the filial obligations. All the attentions of children never can repay the debt of gratitude which they owe those from whom they derived their being, their education, and the comforts and blessings of early life. Reverence, love, and obedience, so far as parental commands are right, are, by the laws of natural and revealed religion, obligatory upon children, and the contrary is prohibited under the most awful penalties. If aged and infirm, or poor, parents are to be taken care of by their offspring, their last days to be made comfortable and happy, and the descent to the grave smoothed by filial sympathy and attention.

5. But ye say. He contrasts their iniquitous sayings with the divine commandments.—It is a gift. Mark says, "It is Corban, that is to say, a gift," something devoted to the service of God. If a Jew wished to evade the duty of supporting his parents, he might, according to the doctrine of the Scribes and Pharisees, the tradition of the elders, devote his property to the treasury of the Lord, or place it in the hands of the priests. He would then say to his parents, My property is Corban, a gift sacred to God, so far as you might be profited by it. He was said to be free accordingly from the obligation of providing for the wants of his father and mother. Thus, under the guise of a false piety, the command of God was disobeyed. Some commentators suppose that what they refused to their parents was not actually devoted to a sacred purpose, but by the use of the word Corban, or by

taking a rash oath or vow, they represented that it was alienated from the use of their parents as much as if it had been given to God, which seems as rational an interpretation, and one that is countenanced by the different vows of obligation or prohibition in the Talmudic books, as Lightfoot has shown on this passage.-Jesus would not censure the practice of giving to religious objects; but he would condemn the practice of thus giving at the expense of violating the filial obligations.

6. He shall be free. These words in Italics are not in the original, but are introduced by the translators; the sense would be unimpaired if they were omitted. The whole might read thus, as Wakefield has translated it :-"A man may say to his father or mother, that is an offering to God (by which I might have profited thee), and so honor not his father or his mother.”—Of none effect by your tradition. By this wicked subterfuge they really, though not nominally, nullified the fifth commandment.

7. Ye hypocrites. Ye false pretenders, ostensibly keeping the commandments, but in reality setting them aside to make room for your own traditions.-Esaias. Is. xxix. 13, where there is a difference in language from the passage here quoted, since this was taken from the Greek Septuagint and not from the original Hebrew. The declaration of Isaiah is introduced not as implying the fulfilment of a prophecy, but as a description given by the prophet of the people of his

time, which was applicable to the Jews of that period.-Prophesy of you. Of such as you.

8. Draweth nigh unto me with their mouth. The orthodox critic Griesbach has omitted this sentence in his celebrated and accurate edition of the New Testament. The formal lip-worship prevalent in the time of Isaiah was chargeable upon the Jews of Christ's age. The Scribes and Pharisees were full of good professions, scrupulous in meats and drinks, and punctilious in all external observances, but the love of God had died out of their hearts, and left them cold and hollow. No spirit of devotion burned within.

9. All worship is necessarily in vain, if it spring not from a heart obedient to God. He who is subservient to the will of man, or to human institutions, in opposition to God's laws, by that very state of mind disqualifies himself for offering acceptable worship, which implies by the very act a supreme regard to the Being who is worshipped. By these direct and searching applications of truth to their consciences, Jesus gave them mortal offence, and stung their pride so that they were never satisfied until they saw him upon the cross.

10. He called the multitude. Turn ing from the Scribes and Pharisees, he now addressed the people at large. Thus far he had been engaged in rebutting the charge against his disciples, because they ate with

unwashen hands, by an argumentum ad hominem to the Pharisees, who, in their eagerness to observe human institutions, broke the divine commandments; thus undermining the very ground of their accusation. In a more public address to the whole people, he proceeds to attack the formal observances upon which the Jews plumed themselves so highly, as being wholly empty and worthless without inward purity.-Hear, and understand. awakens their attention by reminding them of their duty to listen candidly and endeavor to understand his instructions.

He

11. Not that which goeth into the mouth, &c. This refers back to verse 2, where they had objected to the disciples because they ate with unwashen hands. Jesus would not destroy the law which authorized a distinction of meats, but he asserts that nothing is naturally unclean, or could defile a human mind; but that regard was chiefly to be paid to the thoughts, intentions, and words coming out of a man. These it was that had power to stain his purity.

12. Were offended. Were scandalized. They were indignant that the veil of hypocrisy should be torn off and their idle pretensions to holiness exposed to contempt. They did not venture openly to denounce Jesus, but the disciples observed that they had taken offence. The question of the disciples carries the

impression that they regretted that the Pharisees were offended, thinking it necessary, perhaps, to propitiate their favor, in order to establish their Master's kingdom.

13. Every plant. Every plantation, according to many critics, referring to the Scribes and Pharisees as a body who would be overthrown by the advance of truth; or, as is more likely, erroneous doctrines and customs are meant. It was the business of our Lord to extirpate these, to make way for the truth. We have the promise of Jesus that these in due time shall, by the reformation of the world and the elevation of the church, be finally rooted up. Truth is great, and it will eventually prevail. There are many plants in the Christian church, unscriptural doctrines, idle rites, and groundless pretensions, which cannot abide the searching investigation of free and independent minds. It becomes us, therefore, abandoning all other foundations, to repose upon Christ, the corner-stone, fearless of the fu

ture.

"Nought endures but thou, O Lord;
Everlasting is thy word!

Thou, the first, the midst, the end;
Thou, the deathless, changeless friend:
Grant us, Lord, beyond the skies,
Flowers whose fragiance never dies."

14. Let them alone. Have done with them. Have nothing to do with their doctrine, dread not their opposition. It is to be expected that they will be enraged at those who endeavor to convict them of

The

their errors.-Blind leaders of the blind. A proverbial expression common to the Hebrews, Greeks, and Romans, and aptly illustrating the point our Lord wished to convey. The common people were blind through ignorance. Scribes and Pharisees, their guides, were blind through perversity and hypocrisy. The consequence of one leading the other would be that both would go astray and fall into destruction.-Ditch. More properly, pit, which was dug to hold water in a country exposed to severe drought.

Here

15. Then answered Peter. again is inwoven in the history a bright thread of reality, in the characteristic representation of this disciple as the spokesman of the company. The slighter such an incident, the greater the evidence of undesignedness, nature, and truth.

Declare unto us this parable. Explain your maxim or figure, which had been given in verse 11. The word parable is used with a considerable latitude of meaning. See note on Mat. xiii. 3.

16. Are ye also yet without understanding? Still without understanding. He appeals to their common sense. You must be obtuse indeed, after all my instructions, not to understand my comparison.

17. Food enters the bodily system, but not the spiritual constitution, Mark vii. 19, and consequently does not affect the character.

18. But what is spoken comes

"Our outward act is prompted from within, And from the sinner's mind proceeds the sin." Christ in this passage taught, in opposition to the Pharisees, 1st, that outward things do not pollute the character; and 2d, that evil words and thoughts, coming from the heart, defile the inan.

19. Jesus proceeds to give a catalogue of those things which corrupt a man.-Evil thoughts. Or, purposes. He then particularizes what deeds they prompt.-Blasphemies. Calumnies, or, if it relates to the Creator, impious expressions. Mark mentions not only the acts, but the evil qualities, covetousness, wickedness or malice, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, pride, foolishness.

20. Unwashen hands. This refers back to verse 2, where the disciples were accused of eating without washing their hands. It was no sin to neglect an empty form. Jesus encouraged no superstitious or idle ceremonies, but what is real, rational, and indispensable.

21. Into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. Or, towards the borders of Tyre and Sidon, for it does not appear with certainty that he ever left the country of Judea. His object in retiring to that region was proba

bly to escape from the importunity of the Scribes and Pharisees, or the snares of Herod. This supposition is strengthened by what is said in Mark, that he would have no man know the place where he was. On Tyre and Sidon see note, Mat. xii. 22.

Pales

22. Woman of Canaan. tine was formerly called Canaan. Perhaps she was a descendant of the ancient Canaanites. Mark vii. 26, she is termed "a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation." This country had been conquered and governed by the Greeks under Alexander the Great. Besides, the Jews gave the name of Greek to all who belonged not to their own nation. The region in which Tyre and Sidon were situated was called Phoenicia, and was included in the more general name of Syria. Hence the inhabitants were Syrophœnicians, as distinguished from the Phoenicians of Lybia, or Carthaginians.-Coasts. Borders.-Son of David. She might have learned this epithet of the Messiah from the multitude around him, and his beneficent power to cure the sick. -Vexed with a devil. A demon. See note on Mat. iv. 24. The Jews ascribed all inveterate diseases to the agency of demons, or the disembodied spirits of wicked men.

23. He answered her not a word.

The disciples, imbued with the prejudices of their countrymen, would have been offended had he immediately granted her request; but by deferring the matter, they themselves, moved by her pathos, join with her in supplicating his aid. Send her away, i. e. dismiss her, satisfy her, or despatch her business; whereas the common version makes it appear that they would have him send her away disappointed of her object. So far from it, her eloquent grief overcame their rooted dislike to the Gentiles, and they became co-pleaders with her.

24 Lost sheep of the house of Israel. An image of a flock without a shepherd, bewildered and exposed to the ravages of wild beasts. The ministry of Jesus was specially devoted to the Jews, as the nation that had been particularly educated by God to maintain his pure worship. Still, he preached to the Samaritans, he cured the servant of a Roman, and the daughter of a Greek, and thus intimated, not doubtfully, that his religion was a gift from Heaven to all men. But this and the other objections Jesus made to the woman's petition nay be understood, as has been truly suggested, rather as an expression of what was passing in the minds of his disciples, than of his own disinclination to relieve the Gentile. He wished to overcome their prejudices, and bring back their hearts to nature and to truth, by exhibiting her sublime faith, which would not have been manifested had he at once granted her prayer.

25. Worshipped him. Notwithstanding her seeming repulse, strong in her maternal heart she throws herself in a suppliant posture at his feet with the new entreaty, "Lord, help me!" Beautiful instance of persevering faith!

26. It is not meet, &c. Or, fit or right. We may suppose Jesus here expresses less his own sentiment than that of the disciples and the multitude. He assumes for the moment their style of speech. The Jews regarded themselves as the children of God, and they hesitated not to call all other nations sinners, dogs, and every thing most opprobrious. This seemingly harsh language is softened, therefore, when we know that words, highly offensive when first used, in time lose their rudeness, and sink into mere terms of designation. The manner and look of Jesus, as we learn from the sequel, were such as not to intimidate, but encourage the woman. The diminutive also is used in the original, meaning little dogs, which bespeaks likewise a mildness of address.

27. The dogs eat of the crumbs, &c. Never was an answer more apropos and ingenious. I acknowledge, she says, the force of your words, and I ask but for the crumbs, which the dogs have by right of custom, that fall from the abundant table spread for the entertainment of the Jews. Jesus effected his purpose, and exhibited her humility and faith, in their native grace and constancy, to the admiration of his disciples.