Mark xi. 15. in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the money- Jerusalem. changers, and the seats of them that sold doves;

16.

17.

Lu. xix. 47.

Mark xi. 18.

And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple.

And he taught them, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves.

SECTION X.

The Scribes and Chief Priests seek to destroy Jesus.
MARK XI. 18. LUKE Xix. 47, 48.

And he taught daily in the temple.

And the Scribes and the Chief Priests,

Lu. xix. 47. and the chief of the people,

Mark xi. 18. heard it, and sought how they might destroy him:
Lu. xix. 48. And could not find what they might do :

Mark xi.18. for they feared him, because all the people were astonish-
ed at his doctrine.

Lu. xix. 48. and were very attentive to hear him.

LUKE xix. part of ver. 47.

47 But the chief priests and the scribes-sought to destroy him ;

is the reason why it is mentioned by him, chap. xi. 14, 15. and
(Jesus) found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep,
BOAΣ kai ПIPOBATA, and doves, &c. and when he had made a
scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple,
and the sheep, and the oxen. Now it is well known, to those
who are moderately versed in antiquity, that the Ayorai were
were wont to bring into their ownλaia, or caves in the rocks,
the oxen and sheep which they had stolen. Such an one was
Cacus in Virgil, Æneid. viii. 193. who stole Hercules's oxen,
Hic spelunca fuit vasto submota recessu, &c.

who is called by Propertius, iv. 10. metuendo Raptor ab antro,
i. ε. λητὴς ἀπὸ σπηλαις. Hence σπήλαιον ληρικὸν in Heliodorus
Eethiopic. v. 2. See Plutarch in Sertor, p. 576. D. Josephus
often in Bello Judaico. and in Antiq. xiv. xv. p. 651. ed Huds.
where he makes mention of λητῶν τινῶν ἐν σπήλαιοις κατοικ
VTOV. So that our Saviour had just reason to resent their
profanation of his Father's house; as if he had said, God hath
declared in the Scriptures, my temple shall be a place of prayer,
have ye (supposing it to be read with an interrogation,) the
boldness to convert it to the use which robbers make of
their caves, and to turn it into a receptacle and stall for oxen
and sheep? But nobody, I imagine, could have known the
meaning and propriety of the words σπήλαιον and λήτων, if St.
John had not informed us that oxen and sheep were brought
into the temple to be sold; whereby the prophecy of Jer. vii.
11. Μή σπήλαιον λήτῶν ὁ οἶκος με, (to which our Saviour al-
ludes) was fulfilled; for the temple could not have been called
σπήλαιον λητῶν, had not oxen and sheep been brought into it.
-See Bowyer.

Mark xi. 19.

Mark xi. 20.

Mat. xxi.20.

Mark xi. 21.

22.

23.

SECTION XI.

Christ retires in the evening from the City.

MARK XI. 19.

And when the even was come, he went out of the city.

And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the
fig-tree dried up from the roots.

And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying,
How soon is the fig-tree withered away!

And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him,
Master, behold, the fig-tree which thou cursedst, is
withered away!

And Jesus answering, saith unto them, Have faith in
God.

For verily I say unto you.

Mat. xxi.21. that if ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this, which is done to the fig-tree, but also

Mark xi. 23. That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass;

Mat. xxi.21. it shall be done.

Mark xi. 23. he shall have whatsoever he saith.

Mat. xxi.22.

Mark xi. 24.

And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer believing, ye shall receive.

Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

Jerusalem.

9

was the epithet attached by the Jews to any הוא עוקר הרים

of their learned or eminent men, who excelled in explaining
the difficulties of Scripture (a).

Peter was told, if he had faith he should be able to remove
mountains, &c. &c. It is difficult to perceive the immediate
connection between the surprize of Peter, and the exhortation
of our Lord. It may possibly refer to the power which was
afterwards given to the Apostles to interpret the Scriptures in
their spiritual sense, and to change the religion of the world.
Such is the supposition of Witsius, that St. Peter understood
that Christ, by the withering away of the fig-tree, intended to
signify the destruction of the Jewish Church; and that Christ
alluded, in Mark xi. 23. to that Apostle becoming the means of
throwing the mountain (the temple,) into the sea (the world :)
that is, that St. Peter should be chosen to open the doors of the
Church to the Gentile world (b).

(a) See Lightfoot, 8vo. edit. vol. iii. p. 135. Mr. Pitman has conferred a great service upon the public by his accurate edition of Lightfoot. (b) Witsii Melet. Leidens. de ficu Maled. sect. xv.

Mark xi. 25.

26.

Luke xx. 1.

And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought Jerusalem. against any; that your Father also which is in heaven, may forgive your trespasses.

But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven, forgive your trespasses.

MATT. XXI. part of ver. 21.

21 Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you-if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea

SECTION XIII.

Christ answers the Chief Priests, who inquire concerning
the Authority by which he acted-Parables of the Vine-
yard and Marriage Feast.

MATT. xxi. 23. to the end, and xxii. 1-14. MARK XI. 27.
to the end, and xii. 1-12. LUKE XX. 1-19.

And it came to pass, that on one of those days,
Mark xi. 27. they come again to Jerusalem:

Mat.xxi. 23.

And when he was come into the temple,

Luke xx. 1. as he taught the people in the temple, and preached the
Gospel, the Chief Priests and the Scribes,

Mat.xxi.23. and the elders of the people came unto him, as he was

teaching,

Mark xi. 27. and as he was walking in the temple,

Luke xx. 2.

And spake unto him, saying, Tell us by what authority doest thou these things? or who is he that gave thee this authority?

Mark xi. 28. to do these things?

29.

And Jesus answered, and said unto them,

Mat. xxi.24. I also will ask you one thing, which if you tell me, I in likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John, whence was it?

25.

Mark xi.30. was it from heaven, or of men? answer me.

31.

And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say,

Mat. xxi.25, unto us, Why did ye not then believe him?

26.

But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people;
Luke xx. 6. all the people will stone us: for they be persuaded that
John was a prophet.

Mark xi. 32. they feared the people: for all men counted John, that he
was a prophet indeed.

33.

And they answered, and said unto Jesus, We cannot tell. Luke xx. 7. whence it was.

Mark xi. 33. And Jesus answering, saith unto them, Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.

Mat. xxi.28.

29.

But what think you? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to-day in my vineyard.

He answered, and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went.

Mat. xxi.30.

31.

32.

Luke xx. 9.
Mat. xxi.33.

And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he Jerusalem. answered, and said, I go, Sir; and went not.

Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They
say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily
I say unto you, that the Publicans and the harlots go into
the kingdom of God before you.

For John came unto you in the way of righteousness,
and ye
believed him not; but the Publicans and the har-
lots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented
not afterwards that ye might believe him.

Then began he to speak to the people this parable;
Hear another parable: There was a certain householder
which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about,
Mark xii. 1. and set an hedge about it, and digged a place for the

wine-fat,

Mat. xxi.23. and digged a wine-press in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country:

24. And

Luke xx. 9. for a long time.

10. And at the season

Mat. xxi.34. when the time of the fruit drew near,

Lu. xx. 10. he sent a servant to the husbandmen,

Mark xii. 2. that he might receive from the husbandmen of the fruit of

Mark xii. 3. caught him, and beat him, and sent him away empty.
And again he sent unto them another servant; and at
him they cast stones,

4.

Lu. xx. 11.

and they beat him also,

Mark xii. 4. and wounded him in the head,
Lu. xx. 11.

and intreated him shamefully, and sent him away empty. Mark xii. 4. shamefully handled.

Lu. xx. 12.

Mark xii. 5.

Lu. xx. 13.

Mark xii. 6.

And again he sent a third: and they wounded him also, and cast him out.

And again he sent another; and him they killed, and many others; beating some, and killing some.

Then said the lord of the vineyard, What shall I do? I will send my beloved Son: it may be they will reverence him when they see him.

Having yet therefore one Son, his well-beloved, he sent him also last

Mat. xxi.37, last of all

Mark xii. 6. unto them, saying, They will reverence my son.
Mat.xxi.38. But when the husbandmen saw the son,

Lu. xx. 14. they reasoned among themselves,

Mat. xxi.38, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance.

39.

And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him.

D d

Mat. xxi.40.

41.

When therefore the lord of the vineyard cometh, what Jerusalem. will he do unto those husbandmen?

They say unto him,

Mark xii. 9. he will come

Mat. xxi.41. He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons.

42.

43.

Jesus saith unto them,

Therefore I say unto you, The kingdom of God shall` be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.

Lu. xx. 16. And when they heard it, they said, God forbid.

17. And he beheld them, and said, What is this then that
is written?

Mat.xxi.42. Did ye never read in the Scriptures, The stone which the
builders rejected, the same is become the head of the cor-

44.

45.

10

ner : this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our

eyes.

And whosoever shall fall upon that stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.

And when the Chief Priests

Lu. xx. 19. and the Scribes

Mat. xxi.45. and Pharisees had heard his parables, they sought to lay hands on him the same hour, for they perceived that he spake of them.

Lu. xx. 19. had spoken this parable against them.

Mat. xxi.46.

But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they took him for a prophet. Mark xii.12. and they left him, and went their way.

Mat. xxii. 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said,

The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son,

And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.

Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready; come unto the marriage.

But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, and another to his merchandize :

And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them.

But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.

10 To prove that the Jews refer this passage to the Messiah, Schoetgen quotes Rasche ad Micah v. 1. and Abarbanel ad Zachar. iv. 13.—-Schoetgen Hor. Heb. vol. i. p. 174.