Bible Commentaries

Genesis 1:3 — fountain of it, not created till the fourth day?" With the various and often unphilosophical answers which have been given to this question I will not meddle, but shall observe that the original word אור signifies not only light but fire, see Isaiah 31:9; Ezekiel 5:2. It is used for the SUN, Job 31:26. And for the electric fluid or LIGHTNING, Job 37:3. And it is worthy of remark that It is used in Isaiah 44:16, for the heat, derived from (אש esh, the fire. He burneth part thereof in the fire (במו אש

Genesis 19:25 — Verse Genesis 19:25. And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain — This forms what is called the lake Asphaltites, Dead Sea, or Salt Sea, which, according to the most authentic accounts, is about seventy miles in length, and eighteen in breadth.The most strange

Genesis 23:1 — 2. Abraham mourns for her, and requests a burial-place from the sons of Heth, 24. They freely offer him the choice of all their sepulchres, 5, 6. Abraham refuses to receive any as a free gift, and requests to buy the cave of Machpelah from Ephron, 7-9. Ephron proffers the cave and the field in which it was situated as a free gift unto Abraham, 10, 11. Abraham insists on giving its value in money, 12, 13. Ephron at last consents, and names the sum of four hundred shekels, 14, 15. Abraham weighs him

Psalms 65:13 — moon, planets, and stars are under his guidance. Day and night are ordered by him: "Thou makest the outgoings of the morning and evening to rejoice."5. The earth and its inhabitants are his peculiar care: "Thou visitest the earth," &c., Psalms 65:9-11.In all which the prophet shoves God's mercy, 1. In the rain. 2. In the rivers. 3. In the growing of the corn. 4. In providing grass for cattle. 5. In providing store in the summer and autumn. 6. His clouds drop fatness upon the earth, and all nature

Psalms 77:20 — the following interrogations: 1. Will the Lord cast off for ever? 2. Will he be favourable no more? 3. Is his mercy clean gone? 4. Doth his promise fail? 5. Hath God forgotten to be gracious? 6. Hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies? Psalms 77:7-9.II. How he is restored.1. He begins with a correction of himself: "I said, This is my infirmity," Psalms 77:10.2. Takes encouragement from a remembrance, - (1) Of God's ways: "I will remember - the right hand of the Most High," Psalms 77:10.(2) Of his

Psalms 85:13 — God's former mercies, Psalms 85:1-3.II. A petition on that ground that he would repeat them, Psalms 85:4-7.III. A profession of obedience, and an advice to continue in it, Psalms 85:8. That men may be partakers of the promises, both spiritual, Psalms 85:9-11; and temporal, Psalms 85:12, which shall be fulfilled to those who keep in the ways of God, Psalms 85:13.I. In the three first verses, the psalmist commemorates God's mercies to his people; of which his good will or favour is the Fountain. These

Isaiah 35:1 — grass with the reed and the bulrush. 8. And a highway shall be there; And it shall be called The way of holiness: No unclean person shall pass through it: But he himself shall be with them, walking in the way, And the foolish shall not err therein: 9. No lion shall be there; Nor shall the tyrant of the beasts come up thither: Neither shall he be found there; But the redeemed shall walk in it. 10. Yea, the ransomed of JEHOVAH shall return; They shall come to Sion with triumph; And perpetual gladness

Matthew 12:1 — CHAPTER XII. Jesus and his disciples go through the cornfields on the Sabbath, and the latter pluck and eat some of the ears, at which the Pharisees take offence, 1, 2. Our Lord vindicates them, 3-8. The man with the withered hand cured, 9-13. The Pharisees seek his destruction, 14. He heals the multitudes, and fulfils certain prophecies, 15-21. Heals the blind and dumb demoniac, 22, 23. The malice of the Pharisees reproved by our Lord, 24-30. The sin against the Holy Ghost, 31, 32. Good

Matthew 6:10 — come and deliver his people."The universal sway of the sceptre of Christ: - God has promised that the kingdom of Christ shall be exalted above all kingdoms. Daniel 7:14-27. That it shall overcome all others, and be at last the universal empire. Isaiah 9:7. Connect this with the explanation given of this phrase, Matthew 3:2.Thy will be done — This petition is properly added to the preceding; for when the kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy, in the Holy Spirit, is established in the heart,

Matthew 6:7 — explains this word well: "πολυλογια, much speaking, from one Battus, who made very prolix hymns, in which the same idea frequently recurred." "A frequent repetition of awful and striking words may often be the result of earnestness and fervour. See Daniel 9:3-20; but great length of prayer, which will of course involve much sameness and idle repetition, naturally creates fatigue and carelessness in the worshipper, and seems to suppose ignorance or inattention in the Deity; a fault against which our Lord

John 19:42 — Verse John 19:42. Because of the Jews' preparation — From this it may be conjectured that they had designed to have put him in a more magnificent tomb; or, that they intended to make one expressly for himself after the passover: or, that they had designed to

Acts 24:27 — up to Rome, to accuse Felix. And he certainly would have been brought to punishment, had not Nero yielded to the importunate solicitations of his brother Pallas, who was at that time in the highest reputation with the emperor."-Antiq. lib. xx. cap. 9. Thus, like the dog in the fable, by snatching at the shadow, he lost the substance. He hoped for money from the apostle, and got none he sought to conciliate the friendship of the Jews, and miscarried. Honesty is the best policy: he that fears God

Acts 9:2 — Verse Acts 9:2. Letters to Damascus to the synagogues — Damascus, anciently called דמסק Damask, and דרמסק Darmask, was once the metropolis of all Syria. It was situated at fifty miles' distance from the sea; from which it is separated by lofty mountains. It

Romans 8:1 — Spirit, 1, 2. The design of God in sending his Son into the world was to redeem men from sin, 3, 4. The miserable state of the carnally minded, 6-8. How Christ lives and works in his followers; their blessedness here, and their happiness hereafter, 9-17. Sufferings are the common lot of all men; and from which Gentiles and Jews have the hope of being finally delivered, 18-23. The use and importance of hope, 24, 25. The Spirit makes intercession for the followers of Christ, 26, 27. All things work

Romans 8:29 — Verse 29. For whom he did foreknow, c.] "In this and the following verse the apostle shows how our calling is an argument that all things work together to advance our eternal happiness, by showing the several steps which the wisdom and goodness of God have settled,

1 Corinthians 15:29 — Verse 29. Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead — This is certainly the most difficult verse in the New Testament; for, notwithstanding the greatest and wisest men have laboured to explain it, there are to this day nearly as many different

2 Corinthians 12:21 — whose independency of spirit is still whole in him, feels this too. To the genuine poor, it is more burdensome to receive a kindness, than it is to the generous man who gives it. The second is recorded in the ninth verse of this chapter 2 Corinthians 12:9: He said unto me, MY GRACE IS SUFFICIENT FOR THEE; FOR MY STRENGTH IS MADE PERFECT IN WEAKNESS. Of these two most blessed sayings, St. Paul is the only evangelist. This last is of general application. In all states and conditions of life God's grace

Galatians 6:1 — minister to the support of those who instruct them in righteousness, 6. He warns them against self-deception, because whatever a man soweth that he shall reap, 7, 8. Exhorts them not to be weary in well doing, and to embrace every opportunity to do good, 9, 10. Intimates that his love to them led him to write this whole epistle with his own hand, 11. Points out the object that those had in view who wished them to be circumcised, 12, 13. He exults in the cross of Christ, and asserts that a new creation

Philippians 1:1 — PHILIPPIANS. 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 the English Bible, 2410. -Year of the Cali yuga, or

Hebrews 5:10 — that the deep meaning of this salutation may be understood, I observe, First, that, by the testimony of the inspired writers, Jesus sat down at the right hand of God when he returned to heaven, after having finished his ministry upon earth; Mark 16:19; Acts 7:56; Hebrews 1:3; Hebrews 8:1; 1 Peter 3:22. Not, however, immediately, but after that he had offered the sacrifice of himself in heaven, by presenting his crucified body before the presence of God; Hebrews 1:3; Hebrews 10:10. Secondly, I observe,