words He shoAvs that He knew the existence and extent of their faith ; He praises and confirms their faith ; He ratifies the gift, and commands it to remain ; and at the same time intimates, that if others remain without help, unbelief is the only cause.1
23. Toi>g auX»jra£, the flute-players) It was the custom to em ploy flutes at funerals, especially those of the young. — rov </'%Aov, the crowd) See Luke vii. 12.
24. 'AvaxupeTn, depart) That is, you are not needed here. Our Lord proceeds without hesitation2 to perform the miracle, cf. ch. xiv. 19. — ou yap avedavi rb xopdffiov, for the damsel is not dead) Jesus said this before He entered where she was lying dead. The dead all live to God ; see Luke xx. 38 ; and the girl, on account of her revival, which was to take place soon, quickly, surely, and easily, was not to be numbered amongst the dead who shall rise hereafter, but amongst those that sleep. — xarfysXuv AuroD, they laughed Him to scorn) This very circum stance confirmed the truth of both the death and the miracle. They seem to have feared the loss of their funeral dues.
25. 'Hyspdy, she was raised) Jesus raised the dead from the bed, from the bier, from the grave ; in this instance, in Luke vii. 14 ; in John xi. 44. It would be inquisitive to speculate concerning the state of the souls which had been separated for a short time.
26. 'H f>jj//.»j, the fame) see ver. 31. — rr,v y^ sxtivyv, that land) St Matthew, therefore, did not write this book in that land. See ver. 31, ch. xiv. 34, 35, iv. 25.
27. TupXo/, blind men) Many blind men received faith, and afterwards sight. Without doubt they sought for sight, more especially on the ground that, being alive at that time, they might see the Messiah ; and they did see Him with joy in credible. — sXir,ffov ^aj, have mercy upon us) An expressive formula, containing a confession of misery, and a prayer for free mercy. Even those who are without have employed this
1 It more than once happened, that a person came to know that he had faith only when the Saviour announced the fact to him, and not before. —
v.g.
2 In the original, " certus ad miraculum accedit" — a phrase which loses half its force in the translation. — (I. B.)