CHRONOLOGY. Shortly after the discourse recorded in chap. 18 our Lord finally left Galilee, passing toward Jerusalem. This chapter (comp. Mark 10) takes up the history after an interval of some length, omitting a number of events which are recorded by Luke and John. Intervening occurrences (Robinson... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 19:1. THE BORDERS OF JUDEA, BEYOND THE JORDAN, _i.e.,_ on the east side. Perea proper is probably meant. This was part of the territory of Herod Antipas, and extended from the Arnon on the south to Pella on the north; or from the head of the Dead Sea to a point nearly opposite the boundary b... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 19:2. GREAT MULTITUDES. Comp. Mark 10:1: ‘And the people resort to him again, and, as he was wont, he taught them again.' The harmonists insert here the record of Luke, Luke 13:22 to Luke 18:14; consisting mainly of parables appropriate to the advanced stage of our Lord's ministry. This assu... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 19:3. CAME UNTO HIM PHARISEES. Even in remote Perea, almost the only remaining field of labor, Christ's opposers sought Him. TEMPTING HIM, or, ‘trying Him.' IT IS LAWFUL, etc. A matter of dispute between the schools of Hillel and Shammai. Herod Antipas, in whose dominions Christ now was,... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 19:4. HAVE YE NOT READ, etc. An implied rebuke for their misunderstanding of the Scripture teaching on this point. HE WHO MADE THEM, etc. The historical truth of the narrative in Genesis 1:11. is assumed as the basis of an important argument. The _creation_ of man is affirmed. MALE AND F... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 19:5. AND SAID (Genesis 2:24). Either said by Adam before the fall, and here cited as said by God through Adam as the representative of the race, or by Moses, and cited as an inspired utterance. FOR THIS CAUSE. Comp. Ephesians 5:31, where the passage is applied also to Christ and the Churc... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 19:6. WHAT THEREFORE GOD JOINED TOGETHER, etc. Our Lord's conclusion. The sentence forms a proper part of every Christian marriage ceremony. It is Christ's protection of this holy relation. It also implies a warning against hasty marriages, against ignorance and forgetfulness of the fact tha... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 19:7. WHY THEN DID MOSES COMMAND? DEUTERONOMY 24:1-4 (comp. chap. Matthew 5:31) had been transformed into a command that divorces should take place.... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 19:8. SUFFERED YOU. The Mosaic regulations were merely permissive, growing out of their sinfulness, especially their disposition to be harsh toward their wives. BUT FROM THE BEGINNING IT HATH NOT BEEN SO. In the original state in Paradise. Polygamy appears first (Genesis 4:19) in conjuncti... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 19:9. AND I SAY UNTO YOU. Spoken in the house (Mark 10:10-11). EXCEPT FOR FORNICATION. This one ground for divorce, mentioned as a matter of course, makes no exception to the rule laid down in Matthew 19:5-6; this offence is in direct antagonism to the idea of marriage. The Church of Rome d... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 19:10. IF THE CASE. The whole theory of marriage just announced is referred to. The low views then held may be inferred from what the disciples said: IT IS NOT GOOD TO MARRY; the ideal seemed so high, that its application seemed almost impossible.... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 19:11. ALL MEN CANNOT RECEIVE, OR, ‘not all can receive,' THIS SAYING. This high ideal can be understood and put into practice only by those who get illumination and power from God. As a rule, the less Christianity, the lower the ideal of marriage, the more numerous the sins against this sta... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 19:12. FOR THERE ARE. Assuming that the married state is the normal one, three classes are here mentioned who should (or may) remain in celibacy: (1.) those who from natural incapacity or inaptitude, have no desire to marry; (2.) those who have been mutilated, a class very common once and no... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 19:13. THEN WERE BROUGHT UNTO HIM; probably by their parents. An encouragement to parents to bring even ‘infants' to Christ, since, according to Luke, such were among the little children. Thus the doubts of the disciples about the marriage state were answered. LAY HIS HANDS ON THEM. A reco... [ Continue Reading ]
This incident seems to be in proper chronological position. Luke's account at this point again becomes parallel to that of Matthew and Mark.... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 19:14. SUFFER THE LITTLE CHILDREN, etc. The natural impulse would be to bring children to Him, do not check it. FORBID THEM NOT, as the disciples did, and many since then. TO SUCH BELONGETH THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. As in Matthew 18:1-14, the reference is to children in spirit (comp. Mark 10... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 19:16. BEHOLD. The circumstance was remarkable in view of the opposition of the Pharisees. ONE CAME. This young ruler, who ran and kneeled to Christ (Mark 10:17), was an honest, earnest seeker after truth and life, with some admiration for, and confidence in, Jesus as a human teacher. But... [ Continue Reading ]
This section is in its proper chronological position. Our Lord ‘departed thence' (Matthew 19:15), but on the way (Mark 10:17) He was met by this ‘ruler' (Luke 18:18). Our Lord first presented the high ideal of marriage, the closest human tie, with a hint that even this must be subordinate to the cla... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 19:17. WHY ASKEST THOU ME OF THAT WHICH IS GOOD? ONE THERE IS WHO IS GOOD. The common version follows a reading corrected to conform with the other two. The variety sheds light on the whole conversation. Either two questions and answers occurred, or Matthew gives this form to bring out the t... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 19:18. WHICH? That is, of what kind. THOU SHALT NOT KILL, ETC. THOSE COMMANDMENTS involving duties toward our fellow men are cited, so as to meet the young man on his own ground.... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 19:19. HONOUR THY FATHER AND THY MOTHER. This commandment connects the two classes of duties enjoined in the Decalogue, but is here presented as involving duty to man. Hence the position it occupies in all three accounts. THOU SHALT LOVE THY NEIGHBOUR AT THYSELF. A summing up of our duties... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 19:20. ALL THESE HAVE I KEPT. Externally moral, perhaps self-righteous, he yet felt that he lacked something. Peace of conscience had not been attained by his keeping of ‘all these.' He had yet to learn how much he lacked of even comprehending the spirituality of the law.... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 19:21. IF THOU WOULDEST BE PERFECT. Mark and Luke: ‘one thing thou lackest.' One duty still remained to make his obedience complete, judged from his own point of view. Not that he had done all except this one duty, but a _test_ is proposed, to prove that the whole obedience lacked the proper... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 19:22. HE WENT AWAY SORROWFUL. Not unaffected, he yet went away. Nothing further if known of him. As Jesus ‘loved him,' and therefore taught him his duty, that love may have followed him and led him to a right decision. But the silence about his future course hints, that whatever light and l... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 19:23. A RICH MAN SHILL ENTER HARDLY, _i.e._, ‘with difficulty,' into the KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. Comp. Mark 10:24: ‘them that trust in riches.' Yet such trust is the natural result of possession, or of even the strong desire to possess.... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 19:24. EASIER FOR A CAMEL, etc. A strong declaration of impossibility (comp. Matthew 19:26). This has been weakened in two ways: (1.) by the change of a single letter (in some manuscripts), of the original, altering ‘camel' into ‘rope;' (2.) by explaining the EYE OF A NEEDLE to mean the smal... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 19:25. WHO THEN CAN BE SAVED? Since all may have some possessions, and naturally love to have more. Their temporal views of the kingdom were also mixed with their question.... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 19:26. LOOKED UPON _them._ To give force to this profound statement, and perhaps in kindly sympathy with their weakness and want of understanding. WITH MEN THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE. Not only in their judgment, but with their power. With God all things are possible. God's grace not only can, but... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 19:27. LO, WE LEFT ALL. Whatever they had, and not all of them were poor, they left. WHAT THEM SHALL WE HAVE. ‘We' in contrast to this young man who did not stand the test. The answer indicates a little self-righteous boasting in the question; the parable would oppose any remnant of a merc... [ Continue Reading ]
The direct reply to Peter's question is found in all three accounts; the parable is peculiar to Matthew. It loses most of its seeming difficulties, when connected with the previous conversation. The question of Peter had reference to a _preeminent_ reward, and after the promise to them (which is cha... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 19:28. YE, _i.e.,_ the Apostles. IN THE REGENERATION, or ‘renovation' (only here and Titus 3:5). Joined with what follows, which tells ‘when' this will be, and shows that it means the accomplishment of the spiritual renovation of the world (comp. Revelation 21:5; Acts 3:21). As this will b... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 19:29. AND EVERY ONE. The promise is of general application. HOUSES. ‘Homes,' household ties, rather than ‘possessions,' which are mentioned afterwards. BRETHREN, etc. ‘The family relations are mentioned in the order in which they would be left _..' ‘_ Wife' is to be omitted both here an... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 19:30. BUT MANY SHALL BE LAST THAT ARE FIRST,; AND FIRST THAT ARE LAST. A general truth in proverbial form; here a caution against trusting to appearances or to the permanence of present circumstances and conditions. The promise must be accompanied by a caution, especially in view of the com... [ Continue Reading ]