WESLEYAN HERITAGE Library Commentaries CLARKE'S COMMENTARY MATTHEW — LUKE By Adam Clarke, LL.D., F.S.A., &c. “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord” Heb 12:14 Spreading Scriptural Holiness to the World Wesleyan Heritage Publications © 1998 Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments A derivative of Adam Clarke's Commentary for the Online Bible produced by Sulu D. Kelley 1690 Old Harmony Dr. Concord, NC 28027-8031 (704) 782-4377 © 1994, 1995, 1997 © 1997 Registered U.S. Copyright Office A COMMENTARY AND CRITICAL NOTES ON THE HOLY BIBLE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS DESIGNED AS A HELP TO A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE SACRED WRITINGS BY ADAM CLARKE, LL.D., F.S.A., &c. A NEW EDITION, WITH THE AUTHOR’S FINAL CORRECTIONS For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.—Rom. xv. 4. PREFACE TO THE GOSPEL OF ST. MATTHEW THE general title of this latter collection of sacred books, which, as well as the former, all Christians acknowledge to have been given by immediate inspiration from God, is in the Greek h kainh diaqhkh, which we translate THE NEW TESTAMENT: but which should rather be translated THE NEW COVENANT; or, if it were lawful to use a periphrasis, the New Covenant, including a Testamentary Declaration and Bequest: for this is precisely the meaning of this system of justice, holiness, goodness, and truth. St. Paul, #2Co 3:14, calls the sacred books before the time of Christ, h palaia diaqhkh, THE OLD COVENANT; which is a very proper and descriptive title of the grand subject of those books. This apostle evidently considers the Old Testaments and the New, as two covenants, #Ga 4:24; and, if comparing these two together, he calls one palaian diaqhkhn, the old covenant, the other kainhn, the new; one prwthn, the first, the other nean, that which is recent; in opposition to the old covenant, which was to terminate in the new, he calls this kreittana, better, more excellent, #Heb 7:22; 8:6; and aiwnion, everlasting, #Heb 13:20, because it is never to be changed, nor terminate in any other; and to endure endlessly itself. The word covenant, from con together, and venio, I come, signifies a contract or agreement made between two parties; to fulfil the conditions of which, they are mutually bound. The old covenant, in its essential parts, was very simple. I WILL BE YOUR GOD. YE SHALL BE MY PEOPLE-the spirit of which was never changed. The people were to take Jehovah as the sole object of their religious worship; put their whole trust and confidence in him; serve him in his own way, according to the prescribed forms which he should lay before them. This was their part. On his side, God was to accept them as his people, give them his Spirit to guide them, his mercy to pardon them, his providence to support them, and his grace to preserve them unto eternal life. But all this was connected with the strict observance of a great variety of rites and ceremonies, at once expressive of the holiness of God, the purity of the Divine justice, and the exceeding sinfulness and utter helpless state of man. A great part of the four latter books of Moses is employed in prescribing and illustrating these rites and ceremonies; and what is called the new covenant is the complement and perfection of the whole. The word diaqhkh, from dia and tiqhmi, I lay down, signifies not only a covenant agreement, but also that disposal which a man makes of his secular matters during his life, which is to take place after his death. It answers to the Hebrew tyrb berith, from rb bar, to purify, because, in making covenants, a sacrifice was usually offered to God, for the purification of the contracting parties; and hence the word tyrb berith is frequently used to express not only the covenant itself, but also the sacrifice offered on the occasion. See below under GOSPEL; and see the notes on #Ge 6:18; 15:18; #Ex 29:45; #Le 26:15; and #De 29:12, where every thing relative to this subject is minutely considered. The term new covenant, as used here, seems to mean that grand plan of agreement or reconciliation which God made between himself and mankind, by the death of Jesus Christ; in consequence of which, all those who truly repent, and unfeignedly believe in the great atoning sacrifice, are purified from their sins, and united to God. Christ is called thj diaqhkhj kainhj mesithj, the Mediator of the new covenant, #Heb 9:15. And referring to the ratification of this new covenant or agreement, by means of his own death, in the celebration of his last supper, Christ calls the cup, to poterion h kainh diaqhkh en tw aimati mon, this cup is the new covenant in my blood: i.e. an emblem or representation of the new covenant ratified by his blood. See #Lu 22:20. And from these expressions, and their obvious meaning, the whole Christian Scriptures have obtained this title, THE NEW TESTAMENT, OR COVENANT, OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST. Those writings, and the grand subject of them, which, previously to the New Testament times, were termed simply THE covenant; were, after the incarnation, called the OLD covenant, as we have already seen, to distinguish them from the Christian Scriptures, and their grand subject, which were called the NEW covenant; not so much because it was a new agreement, but rather a renewal of the old, in which the spirit, object, and design of that primitive covenant were more clearly and fully manifested. The particular title to each of the four following books, in most Greek MSS. and printed editions, is euaggelion kata matqaion&markon&loukan&ioannhn, which we translate, the Gospel according to Matthew-Mark-Luke-John; i.e. the gospel or history of our blessed Lord, as written and transmitted to posterity by each of these writers. Our word GOSPEL, which should be always written godspel, or godespel, comes from the Anglo-Saxon, and is compounded of [Anglo-Saxon], good, and [Anglo-Saxon] history, narrative, doctrine, mystery, or secret; and was applied by our ancestors to signify the revelation of that glorious system of truth, which had been, in a great measure, hidden or kept secret from the foundation of the world. Among Saxon scholars, the word GOSPEL has been variously explained. Mr. Somner, who writes it [Anglo-Saxon], explains it thus, Sermo Dei mysticus; Dei historia. "The mystic word of God; the history of God, or God's history." But he supposes that it may be compounded of [Anglo-Saxon] good, and [Anglo-Saxon], a message; and very properly observes, that [Anglo-Saxon] signifies, not only to preach, or proclaim the Gospel; but also to foretell, or predict; to prophesy, to divine: and in this latter sense the word [Anglo-Saxon] spell was anciently used among us, and still signifies an incantation, or a charm; which implies a peculiar collocation and repetition of certain words, which were supposed to produce supernatural effects by means of spiritual influence or agency; which agency was always attracted and excited by such words, through some supposed correspondency between the words, and the spiritual agency to be employed. The word, in this sense, occurs in King Alfred's Saxon translation of Boethius, De Consolatione Philosophiæ, chap. 38. [Anglo-Saxon], Then deceitful men began to practise incantations. It is possible that our ancestors gave this title to the preaching of Christ crucified, from observing the astonishing effects produced by it, in changing the hearts and lives of sinners. And very innocently might they denominate the pure powerful preaching of the death and resurrection of Christ, God's charm: that wonderful word, which, accompanied with the demonstration and power of the Holy Ghost, produced such miraculous effects among men. As the word [Anglo-Saxon] spellian signifies to teach or instruct, hence our word to spell, i.e. to teach a person, by uniting vowels and consonants, to enunciate words; and thus learn to read. And hence the book out of which the first rudiments of language are learned is termed a spelling book, exactly answering to the [Anglo-Saxon] spell-book of our ancestors, which signified a book of homilies, or plain discourses, for the instruction of the common people. We may See Clarke's note on "Ge 1:1") that [Anglo-Saxon] among our ancestors, not only signified GOD, the supreme Being; but also good or goodness, which is his nature: [Anglo-Saxon] godspell, therefore, is not only God's history, doctrine, or plan of teaching; but also the good history, the good doctrine; and hence [Anglo-Saxon] to preach or proclaim this doctrine; [Anglo-Saxon] the sermons that contained the rudiments of it, for the instruction of men; and [Anglo-Saxon] spel-boda, the orator, messenger, or ambassador, that announced it. The Greek word euaggelion, from eu good, and aggelia a message, signifies good news, or glad tidings in general; and is evidently intended to point out, in this place, the good message or the glad tidings of great joy which God has sent to all mankind, preaching peace and reconciliation by Christ Jesus, who is Lord of all: proclaiming that he, as the promised Messiah, has, by the grace of God, tasted death for every man-for he has died for their offences, and risen again for their justification; and that, through his grace, every sinner under the whole heaven, may turn to God, and find mercy.