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.]
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.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
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.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
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.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
17. For verily I say unto you, Thatmany prophets and righteous men have desiredrather, “coveted.”
to see those things which yesee, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear,and have not heard themNot only were the disciples blessedabove the blinded just spoken of, but favored above the most honoredand the best that lived under the old economy, who had but glimpsesof the things of the new kingdom, just sufficient to kindle in themdesires not to be fulfilled to any in their day. In Luk 10:23;Luk 10:24, where the same sayingis repeated on the return of the Seventythe words, instead of”many prophets and righteous men,” are “many prophetsand kings“; for several of the Old Testament saints werekings.
Second and Seventh Parablesor First Pair:
THEWHEAT AND THE TARES,and THE GOODAND BAD FISH(Mat 13:24-30; Mat 13:36-43;Mat 13:47-50).
The subject of both theseparableswhich teach the same truth, with a slight diversity ofaspectis:
THEMIXED CHARACTER OF THEKINGDOM IN ITSPRESENT STATE,AND THE FINAL ABSOLUTE SEPARATION OFTHE TWO CLASSES.
The Tares and the Wheat(Mat 13:24-30; Mat 13:36-43).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
For verily I say unto you,…. This is added for the further confirmation of what is before said, concerning the happiness of the disciples, in seeing and hearing what they did:
that many prophets, and righteous men; Luke says, Lu 10:24 “kings”
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. To see Christ in the flesh, and have a clearer insight into the knowledge of the mysteries of grace, were things very desirable to men of the highest class in church and state, and of the best characters, such as Abraham, Joh 8:56. Jacob, Ge 49:18. David, Ps 14:7. Solomon, and the church in his time, So 8:1. Isaiah, and the saints with him, Isa 25:9 with many others. These indeed had a sight of Christ, but a very distant one; they saw him afar off in the promises and prophecies of him; and not very clearly, but through dark types and cloudy sacrifices; whereas the disciples saw him in person, heard him preach, took in the evidence of his miracles, and felt the power of his doctrines, and spiritually and savingly understood them. A way of speaking, somewhat like this, stands in the Talmud p;
“Many have watched to expound in Mercavah (the beginning of Ezekiel’s prophecy), , “and have not seen it all their days”.”
p T. Bab. Megilla, fol. 24. 2.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
1) “For verily I say unto you,” (amen gar lego humin) “Because I tell you truly;” I tell you as disciples, followers, witnesses, of the “kingdom of heaven,” of heaven’s mandate and order, by the preparer, John the Baptist, Joh 1:6; Joh 1:30-33; and founder, Jesus Christ, Mat 4:18-22; Joh 3:28-29; Mr 13:34,35; 1Ti 3:15; Heb 3:1-7; Act 20:28.
2) “That many prophets and righteous men,” (hoti polloi prophetai kai dikaioi) “That many prophets and righteous (upright) men,” of Old Testament times, even inclusive of the aged Simon and Anna, Luk 2:25-38; Luk 10:23-24.
3) “Have desired to see these things ye see,” (epethumesan idein ha blepete) “Desired to see the things which you all see,” the establishment of the New Covenant church order of worship, called the “kingdom of heaven,” and to function in the millennial kingdom of the following age.
4) “And have not seen them;” (kai ouk eidan) “And did not see them,” they desired to see the virgin born Son, the redeeming sacrifice, and the new era He had begun, Gen 4:4; Heb 10:18.
5) “And to hear those things which ye hear,” (kai akousai ha akouete) “And they desired to hear the things which you all hear,” that the “kingdom of heaven” was at hand; Many had longed to be a part of this experience of the disciples, Mat 3:2; Mat 5:3; Mat 5:10; Mat 5:13-14; Mat 5:19-20.
6) “And have not heard them.” (kai ouk ekousan) “And they did not hear them.” Heb 11:13. To see the miraculous deeds, and hear the mighty words of Jesus, had been the desire of former generations, an experience of blessing now enjoyed by those to whom Jesus was speaking, 1Pe 1:10-12; 2Pe 1:21.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(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.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
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.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
“For truly I say to you, that many prophets and righteous men desired to see the things which you see, and did not see them, and to hear the things which you hear, and did not hear them.”
And what is more they are especially privileged because of the time in which they live. Many in the past had looked forward with yearning to this day and had not seen it. The great prophets, and the lesser prophets, and all truly righteous men had longed to see what they were seeing now, and to hear what they were hearing now. They had longed for the Kingly Rule of Heaven to come. They had longed for the Coming One. They had longed for the consolation of Israel (Luk 2:25). But they had never seen the fulfilment of these things. They had lived and died in hope, never receiving (Heb 11:39). That was a privilege left to be enjoyed by those who now heard and responded to His words, the fulfilment of all their prophecies. Jesus could have made no stronger claim to uniqueness. He is depicting Himself as the fulfilment of all that the prophets had promised (compare Mat 5:17).
This was a concept that Jesus repeated on a number of occasions (compare Luk 10:23-24 where it is in a totally different context), for Jesus’ teaching was consistently repetitive, and He wanted the disciples to learn the lesson well.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Mat 13:17. Verily I say unto you, That, &c. This is what sets the disciples above all prophets, and renders them greatest in the kingdom of heaven. See ch. Mat 11:11 and comp. Psa 119:174. Luke, ii 25, 29, 30 Mat 10:23-24. Joh 8:56. 1Pe 1:1-10
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
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 3:182Co 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.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
verily. See note on Mat 5:18.
have desired = desired [earnestly].
to see = to
get a sight of. Greek. eidon. App-133.
ye see = ye are seeing. Greek. bllepo.
have not seen = never saw.
seen. Greek. eidon.
have not heard = never heard.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Mat 13:17. , prophets) See Gnomon on 1Pe 1:10; 1Pe 1:12.-, have desired) And that desire was pious and precious in the sight of God: see Gnomon on Joh 8:56.- , have not seen) See Heb 11:13; Heb 11:39.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
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”).
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
That many: Luk 10:24, Joh 8:56, Eph 3:5, Eph 3:6, Heb 11:13, Heb 11:39, Heb 11:40, 1Pe 1:10-12
Reciprocal: Deu 5:3 – General Job 28:21 – hid Son 8:1 – that thou Mat 5:18 – verily Mat 16:17 – Blessed Luk 7:28 – but Luk 10:23 – Blessed Rom 16:25 – which 1Pe 3:10 – see
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
3:17
This verse sounds as if some others who were righteous were in the same class as these multitudes in that they had not seen or heard either. The apparent difficulty is ex plained by going back to the time when the Lord did not expect the people to have a full knowledge of the divine plan. But even the things they could have discerned by proper attention to what was revealed, the Pharisees had failed to grasp because of their hardness of heart. Which ye see and which ye hear is spoken in prospect as if Jesus said, “which ye are going to hear,” meaning the explanation of the parables which comes in the next and following verses.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Mat 13:17. That many prophets, etc. Over against the responsibility of the ignorant (Mat 13:13-15), prominence is given to the great and unmerited privilege of the disciples. They were permitted to see and know what had been denied even to inspired and good men who longed for such knowledge.
Righteous men, not merely according to the law, but who longed for something higher, with the anticipative faith here implied.
Desired to see those things which ye behold (a stronger word, meaning to gaze upon), and did not see them. The privilege of the disciples exceeded not only the privilege but even the desire of these good men of former times. Hence all was of grace.