Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Matthew 25:37
Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee hungry, and fed [thee]? or thirsty, and gave [thee ]drink?
Then shall the righteous … – This answer is indicative of humility – a deep sense of their being unworthy such commendation. They will feel that their poor acts of kindness have come so far short of what they should have been that they have no claim to praise or reward. It is not, however, to be supposed that in the day of judgment this will be actually said by the righteous, but that this would be a proper expression of their feelings.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 37. Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, c.] This barbarous expression, an hungered, should be banished out of the text, wheresoever it occurs, and the simple word hungry substituted for it. Whatever is done for Christ’s sake, is done through Christ’s grace and he who does the work attributes to Jesus both the will and the power by which the work was done, and seeks and expects the kingdom of heaven not as a reward, but as a gift of pure unmerited mercy. Yet, while workers together with his grace, God attributes to them that which they do through his influence, as if they had done it independently of him. God has a right to form what estimate he pleases of the works wrought through himself: but man is never safe except when he attributes all to his Maker.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
37-39. Then shall the righteousanswer him, &c.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Then shall the righteous answer him,…. From whence it appears, that only such shall be at the right hand of Christ, who are righteous persons, who have the righteousness of Christ imputed to them; and, in consequence of which, are created anew unto righteousness and true holiness; and, under the influence of divine grace, live soberly, righteously, and godly: and those, upon hearing such works ascribed unto them, will, with wonder and astonishment, reply,
saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? which answer arises partly from not attending to, or thoroughly understanding the words of Christ, which they seem to take in such sense, as if he meant these things were personally done to him; whereas the far greater part of them had never seen him in the flesh, and much less in such circumstances as required such things to be done to him; and partly from surprise and astonishment, that he should take notice of such mean actions, and so highly extol them, and graciously reward them; as also from a forgetfulness of them, their left hand not knowing what their right hand had done: which shows, that they had put no confidence in their works, or depended upon them for their justification before God, and acceptance, with him; these were out of sight, and mind; their only trust being in the person, blood, righteousness, and sacrifice of Christ.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
37. Then wilt the righteous answer him. Christ represents the righteous as doubting—what they know well—his willingness to form a just estimate of what is done to men. (174) But as this was not so deeply impressed on their minds as it ought to have been, he holds out to them this lively representation. (175) For how comes it that we are so slow and reluctant to acts of beneficence, but because that promise is not truly engraven on our hearts, that God will one day repay with usury what we bestow on the poor? The admiration which Christ here expresses is intended to instruct us to rise above the apprehension of our flesh, whenever afflicted brethren ask our confidence and aid, that the aspect of a despised man may not hinder us from treating him with kindness.
(174) “ La charit, qu’on exerce envers les hommes;” — “the charity which is exercised towards men.”
(175) “ Il leur represente au vif, tout ainsi que si la chose se faisoit devant lcurs yeux;” — “he represents it to them in a lively manner, quite as if the thing were done before their eyes.”
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(37) When saw we thee an hungred?It is clear that this question of surprise could not be asked by any who, as believers in Christ, have come under this teaching. They know, even now, the full significance of their acts of mercy, and that knowledge is as their strongest motive. But in the lips of the heathen who stand before the judgment-seat such a question will be natural enough. They have acted from what seemed merely human affection towards merely human objects, and they are therefore rightly represented as astonished when they hear that they have, in their ministrations to the sons of men, been ministering to the Son of Man.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
37. Then shall the righteous answer The great principle of the inadequacy of all creature merit to so high a reward is here put into the mouths of the saints, where it most beautifully belongs. It is a truth which their deep humility prompts them to express.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
“Then will the righteous answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry, and fed you, or thirsty, and gave you drink? And when did we see you a stranger, and took you in, or naked, and clothed you? And when did we see you sick, or in prison, and came to you?’ ”
Being blessed by His Father these are now ‘the righteous’, those who are accepted by Him and delivered from judgment, and made righteous by His saving power. This is evidenced by the fact that they have been placed on His right hand side. They are the forgiven (Mat 6:12; Mat 18:27; Mat 18:33) and are the ransomed (Mat 20:28). They have been saved from their sins (Mat 1:21). Compare also Mat 13:43 where the righteous are those who are saved and who shine forth in their Father’s kingdom; Eze 18:5-9 where ‘the righteous’ do such things as are described here and are also ‘careful to observe all My ordinances’. There too they will find ‘life’ (compare Mat 25:46).
They express their surprise at His words. They were unaware that they had done anything special for the King. We must not take this too literally. When the righteous come before the King they will already be aware of this for if nothing else they will remember these words. The purpose of them here is in order to stress the facts. These people have not done these things in order to earn merit, they have simple behaved in this way because this is the kind of people into which God has made them (Php 2:13). They are demonstrating that they have really been blessed by God in such a way that it has transformed their lives (Mat 5:3-9).
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Mat 25:37 ff. Not mere modesty (not even, according to Olshausen, unconscious modesty), but an actual declining with humility , on the ground that they have never rendered the loving services in question to Christ Himself ; for they do not venture to estimate the moral value of those services according to the lofty principle of Christ’s unity with His people, Mat 18:5 , Mat 10:40 . The Lord Himself then explains what He means, Mat 25:40 . Hence it does not follow from this passage that these “have not as yet been consciously leading the New Testament life” (Auberlen, Cremer). Bengel well remarks: “ Fideles opera bona sua, impii mala Mat 25:44 , non perinde aestimant ut judex.”
] three times, earnestly, honestly.
] in quantum, inasmuch as ; see on Rom 11:13 .
] ye have done it, namely, the things previously mentioned.
] to a single one of these my brethren, and that of the most insignificant of them . Those words, which are referred by Keil, Olshausen, Georgii, Hilgenfeld, Keim (see on Mat 25:31 f.), to Christians in general ; by Cremer, to the elect; by Luthardt, to the Christian church in its distress ; by Auberlen, to their poor miserable fellow-men (comp. de Wette, Ullmann in the Stud. u. Krit . 1847, p. 164 ff.), do not admit of being also referred to the apostles (Mat 28:10 ; 1Co 4:13 ), to whom, as surrounding His judgment-throne, Christ is supposed to point; for the amount of love shown to the apostles cannot be taken as the universal standard of judgment; and though the apostles themselves, appearing here, as they do, in their relation to the rest of Christians, may well be called the brethren of Christ (Mat 28:10 ; Joh 20:17 ); yet they would certainly not be described by Him as the least of such brethren. No; as during His earthly life Christ is always surrounded by the obscure and despised (the poor, the humble, publicans and sinners, and such like), who seek their salvation through Him; so He also represents Himself as still surrounded by such as these on the occasion of the judgment (comp. Ewald, p. 420). In consequence of their longing after Him, and of their love for Him, and the eternal salvation to be found in Him (as , 2Ti 4:8 ), they here come crowding around the throne of His glory; and to these He now points. They are the , , , of the Sermon on the Mount, who are now on the point of receiving the promised bliss.
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee ? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
Ver. 37. Then shall the righteous, &c. ] Not that there shall be then any such dialogism (say divines) at the last day: but Christ would hereby give us to understand that the saints rising again, and returning to themselves, can never sufficiently set forth such a bounty in Christ, whereby he taketh all they do to their poor necessitous brethren, in as good part as done to his sacred self.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
37 40. ] The answer of these appears to me to shew plainly (as Olshausen and Stier interpret it) that they are not to be understood as being the covenanted servants of Christ. Such an answer it would be impossible for them to make, who had done all distinctly with reference to Christ , and for his sake, and with his declaration of ch. Mat 10:40-42 before them. Such a supposition would remove all reality, as indeed it has generally done, from our Lord’s description. See the remarkable difference in the answer of the faithful servants, Mat 25:20 ; Mat 25:22 . The saints are already in his glory judging the world with Him ( 1Co 6:2 ) accounted as parts of, representatives of, Himself ( Mat 25:40 ) in this judgment they are not the judged (Joh 5:24 ; 1Co 11:31 ). But these who are the judged, know not that all their deeds of love have been done to and for Christ they are overwhelmed with the sight of the grace which has been working in and for them, and the glory which is now their blessed portion. And notice, that it is not the works, as such , but the love which prompted them that love which was their faith , which felt its way, though in darkness, to Him who is Love, which is commended.
. ] Not necessarily the saints with Him in glory though primarily those but also any of the great family of man. Many of those here judged may never have had opportunity of doing these things to the saints of Christ properly so called.
In this is fulfilled the covenant of God to Abraham, . Gen 22:18 .
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Mat 25:37 . : not necessarily spoken by disciples supposed to know or believe in Jesus (Weiss). The title fits the judicial dignity of the person addressed by whomsoever used. In disclaiming the praise accorded, those who call the Judge virtually deny personal acquaintance with Him.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
Then shall the righteous answer, &c. Figure of speech Dialogismos.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
37-40.] The answer of these appears to me to shew plainly (as Olshausen and Stier interpret it) that they are not to be understood as being the covenanted servants of Christ. Such an answer it would be impossible for them to make, who had done all distinctly with reference to Christ, and for his sake, and with his declaration of ch. Mat 10:40-42 before them. Such a supposition would remove all reality, as indeed it has generally done, from our Lords description. See the remarkable difference in the answer of the faithful servants, Mat 25:20; Mat 25:22. The saints are already in his glory-judging the world with Him (1Co 6:2)-accounted as parts of, representatives of, Himself (Mat 25:40)-in this judgment they are not the judged (Joh 5:24; 1Co 11:31). But these who are the judged, know not that all their deeds of love have been done to and for Christ-they are overwhelmed with the sight of the grace which has been working in and for them, and the glory which is now their blessed portion. And notice, that it is not the works, as such, but the love which prompted them-that love which was their faith,-which felt its way, though in darkness, to Him who is Love,-which is commended.
.] Not necessarily the saints with Him in glory-though primarily those-but also any of the great family of man. Many of those here judged may never have had opportunity of doing these things to the saints of Christ properly so called.
In this is fulfilled the covenant of God to Abraham, . Gen 22:18.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Mat 25:37. , …, when saw we Thee, etc.[1102]) The faithful do not estimate their good deeds, nor the wicked their bad (Mat 25:44), in the same manner as the Judge.
[1102] In like manner, many of the righteous, who have conferred benefits on each other in this world, remain mutually unknown.-B. G. V.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
righteous
(See Scofield “Rom 10:10”)
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
when: Mat 6:3, 1Ch 29:14, Pro 15:33, Isa 64:6, 1Co 15:10, 1Pe 5:5, 1Pe 5:6
Reciprocal: Luk 17:10 – General
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
7-39
The righteous will think that Jesus meant all these things were done for him personally. They did not remember having any such experiences and made inquiry as to when it was to which he referred.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Mat 25:37-38. Lord, when saw we thee, etc. The language of humility rather than of ignorance. Care for Christs brethren, as such, would not be shown by those ignorant of Him. There is nothing in this description, which makes the judgment a terror to Christians.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Here we have a dialogue or interchangeable discourse betwixt Christ and his faithful servants at the great day.
Where observe, Their question and his reply. Their question, Lord, when did we feed thee, clothe, or visit thee? We have forgot the time, though such is thy goodness to remember it.
Learn thence, That Christ keeps a faithful record of all our acts of pious charity, when we have forgotten them. If we remember to do good, Christ will be sure to remember the good we have done; aye, and reward it as well as remember it.
Again, this question of theirs may proceed from admiration and wonder, and from an humble sense of their own nothingness, and from the greatness of Christ’s condescension, in taking notice of such mean services, and requiting them with such a transcendent reward.
Learn hence, That when Christ comes to reward his children and people, they will wonder and be astonished at the poverty and meanness of their own services, and at the transcendency and greatness of his rewards.
Observe next, Our Lord’s reply, In as much as ye did it to the least of these my brethren, ye did it unto me.
Where observe, 1. The title put by Jesus Christ upon his poorest and meanest members, My brethren.
2. The resentment of the kindness showed to his brethren, as shown unto himself: In as much as ye did it to them, ye have done it to me.
Learn thence, That such is the endearing intimacy between Christ and his members, that whatsoever is done to any of them, is esteemed by him as done unto himself.
Fuente: Expository Notes with Practical Observations on the New Testament
Mat 25:37-40. Then shall the righteous answer, &c. The righteous, with great surprise, ask, with reverence and humility, when all this happened, since they never had seen him in want of their assistance, nor could remember that they had ever bestowed aught upon him. It cannot be supposed, however, that either the righteous or the wicked should answer in the very words here mentioned. But what we learn here from is, That neither of them have the same estimation of their own works which the Judge hath. And the King shall answer Inasmuch as, &c. This is unspeakably astonishing! The united wisdom of men and angels could not have thought of any thing more proper to convey an idea of the warmth and strength of the divine benevolence to men, or offer a more constraining motive to charity, than that the Son of God should declare from the judgment-seat, in presence of the whole universe assembled, that such good offices as are done to the afflicted are done to him. Having in the days of his flesh suffered injuries and afflictions unspeakable, he considers all the virtuous distressed as members of his body, loves them tenderly, and is so much interested in their welfare, that when they are happy he rejoices; when they are distressed he is grieved: Ye have done it unto me O wonderful condescension of the Son of God! O astonishing stupidity of men, who neglect altogether, or are persuaded with difficulty to do good to Christ! That Jesus should call the poor, even among the heathen, his brethren, is a great honour to the human nature, and shows the divine benignity in an amiable light. This happy relation arises from the manhood which he still possesses in common with men, and from the poverty, affliction, and other miseries of mankind, that he was exposed to while he lived in the world. He calls good men, more especially, his brethren, because they are children of the same Father, (namely, God,) after whose image they are formed by the influence of his Spirit. It is this conformity of natures, human and divine, which makes men Christs brethren; for which reason, in whatever person it is found, he will acknowledge the relation, without regard to any circumstance whatever that is out of the persons power. Macknight.