Matthew 23:24 (WEB)
You blind guides, who strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel!
Fathers and councils · 18
Irenaeus of Lyons
“And that His disciples must suffer for His sake, He [implied when He] said to the Jews, “Behold, I send you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify.”” — editor's note: Matt. xxiii. 24.
Read the whole comment“…so far as in them lies, [positively] destroy it,—men who prate of peace while they give rise to war, and do in truth strain out a gnat, but swallow a camel.” — editor's note: Matt. xxiii. 24.
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Justin Martyr
“…‘Whited sepulchres, which appear beautiful outward, and within are full of dead men’s bones; which pay tithe of mint, and swallow a camel: ye blind guides!’” — editor's note: Matt. xxiii. 27, 23, 24. [Note the examples he gives of the rabbinical expositions. He consents to their principle, but gives nobler analogies.]
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Augustine of Hippo
““Ye tithe mint and cummin, and have forsaken the weightier matters of the law, mercy, and judgment, straining a gnat, but swallowing a camel.”” — editor's note: Matt. xxiii. 23, 24.
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John Chrysostom
“For although His disciples had been guilty of no such sin, yet in them were supposed to be offenses; as, for instance, not keeping the sabbath, eating with unwashen hands, sitting at meat with publicans; of which He saith also in another place, “Ye which strain at the gnat, and swallow the camel.”” — editor's note: Matt. xxiii. 24. [R.V., more correctly, “strain out;” the word “at” is probably a typographical blunder of the A.V.—R.]
Read the whole comment“Wherefore also He saith, “Straining at the gnat, and swallowing the camel.”” — editor's note: [Matt. xxiii. 24. R.V., correctly, “strain out the gnat,” etc.]
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Basil the Great
“Hitherto no one has ever been judged for any such conduct as that on which I am being condemned by these strainers-out of gnats.” — editor's note: cf. Matt. xxiii. 24.
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Jerome
“Truly like the scribes and pharisees we strain out the gnat and swallow the camel, we pay tithe of mint and anise, and we omit the just judgment which God requires.” — editor's note: Matt. xxiii. 23, 24, R.V.
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Gregory the Great
“For hence it is that it is said of the Pharisees, Straining out a gnat, but swallowing a camel (Matth. xxiii. 24).” — the author cites it
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Catena Aurea on Matthew
- John ChrysostomCatena Aurea on Matthew
The Lord had said above that they bound heavy burdens upon others, which they themselves would not touch; He now again shews how they aimed at being correct in little things, but neglected weighty matters.
Read the whole comment - JeromeCatena Aurea on Matthew
The Lord had commanded, that for the maintenance of the Priests and Levites, whose portion was the Lord, tithes of every thing should be offered in the temple. Accordingly, the Pharisees (to dismiss mystical…
Read the whole comment - Pseudo-ChrysostomCatena Aurea on Matthew
Or, because these covetous Priests, when any one did not bring his tithes of the smallest thing, made it a matter of grave reprehension; but when one injured his neighbour or sinned against God, they were at no pains…
Read the whole comment - OrigenCatena Aurea on Matthew
But because it was possible that some, hearing the Lord speak thus, might thereupon neglect paying tithes of small things, He prudently adds, “These things ought ye to have done,” (i.e. justice, mercy, and faith,)…
Read the whole comment - Remigius of AuxerreCatena Aurea on Matthew
In these words the Lord shews that all the commandments of the Law, greatest and least, are to be fulfilled. They also are refuted who give alms of the fruits of the earth, supposing that thus they cannot sin,…
Read the whole comment - Hilary of PoitiersCatena Aurea on Matthew
And because it was much less guilt to omit the tithing of herbs than a duty of benevolence, the Lord derides them, “Ye blind guides, which strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel.”
Read the whole comment - JeromeCatena Aurea on Matthew
The camel I suppose to mean the weighty precepts, judgment, mercy, and faith; the gnat, the tithing of mint, anise, and cummin, and other valueless herbs. The greater of God’s commands we “swallow” and overlook, but…
Read the whole comment - OrigenCatena Aurea on Matthew
Or, “straining out a gnat,” that is, putting from them small sins; “swallowing a camel,” that is, committing great sins, which He calls camels, from the size and distorted shape of that animal. Morally, The Scribes…
Read the whole comment - Gregory the GreatCatena Aurea on Matthew
Or otherwise; The gnat stings while it hums; the camel bows its back to receive its load. The Jews then “strained off the gnat,” when they prayed to have the seditious robber released to them; and they swallowed the…
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Cross-references · 5
Cited together in Letters Letter 224.
Cited together in The Book of Pastoral Rule III.34.
Cited together in Dialogue with Trypho Chapter 112.
Cited together in Letters Letter 224.
Cited together in Letters Letter 224.