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: 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 31 Insomuch that the multi-loaves and the fishes, and gave tude wondered, when they saw thanks, and brake them, and the dumb to speak, the maimed gave to his disciples, and the to be whole, the lame to walk, disciples to the multitude. and the blind to see and they glorified the God of Israel. 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 strength of her confidence, Jesus pursued the course here related. He did not mean to deny her request, nor to worry her mind. The effect on her character, and on the disciples, was doubtless very salutary. That Jesus did not intend to deny her request, is manifest from his bestowing favors at other times on persons not properly belonging to the Jewish nation. Compare 8: 5-13. REMARKS. 1. Perseverance in prayer is necessary. 2. In whatever circumstances we let us never suffer our confidence in Christ to waver. are, 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, besides women and children. 39 And he sent away the multitude, and took ship, and came into the coasts of Magdala. 32. Have nothing to eat. Not that they had been destitute all the three days. But now, their supply of food was exhausted. 33. Wilderness; thinly-settled place. See on 3: 1. || To fill. See on 14: 20. 35. To sit down; to recline. The recumbent posture was usual at meals. See on 8: 11. 36-38. Compare 14: 19-21. As a parallel passage, see Mark 8: 1-10. 39. Magdala. Mark (8: 10) says Dalmanutha. The two places were doubtless contiguous, so that it might with propriety be said he came into the vicinity of the one or of the other. As to the precise situation of these towns, we have not the means of certain information. Some place them As the parallel passage, see Mark south-east of the sea of Galilee, others 7:24-30. 3. Humility is peculiarly lovely and acceptable to God. v. 27. on the west side. CHAPTER XVI. THE Pharisees also and the Sadducees came, and tempting, desired him that he would show them a sign from heaven. 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? 4 A wicked and adulterous CHAPTER XVI. 1. Sadducees. See INTRODUCTORY EXPLANATIONS, III. 2. On many points, the Sadducees were at variance with the Pharisees; but they were both hostile to Jesus. || A sign from heaven; a sign, a token from above, from the sky, in proof of his being the Messiah. See on 12: 38. 2,3. He answered, &c. Knowing that they had an evil design, Jesus took occasion to rebuke them for not rightly estimating, and not candidly admitting, the abundant evidence which he had already given. They knew how to judge respecting the ordinary appearances of the sky, so as to feel warranted in predicting a change of weather. Yet the evidences which he had given of being the Messiah, were as appropriate, and, to a candid mind, as convincing, as those about which they felt no difficulty. Ye can discern; discriminate, judge of. Signs of the times; marks, evidences, which pointed out those times to be the times of the Messiah. 4. See on 12: 39. 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. 5 And when his disciples were come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread. 6 Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. 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 of the Pharisees and Sadducees, or the sentiments with which they leavened the people. But the disciples of Jesus misapprehended his meaning, as appears by the next verse. In Mark 8: 15, we read, "the leaven of the Pharisees, and the leaven of Herod." The Saviour's object probably was, to caution his disciples against the insidious attempts of all kinds, whether by professedly religious men or by political men, to pervert their minds. In Luke 13: 32, Jesus alludes to the crafty character of Herod, by calling him a fox. By Matt. 22: 16, it would appear that Herod had a set of political friends among the Jews, called, from his name, Herodians. Against such men, as well as against the Pharisees and Sadducees, Jesus cautioned his disciples; for they were in danger, both by false doctrine and by the subtlety of men in political power. 7. Because we have taken no bread. They thought Jesus was unwilling they should procure bread from persons of the classes named, lest they should be defiled by it; just as the 5. The other side; of the sea of Jews were in dread of being polluted Galilee. 6. Leaven. Jesus used this word metaphorically to signify the doctrine by food procured from Gentiles. 8. Of little faith. Had they placed a more thorough confidence in Jesus, among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread? 9 Do ye not yet understand, neither 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? II 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. 13 When Jesus came into the coasts of Cesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, they would have felt how little occasion they had to be troubled in respect to food. He then immediately proceeded to remind them of what had recently taken place in respect to the supplying of food. See 14: 15-21. 15: 22-38. Compare, as the parallel passage, Mark 8: 13-21. REMARK. Our past experience of God's mercy ought to give us confidence for the time to come. vs. 9, 10. 13. Cesarea Philippi; a city in the north part of Palestine, near the source of the Jordan. It was formerly called Paneas, and it is generally supposed to have been on the same spot as the ancient city Dan. Judges 18: 26— 29. By Philip the tetrarch it was enlarged and embellished, and in honor of the Roman emperor, it was named Cesarea; and to distinguish it from Cesarea on the coast of the Mediterranean, it was named Cesarea Philippi. 14. Elias; Elijah. It was believed | Who do men say that I, the Son of man, am? 14 And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist : some Elias; and others, Jere mias, or one of the prophets. 15 He saith unto them, But who say ye that I am? 16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. 17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. 18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church: and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. by some of the Jews, not only that Elijah (Mal. 4: 5) would appear on earth as an attendant upon the Messiah, but also, that others of the ancient prophets would appear as his assistants. 16. Christ; the Messiah. || Living God; the true, the real God, in opposition to idols. 17. Simon Bar-jona; that is, Simon son of Jonas. Compare John 1: 42. The word Bar, when traced to its original language, signifies son. This addition was made to the name Simon, in order to distinguish him from others of the same name. || Flesh and blood; that is, man, a human being. 18. Thou art Peter. Peter is thy name. His name originally and properly was Simon; and by way of distinction, Simon son of Jonas. See John 1:42. Very soon after Jesus commenced his public work, he made an addition to Simon's name, which came to be used as his ordinary name. 19 And I will give unto thee | heaven and whatsoever thou the keys of the kingdom of shalt bind on earth, shall be was selected as the distinguished instrument of commencing this great work. In this connection, however, it is obvious, Peter is not called the rock on which the church was to rest, to the exclusion of Christ himself as the foundation. The term, as applied to Peter, must, of course, have a limited meaning. Compared with Christ, he was subordinate (1 Pet. 2: 4—6); compared with other human teachers, even the apostles, he was greatly distinguished. It is the idea, contained in this metaphorical language, that should occupy our minds; and not the mere language, taken in all its possibility of extent. The gates of hell shall not prevail against it. The gates of ancient Eastern cities were of great importance. They were necessary to the defence of the cities, which were walled: they were places of much resort, and no little expense This name was characteristic of certain qualities which Jesus perceived in Simon, and was appropriate to the part which Simon was to perform in promoting the cause of Jesus. This name was Cephas; and it signified, in the language which Jesus spoke, a rock. The word Cephas, regarded as a proper name of a man, could well be expressed in the Greek language only by the name translated Peter. John 1: 42. Thus, he whose name originally was Simon, received the additional name Cephas (or rock), which is the same as Peter in Greek. And upon this rock. Here the Saviour alludes to the radical meaning of the word Peter; and points out Peter as a distinguished instrument in the building up of his church. The meaning of the Saviour is the same as we should judge it to be, if he had used the English language, and had said to Peter, Thy name is Rock, and upon this rock, &c. This method of speaking, by which the same words, or similarly sounding words, are used with a somewhat different signification, was common among the Hebrews; and those who heard Jesus on this occasion, would at once understand him as pointing out Peter. I will build my church. The church of Christ is here compared to an edifice, and Peter to the foundation of the edifice. Here compare Eph. 2: 20. As the foundation is a most important part in respect to an edifice, so Peter was to act a very distinguished part in respect to the church. The history of Peter fully justifies what Jesus thus predicted of him. He became a fearless and successful champion in the cause of Christ. On the day of Pentecost, after the ascension of our Lord, he defended the cause of his Master with 19. The keys. It was customary singular clearness, and ability, and among the ancient Hebrews, in famiforce of conviction. See Acts 2: 14 lies of distinction, for a certain man -47. And when the gospel was to to have charge of the household afbe openly proclaimed to the Gentiles, fairs as a steward. His office was one and thus the cause of Christ was to of much importance and responsibe rapidly and widely extended, Peter | bility. As a token of his office, he was laid out in their erection and furnishing. The gates are sometimes spoken of as representing the whole city, and might be regarded as the seat of power. || Hell. The word in the original here employed, is equivalent to our expression, "world of the dead," "state of the departed." Gates of hell, then, mean powers of the lower world. Satan was regarded as the prince of death (Heb. 2: 14) and when the regions of the dead, or the lower world, were spoken of, particularly in contrast to the powers of righteousness, or the cause of Christ, Satan and his hosts would at once be thought of. The declaration of Christ, then, was, the powers of darkness, Satan and all his hosts of adversaries to my cause, shall never prevail to the subduing or destroying of my church. My church shall be victorious. bound in heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven. 20 Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ. bore a key. In Isaiah 22: 22, is language showing how great dignity was represented by possessing the keys. So in Rev. 1: 18. 3: 7. || Kingdom of heaven; the Messiah's establishment, the new dispensation. The keys of the new dispensation represent the power of admitting to its privileges. Thou shalt bind on earth. The word translated bind properly signifies forbid, declare unlawful. || Shall be bound in heaven; shall be regarded in heaven as forbidden, or unlawful. That is, Thou shalt be fully qualified and empowered on earth to declare what is unlawful and forbidden in respect to the church, and the salvation of men; and what thou, thus qualified and empowered, shalt pronounce forbidden, shall be so regarded in heaven. There will be perfect harmony between thy decisions and the will of heaven. Thou shalt loose; shalt permit, declare to be right. Shall be loosed in heaven; shall in heaven be regarded as permitted, as right. Thus a promise of full qualification and power was made to Peter, in respect to establishing the cause of Christ, and deciding and making known the fundamental principles of the new dispensation. This full qualification was, doubtless, to be granted after the departure of Christ, and at the time of the descent of the Holy Spirit. The Saviour himself, the Lord of the new dispensation, being then removed from among men, it was necessary that there should be authoritative teachers and guides, who should be Christ's representatives, and whose decisions on matters pertaining to doctrine and duty, should be ultimate, like the decisions of heaven. Peter is here spoken of as one who should be thus qualified and empowered. Nor was Peter alone intended; for he spoke only in 21 From that time forth began Jesus to show unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders, and chief priests, and scribes, and be the name of his brethren, the apostles, when he declared that Jesus was the Messiah; and to the others, as well as to himself, did the Saviour's language allude. See 18: 18. 23: 8. John 20: 22, 23. While, then, Peter was to sustain a very signal part in establishing the Saviour's cause, he was not to have precedence in point of authority. Accordingly, in the council spoken of in Acts, 15th chapter, it was a decision suggested by James, that was adopted; and on a very remarkable occasion (see Gal. 2: 11), Paul felt himself called upon to rebuke Peter. For Peter, though he knew, and had maintained, the principles of the gospel, had yet, on the occasion referred to, through timidity, acted inconsistently with his avowed principles. 20. That he was Jesus the Christ. The word Jesus, in this verse, is not found in the best manuscripts of the Greek New Testament, and is believed not to belong to the verse. The Christ means the Messiah. He charged his disciples that they should tell no man that he was the Messiah. Some special reasons, doubtless, existed in the mind of Jesus, for imposing this prohibition at this time. Perhaps he saw that no special advantage would be gained by their publicly speaking of him then as the Messiah. The remarks which he had just made, could not, probably, be apprehended by them in all the fulness and correctness of their meaning; and those remarks might become a ground of some improper representations; for the disciples were not yet, nor for some time after, free from the ordinary expectation of a glorious earthly government to be possessed by the Messiah. 21. Elders; distinguished men among the Jews, who were mem |