See thou tell no man — Perhaps our Lord only meant here, Not till thou hast showed thyself to the priest — who was appointed to inquire into the case of leprosy. But many others he commanded, absolutely, to tell none of tho miracles he had wrought upon them. And this he seems to have done, chiefly for one or more of these reasons: To prevent the multitude from thronging him, in the manner related Mark 1:45. To fulfil the prophecy, Isaiah 42:1, that he would not be vain or ostentatious. This reason St. Matthew assigns, Matthew 12:17, &c. To avoid the being taken by force and made a king, John 6:15. And, That he might not enrage the chief priests, scribes, and Pharisees, who were the most bitter against him, any more than was unavoidable, Matthew 16:20-21.
For a testimony — That I am the Messiah; to them — The priests, who otherwise might have pleaded want of evidence. Leviticus 14:2.