Chapter 23:
| Darby
| Geneva
| Gill
| Jamieson Faussett Brown
| Johnson
| Lightfoot
| Matthew Henry
| Matthew Henry Concise
| McGarvey Pendleton
| Wesley
| Index
| Bible Gateway |
Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Malachi Mark
Matthew 23
Concise Complete
Jesus reproves the scribes and Pharisees. (1-12) Crimes
of the Pharisees. (13-33) The guilt of Jerusalem. (34-39)
Verses 1-12 The
scribes and Pharisees explained the law of Moses, and enforced obedience to it.
They are charged with hypocrisy in religion. We can only judge according to
outward appearance; but God searches the heart. They made phylacteries. These
were scrolls of paper or parchment, wherein were written four paragraphs of the
law, to be worn on their foreheads and left arms,
11:13-21 . They made these
phylacteries broad, that they might be thought more zealous for the law than
others. God appointed the Jews to make fringes upon their garments,
numbers 15:38 , to
remind them of their being a peculiar people; but the Pharisees made them larger
than common, as if they were thereby more religious than others. Pride was the
darling, reigning sin of the Pharisees, the sin that most easily beset them, and
which our Lord Jesus takes all occasions to speak against. For him that is
taught in the word to give respect to him that teaches, is commendable; but for
him that teaches, to demand it, to be puffed up with it, is sinful. How much is
all this against the spirit of Christianity! The consistent disciple of Christ
is pained by being put into chief places. But who that looks around on the
visible church, would think this was the spirit required? It is plain that some
measure of this antichristian spirit prevails in every religious society, and in
every one of our hearts.
Verses 13-33
The scribes and Pharisees were enemies to the gospel of Christ, and therefore to
the salvation of the souls of men. It is bad to keep away from Christ ourselves,
but worse also to keep others from him. Yet it is no new thing for the show and
form of godliness to be made a cloak to the greatest enormities. But dissembled
piety will be reckoned double iniquity. They were very busy to turn souls to be
of their party. Not for the glory of God and the good of souls, but that they
might have the credit and advantage of making converts. Gain being their
godliness, by a thousand devices they made religion give way to their worldly
interests. They were very strict and precise in smaller matters of the law, but
careless and loose in weightier matters. It is not the scrupling a little sin
that Christ here reproves; if it be a sin, though but a gnat, it must be
strained out; but the doing that, and then swallowing a camel, or, committing a
greater sin. While they would seem to be godly, they were neither sober nor
righteous. We are really, what we are inwardly. Outward motives may keep the
outside clean, while the inside is filthy; but if the heart and spirit be made
new, there will be newness of life; here we must begin with ourselves. The
righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees was like the ornaments of a grave, or
dressing up a dead body, only for show. The deceitfulness of sinners' hearts
appears in that they go down the streams of the sins of their own day, while
they fancy that they should have opposed the sins of former days. We sometimes
think, if we had lived when Christ was upon earth, that we should not have
despised and rejected him, as men then did; yet Christ in his Spirit, in his
word, in his ministers, is still no better treated. And it is just with God to
give those up to their hearts' lusts, who obstinately persist in gratifying
them. Christ gives men their true characters.
Verses 34-39
Our Lord declares the miseries the inhabitants of Jerusalem were about to bring
upon themselves, but he does not notice the sufferings he was to undergo. A hen
gathering her chickens under her wings, is an apt emblem of the Saviour's tender
love to those who trust in him, and his faithful care of them. He calls sinners
to take refuge under his tender protection, keeps them safe, and nourishes them
to eternal life. The present dispersion and unbelief of the Jews, and their
future conversion to Christ, were here foretold. Jerusalem and her children had
a large share of guilt, and their punishment has been signal. But ere long,
deserved vengeance will fall on every church which is Christian in name only. In
the mean time the Saviour stands ready to receive all who come to him. There is
nothing between sinners and eternal happiness, but their proud and unbelieving
unwillingness.
Chapter 23:
| Darby
| Geneva
| Gill
| Jamieson Faussett Brown
| Johnson
| Lightfoot
| Matthew Henry
| Matthew Henry Concise
| McGarvey Pendleton
| Wesley
| Index
| Bible Gateway |
Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Malachi Mark
Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
Joshua
Judges
Ruth
1 Samuel
2 Samuel
1 Kings
2 Kings
1 Chronicles
2 Chronicles
Ezra
Nehemiah
Esther
Job
Psalm
Proverbs
Ecclesiastes
Song of Solomon
Isaiah
Jeremiah
Lamentations
Ezekiel
Daniel
Hosea
Joel
Amos
Obadiah
Jonah
Micah
Nahum
Habakkuk
Zephaniah
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi
Matthew
Mark
Luke
John
Acts
Romans
1 Corinthians
2 Corinthians
Galatians
Ephesians
Philippians
Colossians
1 Thessalonians
2 Thessalonians
1 Timothy
2 Timothy
Titus
Philemon
Hebrews
James
1 Peter
2 Peter
1 John
2 John
3 John
Jude
Revelation
