AND WHEN THEY CAME NIGH TO JERUSALEM,.... The Syriac and Ethiopic versions read, "when he came nigh"; that is, Jesus; though not without his disciples, nor the multitude: UNTO BETHPHAGE AND BETHANY; two places so called, near Jerusalem: Bethphage began where Bethany ended, and reached to the city i... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SAITH UNTO THEM, GO YOUR WAY INTO THE VILLAGE,.... Either of Bethany or of Nob. The Ethiopic version renders it "the city", and so reads a copy of Stephens's: some have thought the city of Jerusalem is intended, but without any reason; Matthew 21:9; OVER AGAINST YOU. The Syriac and Persic vers... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IF ANY MAN SAY UNTO YOU,.... As very likely they would, and it would be strange if they should not say something to them, especially the owners of it: WHY DO YE THIS? Why do ye untie the ass, and attempt to carry it away, when it is none of your own, and it belongs to another man? SAY YE THAT... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY WENT THEIR WAY,.... The two disciples went to the village, where Christ sent them, without objecting any difficulties that might present, in the execution of these orders: AND FOUND THE COLT TIED BY THE DOOR WITHOUT; in the street, fastened to the door of the owner's house, at the town's e... [ Continue Reading ]
AND CERTAIN OF THEM THAT STOOD THERE,.... The Ethiopic version reads, who walked there; who were either standing hard by, or walking about the place, being inhabitants of it; and either the owners of the colt, or their servants, or both: SAID UNTO THEM, WHAT DO YE LOOSING THE COLT? What do ye mean... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY SAID UNTO THEM,.... The very express words, EVEN AS JESUS HAD COMMANDED: not that these were the words they said, but "the Lord hath need of him": upon which they said no more, were satisfied and contented, that they should untie the colt, and take it with them: AND THEY LET THEM GO; and... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY BROUGHT THE COLT TO JESUS,.... Where he was, AND CAST THEIR GARMENTS ON HIM; their clothes to be instead of a saddle, for Christ to sit upon: AND HE SAT UPON HIM; or "Jesus rode on him", as the Syriac version renders it. The Ethiopic version reads, "they made him to mount him"; that is, t... [ Continue Reading ]
AND MANY SPREAD THEIR GARMENTS IN THE WAY,.... Instead of carpets to ride on, and in honour to him as a king: AND OTHERS CUT DOWN BRANCHES OFF THE TREES, AND STRAWED THEM IN THE WAY; in token of joy, as at the feast of tabernacles; Matthew 21:8.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY THAT WENT BEFORE, AND THEY THAT FOLLOWED,.... They that came from Jerusalem to meet him, and they that followed him from Jericho and other parts; which two bodies, the one went before him, and the other followed after him: and CRIED, SAYING, HOSANNA, BLESSED IS HE THAT COMETH IN THE NAME O... [ Continue Reading ]
BLESSED BE THE KINGDOM OF OUR FATHER DAVID,.... It was more usual with the Jews to call Abraham their father; but, because the Messiah was David's son, therefore, with respect to him, they here call him their father: and their meaning is, let the kingdom promised to our father David, and to his seed... [ Continue Reading ]
AND JESUS ENTERED INTO JERUSALEM,.... this public manner, riding upon an ass, with the multitude attending hin, some going before, and others after, crying, "Hosanna" to him: AND INTO THE TEMPLE; which he rode up directly to; the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, Persic, and Ethiopic versions, leave out the c... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ON THE MORROW,.... The next day early in the morning, WHEN THEY WERE COME FROM BETHANY; Christ, and his twelve disciples. The Syriac and Persic versions read, "when he came out of Bethany"; though not alone, but with the twelve disciples, who went with him there, and returned with him, as appea... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SEEING A FIG TREE AFAR OFF,.... By the wayside, at some distance from him: HAVING LEAVES; very large and spreading, which made a great show, as if there might be fruit on it: HE CAME; unto it; either he went out of his way to it, or having seen it before him a good way off, at length came up t... [ Continue Reading ]
AND JESUS ANSWERED AND SAID UNTO IT,.... The fig tree; a Jewish way of speaking, often used when nothing before is said; the Syriac, Arabic, and Persic versions, leave out the word "answered", as they do also the word "Jesus"; and which is likewise omitted by the Vulgate Latin, though the other is r... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY CAME TO JERUSALEM,.... The Ethiopic version reads, "he came"; that is, Christ; but not alone, for his disciples were with him: Beza says, that, one exemplar he had met with, adds "again", and so one of Stephens's copies; for they had been there the day before: AND JESUS WENT INTO THE TEMPL... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WOULD NOT SUFFER THAT ANY MAN,.... He was more strict and severe than the day before; and gave orders, that they should be so far from being allowed to sit and trade in that sacred place, that no man SHOULD CARRY ANY VESSEL THROUGH THE TEMPLE; should make a, thoroughfare of it, by carrying thro... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE TAUGHT, SAYING UNTO THEM, IS IT NOT WRITTEN,.... In Isaiah 56:7. MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED OF ALL NATIONS, THE HOUSE OF PRAYER? For not only the Jews went up to the temple to pray, see Luke 18:10, but the Gentiles also, who became of the Jewish religion, and had a court built for that purpos... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE SCRIBES AND CHIEF PRIESTS HEARD IT,.... The reproof he gave to the money changers, and buyers, and sellers in the temple; and his strict prohibition that none should carry any vessels through it; and the argument he used from the prophecy of Isaiah, and the sharp rebuke he gave for the profa... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN EVEN WAS COME, HE WENT OUT OF THE CITY. Of Jerusalem, as he did the evening before, and for the same reasons: probably he went to Bethany, where he had lodged the last night, with Lazarus, Martha, and Mary; or to the Mount of Olives, where he sometimes spent the night in prayer: the Syriac... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IN THE MORNING, AS THEY PASSED BY,.... The fig tree; when they returned the next morning from Bethany, or the Mount of Olives, or the place, wherever it was, they had been that night: THEY SAW THE FIG TREE DRIED UP FROM THE ROOTS; they did not see it immediately wither as it did, nor could they... [ Continue Reading ]
AND PETER, CALLING TO REMEMBRANCE,.... Not so much the tree, and its spreading leaves, and the greatness of it, and the flourishing condition it was in, the other day, as the imprecation of Christ upon it: SAITH UNTO HIM, MASTER, BEHOLD, THE FIG TREE WHICH THOU CURSEDST IS WITHERED AWAY; which he o... [ Continue Reading ]
AND JESUS ANSWERING, SAITH UNTO THEM,.... To all the disciples; for what Peter said, he said in the name of them all; and according to Matthew, the disciples said, "how soon is the fig tree withered away?" To which this is an answer; though the Arabic version renders it, "to him"; as if the words we... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR VERILY I SAY UNTO YOU, THAT WHOSOEVER SHALL SAY UNTO THIS MOUNTAIN,.... The Mount of Olives, at, or near which they now were, BE THOU REMOVED, AND BE THOU CAST INTO THE SEA; that is, of Galilee, which was nearest, and yet many miles off: AND SHALL NOT DOUBT IN HIS HEART, BUT SHALL BELIEVE THAT... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE I SAY UNTO YOU,.... For encouragement in prayer more particularly, without which nothing should be attempted, and especially which is above the power of nature, and is of a miraculous kind: WHATSOEVER THINGS YE DESIRE WHEN YE PRAY; that is, according to the revealed will of God, is for th... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN YE STAND PRAYING,.... Are about to engage in that work, or are engaged in it, performing it in such a posture; for standing was an usual posture in praying; Matthew 6:5; FORGIVE, IF YE HAVE OUGHT AGAINST ANY, THAT YOUR FATHER ALSO IN HEAVEN MAY FORGIVE YOU YOUR TRESPASSES. The sense is, th... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT IF YE DO NOT FORGIVE,.... Freely and fully, such as have trespassed against you, remit the debts they owe, and pass by the offences and injuries done you, and put up with every affront and indignity: NEITHER WILL YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER FORGIVE YOUR TRESPASSES; that is, such persons do not appear... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY COME AGAIN TO JERUSALEM,.... The Persic and Ethiopic versions read, "he came", which must be understood with his disciples; for they never parted from him till he was apprehended in the garden. Luke says, Luke 20:1, that it was "on one of those days"; and the Persic version here reads, "on... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SAY UNTO HIM, BY WHAT AUTHORITY DOST THOU DO THESE THINGS?.... Enter into the temple, as if he was Lord of it; and correct in such a magisterial way every thing he thought an abuse in it; do the miracles he did, as healing the lame, and blind; and take upon him to instruct the people, a work he... [ Continue Reading ]
AND JESUS ANSWERED AND SAID UNTO THEM,.... Being not in the least intimidated by such a body of men: I WILL ALSO ASK OF YOU ONE QUESTION; or "one word", or "one thing"; λογος, here answers to the Hebrew word דבר, which signifies both "word" and "thing": AND ANSWER ME, AND I WILL TELL YOU BY WHAT... [ Continue Reading ]
THE BAPTISM OF JOHN,.... The doctrine of which he was the first preacher, and the ordinance of which he was the first administrator: WAS IT FROM HEAVEN, OR OF MEN? was it of divine or of human institution? ANSWER ME; directly and plainly, without any shuffling, or evasion: it is a fair question, a... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY REASONED WITH THEMSELVES SAYING,.... Privately; perhaps, they withdrew at a little distance for a short time, and consulted among themselves what answer to return; and the amount of their reasonings were this; IF WE SHALL SAY FROM HEAVEN, HE WILL SAY, WHY THEN DID YE NOT BELIEVE HIM? that... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT IF WE SHALL SAY, OF MEN,.... That John's baptism was an human invention, and he had no authority from God to preach and administer it, THEY FEARED THE PEOPLE; lest being enraged thereby they should, at once, rise up, and destroy them: FOR ALL MEN COUNTED JOHN, THAT HE WAS A PROPHET INDEED; a r... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY ANSWERED AND SAID UNTO JESUS,.... Being reduced by this dilemma to the greatest streight and difficulty; WE CANNOT TELL: they could, if they would, but they did not care to tell; they knew if they did, they should expose themselves one way or other: AND JESUS ANSWERING, SAITH UNTO THEM, N... [ Continue Reading ]