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'Into the temple.' Not into the edifice properly called the temple, but into the courts which surrounded the principal edifice. Our Saviour, not being of the tribe of Levi, was not permitted to enter into the holy or most holy place. See Matt. xxi. 12. 'And when he had looked round about upon all. Having seen or examined every thing. He saw the abominations and abuses which he afterwards corrected. 'The even-tide.' The evening; the time after three o'clock, P. M. The religious services of the temple closed with the offering of the evening sacrifice, at three o'clock, P. M., and Jesus probably soon left the city.

12 And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry: 13 And seeing a figtree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet.

See this passage explained in notes on Matt. xxi. 18-22. 'Afar off. So far as to see that it was covered with leaves, but not to determine whether there was fruit. 'If haply.' If perhaps. It implies an expectation, that there might be, and yet an uncertainty from some cause. It may be remarked that the word 'haply' does not imply that there was any doubt in the mind of Jesus, but is an expression of the evangelist, speaking, as was natural to him, in the circumstances of the case. 'The time of figs was not yet.' The time of gathering figs was not yet. This is thought to be the true meaning of the passage. If the time for figs to be ripe was not yet, it would seem to be unnatural to expect any. But if the time for them to be ripe was come, yet the time of gathering them was not passed, they might expect to find some on the tree.

14 And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it.

'No man eat fruit of thee.' This implied that it would bear no more. It was to be withered away, and immediately its decay commenced. Jesus was willing by a miracle to teach his disciples his power, and a lesson respecting the state of the Jews -or that God had come often to the Jewish people for the fruits of holiness, and had found none; that he had himself come up to Jerusalem, and had the preceding day entered the temple, if haply he might find the fruits of righteousness, and had found none; that on account of the barrenness of the Jewish institutions, they were to come to an end; the hand of death was to be laid on the whole temple-service, and it was about to pass away for ever. As the barren fig-tree was now to be dried up and die, so Jerusalem was to be abandoned and ruined.

15 And they come to Jerusalem and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the money-changers, and the seats of them that sold doves; 16 And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple.

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See Matt. xxi. 12-15. Any vessel.' Any vessel used in cooking, or connected with the sale of their articles of merchandise.

17 And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves. 18 And the scribes and chief priests heard it, and sought how they might destroy him: for they feared him, because all the people was astonished at his doctrine. 19 And when even was come, he went out of the city.

All the people was astonished.' He became popular among them. The pharisees saw that their authority was lessened or destroyed. They were therefore envious of him, and sought his life. His doctrine.' His teaching. He taught with power and authority so great that the multitudes were awed, and were constrained to obey.

20 And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig-tree dried up from the roots. 21 And Peter calling to remembrance, saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig-tree which thou cursedst is withered away.

Thou cursedst.' To curse means to devote to destruction. This is its meaning here.

22 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. 23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. 24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

'Have faith in God.' Literally, Have the faith of God. This may mean, have strong faith, or have confidence in God; a strong

belief that he is able to accomplish things that appear most difficult with infinite ease.

25 And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. 26 But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.

And when ye stand praying.' When ye pray. It seems that the posture in prayer was sometimes standing, and sometimes kneeling. Compare Psa. xcv. 6. 2 Chron. vi. 13. Dan. vi. 10. Luke xxii. 41. Acts vii. 60; ix. 40. We should be careful that anxiety about a mere form do not exclude anxiety about a far more important matter, the state of the soul. Forgive,' &c. See note on Matt. vi. 12, 15.

27 And they come again to Jerusalem: and as he was walking in the temple, there come to him the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders, 28 And say unto him, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority to do these things? 29 And Jesus answered and said unto them, I will also ask of you one question, and answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. 30 The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men? answer me. 31 And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why then did ye not believe him? 32 But if we shall say, Of men; they feared the people: for all men counted John, that he was a prophet indeed. 33 And they answered and said unto Jesus, We cannot tell. And Jesus answering saith unto them, Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.

See notes on Matt. xxi. 23-27.

CHAPTER XII.

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1 AND he began to speak unto them by parables. certain man planted a vineyard, and set an hedge about it, and digged a place for the wine-fat, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country. 2 And at the season he sent to the husbandmen a servant, that he might receive from the hus

bandmen of the fruit of the vineyard. 3 And they caught him, and beat him, and sent him away empty. 4 And again he sent unto them another servant; and at him they cast stones, and wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully handled. 5 And again he sent another; and him they killed, and many others; beating some, and killing some. 6 Having yet therefore one son, his well-beloved, he sent him also last unto them, saying, They will reverence my son. 7 But those husbandmen said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance shall be ours. 8 And they took him and killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard. 9 What shall therefore the lord of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the husband men, and will give the vineyard unto others. 10 And have ye not read this scripture; The stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner: 11 This was the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? 12 And they sought to lay hold on him, but feared the people: for they knew that he had spoken the parable against them: and they left him, and went their way.

See this parable explained in Matt. xxi. 33-46.

13 ¶ And they send unto him certain of the pharisees and of the herodians, to catch him in his words. 14 And when they were come, they say unto him, Master, we know that thou art true, and carest for no man: for thou regardest not the person of men, but teachest the way of God in truth: Is it lawful to give tribute to Cesar, or not? 15 Shall we give, or shall we not give? But he, knowing their hypocrisy, said unto them, Why tempt ye me? bring me a penny, that I may see it. 16 And they brought it. And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? And they said unto him, Cesar's. 17 And Jesus answering, said unto them, Render to Cesar the things that are Cesar's, and to God the things that are God's, And they marvelled at him.

See Matt. xxii. 15-22.

18 Then come unto him the sadducees, which say there is no resurrection; and they asked him, saying, 19 Master, Moses wrote unto us, If a man's brother die, and leave his wife behind him, and leave no children, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother. 20 Now there were seven brethren and the first took a wife, and dying left no seed. 21 And the second took her, and died, neither left he any seed and the third likewise. 22 And the seven had her, and left no seed: last of all the woman died also. 23 In the resurrection, therefore, when they shall rise, whose wife shall she be of them? for the seven had her to wife. 24 And Jesus answering said unto them, Do ye not therefore err, because ye know not the scriptures, neither the power of God? 25 For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels which are in heaven. 26 And as touching the dead, that they rise have ye not read in the book of Moses, how in the bush God spake unto him, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? 27 He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living: ye therefore do greatly err.

See this passage fully explained in Matt. xxii. 23–33.

Are as the angels.' That is, as the angels in respect to connexions and relations. This passage teaches that the peculiar relation of marriage will not exist. It does not affirm, however, that there will be no recognition of each other as having existed in this near and dear relation. How in the bush.' At the burning bush. See Exodus iii. 6. In that part of the book of Exodus which contains the account of the burning bush. When there were no chapters and verses, this was the easiest way of quoting a book of the Old Testament, by the subject, and in this way it was often done by the Jews.

28 And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all?

See Matt. xxii. 34-40. Perceiving that he had answered them well.' That is, with wisdom, and with a proper understanding of the law. This question seems to have been one of the very

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