And art confident that thou thyself,.... Being vainly puffed up in, their fleshly minds, they were strongly persuaded that they were very fit persons to be
a guide to the blind: all men are by nature blind, as to the knowledge of divine and spiritual things; the meaner sort of the people among the Jews seem to be intended here; or else the ignorant Gentiles, whom the Jews were very fond of making proselytes to their religion and laws; but miserable guides were they, whether to their own people, or others; blind guides of the blind. Gospel ministers best deserve this title:
a light of them that are in darkness; so Christ, John the Baptist, the disciples of Christ, and all Gospel ministers are; but these men, who arrogated such characters to themselves, were dim lights, and dark lanterns. The apostle seems to have respect to those very high and exalted characters the Jews give of their doctors, as when they call one, בוצינא דנהורא, "the lamp of light" w; another, קדישא
בוצינא, "the holy lamps" x; and a third, נר ישראל, "the lamp of Israel" y; with many others of the same kind; Matthew 5:14 and John 5:35.
w T. Bab. Cetubot, fol. 17. 1. x Zohar passim. y T. Bab. Beracot, fol. 28. 2.