And the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and to test him they asked him to show them a sign from heaven.
Matthew 16:1. And the Pharisees came. Mark says that they began to dispute, from which we may conjecture that, when they had been vanquished in argument, this was their last resource; as obstinate men, whenever they are reduced to extremities, to avoid being compelled to yield to the truth, are accustomed to introduce something which is foreign to the subject.
The Pharisees and Sadducees, enemies to each other, unite against Christ because His doctrine tears down both their errors and their pride. They demand a sign of their choosing, despising the miracles already given that relieved the sick and sorrowful. They want proof tailored to their vanity, not to truth.
AI summary
Commenting on Matthew 16:1-4
MATTHEW CHAPTER 16 Verses 1-4. See also . The Pharisees also with the Saducees. . Tempting. That is, trying him --feigning a desire to see evidence that he was the Messiah, but with a real desire to see him make the attempt to work a miracle and fail, that they might betray and ruin him. A sign from heaven. Some miraculous appearance in the sky.