against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city. 12 And they went out, and preached that men should repent. 13 And they cast out many 3 devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them.

14 And 5 king Herod heard of him; (for his name was spread abroad) and he said, That John the Baptist was risen from the dead, and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him.

of. he said, It is John, whom I beheaded he is risen from the dead.

17 For Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold upon John, and bound him in prison for Herodias' sake, his brother Philip's wife: for he had married her.

18 For John had said unto Herod, It is not lawful 7 for thee to have thy brother's wife.

19 Therefore Herodias had & a quarrel against him, and would have killed him; but she could not:

20 For Herod feared 9 John, knowing that he was a just man and

1 Or.

2 Luke xxiv. 47. Acts ii. 38; iii. 193 Luke x. 17. 4 Jas. v. 14. 5 Matt. xiv. 1-12. Luke ix. 7-9. 6 Ch. viii. 28. Matt. xvi. 14.

pose, and was not in force at the time of his writing.

12. Preached that men should repent. See the nature of repentance explained, in Matt. iii. 2. They were now called upon to repent, and reform their lives, because sin was evil; because the Messiah had come to preach forgiveness to the penitent; and because at his presence it was fit that the nation should turn from its sins, and prepare to receive him.

13. Cast out many devils. See Note on Matt. iv. 24. And anointed with oil, &c. Anointing with oil was in common use among the Jews in cases of sickness. It was supposed to have a mild, soothing, and alleviating effect on the body. In James v. 14, the elders of the church, in connection with prayers, were directed also to anoint the sick with oil. It was also used in wounds. The good Samaritan poured in oil and wine into the wounds of the way-laid Jew. Luke x. 34. Josephus says, that in the last sickness of Herod, his physicians commanded him to be anointed with oil. It need not be supposed, however, that the apostles used oil for mere medical purposes. It was used, probably, like the imposition of hands, or

when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.

Lev. xviii. 16. • Or, an inward grudge. 9 Exod. xi. 3. Ezek. ii. 5-7. 10 Or, kept him, or, saved him.

like our Saviour's anointing the eyes of the blind with clay, merely as a sign, in expectation of imparting that aid and comfort from God which was sought, and which was represented by the naturally soothing and gentle effect of oil.

14-20. See this account of the death of John the Baptist fully explained in Matt. xiv. 1-12.

20. He did many things. But he did not do the thing which was demanded of him, he did not break off from his sins. He attempted to make a compromise with his conscience. He still loved his sins, and did other things which he supposed might be accepted, in the place of putting away, as he ought, the wife of his brother, the polluted and adulterous woman, with whom he lived. Perhaps he treated John kindly, or spoke well of him, or aided him in his wants, and attempted in this way to silence his rebukes and destroy his faithfulness.

This was probably before John was imprisoned. So sinners often treat ministers kindly, and do much to make them comfortabic, and hear them gladly, while they are still unwilling to do the thing which is demanded of them, to repent and believe the gospel. They expect that their kind attentions will be

21 And when a convenient day was come, that Herod on his 'birthday made a supper to his lords, high captains, and chief estates of Galilee ;

22 And when the daughter of the said Herodias came in, and danced, and pleased Herod and them that sat with him, the king said unto the damsel, Ask of me whatsoever thou wilt, and I will give it thee.

23 And he sware unto her, Whatsoever 3 thou shalt ask of me, I will give it thee, unto the half of my kingdom.

24 And she went forth, and said unto her mother, What shall I ask? And she said, The head of John the Baptist.

25 And she came in straightway with haste unto the king, and asked, saying, I will that thou give me by and by in a charger the head of John the Baptist.

26 And the king was exceeding sorry; yet for his oath's sake, and for their sakes which sat with him, he would not reject her.

27 And immediately the king sent 5 an executioner, and commanded his head to be brought:

1 Gen. xl. 20. 2 Isa. iii. 16. 3,6; vii. 2. 4 Psa. xxxvii. 12, 14. one of his guard.

3 Est. V. • Or,

and he went and beheaded him in the prison,

28 And brought his head in a charger, and gave it to the damsel: and the damsel gave it to her mother.

29 And when his disciples heard of it, they came and took up his corpse, and laid it in a tomb.

30 And 7 the apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus, and told him all things, both what they had done, and what they had taught.

31 And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.

32 And they departed into a desert place by ship privately.

33 And the people saw them departing, and many knew him, and ran afoot thither out of all cities, and outwent them, and came together unto him.

34 And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion towards them, be cause they were as sheep not

thronged, that a vast multitude attended his preaching.

32-44. See this miracle explained in Matt. xiv. 13–21.

32. By ship. By a boat, a small vessel. Privately. Without making their plan known. They intended to go privately. It appears, however, that their intention became known, and multitudes followed them.

33. Afoot thither. On foot to the place where they saw them going. Out of all cities. All cities or large towns in the neighbourhood.

34. Much people-as sheep, &c. They 379

having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.

35 And when the day was now far spent, his disciples came unto him, and said, This is a desert place, and now the time is far passed:

36 Send them away, that they may go into the country round about, and into the villages, and buy them selves bread: for they have nothing

to eat.

37 He answered and said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they say unto him, Shall we go and buy two hundred 3 pennyworth of bread, and give them to eat?

38 He saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? go and see. And when they knew, they say, Five, and two fishes.

39 And he commanded them to make all sit down by companies upon the green grass.

40 And they sat down in ranks, by hundreds, and by fifties.

1 Matt. xiv. 15-21. Luke ix. 12-17. John vi. 5-14. 2 Num. xi. 13, 22. 2 Kin. iv. 43. 3 See on Matt. xviii. 28. 4 Ch. viii. 5. xv. 35.

Matt.

had no one to teach them, and guide them. The priests and scribes were proud, corrupt, and despised the common people and neglected them.

35. The time is far passed. The day is almost gone. It is drawing near night. 37. Two hundred pennyworth of bread. About six pounds sterling. As the disciples had a common purse in which they carried their little property, consisting of the donations of their friends, and money to be given to the poor, compare Matt. xxvi. 8, 9, Luke viii. 3, John xii. 6, it is not improbable that they had, at this time, about this sum in their possession. Philip, for it was he who asked the question, John vi. 7, asked, with a mix ture of wonder and agitation, whether they should take all their little property, and spend it on a single meal? And even if we should, said he, it would not be sufficient to satisfy such a multitude.

41 And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, 5 and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all.

42 And they did all eat, and were filled.

43 And they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments, and of the fishes.

44 And they that did eat of the loaves were about five thousand men.

45 And 7 straightway he constrained his disciples to get into the ship, and to go to the other side before unto Bethsaida, while he sent away the people,

8

46 And when he had sent them away, he 9 departed into a mountain to pray.

47 And when even was come, the ship was in the midst of the sea, and he alone on the land.

5 1 Sam. ix. 13. Matt. xxvi. 26. Luke xxiv. 30. 6 Deut. viii. 3. Matt. xiv. 22-33. John vi. 17-21. • Or, over against Bethsaida. 9 Ch. i. 35. Matt. vi. 6. Luke vi. 12.

It was implied in this, that in his view they could not provide for them if they wished to, and that it would be better to send them away than to attempt it.

We

40. In ranks. Literally, in the form of square beds in a garden. By square, regularly formed companies. By hundreds and by fifties. Some companies had a hundred in, and some fifty. need not suppose that these were exactly formed, or arranged; but that this was about the number. The expression indicates a multitude. There were so many, that they sat down, by hundreds and by fifties, in separate companies, on the green grass.

43. Twelve baskets. Baskets belonging to the disciples, in which they carried their provisions, or, perhaps, belonging to some of the multitude. Fragments. Broken pieces of the bread that remained.

45-56. See this passage explained in Matt. xiv. 22-36.

4 And when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, brasen vessels, and of 5 tables.

5 Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of 1 Or, diligently: Gr. with the fist-up to the elbow: Theophylact. 2 Gal. i. 14. Col. ii. 8,

22, 23.

3 Job ix. 30, 31. 4 Sextarius is about a pint and a half. 5 Or, beds.

they wash their hands up to the wrist. Others have said, up to the elbow. There is evidence that the Pharisees had some such foolish rule as this about washing, and it is likely that they practised it faithfully. But the word, probably, means diligently, accurately, carefully. Unless they wash their hands carefully, or according to rule, &c. The tradition. What had been handed down, not what was delivered by writing in the law of Moses, but what had been communicated from father to son, as being proper and binding. The elders. The ancients, not the old men then living, but those who had lived formerly.

4. Market. This word means either the place where provisions were sold, or the place where men were convened for any purpose. In this place it probably means the former. Except they wash. In the original, except they baptize. In this place it does not mean to immerse the whole body, but the hands only. There is no evidence that the Jews washed their whole bodies every time they came from market. It is probable they washed as a mere ceremony; and often, doubtless, with the use of a very small quantity of water. The washing of cups. In the Greek, the baptism of cups. Cups. Drinking vessels. Those used at their meals.

Pots. Measures of liquids. Vessels made of wood, used to hold wine, vinegar, &c. Brazen vessels. Vessels made of brass, used in cooking or otherwise. These, if much polluted, were commonly passed through the fire; if slightly polluted, they were washed.

washen hands?

6 He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.

7 Howbeit in vain do they wor ship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

8 For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tra dition of men, as the washing of

6 Isa. xxix. 13. 1 Isa. i. 12.

Earthen vessels, if defiled, were usually broken. ¶ Tables. This word means, in the original, beds or couches. It refers not to the tables on which they ate, but to the couches on which they reclined at their meals. See Notes on Matt. xxiii. 6. These were supposed to be defiled when any unclean or polluted person had reclined on them; and they deemed it necessary to purify them with water. The word baptism is here used, in the original, the baptism of tables; but as it cannot be supposed that couches were entirely im mersed in water, the word baptism, here, must denote some other application of water, by sprinkling or otherwise, and shows that the term is used in the sense of washing in any way. If the word, here, is used, as is clear, to denote any thing except entire immersion, it may be elsewhere; and baptism is lawfully per formed without immersing the whole body in water.

7. For doctrines. For commands of God binding on the conscience. Imposing your traditions as equal in authority to the commands of God.

8. Laying aside. Rejecting, or making it give place to traditions; considering the traditions as superior in authority to the divine law. This was the uniform doctrine of the Pharisees. See Matt. xv. 1-9.

The tradition of men. What has been handed down by men, or what rests solely on their authority.

Jahn, in his Antiquities, sect. 320, does not concur with the commentator in this parti cular.-Editor.