Bible Commentaries

Daniel 11:2 — three kings — Gabriel had already spoken of Cyrus, who was now reigning; and after him three others should arise. These were,1. Cambyses, the son of Cyrus.2. Smerdis, the Magian, who was an impostor, who pretended to be another son of Cyrus. And,3. Darius, the son of Hystaspes, who married Mandane, the daughter of Cyrus.Cambyses reigned seven years and five months; Smerdis reigned only seven months; and Darius Hystaspes reigned thirty-six years.The fourth shall be far richer than they all —

Daniel 11:24 — profuse in his liberalities, and scattered among them the prey of his enemies, the spoil of temples, and the riches of his friends, as well as his own revenues. He spent much in public shows, and bestowed largesses among the people. We are told in 1Macc 3:30, that "in the liberal giving of gifts he abounded above all the kings that went before him." These are nearly the words of the prophet; and perhaps without any design to copy them on the part of the apocryphal writer. He would sometimes go into the

Amos 7:1 — judgments he is about to bring on Israel. The first is a plague of locusts, threatening to cut of the hopes of the harvest by attacking it in the time of the second growth; the first luxuriances of the crop being probably mowed for the king's horses, 1-3. The next vision threatens a judgment by fire, which would consume a great part, 4-6; and the third a total overthrow of Israel, levelling it as it were by a line, 7-9. The rest of the chapter is a denunciation of heavy judgments against Amaziah, priest

Micah 5:7 — of Mordecai and Esther.-Calmet. But others consider this as applying to the Maccabees.As a dew from the Lord — Even during their captivity many of the Jews were the means of spreading the knowledge of the one true God; see Daniel 2:47; Daniel 3:29; Daniel 4:34; Daniel 6:26. This may be the dew from the Lord mentioned here. When the Messiah appeared, the Gospel was preached by them; and it shall again be propagated by their future glorious restoration, Romans 11:12; Romans 11:25.The grass,

Zephaniah 3:19 — Verse Zephaniah 3:19. I will undo all that afflict thee — They who have persecuted you shall be punished for it. It shows much malignity and baseness of mind, to afflict or reproach those who are lying under the chastising hand of God. This was the conduct of the

Matthew 25:33 — Verse 33. He shall set the sheep, c.] The right hand signifies, among the rabbins, approbation and eminence: the left hand, rejection, and disapprobation. Hence in Sohar Chadash it is said, "The right hand is given, the left also is given - to the Israelites

Matthew 3:4 — Verse Matthew 3:4. His raiment of camel's hair — A sort of coarse or rough covering, which, it appears, was common to the prophets, Zechariah 13:4. In such a garment we find Elijah clothed, 2 Kings 1:8. And as John had been designed under the name of this prophet,

Luke 2:3 — Verse Luke 2:3. And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. — The Roman census was an institution of Servius Tullius, sixth king of Rome. From the account which Dionysius of Halicarnassus gives of it; we may at once see its nature."He ordered all

Luke 22:1 — CHAPTER XXII. The chief priests and scribes plot our Lord's destruction, 1, 2. Judas, at the instigation of the devil, betrays him, 3-6. He eats his last supper with his disciples, 7-18. Institutes the eucharist, 19, 20. Announces one of his disciples as the traitor, 21-23: The contention which should be greatest, 24-30. Warns Peter against Satan's devices, 31, 32. Peter's resolution,

John 18:3 — Verse John 18:3. A band — την σπειραν, The band or troop. Some think that the spira was the same as the Roman cohort, and was the tenth part of a legion, which consisted sometimes of 4200, and sometimes of 5000 foot. But Raphelius, on Matthew 27:27, has clearly

John 2:2 — — There are several remarkable circumstances here.1. This was probably the first Christian wedding that was ever in the world.2. The great Author of the Christian religion, with his disciples, (probably then only four or five in number, see John 1:37, c.,) were invited to it.3. The first miracle Jesus Christ wrought was at it, and in honour of it.4. The mother of Christ, the most pure of all virgins, the most holy of all wives, and the first Christian mother, was also at it.5. The marriage was

John 2:24 — Verse John 2:24. He knew all men] Instead of παντας all men, EGH, and about thirty others, read παντα, every man, or all things; and this I am inclined to believe is the true reading. Jesus knew all things; and why? Because he made all things, John 1:3, and because he was the all-wise God, John 1:1; and he knew all men, because he alone searches the heart, and tries the reins. He knows who are sincere, and who are hypocritical: he knows those in whom he can confide, and those to whom he can neither

John 3:13 — Verse John 3:13. No man hath ascended — This seems a figurative expression for, No man hath known the mysteries of the kingdom of God; as in Deuteronomy 30:12; Psalms 73:17; Proverbs 30:4; Romans 11:34. And the expression is founded upon this generally received

John 4:22 — writings, they had but an imperfect knowledge of the Deity: besides, as they incorporated the worship of idols with his worship, they might be justly said to worship him whom they did not properly know. See the account of their motley worship, 2 Kings 17:26-34. But after Sanballat had built the temple on Mount Gerizim, the idolatrous worship of the Cutheans and Sepharvites, c., was entirely laid aside the same religious service being performed in the Samaritan temple which was performed in that at Jerusalem.We

John 5:9 — which was celebrated the 14th of Nisan, or 28th of March. But why did our Lord command this man to carry his bed on the sabbath, as the law prohibited all servile work, and especially the carrying of burthens? See Exodus 20:8; Jeremiah 17:21; Nehemiah 13:15. To this it may be answered,1. The man was a poor man, and if he had left his bed he might have lost it; and he could not have conveniently watched it till the next morning.2. Christ showed by this that he was Lord of the sabbath: see Matthew 12:8.3.

John 7:22 — child was circumcised when eight days old and if the eighth day after its birth happened to be a Sabbath, it was nevertheless circumcised, that the law might not be broken, which had enjoined the circumcision to take place at that time, Leviticus 12:3. From this and several other circumstances it is evident that the keeping of the Sabbath, even in the strictest sense of the word, ever admitted of the works of necessity and mercy to be done on it; and that those who did not perform such works on that

Acts 19:21 — go to Jerusalem; but it is likely that he did not leave Ephesus till after pentecost, a.d. 59. (1 Corinthians 16:8) And he resolved, if possible, to see Rome, which had been the object of his wishes for a considerable time. See Romans 1:10, Romans 1:13; Romans 16:23.It is generally believed that, during this period, while at Ephesus, he wrote his first epistle to the Corinthians. He had heard that some strange disorders had entered into that Church:-1. That there were divisions among them; some extolling

Acts 2:30 — Verse 30. According to the flesh, he would raise up Christ — This whole clause is wanting in ACD, one of the Syriac, the Coptic, AEthiopic, Armenian, and Vulgate; and is variously entered in others. Griesbach rejects it from the text, and Professor White

Acts 2:38 — Verse 38. Peter said unto them, Repent — μετανοησατε; Humble yourselves before God, and deeply deplore the sins you have committed; pray earnestly for mercy, and deprecate the displeasure of incensed justice. For a definition of repentance, Matthew 3:2.And

Acts 3:26 — Verse Acts 3:26. Unto you first, God, having raised up — As you are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant, the first offers of salvation belong to you, and God thus makes them to you. The great mission of Jesus Christ is directed first to you,