Bible Commentaries

1 And it came to pass, that on one of those days, as he taught the people in the temple, and preached the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes came upon him with the elders,

Ver. 1. The chief priests and scribes came] Gr. επεστησαν, "came suddenly upon him." As an unexpected storm; the devil drove them.

2 And spake unto him, saying, Tell us, by what authority doest thou these things? or who is he that gave thee this authority?

Ver. 2. {See Trapp on "Matthew 21:23"} See Mark 11:27.

3 And he answered and said unto them, I will also ask you one thing; and answer me:

Ver. 3. {See Trapp on "Matthew 21:23"} See Mark 11:27.

4 The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men?

Ver. 4. The baptism of John, &c.] q.d. If John were sent by God to testify, as he did, there is no colour of cause why ye should question mine authority.

5 And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why then believed ye him not?

6 But and if we say, Of men; all the people will stone us: for they be persuaded that John was a prophet.

7 And they answered, that they could not tell whence it was.

8 And Jesus said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.

Ver. 8. Neither tell I you, &c.] God’s servants should be ready with their answer upon sudden assaults, and not to seek such arguments as may stop the mouth of an adversary. When a nimble Jesuit asked, Where was your religion before Luther? answer was presently returned, In the Bible, where your religion never was.

9 Then began he to speak to the people this parable; A certain man planted a vineyard, and let it forth to husbandmen, and went into a far country for a long time.

Ver. 9. See Matthew 21:33; Mark 12:1.

10 And at the season he sent a servant to the husbandmen, that they should give him of the fruit of the vineyard: but the husbandmen beat him, and sent him away empty.

11 And again he sent another servant: and they beat him also, and entreated him shamefully, and sent him away empty.

12 And again he sent a third: and they wounded him also, and cast him out.

13 Then said the lord of the vineyard, What shall I do? I will send my beloved son: it may be they will reverence him when they see him.

14 But when the husbandmen saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, This is the heir: come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.

15 So they cast him out of the vineyard, and killed him. What therefore shall the lord of the vineyard do unto them?

16 He shall come and destroy these husbandmen, and shall give the vineyard to others. And when they heard it, they said, God forbid.

Ver. 16. God forbid] viz. that they should ever kill the Son of God sent unto them. We cannot get men to believe that their hearts are half so bad or their ways so dangerous as the preacher makes of them.

17 And he beheld them, and said, What is this then that is written, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner?

Ver. 17. What is this then that is written, &c.] q.d. If it be not so as I say, that you shall kill the Messiah, how is it that the Scripture saith as much? Press men with Scripture testimonies; that is the readiest way of sound conviction. It was a good speech of Augustine to Manichaeus, contesting with him for audience: Hear me, hear me, said the heretic. Nay, saith Augustine, Nec ego te, nec tu me, sed ambo audiamus apostolum dicentem, peccatum non cognovi, &c. It is not what I say, or what thou sayest, but what the Scripture saith, that we must stand to.

18 Whosoever shall fall upon that stone shall be broken; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.

19 And the chief priests and the scribes the same hour sought to lay hands on him; and they feared the people: for they perceived that he had spoken this parable against them.

Ver. 19. They perceived] Conscience, their domestic chaplain, told them so much. God hath a witness to his truth in every man’s bosom.

20 And they watched him, and sent forth spies, which should feign themselves just men, that they might take hold of his words, that so they might deliver him unto the power and authority of the governor.

Ver. 20. They sent forth spies] Gr. εγκαθετους, fishers, that with net and bait catch the silly fish and feed on them; such were these emissaries, these catchpoles. {a}

Which should feign themselves just men] Hypocrites only act religion, play devotion; as stage players they act a sultan, when they are but so many shoemakers; as ferrymen, they look one way and row another; they have holiness written upon their outsides, as Vorstius’ book had De Deo in the front and blasphemy in the text. They cry out Templum Domini, the temple of the Lord, but care not for the Lord of the temple. But religion, as it is the best armour, so it is the worst cloak; and will serve hypocrites as the disguise Ahab put on and perished, or as Absalom’s mule served her master, &c.

{a} A petty officer of justice; a sheriff’s officer or sergeant, esp. a warrant officer who arrests for debt, a bum-bailiff. ŒD

21 And they asked him, saying, Master, we know that thou sayest and teachest rightly, neither acceptest thou the person of any, but teachest the way of God truly:

Ver. 21. See Matthew 22:16; Mark 12:14.

22 Is it lawful for us to give tribute unto Caesar, or no?

23 But he perceived their craftiness, and said unto them, Why tempt ye me?

24 Shew me a penny. Whose image and superscription hath it? They answered and said, Caesar’s.

25 And he said unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which be Caesar’s, and unto God the things which be God’s.

26 And they could not take hold of his words before the people: and they marvelled at his answer, and held their peace.

27 Then came to him certain of the Sadducees, which deny that there is any resurrection; and they asked him,

Ver. 27. See Matthew 22:23, &c.; Mark 12:18.

28 Saying, Master, Moses wrote unto us, If any man’s brother die, having a wife, and he die without children, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother.

Ver. 28. See Matthew 22:23, &c.; Mark 12:18.

29 There were therefore seven brethren: and the first took a wife, and died without children.

30 And the second took her to wife, and he died childless.

31 And the third took her; and in like manner the seven also: and they left no children, and died.

32 Last of all the woman died also.

33 Therefore in the resurrection whose wife of them is she? for seven had her to wife.

34 And Jesus answering said unto them, The children of this world marry, and are given in marriage:

35 But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage:

Ver. 35. Nor are given in marriage] Hence some collect, that the difference of sexes shall continue after the resurrection: wherefore else should our Saviour say, that they shall then neither marry nor be given in marriage? Sed hic επεχω. Haymo is over confident, I suppose, in that gloss he gives here, Quod viri in suo sexu resurgent, feminae in sexu muliebri. Erunt habentes membra genitalia, non autem voluntatem coeundi.

36 Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.

Ver. 36. Die any more] That there should be any further use of matrimony, for the propagation of mankind.

37 Now that the dead are raised, even Moses shewed at the bush, when he calleth the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.

38 For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him.

Ver. 38. For all live to him] Even in their bodies also, which he now by rotting refineth; and shall as certainly raise, as if they were already raised, since all things are present with him.

39 Then certain of the scribes answering said, Master, thou hast well said.

Ver. 39. Thou hast well said] Because he had set down the Sadducees, who were their counterfactionists.

40 And after that they durst not ask him any question at all.

41 And he said unto them, How say they that Christ is David’s son?

Ver. 41. See Matthew 22:42; Mark 12:35.

42 And David himself saith in the book of Psalms, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,

43 Till I make thine enemies thy footstool.

44 David therefore calleth him Lord, how is he then his son?

45 Then in the audience of all the people he said unto his disciples,

Ver. 45. See Matthew 23:1-5, Mark 12:38; Luke 11:43.

46 Beware of the scribes, which desire to walk in long robes, and love greetings in the markets, and the highest seats in the synagogues, and the chief rooms at feasts;

47 Which devour widows’ houses, and for a shew make long prayers: the same shall receive greater damnation.

Ver. 47. Greater damnation] Shall be double damned, because dissembled sanctity is double iniquity.