Attributed commentary excerpt
John Gill's Exposition on Matthew 18:12
A historical reference excerpt for this verse. Read it alongside the biblical text and other available sources.
Exposition of the Old and New Testament
John Gill (1697–1771) · 18th-century historical commentary
Source: BibleWord.ai's local reference edition of this named work.
How think ye, etc.] Or, as the Arabic, “what do you think?” what is your opinion of this matter? what is your sense of it? how does it appear to you? It is a Talmudic way of speaking, the same with ˆyrwbs µta hm “what do you think?” what is your judgment? So the Rabbins, after they have discussed a point among themselves, ask f997, ˆl arybs yam, “what is our opinion?” or what do we think upon the whole? Christ here appeals to his disciples, makes them judges themselves in this matter, and illustrates it by a familiar instance of a man’s seeking and finding his lost sheep, and rejoicing at it. If a man have an hundred sheep; who is the proprietor of them; not the hireling, who has them under his care, and whose the sheep are not; but the owner of them, to whom they belong, and who must be thought to be most concerned for anyone of them that should go astray: a hundred sheep seem to be the number of a flock; at least flocks of sheep used to be divided into hundreds. In a Maronite’s will, a field is thus bequeathed f998; “the north part of it to such an one, and with it ˆax ham, “a hundred sheep”, and a hundred vessels; and the south part of it to such an one, and with it ˆax ham, “a hundred sheep”, and a hundred vessels; and he died, and the wise men confirmed his words, or his will.” Such a supposition, or putting such a case as this, is very proper and pertinent. And one of them be gone astray; which sheep are very prone to; (see <19B9176> Psalm 119:176 <235306>Isaiah 53:6); doth he not leave the ninety and nine, which are not gone astray, in the place where they are; it is usual so to do: and goeth into the mountains; alluding to the mountains of Israel, where were pastures for sheep, (<263413>Ezekiel 34:13,14) and whither sheep are apt to wander, and go from mountain to mountain, (<245006>Jeremiah 50:6), and therefore these were proper places to go after them, and seek for them in: but the Vulgate Latin version joins the words “in” or “on the mountains”, to the preceding clause, and reads, doth he not leave the ninety and nine in the mountains; and so read all the Oriental versions, Syriac, Arabic, Ethiopic, and Persic; and in the same manner Theophylact; and seeketh that which is gone astray? This is usual with men: no man that has a flock of sheep, and though but one strays from it, but takes this method. This parable now may be considered, either as an illustration of the Son of man’s coming into this world, to seek, and to save his lost sheep, mentioned in the preceding verse; even the lost sheep of the house of Israel, the little ones that believed in him, who were despised by the Jews. And then by the “ninety and nine”, we are not to understand the angels; who never went astray, never sinned, but kept their first estate, whom Christ left in the highest heavens, on the holy mountains of eternity, when he became incarnate, and came down on earth to redeem mankind: for these never go by the name of sheep; nor are they of the same nature and kind with the one that strays, and is sought out; nor is their number, with respect to men, as ninety nine to one; at least it cannot be ascertained; nor were they left by Christ, when he came on earth; for a multitude descended at his birth, and sung glory to God. Nor are the saints in heaven intended, whose state is safe; since it cannot be said of them, as in the following verse, that they went not astray; for they went astray like lost sheep, as others, and were looked up, sought out, and…
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