men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. 17¶Think not that I am come 1 Pet. ii. 12. merely to be seen by others, for this is pride and ostentation; but we are to do it, that, being seen, God may be honoured. The Pharisees acted to be seen of men; true Christians act to glorify God, and care little what men may think of them, except as by their conduct others may be brought to honour God. ¶ Glorify your Father. Praise, or honour God, or be led to worship him. Seeing in your lives the excellency of religion, the power and purity of the gospel, they may be won to he Christians also, and give praise and glory to God for his mercy to a lost world. We learn here, 1. That religion, if it exist, cannot be concealed. 2. That where it is not manifest in the life, it does not exist. 3. That professors of religion, who live like other men, give evidence that they have never been renewed. 4. That to attempt to conceal or hide our Christian knowledge or experience is to betray our trust, and injure the cause of piety, and render our lives useless. And 5. That good actions will be seen, and will lead men to honour God. If we have no other way of doing good-if we are poor, and unlearned, and unknownyet we may do good by our lives. No sincere and humble Christian lives in vain. The feeblest light at midnight is of use. "How far this little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed in a naughty world!" . 17. Think not that I am come, &c. Our Saviour was just entering on his work. It was important for him to state what he came to do. By his setting up to be a teacher in opposition to the Scribes and Pharisees, some might charge him with an intention to destroy their law, and abolish the customs of the nation. He, therefore, told them that he did not come for that end, but really to fulfil or accomplish what was in the law and the prophets. To destroy. To abrogate; to deny their divine authority; to set men free from the obligation to obey them. The law. The five books of Moses, called the law. See Note on Luke xxiv. 44. The prophets. The books which the prophets wrote. These two divisions here seem to comprehend the Old Testament, and Jesus says that he came not to do away or destroy the authority of the Old Testament. But to fulfil. To complete the design; to fill up what was predicted; to accomplish what was intended in them. The word fulfil, also, means sometimes to teach or inculcate, Col. i. 25. The law of Moses contained many sacrifices and rites which were designed to shadow forth the Messiah, Heb. ix. These were fulfilled when he came and offered himself a sacrifice to God "A sacrifice of nobler name, And richer blood than they." The prophets contained many predictions respecting his coming and death. These were all to be fulfilled and fully accomplished by his life and his sufferings. A 18. Verily. Truly, certainly. word of strong affirmation. ¶ Till heaven and earth pass. This expression denotes that the law never should be destroyed till it should be all fulfilled. It is the same as saying, every thing else may change, the very earth and heaven may pass away, but the law of God shall not be destroyed till its whole design shall be accomplished. ¶ One jot. The word jot, or yod--is the name of the Hebrew letter I, the smallest letter in the Hebrew alphabet. One tittle. The Hebrew letters were written with small points or apices as in the letter Schin-, or Sin -which serve to distinguish one letter from another. To change a small point of one letter, therefore, might vary the meaning of a word, and destroy the sense. Hence the Jews were exceedingly cautious in writing these letters, and considered the smallest change or omission a reason for destroying the whole manuscript when they were transcribing the Old Testament. The expression, one jot or one tittle, became proverbial, and means that the smallest part of the law should not be destroyed. The laws of the Jews are commonly Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle1 shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. 1 Luke xvi. 17. 19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the 19. Shall break. divided into moral, ceremonial, and juShall violate, or dis dicial. The moral laws are such as grow obey. These least commandments. out of the nature of things, which cannot, The Pharisees, it is probable, divided the therefore, be changed-such as the duty precepts of the law into lesser and of loving God and his creatures. These greater, teaching that they who violated cannot be abolished, as it can never be the former were guilty of a trivial offence made right to hate God, or to hate our only. See Matt. xxiii. 23. Christ fellow men. Of this kind are the ten teaches that in his kingdom they who commandments; and these our Saviour make this distinction, or who taught that has neither abolished nor superseded. any laws of God might be violated with The ceremonial laws are such as are impunity, should be called least; while appointed to meet certain states of society, they should be held in high regard who or to regulate the religious rites and observed all the laws of God without ceremonies of a people. These can be distinction. TShall be called least. changed when circumstances are changed, That is, shall be least. See ver. 9. The and yet the moral law be untouched. A meaning of this passage seems to be this: general may command his soldiers to in the kingdom of heaven, i. e. in the appear sometimes in a red coat, and some- kingdom of the Messiah, or in the church times in blue, or in yellow. This would which he is about to establish, see Note, be a ceremonial law, and might be Matt. iii. 2, he that breaks the least of changed as he pleased. The duty of these commandments shall be in no obeying him, and of being faithful to his esteem, or shall not be regarded as a country, could not be changed. This is proper religious teacher. The Pharisees a moral law. A parent might suffer his divided the law into greater and lesser children to have fifty different dresses at precepts. They made no small part of different times, and love them equally in it void by their traditions and divisions. all. The dress is a mere matter of cere- Matt. xxiii. 23; xv. 3-6. Jesus says mony, and may be changed. The child, that in his kingdom all this vain division in all these garments, is bound to love and tradition should cease. Such diviand obey his father. This is a moral law, sions and distinctions should be a small and cannot be changed. So the laws of matter. He that attempted them should be the Jews. Those to regulate mere matters the least of all. Men would be engaged of ceremony, and rites of worship, might in yielding obedience to all the law of be changed. Those requiring love and God, without any such vain distinctions. obedience to God, and love to men, could¶ Shall be called great. He that teaches not be changed, and Christ did not attempt it. Matt. xix. 16-19; xxii. 37-39. Luke x. 27. Rom. xiii. 9. that all the law of God is binding, and that all of it should be obeyed, without attempting to specify what is most important, shall be a teacher worthy of his office, shall teach the truth, and shall be called great. We learn hence, 1. That all the law of God is binding on Christians. Compare Jas. ii. 10. 2. That all the commands of God should be preached in their proper place, by christian ministers. 3. That they who pretend that there are any laws of God so small that they need not obey them, are unworthy of his kingdom. And 4. That true piety has respect to all the commandments of God, and keeps them. Psa. A third species of law was the judicial, or those regulating courts of justice, contained in the Old Testament. These were of the nature of the ceremonial law, and might also be changed at pleasure. The judicial law regulated the courts of justice of the Jews. It was adapted to their own civil society. When the form of the jewish polity was changed, this was of course no longer binding. The ceremonial law was fulfilled by the coming of Christ; the shadow was lost in the substance, and ceased to be binding. The moral law was confirmed and unchanged. | cxix. 6. kingdom of heaven: but whoso- | no case enter into the kingdom or ever shall do and teach them, the heaven. same shall be called great 1 in the kingdom of heaven. 1 20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in 11 Saru. ii. 30. Ch. xxiii. 23-28. Phil. iii. 9. 20. 4 21 Ye have heard that it was said 3 by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judg ment: 22 But I say unto you, That a Or, to them. 4 Exod. xx. 13. Deut. v. 17. here refers to the interpreters of the law and the prophets. Jesus did not set himself against the law of Moses, but against the false and pernicious interpretations of the law prevalent in his time. Your righteousness. Your holiness, your views of the nature of righteousness, and your conduct and lives. Unless you are more holy than they are, you cannot be saved. Shall exceed. Shall excel, or abound more. This righteous-¶Thou shalt not kill. See Exod. xx. 13. ness was external, and was not real holiness The righteousness of true Christians is seated in the heart, and is therefore genuine. Jesus means, that unless they had more real holiness of character than the Scribes, they could not be saved. The righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees. See Notes on ch. iii. 7. Their righteousness consisted in outward observances of the ceremonial and traditional law. They offered sacrifices, fasted often, prayed much, were very punctilious about ablutions and tithes and the ceremonies of religion, but neglected justice, truth, purity, holiness of heart, and did not strive to be pure in their motives before God. See Matt. xxiii. 13-33. The righteousness that Jesus required in his kingdom was purity, chastity, honesty, temperance, the fear of God, and the love of man. It is pure, internal, reaching the motives, and making the life holy. The kingdom of heaven. See ch. iii. 2. Shall not be a fit subject of his kingdom here, or saved in the world to come. 21. Ye have heard. Or, this is the common interpretation among the Jews. Jesus proceeds here to comment on some prevailing opinions among the Jews; to show that the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees was defective; and that men needed a better righteousness, or they could not be saved. He shows what he meant by that better righteousness, by showing that the common opinions of the Scribes were erroneous. ¶ By them of old time. This might be translated, to the ancients, referring to Moses and the prophets. But it is more probable that Christ This literally denotes taking the life of another, with malice, or with intention to murder him. The Jews understood it as meaning no more. The comment of our Saviour shows that it was spiritual, and was designed to extend to the thoughts and feelings, as well as the external act. ¶ Shail be in danger of. Shall be held guilty, and be punished by. The law of Moses declared that the murderer should be put to death. Lev. xxiv. 21. Num. xxxv. 16. It did not say, however, by whom this should be done, and it was left to the Jews to organize courts to have cognizance of such crimes. Deut. xvi. 18. The judgment. This was the tribunal that had cognizance of cases of murder, &c. It was a court that sat in each city or town, and consisted commonly of seven members. It was the lowest court among the Jews, and from it an appeal might be taken to the Sanhedrim. 22. But I say unto you. Jesus being God as well as man, John i. 1, and, therefore, being the original giver of the law, had a right to expound it, or extend its application as he pleased. Compare Matt. xii. 6, 8. He therefore spoke here and elsewhere as having authority and not as the Scribes. It may be added here, that no mere man ever spake as Jesus did, when explaining or enforcing the law. He did it as having a right to do it; and he that has a right to ordain and change laws in the government of God must be himself divine. Is angry—without a cause. Anger, or that feeling which we have when we are injured, and which prompts us to defend ourselves when in whosoever is 1 angry with his bro- | danger of the judgment: and who30ther without a cause shall be in ever shall say to his brother, 3 Raca, 1 Ob. ver. 10, 12. Rom. xii. 10. 21 John iii. 15. danger, is a natural feeling, given to us: 1. As a natural expression of our disapprobation of a course of evil conduct; and, 2. That we may defend ourselves when suddenly attacked. When excited against sin, it is lawful. God is angry with the wicked. Jesus looked on the hypocritical Pharisees with anger. Mark iii. 5. So it is said, "Be ye angry, and sin not." Eph. iv. 26. This anger, or indignation against sin, is not what our Saviour speaks of here. That is anger without a cause; that is, unjustly, rashly, hastily, where no offence had been given or intended. In that case it is evil; and it is a violation of the sixth commandment, because "He that hateth his brother is a murderer." 1 John iii. 15. He has a feeling which would lead him to commit murder, if it were fully acted out. His brother. By a brother here seems to be meant a neighbour, or perhaps any one with whom we may be associated. As all men are descended from one father, and are all the creatures of the same God, so they are all brethren; and so every man should be regarded and treated as a brother. Acts xvii. 26. Raca. This is a Syriac word, expressive of great contempt. It comes from a verb signifying to be empty, vain; and hence, as a word of contempt, it denotes senseless, stupid, shallow-brained. Jesus teaches here that to use such words is a violation of the sixth commandment. It is a violation of the spirit of that commandment, and, if indulged, may lead to a more open and dreadful infraction of that law. Children should learn that to use such words is highly offensive to God, for we must give an account of every idle word which we speak in the day of judgment. In danger of the council. The word translated council, is in the original sanhedrim, and there can be no doubt that Jesus refers to the jewish tribunal of that name. This was instituted in the time of the Maccabees, probably about two hundred years before Christ. It was composed of seventy-two judges; the high priest was the president of this tribunal. The seventy-two members were made up of the chief priests and elders of the people, i.e. vain fellow. 2 Sam. vi. 20. and the Scribes. The chief priests were such as had discharged the office of the highpriest, and those who were the heads of the twenty-four classes of priests, who were called in an honorary way high or chief priests. See Matt. ii. 4. The elders were the princes of the tribes, or heads of the family associations. It is not to be supposed that all the elders had a right to a seat here, but such only as were elected to the office. The scribes were learned men of the nation, elected to this tribunal, being neither of the rank of priests or elders. This tribunal had cognizance of the great affairs of the nation. Till the time when Judea was subjected to the Romans, it had the power of life and death. It still retained the power of passing sentence, though the Roman magistrate held the right of execution. It usually sat in Jerusalem, in a room near the temple. It was before this tribunal that our Saviour was tried. It was then assembled in the palace of the high priest. Matt. xxvi. 3, 57. John xviii. 24. ¶ Thou fool. This term expressed more than want of wisdom. It was expressive of the highest guilt. It had been commonly used to denote those who were idolaters, Deut. xxii. 21; and also one who is guilty of great crimes. Josh. vii. 15. Psa. xiv. 1. Hell fire. The original of this is "the gehennah of fire.” The word gehenna, commonly translated hell, is made up of two Hebrew words, and signifies the valley of Hinnom. This was formerly a pleasant valley, near to Jerusalem on the south. A small brook or torrent usually ran through this valley, and partly encompassed the city. This valley the idolatrous Israelites devoted formerly to the horrid worship of Moloch. 2 Kin.xvi. 3. 2 Chron. xxviii. 3. In describing that worship, the ancient jewish writers inform us, that the idol of Moloch was of brass, adorned with a royal crown, having the head of a calf, and his arms extended, as if to embrace any one. offered children to him, they heated the statue within by a great fire, and when it was burning hot, they put the miserable child into his arms, where it was soon consumed by the heat; and, in order that When they shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.1 23 Therefore if thou bring thy 1 Ch. x. 28. the cries of the child might not be heard, they made a great noise with drums and other instruments about the idol. These drums were called Toph; and hence a common name of the place was Tophet. Jer. vii. 31, 32. After the return of the Jews from captivity, this place was held in such abhorrence, that, by the example of Josiah, 2 Kin. xxiii. 10, it was made the place for ail the dead carcases and filth of the city; and was not unfrequently the place of executions. It became, therefore, extremely offensive; the sight was terrific; the air was polluted and pestilential; and to preserve it in any manner pure, it was recessary to keep fires continually burnng there. The extreme loathsomeness of the place, the filth and putrefaction, the corruption of the atmosphere, and the urid fires blazing by day and by night, made it one of the most appalling and terrific objects with which a Jew was acquainted. It was called the gehenna of fire; and was the image which our Saviour often employed to denote the future punishment of the wicked. In this verse it denotes a degree of suffering higher than the punishment inficted by the court of seven, or the sanhedrim, and the whole verse may therefore mean: he that hates his brother without a cause is guilty of a violation of the sixth commandment, and shall be punished with a severity similar to that inflicted by the court of judgment. He that shall suffer his passions to transport him to still greater extravagances, and shall make him an object of derision and contempt, shall be exposed to still severer punishment, corresponding to that which the sanhedrim, or council, inflicts. But he who shall load his brother with odious appellations and abusive language, shall incur the severest degree of punishment, represented by being burnt alive in the horrid and awful valley of Hinnom. The amount, then, of this difficult and important verse is this. The Jews considered but one crime a violation of the sixth commandment, viz., actual murder, or gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; 24 Leave there thy gift before Deut. xvi. 16, 17. 1 Sam. xv. 22. Isa. i. 10, 17. taking away life wilfully, unlawfully. Jesus says that the commandment is much broader. It relates not only to the external act, but to the feelings and words. He specifies three forms of such violation. 1. Unjust anger. 2. Anger accompanied with an expression of contempt. 3. Anger, with an expression not only of contempt, but wickedness. Among the Jews there were three degrees of condemnation: that by the judgment, the council, and the fire of Hinnom. Jesus says likewise there shall be grades of condemnation for the different ways of violating the sixth commandment. Not only murder shall be punished by God; but anger, and contempt, shall be regarded by him as a violation of the law, and punished according to the offence. As these offences were not actually cognizable before the jewish tribunals, he must mean that they will be punished hereafter. And all these expressions relate to degrees of punishment proportionate to crime in the future world, the world of judgment and of woe. 23, 24. Therefore, if thou bring thy gift to the altar, &c. The Pharisees were intent only on the external act in worship. They looked not at all to the internal acts of the mind. If a man conformed to the external rites of religion, however much envy, and malice, and secret hatred he might have, they thought he was doing well. Our Saviour taught a different doctrine. It was of more consequence to have the heart right, than to perform the outward act. If, therefore, says he, a man has gone so far as to bring his gift to the very altar, and should remember that any one had any thing against him, it was his duty there to leave his offering, and go and be reconciled. While a difference of this nature existed, his offering could not be acceptable. He was not to wait till the offended brother should come to him; he was to go and seek him out, and be reconciled. So now, the worship of God will not be acceptable, however well performed externally, until we are at peace with those that we have injured. "To obey is better than sacrifice." He that |
