Bible Commentaries

Daniel 2:4 — Verse Daniel 2:4. Then spake the Chaldeans to the king in Syriac — ארמית aramith, the language of Aram or Syria. What has been generally called the Chaldee.O king, live for ever — מלכא לעלמין חיי Malca leolmin cheyi. With these words the Chaldee part of

Amos 4:12 — Verse Amos 4:12. Therefore thus will I do unto thee — I will continue my judgments, I will fight against you; and, because I am thus determined,-Prepare to meet thy God, O Israel. — This is a military phrase, and is to be understood as a challenge to

Amos 4:13 — Verse Amos 4:13. He that formeth the mountains — Here is a powerful description of the majesty of God. He formed the earth; he created the wind; he knows the inmost thoughts of the heart; he is the Creator of darkness and light; he steps from mountain to mountain,

Jonah 3:4 — Verse Jonah 3:4. Yet forty days — Both the Septuagint and Arabic read three days. Probably some early copyist of the Septuagint, from whom our modern editions are derived, mistook the Greek numerals μ forty for γ three; or put the three days' journey in preaching

Nahum 1:4 — Verse 4. He rebuketh the sea — The Red Sea, and the rivers: probably an allusion to the passage of the Red Sea and Jordan.The description of the coming of Jehovah, from the third to the sixth verse, is dreadfully majestic. Nahum 1:3-6 He is represented

Zechariah 12:10 — bears favour to them.2. They shall be excited to fervent and continual prayer for the restoration of the Divine favour.3. Christ shall be preached unto them; and they shall look upon and believe in him whom they pierced, whom they crucified at Jerusalem.4. This shall produce deep and sincere repentance; they shall mourn, and be in bitterness of soul, to think that they had crucified the Lord of life and glory, and so long continued to contradict and blaspheme, since that time.

Zechariah 4:6 — Verse Zechariah 4:6. This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel — This prince was in a trying situation, and he needed especial encouragement from God; and here it is:Not by might, (of thy own,) nor by power, (authority from others,) but by my Spirit - the providence,

Zechariah 4:7 — Verse Zechariah 4:7. O great mountain? — The hinderances which were thrown in the way; the regal prohibition to discontinue the building of the temple.Before Zerubbabel - a plain — The sovereign power of God shall remove them. March on, Zerubbabel; all shall

Malachi 1:3 — And I hated Esau — I have shown him less love; Genesis 29:30-31. I comparatively hated him by giving him an inferior lot. And now, I have not only laid waste the dwelling-place of the Edomites, by the incursions of their enemies; but (Malachi 1:4) they shall remain the perpetual monuments of my vengeance. On the subject of loving Jacob and hating Esau, see the notes on Genesis 27:21-46, and Romans 9:13. Let it be remembered,1. That there is not a word spoken here concerning the eternal state

Matthew 17:10 — on the mount, Peter, James, and John.Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come? — As the disciples saw that Elijah returned to heaven, knowing the tradition of the elders, and the prophecy on which the tradition was founded, Malachi 4:5-6, Behold I send you Elijah the prophet, before the great and terrible day of the Lord shall come; and he shall turn the hearts, &c., it was natural enough for them to inquire what the meaning of the tradition, and the intention of the prophecy,

Mark 1:4 — Verse Mark 1:4. John — The original name is nearly lost in the Greek ιωαννης, and in the Latin Johannes, and almost totally so in the English John. The original name is יהוחנן Yehochanan, compounded of יהוה חנן Yehovah chanan, the grace or mercy of Jehovah:

Mark 2:4 — Verse Mark 2:4. They uncovered the roof — The houses in the east are generally made flat-roofed, that the inhabitants may have the benefit of taking the air on them; they are also furnished with battlements round about, Deuteronomy 22:8; Judges 16:27; and 2

Luke 24:51 — Verse Luke 24:51. Carried up into heaven. — ανεφερετο - into that heaven from which he had descended, John 1:18; John 3:13. This was forty days after his resurrection, Acts 1:3, during which time he had given the most convincing proofs of that resurrection,

John 2:13 — This was the reason why he stayed but a few days at Capernaum, John 2:12, as he wished to be present at the celebration of this feast at Jerusalem.This was the first passover after Christ's baptism. The second is mentioned, Luke 6:1. The third, John 6:4. And the fourth, which was that at which he was crucified, John 11:55. From which it appears,1. That our blessed Lord continued his public ministry about three years and a half, according to the prophecy of Daniel, Daniel 9:27. And,2. That, having been

John 5:33 — extraordinary man.2. He is perfectly free from all self-interest, having declined making the least advantage by his own reputation.3. He is sincere, undaunted, and so averse from all kinds of flattery that he reproves Herod at the hazard of his liberty and life.4. He was so far from being solicited by Christ to give his testimony that he had not even seen him when he gave it. See John 1:19-28.

Acts 4:10 — Verse Acts 4:10. By the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth — This was a very bold declaration in the presence of such an assembly; but he felt he stood on good ground. The cure of the lame man the day before was notorious; his long infirmity was well known;

Romans 2:4 — Verse Romans 2:4. Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness — Wilt thou render of none effect that marked benevolence of God towards thee which has given so many superior advantages, and that forbearance which has tolerated thy many miscarriages, and that long-suffering

Romans 4:10 — Verse Romans 4:10. How was it then reckoned? — In what circumstances was Abraham when this blessing was bestowed upon him? When he was circumcised, or before?Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision. — Faith was reckoned to Abraham for justification,

Romans 4:13 — Verse Romans 4:13. For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world — This promise intimated that he should be the medium through whom the mercy of God should be communicated to the world, to both Jews and Gentiles; and the manner in which he was justified,

Galatians 4:3 — Verse Galatians 4:3. Even so we — The whole Jewish people were in a state of nonage while under the law.The elements of the world — A mere Jewish phrase, יסודי עולם הזה yesodey olam hazzeh, "the principles of this world;" that is, the rudiments or principles