FROM JERUSALEM (απο Ιεροσολυμων). Jerusalem is the headquarters of the conspiracy against Jesus with the Pharisees as the leaders in it. Already we have seen the Herodians combining with the Pharisees in the purpose to put Jesus to death (Mark 3:6; Matthew 12:14; Luke 6:11). Soon Jesus will warn... [ Continue Reading ]
THE TRADITION OF THE ELDERS (την παραδοσιν των πρεσβυτερων). This was the oral law, handed down by the elders of the past in _ex cathedra_ fashion and later codified in the Mishna. Handwashing before meals is not a requirement of the Old Testament. It is, we know, a good thing for sanitary reasons... [ Continue Reading ]
YE ALSO (κα υμεις). Jesus admits that the disciples had transgressed the rabbinical traditions. Jesus treats it as a matter of no great importance in itself save as they had put the tradition of the elders in the place of the commandment of God. When the two clashed, as was often the case, the ra... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT YE SAY (υμεις δε λεγετε). In sharp contrast to the command of God. Jesus had quoted the fifth commandment (Exodus 20:12; Exodus 20:16) with the penalty "die the death" (θανατω τελευτατω), "go on to his end by death," in imitation of the Hebrew idiom. They dodged this command of God about the p... [ Continue Reading ]
YE HAVE MADE VOID THE WORD OF GOD (εκυρωσατε τον λογον του θεου). It was a stinging indictment that laid bare the hollow pretence of their quibbles about handwashing. Κυρος means force or authority, ακυρος is without authority, null and void. It is a late verb, ακυροω but in the LXX, Galatians 3:... [ Continue Reading ]
WELL DID ISAIAH PROPHESY OF YOU (καλως επροφητευσεν περ υμων Εσαιας). There is sarcasm in this pointed application of Isaiah's words (Isaiah 29:13) to these rabbis. He "beautifully pictured" them. The portrait was to the very life, "teaching as their doctrines the commandments of men." They were... [ Continue Reading ]
THIS DEFILETH THE MAN (τουτο κοινο τον ανθρωπον). This word is from κοινος which is used in two senses, either what is "common" to all and general like the _Koine_ Greek, or what is unclean and "common" either ceremonially or in reality. The ceremonial "commonness" disturbed Peter on the housetop... [ Continue Reading ]
WERE OFFENDED (εσκανδαλισθησαν). First aorist passive. "Were caused to stumble," "have taken offence" (Moffatt), "have turned against you" (Weymouth), "were shocked" (Goodspeed), "War ill-pleased" (Braid Scots). They took umbrage at the public rebuke and at such a scorpion sting in it all. It cut... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY ARE BLIND GUIDES (τυφλο εισιν οδηγο). Graphic picture. Once in Cincinnati a blind man introduced me to his blind friend. He said that he was showing him the city. Jesus is not afraid of the Pharisees. Let them alone to do their worst. Blind leaders and blind victims will land in the ditch. A... [ Continue Reading ]
DECLARE UNTO US THE PARABLE (φρασον υμιν την παραβολην). Explain the parable (pithy saying) in verse Matthew 15:11, not in verse Matthew 15:14. As a matter of fact, the disciples had been upset by Christ's powerful exposure of the "Corban" duplicity and the words about "defilement" in verse Matth... [ Continue Reading ]
ARE YE ALSO EVEN YET WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING? (Ακμην κα υμεις ασυνετο εστε). Ακμην is an adverbial accusative (classic αιχμη, point (of a weapon)= ακμην χρονου at this point of time, just now= ετ. It occurs in papyri and inscriptions, though condemned by the old grammarians. "In spite of all my tea... [ Continue Reading ]
PERCEIVE YE NOT? (ου νοειτε). Christ expects us to make use of our νους, intellect, not for pride, but for insight. The mind does not work infallibly, but we should use it for its God-given purpose. Intellectual laziness or flabbiness is no credit to a devout soul.... [ Continue Reading ]
OUT OF THE MOUTH (εκ του στοματος). Spoken words come out of the heart and so are a true index of character. By "heart" (καρδιας) Jesus means not just the emotional nature, but the entire man, the inward life of "evil thoughts" (διαλογισμο πονηρο) that issue in words and deeds. "These defile the... [ Continue Reading ]
A CANAANITISH WOMAN (γυνη Χαναναια). The Phoenicians were descended from the Canaanites, the original inhabitants of Palestine. They were of Semitic race, therefore, though pagan.HAVE PITY ON ME (ελεησον με). She made her daughter's case her own, "badly demonized.... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR SHE CRIETH AFTER US (οτ κραζε οπισθεν ημων). The disciples greatly disliked this form of public attention, a strange woman crying after them. They disliked a sensation. Did they wish the woman sent away with her daughter healed or unhealed?... [ Continue Reading ]
I WAS NOT SENT (ουκ απεσταλην). Second aorist passive indicative of αποστελλω. Jesus takes a new turn with this woman in Phoenicia. He makes a test case of her request. In a way she represented the problem of the Gentile world. He calls the Jews "the lost sheep of the house of Israel" in spite of... [ Continue Reading ]
EVEN THE DOGS (κα τα κυναρια). She took no offence at the implication of being a Gentile dog. The rather she with quick wit took Christ's very word for little dogs (κυναρια) and deftly turned it to her own advantage, for the little dogs eat of the crumbs (ψιχιων, little morsels, diminutive again)... [ Continue Reading ]
AS THOU WILT (ως θελεις). Her great faith and her keen rejoinder won her case.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SAT THERE (εκαθητο εκε). "Was sitting there" on the mountain side near the sea of Galilee, possibly to rest and to enjoy the view or more likely to teach.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY CAST THEM DOWN AT HIS FEET (κα εριψαν αυτους παρα τους ποδας αυτου). A very strong word, flung them down, "not carelessly, but in haste, because so many were coming on the same errand" (Vincent). It was a great day for "they glorified the God of Israel.... [ Continue Reading ]
THREE DAYS (ημερα τρεις). A parenthetic nominative (Robertson, _Grammar_, p. 460).WHAT TO EAT (τ φαγωσιν). Indirect question with the deliberative subjunctive retained. In the feeding of the five thousand Jesus took compassion on the people and healed their sick (Matthew 14:14). Here the hunger... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE DISCIPLES SAY TO HIM (κα λεγουσιν αυτω ο μαθητα). It seems strange that they should so soon have forgotten the feeding of the five thousand (Matthew 14:13-21), but they did. Soon Jesus will remind them of both these demonstrations of his power (Matthew 16:9; Matthew 16:10). They forgot bot... [ Continue Reading ]
A FEW SMALL FISHES (ολιγα ιχθυδια, diminutive again).... [ Continue Reading ]
ON THE GROUND (επ την γην). No mention of "grass" as in Matthew 14:19 for this time, midsummer, the grass would be parched and gone.... [ Continue Reading ]
GAVE THANKS (ευχαριστησας). In Matthew 14:19 the word used for "grace" or "blessing" is ευλογησεν. Vincent notes that the Jewish custom was for the head of the house to say the blessing only if he shared the meal unless the guests were his own household. But we need not think of Jesus as bound by... [ Continue Reading ]
THE BORDERS OF MAGADAN (εις τα ορια Μαγαδαν). On the eastern side of the Sea of Galilee and so in Galilee again. Mark terms it Dalmanutha (Mark 8:10). Perhaps after all the same place as Magdala, as most manuscripts have it.... [ Continue Reading ]