Annotations Upon the New Testament, Matthew · Chapter 12
CHAP. XII.
Verse 1. THe purpose of the Evangelists in this history, was to shew, partly how malicious the Pharisees were, and partly how superstitiously they were addicted to outward rites of small importance, insomuch that they placed all their holiness in them.
Vers. 3. Christ defendeth the fact of his Disciples, and confuteth the cavill of the Pharisees by five arguments: 1. By Davids example, necessity freed him from fault, for the Priest which gave him leave to take the shew-bread is commended by the Holy Ghost; indeed it was not lawfull but for the Priest only to eate the bread, that is, by the common Law. The second Argument is in the fifth, because it is lawfull on the Sabbath daies to kill Sacrifices, to circumcise Infants, and to do all other things that pertaine to the worship of God; the works of godliness cannot be contrary one to another. The Law] That is the Books of Moses, which describe the Law, a Metonymie of the Subject. Broken by the Priests] An improper speech which Christ useth, that he may frame himself to the hearers. The third argument is in the seventh verse, Christ reproveth the Pharisees because they considered not for what purpose the Ceremonies were commanded, nor to what end they did belong. Hos. 6.7. MercieMercy] That is,Calvin. all works of Charity, and under sacrifice is all the outward worship of the Law comprehended. The fourth reason is in vers. 8. Christ saith here that he hath power given him to set his people free from the necessity of observing the Sabbath, the Son of man (saith he) can of his own power moderate the observing of the Sabbath, as he doth the other Ceremonies of the Law. The fifth argument is reported by Marke only, Chap. 7.27. The summe of it is, they do wickedly which turne the Sabbath to mans destruction, which God instituted for his sake.
Vers. 5. On the Sabbath day the Priests in the Temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless] That is, they do such things as in other cases not concerning the worship of God, would be a profanation of the Sabbath. If a Butcher in his slaughter-house should so slay, flea, and cut beasts in peeces on the Sabbath, he would therein profane it.Dr Gouge.
Vers. 9. He went into their Synagogue] viz. On another Sabbath. This history and the former tend both to one end, viz. that the Scribes were maliciously bent to carpe and cavill at every thing that Christ did.
Vers. 10. They asked him] viz. the Scribes and Pharisees, Marke and Luke do only say, they watched what the Lord would do; but Matthew setteth it down more plainly, that they tempted him also in words. And it is likely that he had healed some others on the Sabbath before, having therefore taken occasion of that, they demand of him, whether he think it lawfull for him to do again that he had done before, but God who instituted the Sabbath, laid not a Law upon himself, they should have considered whether it had been the work of God or man to heale a dryed hand only by touching it, or with a word.
Vers. 11. Christ sheweth againe what is the true and right observation of the Sabbath, and also reproveth them for their malicious dealing, because they cavilled at him for that which was usuall amongst them all. Marke and Luke have not this similitude, they only say that Christ demanded whether it was lawfull to do a good deed on the Sabbath day, or to do evill? For he that destroyeth the life of a man is guilty of an offence, yea, differs little from a man-slayer.
Vers. 14. Held a counsell] Or tooke counsell, with the Herodians sayes Marke, whom yet they hated most deadly.
Chemnitius.Vers. 16. And charged them that they should not make him known] Because the time of his glorification was not as yet, but of his humiliation. 2. Because the multitudes did not yet sufficiently know the true end and use of his Miracles.
Vers. 18. Behold my servant] The *foreign) dictio foreign ambigua est in puero & servo. Hic autem servum denotat, cum in Ebraeo sit Nabor. Sed & Latinè puer pro servo ponitur. Drus. not. in Paralel. Sac.Greek word signifieth both a Son and a servant, but a servant here.
Shew judgement to the Gentiles] That is, one should come that should restore righteousnesse decayed, and Hee should be the Governour, not onelyonly of the Jewes, but should bring the Gentiles also under the government of God.
Vers. 19. Nor cry] Such a cry is here meant, which is a signe of a troubled and chafed mind.
Vers. 20. A Reede is a tender thing, it will breake sometimes afore a man bee aware, a bruised Reede is more tender, it will bee broken with a touch. A bruised Reede is a soule broken with the sence of sinne, and weake in faith. Matth. 11.28.
Smoaking flaxe] The weeck of a candle which is newly lighted, and hath little light or heate, but rather smoakes and offends with an ill smell, i. e. A soule which hath but a little knowledge and zeale, or affection for God, and much corruption.
Till he send forth judgement unto victory] The words of the Prophet are somewhat otherwise, that he shall bring or lead forth judgement in truth. Yet Matthews speech hath force in it, that we may know that judgement cannot be placed in the world without great strife or labour, for victory is not obtained but by fighting. Some expound these words thus,Calvin. untill the sanctified frame of grace begun in their hearts, be brought to that perfection, that it prevaileth over all opposite corruption.
Vers. 22. Many are blind and dumbe of naturall diseases: but this man was blind in his eyes, and deprived of his speech, though there was no want in those parts pertaining to the sight, or in the proportion of the tongue.
Vers. 23. Is this the Son of David?] Interrogatio innuit affirmationem opinabilem, as if they should say, truely Hee seemes to be the Sonne of David, that is Christ, a periphrasis from the efficient.
Vers. 24. Beelzebub] It signifies the Lord of flies, but if it be read Beelzebul, For Beelzebub in many copies it is foreign, which sounds, Dominus stercoreus, quod vocabulum sine dubio in contumeliam ipsius idoli & cultorum ejus est inventum. Buxtorf. in Lexico Talmudico.it signifies the dunghill God.
Vers. 25. Christ, 1. confuteth the cavill objected against him by a common proverbe, 2. hee proves it by an induction of three particulars; one of a kingdome, another of a City, the third of a house; the meaning is, there is nothing more absurd, than that the Devill should willingly overthrow the power which he hath overcome, who indeavoureth by all meanes to have them in his bondage.
Vers. 26. When Exorcists by the help of Satan cast out Satan, that is done by delusion of the Devill, ex pacto, that he might thereby retaine men in superstition and idolatry, and that by his ejection out of the body, he might have dominion over the soule: for if Satan should violently cast out Satan, hee would be divided against himself, which Christ denies.
Vers. 27. By whom do your children cast them out] This place is diversely expounded, some *Maldonate, Hilary, Jerom, Theophylact, Euthymius.by children there understand the Apostles who were Jewes borne, and had received from Christ this gift and power to cast out Devils; others Calv. Chem. Iunius.rather think that by children are meant exorcising Jewes before Christs time, who did cast out Devils among them, pretending to doe this worke in the name of God, whereas in truth they were all flat sorcerers, and did it by compact made with the Devill. Act. 19.13.16.17.
Judges] You need not to seek far for your condemnation,You have among you sundry magicians and exorcists who pretend to exercise the gift of casting out devils, and you think they do it by the power of God, why then do you not carry the same opinion of me also. Mr Perkins. the miracles which I work you apply to Beelzebub, and you praise the same in your children; therefore you have enough at home to condemne your selves.
Vers. 28. By the Spirit of God] Luke metaphorically calleth it the finger, for Spirit. For because God worketh, and sheweth his power, by the Spirit, the name of a finger is aptly given it; this speech was common among the Jewes.
Come] This word is very forcible, and sheweth that Christ appeared willingly to them as a Redeemer, but they as much as they could, drove him from amongst them, and would give no place to him that was come, ready and prepared for their salvation.
Vers. 29. This sentence is but a confirmation of that which went before. He affirmeth that a strong and mighty Tyrant cannot be driven out of his kingdom, untill he be spoyled of his weapons; hee alludes to that place, Esay 49.24.
Vers. 30. When Christ was much injured with the blasphemies of the Pharisees, he confutes the slander, and then layes downe this rule,Proverbium Iudaicum in utramque partem usurpatum, nam & dici solebat, Qui non est contra vos, pro vobis est. Luc. 9.5. Sic in gnomis Salomonis, respondeas stulto, & ne respondeas stulto, quae omnia veritatem suam habent pro materia cui aptantur. Videtur autem proverbium istud hoc loco à minori ad majus hoc modo procedere. Si in bello internecino quale est inter Dei servos & daemonas, nemini licet neutrarum esse partium, sed medii pro hostibus habentur, quanto magis ergo hostis censendus sum diaboli, qui non modo illi non prosum sed obsum quam maximè? Obstat quicquid non adjuvat. Quintil. Grot. in loc. He that is not with me is against mee, in such blasphemies against Christ, wee must take his part actively, and must resolve to be with Christ against the world. In Marke 9.40. and Luke 9.50. Some cast out Devils in Christs name, and the Disciples forbad them, here because they did act in Christs name (though they did not follow with them) they were not to be hindred.
V. 32. Christ said v. 31. Blasphemy should not be pardoned, in the 32. he adds, Shall be forgiven neither in this world, nor in the world, nor in the world to come] that is, never, as Marke expounds it. Mar. 3.19. Bucer, Calvin, Martyr, Musculus, Zanchius, say, that those who out of malice and purpose blaspheme and oppose the divine truth revealed in their minds, shall never obtaine pardon; the Papists say they may obtaine pardon, but difficultly.Neither in this world, nor in the world to come] as we see in the Scripture the like positions are amplified, sometimes by a partition of persons, sometimes of places, sometimes of things, as here of time; by a partition of things, Gen. 31.29. of places, as Deut. 5.32. of persons, Rom. 1.16. Rainold de lib Apoc. tomo secundo praelect. 171.
A proverbiall kind of speech for never, as neither good nor evill, for nothing at all; neither to the right hand, nor to the left, that is, on no side, Drus. Prouerb. Clas. 2. lib. 3. Proverb. 24.with the Scholiastes Ben Syrae, qui linguae morbo laborant, sanari non possunt neque in hoc seculo neque in futuro.
Origen thought that all sins should be pardoned a long while after the last judgement, which errour Christ refutes in those words, nor in the world to come.]
Vers. 33. Either make the tree good, and his frite good, &c.] Christ commandeth the Pharisees to be either good or evill, as if he should have said, there is nothing more contrary to honesty than hypocrisie, and they challenge to themselves the title of righteous in vaine which are not upright; it is an upbraiding speech.
Vers. 34. How can ye beeing evill speake good things] It is (saith Christ) no marvell if you vomite out evill words, seeing that your heart is full of malice.
Vers. 36. Where by idle words, he meaneth such as bring no profit to men,Sermo otiosus pro inutili sumitur, qui nihil aedificationis vel fructus affert. Calvin. Verbum otiosum est quod justa necessitate & pia utilitate caret. Greg. Quod sine utilitate loquentis vel audientis profertur. Hieron. in loc. nor honour to God, though they do not directly dishonour God, or hurt men. The words are a true proposition, and sound argument drawn à minore ad majus; if account must be rendred at the day of judgment of every idle word that men speak, then much more of blasphemous words.
Vers. 40. By three daies and three nights are meant three naturall daies, because the Hebrews had no other words for a naturall day. It could not be said he lay three artificial daies in the earth, because he lay in the night part of a naturall day. His abode in the grave was about 38 houres.Mr. Perkins. He was but one day and two peeces of two daies in the grave (for he was buried in the evening before the Sabbath, and rose in the morning the next day after the Sabbath) yet this is sufficient to verifie Christs saying,Christ was buried in the heart of the earth, not the middest, but by an Hebraisme, as of Tyrus. Ezek. 27.4. Manifesta haec foreign. Nam & Ebraeis, & Graecis, & Latinis, vox diei ambigua est, & nunc naturalem nunc artificialem diem significat. Hujusce ambiguitatis tollendae causa solent Ebraei (quorum loquendi formam Apostoli & evangelistae retinent, Graecè quamvis scribant) cum intelligunt diem naturalem sive civilem, hoc est foreign ponere diei partes, licet res tota die gesta non sit. Tres dies & tres noctes ponuntur hic pro triduo, Triduum enim in sepulchro Christus fuit, foreign. Imò haud aliter intelligendū videtur, cum Ionas in Ceto fuisse dicitur tribus diebus ac noctibus. Quistor pius. Non praecisè tres dies & tres noctes, nullo modo, sed figuratè & synecdochicè. Nam Christus sepeltebatur diei sextae vespera, quo die crucifixus est, die septimo quievit in sepulcro, die octavo, primo septimanae proximae resurrexit. Itaque fuit in sepulcro duobus tantum diebus integris, ac vix quidem illis integris. At dicitur fuisse in corde terrae tres dies & tres noctes, sicut Ionas fuerat tres dies & tres noctes, ut commendaret istud mysterium Ionae Prophetae, quo adumbrata est Christi morr & resurrectio, atque doceret istud etiam verè de ipso affirmari, eum triduo fuisse in sepulchro, tres dies ac tres noctes synecdochicè, quoniam dies conficitur ex die & nocte, Christus quievit in sepulchro parte dierum trium. Rainold de lib. Apoc. praelect. 128. for if the analogy had stood in three whole daies, then Christ should have risen the fourth day. Langus de Annis Christi lib. 2. cap. 1. saith, by this exposition Scripturae in os contradicitur, he saith two nights and two daies are not three nights and dayes, two and three are not the same.
41. The men of Nineveh shal judge exemplarily, and are produced to convince others, who have less profited by greater meanes. Beza, Piscator.
Vunoleane] because of pollution of sinne. Spirit] the Devill. Gone out] that is in part, as a Drunkard wrought on by a Sermon.Vers. 43. Is gone out] A voluntary action, but he is cast out of the godly. He may returne and actually possesse such men he was actually cast out of. It is said metaphorically, that he walketh through dry places, for his banishment is grievous to him, and his dwelling out of men is like a filthy desert. Alludes to the Israelites being in the wilderness, they were not content, but had rather have been in Aegypt again, there was no meat nor drink.
Seeketh rest] So long as he is out of man, because that then he fretteth and tormenteth himself, and ceaseth not to try every way untill he recover that he hath lost.
Vers. 44. My house] It is his house though he be in part cast out.
Temptations of a Hypocrite 1. they cease. 2. then the Hypocrite is a fit house for the Devill, the gracious are not empty.Empty] Or as the word is, idle, not possessed by grace; so void as no body lookes to it; the word is used by Pharaoh against the Israelites, you are idle; so the devill finds men idle not looking to their soules, and then comes in.
Swept and garnished] As men expecting guests sweep the house to shew how welcome they shall be; so the idle man garnishes his house, and is ready to bid the devill welcome: A heart emptied and swept of goodness, and garnished with noisome lusts, is prepared for the devill.
Vers. 45. Seven other spirits] The number of seven is taken here indefinitely, as in other places,Worse Devils in respect of the effects they work in a man, God gives the Devil leave to take a further possession of him. that is multitudes.
Seven Spirits In the Revelation, that is, with severall operations, so the devill comes with greater temptations and sins.
Vers. 47. His brethren] That is, his nearest kindred, see ch. 13.55.
Vers. 48. VponUpon this place some old Heretickes denied Christ to have any Mother. Interrogatio indignantis, as if he had said, What dost thou tell mee of my Mother and my brethren, as if it were fit that I should omit my Fathers businesse, to hearken to my earthly kindred. Luke 2.49. Marys importunity is here reproved.
Vers. 49. Behold my Mother and my brethren] Spirituall kindred are stronger than carnall.