7 Whereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatsoever she would ask.

8 And she, being before instructed of her mother, said, Give me here John Baptist's head in a charger.

9 And the king was sorry: nevertheless for the oath's sake, and them which sat with him at meat, he commanded it to be given her.

10 And he sent, and beheaded John in the prison.

11 And his head was brought in a charger, and given to the damsel and she brought it to her mother.

:

12 And his disciples came, and took up the body, and buried it, and went and told Jesus.

13¶When Jesus heard of it, he departed thence by ship into a desert place apart: and when the people had heard thereof, they followed him on foot out of the cities.

14 And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was

niece and a living brother's wife. The law of Moses was thus broken by incest and adultery.-5. He would have put him to death. Not from his own hatred of John, but from his willingness to please Herodias (Mark vi. 19, 20).6. Herod's birthday. We observe from Mark's account that it was kept with great pomp, in the presence of all the high officers of Galilee. This fact gives force to the declaration in the 9th verse, that he was ashamed to show his regard for John before them which sat at meat with him. -8. John Baptist. Rather "John the Baptist," as in the parallel passage in Mark. A charger, i. e., a dish.- -9. See remark on ver. 6. John was beheaded, Josephus tells us, at the fortress of

17 And they say unto him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes.

18 He said, Bring them hither to me.

19 And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.

20 And they did all eat, and were filled and they took up the fragments that remained twelve baskets full.

Machaerus near the Dead Sea.-13. When Jesus heard of it, i. e., of Herod's suspicions and agitation. Followed him. Mark says they "outwent" him. They started after him by land, but reached the "desert place apart" (near Bethsaida on the north shore of the lake) before Jesus and his disciples, who went by water. By crossing the lake, Jesus passed out of Herod's jurisdiction.14. Went forth. From the ship up into the mountain region (see John vi. 3).

-15. When it was evening, i. e., the first evening, our "afternoon." The translation in Mark vi. 35, "when the day was now far spent," is defective. The phrase, I imagine, means simply “it being afternoon." The time is now pass

21 And they that had eaten | were about five thousand men, beside women and children.

22 And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away.

23 And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray and when the evening was come, he was there alone.

24 But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves for the wind was contrary.

25 And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.

26 And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.

27 But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.

28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.

ed. I presume 66 noon is now passed" is the true sense.- -21. The other evangelists (especially John) give a more detailed account of the feeding of the five thousand. Mark vi., Luke ix., John vi. -22. Unto the other side. In Mark vi. 45 the words 66 are, 'to the other side before unto Bethsaida." As Bethsaida was on the western side of the lake, we may suppose that Jesus had fed the multitude (not on the eastern side, for then the people could not have gone on foot thither so soon, but) on the northeastern. John says (vi. 17) that the disciples went over the sea toward Ca

29 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.

30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.

31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?

32 And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.

33 Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.

34 And when they were gone over, they came into the land of Gennesaret.

35 And when the men of that place had knowledge of him, they sent out into all that country round about, and brought unto him all that were diseased;

36 And besought him that they might only touch the hem of his garment: and as many as touched were made perfectly

whole.

pernaum." Capernaum and Bethsaida were near together.-23. When the evening was come, i. e., the second evening, or sundown.- -25. In the fourth watch of the night, i. e., between three and six o'clock in the morning. John says that by that time the disciples had made only 25 or 30 furlongs, that is, 3 or 4 miles, or half-way from the northeast corner of the lake to Bethsaida. They had probably been 8 or 9 hours gaining this distance against a violent head wind.-34. The land of Gennesaret was a district of the western shore of the lake, perhaps including Bethsaida

CHAPTER XV.
HEN came to Jesus scribes

Tand Pharisees, which were of
Jerusalem, saying,

2 Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.

3 But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?

4 For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death.

5 But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me;

6 And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.

7 Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,

8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.

tude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand:

11 Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.

12 Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying?

13 But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.

14 Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.

15 Then answered Peter and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable.

16 And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding?

17 Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught?

18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.

19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness,

XV.-2. They wash not their hands when they eat bread. For other like traditions of the elders, see Mark vii. 4. 4. Let him die the death. A He

desirest of me is prohibited from thee by my vow.-12. Were offended, i. e., stumbled. See chap. v. 29.-13. Plant. Met. for "doctrine," referring to the false dootrine of the Pharisees.

-17.

20 These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man. 21 Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon.

22 And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.

23 But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. 24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

25 Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.

26 But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs. 27 And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table.

28 Then Jesus answered and

a

Draught, i. e., privy.—21. Coasts. Rather "region." Tyre and Sidon were the two famous sea-ports of Phoenicia. In our Saviour's time they had greatly declined from their eminent commercial position, the eastern trade running through other channels.- -22. A woman of Canaan. Called by Mark " Greek, a Syrophoenician by nation." She was a Syrophænician, inasmuch as the region of Tyre and Sidon was Syrophoenicia or Syrian Phoenicia, in distinction from the Phoenician settlements in other parts of the Mediterranean. She was a Canaanite, because the Phoenicians were descendants of Canaan (see Gen. x. 15). She was a Greek in the sense that all who were not Jews were considered Greeks by them, probably

said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.

29 And Jesus departed from thence, and came nigh unto the sea of Galilee; and went up into a mountain, and sat down there.

30 And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus' feet; and he healed them :

31 Insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see and they glorified the God of Israel.

32 Then Jesus called his disciples unto him, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to cat: and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the

way.

33 And his disciples say unto because they very generally used the Greek language. Came out of the same coasts. Rather, "belonging to the same region, came forth from her home, &c." (Compare Mark vii. 24, 25.) Son of David. See chap. ix. 27.-23. Send her away. Rather, "let her depart" with her prayer granted. So the word is translated in Acts xxiii. 22.-24. Christ here announces who were the special objects of his mission, viz., the Jews, the Gentiles being left to his apostles; but the example of this woman of Canaan shows that his love would overflow this restriction.- -26. Dogs. An Oriental term for unbelievers to this day. In chap. vii. 6 and Phil. iii. 2 it is used against the Jews themselves.-29. A mountain. Rather, "the mountainous

him, Whence should we have so much bread in the wilderness, as to fill so great a multitude?

34 And Jesus saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven, and a few little fishes.

the

35 And he commanded the multitude to sit down on ground.

36 And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.

37 And they did all eat, and were filled and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets full.

38 And they that did eat were four thousand men, beside women and children.

39 And he sent away the multitude, and took ship, and came into the coasts of Magdala.

CHAPTER XVI.

THE THE Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven.

2 He answered and said unto

region." From Mark vii. 31 we gather that this was east of the Sea of Galilee. -30. Maimed. Rather, "crooked." -37. Broken meat. The same word translated in chap. xiv. 20 "fragments." -38. Only Matthew and Mark narrate the feeding of the four thousand, but all the evangelists record the feeding of the five thousand. 39. Magdala, supposed to be the "Migdal-el" (tower of God) of Naphtali (Josh. xix. 38) and the birthplace of Mary Magdalene, is now identified with Mejdel, a village at the south of the little plain of Gennesaret. (See remark on chap. xiv. 34.) Christ had

them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red.

3 And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowering. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?

4 A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed.

5 And when his disciples were come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread.

6 Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

7 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have taken no bread.

8 Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, 0 ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread?

9 Do ye not yet understand, neither remember the five loaves