Stella thinks that one ohject that our Lord had Id view in going to the Pharisee's house, was to henefit the servants of the family, who had few opportunities of hearing truth. He re- marks that in his own tune, in Spam, servants had hardly any opportunity of hearing sermons, from the demands which their masters made upon their time on Sundays.
[To eat bread on the Sabbath day.] Lightfoot says that " the Jew's tahles were generally hetter spread on the Sahhath, than on any other days ; and that, as they themselves reckoned, on account of religion and piety." He proves this hy quotations from Rahhinical writers.
2. — [Be/ore him.] Some think that the dropsical man placed himself "before Christ" in faith, hoping that he would see and heal him. Others think that he was purposely placed there by our Lord's enemies, in order to lay a tr^ Tn ou'r Ws way. an'd procure an occasion of accusing Him as a Sabbath-breaker.
3. — [Ansitering spake.] Let it be noted here that we are told of nothing that was said, or spoken by the lawyers and Pharisees, and yet we read both here, and at verse 5, that our Lord " answered.*' It is plain that He answered theii thoughts.
Whitby observes, " In this and all similar cases, there is an answer to some inward conception or reasoning; or to some action expressive of their sentiments concerning Him." The same remark applies to Matt. xxii. 1 ; Luke v. 22 ; Luke vii. 39, 40 ; Mark xiv. 48 ; Matt. xi. 25.
[To heal on the Sabbath day.] Let it be noted that our Lord seems frequently to have chosen the Sabbath day on purpose, as the day on which He would work miracles of mercy. See Mark L 21 ; Luke vi. 6 ; Luke xiii. 10 ; John ix. 14.
5. — [An ass or an ox.] Stella makes some severe remarks, in his commentary on this verse, upon the prelates of his day. He charges them with caring more about the horses and mules which drew their equipages, than about the sick, the poor, and the needy in their diocese. He observes that they were not like Job, who did not rend his garments when he lost his oxen and camels, but when his sons and his daughters died.
[Straightway.] This word is more commonly rendered '* im- mediately." It signifies that there wad no delay about saving the life of the ox and the ass, and so there ought to be no delay abont healing a sick man, or doing a work of mercy on the Sabbath day.