Bible Commentaries

Exodus 22:1 — CHAPTER XXII Laws concerning theft, 1-4; concerning trespass, 5; concerning casualties, 6. Laws concerning deposits, or goods left in custody of others, which may have been lost, stolen, or damaged, 7-13. Laws concerning things borrowed or let out on hire, 14, 15. Laws concerning seduction, 16, 17. Laws concerning witchcraft, 18; bestiality, 19; idolatry, 20. Laws concerning strangers, 21; concerning widows, 22-24; lending money to the poor, 25;

Esther 3:7 — Verse Esther 3:7. The first month — That is, of the civil year of the Jews.The month Nisan — Answering to a part of our March and April.The twelfth year of king Ahasuerus — According to the chronology in our Bibles, about five hundred and ten years

Psalms 106:1 — Hebrew people: of God's mercies toward them, and their rebellions, 6-39. The judgments and afflictions which their transgressions brought upon them, 40-42. God's mercy to them notwithstanding their transgressions, 43-46. He prays for their restoration, 47, 48. NOTES ON PSALM CVIAs a part of the preceding Psalm is found in 1 Chronicles 16:7-14, so the first and two last verses of this are found in the same place, (1 Chronicles 16:34-36,) and yet it is supposed by eminent commentators to be a prayer of

Psalms 119:136 — but do not look for grace to enable them to be obedient.5. "Let not any iniquity have dominion over me." Let me be saved from all my spiritual captivity.6. "Deliver me from the oppression of men." Let neither wicked men nor wicked spirits rule over me.7. "Make thy face to shine upon me!" Let me have thy light, thy peace, and thy approbation.8. "And teach me thy statutes." Keep me at thy feet, under continual instruction.IV. He concludes by telling how he grieved for the wickedness of others and the

Psalms 15:1 — and Levites, there was no dwelling there for any; they could but lodge or sojourn.6. The temple being fixed, the priests, Levites, c., became permanent occupiers. There was no lodging or sojourning, but permanent residence for all connected with it.7. The tabernacle is, therefore, a proper type of the Church militant, wandering up and down, tossed by various storms and tempests the followers of God, having here no continuing city; sojourning only on earth to get a preparation for eternal glory.8.

Psalms 18:7 — Verse Psalms 18:7. Then the earth shook and trembled — "In this and the following verses David describes, by the sublimest expressions and grandest terms, the majesty of God, and the awful manner in which he came to his assistance. The representation of the storm

Psalms 31:24 — se queja, ahora espera; en un momento teme, en otro se regocija. Esta vicisitud del afecto es séxtuple y muy bien puede dividir el Salmo. I. Con gran confianza ora a Dios; Salmo 31:1 . II. Se regocija por la misericordia y la ayuda recibida; Salmo 31:7 ; Salmo 31:8 . III. Se queja gravemente de la miseria en que se encontraba; Salmo 31:9 . IV. Ora de nuevo, con la fuerza de la bondad de Dios; Salmo 31:15 . V. Admira, se regocija y proclama la bondad de Dios, Salmo 31:19 . VI. Exhorta a los demás a

Psalms 64:10 — SIXTY-FOURTH PSALMI. The psalmist, in danger, commends his cause to God, Psalms 64:1-2.II. Complains of his enemies, who are described by their inward devices, and outward conduct, Psalms 64:3-6.III. He foretells their ruin, and the consequences, Psalms 64:7-10.I. 1. He prays in general: "Hear my voice."2. Then in special, that his life may be safe: "Hide me from the secret counsel," c., Psalms 64:2.He describes his enemies, generally: -1. They were wicked men.2. They were workers of iniquity.3. They worked

Psalms 7:11 — Verse Psalms 7:11. God is angry with the wicked every day. — The Hebrew for this sentence is the following: ועל זעם בכל יום veel zoem becol yom; which, according to the points, is, And God is angry every day. Our translation seems to have been borrowed from

Psalms 86:17 — Verse Psalms 86:17. Show me a token for good — עשה עמי אוה aseh immi oth, "Make with me a sign." Fix the honourabie mark of thy name upon me, that I may be known to be thy servant. There seems to be an allusion here to the marking of a slave, to ascertain whose

Leviticus 1:16 — mercy was mingled! If a man could not bring a bullock or a heifer, a goat or a sheep, let him bring a calf, a kid, or a lamb. If he could not bring any of these because of his poverty, let him bring a turtle-dove, or a young pigeon, (see Leviticus 5:7); and it appears that in cases of extreme poverty, even a little meal or fine flour was accepted by the bountiful Lord as a sufficient oblation; see Leviticus 5:11. This brought down the benefits of the sacrificial service within the reach of the poorest

Leviticus 6:28 — perpetual fire, אש תמיד esh tamid, Leviticus 6:13, and the perpetual burnt-offering, עלת תמיד olath tamid, Exodus 29:42, translated by the Septuagint θυσια διαπαντος, πυο διαπαντος, and ὁλοκαυτωσις and ὁλοκαυτωμα διαπαντος, all cast much light on Hebrews 7:25, where it is said, Christ is able to save them to the uttermost (εισ το παντελες, perpetually, to all intents and purposes) that come unto God by him; seeing he ever liveth (παντοτε ζων, he is perpetually living) to make intercession for them; in

Isaiah 22:22 — extent of that power is expressed with great clearness as well as force by the sole and exclusive authority to open and shut. Our Saviour, therefore, has upon a similar occasion made use of a like manner of expression, Matthew 16:19; and in Revelation 3:7 has applied to himself the very words of the prophet.

Numbers 20:1 — and Miriam dies, 1. They murmur for want of water, 2-5. Moses and Aaron make supplication at the tabernacle, and the glory of the Lord appears, 6. He commands Moses to take his rod, gather the congregation together, and bring water out of the rock, 7, 8. Moses takes the rod, gathers the Israelites together, chides with them, and smites the rock twice, and the waters flow out plenteously, 9-11. The Lord is offended with Moses and Aaron because they did not sanctify him in the sight of the children

Numbers 9:1 — required them to keep the passover at its proper time, and with all its rites, 1-3. They kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the first month, 4, 5. The case of the men who, being unclean through touching a dead body, could not keep the passover, 6, 7. Moses inquires at the Lord concerning them, 8; and the Lord appoints the fourteenth day of the second month for all those who through any accidental uncleanness, or by being absent on a journey, could not keep it at the usual time, 9-12. Those who

Deuteronomy 34:1 — and God shews him the whole extent of the land which he promised to give to the descendants of Abraham, 1-4. There Moses died, and was so privately buried by the Lord that his sepulchre was never discovered, 5, 6. His age and strength of constitution, 7. The people weep for him thirty days, 8. Joshua being filled with the spirit of wisdom, the Israelites hearken to him, as the Lord commanded them, 9. The character of Moses as a prophet, and as a worker of the most extraordinary miracles, both in the

Joshua 14:2 — of the tribes, were put into separate vessels.6. Joshua, for example, put his hand into the vessel containing the names of the tribes, and took out one slip while Eleazar took out one from the other vessel, in which the names of the portions were put.7. The name drawn, and the portion drawn, being read, it was immediately discerned what the district was which God had designed for such a tribe. This appears to be the most easy way to determine such a business.

Judges 1:7 — Verse Judges 1:7. Threescore and ten kinds — Chieftains, heads of tribes, or military officers. For the word king cannot be taken here in its proper and usual sense.Having their thumbs and their great toes cut off — That this was an ancient mode of treating

Judges 7:20 — Verse Judges 7:20. Blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers — How astonishing must the effect be, in a dark night, of the sudden glare of three hundred torches, darting their splendour, in the same instant, on the half-awakened eyes of the terrified Midianites,

1 Samuel 11:15 — Saul was anointed a second time; he was now publicly acknowledged, and there was no gainsayer. Thus far Saul acted well, and the kingdom seemed to be confirmed in his hand; but soon through imprudence he lost it.ON the custom referred to in 1 Samuel 11:7 I am favoured with the following observations by a learned correspondent: -"It is considered that the authenticity of records respecting a peculiar people cannot be better illustrated, or the fidelity of the historian more clearly ascertained, than