them solemnly of the uselessness of all such professions, whil?^ the heart is unrenewed and cleaving to the world. And the state of their hearts, He reminds them, is known to God. They might deceive the eye of man, but they could not deceive God.
[Highly-esteemed.^ The Greek word so translated means liter- ally, "high." This is the only place in the New Testament where it is rendered as it is here.
16. — [The law and the prophets were until John!] This verse seems rather elliptical. Its connection with the preceding verse is not at first sight very clear. It is probably something Hke this.
"You make your boast of the law and the prophets, 0 ye Pharisees, and you do well to give them honour. But you forget that the dispensation of the law and prophets was only intended to pave the Way for the better dispensation of the kingdom of God, which was to be ushered in by John the Baptist. Tliat dispensation has come. John the Baptist has appeared. The kingdom of God is among you. While you are ignorantly de- riding me and my doctrine, multitudes of publicans and sinners are pressing into it. Your boasting is not good. With aJl your professed zeal for the law and the prophets, you are utterly blind to that kingdom into which the law and the prophets were meant to guide you."
[Every man presseth into it."] The Greek word translated " presseth," is only found in one other place in the New Testa- ment It is there rendered, " sufPereth violence." (Matt. xi. 12.)
By " every man," we must of course not understand literally every Jew. It either means, " a very large number press in while you stand still deriding ; " — or else, " Every one who enters the Kingdom, enters it with much exertion and labour, under a con- viction that it is worth while to use exertion. And yet you stand still."
1 7. — [Easier,,. heaven and earth pass.] This is a proverbial expres- sion, indicating the perpetual dignity and obligation of God's law.
[One tittle.] The Greek word so translated meaAs the slight mark which distinguishes some Hebrew letters which are much alike, one from another.
[To fail.] The word here means literally " to fall." It is like the expression about the words of Samuel, " The Lord did not let any of them fall to the ground." (I Sam. iii. 19.)
The connection between this verse and the preceding one is somewhat abrupt at first sight. The chain of thought is probably this : — " Think not because I say that the law and the prophets have introduced a better dispensation, the kingdom of God, that I count the law and the prophets of no value. On the contrary, I tell you that they are of eternal dignity and obligation They