Bible Commentaries

Genesis 10:1 — CHAPTER X The generations of the sons of Noah, 1. JAPHETH and his descendants, 2-4. The isles of the Gentiles, or Europe, peopled by the Japhethites, 5. HAM and his posterity, 6-20. Nimrod, one of his descendants, a mighty hunter, 8, 9, founds the first kingdom, 10. Nineveh and other cities founded, 11, 12. The Canaanites in their nine grand branches or families, 15-18. Their territories, 19. SHEM

Genesis 4:22 — Tubal-cain and צלל tsalal signifies to tinkle or make a sound like a bell, 1 Samuel 3:11; 2 Kings 21:12.4. Vulcan is said to have been lame; M. De Lavaur thinks that this notion was taken from the noun צלא tsela, which signifies a halting or lameness.5. Vulcan had to wife Venus, the goddess of beauty; Naamah, the sister of Tubal-cain, he thinks, may have given rise to this part of the fable, as her name in Hebrew signifies beautiful or gracious.6. Vulcan is reported to have been jealous of his wife,

Matthew 11:30 — himself, such as that of the Nazarite, &c.4. The yoke of REPENTANCE, עול של השוכה - without which, they knew, they could not enter into the kingdom of heaven. With the Jews, repentance not only implied forsaking sin, but fasting, mortification, &c.5. The yoke of FAITH, עול אמונה - the necessity of believing in the promised Messiah.6. The DIVINE yoke, עול רלעילא - the obligation to live a spiritual life a life of thanksgiving and gratitude unto God.In Shemoth Rabba it is said: "Because the ten tribes

Matthew 6:15 — Verse Matthew 6:15. But if ye forgive not — He who does not awake at the sound of so loud a voice, is not asleep but dead. A vindictive man excludes himself from all hope of eternal life, and himself seals his own damnation.Trespasses — παραπτωματα, from παρα

Mark 4:29 — field and not sow.3. That it is a sin to pretend to sow, when a man is not furnished by the keeper of the granary with any more seed.4. That it is a high offence against God to change the Master's seed, to mix it, or to sow bad seed in the place of it.5. That he is not a seeds-man of God who desires to sow by the way side, c., and not on the proper ground, i.e. he who loves to preach only to genteel congregations, to people of sense and fashion, and feels it a pain and a cross to labour among the poor

Mark 7:33 — that he should detest those things which he before esteemed, and esteem those which he before hated.4. Looking up to heaven - to signify that all help comes from God, and to teach the new convert to keep continually looking to and depending upon him.5. He groaned - to show the wretched state of man by sins and how tenderly concerned God is for his present and eternal welfare; and to intimate that men should seek the salvation of God in the spirit of genuine repentance, with strong crying and tears.6.

Luke 2:2 — in the text, was not governor of Syria, till ten or twelve years after the birth of our Lord.St. Matthew says that our Lord was born in the reign of Herod, Luke 2:1, at which time Quintilius Varus was president of Syria, (Joseph. Ant. book xvii. c. 5, sect. 2,) who was preceded in that office by Sentius Saturninus. Cyrenius, or Quirinus, was not sent into Syria till Archelaus was removed from the government of Judea and Archelaus had reigned there between nine and ten years after the death of Herod;

Luke 23:43 — garden of Eden, mentioned Genesis 2:8, is also called, from the Septuagint, the garden of Paradise. The word Eden, signifies pleasure and delight. Several places were thus called; see Genesis 4:16; 2 Kings 19:12; Isaiah 37:12; Ezekiel 27:23; and Amos 1:5; and such places probably had this name from their fertility, pleasant situation, c., c. In this light the Septuagint have viewed Genesis 2:8. as they render the passage thus: εφυτευσεν ὁ Θεος παραδεισον εν Εδεμ, God planted a paradise in Eden. Hence

Acts 17:1 — come to Thessalonica, were they preach the Gospel to the Jews, several of whom believe, 1-4. Others raise a mob, and bring Jason, who had received the apostles, before the magistrates, who, having taken bail of him and his companions, dismiss them, 5-9. Paul and Silas are sent away by night unto Berea, where they preach to the Jews, who gladly receive the Gospel, 10-12. Certain Jews from Thessalonica, hearing that the Bereans had received the Gospel, come thither and raise up a persecution, 13.

Acts 5:36 — different transactions. Bp. Pearce thinks "the whole difficulty will disappear if we follow the opinion of Abp. Usher, who imagined that Luke's Theudas was the same with that Judas of whom Josephus gives this account, Ant. lib. xvii. cap. 12, sect. 5; and War, lib. ii. cap. 4, sect. 1: 'that a little after the death of Herod the Great, he raised an insurrection in Galilee, and aimed at getting the sovereignty of Judea,' and that he was defeated and put to death, as is implied in sect. 10, of the

Romans 16:1 — CHAPTER XVI. The apostle commends to the Christians at Rome Phoebe, a deaconess of the Church at Cenchrea, 1, 2. Sends greetings to Aquila and Priscilla, of whom he gives a high character; and greets also the Church at their house, 3-5. Mentions several others by name, both men and women, who were members of the Church of Christ at Rome, 6-16. Warns them to beware of those who cause dissensions and divisions, of whom he gives an awful character, 17, 18. Extols the obedience of the

Romans 4:11 — representative, of all them that believe particularly the Gentiles, who are now in precisely the same state in which Abraham was when he received the mercy of God. Hence it appears, says Dr. Taylor, that the covenant established with Abraham, Genesis 17:2-15, is the same with that, Genesis 12:2, Genesis 12:3; Genesis 15:5, c. for circumcision was not a seal of any new grant, but of the justification and promise which Abraham had received before he was circumcised; and that justification and promise included

Romans 5:20 — Verse 20. The law entered that (ινα) the offence might abound. — After considering various opinions concerning the true meaning of this verse, (see under Romans 5:12,) I am induced to prefer my own, as being the most simple. By law I understand the Mosaic law. By entering in, παρεισηλθεν, or, rather, coming in privily, see Galatians 2:4, (the only place where it occurs besides,) I understand the temporary or

Romans 6:6 — its leading senses, is complete, and applies most forcibly to the subject in question. We find that παλαιος ανθρωπος, the old man, used here, and in Ephesians 4:22, and Colossians 3:9, is the same as the flesh with its affections and lusts, Galatians 5:24; and the body of the sins of the flesh, Colossians 2:11; and the very same which the Jewish writers term אדם הקדמוני, Adam hakkadmoni, the old Adam; and which they interpret by יצר הרע yetsar hara, "evil concupiscence," the same which we mean by

1 Corinthians 14:34 — Gospel, when, according to the prediction of Joel, the Spirit of God was to be poured out on the women as well as the men, that they might prophesy, i.e. teach. And that they did prophesy or teach is evident from what the apostle says, 1 Corinthians 11:5, where he lays down rules to regulate this part of their conduct while ministering in the church.But does not what the apostle says here contradict that statement, and show that the words in chap. 1 Corinthians 11:0 should be understood in another sense?

1 Corinthians 6:11 — They were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus, and thus took upon them the public profession of the Gospel.4. Being now baptized into the Christian faith, they were separated from idols and idolaters, and became incorporated with the Church of God.5. As penitents, they were led to the Lord Jesus for justification, which they received through faith in his blood.6. Being justified freely-having their sins forgiven through the redemption that is in Jesus, they received the Spirit of God to attest

2 Corinthians 10:5 — Verse 2 Corinthians 10:5. Casting down imaginations — δογισμους. Reasonings or opinions. The Greek philosophers valued themselves especially on their ethic systems, in which their reasonings appeared to be very profound and conclusive; but they were obliged to assume

Colossians 1:20 — mind is enmity to God, is naturally averse from this reconciliation; it requires, therefore, the blood of the cross to atone for the sin, and the influence of the Spirit to reconcile the transgressor to him against whom he has offended! 2 Corinthians 5:19, c.Things in earth, or things in heaven. — Much has been said on this very obscure clause but, as it is my object not to write dissertations but notes, I shall not introduce the opinions of learned men, which have as much ingenuity as variety

Hebrews 2:3 — state of man-washings and external cleansings of the flesh; the Christian, to the inward state-purifying the heart and soul, and purging the conscience from dead works.4. The Jewish dispensation promised temporal happiness; the Christian, spiritual. 5. The Jewish dispensation belonged chiefly to time; the Christian, to eternity. 6. The Jewish dispensation had its glory; but that was nothing when compared to the exceeding glory of the Gospel. 7. Moses administered the former; Jesus Christ, the Creator,

1 John 5:6 — Spirit bears witness of Jesus by his testimony in the souls of genuine Christians, and by the spiritual gifts and miraculous powers with which he endowed the apostles and primitive believers. This is agreeable to what St. John says in his gospel, John 15:26-27: When the Comforter is come, the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me; and ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning. This place the apostle seems to have in his eye; and this