Christ explains the nature of A. M. 4031. A. D. 27. CCI. 3. ST. MATTHEW. a the sin against the Holy Ghost; A. D. 27. CCI.3. 31 Wherefore I say unto you, All the Son of man, it shall be forgiven A. M. 4031. An. Olymp. manner of sin and blasphemy shall be 32 And whosoever speaketh a word against 33 Either make the tree good, and his fruit C Mark 3. 28. Luke 12. 10. Hebr. 6. 4, &c, & 10. 26, 29. 1 John 5. 16. b Acts 7. 51. Ch. 11. 19. & 13. 55. Jolin 7. 12, 52.- 1 Tim. 1. 13. ch. 7. 17. Luke 6. 43, 44. into the fold, is, most likely, one who wishes to scatter them, that he may have the opportunity of stealing and destroying them. I do not find any parallel to this proverbial mode of speech in the Jewish Rabbins, if it be one, nor have I met with it among the Greek or Roman writers. Verse 31. All manner of sin and blasphemy] Baona, injurious or impious speaking, byrmor spræc, mocking and deriding speech, Anglo-Saxon. See chap. ix. 3. But the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost] Even personal reproaches, revilings, persecutions against Christ were remissible; but blasphemy, or impious speaking, against the Holy Spirit was to have no forgiveness; i. e. when the person obstinately attributed those works to the Devil, which he had the fullest evidence could be wrought only by the Spirit of God. That this, and nothing else, is the sin against the Holy Spirit, || is evident from the connexion in this place, and more particularly from Mark iii. 28, 29, 30. "All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme, but he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation; BECAUSE they said he hath an unclean spirit." Here the matter is made clear beyond the smallest doubt the unpardonable sin, as some term it, is neither less nor more than ascribing the miracles Christ wrought, by the power of God, to the spirit of the Devil. Many sincere people have been grievously troubled with apprehensions that they had committed the unpardonable sin; but let it be observed that no man who believes the divine mission of Jesus Christ, ever can || commit this sin: therefore let no man's heart fail because of it, from henceforth and for ever, Amen. See below. Verse 32. Neither in this world, neither in the world to come.] Though I follow the common translation, yet I am fully satisfied the meaning of the words is, neither in this dispensa- || tion (viz. the Jewish) nor in that which is to come, viz. the Christian. Oby ôlam ha-bo, the world to come, is a constant phrase for the times of the Messiah, in the Jewish writers. See below. The sin here spoken of by our Lord, ranks high in the catalogue of presumptuous sins, for which there was no forgiveness under the Mosaic dispensation. See Num. xv. 30, 31. xxxv. 31. Lev. xx. 10. 1 Sam. ii. 25. When our Lord says that such a sin hath no forgiveness, is he not to be understood as meaning that the crime shall be punished under the Christian dispensation as it was under the Jewish, viz. by the destruction of the body? And is not this the same mentioned 1 John i. 7. called there the sin unto death; i. e. a sin that was to be punished by the death of the body, while mercy might be extended to the soul? The punishment for presumptuous sins, under the Jewish law, to which our Lord evidently alludes, certainly did not extend to the damnation of the soul, though the body was destroyed: therefore I think that, though there was no such forgiveness to be extended to this crime as to absolve the man from the punishment of temporal death, yet, on repentance, mercy might be extended to the soul; and every sin may be repented of under the gospel dispensation. Dr. Lightfoot has sufficiently vindicated this passage from all false interpretation. "They that endeavour hence to prove the remissions of some sins after death, seem little to understand to what Christ had respect, when he spake these words. Weigh well this common and most known doctrine of the Jewish schools, and judge. "He that transgresses an affirmative precept, if he presently repent, is not moved until the Lord pardon him, and of such it is said, Be ye converted, O backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings. He that transgresses a negative precept and repents, his repentance suspends judgment, and the day of expiation expiates him; as it is said, This day shall all your uncleannesses be expiated to you. He that transgresses to cutting off (by the stroke of God) or to death by the Sanhedrin, and repents, repentance and the day of expiation do suspend judgment, and the strokes that are laid upon him wipe off sin, as it is said, and I will visit their transgression with a rod, and their iniquity with scourges. But he by whom the name of God is prophaned (or blasphemed) repentance is of no avail to him to suspend judgment, nor the day of expiation to expiute it, nor scourges (or corrections inflicted) to wipe it off, but all suspend judgment, and death wipes it off. Thus the Babylonian Gemara writes, but the Jerusalem thus: Repentance and the day of expiation expiate as to the third part, and corrections as to the third part, and death wipes it off, as it is said, and your iniquities shall not be expiated to you until ye die: behold we learn that death wipes off. Note this, which Christ contradicts, concerning blasphemy against the Holy Ghost. It shall not be forgiven, saith he, neither in this world, nor in the world to come; that is, nei Verse 34. O generation of vipers] These are apparently severe words, but they were extremely proper in reference to that execrable people to whom they were addressed: the whole verse is an inference from what was spoken before. Out of the abundance (giμaros, the overflowings) of the "In the world to come.-I. Some phrases were received into common use, by which, in common speech, they opposed the heresy of the Sadducees, who denied immortality. Of that sort were 897 bıy ôlam ha-ba, Aswv ó μeñλwv, The world to come. ganheart] Wicked words, and sinful actions may be considered as âden, Пaçaducos, Paradise: 17" gei hinnom, Tɛɛvva, Hell, &c. "At the end of all the prayers in the temple, (as we observed before) they said by âd ôlam for ever. But when the Heretics (ie. the Sadducees) brake in, and said there was NO AGE but one; then it was appointed to be said for ever and ever. n biya ja min ha-olam, vead ha-olam. Bab. Beracoth, fol. 54. This distinction of niny ôlam hazeh, this world, and of an by olam ha-ba, the world to come, you may find almost in every page of the Rabbins. "The Lord recompense thee a good reward for this thy good work in this world, and let thy reward be perfected in the world to come. Targum on Ruth. "It (that is, the history of the creation and of the Bible) therefore begins with the letter ≈ beth (in the word ɔ bereshith) because two worlds were created, this world, and a world to Baal Turim. come. " “ II. The world to come hints two things especially (of which sce Rambam, in Sanhed. cap. Chelek.) I. The times of the Messiah: Be mindful of the day wherein thou camest out of Egypt, all the days of thy life; the wise men say, by the days of thy life is intimated this world, by all the days of thy life, the days of the Messiah are superinduced.' In this sense the apostle seems to speak Heb. ii. 5. and vi. 5. II. The state after death, thus Rab. Tancum, The world to come, is when a man has departed out of this world." Verse 33. Either make the tree good] That is, the effect will be always similar to the cause, a bad tree will produce bad fruit, and a good tree, good fruit. The works will resemble the heart, nothing good can proceed from an evil spirit, no good fruit can proceed from a corrupt heart;-before the heart of man can produce any good, it must be renewed and influenced by the Spirit of God. the overflowings of a heart that is more than full of the spirit of wickedness; and holy words and righteous deeds may be considered as the overflowings of a heart that is filled with the Holy Spirit, and running over with love to God and man. Verse 35. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart]. Tns xaçdıaç, of his heart, is omitted by upwards of one hundred MSS. many of them of the greatest antiquity and authority: by all the Syriac, Arabic, and Persic; by the Slavonic, Saxon, Vulgate, and Itala (except four) and by several of the primitive fathers. It seems to have been added here by some copyist, merely to explain. The good heart is the good treasury, and the treasure that is in it is the love of God, and of all mankind. The bad heart is the bad treasury, and its treasure is the || carnal mind, which is enmity against God, and ill-will to man. || Verse 36. Every idle word] Pnua agyov, a word that does nothing, that neither ministers grace, nor instruction to them who hear it. The word agyov corresponds to the Hebrew shavé, which signifies not only vain or empty, but also wicked. and injurious, such as a false testimony against a neighbour, compare Deut. v. 11. and 20. Add to this that Symmachus translates 115 piggul, polluted, Lev. xix. 7. by the very Greek word in the text. It was to explain this ambiguous meaning of the word, that ten MSS. have changed agyar into πονηρόν, evil. Our Lord must be understood here as condemning all false and injurious words: the scope of the place necessarily requires this meaning. Verse 37. By thy words thou shalt be justified] That is, the whole tenor of thy conversation will be an evidence for or against thee, in the great day. How many are here who count words for nothing, and yet eternity often depends on them. Lord, put a watch before the door of my lips! is a prayer, proper for all men. 3 in vindication of the propriety of the expression in the text. For farther satisfaction, the Reader, if he please, may consult Whitby and Wakefield, and take the following from Light- ~ foot. "I. The Jewish writers extend that memorable station of the unmoving sun at Joshua's prayer, to six and thirty hours; for so Kimchi upon that place. According to more exact : Verse 39. An evil and adulterous generation] Or, race of people; for so ya should be translated here, and in most other places in the Gospels; for our Lord, in general, uses it to point out the Jewish people. This translation is a key to un-interpretation, the sun and moon stood still for six and thirty lock some very obscure passages in the Evangelists. hours for when the fight was on the eve of the subbath, Joshua feared lest the Israelites might break the sabbath, therefore ke spread abroad his hands, that the sun might stand still on the sixth day, according to the measure of the day of the sabbath, and the moon according to the measure of the night of the subbath, and of the going out of the sabbath, which amounts to six and thirty hours.' Seeketh after a sign] Or, seeketh another sign, (ETH) So I think this word should be translated. Our Lord had already given the Jews several signs: and here they desire sign upon sign. Our Lord terms the Jews an adulterous race. Under the Old Covenant, the Jewish nation was represented as in a marriage contract with the Lord of hosts; as believers, in the New Covenant, are represented as the spouse of Christ - all unfaithfulness and disobedience was considered as a breach of this marriage contract: hence the persons who were thus guilty, are denominated adulterers and adultresses. But independantly of this, there is the utmost proof from their own writings, that in the time of our Lord, they were most literally an adulterous race of people: for, at this very time, R. Jochanan ben Zacchai abrogated the trial by the bitter waters of jealousy, because so many were found to be thus criminal. See on John viii. 3. Verse 40. Three days and three nights] Our Lord rose from the grave on the day but one after his crucifixion: so that in the computation in this verse, the part of the day on which he was crucified, and the part of that on which he rose again, are severally estimated as an entire day: and this, no doubt, exactly corresponded to the time in which Jonah was in the belly of the fish. Our Lord says, As Jonah was, so shall the Son of man be, &c. Evening and morning, or night and day, is the Hebrew phrase for a natural day, which the Greeks termed vuxnμgov nuchthemeron. The very same quantity of time which is here termed three days and three nights, and which in reality was only one whole day, a part of two others, and two whole nights, is termed three days and three nights, in the book of Esther: Go; neither eat nor drink THREE DAYS, NIGHT or DAY, and so I will go in unto the king: chap. iv. 16. Afterwards it follows, chap. v. 1. On the THIRD DAY, Esther || stood in the inner court of the king's house. Many examples might be produced from both the sacred and profane writers, "II. If you number the hours that passed from our Saviour's giving up the ghost upon the cross to his resurrection, you shall find almost the same number of hours; and yet that space is called by him three days and three nights, whereas two nights only came between, and only one complete day. Nevertheless, while he speaks these words, he is not without the consent both of the Jewish schools and their computation. Weigh well that which is disputed in the tract Scabbath, concerning the separation of a woman for three days; where many things are discussed by the Gemarists, concerning the computation of this space of three days. Among other things these words occur: R. Ismael saith, Sometimes it contains four monoth, sometimes five, sometimes six. But how much is the space of an 8 onah? R. Jochanan saith, Either a day or a night. And so also the Jerusalem Talmud: R. Akiba fixed a DAY for an orah, and a NIGHT for an onah.' But the tradition is, that R. Eliazar ben Azariah said, A day and n night make an onah: and a PART of an onah is as the WHOLE. And a little after, R. Ismael computed a part of the onah for the whole." Thus then, three days and three nights, according to this Jewish method of reckoning, included any part of the first day; the whole of the following night; the next day and its night; and any part of the succeeding or third day. In the whale's belly] That a fish of the shark kind, and not a whale, is here meant, Bochart has abundantly proved, vol. iii. col. 742, &c. edit. Leyd. 1692. It is well known, that the throat of a whale is capable of admitting little more than the arm of an ordinary man; but many of the shark species can The Ninevites, and the queen of the South, CHAP. XII. A. M. 431. CCI. 3. a much more teachable than the Jews. ment with this generation, and shall parts of the earth to hear the wisdom An. Olymp. condemn it: "because they repented 42 The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it for she came from the uttermost d e A.M. 4081. An. Olymp. A. D. 27. CCI. 3. 43 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none: 44 Then he saith, I will return into my house *See Jer. 3. 11. Ezek. 16. 51, 52. Rom. 2. 27. Jonah 3. 5.— 1 Kings 10. 1. 2 Chron. 9. 1. Luke 11. 31. 4 Luke 11. 24. Job 1. 7. 1 Pet. 5. 8. standing all this, the people of Judea did not repent, though the people of Nineveh did Verse 42. The queen of the south] In 1 Kings x. 1. this queen is said to be of Saba, which was a city and province of Arabia Felix, to the south, or south-east, of Judea. Uttermost parts of the earth] Пgaw ng yns—a form of speech which merely signifies, a great distance. See Deut. xxviii. 49. swallow a man whole; and men have been found whole in the stomachs of several. Every natural history abounds with facts of this kind. Besides, the shark is a native of the Mediterranean sea, in which Jonah was sailing, when swallowed by what the Hebrew terms 1 1 dag gadol, a great fish; but every body knows that whales are no produce of the Mediterranean sea, though some have been by accident found there, as in most other parts of the maritime world; but let them be found where they may, there is none of them capable of swal- Verse 43. When the unclean spirit] If there had been no lowing a man. Instead of either whale or shark, some have reality in demoniacal possessions, our Lord would have translated 1 dag gadol, Jonah i. 17. by a fishing cove, scarcely appealed to a case of this kind here, to point out or something of this nature; but this is merely to ged rid of the real state of the Jewish people, and the desolation which the miracle: for, according to some, the whole of Divine re- was coming upon them. Had this been only a vulgar error, of velation is a forgery-or it is a system of metaphor or allegory, the nonsense of which the learned Scribes and the wise Phathat has no miraculous interferences in it. But independantly || risees must have been convinced, the case not being one in of all this, the criticism is contemptible. Others say, that the point, because not true, must have been treated by that very great fish means a vessel so called, into which Jonah went, people with contempt, for whose conviction it was alone deand into the hold of which he was thrown, where he conti- || signed. nued three days and three nights. In short, it must be any thing but a real miracle, the existence of which, the wise men, so called, of the present day cannot admit. Perhaps these very men are not aware, that they have scarcely any belief even in the existence of God himself! Verse 41. The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment] The voice of God, threatening temporal judgments, caused a whole people to repent, who had neither Moses nor Christ, neither the Law nor the prophets; and who perhaps never had|| but this one preacher among them. What judgment may not we expect, if we continue impenitent, after all that God has bestowed upon us? He walketh through dry places] Δι' ανύδρων τοπων. There seems to be a reference here to the Orphic demonology, in which evil spirits were divided into various classes, according to the different regions of their abode, or places in which they delighted. These classes were five: 1. Dapores oveano, Celestial damons. 2. Δαίμονες περιοι, Aerial. 3. Aasμoves Evudgios, Aquatic. 4. Daiμoves xlovios, Terrestrial. 5. Ka Saspores Toxboro, And subterranean dæmons. See Orph. ad Mus. ap. Schott. The Platonists, the followers of Zoroaster, and the primitive Jews, made nearly the same distinctions. Seeking rest] Or refreshment. Strange! a fallen corrupt Verse 44. Into my house] The soul of that person from whom he had been expelled by the power of Christ, and out of which he was to have been kept by continual prayer, faith, and watchfulness. A greater than Jonas is here.] Tov, for Lov, some-spirit can have no rest but in the polluted human heart: the thing more. The evidence offered by Jonah sufficed to con- corruption of the one is suited to the pollution of the other, vince and lead the Ninevites to repentance; but here was and thus like cleaves to like. more evidence, and a greater person; and yet so obstinate are the Jews, that all is ineffectual, 1. Christ, who preached to the Jews, was infinitely greater than Jonah in his nature, person, and mission. 2. Jonah preached repentance in Nineveh only forty days, and Christ preached among the Jews for several years. 3. Jonah wrought no miracles to || authorize his preaching; but Christ wrought miracles every day, in every place, and of every kind. And 4. Notwith He findeth it empty] Unoccupied, oxona orra, empty of the former inhabitant, and ready to receive a new one: denoting, a soul that has lost the life and power of godliness, and the testimony of the Holy Spirit. R Swept, and garnished.] As oxona signifies to be idle, or unemployed, it may refer here to the person, as well as to his state. His affections and desires are no longer busied with the things of God, but gad about like an idle person, among the vanities of a perishing world. Swept, from love, meekness, and all the fruits of the Spirit; and garnished, or adorned, xxоounμevor, decorated, with the vain showy trifles of folly and fashion. This may comprize also smart speeches, cunning repartees, &c. for which, many who have lost the life of God, are very remarkable. Verse 45. Seven other spirits more wicked] Seven was a favourite number with the Jews, implying. frequently with them, something perfect, completed, filled up, for such is the proper import of the Hebrew word yw shevd or shevang: nearly allied in sound to our seven. And perhaps this meaning of it refers to the seventh day, when God rested from his work, having filled up, or completed the whole of his creative design. Seven dæmons-as many as could occupy his soul, harassing it with pride, anger, self-will, lust, &c. and torturing the body with disease. The last state of that man is worse than the first.] His soul before, influenced by the Spirit of God, dilated and expanded under its heavenly influences, becomes more capable of refinement in iniquity, as its powers are more capacious than formerly. Evil habits are formed and strengthened by relapses; and relapses are multiplied and become more incurable through new habits. So shall it be also unto this wicked generation.] And so it was for they grew worse and worse, as if totally abandoned to diabolic influence; till at last the beesom of destruction swept them and their privileges, national and religious, utterly away. What a terrible description of a state of apostacy is contained in these verses! May he who readeth, understand! Verse 46. His mother and his brethren] These are supposed to have been the cousins of our Lord, as the word brother is Who are our Lord's kindred. 47 Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee. A. D. 27. A.M. 4031. An. Olymp. CCI. 3. 48 But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? 49 And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! 50 Ford whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother. 1 Cor. 9. 5. Gal. 1. 19. See John 15. 14. Gal. 5. 6. & 6. 15. Col. 3. 11. Hebr. 2. 11. frequently used among the Hebrews in this sense. But there are others who believe Mary had other children beside our Lord, and that these were literally his brothers, who are spoken of here. And although it be possible, that these were the sons of Mary, the wife of Cleopas or Alpheus, his mother's sister, called his relations, Mark iii. 21. yet it is as likely, that they were the children of Joseph and Mary, and brethren of our Lord, in the strictest sense of the word. See on chap. xiii. 55. Verse 48. Who is my mother? and who are my brethren?] The reason of this seeming disregard of his relatives was this; they came to seize upon him, for they thought he was distracted. See Mark iii. 21. Verse 50. Whosoever shall do the will of my Father, &c.] Those are the best acknowledged relatives of Christ, who are united to him by spiritual ties, and who are become one with him, by the indwelling of his Spirit. We generally suppose that Christ's relatives must have shared much of his affectionate attention; and doubtless they did: but here we find, that whosoever does the will of God is equally esteemed by Christ, as his brother, sister, or even his virgin mother. What an encouragement for fervent attachment to God! 1. From various facts related in this chapter, we see the nature and design of the revelation of God, and of all the ordinances and precepts contained in it-they are all calculated to do man good: to improve his understanding, to soften and change his nature, that he may love his neighbour as himself. That religion that does not inculcate and produce humanity, never came froin heaven. 2. We have already seen what the sin against the Holy Ghost is: no soul that fears God can commit it: perhaps it would be impossible for any but Jews to be guilty of it, and they only in the circumstances mentioned in the text; and in such circumstances, it is impossible that any person should now be found. |