The tradition concerning CHAP. XV. washing of hands. a A. D. 27. An Olymp. CCL 3. A. M. 4031. round about, and brought unto him || only touch the hem of his garment: Mark 6. 56.b Numb. 15. 38, 39. ch. 9. 20. Ch. 9. 20. Mark 3. 10. Luke 6. 19. Acts 19. 12. Verse 36. That they might only touch the hem of his garment] What mighty influence must the grace and spirit of Christ have in the soul, when even the border or hem of his garment produced such wonders in the bodies of those who touched it! Here is a man who has turned from sin to God through Christ, and the healing hand of Jesus is laid upon him.— Then, no wonder that he knows and feels his sins forgiven, his soul purified, and his heart filled with the fulness of his Maker. Lord, increase our faith and we shall see greater manifestations of thy power and glory! Amen. CHAPTER XV. The Pharisees accuse the disciples of eating with unwashed hands, 1, 2. Our Lord answers, and convicts them of gross hypocrisy, 3-9. Teaches the people and the disciples what it is that renders men unclean, 10-20. Heals the daughter of a Canaanitish woman, 21-28. Heals many diseased people on a mountain of Galilee, 29–31. With seven loaves, and a few little fishes, he feeds 4,000 men, besides women and children, 32-38. Having dismissed the multitudes, he comes to the coast of Magdala, 39. NOTES ON CHAP. XV. Verse 1. The Scribes and Pharisees-of Jerusalem] Our Lord was now in Galilee, chap. xiv. 34. Verse 2. Elders] Rulers and magistrates among the Jews. For they wash not their hands] What frivolous nonsense! These Pharisees had nothing which their malice could fasten on in the conduct or doctrine of our blessed Lord and his disciples, and therefore they must dispute about washing of hands! All sorts of Pharisees are troublesome people in religious society; and the reason is, they take more pleasure in blaming others, than in amending themselves. The tradition of the elders] The word magados tradition, has occupied a most distinguished place, both in the Jewish and Christian church. Man is ever fond of mending the work of his Maker; and hence he has been led to put his finishing hand even to Divine revelation! This supplementary matter has been called παραδοσις from παραδίδομαι, το deliver from hand to hand: to transmit-and hence the Latin term, tradition, from trado, to deliver, especially from one to another; to hand down. Among the Jews, TRADITION SigniLes what is also called the Oral law, which they distinguish from the written law: this last contains the Mosaic precepts, as found in the Pentateuch: the former the traditions of the elders, i. e. traditions or doctrines, that had been successively handed down from Moses through every generation, but not committed to writing. The Jews feign that when God gave Moses the written law, he gave him also the oral law, which is the interpretation of the former. This law, Moses at first. delivered to Aaron: then to his sons Eleazar and Ithamarand after these, to the seventy-two Elders, who were six of the most eminent men chosen out of each of the twelve tribes.. These seventy-two, with Moses and Aaron, delivered it again to all the heads of the people; and afterwards to the congregation at large. They say also, that, before Moses died, he delivered this oral law, or system of traditions to JOSHUA,. and Joshua to the ELDERS, which succeeded him-THEY to the Prophets, and the PROPHETS to each other, till it came to JEREMIAH, who delivered it to BARUCH his Scribe, who repeated it to EZRA, who delivered it to the men of the great synagogue, the last of whom was SIMON the just. By Simon the just it was delivered to ANTIGONUS of Socho; by him to Jose', the son of Jochanan; by him to Jose', the son of Joezer; by him to NATHAN the Arbelite, and Joshua the son of Perachiah, and by them to JUDAH the son of Tabbai, and Simeon, the son of Shatah; and by them to SHEMAIAH and ABTALION; and by them to HILLEL; and by Hillel to SIMEON a annulled by Jewish tradition. A.M. 4082. A. D. 28. 5 But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, An. Olymp. by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; CCI. 4. 6 And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the let him die the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. 4 For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, "He that curseth father or mother, death. * Exod. 20. 12. Lev. 19. 3. - Exod. 21. 17. Lev. 20. 9. Deut. 5. 16. Deut. 27. 16. Prov. 23. 22. Ephes. 6. 2. Prov. 20. 20. & 30. 17. © Mark 7. 11, 12. Prov. 20. 25. ch. 23. 16, 18. 'his son, the same who took Christ in his arms when brought to the temple to be presented to the Lord: by SIMEON it was delivered to GAMALIEL his son, the preceptor of St. Paul, who delivered it to SIMEON his son, and he to Rab. JUDAH, HAKKODESH his son, who compiled and digested it into the book which is called the MISHNA; to explain which the two Talmuds, called the Jerusalem and Babylonish Talmuds were compiled, which are also called the gemara or complement, because by these, the oral law or Mishneh is fully explained. The Jerusalem Talmud was completed about A.D. 300; and the Babylonish Talmud about the beginning of the sixth century. This Talmud was printed at Amsterdam in 12 vols. folio. These contain the whole of the traditions of the Elders, and have so explained, or rather frittered away the words of God, that our Lord might well say, Ye have made the word of God of no effect by your traditions. In what estimation these are held by the Jews, the following examples will prove: "The words of the Scribes are lovely beyond the words of the Law: for the words of the Law are weighty and light, but the words of the Scribes are all weighty." Hierus. Berac. fol. 3. "He that shall say, there are no Phylacteries, though he thus transgress the words of the Law, he is not guilty; but he that shall say, There are five Totaphot, thus adding to the words of the Scribes, he is guilty." "A Prophet and an elder, to what are they likened? To a king sending two of his servants into a province; of one he writes thus: Unless he shew you my seal, believe him not; for thus it is written of the Prophet, He shall shew thee a sign; but of the Elders thus: According to the law which they shall teach thee, for I will confirm their words.-See Prideaux. Con. vol. 2. p. 465, and Lightfoot's Hor. Talmud. They wash not their hands] On washing of hands before and after meat, the Jews laid great stress-they considered eating with unwashed hands to be no ordinary crime; and, therefore to induce men to do it, they feigned that an evil spirit, called Shibta nw, who sits on the hands by night, has a right to sit on the food of him who eats without washing his hands, and make it hurtful to him! They consider the person who undervalues this rite, to be no better than a heathen, and consequently excommunicate him. See many examples of this doctrine in Schoetgen and Lightfoot. Verse 3. Why do ye-transgress the commandment] Ye accuse my disciples of transgressing the traditions of the Elders--I accuse you of transgressing the commands of God, and that too in favour of your own tradition; thus preferring the inventions of men to the positive precepts of God. Pretenders to zeal often prefer superstitious usages to the Divine law, and human inventions to the positive duties of Christianity. Verse 4. Honour thy father und mother] This word was taken in great latitude of meaning among the Jews: it not only meant respect and submission, but also to take care of a person, to nourish and support him, to enrich. See Numb. xxii. 17. Judg. xiii. 17. 1 Tim. v. 17. And that this was the sense of the law, as it respected parents, see Deut. xxvii. 16, and see the note on Exod. xx. 12. Verse 5. It is a gift] p korban, Mark vii. 11. an offering of approach; something consecrated to the service of God in the temple, by which a man had the privilege of approaching his Maker. This conduct was similar to the custom of certain persons who bequeathe the inheritance of their children to churches or religious uses; either through terror of conscience, thus striving to purchase the kingdom of glory; or through the persuasions of interested hireling priests. It was in this way that, in the days of popish influence, the principal lands in the nation had fallen into the hands of the church. In these charters, multitudes of which have passed through my hands, a common form was, pro salute meæ, et pro salute antecessorum meorum, & pro salute successorum meorum, pro salute uxoris meæ, &c. &c. do, et concedo Deo et Ecclesiæ, &c. "For my salvation, and for the salvation of my predecessors, and for the salvation of my successors, and for the salvation of my wife, &c. &c. I give and bequeath to God and his Church, &c." & Though a world of literature was destroyed, and fine buildings ruined by the suppression of the monasteries in England, yet this step, with the Stat. 23 Hen. VIII. c. 10. together with the Stat. 9 Geo. II. c. 36. were the means of checking an evil that had arrived at a pitch of unparalleled magnitude; an evil that was supplanting the atonement made by the blood of the Covenant, and putting death-bed grants of land, &c. The Jews reproved for their hypocrisy. A M. 4032. 7 Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias pro- said unto them, Hear, and under. A. M. 4032. An. Olymp. phesy of you, saying, stand: CCI 4 8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. 9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching, for doctrines, the commandments of men. 10 And he called the multitude, and ¶ A. D. 28. An. Olymp. CCI. 4. 11 Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man. 12 Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying? 13 But he answered and said, Every plant, Isai. 29. 13. Col. 2. 18 Acts 10. 15. Rom. 14. 14, 17, 20. 1 Tim. 4. 4. Tit. 1. 15.- John 15. 2. 1 Cor. 3. 13, &c. Mark 7. 6.- Isai. 9. 13. Ezek. 33. 31.- m the place of Jesus Christ, and throwing the whole secularper, innocent, &c. but what God himself has prescribed, that he power of the kingdom into the hands of the pope and the will acknowledge as his worship. However sincere a man may priests. No wonder then that they cried out when the be in a worship of his own invention, or, of man's commandmonasteries were suppressed! It is sacrilege to dedicate¦ment, yet it profits him nothing.-Christ himself says it is in that to God, which is taken away from the necessities of our parents and childrea; and the good that this pretends to, will doubtless be found in the catalogue of that unnatural man's crimes in the judgment of the great day, who has thus deprived his own family of its due. To assist our poor relatives, is our first duty; and this is a work infinitely preferable to all pious legacies and indowments. vain: to condemn such, may appear to some illiberal; but whatever may be said in behalf of sincere heathens, and others who have not had the advantages of Divine Revelation, there is no excuse for the man who has the BIBLE before him. Verse 10. Hear, and understund] A most important command-Hear-make it a point of conscience to attend to the ministry of the word. Understand-be not satisfied with Verse 7. Hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophesy of you] In attending places of public worship merely, see that the teachevery place where the proper names of the Old Testamenting be of God, and that you lay it to heart. occur, in the New the same mode of orthography should be followed: I therefore write Isaiah with the Hebrew, not Esaias, with the Greck. This prophecy is found chap. xxix. 13. Our blessed Lord unmasks these hypocrites; and we may observe, that when a hypocrite is found out, he should be exposed to all; this may lead to his salvation-if he be permitted to retain his falsely acquired character, how can he escape perdition! Verse 8. Their heart is far from me.] The true worship of God consists in the union of the heart to him-where this exists not, a particle of the spirit of devotion cannot be found. This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth] This clause, which is taken from Isai. chap. xxix. 13. is omitted by several excellent MSS. and by several Versions and Fathers. Erasmus, Mill, Drusius, and Bengel, approve of the omission, and Griesbach has left it out of the text; but as I find it in the Prophet, the place from which it is quoted, I dare not omit it, howsoever respectable the above authorities may appear. Verse 9. In vain they do worship me, &c.] By the tra ditions of the Elders, not only the word of God was perverted, but his worship also was greatly corrupted. But the Jews were not the only people who have acted thus: whole Christian churches, as well as sects and parties, have acted in the same way. Men must not mould the worship of God according to their fancy—it is not what they think will do,-is pro Verse 11. Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth} This is an answer to the carping question of the Pharisees, mentioned ver. 2. Why do thy disciples eat with unwashed kands? To which our Lord here replies, That what goes into the mouth defiles not the man; i. e. that if, in eating with unwashed hands, any particles of dust, &c. cleaving to the hands, might happen to be taken into the mouth with the food, this did not defile, did not constitute a man a sinner; for it is on this alone, the question hinges-thy disciples eat with unwashed hands, therefore they are sinners, for they transgress the tradition of the elders, i. e. the oral law, which they considered equal in authority to the written law; and indeed often preferred the former to the latter, so as to make it of none effect, totally to destroy its nature and design, as we have often seen in the preceding notes. That which cometh out of the mouth] That is, what springs from a corrupt unregenerate heart-a perverse will and im"pure passions--these defile, i. e. make him a sinner. Verse 12. The Pharisees were offended] None so liable to take offence as formalists and hypocrites, when you attempt. to take away the false props from the one, and question the sincerity of the other. Besides, a Pharisee must never be suspected of ignorance, for they are the inen and wisdom must die with them! Verse 13. Every plant] Every plantation. So I render furna, U and so it is translated in the Itala version which accompanies 18 But those things which proceed out of Ch. 16. 9. Mark 7. 18.4 1 Cor. 6. 13.- Jam. 3. 6. Probably the words may be understood as a sort of proverbial expression for don't mind them: pay no regard to them." They are altogether unworthy of notice." And if the blind lead the blind] This was so self-evident a case, that an apter parallel could not be found-if the blind lead the blind, both must fall into the ditch. Alas for the blind teachers, who not only destroy their own souls, but those also of their flocks! Like priest, like people. If the minister be ignorant, he cannot teach what he does not know; and the people cannot become wise unto salvation under such a ministry--he is ignorant and wicked, and they are profligate. They who even wish such, God speed, are partakers of their | evil deeds. But shall not the poor deceived people escape? No: both shall fall into the pit of perdition together; for they should have searched the Scriptures, and not trusted to or party. He who has the Bible in his hand, or within his reach, and can read it, has no excuse. Verse 15. Declare unto us this parable.] Is it not strange to hear the disciples asking for the explanation of such a parable as this! The true knowledge of the spirit of the gospel, is a thing more uncommon than we imagine, among the generality of Christians, and even of the learned. Verse 16. Are ye also yet without understanding?] The word anun, which we translate yet, should be here rendered still: are ye still void of understanding?-and the word is used in this sense by several Greek writers. The authorities which have induced me to prefer this translation, may be seen in Kypke. Verse 14. Let them alone] AQETE autovs, give them up, or, leave them. These words have been sadly misunderstood.—the ignorant sayings of corrupt men, no matter of what sect Some have quoted them to prove that blind and deceitful teachers should not be pointed out to the people, nor the people warned against them; and that men should abide in the communion of a corrupt church, because that church had once been the church of God, and in it they had been brought up; and to prove this they bring Scripture, for, in our present translation, the words are rendered, let them alone: but the whole connexion of the place evidently proves that our blessed Lord meant, give them up, have no kind of religious connexion with them, and the strong reason for which, he immediately adds, because they are blind leaders. This passage does not at all mean that blind leaders should not be pointed out to the people, that they may avoid being deceived by them, for this our Lord does frequently; and warns his disciples, and the Verse 17. Cast out into the draught] Eis aftogwva, 7 byð on people in general, against all such false teachers as the Scribes rondgang arend. Anglo-Saxon, and beeth into the forthgoing and Pharisees were: and though he bids men do what they a sentt-what is not fit for nourishment is evacuated; is thrown heard those say, while they sat in the chair of Moses, yet he cer- into the sink. This I believe to be the meaning of this difficult tainly meant no more than that they should be observant of the and variously translated word, apedewv. Diodati translates it moral law when read to them out of the sacred book:-yet, || properly, nella latrina, into the privy. And the Persian transneither does he tell them to do all these false teachers said; lator has given a good paraphrase, and appears to have colfor he testifies in the 6th verse, that they had put such lected the general meaning, you jus false glosses on the law, that if followed, would endanger the salvation of their souls. The Codex Bezæ, for are wojny w her tche der dehen αφετε has αφετε τους τυφλους, give up these blind men. Amen! ander ayeed, az nusheeb beeroon rood, we ber zemeen aftad; A literal attention to these words of our Lord, produced the "whatsoever enters into the mouth, goes downward, and Reformation. falls upon the ground." Michaelis, and his annotator Dr. αυτούς, نشیب بیرون رود و بر زمین افتد Marsh, have been much perplexed with this perplexing passage. See Michaelis's Introduction, vol. i. note 35. p. 458. Verse 19. Out of the heart] In the heart of an unregene- || rate man, the principles and seeds of all sin are found. And iniquity is always conceived in the heart before it be spoken or acted. Is there any hope that a man can abstain from outward sin, till his heart, that abominable fountain of corruption, be thoroughly cleansed? I trow not. Evil thoughts] Diaoyiopoi movnzo, wicked dialogues-for in all evil surmisings the heart holds a conversation, or dialogue, with itself. For ovos, murders, two MSS. have 49ovo, envyings, and three others have both. Envy and murder are nearly allied: the former has often led to the latter. Blasphemies] I have already observed, chap. ix. 3. that the verb Bhopnew, when applied to men, signifies to speak INJURIOUSLY of their persons, characters, &c. and when applied to God, it means to speak IMPIOUSLY of his nature, works, &c. Verse 20. These-defile a man] Our Lord's argument is very plain.—What goes into the mouth, descends into the stomach and other intestines; part is retained for the nourishment of the body, and part is ejected, as being improper to || afford nourishment. Nothing of this kind defiles the soul, because it does not enter into it; but the evil principles that || are in it, producing evil thoughts, murders, &c. these defile the soul, because they have their seat and operation in it. This is frequently the case in the Septuagint. Compare Son of David] An essential character of the true Messiah. Verse 23. He answered her not a word.] Seemed to take time to consider her request, and to give her the opportunity of exercising her faith, and manifesting her fervour. Verse 24. I am not sent but unto the lost sheep] By the divine appointment, I am come to preach the Gospel to the Jews only. There are certain preachers who should learn a lesson of important instruction from this part of our Lord's conduct. As soon as they hear of a lost sheep being found by other ministers, they give all diligence to get that one into their fold; but display little earnestness in seeking in the wilderness for those that are lost. This conduct, perhaps, proceeds from a Verse 21. Departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon.] Eis Ta consciousness of their inability to perform the work of an sgn, towards the coasts or confines. It is not clear that our Evangelist; and leads them to sit down in the labours of Lord ever left the land of the Hebrews; he was, as the apostle || others, rather than submit to the reproach of presiding over observes, Rom. xv. 8. the minister of the circumcision accord-empty chapels. Such persons should either dig or beg iming to the truth of God. Tyre and Sidon are usually joined mediately, as they are a reproach to the pastoral office; for together, principally, because they are but a few miles distant not being scnt of God, they cannot profit the people. from each other. The wilderness of this world is sufficiently wide and unVerse 22. A woman of Canaan] Matthew gives her this cultivated. Sinners abound every where; and there is ample name, because of the people from whom she sprung-the room for all truly religious people, who have zeal for God, descendants of Canaan, Judg. i. 31, 32.; but Mark calls her and love for their perishing fellow creatures, to put forth all a Syrophenician, because of the country where she dwelt. their strength, employ all their time, and exercise all their The Canaanites and Phanicians have been often confounded. | talents, in proclaiming the Gospel of God; not only to the |