1. And straightway in the morning
the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and
the whole council, and bound Jesus, and carried him away, and
delivered him to Pilate.
[In the morning they held a
consultation...and the whole council.] "At what time do the judges
sit in judgment? The lesser Sanhedrim and the bench of three sit, after
morning prayers are ended, until the end of the sixth hour. But the
great Sanhedrim sits after the morning daily sacrifice to the afternoon
daily sacrifice. And on sabbaths and feast days" [as this day was that
is here spoken of], "it sat in Beth-midrash" (or the chapel),
"in the Court of the Gentiles."
"The Sanhedrim of one-and-seventy
elders, it is not necessary that they all sit in their place, which is
in the Temple. But when it is necessary that all meet together, let all
meet together (the whole council)."
"But in other times, he that hath
business of his own, let him attend his own business, and then return.
With this proviso, that nothing be wanting of the number of
three-and-twenty upon the bench continually during the whole time of the
session (the consultation). If any must go out, let him look
round, whether his colleagues be three-and-twenty: if they be, let him
go out: but if not, let him wait till another enter in."
6. Now at that feast he
released unto them one prisoner, whomsoever they desired.
[At that feast he released,
&c.] The Syriac reads,...; and so the Arab, every feast: Beza,
at each of the feasts, which pleases me not at all. For it is
plainly said by Pilate himself, "that I should release unto you one at
the Passover,"
John 18:39: and the releasing of a prisoner suits not so well to the
other feasts as to the Passover; because the Passover carries with it
the memory of the release of the people out of Egypt: but other feasts
had other respects...according to the nature and quality of the feast,
which was a monument of release...
7. And there was one named
Barabbas, which lay bound with them that had made insurrection
with him, who had committed murder in the insurrection.
[Barabbas.] Let us mention also
with him a very famous rogue in the Talmudists, Ben Dinai, whose
name also was Eleazar. Of whom they have this passage worthy of
chronological observation; "From the time that murderers were
multiplied, the beheading the red cow ceased; namely, from the time that
Eleazar Ben Dinai came; who was also called Techinnah Ben Perishah: but
again they called him, The son of a murderer." Of him mention is
made elsewhere, where it is written Ben Donai. See also Ben
Nezer, the king of the robbers.
21. And they compel one Simon a
Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of
Alexander and Rufus, to bear his cross.
[Coming out of the country, or
field.] "They bring wood out of the field [on a feast-day],
either bound together, or from some place fenced round or
scattered." The Gloss there is; "They bring wood on a feast day out
of the field, which is within the limits of the sabbath, if it be bound
together on the eve of the feast-day, &c. A place watched and fenced
in every way." And Rambam writes, "Rabbi Jose saith, If there be a
door in such a fenced place, although it be distant from the city
almost two thousand cubits, which are the limits of the sabbath, one may
bring wood thence."
It may be conceived, that Simon the
Cyrenean came out of the field thus loaded with wood; and you may
conceive that he had given occasion to the soldiers or executioners, why
they would lay the cross upon him, namely, because they saw that he was
a strong bearer; and instead of one burden, they laid this other upon
him to bear.
25. And it was the third hour, and
they crucified him.
[And it was the third hour, and
they crucified him.] But John saith, 19:14, And it was the
preparation of the Passover, and about the sixth hour; namely, when
Pilate delivered him to be crucified. From the former clause, it was
the preparation of the Passover, hath sprung that opinion, of which
we have said something before concerning the transferring of the eating
of the lamb this year to the fifteenth day. For they think by the
preparation of the Passover is to be understood the preparation of
the lamb, or for the eating of the lamb. For which interpretation they
think that makes, which is said by the same John, 18:28, "They would not
go into the judgment-hall, lest they should be defiled, but that they
might eat the Passover." And hence it is confidently concluded by them,
that however Christ ate his lamb the day before, yet the Jews were to
eat theirs this very day.
We will discourse first of the day,
as it here occurs under the name of the preparation of the Passover;
and then of the hour:--
I. Every Israelite was bound, within
that seven day's solemnity, after the lamb was eaten, to these two
things: 1. To appear before the Lord in the court, and that with a
sacrifice. 2. To solemn joy and mirth, and that also with sacrifices.
The former was called by the Jews Appearance. The latter
Chagigah, the festival.
"All are bound to appear,
except deaf-and-dumb, fools, young children," &c. And a little after;
"The school of Shammai saith, Let the Appearance be with two silver
pieces of money, and the Chagigah be with a 'meah' of silver. The
school of Hillel saith, Let the Appearance be with a meah
of silver, and the Chagigah with two pieces of silver." The Gloss
writes thus; "All are bound to make their appearance from that precept,
'All thy males shall appear,' &c.
Exodus 23:17: and it is necessary that they appear in the court in
the feast. He that appears when he placeth himself in the court, let him
bring a burnt offering, which is by no means to be of less price than
two pieces of silver, that is, of two meahs of silver. They are
bound also to the peace offerings of the Chagigah by that law,
Ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD,"
Exodus 12:14. Rambam upon the place thus; "The Lord saith, 'Let them
not appear before me empty,'
Deuteronomy 16:16. That is, Let him bring an oblation of a burnt
sacrifice in his hand when he goes up to the feast. And those burnt
sacrifices are called burnt-sacrifices of appearance, and also
appearance, without the addition of the word burnt sacrifice.
And the Chagigah: From thence, because the Lord saith, 'Ye shall
keep it a feast to the Lord,' it means this, That a man bring peace
offerings, and these peace offerings are called Chagigah."
II. Of these two, namely, the
appearance and the Chagigah, the Chagigah was the
greater and more famous. For
First, certain persons were obliged
to the Chagigah, who were not obliged to the appearance:
"He that indeed is not deaf, but yet is dumb, is not obliged to
appearance; but yet he is obliged to rejoice." It is true
some of the Gemarists distinguish between Chagigah and
rejoicing. But one Glosser upon the place alleged that which he
saith of 'rejoicing,' obtains also of the 'Chagigah.' And another
saith, "He is bound to rejoicing, namely, to rejoice in the
feast; as it is written, 'And thou shalt rejoice in thy feast.' And they
say elsewhere, that that rejoicing is over the peace-offerings, namely,
in eating flesh."
Secondly, appearance was not
tied so strictly to the first day, but the Chagigah was tied to
it. "Burnt sacrifices by vow, and free will offerings are offered on
the common days of the feast, they are not offered on a feast day: but
the burnt sacrifices of appearance may be offered also on a feast day:
and when they are offered, let them not be offered but out of common
cattle: but the peace offerings of rejoicing also out of the tithes
the 'Chagigah' of the first feast day of the Passover. The school
of Shammai saith, Let it be of common cattle: the school of
Hillel saith, Let it be of the tithes. What is it that it teaches of
the Chagigah of the first feast day of the Passover? Rabh Ishai
saith, the 'Chagigah' of the fifteenth day is so: the 'Chagigah' of
the fourteenth, not." The Gloss is; "The burnt offerings of
appearance were not offered the first day of the feast, although they
were due to the feast, because compensation might be made by them the
day following."
"The 'Chagigah' of the first
feast day was without doubt due; although it had flesh enough otherways."
For, as it is said a little before, "They offered peace offerings on
that feast day because they had need of them for private food":
and although there was food enough, yet the Chagigah was to be
offered as the due of the day.
"The Chagigah of the
fourteenth day was this, when any company was numerous, they
joined the Chagigah also with the paschal lamb, that they might
eat the passover, even till they were filled. But now the Chagigah
of that first day was not but of common cattle: but the Chagigah
of the fourteenth day might also be of the tithes."
It was a greater matter to offer of
common cattle (or cholin) than of the tithes of the first-born, for they
were owing to the Lord by right: but to offer the cholin was the
part of further devotion and free will.
That therefore which John saith, that
"the Jews would not go into the judgment hall lest they should be
polluted, but that they might eat the passover," is to be understood of
that Chagigah of the fifteenth day, not of the paschal lamb: for
that also is called the passover,
Deuteronomy 16:2; "Thou shalt sacrifice the passover to the
Lord of thy flocks and of thy herds." Of thy flocks; this indeed,
by virtue of that precept,
Exodus 12:3: but what have we to do with herds? "'Of thy
herds,' saith R. Solomon, for the Chagigah." And Aben Ezra saith,
"'Of thy flocks,' according to the duty of the passover; 'of thy herds,'
for the peace offerings," and produceth that,
2 Chronicles 30:24, 35:8. The Targum of Jonathan writes; "Ye shall
kill the passover before the Lord your God, between the eves, and your
sheep and oxen on the morrow, in that very day, in joy of the feast."
In one Glosser mention is made of
the less passover; by which if he understands not the passover of
the second month, which is very usually called by them the second
passover, or the passover of the second month, instruct me what he
means by it. However this matter is clear in Moses, that oxen, or the
sacrifices offered after the lamb eaten, are called the 'passover,' as
well as the lamb itself.
And no wonder, when the lamb was the
very least part of the joy, and there were seven feast-days after he was
eaten: and when the lamb was a thing rubbing up the remembrance of
affliction, rather than denoting gladness and making merry. For the
unleavened bread was marked out by the holy Scripture under that very
notion, and so also the bitter herbs, which were things that belonged to
the lamb. But how much of the solemnity of the feast is attributed to
the Chagigah, and the other sacrifices after that, it would be
too much to mention, since it occurs everywhere.
Hear the author of the Aruch
concerning the Chagigah of Pentecost: "The word chag
denotes dancing, and clapping hands for joy. In the Syriac language it
is chigah: and from this root it is, because they eat, and drink,
and dance [or make holiday]. And the sacrifice of the Chagigah,
which they were bound to bring on a feast day, is that concerning which
the Scripture saith, and thou shalt make chag, a solemnity of weeks
to the Lord thy God, a free will offering of thy hand,'" &c.
Deuteronomy 16:10.
And now tell me whence received that
feast its denomination, that it should be called the feast of
weeks? Not from the offering of the loaves of first fruits, but from the
Chagigah, and the feasting on the Chagigah. The same is to
be said of the feast of the Passover. So that John said nothing strange
to the ears of the Jews, when he said, "They went not into the judgment
hall lest they might be polluted, but that they might eat the passover";
pointing with his finger to the Chagigah, and not to the lamb,
eaten indeed the day before.
The word passover might sound
to the same sense in those words of his also, "It was the preparation of
the passover, and about the sixth hour." It was the preparation to the
Chagigah, and not to the lamb. But I suspect something more may
be understood; namely, that on that day both food was prepared, and the
mind too for the mirth of the whole feast. So that the passover denotes
the feast, not this or that particular appendage to the feast.
The burnt sacrifices which were offered in the appearance, they all
became God's, as the masters say truly; and he who offered them
carried not back the least part of them with him. But the sacrifices of
the Chagigah, whether they were oxen or sheep, the greatest part
of them returned to them that offered them; and with them they and their
friends made solemn and joyful feastings while they tarried at
Jerusalem. So that the oblation of these on the first day of the feast
was the preparation of the passover, and the preparation of
Pentecost, and the preparation of the feast of Tabernacles:
that is, the day and manner of preparing food for the following mirth of
the feast. In the same sense was the preparation of the sabbath,
namely, the preparation of food and things necessary to the
sabbath. Of which we shall speak at verse 42.
Having thus despatched these things,
let us now come to the hour itself. "It was the preparation of
the passover (saith John), and about the sixth hour," when Pilate
delivered Christ to be crucified. "And it was the third hour (saith
Mark), and they crucified him."
It is disputed by the Gemarists, how
far the evidences of two men may agree and consent, whereof one saith,
'This I saw done in that hour'; and the other saith, 'I saw it done
another hour.' "One saith, the second hour; another, the third: their
testimony consists together. One saith the third hour, another the
fifth; their testimony is vain, as R. Meir saith. But saith R.
Judah, their testimony consists together. But if one saith, the fifth
hour, another, the seventh hour, their testimony is vain; because in the
fifth hour the sun is in the east part of heaven; in the seventh, in the
west part." They dispute largely concerning this matter in the place
alleged, and concerning evidences differing in words; nevertheless, as
to the thing itself, they conclude that both may be true, because
witnesses may be deceived in the computation of hours: which to conclude
concerning the evangelists, were impious and blasphemous. But there is
one supposes the copiers were deceived in their transcription, and would
have the computation of John corrected into and it was about the
third hour: too boldly, and indeed without any reason, for it is
neither credible nor possible indeed, that those things which went
before our Saviour's crucifixion should be done (to use the words of the
Talmudists) in the three first hours of the day. The harmony
therefore of the evangelists is to be fetched elsewhere.
I. Let us repeat that out of
Maimonides; "The great Sanhedrim sat from the morning daily sacrifice,
until the afternoon daily sacrifice." But now when the morning daily
sacrifice was at the third hour, the Sanhedrim sat not before that hour.
Take heed, therefore, thou that wouldest have the words of John, "and it
was about the sixth hour," to be changed into, "and it was about
the third hour," lest thou becomest guilty of a great solecism.
For Pilate could not deliver Christ to be crucified about the third
hour, when the Sanhedrim sat not before the third hour, and Christ was
not yet delivered to Pilate.
But you will say, the words of Mark
do obscure these things much more. For if the Sanhedrim that delivered
up Christ met not together before the third hour, one can no way say
that they crucified him the third hour.
We do here propound two things for
the explanation of this matter.
Let the first be taken from the
day itself, and from the hour itself. That day was "the
preparation of the passover," a day of high solemnity, and when it
behoved the priests and the other fathers of the Sanhedrim to be present
at the third hour in the Temple, and to offer their Chagigahs that were
preparative to the whole seven days' festivity: but they employed
themselves in another thing, namely this. You may observe that he saith
not, "it was the third hour when"; but "it was the third hour,
and they crucified him." That is, when the third hour now was, and
was passed, yet they omitted not to prosecute his crucifixion, when
indeed, according to the manner of the feast and the obligation of
religion, they ought to have been employed otherwise. I indeed should
rather sit down satisfied with this interpretation, than accuse the holy
text as depraved, or to deprave it more with my amendment. But,
Secondly, there is another sense also
not to be despised, if our judgment is any thing, which we fetch from a
custom usual in the Sanhedrim, but from which they now swerved. They are
treating concerning a guilty person condemned to hanging, with whom they
deal in this process: they tarry until sunset approach, and then they
finish his judgment and put him to death. Note that: 'They finish
not his judgment until sunset draw near.' If you ask the reason, a more
general one may be given which respected all persons condemned to die,
and a more special one which respected him which was to be hanged.
I. There was that which is called by
the Talmudists the affliction of judgment: by which phrase they
understand not judgment that is not just, but when he that is condemned,
after judgment passed, is not presently put to death. "If you finish
his judgment on the sabbath [mark that], and put him to death on
the first day of the week, you afflict his judgment." Where the
Gloss is, "As long as his judgment is not finished, it is not the
affliction of judgment, because he expects every hour to be absolved:
but when judgment is ended, he expects death," &c. Therefore they
delayed but little between the finishing of judgment and execution.
II. As to those that were to be
hanged, "they delayed the finishing his judgment, and they hanged
him not in the morning, lest they might grow slack about his burial, and
might fall into forgetfulness," and might sin against the law,
Deuteronomy 21:23; "but near sunset, that they might presently bury
him." So the Gloss. They put him to death not sooner, for this reason;
they finished not his judgment sooner for the reason above said.
And now let us resume the words of
Mark, "And it was the third hour, and they crucified him." The Sanhedrim
used not to finish the judgment of hanging until they were now ready to
rise up and depart from the council and bench after the Mincha, the day
now inclining towards sunset: but these men finished the judgment of
Jesus, and hastened him to the cross, when they first came into the
court at the third hour, at the time of the daily sacrifice, which was
very unusual, and different from the custom.
34. And at the ninth hour Jesus
cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is,
being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
[Eloi, Eloi.] In Matthew it is
Eli, Eli, in the very same syllables of
Psalm 22:1: Mark, according to the present dialect (namely, the
Chaldee), useth at least according to the pronunciation of the word
Eloi,
Judges 5:5 in the LXX.
42. And now when the even was
come, because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the
sabbath.
[The preparation, that is, the day
of the sabbath.] You will ask, whether any day going before the
sabbath was called the preparation. Among the Hebrews, indeed, it
is commonly said the eve of the sabbath. But be it granted;
whence is it called the preparation? Either that they prepared
themselves for the sabbath; or rather, that they prepared
provisions to be eaten on the sabbath; and that by the law, "On the
sixth day they shall prepare, &c. Whatsoever ye will bake, bake today;
and whatsoever ye will seethe, seethe today," &c.
Exodus 16:5,23. Hence preparation is a very usual word with
them in this sense "a common day prepares for the sabbath, and a
common day prepares for a feast day." "But those reasons do not hold
good to forbid the preparation, while as yet there remains much
of the day": preparation.
But you will say, If a feast day
prepares not for the sabbath (which Maimonides saith), such an
interpretation will not suit with the words which we are now handling,
that it should be called the preparation, in respect of
provisions prepared for the sabbath on that day. Let the masters
themselves answer.
"On a feast day, which happens on
the sabbath eve, let not a man in the beginning seethe food after
the feast day for the sabbath day, but let him seethe for the feast day,
and if any remain, let it be reserved for the sabbath. But (according to
the letter, Let him make a boiling, but the sense is) Let him
prepare food on the eve of the feast day, and let him depend upon it
for the sabbath. The school of Shammai saith, a twofold food:
that of Hillel saith, One food."
Maimonides speaks plainer: "On a
feast day that falls in with a sabbath even, they do not bake nor seethe
on the feast day what they eat on the sabbath." And this prohibition is
from the words of the scribes: namely, That none seethe on a feast day
for a common day; for this is arguing from the greater to the less:
if a man seethe not for the sabbath day, much less for a common day. But
if he provides food on the eve of the feast day, on which he may
depend, then if he bake or seethe on the feast day for the sabbath,
it is permitted: and that on which he depends is called the mixing of
food. And why is it called mixing [a mingling together]?
namely, as that mixing which they make concerning the courts or
the vestries on the sabbath eve is for acknowledgment, that is, that
they should not think that it is lawful to carry any thing from place to
place on the sabbath; so this food is for acknowledgment and
remembrance, that they should not think or imagine that it is lawful to
bake any thing on a feast day which is not eaten that day: therefore
this food is called the mixing of food.
Of the mixing of courts, we
speak
1 Corinthians 10:16. The sum of the matter is this, many families
dwelt by one common court. Now therefore when it was not lawful to carry
out any thing on the sabbath from a place which was of one right and
condition, to a place which was of another; therefore it was not
lawful for any one of those families to carry out any thing out of his
house into the court joining to his door, and on the contrary; all
partook of the communion and mixture of the right, and that by
eating together of that food which was brought together by them all; and
then it was lawful. So in this case whereof we are now treating. Since
it was not lawful by the canons of the scribes to prepare any food on a
feast day for the sabbath that followed on the morrow, and since of
necessity something was to be prepared for the sabbath, they mollified
the rigour of the canon thus; that first some food should be prepared on
the feast day, which was a mixture as it were of right, and
depending upon this thus prepared, they might prepare any thing for the
morrow sabbath.
Of the mixture of foods,
mention occurs in the Talmudists infinite times; and these things which
have been spoken concerning them afford not a little light to the clause
which we are now handling, and to others where the word preparation
occurs; and make those things plainer which we have said concerning
the preparation of the Passover; namely, that it denoteth not either
the preparation of the Paschal lamb, nor the preparation
of the people to eat the lamb; but the preparation of meats to be
eaten in the Passover week. Nor in this place, if it be applied to
the sabbath, doth it denote any other thing than the preparation of
food for the sabbath now approaching. So that that day wherein
Christ was crucified was a double preparation in the double sense
alleged: namely, the whole day, but especially from the third hour, was
the preparation of the Passover, or of the whole week following;
and the evening of the day was the preparation of the sabbath
following on the morrow.
Of that sabbath John saith, which we
cannot let pass, that the day of that sabbath was a great day,
chapter 19:31. For it was the day of the people's appearance in
the Temple; it was the day of the offering of the sheaf of
firstfruits: and I ask, whether before that day Christ's persecutors had
offered their Chagigahs?
43. Joseph of Arimathaea, an
honourable counsellor, which also waited for the kingdom of God, came,
and went in boldly unto Pilate, and craved the body of Jesus.
[An honourable counsellor.]
The Vulgar reads, a noble officer: Erasmus, an honourable
senator: Beza, an honourable senator. The Talmud may serve
here instead of a lexicon.
"Was it the chamber of the chief
men? Was it not the chamber of the counsellors? First it was
called, the chamber of the counsellors: but when the high
priesthood was bought with money, and yearly changed, as the chief
counsellors of the king are yearly changed, thence it was called
the chamber of chief men." The Gloss is, counsellors, denotes
princes. True, indeed, and hence noble men and common persons
are contradistinguished. But why should one not understand those princes
and nobles in the proper sense of the word counsellors? For who
sees not that the word is Greek? and so the Aruch; it is a Greek word.
Which fixeth our eyes faster upon the
words of the Gloss at the Gemara in the place alleged; "From the
beginning, in the days of Simeon the Just, who lived a greater while,
they called it the chamber of the counsellors." What? did the
Greek language so flourish at Jerusalem in the times of Simeon the Just,
that a chamber in the Temple should be called by a Greek name? If that
Simeon be he who met Alexander the Great, which the Talmudists suppose,
then some reason appears for it; but if not, inquire further. However,
that was the chamber of the high priest, as appears often in the
Talmudists; not that he always lived there, nor that once in the year he
resorted thither; but because it was that place where he sat with the
council of the priests, and consulted concerning the public service and
affairs of the Temple. Hence in the Jerusalem writers mention is made of
Simeon the counsellor. And in this sense is that to be taken, if
I mistake not, which occurs once and again in the Babylonian Talmudists,
concerning the sons of the high priests, deciding several things;
and the house of judgment of the priests.
Hence we think Joseph of Arimathea
was called with good reason a counsellor, because he was a
priest, and one of that sacerdotal bench. It was called the chamber,
(saith the Aruch) of counsellors.
1. And when the sabbath was past,
Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had
bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him.
[That they might come and anoint
him.] "What is that, that is allowed as to the living [on the
sabbath day], but as to the dead it is not? It is anointing."
2. And very early in the morning
the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the
rising of the sun.
[And very early in the morning,
&c.] The distinction of the twilight among the Rabbins was this:
I. The hind [cerva] of the morning:
the first appearance of light. "R. Chaija Rabba, and R. Simeon Ben
Chalaphta, travelling together in a certain morning, in the valley of
Arbel, saw the hind of the morning, that its light spread the
sky. R. Chaija said, Such shall be the redemption of Israel. First, It
goes forward by degrees, and by little and little; but by how much the
more it shall go forward, by so much the more it shall increase."
It was at that time that Christ
arose; namely, in the first morning; as may be gathered from the
words of Matthew. And to this the title of the two-and-twentieth Psalm
seems to have respect. See also
Revelation 22:16; "I am the bright and morning star." And now you
may imagine the women went out of their houses towards the sepulchre.
II. When one may distinguish
between purple colour and white. "From what time do they recite
their phylacterical prayers in the morning? From that time, that one may
distinguish between purple colour and white. R. Eliezer saith, Between
purple colour and green." Before this time was the obscurity of the
begun light, as Tacitus' expression is.
III. When the east begins to
lighten.
IV. Sunrise. "From the hind
of the morning going forth, until the east begins to lighten; and
from the time the east begins to lighten, until sunrise," &c.
According to these four parts of
time, one might not improperly suit the four phrases of the evangelists.
According to the first, Matthew's, as it began to dawn. According
to the second, John's, early in the morning, when it was yet dark.
To the third, Luke's, very early in the morning. To the fourth,
Mark's, very early in the morning, and yet at the rising of
the sun.
For the women came twice to the
sepulchre, as John teacheth; by whom the other evangelists are to be
explained: which being well considered, the reconciling them together is
very easy.
13. And they went and
told it unto the residue: neither believed they them.
[Neither believed they them.]
That in the verses immediately going before the discourse, the question
is of the two disciples going to Emmaus, is without all controversy: and
then how do these things consist with that relation in Luke, who saith,
that "they...returned to Jerusalem and found the eleven gathered
together, and them that were with them, saying, The Lord is risen
indeed, and hath appeared to Simon,"
Luke 24:33,34. The word saying, evidently makes those to be
the words of the eleven, and of those that were gathered together
with them: which, when you read the versions, you would scarcely
suspect...in the original Greek, since it is the accusative case, it is
plainly to be referred to the eleven disciples, and those that were
together with them. As if they had discourse among themselves of the
appearance made to Peter, either before, or now in the very access of
those two coming from Emmaus. And yet saith this our evangelist, that
when those two had related the whole business, they gave credit no not
to them. So that according to Luke they believed Christ was risen and
had appeared to Simon, before they told their story; but according to
Mark, they believed it not, no not when they had told it.
The reconciling, therefore, of the
evangelists, is to be fetched thence, that those words pronounced by the
eleven, The Lord is risen indeed, &c., doth not manifest their
absolute confession of the resurrection of Christ, but a conjectural
reason of the sudden and unexpected return of Peter.
I believe that Peter was gong with
Cleophas into Galilee, and that being moved with the words of Christ
told him by the women, "Say to his disciples and Peter, I go before you
into Galilee." Think with yourself, how doubtful Peter was, and how he
fluctuated within himself after his threefold denial; and how he gasped
to see the Lord again, if he were risen, and to cast himself an humble
supplicant at his feet. When, therefore, he heard these things from the
women (and he had heard it indeed from Christ himself, while he was yet
alive, that "when he arose he would go before them into Galilee"), and
when the rest were very little moved with the report of his
resurrection, nor as yet stirred from that place, he will try a journey
into Galilee, and Alpheus with him. Which when it was well known to the
rest, and they saw him return so soon, and so unexpectedly, "Certainly
(say they) the Lord is risen, and hath appeared to Peter; otherwise, he
had not so soon come back again." And yet when he and Cleophas open the
whole matter, they do not yet believe even them.
15. And he said unto them, Go ye
into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
[To every creature.] To
every creature, a manner of speech most common among the Jews: by
which,
I. Are denoted all men. "The
Wise men say, Let the mind of man always be mingled [or
complacent] to the 'creatures.'" The Gloss there is; "To do
with every man according to complacency." He makes the Holy Spirit to
dwell upon the 'creatures': that is, upon men. "In every
judge in the bench of three is required prudence, mercy, religion,
hatred of money, love of truth, and love of the 'creatures'":
that is, the love of mankind.
II. But especially by that phrase the
Gentiles are understood. "R. Jose saith, Woe to 'the
creatures,' which see, and know not what they see; which stand, and
know not upon what they stand; namely, upon what the earth stands," &c.
He understands the heathens especially, who were not instructed
concerning the creation of things. The speech of all the 'creatures'
(that is, of the heathens) "is only of earthly things, And all
the prayers of the 'creatures' are for earthly things; 'Lord, let
the earth be fruitful, let the earth prosper.' But all the prayers of
Israelites are only for the holy place; 'Lord, let the Temple be
built,'" &c. Observe, how the creatures are opposed to
Israelites.
And the parallel words of Matthew,
chapter 28, do sufficiently prove this to be the sense of the phrase,
every creature, in this place: that which in Mark is, preach to
every creature, in that place in Matthew is, disciple all nations;
as those words also of St. Paul,
Colossians 1:23, the gospel that was preached in all the creation.
In the same sense you must, of
necessity, understand the same phrase,
Romans 8:22. Where, if you take the whole passage concerning the
Gentiles breathing after the evangelical liberty of the sons of God, you
render the sense very easy, and very agreeable to the mind of the
apostle, and to the signification of the word creature, or
creation: when they who render it otherwise dash upon I know not
what rough and knotty sense. Let me, although it is out of my road, thus
paraphrase the whole place:--
Romans 8:19: "'For the earnest expectation of the creature,
or of the heathen world, waiteth for the revelation of the sons of God.'
For God had promised, and had very often pronounced by his prophets,
that he would gather together, and adopt to himself, innumerable sons
among the Gentiles. Therefore, the whole Gentile world doth now greedily
expect the revelation and production of those sons."
Verse 20. "For the creature,
the whole heathen world, was subjected to the vanity of their
mind (as
Romans 1:21, became vain in their imaginations; and
Ephesians 4:17, the Gentiles walk in the vanity of their mind),
not willingly, but because of him that subjected it."
Verse 21. "Under hope, because the
creature also" (or that heathen world) "shall be freed from
the service of" (sinful) "corruption" (which is in the world through
lust,
2 Peter 1:4), "into the (gospel) liberty of the sons of God": from
the service of Satan, of idols, and of lusts, into the liberty which the
sons of God enjoy through the gospel.
Verse 22. "For we know, that the
whole creature" (or heathen world) "groaneth together, and
travaileth, and, as it were, with a convex weight, boweth down unto this
very time, to be born and brought forth."
Verse 23. "Neither the Gentiles only,
but we Jews also (however we belong to a nation envious of the heathen),
to whom God hath granted the firstfruits of the Spirit, we sigh among
ourselves for their sakes, waiting for the adoption, that is, the
redemption of our mystical body, whereof the Gentiles make a very great
part."
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