About Matthew

Matthew presents Jesus as the promised Messiah and King of Israel, demonstrating through His teachings and miracles that He fulfills Old Testament prophecies.

Author: Matthew (Levi)Written: c. AD 50-70Reading time: ~4 minVerses: 30
Kingdom of HeavenJesus as MessiahFulfillment of ProphecyDiscipleshipChurch

King James Version

Matthew 19

30 verses with commentary

Teaching About Divorce

And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these sayings, he departed from Galilee, and came into the coasts of Judaea beyond Jordan;

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KJV Study Commentary

This text illustrates key Reformed principles: sola Scriptura, sola gratia, and sola fide. The passage demonstrates how God's Word speaks authoritatively to human need, revealing both our depravity and God's merciful provision through Christ.

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

**XIX.** (1) **He departed from Galilee.**—The verse covers a considerable interval of time which the materials supplied by St. Luke and St. John enable us to fill up. From the former we get the outlines of what has been called, as being “beyond Jordan,” our Lord’s Peræan ministry, from Luke 9:51 to Luke 18:30; from the latter, according to the arrangement of the best harmonists, His visit to Jeru...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**15. Moreover, if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother, &c.--**Probably our Lord had reference still to the late dispute, Who should be the greatest? After the rebuke--so gentle and captivating, yet so dignified and divine--under which they would doubtless be smarting, perhaps each wo...
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Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Chapter 19 Chapter Outline Jesus enters Judea.(1-2) The Pharisees' question about divorces.(3-12) Young children brought to Jesus.(13-15) The rich young man's inquiry.(16-22) The recompence of Christ's followers.(23-30) **Verses 1-2** Great multitudes followed Christ. When Christ departs, it is best for us to follow him. They found him as able and ready to help elsewh...
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And great multitudes followed him; and he healed them there.

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KJV Study Commentary

This verse reveals profound theological truth central to Reformed understanding of Scripture. The passage demonstrates God's sovereignty and grace working through human circumstances. Christ's teaching here challenges contemporary religious assumptions while pointing to deeper spiritual realities.

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Chapter 19 Chapter Outline Jesus enters Judea.(1-2) The Pharisees' question about divorces.(3-12) Young children brought to Jesus.(13-15) The rich young man's inquiry.(16-22) The recompence of Christ's followers.(23-30) **Verses 1-2** Great multitudes followed Christ. When Christ departs, it is best for us to follow him. They found him as able and ready to help elsewh...
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The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?

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KJV Study Commentary

This text illustrates key Reformed principles: sola Scriptura, sola gratia, and sola fide. The passage demonstrates how God's Word speaks authoritatively to human need, revealing both our depravity and God's merciful provision through Christ.

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(3) **Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?**—See Note on Matthew 5:32. So far as the teaching of the Sermon on the Mount had become known, it gave a sufficiently clear answer to the inquiry of the Pharisees. It is, however, quite conceivable that it had not reached the ears of those who now put the question, or, that if it had, they wished to test His consistency, and to se...
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Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

**Verses 3-12** The Pharisees were desirous of drawing something from Jesus which they might represent as contrary to the law of Moses. Cases about marriage have been numerous, and sometimes perplexed; made so, not by the law of God, but by the lusts and follies of men; and often people fix what they will do, before they ask for advice. Jesus replied by asking whether they had not read the acc...
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And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,

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KJV Study Commentary

Jesus answers the divorce question by appealing to creation: 'Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female?' This grounds marriage in God's creative design, not human custom or Mosaic concession. The phrase 'at the beginning' takes the discussion back to Genesis 1-2, before sin corrupted human relationships. Reformed theology sees here the foundational impor...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(4) **Have ye not read . . .?**—The answer to the question is found not in the words of a code of laws, but in the original facts of creation. That represented the idea of man and woman as created for a permanent relationship to each other, not as left to unite and separate as appetite or caprice might prompt.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**18. Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven--**Here, what had been granted but a short time before to Peter only (see on Mt 16:19) is plainly extended to all the Twelve; so that whatever it means, it means nothing peculiar to Peter, far less to his pretended successors at Rome. It has to d...
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Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

**Verses 3-12** The Pharisees were desirous of drawing something from Jesus which they might represent as contrary to the law of Moses. Cases about marriage have been numerous, and sometimes perplexed; made so, not by the law of God, but by the lusts and follies of men; and often people fix what they will do, before they ask for advice. Jesus replied by asking whether they had not read the acc...
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And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?

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KJV Study Commentary

Jesus quotes Genesis 2:24, establishing marriage's three aspects: leaving parents, cleaving to spouse, becoming one flesh. 'Shall cleave' (Greek 'proskollao'—glue, cement together) indicates permanent bond. 'One flesh' signifies comprehensive union—physical, emotional, spiritual. Reformed marriage theology emphasizes covenant permanence and exclusive intimacy. God's design creates new family unit ...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(5) **And said, For this cause.**—In Genesis 2:24 the words appear as spoken by Adam; but words so uttered, prompted by the Holy Spirit, and stamped with the divine sanction, might well be looked on as an oracle from God, the expression of a law of His appointment.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

19. Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

**Verses 3-12** The Pharisees were desirous of drawing something from Jesus which they might represent as contrary to the law of Moses. Cases about marriage have been numerous, and sometimes perplexed; made so, not by the law of God, but by the lusts and follies of men; and often people fix what they will do, before they ask for advice. Jesus replied by asking whether they had not read the acc...
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Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

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KJV Study Commentary

Jesus declares marriage permanence: 'Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder' (Greek: ὥστε οὐκέτι εἰσὶν δύο ἀλλὰ σὰρξ μία, 'so they are no longer two but one flesh'). This quotes Genesis 2:24, establishing marriage as divine creation ordinance. The phrase 'one flesh' (σὰρξ μία) indicates profound union - physical, emotional,...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(6) **What therefore God hath joined.**—Strictly interpreted, the words go further than those of Matthew 5:32, and appear to forbid divorce under all circumstances. They are, however, rather the expression of the principle that should underlie laws, than the formulated law itself, and, as such, they assert the true ideal of marriage without making provision (such as was made before) for that which...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**20. For where two or three are gathered together in my name--**or "unto my name." **there am I in the midst of them--**On this passage--so full of sublime encouragement to Christian union in action and prayer--observe, first, the connection in which it stands. Our Lord had been speaking of church meetings before which the obstinate perversity of a brother was in the last resort to be brought, ...
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Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

**Verses 3-12** The Pharisees were desirous of drawing something from Jesus which they might represent as contrary to the law of Moses. Cases about marriage have been numerous, and sometimes perplexed; made so, not by the law of God, but by the lusts and follies of men; and often people fix what they will do, before they ask for advice. Jesus replied by asking whether they had not read the acc...
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They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away?

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement</strong> (βιβλίον ἀποστασίου, <em>biblion apostasiou</em>)—The Pharisees' question exposes their fundamental misunderstanding. Moses did not <em>command</em> (ἐντέλλομαι, <em>entellomai</em>) divorce; he <em>permitted</em> it as a regulatory concession to human hardness of heart (v. 8). The <em>biblion apostasiou</em> (certificate...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(7) **They say unto him.**—The question comes apparently from the advocates of the laxer school. They fell back from what would seem to them a vague abstract principle upon the letter of the Law. Was Moses, the great lawgiver, sanctioning what God had forbidden? Would the Prophet of Nazareth commit Himself to anything so bold as that?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**21. Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him?--**In the recent dispute, Peter had probably been an object of special envy, and his forwardness in continually answering for all the rest would likely be cast up to him--and if so, probably by Judas--notwithstanding his Master's commendations. And as such insinuations were perhaps made once a...
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Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

**Verses 3-12** The Pharisees were desirous of drawing something from Jesus which they might represent as contrary to the law of Moses. Cases about marriage have been numerous, and sometimes perplexed; made so, not by the law of God, but by the lusts and follies of men; and often people fix what they will do, before they ask for advice. Jesus replied by asking whether they had not read the acc...
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He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.

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KJV Study Commentary

Jesus explains that Moses permitted divorce 'because of the hardness of your hearts,' but 'from the beginning it was not so.' Divorce represents concession to sin, not God's ideal. The phrase 'hardness of hearts' (Greek 'sklerokardia'—hardness, stubbornness) indicates sinful rebellion requiring legal regulation. Reformed theology distinguishes God's perfect will (permanent marriage) from His permi...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(8) **Moses because of the hardness of your hearts.**—The force of the answer lies (1) in emphasized substitution of “suffered” for “commanded.” The scribes of the school of Hillel had almost turned divorce into a duty, even when there was no ground for it but incompatibility of temper or other lesser fault, as if Deuteronomy 24:1 had enjoined the writing of divorcement in such cases. (2) In the g...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**22. Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times; but, Until seventy times seven--**that is, so long as it shall be needed and sought: you are never to come to the point of refusing forgiveness sincerely asked. (See on Lu 17:3, 4).

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

**Verses 3-12** The Pharisees were desirous of drawing something from Jesus which they might represent as contrary to the law of Moses. Cases about marriage have been numerous, and sometimes perplexed; made so, not by the law of God, but by the lusts and follies of men; and often people fix what they will do, before they ask for advice. Jesus replied by asking whether they had not read the acc...
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And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.

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KJV Study Commentary

Reformed theology emphasizes the divine initiative evident in this text. The verse connects to broader biblical themes of covenant, redemption, and God's unchanging character. Understanding this passage requires recognizing both its historical context and its application to Christian life.

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(9) **Whosoever shall put away his wife.**—The questions to which the law thus proclaimed gives rise have been discussed in the Note on Matthew 5:32. One serious difference has, however, to be noticed. Where in the earlier form of the precept we read, “cuseth her (the woman put away for any cause but adultery) to commit adultery,” we have here, more emphatically as bearing on the position of the h...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**23. Therefore--**"with reference to this matter." **is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants--**or, would scrutinize the accounts of his revenue collectors.

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

**Verses 3-12** The Pharisees were desirous of drawing something from Jesus which they might represent as contrary to the law of Moses. Cases about marriage have been numerous, and sometimes perplexed; made so, not by the law of God, but by the lusts and follies of men; and often people fix what they will do, before they ask for advice. Jesus replied by asking whether they had not read the acc...
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His disciples say unto him, If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry.

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KJV Study Commentary

This verse reveals profound theological truth central to Reformed understanding of Scripture. The passage demonstrates God's sovereignty and grace working through human circumstances. Christ's teaching here challenges contemporary religious assumptions while pointing to deeper spiritual realities.

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(10) **If the case of the man.**—The words seem to indicate that the laxer view of the school of Hillel was the more popular one even with those who, like the disciples, had been roused to some efforts after a righteousness higher than that of the scribes or Pharisees. They looked forward to the possible discomforts of marriage under the conditions which their Master had set before them, and drew ...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**24. And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents--**If Attic talents are here meant, 10,000 of them would amount to above a million and a half sterling; if Jewish talents, to a much larger sum.

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

**Verses 3-12** The Pharisees were desirous of drawing something from Jesus which they might represent as contrary to the law of Moses. Cases about marriage have been numerous, and sometimes perplexed; made so, not by the law of God, but by the lusts and follies of men; and often people fix what they will do, before they ask for advice. Jesus replied by asking whether they had not read the acc...
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But he said unto them, All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given.

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KJV Study Commentary

Reformed theology emphasizes the divine initiative evident in this text. The verse connects to broader biblical themes of covenant, redemption, and God's unchanging character. Understanding this passage requires recognizing both its historical context and its application to Christian life.

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(11) **All men cannot receive this saying.**—As the words stand, “this saying” might refer either to the rule which our Lord had laid down on the subject of divorce, or to the comment of the disciples on that rule. What follows, however, determines the reference to the latter. Looking at marriage from a simply selfish point of view, and therefore with an entirely inadequate estimate of its duties ...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**25. But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made--**(See 2Ki 4:1; Ne 5:8; Le 25:39).

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

**Verses 3-12** The Pharisees were desirous of drawing something from Jesus which they might represent as contrary to the law of Moses. Cases about marriage have been numerous, and sometimes perplexed; made so, not by the law of God, but by the lusts and follies of men; and often people fix what they will do, before they ask for advice. Jesus replied by asking whether they had not read the acc...
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For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother's womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it.

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KJV Study Commentary

This verse reveals profound theological truth central to Reformed understanding of Scripture. The passage demonstrates God's sovereignty and grace working through human circumstances. Christ's teaching here challenges contemporary religious assumptions while pointing to deeper spiritual realities.

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(12) **There are some eunuchs.**—The words are singularly startling in their form, and bear upon them an unmistakable stamp of being a true report of teaching which, in its depth and originality, went beyond the grasp of those who heard and reported it. What they teach is, that only those who are in some sense “eunuchs,” who are, *i.e.,* without the impulses that lead men to marriage, either natur...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**26. The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him--**or did humble obeisance to him. **saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all--**This was just an acknowledgment of the justice of the claim made against him, and a piteous imploration of mercy.

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

**Verses 3-12** The Pharisees were desirous of drawing something from Jesus which they might represent as contrary to the law of Moses. Cases about marriage have been numerous, and sometimes perplexed; made so, not by the law of God, but by the lusts and follies of men; and often people fix what they will do, before they ask for advice. Jesus replied by asking whether they had not read the acc...
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Jesus Blesses the Children

Then were there brought unto him little children, that he should put his hands on them, and pray: and the disciples rebuked them.

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KJV Study Commentary

This text illustrates key Reformed principles: sola Scriptura, sola gratia, and sola fide. The passage demonstrates how God's Word speaks authoritatively to human need, revealing both our depravity and God's merciful provision through Christ.

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(13) **Then were there brought unto him little children.**—St. Luke (Luke 18:15) uses a word which implies infancy. The fact that they were brought (we may assume by their mothers) indicates that there was something in our Lord’s look and manner that attracted children, and impressed their parents with the feeling that He loved them. That feeling, we may well believe, was deepened by His acts and ...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**27. Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt--**Payment being hopeless, the master is first moved with compassion; next, liberates his debtor from prison; and then cancels the debt freely.

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

**Verses 13-15** It is well when we come to Christ ourselves, and bring our children. Little children may be brought to Christ as needing, and being capable of receiving blessings from him, and having an interest in his intercession. We can but beg a blessing for them: Christ only can command the blessing. It is well for us, that Christ has more love and tenderness in him than the best of his ...
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But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.

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KJV Study Commentary

Jesus rebukes disciples: 'Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven' (Greek: ἄφετε τὰ παιδία καὶ μὴ κωλύετε αὐτὰ ἐλθεῖν πρός με, 'permit the children and do not hinder them to come to me'). 'Suffer' (ἄφετε) means 'allow, permit.' Disciples tried blocking children from Jesus, viewing them as unimportant. Jesus invites them, declaring 'of such...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(14) **Suffer little children, and forbid them not** **. . .**—St. Mark adds that Jesus “was much displeased,” and represents Him as reproducing almost verbally the teaching of Matthew 18:3. The tenderness of His sympathy was kindled into indignation at the rough indifference of the disciples. As in thousands of those whose lives have been modelled after His pattern, the love of children was not w...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**28. But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellow servants--**Mark the difference here. The first case is that of master and servant; in this case, both are on a footing of equality. (See Mt 18:33, below.) **which owed him an hundred pence--**If Jewish money is intended, this debt was to the other less than one to a million. **and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat...
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Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

**Verses 13-15** It is well when we come to Christ ourselves, and bring our children. Little children may be brought to Christ as needing, and being capable of receiving blessings from him, and having an interest in his intercession. We can but beg a blessing for them: Christ only can command the blessing. It is well for us, that Christ has more love and tenderness in him than the best of his ...
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And he laid his hands on them, and departed thence.

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>And he laid his hands on them</strong> (ἐπέθηκεν τὰς χεῖρας αὐτοῖς, <em>epethēken tas cheiras autois</em>)—This physical touch conveys blessing, identification, and spiritual impartation. The laying on of hands appears throughout Scripture in contexts of ordination, healing, and blessing (Gen. 48:14, Acts 6:6, 1 Tim. 4:14). Jesus's deliberate touch contradicted rabbinic protocol that minim...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(15) **He laid his hands on them.**—St. Mark records, as before, the act of caressing tenderness: “He folded them in His arms, and laid His hands upon them.” The words and the act have rightly been regarded, as in the Baptismal Office of the Church of England, as the true warrant for infant baptism. More than doubtful passages in the Acts and Epistles; more than the authority, real or supposed, of...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**29. And his fellow servant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all--**The same attitude, and the same words which drew compassion from his master, are here employed towards himself by his fellow servant.

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

**Verses 13-15** It is well when we come to Christ ourselves, and bring our children. Little children may be brought to Christ as needing, and being capable of receiving blessings from him, and having an interest in his intercession. We can but beg a blessing for them: Christ only can command the blessing. It is well for us, that Christ has more love and tenderness in him than the best of his ...
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The Rich Young Man

And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?

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KJV Study Commentary

The rich young ruler's question 'what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?' reveals works-righteousness thinking—attempting to earn salvation. Jesus' response redirects to God's goodness and commandment-keeping, not to endorse works salvation but to expose the man's self-righteousness. Reformed soteriology emphasizes that the law's purpose includes revealing sin and driving sinners...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(16) **Behold, one came and said . . .**—The vagueness with which a man who must have been conspicuous is thus introduced, without a name, is every way significant. He was, like Nicodemus, “a ruler of the Jews” (Luke 18:18), *i.e.,* probably, a member of the Sanhedrin or great Council, like Joseph of Arimathæa. He was, beside this, conspicuously rich, and of high and ardent character. There is one...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**30. And he would not; but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt, &amp;c.--**Jesus here vividly conveys the intolerable injustice and impudence which even the servants saw in this act on the part of one so recently laid under the heaviest obligation to their common master.

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

**Verses 16-22** Christ knew that covetousness was the sin which most easily beset this young man; though he had got honestly what he possessed, yet he could not cheerfully part with it, and by this his want of sincerity was shown. Christ's promises make his precepts easy, and his yoke pleasant and very comfortable; yet this promise was as much a trial of the young man's faith, as the precept ...
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And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.

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KJV Study Commentary

Jesus' response 'Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God' challenges the rich young ruler's superficial address. Jesus isn't denying His deity but forcing the man to consider the implication—if only God is good, and you call Me good, who am I? The follow-up 'but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments' shows that eternal life requires perfect obedience (which...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(17) **Why callest thou me good**?—Here again the older MSS. give a different form to our Lord’s answer: “Why askest thou Me concerning that which is good? There is One that is the Good.” The alteration was probably made, as before, for the sake of agreement with the other Gospels. In either case the answer has the same force. The questioner had lightly applied the word “good” to One whom he as ye...
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Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

**Verses 16-22** Christ knew that covetousness was the sin which most easily beset this young man; though he had got honestly what he possessed, yet he could not cheerfully part with it, and by this his want of sincerity was shown. Christ's promises make his precepts easy, and his yoke pleasant and very comfortable; yet this promise was as much a trial of the young man's faith, as the precept ...
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He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness,

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KJV Study Commentary

This verse reveals profound theological truth central to Reformed understanding of Scripture. The passage demonstrates God's sovereignty and grace working through human circumstances. Christ's teaching here challenges contemporary religious assumptions while pointing to deeper spiritual realities.

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(18) **He saith unto him, Which?**—Literally, *of what kind?* The questioner has been trained in the language of the schools, has heard debates as to which was the great commandment of the Law (22:36). Which class of commandments is he to keep that he may win eternal life? **Thou shalt do no murder.**—Our Lord’s answer was clearly determined by the method of which we have ventured to speak as call...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

32-33. Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O **thou wicked servant, &amp;c.--**Before bringing down his vengeance upon him, he calmly points out to him how shamefully unreasonable and heartless his conduct was; which would give the punishment inflicted on him a double sting.

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

**Verses 16-22** Christ knew that covetousness was the sin which most easily beset this young man; though he had got honestly what he possessed, yet he could not cheerfully part with it, and by this his want of sincerity was shown. Christ's promises make his precepts easy, and his yoke pleasant and very comfortable; yet this promise was as much a trial of the young man's faith, as the precept ...
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Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>Honour thy father and thy mother</strong> (τίμα τὸν πατέρα καὶ τὴν μητέρα, <em>tima ton patera kai tēn mētera</em>)—Jesus quotes the Fifth Commandment (Exod. 20:12), the first commandment with promise (Eph. 6:2). The verb τιμάω (<em>timaō</em>) means to value, prize, or show respect, encompassing financial provision, obedience, and care. Jesus elsewhere condemned Pharisees who used religio...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

32-33. Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O **thou wicked servant, &amp;c.--**Before bringing down his vengeance upon him, he calmly points out to him how shamefully unreasonable and heartless his conduct was; which would give the punishment inflicted on him a double sting.

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

**Verses 16-22** Christ knew that covetousness was the sin which most easily beset this young man; though he had got honestly what he possessed, yet he could not cheerfully part with it, and by this his want of sincerity was shown. Christ's promises make his precepts easy, and his yoke pleasant and very comfortable; yet this promise was as much a trial of the young man's faith, as the precept ...
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The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?

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KJV Study Commentary

Reformed theology emphasizes the divine initiative evident in this text. The verse connects to broader biblical themes of covenant, redemption, and God's unchanging character. Understanding this passage requires recognizing both its historical context and its application to Christian life.

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(20) **All these things have I kept.**—There is obviously a tone of impatient surprise in the questioner’s reply. He had come seeking some great thing to satisfy his lofty aspirations after eternal life. He finds himself re-taught the lessons of childhood, sent back, as it were, to a lower form in the school of holiness. He had not learnt that to keep any one of those commandments in its completen...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**34. And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors--**more than jailers; denoting the severity of the treatment which he thought such a case demanded. till he should pay all that was due unto him.

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

**Verses 16-22** Christ knew that covetousness was the sin which most easily beset this young man; though he had got honestly what he possessed, yet he could not cheerfully part with it, and by this his want of sincerity was shown. Christ's promises make his precepts easy, and his yoke pleasant and very comfortable; yet this promise was as much a trial of the young man's faith, as the precept ...
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Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.

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KJV Study Commentary

Jesus' command 'If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me' exposes the man's true master—wealth. 'Perfect' means complete or mature, not sinless. The call to sell everything revealed whether he loved God supremely or trusted in riches. 'Treasure in heaven' contrasts with earthly wealth. 'Follow me' is t...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(21) **Jesus said unto him . . .**—St. Mark (Mark 10:21) adds the striking and interesting words, “Jesus beholding him” (better, perhaps, *gazing on him*)*,* “loved him.” There was something in the young seeker after holiness which drew to him, in a measure altogether exceptional, the affection of the Great Teacher. The same word is used in regard to him which is used in relation to the “disciple ...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**35. So likewise--**in this spirit, or on this principle. shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

**Verses 16-22** Christ knew that covetousness was the sin which most easily beset this young man; though he had got honestly what he possessed, yet he could not cheerfully part with it, and by this his want of sincerity was shown. Christ's promises make his precepts easy, and his yoke pleasant and very comfortable; yet this promise was as much a trial of the young man's faith, as the precept ...
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But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>He went away sorrowful</strong> (ἀπῆλθεν λυπούμενος, <em>apēlthen lupoumenos</em>)—The young man's grief reveals spiritual authenticity yet fatal unwillingness. His sorrow (λυπέω, <em>lupeō</em>) shows he understood Jesus's demand and felt its weight, unlike those who dismiss Christ's claims lightly. Yet <strong>for he had great possessions</strong> (ἦν γὰρ ἔχων κτήματα πολλά, <em>ēn gar e...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(22) **He went away sorrowful.**—St. Mark adds “sad,” *i.e., frowning,* or as with a look that lowered. The word is the same as that used of the sky in Mark 16:3. The discipline so far did its work. It made the man conscious of his weakness. He shrank from the one test which would really have led him to the heights of holiness at which he aimed. Yet the sorrow, though it was a sign of the weakness...
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Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

**Verses 16-22** Christ knew that covetousness was the sin which most easily beset this young man; though he had got honestly what he possessed, yet he could not cheerfully part with it, and by this his want of sincerity was shown. Christ's promises make his precepts easy, and his yoke pleasant and very comfortable; yet this promise was as much a trial of the young man's faith, as the precept ...
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Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.

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KJV Study Commentary

Jesus' statement 'a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven' challenges assumptions about wealth indicating divine favor. 'Hardly' means with difficulty—not impossible but extremely challenging. Wealth creates false security, self-sufficiency, and distraction from God. The disciples' astonishment (v. 25) reveals they assumed prosperity meant blessing. Jesus teaches that wealth often...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(23) **Shall hardly enter.**—The Greek adverb is somewhat stronger than the colloquial meaning of the English. Literally, *shall not easily enter.* The words imply not so much the mere difficulty as the painfulness of the process. Here, as elsewhere, the “kingdom of heaven” is not the state of happiness after death, but the spiritual life and the society of those in whom it is realised even upon e...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

CHAPTER 19 Mt 19:1-12. Final Departure from Galilee--Divorce. ( = Mr 10:1-12; Lu 9:51). Farewell to Galilee (Mt 19:1, 2). **1. And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these sayings, he departed from Galilee--**This marks a very solemn period in our Lord's public ministry. So slightly is it touched here, and in the corresponding passage of Mark (Mr 10:1), that few readers probably not...
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Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

**Verses 23-30** Though Christ spoke so strongly, few that have riches do not trust in them. How few that are poor are not tempted to envy! But men's earnestness in this matter is like their toiling to build a high wall to shut themselves and their children out of heaven. It should be satisfaction to those who are in a low condition, that they are not exposed to the temptations of a high and p...
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And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

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KJV Study Commentary

Jesus' vivid metaphor 'It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God' emphasizes impossibility from human perspective. The camel was the largest common Palestinian animal; the needle's eye was the smallest opening—hyperbolic impossibility. Some suggest the 'needle's eye' was a small gate, but this misses Jesus' point: human effort ...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(24) **It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle.**—Two explanations have been given of the apparent hyperbole of the words. (1.) It has been conjectured that the Evangelists wrote not κάμηλος (a camel), but κάμιλος (a cable). Not a single MS., however, gives that reading, and the latter word, which is not found in any classical Greek author, is supposed by the best scholars (*e.g...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**2. And great multitudes followed him; and he healed them there--**Mark says further (Mr 10:1), that "as He was wont, He taught them there." What we now have on the subject of divorce is some of that teaching. Divorce (Mt 19:3-12).

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

**Verses 23-30** Though Christ spoke so strongly, few that have riches do not trust in them. How few that are poor are not tempted to envy! But men's earnestness in this matter is like their toiling to build a high wall to shut themselves and their children out of heaven. It should be satisfaction to those who are in a low condition, that they are not exposed to the temptations of a high and p...
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When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved?

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>They were exceedingly amazed</strong> (ἐξεπλήσσοντο σφόδρα, <em>exeplēssonto sphodra</em>)—The disciples' astonishment reveals their residual belief in merit-based salvation. The verb ἐκπλήσσω (<em>ekplēssō</em>) means to strike with panic or shock; intensified by σφόδρα (<em>sphodra</em>, exceedingly), it conveys their theological world collapsing. If the wealthy and righteous cannot save...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(25) **Who then can be saved**?—There is an almost child-like *naïveté* in the question thus asked by the disciples. They, whether among their own people or among strangers, had found the desire of wealth to be the universal passion. Even they themselves, when they had forsaken their earthly goods, had done so (as Peter’s question showed but too plainly, Matthew 19:27) as with a far-sighted calcul...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**3. Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?--**Two rival schools (as we saw on Mt 5:31) were divided on this question--a delicate one, as De Wette pertinently remarks, in the dominions of Herod Antipas.

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

**Verses 23-30** Though Christ spoke so strongly, few that have riches do not trust in them. How few that are poor are not tempted to envy! But men's earnestness in this matter is like their toiling to build a high wall to shut themselves and their children out of heaven. It should be satisfaction to those who are in a low condition, that they are not exposed to the temptations of a high and p...
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But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.</strong> This profound declaration comes at the climax of Jesus's teaching about wealth and salvation, spoken immediately after the rich young ruler departed sorrowfully, unable to forsake his possessions for eternal life. The Greek word <em>adunatos</em> (ἀδύνατος) translated "imp...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(26) **Jesus beheld them.**—We can surely conceive something of the expression of that look. He had gazed thus on the young ruler, and read his inner weakness. Now, in like manner, he reads that of the disciples; and the look, we may believe, tells of wonder, sorrow, tenderness, anxiety. Those feelings utter themselves in the words that follow, partly in direct teaching, partly in symbolic promise...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**4. And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female--**or better, perhaps, "He that made them made them from the beginning a male and a female."

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

**Verses 23-30** Though Christ spoke so strongly, few that have riches do not trust in them. How few that are poor are not tempted to envy! But men's earnestness in this matter is like their toiling to build a high wall to shut themselves and their children out of heaven. It should be satisfaction to those who are in a low condition, that they are not exposed to the temptations of a high and p...
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Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee</strong> (ἰδοὺ ἡμεῖς ἀφήκαμεν πάντα καὶ ἠκολουθήσαμέν σοι, <em>idou hēmeis aphēkamen panta kai ēkolouthēsamen soi</em>)—Peter's response reflects a mixture of genuine commitment and self-justifying comparison. The perfect tense of ἀφίημι (<em>aphiēmi</em>, to leave, forsake) emphasizes the completed action with continuing results: they had ab...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(27) **Behold, we have forsaken.**—The question betrayed the thoughts that had been working in the minds of the disciples, and of which, as was his wont, St. Peter made himself the spokesman. They had complied with their Master’s commands. What were they to have as the special reward to which they were thus entitled? It is obvious that in asking for that reward they showed that they had complied w...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**5. And said, For this cause--**to follow out this divine appointment. **shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?--**Jesus here sends them back to the original constitution of man as one pair, a male and a female; to their marriage, as such, by divine appointment; and to the purpose of God, expressed by the sacred historian, that in a...
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Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

**Verses 23-30** Though Christ spoke so strongly, few that have riches do not trust in them. How few that are poor are not tempted to envy! But men's earnestness in this matter is like their toiling to build a high wall to shut themselves and their children out of heaven. It should be satisfaction to those who are in a low condition, that they are not exposed to the temptations of a high and p...
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And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

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KJV Study Commentary

Peter's statement 'we have forsaken all, and followed thee' is both true and somewhat self-congratulatory. Jesus' response (19:28-30) promises reward for faithful disciples while warning against mercenary motivation. The phrase 'in the regeneration' (Greek 'palingenesia'—new birth, renewal) refers to the new creation when Christ returns. Reformed eschatology sees believers reigning with Christ in ...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(28) **In the regeneration.**—In the only other passage in the New Testament in which the word occurs, it is applied to baptism (Titus 3:5), as the instrument of the regeneration or new birth of the individual believer. Here, however, it clearly has a wider range. There is to be a “new birth” for mankind as well as for the individual. The sorrows through which the world was to pass were to be as t...
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Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

**Verses 23-30** Though Christ spoke so strongly, few that have riches do not trust in them. How few that are poor are not tempted to envy! But men's earnestness in this matter is like their toiling to build a high wall to shut themselves and their children out of heaven. It should be satisfaction to those who are in a low condition, that they are not exposed to the temptations of a high and p...
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And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.

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KJV Study Commentary

Jesus promises that everyone who forsakes family or property 'for my name's sake' will receive 'an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.' This demonstrates kingdom economics—giving up earthly treasures for Christ yields infinite return. The 'hundredfold' blessing includes spiritual family (the church community) and eternal life. Reformed theology sees here the principle that God cannot ...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(29) **Every one that hath forsaken.**—While the loyalty and faith of the Apostles were rewarded with a promise which satisfied their hopes then, and would bring with it, as they entered more deeply into its meaning, an ever-increasing satisfaction, their claim to a special privilege and reward was at least indirectly rebuked. Not for them only, but for all who had done or should hereafter do as t...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

7. They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away?

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

**Verses 23-30** Though Christ spoke so strongly, few that have riches do not trust in them. How few that are poor are not tempted to envy! But men's earnestness in this matter is like their toiling to build a high wall to shut themselves and their children out of heaven. It should be satisfaction to those who are in a low condition, that they are not exposed to the temptations of a high and p...
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But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.

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KJV Study Commentary

Jesus' paradoxical statement 'many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first' inverts worldly hierarchies. Those considered spiritually privileged (religiously established, wealthy, powerful) may end up last in kingdom accounting, while the humble and overlooked may be first. This saying frames the following parable of laborers (20:1-16) where late-coming workers receive equal pay ...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(30) **Many that are first shall be last.**—The words point obviously not only to the general fact of the ultimate reversal of human judgments, but to the individual case of which the disciples had made themselves the judges. They had seen one who stood high in his own estimate brought low by the test of the divine Teacher. They were flattering themselves that they, who had left all, and so could ...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**8. He saith unto them, Moses--**as a civil lawgiver. **because of--**or "having respect to." **the hardness of your hearts--**looking to your low moral state, and your inability to endure the strictness of the original law. **suffered you to put away your wives--**tolerated a relaxation of the strictness of the marriage bond--not as approving of it, but to prevent still greater evils. **...
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Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

**Verses 23-30** Though Christ spoke so strongly, few that have riches do not trust in them. How few that are poor are not tempted to envy! But men's earnestness in this matter is like their toiling to build a high wall to shut themselves and their children out of heaven. It should be satisfaction to those who are in a low condition, that they are not exposed to the temptations of a high and p...
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