Matthew 9

Matthew 9:1

[a] to cast them out] The devils possessing men in those days, which was much more ordinary before the coming of Christ, and about that time, than it hath been since, (Christ having much retrenched and

restrained Satan’s power,) had generally corporeal, discernible effects

attending it, diseases of all kinds, epilepsies, &c. And agreeably thereto

the apostle’s delivering men up to Satan is said to be εἰς ὄλεθρον σαρκὸς,

to the destruction of the flesh. And therefore before any such disease could be cured, the devil must be cast out. And accordingly here

the same power is given to the disciples to cast out devils and to heal

diseases.

Matthew 9:2

[b] Peter] His name was Simon, but is now, John i. 43, altered by Christ into ΝΩΝΩ, which in Syriac signifies, (as it is rendered in

Greek,) πέτρα, a stone. Πέτρα, saxum, cautes, silex, saith the old Glos-

sary, it signifies a stone, or rock, or flint, but in this place no more than

a foundation-stone, (for such the apostles were, Ephes. ii. 20, Rev.

xxi. 14,) as that is laid upon the corner stone, Jesus Christ. And upon

that and other the like (the rest of the apostles, styled twelve found-

ations, Rev. xxi.) all believers, as living stones, are built, 1 Peter ii. 5.

This Greek word πέτρα in the feminine is exactly all one with πέτρος in

the masculine, as may appear not only by Matt. xvi. 18, where that

which is in the Greek, Thou art Πέτρος, and upon this πέτρα, &c., is in

the Syriac, Thou art Kipha, and upon this kipha, &c., but also by other

° Tom. 7. p. 107. l. 3. Ῥ Ib. p. 169. l. 16. Ῥ Ib. p. 554. Ῥ Ap. Euseb. l. 4. c. 15.

Matthew 9:3

[a] within] The particle ἐν (and ἐντός) is oft used in the sacred writings, not for within, but amongst; so ch. xvi. 7, where their διαλογισμός or dispute was not mental but verbal; for it is added, λέγοντες, saying; and many the like. One eminent place there is, Exod. xvii. 7, Εἰ Θεὸς ἐν ἡμῖν? Is the Lord among us? and from thence 2 Cor. xiii. 5, Do you not discern yourselves, that Jesus Christ, ἐν ὑμῖν ἐστι, is amongst you? Do not the many miracles of Christ, done before you, give assurance that Christ is among you? But yet here it may be in the other sense, so as εἶπον ἐν ἰαυτοῖς, saying within themselves, be all one with ἐνθυμήσεις, their thoughts, and thinking in their hearts, ver. 4; so ver. 21, ἔλεγε ἐν ἰαυτῇ is, without doubt, speaking within herself.

Matthew 9:4

And Jesus by his divine power, as searcher of hearts, discerning whether their thoughts or words whispered among themselves and not spoken audibly, said unto them, Why do you pass such malicious causeless censures? d Be cured of thy palsy, and walk about. e that Christ in this state of exinanition hath authority to forgive sins here, to men that lie under punishment of them, and consequently to deliver from their bond those that were delivered up to Satan, and so tormented by him (This power given to Christ on earth in the commission received from his Father, ver. 8, to be from this time continued on the earth, and accordingly committed by Christ at his departure to the apostles, John xx. (and in them to their successors,) that what they forgive on earth should be forgiven in heaven, and the bonds loosed), then saith he— f were amazed to see it, and acknowledged it an incomprehensible mercy of God, to send a prophet to them with such a commission, power of pardoning sin, and that testified by doing an absolute miracle, ver. 6. g a toll-gatherer or publican by trade, busy about his work; and upon Christ’s first word of command, or call, he left his trade, and attended him as his constant disciple.

Matthew 9:9

[b] receipt of custom] Τελώνιον signifies a publican’s stall; and the Syriac read בית סבא, the house of the publican, literally a tollbooth, the English toll coming from the Greek τέλος, and booth being the Hebrew בית very little varied.

Matthew 9:10

And this new disciple of his made him a feast, Mark ii. 14, and that a great one, Luke v. 27, (though Matthew, being the writer of this Gospel, affirm it not of himself,) and as Jesus was at that feast in Mat-

[c] publicans] Τελώναι, publicans, were infamous persons among the Jews, not only because they dealt and (by necessity of their trade) conversed with the Gentiles, (whence perhaps the ἁμαρτωλοί, sinners, joined with them, note heathens, called sinners of the Gentiles, Gal. ii. 15; and as publicans and sinners here, so we read publicans and heathens, ch. xviii. 17,) but also in respect of their calling, that of hiring the tributes at a price, and raising gain to themselves by exaction, τελώνου ἐργασία ἄχρωμος, the publicans’ trade is filthy and sordid, saith a Artemidorus, joining with them καπήλους, λῃστὰς, ζυγοκρουστὰς, παραλογιστὰς, “thieves, cheats,” &c.; and Theophrastus putteth together πορνοβοσκῆσαι καὶ τελωνῆσαι, “keeping whores and being publicans;” and so that of the poet,

Πάντες τελώναι, πάντες εἰσὶν ἄρπαγες,

“All publicans are thieves, all rapacious, or robbers;” and so saith Musonius, that Theocritus being demanded what was the cruellest

• ὀνειροκρ. l. 4. c. 44. and c. 9. HAMMOND ANNOTT. F

Matthew 9:14

[d] Why] Among the idioms or peculiar forms of writing observable in the sacred writers this may be one, That when one thing only appears by the context to be designed and meant, another thing is yet delivered, as preparative to that, that by it, either by way of comparison or opposition, &c. the one principal thing designed may be more set out. Thus Exod. xx. 9, 10, in the fourth commandment, in which the sabbatic rest is the only thing designed, that is introduced with a Six days shalt thou labour, and do all that thou hast to do, which being not the matter of that commandment, is there set only to prepare for the ensuing rest, but the seventh day is the sabbath, &c., and must not be extended any further, and is best interpreted by way of comparison, thus: As thou hast six days allowed thee to labour, &c., so the seventh must be looked on as a rest to that God which hath been so liberal to thee. So here the disciples of John designing to ask one question, why Christ and his disciples fast not, what is the reason of that, it is not to be thought that they would ask concerning their own fasting, being well enough satisfied of the reason of that, viz. the practice of all pious Jews for a long time, and yet in this other question first asked, and set as preparatory to the other, Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, and thy disciples fast not? which cannot therefore be better interpreted than thus, by way of comparison, Why do not thy disciples fast as well as we? So Mark xii. 10, If a woman shall put away her husband, and marry another, she commits adultery; where it is not to be thought in the power of a wife to put away her husband, but only of the husband to put away the wife, as being superior, and having authority over her, but because it is possible for a woman, the wife of one, to yield herself to be married to another, and in what case soever she doth so, she committeth adultery, that being the thing there in hand designed to be spoken of by Christ; the former, of putting away the husband, is mentioned without any weight set on it to prepare for the latter important part, and is only set to continue the opposition with that which had preceded, the husband’s putting away his wife, ver. 11. So Eph. iv. 20, Be angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down on thy wrath; where it is not the apostle’s meaning so much as to permit anger, but that is only set down as a preparative to the consequent not sinning, that is, moderating that passion, and not letting it dwell upon us, which is the only thing in that place designed to be commanded us. So James i. 9, Let the brother of low degree rejoice, or boast, that he is exalted, and, or but the rich, that he is brought low; where the matter of the discourse from ver. 2. being exhortation to rejoice in afflictions, enforced by the advantages of them, vv. 3, 4, and backed with directions how to practise it, by praying to God for wisdom, ver. 5, and perseverance in the faith, required to the obtaining answer to his prayers, vv. 6—8, (and so still kept to the same matter of rejoicing in afflictions,) it follows, ver. 9, Let the brother, that is, the Christian, of low degree rejoice that he is exalted, which is not at all to the point in

Matthew 9:15

[e] children of the bridechamber] Those which were the special guests of a marriage feast, were by custom to go and fetch the bridegroom, and wait on him to the marriage feast, as we see the practice of it 1 Mac. ix. 37; so Matt. xxv. 1, the ten virgins took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom; and those that were ready at his coming, ver. 10, went in with him els γάμου, that is, to the marriage feast; (for so the word γάμος and γάμοι, which we render marriage, signifies, Matt. xxii. 3, John ii. 1, not a marriage, but a marriage feast in Cana of Galilee. So there were in Homer three sorts of feasts, of which γάμος was one:

Εἰλαπίν’, ἢ γάμος; ἐπὶ οὐκ ἔρανος τάγε γ’ ἐστί. Od. α’. 224. and ‘Ἡ γάμῳ, ἢ ἐράνῳ, ἢ εἰλαπίνῃ τεθαλύῃ. Od. λ’. 415.

whereupon, saith Eustathius, ἡ δὲ εἰλαπίνῃ, καὶ ὁ γάμος καὶ ὁ ἔρανος εἴδη εἰσὶ τῆς δαίτὸς, “These three are several species of feasts.” So γάμους θύειν in b Philo; so nuptias celebrare in the civil law, “the marriage festivity;”) these special guests which attended these nuptial solemnities are called πορύνυμφοι, and πάροχοι in c Phavorinus, and here the sons or children of the νυμφών, (that is, τόπος ἐν ᾧ οἱ νυμφίοι,) “the place in which the bridegroom and bride are.” These, I suppose, are the φίλοι νυμφίου, John iii. 29, the friends of the bridegroom; which, saith Phavorinus, τῷ ὀχήματι ἅμα τῇ νύμφῃ καὶ τῷ νυμφίῳ ὀχοῦνται, “are carried in the same chariot with the bride and bridegroom,” or else go with them πεζῆ, on foot; and of these some performed some nuptial offices to the bridegroom, (as to be the king’s friend, 1 Kings iv. 5, is a special office of nearness about the king.) So we find in d Julius Pollux, κολειταί τις τῶν τοῦ νυμφίου φίλων θυρωρός, &c. “one of the bridegroom’s friends is called the doorkeeper.” Of these it is here said, that as long as the bridegroom is with them, that is, as long as the marriage feast is celebrating, (parallel to which is the time of Christ’s abode on this earth, marrying himself to his spouse, this church of his,) it is not imaginable that they should mourn or fast; but when this marriage feast was turned into a funeral obsequy, then should they fast in those days. See more in note [b] John iii. 29.

Matthew 9:17

[f] bottles] The use of ἀσκοὶ, skins for the keeping or carrying of wines, is ordinary in authors; ἀσκῷ ἐν αἰγείῳ, in Homer, in a goat’s skin, Odys. ζ’. 78: see Casaubon on Atheneus. So in Spain the wine is carried in borachoes, bags made of hog-skins, and the whole skin of a hog made up close to put wine in.

b De Spec. Lege, c. 6, 7. c In γάμος, νυμφίον. d Ὀνυμφίον. l. 3. c. 5. P 2

Matthew 9:18

[g] ruler] There was among the Jews, the lesser or the greater sanhedrim or consistory, Matt. v. 22; the former consisting of twenty-three judges in every city, the latter of seventy-two in Jerusalem. The greater sanhedrim was made up of the chief priests and elders or presbyters of the people, (called oft the elders of Israel,) and the scribes of the people, Judges v. 11, (or in the Chaldee Paraphrase, the scribes of Israel;) they of the lesser consistory were called rulers, as here. See note [c] Mark v.

Matthew 9:20

And as Jesus was a going to the ruler’s house to cure his daughter, behold— and found them very busily preparing for the interment of the ruler’s daughter, with music and other solemnities for the funeral, he— is not so departed that she shall not return again, her death shall not continue above the space of an ordinary sleep, and she shall, as from a sleep, awake from it. And they— by this time, &c. company in an hurry, or, making a stir, ἄγλον θορυβούμενον.

Matthew 9:23

[h] minstrels] This custom of having musical instruments in funerals came to the latter Jews from the rites and manner of the Gentiles. For though in the Mishna, Rubbi Jehuda saith, that at the funeral of the wife there should be instruments at least, besides the person which began the lamentation; yet this testimony of his, is but of the latter times, such as this in this verse. And in the Old Testament there is no mention of any such custom. They were wont indeed to mourn for the dead, Ecclus. xxii. 10, and to commend them, thereby to excite the living to the imitation of their virtues, or that they may lay it to heart, Eccl. vii. 2. (and so it was at the death of Tabitha, where the widows wailed, and shewed the coats and garments which her liberality had provided for the poor in her lifetime;) and many other ceremonies they used, as you may find, Ezek. xxiv. 17, and Jer. xvi. 6, 7; as, 1. tearing their flesh; 2dly, shaving their heads bald; 3dly, the neighbours sending in good cheer, which is in Ezekiel eating the bread of men, or (as אֱלֹהִים would be better rendered) of mourners; and in Jeremiah, (not tearing, but) breaking bread to the mourner, to comfort him, and, as it follows, giving the cup of consolation to drink; so saith Josephus of Archelaus, πενθήσας ἡμέρας ἑπτὰ τὸν πατέρα καὶ τὴν ἐπιτάφιον ἑστίασιν πολυτελῆ τῷ πλῆθει παρασχών, “he mourned seven days for his father, and made a sumptuous funeral feast for the multitude;” and he adds, that this custom among the Jews was the impoverishing of many, and that upon a kind of necessity; for if any man omitted it, he was accounted no pious man. So the meat of mourners, Hosea ix. 4; and περίδειπνον νεκροῦ, the funeral feast, in the epistle of Jeremiah, ver. 32; and to that, perhaps, belong the θέματα βρωμάτων παρακείμενα τάφῳ, the messes of meat set on the sepulchre, Ecclus. xxx. 18. But all this while no mention of instruments of music in funerals among the ancient Jews of the Old Testament; but on the other side, the use of music in lamentation is mentioned among the ἄκαιρα, unseasonable things, Ecclus. xxii. 6; songs of lamentation they had, Jer. ix. 17, Amos vi. 15, Jer. xxxiv. 5, Jer. xxii. 18; but these were performed only by the voice, not by instruments, saith Schickard. This custom of instruments in funerals was heathen, and came in but late among the Jews. Among the heathen there is frequent mention of it, both among the Romans, under the style of siccinium, and in Apuleius, monumentarii choraula; and among the Grecians under that of τυμβούλοι; and in Aristot. l. 5. de Gen. Anim., αἰάζοντες; and in Lucian, εἰς τὸ μέλος ἐπαι-

e Tit. Cheruboth. c. 4. 1. 2. Ἀλώσ. β’. b De Jure Reg. p. 162. 1 Vide Perotti Cornucop. p. 512. Non. Marcell. de propr. Serm. p. 1248. Hieron. Mag. Miscell. l. 1. c. 13. Ovid. de Fast. l. 6. Cantabis maastis tibia funeribus. Et Trist. 5. Eleg. 1. Tibia funeribus convenit ista meis. And p. 177. Petronius Arbiter. licet ad tibicines mittas, of one desperately sick: see Jo. a Wower. ad loc. Stat. Theb. 6. Virg. Exoritur clamorque virum, clangorque tubarum.

Matthew 9:25

[i] put forth] The word ἰκβάλλειν, which in ordinary Greek authors, and many times in the New Testament, signifies to cast out by violence, doth several times also, in the New Testament, signify in a softer sense, only to send, or bring out. So not only in this verse, and the places parallel to it in the other Gospels, but in this chap. ver. 38, ὅπως ἰκβάλλῃ ἐργάτας, that is, ἱκπέμπῃ, not cast, but send forth labourers. So ch. xii. 20, ἴως ἂν ἰκβάλῃ τὴν κρίσιν, until he send forth judgment; and ver. 35, ἰκβάλλει ἀγαθὰ καὶ πονηρὰ, sends or brings forth good and evil things; and ch. xiii. 52, ὅστις ἰκβάλλει ἐκ τοῦ θησαυροῦ, whosoever brings forth out of his treasure. So Luke x. 35, ἰκβαλὼν δύο δηνάρια, he took out twopence; and John x. 4, ὅταν τὰ ἴδια πρόβατα ἰκβάλῃ, when he brings out his sheep, for it is added immediately, he goes before them. Thus פק signifies in Syriac both to go out and to be cast out; and Matt. viii. 12, where the Greek reads ἰκβληθήσονται, shall be cast out, the Syriac hath פקין, which is ordinarily rendered exibunt, “shall go out;” and agreeably to this promiscuous use of those words, we may observe, Rev. xiv, that πέμπειν, to send, ver. 15, is βάλλειν, to cast, ver. 16, in the same matter. See ch. xii. 20.

Matthew 9:28

[l] tombs] It was usual for the devils to abide in tombs to confirm in men that vain persuasion of the souls of men (after death) being turned into devils, (see Hieron. Magius Miscellan. l. 4. c. 12,) and for divers other ends, for which the solitude of such places was advantageous to them, none using to come thither but to bury their dead.

Matthew 9:30

[m] swine] That there were swine among the Gadarenes, contrary to the Jewish customs, will not be strange, when it is remembered that Gadara is by Josephus numbered among the ἰλληνίδες πόλεις, “Grecian cities” which Pompey took away from the Jews, (see Is. Casaub. ad Baron. p. 219,) and that the greatest part of the inhabitants were Syrians, not Jews, by the affirmation of the same Josephus, l. 2. De Bello Judaic. c. 33. See Constant. l’Empereur de Legibus, p. 181.

[k] charged them] The word ἱμβριμῆσαι that is here used is rendered by Phavorinus, ἐπιτιμῆσαι, κελεῦσαι, προστάξαι μετ’ ἰξουσίας, to

k Αὐλοὶ καὶ κύμβαλα θρήνον ἐγείροντες, Chrysost. l Περὶ πένθ. p. 792. = Ἀλώσ. l. 3. c. 15. n Ἐθρηνήσαμεν.

Matthew 9:31

And thereupon the devils knowing that Christ would cast them out, and by that miracle so far shew forth his power, that it would probably bring all the country to believe on him, desired to prevent this, and thereupon fell on this project, which might incense the countrymen against him, (as it proved in the event, ver. 34,) and in order to it besought Christ, saying—

Matthew 9:32

See Mark v. 13, Luke viii. 32. ‘gave them notice of the loss of their swine, and telling the occasion of it, let them know how as their swine were lost on one side, so two men possessed with devils were recovered, and that Christ had done this since his coming thither.

Matthew 9:34

Hereupon the whole city, as being very much concerned in that which had happened, came out to meet and see Jesus, which did such miracles; and instead of being wrought on by his cure on the men to desire his continuance among them, the consideration of the loss of their swine made them desire, and beseech him, &c. ### CHAP. IX. AND he entered into a ship, and passed over, and came into his own city.

Matthew 9:35

[l] teaching] It was the manner among the Jews for divers men to contribute their talents to the exposition of the lesson which was read. This ordinarily belonged to the sons of the prophets, who were brought up in learning the law, and at thirty years old might be made doctors, (at which time, being then of doctor’s standing, saith Irenæus, Christ began to preach, and not before; and proportionably presbyters were not made in the ancient church till that age,) and continued in that notion, or the other of scribes, till they obtained the spirit of prophecy at God’s hands, till which time they did ordinarily expound scriptures, though not by revelation. Answerable to which was that custom or practice among Christians mentioned 1 Cor. xiv. 29. And thus might Christ, without pretension to any extraordinary power or authority, expound in their synagogues, which, being the doctors’ work, is here called teaching, and differs (in the Christian use of the word in the New Testament) from κηρύσσειν, preaching, (which follows,) and εὐαγγελίζεσθαι, publishing, or preaching the gospel, and μαθητεύειν, parallel with it, (as appears by comparing Matt. xxviii. 19. with Mark xvi. 15,) gathering of disciples, in other places. All these being the publishing somewhat to those, to whom it was news, (as here the gospel of the kingdom, that is, the doctrine of Christianity,) the other, (διδάσκειν,) instructing congregations that already professed that doctrine, which is therefore by the doctor only further explained to them. And so Acts v. 42, where you have διδάσκοντες and εὐαγγελιζόμενοι, teaching and preaching; the first refers to the ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ, in the temple; the second to the κατ’ οἶκον, in somewhat more private places, (see note [c] Acts i.;) the first to those that were instructed in the doctrine of Christianity already, the second to those that had not already received it; and so Acts xv. 35. In proportion to which was that difference in the Christian church betwixt the evangelist, and doctor, or teacher, the first telling them the good news, and planting the gospel, the other watering or instructing them further in it, and so the word and doctrine are different, 1 Tim. v. 17; the first without the church to unbelievers, 2 Cor. v. 19, Matt. xiii. 19, Mark iv. 14, ch. ii. 2, Acts iv. 4, and vi. 2, 1 Peter ii. 8; the second in it, or to those that were already converted to the faith.

Matthew 9:36

[m] fainted] The Greek copies do vary in this place, some reading it ἐσκυλμένοι; so the ancient Greek and Latin MS., and that in Magdalene College, in Oxford; and so both Chrysostom and many very ancient copies have it, and then it would be rendered tossed. So the old Glossary, σκύλλομαι, factor; or else wearied, σκύλλω, fatigo, saith the same; and so the Greek and Latin MS. fatigati; so from Herodian H. Stephanus concludes in his Preface to Herodian. And so it is surely used in that author, l. 4, σὺν ἱππεῦσιν ὀλίγοις (ἵνα μὴ πάντα τὸν στρατὸν σκύλῃ) τὴν ὁδοιπορίαν ἐποιεῖτο, “he took his voyage with a few horsemen, that he might not tire the whole army;” and lib. 7, σκύλας δὲ καὶ ὑβρίσας, “after he had tired them with long journeys and