And as Jesus passed forth from there, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he said to him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him.
And as Jesus passed forth from there, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he said to him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him.
And as Jesus passed by from thence, he saw a man, called Matthew, sitting at the place of toll: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him.
And when Jesus was going from there, he saw a man whose name was Matthew, seated at the place where taxes were taken; and he said to him, Come after me. And he got up and went after him.
And as Jesus was passing from thence, he saw a man named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith to him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him.
As Jesus passed by from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax collection office. He said to him, "Follow me." He got up and followed him.
And as Jesus passed by from thence, he saw a man, called Matthew, sitting at the place of toll: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him.
Named Matthew - Generally supposed to be the same who wrote this history of our blessed Lord. Mathai signifies a gift in Syriac; probably so named by his parents as implying a gift from God.
The receipt of custom - The custom-house, τελωνιον - the place where the taxes levied by the Romans of the Jews, were collected.
Follow me - That is, become my disciple.
And he arose, and followed him - How blessed it is to be obedient to the first call of Christ - how much happiness and glory are lost by delays, though conversion at last may have taken place!
He saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom - That is, at the place where "custom," or "tribute," was received; or, in other words, he was a "publican" or tax-gatherer. See the notes at Matthew 5:47. This man was the writer of this gospel. The same account is found in Mark 2:14, and Luke 5:27-28. Both those evangelists call him "Levi." That it was the same man is known by the circumstances in which he was called being the same in all the evangelists, and by their all concurring in the statement that the Saviour was present at a feast soon after he called him, and by the fact that "Levi" is not mentioned in the catalogue of the apostles. The Jews were in the habit of giving several names to the same person. Thus Peter was also called Simon and Cephas. It is worthy of remark that Luke has mentioned a circumstance favorable to Matthew, which Matthew himself has omitted. Luke says "he left all." Had Matthew said this, it would have been a commendation of himself utterly unlike the evangelists. No men were ever further from "praising themselves" than they were.
9:9 He saw a man named Matthew - Modestly so called by himself.The other evangelists call him by his more honourable name, Levi.Sitting - In the very height of his business, at the receipt of custom - The custom house, or place where the customs were received. 2:14 ; Luke 5:27.