Mat 7 | Barnes | STEP | MATTHEW CHAPTER 7 Verse 1. Judge not , etc. This command refers to rash, censorious, and unjust judgment. See . explains it in the sense of condemning . Christ does not condemn judging as a magistrate, for that, when according to justice, is lawful and necessary. Nor does he condemn our forming an opinion of the conduct of others, for it is impossible not to form an opinion of conduct that we know to be evil. But what he refers to is a habit of forming a judgment hastily, harshly, and without an allowance for every palliating circumstance, and of expressing such an opinion harshly and unnecessarily when formed. It rather refers to private judgment than judicial , and perhaps primarily to the habits of the scribes and Pharisees . (r) "Judge not" .

Matthew 7

MATTHEW CHAPTER 7

Verse 1. Judge not, etc. This command refers to rash, censorious, and unjust judgment. See Rom 2:1. Lk 6:37 explains it in the sense of condemning. Christ does not condemn judging as a magistrate, for that, when according to justice, is lawful and necessary. Nor does he condemn our forming an opinion of the conduct of others, for it is impossible not to form an opinion of conduct that we know to be evil. But what he refers to is a habit of forming a judgment hastily, harshly, and without an allowance for every palliating circumstance, and of expressing such an opinion harshly and unnecessarily when formed. It rather refers to private judgment than judicial, and perhaps primarily to the habits of the scribes and Pharisees.

(r) "Judge not" Lk 6:37, Rom 2:1, 1Cor 4:5. Verse 2. With what judgment, etc. This was a proverb among the Jews. It expressed a truth; and Christ did not hesitate to adopt it as conveying his own sentiments. It refers no less to the way in which men will judge of us, than to the rule by which God will judge us. See 2Sam 22:27, Mk 4:24, Jas 2:13.

Mete. Measure. You shall be judged by the same rule which you apply to others.

(s) "what measure ye mete" Jud 1:7 Verse 3. And why beholdest thou the mote, etc. A mote signifies any light substance, as dry chaff, or fine spires of grass or grain. It probably most usually signified the small spiculae or beard on a head of barley or wheat. It is thus placed in opposition to the word beam.

Beam. This word here signifies a large piece of squared timber. The one is an exceedingly small object, the other a large one. The meaning is, that we are much more quick and acute to judge of small offences in others, than of much larger offences in ourselves. Even a very small object that should hinder the vision of another, we should discern much more quickly than a much larger one in our own sight. This was also a proverb in frequent use among the Jews, and the same sentiment was common among the Greeks, and deserves to be expressed in every language. Verse 5. Thou hypocrite, first cast out, etc. Christ directs us to the proper way of forming an opinion of others, and of reproving and correcting them. By first amending our own faults, or casting the beam out of our eye, we can consistently advance to correct the faults of others. There will then be no hypocrisy in our conduct. We shall also see clearly to do it. The beam, the thing that obscured our sight, will be removed; and we shall more clearly discern the small object that obscures the sight of our brother. The sentiment is, that the readiest way to judge of the imperfections of others is to be free from greater ones ourselves. This qualifies us for judging, makes us candid and consistent, and enables us to see things as they are, and to make proper allowances for frailty and imperfection.

(t) "cast out the beam" Gal 6:1 Verse 6. Give not that which is holy, etc. By some, the word holy has been supposed to mean flesh offered in sacrifice, made holy, or separated to a sacred use. But it probably means here anything connected with religion--admonition, precept, or doctrine. Pearls are precious stones found in shell-fish, chiefly in India, in the waters that surround Ceylon. They are used to denote anything peculiarly precious, Rev 17:4, 18:12-16, Mt 13:46. In this place they are used to denote the doctrines of the gospel. Dogs signify men who spurn, oppose, and abuse that doctrine; men of peculiar sourness and malignity of temper, who meet it like growling and quarrelsome curs, 2Pet 2:22, Rev 22:15. Swine denote those who would trample the precepts under feet; men of impurity of life; corrupt, polluted, profane, obscene, and sensual; who would not know the value of the gospel, and who would tread it down as swine would pearls, 2Pet 2:22, Prov 11:22. The meaning of this proverb then is, do not offer your doctrine to those violent and abusive men, who would growl and curse you; nor to those peculiarly debased and profligate, who would not perceive its value, would trample it down, and abuse you. This verse furnishes a beautiful instance of the introverted parallelism. The usual mode of poetry among the Hebrews, and a common mode of expression in proverbs and apothegms, was by the parallelism, where one member of a sentence answered to another, or expressed substantially the same sense with some addition or modification. See my Introduction to Isaiah. Sometimes this was alternate, and sometimes it was introverted--where the first and fourth lines would correspond, and the second and third. This is the case here. The dogs would rend, and not the swine; the swine would trample the pearls under their feet, and not the dogs. It may be thus expressed: Give not that which is holy unto the dogs.

Neither cast ye your pearls before swine,

Lest they trample them under their feet,

And turn again [that is, the dogs] and rend you.

(u) "neither cast ye your" Prov 9:7,8, 23:9 Verse 7. Ask, and it shall be given you, etc. There are here three different forms presented of seeking the things which we need from God--asking, seeking, and knocking. The latter is taken from the act of knocking at a door for admittance. See Lk 11:7, Rev 3:20. The phrases signify to seek with earnestness, and diligence, and perseverance. The promise is, that what we seek shall be given us. It is of course implied that we seek with a proper spirit, with humility, sincerity, and perseverance. It is implied, also, that we ask the things which it may be consistent for God to give--that is, things which he has promised to give, and which would be best for us and his kingdom, 1Jn 5:14. Of that, God is to be the judge. And here there is the utmost latitude which a creature can ask. God is willing to provide for us, to forgive our sins, to save our souls, to befriend us in trial, to comfort us in death, to extend the gospel through the world. Man can ask no higher things of God; and these he may ask, assured that he is willing to grant them.

Christ encourages us to do this by the conduct of parents. No parent turns away his child with that which would be unsatisfactory or injurious. He would not give him a stone instead of bread, nor a serpent instead of a fish. God is better and kinder than the most tender earthly parents; and with what confidence, therefore, may we come as his children, and ask what we need! Parents, he says, are evil; that is, are imperfect, often partial, blind, and sometimes passionate; but God is free from all this, and therefore is ready and willing to aid us.

Every one that asketh receiveth. That is, every one that asks aright, that prays in faith, and in submission to the will of God. He does not always give the very thing which we ask, but he gives what would be better. A parent will not always confer the very thing which a child asks, but he will seek the welfare of the child, and give what he thinks will be most for its good. Paul asked that the thorn from his flesh might be removed. God did not literally grant the request, but told him that his grace should be sufficient for him, 2Cor 12:7-9.

A fish. A fish has some resemblance to a serpent. Yet no parent would attempt to deceive his child in this. So God will not give to us that which might appear to be of use, but which would be injurious.

(v) "shall be give you" Isa 55:6, Lk 18:1 Verse 8. Mt 7:7

(w) "asketh receiveth" Ps 81:10,16, Jn 14:13,14, 16:23,24, 1Jn 3:22 1Jn 5:14,15.

(x) "and he that seeketh" Prov 8:17, Jer 29:12,13 Verse 9. Mt 7:7 Verse 10. Mt 7:7 Verse 11. Mt 7:7

(y) "good gifts unto your children" Lk 11:11 Verse 12. All things whatsoever, etc. This command has been usually called the Saviour's golden rule, a name given to it on account of its great value. All that you expect or desire of others in similar circumstances, do to them. Act not from selfishness or injustice, but put yourself in the place of the other, and ask what you would expect of him then. This would make you impartial, and candid, and just. It would destroy avarice, envy, treachery, unkindness, slander, theft, adultery, and murder. It has been well said, that this law is what the balance-wheel is to machinery. It would prevent all irregularity of movement in the moral world, as that does in a steam-engine. It is easily applied, its justice is seen by all men, and all must acknowledge its force and value.

This is the law and the prophets. That is, this is the sum or substance of the Old Testament. It is nowhere found in so many words, but it is a summary expression of all that the law required. The sentiment was in use among the Jews. Hillel, an ancient Rabbi, said to a man who wished to become a proselyte, and who asked him to teach him the whole law, "Whatever is hateful to you, do not do to another." Something of the same sentiment was found among the ancient Greeks and Romans.

(z) "do ye even so to them" Lev 19:18, Rom 13:8-10, Gal 5:14 Verse 13. Enter ye in at the strait gate. Christ here compares the way to life to an entrance through a gate. The words straight, and strait, have very different meanings. The former means not crooked; the latter pent up, narrow, difficult to be entered. This is the word used here, and it means that the way to heaven is pent up, narrow, close, and not obviously entered. The way to death is open, broad, and thronged. The Saviour here referred probably to ancient cities. They were surrounded with walls, and entered through gates. Some of those, connected with the great avenues to the city, were broad, and admitted a throng. Others, for more private purposes, were narrow, and few would be seen entering them. So says Christ, is the path to heaven. It is narrow. It is not the great highway that men tread. Few go there. Here and. there one may be seen--- travelling in solitude and singularity. The way to death, on the other hand, is broad. Multitudes are in it. It is the great highway in which men go. They fall into it easily, and without effort, and go without thought. If they wish to leave that, and go by a narrow gate to the city, it would require effort and thought. So, says Christ, diligence is needed to enter into life. See Lk 13:24. None go of course. All must strive to obtain it; and so narrow, unfrequented, and solitary is it, that few find it. This sentiment has been beautifully versified by Watts :--- "Broad is the road that leads to death,

And thousands walk together there;

But wisdom shows a narrower path,

With here and there a traveller."

Verse 14. Mt 7:14

(1) "Because", or "how" (b) "few there be" Mt 20:16, 25:1-12, Rom 9:27,29 Verse 15. False prophets. The word prophet originally means, one who foretells future events. As prophets, however, were commonly regarded as public instructors on the subject of religion, the word came to denote all who were religious teachers. In this sense it is probably used here. A false prophet is a teacher of incorrect doctrine, or one falsely and unjustly laying claims to Divine inspiration. It probably had reference to the false teachers then among the Jews.

Which come to you in sheeps clothing. The sheep is an emblem of innocence, sincerity, and harmlessness. To come in sheep's clothing, is to assume the appearance of sanctity, and innocence, when the heart is evil.

Ravening wolves, Rapacious; or disposed to plunder. Applied to the false teachers, it means that they assumed the appearance of holiness, in order that they might the more readily get the property of the people. They were full of extortion and excess. See Mt 23:25.

(c) "false prophets" De 13:1-3, Jer 23:13-16, 1Jn 4:1 (d) "ravening wolves" Acts 20:29-31 Verse 16. Ye shall know them by their fruits. He gives the proper test of their character. Men do not judge of a tree by its leaves, or bark, or flowers, but by the fruit which it bears. The flowers may be handsome and fragrant; the foliage thick and green; but these are merely ornamental. It is the fruit that is of chief service to man; and he forms his opinion of the nature and value of the tree by their fruit. So of pretensions to religion. The profession may be fair; but the conduct--the fruit in the eye of the world--is to determine the nature of the principles.

(e) "by their fruits" Mt 12:33 Verse 17. A corrupt tree. The word corrupt here does not signify, as our translation would seem to indicate, that the tree had been good, but had become vitiated; but that it was a tree of a useless character, of a nature that produces nothing beneficial.

(f) "good tree" Lk 6:43, 45 Verse 19.

(f) "Every tree" Mt 3:10, Jn 15:2,6 Verse 21. Not every one that saith, etc. He goes on to say that many, on the ground of that profession, will claim admittance into his kingdom. Many will plead that they had done miracles, and preached or prophesied much, and will demand an entrance into heaven. The power of working miracles had no necessary connexion with piety. God may as well, if he chooses, give the power of raising the dead to a wicked man, as the skill of healing to a wicked physician. A miracle is a display of his own power through the medium of another. An act of healing the sick is also a display of his power through the agency of another. In neither of these cases is there any necessary connexion with moral character. So of preaching, or prophesying. God may use the agency of a man of talents, though not pious, to carry forward his purposes. Saving power on the mind is the work of God; and he may convey it by any agency which he may choose. Accordingly, many may be found in the day of judgment who may have been endowed with powers of prophecy, or miracle, as Balaam, or the magicians of Egypt; in the same way as many men of distinguished talents may be found yet destitute of piety, and shut out of his kingdom. See Mk 9:38, Lk 9:49, 1Cor 13:1-3. In this last place, Paul says, that though he spoke with the tongue of angels, and had the gift of prophecy, and could remove mountains, and had not charity or love, all would be of no avail. 1Cor 13:1-3.

(h) "Lord, Lord" Is 48:1,2, Mt 25:11,12, Lk 6:46, 13:25, Rom 2:13 Verse 22. In that day. That is, in the last day, the day of judgment; the time when the principles of all pretenders to prophecy and piety shall be tried.

(i) "prophesied in thy" Nu 24:4, 1Kgs 22:11, Jer 23:13, Acts 19:13-15 1Cor 13:2 Verse 23. Profess unto them. Say unto them; plainly declare.

I never knew you. That is, I never approved, loved, or regarded you as my friends. See Ps 1:6, 2Ti 2:19, 1Cor 8:3. This proves that, with all their pretensions, they had never been true followers of Christ. Jesus will not then say to false prophets and false professors of religion, that he had once known them, and then rejected them; that they had been once Christians and then had fallen away; that they had been pardoned, and then had apostatized; but that he had never known them--THEY HAD NEVER BEEN TRUE CHRISTIANS. Whatever might have been their pretended joys, their raptures, their hopes, their self-confidence, their visions, their zeal, they had never been regarded by the Saviour as his true friends. I know not a more decided proof that Christians do not fall away from grace than this text. It settles the question; and proves that whatever else such men had, they never had any true religion. See 1Jn 2:19.

(k) "from me" Ps 5:5, Mt 25:41, Rev 22:15 Verses 24-27. Jesus closes the sermon on the mount by a beautiful comparison, illustrating the benefit of attending to his words. It was not sufficient to hear them; they must be obeyed. He compares the man who should hear, and obey him, to a man who built his house on a rock. Palestine was, to a considerable extent, a land of hills and: mountains. Like other countries of that description, it was subject to sudden and violent rains. The Jordan, the principal stream, was annually swollen to a great extent, and became rapid and furious in its course. The streams which ran among the hills, whose channels might have been dry during some months of the year, became suddenly swollen with the rain, and would pour down impetuously into the plains below. Everything in the way of these torrents would be swept off. Even a house erected within the reach of these sudden inundations, and especially if founded on sand, or any unsolid basis, would not stand before them. The rising, bursting stream would shake it to its foundation; the rapid torrent would gradually wash away its base; it would totter and fall, and be swept away. Rocks in that country were common, and it was easy to secure for their houses a solid foundation. No comparison could, to a Jew, have been more striking. So tempests, and storms of affliction and persecution, beat around the soul. Suddenly, when we think we are in safety, the heavens may be overcast; the storm may lower; and calamity beat upon us. In a moment, health, friends, comforts, may be gone. How desirable then to be possessed of something that the tempest cannot reach! Such is an interest in Christ; attention to his words; reliance on his promises; confidence in his protection; and a hope of heaven through his blood. Earthly calamities do not reach these; and, possessed of religion, all the storms and tempests of life may beat harmlessly around us.

There is another point in this comparison. The house built on the sand is beat upon by the floods and rains; its foundation gradually is worn away; it falls, and is borne down the stream, and is destroyed. So falls the slumber. The floods are wearing away his sandy foundation; and soon one tremendous storm shall beat upon him, and he and his hopes shall fall, for ever fall. Out of Christ, perhaps having heard his words from very childhood; perhaps having taught them to others in the Sunday-school; perhaps having been the means of laying the foundation on which others shall build for heaven, he has laid for himself no foundation; and soon an eternal tempest shall beat around his naked soul. How great will be that fall! What will be his emotions when sinking for ever in the flood, and destined for ever to live and writhe in the peltings of that ceaseless storm that shall beat when "God shall rain snares, fire, and a horrible tempest" upon the wicked!

(l) "Therefore" Lk 6:47 (m) "wise man" Ps 111:10, 119:99,130 Verse 25. Mt 7:24

(n) "upon a rock" Ps 92:13-15 Verse 26. Mt 7:24

(o) "a foolish man" 1Sam 2:30, Jer 8:9 Verse 27. Mt 7:24

(p) "winds blew" 1Cor 3:13 (q) "great was the fall" Heb 10:26,27 Verse 28,29. His doctrine. His teaching.

As one having authority, and not as the Scribes. The scribes were the learned men and teachers of the Jewish nation, and were principally Pharisees. They taught chiefly the sentiments of their rabbins, and the traditions which had been delivered; they consumed much of their time in useless disputes, "vain jangling." Jesus was open, plain, grave, useful; delivering truth as became the oracles of God; not spending his time in trifling disputes, and debating questions of no importance; but confirming his doctrine by miracles and argument; teaching as having power, as it is in the original, and not in the vain and foolish manner of the Jewish doctors. He showed that he had authority to explain, enforce, and change the ceremonial laws of the Jews. He came with authority such as no man could have, and it is not remarkable that his explanations astonished them. From this chapter we may learn,

(1.) The evil of censorious judging, Mt 7:1-5. We cannot see the heart. We have ourselves possibly greater faults than the persons that we condemn. They may be of a different kind; but it is not strange for persons to be very censorious towards faults in others, which they have to much greater extent themselves.

(2.) We see how we are to treat men who are opposers of the gospel, Mt 7:6. We are not to present it to them when we know they will despise it, and abuse us. We should, however, be cautious in forming that opinion of them. Many men may be far more ready to hear the gospel than we imagine; and a word seasonably and kindly spoken may be the means of saving them, Prov 25:11, Eccl 11:6. We should not meet violent and wicked opposers of the gospel with a harsh, overbearing, and lordly spirit; a spirit of dogmatizing and anger; nor should we violate the laws of social intercourse under the idea of faithfulness. Religion gains nothing by outraging the established laws of social life, 1Pet 3:8. If men will not hear us when we speak to them kindly and respectfully, we may be sure they will not when we abuse them, and become angry. We harden them against the truth, and confirm them in the opinion that religion is of no value. Our Saviour was always mild and kind; and in not a single instance did he do violence to the laws of social intercourse, or faith in the respect due from one man to another. When with harshness men speak to their superiors; when they abuse them with unkind words, and coarse epithets, and unfeeling denunciations; when children and youth forget their station, and speak in harsh, authoritative tones to the aged, they are violating the very first principles of the gospel-- meekness, respect, and love. Give honour to whom honour is due, and be kind, be courteous.

(3.) Christ gives peculiar encouragement to prayer, Mt 7:7-11. Especially his remarks apply to the young. What child is there that would not go to his parent, and ask him for things which were necessary? What child doubts the willingness of a kind parent to give what he thinks will be best for him? But God is more willing to give than the best parent. We need of him gifts of far more importance than we ever can of an earthly father. None but God can forgive, enlighten, sanctify, and save us. How strange that many ask favours of an earthly parent daily and hourly, and never ask of the Great Universal Father a single blessing, for time or eternity!

(4.) The danger of losing the soul, Mt 7:13,14. The way to ruin is broad, the road to heaven is narrow. Men naturally and readily go in the former; they never go in the latter without design. When we enter on the journey of life, we naturally fall into the broad and thronged way to ruin. Our original propensity; our native depravity; our disinclination to God and religion, lead us to that. And we never leave it without effort. How much more natural to tread in a way in which multitudes go, than in one where there are few travellers, and which requires an effort to find it! And how much danger is there that we shall continue to tread in that way, until it terminate in our ruin! No man is saved without effort. No man enters on the narrow way without design; no one by following his natural inclination and propensities. And yet how indisposed we are to effort; how unwilling to listen to the exhortations which would call us from the broad path to a narrower and less frequented course! How prone are men to feel that they are safe if they are with the many, and that the multitude that attend them constitute a safeguard from danger ! "Encompassed by a throng,

On numbers they depend;

They say so many can't be wrong,

And miss a happy end."

Yet, did God ever spare a guilty city because it was large? Did he spare the army of Sennacherib from the destroying angel because it was mighty? Does he hesitate to cut men down by the plague, the pestilence, and by famine, because they are numerous? Is he deterred from consigning men to the grave, because they swarm upon the earth, and because a mighty throng is going to death? So in the way to hell. Not numbers, nor power, nor might, nor talent in the road way, will deter him, or make that way safe; nor will the path to heaven be a dangerous road because few are seen travelling there. The Saviour knew and felt that men are in danger; and hence, with much solemnity, he warned them when he lived--and now warns us--to strive to enter into the strait gate.

(5.) The necessity of sincerity in religion, Mt 7:15-23. Profession is of no value without it. God sees the heart. And the day is near when he shall cut down and destroy all those who do not bring forth the fruits of righteousness in their lives. If in anything we should be honest and sincere, surely it should be in the things of religion. God is never deceived, Gal 6:7. And the things of eternity are of too much consequence to be lost by deluding ourselves or others. We may deceive our fellow-men, but we do not delude our Maker; and soon he will strip off our thin covering, and show us as we are to the universe. If anything is of prominent value in religion, it is honesty--honesty to ourselves, our fellow-men, and to God. Be willing to know the worst of your case. Be willing to be thought of, by God and men, as you are. Assume nothing which you do not possess; and pretend to nothing which you have not. Judge of yourselves as you do of others--not by words and promises, but by the life. Judge of yourselves as you do of trees--not by leaves and flowers, but by the fruits.

(6.) The importance of building our hopes of heaven on a firm foundation, Mt 7:24-27. No other can any man lay than that which is laid, which is Christ, 1Cor 3:11. He is the tried Corner Stone, 1Pet 2:6, Eph 2:20. On an edifice raised on that foundation, the storms of persecution and calamity will beat in vain. Hopes thus reared sustain every adversity; are unshaken by the terrors of death; and secure us from the tempests of wrath that shall beat upon the guilty. How awful, in the day of judgment, will it be to have been deceived! How dreadful the shock to find then the house built on the sand! How dreadful the emotions, to see our hopes totter on the brink of ruin; to see sand after sand washed away, and the dwelling reel over the heaving deep, and fall into the abyss, to rise no more! Ruin, awful and eternal rum, awaits those who thus deceive themselves, and trust to a name to live, while they are dead.

(7.) Under what obligations are we for this sermon on the mount! In all languages there is not a discourse to be found that can be compared with it for purity, and truth, and beauty, and dignity. Were there no other evidence of the Divine mission of Christ, this alone would be sufficient to prove that he was sent from God. Were these doctrines obeyed and loved, how pure and peaceful would be the world! How would hypocrisy be abashed and confounded! How would impurity hang its head! How would peace reign in every family and nation! How would anger and wrath flee! And how would the race--the lost and benighted tribes of men, the poor, and needy, and sorrowful--bend themselves before their common Father, and seek peace and eternal life at the hands of a merciful and faithful God!

(r) "astonished" Jer 23:29, Mk 6:2 Verse 29. Mt 7:28

For a summary of Matthew Chapter 7, Mt 7:28.