Bible Commentaries
Matthew 19

Verse 1

And it came to pass. A Hebraism.

sayings = words. Greek. logos. See note on "saying", Mark 9:32 .

departed = withdrew (by sea).

from. Greek. apo.

into. Greek. eis .

coasts = borders.

beyond Jordan. Perea, east side of Jordan, from the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea.

Verse 3

Pharisees. See App-120 .

tempting Him = trying Him. See note on Luke 16:18 .

for = on account of. App-104 .

Verse 4

Have ye not read . . . ? See App-143 .

at = from. Greek. apo.

the beginning. See note on John 8:44 .

male and female = a male and a female. Reference to Pentateuch (Genesis 1:27 ). This settles the theory of evolution.

male. Greek. arsen. App-123 .

Verse 5

and they twain. This is added by the Lord to Genesis 2:24 . See App-107 and App-117 .

they twain = the two.

flesh. Figure of speech Synecdoche (of the Part), put for the whole person. App-6 .

Verse 6

What = The unity, not "those" (the persons).

God. App-98 .

hath joined together, &c. = joined together, &c. The converse is true also. See note on Philippians 1:1 , Philippians 1:10 .

Verse 7

Why? Why then? Moses. See note on Matthew 8:4 .

command, &c. Not till the close of the forty years.

writing. A bill. Reference to Pentateuch (Deuteronomy 24:1 ). See App-117 .

Verse 8

because of = in view of, or having regard to. Greek. pros. App-104 .

suffered = allowed.

was not so: i.e. from the first constitution down to Moses.

Verse 9

And = But.

for. Greek. epi.

Verse 10

If the case, &c. The condition is hypothetical. See App-118 .

case = cause, as in Matthew 19:3 .

the man. Put by Figure of speech Synecdoche" (of Genus), App-6 , for a husband.

good = profitable.

Verse 11

All men cannot = not (as in Matthew 19:4 ) all men can.

is = has been.

Verse 12

born. See note on "begat", Matthew 1:2 .

made eunuchs. The verb occurs only here.

of = by. Greek. hupo.

for . . . sake. Greek. dia. App-104 .Matthew 19:2 .

the kingdom of heaven's. See App-114 .

heaven's = the heavens'. Plural as in Matthew 19:14 . Not Singular as in Matthew 19:21 .

to receive . . . let him receive. Figure of speech Polyptoton. App-6 .

Verse 13

little children = young children. Greek plural of paidion . App-108 . Compare Mark 10:13-15 .Luke 18:16 , Luke 18:17 .

should put = should lay, as in Matthew 19:15 .

and pray = and should pray. Greek. proseuchomai. App-134 .

rebuked = reprimanded.

Verse 14

forbid = hinder.

of such is: or, to such belongeth (in Eng. idiom): so Tyndale.

Verse 16

behold. Figure of speech Asterismos. App-6 .

Good. All the texts omit. The accounts here(verses: Matthew 19:16-27 , Mark 10:17-28 , and Luke 18:18-28 ) are partly identical and partly complementary.

Master = Teacher. Greek. Didaskalos. See App-98 . Matthew 19:1 .

eternal life = life age-abiding. Greek. zue aionios. App-170 . This was to be gained by "doing" in that Dispensation and since the Fall. Compare Leviticus 18:6 . Now all is "done", and "eternal life is the gift of God" ( Rom 6:23 . 1 John 5:11 , 1 John 5:12 ).

Verse 17

Why . . . ? Note the several questions. See the Structure above.

wilt enter = desirest ( App-102 .) to enter.

life. Greek. zoe. App-170 .

commandments. All of them (Matthew 5:19 . James 2:10 , James 2:11 .Deuteronomy 27:26 (Septuagint) Galatians 1:3 , Galatians 1:10 ).

Verse 18

Which? The Lord, in reply, recites five (the sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, and fifth), but omits the tenth in order to convict him out of his own mouth when he says he has kept "all these". See App-117 .

Jesus = And Jesus.

Thou shalt do, &c. Quoted from Exodus 20:12-16 .

Verse 19

Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Quoted from Leviticus 19:18 .

Verse 20

All these. Yes, but not the tenth. Hence the Lord's answer "go and sell", which brought conviction.

Verse 21

wilt be = art willing to be. App-102 .

that thou hast = thy property or possession. Same word (but not the same form) as "is" in Philippians 1:3 , Philippians 1:20 = exists as a possession.

poor. App-127 .

heaven. Sing; not plural, as in verses: Matthew 19:12 , Matthew 19:14 , i.e. not on earth. See notes on Matthew 6:9 , Matthew 6:10 .

Verse 22

sorrowful = grieving

great = many.

Verse 23

Verily. See note on Matthew 5:18 .

hardly = with difficulty.

Verse 24

camel. With its burden. Not a cable, as some suggest.

go = pass,

through. Greek. dia. App-104 .Matthew 19:1 .

the eye. Greek. trupema. Occurs only here.

the eye of a needle. A small door fixed in a gate and opened after dark. To pass through, the camel must be unloaded. Hence the difficulty of the rich man. He must be unloaded, and hence the proverb, common in the East. In Palestine the "camel"; in the Babylonian Talmud it is the elephant.

the kingdom of God. The third of five occurrences in Matthew. See note on Matthew 6:33 , and App-114 .

Verse 25

then = it followeth.

Verse 26

beheld. Greek. emblepo. App-133 . Not the same as verses: in, 27.

all things are possible. For eternal life is now "the gift of God" (compare Romans 6:23 ). See also Genesis 18:14 .Job 42:2 (marg). Zechariah 8:6 (Septuagint) Luke 1:37 .

Verse 28

ye. The answer to Peter's "we", Matthew 19:27 .

the regeneration = the making of all things new. The restoration of Acts 3:21 = the "when" of the next clause. In Mark 10:30 we have the synonymous expression "the coming age": thus referring to the future time of reward, and not to the then present time of their following; the word palingenesia occurs only here, and in Titus 3:5 . The Syriac reads "in the new world" (i.e. age).

the Son of man. See App-98 . XVI

shall sit = shall have taken His seat.

in = upon. App-104 .

the throne of His glory = His glorious throne.

upon. Greek. epi. App-104 .

the twelve tribes of Israel. This can have nothing to do with the Church of the Mystery as revealed in the prison epistles.

Verse 29

or. Note the Figure of speech Paradiastole. App-6 .

everlasting. Greek. aionios. See App-151 .

life. Greek. zoe. App-170 .

Verse 30

many. Connected with "last" as well as "first". Omit the italics "that are", and connect this verse with Matthew 20:1 as evidenced by the word "For" (Matthew 20:1 ) and "So"in Matthew 19:16 .