Annotations Upon the New Testament, Matthew · Chapter 9
CHAP. IX.
Verse 1. AND came into his own City] viz. Capernaum. Mark. 2.1.Vide Brugensem. There are three Cityes of Christ rehearsed; The first was Bethlehem, in which he was borne, Micha. 5.7. Secondly, Nazareth, in which he was educated, whence hee was called a Nazarene. Drusius de quaesitis per Epist. Epist. 4.6. Their Faith, portantium & paralitici Chrysostom, onelyonly offerentium, Ierome.Thirdly, Capernaum, in which he sometimes dwelt. Matth. 4.13. Hence Theophylact. Bethlehem genuit, Nazareth educavit, Capernaum incolam habuit.
Vers. 2. To him] viz. Sitting and teaching, Luke 5.17. and that at his House, Marke 2.1. The glory of this Miracle was wonderfull, that a man taken in all the cCadaver hō inis verius quā homo. Eras. Chemnit in Harm. Inaudita mansuerudine filium appellat. Eras. Qua compellatione promptum animi sui affectum ad sublevandum miserum ostendit, sicut pater miseretur filiorum. Psal. 103.13. Chemnit.parts of his body, whom they had let downe in a Bed by cordes, Mark. 2. Luke 5. Sodainely arose both sound & nimble. Although they neither said nor askt any thing, God saw and knew their faith, lurking in their hearts, Psal. 37.10. Rom. 8.27. by the painfull endeavour of those that carried him, & the patience of him that was sicke of the palsie. Yet he saith not hee seeing the patience of him that was sicke of the Palsie, & the desire of charity in them that carried him, but seeing their faith, when yet it is certaine that they also were acceptable to Christ. Two things are to be noted in that 1. That faith alone (although other vertues also be present) is that instrument by which the benefits of Christ, especially remission of sinnes is received. 2. That other workes are approved of God, and accepted of him, if they proceede from and bee done in faith.
Vers. 3. The other two Evangelists adde, who can forgive sinnes but God alone] The Scribes accused him of Dicitur hic foreign Non qui Deo maledicit, sed qui quod Dei est sibi arrogat, vide infra. 26.65. Mark. 2.7. Grotius.blasphemie, the Pharisees of eating with Publicans and sinners, 11. v. the Scribes accusation was a breach of the Law, the Pharisees, a breach of traditions.
Vers. 5. *Piscator. Quanto praestantior est anima corpore, tanto praecellit corporis sanitatem peccatorum remissio. Sed Christus sermonem ad eorum captum accommodat, qui ut erant animales externis signis magis movebantur quam tota spirituali Christi virtute quae ad eternam salutem valebat. Calvinus.This interrogation hath the force of a negation, that is, neither is more easie than the other, but both equally difficult, and to God alone possible. He applieth his speech to their capacity, who being unregenerate were more moved with outward signes, than all the spirituall power of Christ.
Ver. 6. The Son of man hath power to forgive sins, but Luk. 23.34. saith, Father forgive them.
Answ. Though all the persons in the Trinnity forgive sinnes, yet not in the same manner, the Father bestowes, the Sonne merits, the Holy Ghost sealeth up and applieth remission of sinnes.
This clause in earth] meaneth, that Christ for this cause came downe to the earth, that he might offer to men the present grace of God.
Take up thy bed] That that which was a witnesse of thy infirmity, may now be a witnesse of thy health restored. Brugensis.
Vers. 9. A man named Matthew] The Evangelist speakes of himselfe in the third person,1 Tim. 1.13.14, 15, 16. Piscat. Levi significat additum Matthaeus datum, donatum. Chemnit. He is called of Marke and Luke, Levi, therefore he had two names; He was at first called Levi, after his calling Matthew, and so he is stiled after, though Grotius seeme to differ from this opinion.
Luke saith, He made him a feast. Our Saviour invites him to a Discipleship, Matthew invites him to a feast.
Vers. 10. At Jesus sate at meate in the House] viz. of Matthew, as it is plaine in Marke and Luke especially, for Matthew in modestie conceales his owne name.
Many publicans and sinners] Publicans and sinners will flocke together, the one hatefull for their trade, the other for their vitious life.
These two publicans and sinners are often joyned together, Luke. 7.34. and 15.7.
Vers. 11. The squint-eyed Pharisees looke a trosse at all the actions of Christ, where they should have admired his mercy, they cavill at his holinesse; when these Censurers thought the Disciples had offended, they spake not to them, but to their Master. Why doe thy Disciples that which is not lawfull] Now when they thought Christ offended, they spake not to him but to the Disciples.
Vers. 13. I will have mercy and not sacrifice] That is, rather than sacrifice. By sacrifice all externall worship of God is understood.
Call the righteous but sinners] Those who acknowledge themselves to be sinners, confessing and forsaking their sinnes,Perkins on Jude. and not such as presume of their owne righteousnesse.
Caskes foreign Judg. 4.19. and she opened a Caske of Milke. Mollerus in haec verba psalmi. 50. pone lachrimas meat in utere tuo, Solebant orientales in utribus servare vinum & oleum, ideo hac metaphora utitur. The same thing is meant in both the similitudes, of discipline more harsh than weake Disciples were able to beare. Vide Scultet. Exercit. Evang. l. 2. cap. 52.Vers. 16, 17. No man putteth new wine into old bottles] That is, exacteth rigid and heavy services of weake and tender Disciples, and therefore my Disciples fast not while I am amongst them in the flesh.
But the dayes shall come] When I shall send them my Holy Spirit, to strengthen and prepare them forhard service, and then they shall fast.
Calvin.Christ therefore compares his Disciples to old bottles and torn garments, not because they were worne with long use, but because they were weake.
Vers. 18. All *Alardi pathologia Sacra. N. T.the Three Evangelists begin this History of Jairus, with the particle Behold, which yet here is not a Demonstrative adverbe, but rather an adverbe of admiration. For it is manifest that the men of this ranke were the greatest adversaries to Christ. Iohn 7.48. and 9.22.
The name of Jairus is suppressed by Matthew, but set downe by Marke and Luke.
Worship him] That is, bow the knee, which was common among the inhabitants of the East. He did not give divine honour to Christ, but worship him as a Prophet of God.
Ver. 20. Diseased with an issue of bloud] It is but one word in the *foreign.Greek, The Evangelists do expresly declare that this Issue of bloud had endured for the space of twelve yeares, and that the woman had consumed all her substance upon Physitians, whereby the glory of the Miracle was so much the greater.
Vers. 21. She had no devotion to the hemme of his garment, but because she was kept off by the Presse, so that she could not come neere to desire his aide as others did, she said within her selfe, if I shall but onelyonly touch the hemme of his Garment. Cartwright.
If I may touch] A weake action, the hemme of his garment] the remotest part, with a trembling hand, a feeble apprehension; the vertue proceeded not from his garment, but immediately from himselfe, therefore he saith vertue is proceeded from mee. Luke 8.8.
Vers. 23. Minstrells] cTibia utebantur in funere puerorum puellarumque, nam instrumentum est exilis & angustae vocis. Lactantius. Iubet religio ut majoribus mortuis tuba, minoribus tibia caneretur. Vide Scultet. observ. in Matth. 1.29. Christus loquitur eis qui flentes & ejulantes parabant exequias defunctae, & non suscitandae; voluit testari se eam statim suscitaturum, quasi ex somno expergefactam, non potuit igitur aptius hoc significare quam illis verbis quibus est usus. Amesius de consc. l. 5. Tibiae praesertim & solum puerorum exsequijs adhibebantu…, sicut tubae in funeribus aetate provectorum. Alardi epiphyllides Philol.Who played with their sad tunes. Cantabat maestis tibia funeribus. Ovidius.
Vers. 24. She was dead, therefore they scoffed at him, as though he endeavoured to raise one dead, as if she were onelyonly a sleepe; but Hee really demonstrated that she slept to him, because He raised here onelyonly by his call, as wee can those that sleepe. Piscat.
Vers. 25. Tooke her by the hand] As we are wont to doe, when we raise one from sleepe. Christ hereby demonstrated, that it is as eas…y for God to raise the dead,Grotius. as to awaken those that sleepe, which might much confirme their faith.
Vers. 33. I marvell not if the people marvelled, for here were foure wonders in one, the Blind saw, the Deafe heard, the Dumbe spake, the Demoniacke is delivered; rarity and difficulty are wont to cause wonder, but meete in this.
If we respect either the multitude, or power of working miracles,Chemnit. there was never the like done.
Vers. 34. The Pharisees were mad, to defame with wicked speech so notable a work of God, for the Antithesis is to be noted betweene the praise of the people and the blasphemy of these men, what could malice say worse?
Vers. 36. He was moved with compassion] The word signifieth the yearning of the bowels, such as is in the most tender pitie and compassion, as Zacharie explaines it,foreign verbum foreign à visceribus deductum, quod plus habet emphaseos quam latinum misereri Hebraei enim viscera vehementem atque intimum affectum vocant, in visceribus enim residet humanitas, & mutua compassio ergo proximos. Indicat itaque hoc verbum, quo Graeci interpretes expresserunt hebraeum Raham, quod hoc etiam loco Syriacè est, summam & vehementem commiserationem ex intimis visceribus profectam, non sine externa corporis alteratione; tanquam si dicas, commotus viseribus. Lucas brugensis. Comment. in 4. or Evangelia. Luke 1.78.
Vers. 37. By this metaphore he declareth that many of the common sort were ready to receive the Gospell, see Iohn 4.35.Vtitur allegoria sumta à re rustica. Brugensis. Those which professe themselves to be Gods people, and are in some kind of ripenesse to be instructed and become obedient to him, are the harvest. This was spoken at the feast of Tabernacles, which was in the midst of harvest, the Parable also of the Sower was in sowing-time.
Labourers] The Ministers of Christ, see the 10. of Luke the begining. few] almost, onelyonly Christ and Iohn. A harvest-labourer, or reaper, should be first skilfull, secondly, industrious, thirdly, sent.
Vers. 38. Send forth] Word for word, cast them out,Extrudat rather than emittar. for men are very slow in so holy a worke.