Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Matthew 21:26
But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet.
26. But if we shall say, Of men; wefear the peoplerather, “the multitude.” In Luke (Lu20:6) it is, “all the people will stone us””stoneus to death.”
for all hold John as aprophetCrooked, cringing hypocrites! No wonder Jesus gave youno answer.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
But if we shall say of men,…. They reasoned with themselves, that should they give their answer in this form, and say, that the ministry and baptism of John, were merely human, and what he took up of himself, or which he performed by an authority derived from men,
we fear the people; that were then upon the spot, in the temple; who, as many of them were now the followers of Christ, more of them had been the admirers of John, and probably had been baptized by him: wherefore the sanhedrim were afraid of them, lest if they should affirm, that the authority by which John acted was human, they would immediately rise up against them; and, as Luke says, “stone” them: so high a veneration had they for him, and so dear was his memory still unto them.
For all held John as a prophet. These are the words of the high priests and elders, and not of the evangelist, expressing the reason of their fears from the people, who, in general, were thoroughly persuaded, as Luke expresses it, and firmly believed that John was a prophet, that was raised up, and sent immediately by God; and did not derive his authority and commission to preach and baptize from any man, or set of men, whatever.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
26. All hold John as a prophet Even Herod, who slew him, trembled at his name as of a holy and God-sent man. The rulers, from political motives, have deserted John; but with all the ranks of the common people, even to the publicans and harlots, there is a deep feeling that John was a messenger of God. These feared the people, as Herod did before them, and, as Luke (Luk 20:6) informs us, they also feared a shower of stones.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Mat 21:26 f. ] Those words are preceded by an aposiopesis , the import of which, however (Luk 20:6 ), is indicated by the words themselves.
The language of embarrassment: “ But suppose we should say: From men; we are afraid of the people ” etc. Comp. note on Act 23:9 .
, . . .] See on Mat 14:5 .
] He also on His part; for as they with their wretched left the question of Jesus unanswered , so now in like manner He with His decided and humbling ( neither do I ) refuses to answer theirs.
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
26 But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet.
Ver. 26. We fear the people ] Lest they should be stoned; and the people feared them, lest they should be excommunicated. Thus they were mutual executioners one to another; for all fear hath torment, 1Jn 4:18 .
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
26. ] These ‘blind leaders of the blind’ had so far made an insincere concession to the people’s persuasion as to allow John to pass for a prophet but they shrunk from the reproof which was sure to follow their acknowledging it now. This consultation among themselves is related almost verbatim by the three Evangelists. The intelligence of it may have been originally derived from Nicodemus or Joseph of Arimathea. The of our Lord is an answer, not to their outward words , but to their inward thoughts, .
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Mat 21:26 . , etc.: the mode of expression here is awkward. Meyer finds in the sentence an aposiopesis = “if we say of men we fear the people”. What they mean is: we must not say of men, because we fear, etc. ( cf. Mk.).
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
people = crowd.
all. Put by Figure of speech Synecdoche (of Genus), for the greater part.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
26.] These blind leaders of the blind had so far made an insincere concession to the peoples persuasion as to allow John to pass for a prophet-but they shrunk from the reproof which was sure to follow their acknowledging it now. This consultation among themselves is related almost verbatim by the three Evangelists. The intelligence of it may have been originally derived from Nicodemus or Joseph of Arimathea. The of our Lord is an answer, not to their outward words , but to their inward thoughts, .
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Mat 21:26. , we fear) They were unwilling to confess their fear.- , the multitude) The multitude was scarcely likely to proceed at once to the extremity which the chief priests dreaded, yet it burned with ardent zeal in favour of John. And the Jewish population was wont, under sudden impulses, to assail, with the utmost violence, those who uttered, or were supposed to utter, impious things.-, a prophet) sent from heaven, which had not happened for a long while.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
we fear: Mat 21:46, Mat 14:5, Isa 57:11, Mar 11:32, Mar 12:12, Luk 20:6, Luk 20:19, Luk 22:2, Joh 9:22, Act 5:26
for: Mar 6:20, Joh 5:35, Joh 10:41, Joh 10:42
Reciprocal: Mat 26:5 – lest Luk 1:76 – shalt be
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
1:26
They were afraid to accuse John of acting on man’s authority because of the pressure of public opinion that was favorable to his work. These hypocritical leaders of the Jews did not have much love for the common people, yet they wanted to hold on to their esteem for the sake of popularity.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Mat 21:26. From men. This they evidently believed.
We fear the multitude. Demagogues who lead the multitude astray fear the multitude.