The Gospel According to Saint Matthew
Matthew 15
Chapter XV · Vol. IV, pp. 79–80
1 Christ reproveth the scribes and Pharisees for transgressing God's commandments through their own traditions: 10 teacheth how that which goeth into the mouth doth not defile a man. 21 He healeth the daughter of a woman of Canaan, 30 and other great multitudes: 32 and with seven loaves and a few little fishes feedeth four thousand men, beside women and children.
2 Whyb do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.
b Mar.7.2. Ga.1.14. Col.2.8,18-23. Tit.1.14. ch.7.3-5.
3 But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?
4 For God commanded, saying, cHonour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death.Cited in WSC 65 · WLC 99, 128
5 But ye say, Whosoever1 shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift,2 by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me;Cited in WSC 65 · WLC 99, 128
1 Mar.7.11,12. Le.xxvii. Pr.11.25. Ho.8.12. It is all dedicated to God, Pr.20.25.
2 See note * below.
* Most recent commentators interpret δῶρον, not as 'a gift,' or thing dedicated to the service of God, but as denoting a thing which the owner had vowed not to use or give to a particular person—so that even were the father of the vower to ask it, he was, by his vow, prohibited from giving it. The ancient fathers, and also some moderns, understand by it, however, a thing which the vower had formerly dedicated to God, or which he dedicated at the moment the request was made—whereby he was exonerated, nay prevented, from granting it for relief, and enabled afterwards to compound with the priest for a trifling per centage on its value. And this seems the most natural interpretation.—C.
6 And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. dThus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.3Cited in WSC 65 · WLC 99, 128
d Pr.1.25.
3 The cabala, or unwritten law, was counted by the Pharisees not only of equal authority with the law of Moses, but sufficient, occasionally, to supersede it; and the modern Jews have many traditions which they also exalt far above the Scriptures. Herein do they accord most exactly with the Church of Rome, which, contrary to Scripture authority and example, denies the communion cup to the laity; and, on the authority of asserted tradition, worships the Virgin Mary, saints, angels, relics, pictures, and images, in open defiance of the second commandment, and the confirming comment of our Lord, Mat.4.10.—C.
8 Thisg people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips: but their heart is far from me.Cited in HC 91
9 Buth in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines, the commandments of men.Cited in WLC 109 · WCF 16.1, 20.2, 21.1, 29.4 · HC 91, 96
h Is.1.13,15. Tit.1.14. 1 Ti.1.6,7. Col.2.18-22.
4 Hypocrisy and formalism were the sins which our Lord most emphatically exposed and denounced. They were then, and they are still, in the visible church the most common, and the most delusive. One has only to look round him and reflect, in order to be convinced how much of vain formality, and how little of true religion, there is in the world.—P.
11 Notj that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.
12 Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees kwere offended, after they heard this saying?
A.M. cir. 4036. A.D. cir. 32.
k ch.9.34;12.24;11.6.
13 But he answered and said, lEvery 5plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.
l Jn.15.2,6. 1 Co.3.9,12-15. ch.3.12;8.12.
5 Every plant.—Rather, 'plantation'—referring to the sect and powerful party which the Pharisees had formed, with a view of securing permanent and supreme power.—C.
14 Letn them alone:6 they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.
15 Theno answered Peter and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable.
o Mar.7.17. ch.13.36. Ac.8.30,31. Pr.2.1-6;4.1-7.
16 And Jesus said, pAre ye also yet without understanding?
p Mar.7.18. ch.16.9. He.5.12. De.29.29. Is.28.9,10.
17 Do not ye yet understand, qthat whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught?
q Lu.6.45. 1 Co.6.13. Col.2.21,22.
18 Butr those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.
r Ja.3.6. ch.12.34. 1 Ti.1.15,16.
19 Fors out of the heart proceed evil 7thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:Cited in WSC 18 · WLC 25, 139 · WCF 6.4
s Ge.6.5;8.21. Pr.6.14;24.9. Je.17.9;6.7. Mar.7.21-23. Ga.5.19-21. 1 Co.6.9,10. Ep.2.3. Tit.3.2,3. Ro.13.13;3.10-19.
7 Evil thoughts. Rather, 'wicked dialogues'—for in every plan the heart holds dialogue with itself.—C.
20 These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.
21 Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts8 of Tyre and Sidon.
8 Mar.7.24-30. The confines of the Jews' territory, ver. 24; ch.10.5,6. Ro.15.8. [Not the sea-coasts, but the marches.—C.]
22 And,t behold, a woman of Canaan9 came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, uHave mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David!1 my daughter is vgrievously vexed with a devil.
9 The ancient and common name of Phœnicia, of which Tyre and Sidon were chief cities. Mark calls her a Greek, which may probably indicate that she was a heathen, and also 'a Syrophœnician by nation,' i.e. a native of that part of Syria which was called Phœnicia. This is one of the most touching and instructive examples in Scripture of earnest, persevering, faithful, and therefore successful prayer. What an encouragement may we all derive from our Lord's last words to her, 'O woman, great is thy faith; be it unto thee even as thou wilt!'—P.
1 Lu.18.38,39. Is.11.1. ch.1.1;9.27;20.30,31;22.42-45. Jn.6.14; i.e. O Messiah.
v ch.4.24. Mar.9.18,20,22,26. ch.17.15.
23 But xhe answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us.
24 But he answered and said, yI am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
y ch.10.5,6;9.36. Ac.3.26;13.46. Ro.9.4,5;15.8. Is.53.6. 1 Pe.2.25. Je.50.6,17. Eze.34.5,6,14,16,23. Zec.11.7,11. Lu.1.54,55. Jn.1.11.
27 And she said, bTruth, Lord: cyet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table.
28 Thend Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: ebe it unto thee even as thou wilt. gAnd her daughter was made whole from that very hour.
d Job 13.15;23.10. La.3.32. ch.8.10,13. Mar.9.23. 1 Co.10.13. Ep.3.20. Is.57.16.
e Ps.145.19.
g ch.8.13. Jn.4.50-53. Ac.19.12.
29 Andh Jesus departed from thence, and came nigh unto the sea of Galilee;3 and went up into a mountain, and sat down there.
30 Andi great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed,4 and many others, and cast them down at Jesus' feet; and he healed them:
A.M. cir. 4036. A.D. cir. 32.
i Ge.49.10. De.18.15-18. Ps.22.27-31;103.3. Is.2.2-5;45.23;35.5,6;40.29;42.18. ch.4.23,24;8.16;9.35;11.5;14.36;21.14. Lu.7.22.
4 Maimed. Not necessarily persons deprived of their limbs, but with limbs distorted and disabled.—C.
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 jthey glorified the God of Israel.
j ch.9.33. Mar.7.37. Lu.17.18. Ps.115.1; xcvi. c.; cxlv.-cl. Is.24.14-16.
32 Thenk Jesus called his disciples unto him, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days,5 and have nothing to eat:6 and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way.
k Mar.8.1-10. ch.9.36;14.14. Ps.103.13;145.8,9,16. He.2.17;4.15. Jn.4.34.
5 Literally, 'there (are) three days to them continuing with me.' See Bloomfield.—C.
6 'Have nothing (now left) to eat.'—C.
33 And his disciples say unto him, lWhence should we have so much bread in the wilderness, as to fill so great a multitude?
34 And Jesus saith unto them, nHow many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven, and a few little fishes.
n Nu.11.22. ch.14.15.
35 And he commanded the multitude oto sit down on the ground.
o Lu.9.14,15. ch.14.19.
36 And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and pgave thanks, and brake them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.
37 Andq 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.
39 And he sent away the multitude, and took ship, and came into the coasts of 7Magdala.8
7 A city or territory on the east of the Sea of Tiberias, and near Dalmanutha, Mar.8.10.
8 The scene of this miracle was the same on which he had previously fed the multitude. It was the mountain side on the north-eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee. It was then, and is still, mainly a pastoral region—not desert, but not well suited for cultivation. The herbage is most luxuriant. After the miracle, our Lord crossed the sea to Magdala, which lay on the west coast, at the south end of 'the land of Gennesaret.' See note on ch.14.34.—P.
Notes
Ver. 5, 6. They pretended that if a man devoted to religious uses what he could have spared for the support of his poor infirm parents, this freed him from all obligation to relieve or support them.
13, 14. Every ordinance in the church not instituted by my heavenly Father, and every officer not authorized by him, shall be rooted up and cast out. Nor need ye regard whether the Pharisees be pleased or not; for they are but self-conceited and obstinately ignorant leaders of poor ignorant hearers, who blindly and implicitly follow whatever they dictate; and, in the nature of things, and the just punishment of God, both deceivers and deceived, if they continue in their errors, must perish together in the bottomless pit.
18-20. Out of the corrupt lusts of the heart proceed carnal imaginations, contrivances, and designs; hatred, malice, and murder; wanton desires, words, and actions; adultery, fornication, and every other form of uncleanness; covetousness, injuries, cheats, and thefts; lies, falsehood in bearing witness, all evil-speaking, or calumny against men; and blasphemies and profaneness against God and religion. These are the abominable things which render a man unclean and odious before God, unfit for his service, and for communion with or enjoyment of him.
24-26. My commission to exercise my personal ministry and perform my miracles was not designed for the immediate benefit of the Gentiles, but of God's covenant people the Jews, who are gone astray and in perishing circumstances; my special blessings belong to this peculiar people; and therefore it is not proper to grant such favours to the Gentiles, who are without the pale of the covenant, and deserve to be treated with neglect and disdain for their impurity and wickedness.
27. I am indeed vile, worthless, and undeserving; yet, as there are blessings enough for the Jews, and to spare for us Gentiles, let me have this one so necessary mercy.
Reflections.—The contemners of God's laws are ordinarily mad with zeal for the traditions and ceremonies of men.—A certain mark of detestable hypocrisy! All human inventions in religion invade the authority and pollute the worship of God, and mislead the hearts and corrupt the practices of men. May God root them out of his church and out of our heart, that we ourselves may not, on their account, be excluded from his kingdom! How certainly sinners shall be lost and false teachers push themselves and followers hastily into the depths of hell! Yea, none are farther from the light of God's truth than implicit votaries of profane ministers, and especially preachers who are puffed up with a conceit of their own wisdom. How dull, how slow of heart, to conceive the things of practical religion are even real saints! And, alas! what a sink, what a source of abominations, is the human heart! Dreadful and extensive is the defilement which it spreads abroad into the life! And infinitely important and necessary is the purification from it, by the Word, the Spirit, and the blood of Christ.
Kind and honourable are those parents who bring their children to Jesus, and will not be denied his blessings. Graciously he travels to meet distressed sinners; and yet he often tries those most for whom he has the strongest affection, and for whom he intends the most speedy deliverances and most distinguished honours. Strong is the power of faith when he animates and strengthens it under trials. It breaks through every discouragement, and lays hold on the most indirect hints of mercy. And great is the honour it gains in thus honouring Christ. His repeated apparent disregards do but usher in the most advantageous fulfilment of all its requests. And since this world is so full of miseries and wants, let us bring all to Christ, that, to his own glory, he may heal the former and supply the latter.