Matthew 9:37-38

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Matthew 9:35-38

Here is, I. A conclusion of the foregoing account of Christ's preaching and miracles (Matt. 9:35); He went about all the cities teaching and healing. This is the same we had before, Matt. 4:23. There it ushers in the more particular record of Christ's preaching (Matt. 5:1-7:29) and of his cures (Matt. 8:1-9:38), and here it is elegantly repeated in the close of these instances, as the quod erat demonstrandum?the point to be proved; as if the evangelist should say, ?Now I hope I have made it... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Matthew 9:37-38

9:37-38 Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is great, but the workers are few. Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers for his harvest." Here is one of the most characteristic things Jesus ever said. When he and the orthodox religious leaders of his day looked on the crowd of ordinary men and women, they saw them in quite different ways. The Pharisees saw the common people as chaff to be destroyed and burned up; Jesus saw them as a harvest to be reaped and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 9:37

Then saith he unto his disciples ,.... His heart being drawn out, and filled with pity to these poor people, upon observing the miserable and sad condition they were in; he turns himself to his disciples, whom he was about to call, and send forth in a more public manner to preach the Gospel, of which we read in the following chapter; and in order to quicken them to this service, and engage their hearts in it, says unto them, the harvest truly is plenteous ; meaning the large number of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 9:38

Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest ,.... By "the Lord of the harvest" is either meant God the Father, whose are all the elect, who has a hearty concern for them, and will have them all gathered in, not one of them shall be left; or the Lord Jesus Christ himself, who has the care and charge of the whole election of grace; and who as he must, he will bring them all in; and who has power of sending forth labourers, as the following chapter shows; and so this is a proof of prayer being... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 9:37

The harvest - The souls who are ready to receive the truth are very numerous; but the laborers are few. There are multitudes of scribes, Pharisees, and priests, of reverend and right reverend men; but there are few that work. Jesus wishes for laborers, not gentlemen, who are either idle drones, or slaves to pleasure and sin, and nati consumere fruges . "Born to consume the produce of the soil." It was customary with the Jews to call their rabbins and students reapers; and their work of... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 9:38

That he will send forth laborers - Οπως εκβαλλη εργατας , that he would thrust forth laborers. Those who are fittest for the work are generally most backward to the employment. The man who is forward to become a preacher knows little of God, of human nature, or of his own heart. It is, God's province to thrust out such preachers as shall labor; and it is our duty to entreat him to do so. A minister of Christ is represented as a day-laborer: he comes into the harvest, not to become lord of... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 9:37

Verse 37 37.The harvest is indeed abundant By this metaphor he intimates, that many of the people are ripe for receiving the gospel. Though the greater number afterwards rejected basely and with vile ingratitude the salvation offered to them, yet the limited number of the elect, who were mixed with unbelievers, is compared to an abundant harvest, because God values a small band of his own people more highly than the rest of the world. Though there were at that time many who assumed this... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 9:38

Verse 38 38.Pray therefore to the Lord of the harvest As no man will of himself become a sincere and faithful minister of the gospel, and as none discharge in a proper manner the office of teacher but those whom the Lord raises up and endows with the gifts of his Spirit, whenever we observe a scarcity of pastors, we must raise our eyes to him to afford the remedy. There never was greater necessity for offering this prayer than during the fearful desolation of the church which we now see every... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 9:35-38

The missionary work of Christ. I. HIS JOURNEYS THROUGH GALILEE 1 . He went everywhere. His activity was unceasing. He visited every city and village in that thickly populated district. It was a new thing in the history of the world—a Missionary of salvation sent from heaven, spending his time in ceaseless journeys, in constant wearying labour, and that not for gum, not for pleasure, but for love's sake, to win dying souls to God and heaven. It is a high example to the ministers... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 9:36-38

The sheep and the harvest. Jesus is moved with compassion at the sight of the multitude. There is always something pathetic in such a sight. The needs of the people made it especially so for Christ. To him the people are of deepest interest. His heart goes out, not to favourites, not to a few select, refined, or saintly souls, but to the multitude. As he gazes at the great moving mass of humanity, it calls up to his mind two images. First, it seems like a flock of sheep without a shepherd.... read more

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