Commentary on Matthew, Mark, Luke - Volume 2.pdf

<strong>Commentary</strong> on Matthew, Mark, Luke - Volume 2
servants, This is John the baptized, hath risen from the it was said by some that Christ
Baptist: he is raised from the dead, and therefore miracles are had risen from the dead; 8. And
dead, and therefore miracles performed by him. 15. Others by some, that Elijah had
work in him.
said, It is Elijah; and others said, appeared; and by others, that one
It is a prophet, or as one of the of the ancient prophets had risen
prophets. 16. But when Herod again. 9. And Herod said, John
heard that, he said, It is John have I beheaded, but who is this
whom I beheaded, he hath rasen of whom I hear such things?
from the dead.
And he desired to see him.
The reason why the Evangelists relate this occurrence is, to inform us that the name of Christ
was universally celebrated, and, therefore, the Jews could not be excused on the plea of ignorance.
Many might otherwise have been perplexed by this question, “How came it that, while Christ dwelt
on the earth, Judea remained in a profound sleep, as if he had withdrawn into some corner, and had
displayed to none his divine power?” The Evangelists accordingly state, that the report concerning
him was everywhere spread abroad, and penetrated even into the court of Herod.
2. And said to his servants. From the words of Luke it may be inferred, that Herod did not of
his own accord adopt this conjecture, but that it was suggested to him by a report which was current
among the people. And, indeed, I have no doubt that the hatred which they bore to the tyrant, and
their detestation of so shocking a murder, gave rise, as is commonly the ease, to those rumors. It
was a superstition deeply rooted, as we have formerly mentioned, in the minds of men, that the
dead return to life in a different person. Nearly akin to this is the opinion which they now adopt,
that Herod, when he cruelly put to death the holy man, was far from obtaining what he expected;
because he had suddenly risen from the dead by the miraculous power of God, and would oppose
and attack his enemies with greater severity than ever.
Mark and Luke, however, show that men spoke variously on this subject: some thought that he
was Elijah, and others that he was one of the prophets, or that he was so eminently endued with
the gifts of the Spirit, that he might be compared to the prophets. The reason why they thought that
he might be Elijah, rather than any other prophet, has been already stated. Malachi having predicted
(4:5,6) that Elijah would come to gather the scattered Church, they misunderstood that prediction
as relating to the person of Elijah, instead of being a simple comparison to the following effect:
“That the coming of Messiah may not be unknown, and that the people may not remain ignorant
of the grace of redemption, there will be an Elijah to go before, like him who of old raised up that
which was fallen, and the worship of God which had been overthrown. He will go before, by a
remarkable power of the Spirit, to proclaim the great and dreadful day of the Lord.” The Jews,
with their usual grossness of interpretation, had applied this to Elijah the Tishbite, (1 Kings 17:1,)
as if he were to appear again and discharge the office of a prophet. Others again conjecture, either
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John Calvin