Jochanan ben Zaccai, of whom they boast, and who they say was the least of the disciples of Hillell, and yet �perfectly understood the Scripture, the Misna, the Gemara, the traditions, the allegorical interpretations, the niceties of the law, and the subtleties of the Scribes, the lighter and weightier matters of the law (or the arguments from the greater to the lesser, and �vice versa�), the arguments taken from a parity of reason, the revolution of the sun and moon, rules of interpretation by gematry, parables, etc.�

The apostle proceeds, and all knowledge ; of things natural, as Solomon had; of the heavens, and the stars thereof, of the earth and sea, and all things therein, and appertaining thereunto; of all languages, arts, and sciences; of things divine, as a speculative knowledge of God, and the perfections of his nature, of Christ, his person and offices, of the Gospel, and the doctrines of it: and though I have all faith ; not true, special, saving faith, or that faith in Christ, which has salvation connected with it; for a man cannot have that, and be nothing; such an one shall be certainly saved; and besides, this cannot be without love, and therefore not to be supposed: but all historical faith, an assent to everything that is true, to all that is contained in the Scriptures, whether natural, civil, moral, or evangelical; to all that is contained in the law, or in the Gospel; that faith which believes everything: so the Jews say, what is faith? that in which is found atwnmyhm lk , �all faith�; or rather the faith of miracles is meant, both of believing and doing all sorts of miracles, one of which is mentioned; so that I could remove mountains ; meaning either literally, a power of removing mountains from one place to another, referring to ( Matthew 17:20) so Gregory of Neocaesarea, called �Thaumaturgus�, the wonder worker, from the miracles done by him, is said to remove a mountain, to make more room for building a church; but whether fact, is a question; or this may be understood figuratively, (see Revelation 8:8) for doing things very difficult and wonderful, and almost incredible. The Jews used to call their learned and profound doctors, such as could solve difficulties, and do wondrous things, by the name of mountains, or removers of mountains; thus f268 �they called Rab Joseph, �Sinai�, because he was very expert in the Talmudic doctrines, and Rabbah bar Nachmani, �yrh rqw[ , �a rooter up of mountains�; because he was exceeding acute in subtle disputations.�

Says Rabba to his disciples, �lo, I am ready to return an answer smartly to everyone that shall ask me, as Ben Azzai, who expounded in the streets of Tiberias; and there was not in his days such a �yrh rqw[ , �rooter up of mountains�, as he.�

Again f270 , �Ula saw Resh Lekish in the school, as if �yrh rqw[ , �he was rooting up the mountains�, and grinding them together; says Rabenu, does not everybody see R. Meir in the school, as if he was �rooting up the mountains of mountains�, and grinding them together?�

They elsewhere dispute which is the most honourable to be called, �Sinai� or a remover of mountains; �one says �Sinai� is the more excellent name; another says �the rooter up of mountains� is the more excellent; Rab Joseph is Sinai, and Rabbah the remover of mountains;� the gloss says the former is so called, �because the Misnic laws and their explications were ordered by him, as if they had been given on Mount Sinai,� though he was not so acute as Rabbah; and the latter was called the rooter up of mountains, because �he was sharp and subtle in the law;� once more on those words relating to Issachar, ( Genesis 49:15) �and bowed his shoulder to bear�, it is observed f272 ; that �this intimates that he was wise in wisdom, �yrh qrpm , �a breaker of the mountains�, a shatterer in pieces of the rocks of dissensions and division various ways; as it is said, ( Jeremiah 23:29) �is not my word like as a fire, saith the Lord, and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?� So a wise man, by the sharpness of his wit, breaks the mountains of difficulties, and divides them by the words of his mouth: hence they used to call the wise men by the names of Sinai, and a rooter of mountains; because they beat and brake the rocks in pieces, the traditions that are difficult and deep.�

The phrase is also used of removing difficulties in a civil and political sense, as well as in a theological one f273 : but let a man be able to do ever such great things, yet if he has not �charity�, love to God, to Christ and to his people, he is nothing at all; as the apostle says of himself, supposing it was his own case, I am nothing ; not nothing as a man, nor nothing as a gifted man, still he would be a man, and a man of gifts; nor does the apostle say, that his gifts were nothing, that the gift of prophecy was nothing, or the gift of understanding mysteries nothing, or the gift of knowledge nothing, or the gift of doing miracles nothing, for these are all something, and very great things too, and yet a man in whom the grace of love is wanting, is nothing himself with all these; he is nothing in the account of God, of no esteem with him; he is nothing as a believer in Christ, nor nothing as a Christian.

This is also a Jewish way of speaking; for they say f274 , �as a bride that is to be adorned with four and twenty ornaments, if she wants anyone of them, �wlk hnya , �she is nothing�; so a disciple of a wise man ought to be used to the twenty four books (of the Scripture), and if he is wanting in one of them, �wlk wnya , �he is nothing�.� Ver. 3. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor , etc.] Of which the Jews give us instances; they say f275 , that R. Ishcab stood, �yyn[l wyskn lk qyljhw , �and distributed all his goods to the poor�; and a little after they say the same of King Monbaz, that he stood and gave away, or dispersed, �all his goods to the poor�; and elsewhere they say of R.

Eliezer ben Judah, that the collectors of alms ran away from him, because he would have given them wl �y� hm lk , �all that he had�; and of another, they say f277 , that he took all that he had in his house, and went out to divide it among the poor; but of what avail was all this, when what these men did, they did not from a principle of love to God, nor to Christ, nor even to the poor, to whom they gave their substance; but to have honour and applause from men, and have and obtain eternal life hereafter? for they thought by so doing, that they deserved to behold the face of God, enjoy his favour, and be partakers of the happiness of the world to come f278 : and though I give my body to be burned ; which may be done by a man that has no principle of grace in him; the very Heathens have done it; as the Indian queens upon the decease and funeral of their husbands; and Calenus, an Indian philosopher, who followed Alexander the great, and erected a funeral pile, and went into it of his own accord; and Peregrinus, another philosopher, did the like in the times of Trajan. The apostle here respects martyrdom, and by a prophetic spirit has respect to future times, when burning men�s bodies for religion would be in use, which then was not; and suggests that there might be some, as according to ecclesiastical history there seems to have been some, who, from a forward and misguided zeal, and to get themselves a name, and leave one behind them, have exposed themselves to the flames, and yet �have not� had �charity�, true love to God, a real affection for Christ, or to his saints: wherefore the apostle hypothetically says, supposing himself to be the person that had done all this, it profiteth me nothing: such things may profit others, but not a man�s self; giving all his goods to the poor may be of advantage to them, and giving his body to be burned in the cause of religion may be of service to others, to confirm their faith, and encourage them to like sufferings when called to them; but can be of no avail to themselves in the business of salvation; which is not procured by works of righteousness, even the best, and much less by such which proceed from wrong principles, and are directed to wrong ends; the grace of God being wanting, and particularly that of love. Ver. 4. Charity suffereth long , etc.] The apostle, in this and some following verses, enumerates the several properties and characters of the grace of love; and all along represents it as if it was a person, and no doubt designs one who is possessed of it, and in whose heart it is implanted and reigns; such an one is said to �suffer long�, or be �patient�, as the Vulgate Latin and Ethiopic versions read; not only under afflictions by the hand of God, which such an one considers as arising from love; but under the reproaches and persecutions of men, for the sake of Christ and his Gospel, and in imitation of him; such a person is slow to anger when abused, not quick of resentment, nor hasty to revenge when affronted; but exercises forbearance, suffers long, and bears much, and is ready to forgive: and is kind ; liberal, and bountiful, does good to all men, even to enemies, and especially to the household of faith; he is gentle to all men, affable and courteous to his brethren, and not morose, churlish, and ill natured; he is easy and yielding to the tempers and humours of men; accommodates himself to their infirmities, capacities, manners, and circumstances, in everything he can, that is not contrary to the glory of God, the interest of Christ, the honour of religion, his own con science, and the good of men; charity envieth not ; or he that has the grace of love to God, Christ, and the saints, does not envy the temporal happiness of others, though it is what he has not, or is greater than he enjoys; as Rachel envied her sister, because she had children when she herself had none; as Joseph�s brethren envied him because he had a greater share in his father�s affections than they had; or as good men may be tempted to envy the prosperity of the wicked, when they themselves are in adversity; but this grace, when in exercise, will not suffer a person to do: nor will such an one envy the superior measures of grace, the more excellent spiritual gifts, or the greater degree of usefulness, and of success in any spiritual undertaking, and so of greater honour and respect, in any of the saints and servants of Christ to themselves, of which Moses and John the Baptist are remarkable instances, ( Numbers 11:28,29 John 3:27-31), charity vaunteth not itself , is not ostentatious, a proud boaster; either of what he has, the things of nature, as wisdom, riches, honour, strength, etc. or spiritual gifts; or of what he does, since what such an one does, he does from a principle of love, and with a view to the glory of God, and not to be seen of men, or to gain their esteem and applause: or is not rash, and precipitant; does not run headlong into measures, to promote his own honour and interest, without considering what will be the consequence of things; nor is he rash with his mouth, or hasty with his lips, to utter anything unbecoming before God or men. The Arabic version renders it, �does not speak deceitfully�; or hypocritically, for nothing is more contrary to true genuine love than this; the Syriac version renders it, �is not tumultuous�; noisy and seditious: such an one is not troublesome in a commonwealth, nor does he go into parties and factions in churches, but is all the reverse: is not puffed up swelled with pride, and elated with a vain conceit of himself, of his parts and abilities, of his learning, eloquence, wisdom, and knowledge, as the false teachers in this church were; knowledge without grace, unsanctified knowledge, mere notional speculative knowledge, puffeth up; but charity, or the grace of love, does not; that edifies and preserves persons from being puffed up with themselves, or one against another.

Matthew Henry Commentary

Greek Textus Receptus