Annotations Upon the New Testament, Matthew · Chapter 23
CHAP. XXIII.
OUR Saviour in this Chapter describes a hypocrite by his signes. 1. They say but do not. v. 3. He is nothing but leaves, shewes, he talkes but does not. 2. He is unmercifull. v. 4. severe in prescribing to other men, but partiall to himselfe. 3. He is ambitious, seekes the setting up of himself, not God. v. 5. 4. Hee must be the teacher, rule the roast. v. 6. 5. He perverts all religion, and hath an aime at his private gaine. v. 14. 6. Hee is most medling where he should not. v. 15. 7. Hee is partiall in his obedience. v. 16. 8. Preposterous in his obedience, lighter matters most busie him. v. 23. 9. He is still for the outside. 25, and 27. verses. 10. He cannot brooke a faithfull Ministry, especially the present Ministry. v. 30.
foreign est cathedra in qua sedentes magistri legem aut populo publicè aut discipulis privatim interpretabantur: quomodo Cathedrae vox Graecis quoque & Latinis usurpatur. Grotius. Sedet in Cathedra Mosis qui non ex seipso vel proptio sensu sed ex Dei authoritate & verbo praecipit. Calvin.Vers. 2. Sit in Moses chaire] That is, shew out the Law of God. Their conjecture (saith Calvin) is probable, which referre it to the Pulpit which Esdras set up when the Law was read, Nehem. 8.4. Christ exhorted the people so farre to obey the Scribes, as they continued in the simple and pure interpretation of the Law. Moses signifies the old Testament here, and his Chaire is the Chaire in which the Law was explained. Acts 15.1. 2 Cor. 3.15. to sit in Moses chaire, is not to succeed Moses (for the Scribes and Pharisees were not his successors) but to deliver the doctrine he delivered. Cameron.
Vers. 3. They are ready enough to command, but slow and remisse in doing.v. 3. i. e. Quaecunque vera & recta dixerint, & quaecunque secundum legem docuerint, ea facite. Whitakerus.
Vers. 4. Heavy burdens] Not ceremonies, for the Pharisees did abound in them, but justification by workes, looking for Christ a temporall King, and not a remitter of sinnes.
Vers. 5. Make broad their phylacteries] Purple-studs woven on garments. Epiphan. schrolles of parchment for the head, *Hieron. Chrysost in loc. Vide Bezam. Piscat. & Cameronem. foreign à Graecis dicuntur, id est, conservatoria, quòd ad conservandam legis memoriam instituta essent.or frontlets, or on garments,Phylacteria, ut Origenes, Chrysostomus, Hieronymus & Euthymius scribunt, membranulae erant, in quibus legis praecepta scripta erant. Maldonatus. on which were written the Ten Commandements. The Pharisees carried them about their head and arms, that they might perpetually set the Law of God before their eyes, so understanding that place, Deut. 6.8. See Scult. observat. in Matth. c. 61.
And enlarge the borders of their garments] Num. 15.38, 39, 40. and Deut. 22.12. The Jewes were commanded to hang fringes upon the foure quarters of their garments,Lucas Brugensis Comment. in 4 or Evangelia. foreign vetus editio habet magnificant fimbrias, hoc est magnas & amplas faciunt, non magnificè jactant aut extollunt, & interpres recentior, producunt fimbrias, est autem foreign ora vestimenti, quae & lascinia dicitur. Notatum est Christi vestem etiam simbrios habuisse, & Iudaeos hodie fila numero octo ex lana Contexta quatuor angulis Certa quadam lege in panno quadranguli vincire. Drusius De tribus Sectis Judaeotum. l. 2. which when they saw, they might remember the Commandements of God. For since men are apt to forget the Law, God would often put his people in mind of it, that which way soever they turned their eyes, they might meete presently with some pious admonition. The Scribes and Pharisees did weare these borders thicker and longer than others, as a certaine argument of piety, being desirous to be esteemed more mindfull of the Commandements of God than others, and being content with the good esteeme of men for these things.
Vers. 7. Rabbi, Rabbi] A Master or Doctour, eminently gifted with variety of knowledge. Every Rabbi*Rabbi ab Hebraeis nominatur Doctor, à Verbo Rabab quod significat multiplicari, vel à copia scientiae, vel ab authoritate. Piscat. Hoc est, ne optetis, desideretis, vel affectotis ita vocari, ut ex antithesi. v. 6, 7, 8. apparet. Glass. had his Disciple. Matth. 26.49. Iohn 3.26. 1 Iohn 38. The chiefe Rabbies sate in reserved Chaires, these are the chiefe seates in the Synagogues, which the Scribes and Pharisees so affected. Their companions sate upon benches or lower formes, their Schollers on the ground at the feete of the Teachers. Act. 22.3. Luke 10.39. Godwins Jewish Antiqu. Vide Grotium, & Cameron in loc. Ambition is here condemned by Christ, saith Theophylact.
Vers. 9. The scope of the place is,Christ doth not forbid the name of Father simply, but onelyonly as it is affected and sought after ambitiously as it was in the Pharisees. Wee should not call any our Father on earth, as we call God our Father, that is, to put our trust in him. Elton. 1. To condemne the ambitious seeking and boasting in the titles of Father, Doctor. 2. To teach that no man should depend upon any other as God, to put their trust in him, and make him the authour and preserver of our life. Some make this distinction to no purpose, that men which beget children, are Fathers according to the flesh, but God onelyonly is the Father of Spirits; but the meaning is, the honour of Father is given wrongfully to men, if the glory of God be thereby darkned. Calvin. See Cameron.
Vers. 12. And whosoever shall exalt himselfe shall be abased] A sentence often used by Christ, and famous without doubt among the Jewes, we say, pride will have a fall.
And he that shall humble himselfe shall be exalted] Salomon saith more than once,See Pro. 15.33. and 18.12. before honour humility. Aesope being asked what God did, answered, that he abased the proud, and exalted the humble.
Vers. 15. Compasse Sea and Land] It is a kind of proverb, and is like that, omnem movere lapidem, that is, you use all meanes to make a Proselyte.
In the Greeke it is Sea and drie Land. The earth is called dry, Gen. 7.22. Ionah. 1.9. by an excellency, from the predominant quality in it,Scultet. observat. in Mat. Vide Bezam. for it is (as Philosophers teach) a most drie element.
foreign, of coming or adjoyning to their Church. Proselytus graecè idem est quod latinè advena, vel adventitius. Corn. à Lap. Vide Grot.The Heathen people are called Proselytes, when they were call'd to the Church of the Jews, and embraced their Religion, as if he should say, Adventitij, as the Eunuch, Act. 8.
There were two sorts of Proselytes or converted Gentiles.
1. Proselytes of the Covenant; these were such as were circumcised, and submitted to the whole Mosaicall paedagogy: these were counted as Jewes, and conversed with as freely as those which were so borne.
2. Proselytes of the Gate; these were inferiour to the former, they were not circumcised, nor conformed themselves to the Mosaicall Rites and Ordinances. Such a Proselite was Naaman the Syrian, and Cornelius. Mr Mede on Act. 10.4. Vide Drus. de tribus Sectis Judaeorum. lib. 2.
The child of hell] As Iudas, Iohn 17.1. is called the Son of perdition by a most elegant Hebraisme, one ordained to destruction.
Vers. 16. Is a debtor *Ezek. 18.7. Gen. 90.17.] The Arabicke turnes it, hath sinned, purus putus Chaldaismus, hence sinnes are called debtes, and sinners debters. Drusius. whence that kind of speaking arose, forgive us our debts. Beza.
Vers. 18. He is guilty] foreign, that is, is a debter. Sometimes it signifies (after the Scripture phrase) to sin; but here it seemes rather to note after the usuall and proper signification to be bound to pay, Rom. 13.7, 8.
Vers. 19. The Altar sanctifieth the gift] That is, consecrates it unto God, and appropriates it to his use.
Vers. 23. Ye pay tith of minte, and annise, and cummin] The Pharisees did tithe the least things,Vide Drus. detribus sectis Judaeorum. l. 2. they payed tithes of all the things they possest. Luk. 18.12.
Iudgement] That is, equity or upright dealing. Calv. In respect of our selves. Iun. Mercy] That is, charity towards our brethren. Faith] That is, piety toward God. Iunius. Tit. 2.12. Rather truth and constancy in promises. Christ here (saith Calvin) doth try their holiness by their love toward their brethren, therefore he toucheth not the first Table at all.
Vers. 24. Wine in hotter Countries is wont to have many gnats, so that it is necessary for them which will drinke, first to straine the wine that they may take away the Gnats, hence the speech is taken. Maldonate.
Vers. 26. Build the tombes of the Prophets] Hypocrites honour the holy Ministers of God after their death, whom they could not abide in their life.
Virtutem incolumen odimus,
Horace.Sublatam ex oculis quaerimus invidi.
Vers. 32. Fill ye up then the measure of your Fathers] An ironicall speech. Beza. Proceed ye also to imitate your Ancestors, that at length your wickednesse may come to some degree.Sunt verba permittentis cum significatione desperatae atque incorrigibilis illorum malitiae.
Vers. 34. That is, God hath spoken of you before in the Spirit of prophesie what shall come to passe.
Vers. 35. Here is mention made specially of Abell and Zachary, because we read that Abels bloud cryed to the Lord. Gen. 4.10. And Zacharie when he was ready to dye said, Let the Lord see and judge. 2 Chron. 24.22.
The bloud of Abell shed by Cain is called blouds, but of all righteous persons here is called but one bloud, because it is the bloud of one common body the Church, and one common cause for Christs sake. Mr. Rainolds.
Calvin. De Sclater. Inter prophetas duo fuerunt Zachariae, quorum uterque patrem habuit nomine Barachiam. Antiquior ex ijs hic memoratur cujus pater etiam Ioiada vocatur. 2. Paral. 24.21. in exemplari authentico est Zachariae Ioiadae filij. Drus. observat. Sac. l. 14. c. 22.Because their cruelty argued approbation of the like sin in their bloudy Progenitors. The pronoune you doth generally comprehend the whole nation from the begining. Christ imputeth Abels death unto the Jews, because there was a certaine kindred of ungodliness between them and Cain.
Some understand Zachary the Father of John Baptist, of whom, Luk. 1.5. S… Origen, Basil, Theophylact, Baronius and Tolet, Hoc quia de scripturis non habet autoritatem, eadem facilitate contemnitur qua probatur, saith Jerome.
Others say, that Zachary the last save one amongst the twelve lesser Prophets is here understood by Christ. So Chrysostome, Tertullian, Ordinary Glosse, Gualther, Sanctius, but this opinion besides the neareness of name hath no shelter, and therefore Ierome gives it the same censure that the former.
3. Some, as Glassius, Grotius, Calvin, Beza, understand Zachary the son of Jehoiada, of whom there is mention made,Glass. Philol. Sac. l. 1. Tract. 2. de Textus Graeci in N. T. puritate. Slew between the Temple and the Altar] As if he should say, rebus vacans divinis, & in loco divino cultui dicato. Glassius ibid. Maldonarus idem sentit. vide Cornel à Lap. & Calv. in loc. 2 Chron. 24.21. that he was stoned in the Court of the Lords house, So Jerome, whom Luther and many of the moderne follow, and most rightly, for neither the scope of Christs words, nor the kind of Zacharies death, nor the place of killing, nor the name of his Father, any whit oppugneth that opinion. Grotius goes this way, See him in loc.
Vers. 37. O Hierusalem, Hierusalem, thou that killest the Prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee] As if Christ should have said, thou which shouldst have been a faithfull keeper of the word of God, the Mistris of heavenly wisdome, the light of the world, the fountaine of true doctrine, the seat of the worship of God, an example of faith and obedience, art become a murtherer of the Prophets, so that now thou hast gotten a certaine habit in sucking their bloud. Christs purpose was for to meet with the offence which was at hand, lest the faithfull when they should see him slaine at Ierusalem without a cause, should be troubled at the strangenesse of such a sight.
How oft would I] It is rather a word of disdaine than of compassion. Calvin. Gallina) Vox graeca communis est ad avem & gallinam, & mirus quidem inest avibus omnibus amor fovendi tuendique pullos, sed gallinae praesertim. Brugensis.See Deut. 32.11. Esa. 65.2. He describeth not here the secret counsell of God, but that which is learned by the word.
Christ speaketh not of the will of his good pleasure, for that cannot be resisted, but of his signified will in the Ministery of the Prophets, and of himself as he was a Prophet and Minister of the Circumcision unto the Jews, for so he might will their conversion and yet they will it not. Perkins.
And you would not] This may be referred to the whole Nation as well as to the Scribes, yet rather to them by whom that gathering together was most hindered, for Christ inveigheth against them in the whole course of his speech, and though he spake to Ierusalem in the singular number he alters it now.
Vers. 38. Behold your house is left unto you desolate] He fortelleth the destruction of the Temple, and the overthrow of the whole Common-wealth; they held the Temple as a Fort impregnable, as if they sate in Gods lap, but by calling it their house he sheweth plainely that it is the house of God no more.
Vers. 39. Ye shall not see me henceforth] As if he had said, from henceforth, viz. after you have crucified me, ye shall not see me till the end of the world, when I shall come againe, which comming, some of you, viz. that are Elect, shall gratulate unto me and say, blessed is he] and perhaps as some interpret it, all you who now reject me as a vile person, will then, but too late, either by force, or in imitation of the godly, acknowledge me the blessed that commeth in the name of the Lord. Mat. 26.64.Dr. Taylor.
He doth not declare (saith Calvin) what they should become, but what he himself would do; so that this should be the meaning, I have behaved my self humbly and lovingly amongst you, and have discharged the office of a Teacher, now the course of my calling being finished, I will depart, and you shall not enjoy me hereafter, but the Redeemer and Minister of Salvation whom you now despise, ye shall find and try to be a Judge. Zach. 12.10.