THE SAME DAY JESUS WENT OUT OF THE HOUSE,.... Where he had been preaching, and working miracles: where this house was, is not certain; it seems to have been in one of the cities of Galilee, probably Capernaum, since that was by the sea coast: the reason of his going out of the house was, either to c... [ Continue Reading ]
AND GREAT MULTITUDES WERE GATHERED UNTO HIM,.... Some on one account, and some on another; some to see his person, others his miracles; some healing for their bodies, and others for their souls; some for the loaves, and others to hear him preach; and of these there were several sorts, as the followi... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SPAKE MANY THINGS UNTO THEM IN PARABLES,.... For the parables of the sower, and the different sorts of ground the seed fell in, of the wheat and tares, of the grain of mustard seed, of the leaven in three measures of meal, of the treasure hid in a field, of the pearl of great price, of the ne... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN HE SOWED,.... Or, "as he sowed", as the other evangelists; that is, "whilst he was sowing", SOME SEEDS FELL; either out of his hand, or out of the cart drawn by oxen; hence the c Talmudists distinguish between מפולת יד, "the falling of the hand", or what falls out of the hand; and שוורים... [ Continue Reading ]
SOME FELL UPON STONY PLACES,.... Such a place as the Jews call חולסית, a barren, stony place, a place from whence, they say, they take stones, and בית סלע, and which אינו ראוי לזריעה, "is not fit for sowing" d; and such were those places and spots of ground, that some of these seeds fell upon; and d... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN THE SUN WAS UP,.... Some time, and its heat was increasing, and it began to shine out hot, and beat with some vehemency and strength; which may denote some sore temptation, or severe affliction, or fiery trial of persecution and tribulation; see Matthew 13:21 for this is not to be understoo... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SOME FELL AMONG THORNS,.... On a spot of ground which was full of the roots of thorns, and briars, which was not cleared of them as it should be. We often read e of שדה שנתקוצה, "a field cleared of thorns"; but such was not this piece of ground, it was overrun with them, not on the surface of th... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT OTHERS FELL INTO GOOD GROUND,.... Not beaten and trodden by the feet of men, nor stony, nor thorny, but well broke up, manured, and tilled; which designs good, honest hearted hearers who become so by the Spirit and grace of God; who with a spiritual understanding, experience, savour, and relish,... [ Continue Reading ]
WHO HATH EARS TO HEAR, LET HIM HEAR. Not externally only, but internally; he that has ears given him to hear, so as to understand, let him make use of them, and seriously consider of, and diligently attend to the use and importance of this parable. It is a way of speaking used by Christ, when anythi... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE DISCIPLES CAME, AND SAID UNTO HIM,.... Not the twelve only, but others that were about him, as Mark says, who also were his disciples, and believed in him: these, when he was alone, came nearer to him, who, whilst he was preaching to the people, were at some little distance from him, either... [ Continue Reading ]
HE ANSWERED, AND SAID UNTO THEM,.... Christ was always ready to give an answer to his inquiring disciples, concerning his ministry, and his conduct in it; which shows great respect to them, and condescension in him: BECAUSE IT IS GIVEN TO YOU TO KNOW THE MYSTERIES OF THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN: by the ... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR WHOSOEVER HATH, TO HIM SHALL BE GIVEN,.... Whoever has the true grace of God implanted in him, has a saving knowledge of Christ, and a spiritual acquaintance with the doctrines of the Gospel, shall have more grace given him; he shall grow in the knowledge of Christ, and the Spirit of truth shall... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE SPEAK I TO THEM IN PARABLES,.... Because it was the will and pleasure of his Father to give the knowledge of divine mysteries to some, and not to others; and because even the outward good things they had, being wrongly used or abused by them, would be taken away from them: AND BECAUSE THE... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IN THEM IS FULFILLED THE PROPHECY OF ESAIAS,.... In Isaiah 6:9 WHICH SAITH, which runs, or may be read thus, BY HEARING YE SHALL HEAR, AND SHALL NOT UNDERSTAND, AND SEEING YE SHALL SEE, AND NOT PERCEIVE. The words are a prophecy concerning the people of the Jews, which began to be accomplished... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THIS PEOPLE'S HEART IS WAXED GROSS, c,] Or fat, become stupid and sottish, and without understanding and so incapable of taking in the true sense and meaning of what they saw with their eyes, and heard with their ears; for they had their outward senses of hearing and seeing, and yet their intell... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT BLESSED ARE YOUR EYES, FOR THEY SEE,.... Which is to be understood both of corporal and intellectual sight: it was their happiness to see Christ in the flesh, and converse with him in person, be eyewitnesses of his majesty, and see with their own eyes the miracles performed by him, the proofs an... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR VERILY I SAY UNTO YOU,.... This is added for the further confirmation of what is before said, concerning the happiness of the disciples, in seeing and hearing what they did: THAT MANY PROPHETS, AND RIGHTEOUS MEN; Luke says, Luke 10:24 "kings" HAVE DESIRED TO SEE THOSE THINGS WHICH YE SEE, AND... [ Continue Reading ]
HEAR YE THEREFORE THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER. That is, the interpretation of the parable; for they had heard the parable before, and had desired an explanation of it; which, though not mentioned by Matthew, is, by the other evangelists, Mark 4:10, Luke 8:9 and since it was given to them to know the my... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN ANYONE HEARETH THE WORD OF THE KINGDOM,.... Hence it appears, that by the "seed" in the parable is meant the Gospel, called the "word of the kingdom": because it treats of the king Messiah, of his person, office, and grace; and of his kingdom, and the administration of it by him, under the pres... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT HE THAT RECEIVETH THE SEED INTO STONY PLACES,.... Such a hearer, who is like to the stony ground on which the seed fell, is one that is not an accidental hearer of the word, as the former, but a settled constant hearer of it; and not one that is careless and negligent, but diligent and attentive... [ Continue Reading ]
YET HATH HE NOT ROOT IN HIMSELF,.... Nor in Christ; the word is not rooted in him, nor has he the root of the matter, or the truth of grace in him: BUT DURETH FOR A WHILE; a hearer of the word, a professor of religion, showing some outward respect to the word, and to the preachers of it: FOR WHEN... [ Continue Reading ]
HE ALSO THAT RECEIVETH SEED AMONG THE THORNS,.... The hearer that is like to the thorny ground, on which the seed fell, IS HE THAT HEARETH THE WORD; not a profane sinner, nor a reviler of religion, or a persecutor of the saints; but one that not only shows a love to the word, but who seems to have... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT HE THAT RECEIVED SEED INTO THE GOOD GROUND,.... The hearer compared to good ground into which the seed fell, is he that heareth the word and understandeth it; has a new and spiritual understanding given him, feels the power of it on his heart, enlightening and quickening him; has an application... [ Continue Reading ]
ANOTHER PARABLE PUT HE FORTH UNTO THEM, SAYING,.... Somewhat like the former, but with a different view: for whereas the design of the former was to show the different sorts of hearers that attend upon the ministry of the word, three parts in four being bad; this is to show the difference of members... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT WHILE MEN SLEPT,.... Good men, ministers, and churches; whose case this sometimes is to be asleep in a spiritual sense: and which sleepiness lies in a non-exercise of grace; in a sluggishness to and in duty; in a contentment in external exercises of religion; in lukewarmness about the cause of C... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT WHEN THE BLADE WAS SPRUNG UP,.... That is, the blade of the wheat; which designs the taking up, a profession of religion on principles of grace, called a profession of faith; and when right, it springs up from, and proceeds upon a work begun in the heart: and such a profession ought to be made b... [ Continue Reading ]
SO THE SERVANTS OF THE HOUSEHOLDER CAME,.... Christ is the "householder"; the house of which he is master is the church, called the household of God, the household of faith, the family in heaven, and in earth; in which house he bears and sustains many relations, as those of a son, a priest, a master... [ Continue Reading ]
HE SAID UNTO THEM, AN ENEMY HAS DONE THIS,.... This is the answer of the householder to the question of his servants. In the Greek text it is, "an enemy man"; and is so rendered in the several versions; meaning, not that the enemy was a man; for he was the devil, as in Matthew 13:39 but it is an Heb... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT HE SAID, NAY,.... The answer is in the negative; and which, if spoken to angels, is to be understood, that they should not inflict punishments, or pour out, their vials, as yet, on formal professors, lest the righteous should share in them; and if to magistrates, the sense of it is, that they sh... [ Continue Reading ]
LET BOTH GROW TOGETHER UNTIL THE HARVEST,.... By "the harvest", is meant "the end of the world", Matthew 13:39 either of the Jewish world, the dissolution of their church and state, which was near; or of a man's life, which is the end of the world to him; or rather of this present world, the system... [ Continue Reading ]
ANOTHER PARABLE PUT HE FORTH UNTO THEM, SAYING,.... As the former parable sets forth the condition of the Gospel church state until the end of the world; this expresses the small beginnings of it, and the large increase and growth of it, and its great usefulness to the saints. THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN... [ Continue Reading ]
WHICH INDEED IS THE LEAST OF ALL SEEDS,.... So mustard with the Jews u, is called מין זרעים, "a kind of seeds"; and being very small, hence כחרדל, "as a grain of mustard", is often used, proverbially w, for the least thing, as it is by Christ, Matthew 17:20. Not but there are seeds lesser than this... [ Continue Reading ]
ANOTHER PARABLE SPAKE HE UNTO THEM,.... To the disciples and the multitude, and which was of the same kind, to the same purpose, and relating to the same subject as the former; the spread of the Gospel, and the increase of it in the world. THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS LIKE UNTO LEAVEN. The word "leaven... [ Continue Reading ]
ALL THESE THINGS SPAKE JESUS UNTO THE MULTITUDE,.... In the hearing of his disciples, whilst in the ship, the multitude being on the shore, IN PARABLES; in the four foregoing ones; AND WITHOUT A PARABLE SPAKE HE NOT UNTO THEM: not that he never had preached but in a parabolical way unto them, or t... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT IT MIGHT BE FULFILLED WHICH WAS SPOKEN BY THE PROPHET,.... Not Isaiah, as some copies in the times of Jerom read, but Asaph, who is called Asaph the seer, 2 Chronicles 29:30 which is all one as a prophet; vision is one sort of prophecy d; and there was such a thing as prophesying with harps, ps... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN JESUS SENT THE MULTITUDE AWAY,.... That his disciples might have the opportunity of conversing with him alone, about the sense of the parables he had delivered; and that he might instruct them by some others hereafter mentioned. AND WENT INTO THE HOUSE: left the ship in which he had been preac... [ Continue Reading ]
HE ANSWERED AND SAID UNTO THEM,.... Being very ready to answer their request, and willing to communicate spiritual knowledge to them; thereby showing great condescension, and humility in himself, and great affection to them: HE THAT SOWETH THE GOOD SEED, IS THE SON OF MAN; he that is signified by t... [ Continue Reading ]
THE FIELD IS THE WORLD,.... That which is represented by "the field", in which the good seed is sown, is not only the land of Judea, where Christ preached in person, but the whole world, into which the apostles were afterwards sent; or the church of Christ, in the several parts of the world: THE GO... [ Continue Reading ]
THE ENEMY THAT SOWED THEM IS THE DEVIL,.... He that is designed by the enemy, who sowed the tares in the field among the wheat, is no other than the devil; the enemy of Christ, of mankind in general, of God's elect in particular, and the accuser of the brethren; and his getting of hypocrites and her... [ Continue Reading ]
AS THEREFORE THE TARES ARE GATHERED,.... As it is represented in the parable, that in the time of harvest, the tares shall be gathered out from the wheat first; and being bound in bundles, shall be BURNT IN THE FIRE, prepared for that purpose, SO SHALL IT BE IN THE END OF THIS WORLD; hypocritical... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SON OF MAN SHALL SEND FORTH HIS ANGELS,.... Meaning himself, whose ministers the angels are; who wait upon him, and are at his beck and command; even the thousand thousands that minister unto him; these will be sent forth by his orders, into the several parts of the world, where he has any churc... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SHALL CAST THEM INTO A FURNACE OF FIRE,.... Not a material, but a metaphorical one; denoting the wrath of God, which shall fall upon wicked men, and abide upon them to all eternity: which is sometimes called hell fire, sometimes a lake which burns with fire and brimstone; and here a furnace of f... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN SHALL THE RIGHTEOUS SHINE FORTH AS THE SUN,.... The time referred to is, when the tares shall be separated from the wheat: when they that offend and do iniquity, shall be gathered out of Christ's kingdom; when the wicked shall be cast into hell: then the "righteous", not who are so merely in th... [ Continue Reading ]
AGAIN THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS LIKE UNTO TREASURE,.... By which is meant, not eternal life, the incorruptible inheritance, riches of glory, treasure in heaven; nor Christ, in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, and all the riches of grace and glory; but the Gospel, which is a tre... [ Continue Reading ]
Ver. 45 46. AGAIN, THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS LIKE UNTO A MERCHANT MAN,.... This parable may be understood of Christ's seeking, finding, and purchasing his elect: for, certain it is, that he has sought after them which implies, that they were lost and going astray; expresses his great love to them, va... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 13:45... [ Continue Reading ]
AGAIN THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS LIKE UNTO A NET,.... By which also is meant, the Gospel, and the ministry of it. This may be compared to a net, for its meanness in the esteem of men; being despicable, and of no account in the eyes of the world: and yet like a net, a piece of curious artifice and work... [ Continue Reading ]
WHICH WHEN, IT WAS FULL,.... As the Gospel, and the Gospel church state may be said to be, when all the ends of the preaching of the word are answered; when all are called by the one, and into the other, that were designed to be called; when the fulness of the Gentiles shall be brought in, and all I... [ Continue Reading ]
SO SHALL IT BE AT THE END OF THE WORLD,.... As the fisherman, when he has drawn his net to shore, picks out the good fish, and puts them into proper vessels, and casts the dead, putrid, and useless fish away; so, at the close of time, in the last day, THE ANGELS SHALL COME FORTH out of heaven, from... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SHALL CAST THEM INTO THE FURNACE OF FIRE,.... Matthew 13:42... [ Continue Reading ]
JESUS SAITH UNTO THEM,.... This is left out in the Vulgate Latin, and Ethiopic versions, and in Munster's Hebrew Gospel, and in some Greek exemplars; though it is necessary to the connection and sense of the words: HAVE YE UNDERSTOOD ALL THESE THINGS? All the parables Christ had delivered, besides... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN SAID HE UNTO THEM,.... Since the disciples had such a clear understanding of the above parables, and were by them, and by other things, so well furnished to preach the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven to others, Christ stirs them up by the following parable, to a diligent exercise of their gi... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IT CAME TO PASS THAT, WHEN JESUS HAD FINISHED THESE PARABLES,.... Which he spoke both to the multitude from the ship, and to his disciples in the house, HE DEPARTED THENCE; from the house in which he was, and the city of Capernaum, where he had some time been.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN HE WAS COME INTO HIS OWN COUNTRY,.... Not where he was born, Bethlehem, for it is never observed, that he went thither; but where he was educated, and where his parents and near relations, according to the flesh, lived; who had been some little time ago seeking for him, and desirous of spea... [ Continue Reading ]
IS NOT THIS THE CARPENTER'S SON?.... Meaning Joseph, who was by trade a carpenter, and whose son Jesus was supposed to be; and who very probably was now dead, which may be the reason he is not mentioned by name. The Greek word here used, signifies any mechanic, or artificer. The Syriac expresses it... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HIS SISTERS,.... Whose names, according to Epiphanius b, were Mary and Salome; whom he supposes were the daughters of Joseph, by a former wife; but rather of Alphaeus or Cleophas. ARE THEY NOT ALL WITH US? Lived in the same town with them, were well known by them, and familiar with them. WHENC... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY WERE OFFENDED IN HIM,.... It was a stumbling to them, how he came by his wisdom and power; since he had not these things from men of learning, and could not have them from his relatives: and therefore, rather than believe he had them of himself, or from God, they chose to indulge at least a... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE DID NOT MANY MIGHTY WORKS THERE,.... Some he did, though not many; partly that they might be left inexcusable, and partly that it might not be said, he did not wish well, to his own country: what he did, were not of the first class, and greatest note; he only "laid his hands", as Mark says, M... [ Continue Reading ]