3:1 And 1 he entered again into the synagogue; and there was a
man there which had a a withered hand.
(1) Thirdly, because they preferred the ceremonial law (which
was but an addition to the moral law) before the moral law,
whereas in reality they should have learned from this the
true use of the ceremonial law.
(a) That is, unprofitable and dead.
3:4 And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the
sabbath days, or to do evil? to save b life, or to kill?
But they held their peace.
(b) He uses here the figure of speech called synecdoche, for
this type of saying, "to save the life", is the same as
saying "to save the man".
3:5 And when he had looked round about on them c with anger,
being grieved for the d hardness of their hearts, he saith
unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched
[it] out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.
(c) Men are angry when they have wrong done to them, but not
without sin: but Christ is angry without sin, and he is
not sorry for the injury that is done to him as much as
he is for their wickedness; and therefore he had pity
upon them, and because of that he is said to have been
grieved.
(d) As though their heart had been closed up and had grown
together, so that wholesome doctrine had no effect upon
them.
3:62 And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took
counsel with the e Herodians against him, how they might
destroy him.
(2) The more the truth is suppressed, the more it comes out.
(e) See (Mt 22:16).
3:8 And from Jerusalem, and from Idumaea, and [from] f beyond
Jordan; and they about Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude,
when they had heard what great things he did, came unto him.
(f) Which Josephus called stony or rocky.
3:9 And he spake to his disciples, that a small ship should g
wait on him because of the multitude, lest they should
throng him.
(g) Should always be ready for him.
3:10 For he had healed many; insomuch that they pressed upon him
for to touch him, as many as had h plagues.
(h) Diseases with which God scourges men as it were with
whips.
3:11 And i unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down
before him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God.
(i) In those whom they had entered into: or by the figure
of speech called metonymy, it refers to those who were
vexed with the unclean spirits.
3:143 And he k ordained twelve, that they should be with
him, and that he might send them forth to preach,
(3) The twelve apostles are set apart to be trained for the
office of the apostleship.
(k) Chose and appointed twelve to be familiar and well
acquainted with him.
3:18 And Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and
Thomas, and James the [son] of Alphaeus, and l Thaddaeus,
and Simon the Canaanite,
(l) Whom Luke also calls Judas: and to make a distinction
the other Judas is called Iscariot.
3:19 And Judas Iscariot, which also betrayed him: and they went into
an m house.
(m) The disciples whom Christ had taken as part of his
company and to live with him come home to his house,
to be with him from this point on.
3:214 And when his n friends heard [of it], they went out
to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside himself.
(4) None are worse enemies of the gospel than they that should
be enemies of it the least.
(n) Literally, "they that were of him", that is, his
relatives: for they that were mad were brought to their
relatives.
3:26 And if o Satan rise up against himself, and be divided,
he cannot stand, but hath an end.
(o) Satan's servants or followers.
3:285 Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto
the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they
shall blaspheme:
(5) Only those who know Christ and maliciously attack him are
without hope of salvation.
3:30p Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit.
(p) These are the words of the evangelist.
3:31 There came then his q brethren and his mother, and,
standing without, sent unto him, calling him.
(q) By the name "brother" the Hebrews understand all that
are of the same stock and blood.
3:346 And he looked round about on them which sat about him,
and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!
(6) The spiritual family is larger than the biological family.
