range, the green table-land which skirts the eastern side of the lake. 34. And Jesus, when he came out of the ship having gone on shore.' saw much peoplea great multitude,' and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd. At the sight of the multitudes who had followed Him by land and even got before Him, He was so moved, as was His wont in such cases, with compassion, because they were like shepherdless sheep, as to forego both privacy and rest that He might minister to them. Here we have an important piece of information from the Fourth Evangelist John, 6. 4, "And the passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh"-rather. Now the passover, the feast of the Jews, was nigh.' This accounts for the multitudes that now crowded around Him. They were on their way to keep that festival at Jerusalem. But Jesus did not go up to this festival. as John expressly tells us ch. 7. 1)-remaining in Galilee, because the ruling Jews sought to kill Him. 35. And when the day was now far spent-"began to wear away" or 'decline,' says Luke (9. 12). Matthew (14. 15) says, "when it was evening;" and yet he mentions a later evening of the same day (v. 23). This earlier evening began at three o'clock P.M.; the later began at sunset. 36. Send them away, that they may go into the country round about, and into the villages, and buy themselves bread: for they have nothing to eat. John tells us (6. 5, 6) that Jesus said to Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat? (And this He said to prove him: for He Himself knew what He would do.." The subject may have been introduced by some remark of the disciples; but the precise order and form of what was said by each can hardly be gathered with precision, nor is it of any importance. 37. He answered and said unto them, "They need not depart" (Matthew, 14. 16). Give ye them to eat-doubtless said to prepare them for what was to follow. And they say unto him, Shall we go and buy two hundred pennyworth of bread, and give them to eat? "Philip answered Him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little" (John, 6. 7. 38. He saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? go and see. And when they knew, they say, Five, and two fishes. John is more precise and full. "One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto Him, There is a lad here which hath five barley loaves and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?" (John, 6. 8. 9.) Probably this was the whole stock of provisions then at the command of the disciples-no more than enough for one meal to them--and entrusted for the time to this lad. "He said, Bring them hither to me" (Matthew, 14. 18). 39. And he commanded them to make all sit down by companies upon the green grass-or green hay;' the rank grass of those bushy wastes. For, as John (6, 10) notes, “there was much grass in the place." 40. And they sat down in runks, by hundreds, and by fifties. Doubtless this was to show at a glance the number fed, and to enable all to witness in an orderly manner this glorious miracle. 41. And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he locked up to heaven. Thus would the most distant of them see distinctly what He was doing. and blessed. John says, "And when He had given thanks." The sense is the same. This thanks giving for the meat, and benediction of it as the food of thousands, was the crisis of the miracle. and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them-thus virtually holding forth these men as His future ministers. and the two fishes divided he among them all. 42. And they did all eat, and were filled. All the four Evangelists mention this; and John (6. 11) adds, "and likewise of the fishes, as much as they would"-to show that vast as was the multitude, and Feeds Five Thousand, scanty the provisions, the meal to each and all of them was a plentiful one. "When they were filled. He said unto His disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost" (John, & 12. This was designed to bring out the whole extent of the miracle. 43. And they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments, and of the fishes. Therefore (says John, 613), they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten." The article here rendered "baskets" in all the four narratives was part of the luggage taken by Jews on a journey-to carry, it is said, both their provisions and hay to sleep on, that they might not have to depend on Gentiles, and so run the risk of ceremonial pollution. In this we have a striking corroboration of the truth of the four narratives. Internal evidence renders it clear, we think, that the first three Evangelists wrote independently of each other, though the fourth must have seen all the others. But here, each of the first three Evangelists uses the same word to express the apparently insignificant circumstance, that the baskets employed to gather up the fragments were of the kind which even the Roman satirist, JUVENAL, knew by the name of cophinus; while in both the narratives of the feeding of the Four Thousand the baskets used are expressly said to have been of the kind called spuris. (See on ch. 8. 19. 20.) 44. And they that did eat of the loaves were about) five thousand men-"besides women and children" (Matthew, 14. 21. Of these, however, there would probably not be many; as only the males were obliged to go to the approaching festival. Jesus Re-crosses to the Western side of the Lake, Walking on the Sea (r. 45-56). One very important particular given by John alone (6. 15) introduces this portion: "When Jesus therefore perceived that they would take Him by force, to make Him a king, He departed again into a mountain Himself alone." 45. And straightway he constrained his disciples to get into the ship, and to go to the other side before-Him-uuto Bethsaida-Bethsaida of Galilee (John, 12. 21). John says they "went over the sea towards Capernaum"the wind, probably, occasioning this slight deviation from the direction of Bethsaida, while he sent away the people-'the multitude.' His object in this was to put an end to the misdirected excitement in His favour (John, 6. 15, into which the disciples themselves may have been somewhat drawn. The word "constrained" implies reluctance on their part, perhaps from unwillingness to part with their Master and embark at night, leaving Him alone on the mountain. 46. And when he had sent them away, he departed into a mountain to pray-thus at length getting that privacy and rest which He had vainly sought during the earlier part of the day; opportunity also to pour out His soul in connection with the extraordinary excitement in His favour that eveningwhich appears to have marked the zenith of His reputation, for it began to decline the very next day; and a place whence He might watch the disciples on the lake, pray for them in their extremity, and observe the right time for coming to them, in a new manifestation of His glory, on the sea. 47. And when even was come-the latter evening (see on v. 35). had come even when the disciples embarked Mat thew, 14. 23; John, 6. 16). the ship was in the midst of the sea, and he aloue on the land. John says (6 17), "It was now dark, and Jesus was not come to them." Perhaps they made no great effort to push across at first, having a lingering hope that their Master would yet join them, and so allowed the darkness to come on. "And the sea arose (adds the beloved disciple, d. 18), by reason of a great wind that blew." 48. And he saw them toiling in rowing: for the wind was contrary It Christ Walkth MARK, VI on the Sea. more bold that could act it-not fearing either the softness or the roughness of that uncouth passage.' 30. "But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me." The wind was as boisterous before, but Peter "sa" it not; seeing only the power of Christ, in the lively exercise of faith. Now he "sees" the fury of the elements, and immediately the power of Christ to bear him up fades before his view, and this makes him "afraid"-as how could he be otherwise, without any felt power to keep him up? He then "begins to sink;" and finally, conscious that his experiment had failed, he casts himself. in a sort of desperate confidence, upon his "Lord" for deliver. ance! 31. "And immediately Jesus stretched forth His hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?" This rebuke was not administered while Peter was sinking, nor till Christ had him by the hand; first re. invigorating his faith and then with it enabling him again to walk upon the crested wave. Bootless else had been this loving reproof, which owns the faith that had ventured on the deep upon the bare word of Christ, but asks why that distrust which so quickly marred it? 32. And when they were come into the ship (Jesus and Peter), the wind ceased." 51 And he went up unto them into the ship. John (6. 21) says, "Then they willingly received him into the ship"or rather, Then were they willing to receive Him' (with reference to their previous terror); but imply. ing also a glad welcome, their first fears now converted into wonder and delight. "And immediately." adds the beloved disciple, "they were at the land whither they went," or 'were bound.' This additional miracle, for as such it is manifestly related, is recorded by the Fourth Evangelist alone. As the storm was suddenly calmed, so the little bark-propelled by the secret power of the Lord of nature now sailing in it-glided through the now unruffled waters, and, while they were wrapt in wonder at what had happened, not heeding their rapid motion, was found at port, to their still further surprise. to them-putting forth all their strength to buffet the waves and bear on against a head-wind, but to httle effect. He saw" this from His mountain-top, and through the darkness of the night, for His heart was all with them: yet would He not go to their relief till His own time came. and about the fourth watch of the night. The Jews, who used to divide the night into three watches, latterly adopted the Roman division into four watches, as here. So that, at the rate of three hours to each, the fourth watch, reckoning from six P.M., would be three o'clock in the morning. "So when they had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs" (John, 6. 19)-rather more than half-way across. The lake is about seven miles broad at its widest part. So that in eight or Eine hours they had only made some three and a-half miles. By this time, therefore, they must have been in a state of exhaustion and despondency bordering en despair and now at length, having tried them long enough, he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea-and drawing nigh unto the ship" (John, 6. 19), and would have passed by them- but only in the sense of Lake, 24. 23; Genesis, 32. 26; cf. Genesis, 18, 3, 5; 42. 7. 49 But when they saw him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit, and cried out-" for fear" Matthew, 14. 26). He would appear to them at first like a dark moving speck upon the waters; then as human figure; but in the dark tempestuous sky, and not dreaming that it could be their Lord, they take it for a spirit. Cf. Luke. 24. 37. 50. For they all saw him, and were troubled. And immediately he talked with them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer: It is I; be not afraid. There is something in these two little words-given by Matthew, Mark, and John-""Tis I," which from the mouth that spake it and the circumstances in which it was uttered, passes the power of language to express. Here were they in the midst of a raging sea, their little bark the sport of the elements, and with just enough of light to descry an object on the waters which only aggravated their fears. But Jesus deems it enough to dispel all apprehension to let them know that He was there. From other lips that "I am" would have merely meant that the person speaking was such a one and not another person. That, surely, would have done little to calm the fears of men exberting every minute, it may be, to go to the bottom. But spoken by One who at that moment was "treading upon the waves of the sea," and was about to Ash the raging elements with His word, what was it bat the Voice which cried of old in the ears of Israel, even from the days of Moses, "I AM:" "I, EVEN I. AM Hɛ!" Cf. John, 18. 5, 6; 8. 58. Now, that word is made flesh, and dwells among us," uttering itself from beside us in dear familiar tones-"It is the Voice of my Beloved!" How far was this apprehended by these frightened disciples? There was one, we know, in the boat who outstripped all the rest in susceptibility to such sublime appeals. It was not the deeptoned writer of the Fourth Gospel, who, though he hved to soar beyond all the apostles, was as yet too young for prominence, and all unripe. It was SimonBaronas Here follows a very remarkable and instructive episode, recorded by Matthew alone:Peter meatures to Walk upon the Sea (Matthew. 14. And Peter answered Him, and said, Lord, If it be Thon. bid me come unto thee on the water;" not let me,' but give me the word of command-western shore. Capernaum was their landing-place 'command,' or 'order me to come unto Thee upon the waters." 29. "And He said. Come." Sublime word, issuing from One conscious of power over the rasing element. to bid it serve both Himself and whomsoever else He pleased! "And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked upon the Water"-waters'-"to come to Jesus." It was a bold spirit,' says BISHOP HALL, that could wish it; "Then are they glad, because at rest So to the haven He them brings Matthew (14. 33) says, "Then they that were in the Incidents on Landing (r. 53-56). The details here are given with a rich vividness quite peculiar to this charming Gospel. 53. And when they had passed over, they came into the land of Gennesaret--from which the lake sometimes takes its name, stretching along its (John, 6. 24. 25. and drew to the shore-a nautical phrase, nowhere else used in the New Testament. 54. And when they were come out of the ship, straightway they knew him-"immediately they recognised Hum", the people did. 55. and began to carry about in beds those that were sick, where they heard he was. At this period of our Lord's ministry the popular enthusiasm in His favour was at its height. The Syrophenician Woman 56. and besought him that they might touch if it were but the border of his garment-having heard, no doubt, of what the woman with the issue of blood experienced on doing so (ch. 5. 25-29), and perhaps of other unrecorded cases of the same nature. and as many as touched [him]-or 'it-the border of His garment, were made whole. All this they continued to do and to experience while our Lord was in that region. The time corresponds to that mentioned (John, 7. 1), when He walked in Galilee," instead of appearing in Jerusalem at the Passover, "because the Jews," i... the rulers, "sought to kill Him" - while the people sought to enthrone Him! CHAPTER VIL Ver. 1-23. DISCOURSE ON CEREMONIAL POLLUTION. (Matthew, 15. 1-20.) See on Matthew, 15. 1-20. MARK, VIL. THE SYROPHENICIAN WOMAN AND HER 24-37. DAUGHTER (Matthew, 15. 21-31.) The Syrophenician Woman and her Daughter (v. 24 30). The first words of this narrative show that the incident followed, in point of time, immediately on what precedes it. 24. And from thence he arose, and went into, or unto,' the borders of Tyre and Sidon-the two great Phenician sea-ports, but here denoting the territory generally, to the frontiers of which Jesus now came. Bat did Jesus actually enter this heathen territory? The whole narrative, we think, proceeds upon the supposition that He did. His immediate object seems to have been to avoid the wrath of the Pharisees at the withering exposure He had just made of their traditional religion. and entered into an house, and would have no man know it-because He had not come there to minister to heathens. But though not, sent but to the lost-but then, "The CHILDREN first?" Ah! when, on sheep of the house of Israel" (Matthew, 15. 24), He that rule, shall my turn ever come" But ere she hindered not the lost sheep of the vast Gentile world has time for these ponderings of His word, another from coming to Him, nor put them away when they word comes to supplement it. for it is not meet to did come as this incident was designed to show. take the children's bread, and to cast it unto the dogs. but he could not be hid. Christ's fame had early spread Is this the death of her hopes? Nay, but it is life from Galilee to this very region (ch. 3. 8; Luke, 6. 17). from the dead. Out of the eater shall come forth 25. For a certain woman, whose young daughter had an meat (Judges, 14. 14). At evening time it shall be unclean spiritor, as in Matthew, was badly de- light (Zechariah, 14. 7). Ha! I have it now. Had monized,' heard of him-one wonders how; but distress He kept silence, what could I have done but go unis quick of hearing; and fell at his feet: 26. The woman blest? but He hath spoken, and the victory is mine." was a Greek-1.6., a Gentile,' as in the margin; a 28. And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord-or, Syrophenician by nation-so called as inhabiting the as the same word is rendered in Matthew, 16. 27. Phenician tract of Syria. JUVENAL uses the same "Truth, Lord." yet the dogs eat of the children's crumba term, as was remarked by JUSTIN MARTYR and-"which fall from their master's table" (Matthewi TERTULLIAN. Matthew calls her "a woman of Canaan""-a more intelligible description to his Jewish readers (cf. Judges, 1. 30, 32, 33). and she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter -"She cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil" (Matthew, 15. 22). Thus, though no Israelite herself, she salutes Him as Israel's promised Messiah. Here we must go to Matthew, 15. 23-25, for some important links in the dialogue ommited by our Evangelist. 23. "But he answered her not a word." The design of this was first, perhaps, to show that He was not sent to such as she. He had said expressly to the Twelve, "Go not into the way of the Gentiles" (Matthew, 10. 5; and being now amongst them Himself, He would, for consistency's sake, let it be seen that He had not gone thither for missionary purposes. Therefore He not only kept silence, but had actually left the house and --as will presently appear-was proceeding on His way back, when this woman accosted Him. But another reason for keeping silence plainly was to try and to whet her faith, patience, and perseverance. And it had the desired effect: "She cried after them," which shows that He was already on His way from 'I thank Thee, O blessed One, for that word! That's my whole case. Not of the children? True. A dog? True also: Yet the dogs under the table are allowed to eat of the children's crumbs-the droppings from their master's full table: Give me that. and I am content: One crumb of power and grace from Thy table shall cast the devil out of my daughter.' O what lightning-quickness, what reach of instinctive ingenuity, do we behold in this heathen woman! 29. And he said unto her-"O) woman, great is thy faith" (Matthew, 15. 28). AS BENGEL beautifully remarks, Jesus "marvelled" only at two things -Jaith and unbelief (see on Luke, 7. 9. For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter. That moment the deed was done. 30. And when she was come to her house, she found the devil gone out, and her daughter laid upon the bed. But Matthew is more specific: "And her daughter was made whole from that very hour." The wonderfulness of this case in all its features has been felt in every age of the Church, and the balm it has administered, and will yet administer, to millions will be known only in that day that shall reveal the secrets of all hearts. Deaf and Dumb Man Healed (v. 31-37). 31. And again, departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, he Dumb Man Healed. and bitter" whence all our ills have sprung, and which, when "Himself took our infirmities and bare our sicknesses" (Matthew, 8. 17), became mysteriously His own. In thought of these His brows benign, and Not even in healing, cloudless shine.'-Keble. saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened. Our Evangelist, as remarked on ch. 6. 41, loves to give such wonderful words just as they were spoken. 35. And straightway his ears were opened. This is mentioned first, as the source of the other derangement. and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain. The cure was thus alike instantaneous and perfect. 36. And he charged them that they should tell no man. Into this very region He had sent the man out of whom had been cast the legion of devils, to proclaim "what the Lord had done for him" (ch. 5. 19). Now He will have them "tell no man." But in the former case there was no danger of obstructing His ministry by "blazing the matter" (ch. 1. 45), as He Himself had left the region; whereas now He was sojourning in it. but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it. They could not be restrained; nay, the prohibition seemed only to whet their determination to publish His fame. 37. And were beyond measure astonished, saying. He hath done all things well-reminding us, says TRENCH, of the words of the first creation (Genesis, 1. 31, LXX.), upon which we are thus not unsuitably thrown back, for Christ's work is in the truest sense "a new creation." he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak-"and they glorified the God of Israel' (Matthew, 16. 31). See on v. 31 of this chapter. CHAPTER VIII. Ver. 1-26. FOUR THOUSAND MIRACULOUSLY FED A SIGN FROM HEAVEN SOUGHT AND REFUSEDTHE LEAVEN OF THE PHARISEES AND SADDUCEES -A BLIND MAN AT BETHSAIDA RESTORED TO SIGHT. came unto the sea of Galilee-or, according to what has very strong claims to be regarded as the true text bere, And again, departing from the coasts of Tyre, lie came through Sidon to the sea of Galilee.' The MSS. in favour of this reading, though not the most numerous, are weighty, while the versions agreeing with it are among the most ancient; and all the best critical editors and commentators adopt it. In this case we must understand that our Lord, having ence gone out of the Holy Land the length of Tyre. proceeded as far north as Sidon, though without ministering, so far as appears, in those parts, and then bent His steps in a south-easterly direction. There is certainly a difficulty in the supposition of so long a detour without any missionary object; and some may think this sufficient to cast the balance in favour of the received reading. Be this as it may, on returning from these coasts of Tyre, He passed through the midst of the coasts-or frontiers-of Decapolis-crossing the Jordan, therefore, and approaching the lake on its east side. Here Matthew, who omits the details of the cure of this deaf and dumb man, introduces some particulars, from which we learn that it was only one of a great number. "And Jesas," says that Evangelist (15. 29-31), "departed from thence, and came nigh unto the sea of Galilee, and went up into a mountain"-the mountain-range banding the lake on the north-east, in Decapolis: And great multitudes came unto Him, having with them lame, blind, dumb, maimed"-not mutilated,' which is but a secondary sense of the word, but 'deformed'-"and many others, and cast them down at Jesus' feet; and he healed them; insomuch that the altitude"-the multitudes'-"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"-who, after so long and dreary an absence of visible manifestation, had returned to bless His people as of old (cf. Luke. 16. Beyond this it is not clear from the Evangelist's language that the people saw into the claims of Jesus. Well, of these cases Mark here singles out one, whose care had something peculiar in it. 32. And they bring Feeding of the Four Thousand (v. 1-9). 1. In those to him one that was deaf... and they beseech him to days the multitude being very great... 2. I have comput his hand upon him. In their eagerness they appear passion on the multitude-an expression of that deep to bave been somewhat too officious. Though usually emotion in the Redeemer's heart which always predoing as here suggested, He will deal with this case ceded some remarkable interposition for relief. (See His own way. 33. And he took him aside from the Matthew, 14. 14; 20. 34; Mark, 1. 41; Luke, 7. 13; also multitude-as in another case He "took the blind man Matthew, 9. 36, before the mission of the Twelve: by the hand and led him out of the town" (ch. 8. 23), cf. Judges, 2. 18; 10. 16.) because they have now been probably to fix his undistracted attention on Him- with me, in constant attendance, three days, and have sef and, by means of certain actions He was about nothing to eat: 3. And if I send them away fasting to to do, to awaken and direct his attention to the their own houses, they will faint by the way. In their proper source of relief. and put his fingers into his eagerness they seem not to have thought of the need tars. As his indistinct articulation arose from his of provisions for such a length of time; but the Lord dafness, our Lord addresses Himself to this first. thought of it. In Matthew (15. 32) it is, "I will not To the impotent man He said, "Wilt thou be made send them away fasting"-or rather, To send them whole? to the blind men, "What will ye that I away fasting I am unwilling.' 4. From whence can a shall do unto you?" and "Believe ye that I am able man satisfy these men with bread here in the wilderness? to do this (John, 5, 6; Matthew, 20. 32; 9. 28.) But Though the question here is the same as when He as this patient could hear nothing, our Lord substi- fed the five thousand, they evidently now meant no tutes symbolical actions upon each of the organs more by it than that they had not the means of affected and he spit and touched his tongue-moisten- feeding the multitude; modestly leaving the Lord in the man's parched tongue with saliva from His to decide what was to be done. And this will the mouth, as if to lubricate the organ or facilitate more appear from His not now trying them, as before, its free motion; thus indicating the source of the by saying, "They need not depart, give ye them to healing virtue to be His own person. (For similar eat" but simply asking what they had, and then actions, see ch. 8. 23; John, 9. 6.) 34. And looking up giving His directions. 5. And he asked them, How to heaven - ever acknowledging His Father, even many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven. It was while the Healing was seen to flow from Himself important in this case, as in the former, that the see on John, 5. 19), he signed-over the wreck,' says precise number of the loaves should be brought out. TRENCH, which ain had brought about, and the Thus also does the distinctness of the two miracles malice of the devil in deforming the fair features of appear. 9. And they that had eaten were about four God's original creation.' But, we take it, there was thousand and he sent them away. Had not our Lord ⚫ yet more painful impression of that evil thing distinctly referred, in this very chapter and in two Matthew, 15. 32-16. 12.) This Section of miscellaneous matter evidently follows the preceding one in point of time, as will be seen by observing how it is introduced by Matthew. Sign from Heaven Sought. MARK, VIIL The Leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. successive sentences to the feeding of the Five and | abounds, are more precious than rubies. The state of the Four Thousand, as two distinct miracles. many critics would have insisted that they were but two different representations of one and the same miracle, as they do of the two expulsions of the buyers and sellers from the temple, at the beginning and end of our Lord's ministry. But even in spite of what our Lord says, it is painful to find such then as NEANDER endeavouring to identify the two miracles. The localities, though both on the eastern side of the lake, were different: the time was different: the preceding and following circumstances were different: the period during which the people continued fasting was different in the one case not one entire day, in the other three days: the number fed was different-five thousand in the one case, in the other four thousand: the number of the loaves was different-five in the one case, in the other seven: the number of the fishes in the one case is definitely stated by all the four Evangelists-two; in the other case both give them indefinitely - "a few small fishes:" in the one case the multitude were commanded to sit down upon the green grass;" in the other, "on the ground:" in the one case the number of the baskets taken up filled with the fragments was twelve; in the other seven: but more than all, perhaps, because apparently quite incidental, in the one case the name given to the kind of baskets used is the same in all the four narratives-the cophinus (see on ch. 6. 43); in the other case the name given to the kind of baskets used, while it is the same in both the narratives, is quite different-the spuris, a basket large enough to hold a man's body, for Paul | was let down in one of these from the wall of Damascus (Acts. 9. 25. It might be added, that in the one case the people, in a frenzy of enthusiasm, would have taken Him by force to make Him a king; in the other case no such excitement is recorded. In view of these things, who could have believed that these were one and the same miracle, even if the Lord Himself had not expressly distinguished them? of the Pharisaic heart, which prompted this desire for a fresh sign, went to His very soul. and saith. Why doth this generation-"this wicked and adulterous generation" Matthew, 16. 4, seek after a sign?when they have had such abundant evidence already. There shall no sign be given unto this generation - lit.... 'If there shall be given to this generation a sign;" a Jewish way of expressing a solemn and peremptory determination to the contrary (cf. Hebrews, 4. 5; Psalm 95. 11. Margini. A generation incapable of appreciating such demonstrations shall not be gratified with them.' In Matthew, 16. 4. He added. "but the sign of the prophet Jonas.” See on Matthew, 12. 39, 40. 13. And he left them-no doubt with tokens of displeasure, and entering into the ship again, departed to the other side. Sign from Heaven Sought (c. 10-13). 10. And straight way he entered into a ship into the ship' or 'embarked,' with his disciples, and came into the parts of Daimanutha. In Matthew (15. 39) it is "the coasts of Magdala." Magdala and Dalmanutha were both on the western shore of the lake, and probably not far apart. From the former the surname "Magdalene" was probably taken, to denote the residence of one of the Maries. Dalmanutha may have been a village, but it cannot now be identified with certainty. 11. seeking of him a sign from heaven, tempting him not in the least desiring evidence for their conviction, but hoping to entrap Him. The first part of the answer is given in Matthew alone (16. 2, 3): "He answered and said unto them, When it is evening. ye say, It will be fair weather; for the sky is red. And in the morning. It will be foul weather to-day: for the sky is red and lowring"-sullen' or gloomy.' "Hypocrites! ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?' The same simplicity of purpose and careful observation of the symptoms of approaching events which they showed in common things would enable them to "discern the signs of the times -or rather "seasons," to which the prophets pointed for the manifestation of the Messiah. The sceptre had departed from Judah; Daniel's seventy weeks were expiring, &c.; and many other significant indications of the close of the old economy, and preparations for a freer and more comprehensive one, might have been discerned. But all was lost upon them. 12. And he sighed deeply in his spirit. The language is very strong. These glimpses into the interior of the Redeemer's heart, in which our Evangelist The Leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees (v. 14-21). 14. Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, neither had they in the ship with them more than one loaf. This is another example of that graphic circumstantiality which gives such a charm to this briefest of the four Gospels. The circumstance of the "one loaf" only remaining, as WEBSTER & WILKINSON remark, was more suggestive of their Master's recent miracles than the entire absence of provisions. 15. And he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees-"and of the Sadducees" (Matthew. 16. 6), and of the leaven of Herod. The teaching or "doctrine" (Matthew, 16. 12) of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees was quite different. but both were equally pernicious; and the Herodians, though rather a political party, were equally envenomed against our Lord's spiritual teaching. See on Matthew, 12 14. The penetrating and affusive quality of leaven, for good or bad, is the ground of the comparison. 16. And they reasoned among themselves, saying. It is because we have no bread. But a little ago He was tried with the obduracy of the Pharisees; now He is tried with the obtuseness of His own disciples. The IAC questions following each other in rapid succession (v. 17-21), show how deeply He was hurt at this want of spiritual apprehension, and worse still, their low thoughts of Him, as if He would utter so solemn a warning on so petty a subject. It will be seen, however-trom the very form of their conjecture. “It is because we have no bread," and our Lord's astonishment that they should not by that time have known better what He took up His attention with ― that He ever left the whole cure for His own temporal wants to the Twelve: that He did this so entirely. that finding they were reduced to their last loaf they felt as if unworthy of such a trust, and could not think but that the same thought was in their Lord's mind which was pressing upon their own; but that in this they were so far wrong that it hurt His feelings-sharp just in proportion to His love-that such a thought of Him should have entered their minds ! Who that, like angels, "desire to look into these things" will not prize such glimpses above gold? 17. have ye your heart yet hardened? How strong an expression to use of true-hearted disciples! See on ch. 6. 52. 18. Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? See on Matthew, 13. 13. and do ye not remember? 19. When I brake the five loaves amongthe'-five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up?... How is it that ye do not understand?-do not understand that the warning I gave you could not have been prompted by any such petty considera tion as the want of loaves in your scrip.' Profuse as were our Lord's miracles, we see from this that they were not wrought at random, but that He carefully noted their minutest details, and desired that this should be done by those who witnessed, as doubtless by all who read the record of them. Even |