Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Matthew 22:7
But when the king heard [thereof,] he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.
7. he was wroth ] For a subject to scorn the summons to the royal feast implied disloyalty and rebellion.
sent forth his armies ] The soldiers of Titus literally achieved the purposes of God.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
But when the king heard … – This doubtless refers to the Jews and to Jerusalem. They were murderers, having slain the prophets; and God was about to send forth the armies of the Romans under his providential direction, and to burn up their city. See the notes at Matt. 24.
Wroth – Angry; displeased.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 7. But when the king] HIMSELF or, this very king. I have added on the authority of nine of the most ancient MSS. and nearly one hundred others; the later Syriac, six copies of the Itala, and some of the fathers. Several printed editions have it, and Griesbach has received it into the text.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
7. But when the kingthe GreatGod, who is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
heard thereof, he waswrothat the affront put both on His Son, and on Himself whohad deigned to invite them.
and he sent forth hisarmiesThe Romans are here styled God’s armies, just asthe Assyrian is styled “the rod of His anger” (Isa10:5), as being the executors of His judicial vengeance.
and destroyed thosemurderersand in what vast numbers did they do it!
and burned up their cityAh!Jerusalem, once “the city of the Great King” (Ps48:2), and even up almost to this time (Mt5:35); but now it is “their city”just as ourLord, a day or two after this, said of the temple, where God had solong dwelt, “Behold your house is left unto you desolate”(Mt 23:38)! Compare Luk 19:43;Luk 19:44.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
But when the king heard thereof,…. Of this maltreatment, and barbarous usage of his servants, their cries coming up into his ears, and their blood calling for vengeance at his hands; and he full well knowing what they did unto them, and upon what account, being the omniscient God; and observing their malignity and wickedness,
he was wroth: who, though slow to anger, bears much, and suffers long; yet was now highly incensed and provoked, and stirred up all his wrath, determining to take vengeance on such a vile generation of men. Christ, when he was here on earth, was sometimes provoked by the Jews, through their unbelief, their obstinacy, and the hardness of their hearts and was angry with them, being grieved for them, Mr 3:5, but then was not the proper time to execute his wrath; he then appeared as the Lamb of God, to take away the sin of the world; he came to save men, and not to destroy their lives, nor to condemn the world: when his martyr Stephen was suffering, he was seen by him standing at the right hand of God, being risen from his seat, as one incensed at the usage his servant met with from the wicked Jews; but the time of his vengeance was not yet come, more patience and forbearance were to be exercised towards them: but now his kingdom came with power, and he appears as the Lion of the tribe of Judah; and pours out his wrath to the uttermost upon them, destroys their city and temple, and puts an end to their civil and ecclesiastical state, and cuts them off from being a nation; and now it was, that he ordered these his enemies, who would not have him to rule over them, brought before him, and slain in his presence; and in all this, he showed his kingly power and authority; and by removing the sceptre from them, and all show of dominion and government, made it fully appear that he, the Messiah, was come. Well had it been for them, had they taken the advice of the Psalmist, “Kiss the Son”, the Son of God, believe in him as such, embrace him as the Messiah, yield subjection and obedience to his word and ordinances, “lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little”, Ps 2:12. But now his wrath was kindled very much, and was poured out like fire, and there was no standing before it; the day of the Lord burned like an oven, and destroyed the Jews root and branch: the manner and means, in and by which this utter ruin was brought about, are as follow:
and he sent forth his armies; not the angels, who are the armies and hosts of heaven; nor desolating judgments only, as pestilence and famine, though the latter was severely felt by the Jews, but chiefly the Roman armies are here meant; called “his”, because they came by the Lord’s appointment and permission; and were used by him, for the destruction of these people:
and destroyed those murderers; of Christ and his apostles, as their fathers had been of the prophets before them:
and burnt up their city; the city of Jerusalem, the metropolis of the Jews, and where the principal of these murderers dwelt; and which was burnt and destroyed by the Roman army, under Titus Vespasian. And a worse punishment than this, even the vengeance of eternal fire, may all the neglecters of the Gospel, and persecutors of the ministers of it expect, from him, whose vengeance is, and who will repay it; for if judgment began at the house of God, the people of the Jews who were so called, what will be the end of them that obey not the Gospel of Christ? How sore a punishment shall they be thought worthy of, who trample under foot the Son of God, count his blood a common thing, and do despite to the Spirit of grace? If the law, when transgressed; demanded a just recompense of reward, or inflicted deserved punishment, how shall the neglecters of the great salvation revealed in the Gospel escape?
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Armies (). Bands of soldiers, not grand armies.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Armies [] . Not in our grand sense of armies, but troops, soldiers. Compare Luk 23:11, where the word is rendered men of war; Rev., soldiers.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
7. But when the king heard it. This punishment is mentioned by Matthew alone; for Luke makes no mention of any outrage committed on the servants. Both concur in stating, that those who did not come at the appointed time were shut out, and deprived of the honor of being present at the banquet. But this doctrine applies equally to us; for the same destruction which Christ denounces against the Jews awaits all the ungodly, who violently oppose the ministers of the Gospel. Those who are so entirely occupied with earthly cares, as to set no value on the divine invitation, will at length perish miserably in famine and want; and therefore, whenever God calls us, let us be prepared and ready to follow.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(7) He sent forth his armies.As in other parables that shadow forth the judgment of the Son of Man, the words find an approximate fulfilment, first, in the destruction of Jerusalem, and afterwards, in all times of trouble that fall upon nations and churches as the punishment of unbelief and its consequent unrighteousness. The word armies suggests in its modern use, action on a larger scale than that indicated by the Greek. Better, troops.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
7. Wroth Wrathful. After the preachers of the Gospel had proclaimed the doctrines of their risen Saviour, amid the bitterest contempt and persecution, for near forty years after his death, the iniquities of the Jews became full, God in his providence sent the Romans, who destroyed their city, removed the apparatus of their Church, and annihilated their state. Of this series of judgments we have here a brief but vivid picture, which is more fully, but scarce more clearly, filled out in chap. xxiv, than it is here outlined. Sent forth his armies Perhaps God sent out his angelic armies to accomplish the sentence of his justice upon the guilty city and race. (Rev 19:14.) But the armies of Vespasian and Titus, as being instruments of God’s vengeance, may be called his armies. Of the movements of even wicked men, he may so avail himself as to accomplish his own righteous purposes without any merit on their part, or any approval or compulsion or inevitable causation or decree on his. So God says, Isa 10:5: “O Assyrian, rod of mine anger.” Jer 25:9: “Nebuchadnezzar my servant.” Their city It was once the king’s city; it is now the city of the murderers, and the armies that destroyed it are reckoned as his.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘But the king was angry, and he sent his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned their city.’
Understandably the king, recognising open rebellion, was angry. He knew that he was given no alternative. Thus he did what kings do in such circumstances, he sent his armies and destroyed the rebels, and burned their city. The burning of a city was a regular way of treating rebels (Deu 13:16; see also Jer 21:10 and seven other similar references in Jeremiah). The giving of such orders preparatory to his son’s wedding (if it was so) would cost him not a moment of thought. It was what kings do in such circumstances. It would have been seen as another kind of wedding present to his son. (But the probability is that this retaliation would not have occurred until the wedding was over. The verses are not necessarily to be seen as in strict time sequence).
Jesus may well have had Jerusalem in mind here, for this was where the chief rebels were situated, and He was well aware of the coming destruction of the Temple. It was always ironic that Jerusalem was such a religious city that it had no place for God’s Son because it was too tied up in its own interests. But this was not intended to be a literal description of the coming destruction of Jerusalem, even though Jesus knew that that was to happen. And indeed Jerusalem was not burned with fire, it was torn down stone by stone. The words He used are rather very much based on Old Testament ideas about the punishing of the wicked, with the future literal destruction of Jerusalem only in the background of His thinking. He was rather depicting the judgment of God on the rebels in the recognised way.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Mat 22:7. When the king heard thereof, he was wroth The invitation to the marriage-supper of his son, sent by this king to his supposed friends, was the highest expression of his regard for them, and the greatest honour which could be shown them; therefore, when they refused it for such trifling reasons, and were so savagely ungrateful as to beat, wound, and kill the servants who came with it, it was a most outrageous affront; an injurydeserving of the severest punishment. Accordingly the king, in great wrath, sent forth his armies, to destroy those murderers, and burn their city. This branch of the parable plainly predicted the destruction of the Jews by the Roman armies, called God’s armies, because they were appointed by him to execute vengeance upon that once favoured, but now rebellious people. The present clause must be supposed to come in by way ofprolepsis, or anticipation; for it is plain that there could not be time before the feast already prepared was served up, to attempt an execution of this kind. It is needless to object, “that the circumstances of this parable are improbable, as it was never heard of in the world that subjects refused the invitation of the sovereign tothe marriage of his son;” for, allowing this to be so, it only aggravates the crime of the Jews the more, with respect to whom it was literally truethe honour which God offered them in the Gospel, and which they rejected, being far greater than the honour which is conferred on a subject by the invitation of his prince. Moreover, the joys of heaven to which they were called, and which they refused, do infinitely transcend the pleasures of any royal banquet. And,to carry our reflections from them to ourselves,how much will this consideration condemn those, who, calling themselves by the name of Christ, refuse all the gracious offers and invitations of the King of glory to the heavenly feast; while, quick to the call of earthly honour, they are forward and zealous to accept distinguished invitations to temporary fears and pleasures!
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
7 But when the king heard thereof , he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.
Ver. 7. But when the king heard thereof ] And kings have long ears, this King of heaven especially. Cui etiam muta clamant cadavera.-Ut taceant homines iumenta loquentur. In case of the abuse of God’s servants, a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter, Ecc 10:20 . John Baptist was beheaded in the prison, as if God had known nothing of the matter, said that martyr. But when he maketh inquisition for blood (which he often doth with great secrecy and severity) he remembereth such to purpose,Psa 9:12Psa 9:12 , as he did Herod, Maximinius, Charles IX of France, Felix of Wartenburg, and various other bloody persecutors. The king is said to hear of what was done, for blood crieth.
Sent forth his armies ] The Roman spoilers, who were the rod in God’s hand, and revenged the quarrel of his covenant. Howbeit they thought not so,Isa 10:7Isa 10:7 . As in letting blood by leeches the physician seeks the health of his patient, the leech only filling of his gorge; so when God turns the wicked upon his people, he hath excellent ends, howbeit they think not so, but to destroy and cut off nations not a few, Isa 10:7 .
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
7. ] The occurrence of this verse before the opening of the Feast to the Gentiles has perplexed some interpreters: but it is strictly exact: for although the Gospel was preached to the Gentiles forty years before the destruction of Jerusalem, yet the final rejection of the Jews and the substitution of the Gentiles did not take place till that event.
. ] The Roman armies; a similar expression for the unconscious instruments of God’s anger is used Isa 10:5 ; Isa 13:5 ; Jer 25:9 ; Joe 2:25 .
. ] no longer His , but their city. Compare ch. Mat 23:38 . This is a startling introduction of the interpretation into the parable ; we knew not before that they had a city .
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Mat 22:7 . : the plural appears surprising, but the meaning seems to be, not separate armies sent one after another, but forces. , : the allegory here evidently refers to the destruction of Jerusalem; no argument against authenticity, if Mat 24:2 be a word of Jesus. Note that the destruction of Jerusalem is represented as taking place before the calling of those without = the Gentiles. This is not according to the historic fact. This makes for authenticity, as a later allegorist would have been likely to observe the historical order ( vide Schanz).
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
thereof. See the varied supply of the Ellipsis after “heard” in verses: Mat 22:7, Mat 22:22; Mat 22:33.
his armies. The Roman armies.
burned up their city. Greek. empretho. Occurs only here. This refers to the destruction of Jerusalem, which took place shortly after the close of the Acts Dispensation.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
7.] The occurrence of this verse before the opening of the Feast to the Gentiles has perplexed some interpreters: but it is strictly exact: for although the Gospel was preached to the Gentiles forty years before the destruction of Jerusalem, yet the final rejection of the Jews and the substitution of the Gentiles did not take place till that event.
. ] The Roman armies; a similar expression for the unconscious instruments of Gods anger is used Isa 10:5; Isa 13:5; Jer 25:9; Joe 2:25.
.] no longer His, but their city. Compare ch. Mat 23:38. This is a startling introduction of the interpretation into the parable; we knew not before that they had a city.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Mat 22:7. , but when the king heard thereof) The transgression of the disobedient was a crying sin.- , their city) sc. that of the murderers.-, armies) sc. the Roman forces.[955]-, murderers) The chief crime provokes the whole punishment; see Amos 2.-, of them) viz. of those murderers and despisers.
[955] Who were let loose upon Jerusalem forty years from this time.-V. g.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
burned
Fulfilled as to Jerusalem A.D. 70. Luk 21:20-24.
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
he was: Mat 21:40, Mat 21:41, Dan 9:26, Zec 14:1, Zec 14:2, Luk 19:27, Luk 19:42-44, Luk 21:21, Luk 21:24, 1Th 2:16, 1Pe 4:17, 1Pe 4:18
his: Deu 28:49-68, Isa 10:5-7, Isa 13:2-5, Jer 51:20-23, Joe 2:11, Joe 2:25, Joe 3:2, Luk 19:27
Reciprocal: Lev 13:57 – shalt burn Lev 14:45 – break down Deu 28:52 – General Psa 2:5 – Then Psa 21:9 – in his Psa 74:7 – cast fire into thy sanctuary Pro 17:11 – General Isa 5:9 – Of a truth Isa 24:12 – General Isa 29:3 – General Isa 42:24 – General Isa 63:10 – he was Isa 65:12 – will I Isa 65:15 – the Lord Isa 66:15 – the Lord Jer 5:10 – ye up Jer 21:4 – and I Jer 22:7 – I Jer 32:29 – and set Jer 34:22 – I will command Jer 43:10 – my servant Eze 5:8 – even I Hos 10:10 – and the Zec 11:6 – I will no Zec 13:8 – two Mal 4:6 – lest Mar 12:9 – he will Luk 3:20 – General Luk 13:3 – ye shall Luk 14:21 – being Luk 19:43 – the days Luk 20:16 – destroy Joh 11:48 – and the Act 13:41 – for
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
22:7
This verse was literally fulfilled by the wars between the Jews and the Romans. That conflict ended with the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A. D. I shall quote from Myers Ancient History, page 499, which shows the fulfillment of this prediction: “The accession of Flavius Ves-pasian marks the beginning of a period, embracing three reigns, known as the Flavian Age (A. D. 69-96). yes-pasian’s reign was signalized both by important military achievements and by stupendous public works undertaken at Rome. After one of the most harassing sieges recorded in history, Jerusalem was taken by Titus, son of Vespasian. The temple was destroyed, and more than a million Jews that were crowded in the city are believed to have perished. The miserable remnants of the nation were scattered everywhere over the world. Josephus the historian accompanied the conqueror to Rome. In imitation of Nebuchadnezzar, Titus robbed the temple of its sacred utensils and bore them away as trophies. Upon the triumphal arch at Rome that bears his name may be seen at the present day the sculptured representation of the seven-branched golden candlestick, which was one memorial of the war.”
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Mat 22:7. He sent his armies. The Roman armies which destroyed Jerusalem were the unconscious instruments of Gods (the kings) wrath. Comp. Isa 10:5; Isa 13:5; Jer 25:9; Joe 2:25.
Destroyed these murderers. Both the indifferent and hostile, alike guilty.
Burned their city. Jerusalem is meant, no longer His, but their city. The destruction precedes the invitation to the Gentiles (Mat 22:8-10). The final rejection of the Jews and the substitution of the Gentiles took place at the destruction of Jerusalem, although the gospel had been proclaimed to the Gentiles for forty years before.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Mat 22:7. And when the king heard thereof, he was wroth Inasmuch as the invitation to the marriage-feast of his son, sent by this king to his supposed friends, was the highest expression of his regard for them, and the greatest honour that could be done to them; therefore, when they refused it for such trifling reasons, and were so savagely ungrateful as to beat, and wound, and kill the servants who had come with it, it was justly viewed as a most outrageous affront, an injury that deserved the severest punishment. Accordingly the king resented it exceedingly, and sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, &c. This branch of the parable plainly predicted the destruction of the Jews by the Roman armies, called Gods armies, because they were appointed by him to execute vengeance upon that once favourite, but now rebellions people. It is justly observed here by Dr. Doddridge, that this clause must be supposed to come in by way of prolepsis, or anticipation; for it is plain there could not be time before the feast already prepared was served up, to attempt an execution of this kind.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
22:7 {2} But when the king heard [thereof], he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.
(2) A dreadful destruction of those that condemn Christ.