Matthew 12:1._Jesus was walking on the Sabbath _It was the design of the Evangelists, in this history, to show partly what a malicious disposition the Pharisees had, and partly how superstitiously they were attached to outward and slight matters, so as to make holiness to consist in them entirely. T... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 12:3._Have you not read what David did? _Christ employs five arguments to refute their calumny. _First, _he apologizes for his disciples by pleading the example of _David, _(1 Samuel 21:6.) While David was fleeing from the rage of Saul, he applied for provisions to the high-priest Ahimelech;... [ Continue Reading ]
5._That on the Sabbaths the priests profane the Sabbath. _This is the _second _argument by which Christ proves that the violation of the Sabbath, of which the Pharisees complained, was free from all blame; because _on the Sabbaths _it is lawful to slay beasts for sacrifice, to circumcise infants, an... [ Continue Reading ]
7._But if you knew _This _Third _argument is also mentioned by Matthew alone. Christ conveys an indirect reproof to the Pharisees, for not considering why ceremonies were appointed, and to what object they are directed. This has been a common fault in almost every age; and therefore the prophet Hose... [ Continue Reading ]
8._For the Son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath. _Some connect this sentence with a preceding statement, _that one greater than the temple is in this place, _(Matthew 12:6;) but I look upon them as different. In the former case, Christ, by an allusion to _the temple, _affirmed that whatever was co... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 12:9._And having departed thence. _This narrative and that which immediately precedes it have the same object; which is to show, that the scribes watched with a malicious eye for the purpose of turning into slander every thing that Christ did, and consequently that we need not wonder if men,... [ Continue Reading ]
10._They asked him, saying. _Mark and Luke say only that they _watched _what our Lord would do; but Matthew states more clearly that they also attacked him by words. It is probable, that some others had been previously cured on Sabbath-days; and hence they take occasion to ask if he believes it to b... [ Continue Reading ]
11._What man shall there be among you who shall have a sheep? _Christ again points out what is the true way of keeping the Sabbath; and, at the same time, reproves them for slander, in bringing as a charge against him what was a universal custom. For if any man’s _sheep had fallen into a ditch, _no... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 12:14._Then the Pharisees took counsel. _How obstinate is the rage which drives the wicked to oppose God! Even after having been convinced, they pour out their venom more and more. It is truly monstrous and shocking, that the most distinguished teachers of the Law, who were entrusted with th... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 12:16._And he threatened them. _The expression used by M_ark _conveys, in a still more pointed manner, that he restrained the _unclean spirits, _(89) who were exclaiming, _Thou art the Son of God. _We have formerly explained the reason why he did not choose to have such witnesses. (90) And y... [ Continue Reading ]
17._That it might be fulfilled which was spoken _Matthew does not mean that this prediction was entirely fulfilled by Christ’s prohibiting loud and general reports to be circulated respecting his power (93), but that this was an exhibition of that mildness which Isaiah describes in the person of the... [ Continue Reading ]
18._Lo, my servant, whom I have chosen. _To fix our attention more closely on his will, God points out by the finger, as it were, the person whom he is about to send; and this is the design of the exclamation, Lo! A similar reason may be assigned for the epithets that follow, when God calls him _his... [ Continue Reading ]
19._He will not strive _The general meaning is, that the coming of Christ will not be attended by noise, will have nothing of royal splendor and magnificence. He presently adds, that this will turn to the advantage of men, by inducing them to love that mildness which the world everywhere despises. A... [ Continue Reading ]
20._Till he send out judgment into victory. _The words of the prophet are a little different, _he will bring forth the judgment unto truth. _But the term employed by Matthew is very emphatic, and is intended to inform us, that _justice _is not established in the world without a great struggle and ex... [ Continue Reading ]
21._And in his name shall the Gentiles trust _Instead of these words the prophet has, _The isles shall wait for his law. _But though Matthew has changed the words, the meaning is the same, that the grace of Christ will be shared by the Gentiles.... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 12:22._Then was brought to him. _Luke explains from the effect, that the devil by which the man was possessed was _dumb; _but Matthew says, that a twofold plague had been inflicted on the man. Many persons, no doubt, are blind and deaf on account of natural defects; but it is evident, that t... [ Continue Reading ]
23._And all the people were astonished. _Hence we infer, that there was a visible display of the power of God, which drew upon him the admiration of the great body of the people, who were not at all actuated by any wicked disposition. For how came it that all admired, but because the fact compelled... [ Continue Reading ]
24._But when the Pharisees heard it. _The scribes cannot withhold the acknowledgment of a fact so open and manifest, and yet they maliciously carp (105) at what Christ did by Divine power. Not only do they obscure the praise of the miracle, but endeavor to turn it into a reproach, as if it were perf... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 12:25._But as Jesus knew their thoughts. _Though Christ knew sufficiently well, and had often learned by experience, that the scribes, in the exercise of their malice (116) were in the habit of putting an unfavorable construction on every thing that he did, yet Matthew and Luke, I have no do... [ Continue Reading ]
27._By whom do your children cast them out? _He charges them with passing an unjust and malicious decision, because in the same case they did not decide in a similar manner, but as they were affected towards the persons. Now this inequality shows, that their prevailing motive was not a regard to wha... [ Continue Reading ]
28._But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God. _Luke says,_if I cast out devils by The Finger of God; _employing the word _Finger _metaphorically instead of the _Spirit. _As God works, and exerts his power, by his Spirit, it is with propriety that the word _Finger _is applied to him. And this mo... [ Continue Reading ]
29._How can any one enter into the house of a strong man? _Though the Evangelists differ a little as to words, there is a perfect agreement among them as to the substance of this discourse. Christ is pursuing the subject, on which he had lately touched, about _the kingdom of God, _and declares it to... [ Continue Reading ]
30._He that is not with me. _There are two ways of explaining this passage. Some suppose that it is an argument drawn from contraries, and that Christ’s meaning is: _“ _I cannot reign till the devil is overthrown; for the object of all his attempts is, to _scatter _whatever I _gather.” _And certainl... [ Continue Reading ]
31._Therefore I say to you. _This inference ought not to be confined to the clause immediately preceding, but depends on the whole discourse. Having proved that the scribes could not blame him for casting out devils, without opposing the kingdom of God, he at length concludes that it is no light or... [ Continue Reading ]
32._Neither in the present life _What these words mean, Mark briefly explains by saying, that_those who have spoken against the Spirit are exposed to eternal judgment _Every day we ask from God the forgiveness of sins, and every day he reconciles us to Him; and, finally, at death, he takes away all... [ Continue Reading ]
33._Either make the tree good _It might look like absurdity, that men should be allowed a choice of being _either good or bad; _but if we consider what sort of persons Christ is addressing, the difficulty will be speedily resolved. We know what opinion was generally entertained about the Pharisees;... [ Continue Reading ]
34._Offspring of vipers. _The similarity between _the tree _and _the fruit _is here applied by Christ to nothing more than speech, because this afforded an opportunity of detecting the inward and concealed malice of the scribes; and that is the reason why he dwells so much on this one kind of sin. I... [ Continue Reading ]
36._Of every idle word _This is an argument from the less to the greater; for if _every idle word _is to be called in question, how would God spare the open blasphemies and sacrilegious insolence of those who bark against his glory? (139) An _idle word _means one that is useless, or that yields no e... [ Continue Reading ]
37._By thy words thou shalt be justified _This was a common proverb, which he applied to the present subject; for I have no doubt that this was a saying which the people had frequently in their mouths, that “every man is condemned or acquitted by his own acknowledgment.” But Christ turns it to a mea... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 12:39._A wicked generation _He does not merely charge that age with malice, but pronounces the Jews—or at least the scribes, and those who resembled them—to be a _wicked nation; _thus declaring that they labored under a hereditary disease of obstinacy. The word γενεά sometimes denotes an _ag... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 12:41._The men of Nineveh will rise in judgment. _Having spoken of the Ninevites, Christ takes occasion to show that the scribes and others, by whom his doctrine is rejected, are worse than the Ninevites were. “Ungodly men,” he says, “who never had heard a word of the true God, repented at t... [ Continue Reading ]
42._The queen of the south. _As Ethiopia lies in a southerly direction from Judea, I willingly concur with Josephus and other writers, who assert that she was the queen of Ethiopia. In sacred history she is called _the queen of Sheba, _(2 Chronicles 9:1.) We must not suppose this _Sheba _to be the c... [ Continue Reading ]
43._But when the unclean spirit hath gone out. _He speaks of scribes and hypocrites of a similar character, who, despising the grace of God, enter into a conspiracy with the devil. Against such persons he pronounces that punishment which their ingratitude deserves. To make his doctrine more extensiv... [ Continue Reading ]
44._He findeth it empty _Christ is unquestionably describing those who, being destitute of the Spirit of God, are prepared for receiving the devil; for believers, in whom the Spirit of God efficaciously dwells, are fortified on all sides, so that no opening is left for Satan. The metaphor of _a hous... [ Continue Reading ]
45._He taketh with him seven other spirits _The number _seven _is here used indefinitely, as in many other passages. By these words Christ shows that if we fall from his grace, our subjection to Satan is doubled, so that he treats us with greater cruelty than before, and that this is the just punish... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 12:48._Who is my mother? _These words were unquestionably intended to reprove Mary’s eagerness, and she certainly acted improperly in attempting to interrupt the progress of his discourse. (157) At the same time, by disparaging the relationship of flesh and blood, our Lord teaches a very use... [ Continue Reading ]
50._For whosoever shall do the will of my Father who is in heaven. _When he says that they _do the will of his Father, _he does not mean that they fulfill, in a perfect manner, the whole righteousness of the law; for in that sense the name _brother, _which is here given by him to his disciples, woul... [ Continue Reading ]