THE CAMBRIDGE BIBLE FOR SCHOOLS & COLLEGES ST. MATTHEW ;dited by A. CARR, M.A, GENERAL EDITOR J, J, S. PEROWNE, I) a BEAM OF PETERBOROUGH "I give theft, Baoki for the fowling of a. ColUgi Colojty'J DIVINITY SCHOOL TROWBRIDGE LIBRARY GIFT OF The Bev. G.P. Prentiss CJje Camfrrttrfle Mbit for ^cjwls antr Collets. THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST MATTHEW. 5-onSoit: C. J. CLAY AND SONS, CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS WAREHOUSE, Ave Maria Lane. CamfirftlSf: DEIGHTON, BELL, AND CO. HUipjifl: F. A. BROCKHAUS. Cfie Camfrrttifle MW for ^cfiools anti Colleges. General Editor:— J. J. S. PEROWNE, D.D., Dean of Peterborough. THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST MATTHEW, WITH MAPS NOTES AND INTRODUCTION BY THE REV. A. CARR, M.A., FORMERLY FELLOW OF ORIEL COLLEGE, OXFORD, LATE ASSISTANT MASTER AT WELLINGTON COLLEGE EDITED FOR THE .SYNDICS OF THE UNIVERSITY PRESS. GCamirtirget AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS. 1887 [All Rights reserved.] 'Novum Testamentum in vetere latet, Vetus Testamentum in novo fatet." Ambrose. PREFACE BY THE GENERAL EDITOR. The General Editor of Tlie Cambridge Bible for Schools thinks it right to say that he does not hold himself responsible either for the interpretation of particular passages which the Editors of the several Books have adopted, or for any opinion on points of doctrine that they may have expressed. In the New- Testament more especially questions arise of the deepest theological import, on which the ablest and most conscientious interpreters have differed and always will differ. His aim has been in all such cases to leave each Contributor to the unfettered exercise of his own judgment, only taking care that mere controversy should as far as possible be avoided. He has contented himself chiefly with a careful revision of the notes, with pointing out omissions, with suggesting occasionally a reconsideration of some question, or a fuller treatment of difficult passages, and the like. Beyond this he has not attempted to interfere, feeling it better that each Commentary should have its own individual character, and being convinced that freshness and variety of treatment are more than a compensation for any lack of uniformity in the Series. Deanery, Peterborough. CONTENTS. I. Introduction. pages Chapter I. Life of St Matthew 5—9 Chapter II. Authorship, Origin, and Character istics of the Gospel 9 — 15 Chapter III. Analysis of the Gospel 15 — 20 Chapter IV. External History during the Life and Ministry of Jesus Christ 20 — 24 II. Text and Notes 29 — 231 ILL Index 232 — 236 Map of the Holy Land to face p. 28. Map of the Sea of Galilee to face p. 49. The Text adopted in this Edition is that of Dr Scrivener's Cambridge Paragraph Bible. A few variations from the ordi nary Text, chiefly in the spelling of certain words, and in the use of italics, will be noticed. For the principles adopted by Dr Scrivener as regards the printing of the Text see his Intro duction to the Paragraph Bible, published by the Cambridge University Press. INTRODUCTION. CHAPTER I. LIFE OF ST MATTHEW. Levi the son of Alphaeus1 was a tax-gatherer at Capernaum. His special duty would be to collect tolls from the fisheries on the Lake, and perhaps from the merchants travelling southward from Damascus. One day Jesus coming up from the Lake side passed near the custom-house where Levi was seated in Oriental fashion, and He saith unto him, Follow me, and he arose and followed Him (ch. ix. 9). That Jesus ever addressed Levi before, we are not told ; but it is reasonable to suppose that he was expecting the summons, that he was already a disciple of Jesus, and prepared as soon as Christ gave the word to leave all for His sake. At any rate, Levi must have heard of the Great Rabbi and of His preaching, and have already resolved to adopt the view of the kingdom of God which Jesus taught. ¦When Levi became a follower of Jesus he changed his name from Levi to Matthew2, which means "the Gift of God," and is the same as the Greek name Theodore. This practice was not unusual, and may be illustrated by the instances of Saul and of Simon, who also adopted new names in the new life. The same day Matthew made a feast — perhaps a farewell feast to his old associates — to which he invited Jesus and His 1 Alphaeus being also the name of the father of James the Apostle it has been conjectured that James and Matthew were brethren. This is of course possible, but can hardly be called probable. a This is indeed an inference, but one which is accepted by the best commentators to harmonise the "Levi" of the second and third Gospels with the "Matthew" ofthe first Gospel. INTRODUCTION. disciples. We may conceive what a joyous banquet that was for Matthew, when for the first time as an eye-witness he marked the words and acts of Jesus, and stored within his memory the scene and the conversation which he was inspired to write ac cording to his clerkly ability for the instruction of the Church in all after ages. After this Matthew is not once named in the Gospel history, except in the list of the Twelve ; in the other Gospels he appears seventh on the list, in his own Gospel eighth — the last in the second division. In his own Gospel again — a further mark of humility — he designates himself as " Matthew the publican." His nearest companion seems to have been Thomas (whose surname Didymus has led to the belief that he was Matthew's twin -brother), and in the same group or division were Philip and Bartholomew. Such are the scanty details * which the Gospels record of St Matthew. These few notices however suggest some inferences as to the religious position, character •and teaching of the Evangelist. Since Capernaum was in the tetrarchy of Herod Antipas, it may be inferred that Levi was an officer in the service of that prince, and not in the service of the Roman government, as is sometimes tacitly assumed. This is not unimportant in esti mating the call and conversion of St Matthew. A Hebrew who entirely acquiesced in the Roman supremacy could hardly have done so at this period without abandoning the national hopes. Jesus alone knew the secret of reconciling the highest aspirations of the Jewish race with submission to Cassar. But to acknowledge the Herodian dynasty was a dif ferent thing from bowing to Rome. Herod was at least not a foreigner and a Gentile in the same sense as the Roman. Idumea had coalesced with Israel. It is therefore conceivable that a Jew who was waiting for the Messiah's reign may in very despair have learned to look for the fulfilment of his hopes in the Hero dian family. If it was impossible to connect Messianic thoughts with an Antipas, or even with the more reputable Philip, still might not a prince hereafter spring from that house to restore the kingdom to Israel ? Might not God in His providence fuse by some means the house and lineage of Herod with the house INTRODUCTION. and lineage of David ? It was not impossible, and probably the tyrannical Antipas owed the stability of his throne in some measure to a party among the Jews who cherished these ideas. No one can read St Matthew's Gospel without perceiving that he was no Hellenist, but a Hebrew of the Hebrews, deeply learned in the history and prophecies of his race, and eagerly looking forward to their realisation ; but he had been content to find, or at least to expect that realisation in the family of Herod. These views were suited to his nature in two ways. For we may infer first, that he was influenced by what is almost an inherent passion in his race— the love of gain ; (had it not been so he would never have chosen a career which at its best was despised and odious) ; secondly, that he loved a life of contemplation and quiet, and was well pleased to separate himself from the fiery enthusiasm and headstrong schemes of the Galileans who sur rounded him. Such may have been the hopes to which Levi clung. But when the plan and teaching of Jesus were unfolded to his mind stored with national memories, he instantly recog nised the truth and beauty and completeness of that ideal, and gave himself up heart and soul to the cause of the Son of David. For that cause and for the kingdom of God he resigned all his hopes of advancement in Herod's kingdom, his lucrative calling, and the friends he had made. It may be that Matthew's wealth was not in an absolute sense great, but it was great for the little Galilean town. It was great to him. And if like St Paul he had left a record of his personal religious feelings, he might have related how he counted up all the several items of gain, and found the sum total loss compared with the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus1. If we may judge from the silence of the Gospels, the position which Matthew held among his fellow-disciples was a humble one. He was not among the chosen three. No incident con nects itself with his name, as with the names of Andrew and Simon, of Philip, of Thomas, or of Bartholomew, of Judas [the brother] of James, of the sons of Zebedee. No one word of his to Christ is recorded. Even when he was called he rose and followed in silence. » Phil. iii. 7, 8. 8 INTRODUCTION. We may picture Matthew to ourselves as a silent, unobtru sive, contemplative man, " swift to hear and slow to speak," un observant of the minutiae of outward action but with a mind teeming with the associations of his nation and deeply conscious of the momentous drama which was being enacted before him, of which he felt himself called upon to be the chronicler and interpreter to his own people. No special mention is made of St Matthew in the Acts of the Apostles, or in the Epistles, but some light is thrown upon his after life by fragmentary notices of early Christian writers. We gather that he remained in Palestine longer than the rest of the Apostles, and that he made his fellow-countrymen familiar with the words and works of Jesus. More will be said below as to the nature and special scope of his teaching ; but an interesting point of Christian history, and one that bears upon St Matthew's character, recorded by Eusebius, may be mentioned here. St Matthew, says the historian, being about to depart for distant lands to preach to others also, left as a memorial to his Palestinian converts the story of the New Covenant committed to writing in their own tongue, the Aramaic or Hebrew dialect which they used. This parting gift of the Evangelist was the origin of the written Gospels. Later authorities have named ./Ethiopia, Parthia, Egypt and Macedonia, as fields of his missionary work. Clement of Alex andria states that Matthew devoted himself to a strictly ascetic life, abstaining from the use of animal food. By the most ancient testimony the death of this apostle is attributed to natural causes. The traditions of the Greek Church and the pictures of the Greek artists represent him dying peacefully. But the Western Church has placed Matthew on the list of martyrs, and in the works of Italian painters he is portrayed perishing by the executioner's sword. It is charac teristic of this silent, unmarked life, in which the personality of the Evangelist is lost in the voice of the message which he was inspired to utter, that Matthew's name has been less prominent in the Churches and nations of Christendom than others of his co-apostles, or even than many saints, whose services to the Church of Christ have been infinitely less. None of the great INTRODUCTION. Churches of Christendom have been called by his name, no guild or fraternity, no college in our great Universities, no state or nation, has chosen him for a patron. Scarcely one famous picture has taught the lesson of his calL The personal memory, like the personal life of St Matthew, withdraws itself from the observation of men. CHAPTER II. AUTHORSHIP, ORIGIN AND CHARACTERISTICS OF THE GOSPEL. I. The authorship of the first gospel has been ascribed by an unbroken tradition to the Apostle Matthew. 2. The date is uncertain. Irenaeus however states that St Matthew wrote his gospel when SS. Peter and Paul were founding the Church in Rome : and the fact that it was published first of the written Gospels rests upon early and uncontradicted testimony. The date of publication then should probably be fixed not many years after the Ascension. 3. St Matthew's Gospel was primarily intended for the use of the Jewish converts in Palestine. It is this fact that gives its special character to this Gospel. No other ofthe evangelists has so completely developed the idea that in Christ the nation lived again, that towards Christ all prophecy moved, that in Him all national aspirations were centred and satisfied. No other inspired writer has pictured so vividly the critical interest of the Messianic days as the meeting point of the world's past and future. According to St Matthew Jesus is from first to last Christ the King, the King of whom all the prophets spake in the past, but He is also the one figure round whom the historical interest of the future was destined to gather. Hence the twofold aspect of this Gospel, on the one hand it is the most national and the most retrospective of the Gospels ; on the other it is the most universal and the most prophetic; in one sense St Matthew is more gentile than S.t Luke, in another he is truly a Hebrew ofthe Hebrews. INTRODUCTION. The very depth of St Matthew's patriotism impels him to glory in the universality of the Messianic reign. The Kingdom of God must over-pass the limits of the Chosen race. Hence it is no matter of surprise that the Hebrew historian should alone commemorate the coming of the Magi and the refuge in Egypt, and that he and not St Luke should tell the story of the Canaan- itish woman. The following points confirm the received account of the origin of this Gospel and indicate its special reference to the Jews. (i) The numerous quotations from prophecy. (2) The appeals to history as fulfilled in Christ. (3) The rare explanation of Jewish words and customs. (4) The strong and special denunciation of the Jews and of their rulers. (5) The special reference to the Law in the Sermon on the Mount. (6) The Genealogy traced from Abraham and David. (7) The Mission of the Seventy omitted. (8) The absence of Latin words, with very few exceptions. (9) The prominence given to the Jewish thought of a Kingdom of Heaven ; (a) in the general scope of the Gospel ; (b) in the parables ; (c) in the account of the Passion. 4. The question of style cannot be fully or satisfactorily discussed without a direct appeal to the original, but it may be observed that St Matthew's manner is less vivid and picturesque than St Mark's, more even and unvaried than St Luke's, whose diction is greatly influenced by the various sources whence he derived the details which he incorporates into his Gospel. Con sequently although no passages in St Matthew's Gospel recall the classical ring like the introduction to St Luke's Gospel ; on the other hand the Hebrew idiom never so manifestly shews itself in the first Gospel as in the opening chapters of the third. St Matthew was an eyewitness of the events which he chronicles, yet it is often remarked that his descriptions are less graphic and full of detail than those of St Mark, who wrote what he had heard from the lips of others. This need not be a matter of surprise. It is indeed a phenomenon that meets us INTRODUCTION. every day. It is not the contemporary and the eyewitness, but the historian of a succeeding age who takes the keenest interest in minute detail and records with faithful accuracy the less prominent circumstances of a great event. It is the Herodotus or the Macaulay — the historian, the 'questioner' — who gathers from every source materials for a minute and brilliant picture, rather than the actual spectator who is often too deeply absorbed by the one point of supreme interest in a tcene to notice the looks and acts of other bystanders, or so impressed by the speaker's glowing thoughts, as to deem them alone worthy of record. But though St Mark enables us to realize more exactly the external accessories of the various incidents, St Matthew has treasured up for the Church more fully than the other synoptists the words and discourses of Jesus ; such especially as present Him in the character of the Great Prophet, who, like the pro phets of old time, denounces national sins and predicts the future of the nation and the Church. Instances of this characteristic are the full report of the Sermon on the Mount (ch. v. vi. vii.), the charge. to the Apostles ch. x ; the great series of prophetic parables in ch. xiii. peculiar to this gospel ; the denunciation of the Scribes and Pharisees in ch. xxiii., the parables of the Passion ch. xxv., the predictions of the fall of Jerusalem, and of the second Advent chs. xxiv. and xxv. 5. The ablest critics are agreed that St Matthew does not observe the chronological order of events. By the arrangement followed by this Evangelist, as may be seen by the accompany ing analysis of the Gospel, special incidents and sayings are so grouped together as to illustrate the different aspects of our Lord's life and teaching. 6. The most interesting literary question in connection with this Gospel concerns the language in which it was written. Is the Hellenistic Greek version which we possess, (1) the original Gospel, or (2) a translation from a Hebrew or Aramaic original ; further, if a translation by whom was the translation made, by (a) St Matthew himself, or (b) by some other? Apart from the antecedent probability of a Hebrew Gospel — a version of the New Covenant to correspond with the Hebrew of the Old Covenant, and to meet the requirements of those 12 INTRODUCTION. Jews who gloried in their knowledge of the Hebrew tongue, and their adhesion to Hebrew customs, who would listen more gladly to the Gospel if it were preached to them in the language of their fathers — direct testimony to the existence of an Aramaic original of St Matthew's Gospel is borne by a succession of the earliest Christian writers. (i) Papias in the beginning of the second century writes : — " Matthew arranged the ' oracles ' (or sayings of Christ) in the Hebrew language." (2) Irensus says " Matthew among the Hebrews brought out a writing of the Gospel in their own tongue." (3) Pantasnus, according to Eusebius (H. E. v. 10.), is said to have gone to preach to the Indians and to have found among them a copy of the Hebrew Gospel according to St Matthew which had been left by the Apostle Bartholomew. (4) In later times evidence for the belief in a Hebrew original is drawn from the writings of Origen, Eusebius, Jerome, and many others. Against this testimony in favour of a Hebrew original, argu ments tending to an opposite conclusion are grounded on (1) the disappearance of the Hebrew Gospel : (2) the authority which the existing version has always had in the Church : (3) the similarity of expression to certain portions of the other Gospels : (4) the apparent originality of style. (1) That no copy of the Hebrew Gospel is extant need not excite surprise. With the destruction of Jerusalem the Hebrew speaking Christians would be for the most part scattered far and wide over the limits of the Roman Empire. Necessity would impel them to become familiar with the Greek tongue. Their Jewish compatriots in foreign countries would be ac quainted with no other. Everywhere the credit of the Greek version of St Matthew's Gospel would be fully established ; to that version the original Hebrew edition would soon give place. It seems probable too that copies of this Gospel were purposely altered and mutilated to serve the ends of heretical sects, and thus the genuine Hebrew text would become more and more difficult to obtain, and finally would be discredited and lost to the Church. The preface of St Luke's Gospel suggests the INTRODUCTION. ,3 thought that many more or less complete "Gospels" once extant have disappeared. Moreover, most critics are agreed that the existing Epistles of St Paul do not comprise the whole number which he wrote to the Churches. The points raised in the second (2) and third (3) arguments are considered below. (4) The question of originality cannot be decisively settled by an appeal to the style of the Greek Gospel. There are, however, certainly some characteristics in St Matthew's Gospel that seem to indicate a translation. The style is uniform, almost monotonous. Hebraisms are regularly and evenly distri buted, not as in St Luke, prominent in some parts and altogether absent in others. The actual Hebrew words are few. This is what we should expect in a translation, but not in an original Gospel addressed principally to Jewish converts. St Matthew's Gospel deals with quotations from the Old Testament in a two fold manner. When the narrative is closely parallel with the other Synoptic Gospels, the quotations are also parallel follow ing generally the text of the LXX., but presenting the same variations from that text which appear in the other Synoptic Gospels. But in those portions of this Gospel which are inde pendent of the others, the quotations approach more nearly to the Hebrew text. This phenomenon must be taken into account in drawing any conclusion as to the existence of the Aramaic original. The following theory is advanced as a natural way of explain ing the facts. It can hardly be doubted that St Matthew in the first instance composed a Gospel for the use of the Palestinian Jews. But on the disruption of the Jewish polity Aramaic would cease to be intelligible to many, and the demand would come for a Greek version of the Gospel according to St Matthew. How would this demand be met? Either Matthew himself, or else some faithful scribe, would use the Hebrew Gospel as the basis of a Greek version. Many of the familiar parables and sayings of Jesus, which were orally afloat in all the Churches, he would (for the sake of old association) incorporate with little alteration, but he would preserve throughout the plan of the original, and, in passages where the special teaching of this 14 INTRODUCTION. Gospel came in, the version would be a close rendering of the Aramaic. This theory explains the verbal coincidence of some parts of St Matthew's Gospel with the parallel Synoptic passages, and accounts for the facts in regard to the quotations stated above. Such a version, especially if made by St Matthew himself, would indeed be rather an original work than a translation, and would speedily in either case acquire the authority of the original Aramaic. Accordingly we find that even those writers who speak of the Hebrew Gospel themselves quote from the Greek version as authoritative. Note I. (A) Miracles. (B) Parables. (C) Discourses. (D) Incidents peculiar to this Gospel. (A) Miracles. (i) Cure of two blind men ix. 27 — 31. (2) The stater in the fish's mouth xvii. 24 — 27. (B) Parables. (il The tares xiii. 24 — 30. (2) The hid treasure xiii. 44. (3) The pearl of great price xiii. 45, 46. (4) The draw net xiii. 47 — 50. (5) The unmerciful servant xviii. 23 — 35. (6) The labourers in the vineyard xx. 1 — 16. (7) The two sons xxi. 28 — 32. (8) Marriage of the king's son xxii. 1 — 14. So) The ten virgins xxv. 1 — 13. 10) The talents xxv. 14 — 30. (C) Discourses. (1) A large part of the sermon on the Mount. (2) Invitation to the heavy laden xi. 28 — 30. (3) Idlewords xii. 36,37. (4) The blessing pronounced on Peter xvi. 17 — 19. (5) The greater part of ch. xviii. on humility and forgiveness. , (6) The rejection of the Jews xxi. 43. (7) The denunciation of the Scribes and Pharisees as a connected discourse, xxiii. (8) The description of the judgment xxv. 31 — 46. (9) The last commission and promise xxviii. 18 — 20. INTRODUCTION. 15 (D) Incidents. (1) The whole of ch. ii. (a)' The coming of the Magi, guided by the star in the east. (j8) The massacre of the innocents. (¦>) The flight into Egypt. (5) The return to Nazareth. (2) The coming of the Pharisees and Sadducees to John's baptism iii. 7. (3) Peter's attempt to walk upon the water xiv. 28—31. (4) Payment ofthe Temple Tax xvii. 24 — 27. (5) In connection with the Passion : (a) The covenant of Judas for thirty pieces of silver ; his repentance, and his end xxvi. 14 — 16; xxvii. 3 — 10. (j3) The dream of Pilate's wife xxvii. 19. (7) The appearance of saints in Jerusalem xxvii. 52. (6) In connection with the Resurrection : (a) The watch placed at the sepulchre xxvii. 62 — 66. (P) The soldiers bribed to spread a false report xxviii. n— 15. (7) The earthquake xxviii. 2. CHAPTER III. ANALYSIS OF THE GOSPEL. Part I. The Birth and Childhood of the King :— i.— il. 23. (1) The lineage of Jesus Christ i. 1 — 17- (2) His birth i- 18—25. (3) The visit of the Magi ii. 1— 12. (4) The flight into Egypt and the return ii. 13 — 23. According to St Matthew's plan Jesus Christ is represented as (o) the King; (/3) descended from David; (y) who fulfils the words of prophecy ; (8) whose Kingdom is recognised by the Gentiles ; (e) who is the representative of His nation, and fulfils their history. ST MATTHEW 2 16 INTRODUCTION. Part II. The Beginning of the Kingdom: — iii. — iv. 11. (i) The forerunner of the Kingdom iii. I — 12. (2) The baptism of Jesus iii. 13 — '7- (3) The Temptation iv. 1 — ri. This part corresponds to the opening verses of St Mark's Gospel ; it contains the announcement and victory of the King, and His entrance upon His reign ; the true kingdom of God is opposed to the false conception of the Kingdom. Part III. The Works and Signs of the Kingdom of God : — iv. 12— xvi. 12. Section (i). AtCapernaum iv. — viii. 17. (a) Preaching of repentance (Metanoia) iv. 17. (/3) Call of four disciples iv. 18 — 22. (7) Various diseases are cured iv. 23 — 25. (5) The sermon on the mount v., vi., vii. (e) Cleansing of a leper viii. 1 — 4. (£) Cure of the centurion's servant viii. 5 — 13. (17) Cure of Peter's wife's mother viii. 14 — 17. The preparation for the Kingdom is amendment of life, a changed heart. It is a Kingdom of love shewn by deeds of mercy. The Law of the Kingdom is the highest fulfilment of the old Law. Section (ii). Jesus crosses the Lake viii. 18 — 34. (a) Fitness for discipleship viii. 1 8 — 22 . Ifi) The winds and the sea obey Him viii. 23 — 27. (7) The Gergesene demoniacs viii. 28 — 34. Jesus shews that self-denial is essential to His subjects ; He exhibits His power over nature, and over the spiritual world. Section (iii). Return to Capernaum ix. — xiii. 52. (o) Cure of a paralytic ix. i — 8. (0) Call of Levi ix. 9. (7) Feast in Levi's house. Jesus the friend of sinners ix, 10 13. Fasting ix. 14— 17. c) The daughter of Jairus. — The woman with an issue ix. 18—26. (f) Two blind men cured ix. 27 31. (ij) The dumb demoniac ix. 32 — 34. INTRODUCTION. 17 (d) The good works of Christ ix. 35. (1) The labourers are few ix. 36 — 38. (it) The choice and mission ofthe Twelve ...a. (A) John the Baptist — his message to Jesus — his position as a prophet xi. 1 — 19. (/i) The unrepentant cities — The yoke of Christ xi. 20 — 30. (") The observance ofthe Sabbath xii. 1 — 13. (!) Plot of the Pharisees — Retirement of Jesus xii. 14 — 21. (0) Cure of the blind and dumb man — Blasphemy of the Pharisees xii. 22 — 37. (ir) Rebuke to those who ask for a sign xii. 38 — 45. (o) The kinsfolk of Jesus xii. 46 — 50. (ff) Teaching by parables xiii. 1 — 52. In these Chapters the teaching of the Kingdom is further developed in its relation (1) to John, as the greatest of the Prophets before the Kingdom ; (2) to the religious system of the Pharisees. The Church of Christ is founded by the call of His disciples. Its future is foreshewn in the charge to the Twelve, and in the Parables of ch. xiii. Section (iv). At Nazareth. His own receive Him not xiii. 53 — 58. Section (v). In different parts of Galilee xiv. — xvi. 12. (a) Herod, who has slain John, asks concern ing Christ xiv. r — 12. (ft) Jesus retires xiv. 13, 14. (7) The feeding of Five Thousand xiv. 15 — 21. (8) The passage to Gennesaret — Jesus walks on the sea xiv. 22 — 36. The tradition ofthe elders — Hypocrisy.. .xv. I — 20. The Canaanite woman xv. 21 — 28. il) Cure of many sick xv. 29 — 31. ($) The feeding of Four Thousand xv. 32 — 38. (1) A sign refused xvi. 4. (k) The leaven of the Pharisees xvi. 5 — 12. Here the Kingdom of God is brought into contrast with (1) the kingdom of Herod — a point of special interest to Matthew ; and (2) with legal righteousness. Jesus indicates the extension of His Church to the Gentiles. He manifests His creative power. 2 — 2 iS INTRODUCTION. Part IV. The Predictions of tha Passion: — xvi. 13 — xx. 34. Section (i). Near Csesarea Philippi xvi. 13 — 28. (a) Peter's acknowledgment of the Son of God — The first prediction xvi. 13 — 20. (/3) Peter rebuked — The true subjects of the King xvi. 21 — 28. The Confession of St Peter is the central point of interest in the education of the disciples. The importance of the crisis is shewn by the expression 'from that time' (xvi. 21). Possessing this truth the disciples may learn the other truth — the suffer ings of the Son of Man. Each prediction presents the same contrast — a lesson of glory, and a lesson of humiliation. Section (ii). The second prediction of the Passion xvii. 1 — xviii. 35. (a) The Transfiguration xvii. 1 — 13. (/3) Cure of the lunatic boy xvii. 14—21. (7) The prediction xvii. 22, 23. (S) The Temple Tax xvii. 24—27. (e) Contention for greatness xviii. 1 — 6. (f) Offences and forgiveness xviii. 7 — 35. A glimpse of the glorified Kingdom of God contrasted with the misery of earth. All that follows the prediction shews the inability of the disciples to understand as yet the truth about the Kingdom. Section (iii). The third prediction ofthe Passion... xix. — xx. 34. (a) Journey through Peraea xix. 1, 2. (3) Question of divorce xix. 3 — 12. (7) Children brought to Christ xix. 13 — 15. (5) The rich young ruler xix. 16 — 22. (c) Riches — Rewards of Christ's followers ...xix. 23—30. (f) Parableof the labourers in the vineyard... xx. 1 — 16. (rn The prediction xx. 17 — 19. (ff) The petition of Salome for her sons xx. 20 — 28. (1) Two blind men are cured xx. 29 — 34. Compare the exactness of detail in this third Prediction with the less definite first and second Predictions. The social life of the subjects of the King — marriage and the use of riches — must be moulded to the laws of the Kingdom. There are great rewards in store for Christ's faithful followers. 8 INTRODUCTION. 19 Part V. The Triumph of the King: — xxi. — x-v. Sunday and Monday Nisan 9 and 10. (a) The King enters the Holy City in triumph xxi. 1 — it. (£) The cleansing of the Temple xxi. 12 — 14. (7) The children's praise xxi. 15,16. Bethany — The cursing of the fig-tree xxi. 17 — 22. The victories of the King xxi. 23 — xxiii. (1) Over the Sanhedrin — The parables of the Two Sons, the Vineyard, and the Marriage Feast xxi. 23 — xxii. 14. (2) Over the Pharisees — The tribute money xxii. 15 — 22. (3) Over the Sadducees — The Resurrec tion.. xxii. 23—33. (4) Over a certain lawyer — The greatest commandment xxii. 34 — 40. (?) By a counter-question — David's Son xxii. 41 — 46. (6) Rebuke ofthe Pharisees xxiii. (() Discourse concerning the fall of Jerusalem and the end of the world — Type and antitype .xxiv. Here Jesus is set forth (1) as the King who triumphs; (2) as victorious over all adversaries; (3) as the Prophet who must perish in Jerusalem. Part VI. The Passion. Wednesday, Nisan 12— Friday, Nisan 14, xxvi. xxvii. (a) A fourth prediction of the Passion xxvi. 1, 2. (/3) A meeting of the Sanhedrin xxvi. 3— 5. (7) The feast in Simon's house — Judas agrees to betray Jesus xxvi. 6—16. (8) The Last Supper xxvi. 17—30. (e) AU shall be offended xxvi. 31—35. (f) Theagonyinthegardenof Gethsemane. ..xxvi. 36—46. (v) The arrest of Jesus xxvi. 47— 56. td) The trial before Caiaphas xxvi. 57—68. (1) The denial of Peter xxvi. 69—72. («) The formal trial before the Sanhedrin ...xxvii. 1. 20 INTRODUCTION. (A) The remorse of Judas — The Roman trial xxvii. 2 — 26. (fi) The mockery by Roman soldiers xxvii. 27 — 30. (v) The crucifixion and death of Jesus xxvii. 31 — 56. (!) The entombment xxvii. 57 — 66. The Triumph of the King is followed by the Humiliation, true to the Predictions of Jesus. "He humbled Himself even unto the death upon the Cross." Part VII. The Resurrection : — xxviii. (a) The empty sepulchre xxviii. 1 — 8. (/S) The appearance of the Lord to the women xxviii. 9, ro. (7) The soldiers bribed to silence xxviii. 11 — 15. (5) Jesus in Galilee xxviii. 16, 17. (0 The last commission xxviii. 18 20. The Gospel of the Kingdom ends fittingly with the victory over death; with the declaration by the Lord Jesus of His uni versal power, and His commission to the disciples to teach all nations. CHAPTER IV. EXTERNAL HISTORY DURING THE LIFE AND MINISTRY OF JESUS CHRIST. 1. Summary. B.C. 3. (see note ch. ii. 1) Octavianus Augustus had been sole ruler ofthe Roman Empire from B. c. 30. Twice during that period the temple of Janus had been closed in sign of peace. B.C. 1. Death of Herod. Rising of the Jews against the Pro curator Sabinus. Repression of the revolt by Varus : 2000 Jews crucified. A.D. 6. Resistance to the Census of Quirinus by Judas the Gaulonite and his Galilajan followers. INTRODUCTION. A.D. 7. Banishment of Archelaus. 1 —12. Campaigns against the Germans, Pannonians, and Dalmatians, conducted by Tiberius and Germanicus. The disastrous defeat of Varus in Germany. Final success and triumph of the Roman Generals. 14. Death of Augustus and succession of Tiberius. 15 — 17. Germanicus continues the war against the Germans, and triumphs. 18. Death of Ovid and of Livy. 19. Death of Germanicus. Jews banished from Italy. 20—31. HatefultyrannyofTiberius. Ascendancyof Sejanus. Fall of Sejanus A.D. 30. 26. Pontius Pilate appointed as the sixth Procurator of Judaea. 2. The Imperial Rule. It will be seen from this summary, that while Jesus was pas sing a quiet childhood in the Galilasan valley, few startling events disturbed the peace of the world. But it was an epoch of the greatest historical interest. It was a crisis in the kingdoms of the world as well as in the Kingdom of God. Rome had completed her conquests — no formidable rival was left to threaten her power in any direction. But the moment when the Roman people secured the empire of the world, they resigned their own liberties into the hands of a single master. Caesar Octavianus, afterwards named Augustus, the successor of the great Julius Caesar, was the first to consolidate this enormous individual power ; it was he who bequeathed to the world the proudest titles of despotic rule — Emperor — Kaiser — Czar. With him the true nature of the monarchy was veiled over by the retention of Republican forms, and by a nominal re-election at intervals. The justice and clemency of his rule kept out of sight the worst abuses of unlimited power. And partly owing to the fact that the most brilliant age of Roman literature coincided with the reign of Augustus, his name is associated rather with literary culture and refinement, than with despotic sway. When Jesus grew up to manhood, the grace and culture and INTRODUCTION; the semblance of liberty which had gilded the despotism of Au gustus vanished under the dark influence of the morose and cruel Tiberius. If ever men suffered from hopeless tyranny and wrong, it was in this reign. It is a miserable history of lives surrounded by suspicion and fear, and of the best and purest citizens yield ing to despair or removed by secret assassination. It can perhaps be scarcely a matter of surprise, that a Jewish patriot, alive to the horrors of this despotism and recalling the prophetic images of a triumphant Messiah, should sometimes have dreamed that the Kingdom of God would be manifested by the overthrow of this monstrous evil, and in turn establish itself as an external power stronger and more resistless than Rome. It is this thought that gives point to the third tempta tion presented to our Lord. (ch. iv. 8, 9). 3. The Provincial System. A glance at the Provincial system of Rome with especial reference to Palestine will shew how truly, in an external sense, Christ came in the fulness of time. Under the Empire the condition of the provinces was happier than formerly. The rapacity of individual governors was checked by the imperial supervision. Moreover, great consideration was in many cases shewn to a conquered people. National customs were allowed to continue ; even native princes were in several instances confirmed in their rule on condition of becoming tributary to Rome. In accordance with this principle, the Herodian dynasty was tolerated in Palestine. Observe how the changes in that dynasty affected the life of Christ. When Jesus was born, Herod was reigning in Jerusalem ; hence the events that led to the flight into Egypt. On the return of Jesus with Mary and Joseph, the kingdom was divided ; hence the possibility of taking refuge from the cruelty of an Archelaus under the more tolerant An tipas in the home at Nazareth. The banishment of Archelaus a few years afterwards brought about the establishment in Judaea of the Roman government, which with its accustomed liberality left the national system represented by the Sanhedrin, not wholly unimpaired, indeed, but still influential INTRODUCTION. 23 Important consequences followed this precise political posi tion. The Jewish nation was still responsible. It was Israel and not Rome that rejected the Messiah — Israel that condemned to death the Lord of Life. But it was Rome that executed the will of the Jewish people. Jesus suffered, by the law of Rome, death on the Roman cross, withNall its significance, its agreement with prophecy, and its divine fitness. The point to be observed is that under no other political 'conditions could this event have taken place in that precise manner, which was wholly in accord ance with the Scriptures that foretell the Messiah. 4. A time of Peace. The lull of peace that pervaded the Roman world, was another element in the external preparation for the advent of Christ. In the generation which preceded and in that which followed the life of Christ on earth, Palestine, and indeed the whole empire, was disquieted by the greatest political confusion. In the generation before the Christian Era, Antony and Augustus were contend ing for the mastery of the world, and a disputed succession disturbed the peace of Palestine. The succeeding generation was filled with the horrors of the Jewish war, of which Galilee was the focus, and which culminated in the fall of Jerusalem. It is clear that the conditions of Christ's ministry could not have been fulfilled in either of these conjunctures. 5. The various nationalities in Palestine. A further point of interest at the particular period when Jesus lived on earth, is the variety of nationalities which the special circumstances of the time brought together in Palestine. A political epoch that found a Roman governor in the south (where the native ecclesiastical rule still prevailed), Idumean kings in the north and east, wild mountain and desert tribes pressing on the frontiers in one direction, peaceful Phoenicians in another, involved a mixture and gathering of populations which made Palestine an epitome of the whole world. The variety of life and thought, which must have resulted from these different social elements, is one of those external circum stances which have rendered the Gospel so fit to instruct every age and every condition of men. 24 INTRODUCTION. 6. The religious condition ofthe Empire. The wider and more interesting question of the religious state of the world at this epoch, cannot be fully discussed here. In Greece and in Rome, the most civilised portions of the earth, Religion allowed, or at least was ineffectual to prevent, a state of morality which St Paul describes with terrible plainness in the first chapter of his Epistle to the Romans. Gross immorality entered even into the ritual of worship ; Religion raised no voice against the butchery of gladiatorial shows, or against infanticide, or slavery, or suicide, or even against the horrors of human sacrifice. Little real belief in the gods and goddesses remained; and though ancient superstitions still lingered among the vulgar, and interested motives on the part of priests and communities kept alive the cult of special deities, and supported shrines and temples in various parts of the world, and though, credulity gaining ground as true religious feeling passed away, the mys terious rites of Egypt and the East, the worship of Isis and of Mithras flourished at Rome in spite of repressive edicts — all this was external and unreal, a thin cover for deep-seated and wide spread scepticism. Philosophy did but little to fill the void. Stoicism, the favourite creed with the practical Roman, though apparently nearest to Christianity in some respects, was deeply opposed to the Chris tian spirit by its pride, its self-sufficiency, its exclusiveness, its exaltation of human nature, its lack of love, its approval of suicide. Epicurism had degenerated from a high ideal to a mere pursuit of sensual pleasure. It was in the midst of a world thus corrupt to the core, that the beautiful and novel conception rose of a religion, which recog nizing no limits of race or language, should without distinction draw all men to itself by its appeal to the sin-stricken conscience, and by the satisfaction it brought to the deepest needs of humanity. Note II. A GENEALOGICAL TABLE OF THE HERODIAN FAMILY, INCLUDING THOSE MEMBERS OF IT WHO ARE MENTIONED IN THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST MATTHEW. Herod the king (ch. ii. i, 16, 19) married ten wives, among whom were : 1. Mariamne, 2. Mariamne, 3. Malthake, grand-daughter of d. of Simon a high-priest. a Samaritan. Hyrcanus and so connected with the Maccabees. 4. Cleopatra of Jerusalem. Aristobulus. Herod Philip I. = Herodias. Archelaus. Antipas =1 6.. oihxe.\ss. Herod Philip Jl.=Salome. | ch. xiv. 3. | ch.xiv.3 — 11. ch. ii. 22. =2. Herodias. the Tetrarch. ch.xiv.6— 11. Herodias. Salome". ch. xiv. 3. ch. xvi. 13. ch.xiv.3 — 11. ch.xiv.6 — 11. Luke iii. 1. 26 INTRODUCTION. Note III. The New Testament: i) Kauri) SiaBr/Kij (ch. xxvi. 28), more correctly the New Covenant, a rendering which preserves the sense of a continuity between the past history of Israel and the future history of the Church as revealed by the Gospel. In the Saviour's words, God renewed the ancient Covenant which He made with the patriarchs. The universal adoption of the other possible rendering of 5ia6i)i Rejoice, and be exceeding glad : for great is your re ward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. j Ye are the salt of the earth : but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted ? it is thenceforth good 8. pure in heart] Purity is a distinguishing virtue of Christianity. It finds no place even in the teaching of Socrates, or in the system of Aristotle. Pure in heart " non sufficit puritas ceremonialis." Bengel. shall see God] The Christian education is a gradual unveiling of God,' all have glimpses of Him, to the pure He appears quite plainly. Cp. 1 John iii. 2, 3. In a further sense the unveiled sight of God is reserved for the Eternal life. 9. peacemakers] not only in the sense of those who heal dissensiom Peace is used in a deeper sense, " the peace of God," Phil, iv.' 7 ; ""the. peace of Christ," Col. iii. 15. children of God] These are most akin to the divine nature, perfect as their Father which is in heaven is perfect, v. 48, cp. 1 John iii. 1, "Be hold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the Sons of God." 10,11. for righteousness' sake for my sake] Observe these limi tations. The cause in which a man suffers is everything. Many Galilaean zealots who had been persecuted, reviled, traduced, when they rose against Herod or the Roman power had no share in this blessed ness. 12. so persecuted they the prophets..!] Persecution is a test and token bf true discipleship, that which naturally brings distress and 'despair to men will bring delight in the kingdom of God. The' passion and death of Christ gave a fresh force to these words, see 1 Peter iv.J 13, 14. (2) Their responsibility, v. 13 — 16. 13. Ye are the salt ofthe earth] Here the disciples and primarily the Apostles are addressed. Those who fulfil the condition of discipleship have a responsibility laid upon them. have lost his savour] i.e. become tasteless. Salt is essential to all organized life, it is also the great preservative from corruption. If these virtues pass, from it, it is worse than useless. It cannot even be thrown on the fields, it must be cast into the street to be trodden under foot (See a very interesting illustration of this in Land and Book, w. 14-^18.] ST MATTHEW, V. 57 for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Ye are the Ught of the world. A city that is ,4 set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, ,5 and' put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so 16 shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the pro- 17 phets : I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily 1 18 pp. 381, 382.) So to the apostles who hold the highest and most neces sary places in the kingdom of God, there is no middle course, either they must be the salt of the earth, be its very life, or fall utterly. If not Peter, then Judas. 14. the light of the world] See John viii. 12, where Jesus says of Himself " I am the light ofthe world." Cp. Phil. ii. 15, "Ye shine as lights (rather ' luminaries ') in the world." a city that is set on a hill...] Stanley remarks (S. and P. 337) that in Northern Palestine "the plain and mountain-sides are dotted with villages. ..situated for the most part (not like those of Judaea, on hill tops, or Samaria, in deep valleys, but) as in Philistia, on the slopes of the ranges which intersect or bound the plain." The image in the text therefore recalls Judsea rather than Galilee, Bethlehem rather than Nazareth. Some however have conjectured that the lofty Safed was in sight, and was pointed to by our Lord. Land and Book, 273. 15. a bushel] Rather, tne bushel, i. e. the common measure found in every Jewish house. Strictly speaking, the modius, translated "bushel," denoted a smaller measure equal to about two gallons. candle... candlestick..] Or rather, lamp.i.lampstand. The lamp in a Jewish house was not set on a table, but on a tall pedestal far stand, sometimes made with a sliding shaft. all that are in the house] i. e. the Jews. St Luke, true to the cha racter of his gospel, says "that they which enter in," i. e. the Gentiles, "may see the light." 16. Let your light so shine...] The word translated "shine" is ren dered "giveth light" in the preceding verse. It would be better to use the same English word in both cases. So="in like manner." That is final, not consecutive = ' in order that.' B. The Kingdom of Heaven is a fulfilment of the law, v. 17 — 48. Stated generally, v. 17—20. 17. I am come...] Lit. I came. 18. verily...] The Hebr. A men is retained in the Greek text. This particle is used (a) to confirm the truth of what has been said, (b) To affirm the truth of what is about to be said. The second (b) is a Syriac use, and therefore more usual in the N.T. than in the O.T. where the use is nearly limited to (a). 58 ST MATTHEW, V. [vv. 19—22. say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. 19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least com mandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven : but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of 20 heaven. For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom 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 22 of the judgment : but I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment : and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, r one jot...] "yod" C1) the smallest of the Hebr. characters, generally a silent letter, rather the adjunct of a letter than an independent letter. Still a critical interpretation might turn on the presence or absence of yod in a word. The controversy as to the meaning of Shiloh, Gen. xlix. 10, is an instance of this. The letter yod makes the difference be tween Sarai and Sarah. It is the first letter in Jehovah and in the Hebrew form of Jesus or Joshua. tittle] The English word means a "point," from Anglo-Saxon thyd-an to prick, connected with "thistle." The Greek word means lit. a horn. Here the extremity of a letter, a little point, in which one letter differs from another. fulfilled] The Greek word is different from that which has the same rendering in v. 17. 19. Again addressed to the Apostles as teachers. The union of doing and teaching is essential. It was the grave sin of the Pharisees that they taught without doing. See ch. xxiii. 2, 3. This explains the for of next verse. 20. scribes] See note, ch. vii. 29. (a) Instances from the Decalogue, v. 21 — 37. (a) Murder, v. 21 — 26. 21. Ye have heard] Rather, ye heard either in the service of the synagogue or in the teaching of the scribes. by them of old time] Better, to them of old time. in danger of] Lit. bound by them, liable, exposed to. 22. / say] A most emphatic formula, which implies the authority of a lawgiver. without a cause] The Greek word is omitted in the oldest MSS., and has probably been inserted by a copyist desirous of softening the expression. lhefudgment]=tise local court: see next note. w. 23, 24.] ST MATTHEW, V. S9 shall be in danger of the council : but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. Therefore if thou 23 bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee ; leave there thy gift before 24 the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, Racd] A word of contempt, said to be from a root meaning to "spit." The distinction between Raca and Thou fool is lost,, and naturally, for they belong to that class of words, the meaning of which depends entirely on the usage of the day. An expression innocent and unmeaning in one age becomes the watchword of a revolution in another. There is, however, clearly a climax. (1) Feeling of anger without words. (2) Anger venting itself in words. (3) Insulting anger. The gradation of punishment corresponds; liable (1) to the local court; (2) to the Sanhedrin; (3) to Gehenna. council] i e. the Sanhedrin. See note ch. xxvi. 3. hell fire] Lit. Gehenna of fire, i.e. "burning Gehenna." Gehemia is the Greek form of the Hebrew Ge-Hinnom or " Valley of Hinnom," sometimes called "Valley of the son of Hinnom," also "Tophet" (Jer. vii. 31). It was a deep narrow glen S. W. of Jerusalem, once the scene of the cruel worship of Moloch ; but Josiah, in the course of his reformation, " defiled Tophet, that no man might make his son or his daughter to pass through the fire to Moloch" (2 Kings xxiii. 10). Cp. Milton, Paradise Lost I. : " First Moloch, horrid king, besmeared with blood Of human sacrifice and parents' tears ; Though, for the noise of drums and timbrels loud, Their children's cries unheard that passed through fire To his grim idol." After that time pollutions of every kind, among them the bodies of criminals who had been executed, were thrown into the valley. From this defilement and from its former desecration Gehenna was used to express the abode of the wicked after death. The words "of fire" are added, either because of the ancient rites of Moloch, or, if a Rabbinical tradition is to be credited, because fires were always burning in the valley, or, further, as a symbol of everlasting punishment. 23. if thou bring thy gift to the altar] i e. thy offering, such as a lamb or a pair of doves. rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee] that thy brother hath cause of complaint against thee, just or unjust, if the quarrel is still not made up. 24. before the altar] Stay the sacrifice, though begun, for God will not accept it unless the heart be free from anger, and the conscience from offence. It is an application of the great principle summed up in " I will have mercy and not sacrifice." Cp. also Ps. xxvi. 6, "I will wash my hands in innocency, O Lord, and so will I go to thine altar." 6o ST MATTHEW, V. [w. 25—32. 25 and then come and offer thy gift 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 unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out 27 thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing. Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not 28 commit adultery : but I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery 29 with her already in his heart. 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 members should perish, and not that 3° thy whole body should be cast into hell. And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee : for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, 31 and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him 3= give her a writing of divorcement: but I say unto 25. Agree] Lit. be friendly with. The participle in the orig. conveys the idea of continuance. The thought of the preceding verse is extended and generalised. By the "adversary" are meant those against whom we harbour that resentment which keeps us from the kingdom of God. "While there is time in this life put away the re sentment. Show thyself to be a son of God by being a peacemaker." ¦v. 9. The imagery is taken from the law-courts. It would be well for a man to compound with his creditor before the case should be brought before the judge. (J3) Adultery, 27 — 32. 28. to lust after her i. e. " with a view to lust after 'her." in his heart] Contrast with the pure in heart, v. 8. 29. thy right eye] suggested by the preceding verse. The eye and the hand are not only in themselves good and serviceable, but necessary. Still they may become the occasion of sin to us. So pursuits and pleasures innocent in themselves may bring temptation, and involve us in sin. These must be resigned, however great the effort implied in "cast it from thee." offend thee] "cause thee to fall." 31. a writing of divorcement] See note on ch. i. 19. The greatest abuses had arisen in regard to divorce, which was permitted on very trivial grounds. One Rabbinical saying was " If any man hate his wife, let him put her away." Copies of these bills of divorce are still pre served. The formula may be seen in Lightfoot, Hor. Hebr. ad loc. The same facility of divorce prevails in Mohammedan countries. vv. 33—37-] ST MATTHEW, V. 61 you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery. _ Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old 33 time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt per form unto the Lord thine oaths: but I say unto you, Swear 34 not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne : nor by 33 the earth; for it is his footstool : neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. Neither shalt thou swear by 36 thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, 37 nay : for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil. 32. causeth her to commit adultery] By adopting a slightly different reading in the original with Lachmann, Tischendorf, and Tregelles, the idea of wilful sin on the woman's part is removed. ¦ that is divorced] Lit when she hath been divorced. (i) Oaths, 33—37. 33. Thou shalt not forswear thyself] The special reference may be to the third commandment Cp. also Levit. xix. 12, "Ye shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God." In the kingdom of God no external act or profession as distinct from the thought of the heart can find a place. But such words as those of the Apostle, "The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not" (2 Cor. xi. 31), will prevent Christians observing the letter rather than the spirit of our Blessed Saviour's words. 34. Swear not at all] The prohibition must be understood of rash and careless oaths in conversation, not of solemn asseveration in Courts of Justice. for it is Gods throne] Such was the prevalent hypocrisy that the Jews of the day thought that they escaped the sin of perjury if in their oaths they avoided using the name of God. One of the Rabbinical sayings was "As heaven and earth shall pass away, so passeth away the oath taken by them." Our Lord shows that a false path taken by heaven, by earth, or by Jerusalem is none the less a profanation of God's name. Hypocrisy reproduces itself. Louis XI. "admitted to one or two peculiar forms of oath the force of a binding obligation which he denied to all others, strictly preserving the secret, which mode of swearing he really accounted obligatory, as one of the most valuable of state mysteries." Introd. to Quentin Durward. 36. by thy head] A common form of oath in the ancient world : cp. "Per caput hoc juro per quod pater ante solebat" Verg. jEn. IX. 300. 62 ST MATTHEW, V. [vv. 38—44. 38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an 39 eye, and a tooth for a tooth: but I say unto you, That ye resist not evil : but whosoever shall smite thee on thy 40 right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him 41 have thy cloke also. And whosoever shall compel thee to 42 go a mile, go with him twain. Give to him 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 44 thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto (b) The law of retaliation, 38 — 42. 38. An eye for an eye] See Exod. xxi. 24. The Scribes draw a false inference from the letter of the law. As a legal remedy the lex talionis was probably the best possible in a rude state of society. The principle was admitted in all ancient nations. But the retribution was exacted by a judicial sentence for the good of the community, not to gratify personal vengeance. The deduction that it was morally right for individuals to indulge revenge could not be justified. 39. resist not evil] i. e. do not seek to retaliate evil. turn to him the other also] To be understood with the limitation im posed on the words by our Lord's personal example, John xviii. 22, 23. The gradation of the examples given is from the greater to the less provocation. 40. coat] Lit tunic, the under garment. It had sleeves, and reached below the knees, somewhat like a modern shirt, cloke, the upper garment. A large square woollen robe, resembling the modern Arab abba or abayeh. The poorest people wore a tunic only. Among the richer people many wore two tunics besides the upper garment. Wealth is often shown in the East not only by the quality but also ,by the amount of clothing worn. For the general sense cp. 1 Cor. vi 7, " There is utterly a fault. ..suffer yourselves to be defrauded." 41. compel thee to go a mile] The Greek text has a Persian word here signifying "to press into service as a courier" for the royal post, then, generally, "to force to be a guide," "to requisition," men or cattle. This was one of the exactions which the Jews suffered under the Romans. Alford quotes Joseph. Ant. xiu. 2, 3, where Demetrius promises not to press into service the beasts of burden belonging to the Jews. For an instance of this forced service see ch. xxvii. 32. 42. from him that would borrow of thee] Luke has "lend, hoping for nothing again." Forced loans have been a mode of oppression in every age, for which, perhaps, no people have suffered more than the Jews. (c) Love or Charity, 43 — 48. 43. Thou shalt love thy neighbour] Levit. xix. 18, "Thou shalt vv. 45, 46.] ST MATTHEW, V. 63 you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; that ye may be 45 the children of your Father which is in heaven : for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love 46 them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even love thy neighbour as thyself." The second clause does not occur in Levit. , but was a Rabbinical inference. Enemies, all who are outside the chosen race, the etymological force of the Greek word. Heathen writers bear testimony to this unsocial characteristic of the Jews. Juvenal says it was their rule — " Non monstrare vias eadem nisi sacra colenti, Quaesitum ad fontem solos deducere verpos. " — Sat. xiv. 104. 44. Several editors, with high MS. authority, omit the words "bless \ them that curse you, do good to them that hate you," and "despitefully use you and." The omission, however, breaks the gradation and balance of the paragraph. The contrast between love and hate is exhibited in four degrees, the antithesis widens, the deeper the hate the higher the love. (1) Feel love towards those who are enemies by position merely. (2) Say loving words in return for enmity that shews itself in curses. (3) Towards those who hate you do not only feel love, but prove love by charitable deeds. (4) To enemies whose hate is active, even to persecution, offer the highest act of love in prayer. despitefully use you] A forcible word, meaning "to vex out of spite with the sole object of inflicting harm." In 1 Peter iii. 16 it is ren dered "to accuse falsely." The word occurs also in Luke vi. 28. 45. that ye may be the children of your Father] See note on v. 9. To act thus would be to act like God, Who blesses those who curse Him and are His enemies, by the gifts of sun and rain. This is divine. Mere return of love for love is a human, even a heathen virtue. 46. publicans] taxgatherers ; not collectors of a regular tax fixed by government as with us, but men who farmed or contracted for the publicum (state revenue), hence called Publicani. At Rome the eques trian order enjoyed almost exclusively the lucrative privilege of farming the state revenues. The publicans of the N.T. however are a lower class of tax- gatherers, to whom the contractors sublet the collection of taxes. These men repaid themselves by cruel and oppressive exactions. Only the least patriotic and most degraded of the population undertook these functions which naturally rendered them odious to their fellow- citizens. . , , It is this system pursued in the Turkish Empire that produces much frightful misery and illegal oppression. ST MATTHEW 5 64 ST MATTHEW, V. VI. [vv. 47, 48; 1, 2. 47 the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others l do not even the publi cs cans so ? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. 1 — 4. Almsgiving. 6 Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them : otherwise ye have no reward of your Father 2 which is in heaven. Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 47. salute your brethren only] See v. 43. The Hebrew salutation was Shalom (peace). The higher MS. authority gives "Gentiles" or "heathen," in stead of "publicans." 48. Be ye] Lit. Te shall be perfect. Either (1) in reference to a future state, "if ye have this true love or charity ye shall be perfect hereafter;" or (2) the future has an imperative force, and perfect is limited by the preceding words = perfect in respect of love, i.e. "love your enemies as well as your neighbours," because your Father being perfect in respect of love does this. Ch. VI. 1 — 4. Almsgiving. (2) The Kingdom of Heaven exceeds the righteousness of the Pharisees in regard to (a) Almsgiving, 1 — 4. 1. alms] The best MSS. have "righteousness;" the two words were nearly synonymous with the Jews, partly because the poor had a right to share in the produce of the land ; partly because almsgiving is the most natural and obvious external work of righteousness. In the same way agapl (love), the leading Christian virtue, has lost its original breadth of meaning and has sunk to the modern and restricted sense of "charity." 2. do nol sound a trumpet before thee] The chests for alms in the Court of the Women, where the temple-treasury was placed, were called "trumpets" from their shape. Possibly the words ofthe text contain an aUusion to these alms-chests. See Edersheim's Temple in the time of our Lord, ch. II. p. 26. But perhaps the expression means simply, " avoid ostentation in almsgiving. hypocrites] Lit. actors ; those who play a part in life, whose actions are not the true reflection of their thoughts, whose religion is external and unreal. Such men begin by deceiving others, but end in self-decep tion. It is against these that our Lord's severest reproofs are delivered. in the synagogues] To this day alms are given in the Jewish syna gogues. They have] Strictly, have in full. Their reward is now and on earth. w. 3—8.] ST MATTHEW, VI. 65 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what 3 thy right hand doeth : that thine alms may be in secret : 4 and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly. And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypo- s crites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But s 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 which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as 7 the heathen do : for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them : s for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him. 3. when thou doest alms] Observe that the singular number is used throughout these instructions on the subject of almsgiving and prayer, and in these only. These duties are essentially personal and individual. The teaching of the Talmud commends secrecy in almsgiving in such sayings as "he that doeth alms in secret is greater than Moses." But the spirit of hypocrisy prevailed ; the Pharisees taught and did not. 4. himself] God, not man, will reward. (b) Prayer, 5—15. 5. pray standing] The posture of standing was as closely associated with prayer as that of sitting was with teaching. 6. closet] A private oratory or place of prayer. These were usually in the upper part ofthe house. The Greek word in the original is trans lated (1) " Secret Chambers," ch. xxiv. 26 ; (2) " Storehouse, Luke xii. 24. pray to thy Father which is in secret] Christ was the first to enjoin clearly secret and silent prayer. Certainly to pray aloud and in public appears to have been the Jewish practice ; it is still the practice with the heathen and Mahomedans. The Roman looked with suspicion on private prayer: "quod scire hominem nolunt deo narrant" (Seneca). Cp. Hor. Ep. 1. 16. 59—62, where see Macleane's note. Cp.. also Soph. Electra, 638, where Clytemnestra apologises for offering up a secret prayer. 7. use not vain repetitions] It is not the length of time spent in prayer or the fervent or reasonable repetition of forms of prayer that is forbidden, but the mechanical repetition of set words, and the belief that the efficacy of prayer consists in such repetition. The word itself lit. means to stammer, then to " repeat uselessly." as the heathen] The Jews also had a saying, "Every one that multi plies prayer is heard." 8. for your Father knoweth... before ye ask him] Our Father knows 5—2 66 ST MATTHEW, VI. [w. 9—13. 9 — 13. The Lord's Prayer. s After this manner therefore pray ye : Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 'o Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in \\ heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us ¦3 our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into our wants, still we are bound to express them. Why? because this is a proof of our faith and dependence upon God, which are the conditions of success in prayer. 9 — 13. The Lord's Prayer. St Luke xi. 2 — 4, where the prayer is found in a different connection, and is given by our Lord in answer to a request from the disciples to teach them to pray, "even as John taught his disciples." The text of St Luke as it stands in E. V. has probably been supplemented by ad ditions from St Matthew. 9. Our Father] It is of the essence of Christian prayer that God should be addressed as a Father to whose love we appeal, not as a God whose anger we appease. The analogy removes nearly all the real difficulties on the subject of prayer. A wise earthly father does not grant all requests, but all which are for the good of his children and which are in his power to grant. Again, the child asks without fear, yet no refusal shakes his trust in his father's love or power. Hallowed] "held sacred," "revered." Each of these petitions im plies an obligation to carry out on our own part what we pray God to accomplish. 10. Thy kingdom come] See note ch. iii. 2. Lightfoot quotes an axiom from the Jewish Schools, " that prayer wherein there is not mention of the Kingdom of God is not a prayer." 11. this day] In Luke, "day by day. our daily bread] The Greek word translated "daily " occurs only in the Lord's Prayer here and Luke xi. 3, it is not found in any classical author. The rendering ofthe E. V. " daily" as nearly as possible represents the probable force of the word, which is strictly (bread) " for the coming day," i.e. for the day now beginning. Others render ." bread for the future," taking bread in a spiritual sense; others, following a different etymology, translate "bread of subsistence." Bread, primarily the bread on which we subsist (see Prof. Lightfoot in appendix to his work On a Fresh Revision of the N. T.); subsistence as distinct from luxury; but the spiritual meaning cannot be excluded, Christ the Bread of Life is the Christian's daily food. 12. debts] Sins are debts, shortcomings in the service due to God. forgive] The aorist should be read in the Greek text. The force would then be that an act of forgiveness on man's part is past before he prays to receive forgiveness. Cp. ch. v. 23, 24, also the parable of the unforgiving servant, ch. xviii. 23 seqq. w. 14— 19.] ST MATTHEW, VI. 67 temptation, but deliver us from evil : For thine is the king dom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly 14 Father will also forgive you : but if ye forgive not men 15 their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your tres passes. Moreover when ye fast, be not as the hypocrites, of a sad 16 countenance : for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine 17 head, and wash thy face ; that thou appear not unto men 18 to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly. Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where 19 moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through 13. lead us not into temptation] The statement of James, i. 1, "Count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations, " is not really contradic tory. The Christian character is strengthened ' and purified by tempta tion, but no one can think of temptation without dread. deliver] Lit draw to thyself, "rescue," as from an enemy. Cp. 1 Thess. i 10, "Jesus which delivered us from the wrath to come." from evil] Or, from the Evil One, Satan. The Greek bears either rendering, but the neuter is preferable and gives a deeper sense. We pray to be delivered not only from external evil, but from the evil with in us. For thine is the kingdom, &c] This doxology is not supported by high MS. authority, it was doubtless an insertion from the liturgy. The Roman use omits the doxology. In the retention of it the English Church follows the Greek and Gallican uses. (c) Fasting, 16 — 18. 16. Fasting, in itself a natural result of grief, as anyone who has witnessed deep sorrow knows, easily degenerates into a form without reality. disfigure] Either (1) make unseen, "veil," or (2) cause to disappear, so "destroy," "mar," by leaving the face unwashen. The same word is translated " corrupt," v. 19. The apparent play upon the Greek words for " disfigure " and " ap pear " has been adduced in support of their view by those who consider Greek to have been the original language of the gospel. (d) Earthly possessions and daily cares, 19 — 34. 19. treasures upon earth] Love of amassing wealth has been character istic of the Jews in all ages. moth and rust] Oriental wealth consisted to a great extent in stores 68 ST MATTHEW, VI. [w. 20—24. 20 and steal : but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves -1 do not break through nor steal : for where your treasure is, 22 there will your heart be also. The light of the body is the eye : if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall 23 be full of light But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness ? =4 No man can serve two masters : for either he will hate the one, and love the other ; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. of linen, embroidered garments, &c, which were handed down and left as heir-looms. moth] The English word= "the devourer." rust) Money was frequently buried in the ground in those unsettled times, and so would be more liable to rust. Banks in the modem sense were unknown. Rust, lit., an eating away, it is not confined to cor rosion of metals. break through and steal] An expression applicable to the mud walls of Oriental huts. 21, where your treasure is] The words gain point if we think of the hoards buried in the earth. 22. The light] Rather, lamp, or candle as it is translated ch. v. 15. The eye is not itself the light, but contains the light ; it is the "lamp" or candle of the body, the light-conveying principle. If the eye or lamp is single, it admits the influx of the pure light only ; if an eye be evil, i.e. affected with disease, the body can receive no light at all. The whole passage is on the subject of the singleness of service to God. There can be but one treasure, one source of light, one master. The eye is the spiritual faculty, through which the light of God's truth is recognised and admitted into the soul. The connection in which the words occur in Luke xi. 34 is instruc tive. The inference there is that the spiritual perception of the Phari sees is dimmed, so that they cannot recognise Christ. 23. the light that is in thee] Here the Greek word is correctly rendered "light" If the light admitted to the body be distorted and obscured by the diseased medium, how great will be the darkness ! 24. Another illustration of the singleness of the Christian character, "the simplicity that is in Christ" (2 Cor. xi. 3), drawn from the rela tion of master and slave. serve two masters] Strictly, be a slave to two masters. The ab solute subjection of the slave must be considered. The interests of the " two masters " are presupposed to be diverse. mammon] A Syriac word meaning "wealth." There is no proof that it was the name of a god. It stands here for all that mostly estranges men from God : cp. " covetousness, which is idolatry," Col. iii. 5. w. 25—28.] ST MATTHEW, VI. 69 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, 25 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 ? Behold the fowls of the air : 26 for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns ; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they ? Which of you by taking thought 27 can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye =8 thought for raiment ? Consider the lilies of the field, how 25 — 34. The parallel passage (Luke xii. 22 — 31) follows immediately the parable ofthe "Rich Fool." 25. Therefore] i. e. because this double service is impossible there must be no distraction of thought Take no thought] "Do not be anxious," which was the meaning of "take no thought," when the E. V. was made. The same word occurs Phil. iv. 6, "Be careful for nothing." Cp. 1 Peter v. 7, "Cast ing all your care [or anxiety] upon him. See Prof. Lightfoot, On a Fresh Revision ofthe New Testament, &°c, p. 171. The argument in the verse is : such anxiety is unnecessary ; God gave the life and the body ; will He not give the smaller gifts of food and clothing? 26. fowls] Old English for birds ; cp. "Smale fowles maken melodie That slepen all the night with open yhe." Chaucer. There is no argument here against forethought or labour. In one sense "trusting to providence" is idleness and a sin. God has ap pointed labour as the means whereby man provides for his wants. Even birds shew forethought, and search for the food which God has provided for them. 27. can add one cubit unto his stature] As the word translated "stature" also = duration of life, the meaning may be "add a cubit to his life." Comp. Ps. xxxix. 6 (P. B.), " Thou hast made my days as it were a span long." This rendering falls in better with the connection. With all his anxiety man cannot add to his length of days, or clothe himself like the flowers. 28. for raiment] The birds are an example of God's care in providing food, the flowers of His care in providing apparel. the lilies of the field] identified by Dr Thomson (Land and Book, p. 256), with a species of lily found in the neighbourhood of Hilleh. He speaks of having met with "this incomparable flower, in all its loveliness... around the northern base of Tabor, and on the hills of Nazareth, where our Lord spent His youth." Canon Tristram (Nat. Hist, of tlie Bible) claims this honour for the beautiful and varied anemone coronaria. "If in the wondrous richness of bloom which characterises the Land of Israel in spring any one plant can claim pre eminence, it is the anemone, the most natural flower for our Lord to 70 ST MATTHEW, VI. VII. [w. 29—34; 1, 2. 29 they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin : and yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not 30 arrayed- like one of these. Wherefore, if God so 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 31 little faith ? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat ? or, What shall we drink ? or, Wherewithal shall we 32 be clothed ? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek) : for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need 33 of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness ; and all these things shall be added 34 unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow : for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Suf ficient unto the day is the evil thereof. 7 Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment 2 pluck and seize upon as an illustration, whether walking in the fields or sitting on the hill-side." 29. was not arrayed] Rather, arrayed not himself. The middle voice has a special farce. Though he arrayed himself, the lilies, who trusted to God for their array, are more beautiful than he. 30. which to day is] Rather, though it is to-day. cast into the oven] The Jewish oven was a vessel narrower at the top than at the bottom, made of baked clay. Sometimes the fuel was placed within, and the cakes laid against the sides. Sometimes the oven was heated by a fire kindled beneath or around it. Eastern travellers state that wood being rare in most parts of the East, grass, twigs, and straw are commonly used for fuel. 31. take no thought] See v. 25. 32. the Gentiles ¦ seek] Seek with eagerness. A compound verb. The simple verb is used below in the next verse. For the aims of the heathen world read Juvenal Sat. X., or Johnson's imitation of it "The Vanity of Human Wishes." 34. the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself] The morrow shall have its own anxieties; sufficient for the day is its own distracting evil or distress. This seems to be the force of the Greek word for " evil." See Schleusner sub voc. Ch. VII. C. Characteristics of the Kingdom, 1 — 27. After contrasting the New Law with the Mosaic Law and with Pharisaic rules and conduct, Jesus proceeds to lay down rules for the guidance of His disciples in the Christian life. (a) Judgment on others, 1 — 6. The passage occurs in St Luke's report of the Sermon on the Mount (ch. vi. 37, 38), with a different context, and a. further illustration of " full measure." w. 3—6.] ST MATTHEW, VII. 71 ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why behold- 3 est thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye ? Or how wilt thou 4 say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and behold, a beam is in thine own eye ? Thou hypo- s crite, 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. Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye s 1. Judge not, &c] This is the form which the "lex talionis," or law of reciprocity, takes in the kingdom of heaven. The censorious spirit is condemned, it is opposed to the imelKeia, "forbearance," "fairness in judgment," that allows for faults, a characteristic ascribed to Jesus Christ Himself, 2 Cor. a. 1 ; cp. also Rom. xiv. 3 foil. that ye be not judged] by Christ on the Last Day. 2. judgment] The same Greek word is used Rom. ii. 2, 3 of the divine sentence or decision : see that passage and context which are closely parallel to these verses : cp. also Mark xii. 40, where the same word is translated " damnation." 3. the mote] The English word is either connected with mile (the coin) from a Latin root (minutum), or mite (the insect) from an Anglo- Saxon root meaning "to cut," "sever," or from one meaning "to eat" The Greek word = a "dry particle " of dust, wool, &c. beholdest... considerest] It is the contrast between judging from the outside, and examination of the heart. The Greek verbs in this, and the Greek prepositions in the following verses, convey this contrast. 4. a beam is in thine own eye] Which (1) ought to prevent condem nation of another for a less grave offence; and which (2) would obscure the spiritual discernment, and so render thee an incapable judge. The Pharisaic sin of hypocrisy (see next verse) was deeper and more fatal to the spiritual life than the sins which the Pharisee condemned. out of] Greek diro (a reading which rests on the highest MS. authority) = " from the outside surface," which alone the Pharisee dis cerns — 5. out of] Greek &c=" from within," of the deep-seated root of sin which the Pharisee may discern only when he has cast out the beam from his own eye. (b) The Father's love for the children of the Kingdom shewn by answering prayer, 7 — rr. 6. The connection between this verse and the preceding section is not quite obvious. It seems to be this. Although evil and censorious judgment is to be avoided, discrimination is needful. The Christian must be judicious, not judicial. that which is holy] i.e. "spiritual troths." Some have seen in the 72 ST MATTHEW, VII. [vv. 7—12. : , — * your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rent you. 7 Ask, and it shall be given you ; seek, and ye shall find ; 8 knock, and it shall be opened unto you : for every one that asketh receiveth ; and he that seeketh findeth : and to him 9 that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone ? 1° Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent ? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give 12 good things to them that ask him ? Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them : for this is the law and the prophets. expression a reference to the holy flesh of the offering (Hag. ii. 12). But this allusion is very doubtful ; see Meyer on this passage. dogs. ..swine] Unclean animals ; see the proverb quoted 2 Pet. ii. 22 ; cp. Phil. iii. 2, *' Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers;" also Hor. Ep. 1. 2. 25, "vel canis immundus vel arnica luto sus." See note on ch. xv. 26. pearls] The only gems mentioned in the Gospels, twice named by Jesus : here, where they signify the deepest spiritual thoughts of God and heaven, and ch. xiii. 46, where "the pearl of great price" is the kingdom ofheaven itself. The general sense is ' ' use discrimination, discern between holy and unholy, between those who are receptive of these high truths and those who are not." The profane will despise the gift and put the giver to shame. Want of common sense does great harm to religion. 7. Ask, and it shall be given] The connection is again difficult. The verse may be the answer to the disciples' unspoken questions: (1) " How shall we discriminate ?" or (2) "Who are fit to receive these divine troths ?" The words of Christ teach, (1) that discernment will be given, among other "good things," in answer to prayer; (2) that prayer in itself implies fitness, because it implies desire for such truths. 8. The triple formula covers every kind of want. The prayer shall be granted, the treasure found, the gate ofheaven opened. St Luke xiii. 24, 25. Observe the climax: ask — seek — knock; the fervour of the prayer must grow more and more intense. 9. bread. ..a stone. ..fish... aserpent] The things contrasted have a certain superficial resemblance, but in each case one thing is good, the other unclean or even dangerous. 11. good things] For this St Luke (xi. 13) has "the Holy Spirit," shewing that spiritual rather than temporal "good things" are intended. 12. Therefore] The practical result of what has been said both in regard to judgment and to prayer is mutual charity. The thought of the divine judgment teaches forbearance; the thought of the divine goodness teaches kindness. w. 13—22.] ST MATTHEW, VII. ^ 73 Enter ye in at the strait gate : for wide is the gate, and 13 broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat : because strait is the gate, and ;4 narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few,there be that find it. — Beware of false prophets, which eome to you in sheep's is clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall 16 know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles ? Even so every good tree bringeth forth 17 good fruit ; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A 18 good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not 19 forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Where- 20 fore by their fruits ye shall know them. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter 21 into the kingdom of heaven ; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in 22 that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name ? (c) The narrow entrance to the Kingdom, 13, 14. These verses are linked to the preceding by the thought of prayer, for it is by prayer chiefly that the narrow entrance must be gained. 13. The broad and the narrow way, Luke xiii. 24, 25. The illustration seems to be drawn from a mansion having a large portal at which many enter, and a narrow entrance known to few. strait = narrow. 14. because] To be taken after " enter ye " as in preceding verse, or it gives a reason why many go in at the wide gate. narrow] Literally, pressed, confined. (d) The false guides to the narrow entrance, and the test of the true, 15—23. 15. false prophets] who will not help you to find the narrow way. in sheep's clothing] Not in a literal sense, but figuratively, "wearing the appearance of guilelessness and troth." 16. thorns] The Greek word means, probably, a kind of acacia, or perhaps "thistles." There is a Greek proverb 06 yhp &Kav$ai, "no thistles," i.e. "nothing useless." thistles] Rather, caltrop, a prickly water-plant. 19. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit, &c] To this day in the East trees are valued only so far as they produce fruit. 22. in that day] The day of judgment This is a forecast far into the distant future, when it would be worth while to assume Christianity, when hypocrisy would take the form of pretending to be a follower of 74 ST MATTHEW, VII. [vv. 23—27. and in thy name have cast out devils ? and in thy name 23 done many wonderful works ? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you : depart from me, ye that work iniquity. h Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built 25 his house upon a rock : and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house ; 26 and it fell not : for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house 27 upon the sand : and the rain descended, and the floods the now despised Jesus. (See Canon Mozley's sermon On the reversal of human judgment.) For the pathetic repetition, Lord, Lord, cp. ch. xxiii. 37 ; Luke xxii. 3 1 . prophesied] i. e. preached. The greatest of preachers dreads such a sentence. 1 Cor.ix.27, " Lest that by any means, when I Have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway." devils] See note, ch. iv. 24. 23. / never knew you] "Never recognised you as my disciples. While my name was on your lips, your hearts were far from me." Clement of Rome (Ep. II. 4), referring to this passage, says: "let us then not only call Him 'Lord,' for that will not save us;" he then quotes the words of v. 21. iniquity] Literally, lawlessness. (e) A description of the true subjects of the Kingdom as opposed to the false. The wise and foolish builders, 24 — 27. Luke vi. 47 — 49, where the phraseology differs a good deal from St Matthew. St Matthew, who living near the lake had often wit nessed such sudden floods as are described, uses more vigorous language and draws the picture more vividly. St Luke marks the connection with the insincere "Lord, Lord," more distinctly, but omits the reference to the last day and to the future of the Church. 24. whosoever heareth] Cp. v. 26, every one that heareth. Both classes of men hear the word. So far they are alike. In like manner the two houses have externally the same appearance. The great day of trial shews the difference. The imagery is from a mountain country where the torrent-beds, sometimes more than half a mile in width in the plain below the mountain, are dry in summer, and present a level waste of sand and stones. We may picture the foolish man building on this sandy bottom, while the wise or prudent man builds on a rock planted on the shore, or rising out of the river bed, too high to be affected by the rush of waters. In the autumn the torrents stream down filling the sandy channel and carrying all before them. For the spiritual sense of the parable see 1 Cor. iii. 10 foil. w.28,29; 1,2.] ST MATTHEW, VII. VIII. 75 came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house ; and it fell : and great was the fall of it. And it came to pass, 28 when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were asto nished at his doctrine : for he taught them as one having 29 authority, and not as the scribes. 1 — 4. A Leper is cleansed. When he was come down from the mountain, great multi- 8 tudes followed him. And behold, there came a leper and a 27. the rain descended, &c] In the original both the tense and the position of the verbs give great vivacity to the description. 29. having authority] He was Himself a lawgiver. His teaching was not a mere expansion of the old law. Much less did he confine himself to the words of any particular Rabbi. the scribes] Sopherim= either (1) "those who count;" because the Scribes counted each word and letter of the Scriptures ; or (2) " those occupied with books." The Scribes, as an organized body, originated with Ezra, who was in a special sense the "Sopher" or Scribe. This order of Sopherim, strictly so called, terminated B.C. 300. Their successors in our Lord's time were usually termed Tanaim, " those who repeat, i.e. teach the Law." They are called " lawyers" (ch. xxii. 35; Luke v. 17; Acts v. 34), also "the wise," "Elders," and "Rabbis." A scribe's education began as early as in his fifth year. At thirteen he became a "son of the law," Bar-mitsvah. If deemed fit, he became a disciple. At thirty he was admitted as a teacher, having tablets and a key given him. See note, ch. xvi. 19. His functions were various; he transcribed the law (here the greatest accuracy was de manded); he expounded the law, always with reference to authority — he acted as judge in family litigation, and was employed in drawing up various legal documents, such as marriage contracts, writings of divorce, etc. (See Kitto's Cycl. Bib. Lit. and Smith's Bib. Diet. art. Scribes.) The alliance between Scribes and Pharisees was very close, each taught that the law could be interpreted, fenced round and aided by tra dition, in opposition to the Sadducees, who adhered to the strict letter of the written law. Ch. VIII. 1 — 4. A Leper is "cleansed. St Mark i 40 — 44; St Luke v. 12, where the cure is placed in "a certain city." 2. a leper] St Luke has ' ' full of leprosy, * a term implying the gravity of the disease, — not that it covered the whole body, in which case the leper was pronounced clean, Levit xiii. 12, 13, 16, 17. See Our Lords Miracles of Healing, ch. iv. (Belcher). Leprosy is to be regarded as especially symbolic of sin: the beginning of the disease is almost un noticed, it is contagious (this point is disputed, but see in confirmation of the note Belcher, Our Lord's Miracles of Healing, ch. IV., also 76 ST MATTHEW, VIII. [w. 3—6. worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make 3 me clean. And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will ; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy 4 was cleansed. And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded for a testimony unto them. 5 — 13. Cure of a Centurion's Servant. 5 And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came 6 unto him a centurion, beseeching him, and saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tor- Meyer ad loc. who takes the same view), in its worst form it is incurable except by the touch of Christ; it separated a man and classed him with the dead. worshipped him] The imperfect in the original marks that persist ency in prayer, which Jesus had just promised should win acceptance ; while the leper's words imply a faith which is another condition of acceptance. 4. the gift that Moses commanded] "two' birds alive and clean, and cedar wood, and scarlet and hyssop." And on the eighth day " two he lambs without blemish, and one ewe lamb ofthe first year without blemish, and three tenth deals of fine flour for a meat offering, mingled with oil, and one log of oil." Levit. xiv. 4, 10. for a testimony unto them] Either (1) to the priests, or (2) to the people who were following Jesus; in either case to shew that Jesus came to fulfil the law. Christ enjoins the cleansed leper to tell no one, thus instructing us that He would not have people converted by His miracles. Christ addresses Himself to men's hearts not to their eyes or ears. He will not fling Himself from the height of the temple to persuade men. 5 — 13. Cure of a Centurion's Servant. St Luke vii. 1— - 10, where the incident is placed immediately after the ¦ Sermon on the Mount. The centurion sends a deputation of Jewish elders to Jesus, who speak of the worthiness of the centurion and of his love to the nation, "he built us a synagogue." St Luke does not introduce our Lord's comparison between Jew and Gentile, and the promises to the latter. This last point is characteristic — the rejection of the Jews is not dwelt upon when the Gospel is preached to the Gentiles. This might be further illustrated from the Acts. 5. a centurion] i e. a captain or commander of a century — a company normally composed of a hundred men, the sixtieth part of a legion in the Roman army. This centurion was probably an officer in the army of Herod Antipas, which would be modelled after the Roman fashion. 6. my servant] or "slave;" the Greek word is a more affectionate term than the word translated servant in v. 9. the palsy] i. e. paralysis, a disease often free from acute suffering, but w. 7— 1 4.] ST MATTHEW, VIII. 77 mented. And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal 7 him. The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not s worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. For I am 9 a man under authority, having 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 Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them 10 that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no not in Israel. And I say unto you, That u many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out 12 into outer darkness : there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way ; 13 and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in. the selfsame hour. 14 — 17. The Cure of Peter's Mother-in-law of a Fever. And when Jesus was come into Peter's house, he saw his 14 when it is accompanied by contraction of the muscles, the pain, as in this case, is very grievous. St Luke does not name the nature of the disease. 8. The centurion answered] The argument lies in a comparison be tween the centurion's command and the authority of Jesus. "If I who am under authority command others, how much more hast thou power to command who art under no authority? If I can send my soldiers or my slave to execute my orders, how much more canst thou send thy ministering spirits to do thy bidding?" The centurion was doubtless acquainted with the Jewish belief on the subject of angels, their subor dination and their office as ministers of God. 9. my servant] Rather, slave. Observe the centurion's orders, his soldiers come and go, i.e. march when he bids them. His slave he orders to do this, i e. perform any_ servile work. Mark this as the first contact 'of Jesus with slavery. With such relations between master and slave as these slavery would soon pass away. It was no express enactment of Christ, but the Spirit of Christ, which this centurion had caught, that abolished slavery. 11. sit down] i. e. recline at a feast. The image of a banquet is often used to represent the joy of the kingdom of heaven. Luke xiv. 15, xxii. 29, 30; Rev. xix. 9. 12. outer darkness] i.e. the darkness outside the house in which the banquet is going on. 78 ST MATTHEW, VIII. [vv. 15—20. 15 wife's mother laid, and sick of a fever. And he touched her hand, and the fever left her : and she arose, and minis- 16 tered unto them. When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were 17 sick: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses. 18 — 22. Fitness for Discipleship. 18 Now when Jesus saw great multitudes about him, he gave 19 commandment to depart unto the other side. And a cer tain scribe came, and said unto him, Master, I will follow 20 thee whithersoever thou goest. And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests ; 14 — 17. The Cure of Peter's Mother-in-law of a Fever, Mark i 29 — 3 1 ; Luke iv. 38, 39. St Luke's description bears special marks of scientific accuracy. 14. Peter's house] From John i. 44 we learn that Bethsaida was the city of Andrew and Simon Peter. Either then (i) they had changed their home to Capernaum, or (2) Bethsaida was close to Capernaum. One theory is that Bethsaida was the port of Capernaum. laid, and sick of a fever] St Luke uses a technical term, "great fever," the symptoms of which were those of typhus fever. laid] Literally, struck down, an expression which denotes the great and sudden prostration which characterises typhus fever. lb. the fever left her] The completeness and suddenness of the cure proye the miraculous nature of it. ministered unto them] Eager, as good housewives are to return to their work. unto them] There is high MS. authority for "unto Him." 16. with his word] not by a touch, as in the case of leprosy and fever. Christ never laid his hand on demoniacs. 17. Isaiah liii. 4. 18 — 22. Fitness for Discipleship. Luke ix. 57 — 62. St Luke names three instances, and places the scene of the incident in Samaria. The instances are typical of the way in tohich Jesus deals with different characters. To one attracted by the promises of the Gospel and full of eagerness, Jesus presents the darker side — the difficulties of the Christian life; the half-hearted discipleship ofthe other is confronted with the necessity of absolute self-renunciation. 19. We are not told whether this scribe, thus brought face to face with privation and hardship, was daunted like fhe young ruler (ch. xix. 16), or persevered like the sons of Zebedee (ch. xx. 22). vv. 21—23.] ST MATTHEW, VIII. 79 but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. And 21 another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. But Jesus said unto him, Follow 22 me ; and let the dead bury their dead. 23 — 27. The Storm on the Lake. And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples foi- 23 20. the Son of man] The origin of this expression as a Messianic title is found in Dan. vii. r3: "I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with(in) the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him before him." Hence to the Jews it would be a familiar designation of the Messiah — the King whose "everlasting dominion" is described in the next verse (Dan. vii. 14). (See Dr Pusey, On Daniel, Lecture 11.) The Hebraism may be considered in the light of similar expressions, "sons of light," "son of perdition," "son of peace," &c, in all of which the genitive denotes a quality inherent in the subject. Sons of light = the spiritually enlightened, sons of wisdom = the wise. By the Son of man then is meant He who is essentially man, who took man's nature upon Him, who is man's representative before God, shewing the possibilities of purified human nature, and so making atonement prac ticable. The title " Son of man," so frequently used by our Lord of Himself, is not applied to Him except by Stephen (Acts vii. 56), " I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God." It occurs also in the Vision of St John with a direct reference to the words of Daniel (Rev. i. 13, xiv. 14). 21. to go] Rather, to go away, depart. 22. let the dead bury their dead] Or, their own dead. The exact force of this is not quite clear. The word " dead" is used first in a figurative, secondly, in a literal sense. In a figurative sense by the " dead" are intended those who are outside the kingdom, who are dead to the true life. Perhaps a brother or brothers of the disciple had re jected Christ, ""let them bury their father." Another way of under standing the proverb is : Let those who are dead in Christ, dead to the world, bury their dead — their affections and lusts, all that connects them with that dead past. St Luke, after " let the dead bury their dead," adds, "but go thou and preach the kingdom of God." Perhaps no incident marks more decisively the height of self-abandonment re quired by Jesus of His followers. In this instance the disciple is called upon to renounce for Christ's sake the last and most sacred of filial duties. The unswerving devotion to Christ is illustrated in the parallel passage (Luke ix. 62) by " the man who puts his hand to the plough." 23 — 27. The Storm on the Lake. Mark iv. 35 — 41 ; Luke viii. 22—25. St Mark, as usual, adds some interesting details : " it was evening — there were other little ships — a great storm of wind — the waves beat ST MATTHEW 6 80 ST MATTHEW, VIII. [vv. 24—28. 24 lowed him. And behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves : 25 but he was asleep. And his disciples came to him, and 26 awoke him, saying, Lord, save us : we perish. And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith ? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and 27 there was a great calm. But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him ? 28 — 34. The Gadarene Demoniacs. 28 And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, into the ship — He was asleep on a pillow in the hinder part of the ship." With all these points of difference in seven short verses, how can it be said that St Mark's Gospel is an abridgment of St Matthew's ? 23. a ship] Rather, the ship or fishing-boat, i e. the boat which Jesus always used. 24. he was asleep] The expression in the original is very impressive. He, the Master, continued to sleep. It is the only place where the . sleep of Jesus is named. 26. faith = "trust," "confidence." 27. the men] the disciples, and other fishermen who were also on the Lake : see account in Mark, 28 — 34. The Gadarene Demoniacs. St Mark v. 1 — 20 ; St Luke viii. 26 — 39. St Mark and St Luke make mention of one demoniac only. St Mark relates the incident at greater length and with more particularity. St Matthew omits the impossibility of binding him with chains, the absence of clothing, the wild cries night and day, the name "legion," the prayer not to be sent into the "abyss " (Luke), the request of one of the demoniacs to be with Jesus, and the charge which Jesus gives him to tell his friends what great things the Lord had done for him. 28. Gergesenes] The readings vary between Gerasenes, Gadarenes and Gergesenes. Gerasa and Gergesa are forms of the same name. Gadara was some distance to the south of the Lake. It was, however, the capital of Persea, and the more important place; possibly Gergesa was under its jurisdiction. Gergesa is identified with the modern Khersa; in the neighbourhood of which "rocks with caves in them very suitable for tombs, a verdant sward with bulbous roots on which the swine might feed" (Macgregor, Rob Roy), and a steep descent to the verge of the Lake, exactly correspond with the circumstances .of the miracle. (See Map.) vv.29— 34; 1,2.] ST MATTHEW, VIII. IX. 81 coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way. And behold, they cried out, say- 29 ing, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time ? And 30 there was a good way off from them a herd of many swine feeding. So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast 31 us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine. And 32 he said unto them, Go. And when they were come out, they went into 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, 33 and went their ways into the city, and told every thing, and what was befallen to the possessed of the devils. And be- 34 hold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus : and when they saw him, they besought him that he would depart out of their coasts. 1 — 8. Cure of a Man afflicted with Paralysis. And he entered into a ship, and passed over, and came 9 into his own city. And behold, they brought to him a man 2 tombs hewn out of the mountainsides formed convenient dwelling- places for the demoniacs. 29. What have we to do with thee] Not " what is there in common between you and us?" but "what cause of war is there between us?" The same expression occurs in this sense 2 Chron. xxxv. 21. 31. devils] The Greek word here and in the parallel passages is a masculine and not a neuter form. The same word occurs in two other passages (Rev. xvi. 14 and xviii. 2), and nowhere else in N. T. 32. a steep place] Translate, the steep place. The slope of Gergesa, familiar to Matthew and to the readers of his Gospel. 33. they that kept them] It does not appear whether these were Jews or Gentiles, more probably the latter ; if the former, they were trans gressing the law. (1) This narrative may be regarded as a signal instance of Metanoia, or change from the old evil state to the new life. (2) It recalls the connection between sin and disease. The majority of cases of mania may be traced to sins of impurity ; the impurity expelled, the man be comes sound in body as well as in mind. (3) The destruction of the swine should present no difficulty. The same God, who, for purposes often hidden, allows men to die by thousands in war or by pestilence, here, by the destruction of a herd of swine, enforces a moral lesson which the world has never forgotten. 34. that he would depart] The motive for the request was fear lest a greater disaster should follow (Meyer). 6—2 82 ST MATTHEW, IX. [vv. 3—7. sick of the palsy, lying on a bed : and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheei ; 3 thy sins be forgiven thee. And behold, certain of the scribes 4 said within themselves, This man blasphemeth. And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your 5 hearts ? For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven 6 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 7 bed, and go unto thine house. And he arose, and departed Chap. IX. 1 — 8. Cure of a Man afflicted with Paralysis. Mark ii. 1 — 12 ; Luke v. 18 — 26. Both St Mark and St Luke notice the crowding of the people to hear Jesus, and narrate the means by which the sufferer was brought into His presence. 1. a ship] As ch. viii. 23, the boat. his own city] Capernaum. 2. sick of the palsy] not "grievously tormented" (see ch. viii. 6), therefore suffering from a less severe type of paralysis. lying] The same word and tense translated "laid," ch. viii. 6, where see note. their faith] The faith of those who brought him, as well as his own. Cp. Mark ix. 23, 24. Son, be of good cheer] Bengel infers from this that the sufferer was a young man. thy sins be forgiven thee] Translate, have been forgiven thee. Christ assigns sin as the cause of this paralytic seizure. Paralysis is not un commonly the result of sinful indulgence. 2—6. When Jesus said "Thy sins have been forgiven thee" the young man did not immediately rise (see v. 7). Instantly the scribes thought with a sneer "this fellow blasphemes," i.e. pretends to a divine power which he does not possess. They said in their hearts it is easy to say, " Thy sins have been forgiven," let him say, "Arise, and walk," then we shall discover his blasphemy. Jesus answers their thoughts. His words are not "whether," as in E.V., but "why is it easier to say, Thy sins have been forgiven thee, than to say, Arise, and walk?" In truth it was not easier to say " Thy sins have been forgiven" as Jesus says those words, for to say them implied the cure of soul and of body too ; but in order to convince the Scribes of His power He adds the words, "Arise, and walk;" and implicitly bids them infer that the inner work of forgiveness had as surely followed the first words as the outward and visible result followed the command to rise and walk. 6. take up thy bed] The Oriental frequently spreads a mat upon the ground and sleeps in the open air, in the morning he rolls up his mat and carries it away. w. 8—12.] ST MATTHEW, IX. 83 to his house. But when the multitudes saw it, they mar- 8 veiled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men. 9. The Call of St Matthew. And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, 9 named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him. 10 — 13. A Meal in the Evangelists House. And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, 10 behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw " it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners ? But when Jesus heard that, he " said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, 9. The Call of St Matthew. Mark ii. 14 ; Luke v. 27, 28. St Mark has "Levi, the son of Alphseus," St Luke "a publican named Levi." The identification of Matthew with Levi can scarcely be seriously disputed. The circumstances of the call are precisely similar as narrated by the Synoptists ; and it was too usual for a Jew to have more than one name for this difference to be a difficulty. Probably the name Matthew, " Gift of God," was adopted by the Apostle when he became a follower of Jesus. the receipt of custom] Rather, the toll- or custom-house. For a longer notice of the call of St Matthew, see Introduction. 10 — 13. A* Meal in the Evangelist's House. Mark ii. 15 — 17; Luke v. 29 — 32. 10. in the house] St Luke says "and Levi made him a great feast," which makes it clear that the meal was in Levi's house. 11. when the Pharisees saw it] The Pharisees were not guests, but came into the house, — a custom still prevalent in the East. A traveller writes from Damietta, " In the room where we were received, besides the divan on which we sat, there were seats all round the walls. Many came in and took their place on those side-seats, uninvited and yet unchallenged. They spoke to those at table on business, or the news of the day, and our host spoke freely to them. We afterwards saw this custom at Je rusalem. ..first one and then another stranger opened the door and came in, taking seats by the wall. They leaned forward and spoke to those at table." Scripture Manners and Customs, p. 185. 12. They that be whole, &c] There is a touch of irony in the words. They that are "whole" are they who think themselves whole. So below, the "righteous" are those who are righteous in their own eyes. 84 ST MATTHEW, IX. [w. 13—16. 13 but they that are sick. But 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. 14 — 17. A Question about Fasting. 14 Then came to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not? is And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bride- chamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them ? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken 16 from them, and then shall they fast. No man putteth a 13. I will have mercy] i.e. I 'desire mercy. I require mercy rather than sacrifice, Hosea vi. 6. It is a protest by the prophet against the un loving, insincere formalist of his day. It is closely parallel to our Lord's injunction, ch. v. 23, 24. Sacrifice without mercy is no accept able sacrifice. To love sinners is a better fulfilling of the law than to stand aloof from them. See note ch. xii. 7, where our Lord again quotes these words. The words "to repentance " are omitted in the leading MSS. 14 — 17. A Question about Fasting. Mark ii 18 — 22; Luke v. 3S— 39- It is not quite clear whether this further incident took place at Levi's feast. St Luke leads us to draw that inference. 15. the children of the bridechamber] See note, v. 6. "The children ofthe bridechamber" were the bridegroom's friends or groomsmen who went to conduct the bride from her father's house (see note, ch. xxv. 1). The procession passed through the streets, gay with festive dress, and enlivened with music and joyous shouts, and with the brilliant light of lamps and flambeaux. With the same pomp and gladness the bride was conducted to her future home, where the marriage-supper was pre pared. the bridegroom] The Jews symbolized the "congregation" or "church" by the image of a bride. Jesus sets himself forth as the Bridegroom of the Christian Church. See Herschell, Sketch ofthe Jews, pp. 92 — 97. shall be taken from them] For the first time Jesus alludes to His death. then shall they fast] Herschell (quoted in Scripture Manners and Customs) observes that many Jews who keep voluntary fasts, if invited to a. marriage are specially exempted from the observance of them. Jesus first gives a special answer to the question about fasting. There is a time of sorrow in store for my disciples when fasting will have a real meaning, now in my presence they can but rejoice. Note that fasting and mourning are regarded as quite synonymous. This they are to the perfectly sincere only. The words of Jesus are true also of w. 17, 18.] ST MATTHEW, IX 85 piece of new cloth unto an old garment ; for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse. Neither do men put new wine into old bottles : 17 else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved. 18 — 26. The Daughter of Jairus. The Woman cured of an Issue of Blood. While he spake these things unto them, behold, there came 18 Christian experience. There are joyous times when the presence of Christ is felt to be near. Then fasting would be out of harmony. But there are also seasons of despondency and depression, when Christ seems to be taken away, when fasting is natural and appropriate. 16. No man] Rather, but no man. The particle 8i (but) is omitted in E. V. ; it marks a turn in the argument which is indicated still more clearly in Luke (v. 36), " And (but) He spake also a parable unto them." The words of Jesus here take a wider range. He says in effect to John's disciples: "Your question implies ignorance of my teaching. My doctrine is not merely a reformed Judaism like the teaching of John and Pharisaism, it is a new life to which such questions as these con cerning ceremonial fasting are quite alien." new] Literally, uncarded, raw. The old garment is Judaism. Christianity is not to be pieced on to Judaism to fill up its deficiencies. This would make the rent — the divisions of Judaism — still more serious. The word translated "rent" is used ofthe "schisms" in the Corinthian Church, 1 Cor. i. 10, and has so passed into ecclesiastical language; it is the English "schism." 17. new wine into old bottles] The Oriental bottles are skins of sheep or goats. Old bottles would crack and leak. This may be regarded as a further illustration of the doctrine taught in the preceding verse. But it is better to give it an individual application. The new wine is the new law, the freedom of Christianity. The new bottles are those fitted to live under that law. The old wine is Judaism, the old bottles those, who trained in Judaism, cannot receive the new iaw, who say "the old is better" (or "good"), Luke v. 39. Our Lord's answer then is threefold, (1) specially as to fasting, (2) as to Christianity in regard to Judaism, (3) as to individuals trained in Judaism. (1) This is a joyous time, not a season for fasting, which is a sign of sorrow. (2) Christianity is not a sect of Judaism, or to be judged according to rules of Judaism. (3) It is not every soul that is capable of receiving the new and spiritual law. The new wine of Christianity requires new vessels to. contain it. 86 ST MATTHEW, IX. [vv. 19—24. a certain ruler, and worshipped him, saying, My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay thy hand upon her, and 19 she shall live. And Jesus arose, and followed him, and so 20 did his disciples. (And behold, a woman, which was dis eased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, 21 and touched the hem of his garment : for she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole. 22 But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good" comfort; thy faith hath made -thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.) 23 And when Jesus came into the ruler's house, and saw the 24 minstrels and the people making a noise, he said unto them, Give place : for the maid is not dead, but sleepeth. And 18 — 26. The Daughter of Jairus, 18, 19 and 23 — 26; Mark v. 22 — 24 and 35 — 43. Luke viii. 41, 42 and 49 — 56. The Woman cured of an Issue of Blood, 20 — 22. Mark v. 25 — 34; Luke viii. 43 — 48. Related with more detail by St Mark and St Luke. She had spent all her living on physicians. Jesus perceives that virtue has gone out of him. The woman tells all the truth before the people. 18. a certain ruler] From Mark and Luke we learn that he was. chief ruler of the synagogue, Jairus by name. My daughter] "My little daughter," (Mark); "one only daughter, about twelve years of age," (Luke). is even now dead] "lieth at the point of death," (Mark); "lay a- dying," (Luke). jj. 20. hem of his garment] See ch. xiv. 36 and xx ii. 5. 21. she said] The imperfect tense of the original ; denotes intensity of " feeling, "she kept saying over and over to herself." 22. thy faith hath made thee whole] Rather, " thy faith hath saved thee," and not the external act of touching my garment True faith — spiritual insight — will be accepted by Jesus in spite of ignorance. 23. St Mark and St Luke mention the message to Jairus on the way, that his daughter was already dead, and name the three disciples whom Jesus permits to enter the house with him. the minstrels and the people making a noise] The minstrels are men tioned by St Matthew only. Cp. 2 Chron. xxxv. 25, "all the singing men and the singing women spake of Josiah in their lamentations to this day." Lane (Modern Egyptians) says " the women of the family raise the cries of lamentations called 'welweleh' or 'wilwal;' uttering the most piercing shrieks and calling upon the name of the deceased." 24. is not dead, but sleepeth] These words are reported without variation by the three Synoptists ; it is open to question whether they ought not to be taken literally. The word for sleepeth (rafleiiSei) does w. 25—33.] ST MATTHEW, IX. 87 they laughed him to scorn. But when the people were put 25 forth, he went in, and took her by the hand, and the maid arose. And the fame hereof went abroad into all that 26 land. 2 7 — 3 1 . A Cure of two Blind Men. And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed 27 him, crying, and saying, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us. And when he was come into the house, the blind men 28 came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord. Then 29 touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you. And their eyes were opened ; and Jesus straitly 3° charged them, saying, See that no man know it. But they, 31 when they were departed, spread abroad his fame in all that country. 32 — 34. Cure of a Dumb Man possessed by an evil spirit. As they went out, behold, they brought to him a dumb 32 man possessed with a devil. And when the devil was cast 33 out, the dumb spake : and the multitudes marvelled, saying, not bear the metaphorical force of Koi/iairBat; and the statement of Jesus is very explicit. 27 — 31. A Cure of two Blind Men.1 Peculiar to St Matthew. Archbp. Trench alludes to the fact that cases of blindness are far more numerous in the East than in Western countries. "The dust and flying sand enter the eyes, causing in flammations the sleeping in the open air, and the consequent ex posure of the eyes to the noxious nightly dews, is another source of this malady." 27. Son of David] See note ch. i. 1. The thought of the kingdom of heaven had been closely linked with the reign of a Son of David, but doubtless with many Jews the glory of the Asmonean dynasty (the Maccabees) and the established power of the Herods had tended to obscure this expectation. To have clung to it was an act of faith. 30. straitly charged] The word in the original is a remarkable one, Literally, to roar, then (1) "to charge with vehement threats," then (2) "to enjoin strictly," (here and Mark i. 43); (3) to be loudly in dignant (Mark xiv. 5); (4) " to groan in the spirit;" said of our Lord at the grave of Lazarus (John xi. 33, 38). 88 ST MATTHEW, IX. X. [w. 34—38; 1. 34 It was never so seen in Israel. But the Pharisees said, He casteth out the devils through the prince of the devils. 35 — 38. The Preaching of Jesus. The Harvest ofthe World. ss And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the king dom, and healing every sickness and every disease among 36 the people. But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were 37 scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the 38 labourers are few; pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest. 1 — 4. The Mission ofthe Twelve; 5 — 42, and the Charge to them. 10 And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them 32 — 34. Cure of a Dumb Man possessed by an evil spirit. St Luke xi. 14, 15. 34. He casteth out the devils through the prince ofthe devils] The answer to this charge is given, ch. xii. 25 — 30. 35 — 38. The Preaching of Jesus. The Harvest of the World. 35. See ch. iv. 23. All diseases, acute as well as chronic. 36. fainted] The word in the received text has no MS. authority ; read harassed. scattered abroad] Rather, perhaps, neglected, set at nought, rejected by the national teachers. 37. The harvest truly is plenteous, &c] The same expression occurs Luke x. 2 on the occasion of sending forth the Seventy, cp. also John iv. 35, " Lift up your eyes and look on the fields, for they are white already to harvest. " 38. send forth] The original word is more forcible, implying a strong impulse; it is used Mark i. 12. "The spirit driveth him into the wilderness ; " and frequently of casting out evil spirits, also of cast ing into outer darkness (ch. xxv. 30). Chap. X. The Mission of the Twelve 1—4, and the Charge to them, 5 — 42. Mark iii. 14 — 19, and vi. 7 — 13. Luke vi. 12—16; ix. 1 — 6. 1. his twelve disciples] The first passages in St Mark and St Luke record the choice or calling of the Twelve, this chapter and Mark vi. V. 2.] ST MATTHEW, X. 89 out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease. Now the names of the twelve apostles are these ; 2 The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James, the son of Zebedee, and John his brother ; and Luke ix. narrate the mission or a mission of the disciples. Possibly they were sent forth more than once. sickness .. .disease] See note ch. iv. 23, and ix. 35. 2. apostles] the only passage in this Gospel where the word occurs. The Greek word lit = "sent forth," "envoys." This sense, though scarcely recognised by classical authors, was not new. It seems to have been a "title borne by those who were despatched from the mother city by the rulers of the race on any foreign mission, especially such as were charged with collecting the tribute paid to the temple service." (Lightfoot, Gal. p. 90). The title of "apostles" was given in a special sense to the Twelve, but was not confined to them. Matthias was added to the number of the twelve, Paul was "called to be an apostle," James the Lord's brother, and Barnabas, are designated by the same title. It had even a wider signification : cp. among other passages Rom. xvi 7. The name is applied to Jesus Christ, Heb. iii. 1, " The Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus." He came to do the will of Him that sent Him. There are four lists of the Apostles recorded, one by each of the Synoptic Evangelists, one in the Acts of the Apostles. No two of these lists perfectly coincide. This will be seen from the tabular view below. Matt x. 3. \ Mark iii. 16. Luke vi. 14. r. Simon Peter. Simon Peter. Simon Peter. 2. Andrew. James the son of Andrew. Zebedee. 3. James the son of John the brother of James. Zebedee. James. 4. John his brother. Andrew. John. Philip. Bartholomew. Matthew. Thomas. . Philip. Bartholomew. Matthew. Thomas. Actsi. 13. Peter. James. John. Andrew. Philip.Thomas.Bartholomew.Matthew. 5. Philip. 6. Bartholomew. 7. Thomas. 8. Matthew the Publican. 9. James the son of James son of James the son of James son of Alphseus. Alphaeus. Alphseus. Alphseus. to. Lebbaeus sur- Thaddseus. Simon Zelotes. Simon Zelotes. named Thaddseus. 11. Simon the Simon the Cananite. Judas(son) of James. Judas (son) of James. Cananite. 12. Judas Iscariot. Judas Iscariot Judas Iscariot. It will be observed from a comparison of these lists that the twelve names fall into three divisions, each containing four names which re main in their respective divisions in all the lists. Within these divisions however, the order varies. But Simon Peter is placed first, and Judas Iscariot last, in all. Again, Philip invariably heads the second, and James the son of Alphseus the third division. 90 ST MATTHEW, X. [w. 3, 4. 3 Philip, and Bartholomew ; Thomas, and Matthew the publi can ; James the son of Alpheus, and Lebbeus, whose sur- 4 name was Thaddeus ; Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him. Andrew, a Greek name; see John xii. 21, 22, where the Greeks in the temple address themselves to Philip, "Philip cometh and telleth Andrew and Andrew and Philip tell Jesus." An incident that points to some Greek connection besides the mere name. 3. Philip, also a Greek name prevalent at the time, partly through the influence of the Macedonian monarchy, whose real founder was Philip, father of Alexander the Great. Lebbseus, Thaddseus, Jude the [son] of James, are all names of one and the same person. He was the son in all probability of a James or Jacob, not, as usually translated, brother of James. The name "Lebbseus" =" courageous" from a Hebrew word signifying "heart." This Jude or Judas must not be confused with Jude or Judas the ".brother" of our Lord; nor must James the son of Alphseus be con fused with James the brother of our Lord. The " brethren of the Lord " believed not on Him, and could not have been among His apostles. James and Judas were both common names, and the variety of names seems to have been small at this epoch. According to this theory there are four persons named James— (1) the son of Zebedee, (2) the son of Alphseus, (3) the father of Jude, (4) "The less" or rather "the little," the brother of the Lord : and three named Judas — (1) the brother ofthe Lord, (2) the apostle, son of James, (3) Iscariot. Matthew or Levi also was son of an Alphteus, but there is no evidence or hint that he was connected with James son of Alphseus. Bartholomew = son of Tolmai, probably to be identified with Na thanael. (1) St John, who twice mentions the name of Nathanael, never mentions that of Bartholomew; (2) the three Synoptists mention Bartholomew but not Nathanael. (3) Philip is closely connected with Nathanael and also with Bartholomew. (4) Lastly, Nathanael is men tioned with six other disciples as if like them he belonged to the Twelve. 4. Simon the Cananite (not Canaanite), or Zelotes, equivalent terms. The fierce party of the Zealots professed a rigid attachment to the Mosaic law; they acknowledged no king save God. Under Judas the Gaulo- nite they rose in rebellion at the time ofthe census. We hear of a Theudas (which is another form of Thaddseus) who rose in rebellion (Acts v. 36). Is it not possible that this Lebbaeus or Jude may owe his third name to this patriot, as a Galilaean might regard him? It may be observed that Simon (Joseph. Ant. XVII. 10, 5) and Judas (Ant. xviii 1, 1) were also names of zealous patriots who rose against the Roman government. Iscariot] Man of Kerioth, in the tribe of Judah ; accordingly (if this be the case) the only non-Galihean among the Apostles. For other accounts of the name see Diet, of Bible. The choice of the disciples is an instance of the winnowing of Christ, vv. s— 8.] ST MATTHEW, X. 91 5 — 42. Christ's Charge to the Apostles. These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, 5 saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not : but go rather to 6 the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as ye go, 7 preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal 8 the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils : the sifting of the wheat from the chaff. In these men the new life had manifested itself. Their faith, or at least their capacity for faith, was intense, and sufficient to bear them through the dangers that confronted them by their Master's side. {Editor's notes on Greek text of St Luke's Gospel.] 5 — 42. Christ's Charge to the Apostles. This discourse falls naturally into two divisions ; of which the first (vv. 5 — 15) has reference to the immediate present, the second relates rather to the church of the future. The subdivisions of the first part are: (1) Their mission field, 5, 6. (2) Their words and works, 7, 8. (3) Their equipment, 9, 10. (4) Their approach to cities and houses, 11— 15. 5. Go not into the way of the Gentiles] For the expression "way of the Gentiles" cp. ch. iv. 15, "the way ofthe sea." This prohibition is not laid on the Seventy (St Luke x. 1 — 16), they are expressly commissioned to carry tidings of the gospel to cities and places which our Lord Himself proposed to visit. any city ofthe Samaritans] The Samaritans were foreigners descended from the alien population introduced by the Assyrian king (probably Sargon), 2 Kings xvii. 24, to supply the place of the exiled Israelites. In Luke xvii. 18, our Lord calls a Samaritan "this stranger," i. e. this man of alien or foreign race. The bitterest hostility existed between Jew and Samaritan, which has not died out to this day. The origin of this international ill-feeling is related Ezra iv. 2, 3. Their religion was a corrupt form of Judaism. For being plagued with lions, the Samari tans summoned a priest to instruct them in the religion of the Jews. Soon, however, they lapsed from a pure worship, and in consequence of their hatred to the Jews, purposely introduced certain innovations. Their rival temple on Mount Gerizim was destroyed by John Hyrcanus about 129 B. c. See Nutt's "Sketch ofthe Samaritans," p. 19. About twenty years previous to our Lord's ministry the Samaritans had intensified the national antipathy by a gross act of profanation. During the celebration of the Passover they stole into the Temple Courts when the doors were opened after midnight and strewed the sacred enclosure with dead men s bones (Jos. Ant. xviii. 2, 2). Even after the siege of Jerusalem, when the relations between Jews and Samaritans were a little less hostile, the latter were still designated by the Jews as the "Proselytes of the lions," from the circumstance mentioned above. 92 ST MATTHEW, X. [w. 9—13. 9 freely ye have received, freely give. Provide neither gold, 10 nor silver, 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 what soever city or town ye shall enter, inquire who in it is 12 worthy; and there abide till ye go thence. And when 13 ye come into a house salute it. And if the house be worthy, 8. cleanse the lepers] Leprosy is not classed with the other diseases. As especially symbolical of a sin-stricken man, the leper requires cleans ing or purification. raise the dead] These words are omitted in a large number of im portant MSS. but not in the two most ancient Codices. 9. Provide neither gold, &c] The disciples must not furnish them selves with the ordinary equipment of an Eastern traveller. gold ...silver „. brass] Of the three metals named the brass or copper represents the native currency. The coinage of Herod the Great was copper only. But Greek and Roman money was also current. The Roman denarius, a silver coin, is frequently mentioned (ch. xviii. 28, xx. 2). The farthing, v. 29, is the Roman as the 16th part of a denarius ; the Greek drachma of nearly the same value as a denarius, and the stater (ch. xvii 27) were also in circulation. See Students 0. T. History, p. 596. in] Rather, for. purses] Literally, girdles or money -belts, cp. "Ibit eo quo vis qui zonam perdidit," Hor. Ep. ii. 1. 40. Sometimes a fold of the tunic held up by the girdle served for a purse, "quando | major avaritise patuit sinus?" Juv. Sat. I. 88. 10. scrip] A wallet such as David wore when he went to meet Goliath. It was fastened to the girdle. Cp. "Though not with bag and baggage, yet with scrip and scrippage.*' Shakspeare. "And in requital ope his leathern scrip." Milton. two coats] = two tunics. See ch. v. 40. In like manner the philoso pher Socrates wore one tunic only, went without sandals, and lived on the barest necessaries of life. Xen. Mem. i. 6. 2. shoes] Rather, sandals. 12. when ye come into a house] Translate, when ye are entering into the house, i.e. the house of him who is indicated as "worthy." The injunction to remain in the same house was, perhaps, partly to avoid feasting from house to house, partly for the sake of secrecy — a neces sary precaution in after times. Such "worthy" hosts of the Church afterwards were Lydia at Philippi (" If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and abide there. " Acts xvi. 15), Jason at Thessalonica, Gaius perhaps at Derbe, see Rom. xvi. 23. This kind of general hospitality is still recognised as a duty in the East, where in deed it may be regarded as a necessity. w. 14—18.] ST MATTHEW, X. 93 let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you. And whosoever shall not receive 14 you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet Verily I say unto 15 you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city. 16 — 42. The Church ofthe Future. Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves : 16 be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. But 17 beware of men : for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues; and ye shall 18 salute it] Saying "Peace be unto you,'" (shalom Vcha,) the usual salutation at this day. 14. shake off the dust of your feet] as St Paul did at Antioch in Pisidia, Acts xiii. 51. The cities of Israel that rejected the Gospel should be regarded as heathen. The very dust of them was a defile ment as the dust of a heathen land. See Lightfoot, ad loc. 15. Comp. ch. xi. 24. 16 — 42. The Church of the Future. (1) The Apostolic character, 16. (2) Persecution, 17 — 25. (3) Consolation — the care of the Father, 26 — 31. (4) The reward, 32. (5) The Christian choice, 33 — 39. (6) The hosts of the Church, 40 — 42. 16. as sheep in the midst of wolves] Clemens Rom., who quotes these words, adds to them: "Then Peter answered and said, If then the wolves rend the sheep? but Jesus said to Peter, Let not the sheep fear the wolves after death." wise as serpents, and harmless as doves] The qualities required for the safety of the unarmed traveller. Prudence and harmlessness are the defence of the weak. Wise=" prudent," full of precaution, pos sessing such "practical wisdom" as Paul had when he claimed the rights of Roman citizenship at Philippi. The wisdom of a serpent is to escape notice. The expression in Rom. xvi. 19, which this passage recalls, is not quite parallel. St Paul is there speaking of the Christian character ; our Lord is giving instructions for a special occasion. The word translated wise in Romans is not the same Greek word which is here rendered wise. 17. beware of men] Perhaps with a reference to the serpents and the doves, which shun the approach of men; but comp. ch. xvii. 22, "The Son of Man shall be betrayed into the hands of men." councils] i.e. provincial synagogue-tribunals. See note, ch. iv.23. 94 ST MATTHEW, X. [vv. 19—23. be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a 19 testimony against them and the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak : for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall 20 speak. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your 21 Father which speaketh in you. And the brother shall de liver up the brother to death, and the father the child : and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause 22 them to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake : but he that endureth to the end shall 23 be saved. But 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 Israel, till the Son of man be come. 18. governors] Such as Felix and Festus at Csesarea, the Praetors or Duumviri at Philippi (Acts xvi. 20), the Politarchs at Thessalonica (Acts xvii. 6). kings] As Herod Agrippa or the Roman Emperor. 19. take no thought how or what ye shall speak] Curiously enough this has been quoted as if it justified want of preparation for sermons or addresses to a Christian congregation. The direction points definitely to the Christian ' apologies,' of which specimens have come down to us. 20. the Spirit of your Father] The Christian " apologist " shall not stand alone. The same Spirit instructs him which inspires the universal Church. St Paul experienced this consolation: "At my first answer no man stood with me notwithstanding the Lord stood with me and strengthened me." 2 Tim. iv. 16, 17. 21. the father the child] The history of persecutions for religion affords many instances of this. It is true even of civil disputes. Thucy dides, describing the horrors of the Corcyrean sedition, says (iii. 82), " The ties of relationship became weaker than those of party." 22. he that endureth to the end shall be saved] The parallel expres sion in Luke xxi. 18 is made clear by this verse ; "by your patience win for yourselves your souls," i.e. win your true life by enduring to the end. Comp. Rom. v. 4, 5, "we glory in tribulation also, knowing that tribulation worketh patience, and patience experience, and experience hope." 23. when they persecute you] Such words indicate that these "in structions" have a far wider range than the immediate mission of the Apostles. They are prophetic, bringing both warning and consola tion to all ages of the Church. till the Son of man be come] The passage in Luke xxi. , which is to a great extent parallel to this, treats of the destruction of Jerusa lem ; and no one who carefully weighs our Lord's words can fail to see that in a real sense He came in the destruction of Jerusalem. That w. 24—28.] ST MATTHEW, X. 95 The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above 24 his lord. // is enough for the disciple that he be as his 25 master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household ? Fear them not therefore : for 26 there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known. What I tell you in darkness, 27 that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops. And fear not them which 28 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. event was in truth the judgment of Christ falling on the unrepentant nation. In this sense the Gospel had not been preached to all the cities of Israel before Christ came. But all these words point to a more distant future. The work of Christian missions is going on, and will still continue until Christ comes again to a final judgment. 24. The disciple is not above his master] The disciples of Jesus can expect no other treatment than that which befell their Master Christ. The same proverb occurs in a different connection Luke vi. 40, where Christ is speaking of the responsibility of the Apostles as teachers ; "as they are, their disciples shall be." 25. Beelzebub] The MSS. vary between Beelzebul and Beelzebub. Beelzebub, or Baal Zebub="Lord of flies," i.e. "averter of flies," a serious plague in hot countries. By a slight change of letter the Jews threw contempt on their enemies' god, calling him BaalZebel — "Lord of mire " — and lastly identified him with Satan. The changes from Bethel ("House of God") to Bethaven ("House of naught or evil"), (Hos. iv. 15), from Nahash ("serpent") to Nehushtan (2 Kings xviii. 4), and from the name Barcochab (" Son of a star "), assumed by a false Messiah, to Barcozab (" Son of a lie "), are instances of the same quaint humour. Another derivation of Beelzebul makes it equivalent to ' ' Lord of the dwelling," i.e. of the abode of evil spirits. This meaning would be very appropriate in relation to "the master of the house;" and the form Baalzebul is a nearer approach to the Greek word in the text than BaalzebeL 26. for there is nothing covered, &c] Two reasons against fear are implied:. (1) If you fear, a day will come which will reveal your dis loyalty; (2) Fear not, for one day the unreality of the things that terrify you will be made manifest. 27. what ye hear in the ear] Lightfoot (Hor. Heb.) refers this to a custom in the "Divinity School" of the synagogue (see ch. iv. 23), where the master whispered into the ear of the interpreter, who re peated in a loud voice what he had heard. upon the housetops] Travellers relate that in the village districts of Syria proclamations are frequently made from the housetops at the present day. ST MATTHEW 7 96 ST MATTHEW, X. [vv. 29—37. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them 30 shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the 31 very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not 32 therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows. Who soever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I 33 confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall 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 3s came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance^against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in 36 law against her mother in law. And a man's foes 37 shall be they of his own household. He that loveth 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 28. him which is able to destroy] Either (1) God, whose power ex tends beyond this life. Clemens Rom. (Ep, II. 4) with a probable reference to this passage says, "We ought not to fear man but God." Or (2) Satan, into whose power the wicked surrender themselves. in hell] Literally, in Gehenna. See note, ch. v. 22. 29. one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father] Two deductions may be drawn — (1) That human life is more precious in God's sight than the life ofthe lower animals (v. 31); (2) That kindness to animals is part of God's law. The word translated sparrow means any kind of small bird. 32. shall confess me] Literally, confess In me: make me the central point and object of his confession. 34. not to send peace, but a sword] The contrast is rather between union and division than between peace and war. The " sifting " of Christ causes division or perplexity, and conflict of opinion, both in the thoughts of the individual and between man and man. The same idea is illustrated by the husbandman's fan, the refiner's fire, and the shep herd's separation of his flocks. History shews that religion has been the great separating influence in the world. 35. to set... at variance] The Greek word occurs here only in the New Testament, and is rare elsewhere. The root is the same as that of the word translated to "cut asunder." The word is used by Plato of a scientific distinction. Here the thought of the dividing sword is. carried on. Comp. Micah vii. 6, where see Dr Pusey's note, who quotes Tertullian to shew how true Christ's words proved in the second century. 37. The connection is this: there will be divisions in families; My disciples must not hesitate to side with Me rather than with father or mother, or son or daughter. The new life changes the old relation- w. 38—42.] ST MATTHEW, X. 97 me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after 38 me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose 39 it : and he that loseth his Ufe for my sake shall find it. 40 — 42. The Reception ofthe Apostles and Ministers of Jesus Christ. He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth 40 me receiveth him that sent me. He that receiveth a pro- 41 phet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward; 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 42 ships : everything is viewed now in reference to Christ, to whom His followers are related as mother and sisters and brethren. 38. he that taketh not his cross] A further advance in the devotion and self-abandonment required in the disciples of Jesus. These are deeply interesting and solemn words. The cross is named for the first time by the Saviour. The expression recurs ch. xvi. 24, following upon the announcement of the Passion to the disciples. By the Roman custom criminals were compelled to bear the cross to the place of execution. The Galilseans would know too well what was meant by "taking the cross." Many hundreds had paid that forfeiture for re bellion that had not prospered under Judas the Gaulonite and others. (See Introduction, Chapter iv.) 39. He that findeth his life shall lose it] The Greek word for life (sj/uxh) embraces every form of life from mere vegetative existence to the highest spiritual life of the soul. Sometimes this variety of meaning is found within the limits of a single sentence — "He that findeth the life of external comfort and pleasure, shall lose the eternal life of spiritual joy."40 — 42. The Reception op the Apostles and Ministers of Jesus Christ. 40. receiveth] In the sense of receiving as a teacher, and of wel coming as a guest, see v. 14. Whoever welcomes the Apostles and listens to them, listens to the voice of Jesus Christ and of God the Father Himself, and They " will make their abode with him," John xiv. 23. 41. in the name of]=iox the sake of, out of regard to the prophet's character. a prophet's reward] Such reward as a prophet or preacher of the gospel hath. righteous] Those who fulfil the requirements of the Christian law (comp. ch. i 19), true members ofthe Christian Church — the saints. 42. one of these little ones] The reference may be to the disciples. But there appears to be a gradation in the lowest step of which are 7-2 98 ST MATTHEW, X. XI. [vv. 1—3. ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward. 1. Jesus preaches the Gospel probably unaccompanied by the Twelve. 2 — 19. Concerning John the Baptist. 11 And it came to pass, when Jesus had made an end of commanding his twelve disciples, he departed thence to 2 teach and to preach in their cities. Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his 3 disciples, and said unto him, Art thou he that should come, "these little ones." Possibly some children standing near were then addressed, or, perhaps, some converts less instructed than the Apostles had gathered round. "The little ones" then would mean the young disciples, who are babes in Christ. The lowest in the scale — apostles — prophets — the saints — the young disciples. The simplest act of kind ness done to one of Christ's little ones as such shall have its reward. Ch. XI. 1. Jesus preaches the Gospel probably unaccom panied by the Twelve. 2 — 19. Concerning John the Baptist. His message to Jesus 2 — 6. His position as a Prophet 7 — 14. His relation to Jesus and to his contemporaries 15 — 19. St Luke vii. 18 — 35. 2. in the prison] At Machasrus. See note, ch. xiv. 3. For "two of his disciples" read, on the best MS. authority, by means of his disci ples. 3. he that should come] Literally, He that cometh. One of the designations ofthe Messiah; in every age the prophet said "He cometh." It is often disputed whether John sent this message (1) from a sense of hope deferred and despondency in his own soul ; he would ask him self: (a) Is this the Christ whom I knew and whom I baptized ? (b) Are these works of which I hear, the works of the promised Messiah? or (2) to confirm the faith of his disciples, or (3) to induce Jesus to make a public profession of His Messiahship. (1) The first motive is the most natural and the most instructive. In the weariness and misery of the prison the faith of the strongest fails for a moment. It is not doubt, but faith wavering: "Lord, I believe; help Thou mine unbelief." (2) The second has been suggested and found support rather from the wish to uphold the consistency of the Baptist's character than because it is the clearest inference from the text. (3) The third motive would have been hardly less derogatory to John's faith than the first. And would not our Lord's rebuke v. 6 have taken a different form, as when He said to Mary, " Mine hour is not yet come"? w. 4— II.] ST MATTHEW, XI. . 99 or do we look for another ? Jesus answered and said unto 4 them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see : the blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, s the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me. 6 And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the mul- 7 titudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilder ness to see? A reed shaken with the wind? But what went 8 ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses. But what g went ye out for to see ? A prophet ? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet. For this is he, of whom it is 10 written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. Verily I say « unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath 5. Comp. Isaiah xxxv. 5 and lxi 1. The first passage describes the work of God, who " will come and save you." the poor have the gospel preached to them] In earthly kingdoms envoys are sent to the rich and great Compare the thought implied in the disciple's words, " Who then can be saved ?" If it is difficult for the rich to enter the kingdom, how much more for the poor ? 6. And blessed is he] Blessed are all who see that these works of mine are truly the works of the Messiah. Some had thought only of an avenging and triumphant Christ. blessed] A term that denotes spiritual insight and advance in the true life. 7. A reed shaken with the wind] If the first suggestion (v. 3) be adopted, the words have a corroborative force. It was no waverer that ye went out to see — his message was clear, his faith was strong then. Others give the words a literal sense — the reeds on the banks of Jordan — and observe a climax, a reed — a man — a prophet — more than a prophet — the greatest of them. 8. A man clothed in soft raiment] Mr Plumptre (Smith's Bib. Die. I. 1 166) suggests that there maybe a historical allusion in these words. A certain Menahem, who had been a colleague of the great teacher Hillel, "was tempted by the growing power of Herod, and with a large number of his followers entered the king's service... they appeared pub licly in gorgeous apparel, glittering with gold." (See Lightfoot, Hor. Hebr., on Matt. xxii. 16.) 9. more than a prophet] Other prophets foresaw the Messiah, the Baptist beheld Him, and ushered in His kingdom : he was the herald of the King.- Further, John was himself the subject of prophecy. 10. Behold, I send, &c] Quoted from the Hebrew of Mai. iii. 2. The LXX. rendering of the passage is different. ioo ST MATTHEW, XI. [w. 12—19. not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the king dom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by 13 force. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until i4 John. And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for 15 to come. 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 calling unto their 17 fellows, and saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not 18 lamented. For John came neither eating nor drinking, and 19 they say, He hath a devil. The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children. 11. he that is least in the kingdom of heaven] Literally, he that Is less, either (1) than John or (2) than others. Those who are in the kingdom, who are brought nearer to God and have clearer spiritual knowledge of God, have higher privileges than the greatest of those who lived before the time of Christ. 12. And from] Translate but from : another point shewing the great ness of John, and also the beginning of the Kingdom : it was from the time of John's preaching that men began to press into the kingdom, and the earnest won their way in. For the preaching of John was the epoch to which all prophecy tended. suffereth violence] Is forced, broken Into, as a ship enters a har bour by breaking the boom stretched across the harbour's mouth. John's preaching was the signal for men to press into the kingdom — to adopt eagerly the new rule and life heralded by John and set forth by Christ the violent take it by force] The eager and enthusiastic followers of Christ seize the kingdom — win it as a prize of war. 13. For] gives the reason why the wonderful growth of the king dom should be witnessed now. 14. if ye will receive if] The present unhappy circumstances in which John was placed seemed inconsistent with such a view of his mission (Meyer). 16. But whereunto shall I liken this generation T] The children who complain of their companions are the Jews who are satisfied neither with Jesus nor with John. This generation is out of sympathy with the prophets in whatever guise they come. They blamed John for his too great austerity, Jesus for neglect of Pharisaic exclusiveness and of cere monial fasting. 19. But wisdom is justified of her children] Wisdom =" divine w. 20—24.] ST MATTHEW, XI. 101 20 — 24. The Cities that repented not. Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his 20 mighty works were done, because they repented not. Woe 21 unto thee, Chorazin, woe unto thee, Bethsaida: for if the mighty works which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon they would have repented long ago in sack cloth and ashes. But I say unto you, It shall be more 22 tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you. And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto 23 heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say m wisdom" — God regarded as the All Wise. Justified =" is accounted righteous" — "is acquitted of folly." Of her children =" by the divinely wise." The spiritual recognise the wisdom of God, both in the aus terity of John and in the loving mercy of Jesus who condescends to eat with publicans and sinners. The word translated but should be and. Either the adversative force lies rather in the whole sentence than in the particle, or the Greek Kai is put for the Hebrew connecting particle vau, which is sometimes adversative. 20 — 24. The Cities that repented not. St Luke x. 13 — 15, where the words form part of the charge to the seventy disciples. It is instructive to compare the connection suggested by the two evangelists. In St Matthew the link is the rejection of Christ by the Jews — then by these favoured cities; in St Luke, the rejection ofthe Apostles as suggestive ofthe rejection of Jesus. 21. Chorazin] is identified with Kerazeh, two and a half miles N. of Tell Hum. The ruins here are extensive and interesting ; among them a synagogue built of hard black basalt and houses with walls still six feet high. Recovery of Jerusalem, p. 347. Bethsaida] (House of Fish) called Julias in honour of Julia daughter of Augustus, was rebuilt and beautified by Herod Philip, in whose dominions the town was situated. 23. Capernaum] See map. Although Capernaum was truly ex alted unto heaven in being our Lord's " own city," the thought is rather of self-exaltation. The expressions recall Isaiah xiv. 13 — 15. Caper naum has exalted herself like Babylon — like Babylon she shall be brought low. Possibly too Capernaum was on a height at Tell Hum or Khan Minyeh. This would give force to the expression in the text. According to the Sinaitic and Vatican MSS. this verse should be read: "Capharnaum, shalt thou be exalted unto heaven? Thou shalt be brought down to hell." 102 ST MATTHEW, XI. [w. 25—29. unto you, that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee. 25 — 27. The revelation to "Babes." 25 At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed 26 them unto babes. Even so, Father: for so it seemed good j7 in thy sight. 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 him. 28 — 30. Rest for the heavy laden. 28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, 29 and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye 25 — 27. The revelation to "Babes." St Luke x. 21 — 22, where the words are spoken on the return of the Seventy. 25. answered and said] A Hebraism= " spake and said." prudent] Rather, Intelligent, acute. The secrets of the kingdom are not revealed to those who are wise in their own conceit, but to those who have the meekness of infants and the child-like eagerness for knowledge. In a special Jewish sense "the wise and prudent" are the Scribes and Pharisees. 26. Even so, Father: for] Translate: "yea Father [I thank thee] that, &e." 27. are delivered] Rather, were delivered. 28 — 30. Rest for the heavy laden. These words of Jesus are preserved by St Matthew only. The con necting thought is, those alone shall know who desire to learn, those alone shall have rest who feel their burden. The babes are those who feel ignorant, the laden those who feel oppressed. 28. Come unto me] Jesus does not give rest to all the heavy laden, but to those of them who show their want of relief by coming to Him. 29. learn of me] i.e. "become my disciples;" an idea also con veyed by the word "yoke," which was used commonly among the Jews for the yoke of instruction. Stier quotes from the Mishna, "Take upon you the yoke of the holy kingdom." Men of Belial= "Men without the yoke," "the uninstructed." for (or, because) I am meek and lowly in heart] The character of Jesus described by Himself; cp. 2 Cor. x. 1, "the meekness and gentle- w. 30; 1—4.] ST MATTHEW, XI. XII. 103 shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, 30 and my burden is light. 1 — 13. The Observance of the Sabbath. At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the 12 corn; and his disciples were a hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat. But when the Pharisees saw it, * they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day. But he said unto 3 them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was a hungred, and they that were with him; how he entered into 4 the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was ness of Christ'' It is this character that brings rest to the soul, and therefore gives us a reason why men should become His disciples. rest unto your souls] Cp. Jer. vi. 16, "Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein." unto your souls] Not relief from external bodily toil. my burden is light] Contrast with this the burden of the Pharisees, ch. xxiii. 4, "heavy burdens and grievous to be borne." Ch. XII. 1 — 13. The Observance of the Sabbath. 1. The disciples pluck ears of corn on the Sabbath. 2. A man with a withered hand cured on the Sabbath. St Mark ii. 23 — 28, iii. 1 — 5; St Luke vi. 1 — 11. 1. began to pluck the ears of corn] The Pharisees, who seem to have been watching their opportunity, make the objection as soon as the disciples began what by Pharisaic rules was an unlawful act. 2. that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day] This prohibition is a Pharisaic rule not found in the Mosaic Law. It was a principle with the Pharisees to extend the provisions of the Law and make minute regu lations over and beyond what Moses commanded, in order to avoid the possibility of transgression. To pluck ears of corn was in a sense, the Pharisees said, to reap, and to reap on the Sabbath day was forbidden and punishable by death. These regulations did in fact make void the Law; e.g. the result of this particular prohibition was to contravene the intention or motive of the Sabbath. If sabbatical observances prevented men satisfying hunger, the Sabbath was no longer a blessing but an injury to man. 3. Ahimelech, the priest at Nob, gave David and his companions five loaves ofthe shewbread (1 Sam. xxi 1 — 7). 4. the shewbread] Literally, bread of setting forth, i e. bread that was set forth in the sanctuary. It was also called "continual bread" as 104 ST MATTHEW, XII. [vv. 5—13. not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with 5 him, but only for the priests? Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple 6 profane the sabbath, and are blameless? But I say unto you, 7 That in this place is one greater than the temple. But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless. 8 For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day. 9 And when he was departed thence, he went into their 10 synagogue : and 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 might accuse him. H 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 sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out? 12 How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it 13 is lawful to do well on the sabbath days. Then saith he to being set forth perpetually before the Lord, hence the Hebrew name, " bread of the presence. " Twelve loaves or cakes were placed in two "piles" (rather than "rows," Lev. xxiv. 6) on the "pure table" every Sabbath. On each pile was put a golden cup of frankincense. See Exod. xxv. 30; Lev. xxiv. 6 — 8; Josephus, Ant. in. 10. 7. 5. the priests in the temple profane the sabbath] by labour in removing the shewbread, preparing fire for the sacrifice, and performing the whole temple service. " Not merely does the sacred history relate exceptional instances oi necessity, but the Law itself ordains labour on the Sabbath as aduty"(Stier). 7. I will have mercy, and not sacrifice] Quoted a second time, see ch. ix. 13. There is something more binding than the Law, and that is the principle which underlies the Law. The Law rightly understood is the expression of God's love to man. That love allowed the act of David, and the labour of the priests. "Shall it not permit My disciples to satisfy their hunger?" 10. his hand withered] i.e. paralysed or affected by atrophy. St Luke has "his right hand." 11. In the other Synoptic Gospels the argument is different. "Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life or to kill? St Matthew states the argument that bears specially on the Jewish Law. St Luke, however, mentions the application of the same argu ment by our Lord on a different occasion, ch. xiv. 5. Our Lord's answer is thrown into the form of a syllogism, the minor premiss and conclusion of which are left to be inferred in St Luke loc. cit. 12. How much then is a man better than a sheep Y] Cp. "ye are of more value than many sparrows," ch. x. 31. w. 14—21.] ST MATTHEW, XII. 105 the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched il forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other. 14 — 21. The Pharisees plot against Jesus, who retires. Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against r4 him, how they might destroy him. But when Jesus knew it, 15 he withdrew himself from thence : and great multitudes fol lowed him, and he healed them all, and charged them that 16 they should not make him known : that it might be fulfilled 17 which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Behold 18 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. He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall 19 any man hear his voice in the streets. A bruised 20 reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory. And in his name shall the Gentiles trust. 21 14—21. The Pharisees plot against Jesus, who retires. Mark iii. 6 — 12; Luke vi. ir, 12. 14. held a council against him] St Mark adds that the Herodians joined the Pharisees. how they might destroy him] By argument and other means, if neces sary by force. 15. he withdrew himself from thence] See ch. x. 23. Jesus follows the principle which He laid down for His disciples' guidance. 17. spoken by Esaias the prophet] Is. xiii. 3. The original is not accurately followed ; the words are probably quoted from memory. 18. my servant] Israel as a nation is called the servant of Jehovah, Isaiah xii. 8. Here the same title is given to Jesus, as the representative of the nation. judgment] The Hebrew word is used in a wider sense to denote ' ' religion as the rule of life ; " hence judgment may mean ( 1 ) " the law of Christ," "the Gospel," or (2) adhering to the strict meaning of the Greek word, "the divine sentence or decree." to the Gentiles] Possibly our Lord in His retirement addressed Him self more especially to the Gentiles — the Greeks, Phoenicians, and others, settled near the Lake. " They about Tyre and Sidon, a great multi tude,. ..came unto him," Mark iii. 8. 19, 20. These verses describe the gentleness and forbearance of Christ. He makes no resistance or loud proclamation like an earthly prince. The bruised reed and the feebly-burning wick may be referred to the failing lives which Jesus restores and the sparks of faith which He revives. 106 ST MATTHEW, XII. [w. 22—29. 22, 23. Cure of a Blind and Dumb Man. 24 — go. The Charge, " He casteth out devils by Beelzebub!' The Answer of Jesus. 22 Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the 23 blind and dumb both spake and saw. And all the people 24 were amazed, and said, Is this the son of David? But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast 25 out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils. And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every king dom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand: 26 and if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; 27 how shall then his kingdom stand? And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? 28 therefore they shall be your judges. But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto 29 you. Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? 20. till he send forth judgment unto victory] Until He shall make (r) the Gospel or (2) His judgment victorious. 21. in his name] The original Hebrew has "in his law." shall. ..trust] Rather, shall hope. 22, 23. Cure of a Blind and Dumb Man. Luke xi. 14 — 16. 24 — 30. The Charge, " He casteth out devils by Beel zebub." The Answer of Jesus. Mark iii. 22 — 27; Luke xi. 17. 24. Beelzebub] See ch. x. 25. 25. Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation] Not that civil disputes destroy a nation, but a nation disunited, rent by factions, in the presence of a common enemy must fall. Here Satan's kingdom is regarded as warring against the kingdom of God. 27. by whom do your children cast them out?] The children are the disciples of the Pharisees, who either really possessed the power of casting out evil spirits, or pretended to have that power. In either case the argument of Jesus was unanswerable. 28. is come unto you] Literally, surprised you by coming, came upon you unawares. 29. Not only is Satan not an ally, but he is an enemy and a van quished enemy. w. 30—34.] ST MATTHEW, XII. 107 and then he will spoil his house. He that is not with me is 30 against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad. 31 — 37. Blaspheming against the Holy Ghost. Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and 31 blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men : but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it 32 shall be forgiven him : but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come. Either make the tree 33 good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit O gene- 34 ration of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things t for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. 30. He that is not with me is against me] The thought of the con test between Christ and Satan is continued. Satan is not divided against himself, neither can Christ be. Neutrality is impossible in the Christian life. It must be for Christ or against Christ. The metaphor of gathering and scattering may be from collecting and scattering a flock of sheep, or from gathering and squandering wealth, money, &c. 31—37. Blaspheming against the Holy Ghost. 31. Wherefore] The conclusion of the whole is — you are on Satan's side, and knowingly on Satan's side, in this decisive struggle between the two kingdoms, and this is blasphemy against the Holy Ghost — an unpardonable sin. 32. whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost] To speak against the Holy Ghost is to speak against the clear voice of the Holy Ghost within the heart — wilful sin against knowledge. Jesus, who saw the heart, knew that the Pharisees were insincere in the charge which they brought against Him. They were attributing to Satan what they knew to be the work of God. Their former attacks against the Son of man had excuse ; for instance, they might have differed conscientiously on the question of Sabbath observance, now they have no excuse. 33. Either make the tree good, &c] The meaning and connection are; "Be honest for once; represent the tree as good, and its fruit as good, or the tree as evil and its fruit as evil ; either say that I am evil and that my works are evil, or, if you admit that my works are good, admit that I am good also and not in league with Beelzebub. " 34. generation of vipers] Cp. ch. iii. 7. abundance] The same Greek word is translated, "that which was left," Mark viii. 8^ Words are, as it were, the overflow of the heart. 108 ST MATTHEW, XII. [vv. 35~4i- 35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure 36 bringeth forth evil things. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account 37 thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be con demned. 38 — 42. The Pharisees ask for a Sign. 38 Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, 39 saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee. But he an swered and said to them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, 4° but the sign of the prophet Jonas : for as Jonas was three 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 41 earth. The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this 35. treasure] Rather, treasury or storehouse : for a similar use of the Greek word see ch. ii. 11. 36. idle] Rather, useless, ineffectual for good. Words must be not only not evil, but they must be actively good. The same principle rules the decisionat the final judgment (ch. xxv. 45). 37. by thy words] i e. thy words shall be the ground of thy acquittal or condemnation. Character shews itself by words. We often say of a friend, "We know what he will say when he hears this or that." 38 — 42. The Pharisees ask for a Sign. St Luke xi. 16, 29 — 32. St Luke omits, or at least does not state explicitly, the special application of the sign given in v. 40, to under stand which required a knowledge of the Jewish prophets which would be lacking to St Luke's readers. 38. we would see a sign from thee] This is the second expedient taken by the Pharisees after their resolution to destroy Jesus. 39. adulterous] estranged from God; a figure often used by the Prophets to express the defection of Israel from Jehovah. 40. Jonah is a sign (1) as affording a type of the Resurrection, (2) as a preacher of righteousness to a people who needed repentance as this generation needs it the whale's belly] The Greek word translated " whale " means "a sea monster." The O. T. rendering is more accurate "the fish's belly" (Jonah ii. 1), "a great fish" (Jonah i. 17). It is scarcely needful to note that there are no whales in the Mediterranean. 41. in judgment with] More exactly, stand up In the judjrment, i. c. in the day of judgment, beside. When on the day of judgment the w. 42—45-] ST MATTHEW, XII. 109 generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and behold, a greater than Jonas is here. The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment 42 with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, a greater than Solomon is here. 43 — 45. A Figure to illustrate the surpassing Wickedness of the day. When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh 43 through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then 44 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. Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven 45 other spirits more wicked than himself, and 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 genera tion.Ninevites stand side by side with the men of that generation, they will by their penitence condemn the impenitent Jews. 42. The queen of the south] So*correctly and not a queen of the South as some translate. The absence of the definite article in the original is due to the influence of the Hebrew idiom. The queen of Sheba, Southern Arabia, 1 Kings x. 1. 43 — 45. A Figure to illustrate the surpassing Wicked ness OF THE DAY. Luke xi. 24 — 26, where the connection is different. St Luke, as usual, omits the direct application to Israel. The connection is not clearly marked. It seems to be this : Christ has been speaking of "this generation;" He now contrasts it with past generations. The Jews of former times were like a man possessed by a demon, the Jews of this day are like a man possessed by many demons. 43. dry places] The waterless desert uninhabited by man was regarded by the Jews as the especial abode of evil spirits. 44. empty] Properly, at leisure. To have cast out a sin does not make a man safe from sin, there must be no leisure in the Christian life. 45. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation] Israel had cast forth the demon of idolatry — the sin of its earlier history, but worse demons had entered in — the more insidious and dangerous sins of hypocrisy and hardness of heart no ST MATTHEW, XII. XIII. [vv. 46— 5051,2. 46 — 50. Jesus is sought by His Mother and Brethren. The true Mother and Brethren of Jesus. 46 While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him. 47 Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy bre- 48 thren stand without, desiring to speak with thee. But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my 49 mother? and who are my brethren? And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my 5o mother and my brethren. For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother. 1 — 9. Jesus teaches in Parables. The Parable ofthe Sower. 13 The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the 2 sea side. And great multitudes were gathered together unto 46 — 50. Jesus is sought by His Mother and Brethren. The true Mother and Brethren of Jesus. Mark iii. 31 — 35; Luke viii. 19—21. The account is given with very slight variation by the three Synop tists. But see Mark iii 21 and 30, 31, where a motive is suggested — "When his friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside himself" (v. 21). Comp. the then= therefore, of v. 31. It would seem that the Pharisees, on the pretext that Jesus had a demon, had persuaded His friends to secure Him. This was another device to destroy Jesus, see w. 14 and 38. 47. thy brethren] It is a point of controversy whether these were (1) the own brothers of Jesus, sons of Joseph and Mary, or (2) sons of Joseph by a former marriage, or (3) cousins, sons of a sister of Mary. Their names are given ch. xiii. 55, where see note. 49. Behold my mother and my brethren] The new life subverts the old relationships. By the spiritual birth new ties of kindred are esta blished. 50. whosoever shall do the will of my Father] " These which hear the word of God and do it " (Luke viii 21). Ch. XIII. 1—9. Jesus teaches in Parables. The Parable of the Sower. Mark iv. 1 — 9 ; Luke viii. 4 — 9. 1. sat] The usual position of a Jewish teacher. by the sea side] At the N. end of the Lake of Gennesaret there are small creeks or inlets "where the ship could ride in safety only a few vv. 3— 9] ST MATTHEW, XIII. iii him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore. And he spake many things 3 unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow; and when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, 4 and the fowls came and devoured them up : some fell upon 5 stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth : and 6 when the sun was up, they were scorched ; and because they had not root, they withered away. And some fell among 7 thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them: but 8 other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundred/^, some sixtyfold, some thiityfold. Who hath ears 9 to hear, let him hear. feet from the shore, and where the multitudes seated on both sides and before the boat could listen without distraction or fatigue. As if on purpose to furnish seats, the shore on both sides of these narrow inlets is piled up with smooth boulders of basalt." Thomson, Land and Book, P- 336. 2. a ship] According to the received Greek text, the ship or boat. 3. in parables] Up to this time Jesus had preached repentance, proclaiming the kingdom, and setting forth the laws of it in direct terms. He now indicates by parables the reception, growth, character istics, and future of the kingdom. The reason for this manner of teach ing is given below, w. 10 — 15. A parable (Hebr. mashal) = " n likeness" or "comparison." Para bles differ from fables in being pictures of possible occurrences — fre quently of actual daily occurrences, — and in teaching religious truths rather than moral truths. 4. by the way side] i. e. along the narrow footpath dividing one field from another. 5. stony places] Places where the underlying rock was barely covered with earth. The hot sun striking on the thin soil and warming the rock beneath would cause the corn to spring up rapidly and then as swiftly to wither. 7. thorns sprung up] The scholar will remember that Vergil mentions among the "plagues" ofthe wheat, • " Ut mala culmos Esset robigosegnisque horreret in arvis Carduus." Georg. I. 150 — 153. S. some an hundredfold, &c] The different kinds of fertility may be ascribed to different kinds of grain ; barley yields more than wheat, and " white maize sown in the neighbourhood often yields several hun dredfold." See Thomson's Land and Book, p. 83. ST MATTHEW 8 ii2 ST MATTHEW, XIII. [vv. io— 15, 10 — 17. The Reason why Jesus teaches in Parables. ro And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest H thou unto them in parables? He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of 12 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 not, from him shall be 13 taken away even that he hath. Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they 14 hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is ful filled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye --$ shall see, and shall not perceive: for this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hear ing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with 10 — 17. The Reason why Jesus teaches in Parables". Mark iv. 10 — 12 ; Luke viii. 10. 10. parables] The parable is suited (1) to the uninstructed, as being attractive in form and as revealing spiritual truth exactly in proportion to the capacity of the hearer ; and (2) to the divinely wise as wrapping up a secret which he can penetrate by his spiritual insight. In this it resembles the Platonic myth ; it was the form in which many philoso phers clothed their deepest thoughts. (3) It fulfils the condition of all true knowledge. He alone who seeks finds. In relation to Nature, Art, God Himself, it may be said the dull "seeing see not." The com monest and most obvious things hide the greatest truths. (4) The divine Wisdom has been justified in respect to this mode of teaching. The parables have struck deep into the thought and language of men (not of Christians only), as no other teaching could have done; in proof of which it is sufficient to name such words and expressions as "talents," "dispensation," "leaven," "prodigal son," "light under a bushel," "building on sand." 11. the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven] Secrets known only to the initiated — the inner teaching of the gospel. St Paul regards as "mysteries," the spread ofthe gospel to the Gentiles, Eph. iii. 3, 4, 9; the doctrine of the resurrection, i Cor. xv. 51, the conversion of the Jews, Rom. xi. 25. 12. Cp. ch. xxv. 29. 14. Isaiah vi. 9, 10. The words form part of the mission of Isaiah. 15. this people's heart is waxed gross] The heart was regarded as the seat of intelligence. Gross, literally, fat, so stolid, dull, like pinguis in Latin. vv. 16-22.] ST MATTHEW, XIII. 113 their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. But blessed are your eyes, for they see : and your ears, for is they hear. For verily I say unto you, That many prophets 17 and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them. 18 — 23. The Parable of the Sower is explained. Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower. When \s any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and under standeth 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 way side. But he that received 20 the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; yet hath he 21 not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended. He also that received seed 22 among the thorns is he that heareth the word ; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the 16. blessed are your eyes] The disciples have discernment to under stand the explanation which would be thrown away on the uninstructed multitude. 18 — 23. The Parable of the Sower is explained. Mark iv. 14 — 20; Luke viii. 11 — 15. 19. On some the word of God makes no impression, as we say ; some hearts are quite unsusceptible of good. 20. anon] = immediately ; the same Greek word is translated by and by in the next verse. Cp. "Then I will come to my mother by and by." Shaksp. Hamlet, Act III. sc. 2. 21. when tribulation or persecution ariseth] Jesus forecasts the per secution of Christians, and the time when "the love of many shall wax cold," ch. xxiv. 12. is offended] See note, ch. v. 29. All things are not so smooth as he expected. The prospect of the cross took all enthusiasm away from Judas. Perhaps even Mark was "offended" for the moment at Perga. 22. the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches] StMarkadds "the lusts of other things," St Luke, "the pleasures of this life." These things destroy the "singleness" ofthe Christian life. Compare with this the threefold employment of the world as described by Christ, at the 8—2 H4 ST MATTHEW, XIII. [vv. 23—29. 23 word, and he becometh unfruitful. But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 24 — 30. The Parable of the Tares. 24 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good 25 seed in his field : but while men slept, his enemy came and 26 sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then 27 appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed 28 in thy field ? from whence then hath it tares ? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto 20 him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up ? But he said, Nay ; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up time of the Flood, at the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, and at the coming ofthe Son of man. (Luke xvii. 26 — 30.) 24—30. The Parable of the Tares. Confined to St Matthew. 25. while men slept] i. e. during the night. The expression is not introduced into the Lord's explanation of the parable. sowed tares] Travellers mention similar instances of spiteful conduct in the East, and elsewhere, in modern times. tares] Probably the English " darnel ; " Latin, lolium ; in the earlier stages of its growth this weed very closely resembles wheat, indeed can scarcely be distinguished from it. This resemblance gives an obvious point to the parable. The good and the evil are often undistinguishable in the visible Church. The Day of Judgment will separate. Men have tried in every age to make the separation beforehand, but have failed. For proof of tliis read the history of the Essenes or the Donatists. The Lollards — as the followers of Wyckliffe were called — were sometimes by a play on the word lolium identified by their opponents with the tares of this parable. A friend suggests the reflection : "How strange it was that the very men who applied the word ' Lollard ' from this parable, acted in direct opposition to the great lesson which it taught, by being persecutors." The parable ofthe Tares has a sequence in thought on the parable ofthe Sower. The latter shews that the kingdom of God will not be co-exten sive with the world ; all men have not the capacity to receive the word. This indicates that the kingdom of God — the true Church — is not co extensive with the visible Church. Some who seem to be subjects of the Kingdom are not really subjects. w. 30-33-] ST MATTHEW, XIII. 115 also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the 30 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 — 33. (1) The Parable of 'the Mustard Seed. (2) The Parable of the Leaven which leavened the Meal. Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The 31 kingdom of heaven is like unto a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field : which indeed is 32 the least of all seeds : but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof. Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of 33 heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in 31 — 33. (1) The Parable of the Mustard Seed. (2) The Parable of the Leaven which leavened the Meal. (1) Mark iv. 30 — 32. (1) and (2) Luke xiii. 18 — 21. The "mystery" or secret ofthe future contained in these two parables has reference to the growth of the Church ; the first regards the growth in its external aspect, the second in its inner working. 31. which a man took, and sowed] "Which when it is sown," St Mark, who thus does not name an agent, the planter of the seed. in his field] "into his (own) garden," St Luke, with special reference to the land of Israel. 32. the least of all seeds] Not absolutely the least, but least "in pro portion to the plant that springs from the seed. Moreover the mustard seed was used proverbially of anything excessively minute. lodge in ihe branches] i. e. settle for the purpose of rest or shelter or to eat the seeds of which goldfinches and linnets are very fond (Tristram, Nat. Hist, of Bible, p. 473). Lodge, literally dwell in tents. If we think of the leafy huts constructed for the feast of tabernacles the propriety of the word will be seen. The mustard plant does not grow to a very great height, so that St Luke's expression "waxed a great tree" must not be pressed. Dr Thomson (Land and Book) mentions as an excep tional instance that he found it on the plain of Akkar as tall as a horse and its rider. 33. leaven] Except in this one parable, leaven is used of the working of evil; cp. "A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump,"" Gal. v. 9; 1 Cor. v. 6; and "purge out therefore the old leaven," 1 Cor. v. 7. So, too, in the Rabbinical writings. This thought probably arose from the prohibition of leaven during the paschal season. But the secrecy and the all-pervading character of leaven aptly symbolize the growth of Christianity, (1) as a society penetrating everywhere by a subtle and 116 ST MATTHEW, XIII. [w. 34— 41- 34 three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened. All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and 35 without a parable spake he not unto them : 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. 36 — 43. Explanation ofthe Parable ofthe Tares. 36 Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house : and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare 37 unto us the parable of the tares of the field. He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the 38 Son of man ; the field is the world ; the good seed are the children of the kingdom ; but the tares are the children of 39 the wicked one ; the enemy that sowed them is the devil ; the harvest is the end of the world ; and the reapers are the 40 angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burnt in 41 the fire ; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of mysterious operation until in this light— as a secret brotherhood — it appeared dangerous to the Roman empire; (2) as an influence unfelt at first growing up within the human soul. Compare Sir Bartle Frere on Indian Missions, p. 9 ; speaking of the gradual change wrought by Christianity in India, he says, in regard to religious innovations in general : "They are always subtle in operation, and generally little noticeable at the outset in comparison with the power of their ultimate operation." three measures] Literally, three seahs. In Gen. xviii. 6, Abraham bids Sarah "make ready three 'seahs' of fine meal, knead it and make cakes upon the hearth. " 35. Ps. lxxviii. 2. The quotation does not agree verbally with the LXX. It is a direct translation of the Hebrew. The psalm which follows these words is a review of the history of Israel from the Exodus to the reign of David. This indicates the somewhat wide sense given to "parables" and "dark sayings." 36—43. Explanation of the Parable of the Tares, in St Matthew only. 39. the end of the world] Literally, the completion of this seon, "the point where one Eeon ends and another begins." The expression is found also in vv. 40 and 49 of this chapter, and in ch. xxiv. 3, xxviii. 20, and in Hebr. ix. 26, "the completion of the a^ons," not elsewhere in N.T. vv. 42—46.] ST MATTHEW, XIII. 117 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 : there 42 shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the 43 righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. 44. The Parable of the Hid Treasure. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in 44 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. 45, 46. The Parable of the Pearl of Great Price. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant 45 man, seeking goodly pearls : who, when he had found one 46 43. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun] Cp. Dan. xii. 3, "Then they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament." 44. The Parable of the Hid Treasure, in this Gospel only. In ancient times, and in an unsettled country like Palestine, where there were no banks, in the modern sense, it was a common practice to conceal treasures in the ground. Even at this day the Arabs are keenly alive to the chance of finding such buried stores. The dishonesty of the purchaser must be excluded from the thought of the parable. The unexpected discovery, the consequent excitement and joy, and the eager ness to buy at any sacrifice, are tlie points to be observed in the inter pretation. when a man hath found] Here the kingdom of heaven presents itself unexpectedly, "Christ is found of one who sought Him not." The woman of Samaria, the jailer at Philippi, the centurion by the Cross. selleth all that he hath] This is the renunciation which is always needed for the winning of the kingdom, cp. ch. x. 38. Thus Paul gave up position, Matthew wealth, Barnabas lands. buyeth that field] Puts himself in a position to attain the kingdom. 45, 46. The Parable of the Pearl of Great Price, in St Matthew only. Here the story is of one who succeeds in getting what he strives to obtain. The Jewish or the Greek "seekers after God," possessing many pearls, but still dissatisfied, sought others yet more choice, and finding one, true to the simplicity in Christ, renounce all for that ; the one his legalism, the other his philosophy. 118 ST MATTHEW, XIII. [vv. 47— 52. pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it. 47 — 50. The Parable of the Net. 47 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was 48 cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind : which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered 49 the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. So shall it be at the end of the world : the angels shall come forth, and 50 sever the wicked from among the just, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire : there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 51, 52. The Scribes of the Kingdom of Heaven. 51 Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these 52 things i They say unto him, Yea, Lord. Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the 47 — 50. The Parable of the Net, in St Matthew only. 47. a net, that was cast into the sea] The reference is to the large drag-net or seine [Greek oa-yfivq — the word in the text — hence sagena (Vulgate) and English scan or seine]. One end of the seine is held on the shore, the other is hauled off by a boat and then returned to the land. In this way a large number of fishes of all kinds is enclosed. Seine-fishing is still practised on the coasts of Devonshire and Corn wall. The teaching of this parable partly coincides with that of the parable of the Tares (vv. 24 — 30). In both are exhibited the mixture of good and evil in the visible Church, and the final separation of them. But here the thought is specially directed to the ingathering of the Church. The ministers of Christ will of necessity draw converts of diverse character, good and evil, and actuated by different motives. From the parable ofthe Tares we learn not to reject any from within the Church, in the hope of expelling the element of evil. It is a parable of the settled Church. This is a missionary parable. It teaches that as a matter of history or of fact, no barrier or external test will serve to exclude the unworthy convert. 51, 62. The Scribes of the Kingdom of Heaven. 52. instructed unto the kingdom of heaven] The new law requires a new order of Scribes who shall be instructed unto the kingdom of heaven— instructed in its mysteries, its laws, its future— as the Jewish Scribes are instructed in the observances of the Mosaic law. vv. 53-57-] ST MATTHEW, XIII. 119 kingdom ofheaven is like unto a man that is a householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old. 53 — 58. The Prophet in his own Country. And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these 53 parables, he departed thence. And when he was come into 54 his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, inso much that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works ? Is not this the 55 carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas ? And 56 his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things ? And they were offended in him. 57 things new and old] (1) Just as the householder brings from his stores or treasury precious things which have been heir-looms for generations, as well as newly acquired treasures ; the disciples following their Master's example will exhibit the true teaching of the old law, and add thereto the new lessons of Christianity. (2) Another interpre tation finds a reference to Jewish sacrificial usage by which sometimes the newly-gathered fruit or corn, sometimes the produce of a former year furnished the offering. The wise householder was ready for all emergencies. So the Christian teacher will have an apt lesson on each occasion. 53 — 58. The Prophet in his own Country. Mark vi. 1 — 6. where the incident is placed between the cure of Jairus' daughter and the mission of the Twelve, Luke iv. 16 — 30, where our Lord's discourse in the synagogue is given at length. But many commentators hold with great probability that St Luke's narrative refers to a different and earlier visit to Nazareth. 54. his own country] Nazareth and the neighbourhood. 55. the carpenter's son] "Is not this the carpenter?" (Mark). As every Jew was taught a trade there would be no improbability in the carpenter's son becoming a scribe. But it was known that Jesus had not had the ordinary education of a scribe. his brethren] Probably the sons of Joseph and Mary. It is certain that no other view would ever have been propounded except for the assumption that the blessed Virgin remained ever-virgin. Two theories have been mooted insupport of this assumption. (1) The "brethren of the Lord" were His cousins, being sons of Cleophas (or Alphseus), and Mary, a sister of the Virgin Mary. (2) They were sons of Joseph by a former marriage. Neither of these theories derives any support from the direct words of Scripture, and some facts tend to disprove either. The second theory is the least open to objection on the ground of language, and of the facts of the gospel. 120 ST MATTHEW, XIII. XIV. [vv. 58; 1,2. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, 58 save in his own country, and in his own house. And he did not many mighty works there, because of their unbelief. 1 — 12. Herod the Tetrarch puts to death John the Baptist. 14 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard of the fame of 2 Jesus, and said unto his servants, This is John the Baptist ; Ch. XIV. 1—12. Herod the Tetrarch puts to death John the Baptist. Mark vi. 14 — 29, where the further conjectures as to the personality of Jesus are given, "Elias, a [or the] prophet, or as one of the pro phets," and the whole account is narrated in the vivid dramatic manner of St Mark. St Luke relates the cause of the imprisonment, iii. 19, 20; the conjectures as to Jesus, ix. 7 — 9. 1. At that time] During the missionary journey of the Twelve. See Mark loc. cit. Herod] Herod Antipas, tetrarch of Galilee and Persea. He was a son of Herod the Great, and Malthake, a Samaritan, who was also the mother of Archelaus and Olympias. He was thus of Gentile origin, and his early associations were Gentile, for he was brought up at Rome with his brother Archelaus. He married first a daughter of Aretas, king of Arabia, and afterwards, while his first wife was still living, he married Herodias, wife of his half-brother Philip, — who was living in a private station, and must not be confused with Philip the tetrarch of Iturea. Cruel, scheming, irresolute, and wicked, he was a type of the worst of tyrants. He intrigued to have the title of tetrarch changed for the higher title of king; very much as Charles the Bold, of Burgundy, endeavoured to change his dukedom into a kingdom. In pursuance of this scheme Antipas went to Rome "to receive for himself a kingdom and return" (Luke xix. 12). He was however foiled in this attempt by the arts of his nephew Agrippa, and was eventually banished to Lyons, being accused of confederacy with Sejanus, and of an intention to revolt. He rodias was his worst enemy : she advised the two most fatal errors of his reign : the execution of John Baptist, which brought him into enmity with the Jews, and the attempt to gain the royal title, the result of which was his fall and banishment. But there is a touch of nobility in the deter mination she took to share her husband's exile as she had shared his days of prosperity. For Herod's designs against our Lord, see Luke xiii. 31; and for the part which he took in the Passion, see Luke xxiii. 6 — 12. the tetrarch] Literally, the ruler of a fourth part or district into which a province was divided ; afterwards the name was extended to denote generally a petty king, the ruler of a provincial district. Deio- tarus, whose cause Cicero supported, was tetrarch of Galatia. He is called king by Appian, just as Herod Antipas is called king, v. 9, and Mark vi. 14. w. 3—6.] ST MATTHEW, XIV. 121 he is risen from the dead ; and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him. For Herod had laid hold on 3 John, and bound him, and put him in prison for Herodias' sake, his brother Philip's wife. For John said unto him, It 4 is not lawful for thee to have her. And when he would 5 have put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet. But when Herod's birthday was 6 kept, the daughter of Herodias danced before them, and 2. he] The Greek is emphatic, "he himself," "in his own person." risen from the dead] A proof that Herod did not hold the Sadducean doctrine, that there is no resurrection. and therefore] In consequence of having risen from the dead he is thought to be possessed of larger powers. Alford remarks that this incidentally confirms St John's statement (ch. *.. 41), that John wrought no miracle while living. mighty works do shew forth themselves] Literally, works of power are active In him. 3. in prison] At Machasrus, in Peraea, on the eastern side of the Dead Sea, near the southern frontier of the tetrarchy. Here Antipas had a palace and a prison under one roof, as was common in the East. Cp. Nehemiah iii. 25, "The tower which lieth out from the king's high house that was by the court of the prison." It was the ordinary arrangement in feudal castles. At Machserus, now M'khaur, remains of buildings are still visible. These are probably the ruins of the Baptist's prison. Herod was living in this border fortress in order to prosecute the war with his offended father-in-law, Aretas. He was completely vanquished — a disaster popularly ascribed to his treatment of John the Baptist. 4. It is not lawful for thee to have her] St Luke adds, iii. 19, that Herod was also reproved "for all the evil which he had done." " Boldly to rebuke vice" is fixed upon as the leading characteristic of the Baptist in the collect for St John the Baptist's day. to have her] i. e. "to marry her," a force which the word in the origi nal bears, cp. 1 Cor. v. 1. 5. when he would] In modern language " although he was willing." From St Mark we learn that Herodias was eager to kill John, while Herod, partly from fear of his prisoner, partly from interest in him, refused to take away his life. St Mark's narrative gives a picture of the inner court intrigues, and bears evidence of keen questioning of some eye-witness as to facts. Possibly some of Herod's own household were secret adherents of John. feared the multitude, &c] The same motive that held the tyrant's hand, checked the arguments ofthe Pharisees, ch. xxi. 26. 6. the daughter of Herodias] Salome ; she was afterwards married to her uncle Herod-Philip, the tetrarch, and on his death to Aristobulus, grandson of Herod the Great. danced before them] Some sort of pantomimic dance is meant. Horace 122 ST MATTHEW, XIV. [w. 7—13. 7 pleased Herod. Whereupon he promised with an oath to 8 give her whatsoever she would ask. And she, being before instructed of her mother, said, Give me here John Baptist's 9 head in a charger. And the king was sorry : nevertheless for the oaths' sake, and them which sat with him at meat, he 10 commanded it to be given her. And he sent, and beheaded 11 John in the prison. And his head was brought in a charger, and given to the damsel : and she brought it to her mother. 12 And his disciples came, and took up the body, and buried it, and went and told Jesus. 13 — 21. Jesus retires to a Desert Place, where He feeds Five Thousand. i3 When Jesus heard of it, he departed thence by ship into a desert place apart : and when the people had heard thereof, notes as one of the signs of national decay that even highborn maidens learnt the voluptuous dances of the East. Herod would recall similar scenes at Rome. See note v. 1. 8. instructed] Rather, impelled, Instigated. a charger] The original word = "a flat wooden trencher" on which meat was served. This appears to have been the meaning of the old English word "charger," which is connected with cargo and with French charger, and signified originally that on which a load is placed, hence a dish. 9. for the oaths' sake] "Because of the oaths;" he had sworn re peatedly. 11. brought it to her mother] The revenge of Herodias recalls the story of Fulvia, who treated with great indignity the head of her murdered enemy Cicero, piercing the tongue once so eloquent against her. Both are instances of "furens quid femina possit." 12. his disciples came, and took up the body, and buried it] There is in this some proof of forbearance, if not of kindness, on Herod's part. He did not persecute John's disciples, or prevent them paying the last offices to their master. 13 — 21. Jesus retires to a Desert Place, where He feeds Five Thousand. Mark vi. 31 — 44; Luke ix. 10 — 17; John vi. 5 — 14. This is the only miracle narrated by all the Evangelists. In St John it prepares the way for the memorable discourse on the "Bread of Life." St John also mentions, as a result of this miracle, the desire of the people "to take Him by force and make Him a king." There is a question as to the locality of the miracle. St Luke says (ch. ix. 10) that Jesus " went aside privately into a desert place belonging to a city called Bethsaida." St Mark (ch. vi. 45) describes the disciples as crossing to w. 14—21.] ST MATTHEW, XIV. 123 they followed him on foot out of the cities. And Jesus went 14 forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with com passion toward them, and he healed their sick. And when 15 it was evening, his disciples came to him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time is now past ; send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves victuals. But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart ; is give ye them to eat. And they say unto him, We have here 17 but five loaves, and two fishes. He said, Bring them hither 18 to me. And he commanded the multitude to sit down on J9 the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. And they did all eat, and were filled : and they took up of 20 the fragments that remained twelve baskets full. And they 21 Bethsaida after the miracle. The general inference has been that there were two Bethsaidas ; Bethsaida Julias, near the mouth of the Jordan (where the miracle is usually said to have taken place), and another Bethsaida, mentioned in the parallel passage in St Mark and possibly John i 44. But the Sinaitic MS. omits the words in italics from Luke, and at John vi. 23 reads, "When, therefore, the boats came from Tiberias, which was nigh unto the place where they did eat bread. " If these readings be accepted, the scene of the miracle must be placed near Tiberias ; the Bethsaida of Mark, to which the disciples crossed, will be the well-known Bethsaida Julias, and the other supposed Bethsaida will disappear even from the researches of travellers. 15. And when it was evening] In the Jewish division of the day there were two evenings. According to the most probable view the space of time called "between the evenings" (Ex. xii. 6) was from the ninth to the eleventh hour. Hence the first evening ended at 3 o'clock, the second began at 5 o'clock. In this verse the first evening is meant, in v. 23 the second. 19. to sit down on the grass] Rather, grassy places. St Mark and St Luke mention that they sat in companies "by hundreds and by fifties" (Mark), "by fifties" (Luke). St John notes the time of year; " the passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh." 20. they took up of the fragments] The Greek word for fragments is connected with the verb " to break" in the preceding verse. The true meaning of the word is therefore " the portions broken off for distribution. " twelve baskets] The same word kophinoi is used for baskets in the four accounts of this miracle, and also by our Lord, when He refers to the miracle (ch. xvi. 9) ; whereas a different word is used in describing the feeding of four thousand and in the reference made to that event by our Lord (ch. xvi. 10). The Roman poet Juvenal describes a large provision-basket of this kind, together with a bundle of hay, as being 124 ST MATTHEW, XIV. [w. 22—27. that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside women and children. 22 — 33. The Disciples cross from the Scene of the Miracle to Bethsaida. 32 And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while 23 he sent the multitudes away. And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray : 24 and when the evening was come, he was there alone. But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves : ,25 for the wind was contrary. And in the fourth watch of the 26 night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, 27 saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. But straight way Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer ; it is part of the equipment of the Jewish mendicants who thronged the grove of Egeria at Rome. The motive for this custom was to avoid ceremonial impurity in eating or in resting at night. 22—33. The Disciples cross from the Scene of the Miracle to Bethsaida. Mark vi. 45 — 52 ; John vi. 15 — 2r. St Matthew alone narrates St Peter's endeavour to walk on the sea. 22. a ship] the ship or their ship. 23. when the evening was come] See v. 15. he was there alone] This is a simple but sublime thought: — the solitary watch on the lonely mountain, the communion in prayer with the Father throughout the beautiful Eastern night. 24. tossed with waves] The expression in the original is forcible, "tortured by the waves," writhing in throes of agony, as it were. These sudden storms are very characteristic of the Lake of Gennesaret. 25. in the fourth watch] i.e. early in the morning. Cp. "Etjam quarta canit venturam buccina lucem," Propert. iv. 4. 63. At this time the Jews had adopted the Greek and Roman custom of four night watches. Formerly they divided the night into three watches, or rather according to Lightfoot (Her. Heb.) the Romans and Jews alike recog nised four watches, but with the Jews the fourth watch was regarded as morning, and was not included in the three watches of ' ' deep night." The four watches are named (Mark xiii. 35) 1 Even; 2 Midnight; 3 Cockcrowing; 4 Morning. St John states that they had rowed 25 or 30 furlongs. Jesus went unto them] Mark adds " He would have passed bv them." ' ¦ vv. 28—36.] ST MATTHEW, XIV. 125 I, be not afraid. And Peter answered him and said, Lord, 28 if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he 29 said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he 3° saw the wind boysterous, he was afraid ; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately 31 Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased. 32 Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, 33 saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God. 34 — 36. Jesus cures sick folk in the Land of Gennesaret. And when they were gone over, they came into the land 34 of Gennesaret. And when the men of that place had know- 35 ledge of him, they sent out into all that country round about, and brought unto him all that were diseased ; and besought 3« him that they might only touch the hem of his garment : and as many as touched were made perfectly whole. 29. And he said, Come] The boat was so near that the voice of Jesus could be heard even through the storm, though the wind was strong and the oarsmen labouring and perhaps calling out to one another. The hand of the Saviour was quite close to the sinking disciple. 33. the Son of God] See note, ch. iv. 6. 34 — 36. JESUS CURES SICK FOLK IN THE LAND OF GENNESARET. Mark vi. 53 — 56, where the stir of the neighbourhood and eagerness of the people are vividly portrayed. 34. tlie land of Gennesaret] By this is meant the plain of Gennesaret, two miles and a half in length and about one mile in breadth. Modern ' travellers speak of " its charming bays and its fertile soil rich with the scourings ofthe basaltic hills." Josephus describes the district in glow ing terms (B. J. III. 10. 8). See Recovery of Jerusalem,]?. 351. 36. the hem of his garment] The hem of the garment had a certain sanctity attached to it It was the distinguishing mark of the Jew : cp. Numbers xv. 38, 39, "that they add to the fringes of the borders (or corners) a thread of blue." At each corner ofthe robe there was a tassel ; each tassel had a conspicuous blue thread symbolical of the heavenly origin ofthe Commandments. The other threads were white. as viany as touched were made perfectly whole] Cp. the case of the woman with an issue of blood, ch. ix. 20—22. 126 ST MATTHEW, XV. [w. 1—7. 1 — 20. The True Religion and the False. A Discourse to the Pharisees, the People, and the Disciples. 15 Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of 2 Jerusalem, saying, Why do thy disciples transgress the tradi tion of the elders ? for they wash not their hands when they 3 eat bread. But he answered and said unto them, Why do you also transgress the commandment of God by your tra- 4 dition? For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, 5 let him die the death. But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, ft is a gift, by whatsoever thou 6 mightest be profited by me ; and honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the 7 commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. Ye Ch. XV. 1 — 20. The True Religion and the False. A Discourse to the Pharisees, the People, and the Disciples. Mark vii. 1 — 23. These twenty verses sum up the great controversy of the N. T., that between the religion of the letter and external observances and the religion of the heart, between what St Paul calls "the righteousness which is of the law and the righteousness which is of God by (or grounded upon) faith," Phil. iii. 9. 1. scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem] Probably a depu tation from the Sanhedrin, such as was commissioned to question John the Baptist. Cp. John i. 19. 2. the tradition of the elders] The elders, or presbyters, were the Jewish teachers, or scribes, such as Hillel and Shammai. The traditions were the rules or observances of the unwritten law, which they enjoined on their disciples. Many of these were frivolous ; some actually subver sive of God's law; and yet one Rabbinical saying was, "The words of the law are weighty and light, but all the words of the scribes are weighty." when] Rather, whenever. 4. For God commanded] " For Moses said " (Mark). 5. Itis a gift] Rather, Let it be a gift, or "devoted to sacred'uses," which the Jews expressed by the word corban, found in Mark vii. n. The scribes held that these words, even when pronounced in spite and anger against parents who needed succour, excused the son from his natural duty ; and, on the other hand, did not oblige him really to devote the sum to the service of God or of the temple. 6. he shall be free] These words do not occur in the Original, either here or in the parallel passage in Mark. It is as if the indignation of Jesus did not allow him to utter the words of acquittal. The silence is more eloquent than the utterance. w. 8—17.] ST MATTHEW, XV. 127 hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This 8 people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching 9 for doctrines the commandments of men. And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, 10 and understand : not that which goeth into the mouth ™ defileth a man ; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man. Then came his disciples, and said 12 unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying ? But he answered and said, 13 Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. Let them alone : they be blind leaders of the 14 blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch. Then answered Peter and said unto him, Declare 15 unto us this parable. And Jesus said, Are ye also yet 16 without understanding ? Do not ye yet understand, that 17 7. well did Esaias prophesy] A common Jewish formula for quoting a saying of the prophets. 8,9. Isaiah xxix. 13. The quotation does not follow precisely either the LXX. version or the Hebrew text. 10. he called the multitude] The moment our Lord turns to the people, His teaching is by parables. This appeal to the multitude as worthier than the Pharisees to receive the divine truths is significant of the popular character of the Kingdom of heaven. 11. defileth] Literally, maketh common; cp. "common or un clean," Acts x. 14. "The Pharisees esteemed 'defiled' men for 'common and vulgar' men ; on the contrary, a religious man among men is ' a singular man. ' " Lightfoot ad loc. 12. the Pharisees were offended] A proof of the influence of the Pharisees. The disciples believed that Christ would be concerned to have offended those who stood so high in popular favour. 13. Every plant] Not a wild flower, but a cultivated plant or tree ; the word occurs here only in N. T. ; in LXX. version of O. T. it is used of the vine, the most carefully cultivated plant; 2 Kings xix. 29; Ezek. xvii. 7 ; Mic. i. 6 ; and in one other passage, Gen. xxi. 33, of the tamarisk. Plere the plant cultivated by human hands — the vine that is not the true vine of Israel — is the doctrine of the Pharisees. 14. blind leaders of the blind] The proverb which follows is quoted in a different connection, Luke vi. 39 ; cp. also ch. xxiii. 16. fall into the ditch] Palestine abounded in dangers of this kind, from unguarded wells, quarries, and pitfalls ; it abounded also in persons afflicted with blindness. See note ch. ix. 27. ST MATTHEW Q 128 ST MATTHEW, XV. [vv. 18—22. whatsover entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, 18 and is cast out into the draught ? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart ; and 19 they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false 20 witness, blasphemies : these are the things which defile a man : but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man. 21 — 28. The Daughter of a Canaanite Woman is cured. 21 Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of m Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have 16. without understanding] Cp. the "spiritual understanding,'' Col. i. 9, and "knowledge in the mystery of Christ," Ephes. iii. 4. 19. For out ofthe heart proceed] The enumeration follows the order of the Commandments. Evil thoughts— harmful reasonings — form a class under which the rest fall, indicating, too, that the transgression of the Commandments is often in thought, by Christ's- law, not in deed only. For "blasphemies," which may be thought to sum up the first table, St Mark, whose order differs slightly, has "covetousness," thus completing the decalogue, and adds to the list in the text "wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, pride, foolishness. " The plurals "murders, adulteries," &c, as Meyer points out, denote the different instances and kinds of murder and adultery. Murder in cludes far more than the act of bloodshed. 21 — 28. The Daughter of a Canaanite Woman is cured. Mark vii. 24 — 30. This narrative of faith without external observance or knowledge of the Law affords a suggestive contrast to the preceding discourse. 21. the coasts] The neighbourhood, district, not the sea-shore, as might be thought. 22. a woman of Canaan] Called in Mark "a Greek, a Syrophcenician by nation." The two expressions are identical, for the land of Canaan, literally, the low lands or netherlands, at first applicable to the whole of Palestme, was confined in later times to the maritime plain of Phoenicia. In Joshua v. 12 " the land of Canaan" appears in the LXX. version as the " land of the Phoenicians." The important point is that this woman was a foreigner and a heathen — a descendant of the worshippers of Baal. She may have heard and seen Jesus in earlier days. Cp. Mark iii. 8, " they about Tyre and Sidon.. .came unto him." out ofthe same coasts] Literally, those coasts. Jesus did not himself pass beyond the borders of Galilee, but this instance of mercy extended to a Gentile points to the wide diffusion of the Gospel beyond the Jewish race. w. 23—28.] ST MATTHEW, XV. 129 mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David ; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. But he answered her not a 23 word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away ; for she crieth after us. But he answered 24 and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Then came she and worshipped him, saying, 25 Lord, help me. But he answered and said, It is not meet 26 to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs. And a? she said, Truth, Lord : yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table. Then Jesus answered and 2i said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith : be it unto thee Have mercy on me] Identifying herself with her daughter. Cp. the prayer of the father of the lunatic child : " Have compassion on us and help us," Mark ix. 22. Son of David] A title that proves the expectation that the Messiah should spring from the house of David. It is the particular Messianic prophecy which would be most likely to reach foreign countries. 23. answered her not a word] Jesus, by this refusal, tries the woman's faith, that he may purify and deepen it. Her request must be won by earnest prayer, "lest the light winning should make light the prize." Observe that Christ first refuses by silence, then by express words. Send her away] By granting what she asks, by yielding, hke the un just judge, to her importunity. 24. / am not sent but unto the lost sheep ofthe house of Israel] Jesus came to save all, but His personal ministry was confined, with few ex ceptions, to the Jews. The thought of Israel as a flock of sheep lost on the mountains is beautifully drawn out, Ezekiel xxxiv.; "My flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did search or seek after them," (v. 6.) Read the whole chapter. 26. to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs] The "children" are the Jews ; the "dogs" are the Gentiles. This was the name applied by the Jews to all outside the chosen race, the dog being in the East a symbol of impurity. St Paul, regarding the Christian Church as the true Israel, terms the Judaizing teachers "dogs," Phil. iii. 1. Christ's words, as reported by St Mark (ch. vii. 27), contain a gleam of hope, "Let the children first be filled." 27. yet the dogs eat of the crumbs] "Yet," of the E. V., is mislead ing. Translate " for even ;" the woman takes Jesus at his word, accepts the name of reproach, and claims the little share that falls even to the dogs. No need to cast the children's bread to the dogs, for even the dogs have crumbs from the Master's hands. the crumbs] Probably 'as in E. V., not, as Trench suggests, the pieces of bread used by the guests to wipe their hands on and then thrown to the dogs. 130 ST MATTHEW, XV. [vv. 29—36. even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour. 29 — 31. Jesus returns to the high land of Galilee, and cures many Blind, Dumb, and Lame. 29 And Jesus departed from thence, and came nigh unto the sea of Galilee; and went up into a mountain, and 30 sat down there. And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus' 31 feet ; and he healed them : insomuch that the multitude 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 Israel. | 32 — 38. Four thousand Men, besides women and children, are miraculously fed. 3» Then Jesus called his disciples unto him, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat : and I will not 33 send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way. And his disciples say unto him, Whence should we have so much 34 bread in the wilderness, as to fill so great a multitude ? And Jesus saith unto them, How many loaves have ye ? And 35 they said, Seven, and a few little fishes. And he com- 36 manded the multitude to sit down on the ground. And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to their masters' table] The "Masters" must be interpreted to mean God, not, as by some, the Jewish people. 29 — 31. Jesus returns to the high land of Galilee, and cures many blind, dumb, and lame. Mark vii. 31 — 37, where, not content with the general statement, the Evangelist describes one special case of healing. 29. a mountain] Rather, the mountain country ; the high land, as distinguished from the low land, which He had left. 32 — 38. Four thousand Men, besides women and children, are miraculously fed. Mark viii. 1 — 9. 36. gave to his disciples] St Matthew uses the aorist, St Mark the more vivid imperfect "kept giving." w.37— 395 i,2.] ST MATTHEW, XV. XVI. 131 the multitude. And they did all eat, and were filled : and 37 they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets full. And they that did eat were four thousand men, beside 33 women and children. 39 — XVI. 4. Jesus at Magdala, or Magadan, is tempted to give a Sign. And he sent away the multitude, and took ship, and came 39 into the coasts of Magdala. The Pharisees also with the 16 Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven. He answered and said 2 unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair 37. seven baskets] Spurides, see note ch. xiv. 20, and Acts ix. 25, where St Paul is said to have been let down from the wall of Damascus in a spuris, probably a large basket made of rope-net, possibly a fisher man's basket. Why the disciples brought different kinds of baskets on the two occasions we cannot determine. the broken meat that was left) See ch. xiv. 20. One side of the lesson is the lavishness of Providence. God gives even more than we require or ask for. But the leading thought is a protest against waste. 39 — XVI. 4. Jesus at Magdala, or Magadan, is tempted to give a Sign. Mark viii. 10 — 12; Luke xii. 54 — 57. took ship] Literally, went on board the ship. the coasts of Magdala] The MSS. vary between Magdala and Magadan. The latter reading, however, has by far the highest authority in its favour. It is probable that the familiar Magdala supplanted in the text the more obscure Magadan. Magdala or Migdol (a watch tower) is identified with the modern Mejdel, a collection of ruins and squalid huts at the S.E. corner of the plain of Gennesaret, opposite to K'hersa or Gergesa. This is the point where the lake is broadest. Prof. Raw- linson thinks that this Magdala may be the Magdolus of Herodotus, II. 159; unless indeed by a confusion curiously similar to that in the text, Herodotus has mistaken Migdol for Megiddo. Magdala was probably the home of Mary Magdalene. xvi. 1. The Pharisees also with the Sadducees] "The Pharisees '' (Mark). The coalition between these opposing sects can only be ac counted for by the uniting influence of a strong common hostility against Jesus. a sign from heaven] They could not perceive the inner beauty of Christ's teaching, but they would follow the rules of a Rabbi who, like one of the ancient prophets, should give an external sign — a darkening of the glowing sky — a flash of light — a peal of thunder. The answer of Christ teaches that the signs of the times, the events of the day, are the signs of God, the signs that Christ gives. 132 ST MATTHEW, XVI. [w. 3—9. 3 weather : for the sky is red. And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day : for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky ; but can ye 4 not discern the signs of the times ? A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign ; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed. 5 — 12. The Leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. 5 And when his disciples were come to the other side, they 6 had forgotten to take bread. Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of tlie Pharisees and 7 of the Sadducees. And they reasoned among themselves, 8 saying, It is because we have taken no bread. Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little faith,, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no 9 bread? Do ye not yet understand, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye 3. the face ofthe sky] Perhaps Jesus and his questioners were looking across the lake towards the cliffs of Gergesa, with the sky red from the reflected sunset. In Luke the signs are "a cloud rising in the west" and the blowing ofthe "south wind." the signs of the times] Which point in many ways to the fulfilment of prophecy, and to the presence of Christ among men. 4. adulterous] See ch. xii. 39. the sign of the prophet Jonas] See ch. xii. 39 — 41. The words in Mark viii. 12 are "there shall no sign be given unto this generation," i e. no such sign as they demanded. 5 — 12. The Leaven of the Pharisees and op the Sadducees. Mark viii. 14 — 21, where the rebuke of Christ is given more at length in stirring language; and Luke xii. i, where the context is different. 7. It is because we have taken no bread] "Neither had they more than one loaf " (Mark). It is possible that Jesus may have employed figurative language even more than was usual with Eastern teachers ; certainly this special metaphorical use of leaven was new. See Light foot ad loc. Again, the Pharisees had rules of their own as to what kind of leaven it was lawful to use, and what kind it was right to avoid. Hence it was not strange that the disciples should imagine that their Master was laying down similar rules for their guidance. The error ofthe disciples was twofold ; (1 ) they took ' ' leaven " in a literal sense, (2) they thought Jesus intended a rebuke to their forgetfulness. The first (1) implied a want of spiritual insight; the second (2) a want of trust. w. 10—16.] ST MATTHEW, XVI. 133 took up ? Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, JO and how many baskets ye took up ? How is it that ye do » not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware ofthe leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees ? Then understood they how that he bade 12 them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine ofthe Pharisees and ofthe Sadducees. 13 — 20. The great Confession of St Peter, and the Promise given to him. When Jesus came into the coasts of Cesarea Philippi, he 13 asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am ? And they said, Some say that thou art John the J4 Baptist : some, Elias ; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that 1 15 am ? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the 16 12, Then understood they] The Greek word and its derivative is used specially of spiritual intelligence. 13—20. The great Confession of St Peter, and the Promise v given to him. Mark viii. 27 — 30: The question is put "while they were on the way," the words "the Son of the living God" are omitted, as also the blessing on Peter. Luke ix. 18 — 20: Jesus was engaged in prayer alone; the words ofthe confession are "the Christ of God;" the blessing on Peter is omitted.13. Cesarea Philippi] The most northerly point reached by our Lord. The city was rebuilt by Herod-Philip, who called it by his own name to distinguish it from Csesarea Stratonis on the sea coast, the seat ofthe Roman government, and the scene of St Paul's imprisonment. The Greek name of this Caesarea was Paneas, which survives in the modern Banias. Csesarea was beautifully placed on a rocky terrace under Mount Hermon, a few miles east of Dan, the old frontier city of Israel. The cliffs near this spot, where the Messiah was first acknowledged, bear marks of the worship of Baal and of Pan. See Recovery of Jerusalem, and Tristram's Land of Israel. Son of man] See note ch. viii. 20. The question of Jesus is : In what sense do the people believe me to be the Son of man ? In the sense which Daniel intended or in a lower sense ? Observe the anti thesis in Peter's answer : — the Son of man is the Son of God. 14. Jeremias] Named by St Matthew only. He is mentioned as a representative of the Prophets, because in the Jewish Canon the book of Jeremiah came first of the Prophets, following the books of Kings. See Lightfoot, on ch. xxvii. 9. 134 ST MATTHEW, XVI. [vv. 17, 18. 17 Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona : for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my 18 Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church ; 16. Thou art the Christ, the Son ofthe living God] This confession not only sees in Jesus the promised Messiah, but in the Messiah recog nises the divine nature. He is more than one of the old prophets risen from the dead. 17. Bar-jona] " son of Jonah." Bar is Aramaic for son; cp. Bar abbas, Bar-tholomew, Bar-nabas. for flesh and blood, &c] Not man, but God; "flesh and blood" was a common Hebrew expression in this contrast. 18. Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church] Cp. Isaiah xxviii. 16, from which passage probably the expression is drawn. There is a play on the words "Peter" and "rock" which is lost in the E. V. It may be seen in a French rendering, "Tu es Pierre et sur cette pierre je batirai mon Eglise. " On these words mainly rest the enormous pretensions of the Roman pontiff. It is therefore important (1) To remember that it is to Peter with the great confession on his lips that the words are spoken. The Godhead of Christ is the keystone of the Church, and Peter is for the moment the representative of the belief in that truth among men. (2) To take the words in reference : (a) to other passages of Scripture. The Church is built on the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Eph. ii. 20, on Christ Himself, 2 Cor. iii. 11. (b) To history; Peter is not an infallible repository of truth. He is rebuked by Paul for Judaizing. Nor does he hold a chief place among the Apostles after wards. It is James, not Peter, who presides at the Council at Jeru salem, (c) To reason: for even if Peter had precedence over the other Apostles, and if he was Bishop of Rome, which is not historically certain, there is no proof that he had a right of conferring such precedence on his successors. my church] The word ecclesia (Church) occurs twice in Matthew and not elsewhere in the Gospels. See note ch. xviii. 17 where the Jewish ecclesia is meant. From the analogy of the corresponding Hebrew word, ecclesia in a Christian sense may be defined as the congregation of the faithful throughout the world, united under Christ as their Head. The use ofthe word by Christ implied at least two things : (1) that He was founding an organized society, not merely preaching a doctrine : (2) That the Jewish ecclesia was the point of departure for the Christian ecclesia and in part its prototype. It is one among many links in this gospel between Jewish and Christian thought. The Greek word (iKKXijdla.) has passed into the language of the Latin nations ; eglise (French), chiesa (Italian), iglesia (Spanish). The derivation of the Teutonic Church is very doubtful. That usually given— Kuriakon (the Lord's house) — is abandoned by many scholars. The word is probably w. 19—22.] ST MATTHEW, XVI. 135 and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And 1 19 will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven : and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven : and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Then charged he his disciples that they 20 should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ 21 — 23. The Passion is foretold. From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his 21 disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. Then Peter 22 from a Teutonic root and may have been connected with heathen usages. See Bib. Diet. Art. Church. the gates of hell] Lit. "the gates of Hades." The Greek Hades is the same as the Hebrew Sheol, the abode of departed spirits, in which were two divisions Gehenna and Paradise. "The gates of Hades " are generally interpreted to mean the power of the unseen world, especially the power of death : cp. Rev. i 18, " the keys of hell (Hades) and of death. " shall not prevail against it] The gates of Hades prevail over all things human, but the Church shall never die. 19. the keys ofthe kingdom ofheaven] This expression was not alto gether new. To a Jew it would convey a definite meaning. He would think of the symbolic key given to a Scribe when admitted to his office, with which he was to open the treasury of the divine oracles. Peter was to be a Scribe in the kingdom of heaven. He has received authority to teach the truths of the kingdom. whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven] To bind (cp. ch. xxiii. 4) is to impose an obligation as binding; to loose is to declare a precept not binding. Such expressions as this were com mon : "The school of Shammai binds it, the school of Hillel looseth it." The power is over things, not. persons. The decisions of Peter as an authorized Scribe of the Kingdom of God will be ratified in heaven. 20. they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ] Lest the Galilsean enthusiasm should endeavour to make Him a king. 21 — 23. The Passion is foretold. Mark viii. 31 — 33 ; Luke ix. 22. St Luke omits the rebuke to Peter. 21. From that time forth] An important note of time. Now that the disciples have learned to acknowledge Jesus to be the Messiah, He is able to instruct them in the true nature of the Kingdom. elders and chief priests and scribes] = the Sanhedrin. See ch. ii. 4, and xxvi. 3. be killed] As yet there is no mention of the Roman judge or of the death upon the cross; this truth is broken gradually, see v. 24. 136 ST MATTHEW, XVI. [w. 23—26. took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from 23 thee, Lord : this shall not be unto thee. But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan : thou art an offence unto me : for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men. 24 — 28. Self-renouncement required in Christ' s followers. Their Reward. S4 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his 25 cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it : and whosoever will lose his life for my 26 sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what be raised again the third day] How can the plainness of this intima tion be reconciled with the slowness of the disciples to believe in the Resurrection ? Not by supposing that obscure hints of the Passion were afterwards put into this explicit form; but rather (1) partly by the blindness of those who will not see ; (2) partly by the constant use of metaphor by Jesus. "Might not," they would argue, " this 'death and rising again' be a symbol of a glorious visible kingdom about to issue from our present debasement ? " 22. Be it far from thee, Lord] Literally, (1) "may God pity thee," i. e. "give thee a better fate," or (2) "pity thyself." 23. Get thee behind me, Satan] Peter takes the place of the tempter, and argues for the false kingdom instead of for the true. If the words of the tempter are in Peter's mouth he is addressed as the tempter; when he speaks the words of truth he is the foundation-stone of the Church. an offence unto me] Literally, my stumblingblock; by suggesting visions of earthly pride. thou savourest not the things that be of God] The Greek word, literally, to thinlc, is often used of political partisanship, "to take a side," "thou art not on God's side but on man's." The English "savourest" is connected with Lat. sapere through the French savoir. 24 — 28. Self-renouncement required in Christ's followers. Their Reward. Mark viii. 34 — ix. 1; Luke ix. 23 — 27. 24. take up his cross] St Luke adds "daily." The expression, ch. x. 38, differs slightly, "he that taketh not his cross," where see note. 25. whosoever will save his life shall lose it] See note, ch. x. 39. Let Christ's follower lose the lower life on his cross, crucify his earthly affections, and he shall win the higher spiritual life here and hereafter. will save) Not the mere future, but= "shall resolve to save." 26. and lose his own soul] The Greek word translated "life" in the w. 27, 28; 1.] ST MATTHEW, XVI. XVII. 137 shall a man give in exchange for his soul ? For the Son 27 of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels : and then he shall reward every man according to his works. Verily I say unto you, There be some standing 28 here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom. 1 — 13. The Transfiguration. _ And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John 17 his brother, and bringeth them up into a high mountain preceding verse is here translated "soul," which is life in its highest phase. 27. For] The reason given why the higher life — the soul — is of priceless value: (1) The Judge is at hand who will condemn self- indulgence and all the works of the lower life, and will reward those who have denied themselves. (2) Further (v. 28) this judgment shall not be delayed — it is very near. The same motive for the Christian life is adduced by St Paul, Phil. iv. 5, "Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand." Cp. 1 Cor. xvi. 22. 28. Taste of death] Compare The valiant never taste of death hut once. Jul. Caes. Act. II. 9. St Matthew's version of this ' ' hard saying " indicates more plainly than the other Synoptic Gospels, the personal presence of Christ. St Mark has, "till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power;" St Luke, ".till they see the kingdom of God;" but the mean ing in each case is the same. Various solutions are given. The ex pression is referred to (i) the Transfiguration, (2) the Day of Pentecost, (3) the Fall of Jerusalem. The last best fulfils the conditions of inter pretation — a judicial coming — a signal and visible event, and one that would happen in the lifetime of some, but not of all, who were present, Ch. XVII. 1 — 13. The Transfiguration. Mark ix. 2 — 13; Luke ix. 28 — 36. 1. after six days] Within a week of Peter's confession. St Luke has "about an eight days after, " according to the common Jewish reckoning, by which each part of a day is counted as a day. Peter, James, and John] The three who were chosen to be with their Master on two other occasions, (1) the raising of Jairus' daughter, (2) the agony in the Garden of Gethsemane. a high mountain] A contrast suggests itself, between this mountain of the Kingdom of God, and the mountain of the kingdoms of the world, ch. iv. 8. An old tradition placed the scene of the Transfiguration on Mount Tabor. It is known, however, that the summit of Tabor was at this period occupied by a fortress, and there is no hint given of Jesus being in that neighbourhood. Many regard one of the spurs of the snow capped Hermon as the most likely spot. Csesarea Philippi, the last named locality, lies under Hermon, and its glittering cone of snow may 138 ' ST MATTHEW, XVII. [w. 2—10. 2 apart, and was transfigured before them : and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. 3 And behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias 4 talking with him. Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here : if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles : one for thee, and one for s Moses, and one for Elias. While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them : and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am 6 well pleased ; hear ye him. And when the disciples heard 7 it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid. And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid. 8 And when they had lift up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only. 9 And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of 10 man be risen again from the dead. And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first have suggested the expression in Mark "exceeding white as snow," if, indeed, the words "as snow" are to be admitted into the text. 2. was transfigured before them] St Luke mentions that this was "as Heprayed." The glorified change may be illustrated by Mark xvi. 12, "He appeared in another form unto two of them." The word im plies more than a change of mere outward semblance. as the light] A hint that the Transfiguration took place at night, which is also rendered probable by the statement of St Luke that the three apostles were "heavy with sleep," that they "kept awake," that they descended "the next day," ch. ix. 32 and 37. 3. Moses and Elias] (Elijah). The representatives of the Law and the Prophets. The whole history of the Jewish Church is brought in one glance, as it were, before the Apostles' eyes in its due relation to Christ. St Luke names the subject of converse : they "spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem" (ix. 31). 4. let us make] Read, with the best MSS., "let me make." The transition to the singular is in keeping with Peter's temperament; he would like to make the tabernacles. — Meyer. By "tabernacles" are meant little huts made out of boughs of trees or-shrubs. This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased] words that recall the baptism of Jesus ; ch. iii. 17. 8. they saw no man, save Jesus only] Christ, who came to fulfil the Law and the Prophets, is left alone. To His voice alone the Church will listen. 9. the vision]=" v/hat things they had seen" (Mark); "those things which they had seen" (Luke). vv. ii— 16.] ST MATTHEW, XVII. 139 come ? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias u truly shall first come, and restore all things. But I say unto 1* you, That Elias 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. Then the disciples 13 understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist. 14 — 21. A Lunatic Child is cured. And when they were come to the multitude, there came 14 to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying, Lord, have mercy on my son : for he is lunatick, and sore is vexed : for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water. And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could 16 10. Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come 7] The truth of the resurrection was new to the disciples, see Mark ix. 10. " If thou art the Messiah," they say, "and shalt rise from the dead, surely the scribes are wrong in teaching that Elijah must precede the Messiah." Jesus shews that the prophecy of Malachi iv. 5 was fulfilled in John the Baptist. Others contend that our Lord's words do not necessarily mean this, but that Malachi's prediction, though partially fulfilled in John the Baptist, should have a more literal accomplishment before Christ's second coming. 11. restore all things] To restore is strictly to bring back to a lost perfection, then to develope, raise, to introduce a purer, nobler epoch ; here specially to proclaim the kingdom of God. Cp. Acts i 6, and ch. xix. 28. 12. knew him not] did not recognise him as the Elijah prophesied by Malachi. 13. understood] See note ch. xvi. 12. 14—21. A Lunatic Child is cured. Mark ix. 14 — 29, where the scene and the symptoms of the disease are described with great particularity. Luke ix. 37 — 42. 14. when they were come to the multitude] Some will recall Raphael's great picture of the Transfiguration, in which the contrast is powerfully portrayed between the scene on the mount, calm, bright, and heavenly, and the scene below of suffering, human passions, and failure. 15. for he is lunatick] This is the only special instance of cure in the case of a lunatic. They are mentioned as a class, ch. iv. 24. The word literally means " affected by changes of the moon." There appears to be some truth in the notion that there is an access of mania at the time of lunar changes. See Belcher, Our Lords Miracles of Healing, p. 131. St Mark describes the child as foaming, gnashing, with his teeth, and pining away. St Luke mentions that he " crieth out." All these were epileptic symptoms ; "the child was a possessed epileptic lunatic." 140 ST MATTHEW, XVII. [vy. 17-24. 17 not cure him. Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you ? how 18 long shall I suffer you ? bring him hither to me. And Jesus rebuked the devil ; and he departed out of him : and the 19 child was cured from that very hour. Then came the dis ciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him 20 out ? And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief : for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mus tard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place ; and it shall remove ; and nothing shall be ti unpossible unto you. Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting. 22, 23. The Second Antiouncement of the Passion. 22 And while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said unto them, The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men : 23 and they shall kill him, and the third day he shall be raised again. And they were exceeding sorry. 24 — 27. Jesus pays the half shekel of the Sanctuary. 24 And when they were come to Capernaum, they that re- 17. O faithless and perverse generation] addressed to the scribes and the multitude thronging round, as representing the whole nation. The disciples, if not specially addressed, are by no means excluded from the rebuke. 20. ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence] Such expressions are characteristic of the vivid imagery of Eastern speech generally. To " remove mountains " is to make difficulties vanish. The Jews used to say of an eminent teacher, he is "a rooter up of mountains." See Lightfoot ad loc. 21. this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting] Those only whose own spiritual life and faith are made strong by self-denial and by communion with God in prayer are able to cast forth this kind of evU spirit. 22, 23. The Second Announcement of the Passion. Mark ix. 31 ; Luke ix. 44. Both St Mark and St Luke add that the disciples " understood not this saying." It was difficult for them to abandon cherished hopes of an earthly kingdom, and " might not Jesus be speaking in parables of a figurative death and resurrection?" See note, ch. xvi. 21. 24 — 27. Jesus pays the half shekel of the Sanctuary. Peculiar to St Matthew. 24. they that received] i.e. "the collectors of." After the fall of w. 25— 27; i.] ST MATTHEW, XVII. XVIII. 141 ceived tribute money came to Peter, and said, Doth not your master pay tribute ? He saith, Yes. And when he 25 was come into the house, Jesus prevented him, saying, What thinkest thou, Simon ? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children, or of strangers ? Peter saith unto him, Of strangers. Jesus saith 26 unto him, Then are the children free. Notwithstanding, lest 27 we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast a 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. 1 — 4. A Lesson in Humility. The Kingdom of Heaven and Little Children. At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, say- 18 Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple the Jews were obliged to pay the two drachmas into the Roman treasury. Joseph. B. J. vii. 6. 6. tribute money] Literally, the two drachmae. This was not a tribute levied by Csesar or by Herod, but the half-shekel (Exod. xxx. 13) paid annually by every Jew into the Temple treasury. The "sacred tax" was collected from Jews in all parts of the world. Josephus (Ant. xvi. 6) has preserved some interesting letters from Roman proconsuls and from Augustus himself, to Cyrene, Ephesus, and other communities, directing that the Jews should be allowed to forward their contributions to the Temple without hindrance. It would be interesting to know whether the Jewish Christians con tinued to pay the Temple-tax in accordance with this precedent. 25. prevented] anticipated him by answering his thoughts. To pre vent is (1) to "go before," "to anticipate" then, "to precede" either (2) to aid, or (3) to hinder. custom or tribute] taxes (1) indirect and (2) direct; on (1) things and on (2) persons. of their own children, or of strangers T) i.e. of their own sons, or of those who do not belong to the family, namely, subjects and tributaries. 26. then are the children free] " the sons are exempt from tribute." The deduction is, "Shall He whom thou hast rightly named the Son of God pay tribute to the Temple of his Father ? The Romans called their sons free (liberi), as opposed to slaves. 27. a piece of money] Literally, a stater ; a Greek silver coin equivalent to the Hebrew shekel, or to four drachmas in Greek money. Ch. XVIII. 1—4. A Lesson in Humility. The Kingdom of Heaven and Little Children. Mark ix. 33 — 37 ; Luke ix. 46 — 48. 1. At the same time] "in that hour." The preceding incident and 142 ST MATTHEW, XVIII. [w. 2—7. 2 ing, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven ? And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst 3 of them. And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter 4 into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5, 6. Christ's Little Ones. s And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name 6 receiveth me. But 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. 7 — 9. Of Offences. 7 Woe unto the world because of offences : for it must needs be that offences come ; but woe to that man by whom the our Lord's words had again excited hopes of a glorious kingdom on earth. greatest] Literally, greater (than others). 2. set him in the midst of them] St Mark adds, "when He had taken him in His arms." 3. be converted] Literally, be turned. The Greek word is used in a literal sense, except here and Acts vii. 39 and 42. shall not enter] much less be great therein. 4. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself] He who shall be most Christ-like in humility (see Phil. ii. 7 — 9) shall be most like Christ in glory. 6, 6. Christ's Little Ones. Mark ix. 37. The thought of Jesus passes from the dispute among His disciples to the care of His little ones, the young in faith, who, if they have the weak ness, have also the humility of little children. whoso shall receive] It is a sacrament of lovingkindness when Christ Himself is received in the visible form of His little ones. To receive is to welcome, shew kindness to. a millstone] Literally, a millstone turned by an ass, and so larger than the ordinary millstone. Cp. Ovid (Fasti VI. 318): "Et quas pumiceas versat asella molas. " The manner of death alluded to appears to have been unknown to the Jews. But Plutarch mentions this punishment as being common to Greece and Rome. Cp. Juv. Sat. xiv. 16, 17, where, as in other places, it is named rather than the cross as a swift and terrible penalty for crime. w. 8—12.] ST MATTHEW, XVIII. 143 offence cometh. Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend 8 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 9 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 having two eyes to be cast into hell fire. 10 — 14. Christ's care for His Little Ones illustrated by a Parable. Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones ; 1° 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 was lost. How 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 7—9. Of Offences. Mark ix. 43 — 48. From offences — hindrances to the faith of Christ's little ones — the discourse proceeds to offences in general — every thing that hinders the spiritual life. 8, 9. Cp. note ch. v. 29, 30. 10 — 14. Christ's care for His Little Ones illustrated by a Parable. Luke xv. 3 — 7. After a brief digression (vv. 7 — 9), Christ's love for His young disciples again breaks out in words. Let no one despise them. They have unseen friends in the court of heaven, who are ever in the presence of the King himself. There, at any rate, they are not despised. It was for them especially that the Son of Man came to earth. 11. This verse is omitted in the Sinaitic and the Vatican MSS., and is consequently rejected by Lachmann, Tischendorf, and Tregelles. How ever, it falls in precisely with the train of thought, and is almost required to connect w. 10 and 12. The expression and the imagery of the parable recall Ezek. xxxiv.; comp. also ch. xv. 24. In Luke the parable is spoken with direct re ference to publicans and sinners, whom the Pharisees despised, and who are the "little ones" of these verses. Such differences of context in the Gospels are very instructive ; they are, indeed, comments by the Evan gelists themselves on the drift and bearing of particular sayings of Christ. 12. This parable is followed in Luke by the parable of the Lost Drachma and that of the Prodigal Son which illustrate and amplify the same thought. doth he not leave the ninety and nine] St Luke adds "in the wilder ness." ST MATTHEW IO 144 ST MATTHEW, XVIII. [w. 13—18. goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone 13 astray ? And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine 14 which went not astray. Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish. 15 — 35. Forgiveness of Sins. is Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone : if he 16 shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But 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 17 may be established. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church : but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as a heathen man and a publican. 18 Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth 13. of that sheep] Rather, over that sheep. 15 — 35. Forgiveness of Sins. Luke xvii. 3, 4. God's forgiveness of sinners suggests the duty of forgiveness among men. 15. go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone] See Levit. xix. 17, where the words "not suffer sin upon him," mean "thou shalt not incur sin through him, " i e. by letting him go on unrebuked in his sin. Tell him his fault, rather, convict him ; the same Greek word is translated rebuke, Levit. loc. cit. St Luke has a different Greek word with a similar meaning. gained] i. e. won over to a better mind, — to Christ. Cp. 1 Cor. ix. 19 — 22, and 1 Pet. iii. 1. 17. tell it unto the church] The word " church " (Grk. ekklesia) is found only here and ch. xvi. 18 in the Gospels. In the former passage the reference to the Christian Church is undoubted. Here either (1) the assembly or congregation of the Jewish synagogue, or rather, (2) the ruling body of the synagogue (collegium presbyterorum, Schleusner) is meant. This must have been the sense of the word to those who were listening to Christ But what was spoken of the Jewish Church was naturally soon applied to the Christian Church. _ a heathen man and a publican] Jesus, the friend of publicans and sinners, uses the phrase of His contemporaries. What Jesus says, Matthew the publican records. 18._ Taking up the word " Church," Jesus passes from its present meaning — the ruling body in the synagogue — to its meaning in the future. The ruling body is the Christian Church. w. 19—25.] ST MATTHEW, XVIII. 145 shall be bound in heaven : and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say unto you, That i9 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. For where two or three are gathered together 20 in my name, there am I in the midst of them. Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall 2i my hrother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times ? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until 22 seven times : but, Until seventy times seven. Therefore is 23 the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants. And when he had 24 begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which ought him ten thousand talents. But forasmuch as he had not to 25 Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven] What was spoken to Peter alone is now spoken to all the disciples, represent ing the Church. " Whatsoever you as a Church declare binding or declare not binding, that decision shall be ratified in heaven." 19. The slight digression is continued. Christ thinks of His Church. Not only shall your decisions be ratified, but your requests shall be granted, provided ye agree. 20. two or three] In the smallest gathering of His followers Christ will be present. A derivative (synaxis) of the Greek word in the text came to be used among the early Christians for their assemblies, es pecially in reference to assembling for the Lord's Supper. Synax- arium, derived from the same verb, meant a Service-book. 21. till seven times?] The Rabbinical rule was that no one should ask forgiveness of his neighbour more than thrice. Peter, who asks as a scribe a scribe's question, thought he was making a great advance in liberality and shewing himself worthy of the Kingdom of heaven. But the question itself indicates complete misunderstanding of the Christian spirit. 22. Until seventy times -.seven] i. e. an infinite number of times. There is no limit to forgiveness. 23. a certain king, which would take account of his servants] Tlie picture is drawn from an Oriental Court. The provincial governors, farmers of taxes, and other high officials are summoned before a despotic sovereign to give an account of their administration. would] " chose," "resolved : " all is subject to his sole will. servants] i. e. subjects, for all subjects of an Eastern monarch are "slaves." The scholar will remember how often Demosthenes makes a point of this. 24. ten thousand talents] Even if silver talents are meant, the sum is enormous — at least two million pounds of our money. It was pro bably more than the whole annual revenue of Palestine at this time ; see 146 ST MATTHEW, XVIII. [vv. 26—34. pay, his lord commanded 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 worshipped him, say ing, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. 27 Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, 28 and loosed him, and forgave him the debt. But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which ought 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 fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. 30 And he would not : but went and cast him into prison, till 31 he should pay the debt. So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told 32 unto their lord all that was done. Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: 33 shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow- 34 servant, even as I had pity on thee ? And his lord was Joseph. Ant. xu. 4. 4. The modern kingdoms of Norway or Greece or Denmark hardly produce a larger national income. The vast sum implies the hopeless character of the debt of sin. 25. he had not to pay] He had wasted in extravagance the provin cial revenues, or the proceeds of taxation. 26. worshipped him] The imperfect tense in the original denotes persistence. 27. forgave him the debt] With the almost reckless generosity of an Eastern Court that delights to exalt or debase wilh swift strokes. The pardon is free and unconditional. 28. found] perhaps, even sought him out. one of his fellowservants] By this is meant the debt of man to man, offences which men are bound to forgive one another. an hundred pence] i. e. denarii. The denarius was a day's wages (ch. xx. 2). The sum therefore is about three months' wages for an ordi nary labourer, by no means a hopeless debt as the other was; see note ch. xxvi. 7. 29. besought] Not the same word as "worshipped," zi. 26. The word in the text would be used by an equal addressing an equal. 31. when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry] This seems to point to the common conscience of mankind approving or anticipating the divine sentence. 32. desiredst] The s.ame Greek word is translated " besought," v. 29. 33. Cp. the Lord's Prayer, where forgiveness of others is put forward as the claim for divine pardon. w. 35 ; 1—4.] ST MATTHEW, XVIII. XIX. 147 wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall my 35 heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts for give not every one his brother their trespasses. 1,2. Jesus goes to Judaa from Galilee. And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished 19 these sayings, he departed from Galilee, and came into the coasts of Judea beyond Jordan ; and great multitudes, foi- 2 lowed him ; and he healed them there. 3 — 1 2. Tlie Question of Marriage and Divorce. The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and 3 saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause ? And he answered and said unto 4 34. The acquittal is revoked — a point not to be pressed in the interpretation. The truth taught is the impossibility of the unforgiving being forgiven, but the chief lesson is the example of the divine spirit of forgiveness in the act of the king. This example the pardoned slave should have followed. 35. from your hearts] A different principle from the Pharisee's arithmetical rules of forgiveness. their trespasses] The MS. authority is against these words. Ch. XIX.— 1, 2. Jesus goes to Judaea from Galilee. Mark x. i. 1. came into the coasts of Judea beyond Jordan] From the parallel passage in Mark we learn that this means : Came into Judsea by the trans-Jordanic route through Persea, thus avoiding Samaria. It does not mean that any portion of Judasa lay beyond Jordan. St Matthew here omits various particulars, of which some are to be supplied from Luke ix. 51 — xvii. 11; others from John— two visits to Jerusalem (vii. 8^—10 and x. 22 — 39) ; the raising of Lazarus (xi. 1 — 46) ; the retire ment to Ephraim (xi. 54). 3 — 12. The Question of Marriage and Divorce. Mark x. 2 — 9. w. 10—12 are peculiar to Matthew. St Mark mentions the part of the conversation contained in v. 9 as having taken place " in the house," ww. 10—12. 3. Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every causei7] The words "for every cause " are omitted in Mark. In Matthew they contain the pith of the question : "Is the husband's right to divorce his wife quite unlimited? The school of Shammai allowed divorce in the case of adultery, the school of Hillel on any trivial pretext. 148 ST MATTHEW, XIX. [vv. 5—12. them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at 5 the beginning made them male and female, and said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they 6 twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath 7 joined together, let not man put asunder. They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of 8 divorcement, and to put her away ? He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives : but from the beginning it was not 9 so. And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery : and whoso marrieth her which is put 10 away doth commit adultery. His disciples say unto him, If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good 11 to marry. But he said unto them, All men cannot receive ¦2 this saying, save they to whom it is given. For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother's womb : and there are some eunuchs, which were made 4. at the beginning] An appeal from the law of Moses to a higher and absolute law, which has outlived the law of Moses. 5. For this cause] The lesson of Nature is the lesson of God, " Nunquam aliud Natura aliud Sapientia dicit." Juv. Sat. xiv. 321. 7. a writing of divorcement] See ch. v. 31, 32. 8. because of the hardness of your hearts] Literally, having respect to, with a view to the hardness of your hearts towards God. So the law was relatively good, not absolutely. A great principle. Even now all are not capable of the higher religious life or of the deepest truths. Some interpret " hardness of heart," of the cruelty of men towards their wives. 9. See ch. v. 32. and shall marry another] Omitted in the Sinaitic MS. The reading "causeth her to commit adultery," instead of "com mitteth adultery," has high MS. authority. The Sinaitic MS. also omits and whoso. . .adultery. 10. If the case of the man be so with his wife] If these are the con ditions of marriage. it is not good to marry] Nothing could prove more clearly tlie revo lution in thought brought to pass by Christ than this. Even the dis ciples feel that such a principle would make the yoke of marriage unbearable. 11. this saying] viz. that it is not good to marry. 12. eunuchs =" unmarried." vv. 13—16.] ST MATTHEW, XIX. 149 eunuchs of men : and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it. 13 — 15. Little Children are brought to Christ. Then were there brought unto him little children, that he 13 should put his hands on them, and pray : and the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and 14 forbid them not, to come unto me : for of such is the king dom of heaven. And he laid his hands on them, and de- is parted thence. 16 — 22. The Young Rich Ruler. And behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, 16 12. for the kingdom of heaven's sake] In old days some men ab stained from marriage in order to devote themselves to the study of the law, in later times men have done so for the furtherance of Christianity. 13 — 15. Little Children are brought to Christ. Mark x. 13 — 16. Luke xviii. 15 — 17. In Luke the incident is placed immediately after the parable of the Pharisee and Publican ; there it is an illustration of humility. Here, and in Mark, the connection between the purity of married life and the love of little children cannot be overlooked. 13. Then were there brought unto him little children] It appears that it was customary for Jewish infants to be taken to the synagogue to be blessed by the Rabbi. Smith's Diet, of Bible, Art. "Synagogue," note E. 14. of such is the kingdom of heaven] Love, simplicity of faith, in nocence, and above all, humility, are the ideal characteristics of little children, and of the subjects of the kingdom. 15. laid his hands on them] No unmeaning act, therefore infants are capable of receiving a blessing, though not conscious of an obli gation. 16—22. The Young Rich Ruler. Mark x. 17 — 22. Luke xviii. 18—23. From Luke alone we leam that he was a "ruler;" hom Matthew alone that he was young. Each of the three Synoptists states that "he was very rich" (Luke); "had great possessions" (Matthew and Mark). 16. one came] " Came one running, and kneeled to him" (Mark). "A certain ruler," i. e. one of the rulers of the synagogue, like Jairus. The "decemvirate" (see ch. iv. 23) of the synagogue were chosenfrom "men of leisure" (Plebr. Batlanin, cp. our "scholars"), who were free from the necessity of labour, and could devote themselves to the duties 150 ST MATTHEW, XIX. [vv. 17—21. what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life ? 17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good ? there is none good but one, that is, God : but if thou wilt enter into 18 life, keep the commandments. He saith unto him, Which ? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou 19 shalt not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neigh- 20 bour as thyself. The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up : what lack 21 I yet ? Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt of the synagogue, and to study ; of these the first three were called " Rulers of the Synagogue." Good Master] According to good MS. authority simply "Master." what good thing shall I do) In this question ' what shall I do ' the ruler touches the central error of the Pharisaic system — that goodness consisted in exact conformity to certain external rules of conduct. Jesus "shews that it is not by doing anything whatever that a man can inherit eternal life, but by being something ; not by observing Pharisaic rules, but by being childlike. 17. Why callest thou me good?] Here, but not in the parallel pas sages in Mark and Luke, the leading MSS. read, "Why askest thou me about what is good ? He who is good is one." With either reading the drift of our Lord's answer is to cause reflection. "In a single breath thou hast twice used the word good; think what good really means. Am /then the one good?" Jesus refuses the conventional title of "good master ; " and leads the questioner to think of the only One who could be called " good " in a high and true sense. 18. Which?] Accurately "what sort of commandments." Comp. this enumeration with that in ch. xv. 19. Here, as there, the commandments proceed in order from the 6th to the 9th. Here, as there, the enumeration stops at covetousness — the rich ruler's special failing. Neither St Mark nor St Luke preserve the same order. 20. All these things have I kept] Like St Paul he was " touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless." Phil. iii. 6. from my youth up) These words which seem unsuitable to the "young man" are omitted here, but not in the parallel passages, by the oldest MSS. They might be translated "from childhood." 21. If thou wilt be perfect) i. c. " if thou desirest to be perfect. " go and sell that thou hast] Jesus does indeed bid him do something, but to do that would be a proof of being perfect, it is the test for his special case, not a universal rule. With many it is more difficult to use wealth for Christ than to give it up for Christ. St Mark has the touch ing words "Jesus beholding him loved him." The incident recalls the parable of the "merchantman seeking goodly pearls " (ch. xiii. 45,46). w. 22—27.] ST MATTHEW, XIX. 151 have treasure in heaven : and come and follow me. But » when the young man heard that saying, he went away sor rowful : for he had great possessions. 23 — 26. Of Riches, and the Kingdom of God. Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, 23 That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel 2< to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. When his disciples heard 2S it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved ? But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With 26 men this is unpossible; but with God all things are possible. 27 — 30. The Claim of the Disciples. Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have 27 forsaken all, and followed thee ; what shall we have there- Here is a seeker after good, the pearl is found : will he not sell all that he hath and buy it ? 22. sorrowful] A conflict of opposite desires vexed his soul. He wished to serve God and mammon. He was sorrowful because he saw that the special sacrifice required to win eternal life was too great for him. 23 — 26. Of Riches, and the Kingdom of God. Mark x. 23 — 27. Luke xviii. 24 — 27. These reflections follow naturally on the last incident. 23. hardly] i e. with difficulty. 24. easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle] An expression familiar to Jews of our Lord's time. The exaggeration is quite in the Eastern style. It is unnecessary to give other explanations, as that camel is a Greek word meaning "a rope," or that "the eye of a needle" is a gate so called. 25. Who then can be saved?] Salvation seemed to belong by right to the rulers of synagogues and other rich people. It was a notable fact that the gospel should be preached to the poor. The thought of the disciples still lives. Wealth and intellect make men seem better, "Some times even supplying the absence of real good with what looks extremely like it. " See a Sermon by Prof. Mozley, on The Reversal of Human Judgment, pp. 85 — 87. 27 — 30. The Claim of the Disciples. Mark x. 28' — 31. Luke xviii. 28 — 30. 27. what shall we have therefore] Peter, still not perfect in the Spirit of Christ, suggests a lower motive for following Christ. The 152 ST MATTHEW, XIX. XX. [w. 28—30; 1. 28 fore ? And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration, when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of 2g Israel. And every one that hath forsaken houses, or bre thren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, 3o and shall inherit everlasting life. But many that are first shall be last ; and the last shall be first. 1 — 16. The Parable ofthe Labourers in the Vineyard. 20 For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is answer of Christ shews that all true sacrifice shall have its reward, but all that looks like sacrifice is not really such, therefore "Many that are first shall be last." Among the Twelve there was a Judas. 28. the regeneration] "The renewal of things," "the return to a perfect state," otherwise called "the restitution of all things," nearly= the Kingdom of God. Cp. ch. xvii. 11. 29. hath forsaken] Bp Thirlwall remarks, " Strange as it may sound, there is a sense in which it is a most certain truth that a man may leave that which he keeps, and keep that which he leaves. And there can be no doubt that this is the sense in which our Lord meant to be under stood. For it is clear that He is speaking not of a mere outward act, but of the disposition from which it proceeds." shall receive an hundredfold] St Mark seems to take the words of Jesus in a more literal sense by naming the earthly goods expressly, and adding "now in this time," but he points to the true and spiritual interpretation by subjoining "with persecutions." Ch. XX. 1—16. The Parable of the Labourers in the Vine yard. Peculiar to St Matthew. 1. For the kingdom ofheaven, &c] There are many possible applica tions of the parable, but the only true explanation of its meaning to the disciples at the time must be reached by considering the question to which it is an answer. The parable is addressed solely to the disciples. The thread of thought may be traced in this way : It is impossible for a rich man, one who trusts in riches, to enter the kingdom of heaven. The disciples, through Peter, say "We at any rate left all and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?" Our Lord's answer is (1) partly encouraging, (2) partly discouraging. (1) AH who have in a true sense given up all for Christ shall have a great reward (ch. xix. 28, 29). (2) But (v. 30) jjriflrily_of_ time is not everything. The parable is given in explanation of this point Not only will the disciples not be the only called, but they may not reach a higher place or w. 2— ii.] ST MATTHEW, XX. 153 a householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard. And when he had agreed 2 with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And he went out about the third hour, and 3 saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and said unto 4 them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way. Again 5 he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise. And about the eleventh hour he went out, and 6 found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle ? They say unto him, Be- 7 cause no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive. So when even was come, the lord of the vine- s yard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first. And when 9 they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. But when the first came, they 10 supposed that they should have received more; and they like wise received every man a penny. And when they had re- n ceived it, they murmured against the goodman of the house, a higher reward than some who follow them. Still all who work shall have their reward. But they must beware of a spirit .very preva: lent among hard workers, and not think tqo_much of their own labours, or be displeased because others are equally rewarded. labourers into his vineyard] i. e. workers for the Church of Christ. 2. a penny] a denarius. See ch. xviii. 28. 4. whatsoever is right I will give you] The justice of the award is disputed v. 12, on the ground that those who were first called had borne the burden and heat of the day. Man does noTfiere acgujesce in the Judge's decision, as in the parable of the debtors, ch. y-vivL^ What is just does not at first seem just, but, as in science many things that seemed untrue are proved to be true, what seems unjust will be proved just when we know all. Further, time is not the, only pigment jn service. An act of swift intelligence or of bravery wrought in the space of a single minute has saved an army or a people, and merited higher reward than a lifetime of ordinary service. 6. the eleventh hour] The various hours may be referred in the first instance to the call of a Paul, a Barnabas, or a Timothy, who adopted the Cause later than the Twelve. In a secondary and less im mediate sense they seem to indicate the. successive periods at which the various nations were admitted to the Church of Christ. Was it unjust that European nations should have equal privileges with the Jews in the Church of Christ, or that Paul should be equal to Peter? 154 ST MATTHEW, XX. [vv. 12-18. 12 saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast ^ made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and 13 heat of the day. But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong : didst not thou agree with me 14 for a penny ? Take that thine is, and go thy way : I will 15 give unto this last, even as unto thee. Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own ? Is thine eye evil, be- 16 cause I am good ? So the last shall be first, and the first last : for many be called, but few chosen. 17 — 19. Jesus going up to Jerusalem foretells His Passion for the third time. 17 And Jesus going up to Jerusalem took the twelve dis- 18 ciples apart in the way, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall 12. which have borne the burden and heat of the day] This may be regarded as man's estimate of his own merits, which is not the divine estimate. The words echo the tone of "what shall we have?" ch. xix. 27. 13. Friend] The Greek word is used of any temporary connection, without the idea of affectionate friendship. It is used by a master to his slave ; by a guest to a fellow-guest ; as a general address on meet ing. Cp. ch. xxii. 12 and xxvi. 50^ where it is a term of reproachful rebuke. 15. Is thine eye evil] The belief in the evil eye still prevails in the East. The envious or malevolent glance is thought to have an injurious effect. Here the sense is : Art thou envious because I am just ? 16. for many be called, but few chosen] This verse which occurs in a natural connection ch. xix. 30, but is difficult to explain here, is omitted in the best MSS. The words are_probaH.y_interpolated. 17 — 19. Jesus going up to Jerusalem foretells His Passion for the third time. See chs. xvi. 21, xvii. 22, 23; and Mark x. 32 — 34; Luke xviii. 31 — 34. St Mark and St Luke add "shall spit upon him" (Mark); "shall be spitted on" (Luke); St Matthew alone names "crucifixion;" St Luke, who mentions only the share which the Gentiles had in the Passion, adds "they understood none of these things, and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken." The disciples, as Jews, still placed their hopes in the present world: "what shall we have?" They still thought Jesus might be using a figure of speech. Jesus was alone in the certainty of His awful secret. He had no sympathy from His followers. w. 19—22.] ST MATTHEW, XX. 155 condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles 19 to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him : and the third day he shall rise again. 20 — 28. Salome's Prayer for her sons, and the Answer of Jesus. Then came to him the mother of Zebedee's children with 20 her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him. And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith 21 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. But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. 22 Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to 18, 19. Observe the exactness of the prediction ; the Sanhedrin shall condemn but not kill, the Gentiles shall scourge and crucify. 20 — 28. Salome's Prayer for her sons, and the Answer of Jesus. Mark x. 35 — 41. St Mark'begins "And James and John the sons of Zebedee came unto him, saying, &c." For once St Matthew is more graphic and true to detail than St Mark. 20. the mother of Zebedee's children] Her name was Salome, as we learn by comparing Matthew xxvii. 56 with Mark xv. 40. "Among which was Mary Mag- "Among whom was Mary Mag dalene, and Mary the mother of dalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother James the less and of Joses, and of Zebedee's children." Matthew Salome." Mark xv. 40. xxvii. 56. worshipping him] The act of prostration before an Eastern King — though the word "crucify" might have suggested a slave's death. The Kingdom of heaven introduces many such contrasts. desiring a certain thing] She dares not speak until her Lord ad dresses her. 21. may sit, the one on thy right hand] Cp. for the thought ch. xix. 28. 22. Ye know nol] Observe, Jesus addresses the sons, not the mother. what ye ask] There is some force in the middle voice of the original, "ask for yourselves," or "cause to be asked." the cup that I shall drink of] "The destiny in store for me." Cp. among other passages, Is. Ii. 17, " Thou hast drunken the dregs of the cup of trembling, and wrung them out," and Ps. Ixxv. 8; the idea of vengeance, of God's wrath against sin, is paramount in the prophets. When the disciples afterwards recalled the image it would signify to them the mediation of Christ, who by His passion and death drank for 156 ST MATTHEW, XX. [vv. 23—26. be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with 2 23 They say unto him, We are able. And he saith unto them, Ye. shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall 24 be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father. And when the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation 25 against the two brethren. But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they thai are great exercise au- 26 thority upon them. But it shall not be so among you : but man the cup of God's wrath. Maldonatus suggests the thought of " the poison cup," the cup of death. For the image, cp. " quot bella exhausta canebat." Verg. Aen. IV. 14. and to be baptized, &c] These words are omitted in the most ancient MSS. They are probably an insertion from St Mark. The crucifixion was the baptism through which Jesus passed to the new life after the Resurrection. Our Christian baptism is a crucifixion by which the old •man dies that the new man may live. See Rom. vi. 6; Gal. v. 24; Col. iii. 3, s, 10. 23. Ye shall drink indeed of my cup] James was slain by the sword of Herod Agrippa I. (Acts xii. 2). John suffered many persecutions, but died a natural death. The rebuke of Jesus is very gentle ; His soul knew what suffering was in store for the two brothers. it shall be given] These words are not in the Greek text, but may be understood from the infinitive " to give " in the first clause. By another interpretation " but " = " except," and the sentence would run, "itis not mine to give except to those," &c, but it is more than doubtful whether the Greek word can have this meaning. 24. they were moved with indignation] The indignation of the "Ten" displayed the same spirit and motive as the request of the sons of Zebedee. It seemed as if the jealousies and intrigues of an earthly court were breaking out among the disciples of Jesus. 25. Jesus called tliem unto him, and said) Jesus points out the inversion of earthly ideas in the Kingdom of heaven. The gradation and contrast of the original are hardly brought out in E. V. In the Kingdom of heaven the ambition must be to serve not to reign ; that Kingdom is in every way the reverse of the kingdoms of the world. In the latter the gradation of rank is (1) the supreme prince; (2) the nobles (the great) ; (3) the ministers or attendants ; (4) the slaves. In the Kingdom of heaven he that will be the noble must be the minister or attendant ; he that will be the monarch must be the slave. What Jesus teaches is the dignity of service in the Kingdom of heaven. The bearing of such passages as this on the alleviation of slavery in the ancient world should be considered. The influence of this towards the abolition of slavery in modern times might have been still greater w. 27-30.] ST MATTHEW, XX. 157 whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minis ter ; and whosoever will be chief among you, let him be 27 your servant : even as the Son of man came not to be mi- 23 nistered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. 29 — 34- Two Men cured of Blindness. . And as they departed from Jericho, a great multitude 29 followed him. And behold, two blind men sitting by the 30 if the translators had used the word " slave" rather than " servant" in the E. V. 28. a ransom]=the price paid for the redemption of a captive from slavery. For the thought cp. Rom. iii. 24; 1 Cor. vi. 20; 1 Pet. i 19. The English word is derived through the French ranfon from Lat. redemptionem. for many] Cp. 1 Tim. ii. 6, " Who gave himself a ransom for all." for] Not iirip, ' on behalf of,' but avrl, ' in the place of.' 29 — 34. Two Men cured of Blindness. Mark x. 46 — 52. Luke xviii. 35 — 43. There are remarkable divergences in the Synoptic accounts of this miracle. Some indeed have supposed that different miracles are related by the Evangelists. St Mark speaks of one man, " blind Bartimseus, the son of Timseus." St Luke also mentions one only, but describes the incident as taking place "when Jesus came nigh unto Jericho," whereas St Matthew and St Mark state that the miracle was wrought " as they departed from Jericho." It is of course possible that St Luke narrates a separate miracle. The only other solution is to suppose an inaccuracy in an unimportant detail. 29. a great multitude] The caravan of Galilaeans and others going up to Jerusalem for the Passover. Their numbers would protect them from attack in the dangerous mountain defiles leading to the capital. Jericho was at this time a flourishing city. It was opulent even in the days of Joshua from the fertility of the surrounding plain, its extensive commerce, and from the metals found in the neighbourhood. Levelled to the ground and laid under a curse by Joshua, it was afterwards made a fortified city by Hiel the Bethelite, and regained a. portion of its former prosperity. At this period the bakam trade was a. principal source of its wealth. Herod the Great beautified the city with palaces and public buildings, and here he died. After Herod's death Jericho was sacked and burnt, but restored by his son Archelaus. "Jericho was once more a 'City of Palms' when our Lord visited it. As the city that had so exceptionally contributed to His own ances try ; as the city which had been the first to fall, amidst so much cere mony, before 'the captain of the Lord's host and his servant Joshua,' 158 ST MATTHEW, XX. XXI. [w.31— 34; 1,2. way side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, 3' saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David. And the multitude rebuked them, because they should hold their peace : but they cried the more, saying, Have mercy on us, 32 O Lord, thou Son of David. And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What will ye that I shall do unto 33 you ? They say unto him, Lord, that our eyes may be 34 opened. So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes : and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him. 1 — 10. The Royal Entry into Jerusalem. 21 And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent 2 Jesus two disciples, saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her : loose them, and bring them unto me. we may well suppose that His eyes surveyed it with unwonted interest." — Smith's Bib. Diet. Art. "Jericho." 31. thou Son of David] An appeal which reflects the thought that especially signalizes this period of our Lord's ministry, the Son of David entering upon His kingdom. 34. they followed him] It is probable that very many of those who had received sight and soundness of limb by the word or touch of Jesus followed Him to Jerusalem. followed] Jesus Himself leads the procession. See Luke xix. 28. Nisan 9 (Palm Sunday). Ch. XXI. 1 — 10. The Royal Entry into Jerusalem. Mark xi. 1 — 11. Luke xix. 29 — -40. John xii. 12 — 19. St Luke alone places here the incident of Christ weeping over Jerusalem (xix. 40—44). 1. were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives] " Unto Beth phage and Bethany at the mount of Olives" (Mark). "Nigh to Bethphage and Bethany at the mount called the mount of Olives" (Luke). Bethany was about two miles from Jerusalem, at the S.E. base of the mount of Olives. Of Bethphage ("place of green or winter figs") no remains have been discovered, and its exact position is un known. It was probably west of Bethany, and so near to Jerusalem as to be reckoned part of the Holy City. See Godet on St Luke xix. 28. Some have inferred from the order in which Bethphage and Bethany are named that Bethphage was east of Bethany. 2. an ass lied, and a colt with her] "A colt tied whereon never man vv. 3—9.] ST MATTHEW, XXI. 159 And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord 3 hath need of them ; and straightway he will send them. All 4 this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, Tell ye the daughter of Sion, B e- s hold, thy' King cometh unto thee, meek, and sit ting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass. And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them, 6 and brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their 7 clothes, and they set him thereon. And a very great multi- 8 tude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way. And 9 the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he sat" (Mark and Luke). St Matthew notes the close correspondence with the words of the prophecy ; see v. 5. Oriental travellers describe the high estimation in which the ass is held in the East. The variety of Hebrew names for these animals in dicates the many uses to which they are put. " His lot varies as does the lot of those he serves. The rich man's ass is a lordly beast. In size he is far ahead of anything of his kind we see here at home. His coat is as smooth and glossy as a horse's.... His livery is shiny black, satiny white or sleek mouse colour. I never saw one of the dingy red of his Poitou brethren." Zincke's Egypt. 3. The account leads to the inference that the owner of the ass was an adherent of Jesus who had perhaps not yet declared himself. The number of such secret followers was probably very large. 4. that it might be fulfilled] See note ch. i. 22. 5. Tell ye the daughter of Sion, &c] Zech. ix. 9. The prophet is predicting the triumph of Israel and the fall of the neighbouring nations. The prophecy contains three distinct Hebrew words for an "ass." "Sitting upon an ass (chamdr, from a root meaning red) and a colt (air, ' a young male ass') the foal (lit. 'the son') of an ass (athbn='a she-ass,' from a root meaning 'slow')." meek] See ch. v. 5. 7. put on them their clothes] Their upper garments, the abbas of modern Arabs. Cp. with this the throne extemporised for Jehu, 2 Kings ix. 13. 8. a very great multitude] Rather, the greater part of the crowd. spread their garments in the way] Instances are recorded of similar acts of respect shewn to Rabbis by their disciples. See Schottgen, ad loc. 9. Hosanna] Hebr. " hoshiah-na," "save now," "save I pray." Na is a particle of entreaty added to imperatives. They are the first words of Ps. cxviii. 25, "Save now I beseech thee, O Lord; O Lord, I beseech thee, send now prosperity," a verse which was sung in solemn ST MATTHEW tt 160 ST MATTHEW, XXI. [vv. 10—12. that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in 10 the highest. And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the 11 city was moved, saying, Who is this? And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee. 12 — 14. The Second Cleansing of the Temple. 12 And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold procession round the altar at the feast of Tabernacles and on other occasions. The multitude recognise the Messiah in Jesus and address to Him the strains of their most joyous festival. St Luke paraphrases the expression for his Gentile readers, " glory in the highest. " Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord] (Ps. cxviii. 26). " He that cometh" (Habba) was a recognised Messianic title. St Mark and St John add "Blessed be the kingdom of our father, David ('the king of Israel,' John), that cometh in the name ofthe Lord." St Luke has "Blessed be the king that cometh," &c, and mentions that the multitude began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen." These shouts of triumph — which are the "gospel" or heralding of the King — must have sounded across the valley of Kedron up to the precincts and porches of the Temple. " Bethany stands in a shallow hollow scooped out of the shoulder of the hill. The path follows this till the descent begins at a turn where the first view of the Temple is caught. First appeared the castles and walls of the city of David; and immediately afterwards the glittering roof of the Temple and the gorgeous royal arcade of Herod with its long range of battlements overhanging the southern edge of Moriah." — Tristram's Topography of Holy Land. The entry into Jerusalem must not be regarded as an isolated fact. It was a culminating outburst of feeling. It is clear that the expecta tion of the kingdom was raised to the highest pitch. The prostration of Salome at the feet of the Prince; the request of her sons ; the dis pute among the ten ; the gathering crowds ; the cry of Bartimseus ; the triumphal entry, are all signs of this feeling. For us the Royal Entry is a figure, a parable through external sights and sounds of the true and inner secret kingdom of God. 10. all the city was moved] By a census taken in the time of Nero it was ascertained that there were 2,700,000 Jews present at the Passover. We may picture the narrow streets of Jerusalem thronged with eager inquisitive crowds demanding, with Oriental vivacity, in many tongues and dialects, "who is this?" was moved] The word in the original is forcible, "convulsed" or "stirred" as by an earthquake, or by a violent wind. Cp. ch. xxvii. 51, and Rev. vi. 13, where the same verb is used. w. 13, 14.] ST MATTHEW, XXI. 161 doves, and said unto them, It is written, My house shall 13 be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves. And the blind and the lame came to him 1, in the temple ; and he healed them. Monday, Nisan 10. The events of this day extend to the end of ch. xxv. 12 — 14. The Second Cleansing of the Temple. Mark xi. 15 — 18; Luke xix. 45, 46. It is clear from the other Synoptists that the Cleansing of the Temple took place on Nisan 10, not on the day of the entry. St Mark says (xi. ir) that "when he had looked round about on all things there, the eventide being come he went back to Bethany." In point of time "the cursing of the fig-tree" should precede the "Cleansing of the Temple." St Mark adds to this account "would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple." St Matthew alone mentions the healing of the lame and the blind, and omits the incident of "the widow's mite," recorded by the other Synoptists. The first "Cleansing of the Temple," at the commencement of our Lord's ministry, is recorded John ii. 13 — 17. 12. cast out all them that sold, &c] It is probable that a look of divine authority, the enthusiasm of His Galilaean followers, and the consciousness of wrongdoing on the part of the traders, rather than any special exercise of miraculous power, effected this triumph of Jesus in His Father's House. them that sold and bought in the temple] The traffic consisted in the sale of oxen and sheep, and such requisites for sacrifice as wine, salt, and oii This merchandise took place in the Court of the Gentiles. the tables ofthe moneychangers] The Greek word signifies those who took a small coin (Hebr. Kolbon, Grk. K