Matthew 12:22-45 - Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

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Bible Comments

Jesus-' Answer to the Verdict of the Jerusalem Scribes, and the Intervention of His Family (Mark 3:20-35 *, Luke 11:14-23; Luke 11:29-32; Luke 12:10; Luke 8:19-21). For the painful statement in Mark 3:20 f. Mt. (like Lk.) substitutes the healing of a blind and dumb man probably a second (compressed) use of Matthew 9:27-31 and Matthew 9:32-34. The word for were amazed is an adaptation of the word for is beside himself in Mk. To Mk.'s account of Satan divided against Satan Mt. adds Matthew 12:27 f., probably from Q, which Lk. also draws on at this point. The verses form an additional line of defenceif your own exorcists are not assisted by Beelzebub, they condemn your condemnation of me. The only alternative is that (they and) I work by the finger (Mt., in view of Matthew 12:31, spirit) of God, His power is besting that of Satan, and His Kingdom is at hand. Or perhaps Matthew 12:27 and Matthew 12:28 are independent of each other, and were already interpolated in Q when Mt. and Lk. used it. Mt. (like Lk.) also adds Matthew 12:30 neutrality towards Jesus is impossible (cf. Luke 2:34 f.). This is a test for men to use upon themselves. For the inverted form of the saying see Mark 9:40 = Luke 9:50 (addressed to disciples about outsiders). In Matthew 12:31 f. Mt. abbreviates and duplicates Mk.'s single statement; Lk. (Luke 12:10) takes Mt.'s second half. Son of man in Matthew 12:32 probably means man. Of the four forms in which we have the saying that in Lk. seems most trustworthy. The contrast is between slandering men and slandering the Spirit of God. Jesus is speaking as a Jew to Jews in language based on OT (Numbers 15:30 f., 1 Samuel 31:3 mg., Isaiah 22:14), and current in His day; He simply means that blasphemy against the Divine Spirit, by whose power He worked, was an infinitely more serious matter than slandering one's fellow-men, bad though that be. Then follow some sayings on the importance of words (cf. Luke 6:43-45). Matthew 9:33 is a less original form of Matthew 7:16 a, Matthew 7:17 f.* Between fruit and good we should supply will be; similarly between fruit and - corrupt. Matthew 12:34 brings Jesus close to the severity of John the Baptist (Matthew 3:7); cf. also James 3:11 f. Not only evil words but idle words, words that are not meant to effect anything, will come up for judgment. Matthew 12:37 was perhaps a current proverb.

Matthew 12:25. Kingdom city house: Mt. alone gives this triad. House in all three evangelists may have its Aramaic meaning of a province or district.

Matthew 12:28. kingdom of God: cf. Matthew 21:31; Matthew 21:43 *. Perhaps Mt. only used his usual kingdom of heaven, where the sense is clearly eschatological.

Matthew 12:29. the strong man: Satan. his goods: the men in his power who are spoiled or carried off by the stronger than the strong.

Related Commentaries of Matthew 12:22

Matthew 12:22-45

22 Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw.

23 And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David?

24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebubb the prince of the devils.

25 And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them,Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand:

26 And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?

27 And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges.

28 But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.

29 Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.

30 He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.

31 Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.

32 And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.

33 Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.

34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.

36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.

37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

38 Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee.

39 But he answered and said unto them,An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:

40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

41 The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.

42 The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.

43 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none.

44 Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished.

45 Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.