Matthew 12-17

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 12:34

O generation of vipers ,.... Though they boasted of their being the seed of Abraham, yet their immediate ancestors were no other than vipers, deceitful, hurtful, poisonous creatures; and they were exactly like them: for though they made a fair show in the flesh, and outwardly appeared righteous, yet were inwardly full of the poison of wickedness, envy and malice; and which their pestilential breath, their blasphemy against the Spirit, fully discovered; and gave just cause and reason for so... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 12:35

A good man, out of the good treasure of the heart ,.... "A good man", is a regenerated man, one that is renewed by the Spirit of God, a believer in Christ, a sincere lover of him, and one that follows him, wheresoever he goes, and who has the grace of God implanted in him: for "the good treasure the heart", is not what he is naturally possessed of, but what is put into him: and is no other than the superabundant grace of God, or that grace for grace, which he has received out of Christ's... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 12:36

But I say unto you ,.... This form of speaking is used, the more strongly to asseverate the truth of what is after said; and the rather, because men are apt to indulge a liberty with their tongues; fancying no great crime is committed, when only words are spoken, and no facts done; that every idle word that a man shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment . By an "idle word" is meant, what the Jews call, שיחה קלה , "light conversation", and דבר בטל ,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 12:37

For by thy words thou shalt be justified ,.... Theophylact seems to take these words to be a passage of Scripture cited by Christ, in proof of what he had said, but does not point to any; nor is any such Scripture to be found. They are rather proverbial expressions, in common use among the Jews; or refer to the usual methods of proceeding in courts of judicature, upon the acknowledgments and confessions of persons. "Says Resh Lakish F5 T. Bab. Sanhedrim, fol. 30. 1. , such an one and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 12:38

Then certain of the Scribes and Pharisees answered ,.... Not the same that charged him with casting out devils, by the prince of devils; but others, that were present, as appears from Luke 11:16 and who do not take upon them to make a proper reply to what he had said, or return an answer to that, but address him on another account; being willing to divert the discourse, and try what they could do with him in another, and more gentle and crafty way; saying, master, not fellow, magician,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 12:39

But he answered and said unto them ,.... Not to the Pharisees, who were unworthy of an answer from him; having, in such an imperious manner, and with a sole view to tempt him, and after such miracles were wrought by him, required of him a sign from heaven; but to the multitude, the throng of people gathered thick together on this occasion, see Matthew 12:45 he turns himself from the Scribes and Pharisees, to the common people, and says to them concerning the former, an evil and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 12:40

For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly ,.... Or "in the belly of a great fish", as is said, Jonah 1:17 for that it was a whale, is not there said, nor is it certain it was; nor from the smallness of its swallow, is it thought probable it should; nor does the word here used, necessarily imply one, but some large fish; nor are there whales in the Phoenician Sea: it might be a kind of a sea dog, called Carcharias, and sometimes Lamia, or Lamina, from its vast... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 12:41

The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment ,.... Alluding either to the custom and practice of witnesses, who rise up from their seats, and stand, when they give in their testimonies in a court of judicature; or else, referring to the time of the general resurrection from the dead, at the last day, when these men shall rise from the dead, and stand in judgment with this generation ; shall rise when they do, and stand before the judgment seat together, and be against them, and shall... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 12:42

The queen of the south ,.... Called the queen of Sheba, 1 Kings 10:1 . Sheba was one of the sons of Joktan, a grandchild of Arphaxad, who settled in the southern parts of Arabia: hence this queen is called the queen of the south. Sheba is by the Targumist F16 In 1 Chron. i. 9. & 2 Chron. ix. 1. called Zemargad: and this queen the queen of Zemargad: she goes by different names. According to some, her name was Maqueda F17 Ludolph. Hist. Aethiop. 1. 2. c. 3. & not. in Claud.... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 12:43

When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man ,.... By "the unclean" spirit, is meant Satan, the old serpent, the devil; who by the Jews, is wont to be called as here, רוח מסאבא , "the unclean spirit" F24 Zohar in Gen. fol. 77. 2. ; and that, because he is by sin become so, though he was not so originally; is the cause of uncleanness in men, and delights in unclean persons, places, and things: his "going out of a man", is not to be understood of his being dispossessed of the bodies... read more

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