AND HE SPOKE A PARABLE UNTO THEM,.... To his own disciples, as the Ethiopic version reads, in order to encourage them to prayer, with perseverance in it; since such sore times of trial and affliction were coming upon the Jews, of which he had spoken in the preceding chapter; and such times more espe... [ Continue Reading ]
SAYING, THERE WAS IN A CITY A JUDGE,.... In every city in the land of Israel, there was a sanhedrim, or court of judicature; in Jerusalem was the great sanhedrim, consisting of seventy one; and in every city where there were an hundred and twenty men, or more, there was a lesser sanhedrim, consistin... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THERE WAS A WIDOW IN THAT CITY,.... Poor and helpless, and none among men to counsel, direct, and assist her, and take her part: now as in the accommodation of this parable, the elect of God answer to this widow; such an one is rather pitched upon to represent the helpless, desolate, and forlorn... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE WOULD NOT FOR A WHILE,.... He would give no ear to her cries, nor take her cause in hand, nor right her wrongs, and clear her of her adversary: BUT AFTERWARD HE SAID WITHIN HIMSELF; as he was considering the matter in his own mind, and reflecting on this woman's case and the frequent applica... [ Continue Reading ]
YET BECAUSE THIS WIDOW TROUBLETH ME,.... By often knocking at his door, by loud cries and earnest entreaties, with strong arguments, and floods of tears, and could not easily be removed from his presence, or got out of his house: I WILL AVENGE HER; I will hear her cause, do her justice, and deliver... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE LORD SAID,.... The Lord Jesus Christ, who delivered out this parable to his disciples: HEAR WHAT THE UNJUST JUDGE SAITH; and take encouragement from hence to be frequent and importunate in prayer with God; for if such a cruel, merciless, and unjust judge is to be wrought upon by importunity... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SHALL NOT GOD AVENGE HIS OWN ELECT,.... Who are a select number, a special people, whom he has loved with an everlasting love, so as of his own sovereign good will and pleasure to choose in his Son Jesus Christ unto everlasting life and salvation, through certain ways and means of his own appoin... [ Continue Reading ]
I TELL YOU THAT HE WILL AVENGE THEM SPEEDILY,.... As he did in a few years after the death of Christ, when God's elect among the Jews were singled out, and gathered in from them, and were delivered from their persecutors, and saved from temporal ruin and destruction, whilst the Roman army made sad h... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SPAKE THIS PARABLE UNTO CERTAIN,.... Or with respect to certain men; having a view to them, in order to expose their pride, vanity, arrogance, and self confidence: WHICH TRUSTED IN THEMSELVES THAT THEY WERE RIGHTEOUS; or, as if they were righteous; or because they were so in their own eyes,... [ Continue Reading ]
TWO MEN WENT UP INTO THE TEMPLE TO PRAY, Which is called an house of prayer, Isaiah 56:7 the Jews had a mighty notion of praying in a place of religious worship, as in the temple, or in a synagogue; imagining that their prayers were more acceptable to God, and sooner heard by him in such a place tha... [ Continue Reading ]
THE PHARISEE STOOD,.... Standing was a praying posture; Matthew 6:5 nor is this observed, as if it was something amiss: but the sense is, either that he stood in some place of eminence, that he might be seen of others; or he stood in a set, fixed posture, in a very grave and solemn manner, showing... [ Continue Reading ]
I FAST TWICE IN THE WEEK,.... Not "on the sabbath", as the words may be literally rendered, and as they are in the Vulgate Latin and Ethiopic versions; for the sabbath was not a fasting, but a feasting day with the Jews; for they were obliged to eat three meals, or feasts, on a sabbath day, one in t... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE PUBLICAN STANDING AFAR OFF,.... Not at the outermost porch, or at the door: for "a man might not fix his place at the door of the synagogue, but, ירחיק, "he must go afar off", the space of two doors, and then pray r;'' it may be in the court of the Gentiles, when the Pharisee was in the co... [ Continue Reading ]
I TELL YOU THAT THIS MAN,.... The publican that so freely owned himself to be a sinner, and by his carriage acknowledged he was unworthy of any favour; and who was treated with so much contempt by the Pharisee: WENT DOWN TO HIS HOUSE; from the temple which was built on a mountain, JUSTIFIED, [RATH... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY BROUGHT UNTO HIM ALSO INFANTS,.... As well as grown persons, that were sick, to be healed by him: THAT HE WOULD TOUCH THEM; in order, as some learned men think, to cure them of diseases that attended them; for one of the ways by which Christ healed persons, was by touching them; nor do we... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT JESUS CALLED THEM UNTO HIM,.... Not the disciples, as the Ethiopic version reads, nor the persons that brought the children, but the children themselves; for the antecedent to the relative αυτα, "them", can be no other; which shows, that these infants were not new born babes, or children at the... [ Continue Reading ]
VERILY I SAY UNTO YOU,...., Christ takes an occasion from hence to teach his disciples humility, and guard them against pride and vanity: WHOSOEVER SHALL NOT RECEIVE THE KINGDOM OF GOD; the King Messiah, the doctrines of the Gospel, and the ordinances of it, even the whole Gospel dispensation; AS... [ Continue Reading ]
AND A CERTAIN RULER ASKED HIM,.... A young man, Matthew 19:20 a ruler among the Jews, a civil magistrate, and a very rich man; he ran after Jesus, and overtook him in the way, as he was going towards Jericho, Mark 10:17 SAYING, GOOD MASTER; "Rabbi"; or doctor, WHAT SHALL I DO TO INHERIT ETERNAL L... [ Continue Reading ]
AND JESUS SAID UNTO HIM,.... In answer to his question, beginning with the character he gave him: WHY CALLEST THOU ME GOOD? it being unusual to address men, even their Rabbins, under such a title: NONE IS GOOD, SAVE ONE, [THAT IS], GOD: or "but God alone"; as the Vulgate Latin and Arabic versions... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU KNOWEST THE COMMANDMENTS,.... The ten commandments given to Moses, and delivered to people; and which they were careful to teach their children; though five are only here mentioned, and not in the order in which they stand: suggesting hereby that these must be kept, or the law must he fulfilled... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SAID,.... That is, the ruler said to him, as the Syriac and Ethiopic versions add; "to Jesus", as the Persic version expresses it; ALL THESE HAVE I KEPT FROM MY YOUTH UP; Matthew 19:20 where it is added, what lack I yet?... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW WHEN JESUS HEARD THESE THINGS,.... That he had kept all these commandments, and that ever since he was a child, and to that very time: HE SAID UNTO HIM, YET LACKEST THOU ONE THING; not but that he lacked many other things, and even every thing: for he had performed no one thing as it should be:... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN HE HEARD THIS,.... That one thing was wanting, and what that was, which was to part with all his worldly substance, and follow Christ; HE WAS VERY SORROWFUL, FOR HE WAS VERY RICH; Matthew 19:22.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN JESUS SAW THAT HE WAS VERY SORROWFUL,.... As he might, by his looks and gestures; and perceived that he was determined not to part with his possessions, and follow him: HE SAID TO HIS DISCIPLES, HOW HARDLY SHALL THEY THAT HAVE RICHES ENTER INTO THE KINGDOM OF GOD! embrace the Gospel, and s... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR IT IS EASIER FOR A CAMEL,.... These words were spoken to the disciples again, and were a second address to them, after they had shown astonishment at the former; Matthew 19:24 and Mark 10:24.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY THAT HEARD IT, SAID, WHO THEN CAN BE SAVED?] These were the disciples of Christ, who so said; see Matthew 19:25.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SAID,.... That is, Jesus, as the Syriac, Persic, and Ethiopic versions express it: THE THINGS WHICH ARE IMPOSSIBLE WITH MEN, ARE POSSIBLE WITH GOD; Matthew 19:26.... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN PETER SAID,.... "To him", as the Syriac and Arabic versions add; that is, to the Lord Jesus, as the Ethiopic version expresses it; who was always the most forward to speak on any occasion: he observing what was required of the young man, and how unwilling he was to comply with it, and the diffi... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SAID UNTO THEM,.... To his disciples, as the Ethiopic version reads; though the Syriac and Persic versions read, "and Jesus said to him"; that is, to Peter; he particularly replied to him: VERILY I SAY UNTO YOU, THERE IS NO MAN: not only you shall have peculiar honour done you, as to sit on... [ Continue Reading ]
WHO SHALL NOT RECEIVE MANIFOLD MORE IN THIS PRESENT TIME,.... Not more houses, parents, brethren, c. but that which is abundantly preferable to them such comfort, peace, satisfaction, and pleasure, as are not to be found in such enjoyments: AND IN THE WORLD TO COME LIFE EVERLASTING; which was what... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN HE TOOK UNTO HIM THE TWELVE,.... His twelve disciples, as the Ethiopic version expresses it; he took them aside from the rest of the company, as they were travelling on the road, and privately delivered to them, what follows; see Matthew 20:17 AND SAID UNTO THEM, BEHOLD, WE GO UP TO JERUSALEM;... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR HE SHALL BE DELIVERED UNTO THE GENTILES,.... As he was by the chief priests, Scribes, and elders, to Pilate, the Roman governor, and by him to the soldiers: AND SHALL BE MOCKED; as he was by the latter, when they crowned him with thorns, arrayed him in a purple robe, and put a reed into his han... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY SHALL SCOURGE HIM,.... As he was by Pilate's order, before he was crucified: AND PUT HIM TO DEATH; a shameful, and a painful one, the death of the cross: AND THE THIRD DAY HE SHALL RISE AGAIN; as he accordingly did.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY UNDERSTOOD NONE OF THESE THINGS,.... "Not one of them", as the Syriac and Persic versions render it; every article of his sufferings and death were unintelligible by them; they knew not how to understand him in any one point: or how to reconcile these things to the notions they had entertai... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IT CAME TO PASS THAT AS HE WAS COME NIGH UNTO JERICHO,.... Which lay in his way to Jerusalem; A CERTAIN BLIND MAN SAT BY THE WAY SIDE BEGGING: this was not blind Bartimaeus, nor his companion, for they were cured by Christ as he went out of Jericho; but this man before he came to it; for we aft... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HEARING THE MULTITUDE PASS BY,.... Their "voice", as the Syriac version expresses it; the noise of their feet, and especially of their tongues; HE ASKED WHAT IT MEANT? what was the meaning of this concourse of people, and of this clamorous noise; or, as the Syriac version reads, "who it should... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY TOLD HIM, THAT JESUS OF NAZARETH PASSETH BY. Some of the company answered him, that Jesus, the prophet of Nazareth, so much talked of, and said to be the Messiah, who was become so famous for his doctrines and miracles, for healing diseases, and dispossessing devils, was just "then" passing... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE CRIED, SAYING, JESUS THOU SON OF DAVID,.... Believing him, at once, to be the Messiah; whence he calls him the son of David, which was a character and title of the Messiah, well known to the Jews; Matthew 1:1 and therefore immediately called out unto him, being willing to take that opportunit... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY THAT WENT BEFORE,.... In the company that preceded Christ; for he, as yet, was not come right over against the blind man: REBUKED HIM THAT HE SHOULD HOLD HIS PEACE; being not well pleased that he should call him the son of David, which was acknowledging him to be the Messiah; or that he mi... [ Continue Reading ]
AND JESUS STOOD,.... He stood still; he made a full stop, and went no further, when, it is very likely, he was just over against him: AND COMMANDED HIM TO BE BROUGHT UNTO HIM; either by the disciples, or by some of the multitude: AND WHEN HE WAS COME NEAR HE ASKED HIM; the following question.... [ Continue Reading ]
SAYING, WHAT WILT THOU THAT I SHALL DO UNTO THEE?.... Is it alms thou askest? or is it thy sight thou wouldst have restored? AND HE SAID, LORD, THAT I MAY RECEIVE MY SIGHT; this he chose, this was his request, and what he cried so vehemently for; and which he believed Christ, the son of David, was... [ Continue Reading ]
AND JESUS SAID UNTO HIM, RECEIVE THY SIGHT,.... Be it to thee as thou desirest, look up and see: thus by a word speaking, and power going along with it, without making use of any means, he fulfilled his desire. THY FAITH HATH SAVED THEE; or has obtained salvation for thee, a temporal salvation; and... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IMMEDIATELY HE RECEIVED HIS SIGHT,.... As soon as ever the word was gone out of Christ's mouth, virtue went forth from him, and cured the man of his blindness; his eyes were at once opened, and he saw as other men; AND FOLLOWED HIM; his kind benefactor, with a grateful sense of his goodness, wi... [ Continue Reading ]