Matthew 9:35-37

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 9:35

9:35 And Jesus made a tour of all the towns and villages, teaching in synagogues, and heralding forth the good news of the Kingdom, and healing every disease and every illness. Here in one sentence we see the threefold activity which was the essence of the life of Jesus. (i) Jesus was the herald. The herald is the man who brings a message from the king: Jesus was the one who brought a message from God. The duty of the herald is the proclamation of certainties; preaching must always be... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Matthew 9:36

9:36 When he saw the crowds, he was moved with compassion to the depths of his being, for they were bewildered and dejected, like sheep who have no shepherd. When Jesus saw the crowd of ordinary men and women, he was moved with compassion. The word which is used for moved with compassion (splangchnistheis, Greek #4697 ) is the strongest word for pity in the Greek language. It is formed from the word splangchna ( Greek #4698 ), which means the bowels, and it describes the... 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 9:35

And Jesus went about all the cities and villages ,.... He did not confine himself, and his acts of kindness and compassion, to his own city, Capernaum, but he took a circuit throughout all Galilee; and not only visited their larger and more principal cities and towns, but their villages also; doing good to the bodies and souls of men in every place, and of whatever state and condition. Teaching in their synagogues ; which were places of public worship, where prayer was made, the law and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 9:36

But when he saw the multitudes ,.... As he took his circuit through the several cities, towns, and villages, he made his observations upon the large numbers that flocked to his ministry, and seemed to be desirous of spiritual instructions, in what an unhappy and melancholy situation they were; and he was moved with compassion on them : his bowels yearned for them, he was touched with a feeling of their infirmities, as the merciful high priest, the good shepherd, and faithful prophet;... 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

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 9:35

Jesus went about all the cities and villages - Of Galilee. See on Matthew 4:23 , Matthew 4:24 ; (note). A real minister of Jesus Christ, after his example, is neither detained in one place by a comfortable provision made by some, nor discouraged from pursuing his work by the calumny and persecution of others. It is proper to remark, that, wherever Christ comes, the proofs of his presence evidently appear: he works none but salutary and beneficial miracles, because his ministry is a... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 9:36

Moved with compassion - Εσπλαγχνισθη , from σπλαγχνον, a bowel. The Jews esteemed the bowels to be the seat of sympathy and the tender passions, and so applied the organ to the sense. Επλαγχνιζομαι signifies, says Mintert, "to be moved with pity from the very inmost bowels. It is an emphatic word, signifying a vehement affection of commiseration, by which the bowels and especially the heart is moved." Both this verb and the noun seem to be derived from σπαω , to draw; the whole... 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

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