Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou
not
thyself?
&c.] Several charges are here brought against the Jews, even
against their teachers; for though they are put by way of
question, they are to be considered as so many assertions and
matters of fact; thus, though they taught others, they did not
teach themselves; they were blind leaders of the blind; they were
ignorant of the law, of the spirituality of it; they were
desirous to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what
they said, nor whereof they affirmed: they were ignorant of the
righteousness of God, of whom they boasted; and of the more
excellent things of Moses, and the prophets, they pretended to
explain; and of the Messiah, of whom their prophecies so much
spoke: and besides, what they did understand and teach, they did
not practise themselves; than which nothing is more shameful, or
more betrays stupidity and ignorance; for as they themselves
F2 say,
``he that teaches men, (hvey al awhv rbdb) , "that which he himself does not do", is like a blind man who has a lamp in his hand, and enlightens others, but he, himself walks in darkness.''And such teachers they own were among them.
``Beautiful (say they F3) are the words which come out of the mouths of them that do, them: Ben Assai was a beautiful preacher, but did not well observe;''i.e., to do what he said.
Thou that preach at a man should not steal, dost thou
steal?
some understand this figuratively, of stealing, or taking away
the true sense of the law, and putting a false one upon it; of
which these men were notoriously guilty: but rather, it is to be
understood literally, not only of the inward desires and motions
of their minds after this sin, and of their consenting to, and
conniving at theft and robbery, but of their doing it themselves;
who, under pretence of long prayers, "devoured widows' houses", (
Matthew 23:14 ) ( Mark 12:40 ) ( Luke 20:47 ) , plundered
and robbed them of their substance: no wonder that these men
preferred Barabbas, a thief and a robber, to Jesus Christ.