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It proceeds thus from the heart. 6. 'Blasphemies.' See note, Matt. ix. 3. Blasphemy proceeds from opposition to God, hatred of his character, Rom. viii. 7, and from a desire that there should be no God. See Psa. xiv. 1. Mark adds, 7.' Covetousness,'-the unlawful desire of what others possess. 8. 'Wickedness.' The original here means malice, a desire of injuring others, Rom. i. 29. 9. Deceit ;' that is fraud, concealment, cheating in trade. 10. 'Lasciviousness.' Lust, licentiousness, unbridled passion. 11. An evil eye. That is, an eye sour, malignant, proud, devising or purposing evil. See Matt. v. 28; xx. 15. 2 Peter ii. 14. 12. Pride. An improper estimate of our own importance-always the work of an evil heart. 13. Foolishness. Not want of intellect; but moral folly, consisting in choosing bad ends, and bad means of gaining them. All sin is folly. It is foolish for a man to disobey God, and think to prosper.

21 ¶ Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon.

This narrative is also found in Mark vii. 24-30. The coasts of Tyre and Sidon.' These cities were on the sea-coast or shore of the Mediterranean. See note Matt. xi. 21. He went there for the purpose of concealment, Mark vii. 24; perhaps still to avoid Herod.

22 And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.

This woman is called also a Greek, a Syro-Phoenician by birth, Mark vii. 26. The Phoenicians were descended from the Canaanites. That country was taken by the Greeks under Alexander the Great, and those cities, in the time of Christ, were Greek cities. This woman was a Syro-Phoenician, born in that country, and descended probably from the ancient Canaanites. 'Is grievously vexed with a devil.' See note, Matt. iv. 24. The woman showed great earnestness. She cried unto him, and fell at his feet, Mark vii. 25.

23 But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us.

'But he answered her not a word.' This was done to try her faith, and that there might be exhibited to the apostles an example of the effect of persevering supplication.

24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

'The lost sheep of the house of Israel' were the Jews. He

came first to them. He came as their expected Messiah. The ministry of Jesus was confined almost entirely to the Jews.

25 Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.

'She came and worshipped.' That is, bowed down to him, did him reverence. See note, Matt. viii. 2.

26 But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs.

'It is not meet.' That is, it is not fit or proper. 'Children's bread.' The Jews considered themselves as the peculiar children of God. To all other nations they were accustomed to apply terms of contempt, of which 'dogs' was the most common.

Our Saviour did not intend to justify or sanction the use of such terms. He meant to try her faith. As if he had said, You are a Gentile. I am a Jew. The Jews call themselves children of God. You they vilify, and abuse, calling you a dog. Are you willing to submit to these appellations, to receive a favour of one of that nation? It was a trial of her faith, and not lending his sanction to the propriety of the abusive term. He regarded her with a different feeling.

27 And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their master's table.

"Truth Lord,' &c. What you say is true. Let the Jews have the chief benefit of thy ministry. Let me be regarded as a dog, a heathen, as unworthy of every thing. Yet grant one exertion of that almighty power, displayed so signally among the Jews, and heal the despised daughter of a despised heathen mother.

28 Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.

Great is thy faith." daughter was healed. posed, Mark vii. 30.

That is thy trust, confidence. The Going home, she found her well and com

29 And Jesus departed from thence, and came nigh unto the sea of Galilee; and went up into a mountain, and sat down there. 30 And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus' feet; and he healed them: 31 Insomuch that the multitude wondered when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to

walk, and the blind to see: and they glorified the God of Israel.

'Sea of Galilee.' That is, the lake of Genesareth. See note, Matt. iv. 24. 'Maimed.' Those to whom a hand or foot was wanting. See Matt. xviii. 8. To cure them—that is, to restore a hand or foot-was a direct act of creating power. And they glorified the God of Israel.' To glorify, here, means to praise, o acknowledge his power and goodness.

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32¶Then Jesus called his disciples unto him, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat: and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way. 33 And his disciples say unto him, Whence should we have so much bread in the wilderness, as to fill so great a multitude?

34 And Jesus saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven, and a few little fishes. 35 And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. 36 And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. 37 And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets full. 38 And they that did eat were four thousand men, beside women and children.

The miracle recorded here, the feeding of the four thousand, took place on a mountain, near the sea of Galilee. The same account is recorded in Mark viii. 1-10. The circumstances of the miracle are so similar to the one recorded in Matt. xiv. 14-21, as to need no particular explanation.

"Three days, and have nothing to eat.' During that time they had been deprived of their ordinary, regular food. They had only a very scanty supply, and on the third day even that began to fail.

39 And he sent away the multitude, ard took ship, and came into the coasts of Magdala.

'Coasts of Magdala.' Mark says, The parts of Dalmanutha.' These were probably small towns on the east side of the sea of Galilee, and near to each other.

CHAPTER XVI.

1 THE pharisees also with the sadducees came, and tempting, desired him that he would show them a sign from heaven.

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See also Mark viii. 11, 12. The pharisees also with the sadducees.' See note, Matt. iii. 7. Tempting.' That is, trying him-feigning a desire to see evidence that he was the Messiah, but with a real wish to see him make the attempt to work a miracle and fail. ‘A sign from heaven.' Some miraculous appearance in the sky. It is proper to say, that though Christ did not choose then to show such wonders, yet most stupendous signs from heaven were exhibited at his death.

2 He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red. 3 And in the morning, It will be foul weather to-day for the sky is red and lowering. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?

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The meaning of this answer is, that as there are certain indications by which you judge about the weather, so there are sufficient indications by which you should judge concerning me and these times. My miracles, and the state of affairs in Judea, are an indication by which you should judge of these times. 'Is red.' Almost all nations have observed this as an indication of the weather. In the morning-the sky is red and lowering. That is, there are dark and threatening clouds in the sky, which in the east are made red by the rays of the rising sun. This, in Judea, was a sign of a tempest.

Men will often judge far more correctly about natural than spiritual things. About natural objects they are watchful. In them they feel a deep interest. And they watch for every sign that may affect their interest. They are too much concerned to judge falsely. But they feel no such interest in religious things. Men who have good sense, and much wisdom in regard to worldly concerns, are exceedingly foolish in regard to religion.

4 A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed.

A wicked and adulterous generation,' &c. See note, Matt. xii. 38-40. Mark adds, viii. 12, that he sighed deeply in spirit. He did not say this without feeling. He was greatly affected with their perverseness and obstinacy.

5 And when his disciples were come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread.

This account is recorded also in Mark viii. 13-21. And when his disciples had come to the other side.' That is, to the other side of the sea of Galilee. Mark says that he entered into a ship again, and departed to the other side. Had forgotten to

take bread. That is, had forgotten to lay in a sufficient supply. They had, it seems, not more than one loaf, Mark viii. 14.

6 Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the pharisees and of the sadducees.

'Take heed,' &c. That is, be cautious, be on your guard. The leaven of the pharisees and sadducees.' Leaven is used in making bread. Its use is to pass through the flour, and cause it to ferment or to swell, and become light. It passes secretly, silently, but certainly. None can see its progress. So it was with the doctrines of the pharisees. They were insinuating, artful, plausible.

7 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have taken no bread. 8 Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread? 9 Do ye not yet understand, nei

ther remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? 10 Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? 11 How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the pharisees and of the sadducees? 12 Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the pharisees and of the sadducees.

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They reasoned,' &c. The disciples did not understand him as referring to their doctrine, because the word 'leaven' was not often used among the Jews to denote doctrines-no other instance of the use of the word occurring in the scriptures. O ye of little faith!' Jesus, in reply, said that they should not be so anxious about the supply of their wants. They should not have supposed, after the miracles that he had wrought in feeding so many, that he would caution them to be anxious about procuring bread for their necessities.

13 When Jesus came into the coasts of Cesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I, the Son of man, am?

'Cesarea

See also Mark viii. 27-29, and Luke ix. 18-20. Philippi.' There were two cities in Judea called Cesarea. One was situated on the borders of the Mediterranean, and the other was the one mentioned here. It was greatly enlarged and ornamented by Philip the tetrarch, son of Herod, and called Cesarea, in honour of the Roman emperor Tiberius Cæsar. To distinguish

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