15 Lord, G2962 have mercy G1653 on my G3450 son: G5207 for G3754 he is lunatick, G4583 and G2532 sore G2560 vexed: G3958 for G1063 ofttimes G4178 he falleth G4098 into G1519 the fire, G4442 and G2532 oft G4178 into G1519 the water. G5204
Hast not thou made an hedge H7753 about him, and about H1157 his house, H1004 and about all that he hath on every side? H5439 thou hast blessed H1288 the work H4639 of his hands, H3027 and his substance H4735 is increased H6555 in the land. H776 But H199 put forth H7971 thine hand H3027 now, and touch H5060 all that he hath, and he will curse H1288 H3808 thee to thy face. H6440 And the LORD H3068 said H559 unto Satan, H7854 Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; H3027 only upon himself put not forth H7971 thine hand. H3027 So Satan H7854 went forth H3318 from the presence H6440 of the LORD. H3068 And there was a day H3117 when his sons H1121 and his daughters H1323 were eating H398 and drinking H8354 wine H3196 in their eldest H1060 brother's H251 house: H1004 And there came H935 a messenger H4397 unto Job, H347 and said, H559 The oxen H1241 were plowing, H2790 and the asses H860 feeding H7462 beside H3027 them: And the Sabeans H7614 fell H5307 upon them, and took them away; H3947 yea, they have slain H5221 the servants H5288 with the edge H6310 of the sword; H2719 and I only am escaped H4422 alone to tell H5046 thee. While he was yet speaking, H1696 there came H935 also another, and said, H559 The fire H784 of God H430 is fallen H5307 from heaven, H8064 and hath burned up H1197 the sheep, H6629 and the servants, H5288 and consumed H398 them; and I only am escaped H4422 alone to tell H5046 thee. While he was yet speaking, H1696 there came H935 also another, and said, H559 The Chaldeans H3778 made out H7760 three H7969 bands, H7218 and fell H6584 upon the camels, H1581 and have carried them away, H3947 yea, and slain H5221 the servants H5288 with the edge H6310 of the sword; H2719 and I only am escaped H4422 alone to tell H5046 thee. While he was yet speaking, H1696 there came H935 also another, and said, H559 Thy sons H1121 and thy daughters H1323 were eating H398 and drinking H8354 wine H3196 in their eldest H1060 brother's H251 house: H1004 And, behold, there came H935 a great H1419 wind H7307 from H5676 the wilderness, H4057 and smote H5060 the four H702 corners H6438 of the house, H1004 and it fell H5307 upon the young men, H5288 and they are dead; H4191 and I only am escaped H4422 alone to tell H5046 thee.
So G1161 the devils G1142 besought G3870 him, G846 saying, G3004 If G1487 thou cast G1544 us G2248 out, G1544 suffer G2010 us G2254 to go away G565 into G1519 the herd G34 of swine. G5519 And G2532 he said G2036 unto them, G846 Go. G5217 And G1161 when they were come out, G1831 they went G565 into G1519 the herd G34 of swine: G5519 and, G2532 behold, G2400 the whole G3956 herd G34 of swine G5519 ran violently G3729 down G2596 a steep place G2911 into G1519 the sea, G2281 and G2532 perished G599 in G1722 the waters. G5204
Because G1223 that he G846 had been often G4178 bound G1210 with fetters G3976 and G2532 chains, G254 and G2532 the chains G254 had been plucked asunder G1288 by G5259 him, G846 and G2532 the fetters G3976 broken in pieces: G4937 neither G2532 could G2480 any man tame G1150 him. G846 G3762 And G2532 always, G1275 night G3571 and G2532 day, G2250 he was G2258 in G1722 the mountains, G3735 and G2532 in G1722 the tombs, G3418 crying, G2896 and G2532 cutting G2629 himself G1438 with stones. G3037
And, G2532 behold, G2400 there cometh G2064 one G1520 of the rulers of the synagogue, G752 Jairus G2383 by name; G3686 and G2532 when he saw G1492 him, G846 he fell G4098 at G4314 his G846 feet, G4228 And G2532 besought G3870 him G846 greatly, G4183 saying, G3004 G3754 My G3450 little daughter G2365 lieth G2079 at the point of death: G2192 I pray thee, come G2064 and G2443 lay G2007 thy hands G5495 on her, G846 that G3704 she may be healed; G4982 and G2532 she shall live. G2198
And G2532 one G1520 of G1537 the multitude G3793 answered G611 and said, G2036 Master, G1320 I have brought G5342 unto G4314 thee G4571 my G3450 son, G5207 which hath G2192 a dumb G216 spirit; G4151 And G2532 wheresoever G3699 G302 he taketh G2638 him, G846 he teareth G4486 him: G846 and G2532 he foameth, G875 and G2532 gnasheth G5149 with his G846 teeth, G3599 and G2532 pineth away: G3583 and G2532 I spake G2036 to thy G4675 disciples G3101 that G2443 they should cast G1544 him G846 out; G1544 and G2532 they could G2480 not. G3756
And G2532 they brought G5342 him G846 unto G4314 him: G846 and G2532 when he saw G1492 him, G846 straightway G2112 the spirit G4151 tare G4682 him; G846 and G2532 he fell G4098 on G1909 the ground, G1093 and wallowed G2947 foaming. G875 And G2532 he asked G1905 his G846 father, G3962 How long G4214 is it G2076 ago G5550 since G5613 this G5124 came G1096 unto him? G846 And G1161 he said, G2036 Of a child. G3812 And G2532 ofttimes G4178 it hath cast G906 him G846 into G2532 G1519 the fire, G4442 and G2532 into G1519 the waters, G5204 to G2443 destroy G622 him: G846 but G235 if G1536 thou canst G1410 do any thing, G1536 have compassion G4697 on G1909 us, G2248 and help G997 us. G2254
And, G2532 behold, G2400 a man G435 of G575 the company G3793 cried out, G310 saying, G3004 Master, G1320 I beseech G1189 thee, G4675 look G1914 upon G1909 my G3450 son: G5207 for G3754 he is G2076 mine G3427 only child. G3439 And, G2532 lo, G2400 a spirit G4151 taketh G2983 him, G846 and G2532 he suddenly G1810 crieth out; G2896 and G2532 it teareth G4682 him G846 that he foameth G876 again, G3326 and G2532 bruising G4937 him G846 hardly G3425 departeth G672 from G575 him. G846 And G2532 I besought G1189 thy G4675 disciples G3101 to G2443 cast G1544 him G846 out; G1544 and G2532 they could G1410 not. G3756 And G1161 Jesus G2424 answering G611 said, G2036 O G5599 faithless G571 and G2532 perverse G1294 generation, G1074 how G2193 long G4219 shall I be G2071 with G4314 you, G5209 and G2532 suffer G430 you? G5216 Bring G4317 thy G4675 son G5207 hither. G5602 And G1161 as he G846 was G4334 yet G2089 a coming, G4334 the devil G1140 threw G4486 him G846 down, G4486 and G2532 tare G4952 him. And G1161 Jesus G2424 rebuked G2008 the unclean G169 spirit, G4151 and G2532 healed G2390 the child, G3816 and G2532 delivered G591 him G846 again G591 to his G846 father. G3962
So G3767 Jesus G2424 came G2064 again G3825 into G1519 Cana G2580 of Galilee, G1056 where G3699 he made G4160 the water G5204 wine. G3631 And G2532 there was G2258 a certain G5100 nobleman, G937 whose G3739 son G5207 was sick G770 at G1722 Capernaum. G2584 When he G3778 heard G191 that G3754 Jesus G2424 was come G2240 out of G1537 Judaea G2449 into G1519 Galilee, G1056 he went G565 unto G4314 him, G846 and G2532 besought G2065 him G846 that G2443 he would come down, G2597 and G2532 heal G2390 his G846 son: G5207 for G1063 he was at the point G3195 of death. G599
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Matthew 17
Commentary on Matthew 17 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 17
Mt 17:1-13. Jesus Is Transfigured—Conversation about Elias. ( = Mr 9:2-13; Lu 9:28-36).
For the exposition, see on Lu 9:28-36.
Mt 17:14-23. Healing of a Demoniac Boy—Second Explicit Announcement by Our Lord of His Approaching Death and Resurrection. ( = Mr 9:14-32; Lu 9:37-45).
The time of this section is sufficiently denoted by the events which all the narratives show to have immediately preceded it—the first explicit announcement of His death, and the transfiguration—both being between His third and His fourth and last Passover.
Healing of the Demoniac and Lunatic Boy (Mt 17:14-21).
For the exposition of this portion, see on Mr 9:14-32.
Second Announcement of His Death (Mt 17:22, 23).
22. And while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said unto them—Mark (Mr 9:30), as usual, is very precise here: "And they departed thence"—that is, from the scene of the last miracle—"and passed through Galilee; and He would not that any man should know it." So this was not a preaching, but a private, journey through Galilee. Indeed, His public ministry in Galilee was now all but concluded. Though He sent out the Seventy after this to preach and heal, He Himself was little more in public there, and He was soon to bid it a final adieu. Till this hour arrived, He was chiefly occupied with the Twelve, preparing them for the coming events.
The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men … And they were exceeding sorry—Though the shock would not be so great as at the first announcement (Mt 16:21, 22), their "sorrow" would not be the less, but probably the greater, the deeper the intelligence went down into their hearts, and a new wave dashing upon them by this repetition of the heavy tidings. Accordingly, Luke (Lu 9:43, 44), connecting it with the scene of the miracle just recorded, and the teaching which arose out of it—or possibly with all His recent teaching—says our Lord forewarned the Twelve that they would soon stand in need of all that teaching: "But while they wondered every one at all things which Jesus did, He said unto His disciples, Let these sayings sink down into your ears; for the Son of man shall be delivered," &c.: "Be not carried off your feet by the grandeur you have lately seen in Me, but remember what I have told you, and now tell you again, that that Sun in whose beams ye now rejoice is soon to set in midnight gloom." Remarkable is the antithesis in those words of our Lord preserved in all the three narratives—"The son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men." Luke adds (Lu 9:45) that "they understood not this saying, and it was hid from them, that they perceived it not"—for the plainest statements, when they encounter long-continued and obstinate prejudices, are seen through a distorting and dulling medium—"and were afraid to ask Him"; deterred partly by the air of lofty sadness with which doubtless these sayings were uttered, and on which they would be reluctant to break in, and partly by the fear of laying themselves open to rebuke for their shallowness and timidity. How artless is all this!
Mt 17:24-27. The Tribute Money.
The time of this section is evidently in immediate succession to that of the preceding one. The brief but most pregnant incident which it records is given by Matthew alone—for whom, no doubt, it would have a peculiar interest, from its relation to his own town and his own familiar lake.
24. And when they were come to Capernaum, they that received tribute money—the double drachma; a sum equal to two Attic drachmas, and corresponding to the Jewish "half-shekel," payable, towards the maintenance of the temple and its services, by every male Jew of twenty years old and upward. For the origin of this annual tax, see Ex 30:13, 14; 2Ch 24:6, 9. Thus, it will be observed, it was not a civil, but an ecclesiastical tax. The tax mentioned in Mt 17:25 was a civil one. The whole teaching of this very remarkable scene depends upon this distinction.
came to Peter—at whose house Jesus probably resided while at Capernaum. This explains several things in the narrative.
and said, Doth not your master pay tribute?—The question seems to imply that the payment of this tax was voluntary, but expected; or what, in modern phrase, would be called a "voluntary assessment."
25. He saith, yes—that is, "To be sure He does"; as if eager to remove even the suspicion of the contrary. If Peter knew—as surely he did—that there was at this time no money in the bag, this reply must be regarded as a great act of faith in his Master.
And when he was come into the house—Peter's.
Jesus prevented him—anticipated him; according to the old sense of the word "prevent."
saying, What thinkest thou, Simon?—using his family name for familiarity.
of whom do the kings of the earth take custom—meaning custom on goods exported or imported.
or tribute—meaning the poll-tax, payable to the Romans by everyone whose name was in the census. This, therefore, it will be observed, was strictly a civil tax.
of their own children, or of strangers—This cannot mean "foreigners," from whom sovereigns certainly do not raise taxes, but those who are not of their own family, that is, their subjects.
26. Peter saith unto him, Of strangers—"of those not their children."
Jesus saith unto him, Then are the children free—By "the children" our Lord cannot here mean Himself and the Twelve together, in some loose sense of their near relationship to God as their common Father. For besides that our Lord never once mixes Himself up with His disciples in speaking of their relation to God, but ever studiously keeps His relation and theirs apart (see, for example, on the last words of this chapter)—this would be to teach the right of believers to exemption from the dues required for sacred services, in the teeth of all that Paul teaches and that He Himself indicates throughout. He can refer here, then, only to Himself; using the word "children" evidently in order to express the general principle observed by sovereigns, who do not draw taxes from their own children, and thus convey the truth respecting His own exemption the more strikingly:—namely, "If the sovereign's own family be exempt, you know the inference in My case"; or to express it more nakedly than Jesus thought needful and fitting: "This is a tax for upholding My Father's House. As His Son, then, that tax is not due by Me—I AM FREE."
27. Notwithstanding, lest we should offend—stumble.
them—all ignorant as they are of My relation to the Lord of the Temple, and should misconstrue a claim to exemption into indifference to His honor who dwells in it.
go thou to the sea—Capernaum, it will be remembered, lay on the Sea of Galilee.
and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shall find a piece of money—a stater. So it should have been rendered, and not indefinitely, as in our version, for the coin was an Attic silver coin equal to two of the afore-mentioned "didrachms" of half a shekel's value, and so, was the exact sum required for both. Accordingly, the Lord adds,
that take, and give unto them for me and thee—literally, "instead of Me and thee"; perhaps because the payment was a redemption of the person paid for (Ex 30:12)—in which view Jesus certainly was "free." If the house was Peter's, this will account for payment being provided on this occasion, not for all the Twelve, but only for him and His Lord. Observe, our Lord does not say "for us," but "for Me and thee"; thus distinguishing the Exempted One and His non-exempted disciple.