Bible Commentaries

Matthew 10:10 — all the following MSS. and versions have ραβδους, staves, and CEFGKLMPS. V. ninety-three others, Coptic, Armenian, latter Syriac, one of the Itala, Chrysostom, and Theophylact. This reading is of great importance, as it reconciles this place with Luke 9:3, and removes the seeming contradiction from Mark 6:8 as if he had said: "Ye shall take nothing to defend yourselves with, because ye are the servants of the Lord, and are to be supported by his bounty, and defended by his power. In a word, be like

Matthew 13:1 — CHAPTER XIII. Christ teaches the multitudes out of a ship, they standing on the shore, 1, 2. The parable of the sower, 3-9. He gives his reasons for speaking in parables, 10-17. Explains the parable of the sower, 18-23. Parable of the tares and the wheat, 24-30. Of the grain of mustard seed, 31, 32. Of the leaven, 33. The prophecy fulfilled by this mode of teaching, 34,

Matthew 15:30 — Hippocrates, that the word was also used to signify those who had distorted or dislocated legs, knees, hands, c. Mr. Wakefield is fully of opinion that it means here those who had lost a limb, and brings an incontestable proof from Matthew 18:8 Mark 9:43. "If thy hand cause thee to offend, CUT IT OFF it is better for thee to enter into life (κυλλος) WITHOUT A LIMB, than, having thy TWO hands, to go away into hell." What an astonishing manifestation of omnific and creative energy must the reproduction

Matthew 17:3 — the prophets, came now to do homage to Jesus Christ, and to render up their authority into his hands; as he was the END of the law, and the grand subject of the predictions of the prophets. This appears more particularly from what St. Luke says, Luke 9:31, that Moses and Elijah conversed with our Lord on his death, which he was about to accomplish, (πληρουν to fulfil,) because in it, all the rites, ceremonies, and sacrifices of the law, as well as the predictions of the prophets, were fulfilled.

Matthew 21:9 — Verse Matthew 21:9. Hosanna to the son of David — When persons applied to the king for help, or for a redress of grievances, they used the word hosanna, or rather from the Hebrew הושיעה נא HOSHIAH NA! Save now! or, Save, we beseech thee! - redress our grievances,

Matthew 24:5 — a just judgment for God to deliver up that people into the hands of false Christs who had rejected the true one. Soon after our Lord's crucifixion, Simon Magus appeared, and persuaded the people of Samaria that he was the great power of God, Acts 8:9-10; and boasted among the Jews that he was the son of God.2. Of the same stamp and character was also Dositheus, the Samaritan, who pretended that he was the Christ foretold by Moses.3. About twelve years after the death of our Lord, when Cuspius Fadus

Matthew 26:39 — Verse 39. Fell on his face — Luke 22:44. This was the ordinary posture of the supplicant when the favour was great which was asked, and deep humiliation required. The head was put between the knees, and the forehead brought to touch the earth-this was

Matthew 5:21 — of old time — τοις αρχαιοις, to or by the ancients. By the ancients, we may understand those who lived before the law, and those who lived under it; for murder was, in the most solemn manner, forbidden before, as well as under, the law, Genesis 9:5-6.But it is very likely that our Lord refers here merely to traditions and glosses relative to the ancient Mosaic ordinance; and such as, by their operation, rendered the primitive command of little or no effect. Murder from the beginning has been

Matthew 5:5 — having never deserved any favour from his hand.For they shall inherit the earth. — Or, την γην, the land. Under this expression, which was commonly used by the prophets to signify the land of Canaan, in which all temporal good abounded, Judges 18:9-10, Jesus Christ points out that abundance of spiritual good, which was provided for men in the Gospel. Besides, Canaan was a type of the kingdom of God; and who is so likely to inherit glory as the man in whom the meekness and gentleness of Jesus dwell?

Matthew 5:9 — Verse Matthew 5:9. The peace-makers — ειρηνη, peace, is compounded of ειρειν (εις) εν, connecting into one: for as WAR distracts and divides nations, families, and individuals, from each other, inducing them to pursue different objects and different interests,

Matthew 6:27 — dissatisfied with its conduct. We should depend as fully upon God for the preservation of his gifts as for the gifts themselves.Cubit unto his stature? — I think ηλικιαν should be rendered age here, and so our translators have rendered the word in John 9:21, αυτος ηλικιαν εχει he is of age. A very learned writer observes, that no difficulty can arise from applying πηχυν a cubit, a measure of extension, to time, and the age of man: as place and time are both quantities, and capable of increase and diminution,

Matthew 9:13 — Verse Matthew 9:13. I will have mercy, and not sacrifice — Quoted from 1 Samuel 15:22. These are remarkable words. We may understand them as implying,1st. That God prefers an act of mercy, shown to the necessitous, to any act of religious worship to which the

Matthew 9:17 — Verse Matthew 9:17. New wine into old bottles — It is still the custom, in the eastern countries, to make their bottles of goat skins: if these happened to be old, and new wine were put into them, the violence of the fermentation must necessarily burst them;

Matthew 9:2 — Verse Matthew 9:2. Sick of the palsy — See Matthew 4:24.Lying on a bed — κλινης, a couch or sofa, such as they reclined on at meals.Seeing their faith — The faith of the paralytic person, and the faith of those who brought him; Mark 2:4.Be of good

Matthew 9:6 — Verse Matthew 9:6. But that ye may know, c. — External miracles are the proofs of internal ones. Three miracles are wrought in this case. (I mean, by miracle, something produced or known that no power is capable of but that which is omnipotent, and no knowledge

Acts 11:20 — destroyed by the Romans; but they afterwards rebuilt it. It was for a long time subject to the Arabs, but is now in the hands of the Turks.Spake unto the Grecians — ελληνιστας, The Hellenists. Who these were, we have already seen Acts 6:0 and Acts 9:29, viz. Jews living in Greek cities and speaking the Greek language. But, instead of ελληνιστας, Grecians, ελληνας, Greeks, is the reading of AD*, Syriac, all the Arabic, Coptic, AEthiopic, Vulgate, some copies of the Itala, Eusebius, Chrysostom, Theophylact,

Acts 2:17 — himself by a symbol, which was a sufficient proof of the Divine presence: fire was the most ordinary, as it was the most expressive, symbol. Thus he appeared to Moses on Mount Horeb, and afterwards at Sinai to Abraham, Genesis 15:1-21; to Elijah, 1 Kings 19:11, 1 Kings 19:12. At other times he revealed himself by angelic ministry: this was frequent, especially in the days of the patriarchs, of which we find many instances in the book of Genesis.By dreams he discovered his will in numerous instances: see

Acts 20:1 — days, 6. On the first day of the week, the disciples coming together to break bread, Paul preaching to them, and continuing his speech till midnight, a young man of the name of Eutychus, being in a deep sleep, fell from the third loft and was killed, 7-9. Paul restores him to life, resumes his discourse, and continuing it till daybreak, then departs, 10-12. Luke and his companions come to Assos, whither Paul comes by land, 13. He embarks with them at Assos, comes to Mitylene, 14. Sails thence, and passes

Acts 9:27 — Verse Acts 9:27. Barnabas - brought him to the apostles — That is, to Peter and James; for others of the apostles he saw none, Galatians 1:19. It appears that he went up at this time to Jerusalem merely to see Peter, with whom he abode fifteen days, Galatians

Acts 9:40 — Verse Acts 9:40. Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down and prayed — It was not even known to Peter that God would work this miracle: therefore he put all the people out, that he might seek the will of God by fervent prayer, and during his supplications