29. "Apart, take ye) To take the yoke of Christ upon us, is to give oneself up wholly to His discipline. — 6V/, x.r.X., because, etc.) Hence it appears why we should willingly learn from Jesus. Our meekness and lowliness are consequent upon our so doing. — xpaoc £/>/ 7.0.1 raveivbg, x.r.X., I am meek and lowly, etc.) Although His language is fearful in ver. 20, 24. Meekness produces easiness of yoke ; lowliness of heart, lightness of bur den. The Pharisees were austere and proud. Condescension (Demissio) is a much to be admired virtue of God, which is described as fully as possible, although it is not named in Scrip ture, by one word; whose likeness, humility, is found in the saints ; whose opposite, pride, in Satan and the wicked. For it is condescension, that that highest Majesty should have deigned
at all to make creatures, and especially men, however contemp tible, however mean, and to look on them without disdain, and to unite them to Itself. And the Son of God in a most con spicuous manner manifested His humility in our flesh. — See Ps. xxxiv. 7, cxiii. 6; Lukei. 48, 52, 53, xii. 37, xxii. 27; John xii. 26, xiii. 14; Phil. ii. 8; Heb. xi. 16. — rr\ xapdiq, in heart) Lowly does not by itself express a quality of the heart, which meek does ; therefore in heart refers rather to lowly than to meek. The word xapbict, completes the expression : see Rom. ii. 5. — xa<\ and) xai is introduced as in xdyw, and /, in ver. 28. Thus the LXX. ill Jer. vi. 16, %a! tiipyssrs ayviff/j,bv raTg •\J/t^a/s vfAuv, and ye shall find purification1 for your souls. Rest flows from the heart of Christ into our souls; see ver. 29. — evpfiffsre avdvavffiv, ye shall jind rest) as yet unknown to you, but sought for and desired.
30. Zwyog Mou, My yoke) In one point of view, Scripture speaks of the cross, in another of the yoke of the godly, see ch. x. 38. — ffTog, easy) for I am meek. — sXappov, light) for I am lowly.