Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Matthew 21:32

For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not; but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen [it,] repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.

32. the way of righteousness ] A Hebrew expression. Cp. “the way of God,” ch. Mat 22:16; “the way of salvation,” Act 16:17. The Christian doctrine was called in a special sense “the way” (Act 19:9; Act 19:23). The Greek word in the text also signified a philosophical system.

when ye had seen it ] viz. that the publicans and the harlots believed him.

repented not afterward ] Rather, did not even change your minds, much less repented in the deeper sense; see above, Mat 21:29.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Verse 32. John came unto you in the way of righteousness] Proclaiming the truth, and living agreeably to it. Or, John came unto you, who are in the way of righteousness. This seems rather to be the true meaning and construction of this passage. The Jews are here distinguished from the Gentiles. The former were in the way of righteousness, had the revelation of God, and the ordinances of justice established among them; the latter were in the way of unrighteousness, without the Divine revelation, and iniquitous in all their conduct: John came to both, preaching the doctrine of repentance, and proclaiming Jesus the Christ. To say that it was John who came in the way of righteousness, and that to him the words refer, is, in my opinion, saying nothing; for this was necessarily implied: as he professed to come from God, he must not only preach righteousness, but walk in it.

It is very difficult to get a worldly minded and self-righteous man brought to Christ. Examples signify little to him. Urge the example of an eminent saint, he is discouraged at it. Show him a profligate sinner converted to God, him he is ashamed to own and follow; and, as to the conduct of the generality of the followers of Christ, it is not striking enough to impress him. John, and Christ, and the apostles preach; but, to multitudes, all is in vain.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

32. For John came unto you in theway of righteousnessthat is, calling you to repentance; asNoah is styled “a preacher of righteousness” (2Pe2:5), when like the Baptist he warned the old world to “fleefrom the wrath to come.”

and ye believed him notTheydid not reject him; nay, they “were willing for a season torejoice in his light” (Joh5:35); but they would not receive his testimony to Jesus.

but the publicans and theharlots believed himOf the publicans this is twice expresslyrecorded, Luk 3:12; Luk 7:29.Of the harlots, then, the same may be taken for granted, though thefact is not expressly recorded. These outcasts gladly believed thetestimony of John to the coming Saviour, and so hastened to Jesuswhen He came. See Luk 7:37;Luk 15:1, &c.

and ye, when ye had seen it,repented not afterward, that ye might believe himInstead ofbeing “provoked to jealousy” by their example, ye have seenthem flocking to the Saviour and getting to heaven, unmoved.

Parable of the WickedHusbandmen (Mt21:33-46).

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

For John came unto you in a way of righteousness,…. He had a commission from God; he was no impostor; the doctrine he taught was true, and which he faithfully delivered; his life and conversation were unblamable; there was nothing in his credentials, ministry, and conduct, that could justly be found fault with:

and ye believed him not; to be the forerunner of the Messiah, or the Elias that was to come; nor attended to the doctrine of repentance preached by him, nor were subject to the ordinance of baptism he administered; nor gave any assent, or credit, to the Messiah he so manifestly pointed out:

but the publicans and harlots believed him; what he said concerning the wrath to come, and the miserable state and danger they were in; and they repented of their sins, and confessed them, and were baptized of him in Jordan; believing the testimony he gave of Jesus of Nazareth being the Messiah, and Son of God:

and ye, when ye had seen it; the repentance and faith of these persons, and what a wonderful reformation was wrought in them,

repented not afterwards; of their disobedience, impenitence, and unbelief, after they had seen the effects of John’s ministry on these very profligate sinners, and after, the death of John; who, by his constancy, zeal, and faithfulness, had shown himself to be a true, and upright minister of the word; and afterwards under the ministry of Christ, and his apostles, by, whom the same doctrines were preached, and the same ordinances administered,

that ye might believe him; the testimony he has left behind him concerning the Messiah.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

In the way of righteousness ( ). In the path of righteousness. Compare the two ways in Matt 7:13; Matt 7:14 and “the way of God” (22:16).

Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament

32. For John came. As John was a faithful servant of God, whatever he taught Christ ascribes to God himself. It might have been more fully expressed thus: God came pointing out the way of righteousness by the mouth of John; but as John spoke in the name of God, and not as a private individual, he is most properly named instead of God. Now this passage gives no small authority to the preaching of the word, when those persons are said to have been disobedient and rebellious against God, who despised the pious and holy warnings of a teacher whom tie had sent.

There are some who give a more ingenious exposition of the word righteousness, and I allow them to enjoy their own opinion; but, for my own part, I think that it means nothing more than that John’s doctrine was pure and right; as if Christ had said, that they had no good reason for rejecting him. When he says that the publicans believed, he does not mean that they assented in words, but that they sincerely embraced what they had heard. Hence we infer, that faith does not consist solely in a person’s giving his assent to true doctrine, but that it embraces something greater and loftier, that the hearer, renouncing himself, devotes his life wholly to God. By saying that they were not moved even by such an example, he presents an aggravated view of their malice; for it was an evidence of the lowest depravity, not even to follow the harlots and the publicans. (36)

(36) “ Car c’a este un signe de gens du tout depravez et desesperez, de ne suyvre point, à tout le moins quand les peugers et les paillardes leur monstrent le chemin;” — “For it was a mark of people altogether depraved and desperate, not to follow, at the very least, when the publicans and the harlots point out to them the road.”

Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary

(32) In the way of righteousness.The term seems used in a half-technical sense, as expressing the aspect of righteousness which the Pharisees themselves recognised (Mat. 6:1), and which included, as its three great elements, the almsgiving, fasting, and prayer, that were so conspicuous both in the life and in the teaching of the Baptist.

The publicans and the harlots believed him.The former class appear among the hearers of John in Luk. 3:12. The latter are not mentioned there, but it was natural they also should feel the impulse of the strong popular movement.

Repented not afterwards.Better, did not even repent afterwards. The words are repeated from the parable (Mat. 21:29), and sharpen its application. In relation to the preaching of the Baptist, the scribes and Pharisees were like the first of the two sons in his defiant refusal; they were not like him in his subsequent repentance.

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

32. For He now proceeds to make a close and unflinching application.

114. PARABLE OF THE WICKED HUSBANDMEN, Mat 21:33-46 .

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments