ten, My house is the house of prayer, but ye have made it a den of thieves. - And he taught daily in the temple. But the chief- 47 priests, and the scribes, and the chief of the people sought to destroy him, and could not find what they might do: for all the 48 people were very attentive to hear him.

CHAPTER XX.

Jesus instructs the People, and silences his Enemies.

AND it came to pass, that on one of those days, as he taught the people in the temple, and preached the gospel, the chief-priests and the scribes came upon him, with the elders, and spake unto 2 him, saying, Tell us, By what authority doest thou these things? or who is he that gave thee this authority? And he answered and 3 said unto them, I will also ask you one thing; and answer me: The 4 baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men? And they rea- 5 soned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why then believed ye him not? But and if we say, Of 6 men; all the people will stone us: for they be persuaded that John was a prophet. And they answered, That they could not 7 tell whence it was. And Jesus said unto them, Neither tell I 8 you by what authority I do these things. Then began he to 9 speak to the people this parable: A certain man planted a vineyard, and let it forth to husbandmen, and went into a far country for a long time. And at the season he sent a servant to the hus- 10 bandmen, that they should give him of the fruit of the vineyard: but the husbandmen beat him, and sent him away empty. And 11 again he sent another servant: and they beat him also, and entreated him shamefully, and sent him away empty. And again he 12 sent a third and they wounded him also, and cast him out. Then 13 said the lord of the vineyard, What shall I do? I will send my

good sense, as a visitation of mercy and love, referring to the advent of Jesus as the Messiah.

47. He taught daily in the temple. Retiring at night to Bethany. What composure and exaltation of soul did this quiet tenor of teaching imply, when he was in the midst of such exciting scenes, and in full prospect of death!

CHAPTER XX.

1-8. Compare notes on Mat. xxi. 23-27, and Mark xi. 27-33.

1. One of those days. The last day he spent in the temple. - With the elders. These words would be better located immediately after the scribes.

3. From heaven. This phrase evi

beloved son it may be they will reverence him when they see 14 him. But when the husbandmen saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, This is the heir: come, let us kill him, that 15 the inheritance may be ours. So they cast him out of the vineyard, and killed him. What therefore shall the lord of the vine16 yard do unto them? He shall come and destroy these husbandmen, and shall give the vineyard to others. And when they heard it, 17 they said, God forbid. And he beheld them, and said, What is this then that is written, The stone which the builders rejected, 18 the same is become the head of the corner? Whosoever shall fall upon that stone, shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall 19 fall, it will grind him to powder. And the chief-priests and the scribes the same hour sought to lay hands on him; and they feared the people: for they perceived that he had spoken this parable against them.

20 And they watched him, and sent forth spies, which should feign themselves just men, that they might take hold of his words, that so they might deliver him unto the power and authority of the 21 governor. And they asked him, saying, Master, we know that

thou sayest and teachest rightly, neither acceptest thou the per22 son of any, but teachest the way of God truly: Is it lawful for us 23 to give tribute unto Cesar, or no? But he perceived their crafti24 ness, and said unto them, Why tempt ye me? Show me a penny. Whose image and superscription hath it? They answered and 25 said, Cesar's. And he said unto them, Render therefore unto Cesar the things which be Cesar's, and unto God the things which 26 be God's. And they could not take hold of his words before the people and they marvelled at

dently means, here, as in many other places, not local descent, but of divine authority.

9-19. Mat. xxi. 33 - 40, and Mark xii. 1-12, with the comments there

on.

16. God forbid. Or," May it not be," "Let it not be;" spoken, probably, in reference to the tenor of the whole parable, and not to the last clause, respecting the destruction of the husbandmen.

18. An allusion is here made to

his answer, and held their peace.

the punishment by stoning, which was inflicted by throwing a person down an eminence, upon a rock, or by casting stones upon him.

20-39. Explained in Mat. xxii. 15-34, and Mark xii. 13-28.

20. The power and authority of the governor. They wished to procure some matter of accusation against him before the Roman governor, who held in his hands the power of life and death.

30

333

31

Then came to him certain of the Sadducees, (which deny 27 that there is any resurrection,) and they asked him, saying, Master, 28 Moses wrote unto us, If any man's brother die, having a wife, and he die without children, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother. There were therefore seven 29 brethren and the first took a wife, and died without children. And the second took her to wife, and he died childless. And the third took her; and in like manner the seven also: and they left no children, and died. Last of all the woman died also. 32 Therefore in the resurrection, whose wife of them is she? for 33 seven had her to wife. And Jesus answering, said unto them, 34 The children of this world marry, and are given in marriage: but they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, 35 and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage: neither can they die any more: for they are equal 36 unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection. Now that the dead are raised, even Moses 37 showed at the bush, when he calleth the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. For he is 38 not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him. Then certain of the scribes answering, said, Master, thou hast 39 well said. And after that, they durst not ask him any question 40 at all.. And he said unto them, How say they that Christ is Da- 41 vid's son? And David himself saith in the book of Psalms, The 42 LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make 43 thine enemies thy footstool. David therefore calleth him Lord; 44 how is he then his son? Then in the audience of all the peo- 45

46 ple, he said unto his disciples, Beware of the scribes, which desire to walk in long robes, and love greetings in the markets, and the highest seats in the synagogues, and the chief rooms at feasts; 47 which devour widows' houses, and for a show make long prayers: the same shall receive greater damnation.

CHAPTER XXI.

Our Saviour commends the Poor Widow, and predicts great coming Changes.

AND he looked up and saw the rich men casting their gifts into 2 the treasury. And he saw also a certain poor widow, casting in 3 thither two mites. And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, That 4 this poor widow hath cast in more than they all. For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had.

5

And as some spake of the temple, how it was adorned with 6 goodly stones, and gifts, he said, As for these things which ye behold, the days will come, in the which there shall not be left 7 one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. And they asked him, saying, Master, but when shall these things be? and what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass ? 8 And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and the time draweth 9 near go ye not therefore after them. But when ye shall hear

of wars, and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must 10 first come to pass; but the end is not by and by. Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against

5-7, 14, and Mark xii. 38-40. See gifts in the temples of their gods. notes thereon.

CHAPTER XXI. 1-4. Explained in Mark xii. 41, 44.

5-36. See the notes on Mat. xxiv. and Mark xiii.

5. Gifts. The glory of the temple consisted not only in the magnificence of its structure, but also in the votive offerings, of immense value, which adorned it, according to the custom, common among the heathen, of suspending consecrated

Among the gifts spoken of in the text, were probably to be reckoned the golden table presented by Pompey, the golden vine and splendid trophies of Herod, taken from his enemies, and costly ornaments from Augustus and his friends.

9. But the end is not by and by. Is not immediately. The consummation would still be comparatively remote, as it did not occur till forty years after this time, during which period the signs here mentioned took place.

kingdom and great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and 11 famines, and pestilences and fearful sights, and great signs shall there be from heaven. But before all these they shall lay 12 their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake. And it shall turn to you for a testi- 13 mony. Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before 14 what ye shall answer. For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, 15 which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist. And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kins- 16 folks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake. 17 But there shall not a hair of your head perish. In your patience possess ye your souls. And when ye shall see Jerusalem 20 compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. Then let them which are in Judea flee to the mountains'; 21 and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto. For these be the 22 days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that 23 give suck in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people. And they shall fall by the 24 edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled..

13. For a testimony, i. e. a testimony to convince those to whom you preach, of the credibility of the gospel. 15. A mouth and wisdom. Or, wisdom of speech..

18, 19. Not a hair of your head perish. Seemingly inconsistent with verse 16. It is construed by some, as signifying that, on the whole, God would suffer no essential evil to befall them, though persecution and death should be their portion. But is not the sense rather, that though some might suffer, yet that most would be preserved unharmed, notwithstanding the slaughter of their countrymen, by fleeing, as the Christians actually did, from Jerusalem to Pella,

18

19

And there shall be signs 25

beyond the Jordan. - In your patience, &c. Otherwise rendered, " by your perseverance will you preserve your lives."

21. The Jews pursued the very opposite course to that dictated here. Almost the whole nation were crowded together within the walls of Jerusalem, and thus aggravated the horrors of the tragical siege.

24. And they shall fall, &c. All the predictions throughout this passage were fulfilled, as may be seen by consulting Josephus, with literal, with dreadful exactness. Until the times of the Gentiles, has been rendered, until the triumph of the Gentiles is complete, or as long as those