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JOHN VI.

46 cometh unto me. Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is 47 of God, he hath seen the Father. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that 48, 49 believeth on me hath everlasting life. I am that bread of life. Your 50 fathers did eat manna1 in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. 51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.

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The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man 53 give us his flesh to eat? Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, 54 ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, 55 hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is 56 meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and 57 drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall 58 live by me. This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live 59 for ever. These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum. 60 Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is 61 an hard saying; who can hear it? When Jesus knew in himself that his 62 disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you? What 63 and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before? It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that 64 I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were 65 that believed not, and who should betray him. And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.

66

From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more 67 with him. Then said Jesus unto the twelve," Will ye also go away? 68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast 69 the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that 70 Christ, the Son of the living God. Jesus answered them, Have not I 71 chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil? He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve.

VII. 1 After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him.

1 Comp. Ex. 16. 15.

2 The twelve mentioned here by John for the first time, and in a manner which assumes their appointment as apostles to be well known, or (in

other words) which proves this Gospel to be sup-
plementary to the others, where that appointment
is distinctly recorded: see in § 40.
3 Psa. 2. 2-7.

E

PART V.

FROM THE THIRD PASSOVER DURING OUR LORD'S MINISTRY UNTIL HIS FINAL DEPARTURE FROM GALILEE AT THE FESTIVAL OF TABERNACLES.

TIME: Six months.

§ 67. OUR LORD JUSTIFIES HIS DISCIPLES FOR EATING WITH UNWASHEN HANDS. PHARISAIC TRADITIONS.-Capernaum.

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1

MARK VII. 1-23.

Then came together unto him the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, 2 which came from Jerusalem. And when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashen, hands, they found 3 fault. For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tra4 dition of the elders. And when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, and brasen 5 vessels, and tables. Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat 6 bread with unwashen hands? He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written,3 This people honoureth me with their lips, but 7 their heart is far from me. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the com8 mandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many

2 The order of events, as far as to § 79 inclusive, is in accordance with both Matthew and Mark; with whom Luke also coincides, so far as he touches upon the same transactions.

3 Isa. 29. 13.

MATT. XV.

10

3 -Why do ye also transgress the
commandment of God by your tra-
4 dition? for God commanded, say-
ing,' Honour thy father and mother:
and, He that curseth father or
5 mother, let him die the death. But
ye say, Whosoever shall say to his 11
father or his mother, It is a gift, by
whatsoever thou mightest be profited
6 by me; and honour not his father
or his mother, he shall be free.

Thus have ye made the command-
ment of God of none effect by your
tradition.-

10 And he called the multitude, and

12

13

MARK VII.

1

9 other such like things ye do. And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death:2 but ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free. And ye suffer him no more to do aught for his father or his mother; making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such 14 like things do ye. And when he had called all the people unto him, he said unto them, Hearken unto me every one of you, and understand: There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they 16 that defile the man. If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.

said unto them, Hear, and under11 stand: Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, 15 this defileth a man.

12 Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they 13 heard this saying? But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, 14 shall be rooted up. Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind,

15 both shall fall into the ditch. Then 17 And when he was entered into the

answered Peter and said unto him, 16 Declare unto us this parable. And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without 18 17 understanding? Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught? 19

18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. 19 For out of the heart proceed evil

1 Ex. 20. 12; Deut. 5. 16. 2 Ex. 21. 17. 3 Ye say, &c. The meaning of this very obscure and elliptical verse may probably be expressed thus, "Whoever shall say to his father or mother, 'I make a sacred offering of whatever

house from the people, his disciples asked him concerning the parable. And he saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him; because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats? 20 And he said, That which cometh

out of the man, that defileth the 21 man. For from within, out of the

heart of men, proceed evil thoughts,

benefit thou oughtest to receive from me,' (that is, in the way of support,) he is bound, ye say, by his vow, and shall not honour (that is, support) his parents."

4 Comp. James 3. 6.

9

MATT. XV.

thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blas- 22 20 phemies: these are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.

23

MARK VII.

adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: all these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

§ 68. THE DAUGhter of a syrOPHENICIAN WOMAN IS HEALED.-Region of Tyre

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MATT. XV. 21-28.

and Sidon.

Then Jesus went thence, and de- 24 parted into the coasts of Tyre and 22 Sidon. And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have 25 mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously 23 vexed with a devil. But he answered her not a word. And his disci- 26 ples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after 24 us. But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep 25 of the house of Israel. Then came

she and worshipped him, saying, 27 26 Lord, help me. But he answered

and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to 27 dogs. And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table. 28 Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.

28

29

30

MARK VII. 24-30.

And from thence he arose, and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and entered into an house, and would have no man know it: but he could not be hid. For a certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came and fell at his feet: the woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation; and she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter.

But Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it unto the dogs. And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs. And he said unto her, For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter. And when she was come to her house, she found the devil gone out, and her daughter laid upon the bed.

§ 69. A DEAF AND DUMB MAN HEALED; ALSO MANY OTHERS. FOUR THOUSAND ARE FED.- -The Decapolis.

29

MATT. XV. 29-38.

And Jesus departed from thence, 31 and came nigh unto the sea of

1 Jesus retires from Galilee, first to the region of Tyre and Sidon, then to the Decapolis, and afterwards to the district of Cæsarea Philippi. All these were districts not under the jurisdiction of Herod, whose domain included Galilee and Peræa. Not improbably Jesus may have withdrawn from Galilee at this particular time, [as he had done just before, see § 64,] because the attention of Herod had been turned to him after the death of John the Baptist; and perhaps too on account of Herod's temporary presence in that province, by which his own personal danger would naturally be increased. See Note on § 63.

MARK VII. 31-37. VIII. 1-9.

And again, departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, he came

2 He answered her not a word: partly for the purpose of intimating, that his personal ministry on earth was not designed for the heathen; this woman, descended from the ancient Canaanites, being the first Gentile who, as such, besought his mercy (the centurion in § 42 was a proselyte, Luke 7. 5); and partly for a trial of her faith, that its strength might appear, and serve as an example to others. Even now, at times, the Lord does, for this latter purpose, act towards his praying people in like manner-He answers them not a word (comp. Gen. 32. 24-30; 2 Cor. 12. 8). 3 Comp. Acts 16. 16-18.

MATT. XV.

Galilee; and went up into a mountain, and sat down there.

:

MARK VII.

unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis.' 32 And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon 33 him. And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat, and touched 34 his tongue; and looking up to heaven, he sighed, and 35 saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened. And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his 36 tongue was loosed, and he spake plain. And he charged them that they should tell no man :2 but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they 37 published it; and were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.

30 And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus' feet; and he healed 31 them insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see: and they glorified the God of Israel. 32 Then Jesus called his disciples unto him, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat: and I will not send them away fasting, lest they 33 faint in the way. And his disciples say unto him, Whence should we have so much bread in the wilderness, as to fill so great a multi34 tude? And Jesus saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven, and a few little 35 fishes. And he commanded the

multitude to sit down on the ground. 36 And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multude.

37 And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken

1 The Decapolis was a region including certain ten cities on the S. and S. E. of the Lake of Tiberias. Our Lord in returning from Tyre and Sidon had probably passed through Galilee. The feeding of the four thousand obviously took place in

1

MARK VIII.

In those days the multitude being very great, and having nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples unto 2 him, and saith unto them, I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat: and if I send them away fasting to their own houses, they will faint by the way for divers of them came 4 from far. And his disciples an

3

swered him, From whence can a man satisfy these men with bread 5 here in the wilderness? And he

asked them, How many loaves have 6 ye? And they said, Seven. And he commanded the people to sit down on the ground: and he took the seven loaves, and gave thanks, and brake, and gave to his disciples to set before them; and they did set 7 them before the people. And they had a few small fishes: and he blessed, and commanded to set them 8 also before them. So they did eat,

and were filled: and they took up

the Decapolis; since Jesus immediately afterwards passes over the lake to Magdala, or Dalmanutha, on its western shore.

2 Comp. Matt. S. 4; 12. 16-20; Mark 8. 26.

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