161 And the Pharisees and Sadducees came and, testing him, made a request to him to give them a sign from heaven. 2 But in answer he said to them, At nightfall you say, The weather will be good, for the sky is red. 3 And in the morning, The weather will be bad today, for the sky is red and angry. You are able to see the face of heaven, but not the signs of the times. 4 An evil and false generation is searching after a sign; and no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah. And he went away from them.
5 And when the disciples came to the other side they had not taken thought to get bread. 6 And Jesus said to them, Take care to have nothing to do with the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. 7 And they were reasoning among themselves, saying, We took no bread. 8 And Jesus, seeing it, said, O you of little faith, why are you reasoning among yourselves, because you have no bread? 9 Do you still not see, or keep in mind the five cakes of bread of the five thousand, and the number of baskets you took up? 10 Or the seven cakes of bread of the four thousand, and the number of baskets you took up? 11 How is it that you do not see that I was not talking to you about bread, but about keeping away from the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees? 12 Then they saw that it was not the leaven of bread which he had in mind, but the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Matthew 16:1-12
Commentary on Matthew 16:1-4
(Read Matthew 16:1-4)
The Pharisees and Sadducees were opposed to each other in principles and in conduct; yet they joined against Christ. But they desired a sign of their own choosing: they despised those signs which relieved the necessity of the sick and sorrowful, and called for something else which would gratify the curiosity of the proud. It is great hypocrisy, when we slight the signs of God's ordaining, to seek for signs of our own devising.
Commentary on Matthew 16:5-12
(Read Matthew 16:5-12)
Christ speaks of spiritual things under a similitude, and the disciples misunderstand him of carnal things. He took it ill that they should think him as thoughtful about bread as they were; that they should be so little acquainted with his way of preaching. Then understood they what he meant. Christ teaches by the Spirit of wisdom in the heart, opening the understanding to the Spirit of revelation in the word.