John Gill

Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid.

“And wheresoever he taketh him,.... The spirit, or devil, whether it be near fire, or water, whatsoever danger, or dangerous place: he teareth him; or throws him into it, or dashes him against it; or inwardly racks, tortures, and convulses him: and he foameth; at…”

“O unbelieving generation!” Jesus replied. “How long must I remain with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy to Me.”

“He answereth him,.... The father of the child, and who is included in the reproof afterwards given, for his unbelief, and taking part with the Scribes against his disciples; though the Vulgate Latin, Arabic, Persic, and Ethiopic versions, read, "them"; meaning not his disciples, but…”

“It often throws him into the fire or into the water, trying to kill him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”

“And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire,.... When he has been near it; so that one part or other of his body has been scorched, or burnt, and his life in danger: and into the waters to destroy him: when he has been…”

“If You can?” echoed Jesus. “All things are possible to him who believes!”

“Jesus said unto him, if thou canst believe,.... As the man put an "if" on the power of Christ, Christ puts an "if" on the faith of the man; and tacitly suggests, that power was not wanting in himself, but faith in him; and should…”

But Jesus took him by the hand and helped him to his feet, and he stood up.

“But Jesus took him by the hand,.... "Took hold of the hand of the child", as the Persic version renders it; and lifted him up; from the ground, on which he was cast by the spirit; and he arose: this is omitted in the Syriac…”

After Jesus had gone into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”

“And when he was come into the house,.... Perhaps into the man's house whose child he had healed, or into some other in these parts, for the sake both of retirement and refreshment: his disciples asked him privately, why could not we cast him out?”

Jesus answered, “This kind cannot come out, except by prayer.”

“And he said unto them,.... Matthew, besides the following reason, assigns another, as given by our Lord, why they could not cast out the foul spirit, which was their unbelief; of which they were guilty in some sort, as well as the Jews, and the…”

Going on from there, they passed through Galilee. But Jesus did not want anyone to know,

“And they departed thence,.... From the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, from that part of the country where the mountain was, on which Christ was transfigured, and at the foot of which the above miracle was wrought.”

because He was teaching His disciples. He told them, “The Son of Man will be delivered into the hands of men.

“For he taught his disciples, and said unto them,.... What he had some little time before suggested to them; see Mar 8:31.”

Then they came to Capernaum. While Jesus was in the house, He asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?”

“And he came to Capernaum,.... Where he met with the collectors of the tribute money, and paid it to them, as related by Matthew, Mat 17:24, though Mark takes no notice of it.”

Then He had a little child stand among them. Taking the child in His arms, He said to them,

“And he took a child,.... Which was in the house, and which he called unto him, and set by him, as the other evangelists observe: and set him in the midst of them; his disciples, that all might see and learn from this instance; and…”

For whoever is not against us is for us.

“For he that is not against us, is on our part. Many copies read, "he that is not against you, is for you"; as this man; he was not against either Christ, or his disciples; he was doing the same work, promoting the same interest…”

If your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than to have two feet and be thrown into hell.

“And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off,.... Such who are that to men, as the foot is to the body, the support of them through whom they have their maintenance and subsistence; and yet these, if they are a means of causing them…”

“Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. The Persic version renders it, "because from thence there can be no deliverance": which is rather an interpretation of these figurative expressions, and is a good one; since they design the eternity of hell…”

And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes…

“And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out,.... Than which, nothing is dearer to man, it being very tender, and exceeding useful: this metaphor the Lord sometimes makes use of, to show how dear his people are unto him, and what a tender concern…”

where ‘their worm never dies, and the fire is never quenched.’

“Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. This is repeated again, not only to assure the truth of the thing, but to raise the attention of the mind unto it, and fix an awful impression upon it: the Persic version renders…”

“What did Moses command you?” He replied.

“And he answered and said unto them,.... Very prudently and wisely, what did Moses command you? according to Matthew, he put another question to them; see Mat 19:4; no doubt but both were put, and this after they had urged the authority and law of…”

However, from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’

“But from the beginning of the creation,.... Of the world, or of man: מתחלת ברייתו של עולם, "from the beginning of the creation of the world", is a way of speaking often used by the Jews (r): the phrase "of the creation" is left out…”

‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife,

“For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother,.... The Persic version adds, "and brethren and sisters", though without any foundation in the original text, in Gen 2:24, from whence this passage is cited; or in any copy of the evangelist: and cleave…”

When they were back inside the house, the disciples asked Jesus about this matter.

“And in the house,.... To which Christ retired, after he had put the Pharisees to silence, and dismissed the multitude: his disciples asked him again of the same matter; concerning the affair of divorces, be bad been discoursing with the Pharisees about; some things being…”

So He told them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her.

“And he saith unto them,.... The same things as in Mat 5:32, 19:9; See Gill on Mat 5:32, See Gill on Mat 19:9, whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another; when there is no uncleanness in the case; when his former wile has…”

Now people were bringing the little children to Jesus for Him to place His hands on them, and the disciples rebuked those who brought them.

“And they brought young children to him,.... The parents, or friends, or nurses of the children in those parts, having heard of the fame of Jesus; and having entertained an high opinion of him, as a great prophet, and a holy, good man, brought their…”

You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness, do not cheat others, honor your father and mother.’”

“Thou knowest the commandments,.... Which God gave to Moses on Mount Sinai; these the Jews taught their children; so that this young man might reasonably be thought to know what, and how many they were, though he was ignorant of the extent and spirituality of…”

“Teacher,” he replied, “all these I have kept from my youth.”

“And he answered and, said unto him,.... With a great deal of pertness, master, all these have I observed from my youth; See Gill on Mat 19:20. In a certain copy, Beza says, it is added, as there, "what lack I yet?"”

“Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes.

“Saying, behold we go up to Jerusalem,.... They were now upon the road thither. And the son of man; meaning himself, shall be delivered unto the chief priests, and unto the Scribes; by the determinate counsel, and foreknowledge of God, and by the means of…”