[e] impediment &c.] The word μογιλάλος signifies one of an impedite, stammering speech, one that was tonguetied; and to that the next verse seems to agree, where we read ἐλύσθη ὁ δεσμός, the string that tied his tongue was loosed; and so it is interpreted here by the Syriac. But it may seem here more agreeable to take it as all one with ἄλαλος, speechless; for, 1, so it is recited in the end of the chapter, ver. 37, he makes the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak; which is evidently their observation upon this particular miracle. 2. The Hebrew word אֵלֵם, which signifies dumb, and is rendered ordinarily ἄλαλος, κωφός, ἄφωνος, ἴνεος, all words to express perfect dumbness, is twice rendered μογιλάλος, Exod. iv. 11. and Isaiah xxxv. 6, where yet in both places the sense bears totally dumb, and not only of a stammering speech: in the first place, Who makes the dumb, or deaf, the seeing, or blind? in the second, The lame shall leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing. [f] country] Ἄγρὸς which literally and primarily signifies a field, signifieth also the region or country about, all beside the city. Ἄγρὸς ὁ ἔξω τῆς πόλεως χῶρος, "the region without the city," saith Phavorinus, and so the Latin, ager, is usually taken. Hereupon saith Christ in a great sadness, This is an infidel perverse sort of people, miracles would be but cast away upon these, and therefore they shall not be afforded them upon asking, only that great miracle of my rising from death, typified by that which befell Jonas, Matt. xvi. 4, that shall be afforded them. ⁷ See note [a] on Matt. xvi. ⁸ This he saith to reproach us for our negligence in providing and bringing victuals with us. ⁹ Why should you think that my speech should relate to your having no bread? as if I were not able to supply that want: will you never understand nor consider what is done before you? will you always be thus senseless, thus unimprovable, that nothing can enter into you, making no use of eyes or ears or memory, after all this? ⁷ See note [b] on Matt. xvi. N [a] fuller on earth] It is possible there may be a meaning in the phrase ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς which is not ordinarily taken notice of, yet, because it is but a conjecture, I have neither put it into the margent nor paraphrase, but only left it to be mentioned here. The fuller, whose work it is to cleanse and dress cloth, doth for these purposes use a kind of earth, which is therefore ordinarily known by the name of fuller's earth, which hath a special cleansing whitening faculty in it beyond all other things. This, it is possible, may be here looked on in the description of the whiteness of the appearance of Christ's garments, that it was so pure a degree of white that no fuller, by or with earth, could be able to whiten any thing so. And though the preposition ἐπὶ do not favour this interpretation, yet the promiscuous uncertain use of prepositions among sacred writers is so observable, that it may take off much of that one objection. For thus is ἐπὶ used, Acts iii. 16, in the sense of διὰ, ἐπὶ τῇ πίστει, by faith, as by a means. And if it be so rendered here, it will bear this sense, No fuller, by or by means of earth, can so whiten any thing. So 1 Cor. viii. 10, ἐπὶ τῇ σῇ γνώσει, by thy knowledge. Otherwise it is used for with, Phil. i. 3, ἐπὶ πάσῃ τῇ μνείᾳ ὑμῶν, cum omni memoria vestri, saith R. Stephanus, with every remembrance of you. And that rendering will agree to this sense also. But the truth is, neither of these three examples comes perfectly home to it, they being in the dative, this in the genitive case; and so I leave it as a conjecture, and only add, that in Theophrastus's character of a niggardly person, πολλὴ γῆ signifies much of this fuller's earth. Πρὸς τοὺς γναφάις διατεινόμενος, ὅπως τὸ ἱμάτιον αὐτοῖς ἕξει πολλὴν γῆν, ἵνα μὴ ῥυπαίνοιτο ταχύ, "He earnestly entreats the fullers that his garment may have a great deal of earth, that it may not be sullied quickly." And upon occasion of what they saw and heard in the mount, (see note [a] on Matt. xvii.) they asked Christ, saying, Is it not resolved by all that are skilled in the prophecies of scripture, that Elias must come before that great day that Moses and Elias talked of with thee? 12, 13. And he answered them, saying, It is no doubt prophesied of Elias, Mal. iv. 5, that he should come before the great and terrible day of the Lord, that is, the destruction of the Jews, on purpose to convert and deliver them from it, ver. 6. But let me tell you, John Baptist is this Elias; and he, ye know, is come already as well as I, and they have used him as Ahab used Elias when he was here on earth, stood out obdurate against all his threats; and as they have done with him, so shall they deal with me, persecute, despise, and put me to death, according to the predictions of the old prophets concerning the Messiah, and as was intimated by John Baptist in those words of his, Behold the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sins of the world, meaning that I should bear your punishments as a lamb, be sacrificed, and slain by and for you. See Matt. xvii. 11, 12. [b] teareth him] Ῥήσσω, which signifies to break, or rend, Matt. vii. 6. and ix. 17, Mark ii. 22. Luke v. 37, (and to break out, Gal. iv. 27, that is, to speak, ἐκρήξαι φωνὴν, φράσαι λόγον, saith Hesychius, and ῥηξάτω, κραξάτω,) signifies also to beat, or throw down, upon, or against the ground, and is by ᾽Tertullian according to that latitude of the word He said to his disciples, or, In his answer to the man he said to his disciples: see Matt. xvii. 17. put him into a fit, What do ye dispute among yourselves? according to some copies, which read, abrous, not abrous. it throws him down. Or, he answereth and saith to them: for the King's MS. reads, ἀνσκριθεῖς, ἀποῖς λέγει. boiled within him, troubled him. [c] tare him] What is the full notion of ἐσπάραξεν may be seen by the ancient grammarians. Σπάραγμα, ζεσμός, ταραχή. Σπαρασσόμεθα, ζεόμεθα, ταραττόμεθα, saith Phavorinus out of Hesychius. The word signifies such a stir or tumult within one, as in a pot or caldron is joined with boiling or seething, and produceth a froth or foam at the top; and so is a clear description of an epilepsy, which doth so boil within as to cause a foaming at the mouth, both here and Luke ix. 39. Some manuscript copies read ἐτάραξεν for it, troubled, disquieted, put him in a commotion. [a] looked up] The word ἀναβλέπω joined with εἰς οὐρανόν, to heaven, signifies to look up, or lift up the eyes that way. So Matt. xiv. 19, Mark vi. 41. and vii. 34, Luke ix. 16; and thus it is used of persons that did see, nay, being spoken of them, it is sometimes used in that sense, without εἰς added to it, as Luke xix. 5, Christ's looking up is his looking up to the tree, the mention of Zacchaeus's climbing up to the tree intimating it as clearly as if it had been expressed. And Luke xxi. 1. it is simply to see or behold, being spoken of Christ, who sitting over against the treasury, Mark xii. 41, ἀνέβλεψε, looked upon them that cast in &c. But the word is generally used of blind persons, and then signifies recovering of sight: see Matt. xi. 5. xx. 34, Mark x. 51, 52. Luke vii. 22. xviii. 41—43. John ix. 11. 15. 18. Acts ix. 12. 18, and xxii. 13. So ἀνάβλεψις is recovering of sight, Luke iv. 18. And therefore in all reason it must in these two places also be so interpreted. And he fell into a sore fit of epilepsy, and therewith was for ever freed of the disease. recovered. his disciples, thinking verily that they were not able to cure this disease, asked in private what the reason was. [d] why] "Or here must signify διὰ τί; wherefore? see note [c Luke vii; and so the King's MS. reads it, διὰ τί ἡμεῖς, and the ancient Greek and Latin MSS. and others in like manner. And he told them, that to the curing of this disease they ought to have fasted and prayed, and their not using that means (which they ought to have used) was it that made them not able to do it, and that was the culpable omission which he reprehended in them, ver. 19. See Matt. xvii. 21. and Christ now determined to be more private, seeing and telling his disciples how little good was now likely to be done by his further miracles, it being certain that the chief of the Jews would, instead of put him into a great disquiet, world overafter. The losing of life here, if it happen by an unchristian desire to save it, or however, everlasting death, is so great a loss, that nothing else is worth having which is so purchased. See notes [m] and [n] on Matt. xvi. ### CHAP. IX. a In this generation, Matt. xxiv. 34, before the death of some that are here, particularly of John, John xxi. 22, shall be that famous coming of Christ as a king, for that act of revenge upon his crucifiers and destroying the Jewish state: see note [c] on Matt. iii., note [a] on Matt. xvii., and note [b] on Matt. xxiv. b changed into another form or manner of appearance before them. c said to Jesus, Lord, what a blessing is this to us to be made partakers of this dignity! let us abide here always. And not knowing what to speak, being, together with his transportation of joy, in a great fright also, (as the rest of them were, so that they fell on their faces, Matt. xvii. 6,) he spake he knew not what, saying, We will make three tents or tabernacles; one for thee and us, &c. For he that goes out into the field, doth always take one part or other; and his not engaging against me, as is evident by his using, not blaspheming my name, is an argument infallible that he is on my side, believes in my name, which he makes use of to such purposes. For it is not only the great eminent performances, those which are in you my constant attendants and disciples, which is accepted by me, but every the least degree of sincere faith and Christian performance, (proportionable but to the expressing the least kindness, giving a cup of water to a disciple of mine for being such,) shall be accepted and rewarded by me. And on the other side, he that shall oppose me in the least degree, discourage the meanest Christian, hinder his progress in Christianity, his condition is so sad, that as it were much better for him never to have been born, so being born it were a preferment to him to be annihilated again. 43-48. It is a sad thing that Christians should, by any temptations or occasions whatsoever, be aliened from Christ; yet such things are to be looked for; and therefore the great misery of it and infelicity lies upon them that do contribute any thing towards it (see Matt. xviii. 7). And therefore, if any thing that is most near unto thee, most useful, or necessary to thy secular concernments, be a means to alien thee from the service and confession of Christ, part with it most readily and speedily; thou hadst better lose that and (after whatever sufferings here) inherit heaven eternally, than (after whatever temporal enjoyments here) to be thrown into hell, where the remorse for such folly, and the sharp torments attending it, shall never be at an end. [e] salted] The word ἀλίζομαι is made answerable to the Hebrew ח״ה, and is, Isaiah li. 6, set by Symmachus to signify consumed, in like manner as the ὁλοκαύτωμα, the whole burnt offering is consumed, burnt all of it with fire; which is answerable to the πῦρ ἄσβεστον, unquenchable fire going before; and so the meaning of this expression will be here, that that first sort of men, the apostates, or wicked carnal Christians, the subject of the former verses (to which therefore the universal particle πᾶς, every one, is to be restrained, as in scripture it is frequent to restrain it) shall be used as the burnt offerings are, they shall have fire instead of salt; but the pious-minded Christian, like the minchah, shall have the 8 salt, the grace of God and Christian doctrine; and by God's [a] put away her husband] That which is here said convertibly of divorces, the wife putting away the husband, as the husband the wife, must not so be understood, that the wife hath (or ever had) in any case power to put away the husband, though not to marry again, as in case of fornication, the husband may put away the wife; for there is that difference between the husband and the wife, that renders one lawful, and not the other, viz. the dominion of the husband over the wife, which the wife, whose part is obedience, Gen. iii. 16. 1 Peter iii. 6, hath not back again h Ep. 443. [a] not yet] That the words are thus literally to be rendered, οὐ γὰρ ἦν καιρὸς σύκων, for it was not a time or season of figs, there is no doubt; what the meaning of the word time or season here is, will be the only difficulty. If the time or season of the year wherein figs are ripe, so that it be here said it was not that time of ripe figs, then many inconveniences will follow: as, first, that will not be (as this passage is designed) a reasonable account why there was nothing but leaves on the tree, for green figs there might be, and so somewhat beside leaves, though the time of ripe figs were not come. 2dly, It is not to be imagined that Christ, being hungry, ver. 12, and thereupon going out of his way to a fig tree, εἰ ἄρα εὗρήσει τι ἐν αὐτῇ, in all account to find some food there, should do so at a time when he knew fruit was not ripe, green figs, before they are ripe, being as unfit for food as could be imagined. 3dly, If we consider the time which is there specified, we shall have reason to doubt, whether, thus interpreting καιρὸς, there were indeed any truth in the speech, being great probability that at this time of the year figs in Judæa were wont to be ripe; for it was immediately before the Passover, (presently after the Hosannas,) both here and in Matthew; and that is about the time of putting the sickle into the corn, Deut. xvi. 9, and their offering their firstfruits (seven weeks before Pentecost, Lev. xxiii. 16); by which it is evident that fruits were then ripe And he that shall not come to Christianity as a little child, with that very humility and self-denial and resignation, and sole dependence on Christ, as is observable in one of this age, shall never be received or entertained by Christ. [b] defraud not] That our Saviour reckons up here the six last precepts of the Decalogue, containing our duty toward our brethren, that is, toward other men, under the law, is presently clear to him that considers the words, either here or Matt. xix. 17. From thence it is clear again, that Μὴ ἀποστερήσῃς is St. Mark's rendering of the tenth commandment. And it is observable how many ways this commandment is rendered in the Bible: in Exod. xx. and Deut. v. the Septuagint express it by Οὐκ ἐπιθυμήσεις, Thou shalt not covet; St. Paul, Rom. vii. 7, hath the same; but St. Mark here, Μὴ ἀποστερήσῃς, Thou shalt not defraud; and St. Matthew, ch. xix, Ἀγαπήσεις, &c., Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. From which it is further observable what is the meaning of that commandment; that, undoubtedly, which will be the joint, united importance of these three phrases, and not that which might be thought sufficient to express the meaning of some one of them; that is, so to rest satisfied every man with his own lot, which God hath afforded him, and so to desire the good of others as well as of himself, as not to desire, or endeavour to gain any thing to himself by the loss or diminution of any other; to think the neighbour as fit to enjoy any thing that belongs to him, as himself to enjoy his own; and so join together these two precepts of the heathens, the Quod sis esse velis, nihilque malis, [c] hardly] The thorny ground appears by the parable of the sower to be very contrary to the good, fruitful, the emblem of the honest heart, wherein Christianity was to be planted. By that was meant the mind choked with riches and the cares of this world, which betray and eat out many good hopeful seeds of grace, which would otherwise lift up the soul to the pursuit of the one necessary. And this is the interpretation of the δυσκόλως εἰσελεύσονται, great difficulty of the rich man's being a disciple of Christ, and attaining to his kingdom. This Julian, in his Epistle to Ecebolius, speaks of scoffingly, and saith, that he took away from the Christians all that they had, μὴ στερηθῶσιν ἧς ἐλπίζουσι τῆς οὐρανίου βασιλείας, "that they may not be deprived of that heavenly kingdom which they hope for." See Matt. xix. 29. † See note [e] on 2 Peter iii. But for you who talk so much of your sufferings know this, that of those that come in latest to discipleship or apostleship (as Paul), some shall in diligence and bringing in proselytes to Christ, 1 Cor. xv. 10, very much outstrip those who came in first, (that is, Peter who here speaks and the other disciples of Christ's first election.) [d] many] They who were called and chosen first to be disciples, who consequently ought to have expressed more zeal, more fidelity, and taken more pains in the apostolical office, are here called the first, in respect of their πρωτοκλησία, being first called into the vineyard; and such was Peter and John, and the rest of his present disciples. The last are those which were called later, as St. Paul, who saith truly of himself, that as he was born out of due time, suddenly, (not regularly, as the disciples in Christ's lifetime had been disciples a long space before they had their commission of apostleship,) so he was in labours more abundant, &c. 1 Cor. xv. 10, and 2 Cor. xi. 23. And they that have written the itineraries of the apostles have observed the truth of it, St. Paul having travelled much further than either St. Peter or St. John, as they have described the circuit. ## CHAP. XI. And as Christ before and his disciples after him were going up to Jerusalem they began to consider the danger of this voyage, the sanhedrim re- † have placed their confidence, newobéras. And the mother of James and John in behalf of her children came (Matt. xx. 20.) to him with a petition. See note [a] on Luke vii. u The preferment which ye ask for is not such as you take it for, but only a condition of suffering, which perhaps you will not be much in love with or able to support. But to be advanced before all others is a thing of that nature that I shall not dispose of it according to favour partially, to gratify you or satisfy your importunity, but according to those rules and conditions and qualifications which my Father hath set down. ⁸ they that among the Gentiles do exercise rule over them receive advantages from their subjects, are served and maintained in all their grandeur and splendour by them: see Matt. xx. 25, and note [a] on But in the authority which I shall confer on you and your successors it shall be quite otherwise, ye shall attend and wait upon them whose rulers you are. And the higher ye are advanced in ecclesiastic dignity, the greater burden of office and duty shall lie upon you, to attend the wants of all your inferiors, and to supply them. See Matt. xx. 28. ⁹ there were two blind men, Matt. xx. 30, of which one was called Bartimaeus, that is, the son of Timaeus, which sat— And when they were told that it was Jesus that passed by, Bartimaeus (and the other in like manto have indignation about James, dyararativ vepi 'Ian. ⁷ seem, Sotovres. For every apostate or temporary Christian, every wicked man that by the temptations of the flesh fore-mentioned is taken off from the Christian course, shall (like a burnt offering) be consumed with fire, but every pious man will preserve himself pure from all evil affections, as the sacrifice is by salt from all putrefaction. ² As the doctrine and grace of Christ is useful to you in respect of yourselves, to eat up corruptions in the soul, so let it have that other quality of salt, as it is a sign of union and of the perpetuity and firmness of that, and so let it engage you in all amity and peaceableness with other men. ### CHAP. X. ᵃ departed from Galilee, Matt. xix. 1. ᵇ Is it lawful for a man upon a dislike of his wife, for other causes besides fornication, to put her away? This they asked out of an intention to ensnare him, knowing his doctrine in this matter, Matt. v. 32, contradicted that liberty which they had by Moses. ᶜ Moses gave us liberty to do so, Deut. xxiv. 1. ᵈ This law wherein that was permitted by Moses was written to provide by that means against the inflexibleness and impersuasibleness of the Jews' hearts, which, if this were forbidden them, would be apt to commit some greater villany. 6—9. But the prime law of the creation was quite otherwise, making the union between husband and wife a sacred thing, that must not be violated by any. See note on 2 Peter i. 6. [f] salt] That salt is σίμβολον φιλίας καὶ εἰρήνης, a symbol significative of friendship and peace, is ordinarily said; in reference to which is that of Æschines de ementit. Legat. τοὺς γὰρ τῆς πόλεως ἄλας, "the salt of the city," meaning thereby the public peace and prosperity; and from hence saith i Eustathius, τοῖς ἐπιξενομένοις παρετίθεντο ἄλες πρὸ τῶν ἄλλων βρωμάτων, "salt before all other meats was set before the guests." The only difficulty is, from whence this custom sprang, or wherein this symbolical nature of salt consists, and that is answered by the same Eustathius, ὡς γὰρ ἐξ ὑδάτων πολλῶν καὶ χυτῶν παγεῖς, ἐν τι στερεὸν γέγονε σῶμα, οὕτω καὶ οἱ συνελθόντες εἰς φιλίαν ἐκ διεστώτων εἰς ἓν, τῷ τε τόπῳ καὶ τῇ φιλικῇ διαθέσει συνήχθησαν, "for as salt being compacted of many drops of water, every one in itself fluid and unsteady, becomes one solid body; so they that from distant places conjoin into a league of friendship, meet together both in place and friendly disposition." [b] all nations] There were three atria, or courts, or aisles in the temple: the first, the court of the priests; the second, of the other Jews, together with the perfect, complete proselytes, they that were circumcised and undertook the whole law, and differed nothing from Jews, but that they were born of Gentile parents, the proselytes of jus- For I have given that power to you, that if any of you in the fear of God, with full confidence of faith, without all mixture of doubting, shall set upon any the greatest difficulty, though as great as the removing of a mountain, and assuredly believe that through the strength and power of God in Christ it shall be done, he shall do whatsoever he will. This is to be undertaken by you, not upon confidence of your own strength, but by humble prayer to God; and whatsoever you shall thus pray for, believing that I will according to my promise grant it to you, that ye shall be sure to receive from me. But for the obtaining this certain return to your prayers, the other conditions, which have formerly been required (see Matt. vi. 14.) to make men's prayers effectual, must be observed by you, namely, that whensoever you pray for any thing to be granted you by God, you put all malice from you, and be filled with all charity even to your enemies, that God may in like manner deal with you. And if you do not so, there is no expectation that any prayer of yours, whether for pardon of sin or any thing else, shall be heard and granted by God. Or, feared, because: for the King's MS leaves out abide. O 2 And Christ spake many parables unto them, all pertinent to the rebuking of them for their unbelief, as first, that mentioned Matt. xxi. 28, and then, secondly, this here, Matt. xxi. 33, of a man that planted a vineyard,— Psalm cxviii. 22, Isaiah xxviii. 16, Matt. xxi. 42, Acts iv. 11, Rom. ix. 33, 1 Peter ii. 7. And they were willing to find some justifiable occasion to apprehend him, being somewhat restrained by fear of the people, and yet being much incensed against him, (for they knew that he had designed these parables particularly to pourtray them,) but in fine they let him alone at present and departed. Soon after, being willing to get some accusation against him, they sent some of the Pharisees and some of the Herodians together to him, the Pharisees that thought not Cæsar to have right over Judæa, but looked on him as an usurper; and the Herodians, (see note [b] on Matt. xxii.) which asserted his right, that between them they might bring him to say somewhat either against the liberty of the people of God, asserted by the Pharisees, or against the power of the Roman emperor, asserted by the others; perhaps also suspecting, by his frequent being in Galilee, (and his apostles most of them being born there,) that he was of the sect and doctrine of the Galileans, that no acknowledgment or tribute was to be paid to the emperor. a that thou wilt freely speak thy mind what danger soever come of it, and not suffer the fear of Cæsar to restrain thee from telling us the will of God. b the treacherousness of their design under those fair words, said unto them— [a] tribute] Judas of Galilee (called indifferently Gaulonita and Galileus) was, saith Josephus, head of a fourth sect among the Jews, (see Antiq. I. 18. c. 2.) and having Saddok a Pharisee joined to him, he solicited the people to defection, telling them that God was to be their only master and prince, and no mortal to be acknowledged such; that the requiring a tax from them, if it were paid by them, was a manifest profession of servitude, and that it was their duty to vindicate their liberty, by which means he raised a great sedition among the Jews, and was the cause, under pretence of defending the public liberty, of innumerable mischiefs to the nation. Of this sect, it is possible, they suspected Christ might be a favourer, and the rather for his being counted a Galilean, and that therefore they now come and ask him this question. And though he answer most punctually in favour of the Roman emperor, and so much more for the paying than for the refusing to pay tribute, yet, because there was so much caution in his speech, as that the Pharisees were not able to take any advantage against him, it is therefore improved into an accusation against him, that he forbad to give tribute to Cæsar, Luke xxiii. 20, see note [b] Matt. xxii. That which is in the printed copies κῆνσον, tax, or tribute, is in the old Greek and Latin MSS., which Th. Beza sent to the University of Cambridge, ἐπικεφάλιον, head money. 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, Those therefore were then alive when God said this of them, which was long after their death: ye therefore— • understanding, ver. 33, and with— Was John, that received proselytes by baptism, sent with commission from God or no? m a prophet sent with commission from God. ### CHAP. XII. And the real substantial performance of all duties both towards God and man is to be preferred before all those ritual performances that religion is generally placed in. Matt. xxiii. 14. h in the temple over against the chest, into which the free-will offerings were cast for pious and charitable uses, Luke xxi. 1. [b] want] To discern the meaning of ὑστίρησις, or ὑστίρημα, among the scripture writers, it will not be amiss to look on it a little in the Old Testament, Ezra vi. 9, where ὁ ἐν ὑστίρημα (whereby ומה חשוון is rendered) signifies that which they have need of; for the word חשוון signifies oportuit, necesse habuit, indiguat, to want, or have need of; and so ἐκ τῆς ὑστεστήσεως here, and ἐκ τοῦ ὑστερήματος, Luke xxi. 4, will be rendered out of her necessaries, out of that which was necessary to her, out of that which she wanted for herself, out of her very low estate or extremity, (as appears by that which follows, ὅλον τὸν βίον αὐτῆς, all her provision, all that she had to live or subsist on,) as that is opposed to ἐκ τοῦ περισσεύοντος, out of that which those others had to spare. Thus Phil. iv. 11, καθ' ὑστίρησιν, in respect of a very low estate, wherein he had no more than absolute necessaries, (with which, saith he, he had learned to be content,) expressed by ταπεινοῦσθαι, being abased, or very low, ver. 12; both which are opposed to περισσεύειν there, when πεινᾶν, hungering, is opposed to χορτάζεσθαι, feeding full. So 1 Cor. xvi. 17, ὑμῶν ὑστίρημα οὗτοι ἀνεπλήρωσαν, that which you ought to have done, and See note [a] on Matt. xxiv. ² when shall this utter destruction of the temple be, and consequently of the Jewish nation, and what prognostics or forerunners of it shall be observable? (see notes [b] [c] on Matt. xxiv.) [a] all these] That the ταῦτα and the ταῦτα πάντα here, these things and all these things, signify that which had been by this evangelist mentioned in the words immediately precedent, there is no question. And consequently that thereby is signified the destruction of the temple, and what was implied and contained in that, the city and nation of the Jews, their whole government, civil and ecclesiastical. Which being the words in which St. Mark expresses that which St. Matthew expresses in other words, (here, What shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled? there, Τί τὸ σημεῖον τῆς παρουσίας σου, καὶ τῆς συντελείας τοὺς αἰῶνος; What is the sign of thy coming, and of the consummation of the age? it irrefragably follows from hence (what hath been insisted on at large in the annotations on Matt. xxiv. [b] [c]) that the coming of Christ and consummation of the age signifies the destruction of the Jewish temple and nation; of which only, and not of the day of last judgment, the signs are here demanded by the disciples, and given by Christ, which I here add ex abundanti for the removing all scruple in this matter. To the same purpose it is again observable, that though here, at the beginning, St. Mark do not at all use the phrase of Christ's coming in this manner, yet ver. 26, instead of that which is in another phrase in St. Matthew, ch. xxiv. 30, then shall appear, or be seen, the sign of the Son of man in heaven, this signal punishment and revenge on the crucifiers from Christ now reigning in heaven he hath these plain words, Then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. And Jesus answered them, The forerunners that you are most concerned to know are the great dangers that ye shall be in if ye be not very wary of being seduced and drawn off from the truth. For before that time many false prophets and false Christs pretending to deliver the nation from the Roman subjection shall appear among you, and draw many followers after them. ¹ out of her penury, ἐκ τῆς. ² plucked usunder, καταλυθῇ. For there shall be civil wars among you (see note [e] on Matt. xxiv.) and earthquakes in several parts of your country, and famines and tumults: these are as the first grudging of those great pangs of travail which shall after some time come suddenly upon your nation. ⁶ to the great consistory in Jerusalem, and the lesser in other cities, where you shall be scourged and delivered to the Roman powers, that they may put you to death, (because the Jews cannot,) and this shall be a means of making known to them the Christian religion (as it was in St. Peter and Paul). But before this destruction come on the Jews the disciples shall have preached through all the cities of Jewry, and from them depart to the Gentiles. ⁶ carry you before those tribunals, be not solicitous beforehand (see Matt. x. 19.) what answers or pleas to make, for at that time ye shall be by the Spirit of God extraordinarily instructed what apologies or answers to make; and what shall then come into your hearts, remember it is an effect of this special promise of mine, and so to be looked on by you as the dictate of God's Spirit, and not as any invention of your own, and so without fear or diffidence to be delivered by you. And these prosecutions and bringing you before tribunals ye must look for from those that are nearest to you, from Jews of your closest alliances. And indeed from all sorts of men the true Christian professors must look for very sharp opposition; all which must not be matter of discouragement to you; for it will be so ordered by the providence of God, that the adhering constantly to Christ will be of all other things the most probable way to deliver you from the present dangers that shall overwhelm the unbelievers and apostates, and the only sure way of For they shall be days of most heavy affliction and pressure, such as never were and never shall be paralleled in any time. f such fury of the zealots, such intestine tumults and horrid cruelties, and such foreign close sieges from the Romans, and from thence miserable famines and plagues, that it will be imputable as an especial act of God's overruling providence if there be one Jew left undestroyed. But it is foretold by the prophets that a few shall escape, and that all the Jews should not be utterly cut off (see Matt. xxiv. 22, and note [k]); and for the fulfilling that prophecy care shall be taken for the preserving of some, those especially who shall adhere constantly to the obedience and faith of Christ. And so ye are nearly concerned to be careful that ye run not out after any deceivers. Matt. xxiv. 29. the hosts of heaven, see Matt. xxiv. 29, shall be shaken— See note [a], and on Matt. xxiv. 6, and note [o] on Matt. xxiv. 30, and Matt. xxvi. 64, and præmon. to Revel. 'from one end of the world to another. See Matt. xxiv. 31. The like judgment may ye make by these signs and prognostics to discern when this vengeance comes near. To which I farther add, that it shall be within the lifetime of some now living and here present, within thirty or forty years: this is sufficient warning for you and answer to your question, ver. 4. (And do not ye doubt of the truth of it, for it is irreversibly set.) the branch thereof is now become soft, and the leaves sprout forth, αὐτῆς ἤδη ὁ κλάδος ἄκαλός γένηται, καὶ ἐκφυῷ τὰ φύλλα. [b] the Son] That this whole discourse belongs to the destruction of Jerusalem there can be no doubt to him that compares it with Matt. xxiv. and Luke xxi., and what hath been said in the Annotations for the evincing of it. Which having been the matter of Daniel's predictions, and afterwards of some of John's visions in the Revelation, and here of Christ's, it is most certain, that the time of it was revealed When the passover, which is the preparation to the seven days feast of unleavened bread, (or in the evening of which began the abstinence from all leavened bread,) was now but two days off, that is, about Wednesday in the passion week, the sanhedrin took counsel how they might apprehend him secretly without any great noise, (Luke xxii. 6.) and put— And they resolved on it in council (see Matt. xxvi. 5.) that it were best to defer it till after the passover, lest the multitudes being then there they should rescue him tumultuously. [a] spikenard] What is meant by ἀλάβαστρον hath been explained note [b] Matt. xxvi. Besides that, there are some other difficulties in that passage of the story, as it is set down with some variation in this Gospel. As, 1, for the sort of ointment, it is here said to be nard, which was not any such διάπασμα, or dry ointment, as should make it needful to be put in a box, or that box to be broken for the taking it out, but fit to be poured in and out of a cruise, being moist and fluid, whence "Nonnus calls it ἐίρσην, a dew or watery substance. This nard is reckoned among the στακτά, the ointments that do distil out of reeds, either of their own accord, or when they are cut and bruised, and with which nothing is wont to be mixed, that so it may remain a pure simple liquid and noble juice. Hence it is called spicata nardus, spikenard, because it thus distils ex spicis vel ex aristis, "out of canes or reeds;" and it is very possible that that may be the importance of the word πιστική here, lightly varied from the Latin spicata. Some have thought it to come from the name of a place Bist or Pist, whether that be the metropolis of Carimania or of the region of Cabul in India. Others, that πιστικός like πιστός may signify sincere, unmixed, as the Latin sincerus, "sincere," is said to be made of sine cera, without mixture of wax, (contrary to the ceroma, oil and wax together, used by the athletæ,) and so it is generally called pure nard, Pura distillant tempora nardo, in Tibullus, "pure nard distilling on his temples;" and such is commonly the more chargeable, καὶ στακτοῖσι μύροις ἀγαθοῖσι, in Archestratus, as this here is πολυτελής and πολύτιμος in St. John, costly or precious, thus Marcellus in his book De Medicament.; and Theophil. calls it ἄδολον καὶ μετὰ πίστεως κατασκευασθεῖσαν, unmixed, faithfully prepared; and the old Glosses, balsamum sine impostura, that is, mixtura, "without any deceit." So saith Vadianus, Epit. de Insulis Mar. Mediterr. Dignum cognitu, quod Plinius tradit l. 13. scilicet novem herbarum species esse, quæ nardum imitentur, et adulterent; unde intelligimus in tanta fraudis materia usum loquendi obtinuisse ut pistica nardus diceretur quæ sincera et absque vitio est, et plane ἄδολος, germana, et nulla arte vitiata. "It is worth knowing, what Pliny affirms, that there are nine species of herbs, which imitate and adulterate nard, whence it is, m Ἡμεῖς δὲ λέγομεν ὅτι οὐ δεῖ πάνυ ἀκριβολογεῖν περὶ τούτων τοιγαροῦν οὐ δὲ ᾖ σύνοδος τοιοῦτο ἐπολυπραγμόνησε δόγμα. p 531 B. n Βεβυσμένον ἄγγος ἑέροπς. Judas was very angry at it, (Matt. xxvi. 8,) and said— a singular work of charity upon me. b had in her power, was able; she hath done this prophetically unto me, using this funeral rite as a prefiguration of my death, which is now approaching. c to agree with them upon a price, whereupon he would betray him— Matt. xxvi. 2. the cruise, she poured out of it upon. [c] first day of unleavened bread] Some difficulty there is in the Old Testament about the beginning of the feast of unleavened bread, arising from the comparing of Exodus xii. 6. 8, and Lev. xxiii. 5. Numb. xxviii. 16. In Exodus, on the fourteenth day of the month Nisan at even the passover is to be killed, ver. 6, and the flesh eat that night, ver. 8; and vv. 17, 18, their eating of unleavened bread is to begin at the fourteenth day of that month at even, and to last till the twenty-first day of that month at even; whereas in Leviticus and in Numbers it is distinctly said, In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the Lord's passover, and on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread, and agreeably, Josephus Antiq. l. 3. πέμπτη καὶ δεκάτη διαδέχεται τὴν τοῦ Πάσχα ἡ τῶν ἀζύμων ἑορτὴ ἑπτὰ ἡμέρας οὖσα, "on the fifteenth day of the feast of unleavened bread follows the passover, and lasts seven days." These will soon be reconciled, if first we suppose that the Jews' fourteenth day begins at the sunset of the thirteenth according to the first calculation, Gen. i. The evening and the morning were the first day, and the importance of the word νυχθήμερον, night and day, for the natural day. And then, secondly, that betwixt that time and the next evening, being the full time that belonged to the fourteenth day, all that belonged to the passover was to be done, the place of eating it prepared, the lamb killed and dressed, and eaten about the conclusion of that twenty-four hours, according to that of Moses, Exod. xii. 8, They shall eat the flesh in that night (not the night with which the fourteenth day began, but the night or evening concluding, or shutting up the fourteenth day), that is, not defer the eating it any longer than that night, leave none of it till the morning, ver. 10. And then, thirdly, that this day of the passover being the eve or preparation of the seven days feast of unleavened bread, they were that day before sunset (that is, before the fifteenth day began) to purge out or remove all remainders of leavened bread out of their houses, and to eat the passover with unleavened, (which seems to be referred to by St. Paul, 1 Cor. v.) and then the feast of unleavened bread was to begin, and last seven days, that is, from the evening that concluded the fourteenth and began the fifteenth day, Lev. xxiii. 5, Numb. xxi. 16, to the evening, the conclusion of the P. Laus. Hist. c. 29. p. 947 C. And in the night (see note [d] on Matt. xiv.) he comes with the rest of the twelve. I am to go out of this world to be put to death, according to prophecies; God hath determined that I should come, and like the good shepherd, incur any hazard, lay down my life for the sheep, and foreseeing the malice of the Jews, and their bloody designs, and the falseness of Judas, &c., hath determined to permit me to be slain by them, and accordingly hath foretold it by the prophets, that I should be led as a sheep to the slaughter, &c. But that will contribute little to his advantage that is the actor in it. It is a most unhappy thing to have any hand in putting the Messias or any other person to death, though their dying may be determined by God to most glorious ends, which the wicked actor or contriver knows nothing of, nor at all designs, but directly the contrary. And therefore any such is a most wretched creature. 22, 23. And at the conclusion of that supper, Luke xxii. 20, 1 Cor. xi. 25, Jesus instituted the eucharist. i in which a covenant of infinite mercy is sealed with mankind, to assure unto them pardon of sin, Matt. xxvi. 28, upon their repentance and new life. k that this is the last passover I shall keep with you; the next feast I shall keep with you will be in heaven: (see note [f] on Matt. xxvi. 29.) l See note [g] on Matt. xxvi. m discouraged and fall off from me by reason of that which you shall see befall me this night: for as this is the time wherein that prophecy of smiting the shepherd, the man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of hosts, Zech. xiii. 7, is to be fulfilled; so shall that other part of that prophecy be fulfilled, that the sheep my followers shall be much dismayed and dispersed by the fright of it. But I shall not long continue under the power of death; I shall soon rise again; and when I do so, I will appear to you in Judæa first, John xx. 19, and afterward, John xxi. 1, I will go into Galilee, and thither you may resort to me, and I will give confirmations of your faith, John xx. 20, and settle the whole business of the church, ver. 21, &c., before I ascend to heaven. But Peter, being of a warmer spirit and greater confidence and assurance of his own steadiness than the rest, said unto him— this night, which is the first part of the Jewish day, before the second cockcrowing, (see note [c] on ch. xiii. 35.) thou shalt— the more Christ forewarned him of his fall, the more confidently he affirmed the contrary, That though adhering to thee should certainly cost me my life, yet would I not, to save that life, do any thing contrary to the owning and acknowledging thee that thou art my Lord, and I a disciple that retain or belong to thee. Likewise— while I go a little way off and pray. the portion of affliction now present upon him and approaching might pass— not what seemeth most desirable to my flesh, but to thy divine will and wisdom. Thou that didst even now express so much kindness and constancy to me, ver. 31, art thou so unable to do so much less? In this state of agony, which I expressed to you that I was in, ver. 34, couldest thou be so little concerned as to fall asleep when I stayed so little while from you? But of the point of time when this shall be, no created understanding knows, no, not Christ himself according to his human nature. And this on purpose thus concealed to lay the greater obligation on all to be perpetually watchful and diligent to behave themselves like Christians. "at nine at night, or at twelve, or at three, or at six in the morning. cockcrowing] The gallicinium or cockcrowing is here set to note the middle time betwixt midnight and morning. For there were two cockcrowings in the night, as appears ch. xiv. 30, and the second is here spoken of, and called simply ἀλεκτοροφωνία, as also Matt. xxvi. 75, and Luke xxii. 34, and John xiii. 39, there is only φωνήσει ἀλέκτωρ, the cock shall crow, where yet the meaning is clearly this, δις φωνῆσαι, the second crowing, as appears by this evangelist, ch. xiv. 30. See Censorinus. Lest he come at a time when ye least expect him, and find you in a posture uncapable of mercy from him, unqualified to receive benefit by his coming. Believe it, as confident and secure and unconcerned as you are, the danger now approaching me is so near to you also, and the temptation from thence to deny and forswear me so great, that it were fitter for you to be watchful and importunate with God in prayer that you be not overcome by temptation: (see Matt. xxvi. 41). The spirit— See Matt. xxvi. 44. ¹ Fare you well; your watching will now be no farther useful to me, the fatal minute foretold you is now present; behold, I shall presently be apprehended and delivered to the Romans, by them to be put to death (because the Jews could not put to death). ᵃ the sanhedrim of the Jews. ᵇ carry him to safe custody, take care he escape not. ¹⁵ forward, πρόθυμον. P 2 [d] it is enough] What the word ἀπίχει here signifies may best be learned from Hesychius, though in the place which orderly belongs to it the word be not to be found in the printed copies. After the word ἀπόχασον, ἀπίχει follows, Ἀπίχει, ἀπόχρη, ἑξαρκεί; and after again, ἀπίχει ἑξαρκεί; by which it appears to be an impersonal, and to signify sufficit, actum est, and here to import, It is to no purpose to speak any more of not sleeping, it is now too late; and this preparative to what follows, the hour is come, &c. Thus is ἔχει used also; as Num. xvi. 3, Ἐχίτω ὑμῖν, Let it suffice you; where Symmachus and Theodotion out of the Hebrew literally read, Πολὺ ὑμῖν, It is much for you: so in Anacreon, Ἀπίχει βλέπω γὰρ αὐτὴν, "It is sufficient, for I see her." In order to this interpretation of the word, it is observable, that ἀπίχω, Phil. iv. 18, seems to have a peculiar forensic notion for satis habeo, "giving a discharge," subscribing of an acquittance, (which is therefore called ἀποχή,) πάντα ἀπίχω, I give you my acquittance (ὡς ἐπὶ ὀφειλῆς, "as upon receiving of a debt," saith Theophylact) for all that which now ye sent me, having, as it follows, received by Epaphroditus, &c. Now this notion of it being impersonally applied to this place, signifies Christ's giving them an ἀποχή, or acquittance, a requiring no further attendance from them, (they may sleep on now,) and so, according to our vulgar phrase, giving them a quictus est. So Matt. vi. 2. and 6, ἀπίχουσι τὸν μισθὸν αὐτῶν, they receive all that is due to them, by the receiving the praise of men they acquit God of any further payment. So Gen. xliii. 23, τὸ ὀργύριον ὑμῶν τὸ εὐδοκιμοῦν ἀπίχω, I received your money, good and lawful money, and acquit you of it; and accordingly Suidas interprets ἀπίχω in the present tense by ἀπέλαβον in the aorist, I received; and so doth Theophylact, ἐπαινούμενοι γὰρ τὸ πᾶν ἀπέλαβον παρὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων, "they that are praised have received all from men," that is, have acquitted God. Another way hath been thought of to interpret this place, by adhering to the nature of the verb ἀπίχω, as that notes distance or absence, but that not far removed, approach, or drawing nigh. So the Syriac seems to have understood it here; for in the printed copy of that, instead of ἀπίχει they read מטות חרתא, appropinquavit finis, "the end approacheth;" and in manuscript copies, קרב שולמא, appropinquavit consummatio, "the consummation approacheth;" where מטא and קרב have the same importance, both signifying to draw nigh. According to this way ἀπίχει must be taken personally, and having no substantive annexed to it, the word ὥρα, hour, which follows, must belong And Jesus having reprehended that act of hasty unjustifiable zeal in Peter, and cured the wound, restored the ear to him that had lost it, Matt. xxvi. 52, &c., turns him to the company that comes to apprehend him, and said, Are ye come— this dealing of yours is necessary to the fulfilling of that decree of God's, expressed by the prophecies of Isaiah, &c. all his disciples forsook him— And there was a young man who had been (as it is probable) raised from bed by the noise, and so had no more but his inner garment, and that through haste not put on but cast about him, and he followed after to see the event, and the soldiers seeing him were about to apprehend him: and he left— Caiaphas the high priest, Matt. xxvi. 57, where the whole sanhedrim was come together. ¹⁴ were with him, superquadrum. ¹⁷ testimonies were not sufficient. [e] young men] Νεανίσκοι, young men, is a title here of the Roman soldiers, as in Polybius, νεανίσκων καταγραφή, the mustering of soldiers. So Josh. vi. 22, the Septuagint have δύο νεανίσκοι κατασκοπεύσαντες, two soldiers went to spy; and Josh. ii. 1, and Isa. xiii. 18, τοξεύματα νεανίσκων, the bows of the young men, or soldiers: see Casaubon against Baron, p. 113. So juvenes in Latin do usually signify: see Lipsius Epist. quæst. l. 1. Ep. 1. [f] fire] The word φῶς, light, is here and Luke xxii. 56 clearly taken for a fire; for to that θερμαινόμενος, warming himself, refers; and it is observable how it comes to do so. The writer of this book, and all of the New Testament, and so the Greek translators of the Old, were Jews by nation, and had learned Greek; hence it is, that though they write in Greek, yet they not only retain the Hebrew idiom in phrases and forms of speeches, but further in many other things imitate the Hebrew manner, especially in two things: 1. In the conjugations of verbs, they having in Hebrew more than there are in Greek, do yet express the sense of all their conjugations by Greek words of other conjugations, being not able to do otherwise; as when hiphil, one of their conjugations, is to make do a thing, they finding no conjugation in Greek answerable to this, make use of the active for it. Thus have we θριαμβεύειν, 2 Cor. ii. 14, to make triumph; ἀνατέλλειν, Matt. v. 45, to make arise; σπεύδειν, 2 Peter iii. 12, to make to hasten; καθίζειν, 1 Cor. vi. 4, to make to sit; and ἀποστοματίζειν, to make recite, Luke xi. 53; and περισσεύειν, to make abound, 2 Cor. ix. 8. Thus when we read, Matt. v. 25, ἴσθι εὐνοῶν, that is, literally, think thou well, or be friends with thine adversary, it clearly signifies, make, or get him to be friends with thee: see note [m] Matt. v. 24. The other thing is, that when an Hebrew word (according to the paucity of themes in that language) signifies several things; and those severals expressed in Greek by several words of several significations; one of these Greek is often by them (according as it was the usual dialect or manner of speaking among them) taken for the other. This might be observed in other writings of translators, which have turned books out of their own native language into a language which they have learned by study; as when a Grecian rendered the Novels out of Greek into Latin, meeting with these words, τῆς ὀρθῆς ἀποπεπλάνηνται δόξης, "they erred from the right opinion," δόξα in Greek signifying gloria as well as opinio, he renders it, a vera aberrant gloria. So the translator of Irenæus, who, in a discourse how all things were created by God himself, and not by the angels, hath these words, Ea omnia non per angelos, neque per virtutes aliquas ablatas ab ejus sententia, "All these were created not by angels, nor by any virtues pulled off from his sentence," where the Greek being questionless ἀπὸ δόξης αὐτοῦ should have been rendered ab ejus gloria, "from his glory," according to the opinion of those who, supposing the angels to be made Διετ. ρμε. P 2 [g] agreed not together] ἴσαι μαρτυρίαι here belongs not to the agreement or disagreement of their testimonies, but to the weight of them, or sufficiency to the matter in hand, of putting him to death, either in respect to the number of the witnesses, but especially of the crimes charged on him. The testimonies that were looked for were εἰς τὸ θανατῶσαι, ver. 35, such as would be sufficient to put him to death, and that must not be but under two or three witnesses, and for a crime which is by law capital. Now, though there were many knights of the post brought in to witness against him, ver. 56, yet it is probable that their witnesses were of several matters, not two or more of them to one matter; and so it is there said, that they were not ἴσαι, sufficient in the first sense, in respect of the number of the witnesses. Afterward, ver. 57, the wit- b In voce τιμὴ. But that, if sufficiently testified, was yet no capital crime. And therefore to get some charge against him out of his own mouth the high priest stood up and said to him, Answerest thou nothing? what sayest thou to these things which these— [h] the Blessed] The Jews when they name God generally add, blessed for ever; and thereupon ὁ εὐλογητὸς is here the title of God the Father: see note [d] Rom. ix. See ch. xiii. 26. the whole sanhedrim, ver. 53. Tell us by divine skill who strikes thee. ¹⁸ And neither thus was their testimony sufficient: see note [R]. ¹⁹ sergeants, officers, apparitors, of ὑπηρίται. ²⁰ beat him with blows of a rod, or cudgel, βαπίσμασιν αὐτὸν ἰβαλλον: see note [A] on Matt. xxvii. [i] thought thereon] Many conjectures there are about the importance of ἐπιβαλῶν, as that it might be for ἐννοῶν, thinking on it; or that ἐπιβαλῶν ἔκλαι were all one with ἐπίβαλε κλαίειν, and that to be rendered, he proceeded, or added to weep, that is, he wept, as προσθεῖς εἶπε, Luke xix. 11, a kind of expletive; or as ἐπιβάλλειν signifies περιττότητα, and πρόσθεσιν, abundance, say grammarians, and then would be all one with his weeping bitterly in the other evangelist; but the two latter will be less probable, if it be marked that there is a comma betwixt ἐπιβαλῶν and ἔκλαι; whereas either of those senses requires the connecting of these together, and the advantage that the last hath by agreeing with πικρῶς in St. Matthew, is again lost by that which is observed of this evangelist, that being St. Peter's scribe, he doth as a true penitent would do, set out his sin of denying Christ with more aggravations than any of the evangelists, and only mentions the repentance, but more slightly than the rest. As for the first, that ἐπιβάλλειν should signify ἐννοεῖν, it is but affirmed by Casaubon, but not proved by any grammarian or glossary, and therefore, though proper enough to the place, will be of less authority; and besides, this thinking on it seems to have been contained before in the ἀνεμνήσθη ὁ Πέτρος, Peter's remembering Christ's saying. Less probable than any of these I conceive that of Claudius Salmasius to be, that it should signify ἐγκαλυψάμενον, operto capite, "putting on his hat, covering his head." To these I might add another conjecture, that the Hebrew יָמַךְ being sometimes rendered ἐπιβάλλω, and that ordinarily signifying to fall down, to prostrate himself; and that as an argument and expression of sorrow, ἐπιβαλῶν may possibly signify casting himself down, prostrating himself. But that which seems to me less forced, and most proper to the passages set down by the other evangelists, and backed by the judgment of learned ancient grammarians, is this, that it should signify looking on Christ, casting his eyes upon him, he wept. In St. Luke, ch. xxii. 61, it is said, (in this point of time here set down by St. Mark,) that Jesus turned, καὶ ἐνέβλεψε τῷ Πέτρῳ, and looked upon Peter; and his doing any thing upon that look of Christ's, (as it follows there, he remembered &c.) is an infallible argument that St. Peter looked upon him also, seeing him look; [a] clothed him with purple] Many particulars mentioned in their dealing with Christ were not from the Jewish, but the Roman customs. Some were mentioned in note [d] Matt. xxvii. 15; and such was here the putting the purple or scarlet robe upon him; which the text here saith was done by the soldiers; and Luke, by Herod's servants, or else the Roman guards, Luke xxiii. 11. And so saith: Lazarus Bayfius, this purple or scarlet gown, or robe, was the Roman fashion, called toga picta; and accordingly by St. Luke, ἐσθῆς λομπρὰ, ch. xxiii. 11; and was by way of scoff brought to Christ by the soldiers, as if it had been sent by the senate and people of Rome to him, which, as the Jews said, pretended to be their king. See further note [b] Luke xxiii. And betwixt the third and the sixth hour, John xix. 14, that is, betwixt nine and twelve of the clock, he was condemned by Pilate, and soon hurried away by the soldiers and fastened to the cross. And according to the Roman custom his indictment or charge for which he was put to death was written and fixed over his head. [b] superscription of &c.] That it was the Romans' custom to write the crime for which any man suffered death in a table, and carry it before him to execution, appears by Eusebius, Eccl. Hist. l. 5. c. a'. where of Attalus the Christian martyr it is said, that he was led about the amphitheatre, πίνακος αὐτὸν προάγοντος, ἐν ᾧ ἐγέγραπτο, &c., "with a table carried before him, in which was written in Latin, This is Attalus the Christian." So in Suetonius, Domit. c. 10, Detractum in arenam canibus objecit, cum hoc titulo, Impie locutus, &c. "He brought him out, and cast him to the dogs, with this title or inscription, He spake impiously." This elsewhere he calleth elogium, a way of publishing the fault, in Calig., and so Tertullian in his Apology, c. 11. And as of other kinds of death, so particularly of those that are crucified. This is mentioned by Dio of a servant, that he was carried to the cross, μετὰ γραμμάτων τὴν αἰτίαν τῆς θανατώσεως δηλούντων, "with a writing, or words, declaring the cause of his being put to death." From these records of the Romans appears the propriety of all these expressions in the several evangelists: ἐπιγραφὴ τῆς αἰτίας, the superscription of the cause, or of his crime here in Mark; ἡ αἰτία ἐπάνω τῆς κεφαλῆς γεγραμμένη, the charge, or cause, written over his head, Matt. xxvii. 37; and simply, ἐπιγραφή, inscription, Luke xxiii. 38; and τίτλος, (the Latin word titulus,) title, John xix. 19; all to the same purpose, noting this Roman custom observed in the dealing with him more Romano, "after the manner of the Romans." And by this means that prophecy, Isaiah liii. 12, was fulfilled— using an expression of detestation, said, Thou that destroyest— rulers of the sanhedrim mocking him said among themselves, He undertook to be a saviour of others, and did many miraculous cures on others, but himself he cannot save— And when the trumpet that sounded twelve at noon had gone, there was— " aloud, saying, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit, and so gave up the ghost— " See Matt. xxvii. 51. " the commander of the band of soldiers and other of the soldiers, Matt. xxvii. 54, which stood— " that when he had so cried he gave, ὃτι οὗ τω κρύξαι ἐξέπνευεν. [c] James the less] That the positive, μικρὸς, is here taken for the comparative, the less, or the younger, doth not appear by any circumstance of this text or analogy of other places. And there were three James's so known; two apostles, and the third the brother of the Lord; that this title of the less, in the comparative, could be no character of the third of these, to distinguish him from the other two. That which is most probable is, that being a kind of cognomen here, it is an abbreviate of μικρὸς τῇ ἡλικίᾳ, little in stature, the phrase used of Zacchaeus, Luke xix. 3, and so notes this James to have been about Zacchaeus's size or pitch, and so distinguish him from the others of that name, who, it should seem, were not so. c De re vest.