Bible Commentaries

Isaiah 27:4 — Verse Isaiah 27:4. Fury is not in me - "I have no wall"] For חמה chemah, anger, the Septuagint and Syriac read חומה chomah, wall. An ancient MS. has חימה cheimah. For בה bah, in her, two MSS. read בם bam, in them, plural. The vineyard wishes for a wall and a fence

Ezekiel 26:1 — whose walls were one hundred and fifty feet in height, with a proportionable breadth,) immediately disappears; her strong (and as she thought impregnable) towers are thrown down; and her very dust is buried in the sea. Nothing remains but the bare rock, 7-14. The scene is then varied. The isles and adjacent regions, by a very strong and beautiful figure, are represented to be shaken, as with a mighty earthquake by violent concussion occasioned by the fall of Tyre. The groans of the dying reach the ears

Ezekiel 32:1 — crocodile, caught, slain, and his carcass left a prey to the fowls and wild beasts, 1-6. The figure is then changed; and the greatness of his fall (described by the darkening of the sun, moon, and stars) strikes terror into all the surrounding nations, 7-10. The prophet adds, that the overthrow of the then reigning Egyptian dynasty was to be effected by the instrumentality of the king of Babylon, who should leave Egypt so desolate, that its waters, (alluding to the metaphor used in the second verse,)

Matthew 19:6 — preparing the nuptial feast; to intimate that active affections, warm and cordial love, are to be to them a continual source of comfort and enjoyment; and that this is the entertainment they are to meet with at every step of their affectionate lives.7. Another Cupid, or genius of love comes behind, and places on their heads a basket of ripe fruits; to intimate that a matrimonial union of this kind will generally be blessed with children, who shall be as pleasing to all their senses as ripe and delicious

Matthew 20:15 — fifth call, or eleventh hour, represents the general call of the Gentiles into the Church of Christ, when the unbelieving Jews were finally rejected. What makes this interpretation the more likely is, that the persons who are addressed at Matthew 20:7, say, No man hath hired us, i.e. We never heard the voice of a prophet announcing the true God, nor of an apostle preaching the Lord Jesus, until now. The Jews could not use this as an argument for their carelessness about their eternal interests.

Mark 5:26 — ruinous both to her health and circumstances - she spent all that she had.6. She was now brought to the last point of wretchedness, want, and despair she was growing worse, and had neither money nor goods to make another experiment to procure her health.7. She was brought so low by her disorder as to be incapable of earning any thing to support her wretched life a little longer.It has been said, and the saying is a good one, "Man's extremity is God's opportunity." Never could the power and goodness of

Luke 6:38 — ingots, and put several pieces in his mouth, he walked out of the treasury, c." What a ridiculous figure must this poor sinner have cut, thus heavy laden with gold, and the love of money! See many other examples in Kypke and Raphelius. See also Psalms 129:7; Proverbs 6:27; Proverbs 17:23.The same measure that ye mete withal, it shall be measured to you again. — The same words we find in the Jerusalem Targum on Genesis 38:26. Our Lord therefore lays down a maxim which themselves allowed.

John 2:14 — life for the salvation of the world, in consequence of which he speaks fully and without reserve. For answers to all the objections made against two cleansings of the temple, see the notes at the end of Bp. Newcome's Greek Harmony of the Gospels, pp. 7-9.

John 4:37 — Verse 37. Herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth. — Or, One is the sower, and another is the reaper. In what respects you, of this business, this proverb is true-One is the sower, c., for I have sent you to reap, to preach my Gospel,

John 6:37 — Verse 37. All that the Father giveth me — The neuter gender, παν, is probably used here for the masculine, πας.Shall come to me — All that are drawn by the Father, John 6:44, i.e. all those who are influenced by his Spirit, and yield to those influences:

Acts 1:8 — energy communicated by him to his disciples, through which they were enabled to work miracles, is particularly intended; and δυναμις, in general, signifies such power, and is sometimes put for that of which it is the cause, viz. a miracle. See Matthew 7:22; Matthew 11:20-23; Matthew 13:54, Matthew 13:58; Mark 6:5; Luke 10:13; and Acts 2:22. The disciples were to be made instruments in the establishment of the kingdom of Christ; but this must be by the energy of the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven;

Acts 9:7 — Verse Acts 9:7. Stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man. — The men were εννεοι, stupified, hearing τηςφωνης, the voice or thunder, but not distinguishing the words, which were addressed to Saul alone; and which were spoken out of the thunder, or

Romans 14:1 — In things indifferent, Christians should not condemn each other, 1. Particularly with respect to different kinds of food, 2-4. And the observation of certain days, 5, 6. None of us should live unto himself, but unto Christ, who lived and died for us, 7-9. We must not judge each other; for all judgment belongs to God, 10-13. We should not do any thing by which a weak brother may be stumbled or grieved; lest we destroy him for whom Christ died, 14-16. The kingdom of God does not consist in outward things,

1 Corinthians 1:31 — in many extraordinary gifts and graces; and that they were not inferior to any Church of God in any gift. And he shows them that they received all these through God's confirmation of that testimony which he had delivered among them, 1 Corinthians 1:4-7.3. When he had thus prepared their minds to receive and profit by his admonitions he proceeds to their schisms, which he mentions and reprehends in the most delicate manner, so that the most obstinate and prejudiced could take no offence.4. Having gained

1 Corinthians 10:1 — overshadowed with the miraculous cloud, 1, 2. The manna with which they were fed, 3. And rock out of which they drank, 4. The punishments inflicted on them for their disobedience are warnings to us, 5. We should not lust as they did, 6. Nor commit idolatry, 7. Nor fornication as they did; in consequence of which twenty-three thousand of them were destroyed, 8. Nor tempt Christ as they did, 9. Nor murmur, 10. All these transgressions and their punishments are recorded as warnings to us, that we may not fall

1 Corinthians 10:33 — every thing dishonours him when any ultimate end is proposed beside his glory. It is an unchangeable principle of the Christian morality that all comes from God by his love, and all should be returned to him by ours. This rule we should keep inviolate.7. Though many of the advices given in this chapter appear to respect the Corinthians alone, yet there is none of them that is not applicable to Christians in general in certain circumstances. God has given no portion of his word to any people or age

2 Corinthians 12:7 — Verse 2 Corinthians 12:7. And lest I should be exalted — There were three evils to be guarded against:1. The contempt of his gifts and call by his enemies.2. The overweening fondness of his friends. And,3. Self-exultation.A thorn in the flesh — The word σκολοψ signifies

Ephesians 1:1 — to this Epistle. Usherian year of the world, 4065. -Alexandrian era of the world, 5563. -Antiochian era of the world, 5553. -Constantinopolitan era of the world, 5569. -Year of the Eusebian epocha of the Creation, 4289. -Year of the Julian period, 4771. -Year of the minor Jewish era of the world, 3821. -Year of the Greater Rabbinical era of the world, 4420. -Year from the Flood, according to Archbishop Usher, and the English Bible, 2409. -Year of the Cali yuga, or Indian era of the Deluge, 3163.

Colossians 1:1 — THE EPISTLE OF PAUL THE APOSTLE TO THE COLOSSIANS. Chronological Notes relative to this Epistle. Usherian year of the world, 4066. -Alexandrian era of the world, 5564. -Antiochian era of the world, 5554. -Constantinopolitan era of the world, 5570. -Year of the Eusebian epocha of the Creation, 4290. -Year of the Julian period, 4772. -Year of the minor Jewish era of the world, 3822. -Year of the Greater Rabbinical era of the world, 4421. -Year from the Flood, according to Archbishop Usher, and

1 Thessalonians 5:1 — Jerusalem and the final judgment. And it appears most probable that it is of the former event chiefly that he speaks here, as it was certainly of the latter that he treated in the conclusion of the preceding chapter. In the notes on Acts 1:6; Acts 1:7, it has already been shown that the χρονους η καιρους, times or seasons, (the very same terms which are used here,) refer to the destruction of the Jewish commonwealth; and we may fairly presume that they have the same meaning in this place.