The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 2 — Section 311

lligniftea, "The blessing or Jehovah rest on le1121 the Prophet of No.zo.reth. They give him who oomethl" i.e. Messiah (eh, n. 8; his name, title, and dwelliog-pla.ce. They '.a,ov. i. 8); in the latter, the me1111i11g is, ce.11 him "the Prophet," either as being the "Blessing 011 him who cometh with Divine One the.t was foretold (John i. 21 ; vi. 14), or mission, sent with thee.uthorityof Jehovah I" e.s being inspired e.od commissioned by God The second iuterprete.tion seems to be correct. (Johnix.17). Thea.ppelle.tion,"ofNazan,th," In the highest (comp. Luke ii. 14). The clung to our Lord through all bis earthly people ory to God to ratify in heaven the life. St. Matthew (eh. ii. 23) notes that the blessing which they invoke 011 earth. Thie prophets ha.d foretold the.t he was to be homage and the title of Messiah Jesus now called e. N aze.rene, e.ud that this prediction accepts as hie due, openly asserting his was in some sort fulfilled by his dwelling ole.ims, and by hie acquiescence e11coure.gi11g at Nazareth. We know not who were the the excitement. St. Matthew omits the prophets to whom the evangelist refers, and touching scene of Christ's le.mente.tions over m this obscurity the attempt.eel explanations Jerusalem, as he passed the spot where of exegetes are far from satisfactory ; ao it is Boman legions would, e. generation hence, safer to fall back upon the inspired historian's encamp age.inst the doomed city. verdict, o.nd to mark the providential ac- Ver. 10. - Waa come into J'eruaalem. complishment of the prediction in the title Those who consider the.t the de.y of thie by which Jesus was generally known. Sa.ye event was the tenth of Niee.n see a peculiar Isaac Willia.ms, "Friends e.nd foes, chief fitness in the entry occurring on tbie day. priests in he.te, Pila.ta in mockery, angels in On the tenth of this month the Paschal lamb adoration, dieoiples in love, Christ himself in was selected and taken up preparatory to lowliness (Acts xx.ii, 8). and now the multi- its sacrifice four de.ye after (Exod. xii. 3, 6). tudes in simplicity, all proclaim him 'of Bo the true Pasohal Lamb now ie escorted to N aze.reth.' " the place where alone the Passover could be Vers.12-17,-The ucond eleanBing of th~ saorificed. Te.king A.D. 30 to be the de.te of the Cmcifurion, astronomers inform us that temple. (Mark :ri.15-19; Lukexix.45-48.) in that year the first da.y of Nisan fell on Ver. 12.-Went into the temple. The March 24. Uonsequently, the tenth would be event here ne.rre.tedseems to have,taken place on Sunday, April 2, and the fourteenth was on the da.y following the triumphal entry; reckoned from sunset of Thursday, April i.e. on the Monday of the Holy Week. Thi.d 6, to the sunset of Friday, April 7 (see on can be gathered from St. Mark's narrative, ver. I, and preliminary note eh. xxvi.). where it ie stated that, on the day of triumph, Was moved (l11.tcr611); was shaken, e.s by an Jesus was escorted to the temple, but merely ea.rlhquake. St. Matthew alone mentions "looked round about on all things," e.nd then this commotion, though St. John (xii. 19) returned for the night to Bethany, visiting makes allusion to it, when he reports the the temple again on the following morning, vindictive exole.mation of the Pharisees, and driving out those who profaned it. St. " Behold, the world is gone after him I " Matthew often groups events, not in their Jerusalem had been stirred and troubled proper chronological order, but in a certain once before, when the Wise Men walked logical sequence which corresponded with through the streets, inq uhing, " Where is he his design. Thus he connects the cleansing that is born King of the Jews?" (oh. ii. 2, 3). with the t:tiumpbal entry, in order to display But the excitement wo.s fe.r greater now, another eXL\mple of Christ's self-manifesta- more general, composed of many different tion at this time, and his purpose to show elements. The Romans expected some public who he wus Bild to put forth his ch,ims xising; the Phe.rise.ice.l party was aroused to publicly. In thie visit of Christ we see tho new envy and me.lice; the Herodians dreaded King coming to his palace, the place whero a possible usurper; but the r:ipulace enter- his honour dwelleth, the fitting termination tained for the moment the idea that their of hie glorious march. 'fhie cleansing of hopes were now fulfilled, that the long- the temple must not be confounded with tlio desired Messiah had at last appenred, and earlier incident narrated by St. John (ii. 13, would lead them to victory. Who is this 1 eto.). The two nets warked re,pccti vely The question may have been put by the the beginning (md close of Christ's earthly strangers who came from 11ll parts of the ministry, and denote the revorence which be world to celebrate the Passover at Jerusalem, taught for the holll!e and the worship of God. or by the crewels in the streets, when they The part of the temple which he now vi:,ited, beheld the unusual procession tlint was and which was profaned to secular use, was aclvo.noing. the court of the Gentiles, separated from the Ver. 11.-The multitude; ol llxl..o, : the BD.Uotuary by a stone partition, e.ncl considered multitudes. These were the people who took of lesser sanctity, though really e.11 integral part in the procession: they kept repenting part of the temple. Cast out all them that (i".>.1-yo11, imperfect) to all inquiries, This is 1old and bought. In this b1rge opou space 318 THE GOSPEL AOOORDING TO f,T, MATTHEW. [otl:. x.1.L 1--48.