derstanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him;

6 Cannot defile him.' Cannot render his soul polluted; cannot make him a sinner, so as to need this purifying as a religious observance.

19 Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats?

'Entereth not into his heart.' Does not reach or affect the mind, the soul, and consequently cannot pollute it. The notions of the pharisees, therefore, are not founded in reason, but are mere superstition. 'Purging all meats.' The word 'purging' here, means to purify, to cleanse. What is thrown out of the body is the innutritious part of the food taken into the stomach, and leaving only that which is proper for the support of life; and it cannot, therefore, defile the soul. All meats." All food; all that is taken into the body to support life. The meaning is, that the economy or process by which life is supported, purifies or renders nutritious all kinds of food. The unwholesome parts are separated, and the wholesome only are taken into the system. 20 And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. 21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

'That which cometh out of the man.' His words; the expression of his thoughts and feelings; his conduct, as the expression of inward malice, anger, covetousness, lust, &c. Defileth the man.' Is really polluted, or offensive in the sight of God. They render the soul corrupt and abominable in the sight of God. See Matt. xv. 18-20.

24 And from thence he arose, and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and entered into an house, and would have no man know it: but he could not be hid.

See this miracle explained in Matt. xv. 21-28. 'Would have no man know it.' To avoid the designs of the pharisees, he wished to be retired.

25 For a certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came and fell at his feet: 26 The woman was a Greek, a Syrophe

nician by nation; and she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter.

'A Greek.' The Jews called all persons Greeks who were not of their nation. Compare Rom. i. 14. The whole world was considered as divided into Jews and Greeks.

27 But Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled for it is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it unto the dogs. 28 And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs. 29 And he said unto her, For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter. 30 And when she was come to her house, she found the devil gone out, and her daughter laid upon the bed. 31 And again, departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, he came unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis. 'Departing from the coasts.' The country, or regions of Tyre. 'Came unto the sea of Galilee.' The sea of Tiberias. Decapolis.' See Matt. iv. 25. He went into the retired regions around the sea of Galilee, to avoid the designs of the pharisees, who sought his life.

32 And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him.

That is, his friends brought, or the people brought. One that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech. Not entirely dumb, but who spoke indistinctly or with difficulty. To put his hand upon him.' That is, to cure him. Blessings were commonly imparted by laying on the hands.

33 And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue;

"And he took him aside from the multitude.' Why this was done we have no means of information. And he put his fingers into his ears,' &c. This was intended, probably, as a sign that the power of healing came from Jesus; to satisfy the man by the touch that he had this power, and that it could come from no other quarter. Our Saviour often used signs in this way to denote his power to heal. See Mark viii. 23. John ix. 6.

34 And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened.

'Looking up to heaven.' To lift up the eyes to heaven is an act

of imploring aid from God, and denotes an attitude of prayer, Ps. cxxi. 1, 2. Mark vi. 41. John xi. 41. He sighed.' Pitying the sufferings of the man who stood before him. Ephphatha. This word is Syriac, the language which our Lord used in addressing the man, and means' be opened.'

35 And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain. "The string of his tongue was loosed. The difficulty in his speaking was removed. He spake plain.' Distinctly; without difficulty.

36 And he charged them that they should tell no man but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it;

'Tell no man.' Do not noise it abroad. He was not ambitious of being known.

37 And were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.

'Beyond measure.' Exceedingly; very much. 'He hath done all things well.' All things in a remarkable manner.

CHAPTER VIII.

1 IN those days the multitude being very great, and having nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples unto him, and saith unto them, 2 I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat: 3 And if I send them away fasting to their own houses, they will faint by the way for divers of them came from far. 4 And his disciples answered him, From whence can a man satisfy these men with bread here in the wilderness? 5 And he asked them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven. 6 And he commanded the people to sit down on the ground: and he took the seven loaves, and gave thanks, and brake, and gave to his disciples to set before them; and they did set them before the people. 7 And they had a few small fishes: and he blessed, and commanded to set them also before them. 8 So they did eat, and were filled and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven

baskets. 9 And they that had eaten were about four thousand: and he sent them away.

See this passage explained in Matt. xv. 32-39. 'In those days.' While in the wilderness, where he had cured the dear and dumb man. 'Having nothing to eat.' Having come unprovided, or having consumed what they had brought. I have compassion.' I pity their condition. I am disposed to relieve them. 'Four thousand.' Four thousand men, besides women and children. See Matt. xv. 38.

10 And straightway he entered into a ship with his disciples, and came into the parts of Dalmanutha. 'Dalmanutha.' In Matt. xv. 39. it is said that he came into the coasts of Magdala. See note on the place.

11 And the pharsiees came forth, and began to question with him, seeking of him a sign from heaven, tempting him. 12 And he sighed deeply in his spirit, and saith, Why doth this generation seek after a sign? Verily I say unto you, There shall no sign be given unto this generation. 13 And he left them, and entering into the ship again, departed to the other side.

See this passage explained in Matt. xvi. 1-12. Sighed deeply in his spirit.' His soul, his heart, was deeply affected at their wickedness and hypocrisy. The word 'spirit,' here, means human soul. 'No sign be given.' That is, no such sign as they asked, no sign from heaven. He said a sign should be given, the same as was furnished by Jonas, Matt. xvi. 4. But this was not what they asked, nor would it be given because they asked it.

14 Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, neither had they in the ship with them more than one loaf. 15 And he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod. 16 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have no bread. 17 And when Jesus knew it, he saith unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? perceive ye not yet, neither understand? have ye your heart yet hardened? Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember? 19 When I brake the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? They say unto him, Twelve. 20 And when the seven among four thousand, how many

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baskets full of fragments took ye up? And they said, Seven. 21 And he said unto them, How is it that ye do not understand?

'Beware of the leaven of the pharisees. See Matt. xvi. 6. 'Of Herod.' Of the Herodians-of Herod and his followers. Matthew, instead of Herod, has, the sadducees. It is not improbable that he cautioned them against them all. Matthew has recorded his caution to avoid the pharisees and sadducees, and Mark has added, what Matthew had omitted, the caution to beware of the Herodians.

22

And he cometh to Bethsaida; and they bring a blind man unto him, and besought him to touch him. 'To Bethsaida.' See note on Matt. xi. 21. Besought him to touch him.' That is, to heal him: for they believed that his touch would restore his sight.

23 And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought.

'Led him out of the town.' Jesus chose to perform the miracle alone; thus showing, that while he did good he desired to do it in such a way as to avoid ostentation. "Spit on his eyes.' The eyes were probably closed. To apply spittle to them, to wet them, would be a sign, a natural expression of removing the obstruction and opening them. The power was not in the spittle, but it attended the application of it. 'Saw ought.' Saw any thing.

24 And he looked up, and said, I see men, as trees, walking.

'I see men, as trees, walking.' I see men walking, but see them so indistinctly, that but for their motion I could not distiuguish them from trees. I cannot distinctly see their shapes and features.

25 After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly.

'Every man clearly.' Could see their form and features. His sight was completely restored. Though our Lord did not by this, probably, intend to teach any lesson in regard to the way in which the mind of a sinner is enlightened, yet it affords a striking illustration of it. Sinners are by nature blind, 2 Cor. iv. 4. 1 John ii. 11. John ix. 39. The effect of religion, or of the influence of the Holy Spirit, is to open the eyes, to show the sinner