A paraphrase and annotations upon all the books of the New Testament briefly explaining all the difficult places thereof / by H. Hammond.

CHAP. XII.

1. AND he began to speak unto them by parables, A certaine man] plan∣ted a vineyard, and set an hedge about it, and digged a place for the winefat, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a farre countrey.

[Paraphrase] 1. And Christ spake ma∣ny parables unto them, all pertinent to the rebuking of them for their unbeleif, as first that mention'd Mat. 21. 28. and then secondly this here Mat. 21. 33. of a man that

2. And at the season he sent to the husbandmen a servant, that he might receive from the husbandmen of the fruit of the vineyard:

3. And they caught him, and beat him, and sent him away empty.

4. And again he sent unto them another servant, and at him they cast stones, and wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully handled.

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

6. Having yet therefore one son, his well-beloved, he sent him also last unto them, saying, They will reverence my son.

7. But those husbandmen said among themselves, This is the heire, come, let us kill him, and the inheritance shall be ours:

8. And they took him and killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard.

9. What shall therefore the Lord of the vineyard doe? He will come and de∣stroy the husbandmen, and will give the vineyard unto others.

10. And have ye not read this scripture, The stone which the builders rejected, is become the head of the corner?

[Paraphrase] 10. Psal. 118. 22. Isa. 28. 16. Mat. 21. 42. Acts 4. 11. Rom. 9. 33. 1 Pet. 2. 7.

11. This was the Lords doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes.

12. And they sought to lay hold on him, but feared the people: for they knew that he had spoken this parable against them, and they left him and went their way.]

[Paraphrase] 12. And they were willing to find some justifyable occa∣sion to apprehend him, being somewhat restrained by fear of the people, and yet being much incensed against him (for they knew that he had designed these parables particularly to pourtray them) but in fine they let him alone at present and departed.

13. And they send unto him certaine of the Pharisees, and of the Herodians, to catch him in his words.]

[Paraphrase] 13. Soon after, being wil∣ing to get some accusation a∣gainst him, they sent some of the Pharisees and some of the Herodians together to him, the Pharisees that thought not Caesar to have right over Judaea, but look'd on him as an usurper; and the Herodians (see Note on Mat. 22. b.) which asserted his right, that between them they might bring him to say somewhat either against the liberty of the people of God, asserted by the Pharisees, or against the power of the Roman Emperour, asserted by the others; perhaps also suspecting by his frequent being in Galilee (and his Apostles most of them being born there) that he was of the sect and doctrine of the Galileans, that no acknow∣ledgement or tribute was to be paid to the Emperour.

14, And when they were come, they say unto him, Master, we know [that thou art right, and carest for no man, for thou regardest not the person of men, but teachest the way of God in truth,] Is it lawful to give [note a] tribute to Caesar, or not?

[Paraphrase] 14. that thou wilt freely speak thy mind what danger soever come of it, and not suffer the fear of Caesar to restrain thee from telling us the will of God.

15. Shall we give, or shall we not give? But he knowing [their hypocrisie] said unto them, Why tempt ye me? Bring me a penny that I may see it.

[Paraphrase] 15. the treacherousnesse of their designe under those fair words,

16. And they brought it. And he said unto them, Whose is this image and super∣scription? And they said unto him, Caesars.

[Paraphrase] 16. See Note on Mat. 22. c.

17. And Jesus answering, said unto them, Render to Caesar the things that are Cae∣sars, and to God the things that are Gods. And they marvelled at him.

18. Then come unto him the Sadducees, which say there is [no resurrection,] and asked him, saying,

[Paraphrase] 18. Mat. 22, 23. no fu∣ture state after this life,

19. Master, Moses wrote unto us, If a mans brother die, and leave his wife be∣hind him, and leave no children, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother.

20. Now there were seven brethren, and the first took a wife, and dying, left no seed;

21. And the second took her, and dyed, and left no seed; and the third likewise;

22. And the seven had her, and left no seed, last of all the woman dyed also:

23. In the resurrection therefore, when they shall rise, whose wife shall she be of them, for the seven had her to wife?

24. And Jesus answering, said unto them, Doe ye not therefore erre, because ye know not [the Scriptures, neither the power of God?]

[Paraphrase] 24. The doctrine of the scriptures concerning the re∣surrection, and the power of God in bringing it to passe?

25. For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the Angels of God which are in heaven.

26. And as touching the dead that they rise, have ye not read in the book of Moses, how in the bush God spake unto him, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?

[Paraphrase] 26. See Note on Mat. 22. d.

27. He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living.] Ye therefore doe greatly erre.

[Paraphrase] 27. Those therefore were then alive, when God said this of them, which was long after their death.

28. And one of the Scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commande∣ment of all?

29. And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandements is, Heat O Is∣rael, the Lord our God is one Lord.

30. And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy [mind] and with all thy strength, this is the first commande∣ment.

[Paraphrase] 30. Understanding v. 33.

31. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self: there is none other commandement greater then these.

32. And the Scribe said unto him, Well, Master thou hast said the truth, for there is one God, and there is none other but he.

33. And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more then all whole burnt-offerings and sacrifices.]

[Paraphrase] 33. And the real substan∣tial performance of all duties both towards God and Man, is to be preferred before all those ritual performances that Religion is generally placed in.

34. And when Jesus saw that he had answered discreetly, he said unto him [Thou art not farre from the kingdome of God.] And no man after that durst ask him any question.

[Paraphrase] 34. This account of thine argues that thou art not farre from being a Christian, the doctrine of the Gospel containing little more in it beyond this.

35. And Jesus answered and said, while he taught in the Temple, [How say the Scribes that Christ is the son of David?

[Paraphrase] 35. How comes it to be generally resolved by the Doctors of the Law out of the Scripture.

36. For David himself said by the holy Ghost, The Lord said to my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool.

37. David therefore himself calleth him Lord, whence is he then his son? And the common people heard him gladly.

38. And he said unto them in his doctrine, beware of the Scribes which love to go in long cloathing, and love salutations in the market places,

39. And the chief seates in the Synagogues, and the uppermost roomes at feasts:

40. Which devoure widows houses, and for a pretense make long prayers, these shall receive greater damnation.

[Paraphrase] 40. Ma. 23. 14.

41. And Jesus sat [over against the treasury,] and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury, and many that were rich cast in much.

[Paraphrase] 41, in the Temple over against the chest, into which the free-will offerings were cast for pious and charitable uses, Lu. 21. 1.

42. And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing.

43. And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast more in then all they which have cast into the treasury.

44. For they all did cast in of their abundance, but she [* 1.1 of her [note b] want did] cast in all that she had, even all her living.

[Paraphrase] 44. having scarce enough for her self, yet out of that ve∣ry little hath been liberal, and

Annotations on Chap. XII.

[ a] * 1.2 V. 14. Tribute] Judas of Galilee (called indiffe∣rently Gaulonita and Galilaeus) was saith Josephus, head of a fourth sect among the Jews, (see Antiq. l. 18. c. 2.) and having Saddok a Pharisee joyned to him, he sollicited the people to defection, telling them that God was to be their only Master and Prince, and no mortall to be acknowledged such; that the requiring a taxe from them, if it were payd by them, was a manifest profes∣sion of servitude, and that 'twas their duty to vindicate their liberty, by which means he raised a great sedition among the Jews, and was the cause under pretence of defending the publick liberty, of innumerable mischiefes to the nation. Of this sect 'tis possible they suspected Christ might be a favourer, and the rather for his being counted a Galilean, and that therefore they now come and aske him this question. And though he answer most punctually in favour of the Roman Emperour, and so much more for the paying then for the refusing to pay tribute, yet because there was so much caution in his speech as that the Pharisees were not able to take any advantage against him, It is therefore improved into an accusation against him, that he forbad to give tribute to Caesar, Lu. 23. 20. see Note on Mat. 22. b. That which is in the Printed copies 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, taxe, or tri∣bute, is in the old Greek and Latine MS. which Th. Beza sent to the University of Cambridge 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 head money.

[ b] * 1.3 V. 44. Want] To discern the meaning of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 among the Scripture writers, it will not be amisse to look on it a little in the Old Testament, Ezr. 6. 9. where 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 (whereby 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is ren∣dred) signifies that which they have need of, for the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifies oportuit, necesse habuit, indiguit, to want, or have need of, and so 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 here, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Lu. 21. 4. will be rendred out of her necessaries, out of that which was necessary to her, out of that which she wanted for her selfe, out of her very low estate or extremity (as appears by that which followes 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, all her provision, all that she had to live or subsist on) as that is opposed to 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 out of that which those others had to spare: Thus Phil. 4. 11. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in respect of a very low estate, wherein he had no more then absolute necessaries (with which, saith he, he had learned to be content) ex∣pressed by 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, being abased or very low, v. 12. both which are opposed to 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 there, when 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 hungring is opposed to 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 feeding full. So 1. Cor. 16. 17. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 that which you ought to have done, and did not, they have supplyed, 2 Cor. 8. 13. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, your abundance may be a supply to their necessities, and c. 9. 12. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the necessity of the Saints, and c. 11. 9. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 my necessity; So Phil. 2. 30. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 your defect of ministring to me, or that ministring to me, which was necessary, but through distance could not be performed, on our part, So Col. 1. 24. I rejoyce in my sufferings for you, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 &c: thus, or to this sense, Christ suffered for his Church, his body, (yea Lu. 24. 46. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 he ought to suffer, in many respects there was a necessity of it) And so in like man∣ner by way of correspondence (so 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signi∣fies) it is necessary,* 1.4 that I that am a Christian, should suffer for you, for the Church, that is, his body, this now I doe, I in my flesh make up, by way of Antitype, those necessary sufferings of Christ for his body. So 1 Thess.* 1.5 3. 10. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, to complete or fill up (for 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 being the inter∣pretation of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in the Old Testament, is all one with 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and so 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 With 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉) those things that are necessary to your faith. All this is here cast to∣gether, to give one entire view of these words in the New Testament.

Notes

• * 1.1

  out of her penury 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.2

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.3

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.4

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.5

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉