THEN SHALL THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN,.... The Gospel church state; Matthew 13:24 either as it would be a little before the coming of the son of man to take vengeance on the Jews; or as it will be a little before his second coming to judgment: for the parable is manifestly connected with, and refers to t... [ Continue Reading ]
AND FIVE OF THEM WERE WISE,.... The order of these words is inverted in some versions, as in the Vulgate Latin, Arabic, and Ethiopic, and in Munster's Hebrew Gospel, which read, "and five of them were foolish, and five of them were wise"; but this is of no great consequence. There is a parable of R.... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY THAT WERE FOOLISH TOOK THEIR LAMPS,.... The Vulgate Latin, and Munster's Hebrew Gospel, read, "the five foolish", whose folly is here exposed; and which lay not merely, or only in taking up the lamps of a profession in a wrong way, and upon a wrong bottom, but chiefly in what follows; AND TOOK... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT THE WISE TOOK OIL,.... They were concerned for the true grace of God, being enlightened by the Spirit of God; they saw their need of the grace of God, and being directed by him where it was to be had, went to Christ for it; and having received it from him, through the power of the Holy Ghost, ex... [ Continue Reading ]
WHILE THE BRIDEGROOM TARRIED,.... The space of time here referred to, is either from the ascension of Christ, to his coming to take vengeance on the Jews; or from thence to his second coming; or rather from the time of some general expectation by the saints, of the near approach of Christ, till such... [ Continue Reading ]
AND AT MIDNIGHT THERE WAS A CRY MADE;.... Which is no other than the following notice of the bridegroom's coming, expressed in these words: BEHOLD THE BRIDEGROOM COMETH, GO YE OUT TO MEET HIM: which supposes that then all things will be ready for his coming: all things respecting this world; all th... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN ALL THESE VIRGINS AROSE,.... Not out of their graves; for the righteous and wicked will not rise together; the dead in Christ will rise first, and this first resurrection will not be till Christ is come; nor will grace be to be had, or be thought to be had after the resurrection; nor will there... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE FOOLISH SAID UNTO THE WISE, GIVE US OF YOUR OIL,.... A graceless person may be able to see the grace of God in others, be convinced of it, and acknowledge it, as these foolish virgins did: they saw that the wise virgins had oil, that is, grace; this they knew by the bright burning of their l... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT THE WISE ANSWERED, SAYING, NOT SO,.... A flat denial; and which sprung not from want or compassion; for the saints are taught not only to compassionate one another, and to pity fallen professors, but even to regard their very enemies in distress: nor from a narrow, niggardly spirit, since such a... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHILE THEY WENT TO BUY,.... The foolish virgins so far took the advice of the wise, as to go forth to buy oil for themselves: they not only had some thoughts about it, and resolutions to do it, but they really did go out to buy; which may design their attendance on the word and ordinances, where... [ Continue Reading ]
AFTERWARDS CAME ALSO THE OTHER VIRGINS,.... The "other five virgins", as the Persic version reads. The "other"; that were only virgins in name, not in reality; they were different from the wise, they were foolish ones; they were other than those that were ready, they were unprepared ones; and in ano... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT HE ANSWERED AND SAID,.... The Lord and bridegroom from within, thought fit to give them an answer, but an unexpected and awful one to them: VERILY I SAY UNTO YOU, I KNOW YOU NOT; which must be understood in consistence with the omniscience of Christ: he knew their persons, conduct, and state; h... [ Continue Reading ]
WATCH THEREFORE,.... In ordinances, in prayer, public and private, in hearing the word, at the Lord's supper, and in every religious exercise; over the heart, the thoughts and affections of it; over words, actions, life, and conversation; and against all sin and unbelief, Satan's temptations, the wo... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR [THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN] IS AS A MAN TRAVELLING,.... Our Lord adds another parable to illustrate the Gospel dispensation, or its visible church state; or the state of things respecting the church of Christ, before, and at his second coming, and during the interval between his ascension and that:... [ Continue Reading ]
AND UNTO ONE HE GAVE FIVE TALENTS,.... A "talent" with the Jews, if of silver, was, according to Brerewood w, of the value of 375 l. of our money; according to Bishop Cumberland, 353 l. 11 s. 10 1/2 d.; and if of gold, was equal to 4500l. and, according to the latter, 5075 l. 15 s. 7 1/2 d.: so that... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN HE THAT HAD RECEIVED THE FIVE TALENTS,.... The largest measure of gifts; an account is first given of him, how he behaved, and conducted in his Lord's absence, and what use he made of the gifts bestowed upon him: this must be understood, not of a single man, but of that sort of the servants of... [ Continue Reading ]
AND LIKEWISE HE THAT RECEIVED TWO,.... Talents, or a lesser measure of ministerial gifts: HE ALSO GAINED OTHER TWO; he worked and laboured, and traded, in proportion to the gifts he had received; and his improvements and success, under a divine blessing, were answerable.... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT HE THAT RECEIVED ONE,.... Talent, or the least degree of gifts, for the ministry of the word: WENT AND DIGGED IN THE EARTH, AND HID HIS LORD'S MONEY. The Syriac and Arabic versions read, "silver", and the Ethiopic, "gold"; but whether these talents were silver or gold, is not certain. Where he... [ Continue Reading ]
AFTER A LONG TIME, THE LORD OF THESE SERVANTS COMETH,.... Either in a providential way, by a fit of illness, or in a time of persecution, and awakens the conscience, and calls them to give an account of their stewardship; or by death, when their trading or working time is over, and they become accou... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SO HE THAT HAD RECEIVED FIVE TALENTS,.... Or the greatest gifts: as this man is the first to whom his Lord gave any talents, and the first that went and traded with them; he is also the first that is reckoned with; who CAME AND BROUGHT OTHER FIVE TALENTS: he came freely and cheerfully, with a h... [ Continue Reading ]
HIS LORD SAID UNTO HIM, WELL DONE,.... Gospel ministers do not say so to themselves; they know they can do nothing well of themselves, and when they have done all they can, they own they are but unprofitable servants; they acknowledge all they do is owing to the grace of God, and strength of Christ,... [ Continue Reading ]
HE ALSO THAT HAD RECEIVED TWO TALENTS,.... A lesser degree of ministerial gifts; and who as he received next to the other, and was the next, who in proportion to what he had received, had traded and gained, he is mentioned in the next: place, as giving in his account; who CAME AND SAID, LORD, THOU... [ Continue Reading ]
HIS LORD SAID UNTO HIM,.... The same words as he did to the other servant, WELL DONE GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT, THOU HAST BEEN FAITHFUL OVER A FEW THINGS, I WILL MAKE THEE RULER OVER MANY THINGS, ENTER THOU INTO THE JOY OF THY LORD: where the same commendation is made, and the same characters are g... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN HE WHICH HAD RECEIVED THE ONE TALENT CAME,.... For he that has the least gifts, is accountable for them; and therefore ought to make use of them to the good of his fellow creatures, and the interest of his Lord and Master; though these often lie neglected, and frivolous, and even wicked pretenc... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I WAS AFRAID,.... The Persic version adds, "to negotiate with thy money": he was afraid, lest by trading he should not gain what his Lord expected; and most of all, lest he should lose the talent itself; and dreaded his Lord's austerity, should that be the case, fearing that he would have no mer... [ Continue Reading ]
HIS LORD ANSWERED AND SAID UNTO HIM,.... Resenting, as he well might, not only his indolence and sloth, his neglect of his duty, and his worldly disposition, but the abusive character he had given of him, in order to cover his own wickedness: THOU WICKED AND SLOTHFUL SERVANT; a very just character... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU OUGHTEST THEREFORE TO HAVE PUT MY MONEY TO THE EXCHANGERS,.... "Trapezites", or "tablets", the same whom the Jews z call שולחנים, and is the same word which is here used in Munster's Hebrew Gospel; who were so called from the table that stood before them, on which they told, and paid their mone... [ Continue Reading ]
TAKE THEREFORE THE TALENT FROM HIM,.... This shows it was not special grace, which is intended by the talent; for the gift and calling of special grace are without repentance, and are that good part which shall not be taken away: but gifts may fail, cease, and vanish; they may be taken away from men... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR UNTO EVERYONE THAT HATH SHALL BE GIVEN,.... This seems to be a frequent saying of Christ's, or a common maxim of his, which he made use of on different occasions; Matthew 13:12, and accords with some usual sayings, and proverbial expressions of the Jews; who say a, that "the blessed God does not... [ Continue Reading ]
AND CAST YE THE UNPROFITABLE SERVANT,.... All the servants of Christ are unprofitable with respect to God; for no man can be profitable to him, as he that is wise may be profitable to himself, or others; or in a way of merit, since when they have done the most and best, they have done but their duty... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN THE SON OF MAN SHALL COME IN HIS GLORY,.... What is before signified in the two preceding parables, is here clearly and distinctly represented without a parable: and it should be observed, that as the foregoing parables only regard the Gospel church state, and the ministers and members of it, g... [ Continue Reading ]
AND BEFORE HIM SHALL BE GATHERED ALL NATIONS..... That is, all that have professed the Christian religion in all the nations of the world, whether Jews or Gentiles, high or low, rich or poor, wise and foolish, such as have had greater or lesser talents; though it is also true of every individual of... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SHALL SET THE SHEEP ON HIS RIGHT HAND,.... That is, the elect of God, and true believers, such as have the grace of God truly implanted in them; the sheep the Father gave unto Christ, and made his care and charge, whom he, as the good shepherd, laid down his life for; and who know his voice i... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN SHALL THE KING SAY UNTO THEM ON HIS RIGHT HAND,.... Before Christ is called "the son of man", now "the king"; who is not only king of saints, but king of the whole world; the king of kings, and lord of lords, the judge of all the earth; he appearing in glory and majesty, sitting on a throne of... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR I WAS AN HUNGERED AND YE GAVE ME MEAT..... This, and the following, are not mentioned as causes of the kingdom being prepared for them, or of their being entitled to it, or of their being put into the possession of it; but as descriptive of their characters, and as testimonies and evidences of t... [ Continue Reading ]
NAKED, AND YE CLOTHED ME,.... For in such a condition sometimes are the dear children of God, and members of Christ; see 1 Corinthians 4:11, when others, who, Dorcas like, have made coats and garments for them, and clothed them with them; and which will be shown another day, or taken notice of as th... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN SHALL THE RIGHTEOUS ANSWER HIM,.... From whence it appears, that only such shall be at the right hand of Christ, who are righteous persons, who have the righteousness of Christ imputed to them; and, in consequence of which, are created anew unto righteousness and true holiness; and, under the i... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN SAW WE THEE A STRANGER, AND TOOK THEE IN?.... As they had never seen him hungry and thirsty, in his own person, though he was both in the days of his flesh, and were ministered to, both by angels, and by good women out of their substance; so they had never seen him a stranger, and took him into... [ Continue Reading ]
OR WHEN SAW WE THEE SICK, OR IN PRISON, AND CAME UNTO THEE?] For though he bore the sicknesses of his people, yet we never read of his being sick himself, nor was he ever cast into prison; but this has been the case of many of his servants, as John the Baptist, Peter, and Paul, and multitudes of oth... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE KING SHALL ANSWER, AND SAY UNTO THEM,.... Christ, though a king, and now appearing in great glory and majesty, yet such will be his goodness and condescension, as to return an answer to the queries of his people; blushing and astonished at his notice of their poor services, which they know t... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN SHALL HE ALSO SAY UNTO THEM ON HIS LEFT HAND,.... The goats, the foolish virgins, and slothful and wicked servants, DEPART FROM ME: a like expression is used by him to preachers of the word, and professors of religion, that are mere nominal ones. Matthew 7:23 and such are intended here, who pr... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR I WAS AN HUNGERED, AND YE GAVE ME NO MEAT,.... Hence it appears, that these were such as dwelt among Christians, and professed the Christian name, and yet disregarded the poor members of Christ in distress, when it was in the power of their hands to help them; but when they were hungry and ready... [ Continue Reading ]
I WAS A STRANGER, AND YE TOOK ME NOT IN,.... Did not take the poor members of Christ into their houses, and take care of them in their families, when they were obliged to flee from their places of abode, or wandered about preaching the Gospel; and who must have perished in the streets, if others, th... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN SHALL THEY ALSO ANSWER HIM,.... As well as the righteous, being likewise astonished at what he had said, but on a different account; SAYING, LORD, WHEN SAW WE THEE AN HUNGERED OR ATHIRST, OR A STRANGER, OR NAKED, OR SICK, OR IN PRISON, AND DID NOT MINISTER TO THEE? Hence it is clear again, tha... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN SHALL HE ANSWER THEM,.... With a stern countenance, in great resentment, as one highly offended, and with the authority of a judge: SAYING, VERILY I SAY UNTO YOU, INASMUCH AS YE DID IT NOT TO ONE OF THE LEAST OF THESE, YE DID IT NOT UNTO ME: since they had given no food not to the least of his... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THESE SHALL GO AWAY INTO EVERLASTING PUNISHMENT,.... Their excuses will not be regarded, their pleas will be of no avail, their pretensions to interest in Christ, and love to him, will be set aside; the sentence will remain irrevocable, and there will be no appeal from it, for there is no higher... [ Continue Reading ]