SEV Biblia, Chapter 9:16
Y nadie echa remiendo de pao nuevo en vestido viejo; porque el tal remiendo tira del vestido, y se hace peor la rotura.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Matthew 9:16
Verse 16. No man putteth a piece of new cloth] oudeiv de epiballei epiblhma rakouv agnafou epi imatiw palaiw. No man putteth a patch of unscoured cloth upon an old garment. This is the most literal translation I can give of this verse, to convey its meaning to those who cannot consult the original. rakov agnafon is that cloth which has not been scoured, or which has not passed under the hand of the fuller, who is called gnafeuv in Greek: and epiblhma signifies a piece put on, or what we commonly term a patch. It-taketh from the garment] Instead of closing up the rent, it makes a larger, by tearing away with it the whole breadth of the cloth over which it was laid; airei gar to plhrwma autou-it taketh its fullness or whole breadth from the garment; this I am persuaded is the meaning of the original, well expressed by the Latin, or Itala of the C. BEZAE, Tollit enim plenitudo ejus de vestimento. "It takes away its fullness from the garment."
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 16. No man putteth a piece of new cloth , etc.] These words are, by ( Luke 5:36) called a parable, as are those in the following verse; and both are commonly interpreted of the unreasonableness and danger of putting young disciples upon severe exercises of religion, as fasting, etc.: and it is true, that young converts are to be tenderly dealt with, as they are by Father, Son, and Spirit, as the disciples were by Christ, and the first Christians were by the apostles: and some things in these parables may seem to agree; as that these austerities should be represented as new, and as burdensome and troublesome, and the disciples as weak, and easily staggered: but then there are others that will not bear; as that the disciples should be compared to old garments, and old bottles; when they were young converts, and men renewed by the Spirit and grace of God, and had on the beautiful robe of Christs righteousness; and that such severe exercises, under the notion of religion, should be signified by new wine, which generally designs something pleasant and agreeable: nor were the disciples unable to bear such severities, who very probably had been trained up in them, and been used to them before their conversion; and could now as well have bore them as Johns disciples, or the Pharisees, had they been proper and necessary; but the true reason why they were not required of them, was not their weakness, or danger of falling off, and perishing, of which there were none; but because it was unsuitable to their present situation, the bridegroom being with them. But our Lord, in this parable of putting a piece of new, or undressed cloth, such as has never passed through the fullers hands, and so unfit to mend with, unto an old garment , refers not only to the fastings of the Pharisees, but to their other traditions of the elders, which they held; as such that respected their eating, drinking, and conversing with other persons mentioned in the context, and which observances they joined with their moral performances; on account of which, they looked upon themselves as very righteous persons, and all others as sinners: and to expose their folly, Christ delivers this parable. Wherefore, by the old garment, I apprehend, is meant their moral and legal righteousness, or their obedience to the moral and ceremonial laws, which was very imperfect, as well as impure, and might be rightly called filthy rags; or be compared to an old worn out garment, filthy and loathsome, torn, and full of holes, which cannot keep a person warm, nor screen him from the weather, and so old that it cannot be mended. And by the piece of new cloth, or garment, put unto it, or sewed upon it, are intended the traditions of the elders, these men were so fond of, concerning eating, and drinking, and fasting, and hundreds of other things, very idle and trifling, and which were new and upstart notions. Now, by putting, or sewing the new cloth to their old garment, is designed, their joining their observance of these traditions to their other duties of religion, to make up a justifying righteousness before God; but in vain, and to no purpose. Their old garment of their own works, in obedience to the laws of God, moral and ceremonial, was full bad enough of itself; but became abundantly worse, by joining this new piece of mens own devising to it; for that which is put in to fill it up, taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse : their new obedience to the traditions of men, making void the law of God, instead of mending, marred their righteousness, and left them in a worse condition than it found them: and besides, as it is in Luke, the piece that was taken out of the new, agreeth not with the old; there being no more likeness between the observance of the commandments of men, and obedience to the laws of God, than there is between a piece of new undressed cloth, that has never been washed and worn, and an old worn out garment. Much such a foolish part do those men under the Gospel dispensation act, who join the righteousness of Christ, or a part of it, with their own, in order to make up a justifying righteousness before God; for Christs righteousness is the only justifying righteousness; it is whole and perfect, and needs nothing to be added to it, nor can it be parted, any more than his seamless coat was; nor a piece taken out of it: nor is there any justification by works, either in whole or in part; the old garment of mans righteousness must be thrown away, in point of justification; it cannot be mended in such a manner; and if any attempts are made in this way, the rent becomes worse: such persons, instead of being justified, are in a worse condition; for they not only set up, and exalt their own righteousness, which is criminal, but disparage the righteousness of Christ as imperfect, by joining it to theirs; and whilst they fancy themselves in a good state, are in a most miserable one; harlots and publicans being nearer the kingdom of heaven than these, and enter into it before them; self-righteous persons are more hardly, and with greater difficulty convinced, than such sinners. Moreover, nothing is more disagreeable than such a patch work; Christs righteousness and a mans own bear no likeness to one another; and such a patched garment must ill become the character and dignity of a saint, a child of God, an heir of heaven.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 14-17 - John was at this time in prison; his circumstances, his character, an the nature of the message he was sent to deliver, led those who wer peculiarly attached to him, to keep frequent fasts. Christ referre them to John's testimony of him, Joh 3:29. Though there is no doub that Jesus and his disciples lived in a spare and frugal manner, it would be improper for his disciples to fast while they had the comfor of his presence. When he is with them, all is well. The presence of the sun makes day, and its absence produces night. Our Lord furthe reminded them of common rules of prudence. It was not usual to take piece of rough woolen cloth, which had never been prepared, to join to an old garment, for it would not join well with the soft, old garment but would tear it further, and the rent would be made worse. Nor woul men put new wine into old leathern bottles, which were going to decay and would be liable to burst from the fermenting of the wine; but putting the new wine into strong, new, skin bottles, both would be preserved. Great caution and prudence are necessary, that youn converts may not receive gloomy and forbidding ideas of the service of our Lord; but duties are to be urged as they are able to bear them.
Greek Textus Receptus
ουδεις 3762 A-NSM δε 1161 CONJ επιβαλλει 1911 5719 V-PAI-3S επιβλημα 1915 N-ASN ρακους 4470 N-GSN αγναφου 46 A-GSN επι 1909 PREP ιματιω 2440 N-DSN παλαιω 3820 A-DSN αιρει 142 5719 V-PAI-3S γαρ 1063 CONJ το 3588 T-NSN πληρωμα 4138 N-NSN αυτου 846 P-GSN απο 575 PREP του 3588 T-GSN ιματιου 2440 N-GSN και 2532 CONJ χειρον 5501 A-NSN σχισμα 4978 N-NSN γινεται 1096 5736 V-PNI-3S
Vincent's NT Word Studies
16. New (agnafou). From aj, not, and gnaptw, to card or comb wool; hence to dress or full cloth. Therefore Rev. renders more correctly undressed cloth, which would shrink when wet, and tear loose from the old piece. Wyc. renders rude. Jesus thus pictures the combination of the old forms of piety peculiar to John and his disciples with the new religious life emanating from himself, as the patching of an old garment with a piece of unfulled cloth, which would stretch and tear loose from the old fabric and make a worse rent than before.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
9:16 {Undressed cloth} (rhakous agnaphou). An unfulled, raw piece of woollen cloth that will shrink when wet and tear a bigger hole than ever. {A worse rent} (ceiron scisma). Our word "schism." The "{patch}" (plerwma, filling up) thus does more harm than good.
