Bible Commentaries

Isaiah 22:3 — Verse Isaiah 22:3. All thy rulers - are bound by the archers - "All thy leaders - are fled from the bow"] There seems to be somewhat of an inconsistency in the sense according to the present reading. If the leaders were bound, אסרו usseru, how could they flee away? for

Isaiah 41:14 — Verse Isaiah 41:14. Fear not, thou worm Jacob — In the rabbinical commentary on the five books of Moses, Yelamedenu, it is asked, Why are the Israelites called a worm? To signify, that as the worm does not smite, that is, gnaw the cedars, but with its mouth, which is very tender, yet it nevertheless destroys the hard wood; so all the strength of the Israelites is in prayer, by which they smite the wicked of this world, though strong like the cedars, to which they are compared, Ezekiel 31:3.

Isaiah 55:3 — Verse Isaiah 55:3. I will make an everlasting covenant — Heb. אכרתה לכם ברית עולם echrethah lachem berith olam, "I will cut the old or everlasting covenant sacrifice with you." That covenant sacrifice which was pointed out of old from the very beginning; and which

Jeremiah 29:32 — Verse Jeremiah 29:32. I will punish Shemaiah —1. He shall have no posterity to succeed him.2. His family, i.e., relations, c., shall not be found among those whom I shall bring back from captivity.3. Nor shall he himself see the good that I shall do for my people.And all this shall come upon him and his because he hath taught rebellion against the Lord. He excited the people to reject Jeremiah, and to receive the lying words of the false prophets and these led them to rebel.

Jeremiah 42:1 — CHAPTER XLII Johanan and the remnant of the people desire Jeremiah to ask counsel of God what they should do, 1-3. The prophet assures them of safety in Judea, but destruction in Egypt, 4-18; and reproves their hypocrisy in asking counsel with which they had no intention to comply, 19-22. NOTES ON CHAP. XLIIVerse Jeremiah 42:1. The captains of the forces — The different leaders of the small bands or companies, collected from different parts of the land. The principal are those here named.

Jeremiah 43:6 — Verse Jeremiah 43:6. Men, and women, and children, and the king's daughters — See the note on Jeremiah 41:10. It is truly surprising that the Chaldeans should have left behind any of the royal family of Judah! But,1. Perhaps they knew not there were any.2. If they did know, they might think, being children of concubines, they could not inherit. Or,3. That being females, they were not eligible. And they had taken care to seize all Zedekiah's sons, and slay them before his eyes.

Jeremiah 51:27 — Jeremiah 51:27. Set ye up a standard — Another summons to the Medes and Persians to attack Babylon.Ararat, Minni — The Greater and Lesser Armenia.And Ashchenaz — A part of Phrygia, near the Hellespont. So Bochart, Phaleg, lib. i. c. 3, lib. iii. c. 9. Concerning Ashchenaz Homer seems to speak, Il. ii. 370, 371: - Φορκυς αυ Φρυγας ηγε, και Ασκανιος θεοειδης, Τηλ' εξ Ασκανιης. "Ascanius, godlike youth, and Phorcys led The Phrygians from Ascania's distant land." Calmet thinks that

Jeremiah 51:39 — Verse Jeremiah 51:39. In their heat I will make their feasts — It was on the night of a feast day, while their hearts were heated with wine and revelry, that Babylon was taken; see Daniel 5:1-3. This feast was held in honour of the goddess Sheshach, (or perhaps of Bel,) who is mentioned, Jeremiah 51:41, as being taken with her worshippers. As it was in the night the city was taken, many had retired to rest, and never awoke; slain in their beds, they slept a perpetual sleep.

Lamentations 4:3 — Verse Lamentations 4:3. Even the sea monsters draw out the breast — The whales give suck to their young ones. The word תנין tannin, signifies all large and cruel creatures, whether aquatic or terrestrial; and need not here be restrained to the former sort. My Old MS.

Ezekiel 12:22 — days, or will wholly fail; why then should we disquiet ourselves about them?" Strange, that the very means used by the most gracious God to bring sinners to repentance, should be made by them the very instruments of their own destruction! See 2 Peter 3:4.

Amos 2:9 — Verse Amos 2:9. Yet destroyed I the Amorite — Here follow general heads of God's mercies to them, and the great things he had done for them.1. Bringing them out of Egypt.2. Miraculously sustaining them in the wilderness forty years.3. Driving out the Canaanites before them, and giving them possession of the promised land.4. Raising up prophets among them to declare the Divine will.5. And forming the holy institution of the Nazarites among them, to show the spiritual nature of his

Amos 3:6 — Verse Amos 3:6. Shall a trumpet be blown — The sign of alarm and invasion.And the people not be afraid? — Not take the alarm, and provide for their defence and safety?Shall there be evil in a city — Shall there be any public calamity on the wicked,

Amos 8:3 — Verse Amos 8:3. The songs of the temple — Instead of שירות shiroth, songs, Houbigant reads שורות shoroth, the singing women; and Newcome follows him: "And the singing women of the palace shall howl in that day." Instead of joyous songs, they shall have nothing

Nahum 3:15 — Verse Nahum 3:15. Make thyself many as the cankerworm — On the locusts, and their operations in their various states, see the notes on Joel 2:2. The multitudes, successive swarms, and devastation occasioned by locusts, is one of the most expressive similes

Malachi 2:10 — Verse Malachi 2:10. Have we not all one Father? — From this to Malachi 2:16 the prophet censures the marriages of Israelites with strange women, which the law had forbidden, Deuteronomy 7:3. And also divorces, which seem to have been multiplied for the purpose of contracting these prohibited marriages.-Newcome.Why do we deal treacherously — Gain the affections of the daughter of a brother Jew, and then profane the covenant of marriage,

Malachi 3:10 — Verse Malachi 3:10. Bring ye all the tithes — They had so withheld these that the priests had not food enough to support life, and the sacred service was interrupted. See Nehemiah 13:10.And prove me now herewith — What ye give to God shall never lessen

Malachi 3:15 — Verse Malachi 3:15. And now we call the proud happy — Proud and insolent men are the only happy people, for they domineer everywhere, and none dares to resist them.They that work wickedness are set up — The humble and holy are depressed and miserable; the

Matthew 10:3 — Verse Matthew 10:3. Bartholomew — Many are of opinion that this was Nathanael, mentioned John 1:46, whose name was probably Nathanael bar Talmai, Nathanael, the son of Talmai: here, his own name is repressed, and he is called Bar Talmai, or Bartholomew, from his

Matthew 17:2 — glorious resurrection body, in which they should exist in the presence of God to eternity.White as the light. — But the Cod. Bezae, some of the ancient versions, and several of the fathers, read ως χιων, as snow; and this is the reading in Mark 9:3.

Mark 11:3 — Verse Mark 11:3. And straightway he will send him hither. — From the text, I think it is exceedingly plain, that our Lord did not beg, but borrow, the colt; therefore the latter clause of this verse should be understood as the promise of returning him. Is not