Bible Commentaries

Psalms 43:4 — Verse Psalms 43:4. Then will I go unto the altar — When thy light - a favourable turn on our affairs, leads us to the land of our fathers, and thy truth - the fulfillment of thy gracious promises, has placed us again at the door of thy tabernacles, then will we go to thy altar, and joyfully offer those sacrifices and offerings which thy law requires, and rejoice in thee with exceeding great joy.

Proverbs 21:4 — Verse Proverbs 21:4. A high look — The evidence of pride, self-conceit, and vanity. A proud heart, from which the high look, c., come.And the ploughing — נר ner, lucerna, the lamp, the prosperity and posterity of the wicked is sin - it is evil in the seed, and evil in the root, evil in the branch, and evil in the fruit. They are full of sin themselves, and what they do is sinful.

Proverbs 3:34 — Verse Proverbs 3:34. Surely he scorneth the scorners; but he giveth grace unto the lowly. — The Septuagint has Κυριος ὑπερηφανοις αντιτασσεται, ταπεινοις δε διδωσι χαριν. The Lord resisteth the proud; but giveth grace to the humble. These words are quoted by St. Peter, 1 Peter 5:5, and by St. James, James 4:6, just as they stand in the Septuagint, with the change of ὁ Θεος, God, for Κυριος, the Lord.

Proverbs 6:30 — Verse Proverbs 6:30. Men do not despise a thief if he steal — Every man pities the poor culprit who was perishing for lack of food, and stole to satisfy his hunger; yet no law clears him: he is bound to make restitution; in some cases double, in others quadruple and quintuple; and if he have not property enough to make restitution, to be sold for a bondsman; Exodus 22:1-4; Leviticus 25:39.

Isaiah 26:4 — Verse Isaiah 26:4. In the Lord JEHOVAH - "In JEHOVAH"] In JAH JEHOVAH, Heb.; but see Houbigant, and Isaiah 12:2.Everlasting strength — צור עולמים tsur olamim, "the rock of ages;" or, according to Rab. Maimon, - the eternal Fountain, Source, or Spring. Does not this refer to the lasting streams from the rock in the desert? And that rock was Christ. ge han hoped in the Lord fro the everlastinge worldis. - Old MS. BIBLE.

Jeremiah 11:2 — Verse Jeremiah 11:2. Hear ye the words of this covenant — It is possible that the prophet caused the words of the covenant made with their fathers in the desert (Exodus 24:4-8) to be read to them on this occasion; or, at least, the blessings and the cursings which Moses caused to be pronounced to the people as soon as they had set foot in Canaan, Deuteronomy 27:1-68.

Jeremiah 4:17 — Verse Jeremiah 4:17. As keepers of a field — In the eastern countries grain is often sown in the open country; and, when nearly ripe, guards are placed at different distances round about it to preserve it from being plundered. Jerusalem was watched, like one of these fields, by guards all round about it; so that none could enter to give assistance, and none who wished to escape were permitted to go out.

Ezekiel 17:3 — Verse Ezekiel 17:3. A great eagle — Nebuchadnezzar. See Jeremiah 48:40; Jeremiah 49:22; Daniel 7:4. And see here, Ezekiel 17:12, where it is so applied.Great wings — Extensive empire.Long-winged — Rapid in his conquests.Full of feathers — Having multitudes of subjects.Divers colours — People of various nations.Came unto Lebanon — Came against Judea.The highest branch — King Jehoiachin he took captive to Babylon.The cedar — The Jewish state and king.

Daniel 4:37 — Verse Daniel 4:37. Now I - praise and extol — It is very probable that Nebuchadnezzar was a true convert; that he relapsed no more into idolatry, and died in the faith of the God of Israel. It is supposed that he lived seventeen years after his restoration. But the authorized Version, which is followed in the margin, states the date of this decree to be B.C. 563, the year preceding Nebuchadnezzar's death.

Hosea 4:18 — Verse Hosea 4:18. Their drink is sour — Or rather, he is gone after their wine. The enticements of idolatry have carried them away.Her rulers with shame do love — Rather, have loved shame; they glory in their abominations.Give ye. — Perhaps it would be better to read, Her rulers have committed, &c. They have loved gifts. What a shame! These were their rulers, literally, their shields. Justice and judgment were perverted.

Matthew 15:4 — Verse Matthew 15:4. Honour thy father and mother — This word was taken in great latitude of meaning among the Jews: it not only meant respect and submission, but also to take care of a person, to nourish and support him, to enrich. See Numbers 22:17; Judges 13:17; 1 Timothy 5:17. And that this was the sense of the law, as it respected parents, see Deuteronomy 27:16, and Exodus 20:12.

Matthew 21:4 — Verse Matthew 21:4. All this was done — The word all, in this clause, is omitted by some MSS., versions, and fathers.Which was spoken — The Spirit of God, which predicted those things that concerned the Messiah, took care to have them literally fulfilled:1. To show the truth of prophecy in general; and,2. To designate Christ as the person intended by that prophecy.See the note on Matthew 2:23.

Matthew 26:6 — Verse Matthew 26:6. In Bethany — For a solution of the difficulties in this verse, about the time of the anointing, see the observations at the end of this chapter.Simon the LEPER] This was probably no more than a surname, as Simon the CANAANITE, Matthew 10:4, and Barsabas JUSTUS, Acts 1:23, and several others. Yet it might have been some person that Christ had healed of this disease. See Matthew 11:5.

Matthew 28:4 — Verse Matthew 28:4. The keepers - became as dead men.] God can, by one and the same means, comfort his servants, and terrify his enemies. The resurrection of Christ is a subject of terror to the servants of sin, and a subject of consolation to the sons of God; because it is a proof of the resurrection of both, the one to shame and everlasting contempt-the other to eternal glory and joy.

Mark 11:16 — Verse Mark 11:16. Should carry any vessel — Among the Jews the word keli, vessel, had a vast latitude of meaning; it signified arms, Jeremiah 21:4; Ezekiel 9:1; clothes, Deuteronomy 22:5, and instruments of music, Psalms 71:22. It is likely that the evangelist uses the Greek word σκευος in the same sense, and by it points out any of the things which were bought and sold in the temple.

Luke 10:4 — Verse Luke 10:4. Carry neither purse nor scrip — Matthew 10:9, c., and Mark 6:8; Mark 6:8, &c.Salute no man by the way. — According to a canon of the Jews, a man who was about any sacred work was exempted from all civil obligations for the time forasmuch as obedience to God was of infinitely greater consequence than the cultivation of private friendships, or the returning of civil compliments.

Luke 23:4 — Verse Luke 23:4. I find no fault in this man. — According to John 18:36; John 18:38, Pilate did not say this till after our Lord had declared to him that his kingdom was not of this world; and probably not till after he had found, on examining witnesses, (Luke 23:14,) that all their evidence amounted to no proof, of his having set up himself for a temporal king. See Bishop PEARCE.

Acts 4:16 — Verse Acts 4:16. A notable miracle hath been done — A miracle has been wrought, and this miracle is known, and acknowledged to be such; all Jerusalem knew that he was lame-lame from his birth, and that he had long begged at the Beautiful gate of the temple; and now all Jerusalem knew that he was healed; and there was no means by which such a self-evident fact could be disproved.

Galatians 4:2 — Verse Galatians 4:2. But is under tutors — επιτροπους. Guardians and governors; οικονομους. those who have the charge of the family. These words are nearly similar; but we may consider the first as executor, the last as the person who superintends the concerns of the family and estate till the heir become of age; such as we call trustee.Until the time appointed of the father. — The time mentioned in the father's will or testament.

Hebrews 4:5 — Verse Hebrews 4:5. And in this place again — In the ninety-fifth Psalm, already quoted, Psalms 95:3. This was a second rest which the Lord promised to the believing, obedient seed of Abraham; and as it was spoken of in the days of David, when the Jews actually possessed this long promised Canaan, therefore it is evident that that was not the rest which God intended, as the next verse shows.