first washed before dinner.

39 And the Lord said unto him, Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness.

40 Ye fools, did not he that made that which is without, make that which is within also?

41 But rather give alms of such things as ye have; and behold, all things are clean unto you.

known to practise, their exhortations are as water spilled on the ground, or words written in the sand. Make clean the outside, &c. See note on Matt. xxiii. 25. Ravening. Rapaciousness, or robbery. The literal platter was scrupulously washed, but was filled with the fruits of extortion and robbery. See Matt. xxiii. 14. Figuratively, they were punctiliously exact in cleansing every ceremonial defilement of their bodies, while their hearts were full of moral corruption.

on Mark vii. 4. As the ancients did not use knives and forks at their meals, but conveyed their food from the dish to the mouth with their fingers, common cleanliness required that their hands should be washed, before eating, if they were not already clean. But the Jews had carried this matter to an excess, and even made it an indispensable ceremony. Jesus had occasion to rebuke their adherence to ceremony, or rather their undue estimation of ceremonies, in religion; and, as his hands had at this time no need of washing, he declined a 40. Ye fools. Their conduct maniconformity to their custom; thus show-fested the most unmitigated folly. Proing his disregard and disapproval of all which was merely ceremonial or useless. And this gave him an opportunity to point out the important distinction, ver. 39, between ceremonial cleanness and actual purity of heart, and to show the Pharisees that they were too scrupulous concerning the former, and too little at tentive to the latter.

39. Perceiving the astonishment of the Pharisee, that he had not first washed before dinner, ver. 38, our Lord immediately commenced a discourse upon a subject, very ungrateful to Pharisaic ears, but of vast importance; the very subject to which he intended to attract attention by neglecting to wash. It may be observed, that our Lord's precepts and practice were always consistent and harmonious. Whatever he required of others, he himself performed. His life was an exact embodiment of his doctrine, in regard to all the duties prescribed towards God and towards men. In this particular case, had he conformed to the ceremony so scrupulously observed by the Pharisees, his condemnation of their reliance upon ceremonies would have lost much of its force. It were well, if all religious teachers were somewhat more cautious, in this respect. Many excellent precepts have been neutralized, as to their effect, by the inconsistent conduct of teachers. When men exhort to the practice of virtues to which they are personally strangers, or to abstinence from vices which they are

fessing to be worshippers of God, and acknowledging that the secrets of all hearts were open to his sight, they contented themselves with outward ablutions, merely putting away the filthiness of the flesh, and utterly neglected that purification of the heart, which should give them a good conscience towards God. 1 Pet. iii. 21. The ostrich, who imagines he conceals his huge, unsightly body, by thrusting his head in the sand, manifests less folly than he who flatters himself that he can hide the deformity of his heart from the all-seeing God, by outward cleansings, or a hypocritical personation of godliness. Did not he that made, &c. Did not the same God make the heart or the mind, who made the body? He can see the one as distinctly as the other. It is much more important that the jewel should be preserved from harm, than the case which encloses it. Purity of heart is infinitely more important than cleanliness of body; and a good conscience before God, than the reputation of sanctity among men. 41. But rather give alms of such things as ye have, &c. Commentators differ much in their exposition of this verse. (1.) It is said to mean "either what was within the dishes spoken of before; or what was within their houses or power; or what they had at hand, for so ta enonta (τὰ ἐνόντα) is used by the purest Greek writers. Cease from rapine; far from spoiling the poor by wicked exactions, rather give them alms

42 But wo unto you, Pharisees! | synagogues, and greetings in the for ye tithe mint, and rue, and all | markets. manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.

43 Wo unto you, Pharisees! for ye love the uppermost seats in the

of everything you possess; and when a part of everything you have is sincerely consecrated to God, for the use of the poor, then all that remains will be clean unto you; and you will have the blessing of God in your basket and store, and everything will be sanctified to you."-Clarke. (2.) "The best way of purifying yourselves, estates, meats, and drinks, &c., from all pollution cleaving to them, is (instead of that which you Pharisees attempt by washing your hands, your vessels, &c.,) by works of mercy and liberal alms-giving, as far as you are able, restoring to the injured, or if there be not place for that, giving to those that want. "-Hammond. This author, in a long note, explains his meaning to be, that they were to divest themselves of all their unlawful gains, by making restitution to each one whom they had injured; and so far as this could not be done, by reason of the death or absence of the injured party, that they should bestow an equal or larger amount upon the poor; in short, that they should in no case retain any portion of the wages of iniquity, but bestow the uttermost fraction in deeds of justice or mercy. In this general view, Barnes and others coincide. Our Lord's language, however, must be understood in a qualified sense. It is utterly inconsistent with the plainest principles of the gospel, to understand him to say, that those who had amassed riches, by oppressing and defrauding others, should be made every whit pure, by bestowing a pittance of their ill-gotten treasures upon the poor; and alms-giving does not ordinarily imply the bestowment of more than a part of one's possessions. The meaning may be, that by cherishing that spirit, in all respects, towards their fellow-men, which is manifested in the bestowment of alms upon the poor, that is, a spirit of benevolence, kindness, compassion, and love, they would thus become pure.

42. See note on the preceding verse,

44 Wo unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them.

45

Then answered one of the

and on Matt. xxiii. 23. Rue. A garden herb, sometimes used medicinally. It is bitter, and strong-scented. It is doubted whether such herbs were subject to the law of tithe; but the Pharisees were scrupulous in these minor matters as an offset against their manifold and heinous transgressions of the law. 43. See note on Matt. xxiii. 6. 44. See note on Matt. xxiii. 27. As graves, &c. According to the Jewish law, ceremonial or legal pollution was contracted by treading on a grave. When a grave was so situated as not to be distinctly visible, the place had the appearance of being pure, when in fact it was unclean and polluting. Such, our Lord says, was the condition of the Pharisees. By their outward sanctity of demeanor, and by their exact observance of ceremonies, they appeared unto men to be pure; but within, like a concealed grave, they were full of corruption, notwithstanding men were not

aware of it.

45. One of the lawyers. A class of men, skilled in the law, and professional expounders of it. The precise difference, if any, between this class and the scribes, is very imperfectly understood. See note on Matt. xxii. 35. Thou reproachest us also. Either the lawyers were generally Pharisees, or their conduct was so similar that this lawyer considered any reproof of them equally directed against him and his brethren. "Sinners often consider faithfulness as reproach. They know not how to separate them. Jesus did not reproach or abuse them. He dealt faithfully with them; reproved them; told them the unvarnished truth. Such faithfulness is rare; but when it is used, we must expect that men will flinch, and perhaps be enraged; and though their consciences tell them they are guilty, still they will consider it as abuse."-Barnes. Perhaps this lawyer expected to intimidate our Lord, by intimating the danlawyers, and said unto him, Mas-ye allow the deeds of your fathers : ter, thus saying, thou reproachest for they indeed killed them, and ye us also. build their sepulchres.

51 From the blood of Abel unto | unto them, the scribes and the Phari

the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily, I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation.

52 Wo unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered.

53 And as he said these things tion, however, remains, that this is an unusual personification, and not in accordance with the general style of Luke. Another interpretation appears so easy and obvious, that it seems singular so few have adopted it. It is suggested as follows: "This form of speaking agreeth well enough with that so much in use, 'the rule of judgment saith.' Amongst numberless instances, take that of the Targumist; 'Is it fitting that the daughters of Israel should eat the fruit of their own womb? The rule of judgment [retributive justice] answered and said, Was it also fitting to kill a priest and a prophet in the sanctuary of the Lord, as ye killed Zacharias, &c."-Light foot. The interpretation thus hinted, but not further illustrated by Lightfoot, is this: The language is to be understood wholly as uttered by our Lord. And by this peculiar phraseology, he conveyed the idea, that his language was prophetic, that it was truly divine wisdom, or the truth inspired by the Holy Ghost. A similar form of expression is used by Luke in recording the language of Agabus, addressed to Paul: "Thus, saith the Holy Ghost, so shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles." Acts xxi. 11. It may be objected, that the use of the imperfect tense in the text is inconsistent with this interpretation; "therefore also said the wisdom of God." But this objection bears equally against the theory that Jesus used these words to indicate himself. And, moreover, it should be observed, that the word here used is in the aorist tense, which is proverbially indefinite, and is certainly susceptible of a present signification. Accordingly Campbell translates, "thus saith the wisdom of God."

sees began to urge him vehemently, and to provoke him to speak of many things;

54 Laying wait for him, and seeking to catch something out of his mouth, that they might accuse him.

I

N the

CHAPTER XII.

mean time, when there were gathered together an in52. Key of knowledge. Matthew says, "ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men." The metaphor is taken, in both cases, from a door locked to prevent access. A key is the instrument by which the bolt of a lock is withdrawn. By taking away the key of knowledge, is intended, that the lawyers withheld from the people the means of acquiring true knowledge and entering into the enjoyment of the kingdom of heaven. The particular allusion is correctly expressed thus; "By their false interpretation of the Old Testament, they had taken away the true key of understanding it. You endeavor to prevent the people also from understanding the scriptures respecting the Messiah; and those who were coming to me ye hindered. If there be any sin of peculiar magnitude, it is that of keeping the people in ignorance."-Barnes. For another method of preventing men from entering the kingdom, see note on Matt. xxiii. 13.

53. Urge him vehemently, &c. They were provoked at his reproofs, and determined, if possible, to obtain some advantage over him. They therefore pressed him with questions; they proposed questions in rapid succession, hoping that, in the hurry of the moment, he would use some expression which might be tortured into an accusation against him.

54. Laying wait, &c. As they found open and manly opposition unavailing, they endeavored by stratagem to accomplish their purpose. They attempted to ensnare him by their questions, and to entangle him in conversation, so that they might accuse him before the Sanhedrim, and procure his condemnation.

CHAPTER XII.

1. In the mean time. That is, while Jesus was in the house of the Pharisee,

numerable multitude of people, in- | not therefore: ye are of more value somuch that they trode one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.