Matthew 23

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 23:20

Whoso - shall swear by the altar - As an oath always supposes a person who witnesses it, and will punish perjury; therefore, whether they swore by the temple or the gold, ( Matthew 23:16 ;), or by the altar or the gift laid on it, ( Matthew 23:18 ;), the oath necessarily supposes the God of the temple, of the altar, and of the gifts, who witnessed the whole, and would, even in their exempt cases, punish the perjury. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 23:21

Whoso shall swear by the temple - Perhaps it is to this custom of swearing by the temple, that Martial alludes, lib. xi. epist. 95. Ecce negas, jurasque mihi per templa Tonantis; Non credo; jura, Verpe, per Anchialum . "Behold, thou deniest, and swearest to me by the temples of Jupiter; I will not credit thee: swear, O Jew, by the temple of Jehovah." This word probably comes from יה היכל heical Yah , the temple of Jehovah. This seems a better derivation than אלהים חי אם im... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 23:23

Ye pay tithe of mint, etc. - They were remarkably scrupulous in the performance of all the rites and ceremonies of religion, but totally neglected the soul, spirit, and practice of godliness. Judgment - Acting according to justice and equity towards all mankind. Mercy - to the distressed and miserable. And faith in God as the fountain of all righteousness, mercy, and truth. The scribes and Pharisees neither began nor ended their works in God, nor had they any respect unto his name in... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 23:24

Blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel. - This clause should be thus translated: Ye strain out the gnat, but ye swallow down the camel. In the common translation, Ye strain At a gnat, conveys no sense. Indeed, it is likely to have been at first an error of the press, At for Out, which, on examination, I find escaped in the edition of 1611, and has been regularly continued since. There is now before me, "The Newe Testament, (both in Englyshe and in Laten), of Mayster... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 23:25

Ye make clean the outside - The Pharisees were exceedingly exact in observing all the washings and purifications prescribed by the law; but paid no attention to that inward purity which was typified by them. A man may appear clean without, who is unclean within; but outward purity will not avail in the sight of God, where inward holiness is wanting. Extortion and excess - ' Αρπαγης και ακρασιας , rapine and intemperance; but instead of ακρασιας , intemperance, many of the very best... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 23:27

For ye are like - Παρομοιαζετε , ye exactly resemble - the parallel is complete. Whited sepulchres - White-washed tombs. As the law considered those unclean who had touched any thing belonging to the dead, the Jews took care to have their tombs white-washed each year, that, being easily discovered, they might be consequently avoided. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 23:28

Even so ye also - appear righteous unto men - But what will this appearance avail a man, when God sits in judgment upon his soul? Will the fair reputation which he had acquired among men, while his heart was the seat of unrighteousness, screen him from the stroke of that justice which impartially sends all impurity and unholiness into the pit of destruction? No. In the sin that he hath sinned, and in which he hath died, and according to that, shall he be judged and punished; and his... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 23:29

Ye build the tombs of the prophets - It appears that, through respect to their memory, they often repaired, and sometimes beautified, the tombs of the prophets. M. De la Valle, in his Journey to the Holy Land, says, that when he visited the cave of Machpelah, he saw some Jews honoring a sepulchre, for which they have a great veneration, with lighting at it wax candles and burning perfumes. See Harmer, vol. iii. p. 416. And in ditto, p. 424, we are informed that building tombs over those... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 23:30

We would not have been partakers - They imagined themselves much better than their ancestors; but our Lord, who knew what they would do, uncovers their hearts, and shows them that they are about to be more abundantly vile than all who had ever preceded them. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 23:31

Ye be witnesses - Ye acknowledge that ye are the children of those murderers, and ye are about to give full proof that ye are not degenerated. There are many who think that, had they lived in the time of our Lord, they would not have acted towards him as the Jews did. But we can scarcely believe that they who reject his Gospel, trample under foot his precepts, do despite to the Spirit of his grace, love sin, and hate his followers, would have acted otherwise to him than the murdering Jews,... read more

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 23:20

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 23:21

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 23:23

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 23:24

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 23:25

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 23:27

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 23:28

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 23:29

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 23:30

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 23:31

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