Thursday in Easter Week
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English Standard Version
Matthew 9:14
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Then John’s disciples came to him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?”
Then came to him the disciples of Iohn, saying, Why doe we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not?
Then came to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not?
Then the disciples of John came to Him, asking, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?"
Then the followers of John came to Jesus and said, "Why do we and the Pharisees often fast for a certain time, but your followers don't?"
Then the disciples of John [the Baptist] came to Jesus, asking, "Why do we and the Pharisees often fast [as a religious exercise], but Your disciples do not fast?"
Then came the disciples of Iohn to him, saying, Why doe we and the Pharises fast oft, and thy disciples fast not?
Then the disciples of John came to Him, asking, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?"
Then the disciples of John *came to Him, asking, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?"
At that time, John's disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Why is it that we and the Pharisees fast so often, but Your disciples do not fast?"
One day some followers of John the Baptist came and asked Jesus, "Why do we and the Pharisees often go without eating, while your disciples never do?"
Next, Yochanan's talmidim came to him and asked, "Why is it that we and the P'rushim fast frequently, but your talmidim don't fast at all?"
Then come to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees often fast, but thy disciples fast not?
Then the followers of John came to Jesus and said, "We and the Pharisees fast often, but your followers don't ever fast. Why?"
Then the disciples of John came up to him, and said, Why do we and the Pharisees fast a great deal, and your disciples never fast?
Then the followers of John the Baptist came to Jesus, asking, "Why is it that we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples don't fast at all?"
Then the disciples of John approached him, saying, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?"
Then the disciples of John came to Him, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast much, and Your disciples do not fast?
Then come to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not?
Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees frequently go without food, but your disciples do not?
Then Yochanan's talmidim came to him, saying, "Why do we and the Perushim fast often, but your talmidim don't fast?"
Then John's disciples came to Jesushim">[fn] and asked, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast often,often">[fn] but your disciples don't fast?"Mark 2:18; Luke 5:33; 18:12;">[xr]
Then drew nigh to him the disciples of Juchanon, and said, Why do we and the Pharishee fast much, and thy disciples fast not ?
Then came to him the disciples of John, and said: Why do we and the Pharisees fast much and thy disciples fast not?
Then came the disciples of Iohn vnto hym, saying: Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not?
Then come to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not?
Then John's disciples came to him, saying, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples don't fast?"
Then come to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but thy disciples fast not?
At that time John's disciples came and asked Jesus, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not?"
Thanne the disciplis of Joon camen to hym, and seiden, Whi we and Farisees fasten ofte, but thi disciplis fasten not?
Then the disciples of John come to him, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples don't fast?
Then came to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but thy disciples fast not?
Then John's disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples don't fast?"
Then the disciples of John came to Him, saying, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, [fn] but Your disciples do not fast?"
One day the disciples of John the Baptist came to Jesus and asked him, "Why don't your disciples fast like we do and the Pharisees do?"
Then the followers of John the Baptist came to Jesus. They asked, "Why do we and the proud religious law-keepers many times go without food so we can pray better? But Your followers never go without food so they can pray better."
Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?"
Then come near unto him the disciples of John, saying, - Wherefore do, we, and the Pharisees, fast, whereas, thy disciples, fast not?
Then came to him the disciples of John, saying: Why do we and the Pharisees, fast often, but thy disciples do not fast?
Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?"
Then came ye disciples of Ihon to hym sayinge: why do we and the Pharises fast ofte: but thy disciples fast not?
Then come to him do the disciples of John, saying, `Wherefore do we and the Pharisees fast much, and thy disciples fast not?'
Then came the disciples of Ihon to hym sayinge: why do we & ye Pharises fast so oft: and thy disciples fast not?
Then John's disciples came to him and said, why do the Pharisees, as well as we, observe so many fasts, and your disciples keep none?
A little later John's followers approached, asking, "Why is it that we and the Pharisees rigorously discipline body and spirit by fasting, but your followers don't?"
John the Baptist's day workers came and questioned Jesus about worshiping God by not eating. They asked, "Why is it that the religious know-it-alls and us fast, but your cowhands don't have to?"
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
the disciples: Matthew 11:2, John 3:25, John 4:1
Why: Matthew 6:16, Matthew 11:18, Matthew 11:19, Proverbs 20:6, Mark 2:18-22, Luke 5:33-39, Luke 18:9-12
Reciprocal: Psalms 35:13 - humbled Ecclesiastes 7:16 - Be not Luke 18:12 - fast Acts 13:2 - fasted Romans 14:3 - judge
Gill's Notes on the Bible
Then came to him the disciples of John,.... Of John the Baptist, to whom they had addicted themselves, and by whom they abode: though their master was in prison, and the Messiah was known to be come, yet still they were attached to John, and particularly imitated him in the austerities of his life. These, either hearing of the great entertainment made at Matthew's house for Christ, and his disciples, at which they were offended; or else being moved, and set on by the Pharisees, with whom they were agreed in the business of fasting, came to Christ where he was, and put this question to him,
saying, why do we, and the Pharisees, fast oft, but thy disciples fast not? Not that they wanted to know the reason why they and the Pharisees fasted; that they could account for themselves, but why Christ's disciples did not: and this is said not so much by way of inquiry, as reproof; and their sense is; that Christ's disciples ought to fast, as well as they and the Pharisees, and not eat, and drink, and feast in the manner they did. The fastings here referred to are not the public fasts enjoined by the law of Moses, or in any writings of the Old Testament; but private fasts, which were enjoined by John to his disciples, and by the Pharisees to their's; or which were, according to the traditions of the elders, or of their own appointing, and which were very "often" indeed: for besides their fasting twice a week, on Monday and Thursday,
Luke 18:12 they had a multitude of fasts upon divers occasions, particularly for rain c. If the 17th of Marchesvan, or October, came, and there was no rain, private persons kept three days of fasting, viz. Monday, Thursday, and Monday again: and if the month of Cisleu, or November, came, and there was no rain, then the sanhedrim appointed three fast days, which were on the same days as before, for the congregation; and if still there was no rain came, they added three more; and if yet there were none, they enjoined seven more, in all thirteen, which R. Acha and R. Barachiah kept themselves d. Fasts were kept also on account of many other evils, as pestilence, famine, war, sieges, inundations, or any other calamity; sometimes for trifling things, as for dreams e, that they might have good ones, or know how to interpret them, or avoid any ill omen by them; and it is almost incredible what frequent fastings some of the Rabbins exercised themselves with, on very insignificant occasions. They f say,
"R. Jose ×¦× ×ª×× ×× ×¦××××, "fasted fourscore fasts" to see R. Chiyah Rubba; at last he saw, and his hands trembled, and his eyes grew dim: --R. Simeon Ben Lakish ××××× ×¦××××
×¦× ×ª×ת, "fasted three hundred fastings" to see R. Chiyah Rubba, and did not see him.''
Elsewhere it is said, that R. Ase fasted "thirty days" to see the same person, and saw him not g. Again h,
"R. Jonathan fasted every eve of the new year, R. Abin fasted every eve of the feast of tabernacles, R. Zeura fasted "three hundred fasts", and there are that say "nine hundred fasts".''
This may serve to illustrate and prove the frequency of the Jewish fastings. Luke represents this question as put by the Pharisees, which is here put by the disciples of John: it was doubtless put by both agreeing in this matter; and which shows that John's disciples were instigated to it by the Pharisees, who sought to sow discord between them, and to bring Christ and his disciples into contempt with them.
c Misn. Taanith, c. 1. sect. 4. 5, 6. & c. 3. sect. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. Maimon. & Bartenora in ib. d T. Hieros. Taanlot, fol. 65. 2. & 66. 4. e T. Bab. Sabbat. fol. 10. 1. Maimon Taaniot, c. 1. sect. 12-14. f T. Hieros. Cilaim, fol. 32. 2. & Cetubot, fol. 35. 1. g Midrash Kohelet, fol. 79. 1. h lb. Nedarim, fol. 40. 4. & Taanioth, fol. 66. 1.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
Then came the disciples of John ... - This narrative is found also in Mark 2:18-22; Luke 5:33-39. The reference here is to John the Baptist. It is probable that they had understood that John was the forerunner of the Messiah; and if such was the case, they could not account for the fact that there was such a difference between them and the disciples of Jesus. The Pharisees fasted often - regularly twice a week besides the great national days of fasting, Luke 18:12. See the notes at Matthew 6:16-18. This was the established custom of the land, and John did not feel himself authorized to make so great a change as to dispense with it. They were desirous of knowing, therefore, why Jesus had done it.
Besides, it is probable that this question was put to Jesus when John was in prison, and his disciples, involved in deep grief on account of it, observed days of fasting. Fasting was the natural expression of sorrow, and they wondered that the followers of Jesus did not join with them in lamenting the captivity of him who was the forerunner and baptizer of their Lord.
Christ, in reply to them, used three illustrations, all of them going to establish the same thing - that âwe should observe a fitness and propriety in things.â The first is taken from a marriage. The children of the bride-chamber - that is, the bridemen, or âmen who had the special care of the bridal chamber, and who were therefore his special friendsâ - do not think of fasting while he is with them. With them it is a time of festivity and rejoicing, and mourning would not be appropriate. When he is removed or taken away, then their festivity will be ended, and âthenâ will be the proper time for sorrow. So, says he, John, your friend and teacher, is in captivity. With you it is a time of deep grief, and it is appropriate that you should fast. I am with my disciples. It is with them a time of joy. It is not fit that they should use the tokens of grief, and fast now. When I am taken away, it will then be proper that they should fast. For an account of the ceremonies of an Eastern marriage, see the notes at Matthew 25:1-13.
Matthew 9:16
No man putteth a piece of new cloth ... - A second illustration was drawn from a well-known fact, showing also that there was âa propriety or fitness of things.â None of you, says he, in mending an old garment, would take a piece of entire new cloth.
There would be a waste in it. An old piece, or a piece like the garment, would be better. The word here translated ânew,â in the original means ârude, undressed, not fulledâ by the cloth-dresser. In this state, if applied to an old garment, and if wet, it would âcontractâ and draw off a part of the garment to which it was attached, and thus make the rent worse than it was. So, says he, my ânewâ doctrines do not match with the old rites of the Pharisees. There is a fitness of things. Their doctrines require much fasting. In my system it would be incongruous; and if my new doctrines were to be attached to their old ones, it would only make the matter worse.
Matthew 9:17
Neither do men put new wine ... - The third illustration was taken from wine put into bottles.
Bottles, in Eastern nations, were made, and are still made, of skins of beasts. Generally the skin was taken entire from a sheep or a goat, and, properly prepared, was filled with wine or water. Such bottles are still used, because, in crossing deserts of sand, they have no other conveyances but camels, or other beasts of burden. It would be difficult for them to carry glass bottles or kegs on them. They therefore fill two skins, and fasten them together and lay them across the back of a camel, and thus carry wine or water to a great distance. These bottles were, of course, of different sizes, as the skins of kids, goats, or oxen might be used. Bruce describes particularly a bottle which he saw in Arabia, made in this manner of an ox-skin, which would hold 60 gallons, and two of which were a lead for a camel. By long usage, however, bottles of skins became tender and would be easily ruptured. New wine put into them would ferment, and swell and burst them open. New skins or bottles would yield to the fermenting wine, and be strong enough to hold it from bursting. So, says Christ, there is âfitnessâ or propriety of things. It is not âfitâ that my doctrine should be attached to or connected with the old and corrupt doctrines of the Pharisees. New things should be put together, and made to match.
This account of Eastern bottles may illustrate the following passages in the Bible: The Gibeonites took âwine bottles, old, and rent, and bound up,â Joshua 9:4. âMy belly is ready to burst, like new bottles,â Job 32:19. âI am become like a bottle in the smoke,â Psalms 119:83; i. e., like a bottle of skin hung up in a tent filled with smoke.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse Matthew 9:14. Thy disciples fast not? — Probably meaning that they did not fast so frequently as the others did, or for the same purposes, which is very likely, for the Pharisees had many superstitious fasts. They fasted in order to have lucky dreams, to obtain the interpretation of a dream, or to avert the evil import of a dream. They also fasted often, in order to obtain the things they wished for. The tract, Taanith is full of these fasts, and of the wonders performed thus by the Jewish doctors.
