22 MATT. XII. 22-37. Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and 23 saw. And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the Son of David? 24 But when the Phari- 22 sees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub1 the prince of the devils. 25 And Jesus knew their 23 thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desola- 24 tion; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand: 25 26 and if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how 26 shall then his kingdom 27 stand? And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out?? therefore they shall be 28 your judges. But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you. 29 Or else how can one 27 enter into a strong LUKE XI. 14, 15, 17-23. MARK III. 14 15 17 And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub,1 and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils. And he called them unto him, and said unto them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan? And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom 18 cannot stand. And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan rise up against himself, and be di- 19 vided, he cannot stand, but hath an end. [Ver. 16 in § 49.] And he was casting out a devil, and it was dumb. And it came to pass, when the devil was gone out, the dumb spake; and the people wondered. But some of them said, He casteth out devils through Beelzebub1 the chief of the devils. -But he, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house falleth. If Satan also be divided againsthimself, how shall his kingdom stand? because ye say that I cast out devils through Beelzebub. And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your sons cast them out?? therefore shall they be 20 your judges. But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you. When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace: but when a stronger than he shall come upon him and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils. No man can enter into 21 a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he will first 22 bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house. 1 Beelzebub, or more correctly Beelzebul: the former name signifies lord of flies, and belonged to an idol of the Philistines (2 Kings 1. 2), which they fancied could protect against the annoyance of such insects; the latter (differing only in a single letter) signifies lord of dung, and was em ployed by the Israelites to express their contempt for that idol, and their sense of the filthiness of idolatry. Hence this became a name for the devil, as the god of idolaters. 2 Comp. Acts 19. 13-16. MATT. XII. 30 He that is not with me is against 23 31 Wherefore I 28 eth a word against the Son of man, LUKE XI. He that is not with me is against me: and he that gathereth not with me scattereth. MARK III. Verily I say unto you, 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,1 but is in danger of eternal damnation : because they said, He hath an unclean spirit. [See in § 50.] 33 neither in this world, neither in the world to come. Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit cor34 rupt for the tree is known by his fruit.2 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the 35 mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth 36 forth evil things. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall 37 speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified,3 and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. .4 5 The specification in Matt. 12. 40, that Jesus should be "three days and three nights" in the sepulchre, seems at first view not to harmonize with the accounts of his burial and resurrection. From these latter it appears, that he was laid in the tomb before sunset on the sixth day of the week, or Friday, and rose again quite early on the first day of the week, or Sunday; having lain in the grave not far from thirty-six hours. See §§ 159, 160, and Notes. This accords with the usual formula which our Lord employed in speaking of his resurrection, namely, that "he should rise on the third day;" Matt. 16. 21; 20. 19; Mark 9. 31; 10. 34; Luke 9. 22; 18. 33, etc. Equivalent to this is also the expression, "after three days I will rise again," Matt. 27. 63; Mark 8. 31; John 2. 19, etc. This latter idiom is found also in John 30 OUR LORD'S REFLECTIONS. LUKE XI. 16, 24-36. And others, tempting him, sought of him a sign from heaven. And when the people were gathered thick together, he began to say, This is an evil generation: they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet. For as Jonas was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation.- 20. 26, where eight days is put for a week. So too in German, the expression, nach drey Tagen, "after three days," is always the same as, am dritten Tage," on the third day," the day after to-morrow; and acht Tage, "eight days," is the more common phrase, instead of eine Woche, "a week." In the present instance, Matt. 12. 40, the apparent difficulty arises from the form of expression," three days and three nights," which our Lord uses here, and here alone, because he is quoting from Jonah 1. 17. The phrase is doubtless in itself equivalent to the Greek νυχθήμε pov, a day and night of twenty-four hours. But the Hebrew form, three days and three nights, was likewise used generally and indefinitely for three days simply; as is obvious from 1 Sam. 30. 12, 13, and the circumstances there narrated. Such also is manifestly the case here. MATT. XII. 41 of the earth. The men of Nineveh 32 LUKE XI. .1 The men of Nineve shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonas ;1 and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.-The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and condemn them for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is 33 here. No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they which 34 come in may see the light. The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body 35 also is full of darkness. Take heed 24 therefore that the light which is 36 in thee be not darkness. If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light. When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out. And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.3 43 When the unclean spirit is gone 26 27 And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps 28 which thou hast sucked. But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it. 3 Comp. Heb. 6. 4-8; 2 Pet. 2. 20-22. 46 § 50. THE TRUE DISCIPLES OF CHRIST HIS NEAREST RELATIVES.-Galilee. MATT. XII. 46-50. While he yet talked 31 to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak 32 47 with him. Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak 48 with thee. But he an- 33 swered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? 34 49 And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and 50 my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother. [See in § 54.] 35 § 51. AT A PHARISEE'S TABLE, JESUS DENOUNCES WOES AGAINST THE PHARISEES 37 AND OTHERS.- -Galilee. LUKE XI. 37-54. And as he spake,2 a certain Pharisee besought him to dine with him: and 38 he went in, and sat down to meat. And when the Pharisee saw it, he mar39 velled that he had not first washed before dinner.3 And the Lord said unto him, Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; * 40 but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness. Ye fools, did not 41 he that made that which is without make that which is within also? But rather give alms of such things as ye have; and, behold, all things are clean 42 unto you. But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought 43 ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.' Woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye love the uppermost seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the mark44 ets. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them. Then answered one of the lawyers, and said unto him, Master, thus say46 ing thou reproachest us also. And he said, Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch 47 not the burdens with one of your fingers. Woe unto you! for ye build the 36, in § 49. Jesus received the invitation of the Pharisee, while he was speaking. See Introductory Note to Part VI. 45 Then is here a mistranslation of dé. [and,] which merely connects without denoting time. This portion of Luke is here transposed to its proper chronological place, as nearly all Harmonists agree, except Greswell. 2 The order here connects back with Luke 11. 3 Mark 7. 3. 5 Matt. 23. 23. 7 Matt. 23. 27, 28. 8 4 Comp. Matt. 23. 25, 26. 6 Matt. 23. 6. 8 Matt. 23. 29-36. LUKE XI. 48 sepulchres of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. Truly ye bear witness that ye allow the deeds of your fathers: for they indeed killed 49 them, and ye build their sepulchres. Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall 50 slay and persecute: that the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from 51 the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation; from the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: 2 verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this 52 generation. Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye enter not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered. 53 And as he said these things unto them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to urge him vehemently, and to provoke him to speak of many 54 things laying wait for him, and seeking to catch something out of his mouth, that they might accuse him. 1 § 52. JESUS DISCOURSES TO HIS DISCIPLES AND THE MULTITUDE.-Galilee. 6 4 LUKE XII. 1-59. In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees," 2 which is hypocrisy. For there is nothing covered, that shall not be re3 vealed; neither hid, that shall not be known. Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops. 4 And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, 5 and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to 6 cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him. Are not five sparrows sold 7 for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye 8 are of more value than many sparrows. Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before 9 the angels of God: but he that denieth me before men shall be denied 10 before the angels of God. And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him; but unto him that blasphemeth 11 against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven. And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no 12 thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say: for the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say. -13 And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, 14 that he divide the inheritance with me. And he said unto him, Man, who 15 made me a judge or a divider over you? And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the 16 abundance of the things which he possesseth. And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plenti17 fully and he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I 18 have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my : 1 The wisdom of God: by this our Saviour means himself (compare 1 Cor. 1. 24), as may be clearly seen from the corresponding utterance in Matt. 23. 34, Behold, I send, &c. Here he declares his eternal purpose after the manner of an ancient prophecy, with allusion, probably, to Prov. 1. 24-31. 2 Gen. 4. 8; 2 Chron. 24. 20-22. 3 Matt. 23. 13. 4 Luke ch. 12. is directly connected with the preceding by the phrase, In the mean time. 5 Comp. Matt. 16. 6. 6 Matt. 10. 26-33. 7 Matt. 10. 19, 20. |