Bible Commentaries

Matthew 17:15 — Verse Matthew 17:15. My son - is lunatic — σεληνιαζεται. One who was most affected with this disorder at the change and full of the moon. Matthew 4:24. But this lunacy was occasioned by a demon, see Matthew 17:18, and Mark 9:17; Luke 9:38. In this case, the devil intended to hide himself under the appearance of a natural disorder, that no supernatural means might be resorted to for his expulsion.

Matthew 18:22 — Verse Matthew 18:22. Seventy times seven. — There is something very remarkable in these words, especially if collated with Genesis 4:24, where the very same words are used-"If any man kill LAMECH, he shall be avenged seventy times seven." The just God punishes sin in an exemplary manner. Sinful man, who is exposed to the stroke of Divine justice, should be abundant in forgiveness,

Matthew 18:3 — privileges of my spiritual and eternal kingdom. The name of this kingdom should put you in mind of its nature. -1. The KING is heavenly;2. His SUBJECTS are heavenly-minded;3. Their COUNTRY is heavenly, for they are strangers and pilgrims upon earth;4. The GOVERNMENT of this kingdom is wholly spiritual and divine.See on Matthew 3:2.And become as little children — i.e. Be as truly without worldly ambition, and the lust of power, as little children are, who act among themselves as if all were

Matthew 19:16 — (Mark 10:17,) for he was deeply convinced of the importance of his business, and seriously determined to seek so as to find.2. He kneeled, or caught him by the knees, thus evidencing his humility, and addressing himself only to mercy. See Matthew 17:14.3. He came in the spirit of a disciple, or scholar, desiring to be taught a matter of the utmost importance to him - Good teacher.4. He came in the spirit of obedience he had worked hard to no purpose, and he is still willing to work, provided he can

Matthew 8:31 — Vulgate. Send us away seems to express more fully the absolute power Jesus Christ had over them - permission alone was not sufficient; the very power by which they were to go away, must come from Christ himself! How vain was the boast of Satan, Matthew 4:9, when we find he could not possess the body of one of the vilest animals that God has made, without immediate authority from the Most High! Since a demon cannot enter even into a swine without being sent by God himself, how little is the power or

Matthew 9:1 — CHAPTER IX. Christ heals a paralytic person at Capernaum, 1-8. Calls Matthew, 9-10. Eats with publicans and sinners, at which the Pharisees are offended, and he vindicates his conduct, 11, 12. The disciples of John come to him and inquire about fasting, 14-17. A ruler requests him to heal his daughter, 18, 19. On his road to the ruler's house, he heals a diseased woman, 20-22. Arriving at the ruler's house, he restores the young woman to life, 23-26. Heals two blind men, 27-31. Casts out a dumb demon,

Mark 13:1 — CHAPTER XIII. Jesus predicts the destruction of the temple, 1, 2. His disciples inquire when this shall be, and what previous sign there shall be of this calamity, 3, 4; which questions he answers very solemnly and minutely, 5-27; illustrates the whole by a parable, 28, 29; asserts the absolute certainty of the events, 30, 31; shows that the precise minute cannot be known by man, 32; and inculcates the necessity of

Mark 16:1 — CHAPTER XVI. Early in the morning after the Sabbath, the three Marys come to the sepulchre, bringing sweet spices to embalm the body, 1-4. They see an angel who announces the resurrection of our Lord, 5-8. Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene, who goes and tells the disciples, 9-11. He appears also to the two disciples who were going into the country, who also tell it to the rest, 12, 13.

Mark 16:6 — Mark 16:6. Jesus of Nazareth — The Jews had given this name to Christ by way of reproach, Matthew 2:23; but as it was under this name that he was crucified, John 19:19, the angel here, and the apostles after, have given him the same name, Acts 4:10, c. Names which the world, in derision, fixes all the followers of God, often become the general appellatives of religious bodies: thus Quakers, Puritans, Pietists, and Methodists, have in their respective times been the nicknames, given in derision

Luke 13:5 — going on with their sacrifices, were slain, and their blood mingled with the blood of their victims and multitudes were buried under the ruins of the walls, houses, and temple. See Josephus, War, b. vi. ch. iv., v., vi.; and see the notes on Matthew 24:0.It is very wrong to suppose that those who suffer by the sword, or by natural accidents, are the most culpable before God. An adequate punishment for sin cannot be inflicted in this world: what God does here, in this way, is in general:1st, through

Luke 24:29 — eternal world! Hath the Lord Jesus taught thee by his word and Spirit to believe in him, that thou mightest be saved? Is he come into thy heart? Hast thou the witness of his Spirit that thy sin is blotted out through his blood? Romans 8:16; Galatians 4:6; 1 John 5:10-12. If thou have not, get thee to God right humbly. Jesus is about to pass by, perhaps for ever! O, constrain him, by earnest faith and prayer, to enter into thy soul, and lodge with thee! May God open THY eyes! May he stir up and inflame

John 14:6 — Verse John 14:6. I am the WAY — That leads so the Father: - the TRUTH that teaches the knowledge of God, and directs in the way: - the LIFE that animates all those who seek and serve him, and which is to be enjoyed eternally at the end of the way. Christ is

John 18:17 — Verse John 18:17. The damsel that kept the door — Caezarius, a writer quoted by Calmet, says this portress was named Ballila. It is worthy of remark that women, especially old women, were employed by the ancients as porters. In 2Sa 4:6, both the Septuagint and Vulgate make a woman porter to Ishbosheth. ARISTOPHANES, in Vespis,John 18:0v. 765, mentions them in the same office and calls them Σηκις, Sekis, which seems to signify a common maid-servant: -Ὁτι την θυραν ανεῳξεν ἡ Σηκις

John 19:39 — when they intended to show peculiar marks of respect to the deceased. A great quantity was used at the funeral of Aristobulus; and it is said that five hundred servants bearing aromatics attended the funeral of Herod: see Josephus, Ant. b. xv. c. 3, s. 4; and b. xvii. c. 8, s. 3: and fourscore pounds of spices were used at the funeral of R. Gamaliel the elder. See Wetstein in loc.

John 4:27 — Verse 27. Came his disciples — From the town, whither they went to buy food, John 4:8.Marvelled that he talked with the woman — Because it was contrary to the custom of the eastern countries; and there are many canons, among the rabbins, against it. To the present time, if a man meet even his own wife in the street, he does not

John 4:52 — Verse John 4:52. Then inquired he of them the hour — The servants, overjoyed to find their master's son so suddenly restored, set off to meet him, that they might impart to him tidings which they knew would be so very agreeable; and he, intent on having his

John 5:42 — Verse 42. But I know you, that ye have not, c.] Don't say that you oppose me through zeal for God's honour, and love for his name, because I make myself equal to him: no, this is not the case. I know the dispositions of your souls and I know ye have neither

John 6:32 — — Our Lord refutes the argument of the Jews, by proving:1. That it was not Moses, but God, who gave the manna.2. That this bread was not the true bread, but was merely a type of it.3. That God had given them now a bread infinitely more excellent.4. That himself is that heavenly nourishment of which he spake, and who was typified by the manna in the desert.To show that himself was the true bread from heaven, he proves two things:1. That his doctrine was the true nourishment of the soul, and that

Acts 10:4 — Verse Acts 10:4. Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial — Being all performed in simplicity and godly sincerity, they were acceptable to the Most High.Come up for a memorial: This form of speech is evidently borrowed from the sacrificial system

Acts 4:7 — Verse Acts 4:7. By what power, or by what name, have ye done this? — It seems that this council were convinced that the lame man was miraculously healed; but it is very likely that they believed the whole to be the effect of magic; and, as all intercourse