But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.
Albert Barnes
Blessed are your eyes ... That is, you are happy that you are permitted to see truth which they will not see. You are permitted to understand the spiritual meaning of the parables, and in some degree the plan of salvation.
that many prophets, and righteous men Luke (10:24) says "kings"
Many prophets and righteous men ... They wished to see the times of the Messiah. They looked to it as a time when the hopes of the world would be fulfilled and when the righteous would be happy, Abraham rejoiced to see my day ... (Jn 8:56). Compare also 1 Pet 1:10-12, Heb 11:13. So Isaiah and the prophets looked forward to the coming of the Messiah as the consummation of their wishes and the end of the prophecies, Rev 19:10. The object always dearest to the hearts of all righteous people is to witness the coming and advancement of the kingdom of Christ. Cf Rev 22:20.
John Gill
But blessed are your eyes, etc .... Which is to be understood both of corporal and intellectual sight: it was their happiness to see Christ in the flesh and converse with him in person, be eyewitnesses of his majesty and see with their own eyes the miracles ... the proofs and attestations of those doctrines they were to publish to all the world; and it was still their greater happiness, that they saw his glory, as the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth: many saw him in the flesh ... with their bodily eyes, but saw no beauty nor comeliness ... nothing amiable and desirable ... but these saw his personal and transcendent glories, as the Son of God, his fullness as mediator, his suitableness as a Saviour and Redeemer and all the characters of the Messiah in him; and so believed, and were sure that he was the Christ, the Son of the living God: they saw Christ, not in the promise, as Abraham and other patriarchs ... through types and shadows as the saints of the OT ... to them it was given to know and understand the mysteries of grace, respecting the person, offices, obedience, sufferings and death of Christ.
And your ears, etc. This also must be understood of corporal and intellectual hearing, another branch of their present happiness. They heard the words of truth from the lips of that great prophet Moses said should rise up among them ... whom they should hear ... heard ... a voice from heaven, declaring him to be the beloved Son of God, in whom he was well pleased ... heard the gospel preached by him, not only so as to be affected with it and give their assent to it but also to understand it spiritually and experimentally, and to bring forth the fruit of it; and so were that sort of hearers, signified by the good ground in the parable .... the forms of speech in which the happiness of the disciples is here expressed seem to be in common use with the Jews, when they would extol the peculiar attainments of a man ....
For verily I say etc .... This is added for the further confirmation of what is before said, concerning the happiness of the disciples, in seeing and hearing what they did: that many prophets, and righteous men Luke (10:24) says "kings"
have desired to see those things which ye see, etc To see Christ in the flesh, and have a clearer insight into the knowledge of the mysteries of grace, were things very desirable to men of the highest class in church and state, and of the best characters, such as Abraham (Jn 8:56) Jacob (Gn 49:18) David (Ps 14:7) ... Isaiah, and the saints with him (25:9) with many others. These indeed had a sight of Christ, but a very distant one; they saw him afar off in the promises and prophecies of him; and not very clearly, but through dark types and cloudy sacrifices; whereas the disciples saw him in person, heard him preach, took in the evidence of his miracles, and felt the power of his doctrines, and spiritually and savingly understood them. ....
Matthew Henry
For the exciting of our thankfulness, and the quickening of our diligence, it is good for us to consider what means we enjoy and what discoveries are made to us, now under the gospel, above what they had, and enjoyed, who lived under the OT dispensation, especially in the revelation of the atonement for sin; see what are the advantages of the NT above the OT ... and see that our improvements be proportionable to our advantages.
