The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity (May 30, 2021) Mat 28:16-20

The Great Commission

16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them.

Afterward he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen. MAR 16:14

And the Lord said to Moses, “How long will this people despise me? And how long will they not believe in me, in spite of all the signs that I have done among them?” NUM 14:11

Rashi

How long—Until when.

Despise me—Heb. יְנַאֲצֻנִי, anger me.

In spite of all the signs—In spite of all the signs that I have done for them they ought to have believed that I possess the ability to fulfill my promise.

Yet in spite of this word you did not believe the Lord your God, DEU 1:32

Rashi

Yet in spite of this word that he promised you to bring you to the land, you did not believe in him.

17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted.

Kiss the Son,

lest he be angry, and you perish in the way,

for his wrath is quickly kindled.

Blessed are all who take refuge in him. PSA 2:12

Sanhedrin 92a:1

“The people [leom] curse him [yikkevuhu], but a blessing is on the head of him who provides” (Pro 11:26). And the term leom is referring to nothing other than fetuses, as it is stated: “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you shall be divided; the one leom shall overcome the other leom” (Gen 25:23). And kabbo is referring to nothing other than curse, as it is stated in the statement of Balaam: “How can I curse one who is not cursed [kabbo] by God?” (Num 23:8). And bar is referring to nothing other than the law, as it is stated: “Pay homage to bar lest he be angry” (Psa 2:12), i.e., observe the law to avoid God’s wrath.

40 You shall be over my house, and all my people shall order themselves as you command. Only as regards the throne will I be greater than you.

Rashi

יִשַׁק—The Targum renders it by יִתְּזַּן which means shall order themselves—All my people’s needs shall be provided through you. Similar are (15:2) “the heir of my house (בֶּן מֶשֶׁק),” and (Psa 2:12) “Kiss (נַשְׁקוּ) the Son” old French garnis(s) on.

Only as regards the throne—That I will be called king.

The throne is a term for royal rank, like (1Ki 1:37) “and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord King David.”

43 And he made him ride in his second chariot. And they called out before him, “Bow the knee!” Thus he set him over all the land of Egypt.

Bava Batra 4a:5

The Gemara explains: What is the meaning of the word reikha? It denotes royalty, as it is written: “I was today a tender [rakh] and anointed king” (2Sa 3:39). And if you wish, say that the meaning of the word is learned from here, from the term describing Joseph after he was appointed viceroy to the king: “And they called out before him, ‘Avrekh’ ” (Gen 41:43).

Rashi

מִרְכֶּבֶת הַמִשְׁנֶה means—the chariot second in order to his chariot—that which drove next to his own.

Bow the knee—Render this as the Targum does: Bow the knee. The word in Aramaic (some editions read in Latin) means king (rex). In the chapter beginning with“The partners” (Bava Batra 4a) we have: “neither a noble nor the son of a noble.” In the Aggadah (Sifrei Devarim 1:1) Rabbi Judah explained: Joseph was “a father” in wisdom and “tender” in years. Whereupon Rabbi Jose said to him: “How much longer will you pervert for us the meaning of Scripture? The word is only a term denoting knees, for all came in and went forth only by his permission, just as it states “thus he set him, etc.”

44 Moreover, Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, and without your consent no one shall lift up hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.” GEN 41:40, 43-44

Rashi

I am Pharaoh—I have the power to enact a decree upon my kingdom, and I decree that no one should raise his hand, etc.

And without your consent—I.e., without your permission. Another explanation: I shall be king, and without your consent etc. It is exactly similar in meaning to (v. 40) “only as regards the throne.”

Hand or foot—Understand it as the Targum does: no man shall raise his hand to gird on a sword or raise his foot to mount a horse.

Sotah 36b:19

Rabbi Hiyya bar Abba says that Rabbi Yohanan says: When Pharaoh said to Joseph: “And without your consent no one shall lift up hand or foot in all the land of Egypt” (Gen 41:44), Pharaoh’s astrologers said: You will appoint a slave whose master bought him for twenty silver coins to rule over us? He said to them: I perceive royal characteristics in him and see that he was not initially a slave.

that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. JOH 5:23

18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

20 Of old you spoke in a vision to your godly one, and said:

“I have granted help to one who is mighty;

I have exalted one chosen from the people.”

Rashi

To your godly one—Nathan the prophet and Gad the seer.

“I have granted help”—On David, to help him constantly.

28 And I will make him the firstborn,

the highest of the kings of the earth. PSA 89:20, 28

Rashi

Will make him the firstborn—I will make him great.

1 The Lord says to my Lord:

“Sit at my right hand,

until I make your enemies your footstool.”

Rashi

The Lord says to my Lord—Our Rabbis interpreted it as referring to Abraham our father, and I shall explain it according to their words (Mid. Psa 110:1): The Lord says to Abraham, whom the world called “my Lord,” as it is written (Gen 23:6): “Hearken to us, my master.”

“Sit at my right hand”—Wait for my salvation and hope for the Lord. The root ישיבה means only waiting, as Scripture states (Deu 1:46): “So you stayed (ותשבו) at Kadesh for many days.”

At my right hand—At the salvation of my right hand.

Until I make your enemies—Amraphel and his allies.

7 Your throne, O God, is forever and ever.

The scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of uprightness;

Rashi

Your throne, O God—Your throne, O prince and God, shall exist forever and ever, as the matter that is stated (Exo 7:1): “I have made you a judge to Pharaoh.” And why? Because “a scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of uprightness,” that your judgments are true, and you are fit to govern.

8 you have loved righteousness and hated wickedness.

Therefore God, your God, has anointed you

with the oil of gladness beyond your companions; PSA 45:7-8

Rashi

Anointed you with the oil of gladness—Every expression of greatness is depicted by the anointment of oil, as is the custom of the kings.

2 The Lord sends forth from Zion

your mighty scepter.

Rule in the midst of your enemies!

John Gill

The Lord sends forth from Zion your mighty scepter—His royal and powerful scepter, called the scepter of righteousness (Psa 45:7), and is no other than the gospel, the power of God to salvation; and which is mighty through him, for the reducing souls to the obedience of Christ; when it comes with power, and works effectually. This was first preached in Zion, or Jerusalem, and went out from thence into all parts of the world; the first ministers of it had their commission there, and were sent from thence to publish it all over the world; see Isa 2:3; Luk 24:47; Act 1:4; 8:4, by means of which the kingdom of Christ was set up and spread in the world; with this scepter in his hand, he went forth with his ministers, conquering and to conquer (Rev 6:2). The Jews own this scepter to be a scepter in the hand of the Messiah, which they seem to understand literally; and have a fabulous notion of its being the same that Jacob, Judah, Moses, Aaron, David, and so every king of Judah, had, down to the destruction of the temple: the Targum in the king’s Bible is,

“the Word of the Lord shall send”

the essential Word.

Rule in the midst of your enemies—Or, “you shall rule,” as the Targum and Arabic version; in the hearts of those who, in their unregenerate state, are enemies: but the arrows of his word being sharp in them, they are brought to submit to him; the everlasting doors are caused to open; he enters in, takes possession of their hearts, and rules there. Or this may be understood of his church in the world, which is his kingdom, and lies surrounded with enemies on all hands; but, in spite of them, and all their opposition, he will support his kingdom and interest.

Rashi

The Lord sends forth from Zion your mighty scepter—When you return from the war and your men are weary and in pursuit, the Lord will send you Melchizedek king of Salem, to bring out bread and wine (Gen 14:14).

Scepter—This is an expression of support, as (above 105:16): “all supply of bread.”

Rule in the war.

In the midst of your enemies safely.

3 Your people will offer themselves freely

on the day of your power,

in holy garments;

from the womb of the morning,

the dew of your youth will be yours. PSA 110:1-3

32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David,

33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end. LUK 1:32-33

19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

28 All the ends of the earth shall remember

and turn to the Lord,

and all the families of the nations

shall worship before you.

Rashi

Shall remember and turn to the Lord—The nations shall remember the evil that befell us when they see the good and turn to the Lord.

29 For kingship belongs to the Lord,

and he rules over the nations. PSA 22:28-29

Rashi

For kingship belongs to the Lord—For they will see that the kingship and the rule has returned to you.

16 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him;

17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” MAT 3:16-17

20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

2 The Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, and he was in the house of his Egyptian master.

3 His master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord caused all that he did to succeed in his hands.

Rashi

That the Lord was with him—The name of God was a familiar word in his mouth (Midrash Tanchuma, Vayeshev 8).

21 But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. GEN 39:2-3, 21

Rashi

And showed him steadfast love—So that he was liked by all who saw him. We have the expression חָסֶד in a like sense in the Mishnah: “a handsome bride liked by all (וַחִסוּדָה)” (Ketubot 17a).

39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels.

40 Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age.

49 So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous MAT 13:39-40, 49