Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Matthew 25:36
Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
Verse 36. I was sick, and ye visited me] Relieving the strangers, and visiting the sick, were in high estimation among the Jews. One of their sayings on this head is worthy of notice: “He who neglects to visit the sick is like him who has shed blood.” That is, as he has neglected, when it was in his power, to preserve life, he is as guilty in the sight of the Lord as he is who has committed murder. See Kypke in loco.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
36. Naked . . . sick . . . prison,and ye came unto me.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Naked, and ye clothed me,…. For in such a condition sometimes are the dear children of God, and members of Christ; see 1Co 4:11, when others, who, Dorcas like, have made coats and garments for them, and clothed them with them; and which will be shown another day, or taken notice of as the fruits, and so evidences of the grace of God in them.
I was sick, and ye visited me, or “looked after me”, or “over me”: or, as the Persic version renders it, ye had the care of me; and which is the true sense and import of the word: for it not only intends visits paid to sick persons in a Christian manner, relieving them with their substance, giving good advice, or speaking comfortable words to them; but attending them, and waiting on them, and doing such things for them which, in their weak state, they are not capable of doing for themselves. Visiting of the sick was reckoned, by the Jews, a very worthy action: they speak great things of it, and as what will be highly rewarded hereafter.
“Six things, (they say h,) a man eats the fruit of them in this world, and there is a stable portion for him in the world to come:”
and the two first of them are, “the taking in of travellers”, or “strangers”, which is mentioned in the preceding verse, and , “visiting the sick”. One of their Rabbins i says,
“he that does not visit the sick, is as if he shed blood: says another, he that visits the sick is the cause of his living; and he that does not visit the sick, is the cause of his death: and, says a third, whoever visits the sick shall be preserved from the damnation of hell.”
I was in prison, and ye came unto me: which has been often the lot of the saints, as it was frequently of the Apostle Paul, who had this respect shown him by many of the people of God, as by the house of Onesiphorus, and by Epaphroditus, who brought him a present from the Philippians, when in bonds; and which will be remembered another day.
h T. Bab. Sabbat, fol, 127. i T. Bab. Nedarim, fol. 40. 1. Vid. Maimon. Hilch. Ebel, c. 14. sect. 4, 5, 6.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Clothed me ( ). Second aorist middle indicative, cast something around me.
Visited me ( ). Looked after, came to see. Our “visit” is from Latin viso, video. Cf. our English “go to see.”
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Visited [] . Lit., Ye looked upon. 6 Our word visit is from the Latin viso, to look steadfastly at, and thence to visit. We retain the original thought in the popular phrases to see one, and to look in upon one.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
(36) Ye visited me.The Greek word is somewhat stronger than the modern meaning of the English, and includes looking after, caring for. The verb is formed from the same root as Episcopos, the bishop, or overseer of the Church.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
Ver. 36. Naked, and ye clothed me ] Darius, before he came to the kingdom, received a garment for a gift of one Syloson. And when he became king he rewarded him with the command of his country Samus. Aelian, l. 4. c. 5. 1:187 Who now will say that Syloson merited such a boon for so small a courtesy? A gardener, offering a rape root (being the best present the poor man had) to the Duke of Burgundy, was bountifully rewarded by the duke, which his steward observing, thought to make use of his bounty, presenting him with a very fair horse. The duke ( ut perspicaci erat ingenio, saith mine author) being a very wise man, perceived the project, received the horse, and gave him nothing for it. Right so will God deal with our merit mongers, that by building monasteries, &c., think to purchase heaven.
I was sick, and ye visited me ] Our King Henry III, the same day that he set sail for France, himself did in person visit the poor and feeble, and dealt large alms; not refusing to kiss the sick and leprous. (Speed. 603.) This was well done, if without opinion of merit; and with the like mind that Dr Taylor, martyr, usually visited the alms houses and hospitals, there to see what the poor and sick lacked, to procure them supplies, and to give them good counsel.
I was in prison, and ye came to me ] Many Papists have hence concluded that there are only six works of mercy, Visito, poto, cibo, &c., to visit, feed, drink &c, whereas indeed there are many more. But it is remarkable out of this text, that the last definitive sentence shall pass upon men, according to their forwardness and freeness in showing mercy to the family of faith. And that the sentence of absolution shall contain a manifestation of all their good works, and that with such fervency of affection in Christ, that he will see and remember nothing in them but the good they have done. See my Common-place of Alms.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Mat 25:36 . , , : deeper degrees of misery demanding higher degrees of charity; naked = ill clad, relief more costly than in case of hunger or thirsty sick, calling for sympathy prompting to visits of succour or consolation; in prison, a situation at once discreditable and repulsive, demanding the highest measure of love in one who visits the prisoner, the temptation being strong to be ashamed of one viewed as a criminal, and to shrink from his cell, too often dark and loathsome. , this verb is often used in the O. T. and N. T. in the sense of gracious visitation on the part of God (for in Sept [136] ) ( vide Luk 1:78 , and the noun in Luk 19:44 ).
[136] Septuagint.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
Naked = Scantily clothed. Figure of speech Synecdoche (of the Whole), App-6.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Naked: Job 31:19, Job 31:20, Luk 3:11, Jam 2:14-16
was sick: Mat 25:43, Eze 34:4, Act 20:35, Act 28:8, Act 28:9, Jam 1:27, Jam 5:14, Jam 5:15
I was in: Phi 4:10-14, 2Ti 1:16-18, Heb 10:34, Heb 13:3
Reciprocal: Jer 23:2 – and have Mat 13:43 – shall Act 9:39 – and showing Act 15:36 – Let Phi 2:30 – nigh Heb 9:15 – eternal
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
5:36
Clothing the naked anti visiting (“looking after”) the sick are both among good works pertaining to our relation with each other. In prison does not mean in the sense of a penal institution; at least it was not being used as such in this case, because it was the disciple of Jesus who was there. It means a guard house in which the enemy was confining a captive for the purpose of persecution. If the disciple was in a regular penal structure he was placed there on a false accusation. The case of Paul in Rome (2Ti 1:16-18) is not exactly in point, for he was An his own hired house. Yet he was a virtual prisoner because he was chained to an officer, and while in that situation the disciple Onesiphorus “came unto him.”
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Mat 25:36. Naked, or, poorly clothed.
Sickin prison. Healing and release are not mentioned, these could be rendered by a few only; but visitation, sympathy, care, which all can give.