Bible Commentaries

Matthew 14:1 — CHAPTER XIV. Herod, having heard the fame of Christ, supposes him to be John the Baptist, risen from the dead, 1, 2. A circumstantial account of the beheading of John the Baptist, 3-12. Five thousand men, besides women and children, fed with five loaves and two fishes, 13-21. The disciples take ship, and Jesus stays behind, and goes privately into a mountain to pray, 22, 23. A violent storm arises, by which the lives of the disciples

Luke 1:74 — the hand of our enemies, and from all that hate us so that sin shall neither have dominion over us, nor existence in us.2. We are to worship God, λατρευειν, to render him that service and adoration which the letter and spirit of his religion require.3. Ye are to live in holiness, a strict inward conformity to the mind of Christ-and righteousness, a full outward conformity to the precepts of the Gospel.4. This is to be done before God, under the continual influence and support of his grace, and with

Luke 2:36 — Verse 36. Anna, a prophetess — It does not appear that this person was a prophetess in the strict sense of the word, i.e. one who could foretell future events; but rather a holy woman; who, from her extensive knowledge and deep experience in Divine things,

John 12:1 — CHAPTER XII. Jesus sups at the house of Lazarus, and Mary anoints his feet, 1-3. Judas Iscariot finds fault, and reproves her, 4-6. Jesus vindicates Mary and reproves Judas, 7, 8. The chief priests consult to put Lazarus to death, because that through him many believed on Jesus, 9-11. He enters Jerusalem in triumph; the people

John 3:14 — Verse John 3:14. As Moses lifted up — He shows the reason why he descended from heaven, that he might be lifted up, i.e. crucified, for the salvation of man. kind, and be, by the appointment of God, as certain a remedy for sinful souls as the brazen serpent

John 4:10 — δωρεαν signifies a free gift. A gift is any thing that is given, for which no equivalent has been or is to be returned: a free gift is that which has been given without asking or entreaty. Such a gift of kindness was Jesus Christ to the world, John 3:16; and through him comes the gift of the Spirit, which those who believe on his name were to receive. Christ was not an object of desire to the world-no man asked for him; and God, moved thereto by his own eternal mercy, freely gave him. Through this

John 7:26 — multitude which heard our Lord at this time was composed of three different classes of persons:1. The rulers, priests, and Pharisees, declared enemies of Christ.2. The inhabitants of Jerusalem, who knew the sentiments of their rulers concerning him.3. The strangers, who from different quarters had come up to Jerusalem to the feast, and who heard Christ attentively, being ignorant of the designs of the rulers, &c., against him.Our Lord addresses himself in this discourse principally to his enemies.

Acts 20:32 — Verse 32. I commend you to God — Instead of τῳ Θεῳ, to GOD, several MSS. have τῳ Κυριῳ, to the LORD; neither reading makes any difference in the sense.And to the word of his grace — The doctrine of salvation by Christ Jesus.Which is able to

Acts 7:52 — plenary acquittal, when tried at the tribunal of Pilate: I find no fault at all in him. The mention of this circumstance served greatly to aggravate their guilt. The character of Just One is applied to our Lord in three other places of Scripture: Acts 3:14; Acts 22:14; and James 5:6.The betrayers and murderers — Ye first delivered him up into the hands of the Romans, hoping they would have put him to death; but, when they acquitted him, then, in opposition to the declaration of his innocence,

Romans 15:1 — CHAPTER XV. The strong should bear the infirmities of the weak, and each strive to please, not himself, but his neighbour, after the example of Christ, 1-3. Whatsoever was written in old times was written for our learning, 4. We should be of one mind, that we might with one mouth glorify God, 5, 6. We should accept each other as Christ has accepted us, 7. Scriptural proofs that Jesus Christ was not only

Romans 5:10 — reference to the salvation of man.2. This may be also understood of his life of intercession: for it is written. He ever LIVETH to make INTERCESSION for us, Hebrews 7:25. Through this life of intercession at the right hand of God we are spared and blessed.3. And it will not be amiss to consider that, as our salvation implies the renovation of our nature, and our being restored to the image of God, so, σωθησομεθα εν τη ζωναυτου, may be rendered: we shall be saved IN his life; for, I suppose, it is pretty

Romans 8:3 — Verse Romans 8:3. For what the law could not do — The law could not pardon; the law could not sanctify; the law could not dispense with its own requisitions; it is the rule of righteousness, and therefore must condemn unrighteousness. This is its unalterable nature.

1 Corinthians 14:29 — Verse 29. Let the prophets — Those who have the gift of speaking to men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort; 1 Corinthians 14:3.Two or three — As prophesying implied psalmody, teaching, and exhortation, Dr. Lightfoot thinks that the meaning of the place is this: Let one sing who has a psalm; let another teach who has a doctrine; and let a third exhort, or comfort, who

1 Corinthians 7:2 — they are commanded to marry for the purpose of procreating children.In the Jewish constitutions there are some things not only curious, but useful, respecting marriage. "There are four causes which induce men to marry:1. Impure desire;2. To get riches;3. To become honourable;4. For the glory of God.Those who marry through the first motive beget wicked and rebellious children. Those who marry for the sake of riches have the curse of leaving them to others. Those who marry for the sake of aggrandizing

2 Corinthians 4:3 — Verse 2 Corinthians 4:3. But if our Gospel be hid — κεκαλυμμενον. Veiled; he refers to the subject that he had treated so particularly in the conclusion of the preceding chapter. If there be a veil on the Gospel, it is only to the wilfully blind; and if any man's heart

Galatians 1:6 — have the names of more than seventy of these spurious narratives still on record, and in ancient writers many fragments of them remain; these have been collected and published by Fabricius, in his account of the apocryphal books of the New Testament, 3 vols. 8vo. In some of these gospels, the necessity of circumcision, and subjection to the Mosaic law in unity with the Gospel, were strongly inculcated. And to one of these the apostle seems to refer.

Galatians 3:16 — posterity.He saith not, And to seeds — It was one particular kind of posterity which was intended: but as of one-which is Christ; i.e. to the spiritual head, and all believers in him, who are children of Abraham, because they are believers, Galatians 3:7. But why does the apostle say, not of seeds, as of many? To this it is answered, that Abraham possessed in his family two seeds, one natural, viz. the members of his own household; and the other spiritual, those who were like himself because of their

Galatians 4:1 — an heir in nonage is under tutors and guardians, so were the Galatians while under the law; and, as the heir when he comes of age is no longer under guardians, so they, when the Gospel came, arrived at full maturity, and were redeemed from the law, 1-3. He shows, farther, that when the fulness of the time came God sent forth his Son, that we might obtain the adoption of sons, and have the strongest evidence of that adoption, 4-6. Those who are children of God are heirs of heaven, 7. He compares their

Ephesians 4:25 — in a suitable time."-Plato apud Stob., ser. 12."There is nothing decorous in truth but when it is profitable; yea, sometimes και ψευδος ωνησεν ανθρωπους, και τ' αληθες εβλαψεν, truth is hurtful, and lying is profitable to men."-Maximus Tyrius, Diss. 3, p. 29.Having been brought up in such a loose system of morality, these converted Gentiles had need of these apostolic directions; Put away lying; speak the truth: Let lying never come near you; let truth be ever present with you.We are members one

Philippians 4:3 — Verse Philippians 4:3. Help those women which laboured with me — Both in the Grecian and Asiatic countries women were kept much secluded, and is was not likely that even the apostles had much opportunity of conversing with them; it was therefore necessary that they