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3,811 commentary entries
Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible
The Sin against the Holy Ghost
THE SIN AGAINST THE HOLY GHOST. In these verses we have, I. Christ's glorious conquest of Satan, in the gracious cure of one who, by the divine permission, was under his power, and in his possession, Matthew 12:22. Here…
The Pharisees Ask a Sign
THE PHARISEES ASK A SIGN. It is probable that these Pharisees with whom Christ is here in discourse were not the same that cavilled at him (Matthew 12:24), and would not credit the signs he gave; but another set of them…
Who Are Christ's Relations
WHO ARE CHRIST'S RELATIONS. Many excellent, useful sayings came from the mouth of our Lord Jesus upon particular occasions; even his digressions were instructive, as well as his set discourses: as here, Observe, I. How…
The Parable of the Sower; Why Christ Taught in Parables; Of the Sower and the Seed
THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER; WHY CHRIST TAUGHT IN PARABLES; OF THE SOWER AND THE SEED. We have here Christ preaching, and may observe, 1. When Christ preached this sermon; it was the same day that he preached the sermon in…
Parable of the Tares, the Mustard-Seed, the Leaven, &c.
PARABLE OF THE TARES, THE MUSTARD-SEED, THE LEAVEN, &C.. In these verses, we have, I. Another reason given why Christ preached by parables, Matthew 13:34-35. All these things he spoke in parables, because the time was n…
Various Parables
VARIOUS PARABLES. We have four short parables in these verses. I. That of the treasure hid in the field. Hitherto he had compared the kingdom of heaven to small things, because its beginning was small; but, lest any sho…
The Contempt of Christ by His Countrymen
THE CONTEMPT OF CHRIST BY HIS COUNTRYMEN. We have here Christ in his own country. He went about doing good, yet left not any place till he had finished his testimony there at that time. His own countrymen had rejected h…
The Death of John the Baptist
THE DEATH OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. We have here the story of John's martyrdom. Observe, I. The occasion of relating this story here, Matthew 14:1-2. Here is, 1. The account brought to Herod of the miracles which Christ wrou…
The Five Thousand Fed
THE FIVE THOUSAND FED. This passage of story, concerning Christ's feeding five thousand men with five loaves and two fishes, is recorded by all the four Evangelists, which very few, if any, of Christ's miracles are: thi…
Jesus Walks to His Disciples on the Sea
JESUS WALKS TO HIS DISCIPLES ON THE SEA. We have here the story of another miracle which Christ wrought for the relief of his friends and followers, his walking upon the water to his disciples. In the foregoing miracle…
The People of Gennesaret Flock to Christ
THE PEOPLE OF GENNESARET FLOCK TO CHRIST. We have here an account of miracles by wholesale, which Christ wrought on the other side of the water, in the land of Gennesaret. Whithersoever Christ went, he was doing good. G…
Jesus Reproves the Scribes and Pharisees
JESUS REPROVES THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES. Evil manners, we say, beget good laws. The intemperate heat of the Jewish teachers for the support of their hierarchy, occasioned many excellent discourses of our Saviour's for…
What Defileth a Man
WHAT DEFILETH A MAN. Christ having proved that the disciples, in eating with unwashen hands, were not to be blamed, as transgressing the traditions and injunctions of the elders, comes here to show that they were not to…
The Canaanite's Daughter Healed
THE CANAANITE'S DAUGHTER HEALED. We have here that famous story of Christ's casting the devil out of the woman of Canaan's daughter; it has something in it singular and very surprising, and which looks favourably upon t…
Four Thousand Men Fed
FOUR THOUSAND MEN FED. Here is, I. A general account of Christ's cures, his curing by wholesale. The tokens of Christ's power and goodness are neither scarce nor scanty; for there is in him an overflowing fulness. Now o…
The Sign of the Prophet Jonas
THE SIGN OF THE PROPHET JONAS. We have here Christ's discourse with the Pharisees and Sadducees, men at variance among themselves, as appears Acts 23:7-8, and yet unanimous in their opposition to Christ; because his doc…
Of the Leaven of the Pharisees
OF THE LEAVEN OF THE PHARISEES. We have here Christ's discourse with his disciples concerning bread, in which, as in many other discourses, he speaks to them of spiritual things under a similitude, and they misunderstan…
Christ's Conference with His Disciples
CHRIST'S CONFERENCE WITH HIS DISCIPLES. We have here a private conference which Christ had with his disciples concerning himself. It was in the coasts of Cesarea Philippi, the utmost borders of the land of Canaan northw…
Christ Reproves Peter
CHRIST REPROVES PETER. We have here Christ's discourse with his disciples concerning his own sufferings; in which observe, I. Christ's foretelling of his sufferings. Now he began to do it, and from this time he frequent…
The Value of the Soul
THE VALUE OF THE SOUL. Christ, having shown his disciples that he must suffer, and that he was ready and willing to suffer, here shows them that they must suffer too, and must be ready and willing. It is a weighty disco…
The Transfiguration of Christ
THE TRANSFIGURATION OF CHRIST. We have here the story of Christ's transfiguration; he had said that the Son of man should shortly come in his kingdom, with which promise all the three evangelists industriously connect t…
The Expulsion of a Demon
THE EXPULSION OF A DEMON. We have here the miraculous cure of a child that was lunatic and vexed with a devil. Observe, I. A melancholy representation of the case of this child, made to Christ by the afflicted father. T…
Christ's Sufferings Foretold
CHRIST'S SUFFERINGS FORETOLD. Christ here foretels his own sufferings; he began to do it before (Matthew 16:21); and, finding that it was to his disciples a hard saying, he saw it necessary to repeat it. There are some…
Our Lord's Payment of Tribute
OUR LORD'S PAYMENT OF TRIBUTE. We have here an account of Christ's paying tribute. I. Observe how it was demanded, Matthew 17:24. Christ was now at Capernaum, his headquarters, where he mostly resided; he did not keep f…