SEV Biblia, Chapter 15:10
Ahora pues, ¿por qu tentis a Dios, poniendo sobre la cerviz de los discípulos yugo, que ni nuestros padres ni nosotros hemos podido llevar?
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Acts 15:10
Verse 10. Now therefore why tempt ye God] A God, by giving the Holy Spirit to the Gentiles, evidently shows he does not design them to be circumcised, in order to become debtors to the law, to fulfill all its precepts, &c., why will ye provoke him to displeasure by doing what he evidently designs shall not be done? A yoke-which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?] This does not refer to the moral law-that was of eternal obligation-but to the ritual law, which, through the multitude of its sacrifices, ordinances, &c., was exceedingly burthensome to the Jewish people. And had not God, by an especial providence, rendered both their fields and their flocks very fruitful, they could not possibly have borne so painful a ritual. There is a curious story in Midrash Shochar, told in Yalkut Simeoni, part i. fol. 229, where Korah is represented as showing the oppressive nature of the law, and avarice of its priests, in justification of his rebellion. "There was," said he, "a widow in our neighbourbood who had two orphan children: she had one field; and, when she began to plough it, one came and said, Thou shalt not plough with an ox and an ass together. when she went to sow it, he said, Thou shalt not sow thy field with divers seeds. When she began to reap, and to gather the sheaves together, he said, Leave a handful and the corners of the field for the poor. When she prepared to thresh it, be said, Give me the wave-offering, and the first and second tithes. She did as she was commanded, and then went and sold her field, and bought two ewes, that she might clothe herself and family with the wool, and get profit by the lambs. When they brought forth their lambs, Aaron came and said, Give me the firstlings, for the holy blessed God hath said, All the first born, whatsoever openeth the womb, shall be thine. She yielded to his demands, and gave him two lambs. When shearing time came, he said, Give me the first fruits of the wool. When the widow had done this, she said, I cannot stand before this man; I will kill my sheep and eat them. When she had killed the sheep, Aaron came and said, Give me the shoulder, and the jaws, and the ventricle. The widow said, Though I have killed my sheep, I am not delivered from this man; I therefore consecrate the whole to God. Then Aaron said, ALL belongs to me, for the holy blessed God hath said, Every thing that is consecrated in Israel shall be his, i.e. the priest's. He therefore took the whole carcasses, and marched off, leaving the widow and her orphan daughters over whelmed with affliction." This is a terrible picture of the requisitions of the Mosaic ritual; and, though exaggerated, it contains so many true features that it may well be said, This is a yoke which neither we nor our fathers were able to bear. See Schoettgen. In the same vexatious way may the tithes of the national Church in this country be exacted, and in this very way is the exaction frequently exercised. It is high time that these abuses should be corrected.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 10. Now therefore why tempt ye God , etc.] By hesitating about this matter, by disputing upon this point, and by seeking for further proof and evidence of the will of God in this affair; when it is so plain a case, that it has been his will that the Gospel should be preached to Gentiles, without obliging them to circumcision; that he has given his Spirit both in his extraordinary gifts, and special grace, to uncircumcised persons; particularly he has bestowed faith in Christ upon them, whereby they have been led to the blood of Christ, typified in circumcision, and are thereby purged from all their filth and pollution, and so are the true circumcision: wherefore it is no other than tempting God, a manifest opposition to him, and what must give him offence, to debate about a point so clear; and especially to attempt to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear . It is common with the Jews to call the law a yoke; frequent mention is made of aydyqp ryn and twxm lw[ , the yoke of the commandments f735 , and hrwth lw[ , the yoke of the law f736 : and by it here is meant, not circumcision only and barely, for that the Jewish fathers had been able to bear, and had bore it; nor the whole ceremonial law only, which consisted of a multitude of commands and ordinances very heavy and hard; but even the whole moral law, which circumcision obliged those who submitted to it to keep it perfectly; (see Galatians 5:3), which neither the apostles, nor their fathers, were ever able to do, nor any mere man whatever; and therefore this yoke was intolerable and insupportable, and not to be put upon the necks of the Gentile believers; who here are called disciples, being taught the doctrine of the Gospel, and the way of salvation; which was not by circumcision, nor by any works of the law, but by the grace of Christ, as in the following verse.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 7-21 - We see from the words "purifying their hearts by faith," and the address of St. Peter, that justification by faith, and sanctificatio by the Holy Ghost, cannot be separated; and that both are the gift of God. We have great cause to bless God that we have heard the gospel May we have that faith which the great Searcher of hearts approves, an attests by the seal of the Holy Spirit. Then our hearts and conscience will be purified from the guilt of sin, and we shall be freed from the burdens some try to lay upon the disciples of Christ. Paul and Barnaba showed by plain matters of fact, that God owned the preaching of the pure gospel to the Gentiles without the law of Moses; therefore to press that law upon them, was to undo what God had done. The opinion of James was, that the Gentile converts ought not to be troubled abou Jewish rites, but that they should abstain from meats offered to idols so that they might show their hatred of idolatry. Also, that the should be cautioned against fornication, which was not abhorred by the Gentiles as it should be, and even formed a part of some of their rites. They were counselled to abstain from things strangled, and from eating blood; this was forbidden by the law of Moses, and also here from reverence to the blood of the sacrifices, which being then stil offered, it would needlessly grieve the Jewish converts, and furthe prejudice the unconverted Jews. But as the reason has long ceased, we are left free in this, as in the like matters. Let converts be warne to avoid all appearances of the evils which they formerly practised, or are likely to be tempted to; and caution them to use Christian libert with moderation and prudence.
Greek Textus Receptus
νυν 3568 ADV ουν 3767 CONJ τι 5101 I-ASN πειραζετε 3985 5719 V-PAI-2P τον 3588 T-ASM θεον 2316 N-ASM επιθειναι 2007 5629 V-2AAN ζυγον 2218 N-ASM επι 1909 PREP τον 3588 T-ASM τραχηλον 5137 N-ASM των 3588 T-GPM μαθητων 3101 N-GPM ον 3739 R-ASM ουτε 3777 CONJ οι 3588 T-NPM πατερες 3962 N-NPM ημων 2257 P-1GP ουτε 3777 CONJ ημεις 2249 P-1NP ισχυσαμεν 2480 5656 V-AAI-1P βαστασαι 941 5658 V-AAN
Vincent's NT Word Studies
10. Were able (iscusamen). See on Luke xiv. 30; xvi. 3.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
15:10 {Why tempt ye God?} (ti peirazete ton qeon;). By implying that God had made a mistake this time, though right about Cornelius. It is a home-thrust. They were refusing to follow the guidance of God like the Israelites at Massah and Meribah (#Ex 17:7; De 6:16; 1Co 10:9). {That ye should put} (epiqeinai). Second aorist active infinitive of epitiqemi, epexegetic, explaining the tempting. {A yoke upon the neck} (zugon epi ton tracelon). Familiar image of oxen with yokes upon the necks. Paul's very image for the yoke of bondage of the Mosaic law in #Ga 5:1. It had probably been used in the private interview. Cf. the words of Jesus about the Pharisees (#Mt 23:4) and how easy and light his own yoke is (#Mt 11:30). {Were able to bear} (iscusamen bastasai). Neither our fathers nor we had strength (iscuw) to carry this yoke which the Judaizers wish to put on the necks of the Gentiles. Peter speaks as the spiritual emancipator. He had been slow to see the meaning of God's dealings with him at Joppa and Caesarea, but he has seen clearly by now. He takes his stand boldly with Paul and Barnabas for Gentile freedom.
