Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Matthew 6:15
But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Verse 15. But if ye forgive not] He who does not awake at the sound of so loud a voice, is not asleep but dead. A vindictive man excludes himself from all hope of eternal life, and himself seals his own damnation.
Trespasses] , from and , to fall off. What a remarkable difference there is between this word and , debts, in Mt 6:12! Men’s sins against us are only their stumblings, or fallings off from the duties they owe us; but our’s are debts to God’s justice, which we can never discharge. It can be no great difficulty to forgive those, especially when we consider that in many respects we have failed as much, in certain duties which we owed to others, as they have done in those which they owed us. “But I have given him no provocation.” Perhaps thou art angry, and art not a proper judge in the matter; but, however it may be, it is thy interest to forgive, if thou expectest forgiveness from God. On this important subject I will subjoin an extract from Mason’s Self-knowledge, page 248, 1755.
“Athenodorus, the philosopher by reason of his old age, begged leave to retire from the court of Augustus, which the emperor granted. In his compliments of leave, he said, ‘Remember, Caesar, whenever thou art angry, that thou say or do nothing before thou hast distinctly repeated to thyself the twenty-four letters of the alphabet.’ On which Caesar caught him by the hand, and said, ‘I have need of thy presence still:’ and kept him a year longer. This was excellent advice from a heathen; but a Christian may prescribe to himself a wiser rule. When thou art angry, answer not till thou hast repeated the fifth petition of our Lord’s prayer-Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors: and our Lord’s comment upon it-For if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your heavenly father forgive your trespasses.”
PRAYER to God is considered among the Mohammedans in a very important point of view. It is declared by the Mosliman doctors to be the corner stone of RELIGION, and the pillar of FAITH. It is not, say they, a thing of mere form, but requires that the heart and understanding should accompany it, without which they pronounce it to be of no avail. They direct prayer to be performed five times in the twenty-four hours.
1. Between day-break and sun-rise;
2. Immediately after noon;
3. Immediately before sun-set;
4. In the evening before dark; and
5. Before the first watch of the night.
They hold the following points to be essentially requisite to the efficacy of prayer: –
1. That the person be free from every species of defilement.
2. That all sumptuous and gaudy apparel be laid aside.
3. That the attention accompany the act, and be not suffered to wander to any other object.
4. That the prayer be performed with the face toward the temple of MECCA. HEDAYAH. Prel. Dis. pp. 53, 54.
There are few points here but the follower of Christ may seriously consider and profitably practise.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
15. But if ye forgive not,&c.See on Mt 6:12.
Fasting (Mt6:16-18). Having concluded His supplementary directions on thesubject of prayer with this Divine Pattern, our Lord now returns tothe subject of Unostentatiousness in our deeds ofrighteousness, in order to give one more illustration of it, in thematter of fasting.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
But if you forgive not men their trespasses,…. On the other hand, where men are not of a forgiving temper to their fellow creatures and fellow Christians, how can they expect forgiveness at the hands of God? or what sense of pardoning grace can there be upon their minds? Had they any right apprehensions of the grace and goodness of God, in the forgiveness of their sins, this would influence their minds, and engage their hearts to forgive such who have offended them: wherefore, where this is wanting, it may be concluded of, and said to such persons,
neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. It is a plain case, that your Father has not given you a true sense of the pardon of your sins, nor can you be certain that he will; nor have you any reason to expect it, when you are so cruel and revengeful to others. There is a considerable emphasis lies upon the word “men”, to which “heavenly Father” is opposed, and the sense, according to it, is, that if men, who are upon an equal foot with each other, should not forgive one another, how should it be expected that our Father which is in heaven, who is so much above, and no ways obliged to us, should forgive us?
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
1) “But If ye forgive not men their trespasses,” (ean de me aphete tois anthropois) “However, if you all do not forgive or pardon men,” who do you wrong, or who have done you injury or wrong, as the Lord has instructed, Mat 18:21-35; Jas 2:13; Mr 11:24. Pride often hinders confession of sins and forgiveness in the life of a carnal covetous child of God. Where no forgiveness is offered others, none can be received from God.
2) “Neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” (oude ho pater humon aphesei ta paraptomata humon) “Neither will your Father (the heavenly one) forgive or pardon you of your trespasses or deeds of wrong;” For a child of God to hold an obstinate, unforgiving spirit against any person, obstructs, stands in the way of, or debars God’s forgiving that person of sins he has committed, or yet holds in his own heart and life, Mat 18:34-35; Mr 11:25.
THE RIGHT SPIRIT
A great boy in a school was so abusive to the younger ones, that the teacher took the vote of the school whether he should be expelled. All the small boys voted to expel him, except one, who was scarcely 5 years old. Yet he knew very well that the bad boy would probably continue to abuse him. “Why, then, did you vote for him to stay?” said the teacher. “Because if he is expelled, perhaps he will not learn any more about God, and so he will be more wicked still.” “Do you forgive him, then?” said the teacher. “Yes,” said he; “Papa and mamma, and you, all forgive me when I do wrong; God forgives me, too, and I must do the same.”
OUTWARD OR OSTENTATIOUS SHOW OF PIETY REBUKED
V. 16-18
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
15. Forgive not neither See on Mat 18:35. Our Saviour adds this to impress the sincerity of the petition upon our hearts.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Ver. 15. But if ye will not, &c. ] This is a matter much to be observed, therefore so often inculcated. Judgment without mercy shall be to them that show no mercy, Jas 2:13 . There is but a hair’s breadth between him and hell that hath not his sins pardoned in heaven. Such is the case of every one that doth not from his heart forgive his offending brother, Mat 18:35 , or that saith, I will forgive the fault, but not forget the matter, or affect the person. Men must forbear one another and forgive one another, as Christ forgave them; and that if any man have a quarrel ( ) against any, Col 2:13 , for else what thanks is it? The glory of a man is to pass by an infirmity, Pro 19:11 . It is more comfortable to love a friend, but more honourable to love an enemy. If thou reserve in thy mind any piece of the wrong, thou provokest and daily prayest God to reserve for thee a piece of his wrath; which burneth as low as the nethermost hell, Deu 32:22 . Neither will it help any, to do as Latimer reporteth of some in his days, who being not willing to forgive their enemies, would not say their Pater Noster at all: but instead thereof, took our Lady’s Psalter in hand; because they were persuaded that by that they might obtain forgiveness of their sins of favour, without putting in such a hard condition as the forgiveness of their enemies into the bargain.
Neither will your Father forgive your trespasses ] And if he do not, who can give pardon or peace, saith he in Job? The Rhemists talk much of one that could remove mountains; God only can remove those mountains of guilt that lie upon the soul. Men may forgive the trespass; God only the transgression. “Against thee, thee only, have I sinned,” saith David, Psa 51:4 : and, “to the Lord our God belongeth mercies and forgivenesses,” saith Daniel, Dan 9:9 . Ministers remit sins ministerially, as Nathan did; God only authoritatively, and by his own power. “If the Son set us free, we are free indeed. Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s pardoned ones? It is God that justifieth;” or, as St Austin readeth the words, interrogatively, “shall God that justifieth?” No, verily; that were to do and undo: he keepeth no back reckonings. Fear not therefore, though the devil or his imps, or our own misgiving hearts, condemn us: as the prisoner careth not though the jailer or his fellow prisoners condemn him, so long as the judge acquitteth him.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Mat 6:15. , their trespasses) The copies which omit these words, elegantly intimate that the sins of men against us, if compared with our sins against the Father, will vanish away. Some Latin writers omit also the words , men.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Reciprocal: Gen 50:17 – Forgive Exo 22:9 – for all manner of trespass Exo 34:7 – forgiving Deu 15:2 – exact it Deu 15:15 – General Jos 22:15 – General Pro 11:17 – merciful Mal 1:6 – if then Mat 5:7 – are Mat 6:12 – as Mat 7:24 – whosoever Mat 18:22 – but Mat 18:35 – do Mar 11:25 – forgive Luk 6:37 – forgive Luk 11:4 – for Luk 17:4 – I repent Eph 4:32 – forgiving Col 3:13 – forgiving 1Ti 2:8 – without Phm 1:12 – thou Jam 2:13 – he Jam 5:9 – lest