มัทธิว 19:2 วิจารณ์

And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these sayings,.... Concerning humility, avoiding offences, the methods to be taken in reproving offenders, and the forgiveness that is to be exercised towards them: he departed from Galilee; where he had chiefly preached and wrought his miracles, no more to return thither till after his resurrection: and came into the coasts of Judea beyond Jordan; that is, to that country which was called "beyond Jordan", and bordered on Judea; coming still nearer and nearer to Jerusalem, where he had told his disciples, a little while ago, he must come, and suffer, and die. Rather, it should be rendered, "on this side Jordan", as also in Joh 1:28 for the coasts of Judea were on this side; so , is rendered in

And great multitudes followed him,.... The Persic version adds, "of the sick and diseased"; but all that followed him were not such, though some were: these came not only from Galilee, but from the adjacent parts, from the country beyond Jordan, and the coasts of Judea, where he had been formerly; and who resort to him again, as Mark observes; and whom, according to his usual manner, he taught and instructed in the knowledge of divine things, and confirmed his doctrines by miracles: and he healed them there; in the above mentioned places, even as many of them as were sick and diseased.

Note that there is a distinction here between the crowds who simply followed and Peter and the others who "left everything and followed" and Matthew, who arose and followed him—he did not simply follow but "having arisen"; for "having arisen" is an important addition. There are always those, then, who follow at a distance like the great multitudes yet who have not arisen that they may follow, nor have they given up all that was theirs formerly. But they are few who have arisen and followed, who also, in the regeneration, shall sit on twelve thrones. Only, if one wishes to be healed, let him follow Jesus.

The Lord healed the multitudes beyond Jordan, where baptism was given. For all are truly healed from spiritual sickness in baptism; and many follow Christ as did these multitudes, but not rising up as Matthew, who arose and followed the Lord,

Also He cures the Galileans on the borders of Judæa, that He might admit the sins of the Gentiles to that pardon which was prepared for the Jews.

For neither in the teaching by words doth He continue always, nor in the wonderful working of signs, but He doeth now one now the other, variously working the salvation of them that were waiting upon Him and following Him, so as by the miracles to appear, in what He said, a Teacher worthy of belief, and by the teaching of His word to increase the profit from the miracles; and this was to lead them by the hand to the knowledge of God. But do thou mark, I pray thee, this too, how the disciples pass over whole multitudes with one word, not declaring by name each of them that are healed. For they said not, that such a one, and such another, but that many, teaching us to be unostentatious. But Christ healed, benefiting both them, and by them many others. For the healing of these men's infirmity was to others a foundation for the knowledge of God.

PSEUDO-CHRYSOSTOM.e. As the righteous Lord of all, who loves these servants so as not to despise those. They were conducting Him forth, as the young children of a father going on a far journey. And He setting forth as a father, left them as pledges of His love the healing of their diseases, as it is said, And he healed them.

And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these sayings, He departed from Galilee, and came into the region of Judea beyond Jordan. And great multitudes followed Him; and He healed them there. Again He sojourns in Judea so as not to give the unbelievers in Judea any excuse to say, "He did not visit us frequently, as He did the Galileans." Once again, when the teaching and the speaking are finished, the miracles follow, for we must both teach and act. When the mindless Pharisees saw the miracles, they ought to have believed, but instead they put Him to the test.

And great multitudes followed him. It is a sign of the devotion of the crowds, because they followed him as children follow a father going abroad. John 10:27: my sheep hear my voice; and he healed them. Hosea 6:1: he will strike and he will heal us. Sometimes the Lord healed, sometimes he worked signs. Signs in order to strengthen them, as in Acts 1:1: Jesus began to do and to teach. Someone might think, because he passed over to the Jews, that he had abandoned the gentiles; therefore, to indicate that he had not abandoned them, he says great multitudes followed him, i.e., to salvation, because when they were a wild olive, they were grafted in and made an olive tree (Rom 11:17). Or that they followed beyond the Jordan signifies that through baptism sins are forgiven.

FINAL DEPARTURE FROM GALILEE--DIVORCE. ( = Mar 10:1-12; Luk 9:51). (Mat 19:1-12) And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these sayings, he departed from Galilee--This marks a very solemn period in our Lord's public ministry. So slightly is it touched here, and in the corresponding passage of Mark (Mar 10:1), that few readers probably note it as the Redeemer's Farewell to Galilee, which however it was. See on the sublime statement of Luke (Luk 9:51), which relates to the same transition stage in the progress of our Lord's work. and came into the coasts--or, boundaries of Judea beyond Jordan--that is, to the further, or east side of the Jordan, into Perea, the dominions of Herod Antipas. But though one might conclude from our Evangelist that our Lord went straight from the one region to the other, we know from the other Gospels that a considerable time elapsed between the departure from the one and the arrival at the other, during which many of the most important events in our Lord's public life occurred--probably a large part of what is recorded in Luk 9:51, onward to Mat 18:15, and part of John 7:2-11:54.

And great multitudes followed him; and he healed them there--Mark says further (Mar 10:1), that "as He was wont, He taught them there." What we now have on the subject of divorce is some of that teaching. Divorce (Mat 19:3-12).