1.
And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these sayings, he departed from Galilee, and came into the coasts of Judaea beyond Jordan;
And it came to pass. A Hebraism.
sayings = words. Greek. logos. See note on "saying", Mark 9:32 .
departed = withdrew (by sea).
from. Greek. apo.
into. Greek. eis .
coasts = borders.
beyond Jordan. Perea, east side of Jordan, from the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea.
2.
And great multitudes followed him; and he healed them there.
3.
The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?
Pharisees. See App-120 .
tempting Him = trying Him. See note on Luke 16:18 .
for = on account of. App-104 .
4.
And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,
Have ye not read . . . ? See App-143 .
at = from. Greek. apo.
the beginning. See note on John 8:44 .
male and female = a male and a female. Reference to Pentateuch (Genesis 1:27 ). This settles the theory of evolution.
male. Greek. arsen. App-123 .
5.
And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?
and they twain. This is added by the Lord to Genesis 2:24 . See App-107 and App-117 .
they twain = the two.
flesh. Figure of speech Synecdoche (of the Part), put for the whole person. App-6 .
6.
Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
What = The unity, not "those" (the persons).
God. App-98 .
hath joined together, &c. = joined together, &c. The converse is true also. See note on Philippians 1:1 , Philippians 1:10 .
7.
They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away?
Why? Why then? Moses. See note on Matthew 8:4 .
command, &c. Not till the close of the forty years.
writing. A bill. Reference to Pentateuch (Deuteronomy 24:1 ). See App-117 .
8.
He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.
because of = in view of, or having regard to. Greek. pros. App-104 .
suffered = allowed.
was not so: i.e. from the first constitution down to Moses.
9.
And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.
And = But.
for. Greek. epi.
10.
His disciples say unto him, If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry.
If the case, &c. The condition is hypothetical. See App-118 .
case = cause, as in Matthew 19:3 .
the man. Put by Figure of speech Synecdoche" (of Genus), App-6 , for a husband.
good = profitable.
11.
But he said unto them, All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given.
All men cannot = not (as in Matthew 19:4 ) all men can.
is = has been.
12.
For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother's womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it.
born. See note on "begat", Matthew 1:2 .
made eunuchs. The verb occurs only here.
of = by. Greek. hupo.
for . . . sake. Greek. dia. App-104 .Matthew 19:2 .
the kingdom of heaven's. See App-114 .
heaven's = the heavens'. Plural as in Matthew 19:14 . Not Singular as in Matthew 19:21 .
to receive . . . let him receive. Figure of speech Polyptoton. App-6 .
13.
Then were there brought unto him little children, that he should put his hands on them, and pray: and the disciples rebuked them.
little children = young children. Greek plural of paidion . App-108 . Compare Mark 10:13-15 .Luke 18:16 , Luke 18:17 .
should put = should lay, as in Matthew 19:15 .
and pray = and should pray. Greek. proseuchomai. App-134 .
rebuked = reprimanded.
14.
But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.
forbid = hinder.
of such is: or, to such belongeth (in Eng. idiom): so Tyndale.
15.
And he laid his hands on them, and departed thence.
16.
And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
behold. Figure of speech Asterismos. App-6 .
Good. All the texts omit. The accounts here(verses: Matthew 19:16-27 , Mark 10:17-28 , and Luke 18:18-28 ) are partly identical and partly complementary.
Master = Teacher. Greek. Didaskalos. See App-98 . Matthew 19:1 .
eternal life = life age-abiding. Greek. zue aionios. App-170 . This was to be gained by "doing" in that Dispensation and since the Fall. Compare Leviticus 18:6 . Now all is "done", and "eternal life is the gift of God" ( Rom 6:23 . 1 John 5:11 , 1 John 5:12 ).
17.
And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.
Why . . . ? Note the several questions. See the Structure above.
wilt enter = desirest ( App-102 .) to enter.
life. Greek. zoe. App-170 .
commandments. All of them (Matthew 5:19 . James 2:10 , James 2:11 .Deuteronomy 27:26 (Septuagint) Galatians 1:3 , Galatians 1:10 ).
18.
He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness,
Which? The Lord, in reply, recites five (the sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, and fifth), but omits the tenth in order to convict him out of his own mouth when he says he has kept "all these". See App-117 .
Jesus = And Jesus.
Thou shalt do, &c. Quoted from Exodus 20:12-16 .
19.
Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Quoted from Leviticus 19:18 .
20.
The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?
All these. Yes, but not the tenth. Hence the Lord's answer "go and sell", which brought conviction.
21.
Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.
wilt be = art willing to be. App-102 .
that thou hast = thy property or possession. Same word (but not the same form) as "is" in Philippians 1:3 , Philippians 1:20 = exists as a possession.
poor. App-127 .
heaven. Sing; not plural, as in verses: Matthew 19:12 , Matthew 19:14 , i.e. not on earth. See notes on Matthew 6:9 , Matthew 6:10 .
22.
But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.
sorrowful = grieving
great = many.
23.
Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Verily. See note on Matthew 5:18 .
hardly = with difficulty.
24.
And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
camel. With its burden. Not a cable, as some suggest.
go = pass,
through. Greek. dia. App-104 .Matthew 19:1 .
the eye. Greek. trupema. Occurs only here.
the eye of a needle. A small door fixed in a gate and opened after dark. To pass through, the camel must be unloaded. Hence the difficulty of the rich man. He must be unloaded, and hence the proverb, common in the East. In Palestine the "camel"; in the Babylonian Talmud it is the elephant.
the kingdom of God. The third of five occurrences in Matthew. See note on Matthew 6:33 , and App-114 .
25.
When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved?
then = it followeth.
26.
But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
beheld. Greek. emblepo. App-133 . Not the same as verses: in, 27.
all things are possible. For eternal life is now "the gift of God" (compare Romans 6:23 ). See also Genesis 18:14 .Job 42:2 (marg). Zechariah 8:6 (Septuagint) Luke 1:37 .
27.
Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?
28.
And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
ye. The answer to Peter's "we", Matthew 19:27 .
the regeneration = the making of all things new. The restoration of Acts 3:21 = the "when" of the next clause. In Mark 10:30 we have the synonymous expression "the coming age": thus referring to the future time of reward, and not to the then present time of their following; the word palingenesia occurs only here, and in Titus 3:5 . The Syriac reads "in the new world" (i.e. age).
the Son of man. See App-98 . XVI
shall sit = shall have taken His seat.
in = upon. App-104 .
the throne of His glory = His glorious throne.
upon. Greek. epi. App-104 .
the twelve tribes of Israel. This can have nothing to do with the Church of the Mystery as revealed in the prison epistles.
29.
And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.
or. Note the Figure of speech Paradiastole. App-6 .
everlasting. Greek. aionios. See App-151 .
life. Greek. zoe. App-170 .
30.
But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.
many. Connected with "last" as well as "first". Omit the italics "that are", and connect this verse with Matthew 20:1 as evidenced by the word "For" (Matthew 20:1 ) and "So"in Matthew 19:16 .