PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 1
Arthur Lukyn Williams [1853-1943] · 499,653 words · 546 reading sections
The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 1 — Section 361
Ver. 17.-Bearing others' woes by sympathy. "Himself took our infirmities, nnd bare our sicknesses." The evangelist is here pointing out that our Lord actually suffered with those_ who suffered. His po"!e~ to heal was directly connected with his pow~r to sympath1~e; and sue~ sympath1z1ng was necessarily followed by e…
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iB more to thee than thy earthly father; thy living Lord is certainly more to thee than thy dead father, Let those who o.re 'dead in trespasses and sins' care for the naturally dead; jUBt now your attention i~ arrested by an all-absorbing call ; your redeemin" Lord has called you; then at once, without delay, without h…
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Ver. 28.-Power over devas. It should not be surprising that some incidents in our Lord's life prove to be beyond present explanation. In this there is a similarity between God's works and God's Word. Probably we could explain our Lord's power over devils if we could recover fully the sentiments of his day concerning…
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EXPOSITION. on a bed. Probably a mat or quilt (ver. 6). OHAPTER IX. Professor Marshall, in the Ezpoaitor for Vere. 1-8.-The paralytic forgiflen and Morch, 1891, p. 215, has a moat interesting note showing that the differences between Maled. Parallel passages: Mark ii. 1-12: "lying on a bed" (Matthew) and "carried L…
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mand. Forgiven thee; Revised Version poiuts to varying translations of JI,. (10 omits "thee" (genuine in Luke), with Peshito, in each plnoe). Perlmps the ea.me mn.uusoripts (acpi,VTa.i o-ov a./ ti.µa.p-rla.,). Mat- caUBe may also account for the diff,1re11oe thew and Murk use the present of general in the next words…
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The thought or the sentence is continued, "Levi," as found in the source, may have ~ut as he now turns d ircotly to the sick seemed to the catechiot disrcspectrul, an,t man, its form is altered. Arise, take up, the.the altered it to the title by which he had The Revised Version, retaining the wroug been accustomed to b…
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Luke, "And Levi me.de him a gTee.t feast in ■a.id unto them, They that be whole. o/ his house.'' Whether or not this wwi the lrrxvov.-.s (so also Mark) may inolude an same u the .-,>-,Iw,ov, we have no meaus of arriere-pensee of moral self-assertion whioh knowing, but presumnbly it we.snot. Behold, St. Luke entirely…
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Version and W eetcott nnd Hort. From the all the eona of the bricle-chamber, are free pnrallel paeenge in Luke. from the obligation of booths (•i:i ':i:n J:l':l'Z11'ZI Vere. 14-17.-0hrist's care /Of' the free- n:m, JO ]''111:l!l n!l1n)." They appear to be dom of Ms disciples from ceremonial bond- thoee, invited by eit…
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and also ruins those who so accept it Pnrallel pass11gce: 11'1:ark v. 21-13; Luka {ver. 17). The verses thus (I) answer viii. 40-56. Matthew's account is much I.he disciples of J oho tile Ilaptist, that the shortest.. fasting must not be made compulsory for Christ's disciples; and (2) warn them Ver. 18.-While he ep…
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.Oame behind him, and tonohed the hem of his house. Accompanied by only Peter, James garment. Ilem; border (Revised Version); e.nd John (parallel pasaages), and th~ .-ou 1<pa<1,rl6ou: fimbriam (Vulge.te). The parents (Luke). And IBW. Apparently •izith," te.8&els or fringes of hyacinth blue from outside the room (cf.…
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they <-'ry out and eay, "Have mercy on us, 0 the excited multitudes at Jerusolem shout Son of David;" (4) our Lord, in hie question, out the title at the triumphal entrr ( oh. xxi. we about what he should do; (5) lays 9; of. also 15), yet the multitudes m Galileo only suggest the possibility of his having a stress …
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Vera. 82-34.-The demon cast out of tlui Ver. 33.-And when the devil we.a cast dumb man. TM 118to11ishment of the multi- out, the dumb spake: and the multitudes tudes and their oonfe,sion. [77ui accuaation marvelled, saying, It was never so seen in Israel In eh. xii. 23 they have advanced by the Pharisee,.] The whole n…
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them forth to preach ; " but the title there ,..,pi a,l'Toiv). After the vivid Hebrew meta- may be entirely proleptie, and the deecription phor (Gen. xliii, 30), which the LXX. seldom of their office pa.rtially l!O, ventured to translate literally, but which ia Parle of the section, e.g. eh. ix. 37, SS and common in…
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HOMILETICS. Vere, 1-8.-The c-ui·e of the paralytic, I. THE SICK MA.N BROUGITT TO CIIRIST. 1. His own city. It had been Nazareth; now it was Capernaum. The Nazarenes had i-ejected him. He did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief; he marvelled at their want of faith. Now he was in Capernaum; he was well…
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the same quick, tender compassion ; his sympathy comforts, helps, encourages, the trembling penitent. (2) But there was behind the physical sickness its moral cause. The man had greatly sinned. The punishment had done its work; it had softened his heart; it had brought him to the feet of Jesus. 'l'he Lord knew the t…
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a tax-gatherer. The whole class wns hated by the Jews as symbols and instruments of IL foreign rule; they returned the hatred and contempt with which they were regarded; they exacted more than was appointed them; they were guilty, most of them perhaps, of oppression, of fraud, of unjust accusation. But if all were h…
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to hea.r the grea.t Preacher, to know what his doctrine was; often from worse motives- to criticize, to judge, to condemn. They sought not bis counsel. He could do theu,_ no good in their present frame of mind. Dut these publicans nnd sinners needed him• they were sick spiritually. Others knew it, and they knew it t…
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tho fulness of time is come; the marriage robe is ready; it is fine linen, clean a.od white, the righteousness of saints, which is the righteousness of Christ; it a~o.etl, r.ot with the old, (b) New wine must not be put into old wine-skins. It will ferment; it will buri,t the old skins, which have become hard and will …
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as ever, there is the Saviour's ready sympathy. If he does not work outward miracles as of old, he works spiritual wonders still. He gives patieuce, peace, holy hopo. He turns suffering into blessing. 2. Her timidity. She had heard or JesUB, Ile had done many mi;;hty works. Now he was on his way to a yet more wonder…
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well, too, for the multitude to learn the great lesson that faith in Christ hath power to heal. 6. His mercy. He turned him about, he saw her. She came, fearing and trem- bling, and told him all. She feared that she had presumed too much, but the good Lord at once reassured her. "Daughter," he said (it is the only time…
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the house. Blind though they were, they found the way; they would not teke on epparent refusal; they came t-0 him into the house. It is an encouragement to persevering piayer. How often he seems not to heed us when we pray for light I We pray agai11 and again, but the darkness is still upon our souls; we cannot see …
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1. He went everywhere. His activity w11s unceasing. He visited every city and villac,e in that thickly populated district. It was a new thing in the history of the wor!d....'.:a Missionary of salvation sent from he&ven, spe~ding his time in ceaseless journeys, in constant wearying labour, and that not for gaia, not …
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HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vers. 2-8.-Christ and the forgiveness of sins. After the series of miracles of bes.ling recorded in the previous chapter, the evangelist passes to the more directly spiritual work of Christ, and the transition is marked by an incident which combines both kinds of ministry. I. THE WORLD…
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duct of Jesus was new to the world, and it has been but rarely followed. Here is the wonder of his brotherly nature. He will take the lowest to the priceless privilege of his friendship. II. THE COMPLAINT. This conduct of our Lord was regarded as scandalous by the religious people of his day, as similar conduct on the…
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Christianity the att~mpt is made to confine the ferment of new enthusiasm within tha walls of ancient order. Thus the Churches fetter the new fresh life of Christian experi- ence. Perhaps they have some excuse for themselves. There is a rashness, a rawness, an unsettled ferment, about the new enthusiasm. Nevertheles…
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story of the ruler's chilil, because tho event occurred on the road to the man's house reveals Jesus as the Friend of the obscure, the miserable, the lonely. On the way to help the little daughter of a greiit. house, Jesus is arrested and deeply intercste<l with the faith and cure of a poor and helpless woman. I. THE …
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go as solitary pilgrims dependent on our own resources. 3. The sheep are scattered. They were not drawn togeLher by the voice of a trusted shepherd. So they wandered foolishly a.nd aimlessly. The world without Christ is disunited. In thought and conduct men wander from one another, and the social bond is broken when …
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Ver. 9 (see also Mark ii. 13, 14; Luke v. 27, 28).-The sudden but safe call. In introduction show that the three evangelists all place this call of Matthew in the same order, viz. after the healing of the paralytic, but go on at once to the account of the "great feast" which be gave, and which was attended by the "disc…
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duction, dwell a moment on the frequency of the allusions to the blind, and to Christ's giving of sight to them, Show how it accords with the typical statement of Christ's work, which also had travelled down from the prophetic "Go and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see," etc. (Luke vii…
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Vers. 36-l:!8.-The 'f/Wurnful pwtwre renamed by compassion, Notice, in introduc- tion, how the language which here describes the compassion that moved the vast heart of Christ leads us to most grateful apprehension of the sweet condescending sympathy (not only of Jesus Christ with humanity, but) of Jesus Christ's human…
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Vers. 1-17.-.At Capernawm. The choice of Capemaum as suitable centre justified l1y results. Rapid spread of our Lord's fame. Eager crowds gathering from far and near. Picture scene: Here, father carrying drooping child; there, little girl with blind father; camel bearing woman bowed with infirmity; sick of all kinds br…
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of hea.ling, and by the commission, " As ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand." They were themselves in many respects uninstructed, but they were to tell of the acts a.nd cha.rac~r of Jesus, and they were themselves to do similar works. The a.im of the miseione.ry must still be to proclaim and exh…
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and their message? How did the knowledge and acceptance of what they proclaimed operate to make men holy? The people had very erroneous ideas about the kinadom but our Lord lays down the rule, " He that receiveth you receiveth me, and h; that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me;" that is, he that admits true teachi…
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of the scribes was that they did not apprehend the Divinity of Christ, His miracles, together with the prophecies conc.erning Messiah, should have convinced them of this, 2. He proved f.o them his Divinity. (1) By disco-vering their secret thoughts. In those :pa.ssages which challen&e to God alone the prerogative to…
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Moses, were &ecounted sinners (BCe eh. xviii. 17; xxvi. 45; Rom. v. 8; Gal. ii. 15). Somo of those mFLy have been a.t Matthew'e feast. If eo, then Jesus In eating with them would portend the ea.Hing of the Gentiles, a.e a.lso did the favour he showed to the centurion and to the Syro-pho:mician woman. (2) Jews who were…
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Vers. 14-17.-Oonsistency in diversity. Three classes of persons made up what might be called the religious community of Palestine, viz. the Pharisees, the disciplea of John, and the disciples of our Lord. The ground of the question here was why one of these should neglect what the others preached as a religious duty…
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that experience Jesus personated the condition of his Church during his absence from her in heaven. She was destined to monm in the wilderneBB, suffering from Satan fierce assaults of persecution and temptation. First from the Jews; then from the Romans; then from the apostasy; perhaps finally from the rising spirit of…
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!lad the ruler a firmer faith, it would have prevented the death of hls child. Yet did not Jesus resent this halting by abandoning his case. Never will Jesus forsake the seeker who does not first forsake him. II. THAT JESUS WILL STRENGTilEN THE WEAK, TRUE FATI'H. 1. By the sfronger faith of others in his company. (…
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I. THEY ARE OOMPANIONB IN BLINDNESS. 1. In commwnity there ia sympathy. (1) Their common blindness probably brought them together. They were in a con- ~ition to enter into each other's feelings. (2) So is there sympathy in the blindness of ignorance. Ignorance- as to truth, ignorance as to goodness. The ignorant are at…
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Vers. 32--34.-Two devils. We have just seen two blind men in agreement. We are now introduced to two devils in diversity. Here is the dumb devil. Here also ie the devil muttering blasphemy. I. HERE_ rs ~ COMPARISON OF TWO SAD OASES. 1. The dumb demoniac. (1) Here is a man bodily m the hands of a demon. So completel…
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multiplication of mere units. More than mere "hands." He viewed them as multi- tudes of rational, capable, responsible, immortal beings. 2. His compasswn, was moved by the condition in which he found them. (1) They were "distressed" physically and spiritually. (a) By disease and sickness. (b) By demoniacal possessio…
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is the real root of sickness. These men who brought their friend for healing, showed, by their devices and their energy, such faith in Jesus as a Healer of bodily diseases, that they were in a fit state of mind to receive the higher truth concerning him. "To him that bath shall more be given." I. THE POWER TO DEAL …
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to a m1m in a modern connting-house or tax-collector's office. Probably the special duty of Matthew (or Levi) was to collect tolls from the fisheries on the lake, and from tbe merchants travelling southward from Damascus. Very possibly he was one of the higher officials, and his subordinates did the actMl work, and wou…
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with Uhrist, and serve, we had better, with him, find out the" publicans and sinners." -RT. Ver. 16.-Moods of 'l"iligious life. The immediate connection of our Lord's words should be noticed. His answer is sufficient for tho occasion, but it carries deeper and wider applications. Whenever the soul is full of the fel…
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Ver. 21.-Faith marred by superstition. "If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole." "The woman's touch was an ignorant and snperstitious appeal to the mercifulness of Christ." As viewed by Christ, the faith shown in the touch was of much greater importance than the superstition which connected blessing with the …
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"and lay upon the child, and put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon hia eyes, and his bands upon his hands, and stretched himself upon him." The contre.st is even seen in the matter of prayer. Elijah cried unto the Lord; and his prayer is given. Elisha prayed unto the Lord. But in two of the cases our Lord …
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quietness, and make the due maintenance of the spiritual life ex~ingly difficult. We may sympathize with Christ. lL TEACHING, We now know that the afternoon service at the synagogue was conducted somewhat as a Bible-class, those present asking questions and giving answers. In such scones our Lord naturally took his pl…
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iii. 15). And to heal. Proba,bly oonneoted, troduction, p. xxi.) and possibly St. Da.rtbo- not with /f,crn, but with il{ovu(uv (of. Luke). lomew and St. Tba<ldreus. Mark expressly Observe th&t nothing ie mid of their receiving says that the term " Boe.nerges" wu ipven authority to convert Thie God himself to the eons o…
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but better CM wn, Be,ised Version) of of a special oommis,,ion, and so far of a James," whioh Wllo8 doubtless his proper delege.t.ed authority in the person sent" ne.mo, If the word "The.ddmus" (•1nr.i) was, (BishopWestcott,on John xx. 21,Add. Note). IIB ~eems likely (for Edcrsheim's connexion Bengel snggests (on ver.…
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capaoity of witnesses for Christ. The minis- way of the Gentilea (•lr d6~v levwv). (1) terie.l. fnnotion of preaohing committed t,o These words are generally understood to men selected for it is only an aooentue.tion mean "into any road that .would leo.d to Gentile lands or districts." Bo Tyndale, of one of the dut…
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oonne1:ion with Isre.el seem to have contri- (omit "have," with Revised Version) re- buted to their being placed by tho Mishna oeived. Blessings of the kingdom, but between Jews and Gentiles (of. further, espeoie.lly authority e.nd power for this work Bchiirer, II. i. 5, aqq.). Enter ye not. A (ver. 1). l'reely give, A…
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',,u,n). For your journey. The clause is to of his meat. The disciples may therefore be joined mth "scrip" only. Neither two expect that it will be provided for them by ooate. A second for s11bbaths and festivals. those to whom they minister (Luke x. 7, of For the rabbinic rule insisted upon a dif- the seventy), and…
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with them. There is e. strict etiquette e.bout Luke ix. 5 (cf. the pe.rallel pMsagea, Mark it,invol ring much ostentBtiou e.ntl hypocrisy; vi. 11 ; Luke x. 10), e.nd therefore belongs to e.nd e. failure in the due observe.nee of this the source need by St. Matthew. She.ka o~ system of hospitality is violently resented,…
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sense in avoiding unnecessary da.nger, for to being only "dove "-like; but it is no wherever you go yon will find work t.o be wonder the.t the connexion with ver. 16 done (ver. 28). should be rather ho.rsh if the pe.ssa.ge be really ta.ken from e. later speech (" But take Ver. 16.-lSa, p&rallel pe.see.ge : Luke x. …
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ye may prosper in all ye do;• and lastly, to these Gentile rulers of what the gospel Ps. l:u:viii. 88, 89, 'But he, being fnll of really does for men, and of their consequent compassion, forgave their iniquity, and de- responsibility ; cf. eh. viii. 4, note: also the stroyed them not: yea, many a time turned parallel p…
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'I'he 11uthor is speaking of the signs of the sion); ,lr ,.~,, 1,./pa.v. There are oooe.sions end of the world. It seems probable that when the duty is rather to spread the mes- he was acquainted with some form of the sage the.n to seal it with death or to have original disoourse of our Lord in Mark xiii. one's lips…
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our Lord means the.t e. disciple shall not here a play upon the sense, "Lord of the eeoe.pe the moral lose that hie t.eacher incurs ; dwelling" (zelml, e.g. lsu. !xiii. 15), e.nd on the contre.ry, when fully iustructed, he probably n further reference to the simile.r sound zebel, Neo-Hebr. for "dung" (of. 2 shall be e…
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Talm. Bab., • Beraoh.,' 22a, "Nahum of market.a of Jerusalem andJaffaa1·e attended Gamzo, whispered it to R. Akibe., an'd R. by many • fowlers,' who offer for sale long Akiba whispered it to Ben Azai, and Ben strings of little birds of various speoiea, Azai went out and taught it to his diseiples chiefly sparrows, w…
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more stress on the verb. Therefore. Aa im,ol'f!e separation from the deareat upon earth, the hairs of your head nre all numbered; the yet the reward i, great. (Of. ver. 5, note.) following words ore thus epexegetic. Ye. The progress of thought ia these verses seems Emphatic here; ye who ore God's sons. The thought is s…
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~ospels. And a man's foes she.II be they of passage~ (viM 811_.{lra), cf. also Luke xvii. 88 his own honeehold (1eal •xBpol Tov &v8p~..-ou and even John xn. 25. Observe that in our ol ol1e,a1eol auTov). 'Ex8po( is predica.te. His chapter vers. 37, 38 are equivalent to Luke very household (not t.o be limited to xiv. …
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Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.