the way side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David. 31 And the multitude rebuked them, f because they should hold their peace: but they cried the more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David. 32 And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What will ye that I shall do unto you? 33 They say unto him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened. 34 So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes and immediately their eyes received sight, and [h they] followed him. XXI. 1 And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and a Zech. xiv. 4. were come to Bethphagé, unto the mount of Olives, then homit. frender, that. near the site only a miserable village, Richa or Ericha. 30, 31.] The multitude appear to have silenced them, lest they should be wearisome and annoying to our Lord; not because they called Him the Son of David,-for the multitudes could have no reason for repressing this cry, seeing that they themselves (being probably for the most part the same persons who entered Jerusalem with Jesus) raised it very soon after: see ch. xxi. 9. I have before noticed (on ch. ix. 27) the singular occurrence of these words, Son of David,' in the three narratives of healing the blind in this Gospel. 32.] called them (literally) "said, call ye him" Mark," commanded him to be brought" Luke. 34.] touched their eyes, not mentioned in the other Gospels. In both we have the addition of the Lord's saying, "thy faith hath saved thee." The question preceding was to elicit their faith. CHAP. XXI. 1-17.] TRIUMPHAL ENTRY INTO JERUSALEM: CLEANSING OF THE TEMPLE. Mark xi. 1-11, 15. Luke xix. 29-44. John. xii. 12-36. This occurrence is related by all four Evangelists, with however some differences, doubtless easily accounted for, if we knew accurately the real detail of the circumstances in chronological order. In John (xii. 1), our Lord came six days before the Passover to Bethany, where the anointing (of Matt. xxvi. 6--13) took place: and on the morrow, the triumphal entry into Jerusalem was made. According to Mark xi. 11,—on the day of the triumphal entry He only entered the city, went to the temple, and looked about on all things,and then, when now it was late in the evening, returned to Bethany, and on the mor g read, they. row the cleansing of the temple took place. The account in Luke, which is the fullest and most graphic of the four, agrees chronologically with that in the text. I would venture to suggest, that the supposition of the triumphal entry in Mark being related a day too soon, will bring all into unison. If this be so, our Lord's first entry into Jerusalem was private: probably the journey was interrupted by a short stay at Bethany, so that He did not enter the city with the multitudes. That this was the fact, seems implied in Mark xi. 11. Then it was that, "when He had looked round about upon all things," He noticed the abuse in the temple, which next day He corrected. Then in the evening He went back with the twelve to Bethany, and the supper there, and anointing, took place. Meantime the Jews (John xii. 9) knew that he was at Bethany; and many went there that evening to see Him and Lazarus. (Query, had not Lazarus followed Him to Ephraim ?) Then on the morrow multitudes came out to meet Him, and the triumphal entry took place, the weeping over the city (Luke xix. 41), and the cleansing of the temple. The cursing of the fig-tree occurred early that morning, as He was leaving Bethany with the twelve, and before the multitude met Him or the asses were sent for. (On Matthew's narrative of this event see below on ver. 18.) According to this view, our narrative omits the supper at Bethany, and the anointing (in its right place), and passes to the events of the next day. On the day of the week when this entry happened, see note on John xii. 1. 1. Bethphagé = Heb. the house of figs: a considerable suburb, nearer to Jerusalem than Bethany, and sometimes reckoned part of the city. No trace 7всн. іх. 9. sent Jesus two disciples, 2 saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her; loose them, and bring them unto me. 3 And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them. 4 All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, 5 b Tell ye the bISA. Ixii. 11. daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of i an ass. 6 And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them, 7 and brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon. 8 And a very great multitude spread their garments in e2 Kings ix. the way; dothers cut down branches from the trees, and a see Lev. xxiii. strawed them in the way. 9 And the multitudes that went 1 before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest. 10 And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this? 11 And the multitude said, This is Jesus i render, a beast of burden. render, the greater part of the multitude. of it now remains: see "The Land and the Book," p. 697. 2, 3.] The village over against you, i. e. Bethphagé. Mark and Luke mention the colt only, adding "whereon never yet man sat" (see note on Mark): John "a young ass." Justin Martyr connects this verse with the prophecy in Gen. xlix. 11. The Lord, here, the LORD,' Jehovah: most probably a general intimation to the owners, that they were wanted for the service of God. I cannot see how this interpretation errs against decorum, as Stier asserts. The meanest animals might be wanted for the service of the Lord Jehovah. And after all, what difference is there as to decorum, if we understand with him "the Lord" to sig. nify "the King Messiah?" The two disciples were perhaps Peter and John: compare Mark xiv. 13 and Luke xxii. 8. 4.] A formula of our Evangelist's (see ch. i. 22), spoken with reference to the divine counsels, but not to the intention of the doers of the act; for this application of prophecy is in John xii. 16 distinctly said not to have occurred to the disciples at the time, but after Jesus was glorified. 6, 7.] In Mark, "they found the colt tied by the door without, in a place 1 the e 13. 40. 25. P. exviii. Ps. cxviii. 26. ch. xxiii. S. Luke vii. 15 vi. 40: ix. 17. read, before him. where two ways met." Our Lord sat on the foal (Mark, Luke), and the mother accompanied, apparently after the manner of a sumpter, as prophets so riding would be usually accompanied (but not of course doing the work of a sumpter). That this riding and entry were intentional on the part of our Lord, is clear: and also that He did not thereby mean to give any countenance to the temporal ideas of His Messiahship, but solemnly to fulfil the Scriptures respecting Him, and to prepare the way for His sufferings, by a public avowal of His mission. The typical meaning also is not to be overlooked. In all probability the evening visit to the temple was on the very day when the Paschal Lamb was to be taken up-i. e. set apart for the sacrifice. 8, 9.] Which was save a royal honour: see 2 Kings ix. 13. h John ii. 15. prophet, of Nazareth of Galilee. 26. k ISA. lvi. 7. 1 Jer. vii. 11. 12 h And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the i Deut. xiv. 25, i moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold m doves, 13 and said unto them, It is written. My house shall be called the house of prayer; 1 but ye n have made it a den of thieves. 14 And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them. 15 And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the son of David; they were sore displeased, 16 and said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, m Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise? 17 And he left them, and went out of the city m Ps. viii. 2. n n John xi. 18. into Bethany; and he lodged there. 18 Now in the m render, the doves. 64 n read, are making. render, that were crying. wish. Luke has the king that cometh," of this market in the O. T. It appears to these instead of the lambs for a trespassoffering, Lev. v. 7; also for the purification of women, Lev. xii. 8: Luke ii. 24. 13.] Stier remarks that the verse quoted from Jeremiah is in connexion with the charge of murder, and the shedding of innocent blood (see Jer. vii. 6). On the intention of this act of our Lord, see notes on John ii. 15. It was a purely Messianic act; see Mal. iii. 1—3. In 15, 16.] The circumstance that the children were crying Hosanna to the Son of David' in the temple, seems to me to fix this event, as above, on the day of the triumphal entry. Psalm viii. is frequently cited in the N. T. of Christ: see 1 Cor. xv. 27: Heb. ii. 6: Eph. i. 22. understanding such citations as this, and that in ver. 4, we must bear in mind the important truth, that the external fulfilment of a prophecy is often itself only a type and representation of that inner and deeper sense of the prophecy which belongs to the spiritual dealings of God. 17.] If this is to be literally understood of the village (and not of a district round it, including part of the Mount of Olives; see Luke xxi. 37), this will be the second night spent at Bethany. I would rather of the two understand it literally, and that the spending the nights on the Mount of Olives did not begin till the next night (Tuesday). 18-22.] THE CURSE OF THE BARREN FIG-TREE. Mark xi. 12-14, 20-26, where see notes. St. Luke omits the incident. morning as he returned into the city, he hungered. 19 And when he saw Pa fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away. 20 And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away! 21 Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt och vil, 20. • p James i o. shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, xvii. not, ye 9 but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou re- 1 Cor. xiii. 2. moved, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. г 22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, be- rch. vil. 7. lieving, ye shall receive. Luke xi. 9. James v. 16. 1 John iii. 22: v. 14. 23 And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou Exod. 14. these things? and who gave thee this authority? 24 And P render, one. The cursing of the fig-tree had in fact taken place on the day before, and the withering of it was now noticed. St. Mark separates the two accounts, which are here given together. We must remember that this miracle was wholly typical and parabolical. The fig-tree was THE JEWISH PEOPLE-full of the leaves of an useless profession, but without fruit:and further, all hypocrites of every kind, in every age. It is true, as De Wette observes, that no trace of a parabolic meaning appears in the narrative (and yet strangely enough, he himself a few lines after, denying the truth of the miracle, accounts for the narrative by supposing it to have arisen out of a parable spoken by our Lord); but neither does there in that of the driving out the buyers and sellers from the temple, and in those of many other actions which we know to have been symbolic. 19.] one fig tree, i. e. a solitary fig-tree. It was the practice to plant fig-trees by the road-side, because it was thought that the dust, by absorbing the exuding sap, was conducive to the production of the fruit. 21, 22.] This assurance has occurred before in ch. xvii. 20. That truest and highest faith, which implies a mind and will perfectly in unison with that of God, can, even in its least degree, have been in Him only who spoke these words. And by it, and its elevating power over the functions and laws of inferior natures, we may reverently believe that VOL. I. 8 Acts iv. 7: vii. 27. His most notable miracles were wrought. It is observable, that such a state of mind entirely precludes the idea of an arbitrary exercise of power-none such can therefore be intended in our Lord's assertion-but we must understand, - "if expedient." Though we cannot reach this faith in its fulness, yet every approach to it (ver. 21) shall be endued with some of its wonderful power,-in obtaining requests from God. See the remarkable and important addition in Mark xi. 25, 26. 23-32.] Mark xi. 27-33. Luke xx. 1-8. OUR LORD'S AUTHORITY QUESTIONED. HIS REPLY. Now commences that series of parables, and discourses of our Lord with his enemies, in which He developes more completely than ever before his hostility to their hypocrisy and iniquity:-and so they are stirred up to compass His death. 23. the chief priests and the elders of the people] St. Mark and St. Luke add the scribes, and so make up the members of the Sanhedrim. It was an official message, sent with a view to make our Saviour declare Himself to be a prophet sent from God-in which case the Sanhedrim had power to take cognizance of His proceedings, as of a professed Teacher. Thus the Sanhedrim sent a deputation to John on his appearing as a Teacher, John i. 19. The question was the result of a combination to destroy Jesus, Luke xix. 47, 48. They do not now ask, as in John ii. 18, What sign shewest Thou L t ch. xvi. 5. Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things. 25 The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him? 26 But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet. 27 And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things. 28 But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, 4 Son, go work to day in my vineyard. 29 He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went. 30 And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I [go], sir: and went not. u Luke vii. 20, first. 50. r not expressed in the original. unto us, seeing thou doest these things? for they had had many signs, which are now included in their "these things." The second question is an expansion of the first. 25.] The baptism, meaning thereby the whole office and teaching, of which the baptism was the central point and seal. If they had recognized the heavenly mission of John, they must have also acknowledged the authority by which Jesus did these things, for John expressly declared that he was sent to testify of Him, and bore witness to having seen the Holy Spirit descend and rest upon Him. John i. 33, 34. believe him, 'give credit to his words: for those words were testimonies to Me.' 26, 27.] These 'blind leaders of the blind' had so far made an insincere concession to the people's persuasion, as to allow John to pass for a prophet; but they shrunk from the reproof which was sure to follow their acknowledging it now. consultation among themselves is related almost verbatim by the three Evangelists. The intelligence of it may have been originally derived from Nicodemus or Joseph of Arimathæa. The neither tell I you of our Lord is an answer, not to their outward words, "we cannot tell," but to their inward thoughts, "we will not tell.” This 28.] But what think ye? a formula Somit. of connexion-but doubtless here intended to help the questioners to the true answer of their difficulty about John's baptism. The following parable (peculiar to Matthew) refers, under the image of the two sons, to two classes of persons, both summoned by the great Father to "work in His vineyard" (see ch. xx. 1); both Jews, and of His family. The first answer the summons by a direct and open refusalthese are the open sinners, the publicans and harlots, who disobey God to His face. But afterwards, when better thoughts are suggested, they repent, and go. The second class receive the summons with a respect. ful assent (not unaccompanied with a selfexaltation and contrast to the other, implied in the emphatic I, sir)-having however no intention of obeying (there is no mention of a change of mind in this case): but go not. These are the Scribes and Pharisees, with their shew of legal obedience, who "said, and did not" (ch. xxiii. 3). It will of course admit of wider applications to Jews and Heathens, or any similar pair of classes who may thus be compared. 31.] The go.. before you may be taken either as declarativego before you, in the matter of God's arrangements,-or as assertive of the mere matter of fact, are going before you. I |