CHAPTER XXII. _The parable of the marriage of a king's son_, 1-14. _The Pharisees and Herodians question him concerning the_ _lawfulness of paying tribute to Caesar_, 15-22. _The Sadducees question him concerning the resurrection_, 23-33. _A lawyer questions him concerning the greatest commandm... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Matthew 22:4. _FATLINGS_] τα σιτιστα Properly, _fatted rams_, or _wethers_. 2 Samuel 6:13; 1 Chronicles 15:26.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Matthew 22:7. _BUT WHEN THE KING_] HIMSELF or, _this very king_. I have added εκεινος on the authority of _nine_ of the most ancient MSS. and nearly one hundred others; the later _Syriac, six_ copies of the _Itala_, and some of the _fathers_. Several printed editions have it, and _Griesbach_ h... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Matthew 22:8. _WERE NOT WORTHY._] Because they _made light_ of it, and _would not come_; preferring earthly things to heavenly blessings. Among the _Mohammedans_, refusal to come to a marriage feast, when invited, is considered a breach of the law of God. HEDAYAH, vol. iv. p. 91. Any one that... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Matthew 22:9. _GO YE THEREFORE INTO THE HIGHWAYS_] διεξοδους των αδων, _cross_ or _by-paths_; the places where _two_ or _more_ roads met in _one_, leading into the city, where people were coming together from various quarters of the country. St. Luke adds _hedges_, to point out the people to w... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Matthew 22:10. _GATHERED TOGETHER ALL - BOTH BAD AND GOOD_] By the preaching of the Gospel, multitudes of souls are gathered into what is generally termed the _visible Church_ of Christ. This _Church_ is the FLOOR, where the _wheat_ and the _chaff_ are often mingled, Matthew 3:12. The FIELD,... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Matthew 22:11. _WHEN THE KING CAME_] When God shall come to judge the world. _WEDDING GARMENT_] Among the orientals, long white robes were worn at public festivals; and those who appeared on such occasions with any other garments were esteemed, not only highly culpable, but worthy of punishm... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Matthew 22:12. _HE SAITH UNTO HIM, FRIEND_] Rather, _companion_: so εταιρε should be translated. As this man represents the state of a person in the visible Church, who neglects to come unto the master of the feast for a marriage garment, for the salvation which Christ has procured, he cannot... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Matthew 22:14. _MANY ARE CALLED_, c.] This verse is wanting in one of Colbert's MSS., marked 33 in _Griesbach_. See the note on Matthew 20:16. Many are called by the preaching of the Gospel into the outward communion of the Church of Christ but few, comparatively, are chosen to dwell with God... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Matthew 22:15. _IN_ HIS _TALK._] εν λογω, _by discourse_: intending to ask him _subtle_ and _ensnaring_ questions; his answers to which might involve him either with the Roman government, or with the great Sanhedrin.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Matthew 22:16. _THE HERODIANS_] For an account of this sect, see the note on Matthew 16:1. The preceding parable had covered the Pharisees with confusion: when it was ended they _went out_, not to _humble_ themselves before God, and deprecate the judgments with which they were threatened; but... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Matthew 22:19. _THEY BROUGHT UNTO HIM A PENNY._] A _denarius_: probably the ordinary _capitation_ tax, though the poll tax in the law, Exodus 30:13-2, was _half a shekel_, about _twice_ as much as the _denarius_. The Roman denarius had the emperor's image with a proper legend stamped on one si... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Matthew 22:20. _WHOSE IS THIS IMAGE AND SUPERSCRIPTION?_] He knew well enough _whose_ they were; but he showed the excellency of his _wisdom_, 3dly, in making them answer to their _own confusion_. They came to _ensnare_ our Lord in his discourse, and now they are _ensnared_ in their own. He wh... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Matthew 22:21. _THEY SAY UNTO HIM, CAESARS._] The image was the _head_ _of the emperor_; the _superscription_, his _titles_. JULIUS CAESAR was the _first_ who caused his image to be struck on the Roman coin. _Tiberius_ was emperor at this time. _RENDER THEREFORE UNTO CAESAR_] The conclusion i... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Matthew 22:22. _WHEN THEY HAD HEARD_ THESE WORDS, _THEY MARVELLED_] And well they might - never man spake like this man. By this decision, CAESAR is _satisfied _- he gets _his own_ to the uttermost farthing. GOD is _glorified _- his _honour_ is in _every_ respect secured. And the PEOPLE are _e... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Matthew 22:23. _THE SAME DAY_] Malice is ever _active_; let it be defeated ever so often, it returns to the charge. Jesus and his Gospel give no quarter to vice; the vicious will give no quarter to him or it. _THE SADDUCEES_] For an account of these see on Matthew 16:1.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Matthew 22:24. _RAISE UP SEED UNTO HIS BROTHER._] This law is mentioned Deuteronomy 25:5. The meaning of the expression is, that the children produced by this marriage should be reckoned in the _genealogy_ of the _deceased_ brother, and enjoy his estates. The word _seed_ should be always trans... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Matthew 22:25. _SEVEN BRETHREN_] It is very likely that the Sadducees _increased_ the number, merely to make the question the more difficult.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Matthew 22:28. _WHOSE WIFE SHALL SHE BE OF THE SEVEN?_] The rabbins have said, That if a woman have two husbands in this world, she shall have the _first_ only restored to her in the world to come. _Sohar. Genes_. fol. 24. The question put by these bad men is well suited to the mouth of a _li... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 29. _YE DO ERR_] Or, _Ye are deceived _- by your impure passions: _not knowing the scriptures_, which assert the resurrection: - _nor the miraculous power of God_ (την δυναμιν του Θεου) by which it is to be effected. In _Avoda Sara_, fol. 18, _Sanhedrin_, fol. 90, it is said: "These are they w... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 31. _HAVE YE NOT READ_] This quotation is taken from Exodus 3:6; Exodus 3:16; and as the _five books of Moses_ were the only part of Scripture which the _Sadducees_ acknowledged as Divine, our Lord, by confuting them from those books, proved the second part of his assertion, "Ye are ignorant o... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 32. _I AM THE GOD OF ABRAHAM_] Let it be observed, that Abraham was dead upwards of 300 years before these words were spoken to Moses: yet _still_ God calls himself the _God of Abraham_, c. Now Christ properly observes that God is not the God of _the_ _dead_, (that word being equal, in the se... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 33. _THE MULTITUDE WERE ASTONISHED AT HIS DOCTRINE._] God uses the infidelity of some for the edification of others. Had no false doctrine been broached in the world, we had not seen the full evidence of the true teaching. The opposition of deists and infidels has only served to raise up men i... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 34. _THEY WERE GATHERED TOGETHER._] επι το αυτο - _they came_ _together with one accord_, or, _for the same purpose_; i.e. of _ensnaring_ him in his _discourse_, as the Sadducees had done, Matthew 22:23. The Codex Bezae and several of the _Itala_ have επαυτον, _against him_. _Camen togidre in... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 35. _A LAWYER_] νομικος, _a teacher of the law_. What is called _lawyer_, in the common translation, conveys a wrong idea to most readers: my old MS. renders the word in the same way I have done. These teachers of the law were the same as the _scribes_, or what Dr. Wotton calls _letter-men_, w... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 36. _WHICH_ IS _THE GREAT COMMANDMENT_] We see here _three_ kinds of _enemies_ and false accusers of Christ and his disciples; and _three_ sorts of _accusations_ brought against them. 1. The _Herodians_, or politicians and courtiers, who form their questions and accusations on the _rights_ of... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 37. _THOU SHALT LOVE THE LORD_] This is a subject of the greatest importance, and should be well understood, as our Lord shows that the whole of _true religion_ is comprised in thus loving God and our neighbour. It may not be unnecessary to inquire into the literal meaning of the word _love_... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 38. _THIS IS THE FIRST AND GREAT COMMANDMENT._] It is so, 1. In its _antiquity_, being as old as the world, and engraven originally on our very nature. 2. In _dignity_; as directly and immediately proceeding front and referring to God. 3. In _excellence_; being the commandment of the new co... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 39. _THOU SHALT LOVE THY NEIGHBOUR_] The love of our neighbour springs from the love of God as its _source_; is found in the love of God as its _principle, pattern_, and _end_; and the love of God is found in the love of our neighbour, as its effect, representation, and infallible _mark_. Thi... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Matthew 22:40. _ON THESE TWO - HANG ALL THE LAW AND THE PROPHETS._] They are like the first and last links of a chain, all the intermediate ones depend on them. True religion begins and ends in love to God and man. These are the two grand links that unite God to man, man to his fellows, and me... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Matthew 22:41. _WHILE THE PHARISEES WERE GATHERED TOGETHER_] Jesus asks a question in his turn, utterly to confound them, and to show the _people_ that the source of all the captious questions of his opponents was their ignorance of the prophecies relative to the Messiah.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Matthew 22:42. _WHAT THINK YE OF CHRIST?_] Or, What are your thoughts concerning THE CHRIST - the Messiah; for to this title the emphatic _article_ should always be added. _WHOSE SON IS HE?_] From what _family_ is he to spring? _THEY SAY UNTO HIM_, THE SON _OF DAVID._] This was a thing well... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Matthew 22:43. _How then doth David in spirit_ (or _by the Spirit _- by the inspiration of the Spirit of God) _call him Lord? saying,_ __... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Matthew 22:44. _THE LORD_ (יהוה Yeve OR _JEHOVAH_) _SAID UNTO MY_ _LORD_, (אדניע Adni OR _ADONAI_, MY _PROP, STAY, MASTER_, _SUPPORT_), _SIT THOU ON MY RIGHT HAND_] Take the place of the greatest eminence and authority. _Till I make thine enemies thy_ _footstool _- till I subdue both Jews and... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Matthew 22:45. _HOW IS HE HIS SON?_] As the Jews did not attempt to deny the conclusion of our Lord's question, which was, the Messiah is not only the son of David according to the flesh, but he is the _Lord_ of David according to his Divine nature, then it is evident they could not. Indeed, t... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Matthew 22:46. _NEITHER DURST ANY - ASK HIM ANY MORE_ QUESTIONS.] "Thus," says Dr. Wotton, "our Lord put the four great sects of the Jews to silence, in one day, successively. The Herodians and Pharisees wanted to know whether they might lawfully pay tribute to Caesar or not. The Sadducees wer... [ Continue Reading ]