_And seeing the multitudes_ A vast concourse of people assembled from all parts to attend him, some with their sick to obtain cures, for he never rejected any who applied to him; some out of curiosity to see his miracles, and hear his extraordinary doctrine; some with a design to find fault and cens... [ Continue Reading ]
_Blessed are the poor in spirit_ The word μακαριοι, here rendered _blessed_, properly means _happy_, and it may be better to translate it so, because our Lord seems to intimate by it, not only that the dispositions here recommended are the way to future blessedness, but that they immediately confer... [ Continue Reading ]
_Blessed_ [or _happy_] _are they that mourn_ Namely, for their own sins and those of other men, and are steadily and habitually serious, watchful, and circumspect; for _they shall be comforted_ Even in this world, with the consolation that arises from a sense of the forgiveness of sins, peace with G... [ Continue Reading ]
_Blessed_ [or _happy_] _are the meek_ Persons of a mild, gentle, long-suffering, and forgiving disposition, who are slow to anger, and averse from wrath; not easily provoked, and if at any time at all provoked, soon pacified; who never resent an injury, nor return evil for evil; but make it their ca... [ Continue Reading ]
_Blessed are they which hunger and thirst after righteousness_ That, instead of desiring the possessions of others, and endeavouring to obtain them by violence or deceit; and instead of coveting this world's goods, sincerely, earnestly, and perseveringly desire universal holiness of heart and life,... [ Continue Reading ]
_Blessed_ [or _happy_] _are the merciful_ The tender-hearted, compassionate, kind, and beneficent, who, being inwardly affected with the infirmities, necessities, and miseries of their fellow-creatures, and feeling them as their own, with tender sympathy endeavour, as they have ability, to relieve t... [ Continue Reading ]
_The pure in heart_ Those whose hearts are purified by faith; who are not only sprinkled from an evil conscience by the blood of Jesus, but cleansed by the Spirit of God from vain thoughts, unprofitable reasonings, earthly and sensual desires, and corrupt passions; who are purified from pride, self-... [ Continue Reading ]
_The peace-makers_ Those who are themselves of a peaceable temper, and endeavour to promote peace in others: who _study to be quiet_, and, as _much as in them lieth_, to live peaceably with all men: who are so far from sowing the seeds of discord between any of their fellow-creatures, that they both... [ Continue Reading ]
_For righteousness' sake_ Or for the sake of Christ and a good conscience; that Isaiah, 1 st, for their steady belief and profession of, and adherence to any article of Christian faith; 2d, for their performance of any duty, which they owe to God, their neighbour, or themselves, or for their obedien... [ Continue Reading ]
_Blessed are ye_ My true and faithful followers, _when men shall revile you_ Shall unjustly and injuriously reproach you; and _say all manner of evil against you falsely_ This both the Jews and heathen did with respect to the first Christians, and this the Papists have done with regard to the Protes... [ Continue Reading ]
_Ye_ Not the apostles, not ministers only; but all who possess and manifest the graces spoken of in the preceding verses, and are truly holy and righteous; _are the salt of the earth_ Appointed to be the means of preventing or curing the growth of that corruption which prevails in the world, and of... [ Continue Reading ]
_Ye are the light of the world_ The effect of light being to make things manifest, Ephesians 5:13, and to direct us in the way in which we are to walk; the import of this metaphor is, that Christ had appointed his disciples in general, and his apostles and the other ministers of his gospel in partic... [ Continue Reading ]
_Let your light_ The light of that doctrine which you receive from me, and the light of your holy conversation, _so shine before men_ Be so evident and apparent unto men, _that they may see your good works, and glorify_, &c. That is, that seeing your good works they may both praise God for sending s... [ Continue Reading ]
_Think not that I am come to destroy To abrogate, annul_, or _repeal_, (which seems to be the meaning of the word καταλυσαι, here,) _the law or the prophets_ As your teachers do. It is manifest from the following discourse, that our Lord principally spake of the moral law, several of the precepts of... [ Continue Reading ]
_For verily I say unto you_ This expression, whereby our Lord often prefaces what he is about to say, always imports the great importance, as well as certain truth of it. _Till heaven and earth pass away_ Till the whole visible frame of nature be disjointed and dissolved, _one jot or one tittle_ “Th... [ Continue Reading ]
_Whosoever therefore shall break_ Shall himself transgress in his practice, or pervert and weaken by his doctrine, _one of these least commandments, and teach men so_ Shall direct or encourage men to do the same, or shall teach them, either by word or example, that the obligation of these commands i... [ Continue Reading ]
_For, except your righteousness shall exceed_ Gr. περισσευση, _shall abound more_ than _the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees_ Than that which is apparent in their lives, or even required in their precepts, as is described in the sequel of this discourse, as highly as they are generally est... [ Continue Reading ]
_Ye have heard_ Namely, from the scribes reciting the law, _that it was said by them of old time_, or _to the ancients_, as ερρεθη τιος αρχαιοις, might be properly rendered. _Thou shalt not kill_ Words which they interpreted barely of the outward act of murder; _and whosoever shall kill_ Or be guilt... [ Continue Reading ]
_Therefore_, &c. “Because men are very apt to fall into rash anger, and to express their anger by contemptuous speeches and abusive names, fancying that there is no sin in these things, or but little, and that the compensation may easily be made for them by acts of devotion, Jesus declares that aton... [ Continue Reading ]
_Agree_, &c. Here our Lord enforces the preceding exhortation, from the consideration of what is reckoned prudent in ordinary quarrel and law-suits. “In such cases, wise men always advise the party that has done wrong to make up matters with his adversary while it is in his power, lest the sentence... [ Continue Reading ]
_Ye have heard_, &c. Jesus now proceeds in his sermon to the seventh commandment, the true interpretation of which he gives us. _Thou shalt not commit adultery_ This, as well as the sixth commandment, the scribes and Pharisees interpreted barely of the outward act. _But I say unto you_, &c. The comm... [ Continue Reading ]
_If thy right eye offend thee_ If any person or thing, as pleasant and as dear to thee as thy right eye, should be a stumbling-block in thy way, and an occasion of thy falling, or should be a means of insnaring thee, and leading thee into sin, _pluck it out_ With inexorable resolution: that is, give... [ Continue Reading ]
_Let him give her a writing of divorcement_ “The doctors of the school of Sammai affirmed, that, in the law concerning divorce, Deuteronomy 24:1, the words _some uncleanness_, were to be understood of adultery only; whereas, they of the school of Hillel interpreted them of any matter of dislike what... [ Continue Reading ]
_Ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time_ Or rather, _was said to the ancients, Thou shalt not forswear thyself_, &c. See the margin. The Jewish doctors affirmed, that oaths were obligatory according to the nature of the things by which a man swears: Matthew 23:10. Hence they allowe... [ Continue Reading ]
_Ye have heard_, &c. Our Lord proceeds to enforce such meekness and love toward their enemies, on those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, as were utterly unknown to the scribes and Pharisees. And this subject he pursues to the end of the chapter. _It hath been said_, viz., in the law, Deut... [ Continue Reading ]
_Ye have heard that it hath been said_ In this, as is in the former instances, our Lord, intending to comprehend not only the law itself, but the explications of it given by the Jewish doctors, and said to be derived by tradition from the mouth of Moses, does not say, _Ye know_, but, Ye _have heard,... [ Continue Reading ]