Bible Commentaries

Genesis 9:3 — Verse Genesis 9:3. Every moving thing - shall be meat — There is no positive evidence that animal food was ever used before the flood. Noah had the first grant of this kind, and it has been continued to all his posterity ever since. It is not likely that this

Ezekiel 8:3 — was that therefore which was called the image of jealousy.3. The Scripture often gives to the heathen idols names of degradation; as Baal-zebub, god of flies; Baal-zebul; god of dung. It is likely that it was Adonis who is called The dead, Leviticus 19:27-28; Deuteronomy 14:9, because he was worshipped as one dead. And the women represented as worshipping him were probably adulteresses, and had suffered through the jealousy of their husbands. And this worship of the image of jealousy provoked God

Hosea 12:1 — same unchangeable Jehovah) for a blessing; and to love mercy and execute justice, 3-6. Ephraim is accused of pursuing practices that are deceitful, although pretending to integrity, 7, 8. God then threatens to deprive this people of their possessions, 9, as they had rejected every means of reformation, 10, and given themselves up to gross impieties, 11. And, as an aggravation of their guilt, they are reminded from what humble beginnings they had been raised, 12, 13. The Divine judgments about to fall

Amos 2:1 — II The prophet goes on to declare the judgments of God against Moab, 1-3; against Judah, 4, 5; and then against Israel, the particular object of his mission. He enumerates some of their sins, 6-8, aggravated by God's distinguishing regard to Israel, 9-12; and they are in consequence threatened with dreadful punishments, 13-16. See 2 Kings 15:19; 2 Kings 17:6. NOTES ON CHAP. IIVerse Amos 2:1. For three transgressions of Moab and for four — See an explanation of this form Amos 1:2. The land of

Amos 9:12 — Verse Amos 9:12. That they may possess the remnant of Edom — Bp. Newcome translates this clause as follows: "That the residue of men may seek Jehovah, and all the heathen who are called by my name." Here, instead of אדום Edom, he reads אדם Adam, men or mankind,

Matthew 16:13 — asked his disciples this question, not because he was ignorant what the people thought and spoke of him; but to have the opportunity, in getting an express declaration of their faith from themselves, to confirm and strengthen them in it: but see on Luke 9:20. Some, John the Baptist, c. By this and other passages we learn, that the Pharisaic doctrine of the Metempsychosis, or transmigration of souls, was pretty general for it was upon this ground that they believed that the soul of the Baptist, or of

Matthew 2:2 — what is here called a star, some make it a meteor, others a luminous appearance like an Aurora Borealis; others a comet! There is no doubt, the appearance was very striking: but it seems to have been a simple meteor provided for the occasion. Matthew 2:9.

John 4:9 — Verse John 4:9. That thou, being a Jew — Probably the inhabitants of Judea distinguished themselves from those of Samaria by some peculiar mode of dress; and by this the Samaritan woman might have known Christ: but it is likely that our Lord spoke the Galilean

John 7:19 — Verse John 7:19. Did not Moses give you the law, c.] The scribes and Pharisees announced our Lord to the multitude as a deceiver and they grounded their calumny on this, that he was not an exact observer of the law, for he had healed a man on the Sabbath day, John

Acts 24:24 — Verse Acts 24:24. His wife Drusilla — We have already seen that Felix was thrice married: two of his wives were named Drusilla; one was a Roman, the niece or grand-daughter of Antony and Cleopatra, mentioned by Tacitus, lib. v. cap. 9. The other, the person in the text, was a Jewess, daughter to Herod Agrippa the Great. See Acts 12:1, c. When she was but six years of age, she was affianced to Epiphanes, son of Antiochus, king of Comagene, who had promised to embrace Judaism on her

Romans 8:9 — Verse Romans 8:9. But ye are not in the flesh — Ye Christians, who have believed in Christ Jesus as the sin offering which has condemned sin in the flesh; and, having been justified by faith and made partakers of the Holy Spirit, are enabled to walk in newness

1 Corinthians 15:3 — laid on the wood, in order to be sacrificed, pointed out the death of Christ; so his being brought alive on the third day from the mount was a figure of Christ's resurrection. Bishop Pearce and others refer to Matthew 12:40; Matthew 16:21; and Luke 9:22; "which two Gospels, having been written at the time when Paul wrote this epistle, were properly called by the name of the Sacred Scriptures." It might be so; but I do not know of one proof in the New Testament where its writings, or any part of

Ephesians 5:18 — filled with the Spirit — The heathen priests pretended to be filled with the influence of the god they worshipped; and it was in these circumstances that they gave out their oracles. See a remarkable instance of this quoted in the note on "Luke 9:39", where the case of a Bacchanalian is described. The apostle exhorts the Ephesians not to resemble these, but, instead of being filled with wine, to be filled with the Spirit of God; in consequence of which, instead of those discoveries of the Divine

Colossians 2:9 — Verse 9. For in him dwelleth all the fulness — This is opposed to the vain or empty doctrine of the Gentile and Jewish philosophers: there is a fulness in Christ suited to the empty, destitute state of the human soul, but in the philosophy of the Jews

1 Thessalonians 4:1 — how to walk and please God, 1, 2. Gives them exhortations concerning continence, chastity, and matrimonial fidelity, 3-8. Speaks concerning their love to each other, and love to the Churches of Christ; and exhorts them to continue and increase in it, 9, 10. Counsels them to observe an inoffensive conduct, to mind their own affairs, to do their own business, and to live honestly, 11, 12. Not to sorrow for the dead, as persons who have no hope of a resurrection; because to Christians the resurrection

1 Timothy 6:19 — Verse 19. Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation — St. Paul seems to have borrowed this form of speech from Tobit. See chap. iv. 8, 9: If thou hast abundance, give alms accordingly: if thou hast but a little, be not afraid to give according

James 2:10 — speech. In the tract Shabbath, fol. 70, where they dispute concerning the thirty-nine works commanded by Moses, Rabbi Yochanan says: But if a man do the whole, with the omission of one, he is guilty of the whole, and of every one. In Bammidar rabba, sec. 9, fol. 200, and in Tanchum, fol. 60, there is a copious example given, how an adulteress, by that one crime, breaks all the ten commandments, and by the same mode of proof any one sin may be shown to be a breach of the whole decalogue. The truth is,

James 4:4 — that it is in this sense especially that St. James uses the words. "Lo! they that are far from thee shall perish; thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee." But perhaps something more than spiritual adultery is intended. See James 4:9.The friendship of the world — The world was their god; here they committed their spiritual adultery; and they cultivated this friendship in order that they might gain this end.The word μοιχαλιδες, adulteresses, is wanting in the Syriac, Coptic,

1 Peter 3:5 — is considered that the chief part of this kind of hair was once the natural property of some ruffian soldier, who fell In battle by many a ghastly wound, is more than I can possibly comprehend. See the notes on 1 Corinthians 11:14-16; and 1 Timothy 2:9.Who trusted in God — The women who trust NOT in God are fond of dress and frippery; those who trust in God follow nature and common sense.Being in subjection unto their own husbands — It will rarely be found that women who are fond of dress,

Revelation 20:12 — Verse Revelation 20:12. The dead, small and great — All ranks, degrees, and conditions of men. This description seems to refer to Daniel 7:9-10.And the books were opened — See Daniel 12:1. "Rab. Jehuda said: All the actions of men, whether good or bad, are written in a book, and of all they shall give account."-Sohar Gen., fol. 79, col. 298. "How careful should men be to shun vice,