Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Matthew 7:23
And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
23. I never knew you ] “Never recognised you as my disciples. While my name was on your lips, your hearts were far from me.” Clement of Rome ( Ep. ii:4), referring to this passage, says: “let us then not only call Him ‘Lord,’ for that will not save us;” he then quotes the words of Mat 7:21.
iniquity ] Literally, lawlessness.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Profess unto them – Say unto them; plainly declare.
I never knew you – That is, I never approved of your conduct; never loved you; never regarded you as my friends. See Psa 1:6; 2Ti 2:19; 1Co 8:3. This proves that, with all their pretensions, they had never been true followers of Christ. Jesus will not then say to false prophets and false professors of religion that he had once known them and then rejected them; that they had been once Christians and then had fallen away; that they had been pardoned and then had apostatized but that he had never known them – they had never been true christians. Whatever might have been their pretended joys, their raptures, their hopes, their self-confidence, their visions, their zeal, they had never been regarded by the Saviour as his true friends. I do not know of a more decided proof that Christians do not fall from grace than this text. It settles the question; and proves that whatever else such people had, they never had any true religion. See 1Jo 2:19.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 23. Will I profess] , I will fully and plainly tell them, I never knew you – I never approved of you; for so the word is used in many places, both in the Old and New Testaments. You held the truth in unrighteousness, while you preached my pure and holy doctrine; and for the sake of my own truth, and through my love to the souls of men, I blessed your preaching; but yourselves I could never esteem, because you were destitute of the spirit of my Gospel, unholy in your hearts, and unrighteous in your conduct. Alas! alas! how many preachers are there who appear prophets in their pulpits; how many writers, and other evangelical workmen, the miracles of whose labour, learning, and doctrine, we admire, who are nothing, and worse than nothing, before God, because they perform not his will, but their own? What an awful consideration, that a man of eminent gifts, whose talents are a source of public utility, should be only as a way-mark or finger-post in the way to eternal bliss, pointing out the road to others, without walking in it himself!
Depart from me] What a terrible word! What a dreadful separation! Depart from ME! from the very Jesus whom you have proclaimed in union with whom alone eternal life is to be found. For, united to Christ, all is heaven; separated from him, all is hell.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
23. And then will I profess untothemor, openly proclaimtearing off the mask.
I never knew youWhatthey claimedintimacy with Christis just what He repudiates, andwith a certain scornful dignity. “Our acquaintance was notbroken offthere never was any.”
depart from me(CompareMt 25:41). The connection heregives these words an awful significance. They claimed intimacy withChrist, and in the corresponding passage, Lu13:26, are represented as having gone out and in with Him onfamiliar terms. “So much the worse for you,” He replies: “Ibore with that long enough; but nowbegone!”
ye that work iniquitynot”that wrought iniquity”; for they are represented asfresh from the scenes and acts of it as they stand before the Judge.(See on the almost identical, but even more vivid and awful,description of the scene in Lu13:24-27). That the apostle alludes to these very words in 2Ti2:19 there can hardly be any doubt”Nevertheless thefoundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweththem that are His. And, Let every one that nameth the name ofChrist depart from iniquity.”
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Then will I profess unto them,…. Publicly before men and angels, at the day of judgment,
I never knew you; which must be understood consistent with the omniscience of Christ; for as the omniscient God he knew their persons and their works, and that they were workers of iniquity; he knew what they had been doing all their days under the guise of religion; he knew the principles of all their actions, and the views they had in all they did; nothing is hid from him. But, as words of knowledge often carry in them the ideas of affection, and approbation, see Ps 1:6 the meaning of Christ here is, I never had any love, or affection for you; I never esteemed you; I never made any account of you, as mine, as belonging to me; I never approved of you, nor your conduct; I never had any converse, communication, nor society with you, nor you with me. The Persic version reads it, “I have not known you of old”, from ancient times, or from everlasting; I never knew you in my Father’s choice, and my own, nor in my Father’s gift to me, nor in the everlasting covenant of grace; I never knew you as my sheep, for whom, in time, I died, and called by name; I never knew you believe in me, nor love me, or mine; I have seen you in my house, preaching in my name, and at my table administering mine ordinance; but I never knew you exalt my person, blood, righteousness, and sacrifice; you talk of the works you have done, I never knew you do one good work in all your lives, with a single eye to my glory; wherefore, I will neither hear, nor see you; I have nothing to do with you. In this sense the phrase is used in the Talmud y:
“Bar Kaphra went to visit R. Juda; he says to him, Bar Kaphra, , “I never knew thee”.”
The gloss upon it is,
“he intimates, that he would not see him.”
So here, Christ declares, he knew them not; that is, he did not like them; he would not admit them into his presence and glory; but said,
depart from me, ye workers of iniquity. The former of these expressions contains the awful sentence pronounced by Christ, the judge; which is, banishment from his presence, than which nothing is more terrible: for as it is his presence that makes heaven, it is his absence that makes hell; and this supposes a place and state, whither they are banished; which is elsewhere called their “own place, the lake” which burns with fire and brimstone; “everlasting fire”, prepared for the devil and his angels. Departure from Christ’s presence is the punishment of loss, and being sent to everlasting burnings, is the punishment of sense; and the whole, as it is an instance of strict justice, so a display of Christ’s almighty power. The latter expression contains the character of these persons, and in it a reason of their punishment; they were “workers of iniquity”: it may be, neither adulterers, nor murderers, nor drunkards, nor extortioners, nor thieves, or any other openly profane sinners; but inasmuch as they did the work of the Lord deceitfully, preached themselves, and not Christ; sought their own things, and not his; what they did, they did with a wicked mind, and not with a view to his glory; they wrought iniquity, whilst they were doing the very things they pleaded on their own behalf, for their admission into the kingdom of heaven. Some copies read, “all the workers of iniquity”, as in Ps 6:8 from whence the words are taken.
y T. Bab. Moed Katon, fol. 16. 1.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Profess [] . The word which is used elsewhere of open confession of Christ before men (Mt 10:32; Rom 10:9); of John’s public declaration that he was not the Christ (Joh 1:20); of Herod ‘s promise to Salome in the presence of his guests (Mt 14:7). Hence, therefore, of Christ ‘s open, public declaration as Judge of the world. “There is great authority in this saying,” remarks Bengel.
24 sqq. I will liken him, etc. The picture is not of two men deliberately selecting foundations, but it contrasts one who carefully chooses and prepares his foundation with one who builds at hap – hazard. This is more strongly brought out by Luke (vi. 48) : “Who digged and went deep, and laid a foundation upon the rock” (Rev.). Kitto (” Pictorial Bible “) says : “At this very day the mode of building in Christ ‘s own town of Nazareth suggest the source of this image. Dr. Robinson was entertained in the house of a Greek Arab. The house had just been built, and was not yet finished. In order to lay the foundations he had dug down to the solid rock, as is usual throughout the country here, to the depth of thirty feet, and then built up arches.” The abrupt style of ver. 25 pictures the sudden coming of the storm which sweeps away the house on the sand :
“Descended the rain, and came the floods, and blew the winds.”
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “And then will I profess unto them,” (kai tote homologeso autois) “And then (at that time of judgment) I will declare (by confessional affirmation) to them,” openly declare, take off the mask, what I taught them while I was among them, or through my church and the word since, Joh 3:3; Joh 3:5; Joh 8:24; Joh 14:6; Act 4:12; Act 16:31; Rom 1:16; Eph 2:8-10; Tit 3:5-7.
2) “I never knew you:” (hoti oudepote egnon humas) “That I never knew you all, at all:” Had they ever been saved, born again, or confessed their sins before, and their faith and trust in Him, He could never have said, “I never knew you:” These had not once been saved, then lost their salvation as some falsely teach.
3) “Depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” (apochoreite ap’ emou hoi ergagomenoi ten anomian) “Depart or be gone from me those continuously working (in) lawlessness,” in selfish ways, for selfish purposes, to acquire salvation by their own hands. For covetous motives they did their deeds. They trusted, not in Jesus Christ, but in their veneer of pious testimony and good deeds, having faith in “these things,” by them to demand an entrance into glory, see? Psa 1:5-6; Luk 23:24-27; 2Ti 2:19. Men need “examine themselves”, still, “whether they be or exist in the faith,” or whether like these they be “reprobates,” to be cast out and into final doom at that hour, 2Co 13:5; Ecc 12:13-14.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
23. And then will I confess to them (482) By using the word ὁμολογήσω , I will confess, (483) Christ appears to allude to the vain boasting, by which hypocrites now vaunt themselves. “ They indeed have confessed me with the tongue, and imagine that they have fully discharged their duty. The confession of my name is now heard aloud from their tongue. But I too will confess on the opposite side, that their profession is deceitful and false.” And what is contained in Christ’s confession? That he never reckoned them among his own people, even at the time when they boasted that they were the pillars of the church.
Depart from me. He orders those persons to go out from his presence, who had stolen, under a false title, an unjust and temporary possession of his house. From this passage in our Lord’s discourse Paul seems to have taken what he says to Timothy,
The Lord knoweth who are his: and, let every one who calleth on the name of Christ depart from iniquity, (2Ti 2:19.)
The former clause is intended to prevent weak minds from being alarmed or discouraged by the desertion of those who had a great and distinguished reputation: (484) for he declares that they were disowned by the Lord, though by a vain show they captivated the eyes of men. He then exhorts all those who wish to be reckoned among the disciples of Christ, to withdraw early from iniquity, that Christ may not drive them from his presence, when he shall “separate the sheep from the goats, ” (Mat 25:33.)
(482) “ Et lors je leur diray ouvertement;” — “and then will I openly say to them.”
(483) “ Le mot Grec dont use l’Evangeliste signifie proprement, Je leur confesseray;” — “the Greek word, which the Evangelist uses, literally signifies ‘I will confess to them.’“
(484) “ D’aucuns qui auront en grand bruit, et auront este fort estimez;”— “of any who shall have made great noise, and shall have been greatly esteemed.”
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(23) Then will I profess unto them.The words form a remarkable complement to the promise, Whosoever shall confess Me before men, him will I confess also before My Father which is in heaven (Mat. 10:32). The confession there recognised is more than lip-homage, and implies the loyal service of obedience. And the condemnation is pronounced not on those who have wandered from the truth, but on those who have been workers of iniquity, or, as the word more strictly means, of lawlessness. The words remind us of those of Psa. 15:2-3; Psa. 24:3-4, and are, perhaps, a transfer of what David had spoken of his ideal of his earthly kingdom to that of the kingdom of heaven which the Christ had come to found.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
23. I never knew you They belong not to the apostate class; but are either self-deceivers, or juggling deluders of others, of whom Simon Magus was father. Depart from me You belong to the dark side of the universe. Work iniquity Though professors of righteousness, they were workers of iniquity. According to the test given in 15-20, their fruits condemned them.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Mat 7:23. I never knew you To know frequently signifies, in Scripture, to acknowledge or approve. The meaning is, “Though I called you to be my servants, and you professed yourselves such, I never knew you to be such, nor approved of you. I knew indeed that ye were the slaves of other masters,mammon, your own belly, and ambition; therefore, as your lives have been contrary both to my precepts and your own profession, I will have nothing to do with you.” There is an incomparable dignity in this whole passage. The poor despised Jesus not only calls God his Father, but speaks as the eternal Judge, before whom men should plead and beg for their lives, dreading banishment from him as their final destruction. See Doddridge and Chemnitz.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Ver. 23. And then well I profess unto them, I never knew you ] No, not when you professed most love to me, and did me (to see to) greatest service. I knew you well enough for “black sheep,” or rather for reprobate goats; I knew you for hirelings and hypocrites, but I never knew you with a special knowledge of love, delight, and complacency. I never acknowledged, approved, and accepted your persons and performances. See Psa 1:6 ; Rom 11:2 . God’s sharp nose doth easily discern, and is offended with the stinking breath of the hypocrite’s rotten lungs, though his words be never so scented and perfumed, though his deeds be never so mantled and masked with shows of holiness. God utterly disowns and disavows all such, for if “any man have not the Spirit of God,” saith Paul, the same “is none of his,” Rom 8:9 ; be he whose he will be. And whereas he naturally delights in mercy, yet he will by no means clear the guilty; yea, he will “mock at their destruction, and laugh when their fear cometh.” He will “spew them out of his mouth.” Ah, he will ease him of his adversaries; and be as well paid thereof, as a man is that hath ridden his stomach of the surfeit or sick matter that clogged it, Pro 1:16 . Quod Deus loquitur cum risu, tu legas cum fletu. Aug. Rev 3:16 ; Isa 1:24 .
Depart from me ] Oh direful and dreadful sentence! such as shall make their very heartstrings crack (not their ears tingle only), and their hearts fall asunder in their bosoms, like drops of water. a Surely if the gentle voice of God in the “cool of the day” ( in aura diei ), Gen 3:8 , were so terrible to our first parents; and if his sweet voice in the preaching of the gospel of grace be so formidable to the wicked, that Felix trembled, and the stoutest are quailed, the edge of their fury is rebated, their hearts often ache and quake within them; what will they do when the Lion of the tribe of Judah shall roar out upon them this fearful Discedite Depoart, that breathes out nothing but fire and brimstone, stings and horrors, woe and, alas, seas of vengeance, and the worm that never dieth, torments without end, and past imagination? The desperate soldiers (that would not have dreaded to dare the devil to a duel) fell before him to the ground, when, in the state of his humility, he said but, “I am he;” how will the wicked stand before him in his majesty? If Gideon’s torches and trumpets so daunted the proud Midianites, how shall these abide the terror of the last day?
Ye workers of iniquity ] Ye that make it your trade and task, that do “wickedly with both hands earnestly,” that are wittily wicked, and can act out iniquity; that dig in the devil’s mines, row in his galleys, grind in his mill, and are not wearied; that live by your sins, as the labourer doth by his trade; and esteem it as the means of a happy life. b Ye that, although ye cannot be charged with any crying crime, but have Lord, Lord, in your mouths, and a show of holiness in your lives, yet regard iniquity in your hearts; and when you seem most of all highflown, have a leering eye upon some beloved sin, as the eagle hath upon her prey below when she soareth highest. Your very preaching in Christ’s name (if not for his name) is with God a work of iniquity, and shall have the “wages of sin,” which is death, when Christ comes to judgment. c Then they that would not obey those sweet commands, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Seek ye the Lord while he may be found. Believe in the Lord Jesus, and thou shalt be saved, thou and all thy household,” &c., shall have no other commandment left them to obey, but this horrible “Depart ye;” which imports an utter separation from the beatifical vision and fruition of God; and this is the very hell of hell, &c. Meanwhile, whereto serves the world’s Euge, well done, when they are sure of Christ’s Apage? be off.
a Dicetur reprobis, ite; venite, probis. It will be said to the wicked, Go, to the godly Come.
b Latini medicinam et argentariam facere dicunt. Beza.
c Our works must be works of God, wrought from God for God, in God, according to God, else they are but shining sins. Mr Harris at Paul’s Cross.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
23. ] As the words now stand, is merely recitative, and cannot be (Meyer) ‘ because ,’ belonging to . Such an arrangement would be unprecedented. Orig [92] , Chrys., Cypr [93] , &c., placed . . . after ., &c., in which case the meaning ‘ for, because ,’ would be right. See Luk 13:25-27 .
[92] Origen, b. 185, d. 254
[93] Cyprian, Bp. of Carthage , 248 258
is here a remarkable word, as a statement of the simple truth of facts, as opposed to the false colouring and self-deceit of the hypocrites ‘I will tell them the plain truth.’
. ., i.e., in the sense in which it is said, Joh 10:14 , . Neither the preaching Christ, nor doing miracles in His Name, are infallible signs of being His genuine servants, but only the devotion of life to God’s will which this knowledge brings about.
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Mat 7:23 . . When they make this protestation, the Judge will make a counter protestation , I will own to them. Bengel’s comment is: aperte. Magna potestas hujus dicti. But there is a certain apologetic tone in the expression, “I will confess” (“profess,” A.V [49] and R.V [50] ), as if to say: I ought to know men who can say so much for themselves, but I do not. , recitative, the exact words directly reported. , never: at no point in that remarkable career when so many wonderful things were done in my name. , etc.: an echo of Psa 6:9 , and sentence of doom, like Mat 25:41 .
[49] Authorised Version.
[50] Revised Version.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
knew = got to know. Greek. ginosko. See App-132.
from = away from. Greek. apo. App-104.
iniquity = lawlessness. See App-128.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
23.] As the words now stand, is merely recitative, and cannot be (Meyer) because, belonging to . Such an arrangement would be unprecedented. Orig[92], Chrys., Cypr[93], &c., placed . . . after ., &c., in which case the meaning for, because, would be right. See Luk 13:25-27.
[92] Origen, b. 185, d. 254
[93] Cyprian, Bp. of Carthage, 248-258
is here a remarkable word, as a statement of the simple truth of facts, as opposed to the false colouring and self-deceit of the hypocrites-I will tell them the plain truth.
. ., i.e., in the sense in which it is said, Joh 10:14, . Neither the preaching Christ, nor doing miracles in His Name, are infallible signs of being His genuine servants, but only the devotion of life to Gods will which this knowledge brings about.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Mat 7:23. , …, then, etc.) although they had not thought so before.-, I will profess) sc. openly. Great was the authority evinced by this saying: see Mat 7:29.-, …, never, etc.) although you cite My Name.- , …, that work, etc.) Not even then will their iniquity have been changed.[346]-, iniquity) how much soever they may boast of the Law.[347] Unbelief exclusively damns (Infidelitas proprie damnat); and yet in the Judgment the Law is rather cited; see ch. Mat 25:35; Mat 25:42; Rom 2:12, because the reprobate, even then, when they see Christ visibly manifest, will not comprehend the true nature of faith.
[346] He means that our Lord will address them as even then working iniquity with hearts still unconverted.-(I. B.)
[347] There is a play upon the words , the state or conduct of those who are without law, and , the Law, on which they self-righteously and delusively relied.-(I. B.)
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
work iniquity
sin, lawlessness. (See Scofield “Rom 3:23”).
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
I never: Mat 25:12, Joh 10:14, Joh 10:27-30, 2Ti 2:19
depart: Mat 25:41, Psa 5:5, Psa 6:8, Luk 13:25, Luk 13:27, Rev 22:15
Reciprocal: Exo 2:25 – had respect Deu 13:2 – General Deu 14:7 – General 2Sa 22:42 – unto the Lord Job 31:6 – know Job 32:15 – amazed Job 34:22 – the Psa 45:7 – hatest Psa 50:16 – What Psa 92:9 – scattered Psa 101:4 – know Psa 119:115 – Depart Psa 119:119 – puttest away Psa 125:5 – with the workers Psa 139:19 – depart from Pro 1:28 – shall they Pro 4:19 – General Pro 10:29 – but Pro 21:15 – destruction Eze 18:24 – in his Nah 1:7 – and he Mat 8:12 – the children Mat 13:21 – root Mat 13:41 – and them Mar 9:39 – there Luk 8:18 – from Luk 9:26 – of him Luk 10:20 – in this Luk 12:9 – shall Luk 12:46 – and will appoint Joh 11:51 – he prophesied Rom 8:29 – whom 1Co 8:3 – is 1Co 13:2 – I have the 1Co 13:3 – though I give Phi 3:2 – evil 2Th 1:9 – from the presence Heb 12:17 – he was Rev 2:2 – know
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
7:23
In spite of the ritualistic performances or works of display which these men did, there was something of the practical that was lacking. They did only what suited them and were content to construct a character that did not respect all the sayings of Christ. For this reason Jesus says he never knew you, which means he never recognized or endorsed them as being true servants.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Mat 7:23. And then, at once, will I profess unto them. They make false professions, but I will tell them the plain truth.
I never knew you. They had not fallen away, they had never been called by Christ, though called by His name, and calling on His name. Intimate knowledge of persons implies sympathy and similarity.
Depart from me (comp. chap. Mat 25:41), ye that work Iniquity. The seeming success of a hypocrite is habitual and heightened iniquity. Important for self-examinations. Our Lord speaks of confessing Him, of works done in His name, His final verdict, all in connection with doing the will of His Father. No mere man could speak thus.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
7:23 And then will I profess unto them, {f} I never knew you: depart from me, {g} ye that work iniquity.
(f) This is not of ignorance, but because he will cast them away.
(g) You that are given to all kinds of wickedness, and seem to make an art of sin.