THEN SPAKE JESUS TO THE MULTITUDE,.... To the common people that were about him in the temple; the high priests and elders, Scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees, having left him, being all nonplussed and silenced by him: and now, lest on the one hand, the people seeing the ignorance and errors of these... [ Continue Reading ]
SAYING, THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES,.... The Persic version adds, the priests: but Christ does not here speak of the sanhedrim, or grand council of the nation, and of their legislative power; but of those that were the teachers of the people, and the interpreters of the law; and of those, who, though... [ Continue Reading ]
ALL THEREFORE WHATSOEVER THEY BID YOU OBSERVE,.... This must be restrained to things that were agreeable to the chair of Moses, in which they sat, to the law of Moses, which they read and explained, to other parts of Scripture and truth in general; for otherwise many of their glosses and traditions... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THEY BIND HEAVY BURDENS,.... Meaning not the rites and ceremonies of the law of Moses, circumcision, and other rituals, which obliged to the keeping of the whole law, which was a yoke men were not able to bear; but the traditions of the elders, which the Scribes and Pharisees were very tenacious... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT ALL THEIR WORKS THEY DO FOR TO BE SEEN OF MEN,.... All their prayers, alms deeds, and fastings, were all done in a public manner, that men might behold them, and they might have applause and glory from them: they sought neither the glory of God, nor the good of their fellow creatures, nor any sp... [ Continue Reading ]
AND LOVE THE UPPERMOST ROOMS AT FEASTS,.... Or the first and chief places to sit, or lie down on, at ordinary meals, and especially at large entertainments, where the great ones sat, as in 1 Samuel 9:22 where Jarchi on the place observes, that by the manner of their sitting, it was known who was the... [ Continue Reading ]
AND GREETINGS IN THE MARKETS,.... They used to stroll about the markets, being public places, where there was a great concourse of people, on purpose to be taken notice of before multitudes, with singular marks of respect; as stretching out the hand, uncovering the head, and bowing the knee: AND TO... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT BE NOT YE CALLED RABBI,.... Do not be ambitious of any such title, fond of it, or affect it, or be elated with it, should it be given you; nor look upon yourselves as men of power and authority over others; as having the dominion over men's faith, a power to make laws for others, impose them in... [ Continue Reading ]
AND CALL NO MAN YOUR FATHER UPON THE EARTH,.... Not but that children may, and should call their natural parents, fathers; and such who have been instrumental in the conversion of souls, may be rightly called by them their spiritual fathers; as servants and scholars also, may call those that are ove... [ Continue Reading ]
NEITHER BE YE CALLED MASTERS,.... Or guides and leaders; not but that, the ministers of the word are in a sense such; it is their business to lead and direct souls to Christ, to guide their feet in the way of peace, and to go before them, as examples to them, in word, in conversation, faith, and pur... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT HE THAT IS GREATEST AMONG YOU,.... Either who really is so, having more grace, and greater gifts bestowed upon him, than others; which doubtless was the case of some of the disciples, or who desired to be the greatest, was ambitious of, and affected a superiority over others, and to be in the hi... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHOSOEVER SHALL EXALT HIMSELF,.... Above his fellow Christians, or fellow ministers, by entertaining too high an opinion of himself, by boasting of his gifts, as preferable to others, and as if he had not received them; by assuming, or eagerly coveting titles of honour among men, or by affecting... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT WOE UNTO YOU SCRIBES AND PHARISEES, HYPOCRITES,.... It seems from hence, that the Scribes and Pharisees had not left him, at least not all of them, notwithstanding the confusion they were thrown into; but were still about him, observing what he said to the people, and watching an opportunity to... [ Continue Reading ]
WOE UNTO YOU, SCRIBES AND PHARISEES, HYPOCRITES,.... The same character is given as before, and the same woe denounced, and a fresh reason given of it: FOR YE DEVOUR WIDOWS' HOUSES; that is, the goods in the houses of such as were left with fatherless children, and but little to support them; who b... [ Continue Reading ]
WOE UNTO YOU SCRIBES AND PHARISEES, HYPOCRITES,.... The same character, and woe, are still continued, and a new reason added, confirming the justness of them, in order to awaken and convince them, or, however, to caution the people against them: FOR YE COMPASS SEA AND LAND TO MAKE ONE PROSELYTE; th... [ Continue Reading ]
WOE UNTO YOU, YOU BLIND GUIDES,.... Meaning the same persons, the Scribes and Pharisees, as before, though not named, who pretended to be "guides of the blind", Romans 2:19 but were them selves blind, and so very unfit to be guides of others; they were as they were born, ignorant of divine things, o... [ Continue Reading ]
YE FOOLS, AND BLIND,.... That argue after so ridiculous a manner, that make use of such thin sophistry, that everybody may see through it; who must be stupid and sottish to the last degree, and their minds foolishly blinded with avarice; as to please and satisfy themselves: with so poor a distinctio... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHOSOEVER SHALL SWEAR BY THE ALTAR, IT IS NOTHING,.... These are again the words or savings of the scribes and Pharisees, and express their sentiments and practice: it was usual with them to swear by the altar; and this was reckoned either no sin at all, or such an oath was not accounted binding... [ Continue Reading ]
YE FOOLS, AND BLIND,.... This is very justly repeated, since this is no less an instance of their folly, blindness, and stupidity. In three copies of Beza's the word "fools" is not; nor is it in the Vulgate Latin, nor in Munster's Hebrew Gospel; but the Syriac, Arabic, Persic, and Ethiopic versions... [ Continue Reading ]
WHOSOEVER THEREFORE SHALL SWEAR BY THE ALTAR,.... Not that Christ allowed of swearing by the altar, or by the temple, or by heaven, or by any creature, animate or inanimate; for such swearing is elsewhere disapproved of by him, and forbid, but if a man did swear by the altar, he ought to know, and c... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHOSO SHALL SWEAR BY THE TEMPLE,.... As we have before seen they used to do, and as appears from what the poet says w: Ecce negas, jurasque mihi per templa tonantis Non credo: jura, verpe, per Anchialum. In which he intimates, that if the Jew swore by the temple, he would not believe him; as w... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE THAT SHALL SWEAR BY HEAVEN,.... As the Jews were wont to do in common, but did not look upon such an oath as obligatory on them; Matthew 5:34, though such an one SWEARETH BY THE THRONE OF GOD; for heaven is God's throne, where he sits, and, in an eminent manner, displays the glory of his maj... [ Continue Reading ]
WOE UNTO YOU SCRIBES AND PHARISEES, HYPOCRITES,.... Christ returns to the former epithets he had very rightly given to these men, and very pertinently repeats them here; and which are confirmed by the instances of their conduct and practice here alleged, which abundantly show their hypocrisy and dec... [ Continue Reading ]
YE BLIND GUIDES,.... As in Matthew 23:16 WHO STRAIN AT A GNAT AND SWALLOW A CAMEL: the Syriac and Persic versions read the words in the plural number, gnats and camels. The Jews had a law, which forbid them the eating of any creeping thing, Leviticus 11:41 and of this they were strictly observant,... [ Continue Reading ]
WOE UNTO YOU SCRIBES AND PHARISEES, HYPOCRITES,.... Our Lord cannot be thought to bear too hard upon these men, nor does he continue this character of them, and denunciations of woe against them, without a reason: FOR YE MAKE CLEAN THE OUTSIDE OF THE CUP AND PLATTER, BUT WITHIN THEY ARE FULL OF EXT... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU BLIND PHARISEE,.... Well might Christ call such an one a blind Pharisee, who was so scrupulously careful to cleanse his cup and platter; and yet made no conscience of filling them with what was gotten in an unjust way, and so defiled himself and them: CLEANSE FIRST THAT WHICH IS WITHIN THE CUP... [ Continue Reading ]
WOE UNTO YOU SCRIBES AND PHARISEES, HYPOCRITES,.... It is much these men could bear to hear themselves so often called by this name; and it shows great courage in our Lord, so freely to reprove them, and expose their wickedness, who were men of so much credit and influence with the people: FOR YE A... [ Continue Reading ]
EVEN SO YE ALSO OUTWARDLY APPEAR RIGHTEOUS,.... By making broad their phylacteries, enlarging the borders of their garments, praying long prayers, compassing sea and land to make one proselyte, paying tithes of all manner of herbs, and cleansing the outside of the cup and platter, and doing all thei... [ Continue Reading ]
WOE UNTO YOU SCRIBES AND PHARISEES, HYPOCRITES,.... This is the seventh and last time, in which these words are delivered in this exact form by our Lord, in this chapter; and expresses the certainty, both of their sin and punishment: and the instance annexed to it, no less discovers the hypocrisy of... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SAY, IF WE HAD BEEN IN THE DAYS OF OUR FATHERS,.... Their ancestors and predecessors: signifying, that if they had lived in the times they did, or had been in the same post and office with them, they should have opposed, at least not consented to their measures: WE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN PARTAKERS... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEREFORE YE BE WITNESSES UNTO YOURSELVES,.... Or "against yourselves", as the Syriac reads; for what they said was a plain acknowledgment, and a full confession, what their fathers had done, and whose offspring they were; and from whom better things were not to be expected; since they were their fa... [ Continue Reading ]
FILL YE UP THEN THE MEASURE OF YOUR FATHERS. Of their sins; for there were bounds and limits set how far they should proceed, and no further; as yet they had not got to the end of their iniquity: their fathers had gone great lengths in sin, but their iniquity was not yet full, as is said of the Amor... [ Continue Reading ]
YE SERVANTS, YE GENERATION OF VIPERS,.... The latter of these names, John the Baptist calls the Sadducees and Pharisees by, in Matthew 3:7 and Christ, in Matthew 12:34 both express their craft and subtlety, their inward poison, and venomous nature; their fair outside, and specious pretences; their h... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEREFORE, BEHOLD I SEND UNTO YOU PROPHETS,.... To try them, whether they would show the respect to prophets, they pretended to have for them; by building and beautifying their sepulchres; by exclaiming against their forefathers for shedding their blood; and by declaring, that had they lived in thei... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT UPON YOU MAY COME ALL THE RIGHTEOUS BLOOD,.... Or "the blood of all the righteous men", as the Syriac: Arabic, Persic, and Ethiopic versions read; for there is no righteousness in blood, nor any conveyed by it: all men are of one blood, and that is tainted, they that are righteous, are not so n... [ Continue Reading ]
VERILY I SAY UNTO YOU,.... An usual form of introducing something of moment to raise attention to it, and to ascertain the truth of it: ALL THESE THINGS SHALL COME UPON THIS GENERATION; all the things which Christ had foretold should come to pass in the present age; as that the apostles and ministe... [ Continue Reading ]
O JERUSALEM, JERUSALEM,.... The metropolis of Judea, the seat of the kings of Judah, yea, the city of the great king; the place of divine worship, once the holy and faithful city, the joy of the whole earth; wherefore it was strange that the following things should be said of it. The word is repeate... [ Continue Reading ]
BEHOLD YOUR HOUSE IS LEFT UNTO YOU DESOLATE. Signifying that the city in which they dwelt, where they had their ceiled houses, and stately palaces, would, in a little time, within the space of forty years, be destroyed, and become a desert; and the temple, formerly the house of God, but now only the... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR I SAY UNTO YOU, YE SHALL NOT SEE ME HENCEFORTH,.... Meaning in a very little time after the passover, from the time of his crucifixion and death; otherwise they saw him many times after this, as in the palace of the high priest, in Pilate's judgment hall, and on the cross; but not after his resu... [ Continue Reading ]