Matthew 13:17

Mat_13:13; Mat_13:17

But blessed are your eyes, for they see.

I. The two classes of persons here mentioned. Prophets-inspired men. Righteous men-saints. Every prophet was not a righteous man. To be a righteous man is more desirable than to be a prophet. Grace is a higher endowment than inspiration or genius.

II. These two classes of persons eagerly anticipated the Christian dispensation, Various dispensations-one religion, as one ocean. Every degree of experimental knowledge of the true religion awakens a desire for additional information. It satisfies, yet it stimulates. Moses, etc. The Divine revelation of the true religion has been progressive. The desires of the great and good are not always gratified according to their intensity. They must submit to the will of God.

III. Our privileges are far superior to those of these two classes of persons.

1. We should be grateful.

2. We should cherish a sense of responsibility.

3. We should strive to outstrip in attainment those whom we surpass in privilege. (Various.)

Divine illumination

I. To whom these words were addressed.

1. They were not addressed indiscriminately to the people.

2. They were addressed to His chosen disciples.

3. The same distinction must be observed when these words are applied to ourselves.

II. The spiritual import of these words when thus applied.

1. What the faithful disciples saw-the Lords Christ.

2. How it was the disciples saw those things in Him.

3. Unspeakably blessed are they who thus see. Are you in possession of these privileges? what do you know of them?

(1) Do you know that you are destitute of them?

(2) Do you humbly hope that light has visited your soul, but lament how dim it is? (F. Close. M. A.)

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Mat 13:17. Προφῆται, prophets) See Gnomon on 1Pe 1:10; 1Pe 1:12.—ἐπεθύμησαν, have desired) And that desire was pious and precious in the sight of God: see Gnomon on Joh 8:56.—οὐκ εἶδον, have not seen) See Heb 11:13; Heb 11:39.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired--rather, "coveted."

to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them--Not only were the disciples blessed above the blinded just spoken of, but favored above the most honored and the best that lived under the old economy, who had but glimpses of the things of the new kingdom, just sufficient to kindle in them desires not to be fulfilled to any in their day. In Luk 10:23-24, where the same saying is repeated on the return of the Seventy--the words, instead of "many prophets and righteous men," are "many prophets and kings"; for several of the Old Testament saints were kings.

Second and Seventh Parables or First Pair:

THE WHEAT AND THE TARES, and THE GOOD AND BAD FISH (Mat 13:24-30, Mat 13:36-43, Mat 13:47-50).

The subject of both these parables--which teach the same truth, with a slight diversity of aspect--is: THE MIXED CHARACTER OF THE KINGDOM IN ITS PRESENT STATE, AND THE FINAL ABSOLUTE SEPARATION OF THE TWO CLASSES.

The Tares and the Wheat (Mat 13:24-30, Mat 13:36-43).

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 17. Many prophets and righteous men] These lived by and died in the faith of the promised Messiah: the fulness of the time was not then come for his manifestation in the flesh. See also on Mt 13:11.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(17) Many prophets and righteous men.—The prophets of Israel were emphatically “men of desires.” They saw afar off the glory of the kingdom of the latter days. Each stood, as it were, on a Pisgah height, and looked on the vision of a land which he was not to enter. The words “have not seen them” seem to stand in verbal contradiction with those of Joh_8:56, “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day,” but it is clear that the difference is simply verbal. There is a joy in looking on the distant prospect which does not exclude, yea, rather implies the desire to reach that which even from afar appears so glorious. The feeling thus described is identical with the “searching diligently” of 1Pe_1:10, and with the “desire for a better country” of Heb_11:16.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

18–23. The Parable of the Sower is explained

Mar_4:14-20; Luk_8:11-15

19. On some the word of God makes no impression, as we say; some hearts are quite unsusceptible of good.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower. That is, the interpretation of the parable; for they had heard the parable before, and had desired an explanation of it; which, though not mentioned by Matthew, is, by the other evangelists, Mar 4:10, Luk 8:9 and since it was given to them to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, therefore Christ calls upon them to attend unto, and hear, so as to understand the spiritual meaning of this parable. Mark relates, that he moreover said to his disciples at this time, "know ye not this parable?" Do ye not understand the meaning of it, so easy to be taken in? them as it were reproving for their dulness of hearing, notwithstanding the grace given them, and the advantages they enjoyed: "how then will ye know all parables?" all that he had delivered, or was about to deliver at this time, or should hereafter; which were of more difficult interpretation, and not so easy to be understood as this.

and since it was given to them to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, therefore Christ calls upon them to attend unto, and hear, so as to understand the spiritual meaning of this parable. Mark relates, that he moreover said to his disciples at this time, "know ye not this parable?" Do ye not understand the meaning of it, so easy to be taken in? them as it were reproving for their dulness of hearing, notwithstanding the grace given them, and the advantages they enjoyed: "how then will ye know all parables?" all that he had delivered, or was about to deliver at this time, or should hereafter; which were of more difficult interpretation, and not so easy to be understood as this.

Matthew 13:19

mat 13:19

mat 13:19

mat 13:19When anyone heareth the word of the kingdom,.... Hence it appears, that by the "seed" in the parable is meant the Gospel, called the "word of the kingdom": because it treats of the king Messiah, of his person, office, and grace; and of his kingdom, and the administration of it by him, under the present dispensation; of the kingdom of grace saints enjoy now, and of the kingdom of heaven they shall enter into hereafter, through the grace and righteousness of Christ. Now such a hearer of this word is here described, who hears it accidentally, and only externally; hears the sound of it with his ears,

and understandeth it not with his heart. He is one that is careless and inattentive, negligent and forgetful; has some slight notions of things as he hears, but these pass away as they come; his affections are not at all touched, nor his judgment informed by them, but remains as stupid, and as unconcerned as ever; his heart is not opened to attend to, and receive the word, but continues hard and obdurate; and is like the common and beaten road, that is trodden down by everyone, and is not susceptible of the seed, that falls upon it.

Then cometh the wicked one, Satan, the devil, Mar 4:15 who is, by way of eminency, so called, being the first creature that became wicked, and the worst that is so; who is entirely and immutably wicked; whose whole work and employment lies in wickedness; and who, was the original cause of the wickedness that is among men, and which he is continually instigating and promoting: so the Jews frequently call (q) Samael, by whom they mean the devil, Samael, "the wicked". This evil spirit, as soon as ever he observes one hearing the word, especially that has not been used to attend, comes immediately, and, as he is hearing,

catcheth away that which is sown in his heart: not the grace of God, which being once implanted in the heart, can never be taken away by Satan; but the word which was sown, not in his understanding, in a spiritual sense, nor even in his affections, so as to love it, delight, and take pleasure in it; much less in his heart, so as to become the engrafted word able to save, or so as to believe in it, and in Christ revealed by it; but in his memory, and that but very slightly neither; for the heart sometimes means the memory; see Luk 2:51. Besides, the word only fell "upon", not "into" his heart, as into the good ground, as the metaphor in the parable shows; and it made no impression, nor was it inwardly received, but as soon as ever dropped, was "catched" away by the enemy; not by frightening him out of it, by persecution, as the stony ground hearer; nor by filling the mind with worldly cares, as the thorny ground hearer; but by various suggestions and temptations, darting in thoughts, presenting objects, and so diverted his mind from the word, and fixed his attention elsewhere; which is done at once, at an unawares, secretly, and without any notice of the person himself; so that the word is entirely lost to him, and he does not so much as remember the least thing he has been hearing:

this is he which receiveth the seed by the way side; such an hearer is comparable to such ground, on whom the word has no more effect, than seed sown upon a common beaten path.

(q) Sepher Bahir apud Zohar in Gen. fol. 27. 2. Debarim Rabba, fol. 145. 3.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

17 For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.

Ver. 17. Desired to see those things that ye see, &c.] They saw them, and saluted them only afar off, and in the dark glass of the ceremonies. "But we all with open face," &c., 2Co 3:18. The sea about the altar was brazen, and what eyes could pierce through it? Now our sea about the throne is glass, like to crystal, clearly conveying the light and sight of God to our eyes. 1Ki 7:23; Rev 4:6. All God’s ordinances are now so clear, that you may see Christ’s face in them. Yea, as the glass set full against the sun receives not only the beams, as other dark bodies do, but the image of the sun; so the understanding with open face beholding Christ, is transformed into the image and similitude of Christ.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Amen, I say to you. St. Jerome remarks, that these words of our Saviour seem to contradict another part of Scripture, where it is said, Abraham desired to see my days; he saw them, and rejoiced. But St. Jerome answers his own objection thus: Abraham indeed saw my days, but only in a dark manner, in enigma, but not in reality, whilst you have your Lord with you; you speak to him, and interrogate him at pleasure. (St. Thomas Aquinas) --- Christ declares his disciples more blessed than the ancient patriarchs and prophets. ... They say him only by faith, but the disciples with their corporal eyes. (St. John Chrysostom)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

17. Many prophets and righteous men — The times of the Messiah, his character and kingdom, were all a matter of most profound interest to the Old Testament saints. All these were now being revealed to the humble and obedient apostles of our Lord. the men of old saw them only by faith in types, shadows, and dim intimations; the Jews rejected, but the simple disciples received them in blessed faith.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

For verily. (Mat_5:18, note) Not in the parallel passage; it is much more common in Matthew than Luke. Our Lord contrasts his disciples" "blessedness" not only with the state of their contemporaries, but with that of their predecessors in faith. I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men. Those who were specially favoured with insight into God"s methods, and those who approached most closely to his standard of righteousness. Righteous men; "kings" in Luke. St. Luke"s readers would probably not appreciate the force of the term, "righteous men." to the same degree that St. Matthew"s would. Have desired (epeyumhsan). By reading epeyumhsa , this saying has been attributed to Christ (see Bishop Westcott, "Introd.," App. C.; Resch, "Agrapha," p. 397). To see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them . (cf. Heb_11:13 1Pe_1:10-12)

Christians enjoying what prophets desired.

They who truly receive the teaching of Christ and profit by it enjoy privileges which prophets and righteous men longed for in vain.

I THE PROPHETS" DESIRES. The saints and seers of antiquity were not satisfied with the revelations made to them and the favour bestowed upon them. They looked forward to a glorious future when fuller light should appear, and when greater works of heavenly power should be accomplished. Let us consider the objects of the prophets" desire, what things they were the prophets longed to see and hear.

1. The vision of God. Job yearned to see God. (Job_23:3) The older revelations of God awakened a hunger for a nearer vision. The best men of antiquity desired above all things to "see the King in his beauty.

2. The redemption of man. Some were satisfied with the course of events and the condition of the world. But two classes of men were profoundly dissatisfied, viz.

(1) prophets, who saw the truth of God and perceived the falseness of the world, its direct antagonism to the Divine will; and

(2) righteous men, who had a keen conscience, and were horrified at the sin and guilt of mankind. Both of these saw that only ruin faced man when left to himself; both cried out for a Divine redemption.

3. The advent of the kingdom of heaven. This was the grand topic of Messianic prophecy; it was the supreme object of the patient hope of devout people, such as Anna and Simeon at the time of our Lord"s infancy. (Luk_2:25-38) Such a hope went beyond deliverance and redemption; it pointed to a golden age in the future, excelling the best days of the past.

II THE CHRISTIANS" PRIVILEGES. Christ congratulates his true disciples on their happy estate. Let us consider what privileges this brings.

1. The presence of Christ.

(1) He is the Revelation of God, longed for by prophets, but never seen in Old Testament times. Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father and it sufficeth us;" and Jesus replied, "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father". (Joh_14:8, Joh_14:9)

(2) He, too, brings redemption, for he is the Redeemer, and he comes to save the world by the sacrifice of himself.

(3) He establishes the kingdom of heaven, for he is its King. When Christ has come to us the kingdom is among us. But many saw Christ "after the flesh," in his bodily presence, and yet discerned none of these things. We do not see him walking in our streets or sitting at our table. Yet when we see him with the eyes of the heart, and perceive his Divine and redeeming presence, ours also is the vision longed for by the good and wise in ancient time.

2. The Word of life. This is what Christians hear. It is the good news of salvation in Christ. But it is also a living Word that awakens dead souls and quickens the Divine life within men. All who are within reach of the gospel may be familiar with the sound of this Word. But, alas! how many never perceive that to them has come a privilege greatly desired by prophets and righteous men of old. This Word must be heard in the heart to be appreciated. Then its gracious tones awaken responses of faith and love, because then it speaks in deep harmonies as the very music of heaven. W.F.A.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

prophets

The O.T. prophets saw in blended vision the rejection and crucifixion of the King (see "Christ, sacrifice,) Gen 4:4, (See Scofield "Heb 10:18") and also His glory as David’s Son. See Scofield "Zec 12:8", but "what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow," was not revealed to them--only that the vision was not for themselves. 1Pe 1:10-12. That revelation Christ makes in these parables. A period of time is to intervene between His sufferings and His glory. That interval is occupied with the "mysteries of the kingdom of heaven" here described.

righteous Righteousness. (See Scofield "Rom 10:10").

The Scofield Reference Bible (1917 edition), notes by C. I. Scofield — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

17. Desired to see the things which ye see. The prophets and righteous had longed for the coming of Christ. His disciples enjoyed it.

18–23. Hear then the parable of the sower. In order to understand the parable we must listen to the explanation given in verses 18–23. Christ is the great Sower, and all whom he sends forth to preach are sowers under him. The seed sown is his Word, the Gospel of the Kingdom. The soil is human hearts. Four kinds of human hearts are described: 1. The wayside hearer; the light, flippant, indifferent hearer upon whom no impression is produced. 2. The stony hearer; the heart that exhibits an evanescent feeling at the appeal of the gospel; but upon whom no permanent impression is made. 3. The thorny soil; the heart that takes in the Word, but is so full of worldly cares that these presently gain the mastery. This describes the world-serving hearer. 4. The good soil; the good and honest heart; the heart that receives and retains the truth. In such a heart the seed will grow and the new life will be manifest. Three things, then, are needful: 1. A Sower. 2. Good Seed, the pure word of God. 3. A good and honest heart. A dishonest man cannot be converted until he casts out his dishonesty. He who cavils at and deceitfully entreats the word of God will not be profited.

B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.

17.] See ref. Prov. These verses occur again in a different connexion, and with the form of expression slightly varied, Luk 10:23, Luk 10:24. It was a saying likely to be repeated. There it is μακάρ. οἱ ὀφθ. οἱ βλέποντες ἃ βλέπετε: and for δίκαιοι we have βασιλεῖς. On the fact that prophets, &c. desired to see those things, see 2Sa 23:5: Job 19:23-27: also Exo 4:13, and Luk 2:29-32.

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.