Bible Commentaries

Micah 3:11 — Verse Micah 3:11. The heads thereof judge for reward — This does not apply to the regular law officers, who have their proper salaries for giving up their whole time and attention to the conscientious discharge of the duties of their office; but to those who

Zechariah 14:10 — shall be turned as a plain — Or rather, "He shall encompass the whole land as a plain." He shall cast his defence all around it; from Geba, in Benjamin, north of Jerusalem, (Joshua 21:17,) to Rimmon in Judah, to the south of Jerusalem, Joshua 15:32.It shall be lifted up — The city shall be exalted.And inhabited in her place — Jerusalem, shall be rebuilt in the very place in which it originally stood. From Benjamin's gate, which was probably on the north side of Jerusalem, unto the

Zechariah 3:2 — Verse Zechariah 3:2. Is not this a brand plucked out of the fire? — The Jews were nearly destroyed because of their sins; a remnant of them is yet left, and God is determined to preserve them. He has had mercy upon them, and forgiven them their sins. Wouldst thou

Matthew 13:58 — Verse Matthew 13:58. And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief — δυναμεις, miracles. So the word is used, Matthew 7:22; Matthew 11:20; Acts 19:11; 1 Corinthians 12:28; Galatians 3:5; Hebrews 2:4. The Septuagint translates נפלאות אל niphleoth

Matthew 14:23 — Verse Matthew 14:23. He went up into a mountain apart, to pray — He whom God has employed in a work of mercy had need to return, by prayer, as speedily, to his Maker, as he can, lest he should be tempted to value himself on account of that in which he has no merit-for

Matthew 18:17 — Verse Matthew 17:3. Tell it unto the Church — Lay the whole matter before the congregation of Christian believers, in that place of which he is a member, or before the minister and elders, as the representatives of the Church or assembly. If all this avail not,

Matthew 18:25 — Divine justice, ever to pay a mite out of the talent.Commanded him to be sold - his wife - children, c.] Our Lord here alludes to an ancient custom among the Hebrews, of selling a man and his family to make payment of contracted debts. See Exodus 22:3 Leviticus 25:30; Leviticus 25:47; 2 Kings 4:1. This custom passed from among the Jews to the Greeks and Romans. I have already remarked (see Genesis 47:19) that in the Burman empire the sale of whole families, to discharge debts, is very common.

Matthew 24:48 — in his heart, and God searches his heart, and knows that he professes to teach what he does not believe.2. He governs with an absolute dominion, oppressing his colleagues and doing violence to the followers of Christ. And shall begin to smite, &c.3. He leads an irregular life does not love the company of the children of God, but eats and drinks with the drunkards, preferring the tables of the great and the rich, whose god is their belly, and thus feeds himself without fear. Great God! save thine

Matthew 8:3 — Verse Matthew 8:3. Jesus put forth his hand - I will; be thou clean. — The most sovereign authority is assumed in this speech of our blessed Lord-I WILL: there is here no supplication of any power superior to his own; and the event proved to the fullest conviction,

Mark 3:1 — CHAPTER III. The man with the withered hand healed, 1-5. The Pharisees plot our Lord's destruction, 6. Christ withdraws, and is followed by a great multitude, 7-9. He heals many, and goes to a mountain to pray, 10-13. He ordains twelve disciples, and, gives them power to preach and work miracles, 14, 15. Their names, 16-19. The multitudes throng him, and the scribes attribute his miracles to Beelzebub, 20-22. He vindicates himself by a parable, 23-27. Of the blasphemy

Luke 1:6 — exemplary and conscientious in the discharge of their religious duties as they were in the discharge of the offices of civil life. What a sacred pair! they made their duty to God, to their neighbour, and to themselves, walk constantly hand in hand. Matthew 3:15. Perhaps εντολαι, commandments, may here mean the decalogue; and δικαιωματα, ordinances, the ceremonial and judicial laws which were delivered after the decalogue: as all the precepts delivered from Exodus 21:1ff to Exodus 24:1ff are termed δικαιωματα,

Luke 1:60 — Verse 60. Not so; but he shall be called John. — This is the name which the angel desired should be given him, Luke 1:13, and of which Zacharias by writing had informed his wife. There is something very remarkable in the names of this family. Zachariah, זכריהו the memory or memorial of Jehovah; יהו yeho, at the end of the word, being contracted for יהוה Yehovah, as in

Luke 22:3 — Verse Luke 22:3. Then entered Satan into Judas — The devil filled the heart of Judas with avarice; and that infamous passion led him to commit the crime here specified. This at once accounts for the whole of this most unprincipled and unnatural transaction. None

Luke 8:1 — CHAPTER VIII. Jesus preaches through every city and village, 1. Women minister to him, 2, 3. Instructs the multitudes by the parable of the sower, 4-8. Explains it at large to his disciples, 9-15. Directions how to improve by hearing the Gospel, 16-18. His mother and brethren seek him, 19-21. He and his disciples go upon the lake, and are

Luke 9:16 — the Gospel, who is employed to feed souls, should imitate this conduct of Christ:1. He ought to exhort the people to hear with sedate and humble reverence.2. He should first take the bread of life himself, that he may be strengthened to feed others.3. He ought frequently to lift his soul to God, in order to draw down the Divine blessing on himself and his hearers.4. He should break the loaves - divide rightly the word of truth, and give to all such portions as are suited to their capacities and

John 12:29 — the Jews; which the Greeks, not understanding, took for thunder; the others, the Jews, who did understand it, said it was the voice of an angel. In Revelation 6:1, the voice of one of the living creatures is compared to thunder; and in Revelation 10:3, the voice of an angel is compared to seven thunders. The voice mentioned was probably very loud, which some heard distinctly, others indistinctly; hence the variety of opinion.

John 13:3 — Verse John 13:3. Knowing that the Father had given, c.] Our Lord, seeing himself almost at the end of his race, and being about to leave his apostles, thought it necessary to leave them a lesson of humility exemplified by himself, to deliver them from the bad influence

John 15:25 — Verse John 15:25. Written in their law — John 10:34. These words are taken from Psalms 69:4. This psalm is applied to Christ, John 2:17; John 19:28; to the vengeance of God against Judea, Acts 1:20. The psalm seems entirely prophetic of Christ. His deep abasement is referred to, Psalms 69:2-5; his prayer

John 7:38 — Verse 38. He that believeth on me, as the Scripture hath said — He who receives me as the Messiah, according to what the Scripture has said concerning me; my person, birth, conduct, preaching, and miracles, being compared with what is written there as

John 8:3 — Verse John 8:3. A woman taken in adultery — Some of the popish writers say that her name was Susanna; that she was espoused to an old decrepid man, named Manasseh; that she died a saint in Spain, whither she had followed St. James. These accounts the judicious