16 The people which sat in darkness saw great | 16 light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up. 17¶ From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. 18 And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. 19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. 20 And they straightway left their nets, and followed him. 21 And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them. 22 And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him. 23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people. 24 And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them. 25 And there followed him great multitudes of people from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judæa, and from beyond Jordan. 17 18 on the mount. The people which sat in darkness And to them which sat in the region and To them did light spring up. From that time began Jesus to preach, and to say, Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. And walking by the sea of Galilee, he saw two brethren, Simon who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishers. 19 And he saith unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you fishers of men. 20 And they straightway left their nets, and 21 followed him. And going on from thence 22 23 24 25 he saw other two brethren, 1 James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them. And they straightway left the boat and their father, and followed him. And 2 Jesus went about in all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of disease and all manner of sickness among the people. And the report of him went forth into all Syria: and they brought unto him all that were sick, holden with divers diseases and torments, possessed with devils, and epileptic, and palsied; and he healed them. And there followed him great multitudes from Galilee and Decapolis and Jerusalem and Judæa and from beyond Jordan. 1 Or, Jacob: and so elsewhere. 2 Some ancient authorities read he. 3 Or, good tidings: and so elsewhere. Or, demoniacs. 17. Repent ye. Jesus took up John's cry as the beginning of his ministry (see chap. 3:2). 18. Simon. Greek form of "Simeon," or, perhaps, "Shimon" (1 Chron. 4: 20). Peter. Greek word for Cephas, the name given by Christ to Simon (John 1:42). Andrew is a Greek name. 19. Come ye after me. The circumstances of this call are more fully narrated in Luke 5: 1-11. The call appears to have been, not to faith, but to personal fellowship, the incipient apostleship. 21. James. Literally, "Jacob," of which James is a corruption. The Italian Giacomo, is between the two. Zebedee is the Hebrew "Zabdi." John is the Hebrew "Jehohanan." 23. The gospel, or "good tidings," of the kingdom, which was to be established by the Spirit of God, and to which all the prophecies pointed. 24. Syria. The whole region between the Euphrates and the Mediterranean. Possessed with devils and epileptic. The last word seems rather to mean "lunatic." The two classes are separated. The former seem to have been supernaturally affected. 25. Decapolis (i.e., ten cities) was the name of an extensive district on both sides of the Jordan, Scythopolis (Bethshean) being one of the ten cities (see Josephus, B. J. 3, 9, 7). Its principal territory, however, was east of the river. Beyond Jordan. This would include the parts south of Decapolis. 1. Christ beginneth his sermon in the mount: CHAPTER V. 3. declaring who are blessed, 13. who are the salt of the earth, 14. the light of the world, the city on a hill, 15. the candle: 17. that he came to fulfil the law. 21. What it is to kill, 27. to commit adultery, 33. to swear: 38. exhorteth to suffer wrong, 44. to love even our enemies, 48. and to labour after perfectness. 1 AND seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: 2 And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying, 1 AND seeing the multitudes, he went up into the mountain: and when he had sat 2 down, his disciples came unto him: and he opened his mouth and taught them, saying, 1. The mountain. The mountain district, as contrasted with the plain, or the lower hills, where the towns were. Disciples, in the largest sense; those who admiringly followed him. Many of these were, doubtless, not disciples in the sense of believers in his Messiahship. 3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. 7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. 10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. 12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. 13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. 14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. 17¶ Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. 3 4 5 on the mount. Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." 1 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are they that have been persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye when men shall reproach you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost its savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out and trodden 14 under foot of men. Ye are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be 15 hid. Neither do men light a lamp, and put it under the bushel, but on the stand; and it shineth unto all that are in the house. Even so let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Think not that I came to destroy the law or the prophets: I came not to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass away from the law, till all things be accom 16 17 18 1 Some ancient authorities transpose verses 4 and 5. 3. Blessed, etc. Luke records (chap. 6:20) only four of the eight beatitudes, the four whose expressions are of outward symptoms, - poverty, hunger, lamentation, and persecution. The other four regard mildness, mercy, purity, and peace-making. The former four characteristics have relation to faith and hope: the latter four are the exhibitions of love. The grant to those who possess the former is the fulness of spiritual comfort; to those who possess the latter, the merciful presence of God as their Father, ordering all earthly things for their good. The former, marked by great spiritual commotion, receive pardon. The latter, marked by a high and peaceful attainment, receive high realizations of spiritual glory. The brief, epigrammatic style of the beatitudes shows us that there is much to be supplied to express their full sense. This is the case with all proverbial language. The poor in spirit, or spiritually poor, are those who feel their own needy condition as regards the riches of holiness. They that mourn are those who mourn over their own sinfulness. The meek are those who avoid anger and revenge. The poor in spirit and the persecuted are the first and last in the list, and the promise to each is the same. This leads us to conclude that the eight characteristics are not descriptive of eight different classes, but of the different sides of one class; and the promises are to be grouped as belonging to this class. The inheritance of the earth by the meek may refer to their truer happiness here now, or to their possession of this mundane sphere when renewed as the abode of the glorified. The kingdom of heaven belongs to these faithful ones, as they are its constituent parts. The assertion is the same as in Matt. 19: 14, "of such is the kingdom of heaven." It belongs to them, because they belong to it. Those taught by Christ were privileged above others. He wished them to communicate truth to others. If they lost the influence of his teaching, how could they ever be taught? 13. Wherewith shall it be salted? 14. Ye are the light of the world. As taught by Christ, they had a power to illuminate. As such they should use their power, and not hide it. They should be as a city on a hill, or a lamp on its stand, that through their good works, seen by men, God, who gave them this ability, might be glorified. 15. The bushel. The one-bushel measure, which was found in each one-roomed house as a necessary piece of the house's furniture. 18. One jot or one tittle. "Jot" is the Hebrew letter " Jod," the smallest in the alphabet. A tittle, or, rather, the Greek word thus translated, is a projection, or horn, of a Hebrew letter, and is, therefore, smaller even than a jot. This sentence is an Oriental way of affirming the exact and complete truthfulness of the Old-Testament Scriptures. |