Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Matthew 26:11
For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always.
Verse 11. Ye have the poor always with you] And, consequently, have the opportunity of doing them good at any time; but me ye have not always; my bodily presence is about to be removed from you for ever. The woman, under a presentiment of my death is preparing me for my burial.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
For ye have the poor always with you,…. This is said in answer to the objection of the disciples, that the ointment might have been sold, and the money given to the poor. Christ seems to have respect to De 15:11, and which, agreeably to the sense of the Jews, refers to the times of the Messiah: for they say h,
“there is no difference between this world (this present time) and the times of the Messiah, but the subduing of kingdoms only; as it is said, De 15:11, “for the poor shall never cease out of the land”: the gloss on it is, from hence it may be concluded, that therefore,
, “for ever there will be poverty, and riches”.”
Our Lord’s words also show, that there will be always poor persons in the world; that there will be always such with his people, and in his churches; for God has chosen, and he calls such by his grace; so that men may always have opportunities of showing kindness and respect to such objects: in Mark it is added, “and whensoever ye will ye may do them good”, Mr 14:7; by relieving their wants, and distributing to their necessities:
but me ye have not always; referring not to his divine and spiritual presence, which he has promised to his people, churches, and ministers, to the end of the world, but to his corporeal presence; for he was to be but a little while with them, and then go to the Father; be taken up to heaven, where he now is, and will be until the restitution of all things; so that the time was very short in which any outward respect could be shown to him in person, as man.
h T. Bab. Sabbat, fol. 63. 1.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
11. For you have the poor always with you. Christ does not simply defend the anointing, so that we may imitate it, but assures us that it pleases God on some particular account. This must be carefully weighed, that we may not fall into the error of contriving expensive modes of worshipping God, as the Papists do; for, hearing it said that Christ was pleased with being anointed by Mary, they supposed that he took delight in incense, wax-tapers, splendid decorations, and pompous exhibitions of that nature. Hence arises the great display which is to be found in their ceremonies; and they do not believe that they will worship God in a proper manner, if they are not immoderate in expense. But Christ plainly makes this exception, that what he wished to be done once would not be agreeable to him in future. For by saying that the poor will always be in the world, he distinguishes between the ordinary service, which ought to be maintained among believers, and that extraordinary service, which ceased after his ascension to heaven.
Do we wish to lay out our money properly on true sacrifices? Let us bestow it on the poor, for Christ says that he is not with us, to be served by outward display. True, indeed, we know and fed by the experience of faith, that he is present with us by power and spiritual grace; but he is not visibly with us, so as to receive from us earthly honors. How utterly mad, therefore, is the obstinacy of those who press upon him foolish expenses which he does not choose, and which he absolutely refuses! Again, when he says that the poor will always be with us, we infer from it, that if many are in poverty, this does not arise from accident, but that, by a fixed purpose, God presents to us those on whom our charity may be exercised. In short, this passage teaches us that, though the Lord commands us to dedicate to him ourselves and all our property, yet, with respect to himself, lie demands no worship but that which is spiritual, and which is attended by no expense, but rather desires us to bestow on the poor what superstition foolishly expends on the worship of God.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(11) Ye have the poor always with you.Our Lord dealt with the objection of the murmurers on their own ground, as if it were genuine, and does not openly rebuke the dishonesty of the chief objector. But look and tone, and the solemn pathos of the words, Me ye have not always, must have made the Traitor feel that he was in the presence of One who read the secrets of his heart.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
11. The poor always with you The Saviour could be with them but a moment. Their charity will have in this world a plenty of objects for its exercise.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
“For you have the poor always with you, but me you do not always have,”
He reminded them that this was a special time. They would always have the poor with them, but He would not be with them for much longer. So someone who had recognised this, and had wanted to demonstrate her love, was not to be criticised. Let them also take note that soon He would be gone, and then they would be unable any longer to physically reveal their love. There are times when lesser things must give way to the greater.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Mat 26:11 f. Justification of the on the ground of the peculiar circumstances under which the anointing took place. Jesus was on the very threshold of death; they would always have opportunities of showing kindness to the poor, but by and by it would be no longer in their power to do a loving service to Him in person upon earth! Accordingly there is a moral propriety in making the special manifestation of love, which was possible only now, take precedence of that general one which was always possible.
] a sorrowful litotes involving the idea: but I will soon be removed by death , to which idea the of Mat 26:12 refers.
] inasmuch as she has poured she has done it (this outpouring) with the view (as though I were already a corpse) of embalming me (Gen 50:2 ). The aorist participle represents the act as finished contemporaneously with . Comp. Mat 27:4 ; Eph 1:9 , al .; Hermann, ad Viger . p. 774; Mller in the Luther. Zeitschr . 1872, p. 631 ff. For the rest, it may be said that, under the influence of grateful emotion, Jesus ascribes a special motive to the woman, though she herself simply meant to testify her love and reverence. Such feelings, intensified as they were by the thought of the approaching death of the beloved Master, and struggling to express themselves in this particular form, could not but receive the highest consecration.
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
11 For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always.
Ver. 11. The poor ye have always with you ] To try and to exercise your liberality, yea, your justice, Mat 6:1 , as the Syriac calleth it, Pro 3:27 . Withhold not thy goods from these owners thereof.
But me ye have not always ] Christ dwelt in the flesh, as in a tent or booth, Joh 1:14 . He sojourned here for a while only; his abode with us was but temporary, as the Greek word there importeth ( , ex quo intelligitur Christi moram apud nos temporariam fuisse. Beza).
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Mat 26:11 suggests a distinction between general ethical categories and duties arising out of special circumstances. ommon men recognise the former. It takes a genius or a passionate lover to see and swiftly do the latter. Mary saw and did the rare thing, and so achieved an . ., “a melancholy litotes” (Meyer).
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
with. Greek. meta. App-104.
not. Greek. ou App-105. Not the same as in verses: Mat 26:26, Mat 26:5, Mat 26:29, Mat 26:35; but the same as in verses: Mat 26:24, Mat 26:39, Mat 26:40, Mat 24:42, Mat 24:53, Mat 70:72, Mat 70:74.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
ye have: Mat 25:34-40, Mat 25:42-45, Deu 15:11, Mar 14:7, Joh 12:8, Gal 2:10, 1Jo 3:17
but: Mat 18:20, Mat 28:20, Joh 13:33, Joh 14:19, Joh 16:5, Joh 16:28, Joh 17:11, Act 3:21
Reciprocal: Num 14:40 – rose up Mat 25:35 – I was an Luk 8:3 – of their Luk 11:41 – rather Act 9:39 – and showing Rom 12:16 – condescend to men of low estate Rom 15:26 – the poor
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
6:11
Jesus did not criticize the idea of giving something to the poor. He instructed the rich young man (chapter 19:21) to give his possessions to the poor. Neither did he question the motive of Judas in making his complaint. He left that subject for-some other to do as John did in the passage cited at verse 8. But he made a statement that pertained to the subject of using present opportunities that are soon to pass. He was to leave the world in a short time and that would stop all chances of doing him a bodily favor, while they would never cease to have. the opportunity of helping the poor.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Mat 26:11. For ye have the poor always with you (Mark adds: and whensoever ye will ye may do them good ); but me ye have not always. His speedy death is foretold; but the main point is, that this opportunity could never return; while the care of the poor would be a daily duty to humanity down to the end of time. The act was justified by the special occasion. It ought not to be cited to defend expensive modes of worship at the cost of neglecting the poor. Such special occasions may, however, recur in our lives. This verse suggests that no reorganization of society will ever banish poverty from the earth. There is but one way of doing this, namely, by Christs people recognizing the poor as with them and under the impulse of love like that of Mary, making the care of them the usual expression of that love.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
26:11 {5} For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always.
(5) Christ, who was once anointed in his own person, must always be anointed in the poor.