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Read the Bible
English Standard Version
Matthew 9:16
Bible Study Resources
Concordances:
- Nave'sDictionaries:
- AmericanEncyclopedias:
- InternationalParallel Translations
No one patches an old garment with unshrunk cloth, because the patch pulls away from the garment and makes the tear worse.
No man putteth a piece of new cloth vnto an olde garment: for that which is put in to fill it vp, taketh from the garment, & the rent is made worse.
No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse.
"But no one puts a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and a worse tear results.
"No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth over a hole in an old coat. If he does, the patch will shrink and pull away from the coat, making the hole worse.
"But no one puts a piece of unshrunk (new) cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and a worse tear results.
Moreouer no man pieceth an olde garment with a piece of newe cloth: for that that should fill it vp, taketh away from the garment, and the breach is worse.
"But no one puts a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and a worse tear results.
But no one puts a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and a worse tear results.
No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. For the patch will pull away from the garment, and a worse tear will result.
No one uses a new piece of cloth to patch old clothes. The patch would shrink and tear a bigger hole.
No one patches an old coat with a piece of unshrunk cloth, because the patch tears away from the coat and leaves a worse hole.
But no one puts a patch of new cloth on an old garment, for its filling up takes from the garment and a worse rent takes place.
"When someone sews a patch over a hole in an old coat, they never use a piece of cloth that has not already been shrunk. If they do, the patch will shrink and pull away from the coat. Then the hole will be worse.
No man puts a new patch on an old garment, so as not to weaken that garment, and make the hole larger.
"No one patches up an old coat with a piece of new cloth, for the new patch will shrink and make an even bigger hole in the coat.
But no one puts a patch of unshrunken cloth on an old garment, for its patch pulls away from the garment, and the tear becomes worse.
But no one puts a piece of new cloth onto an old garment. For its filling up takes away from the garment, and a worse tear takes its place.
And no man putteth a piece of undressed cloth upon an old garment; for that which should fill it up taketh from the garment, and a worse rent is made.
And no man puts a bit of new cloth on an old coat, for by pulling away from the old, it makes a worse hole.
No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch would tear away from the garment, and a worse hole is made.
"No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. For the patch pulls away from the garment, and a worse tear results.
No man inserteth a piece of new cloth upon an old garment, lest he should take away its fulness from that garment, and the rent be greater.
No one inserteth a piece of new cloth on an old garment; lest that which filleth up, tear from that garment, and the rent become greater.
No man putteth a peece of newe cloth in an olde garment: for then, the peece taketh away [somethyng] from the garment, and the rent is made worse.
And no man putteth a piece of undressed cloth upon an old garment; for that which should fill it up taketh from the garment, and a worse rent is made.
No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch would tear away from the garment, and a worse hole is made.
No man putteth a piece of new cloth on an old garment: for that which is put in to fill it; taketh from the garment and the rent is made worse.
No one ever mends an old cloak with a patch of newly woven cloth. Otherwise, the patch put on would tear away some of the old, and a worse hole would be made.
And no man putteth a clout of buystous clothe in to an elde clothing; for it doith awey the fulnesse of the cloth, and a wers breking is maad.
And no man puts a piece of undressed cloth on an old garment; for that which should fill it up takes from the garment, and a worse tear is made.
No man putteth a piece of new cloth to an old garment: for that which is put in to fill it up, taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse.
No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, because the patch will pull away from the garment and the tear will be worse.
No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and the tear is made worse.
"Besides, who would patch old clothing with new cloth? For the new patch would shrink and rip away from the old cloth, leaving an even bigger tear than before.
"No one sews a piece of new cloth on an old coat, because if the new piece pulls away, it makes the hole bigger.
No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old cloak, for the patch pulls away from the cloak, and a worse tear is made.
Howbeit, no one, layeth on a patch of unshrunk cloth, upon an old garment, - for the shrinking of it teareth away from the garment, and, a worse rent, is made.
And nobody putteth a piece of raw cloth unto an old garment. For it taketh away the fulness thereof from the garment, and there is made a greater rent.
And no one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch tears away from the garment, and a worse tear is made.
Noo man peceth and olde garment with a pece of newe cloothe. For then taketh he awaye ye pece agayne from the garmet and the rent ys made greater.
`And no one doth put a patch of undressed cloth on an old garment, for its filling up doth take from the garment, and a worse rent is made.
No man peceth an olde garment with a pece of newe clothe. For then taketh he awaye the pece agayne from the garment, & the rent ys made greater.
new cloth is never patch'd upon an old garment: for the patch will draw the garment, and rend it still worse.
He went on, "No one cuts up a fine silk scarf to patch old work clothes; you want fabrics that match. And you don't put your wine in cracked bottles."
"You don't put an unshrunk cotton patch on a pair of britches that are torn. As soon as you wash them, the patch will shrink and make the tear worse.
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
new cloth: or, raw, or unwrought cloth
for: Genesis 33:14, Psalms 125:3, Isaiah 40:11, John 16:12, 1 Corinthians 3:1, 1 Corinthians 3:2, 1 Corinthians 13:13
Reciprocal: Leviticus 19:19 - mingled Deuteronomy 22:9 - shalt not sow 2 Kings 5:19 - he said Mark 2:21 - new Luke 5:36 - No man 1 Corinthians 1:10 - divisions 2 Corinthians 5:17 - old
Cross-References
Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything.
But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood.
Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him,
"Behold, I establish my covenant with you and your offspring after you,
and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the livestock, and every beast of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark; it is for every beast of the earth.
I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth."
He drank of the wine and became drunk and lay uncovered in his tent.
And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father and told his two brothers outside.
And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you.
both he who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money, shall surely be circumcised. So shall my covenant be in your flesh an everlasting covenant.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
No man putteth a piece of new cloth,.... These words are, by Luke 5:36 called a "parable", as are those in the following verse; and both are commonly interpreted of the unreasonableness and danger of putting young disciples upon severe exercises of religion, as fasting, c: and it is true, that young converts are to be tenderly dealt with, as they are by Father, Son, and Spirit, as the disciples were by Christ, and the first Christians were by the apostles: and some things in these parables may seem to agree as that these austerities should be represented as "new", and as burdensome and troublesome, and the disciples as weak, and easily staggered: but then there are others that will not bear; as that the disciples should be compared to "old garments, and old bottles"; when they were "young" converts, and men "renewed" by the Spirit and grace of God, and had on the beautiful robe of Christ's righteousness; and that such severe exercises, under the notion of religion, should be signified by "new wine", which generally designs something pleasant and agreeable: nor were the disciples unable to bear such severities, who very probably had been trained up in them, and been used to them before their conversion; and could now as well have bore them as John's disciples, or the Pharisees, had they been proper and necessary; but the true reason why they were not required of them, was not their weakness, or danger of falling off, and perishing, of which there were none; but because it was unsuitable to their present situation, the bridegroom being with them. But our Lord, in this parable of putting "a piece of new", or "undressed cloth", such as has never passed through the fuller's hands, and so unfit to mend with,
unto an old garment, refers not only to the fastings of the Pharisees, but to their other traditions of the elders, which they held; as such that respected their eating, drinking, and conversing with other persons mentioned in the context, and which observances they joined with their moral performances; on account of which, they looked upon themselves as very righteous persons, and all others as sinners: and to expose their folly, Christ delivers this parable. Wherefore, by "the old garment", I apprehend, is meant their moral and legal righteousness, or their obedience to the moral and ceremonial laws, which was very imperfect, as well as impure, and might be rightly called "filthy rags"; or be compared to an old worn out garment, filthy and loathsome, torn, and full of holes, which cannot keep a person warm, nor screen him from the weather, and so old that it cannot be mended. And by the "piece of new cloth", or "garment", put unto it, or sewed upon it, are intended the traditions of the elders, these men were so fond of, concerning eating, and drinking, and fasting, and hundreds of other things, very idle and trifling, and which were new and upstart notions. Now, by putting, or sewing the new cloth to their old garment, is designed, their joining their observance of these traditions to their other duties of religion, to make up a justifying righteousness before God; but in vain, and to no purpose. Their old garment of their own works, in obedience to the laws of God, moral and ceremonial, was full bad enough of itself; but became abundantly worse, by joining this new piece of men's own devising to it;
for that which is put in to fill it up, taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse: their new obedience to the traditions of men, making void the law of God, instead of mending, marred their righteousness, and left them in a worse condition than it found them: and besides, as it is in Luke, "the piece that was taken out of the new, agreeth not with the old"; there being no more likeness between the observance of the commandments of men, and obedience to the laws of God, than there is between a piece of new undressed cloth, that has never been washed and worn, and an old worn out garment. Much such a foolish part do those men under the Gospel dispensation act, who join the righteousness of Christ, or a part of it, with their own, in order to make up a justifying righteousness before God; for Christ's righteousness is the only justifying righteousness; it is whole and perfect, and needs nothing to be added to it, nor can it be parted, any more than his seamless coat was; nor a piece taken out of it: nor is there any justification by works, either in whole or in part; the old garment of man's righteousness must be thrown away, in point of justification; it cannot be mended in such a manner; and if any attempts are made in this way, the rent becomes worse: such persons, instead of being justified, are in a worse condition; for they not only set up, and exalt their own righteousness, which is criminal, but disparage the righteousness of Christ as imperfect, by joining it to their's; and whilst they fancy themselves in a good state, are in a most miserable one; harlots and publicans being nearer the kingdom of heaven than these, and enter into it before them; self-righteous persons are more hardly, and with greater difficulty convinced, than such sinners. Moreover, nothing is more disagreeable than such a patch work; Christ's righteousness and a man's own bear no likeness to one another; and such a patched garment must ill become the character and dignity of a saint, a child of God, an heir of heaven.
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 “we should observe a fitness and propriety in things.” The first is taken from a marriage. The children of the bride-chamber - that is, the bridemen, or “men who had the special care of the bridal chamber, and who were therefore his special friends” - 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 “then” 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 “a propriety or fitness of things.” 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 “new,” in the original means “rude, undressed, not fulled” by the cloth-dresser. In this state, if applied to an old garment, and if wet, it would “contract” 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 “new” 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 “fitness” or propriety of things. It is not “fit” 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 “wine bottles, old, and rent, and bound up,” Joshua 9:4. “My belly is ready to burst, like new bottles,” Job 32:19. “I am become like a bottle in the smoke,” 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 9:16. No man putteth a piece of new cloth — Ουδεις δε επιβαλλει επιβλημα ρακους αγναφου επι ιματιω παλαιω. No man putteth a patch of unscoured cloth upon an old garment. This is the most literal translation I can give of this verse, to convey its meaning to those who cannot consult the original. ρακος αγναφον is that cloth which has not been scoured, or which has not passed under the hand of the fuller, who is called γναφευς in Greek: and επιβλημα signifies a piece put on, or what we commonly term a patch.
It - taketh from the garment — Instead of closing up the rent, it makes a larger, by tearing away with it the whole breadth of the cloth over which it was laid; αιρει γαρ το πληρωμα αυτου - it taketh its fulness or whole breadth from the garment; this I am persuaded is the meaning of the original, well expressed by the Latin, or Itala of the C. BEZAE, Tollit enim plenitudo ejus de vestimento. "It takes away its fulness from the garment."
