John Gill Bible Commentary

He is like a man which built an house,.... That is, intended to build one, having drawn the scheme of it in his mind, and provided materials, and fixed upon the spot of ground: and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock; that is, he dug deep in the earth, till he came at a rock, and there, and then, he laid the foundation of his house; in which he acted the part of a wise man, as he is called in Matthew: so a sensible sinner, desirous of building his soul, and the salvation of it, on a sure bottom, digs deep into the Scriptures, diligently searches them, till he finds out the scheme of salvation by Christ; which lies deep in God's counsel and covenant, was ordained before the world began, and was hid in God till revealed in the Gospel: and finding Christ to be the rock of ages, in whom is everlasting strength, and the foundation which God has laid, nor is there another; he makes use of him as such, and builds the hope of his eternal salvation on him: and when the flood arose; an inundation, a multitude of waters, the swelling of the sea; or rather "when it was tide", as the word here used signifies (k): the stream beat vehemently upon the house; or the river, up which the tide came, dashed and broke against it; by which may be signified the temptations of Satan, the persecutions of the world, the corruptions of men's hearts, and the errors and heresies of false teachers: and could not shake it; as none of these can so shake as to move a soul, thus built on Christ, off of him the foundation: for it was founded upon a rock; See Gill on Mat 7:24. See Gill on Mat 7:25. (k) Vid. Rivinum de Venilia Salacia, &c. p. 681, 632.