Jesus answering, spake - That is, spake with reference to what had just past.
A king, who made a marriage feast for his son - So did God, when he brought his first - begotten into the world.
Them that were invited - Namely, the Jews.
Fatlings - Fatted beasts and fowls.
One to his farm, another to his merchandise - One must mind what he has; another, gain what he wants. How many perish by misusing lawful things!
The king sending forth his troops - The Roman armies employed of God for that purpose. Destroyed those murderers - Primarily the Jews.
Go into the highways - The word properly signifies, the by - ways, or turnings of the road.
They gathered all - By preaching every where.
The guest - The members of the visible Church.
A wedding garment - The righteousness of Christ, first imputed, then implanted. It may easily be observed, this has no relation to the Lord's Supper, but to God's proceeding at the last day.
Many are called; few chosen - Many hear; few believe. Yea, many are members of the visible, but few of the invisible Church. Mt 20:16.
Mark 12:13; Luke 20:20.
The Herodians were a set of men peculiarly attached to Herod, and consequently zealous for the interest of the Roman government, which was the main support of the dignity and royalty of his family. Thou regardest not the person of men - Thou favourest no man for his riches or greatness.
Is it lawful to give tribute to Cesar? - If he had said, Yes, the Pharisees would have accused him to the people, as a betrayer of the liberties of his country. If he had said, No, the Herodians would have accused him to the Roman governor.
Ye hypocrites - Pretending a scruple of conscience.
The tribute money - A Roman coin, stamped with the head of Cesar, which was usually paid in tribute.
They say to him, Cesar's - Plainly acknowledging, by their having received his coin, that they were under his government. And indeed this is a standing rule. The current coin of every nation shows who is the supreme governor of it. Render therefore, ye Pharisees, to Cesar the things which ye yourselves acknowledge to be Cesar's: and, ye Herodians, while ye are zealous for Cesar, see that ye render to God the things that are God's.
Mark 12:18.
Deut 25:5.
Now there were with us seven brethren - This story seems to have been a kind of common - place objection, which no doubt they brought upon all occasions.
Ye err, not knowing the Scriptures - Which plainly assert a resurrection. Nor the power of God - Which is well able to effect it. How many errors flow from the same source?
They are as the angels - Incorruptible and immortal. So is the power of God shown in them! So little need had they of marriage!
Have ye not read - The Sadducees had a peculiar value for the books of Moses. Out of these therefore our Lord argues with them.
I am the God of Abraham - The argument runs thus: God is not the God of the dead, but of the living: (for that expression, Thy God, implies both benefit from God to man, and duty from man to God) but he is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: therefore, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are not dead, but living. Therefore, the soul does not die with the body. So indeed the Sadducees supposed, and it was on this ground that they denied the resurrection. Exod 3:6.
At his doctrine - At the clearness and solidity of his answers.
Mark 12:28; Luke 10:25.
A scribe asking him a question, trying him - Not, as it seems, with any ill design: but barely to make a farther trial of that wisdom, which he had shown in silencing the Sadducees.
Deut 6:5.
Lev 19:18.
Luke 20:41.
How doth David then by the Spirit - By inspiration, call him Lord? If he be merely the son (or descendant) of David? If he be, as you suppose, a mere man, the son of a man?
The Lord said to my Lord - This his dominion, to which David himself was subject, shows both the heavenly majesty of the king, and the nature of his kingdom. Sit thou on my right hand - That is, remain in the highest authority and power. Psalm 110:1.
Neither durst any question him any more - Not by way of ensnaring or tempting him.
Then - Leaving all converse with his adversaries, whom he now left to the hardness of their hearts.
The scribes sit in the chair of Moses - That is, read and expound the law of Moses, and are their appointed teachers.
All things therefore - Which they read out of the law, and enforce therefrom.
Luke 11:46.
Their phylacteries - The Jews, understanding those words literally, It shall he as a token upon thy hand, and as frontlets between thine eyes, Exod 13:16. And thou shalt bind these words for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes, Deut 6:8; used to wear little scrolls of paper or parchment, bound on their wrist and foreheads, on which several texts of Scripture were writ. These they supposed, as a kind of charm, would preserve them from danger. And hence they seem to have been called phylacteries, or preservatives. The fringes of their garments - Which God had enjoined them to wear, to remind them of doing all the commandments, Num 15:38. These, as well as their phylacteries, the Pharisees affected to wear broader and larger than other men. Mark 12:38.
The Jewish rabbis were also called father and master, by their several disciples, whom they required, To believe implicitly what they affirmed, without asking any farther reason; To obey implicitly what they enjoined, without seeking farther authority. Our Lord, therefore, by forbidding us either to give or receive the title of rabbi, master, or father, forbids us either to receive any such reverence, or to pay any such to any but God.
Mt 20:26.
Whosoever shall exalt himself shall be humbled, and he that shall humble himself shall he exalted - It is observable that no one sentence of our Lord's is so often repeated as this: it occurs, with scarce any variation, at least ten times in the evangelists. Luke 14:11; 18:14.
Wo to you - Our Lord pronounced eight blessings upon the mount: he pronounces eight woes here; not as imprecations, but solemn, compassionate declarations of the misery, which these stubborn sinners were bringing upon themselves. Ye go not in - For ye are not poor in spirit; and ye hinder those that would be so.
Mark 12:40; Luke 20:47.
Wo to you, ye blind guides - Before he had styled them hypocrites, from their personal character: now he gives them another title, respecting their influence upon others. Both these appellations are severely put together in the 23d and Mt 23:23,25. 25th verses; and this severity rises to the height in the 33d verse. The gold of the temple - The treasure kept there. He is bound - To keep his oath.
He that sweareth by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon - Not only by the gift, but by the holy fire, and the sacrifice; and above all, by that God to whom they belong; inasmuch as every oath by a creature is an implicit appeal to God.