And would not suffer that any man,.... He was more strict and severe than the day before; and gave orders, that they should be so far from being allowed to sit and trade in that sacred place, that no man should carry any vessel through the temple; should make a, thoroughfare of it, by carrying through to any other place, any vessel that was for...
And he taught, saying unto them, is it not written,.... In Isaiah 56:7. My house shall be called of all nations, the house of prayer? For not only the Jews went up to the temple to pray, see Lu 18:10, but the Gentiles also, who became of the Jewish religion, and had a court built for that purpose; and so the whole temple, from hence, was called an...
And the Scribes and chief priests heard it,.... The reproof he gave to the money changers, and buyers, and sellers in the temple; and his strict prohibition that none should carry any vessels through it; and the argument he used from the prophecy of Isaiah, and the sharp rebuke he gave for the profanation of the holy place: and sought how they...
And when even was come, he went out of the city. Of Jerusalem, as he did the evening before, and for the same reasons: probably he went to Bethany, where he had lodged the last night, with Lazarus, Martha, and Mary; or to the Mount of Olives, where he sometimes spent the night in prayer: the Syriac version renders it, "they went out"; for Christ...
And in the morning, as they passed by,.... The fig tree; when they returned the next morning from Bethany, or the Mount of Olives, or the place, wherever it was, they had been that night: they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots; they did not see it immediately wither as it did, nor could they see it, as they went from Jerusalem to this...
And Peter, calling to remembrance,.... Not so much the tree, and its spreading leaves, and the greatness of it, and the flourishing condition it was in, the other day, as the imprecation of Christ upon it: saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away; which he observed, as matter of astonishment, and as an...
And Jesus answering, saith unto them,.... To all the disciples; for what Peter said, he said in the name of them all; and according to Matthew, the disciples said, "how soon is the fig tree withered away?" To which this is an answer; though the Arabic version renders it, "to him"; as if the words were directed particularly to Peter: have faith in...
For verily I say unto you, that whosoever shall say unto this mountain,.... The Mount of Olives, at, or near which they now were, be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; that is, of Galilee, which was nearest, and yet many miles off: and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass;...
Therefore I say unto you,.... For encouragement in prayer more particularly, without which nothing should be attempted, and especially which is above the power of nature, and is of a miraculous kind: whatsoever things ye desire when ye pray; that is, according to the revealed will of God, is for the confirmation of his Gospel, and for the glory of...
And when ye stand praying,.... Are about to engage in that work, or are engaged in it, performing it in such a posture; for standing was an usual posture in praying; [See comments on Matthew 6:5]; forgive, if ye have ought against any, that your Father also in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. The sense is, that if, while a man is praying,...
But if ye do not forgive,.... Freely and fully, such as have trespassed against you, remit the debts they owe, and pass by the offences and injuries done you, and put up with every affront and indignity: neither will your heavenly Father forgive your trespasses; that is, such persons do not appear to have any true, or right notions of forgiveness;...
And they come again to Jerusalem,.... The Persic and Ethiopic versions read, "he came", which must be understood with his disciples; for they never parted from him till he was apprehended in the garden. Luke says, Lu 20:1, that it was "on one of those days"; and the Persic version here reads, "on another day": it was the day after the cursing of...
And say unto him, by what authority dost thou do these things?.... Enter into the temple, as if he was Lord of it; and correct in such a magisterial way every thing he thought an abuse in it; do the miracles he did, as healing the lame, and blind; and take upon him to instruct the people, a work he was now engaged in: and who gave thee this...
And Jesus answered and said unto them,.... Being not in the least intimidated by such a body of men: I will also ask of you one question; or "one word", or "one thing"; λογος, here answers to the Hebrew word דבר, which signifies both "word" and "thing": and answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things; [See comments on...
The baptism of John,.... The doctrine of which he was the first preacher, and the ordinance of which he was the first administrator: was it from heaven, or of men? was it of divine or of human institution? answer me; directly and plainly, without any shuffling, or evasion: it is a fair question, and may be answered; and the answer to it our Lord...
And they reasoned with themselves saying,.... Privately; perhaps, they withdrew at a little distance for a short time, and consulted among themselves what answer to return; and the amount of their reasonings were this; if we shall say from heaven, he will say, why then did ye not believe him? that is, should they say that John had a divine...
But if we shall say, of men,.... That John's baptism was an human invention, and he had no authority from God to preach and administer it, they feared the people; lest being enraged thereby they should, at once, rise up, and destroy them: for all men counted John, that he was a prophet indeed; a real prophet, one truly sent from God, and had his...
And they answered and said unto Jesus,.... Being reduced by this dilemma to the greatest streight and difficulty; we cannot tell: they could, if they would, but they did not care to tell; they knew if they did, they should expose themselves one way or other: and Jesus answering, saith unto them, neither do I tell you by what authority I do these...
And he began to speak unto them by parables,.... As of the two sons the father bid go to work in the vineyard; and of the planting of a vineyard, and letting it out to husbandmen, as here; though the latter is only related by this evangelist, yet both are by Matthew. This was not the first time of his speaking by parables to the people, though it...
And at the season he sent unto the husbandman a servant,.... The Evangelist Matthew says, "when the time of the fruit drew near", Matthew 21:34; and so the Persic version here reads. The Syriac and Ethiopic versions read, "in its own time", or "season", which was the fourth year from the planting of it; and then it was holy to the Lord; and might...