Bible Commentaries

Zechariah 14:4 — Verse Zechariah 14:4. And his feet shall stand — He shall appear in full possession of the place, as a mighty conqueror.And the mount of Olives shall cleave — God shall display his miraculous power as fully in the final restoration of the Jews, as he did when

Matthew 11:14 — Verse Matthew 11:14. This is Elias, which was for to come. — This should always be written Elijah, that as strict a conformity as possible might be kept up between the names in the Old Testament and the New. The Prophet Malachi, who predicted the coming of the Baptist

Matthew 12:41 — Verse 41. The men of Nineveh shell rise in judgment — The voice of God, threatening temporal judgments, caused a whole people to repent, who had neither Moses nor Christ, neither the law nor the prophets; and who perhaps never had but this one preacher

Matthew 15:22 — she sprung-the descendants of Canaan, Judges 1:31-32; but Mark calls her a Syrophenician, because of the country where she dwelt. The Canaanites and Phoenicians have been often confounded. This is frequently the case in the Septuagint. Compare Genesis 46:10, with Exodus 6:15, where the same person is called a Phoenician in the one place, and a Canaanite in the other. See also the same version in Exodus 16:35; Joshua 5:12.The state of this woman is a proper emblem of the state of a sinner, deeply conscious

Matthew 19:21 — be made amply up to thee in that eternal life about which thou inquirest; and come and follow me - be my disciple, and I will appoint thee to preach the kingdom of God to others. This was the usual call which Christ gave to his disciples. See Matthew 4:19; Matthew 8:22; Matthew 9:9; Mark 2:14; and it is pretty evident, from this, that he intended to make him a preacher of his salvation. How many, by their attachment to filthy lucre, have lost the honour of becoming or continuing ambassadors for the

Matthew 2:15 — of Israel from the same land. Midrash Tehillin, on Psalms 2:7, has these remarkable words: I will publish a decree: this decree has been published in the Law, in the Prophets, and in the Hagiographia. In the Law, Israel is my first-born son: Exodus 4:22. In the Prophets, Behold, my servant shall deal prudently: Isaiah 52:13. In the Hagiographia, The Lord said unto my lord: Psalms 110:1. All these passages the Jews refer to the Messiah. See Schoetgen.

Matthew 22:38 — as old as the world, and engraven originally on our very nature.2. In dignity; as directly and immediately proceeding front and referring to God.3. In excellence; being the commandment of the new covenant, and the very spirit of the Divine adoption.4. In justice; because it alone renders to God his due, prefers him before all things, and secures to him his proper rank in relation to them.5. In sufficiency; being in itself capable of making men holy in this life, and happy in the other.6. In fruitfulness;

Matthew 23:1 — directions to the people and the disciples to receive the law from them, but not to follow their bad example, 1-7. The disciples exhorted to humility, 8-12. Different woes pronounced against the scribes and Pharisees for their intolerance, 13; rapacity, 14; false zeal, 15; superstition in oaths and tithes, 16-23; hypocrisy, 24-28. Their cruelty, 29-32. Their persecution of the apostles, c. Their destruction foretold, 33-36. Christ's lamentation over Jerusalem, 37-39. NOTES ON CHAP. XXIII.Verse Matthew

Matthew 24:21 — Verse Matthew 24:21. For then shall be great tribulation — No history can furnish us with a parallel to the calamities and miseries of the Jews:-rapine, murder, famine, and pestilence within: fire and sword, and all the horrors of war, without. Our Lord wept at

Matthew 24:45 — Verse 45. Who then is a faithful and wise servant — All should live in the same expectation of the coming of Christ, which a servant has with respect to the return of his master, who, in departing for a season, left the management of his affairs to him;

Matthew 27:56 — think she was called Magdalene from מגדלא magdala, which signifies a plaiter of hair. See Lightfoot.Mary the mother of James — She was mother of him called James the lesser, or junior, who was son of Alpheus or Cleopas - see Matthew 10:3; Mark 15:40; John 19:25; and she was sister to the holy virgin. Thus it appears that there were four remarkable Marys mentioned in the Gospels.1. MARY the Virgin, wife of JOSEPH.2. MARY SALOME, her sister, wife of Cleopas, John 19:25.3. MARY MAGDALENE, or MARY

Matthew 4:1 — CHAPTER IV. Jesus, in the wilderness, is tempted by Satan, 1-11. He goes into Galilee, 12; and Capernaum, 13. The prophecy which was thus fulfilled, 14-16. He begins to preach publicly, 17. Calls Simon Peter, and his brother Andrew, 18-20. Calls also James and John, the sons of Zebedee, 21, 22. Preaches and works miracles throughout Galilee, 23. Becomes famous in Syria, and is followed by multitudes

Mark 6:1 — CHAPTER VI. Our Lord's countrymen are astonished at his wisdom and mighty works, and are offended at him, 1-4. He works few miracles there, because of their unbelief, 5, 6. He sends forth his disciples by two and two to preach, &c., 7-11. They depart, preach, and work miracles, 12, 13. Different opinions of Christ, 14-16. Account of the beheading of John

Luke 1:4 — Verse Luke 1:4. Wherein thou hast been instructed. — κατηχηθης - In which thou hast been catechized. It appears that Theophilus had already received the first elements of the Christian doctrine, but had not as yet been completely grounded in them. That he might

Luke 13:4 — Verse Luke 13:4. The tower in Siloam — This tower was probably built over one of the porticoes near the pool, which is mentioned John 9:7. See also Nehemiah 3:15.Debtors, οφειλεται, a Jewish phrase for sinners. Persons professing to be under the law are bound

Luke 13:6 — parable, and divines may abound in them; the sense which our Lord designed to convey by it appears to be the following: -1. A person, τις, God Almighty.2. Had a fig tree, the Jewish Church.3. Planted in his vineyard - established in the land of Judea.4. He came seeking fruit - he required that the Jewish people should walk in righteousness, in proportion to the spiritual culture he bestowed on them.5. The vine-dresser - the Lord Jesus, for God hath committed all judgment to the Son, John 5:22.John

Luke 6:4 — Verse Luke 6:4. After this verse, the Codex Bezae and two ancient MSS. quoted by Wechel, have the following extraordinary addition:Τῃ αυτῃ ἡμερᾳ θεασαμενος τινα εργαζομενον τῳ σαββατῳ, ειπεν αυτῳ, Ανθρωπε, ει μεν οιδας τι ποιεις μακαριος ει; ει δε μη οιδας

Luke 6:40 — Verse 40. Every one that is perfect — Or, thoroughly instructed, κατηρτισμενος: - from καταρτιζω, to adjust, adapt, knit together, restore, or put in joint. The noun is used by the Greek medical writers to signify the reducing a luxated or disjointed

John 1:21 — Verse John 1:21. Art thou Elias? — The scribes themselves had taught that Elijah was to come before the Messiah. See Matthew 17:10; and this belief of theirs they supported by a literal construction of Malachi 4:5.Art thou that prophet? — the prophet spoken of by Moses, Deuteronomy 18:15, Deuteronomy 18:18. This text they had also misunderstood: for the prophet or teacher promised by Moses was no other than the Messiah himself. See Acts 3:22. But the

John 10:4 — Verse John 10:4. He goeth before them — A sixth mark of a true pastor is, he gives them a good example: he not only preaches, but he lives, the truth of the Gospel; he enters into the depths of the salvation of God; and, having thus explored the path, he knows