Matthew 15

Matthew 15:1

OF Ierusalem,] or that were come fro Ierusalem.

Matthew 15:2

The tradition,] this word, with the addition, your, or of men, or of the elders, or the like, signifieth a doctrine, order, or observance abou Gods service instituted by men, and kept from lather to sonne, not out of Gods expresse word: whereof some were laudable, concerning the order and decency of the Iewish Church; othersome were superstitious; and othersome wicked and damnable Of the Elders,] as who should say of the Prelates of the Iewish Church. Or whether hee meanes the Elders who made those lawes, Mare 7. 3. Or the moderne ones which caused them to be observed They wash not,] according to the Iewes scrupulous fashions. Whereof see Marke 7. 3.

Matthew 15:3

Why doe you,] the Lord is content to redargue the Pharisees hypocrisie by a just recrimination without giving them any answer to their question; which he doth neverthelesse to his Apostles, verse 17.

Matthew 15:5

But ye say,] namely, by a false interpretation in a matter of vowes It is a,] see of these oaths, Matthew 23:18 By whatsoever,] it appears by the Iewes writings, that this must be understood of these words pronounced in manner of an oath by an irreverent sonne, and angry with his father or mother, the meaning whereof is, I sweare that I will never doe thee no good, nor yeeld thee any reliefe, seeing it is not lawfull for me to dispose of consecrated things which are offered to God, to which use I doe by in expresse vow from henceforth, employ all those things which you might expect from me. And this rash and wicked oath and vow was allowed of by those Doctors, by reason of the respect they did beare to offerings, more then to the law of honouring father and mother which comprehends all the duties of children and against the forbidding of doing them any wrong, whereof this execration was a kinde; and ought to have been disannulled and punished, rather then to have been approved of, and held to be firme and irrecoverable.

Matthew 15:6

And honour not,] as Saint Marke expounds it Chapter 7. 12. By honouring is meant to serve, and releeve with all manner of respect Of none effect,] ye are the cause that the Commandement is broken by your Doctrine, which teacheth men to have more respect to their vicious oathes, then to Gods expresse law: and all by reason of the superstitious esteeme in which you hold ceremonies, above true and reall piety, and the duties thereof.

Matthew 15:11

Not that,] your corporall uncleannesse, for which your Pharisees have appointed so many washings before meales, for feare least the food should be made uncleane, and defile the man which maketh use of it cannot staine the soule. 1 Corinth. 6. 13. Colossians 2:22. Titus 1:15. but so may your vices and sinnes which proceede from the heart by words and deeds: now hee especially mentioneth the words, to make good the opposition, betweene that which commeth in, and that which goeth out of the mouth.

Matthew 15:12

We are offended,] that is to say, we are distasted, and alienated from thee.

Matthew 15:13

Every plant,] every man that is none of my fathers elect, and hath not received from him the lively root of a true and lively faith, doth wither away soone or late, and is cut off from having any communion at all with me. Mat. 13. 21. 1 Iohn 2. 19. Iude 12:

Matthew 15:15

This parable,] hee speakes thus by a mistake, and Christ reproves him for it. And not perswading himselfe that Christ should speake properly as disannulling the difference of cleane and uncleane meats: which was so strictly commanded by Moses Law. And holding peradventure some harsh opinion touching that which Christ had said of proceeding out of the mouth.

Matthew 15:22

Of Canaan,] S. Marke calleth her a Grecian of Syrophenicia, because that Syrophenicia which was in the consines betweene Palestine and Syria, was for the most part inhabited by the reliques of the ancient Canaanites who in those dayes used the Greeke tongue and rites, which were brought into that Countrey by Alexander and his successors, Kings of Syria.

Matthew 15:23

Answered her not,] to try and sharpen her faith the more Send her away,]granting her request.

Matthew 15:24

I am not sent,] my fathers will is that whilest I am in this world, I should direct my ministery, and distribute my favours only upon the Israelites. Romans 15:8.

Matthew 15:26

To dogges,] To prophane and uncleane persons, such as the Pagans were in their false religion and customes in respect of the people of God, which were adopted and sanctified by him.

Matthew 15:27

Truth Lord,] a confession of her unworthinesse: not to be quite put off without any hope as the wicked are, when they be convinced, but to come on with a more fervent invocation, joyned with a deepe humility.

Matthew 15:29

Vnto the sea,] namely unto the lake of Genazereth.

Matthew 15:32

Three dayes,] in which time it is likely they had spent all their provision which they had brought with them.

Matthew 15:36

Gave thanks,] by this word is meant the same as by the word blessing, Matth. 14. 19. namely the act of piety which was used before meales, as an acknowledgement and praise to God for his benefits.