35, 36. Be not afraid— When
the messengers from the house of
the ruler, which they were still
approaching, announced to him that
his daughter was dead, they showed
their despair by asking him, "Why
troublest thou the Master any fur
ther?" The worst fears of Jairus
were now realized, and he showed
it in his countenance, if not by
some word or action; but the re
assuring words of Jesus, " Be not
afraid, only believe," sustained his
hope. This remark of the Savior
points out the antagonism between
faith and fear. To believe is to bo
not afraid; there is no man so fear
less as the man of faith.
37. no man to follow him. —
That is, into the house. The mul
titude who thronged him, and all
of the twelve except the chosen
three so often chosen for special

296

MARK.

[v. 38-42.

save Pe'ter, and James, and
John the brother of James.
88 And he cometh to the house
of the ruler of the synagogue,
and seeth the tumult, and them
that wept and wailed greatly.
39 And when he was come in, he
saith unto them, Why make ye
this ado, and weep ? the damsel
is not dead, but sleepeth. MAnd
they laughed him to scorn. But
when he had put them all out,
be taketh the father and the

privileges, were commanded to re
main outside. This was to prevent
the house from being overrun by a
curious and excited crowd, and also
to secure the fullest opportunity
for the chosen witnesses to see
clearly what was done.
33, 39. Why make ye this
ado. — The gush of sorrow which
followed the last breath of the little
sufferer was now filling the house,
and the confusion was unsuited to
the calm and solemn act which
Jesus was about to perform ; hence
his rebuke of those that " wept and
wailed," and his attempt to quiet
them by the assertion, " The dam
sel is not dead, but sleepeth." This
last remark was justifiable because
he intended to turn this death into
a momentary sleep. (Comp. note
on Matt ix. 24.)
40. put them all out. — Out of
the house. As they "laughed him
to scorn," or, more properly, ridi
culed him, for they were in no
mood for laughing, he could secure
the quiet which he desired only by
removing them from the house.
When thus removed, it is probable
that their curiosity so far overcame
their grief, that they waited silently
to see what would be done.
he taketh the father. — Just
five persons were permitted to go
with him into the room whore the I

mother of the damsel, and them
that were with bim, and entereth
in where the damsel was [lying].
41 And he took the damsel by the
hand, and said unto her, Talitha
cumi ; which is, being interpret
ed, Damsel, I say unto thee,
arise. 42And straightway the
damsel arose, and walked; for
she was of the age of twelve
years. And they were aston-
40 ivajceipevov Rec. Omitted by Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.
dead lay — the father and mother of
the child, and the three chosen dis
ciples. This was to guard against
misconceptions and false reports.
If the room had been crowded
with an excited mass of men and
women, only a few could have seen
clearly what was done, or could
have heard distinctly what was
said ; and, as a consequence, many
incorrect stories might have gone
abroad. But with only five besides
himself, all could stand about the
bed in full view of the damsel, all
confusion was avoided, and a cor
rect report from the lips of each
one present was secured.
41, 42. with a great astonish
ment. — When the child was seen
alive and well, walking and eating,
the derision of the mourners and
the incredulity of the messengers
were turned into astonishment.
The astonishment was great in pro
portion to the previous incredulity,
and to the novelty of the event it
self; for this was the first person
whom Jesus had raised from the
dead. No doubt, at the final res
urrection of all the dead, those
most astonished will be those who
in life have " laughed to scorn "
the promise of Jesus that " all who
are in their graves shall hear the
voice of the Son of man, and shall
come forth."

v. 43-vi. l.J

MARK.

297

ished with a great astonish
ment. "And he charged them
straitly that no man should
know it; and commanded that

43. that no man should know
it.: — That is, no man except those
pf the multitude who were present.
It was not to be expected that all, or
even any of them, would be entirely
silent iu reference to the event,
but this charge would have a re
straining influence, and would pre
vent much of the popular excite
ment which might otherwise result.
It is remarkable that we read not
of a single instance in which Je
sus was requested to raise the
dead : and the fact may be account
ed for in part by this charge of
privacy, indicating that he did not
wish to be importuned for this ex
ercise of his power.
something ... to eat. — Her
frame had doubtless been wasted
aw.ay by sickness, and, though re
stored to life, was still emaciated.
It was now to be re-invigorated by
natural means, and these were
promptly employed' by the com
mand of Jesus. Miraculous aid is
given only where it alone can effect
the divine purpose.
Argument of Section 5.
The argument of this section is
the same as that of the correspond
ing section in Matthew. (See Matt.
viii. 1-ix. 35.) It proves the di
vine power of Jesus by showing
that he could control by a word
the winds and the waves of the
sea; could direct and compel the
movements of demons; could by
his touch remove incurable dis
eases ; and could instantly raise the
dead. In other words, it proves
the sufficiency of his power to save
to the uttermost all who come to
him, by proving that all the dan
gers to which we are exposed,

something should be given her
to eat.
VI. 'And he went out from
thence, and came into his own

whether from the forces of the phys
ical world, the malice of evil spirits,
the power of disease, or the hand
of death, may be averted at his com
mand, and that they will be in be
half of all who put themselves
under his protection.
A very marked distinction is
observable between Mark's treat
ment of this argument, and that
adopted by Matthew. The latter
presents an array of ten miracles
without much elaboration of any
one of them; the former selects
four out of the ten, and devotes
almost as much space to these as
Matthew does to the ten. The one
writer depends more on the number
of miracles reported, and the other
on the character of those selected
and on the minuteness with which
they are described. Bach mode of
treatmeut has its advantages, and
the wisdom of God iB displayed in
giving us both.

SECTION VI.
Opinions op Men, and Moke Mir
acles, VI. 1-VH. 23.
Opinion of the Nazarenes, vi. 1-6 ; First
Mission of the Twelve, 7-13 ; Opinions
of Herod and Others, 14-29 : Return
of the Apostles and Rush of the Peo
ple, 30-34; Feeding the Five Thou
sand, 35-41; Walking on the Water,
45-52 ; Cures in Gennesaret, 53-56 ; Op
position of Pharisees and Scribes,
vii. 1-13 ; Christ's Law of Unclean
ness, 11-23.

Opinion of the Nazarenes, vi. 1-6.
(Matt. xiii. 54-58 ; Luke iv. 16-31 . )
1. went out from thence.— That
is, from Capernaum, where the
ruler's daughter had been healed.
(See note on v. 21.) That he went
"into his own country" from
Capernaum, shows that this visit to

298

MARK.

[vi. 2-4.

country ; and his disciples follow
him. 2And when the sabbath
day was come, he began to teach
in the synagogue : and many
hearing him were astonished,
saying, From whence hath this
man these things ? and what wis
dom is this which is given unto

Nazareth is different from the one
mentioned by Luke ; for the latter
occurred immediately after his
departure from Judea into Galilee,
and before he took up his abode
in Capernaum. (See Luke iv. 14-
16, 31.)
3, 4. the brother of James. —
We are here especially confronted
with the question whether the four
young men, James, Joses, Juda, and
Simon, called his brothers, were
actual brothers of Jesus and sons
of Mary, and whether the young
women called his "sisters" were
actually his sisters. The question
has importance chiefly on account
of its bearing on the doctrine of the
perpetual virginity of Mary; and
this doctrine is of no consequence
at all except as it constitutes one
of the pillars to support the idola
trous homage paid to Mary by the
Roman Catholics. The conclusive
Scripture evidence ou the subject
(and there is no other evidence
worthy of attention), as it appears to
my mind, is as follows :
1. It is stated that when the angel
of the Lord commanded Joseph to
tak9 to himself Mary his wife, he
"did as the angel of the Lord had
bidden him, and took unto him his
wife; and knew her not till she
had brought forth a son." (Matt. i.
20, 24, 25.) Here the exceptional
fact of abstinence from sexual in
tercourse between the husband aud
the wife is mentioned, and the dura
tion of it is expressly limited by the
time preceding the birth of Jesus.
It is most clearly implied that after

him, that even such mighty
works are wrought by his hands?
3 Is not this the carpenter, the
son of Ma'ry, the brother of
James, and Jo'ses, and of Ju'da,
and Si'mon? and. are not his
sisters here with us ? And they
were offended at him. 4But

this event it did not continue, and
no adequate reason could have ap
peared to Joseph's mind why it
should, especially as the holy angel
had actually bidden him to become
a husband to Mary, and to make
her his wife.
2. While the terms brother and
sister were sometimes used in He
brew style for more remote relation
ships, it is unquestionably true that
their ordinary significance among
Jewish writers was the same as
with us. When, therefore, these
terms occur, they must be under
stood in their ordinary sense until
proof to the contrary is discovered.
On him who denies their literal
sense in this case falls the burden
of proof.
3. The persons in question are
invariably mentioned in connection
with Mary, when mentioned in con
nection with any woman at all. It
was " his mother and his brothers"
who had come to him when he
made the remarkable speech begin
ning, " Who is my mother, and who
are my brothers ? " (Matt. xii. 46-
48 ; Mark iii. 32, 33.) In the pas
sage before us the Nazarenes are
represented as decrying Jesus be
cause he was the son of Mary, and
the brother of these four men and
of these sisters whom they knew.
And again, when both Miiry and
these brothers are mentioned the
last time in the New Testament,
they are mentioned together; for,
after naming the apostles in the
first chapter of Acts, Luke adds,
"These all continued with one ac-

vi. 5.]

MARK.

299

Je'sus said unto them, A prophet
is not without honor, but in
his own country, and among his

cord in prayer and supplication,
with the women aud Mary the
mother of Jesus, aud with his
brothers." (Acts i. 14.)
These evidences appear sufficient
to settle the question beyond all
doubt or cavil; but some objections
have been urged against their^con-
clusiveness, and two of these we
will consider briefly :
1. There was a Mary who was
" mother of James and Joses " (Matt.
xxvii. 56), who is supposed to have
been the wife of Alpheus, because
he was the father of James and
Judas (Luke vi. 15, 16) ; and who
was, according to a doubtful inter
pretation of John xix. 25, a sister
of the Virgin Mary. Now, if this
supposition is correct, Jesus had
three cousins with the same names
as three of the men who are called
his brothers, viz., James, Joses, aud
Juda or Judas. But the supposition
has no proof in its favor whatever,
and it depends on the highly improb
able assumption that the two Marys
were sisters. And even if it is cor
rect, it proves nothing in point, for
the two sisters might each have had
three sons with the same names,
and this is the more likely to have
been the case if their own names
were the same. Indeed, all three
of the names, James, Joses, and
Judas, were very common in Jewish
families. But a second, and fatal objection
to this supposition is the fact, that
the James- and the Judas who were
sous of Alpheus were apostles
(Luke vi. 15, 16), whereas the per
sons called "the brothers of the
Lord" were unbelievers after the
call of the apostles (John vii. 5),
and they are uniformly mentioned
in the later history as distinct from

own kin, and in his own house.
5 And he could there do no
mighty work, save that he laid

the apostles. (See Acts i. 14, where
"his brothers" are mentioned after
the names of all the apostles; and
1 Cor. ix. 5, where Paul asks the
question, "Have we not power to
lead about a sister.' a wife, as well as
the other apostles, and as the breth
ren of the Lord, and Cephas?")
Finally, as is well remarked by
the writer on this question in
Smith's Dictionary (Art. Brother),
"It is quite unaccountable that
these 'brethren of the Lord,' if
they were only his cousins, should
be always mentioned in conjunction
with the Virgin Mary, and never
with their own mother Mary, who
was both alive and in constant at
tendance on our Lord."
2. Another supposition has been,
that these brothers were sons
of Joseph by a former marriage,
and really the step-brothers of
Jesus. But this supposition has
not a shadow of support in the
Scripture narrative, and bears the
evident mark of having been in
vented to save the doctrine of Mary's
perpetual virginity.
We conclude that there is no
reason for a serious doubt that
Mary was the mother of four sons
besides Jesus, and of not less than
two daughters.
For other reflections on the inci
dent recorded in these verses, see
the notes on Matthew xiii. 54-57.
5. no mighty work. — Matthew
says, "not many mighty works;"
and Mark, " no mighty work, save
that he laid his hands upon a few
sick folk and healed them." They
agree that a few were healed, and
Matthew gives the reason why the
number was so small — "because of
their unbelief." The statement that
"he could do there no mighty

300

MARK.

[vi. 6-12.

his hands upon a few sick folk,
and healed -them. 6And he
marveled because of their un
belief. And he went round
about the villages, teaching.
1 And he called unto him the
twelve, and began to send them
forth by two and two ; and gave
them power over unclean spirits ;
8 and commanded them that they
should take nothing for their
journey, save a staff only; no
scrip, no bread, no money in
their purse: 9but be shod with
sandals ; and not put on two
coats. 10 And he said unto them,
In what place soever ye enter

work," etc., does not mean that it
was physically impossible ; for the
same power which healed a few
could have healed more; but he
could not do more because it was
improper. When he had wrought
a number of miracles without shak
ing the unbelief of the people,
others would have had even less
effect, and would have been worse
than useless; to work them, there
fore, would have been an improper
expenditure of time and power.
6. he marveled. — Matthew says
that Jesus marveled at the great
faith of the centurion, and now we
see that he marvels at the utter un
belief of the Nazarenes. (Comp.
note on Matt. viii. 10.) The faith
which astonished him was that of a
Gentile stranger, and the unbelief
was that of his own Jewish friends
and former neighbors. Neither
event was in itself more astonish
ing than the contrast between them.
We may remark in passing that if
tho faith of the centurion and the un
belief of the Nazarenes had been
the result of an eternal decree,
Jesus could not have been astonished
at either.

into an house, there abide till yo
depart from that place. "And
| whosoever : whatsoever place |
shall not receive you, nor hear
you, when ye depart thence,
shake off the dust under your
feet for a testimony against them.
[Verily I say unto you, It shall
be more tolerable for Sod'om and
Gomor'rha in the day of judg
ment, than for that city.] n And
they went out, and preached
11 ocroi av pri Segiavrai. Rec. 8s civ tojtos
p'ri SigriTai Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford, Tre
gelles, N, b, l, a, etc., Coptic.
11 Aptiv . . . iKeivri Rec. Omitted by
Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles, X,
b, c, d, l, A, 17, 28, b, c, etc., Vulgate, Ar
menian, etc.

First Mission of the Twelve, 7-13.
(Matt. ix. 35-x. 42; Lev. ix. 1-6.)
7. the twelve. — The twelve are
mentioned in this familiar style
because Mark had previously given
their names and an account of their
selection. (Mark iii. 13-19.)
two by two. — Mark alone men
tions the fact that the twelve were
sent out two by two; but Luke
mentions the same circumstance in
regard to the seventy.
over unclean spirits.— In his
extreme brevity, Mark mentions
here only one of the miraculous
powers imparted to the twelve, but
he mentions below, at verse 13, the
fact of their healing the sick.
8-11. — On the directions given
in these verses, see the notes on
Matt. x. 9-15. '
12. went out and preached. —
Omitting the long speech of instruc
tion and prophecy which Jesus at
this time addressed to the twelve
(Matt. x. 10-42), Mark states what
Matthew omits — the manner in
which they executed their commis
sion. They "preached that men
should repent." This single duty,
enforced by the solemn fact that

vi. 15-20.]

MARK.

301

that men should repent. 13 And
they cast out many devils, and
anointed with oil many that
were sick, and healed them.
14 And king Her'od heard of
him; (for his name was spread
abroad :) and he said, That John
the Baptist was risen from the
dead, and therefore mighty
works do shew forth themselves
in him . 15 Others said, That it is
Eli'as. And others said, |That
it is a prophet, or as one of the
prophets : That it was a prophet
as one of the prophets] . 16But
when Her'od heard thereof, he
15 -irpofyrjTr)? eo-riv i) ii>s els rav rrpo^t-nrSiv
Rec. 7rpo</>iJT7js ws els r. -rrp., Tisch., T. S.
Green, Alford, Tregelles.

the kingdom of heaven was at hand
(Matt. x. 7), constituted the sub
stance of their earnest and simple
appeal to their Jewish brethren.
13. anointed with oil.— The
anointing of the sick with oil was
not expected to contribute to the
cure ; for, apart from its inadequacy
as a remedy, it could not, in the
nature of the case, contribute to a
miraculous cure. But the Jews
were in the habit of anointing their
hair and their faces every day, and
especially when they went out
among their fellows. This anoint
ing was omitted when they were
sick, and when they fasted. (See
2 Sam. xii. 20; Matt. vi. 16, 17.)
When an apostle stood over a sick
man to heal him by a touch and a
word, he was about to send him
out of his sick chamber; and just
before the word was spoken the oil
was applied. It meant no more
than that the sick man was from
that moment to be confined to his
chamber no longer. (Comp. Jas.
v. 14.) This practice is the breadth
of the heavens apart from the Rom
ish practice of extreme unction,

said, | It is John, whom I be
headed : he is risen from the
dead : John whom I beheaded, he
is risen \ . " For Her'od himself
had sent forth and laid hold
upon John, and bound him in
prison for Hero'dias' sake, his
brother Phil'ip's wife : for he had
married her. 18For John had
said unto Her'od, It is not lawful
for thee to have thy brother's
wife. 19 Therefore Hero'dias had
a quarrel against him, and would
have killed him; but she could
not: 20for Her'od feared John,
16 *Ov eyia arreKe^dklo-a 'Itodwrjv, offTiJe
eo-riv airbs r)yep9ri in vexpiov Rec. aOv e.
iir. 'I. oirot r/yep9ri Tisch., T. S. Green,
Alford.

which is a pretended imitation of
it. This was the anointing of a
man who was about to be cured;
that, of a man who was given up
to die : this was preparatory to
going forth once more into the en
joyments of life; that, to the pas
sage of the departing soul through
the fires of purgatory. A fair
specimen, this, of the manner in
which the Scriptures are wrested
by the Mother of harlots.
Opinions of Herod and Others,
14-29. ('Matt. xiv. 1-12; Luke
ix. 7-9.)
14. And king Herod heard.—
For an account of Herod and the
cause of his opinion, see the note
on Matt. xiv. 1, 2.
15. Others said. — Mark hero
introduces the opinions' which are
mentioned by Matthew as part of
the conversation at Cseserea Phi
lippi. (Matt. xvi. 14.) They occur
in a natural connection in each
place. 17, 18. laid hold upon John.—
See notes on Matt. xiv. 3, 4.
19, 20. Herod feared John.—

302

MARK.

[vi. 21-27.

knowing that he was a just man
and an holy, and observed him ;
and when he heard him, he did
many things, and heard him
gladly. 21 And when a conven
ient day was come, that Her'od
on his birthday made a supper
to his lords, high captains, and
chief estates of Galilee ; " and
when the daughter of the said
Hero'dias came in, and danced,
| and pleased Her'od and them
that sat with him, the king : she
pleased Her'od and . . . and the
king] said unto the damsel, Ask
of me whatsoever thou wilt,
and I will give it thee. 23And
22 Kill apeo-do-as ru 'ITpuJSjj Kai tois trvva-
vaKeipevois, ei7rec 6 jSatriAEVS Rec. r)peo-e r.
"H k. t. <r. 6 <5e /WiAeiis eZire Tisch., T. S.
Green, Alford, Tregelles.

'Mark's account is more creditable
to Herod than Matthew's, stating
more fully the views and motives
by which he was actuated. It
seems from this account, that after
John administered the rebuke con
cerning the adultery in which
Herod and Herodias were living,
the latter "would have killed him,
but she could not." Herod, still
fearing John, regarding him as a just
and holy man, and actually observ
ing many things which John taught,
refused to gratify his wife's clamor
for revenge. The statement of
Matthew that Herod "would have
put him to death," but " he feared
the multitude " (Matt. xiv. 5), must
be referred to the later period of
the imprisonment, when the impor
tunities of Herodias had begun to
prevail with him ; and they introduce
an additional restraining influence
which affected him all the time, the
fear of the multitude. Many a har
dened sinner maintains, like Herod,
a reverence for men of God, and yet,
like him, they go on to perdition.

he sware unto her, Whatsoever
thou shalt ask of me, I will give
it thee, unto the half of my
kingdom. 24And she went forth,
and said unto her mother, What
shall I ask ? And she said, The
head of John the Baptist. MAnd
she came in straightway with
haste unto the king, and asked,
saying, I will that thou give me
by and by in a charger the head
of John the Baptist. s6And
the king was exceeding sorry ;
yet for his oath's sake, and for
their sakes which sat with him,
he would not reject her. 2I And
immediately the king sent an
executioner, and commanded his
head to be brought: and he
went and beheaded him in the

21. a convenient day. — A day
convenient for the malicious pur
pose of Herodias. It is not neces
sary to infer with Alford, that
Herodias anticipated the day, and
planned the procedure, though this
is possible. It is far more proba
ble that she merely found the day
convenient as its events transpired,
and had sufficient quickness of wit
to take advantage of the opportu
nities which it afforded.
made a supper. — Mark is more
specific than Matthew in regard to
the character of the entertainment
and the company who were present.
" Lords, high captains, and chief
estates," are expressions taken by
our translators from the heraldry
of Great Britain, and would have
sounded strange in the ears of
Herod and the Galileans. Mr.
Green's rendering, " his nobles and
commanders, and the chief men
of Galilee," is much better.
22-29.— On the remainder of
the paragraph, see the notes on
Matt xiv. 8-12.

vi. 28-36.]

MARK.

303

prison, 28and brought his head
in a charger, and gave it to the
damsel : and the damsel gave it
to her mother. w And when his
disciples heard of it, they came
and took up his corpse, and laid
it in a tomb.
30 And the apostles gathered
themselves together unto Je'sus,
and told him all things, [both]
what they had done, and what
they had taught. 31And he
said unto them, Come ye your
selves apart into a desert place,
and rest awhile : for there were
many coming and going, and
they had no leisure so much as
to eat. S2And they departed
into a desert place by ship pri
vately. ''And | the people saw
30 ko.1 Bee. Omitted by Lach., T. S. Green,
Alford, Tregelles.
33 elSov. avrobs VTrayovras ol oxkot Kai eire'y-
puio-av airbv TrokkoC Rec. eiSov ai. vir. Kai

Return of the Apostles, and Rush
of the People, 30-34. (Matt. xiv.
13, 14; Luke ix. 10, 11; John
vi. 1-1.)
30. and told him all.— All that
they had done and taught on the
first tour which they Trad made
under their commission.
31, 32. and rest awhile.— They
needed rest, and the pressure of
the crowd, so great that " they had
no leisure so much as to eat," made
it impossible to rest where they
were; hence the retirement "into
a desert place."
33, 34. as sheep having no
shepherd. — The people were in
tensely excited. John had been a
shepherd to them for a short time,
but he had now been cruelly mur
dered. This event, together with
the recent wide-spread labors of the
apostles, and the vague expectations
connected with Jesus, conspired to

them departing, and many knew
him : many saw them departing
and knew them ) , and ran afoot
thither out of all cities, and out
went them, [and came together
unto him]. 34 And [Je'sus],
when he came out, saw much
people, and was moved with
compassion toward them, because
they were as sheep hot having a
shepherd : and he began to teach
them many things.
35 And when the day was now
far spent, his disciples came unto
him, and said, This is a desert
place, and now the time is far
passed: 36send them away, that
they may go into the country
round about, and into the vil-
tyvmo-av nokkoi Lach., T. S. Green, Alford,
Tregelles. 33 «al o-uvr)k9ov irpbs airov Rec. Omitted
by Lach., T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.
34 h 'It>o-o0s Rec. Omittea by Tisch., T.
S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.
turn all eyes toward him, but he
was not to be the kind of shep
herd they desired. As they rushed
out from every city to the desert
place to which his boat was sail
ing, and "outwent" the ship, they
might well be compared to a flock
of sheep without a shepherd.
began to teach, — Healing and
teaching filled up the day until late
in the afternoon, and the manner
in which these labors are treated
by the four evangelists, illustrates
the striking variety of their meth
ods as historians. Matthew says
that Jesus " healed their sick," but
he says nothing of teaching (Matt.
xiv. 14) ; Mark says, " he began to
teach them many things," but he
says nothing of the healing; Luke
mentions both (Luke ix. 11); while
John says nothing of either (John
vi. 3-5).

301

MARK.

[vi. 37-44

lages, and buy themselves | bread :
for they have nothing to eat :
something to eat \ . S7 He answered
and said unto them, Give ye
them to eat. Aud they say unto
lrim, Shall we go and buy two
hundred pennyworth of bread,
and give them to eat? 38He
saith unto them, How many
loaves have ye? go [and] see.
And when they knew, they say,
Five, and two fishes. 39And he
commanded them to make all
sit down by companies upon the
green grass. 40And they sat
down in ranks, by hundreds,
36 dyopdo-tao-iv eavrols aprovs. ti yap q\d-
yhio-iv ouk eyovo-iv Rec. dy. e. ri tpdyiatrtv T.
S. Green, Alford.
38 Kai Rec. Omitted by Tisch., T. S.
Green, Alford, TregeUes.

Feeding the Five Thousand, 35-44..
(Matt. xiv. 15-21 ; Luke ix. 12-
17 ; John vi. 5-14.)
37. two hundred pennyworth.
— Mark and John are the only
writers who mention the remark
about the quantity of bread which
would be needed to feed the multi
tude. We learn from John that
Jesus first suggested the thought of
buying bread by asking Philip,
" Whence shall we buy bread that
these may eat ? " Combining the
questions and answers as given by
the two historians, the entire con
versation which followed was this :
Some of the company answered,
" This is a desert place, and the time
is now far spent ; send them away,
that they may go into the country
round about, and into the villages,
and buy themselves bread : for they
have nothing to eat." He answered,
" Give ye them to eat." They said,
" Shall we go and buy two hundred
pennyworth of bread, and give
them to eat?" Philip answered
(John vi. 7), "Two hundred penny-

and by fifties. 41 And when he
had taken the five loaves and
the two fishes, he looked up to
heaven, and blessed, and brake
the loaves, and gave them to
| his : tlie\ disciples to set before
them ; and the two fishes divided
he among them all. 42And they
did all eat, and were filled.
43 And they took up | twelve bas
kets full of the fragments : broken
pieces enough to fill twelve baskets \ ,
and of the fishes. "And they
that did eat of the loaves were
[about] five thousand men.
41 airov Rec. Omitted by Tisch., T. S.
Green, Alford, Tregelles.
43 Kkao-pdrtov Suto'eKa ko^lvovs nkrjpeis Rec
Kkicrpara SiHSeKa KO(pCviav irkrjpuipara Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Alford, B.
44 iio-el Rec. Omitted by Lach., Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.

worth of bread is not sufficient for
them, that every one of them may
take a little." Jesus says, "How
many loaves have ye? Go and
see. Andrew, after a search, an
swers, " There is a lad here who
has five barley loaves, and two
small fishes: but what are they
among so many?" Jesus said,
" Make the men sit down." (John
vi. 8-10.)
The coin incorrectly represented
by " penny " is the Roman dena
rius, worth fifteen cents.
39. on the green grass. — They
were iu a " desert place " (verses
32, 35), yet they sat down on the
green gross. This shows that the
places called deserts in Judea were
the grazing lands at some distance
from the cities.
40. sat down in ranks. — The
distribution of the people in com
panies of fifty and one hundred,
was for the purpose of convenience
in waiting on them and counting
them. On the other details of this par
agraph, see the notes on Matt. xiv.

vi. 45-50.]

MARK.

305

45 And straightway he con
strained his disciples to get into
the ship, and to go to the other
side before unto Bethsa'ida, while
he sent away the people. 46And
when he had sent them away,
he departed into a mountain to
pray. "And when even was
come, the ship was in the midst*
of the sea, and he alone on the
land. 4S And | he saw : seeing |
them toiling in rowing ; for the
wind was contrary unto them :
[and] about the- fourth watch of
the night he cometh unto them,
walking upon the sea, and would
have passed by them. 49But
when they saw him walking
upon the sea, they supposed it
had been a spirit, and cried out :
60 for they all saw him, and were
troubled. . And immediately he
talked with them, and saith unto
them, Be of good cheer : it is I ;
be not afraid. 61 And he went
48 eiSev Rec. !&>¦> Lach., Tisch., T. S.
Green, Alford, Tregelles.
48 Kai Rec. Omitted by Lach., Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Alford, TregeUes.

15-21, and the parallels in Luke
and John.
Walking on the Water, 45-52.
(Matt. xiv. 22-33 ; John vi. 15-
21.)
48. and would have passed
by. — Here is one of Mark's graphic
touches by which he adds vividness
to the description. It pictures
Jesus as walking in a direction
which would have missed the ves
sel — a circumstance which made
his appearance the more mysterious
to the disciples.
52. for their heart was har
dened. — They lacked that impressi
bility by which, having seen former
miracles, they would have been
26

up unto them into the ship ; and
the wind ceased : and they were
sore amazed in themselves be
yond measure [and wondered].
62 For they considered not the
miracle of the loaves : for their
heart was hardened.
63 And when they had passed
over, they came into the land of
Gennes'aret, and drew to the
shore. "And when they were
come out of the ship, straight
way they knew him, 65and ran
through that whole region round
about, and began to carry about
in beds those that were sick,
where they heard he was. M And
whithersoever he entered, into
villages, or cities, or country,
they laid the sick in the streets,
and besought him that they
might touch if it were but the
border of his garment : and as
many as touched him were made
whole.

51 Kai e9av"pa£ov Rec. Omitted by T. S.
Green, Alford. Tregelles, X, B, h, A, etc.,
Vulgate, Coptic.

prepared for those that came after.
But for this, they would have so
considered the miracle of the loaves
as not to be amazed at the walk
ing on the water.
For other remarks on this mir
acle, see the notes on the parallel
in Matthew, and for other details
not supplied by either of these
writers, see the parallel in John.
Cures in Gennesaret, 53-56. (Matt.
xiv. 34-36.)
53-56. — A few graphic touches
render Mark's account of this visit
to the land of Gennesaret more
lively than Matthew's, but the mat
ter of the two accounts is substan
tially the same, and the comments

306

MARK.

[vii. 1-4.

VH. l Then came together
unto him the Phar'isees, and
certain of the scribes, which
came from Jeru'salem. 2And
when they saw some of his dis
ciples eat bread with defiled,
that is to say, with unwashen,

thought necessary have already
been made under the parallel in
Matthew. Opposition of Pharisees and
Scribes, vii. 1-13. (Matt. xv.
1-9.)1. from Jerusalem. — See the
note on Matthew xv. 1.
2. defiled. — Defiled, not accord
ing to the law, but according to the
tradition mentioned below at verse 3.
3. Pharisees and all the Jews.
— The term "all" is used in a re
stricted sense; for the Sadducees
rejected tradition entirely: but they
were a small body of men and had
little influence with the people.
The masses were influenced by the
Pharisees and kept the traditions.
wash hands oft. — Literally
" wash their hands with the fist, '
which means to wash them care
fully, as when each hand is rubb,ed
with the fist of the other. !
holding the tradition. — See the
notes, Matthew iii. 7 ; xv. 2.
4. except they wash. — By a
mistranslation the text is here in
volved in a useless repetition.
After saying that "except they
wash their hands carefully they
eat not," it is superfluous to add,
that "when they come from the
market, except they wash, they eat
not." Mark evidently intends to
assert something that they did after
coming from the market, which
they did not on ordinary occasions.
The difference is very clear in
the original. The term rendered
" waSh, in verse 3, is nipsontai
(vi-^avtai), correctly so rendered,

hands, [they found fault]. sFor
the Phar'isees, and all the Jews,
except they wash their hands oft,
eat not, holding the tradition of
the elders. 4And when they
2 ipip^iavro Rec. Omitted by Lach.,
Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.
whereas the one rendered wash, in
verse 4, is baptisontai (fUtuttlaavtai),
they immerse themselves. This ren
dering is required by the meaning of
the word, and this act was required
by the nature of the tradition. The
tradition was an extension ofthe law
of uncleanpess.-so as to hold a man
unclean who had been in the market
place ; and the law for cleansing tho
unclean required the bathing of the
whole flesh in water, which was
accomplished by dipping one's self
in the bath. (Comp. the note under
Matt. iii. 1.) When we remember
that bathing was a daily practice
among the Pharisees, we are less
surprised at this observance.
washing of cups.— Here again
the term " washing ' yields a wrong
sense. It was not peculiar to the
Pharisees to wash cups, pots, brazen
vessels, and couches ; for every body
did this, and every body does it yet.
Surely Jesus did not reproach thein
for keeping clean their drinking and
cooking vessels and their couches.
But it was immersing them when
they needed no washing, immersing
them for au imaginary religious
purification, for which he con
demned them. Such is the mean
ing of the word (j3artf(,'<j//.ous), and
such the significance of the prac
tice. It is objected to this, that
couches (incorrectly rendered ta
bles in the text) could not have
been immersed. Even Alford af
firms that "these ^arctiguoi, as
applied to couches, were certainly
not immersions, but sprinklings or
affusions of water." No reason is
given to support this assertion, and

Vll.

5-15.]

MARK.

307

come from the market, except
they wash, they eat not. And
many other things there be,
which they have received to
hold, as the washing of cups,
and pots, brazen vessels, and of
tables. 6 1 Then: And] the Phar'
isees and scribes asked him, Why
walk not thy disciples according
to the tradition of the elders,
but eat bread with |unwashen:
defiled \ hands? 6He [answered
and] said unto. them, Well hath
Esa'ias prophesied of you hyp
ocrites, as it is written, This
people honoreth me with their
lips, but their heart is far from
me. ' Howbeit in vain do they
worship me, teaching for doc
trines the commandments of
men. 8[For] laying aside the
commandment of God, ye hold
the tradition of men [as the
washing of pots and cups: and
5 eVeiTa Rec. Kai Lach., Tisch., T. S.
Green, Alford, Tregelles.
5 dvijrTQis Rec. Koicois Lach., Tisch., T.
S Green, Alford, TregeUes.
6 diroKp«9eis Rec. Omitted by Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.
8 yip Rec. Omitted by Lach., T. S.
Green, Alford, TregeUes.

the only one implied is the assump
tion that couches could not be iin-
, mersed; but this is not true. They
certainly could be immersed, and
when the text declares that they
were, this should be an end of con
troversy. Nothing but the modern
practice of sprinkling for baptism,
a practice which Alford himself
admits was not known to the
apostles, could have suggested the
thought of sprinkling in this case.
&-13. Then the Pharisees and
Scribes. — The traditionary prac
tices just mentioned, and the fact
that the disciples were seen to eat
with unwashed hands, gave rise to
the discussion which now follows.

many other such like things ye
do]. 9And he said unto them,
Full well ye reject the command
ment of God, that ye may keep
your own tradition. I0For Mo'
ses said, Honor thy father and
thy mother ; and, Whoso curs
eth father or mother, let him
die the death : " but ye say, If
a man shall say to His father or
mother, It is Corban, that is to
say, a gift, by whatsoever thou
mightest be profited by me ; he
shall be free. I2And ye suffer
him no more to do ought for his
father or his mother; "making
the word of God of none effect
through your tradition, which
ye have delivered : and -many
such like things do ye.
"And when he had [again]
called [all] the people unto him,
he said unto them, Hearken
unto me every one of you, and
understand : 15 There is nothing
8 fla-ima-pois fetrTwv Kai rrorrjpCbiV, Kai
dkka Irapopoia TOiaura rrokka ffoieire Rec.
Omitted by T. S. Green, N, B, L, D, 1, 102,
200, 251, Coptic, Armenian.
14 jrdvra Rec. rrdkiv Lach., Tisch., T. S.
Green, Alford, Tregelles.

The points of argument are the
same as reported by Matthew and
already discussed (Matt. xv. 1-9),
but they are differently arranged
and more piquantly expressed.
One of the few examples of irony
in the Savior's addresses is found
here in the expression (verse 9),
" Full well ye reject the command
ment of God, that ye may keep your
own tradition."
Christ's Law of Uncleanness, 14-
23. (Matt. xv. 10-.20.)
The subject of this paragraph is
sufficiently discussed under the
parallel place in Matthew.

308

MARK.

[vii. 16-24.

from without a man, that enter
ing into him can defile him : but
the things which come out of
him, those are they that defile
the man. 16 [If any man have
ears to hear, let him hear.]
17 And when he was entered into
the house from the people, his
disciples asked him concerning
the parable'. lsAnd he saith
unto them, Are ye so without
understanding also ? Do ye not
perceive, that whatsoever thing
from without entereth into the
man, it can not defile him;
16 ei tis evei Sira aKovcie, aKoverto Rec.
Omitted by T. S. Green, N, b, l, b, 28, 102,
Coptic.

Argument op Section 6.
The testimony for Jesus fur
nished by the preceding section, is
based chiefly on the opinions which
men formed concerning him. The
disciples, though slow and hard of
heart to realize his true nature,
were constrained by the continued
demonstration to- acknowledge his
inherent divine power. The masses
of the people who had witnessed
his miracles were wild with ex
citement wherever he went, and
they brought to him their sick
from every quarter, a practice
which could not possibly have been
kept up had not his cures been real
and unfailing. His enemies, though
they differed in opinion as to the
source of his miraculous power,
with one consent acknowledged its
reality, and none of them counted
him less than a prophet. The
strange conceit that he was John
the Baptist, or that he was one of
the old prophets raised to life again,
attests the struggle of unbelieving
minds iu trying to solve the problem
of his power and of his being.
Even the Nazarenes, who, of all his
enemies, knew him most intimately

19 because it entereth not into his
heart, but into the belly, and
goeth out into the draught, purg
ing all meats ? 20 And he said.
That which cometh out of the
man, that defileth the man.
21 For from within, out of the
heart of men, proceed evil
thoughts, adulteries, fornications,
murders, '" thefts, covetousness,
wickedness, deceit, lascivious-
ness, an evil eye, blasphemy,
pride, foolishness : a all these
evil things come from within,
and defile the man.
24 And from thence he arose,
and went into the borders of

and rejected him most scornfully,
were constrained to wonder whence
he obtained his wisdom and his
mighty works. There was only
one solution of the problem which
was satisfying to the mind, and
those alone ' were satisfied with
their own conclusion and rested in
it, who believed him to be the
Christ and the Son of God. And
to this day the men who have re
jected this conclusion and have
tried to account for the career of
Jesus in some other way, have been
driven to conceits as baseless and
as unreasonable as any of those
adopted by the Jews.

SECTION VII.
Tour to Tyre and Sidon, VTl. 24-
VIII. 12.
Cure of 1 he Gentile Woman's Daugh-
ter,24-3l); A Deal Stammerer Healed,
31-37; Feeding the Four Thousand,
viii. 1-9; In Dalmanutha. A Sign
Demanded, 10-12.

Cure of the Gentile Woman's
Daughter, 24-30. (Matt. xv. 21-
28.) 24. borders of Tyre. — On the
locality, see note on Matt. xv. 21.

vii. 25-31.]

MARK.

309

Tyre [and Si'don], and entered
into an house, and would have
no man know it : but he could
not be hid. B | For : But forth-
with\ a certain woman, whose
young daughter had an unclean
spirit, heard of him, and came
and fell at his feet : 26 the woman
was a Greek, a Syropheni'cian
by nation; and she besought
him that he would cast forth the
devil out of her daughter. 27 1 But
Je'sus : And lie | said unto her,
Let the children first be filled :
for it is not meet to take the

2-1 Kai SiSfivos Rec. Omitted by Tisch.,
T. S Green. Alford, D, I, A, 28, a, b, i, etc.
25 -yip Rec. dkk' ei9vs, Tisch., T. S.
Green, Alford, Tregelles.
27 6Se 'Itjo-ous elrrev Rec. Kai ekeyev Lach.,
Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.

would have no man know it.
- — This remark shows that Jesus
had not gone into this Gentile re
gion for the purpose of preaching
apd working miracles. He was
doubtless aiming to give a large
amount of private instruction to
the twelve. We will see that this
desire for privacy characterized the
remainder of his stay in Galilee,
although in some other places, as
in this, it was found that " he could
not be hid."
25, 26. a Greek, a Syropheni-
cian.— The term "Greek" is here
used, as it was frequently by the
Jews, in the sense of Gentile.
(Comp. 1 Cor. i. 24.) After Alex
ander s conquests, when all the
world was in subjection to the
Greeks, the Jews divided the world
politically into Jews and Greeks.
" Syrophenician " is compounded
of Syrian and Phenician, and
means a Syrian of Phenicia, Pheni-
cia being at that time a part of the
province of Syria. She was also
a Canaanite. (See note, Matt. xv.
22.)

children's bread, and to cast it
unto the dogs. 28And she an
swered and said unto him, Yes,
Lord: yet the dogs under the
table eat of the children's crumbs.
2S And he said unto her, For this
saying go thy way ; the devil is
gone out of thy daughter. 30And
when she was come to her house,
she found the devil, gone out,
and her daughter laid upon the
bed. 31 And again, departing from
the coasts of Tyre |and Si'don,
he came : lie came through Si'don |
unto the sea of Gal'ilee, through
the midst of the coasts of De-
"1 Kai SiSoii/os r)k9e irp&s Rec. r)k9e Sia
SiSiovos eis Lach., Tisch., T. S. Green, Al
ford, Tregelles.

30. laid upon the bed.— De
mons, when 'expelled from persons,
sometimes threw them into convul
sions and left them in an extremely
prostrate condition. (Comp. i. 26 ;
ix. 26.) Such was the case with
this girl, who had probably been
lifted from the floor and placed on
the bed before her mother came in.
For further remarks on the para
graph, see the notes, Matt. xv. 21-
28. A Deaf Stammerer Healed, 31-37.
(Matt. xv. 29-31.)
31. through Sidon. —If the
corrected reading of this veree is
adopted (see critical note), it will
appear that from the vicinity of
Tyre, Jesus went farther north, so
as to pass through Sidon, and then,
by a detour to the east and south,
reached Decapolis, south-east of tho
lake of Galilee, and passed through
this district to the lake-shore ; for
"he came unto the sea of Galilee
through the midst of the coasts of
Decapolis."

no

MARK.

[vii. 32-37.

cap'olis. 32And they bring unto
him one that was deaf, and had
an impediment in his speech ;
and they beseech him to put his
hand upon him. 33And he took
him aside from the multitude,
and put his fingers into his ears,
and he spit, and touched his
tongue ; 3i and looking up to
heaven, he sighed, and saith
unto him, Ephphatha, that is,

32. deaf, and had an impedi
ment. — The translation is too dif
fuse. The Greek -words (xio^bv
t%oya.d%ov) rendered " one that was
deaf, and had an impediment in
his speech," mean simply " a deaf
stammerer." He was not entirely
without hearing, or he would have
been dumb.
33. took him aside. — Jesus was
still aiming to preserve a good de
gree of privacy ; hence his with
drawal from the multitude when
about to heal this man, and his sub
sequent charge to the man's friends,
" that they should tell no man."
(Verse 36 ; comp. 24.)
put his fingers. — The process
adopted in this case was peculiar.
He first put his fingers in the man's
cars, one finger in each ear. Then
he spit : we arc not told where, but
the natural inference is that he spit
on the ground. The object of tne
spitting we can not state; no con
jecture that we have seen appears
oven plausible. He then touched
the man's tongue — no doubt with
his thumbs, one finger of each hand
being iu his ear — looked up to
heaven, heaved a sigh, and ex
claimed, "Be opened,' and ".the
string of his tongue was loosed,
and he spoke plain." The entire
firocedure indicates the deepest so-
emnity on the part of Jesus, and
was calculated to strike the by
standers with awe.
35. string of his tongue.—

Be opened. ^And [straightway]
his ears were opened, and the
string of his tongue was loosed,
and he spake plain. ^And he
charged them that they should
tell no man : but the more he
charged them, so much the more
a great deal they published it ;
37 and were beyond measure as-
35 eufleios Rec. Omitted by T. S. Green,
Alford, Tregelles, N, B, D, etc., a, b, etc.,
Coptic.

"String" is too specific. It was o
Seofibs, the bond or hinderance, that
prevented him from speaking freely.
36. the more they published
it. — By a singular, but very com
mon freak of human nature, the
more he. charged them to keep the
cure a secret, " the more a great
deal they published it." His very
anxiety to avoid publicity made
him the more wonderful in their
eyes, and inspired them with a
greater desire to sound his praise
abroad. 37. He hath done all things
well. — A great change had come
over these people since the legion
of demons was cast out. They
had then feared him greatly, and
desired him to leave their coasts;
but now they exclaim, with refer
ence both to that miracle and this,
"He hath done all things well."
In this paragraph, and the paral
lel in Matthew, a characteristic dif
ference between the two writers is
seen. Matthew says that " great
multitudes came to him, having
with them those that were lame,
blind, dumb, maimed, and many
others, and cast them down at
Jesus' feet, and he healed them"
(Matt. xv. 30) ; but he gives no
particular description of any single
case. Mark, on the other hand,
selects a single one of these cures,
perhaps the first of all, and do-
scribes minutely both it and its
effect qn the people,

viii. 1-12.]

MARK.

311

tonished, saying, He hath done
all things well : he maketh both
the deaf to hear, and the dumb
to speak.
VIII. * In those days the mul
titude being | very : again | great,
and having nothing to eat,
Je'sus called | his : the | disciples
unto him, and saith unto them,
2 1 have compassion on the mul
titude, because they have now
been with me three days, and
have nothing to eat : 3 And if I
send them away fasting to their
own houses, they will faint by
the way : | for divers of them
came : and some of them are j from
far. 4 And his disciples answered
him, From whence can a man
satisfy these men with bread
here in the wilderness? 6And
he asked them, How many
loaves have ye ? And they said,
Seven. 6And he commanded
1 napirokkov Rec.' rrdkiv wokkov Lach.,
T. S. Green, Alford, TregeUes.
1 aii-oO Rec Omitted by Tisch., T. S.
Green, Tregelles.
3 Tives yap . . • t)ko.<ti Rec. Kai rives • • •
mio-i Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford.

Feeding the Four Thousand, viii.
1-9. (Matt. xv. 32-38.)
1-9. — The account of this mir
acle is so nearly identical with that
given by Matthew that no remarks
additional to those already given are
deemed necessary. See the parallel
in Matthew.
In Dalmanutha. A Sign Demand
ed, 10-12. (Matt. xv. 39-xvi. 4.)
10. into the parts of Dal
manutha. — Matthew says, " into
the coasts of Magdala." (Matt. xv.
39.) "The coasts" (to, opla.) of
Magdala were the lands lying in the
vicinity of Magdala, which was a town
of considerable size. "The parts"

the people to sit down on the
ground : and he took the seven
loaves, and gave thanks, and
brake, and gave to his disciples
to set before them ; and they did
set them before the people.
'And they had a few small
fishes : and he blessed, and | com
manded to set them also: set
them\ before them. 8So they
did eat, and were filled: and
they took up of the broken meat
that was left seven baskets.
9 And they [that had eaten]
were about four thousand : and
he sent them away.
10 And straightway he entered
into a ship with his disciples,
and came into the parts of Dal-
manu'tha. " And the Phar'isees
came forth, and began to ques
tion with him, seeking of him a
sign from heaven, tempting him.
12 And lie sighed deeply in his
spirit, and saith, Why doth this
7 "eikoyijo-as eTire -irapa9elvai Kai aird Rec.
ei. aird 7rape9r}Kev T. S. Green, Alford, X.
9 oi <t>ay6vret Rec. Omitted by Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Alford, X, b, l, A, etc., Coptic.

(ta filpr/) of Dalmanutha were the
suburbs of the place, or the lands
immediately adjoining it. If we
suppose Dalmanutha to have been
a village "in the coasts" of Mag
dala, and Jesus to have been in the
immediate vicinity of the former,
we have the exact conception fur
nished by the accounts when com
bined. Mark, as usual, is more
specific than Matthew in regard to
the locality.
11. the Pharisees came forth.
¦ — Matthew represents the Sadducees
as participating in this conversation.
tempting him. — See the note on
Matt. xvi. 1.
12. he sighed deeply.— The ex
cessive depravity exhibited by this

312

MARK.

[viii. 13-17.

generation seek after a sign?
verily I say unto you, There
shall no sign be given unto this
generation. 13 And he left them, and | en
tering into the ship : going
aboard | again .departed ' to the
other side. 14JN"ow the disciples
had forgotten to take bread,
neither had they in the ship
with them more than one loaf.
15 And he charged them, saying,
13 eis rb rrkolov Rec. Omitted by Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Alford, K, B, c, L, A, etc.,

demand for a sign in the midst of
overwhelming demonstrations of
divine power, seems to have moved
Jesus to an unusual degree. The
tone of his answer, especially as
reported by Matthew, " A wicked
and adulterous generation seeketh
after a sign, and there shall no sign
be given to it but the sign of the
prophet Jonas," is like that of the
final sentence of doom on a wicked
world. It was wrung from an un
willing heart by the demands of
justice. no sign be given. — No sign
such as they demanded; that is, "a
sign from heaven." Mark, in phis
brevity, omits the exception named
by Matthew. (See Matt. xvi. 4, and
the note there.)
Argument of Section 7.
This section contains an account of
three more remarkable miracles—
the expulsion of a demon from the
Gentile woman's daughter; the res
toration of speech and hearing to the
deaf stammerer ; and the feeding of
four thousand men with seven barley
loaves and a few small fishes. By
these the divine power of Jesus is
once more exhibited. The section
also exhibits the tenderness of his
com'passiori in his dealing with the
Gentile woman and the hungry

Take heed, beware of the leaven
of the Phar'isees, and of the
leaven of Her'od. I6And they
reasoned among themselves, | say
ing, It is because we have : be
cause they had | no bread. " And
when [Je'sus] knew it, he saith
unto them, Why reason ye, be
cause ye have no bread? per
ceive ye not yet, neither under-
16 keyovres, on, apTous oiK e\ouev Rec.
on dprovs oi< exova-iv Lach., Tisch., T. S.
Green, Alford, Tregelles.
17 6 'Irjo-ovs Rec. Omitted by Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Alford.

multitude, and his judicial indigna
tion against hypocrisy in his con
versation with the Pharisees. These
are attributes of character which,
though they do not prove their pos
sessor to have been superhuman,
are necessary to that perfection of
character which must be found in
the Sou of God.

SECTION VIII.
M
Tour to Cesarea Philippi, VHI.
13-IX. 50.
The Leaven of the Pharisees and of
Herod, viii. 13-21; Cure of the Blind
man at Bethsaida, 22-26; Conversa
tion near Cfesarea Philippi, 27-30;
First Prediction of His Death, 31-33;
Necessity for Self-sacrifice, 31-ix. i;
The Transfiguration, 2-13; An Ob
stinate Demon Cast Out, 14-29; Re
turn through Galilee, and Second
Prediction of Death, 30-32; Dispute
about Who shall be Greatest, 33-37;
John's Jealousy, and Remarks on
Offenses, 38-60.

The Leaven of the Pharisees and of
Herod, 13-21. (Matt. xvi. 5-12.)
15. the leaven of Herod. — On
the leaveu of the Pharisees, see the
note under Matt. xvi. 12. The
leaven of Herod was a corrupting
political influence. They had need
to be guarded against this, becauso
the disputes of political partisans

viii. 18-24. J

MARK.

313

stand? have ye your heart [yet]
hardened? "Having eyes, see
ye not? and having ears, hear
ye not? and do ye not remem
ber ? 19 When I brake the five
loaves among five thousand, how
many baskets full of fragments
took ye up? They say unto
him, Twelve. '"And when the
seven among four thousand, how
many baskets full of fragments
took ye up? And they said,
Seven. 21And he said unto
17 en Rec. Omitted by Lach., T. S.
Green, Alford, Tregelles, K, B, c, D, L, A,
etc., a, Coptic

are not only corrupting to those
who indulge them, but they impair
the influence of men whose busi
ness it is to guide all parties in the
way of holiness. The apostles
adhered strictly, throughout their
career, to the rule of action here
given. 19, 20. how many baskets-
Mark here gives in its exact form,
no doubt, a conversation which Mat
thew puts into a slightly different
form for the sake of abbreviation.
(Comp. Matt. xvi. 9, 10.)
21. that ye do not understand.
— Mark leaves the subject without
saying, as Matthew does, whether
the disciples finally understood the
remark or not; but he takes it for
granted that his readers would un
derstand it.
For other remarks, see notes on
the parallel in Matthew.
Cure of a Blind Man at Bethsaida,
22-26.
22. Bethsaida. — This is not the
Bethsaida in which Peter, Andrew,
and Philip had formerly resided
(see note, Matt. xi. 21), but another
Bethsaida, afterward called Julias,
which was situated on the east
bank of the Jordan, just above its
27

them, | How is it that ye do not:
Do you not yet j understand ?
22 And | he cometh : they come \
to Bethsa'ida ; and they bring a
blind man unto him, and be
sought him to touch him. 23 And
he took the blind man by the
hand, and led him out of the
town; and when he had spit on
his eyes, and put his hands upon
him, he asked him if he saw
ought. 24And he looked up
21 wtois ov o-vviere ; Rec. ovirta o-vviere ;
Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford, X, B, E, K, L,
A, etc., k.
22 Ipxerai Rec. epxovrai Lach., Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Alford, TregeUes.
entrance into the lake of Galilee.
(See Smith's Dictionary, Art. Beth
saida, 2.) This is evident from tho
fact that the company of Jesus had
crossed from the west to the north
east side of the lake, in approaching
the place. (Verses 10, 13; comp.
note, Matt. xvi. 5.)
23. led him out of the town. —
Here we see once more the de
sire of privacy which Jesus had
manifested from the time of his
tour to the vicinity of Tyre. (vii.
24, 33, 36.) He led the man on
through the town, in the direction of
his own journey, to heal him outside.
spit on his eyes.— Again the
act of spitting precedes the act of
healing, as in the cure of the deaf
stammerer, (vii. 33.) But now
he spits on the man's eyes, the part
which is to be cured.' The man's
eyes were probably sore, suggesting
the application of saliva for its
known power to soften and soothe
the part thus affected.
24, 25.' men as trees. — He had
not been born blind, or he would
not have known how trees appear
as distinguished from men; but
having lost his sight, when it was
partially restored he received dis
torted vision ofthe men about him,

314

MARK.

[viii. 25-33.

and said, I see men as trees,
walking. 25 After that he put his
hands again upon his eyes, and
| made him look up: he saw
clearly]; and he was restored,
and saw | every man : all things \
clearly. 26And he sent him
away to his house, saying, Nei
ther go into the town, nor tell it
to any in the town.
27 And Je'sus went out, and
his disciples, into the towns of
Caesare'a Philip'pi : and by the
way he asked his disciples, say
ing unto them, Whom do men
say that I am? 28And they
| answered : told him, saying \ John
the Baptist: but some say,
Eli'as ; and others, One of the
prophets. "'And he saith unto
25 erroi-no-ev airbv dvaf&ketpai Rec. SlejSAeijre
Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.
23 d.TravTa<; Rec. arravra Lach., T. S.
Green, Alford, Tregelles.
28 aireKpCSrjo-av Rec. elirov ai)Tcu, keyovres
Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford.

so that they appeared tall and
rough in their outline like trees.
Another touch of the hand of Jesus
completed his restoration. Jesus
adopted this method of cure to give
variety to the manifestations of his
power by showing that he could
heal in part and by progressive
steps, as well as by his more usual
method of effecting a perfect cure
at one word. This cure was not
less miraculous than others, but
rather more so; for it was really
the working of two miracles, each
effecting instantaneously all that
was intended by it.
26. Neither go . . . nor tell.
— If the man had gone into the
town seeing,- or had told persons
living in the town what had oc
curred, the whole population might
have gone out in pursuit of Jesus,
and thus the privacy which he was

them, But whom say ye that I
am? [And] Pe'ter answereth
and saith unto him, Thou art
the Christ. ""And he charged
them that they should tell no
man of him.
, 8l And he began to teach them,
that the Son of man must surfer
many things, and be rejected of
the elders, and of the chief
priests, and scribes, and be killed,
and after three days rise again.
32 And he spake that saying
openly. And Pe'ter took him,
and began to rebuke him. 33 But
when he had turned about and
looked on his disciples, he re
buked Pe'ter, saying, Get thee
behind me, Sa'tan: for thou
savorest not the things that be
of God, but the things that be
of men.

29 Si Rec. Omitted by Lach., Tisch., T.
S. Green, Alford, TregeUes.

seeking to maintain would have
been broken up. It was for this
reason that Jesus told him to
neither go into the town, nor tell it
to any in the town.
Conversation near Ceesared Phi
lippi, 27-30 (Matt. xvi. 13-20;
Luke ix. 18-21.)
27-30. — This conversation is •
much more fully reported by Mat
thew, and the reader is referred to
the notes on Matt. xvi. 13-20, for
comments and explanations.
First Prediction of His Death, 31-
33. (Matt. xvi. 21-23;' Luke ix.
22.) 31. after three days.— This
paragraph also is more fully re
ported by Matthew, and demands
no remarks here except in reference

viii. 34-ix. 1.]

MARK.

315

34 And when he had called the
people unto him with his disci
ples also, he said unto them,
Whosoever will come after me,
let him deny himself, and take
up his cross, and follow me.
35 For whosoever will save his
life shall lose it ; but whosoever
shall lose his life for my sake
and the gospel's, [the same] shall
save it. 86For what shall it
profit a man, if he shall gain the
whole world, and lose his own
soul ? 37 1 Or what shall a man
give in exchange : For what is an
35 oStos Rec. Omitted by Lach., Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.

to one striking difference in phrase
ology. In reporting the predicted
time of the resurrection, Matthew
has it, "the third day" (xvi. 21),
and Mark, "after three days." As
Jesus can have used only one of
the two expressions, we know not
which, the writer who uses the
other must have regarded it as an
equivalent. This circumstance con
tributes to the proof abundantly
furnished in the Scriptures, that
the two expressions were equivalent
in Jewish usage. (See the discus
sion ol" this usage under Matt. xii.
40.) Necessity for Self-sacrifice, viii.
34-ix. 1. (Matt. xvi. 24-28;
Luke ix. 23-2?.)
34. had called the people —
Notwithstanding the efforts ofJesus
to secure privacy, it seems from
this verse that the people were
about him. Perhaps they were
only the people of the neighborhood
through which he was passing.
Matthew fails to mention the pres
ence of any but the disciples.
ix. 1. the kingdom bf God
come. — Where Matthew uses the

exchange] for his soul? "Who
soever therefore shall be ashamed
of me and of my words in this
adulterous and sinful generation :
of him also shall the Son of man
be ashamed, when he cometh. in
the glory of his Father with the
holy angels.
IX. J And he said unto them,
Verily I say unto you, That
there be some of them that
stand here, which shall not taste
of death, till they have seen the
kingdom of God come with
power.

37 r) rl Suto-el dv9pairos ReC rC yap Tisch.,
T. S. Green, A.

expression, " till they see the Son of
man coming in his kingdom " (xvi.
28) ; Mark uses the expression,
"till they have seen the kingdom
of God come with power;" and
Luke, the expression, "till they see
the kingdom of God" (Luke ix.
27). All of these refer to the same
event, and this event was to occur
before some then present would
taste of death. They saw the king
dom of God in organized existence
and activity for the first time on the
next Pentecost after the resurrection
of Jesus. They then saw the king
dom "come with power," because
such was the power of the Holy
Spirit's demonstrations through the
apostles, that three thousand men
were that day turned to the Lord.
And they saw the Son of man com
ing in his kingdom, not literally,
but by manifesting his invisible
presence to the eye of faith. What
they saw with their eyes and heard
with their ears attested his presence
in his kingdom.
For further remarks on this pre
diction, and a fuller explanation of
the entire speech, see the notes on
the parallel in Matthew.

316

MARK.

[ix. 2-15.

2 And after six days Je'sus
taketh with him Pe'ter, and
James, and John, and leadeth
them up into an high mountain
apart by themselves : and he was
transfigured before them. 3And
his raiment became shining, ex
ceeding white [as snow] ; so as
no fuller on earth can white
them. 4 And there appeared un
to them Eli'as with Mo'ses : and
they were talking with Je'sus.
6 And Pe'ter answered and said
to Je'sus, Master, it is good for
us to be here : and let us make
three tabernacles ; one for thee,
and one for Mo'ses, and one for
Eli'as. "For he wist not what
to say ; for they were sore afraid.
'And there was a cloud that
overshadowed them : and a voice
came out of the cloud, [saying,]
This -is my beloved Son: hear
him. 8 And suddenly, when they
had looked round about, they
S <»s x'"" Rec, Omitted by Tisch., T. S.
Green, Alford, Tregelles, «, b, c, l, a, 1,
Is, Sahidic, JSthidpic, Armenian, etc.
7 keyovo-a Rec. Omitted by Tisch., T.
S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.

The Transfiguration, ix. 2-13.
(Matt. xvii. 1-13; Luke ix. 28-
36.) 2-13. — This display of the maj
esty of Jesus is more fully treated
by Matthew. Mark adds no mate
rial fact; hence the remarks on the
parallel in Matthew are sufficient
for both passages.
An Obstinate Demon Cast Out, 14
-29. (Matt. xvii. 14-21; Luke
ix. 37-43.)
14. the scribes questioning.—
The questioning of the scribes had
reference, no doubt, to the ineffect-
ual attempt of the nine disciples to

saw no man any more, save
Je'sus only with themselves.
9 And as they came down from
the mountain, he charged them
that they should tell no man
what things they had seen, till
the Son of man were risen from
the dead. I0 And they kept that
saying with themselves, ques
tioning one with another what
the rising from the dead should
mean. "And they asked him,
saying, Why say the scribes that
Eli'as must first come? 12And
he answered and told them,
Eli'as verily cometh first, and
restoreth all things ; and how it
is written of the Son of man,
that he must suffer many things,
and be set at nought. wBut I
say unto you, That Eli'as is in
deed come, and they have done
unto him whatsoever they listed,
as it is written of him.
"And when he came to his
disciples, he saw a great multi
tude about them, and the scribes
questioning with them. 15And
straightway all the people, when

cast out the demon. (Comp. 16-
18.) It was a great triumph to
these unbelievers to witness even
one such failure, and they eagerly
pressed the advantage which it ap
peared to give them.
15. were greatly amazed.— It
is difficult to account for. the amaze
ment of the people at seeing Jesus.
The conjecture that his face was
still shining from the transfigura
tion, as did the face of Moses when
he came down from the mount (see
Alford, Lauge, and others), is not
even suggested by the text. The
natural impression from the text is
not that it was something peculiar
in his appearance, but the fact of

IX.

16-20.]

MARK.

317

they beheld him, were greatly
amazed, and running to him
saluted him. "And he asked
I the scribes: them], What ques
tion ye with them? "And one
of the multitude answered | and
said : him ] , Master, I have
brought unto thee my son, which
16 rovs ypapparels Rec. avTous Lach.,
Tisch., T S. Green, Alford, Tregelles, X, B,
D, L, A, etc., Old Latin, Vulgate, Coptic,
.'Ethiopic, Armenian, etc.
17 diT0Kpi9eis ein-e Rec. aTreKpidri airv,
Lach., Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford, Tre
gelles.

his being seen at that particular
time and place, which amazed them.
I infer that the people supposed
Jesus to have been at a much
f' reater distance from them than he
ad been, and that his return was
most unexpected. If they were
partaking in the doubts and sus
picions of tho questioning scribes,
the thought of being caught by him
in such a state of mind would have
added much to their excitement;
or if they were pained by the mo
mentary triumph of the enemy,
they would be equally excited,
though from a different cause, at
his unexpected return. But what
ever was the cause of their amaze
ment, its effect was to make them
run to him and salute him.
16. he asked the scribes, — Be
fore any one had found time to toll-
Jesus what had been going on, he
surprised the scribes by demanding
of them, " What question ye with
them ? " They saw at once that he
knew all, and their failure to an
swer shows that they felt a deserved
rebuke for their exultation.
17. one of the multitude an
swered. — As the scribes made no
answer, the father of the afflicted
youth spoke out and told what had
given occasion for the questioning
referred to.
I have brought unto thee —

hath a dumb spirit ; ls and where
soever he taketh him, he teareth
him : and he foameth, and gnash-
eth with his teeth, and pineth
away : and I spake to thy disci
ples that they should cast him
out ; and they could not. 19 He
answereth him, and saith, O
faithless generation, how long
shall I be with you? how long
shall I suffer you? bring him
unto me. 20 And they brought
him unto him : and when he saw

The father had run forward with
the multitude to meet Jesus, and
had brought his son, but not into
the immediate presence of Jesus.
(Verse 20.) As he began the sad
story he stepped forward and
kneeled down at Jesus' feet. (Matt.
xvii. 14.)
a dumb spirit.— Called a dumb
spirit because it deprived its victim
of speech. (Comp. 25.) The young
man was not only deaf and dumb,
but a lunatic, and subject to fits.
(Matt. xvii. 15.)
18. wheresoever he taketh him.
— The convulsions seem to have
occurred at irregular intervals, be
ing regulated by the whim and
moods of the demon which pro
duced them. (Comp. 20.) The
father's expression, " wheresoever
he taketh him," seems also to imply
that he supposed the spirit to be in
the child only at these periods of
severe suffering; and this thought
is confirmed by the words of Jesus ;
" Come out of him, and enter no
more into him." (Verse 25.)
19. 0 faithless generation. —
On this expression of Jesus, see
the note on Matt. xvii. 17.
20. straightway the spirit
tare him. — Convulsed him. This
act of the spirit in the very pres
ence of Jesus, as they brought the
child near, displayed a wickedness

318

MARK.

[ix. 21-24.

him, straightway the spirit tare
him ; and he fell on the ground,
and wallowed foaming. 21 And
he asked his father, How long is
it ago since this came unto him ?
And he said, Of a child. 22And
ofttimes it hath cast him into
the fire, and into the waters, to
destroy him: but if thou canst
do any thing, have compassion
23 ei ovvaa-al mo-revo-al ReC. ei ovvj),
Tisch., T. S. Green, Tregelles, K, B, A, etc.,
k, Coptic, Armenian, etc.

and obstinacy ou its part unequaled
in the accounts of these desperate
beings. Having clung to its victim
in spite of all the efforts of the dis
ciples, it now seems determined to
defy the power of Jesus himself.
How different from the piteous sup
plications of the legion at Gadara !
21, 22. How long is it ago. —
The question, "How long is it ago
since this came to him," brought
out the fact that it was a case of
long standing, and thus rendered
the subsequent cure the more re
markable. . Tho father's answer,
"Of a child," more accurately ren
dered, " From childhood," does not
mean from his birth, but from early
childhood as distinguished from
youth; for Mark still calls him a
child. (Verse 24.) The time had
been when he was free from both
the dumbness and the convulsions.
The father's answer shows still
further the malignity of the demon,
in that it would often throw its vic
tim into the fire and into the water, as
if it took a fiendish pleasure in the
pain which it had the power to inflict.
23. If thou canst believe. —
The father's doubting remark, "If
thou canst do any thing," is echoed
by the answer, "If thou canst be
lieve." Bach would be more hap
pily rendered, "If you are able to
do any thing," "If you are able to
believe." The additional remark,

on us, and help us. 23 Je'sus
said unto him, |If thou canst
believe: If thou eanMt], all
things are possible to him that
believeth. 24[And] straightway
the father of the child cried out,
and said [with tears], [Lord,] I
believe ; help thou mine unbelief.
24 Kai Rec. Omitted by Tisch., T. S.
Green, Alford.
24 perd oajcpvuv Rec. Omitted by Lach.,
Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.
24 Kvpie Rec. Omitted by Lach., Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.
"All things are possible to him
that believeth," does not imply ina
bility to heal an unbeliever, for
many of the miracles were wrought
on persons who had no faith; but.
it hinted at a possible refusal, as at
Nazareth, to heal those who in the
face of competent evidence were
still unbelievers. It also served as
an incentive to the father to get
rid of the doubt implied in his peti
tion, and it was an assertion in the
presence . of the scribes who had
exulted over the failure of the dis
ciples, that "all things were possi
ble" with himself.
24. said with tears. — The Sav
ior's response brought about within
the afflicted father the struggle
which was intended. His tears ex
pressed his anxiety for his son, aud .
his words declared the weakness of
the faith on which the cure was
now to depend. The contradictory
answer, "I believe; help thou my
unbelief," can have sprung only
from a heart distracted between a
burning desire and a weak faith.
It cau not have been invented by
Mark. Having said, " I believe,
he feared that he had gone too far ;
he calls his weak faith unbelief,
and begs Jesus to help it. How
different this from the conduct of
the scribes who were resisting the
force of evidence and struggling to
maintain a stubborn unbelief I

25-30.]

MARK.

319

25 When Je'sus saw that the peo
ple came running together, he
rebuked the foul spirit, saying
unto him, Thou dumb and deaf
spirit, I charge thee, come out
of him, and enter no more into
him. ^And the spirit cried,
and rent him sore, and came out
of him : and he was as one dead ;
insomuch that many said, He is
dead. " But Je'sus took him by
the hand, and lifted him up ;

25. When Jesus saw. — Already
a large portion of the multitude had
surrounded Jesus, having run to
him when he first came into view.
(Verse 15.) The running together
mentioned in this verse waB the
coming of others from the vicinity,
and perhaps the rush of all to get
still nearer to him. This was a
wide departure from the privacy
which he had been maintaining,, so
Jesus immediately proceeded to cast
out the demon, and to withdraw
with his disciples into a house.
(Verse 28.)
26, 27. as one dead. — Nothing
but the amazing cruelty and effront
ery of the demon can account for
the convulsion into which he threw
the young man as he left him. The
outcry was not an articulate sound,
but one of those fearful shrieks
which are sometimes heard from
the deaf and dumb, while the shock
given to the nervous system of the
young man left him pulseless and
apparently dead. Such torture wan
tonly inflicted by a demon, gives an
awful conception of the state of
society which must prevail among
these God-forsaken spirits. While
the by-standers were saying that the
youth was dead, the touch of JesUs,
who alone can deliver us from the
power of the devil, brought instant
restoration to him, and joy to the
heart of his kind father.

and he arose. 28And when he
was come into the house, his dis
ciples asked him privately, Why
could not we cast him out?
29 And he said unto them, This
kind can come forth by nothing,
but by prayer [and fasting].
30 And they departed thence,
and passed through Gal'ilee ;
and he would not that any man
29 Kai vrio-reia Rec. Omitted by Tisch.,
T. S. Green, X," B, k.

28, 29. Why could not we.—
On the reason why the disciples
could not east out this demon, seo
the notes, Matt. xvii. 18-21.
Return through Galilee, and Sec
ond Prediction of Death, 30-32.
(Matt. xvii. 22, 23 ; Luke ix. 43-
45.)30. and passed through Gali
lee. — They were returning from
Csesarea Philippi (viii. 27), whither
they had gone by passing east of
the upper Jordan through the dis
trict called Iturea. That they re
turned "through Galilee," shows
that they came down on the west
of the Jordan. They were on their
way back to Capernaum. (Verse
33.) that any man should know it.
— The statement that as they passed
through Galilee " he would not that
any man should know it," is the
last mention made of the privacy
which Jesus had maintained ever
since his journey to the vicinity of
Tyre. (Comp. vii. 24, 33, 36 ; viii.
23,26; ix. 25.) It was this privacy
which occasioned the taunting re
mark of his unbelieving kindred,
" Depart hence and go into Judea,
that thy disciples also may see the
works that thou doest. JFor there
is no man that doeth any thing in
secret, and he himself seeketh to be
known openly." (John vii. 3, 4.)

320

MARK.

[ix.. 31-36.

should know it. sl For he taught
his disciples, and said unto them,
The Son of man is delivered into
the hands of men, and they shall
kill him; and after that he is
killed, he shall rise |the third
day : after three days | . S2 But
they understood not that saying,
and were afraid to ask him.
"And he came to Caper'naum :
and being in the house he asked
them, What was it that ye dis-
31 rfj rpirr) r)p.epq Rec. perd Toets qpepas,
Lach., Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford, Tre
gelles.

31. is delivered. — Jesus here
uses the present tense — "The Son
of man is delivered into the hands
of men" — because the sad event was
so vividly present to his imagina
tion. The usage is common in the
writings of the prophets.
the "third day. — The corrected
text (see critical note) has it " after
three days," thus furnishing a sec
ond example in Mark of the use of
this expression where Matthew has
" on the third day." (Comp. Matt.
xvii. 23, and see note on. Mark viii.
31.) 32. afraid to ask him. — They
could not understand the plain
words of this prediction, simply
because they were not willing to
receive them in their obvious im
port, and they could not discover in
them any other meaning. It is not
unfrequently the case, even at the
present day, that a passage of Script
ure is obscure merely because it is
capable of but one meaning, and
this meaning one that we are un
willing to accept. Being for this
reason unable to understand Jesus,
they were afraid to ask him what
he meant, lest he should rebuke
them as he had rebuked Peter when
the subject was first mentioned.
(viii. 33.)

puted [among yourselves] by the
way? ^But they held their
peace : for by the way they had
disputed among themselves, who
should be the greatest. ^And
he sat down, and called the
twelve, and saith unto them, If
any man desire to be first, the
same shall be last of all, and
servant of all. ^And he took a
child, and set him in the midst
of them : and when he had taken
33 jtoos eaurovs Rec. Omitted by Lach.,
T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles, a, b, c, d, l,
Old Latin, Vulgate, Coptic, etc.

Dispute about Who shall be Great
est, 33-37. (Matt, xviii. 1-35;
Luke ix. 46-50.)
33. What was it. — There is an
appearance of discrepancy here be
tween Matthew and Mark. Mat
thew represents the disciples as
beginning the conversation by ask-.
ing who should be greatest, while
Mark introduces it by saying that
Jesus asked them, "What was it
that ye disputed among yourselves
by the way?" We take both re
ports as true, and each as elliptical.
As Matthew states, the disciples
came to Jesus and asked, " Who is
the greatest in the kingdom of
heaven?" (Matt, xviii. 1.) They
ask this with au air of innocent
inquiry, giving no intimation of the
dispute in which they had engaged.
Jesus begins his reply by asking
them, " What was it that ye disputed
among yourselves by the way?"
showing that he knew the cause
and the occasion of their inquiry.
Confused and conscience-smitten,
" they held their peace." (Verse
34.) 35-37. and saith to them. —
Mark is here very brief, devoting
only two short paragraphs (33-37'
and 42-50) to a discourse which

IX.

37-43.]

MARK.

321

him in his arms, he said unto
them, sr Whosoever shall receive
one of such children in my name,
receiveth me: and whosoever
shall receive me, receiveth not
me, but him that sent me.
!SAnd John answered him,
saying, Master, we saw one cast
ing out devils in thy name, [and
he followeth not us :] and we
forbade him, because he followeth
not us. 39 But Jesus said, For
bid him not : for there is no man
which shall do a miracle in my
name, that can lightly speak evil
of me. 40For he that is not
38 fis oiK aKokov9el r)plv Rec. Omitted by
T. S. Green, X, B, c, L, A, etc., f, P. Syriac,
Coptic, /Ethiopic, etc. Tisch., D, x, etc.,
Old Latin, Vulgate, Armenian, omit 5ti
ovk a. r).

occupies the entire eighteenth chap
ter of Matthew. (For remarks on
verses 35-37, see notes, Matt, xviii.
1-5.)John's Jealousy, and Remarks
about Offenses, 38-50. (Matt.
xviii. 6-9.)
33. we forbade him. — The ex
pression, " he followeth not us,"
means that he was not one of the
immediate attendants of Jesus.
Seeing such a man casting out de
mons excited John's jealousy, be
cause he thought that no others
than the chosen twelve ought to be
honored with this power. Such
jealousy in regard to official pre
rogatives is a very common passion,
and one against which men occu
pying positions of trust and author
ity should be constantly on their
guard. 39. Forbid him not.— If the
man had been an enemy of Christ,
using his power in opposition to
the truth, it would have been right
to forbid him; but, according to
John's own statement, he was cast-

against us is on our part. 41 For
whosoever shall give you a cup
of water to drink | in my name,
because : on tiie score that ] ye be
long to Christ, verily I say unto
you, he shall not lose his reward.
42 And whosoever shall offend one
of these little ones that believe
[in me], it is better for him that
a millstone were hanged about
his neck, and he were cast into
the sea. 43 And if thy hand of
fend thee, cut it off: it is better
for thee to enter into life maimed,
than having two hands to go
into hell, into the fire that never
41 ev ra bvopari pov Rec. ev bvoparl
Lach., Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford, Tre
gelles. 42 eis ipi Rec. Omitted by Tisch., T. S.
Green, Alford, K, c, E, A, a, b, i, k.

ing out demons in the name of Je
sus, and this proved him to be a
friend. Moreover, John should
have known that no man could cast
out demons in the name of Jesus
unless Jesus had given him power
to do so; and if Jesus had given
him the power it was his privilege
to exercise it.
40. he that is nqt against us.
— It is impossible for a man to oc-.
cupy strictly neutral ground in ref
erence to Christ. His influence
must preponderate in one way or
the other. If in no sense he is
against Christ, then he is for him;
and if he is not for Christ, he is
against him. (Comp. Matt. xii. 30.)
41, 42. — On these verses, see the
notes, Matt. x. 40-42 ; xviii. 6.
43-47. into hell. — On the ori-
fin and significance of the term
ell, see the note on Matt. v. 22.
The view there taken of its mean
ing is confirmed by the present pas
sage ; for Jesus shows the sense iu
which he uses it by adding the ex
planatory clause, " into the fire that
never shall be quenched." Hell,

322

MARK.

[ix. 44-49.

shall be quenched : 44 [where
their worm dieth not, and the
fire is not quenched.] ^And if
thy foot offend thee, cut it off:
it is better for thee to enter halt
into life, than having two feet
to be cast into hell, [into the fire
that never shall be quenched :]

44 ojtou 6 o-Ktokrig airStv oi rekevr^ Kai rb
rrup ov o-pewvrai Rec. Omitted by Tisch.,
T. S. Green, a, B, c, L, A, etc., k, Coptic,
Armenian. 45 eis rb rrup rb da-flea-TOV Rec. Omitted
by Tisch., T. S. Green, Tregelles, N, B, c,
L, A, etc., b, k, P. Syriac, Coptic, Arme
nian, etc.

then, is equivalent to the fire that
never shall be quenched. It is also
placed here in opposition to " life" :
"It is better to enter into life
maimed, than having two hands to
go into hell." The. life here re
ferred to is not the temporal life,
nor the Christian life, into both of
which the disciples addressed had
already entered ; but eternal life,
into which they had not yet entered.
Being cast into hell, then, .which is
the alternative of entering into this
life, can be none other than punish
ment iu the future state.
The reader will please to notice
the changes in these verses adopted
by some of the critics. ' If they are
correct, the explanatory clause,
" into the fire that never shall be
quenched," properly occurs only in
verse 43, and the clause, "where
their worm dieth not," only in verse
48. On the word "offend," see the
note on Matt, xviii. 8
43. their worm dieth not. —
The image is takeu from Isaiah
(lxvi. 24), and is that of worms feed
ing on the dead carcasses of men.
Applied to the future state, as it
unquestionably is in this passage, it
represents those who shall be cast
into hell as being in a state of decay
and rottenness, while unquenchable

46 [where their worm dieth not,
and the fire is not quenched.]
47 And if thine eye offend thee,
pluck it out : it is better for thee
to enter into the kingdom of
God with one eye, than having
two eyes to be cast into hell fire :
48 where their worm dieth not,
and the fire is not quenched.
49 For every one shall be salted
with fire, and every sacrifice
46 ojtou . . . o-0eVinjTai Rec. Omitted by
Tisch., T. S. Green, N, B, c, L, A, etc, k,
Coptic, Armenian.
fires are burning them but never
consuming them.
49. salted with fire. — This is
confessedly au obscure passage, and
on the meaning of it a variety of
opinions have been advanced. The
difficulty in the first clause centers
chiefly, as Bloomfield justly re
marks, iu the word "fire." As we
take it to be a symbol of punish
ment, or a symbol of purification,
our interpretation of the entire
verse must vary. If the passage
were entirely isolated, it would be
more naturally understood as refer
ring to purification; for salt is the
symbol of perpetuity, and fire is
often used in the Scriptures as a
symbol of those trials which purify
the soul as the precious metals are
purified by fire. But the passage is
not isolated : it is the concluding
part of a closely connected dis
course, and is tied to the preceding
by the conjunction for (yap). The
context must therefore determine
the sense in which "fire" is to be
taken. But in the context this term
is used with great emphasis three
times according to the corrected
text, aud six times according to
"the received text," as a symbol of
punishment. Indeed, the disaster
of being cast into hell fire is held
up as a warning throughout the

IX.

50.]

MARK.

323

shall be salted with salt. 60 Salt
is good : but if the salt have lost
his saltness, wherewith will ye

context, andr for the purpose of
emphasis, it is repeated again and
aa;ain. When, therefore, imme
diately after the last repetition of it
in the words, "where their worm
dieth not and the fire is not quench
ed," the remark follows, "For every
one shall be salted with fire," it
would be doing violence to one
of the most invariable rules of in
terpretation to assign to the term
"fire" a new and different sense.
We conclude, then, that the term
is used here, as elsewhere iu the
paragraph, to denote punishment,
and that with this conclusion our
interpretation of the sentence must
harmonize. This being so, the ex
pression "every one" (rtdc) must
also be limited by the context, and
must mean every one who, contrary
to the teaching just given, refuses
to cut off the offending hand, or to
pluck out the offending eye. It
had just been intimated that all
such would be cast into hell fire;
it is now said that every such one
shall be salted with fire. As salt,
on account of its power to preserve
meats, is the symbol of perpetuity,
to be salted with fire is to be per
petually permeated by fire, or to be
kept perpetually in a state of the
severest pain.
and every sacrifice. — The mean
ing of this clause turns on the ques
tion, whether it expresses a com
parison of those who are salted with
fire with the sacrifices which are
salted with salt, or presents those
who are salted with fire in antithesis
with others who would make the re
quired sacrifices. Alford and some
other interpreters adopt the former
view, and would express the idea
thus : " For every one shall be salted
with fire, just as every sacrifice is
salted with salt.' ' But if this had been

season it? Have salt in your
selves, and have peace one with
another.

the meaning, it is inexplicable that
the conjunction and (xal) is used to
connect the two clauses, instead of
the adverb so (£{ or Ssrt). It is
safer, and far move in harmony
with the context, to take the con
junction in its proper and ordinary
sense, and to understand the clause
as continuing the antithesis which
has been kept up throughout the
context between those who would
cut off the offending hand or foot,
and enter into life, and those who,
refusing to do so, would be cast
into hell. By every sacrifice is
meant every person who presents
himself as a sacrifice to God in cut
ting off his offending members, or,
in other words, by denying himself
those sinful pleasures and enjoy
ments which are represented by
these. (Cotnp. Rom. xii. 1.) That
such shall be salted with salt, as
contrasted with being salted with
fire, means that they shall be pre
served unto everlasting life — that
they shall enter into that life which
is contrasted with being cast into
hell. The figure and the mode of ex
pressing it are both taken from a pro
vision in the law which required that
every offering presented at the altar
should be seasoned with salt. (Lev.
ii. 13.)
50. Salt is good. — Salt is here
used, as in the preceding verse, to
symbolize that principle in Chris
tian life which leads to persever
ance amid all required self-sacrifice.
The remark is sententious and em
phatic, giving pre-eminence to the
virtue in question.
wherewith will ye season it ? —
Here the salt is supposed to have
lost its saltness, and the question is
asked, "wherewith will ye season
it?" The question answers itself,
being the figure of erotesis, and

324

MARK.

[ix. 50.

affirms that the lost saltness can
not be restored. Passing from the
symbol to that which is symbolized,
it is affirmed that if a man lose the
power of perseverance in the Chris
tian life, there is no restoration for
him ; his inevitable fate is to be cast
into hell, to be " salted with fire."
Have salt in yourselves.—
Maintain in yourselves the quality
of perseverance by making every sac
rifice necessary thereto-. Their con
tention as to who should be greatest
(33, 34), and their jealousy toward
the brother who had been casting
out demons (38), were calculated
to impair this quality by causing
alienations and discouragement. In
opposition to this they are required
to encourage patience in one an
other, and it is added, "have peace
one with another." Strife among
them would destroy their salt; peace
would tend to preserve it.
Argument of Section 8.
The two miracles recorded in the
preceding section — the cure of the
blind man at Bethsaida (viii. 22-
26), and the casting out of the ob
stinate demon (ix. 14-29) — are addi
tional demonstrations of the divine
power of Jesus. They are not
mere repetitions of former proofs,
but they possess peculiar force in

that the blind man was cured by
progressive steps, each one of which
-was a miracle- in itself, and in that
the demon in question was one of
peculiar power and obstinacy.
The foreknowledge of Jesus is
again displayed in his two predic
tions concerning his own death
(viii. 31-33 ; ix. 30-32) ; and with
his foreknowledge, his predeter
mined purpose to submit to death
at the hands of his enemies.
But the crowning argument of
the section is contained in the ac
count of the transfiguration. If
the testimony of those who wit
nessed this scene is not false testi
mony, his divine majesty and his
God-given right to be heard in all
that he chooses to speak, are estab
lished beyond all possibility of a
mistake. End op Part First.
We have now reached the close
of the first general division of
Mark's narrative. Hitherto, after
a few introductory statements in
the first chapter (i. 1-13), all the
incidents which he records occurred
in Galilee, or in the regions imme
diately adjoining. Now the writer
leaves Galilee, and returns to it no
more. (See below, x. 1.)

PART SECOND.
FROM THE DEPARTURE OUT OF GALILEE TO THE ASCENSION.

CHAPTERS X— XVI.

X. 'And he arose from thence,
and cometh into the coasts of
Judse'a |by: and] the farther
side of Jor'dan : and the people
resort unto him again ; and, as
1 Sia TOu Trepav Rec. Kai rrepav Lach.,
Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.

SECTION I.
Events in Perea, X.
Question about Divorce, 1-12; Blessing
Little Children, 13-16; The Rich Mor
alist, 17-22; The Danger of Riches,
23-27; The Reward of Self-denial,
28-31 ; Dread of Jerusalem, and Third
Prediction of Death, 32-34; Ambition
of James and John, 35-45 ; The Heal
ing of Blind Bartlmeus, 46-52.

Question about Divorce, x. 1-12.
(Matt. xix. 1-12.)
1. into the coasts of Judea. —
(See note on Matthew xix. 1.) It
should be observed that, according
to the corrected reading of this
verse, Mark is more specific in his
statement about the localities than
Matthew ; for while the latter says,
" into the coasts of Judea beyond
the Jordan," Mark says, " into the
coasts of Judea and beyond the
Jordan," thus making a distinction
between the two localities, instead
pf calling the region beyond the
Jordan "the coasts of Judea."
2. to put away his wife-
Matthew adds, " for every cause ; "
and this is the meaning of the
question as reported by Mark, see-

he was wont, he taught them
again. 2And the Phar'isees
came to him, and asked him, Is
it lawful for a man to put away
his wife ? tempting him. 3 And
he answered and said unto them,
What did Mo'ses command you ?

ing that if it is "lawful to put
away a wife," this privilege unqual
ified makes the husband the judge
of the cause.
3. What did Moses command.
— The order of the questions and
answers in this conversation seems
at first glance to be inconsistently
reported by our two evangelists.
Matthew represents the Pharisees
as making the reference to what
Moses had commanded, and as mak
ing it in the form of an objection
to what Jesus had said ; while Mark
represents Jesus as making it in
the form of a question for the Phar
isees to answer. If, according to
our rule in such cases, we suppose
both accounts to be true but ellip
tical, the entire conversation ar
ranges itself most naturally in the
following order : As reported by
both evangelists, the Pharisees be
gan the conversation by asking, "Is
it lawful for a man to put away his
wife for every cause?" Jesus an
swered, as reported by Mark (3),
" What did Muses command you?"
They replied, as also reported by
Mark (4), "Moses suffered to write
a bill of divorcement and put her
away." He then responded, as re-
f325i

326

MARK.

4-14.]

*And they said, Mo'ses suffered
to write a bill of divorcement,
and to put her away. 5And
Je'sus answered and said unto
them, For the hardness of your
heart he wrote you this precept.
6 Bflt from the beginning of the
creation | God : He ] made them
male and female. ' For this
cause shall a man leave his father
and mother, and cleave to his
wife ; 8 and they twain shall be
one flesh : so then they are no
more twain, but one flesh.
" What therefore God hath joined
together, let not man put asun
der. 10 And in the house | his :
the | disciples asked him again of
6 6 0eo; Rec. Omitted by Tisch., T. S.
Green, Tregelles.
10 airaB Rec. Omitted by Tisch., T. S.
Green, Tregelles.

ported in substance by both, " Have
ye not read that He who made
them at the beginning, made them
a male and a female, and said, For
this cause shall a man leave father
and mother, and shall cleave to his
wife: and they twain shall be one
flesh. Wherefore they are no more
twain, but one iiesh. What therefore
God has joined together, let not man
putasunder." Atthis point the Phar
isees make their appeal to Moses,
as reported by Matthew (7), saying,
" Why then did Mases command to
give a writing of divorcement and
put her away ? " Jesus answered,
" Moses, because of the hardness
of your hearts, suffered you to put
away your wives : but from the be
ginning it was not so." This last
remark is quoted out of its original
connection by Mark (5), because he
condenses the entire conversation.
10. And in the house. — Jesus
and the disciples have now left the
Pharisees with whom he had been
conversing, and gone into " the

the same matter. "And he saith
unto them, Whosoever shall put
away his wife, and marry another,
committeth adultery against her.
12 And if | a woman : she \ shall
put away her husband, and |be
married to : marry ] another, she
committeth adultery.
"And they brought young
children to him, that he should
touch them: and his disciples
rebuked those that brought
them. "But when Je'sus saw
it, he was much- displeased,
and said unto them, Suffer the
little children to come unto me,
[and] forbid them not: for of
12 ywr] Rec. airri T. S. Green, Alford,
Tregelles. 12 yapir}9jj akkto Rec. yaprjo-Q akkov Lach.,
T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.
14 «u Bee. Omitted by Tisch., T. S. Green,
Alford, Tregelles.

house," where the disciples ask him
again of the same matter. The
question and answer which follow
were not heard by the Pharisees,
and the same is true of the paral
lel in Matt. xix. 10-12.
12. she committeth adultery.
— In this verse Mark makes an ad
dition to the report as given by
Matthew, showing by express state
ment what is only implied in Mat
thew's report, that a woman who
puts away her husband and marries
another is equally guilty of adul
tery with the man who puts away
his wife and marries another.
For other remarks on this con
versation, see the notes on the
parallel in Matthew.
Blessing Little Children, 13-16.
(Matt. xix. 13-15; Luke xviii.
15-17.)
13, 14. they brought young
children. — On these verses, see the
notes, Matt. xix. 13, 14.

x. 15-18.]

MARK.

327

such is the kingdom of God.
15 Verily I say unto you, Whoso
ever shall not receive the king
dom of God as a little child, he
shall not enter therein. 16And
he took them up in his arms,
put his hands upon them, and
blessed them.

15. as a little child. — Strictly
construed this clause means, " Who
soever shall not receive the kingdom
of God as a little child receives it."
To receive the kingdom of God is a
different act from entering into it.
The distinction is made in this very
sentence: "Whosoever shall not
receive the kingdom as a little child,
he shall not enter therein." Receiv
ing it precedes entering into it, and
means no more than accepting its
teaching. This a little child does
with an implicit faith from the
moment that its understanding is
sufficiently developed.
16. up in his arms. — Not con
tent with merely laying his hands
on them, he took them up in his
arms to do so, and blessed them.
The tenderness which he manifested
toward the little children should
cause parents to more highly appre
ciate them, and to labor more as
siduously to bring them up in the
doctrine and discipline of the Lord.
The Rich Moralist, 17-22. (Matt.
xix. 16-22; Luke xviii. 18-23.)
17. running, and kneeled. —
Mark is more graphic in his descrip
tion of this incident, than either
Matthew or Luke. He strikingly
depicts the eagerness and humility
of the man, by bringing out the
facts that he came running to Jesus,
and that on reaching his presence
he kneeled down before him. The
deep earnestness thus exhibited
must not be lost sight of in our esti
mate of the young man's condition
and his subsequent fate.

17 And when he was gone forth
into the way, there came one
running, and kneeled to him,
and asked him, Good Mas
ter, what shall I do that I
may inherit eternal life? I8 And
Jesus said unto him, Why
callest thou me . good ? there is

18. why callest thou me good ?
— The term good which the man
applied to Jesus, saying, "Good
Master,'' and the. simultaneous act
of kneeling to him, were both sug
gestive of the Divine Being. Jesus
catches the word for the purpose of
directing attention to its real force
when applied understanding^ to
himself. " Why do you call me
good? there is none good but one,
that is, God." If you mean what
•you say you should acknowledge
me to be divine; for you call me
good, and there is none good but
God. The remark was, indeed, a
two-edged sword, for it cut away,
on the one hand, all subsequent
objections which the man might
make to the divinity pf Jesus, and,
on the other, it cut away all just
ground for the man's conceit con
cerning his- own goodness. Jesus
did not dwell on the thought; he
merely dropped it in the man's ear
as a seed which should grow in
after-time ; for though the man
paused not to consider it at the
moment, it was so singular a part
of a conversation which was
destined to be a memorable event
in his personal history, that in after
years he could not fail to think on
it solemnly.
While Mark reports the answer
just considered, Matthew reports
Jesus as answering, according to
the corrected text, "Why do you
ask me about the good?" Til fis
ipatu; rtspi tov ayafloij. And "the
good" referred to in the qestion is
"the good thing" which he supposed

328

MARK.

[x. 19-24.

none good but one, that is, God.
"Thou knowest the command
ments, Do not commit adultery^
Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not
bear false witness, Defraud not,
Honor thy father and mother.
20 And he answered and said
unto him, Master, all these have
I observed from my youth.
21 Then Je'sus beholding him,
loved him, and said unto
him, One thing thou lackest:
go- thy way, 'sell whatsoever
thou hast, and give to the
poor, and thou shalt have

he was to do in order to inherit
eternal life. (See Matt. xix. 17.)
No doubt Jesus propounded both
questions, putting the one quoted
by Matthew first. The man, in his
question, had used the term good
twice — "Good Master," "good
thing." Jesus, in reply, asks him
first, "Why do you ask me about
the good," as though there were
any one thing so good that by
doing it a man should inherit
eternal life ; and secondly, " Why
do you call me good?" Matthew,
although he does not quote the
second question of Jesus, shows
.Hhat he was not ignorant of it, by
adding the remark, "The Good.
Being is one," which is equivalent
to Mark's words, "There is none
good but one, that is, God." (See
the corrected readings of Matt.
xix. 17.)
19, 20— Ou this part of the
reply, which is reported with some
omissions by Mark, see the notes
on Matt. xix. 17-20.
21. Jesus beholding him,
loved him. — -There is emphasis on
the word " beholding." He looked
at him intently, searching into the
truthfulness of his declaration, and
seeing in the young man's heart
and life that which awakened a per-

treasure in heaven: and come,
[take up the cross, and] fol
low me. 22And he was sad
at that saying, and went away
grieved: for he had great pos
sessions. 23 And Je'sus looked round
about, and saith unto his disci
ples, How hardly shall they that
have riches enter into the king
dom of God! 24And the dis
ciples were astonished at his
21 apas rbv rrravpov Rec. Omitted by T.
8. Green, Tregelles, N, B, c, D, A, "406,
Vulgate, etc.

sonal attachment for him: for the
statement that " he loved him," ex
presses a personal attachment, and
not that general love which Jesua
bears to all men. How interesting
the character which thus excited
the affections of Jesus, andhow sad
the reflection that this character
was still without a well grounded
hope* of salvation I Tet many simi
lar cases are constantly occurring,
and our own experiences are often
like this of Jesus : we are constrain
ed to love most tenderly persons
whose waywardness gives us con
stant pain, and from whom we must
anticipate an eternal separation.
On the question propounded by
the young ruler, and his sad de
parture, see the notes on Matt. xix.
20, 22.
The Danger of Riches, 23-27.
(Matt. xix. 23-26 ; Luke xviii. 24-
27.) 24. them that trust in riches.
— The three expressions, " they that
have riches" (23), "them that
trust in riches " (24), and " a rich
man " (25), are used in consecutive
sentences to designate the same
character, and are therefore equiva
lent, though by no means synony
mous expressions. They show that

25-31.]

MARK

329

words. But Je'sus answereth
again, and saith unto them,
Children, how hard is it for
them that trust in riches to
enter into the kingdom of God !
25 It is easier for a camel to go
through the eye of a needle,
than for a rich man to enter
into the kingdom of God. 26And
they were astonished out of
measure, saying among them
selves, Who then can be saved ?
aT And Je'sus looking upon them
saith, With men it is impossible,
but not with God : for with God
all things are possible.
28 [Then] Pe'ter began to say

28 Kai Rec. Omitted by Lach., Tisch., T.
S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.

the kind of rich man contemplated
is one who trusts in riches ; that is,
one who depends for happiness on
his riches rather than ou obedience
to the will of God. The danger of
riches, and the difficulty of saving
rich men arise from their prone-
ness to thus trust iu riches. But
those already rich are not the only
persons exposed to this danger :
those who are eager in the pursuit
of wealth are equally exposed; for
it is said by the apostle Paul, " They
who will be rich, fall into tempta
tion and a snare, and into many fool
ish and hurtful lusts, which drown
men in destruction and perdition."
(1 Tim. vi. 9.)
25-27. It is easier. — See notes
on Matt. xix. 24-26.
Reward of Self- denial, 28-31.
(Matt. xix. 27-30; Luke xviii.
28-30.) 28. Then Peter began.— On
the cause of Peter's remark and
inquiry, see the note on Matt. xix. 27.
30. and lands, with persecu
tions. — Mark omits much of the

unto him, Lo, we have left all,
and have followed thee. 29 [And]
Je'sus [answered and] said,
Verily I say unto you, There is
no man that hath left house, or
brethren, or sisters, or father, or
mother, [or wife,] or children,
or lands, for my sake, and the
gospel's, 80 but he shall receive
an hundredfold now in this time,
houser, and brethren, and sisters,
and mothers, and children, and
lands, with persecutions; and in
the world to come eternal life.
31 But many that are first shall
be last ; and the last first.

29 djroKptSeis Se 6 'Itjo-ou? el-nev Rec. e<I>Tfl o
'I. Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford.
29 r) ywalKa Rec. Omitted by Lach.,
Tisch., Alford, Tregelles.

reply to Peter's inquiry (see the
parallel in Matthew), but here he
introduces an interesting item
omitted by Matthew. It is the
promise that the "houses, breth
ren," etc., are to be received "now
iu this time," and that they are to
be received "with persecutions."
The promised return is realized
usually in the enjoyments of the
Christian life, which are an equiv
alent for an hundredfold of all that
is lost in serving Christ. It is often
the case, however, that a person
who loses one friend for Christ
actually gains a hundred, and that
he who loses his home actually
gains a hundred in the welcome
which he finds to the homes of his
brethren. The qualifying expres
sion, "with persecutions,' was in
tended to guard against a too literal
construction by showing that these
were not inconsistent with the real
meaning of the promise.
31. first shall be last.— On this
verse, and on what is omitted from
the paragraph by Mark, see the
notes on the parallel in Matthew.

330

MARK.

[x. 32-35.

32 And they were in the way
going up to Jeru'salem ; and
Je'sus went before them: and
they were amazed ; and as they
followed, they were afraid. And
he took again the twelve, and
began to tell them what things
should happen unto him, 33 say
ing, Behold, we go up to Jeru'
salem ; and the Son of man

Dread of Jerusalem, and Third
Prediction of. Death, 32-34.
(Matt. xx. 17-19; Luke xviii.
31-34.)
32. amazed . . . afraid. — They
were amazed that he would go to
Jerusalem, and they were afraid
in regard to their own safety as
they followed him. Mark leaves us
without information as to the cause
of these feelings; but John's nar
rative incidentally supplements
Mark's, aud supplies the needed
information. Since leaving Galilee
Jesus had already been to Jerusalem
on a visit not recorded by Mark
(John vii. 1-10; x. 22), and had
encountered such opposition there
that he had been constrained to
retire beyond the Jordan. From
this retirement he had been re
called by the sickness and death
of Lazarus, and as he started in
obedience to this call, the disciples
had exclaimed, " Master, the Jews
of late sought to stone thee; and
goest thou thither again ? " Thomas
said, "Let us also go, that we may
die with him." (John xi. 1-8, 16.)
After raising Lazarus he had been
driven away again by the machina
tions of the Jews, and had retired
to a city called Ephraim, in a coun
try near the wilderness. (John xi.
46-54.) He was now once more
returning to Jerusalem, and it is
not surprising that the disciples
were amazed at his apparent reek-

shall be delivered unto the chief
priests, and unto the scribes;
and they shall condemn him to
death, and shall deliver him to
the Gen' tiles: Mand they shall
mock him, and shall scourge
him, and shall spit upon him,
and shall kill him : and the third
day be shall rise again.
35 And James and John, the

lessuess, and that they followed him
with fear.
The fact that Mark makes the
statement about their surprise and
fear, without furnishing the facts
which account for it, shows the
artless simplicity with which his
narrative was constructed; and the
fact that the causes of their alarm,
when once discovered, are ample
to account for it, shows that his
simplicity is that of a truthful his
torian telling an unvarnished story.
The frequent occurrence of such
coincidences should also teach us
that many other obscure portions
of the gospel narratives would be
rendered perfectly intelligible, if
we were only acquainted with de
tails which have been omitted from
the record for the sake of brevity.
33, 34. Son of man shall be
delivered. — This third prediction
of his final sufferings is much more
circumstantial than either of the
preceding. (Comp. viii. 31 ; ix.
31.) He now gives in epitome, and
in chronological order, the entire
history of the mournful event.
(Comp. note, Matt. xx. 18, 19.)
Ambition of James and John, x.
35-£5. (Matt. xx. 20-28.)
35. sons of Zebedee come to
him. — Matthew states that " the
mother of Zebedee's children came
to him with her sons," and pre
ferred the request about to be

x. 36-45.]

MARK.

331

sons of Zeb'edee, come unto him,
saying [to him], Master, we
would that thou shouldest do for
us whatsoever we shall desire
[of tliee]. 36And he said unto
him, What would ye that I
should do for you? S7They said
unto him, Grant unto us that
we may sit, one on thy right
hand, and the other on thy
left hand, in thy glory. ^But
Je'sus said unto them, Ye know
not what ye ask : can ye drink
of the cup that I drink of?
| and: or] be baptized with the
baptism that I am baptized with ?
39 And they said unto him, We
can. And Je'sus said unto them,
Ye shall indeed drink of the cup
that I drink of; and with the
baptism thatl am baptized withal
shall ye be baptized: "but to

So ai™ Added by Tisch., T. S. Green,
Alford, -TregeUes.
3d <re Added by Lach., Tisch., T. S.
Green, Alford, Tregelles.
38 ical Rec. ij Lach., Tisch., T. S. Green,
Alford, Tregelles.

named; while Mark, saying nothing
of the mother, simply states that
the two sons came. The omission
does not detract from the truthful
ness of the narrative ; for although
the request was preferred through
the lips of the mother, it was really
the request of the sons. So Mat
thew himself represents it; for he
quotes Jesus as replying, not to the
mother, but to the sons, saying,
" Ye know not what ye ask. Are
ye able to drink," etc. (Matt. xx.
22.) The difference, then, arises
from an unimportant omission in
Mark's account.
38, 39. baptized with the
baptism. — There can be no doubt
that Jesus here refers to his last
sufferings, of which he hod just

sit on my right-hand land: or\
on my left hand is not mine to
give ; but it shall be given to
them for whom it is prepared.
"And when the ten heard it,
they began to be much dis
pleased with James and John.
42 But Je'sus called them to him,
and saith unto them, Ye know
that they which are accounted
to rule over the Gen'tiles exer
cise lordship over them ; and
their great ones exercise author
ity upon them. 43But so | shall
it not be: is it not] among you:
but whosoever will be great
among you, shall be your minis
ter: "and- whosoever of you
will be the chiefest, shall be
servant of all. "For even the
Son of man came not to be min
istered unto, but to minister,
and to give his life a ransom for
many. 40 ual Rec. i) Lach., Tisch., T. S. Green,
Alford, Tregelles.
43 lo-rai Rec. eoriv Lach., Tisch., T. S.
Green, Alford, Tregelles.

given a brief prophetic description..
(32-34.) They are called a bap
tism, because, while enduring them,
his soul was sunk in sorrow as the
body when buried in baptism. It
is impossible to think of baptism in
the light of this metaphor as any
thing else than immersion. Neither
sprinkling nor pouring could have
suggested the comparison which the
metaphor implies. Sprinkling, in
deed, if used metaphorically for
suffering, could represent only a
slight degree of it.
For remarks on the other points of
interest in this conversation, see
the notes on the parallel in Mat
thew.

332

MARK.

[x. 46-52.

46 And they came to Jer'icho :
and as he went out of Jer'icho
with his disciples and a great
number, of people, blind Bar-
timse'us, the son of Timse'us, sat
by the highway side begging.
47 And when he heard that it
was Je'sus of Naz'areth, he began
to cry out, and say, Je'sus, thou
son of Da'vid, have mercy on
me. 4SAnd many charged him
that he should hold his peace:
but he cried the more a great
deal, Thou son of Da'vid, have
mercy on me. 49 And Je'sus

The Healing of Blind Bartimeus,
x. 46-52. (Matt. xx. 29-34; Luke
xviii. 35-xix. 1.)
48. blind Bartimseus. — This
blind beggar is introduced as a well-
known character. Mark does not
introduce him as a certain blind
man, whose name was Bartimseus,
the usual manner of introducing a
stranger, but simply as "blind Bar
timseus, the son of Timssus." He
had probably become well known
by his zeal and activity in the cause
of Christ subsequent to the recov
ery of his eye-sight. His notoriety
accounts for the fact that Mark
describes his restoration to sight
without saying any thing of the
other who sat with him and was
healed at the same time. (See the
note on xi. 2, and the parallel in
Matthew.) 52. thy faith hath made thee
whole. — Although Bartimseus wa3
sitting by the way-side bogging as
Jesus " went out of Jericho with his
disciples " (verse 46), and was there
healed, we learn from Luke, that
he also " sat by the way-side beg
ging!' as Jesus "came nigh unto
Jericho." (Luke xviii. 35.) This
shows that between the time at
which Jesus came nigh to the city,

stood still, and commanded him
to be called. And they call the
blind man, saying unto him, Be
of good comfort, rise ; he calleth
thee. 60And he, casting away
his garment, |rose: leaped up]
and came to Je'sus. 61 And Je'
sus answered and said unto him,
What wilt thou that I should do
unto thee ? The blind man said
unto him, Lord, that I might
receive my sight. 52And Je'sus
said unto him, Go thy way ; thy
SO dvao-ras Rec. dva-irrtoria-as Lach., Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.

and the time at which he went out
of it, the blind man had changed
his position. This change of posi
tion is accounted for by other state
ments in Luke. It is said (Luke
xviii. 36), that, " hearing the multi
tude pass by, he asked what it
meant." Now he could not know
that a multitude were approaching
him, unless they were making a
great deal of noise ; but that they
were not, is evident from the fact
that when he began to cry out they
told him to hold his peace. It was
a quiet and sober throng, following
Jesus, and stretched along the high
way to a great distance. The blind
man could only know that a multi-
titude were passing by when a large
number had already passed, and
others were continually passing.
It was then that he asked what it
meant, and was told that it was
occasioned by the presence of
Jesus (Luke xviii. 36, 37) : but
when he began to cry out for
mercy, it was " they who went be
fore ' that told him to hold his
peace, and as they had already
passed by, he must have changed
his position and got in front of the
multitude before lie commenced his
outcry. (Luke xviii. 39.) That he
did change his position, then, is

52.J

MARK

333

faith hath made thee whole.
And immediately he received

clear from Luke's narrative; and
from Mark and Matthew we learn
the point to which he moved: from
a position near the gate at which
Jesus entered the city, he moved
around to that at which he passed out
(if, indeed, he actually passed out
through a different gate), and there
resumed his begging until the mul
titude drew near again.
We can now see how his faith
made him whole. Having believed,
not by having seen the miracles,
but by having heard of them
through others, that Jesus could
give eye-sight to the blind, and hav
ing concluded that he was the
Christ the Son of David, when he
learns that Jesus had passed by
him into Jericho, on his way to
Jerusalem, he springs to his feet,
and either by his own knowledge
of the locality, or by the help of a
friend, he makes his way to where
he will intercept Jesus as he passes
out of the city. Most likely he
passed around the wall, instead of
trying to press through the narrow
and crowded streets. When he
hears the head of that great column
of men approaching him, he cries
out, "Jesus, thou Son of David,
have mercy on me;" and when
those who were going before rebuke
him and tell him to hold his peace,
the more they rebuke him " the
more a great deal" he cries out,
until Jesus comes opposite, stops,
and calls him to him. His faith
saved him by causing him to em
ploy the means necessary to arrest
the attention of Jesus and to secure
the coveted blessing. In the same
way does the faith of the sinner
save him. Faith alone, or faith
without action, could not have made
the blind man whole, nor can it
bring the sinner out of darkness
into light.

his sight, and followed Je'sus in
the way.

followed Jesus. — As Jesus
healed the man, he said to him,
"Go thy way;" and this gave him
liberty to go in any way that he
might choose ; but he chose to " fol
low Jesus in the way," " glorifying
God." (Luke xviii. 43.) Such a
beginning was doubtless followed
by a life-time of devotion to Jesus,
and though we meet not his namo
again in the sacred record, tho
familiar manner in which Mark
introduces his name (see note on 46,
above) is more than a hint of his
high distinction among the disciples
at a later period.
Argument oh Section 1.
In this section Jesus is exhibited
as a teacher, a prophet, and a
worker of miracles. His instruc
tion on the subject Of divorce (1-
12), displays a knowledge of the
primary intention of God concern
ing the relation of the sexgg, and
an insight into the design of the
Mosaic statute on the subject,
which not only rose high above the
Jewish learning of his own age,
but laid claim to a knowledge of
the unrevealed counsel of God.
None but the Son of God, or one
specially commissioned to speak
the mind of God, could blamelessly
speak as he speaks on this subject.
He sets aside, for the future, the
statute of Moses, stating the reason
which governed the mind of God in
giving it, and restores as the law
of his kingdom the original law of
wedded life prescribed in the gar
den of Eden.
His teaching, in the same sec
tion, on the spiritual relations of
infants ; on the duties and dangers
connected with riches; on the re
wards of self-sacrifice for his sake;
and on the true exercise of ambi-

334

MARK.

[xi. 1-4.

XI. 'And when they came
nigh to Jeru'salem, | unto Beth'-
phage and : and to ] Beth'any, at
the mount of Ol'ives, he sendeth
forth two of his disciples, 2 and
saith unto them, Go your way
into the village over against
you : and as soon as ye be en-
1 et? BjjfJ.frayi) Kai JSijQaviav Rec. Kai elf
Brj9aviav Lach., Tisch., T. S. Green, n, a,
b, c, etc., Vulgate.

tion, are alike suited to his charac
ter as the Son of God, and to the
highest happiness of mankind. It
is inconceivable that they can be
the teachings of an ignorant or a
wicked pretender.
While his superhuman wisdom
i3 thus displayed in his teaching,
his ability to look with divine fore
knowledge into all the details of
future events is demonstrated by
his minute description of the suffer
ings which awaited him.
The account of blind Bartimeus,
while it proves again his power to
heal, reflects additional credibility
on the account of his previous mir
acles. This man, being blind, could
have known of the previous mira
cles only by hearsay ; he could not
have seen them for himself. That
he did, then, believe in the power
of Jesus to heal, shows the abun
dance and sufficiency of the testi
mony which was brought to his
ears ; and the very existence of this
testimony in regard to a matter
about which men could not be mis
taken, is proof that real miracles
had been wrought.

SECTION II.
Incidents and Discussions in Je
rusalem, XI, XII.
Public Entry into Jerusalem, xl. 1-11;
The Barreu Fig-tree Cursed, 12-14;

tered into it, ye shall find a colt
tied, whereon never man sat;
loose him, and bring him. 3And
if any man say unto you, Why
do ye this? say ye that the Lord
hath need of him ; and straight
way he will send him hither.
4 And they went their way, and
found the colt tied by the door
without in a place where two
ways met ; and they loose him.

The Temple Cleared, 15-19 ; The Fig-
tree Found Withered, 20-26; His Au
thority Demanded, 27-33; Parable of
the Wicked Husbandmen, xii. 1-12;
Question about Tribute to Ceesar, ii-
17; Question about the Resurrection,
18-27; The Great Commandment, 28-
34; The Lordship of the Christ, 35-
37; Ostein at ion and Avarice of the
Scribes, 38-40 ; The Widow's Mite, 11-
44.

Public Entry into Jerusalem, xi.
1-11. (Matt. xxi. 1-11; Luke
xix. 29-44; John xii. 12-19.)
1. unto Bethphage. — These
words are rejected from the text by
a few of the critics, but by refer
ence to the critical note above the
reader can see that the grounds for
their rejection are but slight ; and
they are of undisputed genuineness
in the parallel verse of Luke. (On
the locality, see note, Matt, xxi: 1.)
2. a colt tied. — Matthew says,
" an ass tied and a colt with her."
According to both accounts, it was
the colt that was ridden (7 ; comp.
Matt. xxi. 5); so Mark, pursuing
his characteristic method of sin
gling out the one most important
person or object in a group, men
tions the colt and says nothing of
the dam. (For other examples of
this method, compare v. 2 with
Matt. viii. 28; vii. 31, 32 with Matt.
xv. 29, 30; x. 46 with Matt. xx. 30;
xi. 21 with Matt. xxi. 20; xii. 2 with
Matt. xxi. 34 ; siii. 1, 2 with Matt.
xxiv. 31, .)

xi. 5-13.]

MARK.

335

'And certain of 'them that
stood there said unto them,
What do ye, loosing the colt?
6 And they said unto them even
as Je'sus had commanded : and
they let them go. 'And they
brought the colt to Je'sus, and
cast their garments on him ; and
he sat upon him. e A»nd many
spread their garments in the way :
and others cut down branches
toff the trees : out of the fields \
and strawed them in the way].
•And they that went before, and
they that followed, cried, [say-
8 SevSpiav Rec. dypav Tisch., T. S. Green,
Alford, _Tregelles.
8 Kai ea-rp&vvvov eis rrjv boov Rec. Omitted
by Tisch, T. S. Green, Afford, Tregelles,
K, B, c, L, A, Sahidic.
9 keyovres Rec. Omitted by T. S. Green,
Alford, Tregelles.

5, 6. What do ye.— Here Mark
gives an incident which is omitted
by the other writers. He states
that the inquiry, " Why do ye
this?'1 which was anticipated and
provided for by the Savior (3), was
actually made when the disciples
were untying the colt, and that
when the inquirers were told, "The
Lord hath need of him," "they let
them go." This was another dis
play of foreknowledge, showing
that Jesus knew where the animals
would be found, and what would be
the mind and word of their owner.
10. Blessed be the kingdom —
This exclamation of the people
shows that they expected Jesus to
immediately set up the kingdom
of David, and to assume the throne
which had been vacant from the
time of the Babylonish captivity.
Luke, indeed, states it as a fact in
connection with his departure from
Jericho on this journey to Jerusa
lem, that the multitude who fol
lowed him " thought that the king
dom of God should immediately
appear." (Luke xix. 11.) It was

ing,] Hosanna ; Blessed is he
that cometh in the name of the
Lord : 10 Blessed be the kingdom
of our father Da'vid, that com
eth [in the name of the Lord] :
Hosanna in the highest. n And
"Je'sus] entered into Jeru'salem,
and] into the temple : and when
le had looked round about upon
all things, and now the eventide
was come, he went out unto
Beth'any with the twelve.
12 And on the morrow, when
they were come from Beth'any,
he was hungry : 13 and seeing a
fig-tree afar off having leaves, he
10 ev bvopart Kvpiov Rec. Omitted by
Lach., Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford, Tre
gelles. 11 6 'Itjo-ous «ai Rec. Omitted by Lach.,
Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.
the exulting thought of national
independence and glory that in
spired their acclamations; and tho
same feeling prepared them for the
reverse of feeling toward Jesus,
which occurred when they found
him a prisoner iu the hands of Pon
tius Pilate.
For other remarks on the public
entry, see the parallel in Matthew.
11. went out unto Bethany.—
Matthew proceeds at this point of
the narrative to speak of the clear
ing of the temple, which actually
occurred the next day (Matt. xxi.
11, 12; comp. Mark xi. 12, 15); but
Mark, more observant of chronol
ogy, represents Jesus as merely
" looking round about on all things, '
and retiring at " eventide" to Beth
any. We learn from Luke that he
continued to make Bethany his
lodging-place until the night of the
Last Supper." (Luke xxi. 37, 38.)
The Barren Fig-tree Cursed, 12-14.
(Matt. xxi. 17-22.)
13. the time of figs was not
yet. — The fact that it was not yet

336

MARK.

[xi. 14-18.

came, if haply he might find
any thing thereon : and when he
came to it, he found nothing but
leaves ; for the time of figs was
not yet. 14And [Je'sus] an
swered and said unto it, No man
eat fruit of thee hereafter for
ever. And his disciples heard
it. 15 And they come^to Jeru'sa
lem : and [Je'sus] went into the
temple, and began to ca^t out
them that sold and bought in
the temple, and overthrew the
14, 15 b 'Iijo-oSs Rec. Omitted bv Lach.,
Tisch., T. 8. Green, Alford, Tregelles.

fig-time made it the worse for this
tree. On this kind of fig-tree the
fruit forms before the leaves, aud
should be full grown when the
leaves appear : so this tree, by put
ting ou its foliage before the time
for figs, was proclaiming itself
superior to all the other fig-trees.
This made it a striking symbol of
the hypocrite, who, not content with
appearing to be as good as other
people, usually puts on the appear
ance of being a great deal better.
(Comp. the note on Matt. xxi. 19.)
14. his disciples heard it.—
The fig-tree being "afar off" (13),
and Jesus having gone alone to see
if there was fruit on it, it was well
here to note the fact that the disci
ples heard what he said to the tree.
He intentionally spoke loud enough
for them to hear him, because he
wished to teach them a lesson.
For the result, see 20-26 below.
The Temple Cleared, 15-19. (Matt.
xxi. 12-16; Luke xix. 45-48.)
15. began to cast out. — On this
verse, and the seventeenth, see Matt.
xxi. 12, 13.
16. any vessel through the
temple. — This statement is pecul
iar to Mark. The practice referred

tables of the money-changers,
and the seats of them that sold
doves ; 16 and would not suffer
that any man should carry any
vessel through the temple. "And
he taught, saying [unto them],
Is it not written, My house shall
be called of all nations the house
of prayer ? but ye have made it
a den of thieves. 18And the
scribes and chief priests heard
it, and sought how they might
destroy him : for they feared
him, because all the people was
17 airor? Rec. Omitted by Tisch., T. S.
Green, Alford.

to is doubtless that of making the
temple court a pass-way in carrying
burdens from one part of the city
to another. Persons might pass
through the temple to save the in
convenience of going around, and
thus disregard the exclusively sa
cred uses for which the temple was
erected. 18. how they might destroy
him. — Tbe scribes and the chief
priests who now sought to destroy
him, were responsible for the cor
rupt teaching which had resulted
in the desecration of the temple
court, and therefore they were se
verely rebuked by the Savior's ex
pulsion of the traders, and by his
remark that they had made his
Father's house a den of thieves.
This was the beginning of that final
conflict which led to his condemna
tion and death.
for they feared him.— This is
given, not as the reason why they
desired to destroy him, but as the
reason why, instead of destroying
him at once, they sought how they
might destroy him : and the diffi
culty which lay in their way is the
one stated in the next clause of the
sentence, "all the people was aston
ished at his teaching. His teach-

xi. 19-24.]

MARK.

Ol

astonished at his doctrine. MAnd
when even was come, he went
out of the city.
20 And in the morning, as they
passed by, they saw the fig-tree
dried up from the roots. "And
Pe'ter calling to remembrance
saith unto him, Master; behold,
the fig-tree which thou cursedst
is withered away. 22 And Je'sus
answering saith unto them, Have
23 yap Rec. Omitted by Lach., Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Alford.

ing was so new, so divine, and so
amply supported by miraculous
demonstrations, that the people re
ceived it with applause.
The Fig-tree Found Withered, 20-
26! (Matt. xxi. 20-22.)
20. in the morning. — Matthew,
choosing to finish the account of
the fig-tree while he had it in hand,
follows the statement of the curse
with the remark, " And presently
(tiapaxprjua, immediately) the fig-
tree withered away; " by which we
understand that it began to wither
immediately. Mark, preferring the
chronological order here to the or
der of association, and designing
to give more prominence to the inci
dent, states that it was the next
morning, as they returned toward
the city, that they found the tree
withered. In leaving the city the
evening before, they had probably
gone by a different path and had
not noticed the tree. Now they
find it " dried up from the roots ; .'
the withering which began when
the curse was pronounced having
extended to the roots.
21. Peter calling to remem
brance. — Here we learn that it was
Peter who made the remark attrib
uted by Matthew to the disciples
as a body (Matt. xxi. 20), "Master,
behold the fig-tree which thou curs
edst is withered away.' ' Tho briefer
29

faith in .God. "'[For] verily I
say unto you, That whosoever
shall say unto this mountain, Be
thou removed, and be thou cast
into the sea ; and shall not doubt
in his heart, but shall believe
that those things which he saith
shall come to pass ; he shall have
[whatsoever he saith]. 24 There
fore I say unto you, What things
23 S edv eiirj; Rec. Omitted by Tisch., T.
S. Green, Tregelles, N, B, c, l, a, etc., Vul
gate, Coptic.

expression employed by Matthew,
" How soon is the fig-tree withered
away," is the same in meaning,
though not iu word.
23. shall believe that those
things. — Here we see what the
faith was by which miracles were
wrought. It is not merely faith in
God or in Christ, but belief, when
a mountain is commanded to move,
or any other miracle is com
manded, " that those things which
he saith shall come to pass." Of
course, no one could rationally be
lieve this who was not possessed
of miraculous gifts ; but a man
might have these gifts and fail to
mace them effective for want of
this faith. (See, for examples, Matt.
xiv. 30, 31 ; xvii. 19, 20.)
24. believe that ye receive. —
In the original, according to the
corrected text which is here sup
ported by authority so high as to
place it almost beyond the reach of
doubt (see critical note above), the
verb " receive " is not in the Present
tense, but in the Aorist, and it is
translated in the brackets " have
received." It is an instance, how
ever, of a peculiar use of the Aorist,
which is represented in English by
the Present tense. Mr. Green states
that the Aorist is occasionally used
in the New Testament "when a
circumstance which is to issue aa a
matter of general certainty, is rep-

338

MARK.

[xi. 25-30.

soever ye desire, when ye pray,
believe that ye | receive them:
have received \ and ye shall have
them. 25And when ye stand
praying, forgive, if ye have
ought against any: that your
Father also which is in heaven
may forgive you your trespasses.
!6[But if ye do not forgive,
neither will your Father which
is in heaven forgive your tres
passes.] "And they come again to
21 kapBdvere ReC. ekdBere Lach., Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles, X, b, c, l, a,
Coptic. 26 Omitted by Tisch., T. S. Green,
Tregelles, X, B, l, s, a, etc., k, 1, Coptic,
Armenian.

resented as an issue in fact" (N.
T. Grammar, p. 136), and he cites
the following passages : John xv. 6,
rendered in the common version,
" If a man abide not in me, he is
cast forth as a branch and is with
ered, where " cast forth" and "with
ered " are in the Aorist ; and John
" xvi. 8, " Herein is my Father glori
fied, that ye bear much fruit;"
where " glorified " and " bear" are
in the Aorist. That the instance
before us is one of the same class
• is seen by the fact that the ordinary
rendering of the Aorist here in
volves the sentence in an absurdity.
It makes Jesus say, "Believe that
ye have received them, and ye shall
have them." The real idea is, be
lieve that it is a matter of general
certainty to receive them, and you
shall have them. The passage de
clares concerning prayer the same
necessity for faith that is declared
by verse 23 in reference to miracle
working. (Comp. Jas. i. 6, 7. Other
instances of the use of the Aorist
for the Present are found in Jas. i.
11, and 1 Pet. i. 24.)
25. when ye stand praying. —
This expression shows that it was

Jeru'salem : and as he was walk
ing in the temple, there come to
him the chief priests, and the
scribes, and the elders, ^and
say unto him, By what authority
doest thou these things? and who
gave thee this authority to do
these things ? w And Je'sus [an
swered and] said unto them, I
will [also] ask of you one ques
tion, and answer me, and I will
tell you by what authority I do
these things. K The baptism of
John, was it from heaven, or of

29 a-n-oKpi9eU Rec Omitted by Tisch., T
S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.
29 Kdya Rec. Omitted by Tisch., T. S.
Green, Alford, Tregelles.

usual for the disciples to pray stand
ing. Kneeling and prostration were
and are more devout postures, and
should be preferred when circum
stances do not forbid; but standing
is here recognized by Jesus as a
suitable posture, and it is therefore
not to be despised. Whether a
worshiping assembly should habit
ually stand or kneel must be deter
mined by each for itself in the light
of surrounding circumstances ; but
it should be remembered, that while
standing and kneeling are both
marks of respect in the presence
of a superior, sitting is not; and
consequently, sitting in prayer be
trays a want of reverence.
forgive. — On the necessity of
forgiving in order to forgiveness,
see the note, Matt. vi. 14, 15. The
•logical connection of this precept
with its context is somewhat ob
scure, but it seems to be this : The
disciples had seen Jesus curse and
blast the fig-tree, and they doubtless
understood the significance of the
act. They might, from this exam
ple, when they encountered the hyp
ocrites represented by the fig-tree, be
encouraged to curse them in a sim-

xi. 31— xii. 6.]

MARK

339

men? answer me. 8IAnd they
reasoned with themselves, say
ing, If we Shall say, From
heaven; he will say, Why [then]
did ye not believe him ? S2 But
| if we shall : are we to ] say, Of
men; they feared the people: for
all men counted John, that he
was a prophet indeed. S3And
they answered and said unto
Je'sus, We can not tell. And
Je'sus [answering] saith unto
them, Neither do I tell you by
what authority I do these things.
XH. 1 And he began to speak
unto them by parables. A cer
tain man planted a vineyard,
and set an hedge abont it, and
digged a place for the winefat,
and built a tower, and let it out
to husbandmen, and went into a
far country. 2And at the sea-
31 oiv Rec. Omitted by Lach., Tisch.,
T. 8. Green, Alford, Tregelles.
32 dkk' edv Rec dkkd Lach., Tisch., T.
S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.
33 airoKpift-ij Rec. Omitted' by Tisch., T.
S. Green, Alford.

ilar manner ; but they are guarded
against this by the precept, " When
ye stand praying, forgive if ye have
ought against any." Instead of
praying for a curse on them, pray
God to forgive them, and do so
yourself. His Authority Demanded, 27-33.
(Matt. xxi. 23-32; Luke xx. 1-8.)
Mark's report of this conversa
tion is almost identical with Mat
thew's, and the reader is referred
to the parallel in Matthew for com
ments.Parable of the Wicked Husband
men, xii. 1-12. (Matt. xxi. 33-
46; Luke xx. 9-19.)
1. planted a vineyard. — On

son he sent to the husbandmen a
servant, that he might receive
from the husbandmen of the
fruit of the vineyard. 3And
they caught him, and beat him,
and sent him away empty.
4 And again he sent unto them
another servant; and | at him
they cast stones, and wounded
him : him they wounded ] in the
head, and | sent him away shame
fully handled : treated him sluxme-
fully]. 6And [again] he sent
another ; and him they killed,
and many others ; beating some,
and killing some. 6 Having yet
[therefore] one son, [his] well-
beloved, he sent him [also] last
4 ki9oBokrjo-avres Rec. Omitted by Lach.,
T. S% Green, Alford, Tregelles.
4 direareikav -fjrZpoipevov Rec. r)rlpr)o-av
Lach., T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.
5 rrdkuv Rec. Omitted by Lach., Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.
6 oiv Rec. Omitted by Tisch., T. S.
Green, Alford, Tregelles.
6 airov Rec. Omitted by Lach., Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.
6 Kai Rec. Omitted by Tisch., T. S.
Green, Alford, Tregelles.

the description of the vineyard, see
the note, Matt. xxi. 33.
2, 4, 5. a servant.— Here again
we find Mark, according to his
characteristic method, fixing atten
tion ou a single individual when
a plurality were actually engaged
in the transaction. (See Matt. xxi.
34, 36, and comp. note on Mark xi.
2.) Luke, like Mark, uses the
singular number in this place.
(Luke xx. 10.)
4, 5. another servant. — The in
crease of severity toward the serv
ants, the first being merely beaten,
the second being wounded in the
head with stones, aud the third
being killed, gives the force of a
climax to the description, but points
to no historical feature in the sig
nificance ofthe parable. The serv-

340

MARK.

[xii. 7-15.

unto them, saying, They will
reverence my son. 7 But those
husbandmen said among them
selves, This is the heir ; come,
let us kill him, and the inherit
ance shall be ours. 8 And they
took him, and killed him, and
cast him out of the vineyard.
9 What shall [therefore] the lord
of the vineyard do ? he will come
and destroy the husbandmen,
and will give the vineyard unto
others. 10 And have ye not read
this ssripture ; The stone which
the builders rejected is become
the head of the corner: "this
was the Lord's doing, and it is
9 ovv Rec. Omitted by Tisch., T. S.
Green, Alford.

ants sent to the husbandmen repre
sent the prophets who had been
sent to the Jews (note on Matt. xxi.
43), but there was no regular grada
tion in the persecutions which they
encountered. 7. the inheritance shall be
ours. — The vine-dressers are here
represented as hoping to become
owners of the vineyard by slaying
the heir. If the heir were slain,
and the death of the present owner
should leave them in possession,
they might hope to hold the vine
yard as their own. There is noth
ing corresponding to this purpose
iu the dealing of the Jews with
Jesus, consequently it has no sig
nificance in the interpretation of
the parable.
9. he will come and destroy. —
Mark represents Jesus as answer
ing his own question, "What shall
the Lord of the vineyard do ? " But
Matthew (xxi. 41) represents the
chief priests and scribes as giving
the answer. Doubtless the latter is
the more exact representation, and
Mark reports it as the answer of

marvelous in our eyes ? 12 And
they sought to lay hold on him,
but feared the people: for they
knew that he had spoken the
parable against them: and they
left him, and went their way.
13 And they send unto him
certain of the Phar'isees and of
the Hero'dians, to catch himin his
words. 14And when they were
come, they say unto him, Master,
we know "that thou art true, and
carest for no man : for thou re-
gardest not the person of men,
but teachest the way of God in
truth : Is it lawful to give
tribute to Cse'sar, or not?
15 Shall we give, or shall we not
give? But he, knowing their

Jesus, because it was the answer
that he wanted, and because, when
it was given, he approved it.
10, 11. The stone. — On the mean
ing and the application of this re
mark, see the note, Matt. xxi. 42.
12. for they knew. — The" parties
referred to are the chief priests and
scribes who had introduced this
conversation by asking him for his
authority (xi. 27). They now
"sought to lay hands on him" — an
advance on the feeling of the pre
vious day, when they " sought how
they might destroy him" (xi. 18);
but the fear of the people was still,
as then, in their way.
they left him.— Being afraid to
lay hold of him, and being too
much exasperated to continue the
conversation with him, they went
away and devised the plot men
tioned in the next paragraph.
Question about Tribute to Ccesar,
13-17. (Matt. xxii. 15-22^ Luke
xx. 20-26.)
This paragraph contains nothing
in addition to Matthew's report of

[xii. 16-28.]

MARK.

341

hypocrisy, said unto them, Why
tempt ye me ? bring me a penny,
that I may see it. 16 And they
brought it. And he saith unto
them, Whose is this image and
superscription? And they said
unto him, Cse'sar's. "And Je'
sus [answering] said [unto them],
Render to Ca3'sar the things that
are Caesar's, and to God the
things that are God's. And they
marveled at him.
18 Then come unto him the
Sad'ducees, which say there is no
resurrection; and they asked
him, saying, 19 Master, Mo'ses
wrote unto us, If a man's brother
die, and leave his wife behind
him, and leave no children, that
his brother should take his wife,
and raise up seed unto his brother.
20 Now there were seven brethren :
and the first- took a wife, and
dying left no seed. 21And the
second took her, and died,
| neither left he any : leaving no ]
seed: and the third likewise.
22 And the seven [had her, and]
left no seed: last of all the

17 Kai d-irOKptdels b 'I. Rec. o Se 'I. Lach.,
Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.
17 diroU Rec. Omitted by Tisch., T. S.
Green, Alford.
21 Kai oiSe aurbs a<pr)K€ Rec. prj Kara-
Auiw T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles, X, B,
c, L, A, 33, c, Coptic.
22 eAaSov airyv Kai Rec. Omitted by
Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.

the same conversation ; the reader
is therefore referred for comments
to the parallel in Matthew.
Question about the Resurrection,
18-27. (Matt. xxii. 23-33; Luke
xx. 27-40.)
For the discussion of this para
graph also, see the parallel in Mat
thew.

woman died also. 23In the res
urrection [therefore], [when
they shall rise,] whose wife shall
she be of them? for the seven
had her to wife. 24 | And Je'sus
answering : Je'sus \ said unto
them, Do ye not therefore err,
because ye know not the script
ures, neither the power of God?
25 For when they shall rise from
the dead, they neither marry,
nor are given in marriage ; but
are as the angels which are in
heaven. 26 And as touching the
dead, that they rise : have ye
not read in the book of Mo'ses,
how in the bush God spake
unto him, saying, I am the
God of A'braham, and the God
of I'saac, and the God of Ja'cob?
27 He is not [the] God of the
dead, but [the God] of the liv
ing : ye [therefore] do greatly
err. 28 And one of the scribes came,
and having heard them reason-
23 oiv Rec. Omitted by Tisch., T. S.
Green, Alford, Tregelles.
23 brav dvao-rato-i Rec. Omitted by T. S.
Green, Tregelles, X, B, c, L, A, etc., c, k, P.
Syriac, Coptic, etc.
24 Kai a7roKpi6ei9 6 'Itjitous elrrev airois
Rec. ea%r\ airois b 'I. Tisch., T. S. Green,
Alford, Tregelles.
27 6 Rec. Omitted by Lach., Tisch., T.
S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.
27 ©ebi Ree. Omitted by Lach., Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.
27 ipeU oiv Rec. Omitted by Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Alford.

The Great Commandment, 28-34.
(Matt. xxii. 34-40.)
28. one ofthe scribes. — A char
acteristic difference between Mat
thew and Mark is apparent at this
point. Matthew says, "When the
Pharisees had heard that he had
put the Sadducees to silence, they
were gathered together," and he

342

MARK.

[xii. 29-34.

ing together, and perceiving that
he had answered them well,
asked him, Which is the first
commandment of all? 2DAnd
Je'sus answered him, The first
[of all the commandments] is,
Hear, O Is'rael; The Lord our
God is one Lord: 30and thou
shalt love the Lord thy God
with all thy heart, and with all
thy soul, and with all thy mind,
and with all thy strength: [this
is the first commandment.]
31 | And the second is like, name
ly: T/ie second is] this, Thou
shalt love thy neighbor as thy-
29 -nao-Siv rtav evrokSiv Rec. Omitted by
Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.
30 ai»r>> jrpuiTij evrokrj Rec. Omitted by
Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford, X, b, e, l, a,
Coptic. 31 «al bpoia Rec. Omitted by Tisch., T.
S. Green, Alford.

represents " one of them who was
a lawyer," as putting the question
about the great commandment.
Mark, pursuing his usual method
of selecting an individual from a
group of actors, says nothing of the
Pharisees, but simply Bays "one of
the scribes came ' and put. the
question. (Comp. note, xi. 2, and
references there given.) The defeat
of the Sadducees by Jesus, had put
the Pharisees in a sufficiently good
humor to make them feel like re
newing the conversation which they
had abruptly terminated a short
time previous. (Verse 12.)
first commandment. — Not the'
first numerically, for this was well
known ; but the first in point of im
portance. 29. The first— In quoting the
answer of Jesus, Mark reverses the
order of the first two sentences as
they are given by Matthew. The
latter gives the commandment,
"Thou shalt love," etc., and then
the remark, "This is the first and

self. There is none other com
mandment greater than these.
32 And the scribe said unto hiin,
Well, Master, thou hast said the
truth : for | there is one God :
He. is one]; and there is none
other but he : 33 and to love him
with all the heart, and with
all the understanding, [and
with all the soul,] and with all
the strength, and to love his
neighbor- as himself, is more
than all whole burnt offeiings
and sacrifices. u And when Je'
sus saw that he answered dis
creetly, he said unto him, Thou
art not far from the kingdom
32 ©eb; Rec. Omitted by Lach., Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.
33 Kai ef oAjjs rr)s ipvxys Rec. Omit
ted by T. S. Green, X, B, l, a, etc., a,
Coptic.

great commandment; " while Mark
makes the latter thought introduc
tory to the former. This is an ex
ample of free quotation, in which,
for the sake of brevity, there is a
change in the order of the sentences
without the slightest change iu the
meaning. 30, 31. Thou shalt love.— On
the two commandments, see the
notes, Matt. xxii. 36-40.
32, 33. the scribe said to him.
— The scribe had propounded his
question for the purpose of tempt
ing Jesus (Matt. xxii. 35) ; that is,
of testing his knowledge ofthe law.
But the answer which he received
was so luminous and so self-
evidently true, that he at once ex
claimed, " Master, thou hast said
the truth." He had the good sense,
too, to enlarge on the answer in a
very happy and forcible style.
Never was a would-be captivator
more unexpectedly captured.
34. not far from the kingdom.
— The man's response arrested the

Xll.

35-37.]

MARK.

343

of God. And no man after
that durst ask him any ques
tion. 35 And Je'sus answered and
said, while he taught in the
.temple, How say the scribes
that Christ is the son of Da'vid ?
36 [For] Da'vid himself said by
the Holy Ghost, The Loed said

36 ydp Rec. Omitted by Tisch., T. S.
Green, Alford.

attention of Jesus. It showed a
readiness in perceiving the truth,
and a promptness in accepting it,
which were surprising in one of
his class, and the more so from the
fact that he had been put forward
for the purpose of testing the Mas
ter with hard questions. With a
penetrating but approving look,
Jesus said to him, "Thou art not
far from the kingdom of God." The
obvious meaning of this remark is,
that the man was in a condition to
very readilv receive the kingdom.
It was perhaps also true that he
was not far from the kingdom in
point of time. It would be strange
if such a man did not immediately
enter the kingdom when it was
preached by the apostles on and
after Pentecost.
durst ask him any question. —
They dared not ask any more, be
cause they were not willing to be
defeated as some of the questioners
had been, nor compelled to give as
sent to his answer as the last one had
been, and they could hope for noth
ing better. Matthew introduces the
remark that no one dared to ask him
any more questions, at the close of
the next paragraph, but Mark more
appropriately introduces it here,
because this was the last question
which they propounded to him,
and the next paragraph discusses
one which he propounded to
them.

to my Lord, Sit thou on my
right hand, till I |make thine
enemies thy footstool: put thine
enemies beneath thy feet ] . 37 Da'vid
[therefore] himself calleth him
Lord; and whence is he then
his son? And the common peo
ple heard him gladly.
36 irrOTrobiov Rec. irrOKaria Tisch., T. S.
Green, Alford, B, D, 28, Coptic, etc.
37 oiSj- Rec. Omitted by Tisch., T. S.
Green, Alford, TregeUes.
The Lordship of the Christ, 35-37.
(Matt. xxii. 41-46; Luke xx.
41-44.) 35, 36. — Mark omits the part
which the Pharisees played in this
conversation, and gives but u,
synopsis of the argument made by
Jesus. For remarks, see the notes
on the parallel in Matthew.
37. the common people heard
him gladly. — This remark has
reference, not merely to the para
graph with which it is connected,
but to the entire discussion which
had occupied the day. But what
was true of the common people as
sembled then in Jerusalem, was
equally true of those among whom
he had taught in Galilee and Perea.
It was only the elders, the chief
priests, the lawyers, and the scribes,
who did not hear him gladly. To
these he appeared in the light of a
rival and an enemy, and he appear
ed thus only because he persisted
in exposing their errors and in
pressing on the' attention of the
people truths which they rejected.
That the common people hear a
man gladly in our own age can not
be taken as a proof in itself that
his teaching is like that of Jesus,
yet he who is most like Jesus will
still be most gladly heard by the
common people. He who in any
great degree fails of this must
have some most serious defect

344

MARK.

" [xii. 38-44.

"And he said unto them in
his doctrine, Beware pf the
scribes, which love to go in long
clothing, and love salutations in
the marketplaces, 39 and the
chief seats in the synagogues, and
the uppermost rooms at feasts:
"which devour widows' houses,
and for a pretense make long
prayers: these shall receive
greater damnation.
41 And [Je'sus] sat over against
41 6 'Ino-oit Rec. Omitted by Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.
as a preacher of the gospel of
Christ. Ostentation and Avarice of the
Scribes, 38-40. (Matt, xxiii;
Luke xx. 45-47.)
38. Beware of the scribes. —
In this paragraph Mark quotes but
two sentences from a speech which
fills the entire twenty-third chapter
of Matthew. Luke treats the sub
ject in the same way, making the
same quotation almost verbatim.
(See the parallels. For remarks on
the thoughts of verses 38, 39, see
the notes, Matt, xxiii. 5-12.)
40. devour widows' houses. —
This is a hyperbole to represent
the extreme avarice of the scribes.
The greed with which they de
frauded widows is represented by
the strong figure of eating up the
houses in which they lived.
for a pretense. — To keep up an
appearance of piety which did not
exist. As the prayers were made
for this purpose, and made long in
order to more effectually accom
plish the purpose, they only added
to the wickedness which they were
designed to conceal. The damna
tion was greater because the wick
edness was greater. So it must
ever be with men who use the cloak
of religion to serve the devil in.

the treasury, and beheld how the
people cast money into the treas
ury: and many that were rich
cast in much. 42 And there came
a certain poor widow, and she
threw in two mites, which make .
a farthing. "And he called
unto him his disciples, and saith
unto them, Verily I say unto
you, That this poor widow hath
cast more in, than all they which
have cast into the treasury:
"for all they did cast in of their
abundance ; but she of her want

The Widow's Mite, 41-44. (Luke
xxi. 1-4.)
41. over against the treasury.
— The treasury was the chest or
other receptacle into which the
people cast the contributions which
the law of Moses required all of
them to bring when they, came up
to the annual festivals. (Deut. xvi.
16, 17.) Jesus was sitting opposite
to this receptacle, and purposely
"beholding how the people cast
money into the treasury," in order
that he might give a lesson on the
subject. 42. two mites. — Our translators
use the word "mite" for want of
any term in English corresponding
to the original (¦ktrttov), which is
the Greek name of a coin equal to
about two mills of American money.
The two mites, or lepta, which the
woman contributed, were equal to
four mills, or a little less than half
a cent. To the expression "two
lepta," Mark appends for the bene
fit of his Roman readers the clause,
"which make a kodrantes" (inac
curately translated farthing); the
latter being a Roman coin, and the
Greek lepton being unfamiliar
where the Roman coins alone were
in circulation.
43, 44. hath cast more in.—

Xlll.

1, 2.]

MARK

345

did cast in all that she had, even
all her living.
XIH. *And as he went out
of the temple, one of his disci
ples saith unto him, Master, see
More in proportion to her ability.
There are two ways in which to
estimate the value of contributions;
first, with reference to the benevo
lent object on which the money is
to be expended; and second, with
reference to the spiritual good re
sulting to the contributor. Esti
mated according to the former
standard, the larger gifts of the
rich were the more valuable, be
cause they would accomplish more
in feeding the poor and in provid
ing for the expenses of the temple.
But from the latter point of view,
the gift of the widow was greater
than all, because she actually gave
mor* in proportion to her ability,
and secured to herself a greater
blessing at the hand of God. She
did voluntarily what Jesus had
vainly commanded the rich young
ruler to do; though poor herself
she gave her all to feed the poor.
She did this, too, when she had
only her widow's hands with which
to earn more ; but he had refused
though he had the strength and
ingenuity of young manhood to
guard him against future want.
Argument of Section 2.
In this section the historian has
presented only one miracle, that of
withering the barren fig-tree. The
section is chiefly taken up with
conversations and speeches, in
which some of the peculiar teach
ings of Jesus are set forth, and in
which his superhuman wisdom is
conspicuously exhibited. In the
conversations about his own author
ity, the tribute to Caesar, the resur
rection of the dead, the great com-

what manner of stones and what
buildings are here ! 2 And Je'sus
[answering] said unto him, Seest
2 ajroKpiSei! Rec. Omitted by Tisch., T.
S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.

mandment, and the Lordship of
the Christ, he not only silenced his
enemies, so that no man dared to
ask him any more questions, but he
displayed a wisdom which has never
ceased to command the admiration
of wise and good men. All men,
iu the presence of his utterances
on these subjects, feel themselves
in contact with a mind which towers
above their own as the heavens are
above the earth. They contain a
subtile but irresistible proof, that
he who spoke them was filled with
a wisdom whieh came down from
heaven ; and such must be the ever-
deepening conviction of all who
dwell on them thoughtfully.

SECTION III.
The Destruction of the Temple
Foretoud, XIH.
Occasion ofthe Prediction, 1-4; False
Christs, Wars, Earthquakes, and
Famines, 5-8; Persecution of the
Disciples, 9-13; The Last Sign, and
the Time for Flight, 14-20; Other
Warnings against False Christs, 21-
23 ; Coming of the Son of Man, 24-27 ;
Parable of the Fig-tree, 28-31 ; Un
certainty of the Day, 32-37.

Occasion of the Prediction, xiii.
1-4. (Matt. xxiv. 1-3 ; Luke xxi.
5-7.) 1. as he went out. — See the note
on Matt. xxiv. 1.
1, 2. Seest thou.— In this pas
sage we see a striking instance of
the difference between the style of
Mark and that of Matthew. Mark
is more specific,- saying that " one
of his disciples" said "Master, see
what manner of stones and what
buildings are here," and that Jesus

346

MARK.

[xiii. 3-8.

thou these great buildings ? there
shall not be left one stone upon
another, that shall not be thrown
down. 3 And as he sat upon the
mount of Ol'ives over against the
temple, Pe'ter and James and
John and An'drew asked him
privately, 4Tell us, when shall
these things be? and what shall
be the sign when all these things
shall be fulfilled?
6 And Je'sus | answering them
began to say: began to say to
them], Take heed lest any man
5 diroKpifcis Rec. Omitted by Tisch., T.
S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.

" said to him, Seest thou," etc. ;
while Matthew, in his more in
definite manner, says that " his dis
ciples " called his attention to the
buildings, and that he said "See ye
not all these things ? " (Comp. Matt.
xxiv. 1, 2, and see the note xi. 2.)
3. Peter and James. — Here
again Mark is more specific than
Matthew; for the latter says, "the
disciples came to him privately,"
while Mark states that it was
" Peter, James, John, and Andrew."
This is one time that Andrew was
iu company with the " chosen
three," when they were apart from
the other disciples; but even now
he is separated, in the arrangement
of the names, from his brother Peter,
and put last, as being the least con
spicuous of the four.
over against the temple. —
These words, appended to the state
ment that Jesus " sat on the Mount
of Olives," have been construed as
indicating to Gentile readers that
the Mount of Olives was " over
against the temple." But the Mount
of Olives extended north and south
as far as the walls of the entire
city, aud we think the true design
of the words, "over against the
temple," was to designate the par-

deceive you : 6 [for] many shall
come in my name, saying, I am
Christ ; and shall deceive many.
' And when ye shall hear of wars
and rumors of wars, be ye not
troubled : [for] such things must
needs be ; but the end shall not
be yet. 8 For nation shall rise
against nation, and kingdom
against kingdom: [and] there
shall be earthquakes in divers

6 yap Rec. Omitted by Tisch., T. S.
Green, Alford.
7 yap Rec. Omitted by Tisch., T. S.
Green, Alford.
8 Kai Rec. Omitted by Tisch., T. S.
Green, Alford, Tregelles.

ticular part of the mountain on
which he sat — that part immediately
opposite the temple, from which he
could therefore have a full view of
the temple while discoursing on its
future destruction. *
4. when . . . what. — As in the
report of Matthew, the question of
the disciples contains two distinct
points of inquiry; first, " When shall
these things be?" and second,
" What shall be the sign when all
these things shall be fulfilled?"
Jesus answers the latter much
more definitely than the former,
as will be seen from the follow
ing paragraphs.
False Christs, Wars, Earthquakes,
and Famines, 5-8. (Matt. xxiv.
4-8; Luke xxi. 8-11.)
5. lest any man deceive you. —
The false Christs who were to come,
while properly viewed, would fur
nish proof of the prophetical powers
of Jesus, and thus confirm the faith
of the disciples in him ; but if not
thus viewed they would be likely to
deceive ; hence this warning.
6-8. many shall come. — On
the historical fulfillment of the pre
dictions contained in these verses,

xm.

9-14.]

MARK.

347

places, [and] there shall be
famines [and troubles] : these
are the beginnings of sorrows.
9 But take heed to yourselves :
[for] they shall deliver yon up
to councils; and in the syna
gogues ye shall be beaten : and
ye shall be brought before rulers
and kings for my sake, for a
testimony against them. I0And
the gospel must first be published
among all nations. u But when
they shall lead you, and deliver
you up, take no thought before
hand what ye shall speak,
[neither do ye premeditate :] but
8 k«u Rec. Omitted by Tisch., T. S.
Green, Alford.
8 Kai rapaxai Rec. Omitted by Lach.,
T. S. Green, Tregelles, B, D, L, Old Latin,
Vulgate, Coptic, iEthiopic.
9 yap Rec. Omitted by Tisch., T. S.
Green, Alford, B, l, Coptic, JEthiopic.
11 pr/Se nsXjTiTe Rec. Omitted by T. S.
Green, Tregelles, x, B, d, l, etc., Old
Latin, Vulgate, Coptic, etc.

see the two paragraphs under Matt.
xxiv. 4, 5, and 6-8.
Persecution of the Disciples, 9-13.
(Matt. xxiv. 9-14; Luke xxi.
12-19.)
9. take heed to yourselves. —
The disciples were not only to watch
carefully for the preceding signs,
but to keep watch on themselves,
lest the temptations which are about
to be named should overcome them.
to councils. — The. predictions
contained in verses 9-13 have an
almost exact verbal parallel iu Matt.
x. 17-22, where all of them are
found except the one in verse 11,
that "the gospel must first be
published among all nations." In
that place Jesus was addressing his
disciples concerning their future
labors as apostles. "It is not a mis
take in Mark to reproduce these
predictions here ; for doubtless Je
sus himself reproduced them be-

whatsoever shall be given you in
that hour, that speak ye : for it
is not ye that speak, but the
Holy Ghost. 12Now the brother
shall betray the brother to death,
and the father the son ; and the
children ' shall rise up against
their parents, and shall cause
them to be put to death. 13And
ye shall be hated of all men for
my name's sake: but he that
shall endure unto the end, the
same shall be saved.
"But when ye shall see
the abomination of desolation,
[spoken of by Dan'iel the proph
et,] standing where it ought not,
(let him that readeth under
stand,) then let them that be in

14 T& prjSev vrrb Aai'irjA rov Trpotprjrov ReC.
Omitted by Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford,
Tregelles, X, B, D, L, Vulgate, Coptic,
Armenian, etc.

cause they were as well suited to
this discourse as to that. This ap
pears not only from the fact that
Mark quotes them as being uttered
on this occasion, but from the fact
that Matthew, in the parallel para
graph, .quotes language that is mani
festly but an abbreviation of what
Mark quotes more fully. He quotes,
" Then shall they deliver you up to
be afflicted, and shall kill you ; and
you shall be hated of all nations for
my name's sake." (Matt. xxiv. 9.)
the gospel ... published. —
For remarks on this prediction, see
the note under Matt. xxiv. 14; and
for an exposition of the other
clauses of this paragraph, see under
Matt. x. 17-22, and xxiv. 9.
The Last Sign, and the Time for
Flight, 14-^20. (Matt. xxiv. 15-
22; Luke xxi. 20-24.)
This paragraph is almost identical,
both in- thought and in verbiage,

848

MARK.

[xiii. 15-27.

Judse'a flee to the mountains :
15 and let him that is on the house
top not go down [into the house],
neither enter therein, to take
any thing out of his house :
16 and let him that is in the field
not turn back again for to take
up his garment. " But woe to
them that are with child, and to
them that give suck in those
days! 18And pray ye |that
your flight: it\ be not in the
winter. 19For in those days
shall be affliction, such as was
not from the beginning of the
creation which God created unto
this time, neither shall be.
20 And except that the Lord had
shortened those days, no flesh
should be saved: but for the
elect's sake, whom he hath
chosen, he hath shortened the
days. 21 And then if any man shall
15 eis tjji/ oiKiav Rec Omitted by T. S.
Green, X, b, l, 61-, c, k, P. Syriac, Coptic,
etc. 18 17 4>"y>! ipuv Rec. Omitted by Lach.,
Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles, X,
B, d, l, etc., Old Latin, Vulgate, Armenian.

with the parallel in Matthew, where
see the notes.
Other Warnings against False
Christs, 21-23. (Matt. xxiv. 23-
28.)All of this paragraph, and more
on the same subject, is given by
Matthew. See the parallel for com
ments. Coming of the Son of Man, 24-27.
(Matt. xxiv. 29-31 ; Luke xxi.
25-28.) 24. in those days. — Matthew in
dicates the time of the second com
ing by the expression, " Immediately
after tho tribulation of those days;
Mark, by the words, " In those

say to you, Lo, here is Christ ;
[or,] lo, he is tbere ; believe him
not: 22for false Christs and
false prophets shall rise, and
shall shew signs and wonders, to
seduce, if it were possible, [even]
the elect. 23 But take ye heed :
[behold,] I have foretold you all
things. 24 But in those days, after that
tribulation, the sun shall be
darkened, and the moon shall
not give her light, 25and the
stars of heaven shall fall, and
the powers that are in heaven
shall be shaken. ^And then
shall they see the Son of man
coming in the clouds with great
power and glory. 27And then
shall he send | his : the | angels,
and shall gather together |his:
the] elect from the four winds,

21 r) Rec. Omitted by Tisch., T. S.
Green, Alford.
22 Kai Rec. Omitted by Tisch., T. S.
Green, Alford.
23 ;«otf Rec. Omitted by Tisch., T. S.
Green, Alford, Tregelles.
27 airov Rec. Omitted by Tisch., T. S.
Green, Alford, Tregelles.

days ; " while Luke has at this
point no note of time. The two ex
pressions used by Matthew and
Mark are equivalents, and they are
alike indefinite. For their meaning,
and for comments on the other
items of the prediction, see the
parallel in Matthew.
27. ofthe earth . . . of heaven.
— The singular expression, " from
the uttermost part of the earth to
the uttermost part of heaven," is
taken from the ancient conception
of the earth as a vast plain extend
ing in length from east to west, and
in width from north to south, and
terminating where earth and sky
come together. From the utmost
part of the earth, in one direction,

Xlll.

28-31.]

MARK.

349

from the uttermost part of the
earth to the uttermost part of
heaven. 28 Now learn a parable of the
fig tree ; When" her branch is yet
tender, and putteth forth leaves,
ye know that summer is near:
88 so ye in like manner, when ye

to the remotest part of the sky
where it touches the earth on the
other, is the meaning of the expres
sion. Matthew employs as an
equivalent expression, " from the
four winds, from one end of heaven
to the other."
Parable of the Fig-tree, 28-31.
(Matt. xxiv. 32-35 ; Luke xxi.
29-33.) 29. shall see these things. —
The meaning of this parable is fully
set forth in the notes on the parallel
in Matthew, and we might content
ourselves with referring the reader
to those notes ; but Mark's applica
tion of the parable furnishes au in
dependent argument in support of
the interpretation there given, and
at the risk of some repetition in
thought, we present this argument.
In the words of verse 29, " when ye
shall see these things, know that it
is nigh, even at the door," the pro
noun "it" is not expressed in the
original, but understood ; and the
antecedent of the pronoun is either
" Son of man," in verse 27, or the
noun " coming," in the expression
" coming of the Son of man." It is
more reasonable, as we have shown
in our note on the parallel verse in
Matthew, to refer it to " Son of
man," and to render the clause,
" know that he is nigh, even at the
door." Whether it be " he" or his
"coming," however, the meaning is
the same. The statement of verse
29, then, when expanded, is this:
"When you shall see these things
come to pass, know that he (the

shall see these things come to
pass, know that it is nigh, even
at the doors. 30 Verily I say
unto you, that this generation
shall not pass, till all tbese things
be done. 31 Heaven and earth
shall pass away: but my words
shall not pass away.

Son of man) is nigh, even at tho
door." In this statement, the events
designated as "these things" are
distinguished from his coming, so
that when they saw "these things,"
his coming would still be in the
future, but they would know him to
be near. But his coming had been
a part, the last part of the preced
ing series of predictions, and con
sequently we must construe the ex
pression " these things " as confined
to things mentioned that shall pre
cede his coming. This being the
case, when Jesus immediately adds,
" This generation shall not pass till
all these things be done," we must
understand " these things " with the
same limitation as before; that is,
as not including, but as excluding
the coming of the Son of man. All
the things predicted in the previous
discourse, then, except this last
event, were to be done before that
generation passed away; and when
they were all done the coming of
the Son of man was to be still in
the future. Thus we reach the
same conclusion from Mark's report
as from Matthew's, and by the
same method of reasoning. Luke's
report differs from those of Mat
thew and Mark, in not repeating
the expression "these things," and
in saying, "the kingdom of God is
nigh at band," instead of saying,
" he is nigh, even at the door.' But
by "the kingdom of God," Luke
evidently means the kingdom in its
glory, the appearing of which is
the same as tne appearing of the
Son of man ; and although he does

350

MARK.

[xiii. 32-35.

32 But of that day |and: or|
that hour knoweth no man, no,
not the angels which are in
heaven, neither the Son, but the
Father. 33 Take ye heed, watch
[and pray] : for ye know not
when the time is. S4 For the
Son of man is as a man taking a
32 Kai Rec. r) Lach., Tisch., T. S. Green,
Alfcrd, Tregelles.
33 Kai rrpoo-evxeo-Se Rec. Omitted by
Lach., Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford, B, n,
122, a, c, k.

not repeat the expression "these
things, he does what is equivalent
to it, he uses the adjective "all"
with "these things" understood.
His language is this: "When ye
see these things come to pass, know
ye that the kingdom of God is nigh
at hand. Verily I say unto you,
this generation shall not pass away
till all be fulfilled." Thus Luke's
more obscure report of the remark
in question, understood, as it should
be, in the light of the more per
spicuous reports of Matthew and
Mark, readily yields the same
idea. Uncertainty of the Day, 32-37.
Matt. xxiv. 36-42 ; Luke xxi. 34-
'36.) 32. of that day or hour.— The
day and hour referred to can be no
other than the day and hour of the
chief event among those last men
tioned, the coming of the Son of
1 man. The disciples were to know,
by the signs given, when it would
be near, but not exactly when it
would be.
not the angels . . . neither
the Son. — The statement that no
man knoweth of that day, " no, not
the angels which are in heaven," is
not to be construed as implying that
angels have some foreknowledge;
for the same is said of man that is
said of the angels, and we know

far journey, who left his house,
and gave authority to his serv
ants, [and] to every man his
work, and commanded the por
ter to watch. sb Watch ye there
fore : for ye know not when the
master of the house cometh, at
even, or at midnight, or at the
cock-crowing, or in the morning:

34 Kai Rec. Omitted by Lach., Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.

that foreknowledge, even in part, is
not implied concerning man. The
declaration that the Son knows it
not, is more surprising, but we must
accept it as true. It shows that one
of the limitations which he assumed
in becoming the Son of man, was a
limitation on his foreknowledge.
He knew, for he predicted, every
detail in reference to his second
coming except the time at which it
will take place ; ou this point all of
his utterances are indefinite, and
even those which, at first giance,
appear to be definite, must, as we
have seen above (verse 24), be con
strued indefinitely.
34. a man taking a far jour
ney. — Here, under the figure of a
man who starts on a journey to
some distant place, leaving his serv
ants each his work to do, and com
manding the porter, as his work, to
keep watch, Jesus indicates plainly
his own departure from the earth,
and teaches the lesson which
naturally springs from the pre
viously stated uncertainty as to the
day of his return. Each must be
always busily engaged at his proper
work, that the master may so find
them when he returns.
35, 36. find you sleeping.— In
these verses the parable is applied,
and yet the parabolic language is
still kept up. As the apostles were
to occupy a position in the Church
more like that of the porter in tho

xiii. 36-xiv. 2.]

MARK.

351

36 lest coming suddenly he find
you sleeping. 87 And what I say
unto you I say unto all, Watch.
XIV. x After two days was the
feast of the passover, and of un
leavened bread : and the chief
supposed castle, he tells them to
keep watch all through . the night,
lest at any hour he should come and
find them asleep. Let us not con
clude, that by watching is meant
that we shall stand with folded
hands looking into the sky for the
coming of Jesus : this would be like
the ancient porter ; but this is the
symbol, not the reality. We are
rather to be diligently engaged,
each about the work given him to
do, and keep our eyes fixed ou it;
thus we will be most wisely watch
ful for the coming of our Master.
37. I say unto all. — Lest the
apostles should conclude that the
parable applied exclusively-to them
selves, and lest others should fall
into the same mistake, he says
plainly that it applies to all. We
may not live to see him come, but
we will be benefited none the less
by watching, for our departure to
him will be the same in effect as his
coming to us.
Argument of Section 3.
In this section Mark sets forth
his Master as a prophet. At the
time that his narrative was com
posed, some of the predictions
recorded in the section had already
been fulfilled, but the chief part
was yet in the future. He staked
the validity of his argument, and
the reputation of Jesus as a prophet,
partly on the former, but chiefly on
the predictions which were yet to
be fulfilled, and fulfilled before the
eyes of the then living generation.
The discourse, as he wrote it out,
contained in itself a challenge to
that generation of Jews to watch

priests and the scribes sought
how they might take him by
craft, and put him to death.
2 | But: For] they said, Not on
2 Si Rec. yap Lach., Tisch., T. S. Green,
Alford, Tregelles.

the course of events in their own
national history, and to say whether
its predictions proved true or false.
No generation bos lived that was so
competent to expose a failure had it
occurred, or that would have done
so more eagerly. But the events, as
they transpired, turned the prophecy
into history, and demonstrated the
foreknowledge of Jesus. (Comp.
the note on Matt. xxiv. 21, 22, and
the Argument of that section.) But
if Jesus possessed this • foreknowl
edge, his claim to be the Christ the
Son of God was miraculously attest
ed thereby ; and even his admis
sion that he knew not the day or
the hour of his own second coming,
detracts nothing from the argument;
for foreknowledge is still displayed,
notwithstanding this limitation of
it, and the limitation itself is known
only by his own voluntary admis
sion — an admission which is a singu
lar and conclusive proof of his per
fect honesty and candor.

SECTION. IT.
Preparations for the Death of
Jesus, XIV. 1-52.
Council oftheChief Priests and Scribes,
1, 2 ; The Anointing at Bethany, 3-9 j
The Agreement with Judas, 10, 11;
The Passover Prepai-ed, 12-16 ; The
Betrayal Predicted, 17-21 ; The Lord's
Supper Instituted, 22-25; Desertion
and Denial Foretold, 26-31; The
Agony in Gethsemane, 32-42; The
Arrest, 43-52.
Council of the Chief Priests and
Scribes, xiv. 1, 2. (Matt. xxvi.
1-5; Luke xxii. 1, 2.)
1, 2. — Mark .here goes less into
detail than Matthew. He simply

352

MARK.

[xiv. 3-9.

the feast day, lest there be an
uproar of the people.
3 And being in Bethany in the
house of Si'mon the leper, as he
sat at meat, there came a woman
having an alabaster box of oint
ment of spikenard very precious ;
[and] she brake the box, and
poured it on his head. *And
there were some that had in
dignation within themselves,
[and said,] Why was this waste
of the ointment made ? 6 For it
3 Kai Rec. Omitted by Tisch., T. S.
Green, Alford.
4 Kai kiyovres Rec. Omitted by Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Alford, X, B, c, L, Coptic.

states the fact that it was now two
days to the Passover, while Mat
thew represents Jesus as remind
ing his disciples of this fact, and
telling them that then he would be
crucified. Mark also mentions the
bare fact that "the chief priests and
the scribes sought how they might
take him by craft, and put him to
death ; " while Matthew describes a
formal assemblage for this consulta
tion at the palace of Caiaphas. (See,
for notes, the parallel in Matthew.)
Luke is briefer still than Mark.
The Anointing at Bethany, 3-9.
(Matt. xxvi. 6-13; John xii.
1-9.)
For a discussion of the chief
points in this incident, we refer the
reader to the notes on the parallel
jn Matthew, but Mark furnishes a
few graphic touches which we must
notice here.
3. she broke the box. — The box
was doubtless the small vase of
alabaster, then in common use,
which had a very small neck, in
tended to emit but a drop at a time
ofthe very costly ointment; but the
woman, wishing to lavish it all on
Jesus, broke off the neck and poured

might have been sold for more
than three hundred pence, and
have been given to the poor.
And they murmured against her.
6 And Je'sus said, Let her alone ;
why trouble ye her? she hath
wrought a good work on me.
7 For ye have the poor with you
always, and whensoever ye will
ye may do them good: but me
ye have not always. 8 She hath
done what she could: she is
come aforehand to anoint my
body to the burying. 9 [Bui]
9 Si Added by Tisch., T. S. Green, Al
ford, Tregelles.

it freely on his head, and, as John
adds, on his feet. (John xii. 3.)
5. three hundred pence.— As
usual, the word rendered " pence "
is denarios, the Greek form of the
Latin denarius. This coin being
equal to fifteen cents in Federal
money, the estimated value of the
ointment was more than forty-five
dollars. Its costliness is further
seen in the fact stated by John that
there was only one pound of it.
(John xii. 7.)
8. what she could. — Jesus here
expresses in a most beautiful and
touching manner, the weakness of
Mary in the presence of the ap
palling calamity which she foresaw.
Believing that her Lord was about
to perish as he had so often pre
dicted, she was willing to do all in
her power to lessen a calamity
which she could not avert. In her
weakness, she could do nothing
more than to lavish on" him this
costly token of her undying love.
Jesus accepted the tribute, ineffect
ual as it was, and exclaimed, "She
has done what she could." What
a blessed encomium! And may
not the same indulgent Lord say
of us, when we meet him in the
great day, These were feeble chil-

xiv. 10-16.]

MARK.

353

Verily I say unto you, Where
soever this gospel shall be preach
ed throughout the whole world,
this also that she hath done shall
be spoken of for a memorial of
her. 10 And Ju'das Iscar'iot, one of
the twelve, went unto the chief
priests, to betray him unto them.
"And when they heard it, they
were glad, and promised to give
him money. And he sought how
he might conveniently betray
him. 12 And the first day of unleav
ened bread, when they killed the
passover, his disciples said unto
him, Where wilt thou that we
go and prepare that thou mayest
eat the passover? 13And he
sendeth forth two of his disciples,

dren, that were not able to do much
for me, but they have done what
they could. Angels can do no better,
though they may do more.
The Agreement with Judas, 10, 11.
(Matt. xxvi. 14-16; Luke xxii.
3-6.)
10, 11. they were glad. — Mark
brings out the fact, implied but not
expressed in Matthew's account,
that the chief priests were glad
when Judas proposed the betrayal.
This was more than they could ex
pect, for they must have supposed
that the friends of Jesus would be
true to him. For notes on the re
mainder of the paragraph, see the
parallel in Matthew.
The Passover Prepared, 12-16.
(Matt. xxvi. 17-19; Luke xxii. 7-
13.)12. first day of unleavened
bread. — On the sense attached to
the expression " first day of un-'
30

and saith unto them, Go ye into
the city, and there shall meet
you a man bearing a pitcher of
water: follow him. "And where
soever he shall go in, say ye to
the goodman of the house, The
Master saith, Where is | the : my]
guestchamber, where I shall eat
the passover with my disciples ?
15 And he will shew you a large
upper room furnished and pre
pared : [and] there make ready
for us. 16 And his disciples went
forth, and came into the city,
and found as he had said unto
them : and they made ready the
passover. 14 uov Added by Tisch., T. S. Green,
Alford, Tregelles, x, b, c, d, l, A, etc., a, f,
g, 1, etc., Vulgate, etc.
15 Kai Added by Tisch., T. S. Green,
Alford, Tregelles.

leavened bread," see the note on
Matthew xxvi. 17. The day is here
still more closely identified by the
modifying expression, "when they
killed the passover." This was done
at the close of the fourteenth day
of the month, the Passover week be
ginning at sunset the same evening,
which was the dividing point be
tween the fourteenth and the fif
teenth days of the month.
13, 14. a man bearing a pitch
er. — Matthew represents Jesus as
saying to the disciples, "Go into the
city to such a man." This is
evidently an indefinite abbreviation
of the direction more accurately
stated by Mark, the " such a man '
of Matthew being the man whom
they would see bearing a pitcher of
water. They were to follow him
into whatever house he entered, and
there deliver their message.
15. he will show you.— The
most remarkable foreknowledge is
here displayed. That the disciples
would meet a man bearing a pitcher

354

MARK.

[xiv. 17-25.

"And in the evening he
cometh with the twelve. 18And
as they sat and did eat, Je'sus
said, Verily I say unto you, One
of you which eateth with me
shall betray me. 19 [And] they
began to be sorrowful, and to
say unto him one by one, Is it I ?
[and another said, Is it I?]
20 And he [answered and] said
unto them, It is one of the
twelve, that dippeth with me in
the dish. 21 The Son of man in
deed goeth, as it is written of
him: but woe to that man by

19 oi SI Rec. Omitted by Tisch., T. S.
Green, Alford.
19 Kai dkkos, MjJti eyii ; Rec. Omitted by
T. S. Green, Tregelles, X, E, c, L, p, A, etc.,
Vulgate, P. Syriac, Ph. Syriac, Coptic,
Sahidic, ^Ethiopic, etc.
20 djroKpiflei? Rec. Omitted bv Lach.,
Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.

of water, and that he would carry
it into some house, might be guessed
with a good degree of probability;
but that he would enter a house
whose owner had au upper room,
"a large" upper room, and a, large
upper room "furnished and pre
pared ; " and that said owner would
show the disciples this room and
allow them the use of it, could
be known only by means of divine
foresight. We must admit this fore
sight, or deny the truthfulness of
this record.
For other remarks on the para
graph, see the parallel in Matthew.
The Betrayal Predicted, 17-21.
(Matt. xxvi. 20-25; Luke xxii.
21-23; John xiii. 21-30.)
John gives by far the most mi
nute report of this conversation,
although he omits some details
which are mentioned by Matthew.
Matthew's report includes all that
¦is mentioned by Mark and Luke,
and some additional particulars; I

whom the Son of man is be
trayed ! good [were it] for that
man if he had never been born.
22 And as they did eat, [Je'sus]
took bread, and blessed, and
brake it, and gave to them, and
said, Take, [eat:] this is my
body. 23 And he took | the : a |
cup, and when he had given
thanks, he gave it to them : and
they all drank of it. 24And he
said unto them, This is my blood
of the [new] testament, which is
shed for rnany. 25 Verily I say
21 r)v Rec. Omitted by Tisch., T. S.
Green, Alford.
22 6 'Ijjo-oS? Rec. Omitted by Tisch., T.
S. Green, Alford.
22 atayere Rec. Omitted by Lach., Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.
23 to Rec. Omitted by Lach., Tisch., T.
S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.
24 Katvr)s Rec. Omitted by Tisch., T. S.
Green, Alford, Tregelles, X, B, c, D, L, k,
Coptic.

therefore refer the reader to the
parallel in Matthew for my com
ments on the paragraph.
The Lord's Supper Instituted, 22-
25. (Matt. xxvi. 26-29; Luke
xxii. 19, 20; 1 Cor. xi. 23-25.)
23. they all drank. — Matthew
quotes Jesus- as saying of the cup,
" Drink ye all of it ; " while Mark,
omitting these words of Jesus,
" states that they all drank of it."
Thus again the one account inci
dentally supplements the other.
24. shed for many. — Mark
omits, after this expression, the
words "for the remission of sins"
(Matt. xxvi. 26), which declare tb
what end the blood of Jesus was
" shed for many," presuming on the
information of his readers in regard
to the design of Christ's death.
With the exception of the point
of difference just noted, the para
graph is identical in thought and
nearly so in verbiage with that of
Matthew, where see the notes.

xiv. 26-35.]

MARK.

355

unto you, I will drink no more
of the fruit of the vine, until
that day that I drink it new in
the kingdom of God.
26 And when they had sung an
hymn, they went out into the
mount of Ol'ives. 2I And Je'sus
saith unto them, All ye shall be
offended [because of me] [this
night] : for it is written, I will
smite the shepherd, and the sheep
shall be scattered. 28But after
that I am risen, I will go before
you into Gal'ilee. 29 But Pe'ter
said unto him, Although all
shall be offended, yet will not I.
30 And Je'sus saith unto him,
Verily I say unto thee, That this
27 iv e/iol Rec. Omitted by Tisch., T. S.
Green, Alford, Tregelles, X, B, c, d, h, l, s,
V, x, r, A, etc.
27 ev rr] vvktI ravrn Rec. Omitted by
Tisch., t; S. Green, Alford, Tregelles, X, B,
c, d, g, h, l, s, v, x, r, a, etc.

Desertion and Denial Foretold, 26-
31. (Matt. xxvi. 30-35; Luke
xxii. 31-38; John xiii. 36-38.)
30. crow twice. — Only in this ex
pression is there any thing in Mark's
account so different from Matthew's
as to call for a remark. All the
other historians report Jesus as
saying, " before the cock crow thou
shalt deny me thrice," or, " the cock
shall not crow" before thou Shalt
deny me thriGe, while Mark has it,
" before the cock crow twice, thou
shalt deny me thrice." This is no
other than an instance iu whieh
Mark reports with more exactness
a speech which the other historians
report in terms less • definite, but
having in effect the same meaning.
Doubtless, Mark quotes the exact
words of Jesus ; but the other writ
ers, knowing that the object of the
mention of cock-crowing was to in
dicate the time at which the denial
would occur, and knowing that when !

day, even in. this night, before
the cock crow twice, thou shalt
deny me thrice. 31 But he spake
[the more] vehemently, If I
should die with thee, I will not
deny thee in any wise. Like
wise also said they all.
32 And they came to a place
which was named Gethsem'ane :
and he saith to his disciples, Sit
ye here, while I shall pray.
33 And he taketh with him Pe'ter
and James and John, and began
to be sore amazed, and to be
very heavy ; 3* and saith unto
them, My soul is exceeding sor
rowful unto death : tarry ye
here, and watch. 35And he went
forward a little, and fell on the
ground, and prayed that, if it
were possible, the hour might.
31 pdkkov Rec. Omitted by Lach, T. S.
Green, Alford, Tregelles.

one cock crows in the morning, he
is always followed by others in rapid
succession, saw fit to employ the
less definite style to indicate the
same time of night.
The Agony in Gethsemane, 32-42.
(Matt. xxvi. 36-46; Luke xxii.
39-46 ; John xviii. 1.)
33. sore amazed. — This very
forcible expression is used by Mark,
where Matthew employs the milder
term ¦" sorrowful." "Sore amazed,"
and " very heavy," are expressions
by which Mark vainly attempts to
convey to us the immensity of the
weight that just then overburdened
the Savior's heart.
. 35. the hour might pass. —
Here the hour is put by metonymy
for the suffering which was to fill
up the hour, and Mark beautifully
says, " he prayed that, if it were
possible, the hour might pass from
him," This is a general statement

356

MARK.

[xiv. 36-44.

pass from him. 36And he said,
Abba, Father, all things are
possible unto thee; take away
this cup from me : nevertheless
not what I will, but what thou
wilt. 3T And he cometh, and
findeth them sleeping, and saith
unto Pe'ter, Si'mon, sleepest
thou? couldest not thou watch
one hour ? 3S Watch ye and
pray, lest ye enter into tempta
tion. The spirit truly is ready,
but the flesh is weak. 39And
again he went away, and prayed,
and spake the same words.
40 And when he returned, he
found them asleep again, (for
their eyes were heavy,) neither
wist they what to answer him.

of what he prayed for, introductory
to the more specific -statement of
the petition which he offered. (See
Matt. xxvi. 39, 42, 44.)
38. all things are possible.—
In a general sense all things are
possible with God, and in this sense
the terms are here employed.
(Comp. the expression " if it be
possible," in verse 35.) The thought
is not inconsistent with the words
quoted by Matthew, " if it be possi
ble, let this cup pass from me;"
nor with that quoted by Luke, " if
thou be willing, remove this cup
from me." It was physically pos
sible, but morally impossible, and
therefore God was not willing to
let the cup pass.
37. sleepest thou ?— Note again
the singular number used by Mark,
and the plural used by Matthew,
oven when Matthew represents the
remark as being addressed to a sin
gle person of the company. (Matt.
xxvi. 40; comp. the note on xi. 2.)
40. neither wist they.— Here
we have the obsolete " wist," for
knew. The disciples were so
ashamed at being caught asleep a

41 And he cometh the third time,
and saith unto them, Sleep on
now, and take your rest : it is
enough, the hour is come ; be
hold, the Son of man is betrayed
into the hands of sinners. 42Rise
up, let us go ; lo, he that betray-
eth me is at hand.
43 And immediately, while he
yet spake, cometh Ju'das [iscar'-
iot], one of the twelve, and with
him a [great] multitude with
swords and staves, from the chief
priests and the scribes and the
elders. 44 And he that betrayed
him had given them a token,
43 6 'lo-Kapuirris Added by Lach., Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Alford.
43 nokvs Rec. Omitted by Tisch., T. S.
Green, Alford, Tregelles.

second time that they knew not
what to say in answer to his re
proof. 41. it is enough. — After saying
to the disciples, " Sleep on now,
and take your rest," there is a sud
den transition in the words, " it is
enough (drtf^Et), the hour is come,"
etc. The meaning is, you have
rested enough ; that is, enough for
the circumstances. The sudden
transition is accounted for by the
sudden appearance of Judas and
his band just as Jesus said, "Sleep
on now, and take your rest." (See
the note on Matt. xxvi. 45, 46.)
Under the parallel in Matthew I
have discussed much more fully
the significance of this mournful
conflict, reserving for the present
place in Mark only those points in
which Mark's account is peculiar.
The Arrest, 43-S2. (Matt. xxvi.
47-56 ; Luke xxii. 47-53 ; John
xviii. 2-14.)
Mark's account of this incident
is not so full as Matthew's, but he
adds one circumstance not men-

xiv. 45-52.]

MARK.

357

saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss,
that same is he ; take him, and
lead him away safely. 45And as
soon as he was come, he goeth
straightway to him, and saith,
Master, master ; and kissed him.
46 And they laid their hands on
him, and took him. " And one
of them that stood by drew a
sword, and smote a servant of
the high priest, and cut off his
ear. 48 And Jesus answered and
¦said unto them, Are ye come out,
as against a thief, with swords
and with staves to take me ? 49 1
was daily with you in the temple

tioned by Matthew, and this alone
demands additional comment here.
51, 52. a certain young man.
— From this mode of designating
the person, we infer that this young
man was not one of the twelve ; but
who he was, and how he happened
to be present, can be only a matter
of conjecture. Among the many
conjectures which have been ad
vanced, the most plausible is that
which supposes him to have been
Mark himself. As the guards laid
hold on none of the other disciples,
it is probable that his loose dress,
only " a linen cloth cast about his
naked body," attracted their atten
tion, and that they seized hold of
it only for mischief. When he
slipped out of the cloth and ran
away naked, it was fine sport for
them, though any thing else to
him. Argument of Section 4.
This section exhibits, on the one
hand, the evil purpose and wicked
plottings of the enemies of Jesus,
and on the. other, the self-sacrifice
with which he, prepared himself
for the fate which he foresaw, and
tj which he voluntarily submitted.

teaching, and ye took me not :
but the scriptures must be ful
filled. 60And they all forsook
him, and fled. 61 And there fol
lowed him a certain young man,
having a linen cloth cast ab6ut
his naked body; and | the young
men : they ] laid hold on him :
62 and he left the Unen cloth, and
fled [from them] naked.

51 oi veavlo-KOL Rec. Omitted bv Lach.,
T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles, K, B, c, r>, I,
A, Old Latin, Vulgate, P. Syriac, Coptic,
etc. 52 dir' airS>v Rec. Omitted by T. S. Green,
Tregelles, X, B, c, L, c, k, V. Syriac, Coptic,
Sahidic, etc.

It shows, by the counsel of the
scribes and priests (1, 2), by the
agreement with Judas (10, 11), by
the remark concerning Judas at the
supper-table (17-2J), and by the
manner of the arrest (44, 48, 49),
that his death was sought for
through malice and corruption. It
shows, on the other hand, by tho
remarks of Jesus at the supper in
Bethany (3-9), by his statement
when instituting the Supper (22-25),
and by his prayer in the garden
(36), that he submitted voluntarily,
though at the cost of unspeakable
mental suffering, to a sacrificial
death for the sins of the world.
This last fact shows that he was
impelled by a purpose which could
originate in no human soul, and
which no human being could under
such circumstances maintain : for
what mere human being, acquainted
with the true God, could suppose
that his own death would be an
atonement for the sins of the world,
and, having formed a purpose to die
for this object, could maintain that
purpose through such sufferings as
Jesus endured 1 Here is an unmis
takable mark of the divinity which
dwelt in Jesus, giving direction
to both his life and his death.

358

MARK.

[xiv. 53-66.

53 And they led Je'sus away to
. the high priest : and with him
were assembled all the chief
priests and the elders and the
scribes. 64 And Pe'ter followed
him afar off, even into the palace
of the high priest: and he sat
with the servants, and warmed
himself at the fire. 55 And the
chief priests and all the council
sought for witness against Je'sus
to put him to death ; and found
none. ^For many bare false
witness against him, but their
witness agreed not together.
67 And there arose certain, and
bare false witness against him,
saying, 58We heard him say, I
will destroy this temple that is
made with hands, and within
three days I will build another
made without hands. 69But
neither so did their witness agree
together. 60 And the high priest
stood up in the midst, and asked

SECTION V.
The Trial and Sentence of Jesus,
XIV. 53-XV. 15.
Trial by the Sanhedrim, xiv. 53-65;
Peter's Denial, 66-72 ; Jesus Accused
before Pilate, xv. 1-5; Barabbas Pre
ferred, aud Jesus Rejected, 6-15.

Trial by the Sanhedrim, xiv. 53-65.
(Matt. xxvi. 57-68 ; Luke xxii. 66-
71 ; John xviii. 19-24.)
53-65. — Mark has nothing in this
paragraph demanding comment in
addition to what we have already
written under the parallel in Mat
thew. Peter's Denial, 66-72. (Matt. xxvi.
69-75; Luke xxif. 5,5,-62; John
xviii. 15-18, 25-27i)
This paragraph demands but few

Je'sus, saying, Answerest thou
nothing? what is it which these
witness against thee ? 61 But he
held his peace, and answered
nothing. Again the high priest
asked him, and said unto him,
Art thou the Christ, the Son of
the Blessed ? 62And Je'sus said,
I am : and ye shall see the Son
of man sitting on the right hand
of power, and coming" in the
clouds of heaven. KThen the
high priest rent his clothes, and •
saith, What need we any further
witnesses ? " Ye have heard the
blasphemy : what think ye ?
And they all condemned him to
be guilty of death. 65And some
began to spit on him, and to
cover his face, and to buffet him,
and to say unto him, Prophesy :
and the servants did strike him
with the palms of their hands.
68 And as Pe'ter was beneath
in the palace,-there cometh one

remarks in addition to those under
the parallel in Matthew. Though
Luke's and John's accounts va
ry considerably from Matthew's,
Mark's contains but few varia
tions, and these of but slight impor
tance. 66. beneath in the palace.—
Matthew says " without in the pal
ace." It was both — the open court
in which Peter sat being outside of
the building proper though sur
rounded by it, and being below the
level of the room in which the trial
of Jesus was conducted.
one of the maids. — Matthew
says indefinitely, "a damsel," while
Mark designates her as "one of
the maids of the high priest." It
further appears from John's ac-
oount that she was the maid who
kept the door. (John xviii. 16,
17.)

xiv. 67-xv. 7.]

MARK.

359

of the maids of the high priest :
67 and when she saw Pe'ter warm,
ing himself, she looked upon
him, and said, And thou also
wast with | Je'sus of Naz'areth :
with the Nazarene', with Je'sus \ .
68 But he denied, saying, I know
not, neither understand I what
thou sayest. And he went out
into the porch ; and the cock
crew. 69And a maid saw him
again, and began to say to them
that stood by, This is one of
them. ™And he denied it again.
And a little after, they that
stood by said again to Pe'ter,
Surely thou art one of them : for
thou art a Galilse'an, [and thy
speech agreeth thereto.] " But
he began to curse and to swear,
saying, I know not this man of
whom ye speak. 72And the sec
ond time the cock crew. And
Pe'ter called to mind the word
67 ueTa rov Na£aprjvov 'Iijirou f)o9a Rec. p.
r- N. i). toO 'I. Lach., Tisch., T. S. Green,
Alford, Tregelles.
70 Kai r) kakid aov bpoid^el Rec. Omitted
by Lach., Tisch., T.S.Green, Alford, Tre
gelles, X, B, c, D, L, etc., Coptic, Sahidic.

67. Peter warming himself—
At the time of the Passover, which
began with the first full moon after
the vernal equinox, it was seldom
cold enough for fire. It was the
exposure of Peter and the guards
to the night air, iu which they were
still standing without a roof over
them, that made them feel the need
of fire. It was a fire of charcoal.
(John xviii. 18.)
63. and the eock crew.— True
to his own report of the prediction
(30), Mark here notes the fact that
a cock was heard to crow immedi
ately after the first denial.
72. the second time the cock
crew. — Still following the details as
predicted, Mark notes the second

that Je'sus said unto him, Before
the cock crow twice, thou shalt
deny me thrice. And when he
thought thereon, he wept.
XV. *And straightway in the
morning the chief priests held a
consultation with the elders and
scribes and the whole council,
and bound Je'sus, and carried
him away, and delivered him to
Pi'late. 2And Pi'late asked him,
Art thou the King of the Jews ?
And he answering said unto him,
Thou sayest it. 3And the chief
priests accused him of many
things : but he answered noth
ing. 4 And Pilate asked him
again, saying, Answerest thou
nothing? behold how many things
they | witness : lay in charge |
against thee. 5But Je'sus yet
answered nothing; so that Pi'
late marveled.
6 Now at that feast he released
unto them one prisoner, whomso
ever they desired. ' And there
4 KaTa^iapTupoua"iv Rec, Karriyopovaiv
Lach., Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford, Tre
gelles.

crowing of the cock as occurring
after the third denial. (See the
note on 30.)
Jesus Accused before Pilate, xv. 1-
5. (Matt, xxvii. 1,2, 11-14; Luke
xxiii. 1-5; John xviii. 28-38.)
1-5. — See the notes on the paral
lel in Matthew. It varies from
this only in a, few expressions.
Barabbas Preferred, and Jesus Re
jected, 6-15. (Matt, xxvii. 15-
¦ 26; Luke xxiii. 13-25; John xviii.
39, 40.)
7. had committed murder. —
Matthew says of Barabbas no more
than that he was "a notable pris
oner." Mark here gives the cause

360

MARK.

[xv. 8-15.

was one named Barab'bas, which
lay bound with them that had
made insurrection [with him],
who had committed murder in
the insurrection. 8And the mul
titude | crying aloud : going up |
began to desire him to do as he
had ever done unto them. 9But
Pi'late answered them, saying,
Will ye that I release unto you
the King of the Jews ? 10 For
he knew that the chief priests
had delivered him for envy.
11 But the chief priests moved
the people, that he should rather
7 o-vo-rao-iao-ribv Rec. o-rao-iao-ruiv Lach.,
T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.
8 dpaSoijira! Rec. avafSds Lach., Tisch.,
T. S. Green, Alford, TregeUes, X, B, D, Old
Latin, Vulgate, Coptic, Sahidic, etc.

of his notoriety. He had been en
gaged in an insurrection, during the
progress of which he had committed
murder, and he now " lay bound
with them that had made insurrec
tion with him." Luke locates the
insurrection within the city (xxiii.
19), and John states that Barabbas
was a robber (John xviii. 40). He
was probably the chief of a band
of robbers, and had ventured into
the city for some deed of violence,
but had been overpowered and cast
into prison. Why the people sym
pathized with him is not explained.
It was probably because his insur
rection had been a blow at the
Komau government, causing' the
people to forget his crimes for the
sake of his hostility to the common
enemy. 8. began to desire him. — It
seems from this verse, that the mul
titude first mentioned the subject of
releasing a prisoner, by calling on
Pilate "to do as he had ever done
unto them." Pilate, having already
Eronounced Jesus innocent, and
aving proposed to release him with
a moro chastisement (Luke xxiii.

release Barab'bas unto them.
12 And Pi'late answered and said
again unto them, What will ye
then that I shall do unto [him
whom ye call] the King of the
Jews? "And they cried out
again, Crucify him. "Then
Pi'late said unto them, Why,
what evil hath he done? And
they cried out the more ex
ceedingly, Crucify him. 15 And so
Pi'late, willing to content the
people, released Barab'bas unto
them, and delivered Je'sus, when
he had scourged him, to be cru
cified. 12 bv keyej.e Rec. Omitted by Lach., T.
S. Green, TregeUes, N, D, 1, 13, 69, 118, etc.,
Old Latin, Vulgate, Sahidic, Armenian.

13-15), now sought to take advan
tage of the people's clamor by pro
posing to release Jesus (verse 9);
but the chief priests circumvented
him by persuading the people to
ask for Barabbas (verse 11; comp.
note ou Matt, xxvii. 20).
On the remainder of the para
graph, see the notes under the par
allel in Matthew.
Argument of Section 5.
If Jesus had been arrested on
some charge of criminal conduct,
and if his trial and sentence had
been marked by the due forms of
justice, these facts would have de
tracted somewhat from the force of
the evidence of his innocence. But
the proceedings connected with^his
arrest and condemnation by the
Sanhedrim, and those by which the
sentence of death was procured
from Pilate, furnish evidence in
favor of his claims. It is only when
justice is to be -perverted, and the
innocent condemned, that men re
sort to practices so corrupt. Though
false witnesses were purposely em-

xv. 16-21.]

MARK.

361

16 And the soldiers led him
away into the hall, called Prae-
torium ; and they call together
the whole band. "And they
clothed him with purple, and
platted a crown of thorns, and
put it about his head, 18 and be
gan to salute him, Hail, King
of the Jews ! 19And they smote

ployed in his trial before the San
hedrim, and though their testimony
when presented was contradictory,
still the high priest pretended that
it contained evidence of guilt, (xiv.
57-60.) Not willing, however, to
rest the cose on this testimony, Je
sus was then called on to testify in
his own case, and though his answer
was merely a repetition of what he
had claimed for himself from the
beginning, on this he was pro
nounced worthy of death, (xiv. 61-
64.) After thus condemning him
on a false charge of blasphemy, they
went before Pilate with an entirely
different charge, that of disloyalty
to Caesar, a charge of which they
had special reasons to know that he
was not guilty. (xv. 1, 2; comp.
xii. 13-17.) Pilate was now sub
jected to the alternative of either
vindicating the cause of justice, or
giving success to the iniquitous
prosecution of Jesus. He knew
that the chief priests had accused
him through envy (xv. 10), and he
openly proclaimed that he could
find no evil in his conduct (xv. 14) ;
yet, " to content the people, he re
leased Barabbas unto them, and de
livered Jesus to be crucified" (xv.
15). Thus the condemnation and
the sentence of Jesus, viewed merely
in the light of Mark's account, con
tain unmistakable proofs that they
were brought about by the employ
ment of such measures, and such
only, as are employed in the con
demnation and death of innocent

persons.

31

him on the head with a reed,
and did spit upon him, and
bowing their knees worshiped
him. 20And when they had
mocked him, they took off
the purple from him, and put
his own clothes on him, and led
him out to crucify him. 21 And
they compel one Si'mon a Cyre'-

SBCTION VI.
The Death, Burial, and Resur
rection op Jesus, XV. 16-XVI.
20.
Jesus Mocked and Led away by the
Soldiers, xv. 16-21 ; The Crucifixion,
22-28; Revilings by the People. 29-
32 ; Tl'.e Darkness, and the End, 33-41 :
The Burial, 42-47; The Visit of the
Women to the Sepulcheij, xvi. 1-8;
Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene,
9-11; He Appears to Two in the
Country, 12, 13; He Appears to the
Eleven and Gives the Commission,
11-18 ; The Ascension, 19, 20.

Jesus Mocked and Led away by
the Soldiers, xv. 16-21. (Matt.
xxvii. 27-32 ; Luke xxiii. 26-32 ;
John xix. 1-3, 16, 17.)
16. called Prsetorium. — The
word here rendered "Prsetorium,"
is the same that is rendered " com
mon hall" in Matt, xxvii. 27, and
"judgment hall" in John xviii. 28.
It is the Latin word prmlorium,
which hod been adopted into the
Greek language, and means the tent
or dwelling of a praetor, or of any
other commanding officer. In this
case it was Pilate s dwelling.
17. with purple. — John and
Mark both represent the robe which
the soldiers put on Jesus as one of
purple (comp. John xix. 2), while
Matthew (xxvii. 28) calls it a scarlet
robe, more properly rendered crim
son. This difference is accounted
for by the fact that the term purple
was used by the Konians to include

362

MARK.

[xv. 22-26.

nian, who passed by, coming out
of the country, the father of
Alexan'der and Ru'fus, to bear
bis cross.
22 And they bring him unto
the place Gol'gotha, which is,
being interpreted, The place of
23 melv Rec. Omittted by Tisch., T. S.
Green, Alford, Tregelles, N, B, c, L, A, n,
Coptic, Armenian.

several different shades of red. (See
Alford in loco, and Robinson's Greek
Lexicon of New Testament, where
an example is given from Horace.)
See, for other notes on this para
graph, the parallel in Matthew.
The Crucifixion, 22-28. (Matt.
xxvii. 33-38 ; Luke xxiii. 33, 34,
38 ; John xix. 17-24.)
22. Golgotha. — See the note,
Matt, xxvii. 33.
23. wine mingled with myrrh,
— Matthew says, " vinegar mingled
with gall." But the vinegar of the
Jews was a cheap and sour wine,
and the two terms designate the
same liquid. Gall is the humor
found in the bodies of men and
beasts, otherwise called bile. But
the Greek word here rendered gall
(z°^)i is used in the Septuagint to
represent a Hebrew word which
means any bitter herb, and myrrh
is a bitter gum that exudes from
the bark of a tree. Matthew, then,
uses the term gall indefinitely for
something bitter, while Mark, aim
ing to be more specific, names the
particular herb which was used.
(See Robinson's N. T. Lexicon on
Xo%r], and Smith's Bible Dictionary
on Gall.) In reference to the re
fusal of Jesus to drink, see the note,
Matt, xxvii. 34.
24. casting lots. — The remarks
already made on these words, under
Matt, xxvii. 35, are equally appro
priate here.
25. it was the third hour.—

a skull. 2S And they gave him
[to drink] wine mingled with
myrrh: but he received it not.
24 And when they had crucified
him, they parted his garments,
casting lots upon them, what
every man should take. K And
it was the third hour, aud they
crucified him. 26And the super
scription of his accusation was

That is, about 9 o'clock. John Bays
it was " about the sixth hour" that
Pilate delivered Jesus to be cruci
fied. (John xix. 14-17.) It could
not have been the sixth hour accord
ing to the Jewish mode of reckon
ing; for Matthew, Mark and Luke
all testify that the darkness occurred
at the sixth hour, and this was after
Jesus had been on the cross for a.
considerable length of time. (See
Matt, xxvii. 45 ; Mark xv. 33 ; Luke
xxiii. 44.) Neither could it have
been at the sixth hour according to
the Roman method of counting,
which would be 6 o'clock ; for this
would not allow time for all of the
proceedings which were hod pre
vious to the crucifixion. "We con
clude, then, that Mark fixes the true
time of the crucifixion, and that the
text of John has been altered by
some mistake of transcribers. John
could not himself have made a mis
take ; for, independent of his inspi
ration, he was an eye-witness of the
scene, and could not have mis
calculated it by the space of'three
hours. 26. The King of the Jews.—
Matthew expresses it, " This is Je
sus the King of the Jews ; " but he
probably expands the expression by
the addition of the words, " This is
Jesus " — words which are implied,
though not expressed, in the inscrip
tion as given by Mark. The varia
tions inLuke and John (Luke xxiii.
38 ; John xix. 19) are doubtless of
the same character, Mark alone pre-

xv. 27-36. J

MARK.

363

written over, THE KING OF
THE JEWS. 27AM with him
they crucify two thieves ; the
one on his right hand, and the
other on his left. 28 [And the
scripture was fulfilled, which
saith, And he was numbered
with the transgressors.]
29 And they that passed by
railed on him, wagging their
heads, and saying, Ah, thou
that destroyest the temple, and
buildest it in three days, 30save
thyself, and come down from the
cross. 31 Likewise also the chief
priests mocking said among
themselves with the scribes, He
saved others ; himself he can not
save. 32 Let Christ the King of
Is'rael descend now from the
cross, that we may see and be-
28 Omitted by Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford,
N, a, B, c, D, x, etc., k, Sahidic.

serving the laconic form employed
by Pilate.
27. two thieves. — See the note
on Matt, xxvii. 38.
28. And the scripture. — This
verse is canceled by the critics on
the very highest manuscript au
thority. (See the critical note
above.)
Revilings by the People, 29-32.
(Matt, xxvii. 39-44; Luke xxiii.
35-37.)The facts of this paragraph are
more fully reported by Matthew,
and need no additional comment
here. The Darkness, and the End, 33-41.
(Matt, xxvii. 45-56 ; Luke xxiii.
44-49; John xix. 28-30.)
Only two points in this para
graph, in which Mark differs slightly

lieve. And they that were cru
cified with him reviled him.
33 And when the sixth hour
was come, there was darkness
over the whole land until the
ninth hour. ** And at the ninth
hour Je'sus cried with a loud
voice, [saying,] Elo'i, Elo'i, la'ma
sabachtha'ni ? which is, being in
terpreted, My God, my God,
why hast thou forsaken me?
35 And some of them that stood
by, when they heard it, said, .
Behold, he calleth Eli'as. 36And
one ran [and] filled a sponge full
of vinegar, ][and] put it on a
reed, and gave him to drink,
saying, Let alone ; let us see
whether Eli'as will come to take
34 keyuv Rec. Omitted by Tisch., T. S.
Green, Alford, Tregelles.
36 Kai Rec. Omitted by Lach., T. S. Green,
Alford. 36 ts Rec. Omitted by Lach., T. S. Green,
Tregelles.

from Matthew, seem to demand
attention in this place.
36. saying, Let alone. — The
expression, "Let alone; let us see
whether Elias will come to take
him down," is not intended as an
objection to giving him the vinegar;
for the man who used these wordg
had already given it to him. He
gave Jesus the vinegar to moisten
his tongue and lips, and the remark,
" Let alone," is an indefinite expres
sion addressed to the by-standers,
and meaning that they should be
quiet and patient to see the result.
In the same way must we construe
the remark addressed by some of
the by-standers to the man who gave
the drink, as reported by Matthew.
He says, " The rest said, Let be
("Aft;, in the singular number), let
us see whether Elias will come to
save him." They made the remark
to him, and he to them ; but neither
had reference to the drink of vinegar.

364

MARK.

[xv. 37-43.

him down. "And Je'sus cried
with a loud voice, and gave up
the ghost. ^And the veil of the
temple was rent in twain from
the top to the bottom. 39 And
when the centurion, which stood
over against him, saw that he so
cried out, and gave up the ghost,
he said, Truly this man was the
Son of God. *° There were also
women looking on afar off:
among whom was Ma'ry Mag-
dale'ne, and Ma'ry the mother of

39. when the centurion. — Mark
does not state so clearly as Matthew
does, the causes of the centurion's
exclamation. He merely says,
" When the centurion saw that he
so cried out and gave up the ghost,
lie said, Truly this man was the
Son of God ; " but it is implied that
he was convinced by the events that
preceded and accompanied the last
cry of Jesus, and not by that outcry
alone. Mark's language, indeed, is
intended to state the time rather
than the cause of the exclamation.
The Burial, 42-47. (Matt, xxvii.
57-66 ; Luke xxiii. 50-56 ; John
xix. 31-42.)
42. the preparation. — It was
not the preparation for the Pass
over, which had already been cele
brated the evening previous, but
for the Sabbath of the Passover
week, which was a " high day."
(John xix. 31.) Mark explains it
thus by adding, " that is, the day
before the Sabbath." It had be
come a preparation day by custom,
and not by force of law; for there
is nothing iu the law on the sub
ject. The fact that it was the prep
aration is given by Mark as the
reason why Joseph went to Pilate
and asked for the body (comp. verse
43) ; while John states it as the
reason why "the Jews" besought

James the less and of Jo'ses, and
Salo'me ; " (who also, when he
was in Gal'ilee, followed him,
and ministered unto him ;) and
many other women which came
up with him unto Jeru'salem.
42 And now when the even was
come, because it was the prepa
ration, that is, the day before the
sabbath, "Jo'seph of Arima-
thae'a, an honorable counselor,
which also waited for the king
dom of God, came, and went in

Pilate to have the legs of the cruci
fied broken and their bodies taken
away (John xix. 31). The same
cause operated on both the friends
and the foes of Jesus, each jjarty
having, in other particulars, a dif
ferent object in view.
43. of Arimathea. — It is sup
posed by some that Arimathea, the
home of Joseph, was the ancient
Ramah, the birthplace and home
of the prophet Samuel, about two
miles north of Jerusalem. (See
Smith's Dictionary.)
an honorable counselor. — Mat
thew says of Joseph personally no
more than that he was a rich man
of Arimathea and a disciple of Je
sus. Mark adds that he was an
" honorable counselor " — that is, a
member of the Sanhedrim ; Luke,
that he was " a good man and. a
just" who "had not consented to
the counsel and deed of them ; "
and John, that though a disciple of
Jesus he was secretly so for fear of
the Jews. (See the parallels.) He
was one of those men to whom John
refers when he says, "Among the
chief rulers also many believed on
him ; but because of the Pharisees
they did not confess him, lest they
should be put out of the synagogue:
for they loved the praise of men
more than the praise of God."
(John xii. 42, 43.)

xv. 44-xvi. 2.]

MARK.

365

boldly unto Pi'late, and craved
the body of Je'sus. "And Pi'
late marveled if he were already
dead : and calling unto him the
centurion, he asked him whether
he had been any while dead.
45 And when he knew it of the
centurion, he gave the | body :
corpse |- to Jo'seph. 46And he
bought fine linen, [and] took him
down, and wrapped him in the
45 a-Stpa Rec. nrapa Lach., Tisch., T. S.
Green, Alford, Tregelles.
46 ical Rec. Omitted by Lach., Tisch., T.
S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.

went in boldly. — Men who are
ordinarily timid sometimes exhibit
freat boldness in a trying crisis.
'he boldness of Joseph in identify
ing himself at this crisis as a friend
of Jesus, is the more apparent when
we contrast his conduct with that
of the other male disciples, not one
of whom seems to have taken any
steps for the proper care of the body
of Jesus. It required great moral
as well as physical courage to act
as his friend when his cause ap
peared hopeless and when all men
seemed to be his enemies.
44, 45. Pilate marveled. — Pi
late " marveled if he were already
dead," because it was not uncommon
for crucified persons to remain on
the cross two or three days before
death ensued. Not until he had
made inquiry of the centurion, who
had perhaps returned to the prseto-'
rium, leaving the soldiers to watch
the bodies, did he grant Joseph's
request. This procedure shows that
Joseph's request for the body .of
Jesus preceded the request of the
Jews that the bodies be taken away.
(John xix. 31.)
46, 47. — See the notes on Matt.
xxvii. 59, 60, 61.

linen, and laid him in a sepul
cher which was hewn out of a
rock, and rolled a stone unto the
door of the sepulcher. 47And
Ma'ry Magdale'ne and Ma'ry
the mother of Jo'ses beheld
where he was laid.
XVI. ' And when the sabbath
was past, Ma'ry Magdale'ne, and
Ma'ry the mother of James, and
Salo'me, had bought sweet spices,
that they might come and anoint
him. 2And very early in the
morning the first day of the

The Visit of the Women to the
Sepulcher, xvi. 1-8. (Matt, xxviii.
1-8 ; Luke xxiv. 1—11 ; John xx.
1, 2.)
1. had bought. — The original
verb is not in the pluperfect tense,
as the rendering would indicate,
but in the first Aorist (r}yopa.0av).
The clause should read, "And when
the Sabbath was past Mary Magda
lene," etc., " bought sweet spices."
Having bought a portion of the
spices which they thought neces
sary, on Friday evening (Luke xxiii.
56), they completed the purchase
" when the Sabbath was past; " and
while this may have been after sun
set on the evening of the Sabbath,
it is more likely that it was done as
the women were on their way to
the sepulcher early on Sunday
morning. 2. very early. — Mark uses two
expressions in this verse to indicate
the time at which the women came,
viz., "very early in the morning,"
and " at the rising of the sun."
Alford says that as the sun was up,
it could not be called very early;
but in this he differs in opinion
from Mark, as he does about some
other matters. It was very early
for them to reach the sepulcher,
when we consider the distance they

366

MARK.

[xvi. 2.

week, they came unto the sepul-

had come, and the business they
had attended to by the way. It
was so early that it had necessitated
their starting " as it began to dawn,"
and " while it was yet dark." (See
the note above and the one next
below.) at the rising of the sun. —
Literally, "the sun having risen"
(a,va,t£t,%o.vto$ tov yfkiov). Matthew
says they came "as it began to
dawn;" and John, "while it was
yet dark." Between Matthew and
John there is no difference except
iii expression: for it is yet dark
when it begins to dawn. But be
tween both of these writers and
Mark there is a difference which
demands attention. It is common
with skeptics, and with some from
whom better things might be ex
pected, to pronounce all such dif
ferences contradictions, aud to dis
miss them from consideration with
out a serious attempt to see whether
they are real contradictions. A
contradiction can justly be affirmed
only when two statements are such
that both can not be true. When
they may be true, it is unjust to
cast suspicion on either unless it is
in itself improbable. Iu the present
case, we have only to inquire
whether it may be true, in a proper
sense of the terms, that the women
went to the sepulcher "at the rising
of the sun," and yet true that they
went "as it began to dawn." If I
were to see a man who had walked
from the city of Lexington enter
the gate at Ashland (distant nearly
two miles) at sunrise, I would not
hesitate to say that he went to Ash-
laud at sunrise. But another per
son who saw him start from his
home in Lexington would as truth
fully say that the man went to Ash
land about daybreak. Again, if I
were to pass from Lexington to
Louisville on the train which loaves

cher at the rising of the sun.
here at 6 A. M., and arrives there at
11 A. M., a friend with Lexington in
his mind would say that I went on the
the six o'clock train; while another,
with Louisville in his mind, would
say I went on the eleven o'clock
train; and both would speak' the
truth. A man as far away as Boston
or London, on reading either of these
accounts, might be a little puzzled
at first, but if he were reasonable
and just he would not charge a con
tradiction ; for similar localities and
expressions at his own door would
soon suggest the true explanation
of the apparent discrepancy. Give
our sacred historians the benefit of
this common justice, and all is
clear. Matthew says the women went to
the sepulcher "as it began to
dawn." Does he mean that they
arrived then, or that they started
then? Beyond all question the lan
guage may mean either, and it must
be understood according to the
probabilities of the case. But what
are the probabilities ? Another
credible writer says they went at
sunrise. His statement, considered
by itself, might also mean either
that they started, or that they ar
rived, at sunrise : but as the time
that he designates is the later, and
that of Matthew the earlier, we at
once perceive that Matthew must bo
speaking of the time at which they
started, and Mark of the time at
which they arrived. This is the
conclusion which justice and com
mon sense alike demand. It is not
a strained attempt at harmony, but
a harmony which actually exists
and is clearly perceptible. It is
made still clearer when we remem
ber that Bethany, the place where
Jesus and his disciples had lodged
every night during the preceding
week (Luke xxi. 37), and whenco
the women had almost certainly

XVI.

3-8.]

MARK.

367

8 And they said among them
selves, Who shall roll us away
the stone from the door of the
sepulcher? 4And when they
looked, they saw that the stone
was rolled | away : back ] : for it
was very great. 5 And | entering
into : coming to \ the sepulcher,
they saw a young man sitting on
4 anoKeK^kio-ral Rec. avax. Tisch., T. S.
Green, Alford, Tregelles, N, b, l.
5 eio-ekdava-al Ret'., ekdouo-al Tisch., T. S.
Green, Alford, B, 127.

come, was nearly two miles from
Jerusalem, so that the women would
have had to walk briskly in order
to reach the city, purchase more
spices, and arrive at the sepulcher
by sunrise.
3. who shall roll. — The fact
that as the women approached the
sepulcher they raised the question,
" Who shall roll us away the stone
from the door of the sepulcher?"
shows that the sealing of the stone
and the placing of a guard there
were unknown to them; otherwise
they would not have expected that
the stone would be removed at all,
nor would they have come for the
purpose which brought them. It is
probable that none of the disciples
knew this until after the resurrec
tion, and therefore the fact that
they did not try to steal the body
away is sufficient proof that they
had no such purpose as was. sus
pected by the chief priests and the
Pharisees. (Matt, xxvii. 62-66.)
4. for it was very great. — Just
as the women hod raised the ques
tion, who should roll the stone
away, they looked and saw that it
was already rolled back. To the
statement of these two circum
stances, the historian adds, " for it
was very great." Its great size is
mentioned to account both for their
question and for the implied sur
prise when they saw that the stone
was removed.

the right side, clothed in a long
white garment; and they were
affrighted. 6And he saith unto
them, Be not affrighted : Ye
seek Je'sus of Naz'areth, which
was crucified : he is risen ; he is
not here : behold the place where
they laid him. 'But go your
way, tell his disciples and Pe'ter
that he goeth before you into
Gal'ilee : there shall ye see him ,
as he said unto you. 8 And they

5. they saw a young man.—
Although Mark does not say ex
pressly that this young man was an
angel, the narrative clearly implies
that he was. He was the same
angel who had rolled the stone
away, and who sat on it until the
guards fled, when he entered tho
sepulcher, and there awaited the
arrival of the women. (Matt, xxviii.
2-5.) He was- also one of the two
mentioned by Luke (xxiv. 4), lie
alone being mentioned by Matthew
and Mark because he was the actor
and speaker.
6, 7. his disciples and Peter.
— In the words, " Tell his disciples
and Peter," the angel recognized
Peter's pre-eminence, and intended
also, perhaps, by the very honor con
ferred on nim, to rebuke him for
his recent denial of his Lord.
8. neither said they any thing.
— Mark expresses more emphatic
ally than Matthew does, the great
excitement of the women. They
"fled from the sepulcher," they
" trembled and were amazed, '
" neither said they any thing to any
man." This last declaration means
that they said nothing to any man
on the way as they ran to tell the
male disciples (verBe 7). If they
had been less frightened, they
might have cried out to every man
they met, "The Lord is risen." As
it was, people saw in them as they
passed, only a group of frightened

368

MARK.

[xvi. 9.

went out [quickly], and fled
from the sepulcher ; for they
trembled and were amazed:

8 raxi> Rec. Omitted by Lach.,
T. S. Green, Alford, Tregelles.

Tisch.,

women running on some unknown
errand.Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene,
9-11. (John xx. 1-18.)
On the genuineness of the re
mainder of this chapter, see the dis
sertation ut the close of the volume.
9. when Jesus. — The name
"Jesus" is omitted from the text
by Green and Alford, for want of
manuscript authority, and this
omission makes the present para
graph connect more closly with the
preceding. first to Mary. — Inasmuch as
Mary Magdalene came to the
sepulcher in company with the
other women (verse 1), the state
ment that Jesus appeared first to
her implies that she had become
separated from the others ; for other
wise he would have appeared to all
of them at once. But he appeared
to the other women as they were
going to tell the disciples (Matt.
xxviii. 9, 10), consequently Mary's
separation from them and the ap
pearance of Jesus to her must both
have taken place between the time
that they all approached the
sepulcher together and the time
that he appeared to the other
women. This much is implied in
tho accounts of Matthew and Mark,
and the details are furnished by
John. He, mentioning Mary alone
because she alone brought the news
to him, says : " The first day of the
week cometh Mary Magdalene early
when it was yet dark to the
sepulcher, and seeth the stone
taken away from the sepulcher.
Then she runneth and cometh to
Simon and to the other disciple

neither said they any thing to
any man ; for they were afraid.
9 [Now when Jesus was risen
9-20 The Gospel is made to end with ver.
8 by Tisch., T. S. Green, X, b.

whom Jesus loved, and saith unto
them, They have taken away the
Lord out of the sepulcher, and we
know not where they have laid
him." (John xx. 1, 2.) These
words contain a double proof that
she left the company of the other
women as soon as they discovered
that the sepulcher was open; for
first, it is said " she seeth the stone
taken away from . the sepulcher.
Then she runneth," etc. ; and
second, had she remained with the
other women till the angel spoke to
them, her report to Peter and John
would not have been, "They have
taken away the Lord out of the
sepulcher, and we know not where
they have laid him ; " but she would
have reported the statement of the
angel that he had risen from the
dead. She inferred that the body
had been taken away, because she
could see no other reason for rolling
away the great stone. Peter and
John, who were evidently separated
from the main body of the male dis
ciples, on hearing the startling
news, ran with all their might to
the sepulcher, followed by Mary.
On seeing and believing what Mary
had reported, they departed, leaving
her still at the tomb, where Jesus
appeared to her first. (John xx. 3-
18.) On disappearing from Mary,
he appeared the next moment to
the other women, who, by this
time, had examined the sepulcher,
conversed with the angel, and gone
some distance in the direction of
the other male disciples.
The movements about the sepul
cher that morning were animated in
the highest degree, and they follow
ed each other in quick succession.

xvi.

9.]

MARK.

369

early the first day of the week,
When the angel came down like a
stream of light from heaven, rolled
back the stone, sat down on it, and
turned his flashing eyes on the
. Roman guards, though the latter
fell like dead men to the ground, in
another instant they arose and fled.
The angel enters the tomb, and the
five women draw calmly near, not
knowing what was done. They see
that the stone has been rolled away,
when one of them, without a word,
runs swiftly away. The others
grow pale, and draw near with
trembling to the tomb. They look
within, they enter, and for a moment
they look around in wonder. Two
angels suddenly become visible to
them, and one of them tells the won
derful story of the resurrection.
Wild with joy and fear, they fly
away to tell the news. They have
scarcely left the spot, when the
swift-footed John bounds up to the
open door, stoops down and looks
with eagerness into the vacant
tomb. The impetuous Peter follows
hard after, rushes past his com
panion into the sepulcher, aud
gazes around. They both for a
moment look thoughtfully at the
napkin lying here, and the linen
clothes lying yonder, then they
solemnly walk away. Mary has
now returned. After a momentary
burst of tears, the first she had found
time to shed, she stoops and looks
within. The angels, whom none
but female eyes could see that day,
are visible to her, and commence a
conversation which is interrupted
by the approach of some one be
hind her, when she turns, and the
risen Lord himself is before her.
One moment of rapture, and he is
gone. Another swift race for the
bewildered Mary, to tell this better
news, and to have her story this
time treated like an idle tale ! Won
derful sepulcher! The center of

he appeared first to Ma'ry Mag-

attraction to heaven and earth, and
none the less so as ages have passed
away, and the question, Did he
rise? goes round the world.
seven devils. — The recorded his
tory of Mary Magdalene is almost
entirely confined to her connection
with tne cross and the sepulcher.
Only two other facts iu her life are
known. She was one of the women
who in Galilee followed Jesus and
ministered to him out of their sub
stance (Luke viii. 1-3 ; Mark xv.
41), and out of her, as we see in
this verse, the Lord had cast seven
demons. Mag-da-le'-ne means a
woman of Magdala, and indicates
that the town of Magdala, on the
western shore of the lake of Galilee,
was her native place. There, per
haps, Jesus had first met her, and
bound her to himself in bonds of
everlasting gratitude by casting out
the seven demons. Her possession
by these demons was a fearful
calamity, but it implies nothing
derogatory to her character (see
the note; Matt. viii. 16); neither is
there any thing else iu the sacred
narratives to justify the popular
conception that her character had
been bad. The supposition that she
is identical with " the woman that
was a sinner," spoken of in Luke
vii. 37, 38, is without a shadow of
foundation. In reality, all of the
indications of her character and
position which are furnished by the
Scriptures point to a woman in
easy circumstances, with a benevo
lent disposition, tender sensibilities,
and commanding influence. Her
name stands first among the female
attendants of Jesus at almost every
mention of it, and on her he con
ferred the peculiar honor of making
her the first human witness of his
resurrection from the dead. It is a
shame on the Christian world, that
a woman of virtue so pre-eminent.

370

MARK.

[xvi. 10-13.

dale'ne, out of whom he had cast
seven devils. I0 And she went
and told them that had been with
him, as they mourned and wept.
11 And they, when they had heard
that he was alive, and had been
seen of her, believed not. '

has come to be commonly regarded
as a reformed harlot; and that her
cognomen which served only to dis
tinguish her from other Marys by
indicating her birthplace, has be
come, in the contracted form of
Magdalen, the name of societies and
institutions for the reformation of
abandoned women. This is an illus
tration, however, of the corrupting
and degrading tendency of human
tradition when it dares to tamper
with the sacred narratives. ¦ It is
Rome that has given Mary the false
and low repute in which she is
erroneously held. (See Smith's
Dictionary. )
10, 11. as they mourned and
wept. — When Mary left the sepul
cher she doubtless followed Peter
and John, who had gone but a few
moments before. The mourning
and weeping here mentioned are
best accounted for by suppos
ing that Peter and John had now
joined company with a different
group of disciples from those to
whom the other women had already
borne the news of the resurrection,
and had told them, what they still
supposed to be true, that the body
of Jesus had been taken away they
knew not whither. This announce
ment was in itself distressing, and
would naturally open afresh all the
wounds within them that his death
had inflicted. It is possible, how
ever, that the mourning company
were the other apostles (Mark calls
them " them that had been with
him"), and that they had credited
the story of the women as regards
the emptiness of the tomb, but

12 After that he appeared in
another ft>rm unto two of them,
as they walked, and went
into the country. I3And they
went and told it unto the
residue : neither believed they
them.

totally discredited it as regards the
resurrection of Jesus. In either
case, when Mary came in with her
story it was but natural that they
should discredit it.
Jesus Appears to Two in the Coun
try, 12, 13. (Luke xxiv. 13-
35.)
This paragraph is an epitome of
the account given in the parallel
place in Luke, but there are two
statements in it which call for
especial attention here.
12. in another form. — While
Mark here says that Jesus " appear
ed in another form" to these two
disciples, Luke accounts for their
not recognizing him by the fact that
"their eyes were holden that they
should not know him." (Luke
xxiv. 16.) The statements are not
inconsistent ; they only show, when
taken in connection, that Jesus ap
peared in another form by holding
in some way, their eyes, so that he
would appear to be a different per
son. Mark's account implies that
they eventually saw through his
disguise, without stating how.
13. neither believed they
them. — -On these words Alford,
who will by no means allow that the
Evangelists do not occasionally con
tradict one another, says : " Here
again the Harmonists have used
every kind of distortion of the plain
meaning of words to reconcile the
two accounts." Certainly a recon
ciliation effected at such a sacrifice
is not desirable. But is it true that
such a distortion is necessary, in

xvi. 13.]

MARK

371

order to remove the appearance of
inconsistency between Mark and
Luke? Let us see. Luke's ac
count of the return of these two men
to the city, and of their reception
by the eleven, is this: "They rose
up the same hour, and returned to
Jerusalem, and found the eleven
gathered together, and them that
were with them, saying, The Lord
is risen indeed, and hath appeared
to Simon. And they told what
things were done in the way, and
how he was known to them iu
breaking of bread." (Luke xxiv.
33-35.) Here are two things as
serted concerning this interview:
first, that on the arrival of the two
they were told by the eleven and
those who were with them, that the
Lord had arisen and appeared to
Simon; second, that the two then
gave an account of his appearance
to them. It is clearly implied that
those who announced that the Lord
had arisen and had appeared to
Peter, believed it to be true ; but
whether they believed the story
that was then told by the two who
came from the country, Luke
neither affirms nor denies. For
aught that he says to the contrary,
though they believed Peter's story,
and believed that the Lord had
actually arisen, they may not have
believed the story told by these two;
and that they did not believe it is
the very thing affirmed by Mark.
He says, " They went and told it to
the residue, neither believed they
them." He does not say that they
did not believe Jesus had arisen,
but that they did not believe the
story of his having appeared in an
other form to the two as they went
into the country. There is, then, no
inconsistency at all between the two
accounts, and it is surprising that
so acute a critic as Alford should
have thought there is. He surely
would have detected his error, had
not an erroneous theory of inspira

tion caused him to be indifferent to
questions of this kind.
Here we might rest this question,
but lest it may appear to some un
accountable that the company be
lieved that Jesus had arisen, on the
testimony of Peter, and yet doubted
the story of the others who claimed
to have seen him, we remark that
this is in perfect harmony with the
other facts of the resurrection his
tory. These same persons had
treated as an idle tale the story of
the women who claimed both to
have seen Jesus, and to have seen
angels who declared that he had
risen from the dead. (Luke xxiv.
10, 11.) They were now convinced
by the additional testimony of
Peter, that Jesus had actually
arisen ; but the story of the two
from Emmaus had some peculiari
ties which were calculated to throw
doubt on it until more mature re
flection, on its merits brought its
strong points into view. For in
stance', that Jesus' had walked with
them several miles, conversing all
the time — conversing, too, about
himself; that he had gone with them
into the house ; had taken a seat
with them to dine; and still they
did not recognize him till he was in
the act of blessing and breaking a
loaf, were circumstances all calcu
lated to throw doubt on the story
when it was first told ; and at that
time the disciples were disposed to
be suspicious of every new story
they heard in regard to the resur
rection. But though the circum
stances must have cast doubt on the
story at first, the more the entire'
story was weighed in the scales of
evidence, the more credible it ap
peared ; for it is quite certain, that
if the two men had undertaken to
invent a pretended appearance of
Jesus to them, such details as we
have named would have been care
fully excluded from the story, for
fear that on their account it would

372

MARK.

[xvi. 14-16.

. u Afterward he appeared unto
the eleven as they sat at meat,
and upbraided them with their
unbelief and hardness of heart,
because they believed not them

not be believed. Only when men
are compelled by the pressure of a
truth which they are trying to hide,
do they give testimony which, like
the story of the guards (Matt, xxviii.
11-15), bears its falsehood on its
face.
Jesus Appears to the Eleven., and
Gives the Commission, 14-18.
(Luke xxiv. 36-49; John xx. 19-
23.) 14. as they sat at meat. — The
circumstance that the disciples " sat
at meat" when Jesus appeared to
them, as recorded in this verse,
seems to identify this appearance
with that recorded in Luke xxiv.
36-43, at which he called for food
and ate it in order to convince them
that he was not a spirit: And as
that appearance occurred on the
evening of the first day of the week,
this identifies it with that recorded
iu John xx. 19-23.
because they believed not —
Mark has thus far mentioned only
such testimony to the resurrection
as had been discredited by the dis
ciples, and it is true that to the ex
tent of this testimony " they be
lieved not them who had seen him
after he was risen." Yet, as we
learn from Luke, this discrediting
of the testimony was not universal,
for they did believe the testimony
of Peter. (Luke xxiv. 33, 34, and
comp. the note above on verse 13.)
15. And he said unto them. —
Here there is a silent transition
from the interview on the evening
after the day of the resurrection,
which is the subject of verse 14, to
one which occurred on the day of
the ascension (verse 19), forty days

which had seen him after he
was risen. 15And he said unto
them, Go ye into all the world,
and preach the gospel to every
creature. 16He- that believeth

later (Acts i. 3). From Mark's
narrative alone we would not be
able to discover this transition, but
would suppose that the words of
Jesus in verses 15-18 were spoken
at the time of the appearance men
tioned in verse 14 : but this is only
one among many instances in which
details not essential to an under
standing of the chief thought to be
conveyed, are omitted from one nar
rative but found in another.
Go ye. — Here begins the Apos
tolic Commission, as given by Jesus
on the day of his ascension. It
had already been given, as recorded
by Matthew, on the mountain in
Galilee (Matt, xxviii. 16-20), and
now it is repeated in a slightly dif
ferent form. It is properly called a
commission, because it committed
to the apostles what they had not
before received, the authority to
preach the gospel, and to announce
the conditions of salvation. Hitherto
they had been forbidden even to tell
any man that Jesus was the Christ.
(See Matt. xvi. 20; xvii. 9.) Now
their lips are unsealed, with this
only limitation, that they are to
tarry in Jerusalem until they are
" endued with power from on
high." (Luke xxiv. 47-49; Acts i.
7, 8.) Then they are to "go into
all the world, and preach the gospel
to every creature.'
16. He that believeth— That
is, he that believeth the gospel
(verse 15). It was to be preached
in order that it might be believed,
and belief, both on this account, and
because it is, from the nature of the
case, a prerequisite to repentance
and obedience, is the first act of
compliance with its demands.

XVI.

16.]

MARK.

373

and is baptized shall be saved ;

and is baptized. — The colloca
tion of the words, and the fact that
baptism is an act of obedience,
which it could not be without faith,
show that baptism is to be preceded
by faith. This commission both
authorizes the apostles to baptize
believers, and restricts them to be
lievers as the subjects of baptism.
No comment can make this clearer
than it is made by the words of the
commission itself. It is impossible,
therefore, that the apostles could
have found authority in their com
mission for baptizing infants, and it
is equally impossible for modern
Pedobaptists to find it. (Comp.
the notes on Matt, xxviii. 19.)
shall be saved.— To be saved is
to be made safe. It implies that
the person saved was in danger, or
in actual distress, and that the dan-
fer or the distress is removed.
Vhen the term refers to the eternal
state it includes the resurrection
from the dead, and perpetual safety
from sin and suffering. But death
and all suffering are but the con
sequences of sin, and therefore to
be made safe from sin exhausts the
idea of the salvation provided in the
gospel. When the term saved is
used in reference to the state of the
Christian in this world, as it fre
quently is (Acts ii. 47; 1 Cor. i. 18;
xv. 2; Eph. ii. 5; Tit. iii. 5), it
means that he is made safe frem his
past sins, which is effected by
pardon, and can be effected in no
other way. If it be said that when
a man is once saved he is saved for:
ever, because he can not fall away,
still it must be granted that the sal
vation affirmed of him includes the
present forgiveness of his past sins.
Consequently, in the statement,
" He that believeth and is baptized
shall be saved," the salvation prom
ised must include at least the for
giveness of sins, whatever it may be

but he that believeth not shall be

supposed to include in addition to
this. It really includes no more
than this, and is equivalent to the
promise of pardon to all who be
lieve and are baptized. If any
man's mind revolts at the idea of
placing baptism in such a con
nection with salvation or the for
giveness of sins, let him remember
that it is Jesus who has placed it iu
this connection, and that when our
minds revolt at any of his words or
collocation of words, it is not his
fault but ours. It is always the
result of some misconception on
our part. If one should be tempted
to say, True, he that believes and is
baptized shall be saved, but he that
believes and is not baptized shall
also be- saved, let him ask himself
why Jesus, in this formal commis
sion, says, " He that believeth and
is baptized Bhall be saved," if the
same is true of him who is not bap
tized. Men do not, on solemn oc
casions, trifle with words in this
way. If the Executive of a State
should say to the convicted thieves
in the penitentiary, He that will
make a written pledge to be an
honest man, and will restore four
fold what he has stolen, shall be
pardoned, there is not a man in any
penitentiary who would expect par
don without the restitution re
quired; and if it were ascertained
that the Executive meant by these
words to promise pardon to all who
would make the pledge, whether
they would, being able, make the
restitution or not, he would be
justly chargeable with trifling, and
also with offering different condi
tions of pardon to the same class
of criminals. So in the present
case. If he that is not baptized,
being capable of the act, is as cer
tainly saved as he that is baptized,
the Savior spoke idle words in the
commission, and he offers two plans

374

MARK.

[xvi. 16.

of pardon to the same class of sin
ners, showing partiality by offering
to release one on easier terms than
another. Such is the absurdity in
which we are inevitably involved
if we allow not the words in ques
tion their proper and natural force.
When the apostles went out to
preach under this commission, they
knew only from its terms to whom
they should promise pardon, and
consequently they never encouraged
any person to hope for it previous
to baptism, nor gave any unbaptized
person reason to think that his sins
were already forgiven. If any of
the unbaptized, therefore, are par
doned, it is because God has grant
ed to them more than he has prom
ised. This he may unquestionably
do, if the circumstances of individ
uals shall make it right in his eyes
to do so, but of these circumstances
He alone can judge, who knows all
things and whose judgments are
guided by infinite wisdom.
he that believeth not shall be
damned, — Th e term " damned ' '
has no more reference to the eternal
state than the term "saved" in the
preceding clause. They both have
primary reference to the present
state, and the former is the exact
counterpart of the latter. The
original term means " condemned,"
and this should be its rendering.
Condemnation already rests on
those who believe not (John iii.
19), but the apostles are here told
that it shall especially rest on those
who hear the gospel aud believe it
not. It rests on them now, and it
must, of course, rest on them for
ever unless, at some subsequent
period of life, they shall become be
lievers. Iu this way the state of
condemnation which now exists
will reach forward into eternity,
unless its cause be removed, in like
manner as the state of salvation
enjoyed by the baptized believer
will reach into eternity, unless it

be forfeited by subsequent apostasy.
It has frequently been observed,
that though Jesus says, " He that
believeth and is baptized shall be
saved," he does not, in stating the
ground of condemnation, mention
the failure to be baptized as part
of it, but simply says, " He that be
lieveth not shall be condemned."
From this it is again inferred that
baptism is not one of the conditions
of pardon. But the conclusion does
not follow; for the fact that baptism
is not mentioned in stating who
shall be condemned, can never re
move it from the place it. occupies
in stating who shall be saved. In
the supposed case of the convicts
above mentioned, if, after saying to
all the convicted thieves, "He that
will make a written pledge to be an
honest man, and will restore four
fold what he has stolen, shall be
pardoned," the Governor had added,
" but he that will not make this
pledge shall serve out his time in
prison," none but a crazy thief
could think that because restitution
is not mentioned in the latter in
stance he would be pardoned with
out making restitution. Equally
unreasonable is the conclusion in
question. The leading thought in
the commission is to state the
ground on which men would be
saved, and not that on which they
would be damned. The apostles
were to be concerned with saving
men, not with damning them ; con
sequently, Jesus tells them in detail
on what ground they are promised
salvation ; but as damnation is his
own work, not theirs, he speaks of
that comprehensively by naming
the one sin of unbelief which ren
ders all acceptable obedience impos
sible, and is the chief cause of all
condemnation. A man should come
to the commission, then, not to learn
how he may be damned, but how
he may be saved; and this it teaches
him right plainly.

xvi. 17-20.]

MARK.

375

damned. " And these signs shall
follow them that believe ; In my
name shall they cast out devils ;
they shall speak with new
tongues; 18they shall take up
serpents ; and if they drink any
deadly thing, it shall not hurt
them; they shall lay hands on
the sick, and they shall recover.

The assertion, " He that believeth
not shall be condemned," implies
that all who hear can believe — that
no innate or acquired incredulity
can justify unbelief of the gospel.
This is asserting the highest possi
ble claim in behalf of the evidences
of Christianity, and he who makes
the claim is fie who will judge the
world at the last day. If, in the
face of this declaration, any man
will venture to the judgment in un
belief, alleging that the evidence is
not sufficient for him, he must set
tle the issue with Jesus himself.
17, 18. these signs shall fol
low. — The promise is, not that
these signs shall follow for any
specified time, nor that they should
follow each individual believer ; but
merely that they shall follow, and
follow "the believers" taken as a
body. They did follow the believers
during the apostolic age — not every
individual believer, but all, or nearly
all, the organized bodies of the be
lievers. This was a complete ful
fillment of what was promised. He
who claims that the promise in
cluded more than this, presses the
words of the promise beyond what
i3 necessary to a full realization of
their meaning ; and he who affirms
that the signs do yet follow the be
lievers, should present some ocular
demonstration of the fact before he
asks the people to believe his asser
tion. Signs were intended to con
vince the unbelievers, and they were
always wrought openly in the pres
ence of the unbelievers : let us see

19 So then after the Lord had
spoken unto them, he was re
ceived up into heaven, and sat
on the right hand of God.
20 And they went forth, and
preached every-where, the Lord
working with them, and con
firming the word with signs fol
lowing. Amen.]

them, and then we will believe.
Paul's expectation was that proph
esying, speaking in tongues, and
miraculous knowledge, would van
ish away (1 Cor. xv. 8); and so
they did with the death of the
apostles and of those to whom they
had imparted miraculous gifts.
The Ascension, 19, 20. (Luke xxiv.
50-53; Acts i. 9-12.)
19. after the Lord had spoken.
— The statement that "after the
Lord had spoken to them he was
received up into heaven, and sat on
the right hand of God," establishes
a close connection in time between
the close of the speech and the as
cension of Jesus. The same con
nection is indicated by Luke both
in his gospel and in Acts, where,
although he quotes none of the
words reported by Mark, he reports
a conversation quite similiar to it
which occurred on the same occa
sion and was immediately followed
by the ascension. (See Luke xxiv.
49-51; Acts i. 4-9.)
20. And they went forth. — In
this sentence Mark overleaps the
stay of the apostles in Jerusalem,
and reaches forward to the period
of their greatest activity, when
"they went forth and preached
every-where, the Lord working
with them, and confirming the
word with signs following." Thus
he brings to a most appropriate
termination his narrative of those
events that had gradually pre-

376

MARK.

pared the apostles for the mission
of mercy on which they were sent
forth, and which, when recited in
their preaching, led men to believe
in Jesus, and to accept the offered
salvation. Argument of Section 6.
This closing section of Mark,
like the corresponding section in
Matthew, contains two proofs of
the divinity of Jesus. The first is
found in the darkness that covered
the earth during three hours of his
suffering. It is common, when we
would make a comparison to indi
cate the impossibility of an under
taking, to say that you may as well
attempt to blot the sun from the
heavens. But this, God did, in
effect, when the noonday sun was
shining on the dying agonies of
Jesus. It was accomplished by no
natural eclipse, for the moon was
on the opposite side of the globe
(the moon was always full at the
Passover) ; but it was done by the
simple fiat of Jehovah. No stroke
of his almighty hand since the sun
was created has been more wonder
ful. It finds its only conceivable
explanation in the fact that Jesus
was dying. Was Jesus, then, an
impostor f Or was he, what he
claimed to be, the Son of God?
Let. a man stand, by imagination,
for three hours amid that awful
gloom, as did the Roman centurion,
and then answer the question.
But the crowning proof in the
grand series which Mark has pre
sented, is the resurrection of Jesus
from the dead. No power but
God's could have raised himfrom the
dead, and this power could not have
been exerted iu behalf of a pre
tender. That he was raised from the
dead, then, is proof demonstrative
that he was all that he claimed to
be — the Christ, the Son of the living
God.

It has sometimes been admitted,
that to prove so extraordinary an
event as the resurrection of one
from the dead,~ would require most
extraordinary evidence ; and cer
tainly it would in the case of any
ordinary person ; but in the case of
Jesus, who had wrought so many
miracles in proof of nis divinity,
who had repeatedly declared that
he would arise from the dead, and
who had died amid the most astound'
ing manifestations of the divine dis
pleasure toward his murderers, his
resurrection was an event most rea
sonably to be expected, and it ought
to be believed on the most ordinary
testimony. Indeed, after having
lived as ne did, and having died as
he did, his failure to arise from the
dead would have been the most as
tonishing circumstance in his won
derful career. Such a life ending
in the unbroken slumber of the
grave, would have been an everlast
ing puzzle to the world. But such
a life, followed by a glorious resur
rection from the dead, attains a fit
ting consummation, and rounds out
to completeness the most extraor
dinary personal history known in
the annals of earth or heaven.
The proofs of this event, furnished
by Mark, are briefly these — that an
angel appeared to a company of
women in the empty sepulcher, and
told them that Jesus nod arisen;
that he himself appeared alive that
morning to Mary Magdalene ; that
he appeared the same day to two
male disciples as they walked into
the country ; that he appeared after
ward to the eleven as they sat at
meat; and that, having given them
a commission to preach salvation
through him to every creature, he
ascended up to heaven, and subse
quently worked with the disciples
by " signs following," as they went
every-where preaching the gospel.
Closing his testimony in the midst
of a world which at the time of his

MARK.

377

writing was being filled with these
last mentioned signs, and which
was still able to disprove by living
witnesses all that he had written,
if it were not true, he laid his pen
aside, and sent forth his graphic
narrative to challenge contradiction,
and to do its part in the regenera
tion of mankind. We thank God
that it has lived and come down to

us ; and as we pass it on to genera
tions which shall come after us, we
smile to think of the blessings it
will bear to millions yet unborn,
and of the undimmed radiance
with which every sentence in it
will Bhine when the sun shall have
been blotted out forever, and the
harvest of God shall all be gathered

Genuineness of Mark XVI. 9-20.

A difference of opinion has long
existed among the critics as to the
genuineness of the last twelve verses
bf Mark. The recent popularization
of the results of Biblical Criticism,
by the publication of such works as
the Tauchnitz edition of the English
Testament and Bagster's Critical
English Testament, as well as by
the increased circulation of critical
commentaries, has brought this and
similar questions before the masses
of the people, and created a demand
for their treatment in a style adapt
ed to, the comprehension of com
paratively uneducated readers. We
propose, therefore, to state with as
much brevity and simplicity as we
can, the facts which must have the
controlling influence in deciding
this question.
Let it be first observed, that it is
not the authenticity of the passage,
by which is meant the historical
correctness of its representations,
that is called in question, but only
its genuineness as a part of Mark's

original manuscript. A few re
marks on its authenticity, however,
will not at this point be out of
place. All the historical statements of
the passage are known to be true,
independently of their occurrence
here, because they are found in the
other gospels or in Acts. Thus the
statements concerning the appear
ance of Jesus to Mary Magdalene,
which occupy verses 9-11, are sub
stantially verified by John and
Luke. (See John xx. 1-18; Luke
viii. 2, and comp. the notes on
Mark xvi. 9-11, above.) The state
ment concerning his appearance
to two disciples as they went into
the country, is but a brief account
of what is more fully described
in Luke xxiv. 13-35, and yet it is
so varied in expression as to show
that it is not an abbreviation from
Luke. (See the note on xvi. 12, 13.)
All the items of the appearance of
Jesus to the eleven, described in
verse 14, are substantiated by the

378

MARK.

statements in Luke xxiv. 36-43,
and John xx. 19-23 ; and those per
taining to the commission and the
ascejnsion (15, 16, 19, 20), are con
firmed by Luke's account of the
latter (xxiv. 36-51), and by Mat
thew's report of the former (xxviii.
19, 20) ; while the promise concern
ing the signs that were to follow the
believers is substantially included
in Matt, xxviii. 20, and John xiv.
12, and is fully verified by the
events recorded in Acts.
Not only are the statements of
the passage thus proved to be
authentic, but the manner in which
the details are handled, and the
forms of expression employed, show
unmistakable marks of an original
writer. His sources of informa
tion were independent of the narra^
tives of Matthew, Mark, Luke and
John, and yet they were correct.
He must, then, have lived and writ
ten previous to the general circula
tion of the other gospels, and
within the apostolic age. This is
conceded even by Alford, who is
one of the most confident writers in
opposition to the genuineness ofthe
passage. He says :" The inference
therefore seems to me to be, that
it is an authentic fragment, placed
as a completion of the Gospel in
very early times : by whom written,
must of course remain wholly un
certain ; but coming to us with very
weighty sanction, and having strong
claims on our reception and rever
ence." (Com. Mark xvi. 20.)
The authenticity of the passage
being conceded, and the fact being
apparent that it was written by
some one possessed of independent
and correct sources of information,
the question of its genuineness
might be waived without detracting
from its authority or credibility;
for a true piece of history attached
to Mark's book is- not less valuable
or authoritative because some other
person than Mark may have been

the author of it: but we proceed,
for the sake of a thorough under
standing of the facts in the case, to
examine the evidences pro and con,
and first, those which are called
external evidences.
First, the manuscripts. The pas
sage is omitted from a few of the
manuscripts, and among these are
the Vatican and the Sinaitic, the
two oldest and best manuscripts ex
tant. These two manuscripts carry
with them a very great weight of
authority; and, indeed, it is the
comparatively recent discovery of
the Sinaitic manuscript that has
turned the scales against the pas
sage, in the judgment of some
scholars. Jerome, and some writers
ofthe fourth century, are also quoted
as affirming that the passage was
wanting in most of the Greek copies
of their day.
On the other hand, the passage is
found in nearly all of the other
ancient manuscripts, including the
Alexandrian, which stands next to
the Vatican in accuracy. It was
also cited by Irenseus and Tatian of
the second century, and by Hyppol-
ytus and Dyonisius of Alexandria,
of the third century, all of whom
lived before the earliest existing
manuscript was written, and from
one hundred to two hundred years
earlier than Jerome. The words of
Irenseus show that it was not only
a part of the book of Mark in his
day, but that Mark was regarded as
its author. He says: "But Mark,
iu the end of his gospel, says : And
the Lord Jesus, after that he had
spoken to them, was received up
into heaven, and sat at the right
hand of God." From these writers,
then, it appears that the passage
was a part of some copies of Mart's
gospel at least as early^as the second
century. The preponderance of
evidence from this source is in favor
of the passage.
Second, the ancient versions. The

MARK.

379

evidence from this source is alto
gether in favor of the passage ; for
all the ancient versions contain it,
and thereby testify that it was in
the Greek copies from which they
were translated. If, at this time,
the Greek copies did not generally
contain it, it is at least a very re
markable circumstance that all the
versions were made from those that
did. _ Among these versions are the
Peshito Syriac, the Old Italic, the
Sahidic and the Coptic; all of which
were in existence earlier than the
Sinaitic and Vatican manuscripts,
and before the time of Jerome.
Third, critical conjecture. The
relative probability of the passage
having been written by Mark or
added by a later hand, is next to be
considered. Those who adopt the
latter hypothesis think that the ad
dition was made on account of the
want of completeness apparent iu
closing the narrative with the
eighth verse of this chapter. Any
reader will be struck with this want
of completeness, if he will read
from the first to the eighth verse,
and imagine that the narrative there
closes. But while this considera
tion would account for the, addition
of the passage, it leaves unaccount
ed for the fact that Mark cut short
his narrative so abruptly. The
various conjectures advanced to ac
count for this fact, such' as the sud
den death of Mark, or the sudden
death of Peter, Mark's instructor,
are so unsatisfactory that they serve
only to show the strait in which
the writers find themselves who
adopt this hypothesis. On the
other hand, if we suppose that the
passage was written by Mark, its
absence from some copies is at
once accounted for by considering
the many accidents by which the
last leaf of a manuscript may be
lost. Alford himself recognizes the
force of this consideration, and says,
" The most probable supposition is,

that the last leaf of the original gos
pel was torn away." This remark is
intended by him to account for the
incompleteness which suggested the
addition of the passage in question,
but we think it still more satisfac
torily accounts for the absence of
this passage from those manuscripts
which have it not: for one manu
script with the last leaf torn away,
or worn away, might be used as a
copy, and might thus become the
prolific mother of an immense brood
of manuscripts lacking the portion
lost. As regards the external evidence,
then, we are constrained to adopt
the conclusion of Dr. Davidson, who
very modestly says : " On the whole,
the external arguments in favor of
the passage outweigh those on the
other side." (Davidson's Introduc
tion.) We believe that in this conclu
sion all of the critics concur, and
that the ground of doubt which over
rules it in the minds of some, is in
ternal evidence furnished by words <
and phrases found in the passage
which are foreign, it is claimed, to
Mark's style, and which therefore
show the hand of another writer.
Dean Alford, after mentioning each
of these words and phrases as thev
occur in the text, sums up the evi
dence from this source, as follows :
" Internal evidence is, i think, very
weighty against Mark's being the
author. No less than seventeen
words and phrases occur in it (and
some of them several times) which
are never elsewhere used by Mark
— whose adherence to his own
peculiar phrases is remarkable."
Such also is the judgment of several
other eminent critics, both English
and German.
A question of this kind is not to
be decided by balancing the weight
of the great names which have been
arrayed in the discussion of it, but
by a careful and patient cxamina-

380

MARK.

tion of the alleged peculiarities of
style, in order to determine the
actual force of the evidence which
they contain. To Prof. John A.
Broadus, of Greenville, South Caro
lina, belongs the credit of hav
ing first applied to this argument
the test which it demands. He did
so in an article published in the
Baptist Quarterly for 1869, which
is remarkable alike for its conclu
siveness, for the modesty with which
its argument is set forth, and for
the painstaking research which it
exhibits. He names, as an offset
to Alford's seventeen words and
phrases in the last twelve verses
not elsewhere used by Mark, pre
cisely the same number in the
twelve verses next preceding these.
These are: ttOvrjxe, xv. 44; yvoijowtd,
iSuiptjaato, rctwfia,,* XV. 45; ivcixrjdE,
%ihato/i->jft,ivov, rtetpas, rtpoocxvfaas,
xv. 46 ; SicLysvofiivov, aptofiata,, xvi. 1 ;
tt]( fdd; Bafifidtav, xvi. 2 ; drCoxvXiat t,
xvi. 3; avaxixv'Ma-tai, Btyo&pa, xvi. 4;
ejj roy SeIiois, xvi. 5 ; elxc in a pecul
iar sense, tpojioc, xvi. 8. The Pro
fessor used the Greek text of Tre
gelles. Such a coincidence, occurring in
the immediate context, is at once a
surprising fact and a startling ex
posure of the fragile foundation on
which this famous critical structure
has been erected. It shows that
the same use of the Greek Con
cordance which led to the origin of
this criticism, if pushed a little
farther, would have smothered it in
its birth, and would have saved
some distinguished critics from
being detected in a flimsy though
pretentious fallacy.
Applying to another passage the
method adopted by Prof. Broadus,
I have myself examined the last
twelve verses of Luke's narrative

* In reference to this word the Professor
ts slightly- mistaken. It occurs again in
Mark vi. 29, though o-lbpa^ is the word
usually employed by Mark lor " body."

and found there nine words which
are not elsewhere used in his nar
rative, and among them are four
which are not elsewhere found in
the New Testament: yet none of
our critics have thought it worth
while to mention this fact, if they
have noticed it, much less have they
raised a doubt in regard to the gen
uineness of this passage. Doubt
less many other examples of the
kind could be found in the New
Testament; but these are amply
sufficient to show that the argument
which we are considering is but a
shallow sophism.
But the argument appears, if pos
sible, still more fallacious, when we
come to consider it in connection
with the words and phrases in ques
tion taken separately. We make a
few specifications, taken from among
those on which Alford and others
most confidently rely for the sup
port of their criticism.
• 1. We select first, the word
poreuomai (nopsvofiio,i), to go. Al
ford says, "This word, never used
by Mark, is three times contained
in this passage, verses 10, 12, 15."
True, this word in its simple form
is not elsewhere used by Mark, but
he uses it in composition with a
preposition not less than nineteen
times. He uses eis-poreuomai
(hartopsvofia.i), to go in, eight times ;
and ek-poreuomai (ixTtopevo/iai.), to
go out, eleven times. The argu
ment really stands thus: Because,
iu a book which eight times uses
the expression "go in," and eleven
times the expression "go out,"
there is a passage which three
times employs the simple word
"go," it is inferred that the latter
passage must have been written by
a different author. Ludicrous as
this argument appears, it would
have some degree of plausibility if
the places in which "go" is em
ployed were such as properly re
quire "go in" or "go out." But

MARK.

381

such is not the case. The places
are as follows: "She (Mary) went
and told them,1' verse 10. She
neither went in nor went out, but
she simply went to where Peter
and John were abiding. " He ap
peared in another form to two of
them as they walked and went into
the country " (verse 12). Here
the direction into is expressed by
the preposition which follows the
verb, and it is not sufficiently em
phatic to justify compounding it
also with the verb. " Go into all
the world, and preach " (verse 15).
The same remark is true of this as
of the preceding instance, and
furthermore it is clear that the
speaker did not intend to em
phasize the direction of the going,
as though the disciples needed a cau
tion lest they should go out of all
the world instead of going into it.
There is a reason, then, for the use
of the uncompounded word in these
places, just as there was in the
other nineteen places for using the
compounded word; and instead of
proving that MaTk is not the author
of this passage, the use of the word
in question is only a proof that
Mark was careful to employ words
with precision.
Again, as Prof. Broadus clearly
shows, it is not unusual for Mark
to employ occasionally in its simple
form a word which he usually com
pounds with a preposition. He
uses the compound term eperotao
(sttipotda), io ask, twenty-four
times according to the corrected
text, and the uncompounded erotao
(ipotdu) three times (iv. 10; vii.
26; viii. 5). He also uses the
compound term apothneesko (aito-
6vrttixu>), to die, eight times, and the
uncompounded thneesko (Bpr/axa)
only once. These examples take
away the last vestige of argument
drawn from the use of the word
in question.
2. We next notice the phrase

meta tauta (fieta, taita), after
these things (verse 12). Alford
says of this expression, " It is not
found in Mark, though many op
portunities occurred for using it."
The argument, fairly stated, is this:
In all similar connections, Mark
employs other terms, such as
eutheoos (sidcue), straightway, or
palin (rtd%w), again; but here,
where the critic thinks his style re
quired the use of the latter term,
we find the phrase meta tauta
(ficta, taita), after these tilings ;
from which it is inferred that Mark
is not the author of this passage.
It is surprising that this argument
is employed, for it requires only a
cursory glance at the connection to
see that the term palin, again,
would not have served the purpose
of the writer in this place. The
statement is, literally translated,
"After these things he appeared iu
another form to two of them as
they walked and went into the
country." It would not have been
proper to say that he appeared to
them again, for he had not appeared
to them previously: but this appear
ance took place after the events
just previously mentioned by Mark,
and he most properly chose the
phrase "after these things" to^indi-
cate this fact. As regards the
" many opportunities '' which oc
curred in Mark's narrative for a
previous use of this phrase, we are
prepared to affirm that in no one
of the places where palin occurs,
would meta tauta have served the
purpose of context so well. This
the English reader can see for him
self, if he will examine the occur
rences of "again" in Mark's nar
rative, and suppose the phrase
"after these things" to be sub
stituted for it. Moreover, in this
instance, as in others already men
tioned, a striking coincidence dis
covered by Prof. Broadus serves
most effectually the purpose of re-

382

MARK.

futation. Luke, in the book of
Acts, a book nearly twice as large
as Mark, makes the same use of
eutheoos and palin that Mark does,
yet once, and only once,* he employ
meta tauta, the very phrase now in
question (xviii. 1). True, the phrase
occurs four times in Acts, but in
the other three instances it occurs
in quotations, one from Stephen
(vii. 7), one from Paul (xiii. 20),
and one from James (xv. 16).
3. Finally, we notice the term
o Kuptoj, " the Lord " (verses 19, 20).
Alford says that this term is
"foreign to the diction of Mark in
speaking of the Lord;" and it is
true that it is not found elsewhere
in Mark except in quotations. But,
as Prof. Broadus remarks, "It is
precisely after the resurrection of
Christ that it would be most natural
to apply to him this high name,
the Lord." John uses the term in
this sense only three times before
the resurrection, but it is found
nine times iu his lips and those of
his fellow disciples in his brief ac
count of the scenes that followed
the resurrection. If, then, the
apostle John thus changes his
phraseology to suit the changed
and more exalted condition of his
Master, why should it be thought
strange that Mark does the same;
and why, in this most natural and
reasonable change, pretend to dis
cover the hand of a new writer ?

* Prof. Broadus says, twice, but he must
have counted one ol the three contained
lu quotations.

We regard further specifications
as unnecessary. None of the seven
teen words and phrases mentioned
by Alford and the critics who
agree with him, furnishes any
better ground for objection to the
passage than these three; and "Al
though," to use the language of the
scholar to whom I am so much in
debted in preparing this note, "the
multiplication of littles may amount
to much, not so the multiplication
of nothings."
Our final conclusion is, that the
passage in question is authentic in
all its details, and that there is no
reason to doubt that it was written
by the same hand which indited the
preceding parts of this narrative.
The objections which have been
raised against it are better calcu
lated to shake our confidence in
Biblical Criticism than in the gen
uineness of this inestimable portion
of the word of God.
[After the above note was com
pleted and sent to the printers, I
was kindly furnished by Prof.
Broadus with a copy of a book of
over 300 pages devoted exclusively
to the question discussed above,
and written by John W. Burgon,
D. D., Fellow of Oriel College, Ox
ford. While the writer appears to
me extravagant in many of his ex
pressions, and often extreme in his
conclusions, I recommend the work
to the careful study of those who
are interested in this question. It
was published at Oxford, Eng., in
1871.]

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COMMENTARY ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES.
By Prof. J. W. McGarvey. 3U0 pages, 12mo., cloth  I 50
THE CHRISTIAN SYSTEM.
In reference to the union of Christians and the restoration of Primitive Christianity.
By A. Campbell. Cloth, 12mo  1 50
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CAMPBELL AND PURCELL'S DEBATE
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CAMPBELL AND OWEN'S DEBATE
On all the Systems of Skepticism, Ancient and Modern. Complete in one volume.
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FAMILIAR LECTURES ON THE PENTATEUCH.
Delivered befpre the Morning Class of Bethany College, during the Session of 1859-60,
by Alexander Campbell ; also short extracts from his sermons during the same ses
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MEMOIRS OF ELDER THOMAS CAMPBELL.
By Alexander Campbell. Cloth, 12mo  1 25
WORKS OF ALEXANDER CAMPBELL.
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THE CHRISTIAN BAPTIST.
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tion. Price, in cloth, $3; arabesque  3 50
A TREATISE ON PRAYER.
Dedicated to the Christian Churches in America. By R. Milligan, President of the
College of the Bible in Kentucky University. Beautifully printed on fine paper, aud
bound in fine cloth, vermilion edges  50
THE MESSIAHSHIP;
Or, Great Demonstration. Written for the union of Christians on Christian princi
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LIVING ORACLES.
The Sacred writings of the Apostles and Evangelists, translated from the original
Greek, by Drs. Cjimpbell.Mackmght, and Doddridge, with preface, emendations, and
an appendix by Alexander Campbell. Pocket edition, bound iu cloth  50
CHRISTIAN CHURCH REGISTER.
With various special rulings and printed headings. Arranged by Eld. R. Moffett.
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CHURCH CONTRIBUTION RECORD.
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tions. 40 pages, SI 10; 80 pages  1 50
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New Edirioi', with New Illustrations. Edited by Elder D. S. Burnet. 50 books in 40
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CHRISTIAN TRACTS

AND
SMALL BOOKS IN NEAT PAPER COVERS VALUABLE FOR CIRCULATION.
WOMAN'S WORK IN THE CHUHCH. /
By W. T. Moore  _    »0 1C
THE MISSION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
By John W. Randall  _  _  10
THE EVILS OF INTEMPERANCE.
A Tract. By Charles P. Evans  „  _„.. 10
THE TKTTE BASIS OE CHRISTIAN UNION. /
By Isaac Errett  10
QHACE AND GOOD WORKS;
Or, of the Divine and Unman Agency in the work of Human Redemption. By R.
Milligan, President of the College of the Bible in Kentucky University  10
FIRST PRINCIPLES ; »
Or, The Elements of the Gospel. Analyzed and discussed In letters to an inquirer.
By Isaac Errett. 159 pages    19
A BRIEF TKEATISE ON PRAYER.
By R. Milligan  10
PRINCIPLES AND OBJECTS
Ofthe Religious Reformation, as plead bv A. Campbell and others. By R. Richardson 10
This statement of the "Principles and Objects" of the Reformation is written in good
taste and style: is brief, yet covers the whole ground. This should be freely circula
ted.
SALVATION FROM SIN ;
Or, What Must I Do to be Saved? By Dr. J. P. Walsh  _    .-  10
The topics treated are Faith, Repentance, Confession, Calling on the Name ofthe Lord,
Baptism, and Salvation.
"LIFE AND DEATH." '
A Refutation of Materialism and Modern Sadduceeism  «„ 10
CHRISTIAN EXPERIENCE j
Or, Sincerity Seeking the Way to Heaven. A Dialogue  H .„....„  .„«..«.,„ 10
THE UNION MOVEMENT.
A Dialogue, showing the only possible ground of Christian union  ....  10
TRUE METHOD OF SEARCHING THE SCRIPTURES.
By President Fanning. Paper, 15 cents; cloth  „  „.—. 50
M'LEAN ON THE COMMISSION
Of Christ and His Apostles. Paper.  H....H........Hm. 30.
BIX LETTERS TO A SKEPTIC. '
By A. Campbell. 57 pages  -  -  ......._._...._..„. 6
SPIRITUALISM SELF-CONDEMNED. "
By Isaao Errett. A very valuable tract, with neat cover ..  „  .„......«_  «... 6
CHRIST'S CHURCH IDENTIFIED.
Iiy Elder A. Raines. Cloth  „  ..._.....„ 30
B A.DICALISM and CONSERVATISM.
Their influence on tho Development of a true Civilization. By W. T. Moore.........-.— 10
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O fJR STRENGTH AND OUR "WEAKNESS. '
By W. T. Moore  _   JO 10
1 HE PASTORATE.
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KEATHEN TESTIMONIES
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SCRIPTURE DOCTRINE
Of Justification by Faith. By J. R. Swift. Per dozen ,    „  . 75
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THE DEATH OF CHRIST.
Written for tiie recovery of the Church from sects. By Walter Scott. 132 pages  25
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REPLY TO A BAPTIST
On the Design of Baptism. By M. E. Lard .......  .  -_   ..  .  .____.. 10
BIBLE vs. MATERIALISM. '
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A FEW "WORDS ABOUT BOOKS.
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THE PLAN OF SALVATION. '
By Isaac Errett  ~..~......  »«..,.„  H  10
THE CONNECTION
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dleton  -  «  10
THE CHURCH OF THE FUTURE.
By W. T. Moore  _    „  10
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COMPLETE IN ONE VOLUME, UNABRIDGED.
. DE. E. EIOHAEDSON'S
MEMOIRS OF ALEXANDER CAMPBELL.
Embracing a view of the Origin, Progress, and
Principles ofthe Religious Reformation
which he advocated.
Containing over 1200 pages, elegantly and substantially bound.

This edition is designed to meet the wishes of many who desire to have
this elegantly written and valuable Biography in condensed form and at
a less price than the edition in two volumes. The Memoirs are here given
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Preachers, Teachers, Students and others who desire active out-door
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public this valuable work.
Price in fine English Cloth, $4.00; Sheep, Library Style, $5.00.
Terms to Agents very liberal and correspondence invited.
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NEW EDITI0N.-N0W READY.
A SOEIPTUEAL VIEW

OF THE

OFFICE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT,
IBIT IDTb. IR,. ZRiIOHLAJR/IDSOIEr.

This is a handsome 12mo volume, of 324 pages, bound in fine cloth.
Price $1.50.
The author has made the Office of the Holy Spirit a subject of study for
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conclusions. " It is a real thesaurus or treasure-house of sound instruction in the
things of the Kingdom of God. The diction as well as the construction
of his sentences mark Dr. Richardson as one of the purest and best writers
in the Reformation. We urge the study of this book upon our young
ministers as a model of fine composition." — Apostolio Times.
" There is no one among us nor among any other religious body better
qualified to present the ' Scriptural View ' than our venerable brother, R.
Richardson." — The Christian.
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THE CHRISTIAN HYMNAL.

A choice, collection of Hymns and Tunes for Congregational and Social Worship. Ar
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12m«. 844 Hymns, 378 Tunes, 340 pages, Elegantly bound in cloth ; vermillion edges... 1 00
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LIFE OF
ELDER WALTER SCOTT,
With sketches of his fellow-laborers, William Hay den, Adamson
Bentley, John Henry, and others.
J3T WIXjLHIAJM: BAXTER.

Phis work is being read by thousands, and calling forth the warmest
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Editors, scholars, and preachers speak of it in terms of high approval,
saying that it should be in every family of our brotherhood ; that it gives
a brief, clear, and faithful history of the Reformation, and that in addition
to its great merit as a biography, it has a high value as a history of the
progress of religious thought among the Disciples.
Some who have read it twice, and even thrice, speak of it as an admir
able book to lend to their religious neighbors. It brings before the
reader the men and scenes of the most trying and romantic period of our
religious history, and is well calculated to awaken and cherish the spirit
with which our movement was begun.
It is a handsome 12mo, of 450 pages, bound in fine cloth, with elegant
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A.3sTAXj1TSIS OF THE
NEW TESTAMENT,
With leading Queries and Illustrations, designed for the use of
Sunday-schools, Bible-classes, etc.,
ZB3T Tb. Is^IXjUiIO-^AJST,
Late President of the College of the Bible in Kentucky University.
" The object of the work is not to substitute something else for the studv
of the Holy Scriptures, but simply to so aid and direct the student of the
Bible in the course of his investigations, that his whole spiritual nature
may be brought under the influence of the truth, and so molded in that
form of doctrine which the Holy Spirit has once for all delivered to us.
The analysis of the Four Gospels is given harmonically. In this way, it is
believed, the character of Christ, as well as the sphere, scope, and extent
of his labors, will be most readily understood by the student. As one
object of the work is to make the Bible, as far as possible its own inter
preter, but few notes are given by way of explanation, and these are de
signed to be merely suggestive."
This volume contains 41 3 octavo pages, embracing the Gospels and Acts
with maps for illustration, and bound in substantial clolh binding. Price
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THE CHRISTIAN STANDARD.
A "WEEKLY
RELIGIOUS AND FAMILY NEWSPAPER.
Devoted to the Restoration of Primitive Christianity, and furnishing in
respect to religion, literature, family culture, general
intelligence, and the discussion of all important
moral and religious questions, a
FIRST-CLASS FAMILY
JOURNAL.

The Christian Standard is now in its tenth volume, and has steadily
grown in patronage until it is established on a firm basis, and ranks
among the leading religious journals of the West, having much the largest
circulation of any paper published by the Disciples. Its constantly
increasing patronage is the best evidence of its genuine worth as a fair,
honorable, and judicious religious journal.
ISAAC EBBETT, EDITOR.
J. S. Lamar,
W. K. Pendleton, Associate Editors.
Bussei/l Errett, Jr.,
Terms, $2.00 per year in advance. Specimen copies Free.

BTHE OHEISTIAN STAJTDASD /^
IBLE LES SO NO.

INTERNATIONAL SERIES.

These lessons, prepared by Isaac Errett, are intended for all Teachers
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Monthly in Magazine form, 16 octavo pages, and contain in addition to the
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Terms, 1 Copy, one year  $ 30
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