Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

• An attempt to kill Jeremiah 11:18-12:6
  This pericope contains one of Jeremiah's "confessions,"a self-revelation of the prophet's own struggles to cope with God's actions (cf. 10:23-24; 15:10-12, 15-21; 17:9-11, 14-18; 18:18-23; and 20:7-18).219The heart of this on...
• The prophet's inner struggles and Yahweh's responses 15:10-21
  This pericope contains two instances in which Jeremiah faced crushing discouragement in his ministry (vv. 10-14, 15-21). He confessed his frustration to the Lord, and the Lord responded with encouragement.15:10 Jeremiah addre...
• Distinctive characteristics
  The main aspects of God that Micah emphasized were His sovereignty, self-consistency, and His leadership of all events and His people toward His ultimate plans and purposes for them.Like the other eighth-century prophets, Mic...
• D. Micah's lament over his decadent society 7:1-7
  This section is an individual lament similar to many of the psalms (cf. 1:8-16).7:1 Micah bewailed his own disappointment with Israel's situation. He compared himself to Israel's fruit pickers and grape gatherers who felt gre...
• VIII. A concluding promise and warning 4:4-6
  The final three verses of the book, which are also the final message in the Old Testament, are sufficiently different from what immediately precedes to indicate another message from Malachi. Essentially Malachi said, Be prepa...
• Plan and Structure
  Matthew often grouped his material into sections so that three, five, six, or seven events, miracles, sayings, or parables appear together.27Jewish writers typically did this to help their readers remember what they had writt...
• Outline
  I. The introduction of the King 1:1-4:11A. The King's genealogy 1:1-17B. The King's birth 1:18-25C. The King's childhood 2:1-231. The prophecy about Bethlehem 2:1-122. The prophecies about Egypt 2:13-183. The prophecies about...
• 1. The setting of Jesus' ministry 4:12-16
  Comparison of John's Gospel and Matthew's shows that Jesus ministered for about a year before John the Baptist's arrest. John had criticized Herod Antipas for having an adulterous relationship with his brother Philip's wife (...
• The two paths 7:13-14
  The Old Testament contains several references to diverging ways that force the traveler to choose between two paths (e.g., Deut. 30:19; Ps. 1; Jer. 21:8). The AV translation "straight"is a bit misleading. That translation ref...
• III. The manifestation of the King 8:1--11:1
  "Matthew has laid the foundational structure for his argument in chapters one through seven. The genealogy and birth have attested to the legal qualifications of the Messiah as they are stated in the Old Testament. Not only s...
• Jesus' demands regarding parents 8:21-22
  The first disciple was too quick when he promised wholehearted allegiance. This second disciple was too slow performing wholehearted allegiance.Evidently this disciple made his request as the boat was ready to depart for the ...
• B. Declarations of the King's presence 9:35-11:1
  The heart of this section contains Jesus' charge to His disciples to proclaim the nearness of the kingdom (ch. 10). Matthew prefaced this charge with a demonstration of the King's power, as he prefaced the Sermon on the Mount...
• 2. Jesus' commissioning of 12 disciples 10:1-4 (cf. Mark 6:7; Luke 9:1-2)
  10:1 This is Matthew's first reference to Jesus' 12 disciples, though here He implied their previous identity as a group. He "summoned"(Gr. proskaleo) these men as a king commands His subjects. He who had all authority now de...
• The attitudes of the disciples 10:26-39 (cf. Luke 12:1-12)
  Even though Jesus' disciples would encounter hostile opposition, they should fear God more than their antagonists.10:26-27 The basis for confidence in the face of persecution is an understanding that whatever is presently hid...
• The reward for hospitality 10:40-42
  These verses bring Jesus' teaching to a positive and encouraging conclusion. Jesus had given His disciples severe warnings. Now He gave them great encouragement.10:40 By receiving His disciples those to whom the disciples wou...
• 4. Jesus' continuation of His work 11:1 (cf. Mark 6:12-13; Luke 9:6)
  Here is another of Matthew's formulas that ended a discourse (cf. 7:28-29; 13:53; 19:1; 26:1). Matthew had no concern for recording what happened when the Twelve went out having received Jesus' instructions. He passed over th...
• The charge and Jesus' response 15:1-9
  15:1 These Pharisees and scribes came from Jerusalem to question Jesus. They appear to have had more official authority than the local religious leaders who opposed Jesus earlier. Jesus' great popularity makes such a delegati...
• Revelation about the church 16:18-20
  16:18 "I say to you"(cf. 5:18, 20, 22, 28, 32, 34, 39, 44; 8:10) may imply that Jesus would continue the revelation the Father had begun. However the phrase occurs elsewhere where that contrast is not in view. Undoubtedly it ...
• Jesus' passion 16:21-23 (cf. Mark 8:31-33; Luke 9:22)
  16:21 This is only the second time in the Gospel that Matthew used the phrase apo tote erxato, "from that time"(cf. 26:16). The first time was in 4:17 where Jesus began to present Himself to Israel as her Messiah. Here it ann...
• Understanding Jesus' death and resurrection 17:22-23 (cf. Mark 9:30-32; Luke 9:43-45)
  Jesus next gave His disciples His second clear announcement of His passion (cf. 16:21-24).682He had alluded to it in veiled terms before He articulated it clearly (cf. 9:15; 10:38; 12:40).17:22 Matthew's reference to time was...
• 4. Instructions about the King's personal representatives ch. 18
  Chapter 18 contains the fourth major discourse that Matthew recorded (cf. chs. 5-7; ch. 10; 13:1-53; chs. 24-25), His Discipleship Discourse. This discourse continues Jesus' instruction of His disciples that He began in 17:14...
• The seriousness of impeding the progress of a disciple 18:5-14 (cf. Mark 9:37-50; Luke 9:48-50)
  The major sub-theme of this discourse is offenses (Gr. skandalon, stumbling blocks). The humble disciple will be careful not to put a stumbling block in the path of another disciple as that one proceeds toward the kingdom.18:...
• 5. Instruction about serving 20:20-28 (cf. Mark 10:35-45)
  This pericope shows that the disciples did not understand what Jesus had said (cf. Luke 18:34)."Despite Jesus' repeated predictions of his passion, two disciples and their mother are still thinking about privilege, status, an...
• 3. Jesus' lamentation over Jerusalem 23:37-39 (cf. Luke 13:34-35)
  This lamentation should help us realize that the judgment Jesus just announced in such strong language was not something that delighted Him. It broke His heart. This is also clear from His personalizing the people in Jerusale...
• The parables of one taken and one left behind 24:40-41 (cf. Luke 17:34-35)
  Having explained the importance of the signs leading up to His return and the responses to those signs, Jesus next explained the respective consequences of the two responses.Many Christians who have read these verses have ass...
• 7. The King's judgment of the nations 25:31-46
  Jesus concluded the Olivet Discourse with further revelation about the judgment that will take place at the end of the present age when He returns. He had referred to it often in the discourse, but now He made it a special su...
• 1. The empty tomb 28:1-7 (cf. Mark 16:1-8; Luke 24:1-8; John 20:1)
  28:1 The NASB translation of the Greek preposition opseas "late"is misleading. The word can also mean "after,"and it makes better sense if translated as such here.1082The women waited until after the Sabbath to go to Jesus' t...
• Bibliography
  Abbott-Smith, G. A. A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1937.Albright, W. F. and Mann, C. S. Matthew. The Anchor Bible series. Garden City: Doubleday, 1971.Alford, Henry. The Greek Testa...
• The setting of these parables 14:25-27
  14:25 Luke described a setting different from the preceding meal. Jesus was on the road again heading toward Jerusalem. It was evidently the great size of the multitude that accompanied Him that led Him to say what He did.14:...
• Characteristics of the last days 17:22-33
  17:22-23 Jesus next gave His disciples more instruction about the coming of the kingdom. One of the days of the Son of Man refers to one of the future days when the Son of Man will be reigning on the earth (cf. vv. 24-25, 30)...
• The kernel of wheat teaching 12:20-26
  12:20 The New Testament writers frequently referred to any Gentiles who came from the Greek-speaking world as Greeks (cf. 7:35; et al.). We do not know where the Gentiles in this incident came from. They could have lived in o...
• Abuse of the poor 11:17-22
  This aspect of the problem involved showing disregard for the poorer members of the church.11:17 The Corinthians' behavior at the Lord's Supper was so bad that Paul could say they were worse off for observing it as they did r...

Expositions Of Holy Scripture (Maclaren)

• St. Matthew 9-28
  Matthew 9-28
• The Widened Mission, Its Perils And Defences
  Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. 17. But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synago...
• The King's Charge To His Ambassadors
  Whosoever therefore shall confess Me before men, him will I confess also before My Father which is in heaven. 33. But whosoever shall deny Me before men, him will I also deny before My Father which is in heaven. 34. Think not...
• A Life Lost And Found!
  He that loseth his life for My sake shall find it.'--Matt. 10:39.MY heart impels me to break this morning my usual rule of avoiding personal references in the pulpit. Death has been busy in our own congregation this last week...
• The Pharisees' Sabbath And Christ's
  At that time Jesus went on the Sabbath day through the corn; and His disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat. 2. But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto Him. Behold, Thy disciples do t...