Bible Commentaries

Exodus 12:12 — the judgment here threatened. It is but justice to say that however probable this criticism may appear, it is not supported by any of the ancient versions, nor by any of the MSS. collated by Kennicott and De Rossi. The parallel place also, Numbers 33:4, is rather against Houbigant's interpretation: For the Egyptians buried all their first-born, which the Lord had smitten among them: upon their gods also [ובאלהיהם ubeloheyhem] the Lord executed judgments. But Houbigant amends the word in this place

Exodus 28:36 — this kind, The Septuagint translate it by πεταλον, a leaf; hence we might be led to infer that this plate resembled a wreath of flowers or leaves; and as it is called, Exodus 29:6, נזר nezer, a crown, and the author of the book of Wisdom Exodus 18:24, who was a Jew, and may be supposed to know well what it was, calls it διαδημα, it was probably of the form, not of the ancient diadem, but rather of the radiated crown worn by the ancient Roman emperors, which was a gold band that went round the head

Exodus 3:1 — of Jethro at Mount Horeb, the angel of the Lord appears to him in a burning bush, 1, 2. Astonished at the sight, he turns aside to examine it, 3, when God speaks to him out of the fire, and declares himself to be the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, 4-6; announces his purpose of delivering the Israelites from their oppression, and of bringing them into the promised land, 7-9; commissions him to go to Pharaoh, and to be leader of the children of Israel from Egypt, 10. Moses excuses himself, 11; and

1 Kings 8:46 — Verse 1 Kings 8:46. If they sin against thee — This SEVENTH case must refer to some general defection from truth, to some species of false worship, idolatry, or corruption of the truth and ordinances of the Most High; as for it they are here stated to be delivered

Esther 4:14 — Verse Esther 4:14. Then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise — He had a confidence that deliverance would come by some means; and he thought that Esther would be the most likely; and that, if she did not use the influence which her providential station

Job 26:5 — these appear to give any sense by which the true meaning can be determined.There is probably here an allusion to the destruction of the earth by the general deluge. Moses, speaking concerning the state of the earth before the flood, says, Genesis 6:4, "There were giants נפלים nephilim, in the earth in those days." Now it is likely that Job means the same by רפאים rephaim as Moses does by the nephilim; and that both refer to the antediluvians, who were all, for their exceeding great iniquities, overwhelmed

Job 28:4 — Verse Job 28:4. The flood breaketh out from the inhabitant — This passage is very difficult. Some think it refers to mining; others to navigation. If it refer to the former, it may be intended to point out the waters that spring up when the miners have sunk

Psalms 120:1 — PSALM CXX The psalmist, in great distress, calls on the Lord for deliverance from calumny and defamation, 1, 2; shows the punishment that awaits his persecutor, 3, 4; deplores the necessity of his residence with the ungodly, 5-7. NOTES ON PSALM CXXThis Psalm, and all the rest that follow it, to the end of Psalms 134:0, fifteen in number, are called Psalms of Degrees; for thus the Hebrew title המעלות hammaaloth

Psalms 139:1 — appears internal evidence that the Psalm was not written by David, but during or after the time of the captivity, as there are several Chaldaisms in it. See Psalms 139:2-3; Psalms 139:7; Psalms 139:9; Psalms 139:19-20, collated with Daniel 2:29-30; Daniel 4:16; Daniel 7:28; some of these shall be noticed in their proper places.As to the author, he is unknown; for it does not appear to have been the work of David. The composition is worthy of him, but the language appears to be lower than his time.Concerning

Psalms 21:13 — de sus labios". 2°. Le concediste más de lo que pedía: "Le previenes con las bendiciones de la bondad". 3°. Lo eligió para ser rey: "Has puesto una corona de oro puro sobre su cabeza". En lo que Dios le previno, y le eligió cuando no pensaba en ello. 4°. Cuando David fue a la guerra, "pidió la vida, y le diste la duración de los días por los siglos de los siglos": lo cual es muy cierto de Cristo, el Hijo de David. En él su vida y su reino son inmortales. 5°. Una gran ascensión de gloria, honor y majestad.

Psalms 42:1 — PSALM XLII The psalmist earnestly longs for the ordinances of the Lord's house, 1-4; describes his deep distress, 5-7; endeavours to take comfort from the consideration that the Lord would appear in his behalf, 8, 9; speaks of the insults of his enemies, 10; and again takes encouragement, 11. NOTES ON PSALM XLIIThe title, To the chief

Psalms 62:1 — PSALM LXII David, in imminent danger, flees to God for help and safety, 1, 2; points out the designs of his adversaries, 3, 4; encourages his soul to wait on God, 5-8; shows the vanity of trusting in man, and of trusting in riches, 9, 10; and concludes with asserting that power and mercy belong to God, and that he will give to every man according to his works, 11, 12. NOTES

Psalms 76:12 — prerogatives of the Jews above all other nations.1. God was known among them: "In Judah is God known."2. His name was great in Israel. Illustrious for his manifold deliverances.3. At Salem was his tabernacle, - his seat of worship, his peculiar presence.4. His dwelling in Zion, - his constant habitation.II. A narration of God's power and majesty.He was glorious among good men; more glorious than the mountains of prey - kingdoms acquired by violence, murder, and robbery.And this glory was manifest in

Ecclesiastes 12:6 — the spring whence the water gushes up; properly applied here to the heart, which by its systole and diastole (contraction and expansion) sends out, and afterwards receives back, the blood; for all the blood flows from, and returns back to, the heart.4. The wheel broken at the cistern — The great aorta, which receives the blood from the cistern, the left ventricle of the heart, and distributes it to the different parts of the system. These may be said, as in the case of the brain above, to be

Numbers 4:3 — Verse Numbers 4:3. From thirty years old — In Numbers 8:24, the Levites are ordered to enter on the service of the tabernacle at the age of twenty-five years; and in 1 Chronicles 23:24, they were ordered to commence that work at twenty years of age. How can these

Matthew overview — The New Covenant; or, if it were lawful to use a periphrasis, the New Covenant, including a Testamentary Declaration and Bequest: for this is precisely the meaning of this system of justice, holiness, goodness, and truth. St. Paul, 2 Corinthians 3:14, calls the sacred books before the time of Christ, Η ΠΑΛΑΙΑ ΔΙΑΘΗΚΗ, The Old Covenant; which is a very proper and descriptive title of the grand subject of those books. This apostle evidently considers the Old Testaments and the New, as two covenants,

Deuteronomy 6:4 — Verse Deuteronomy 6:4. Hear, O Israel — שמע ישראל יהוה אלהינו יהוה אחד shemA Yisrael, Yehovah Eloheinu, Yehovah achaD. These words may be variously rendered into English; but almost all possible verbal varieties in the translation (and there can be none other) amount

Acts 1:26 — names of the persons inscribed on them, into an urn; and after prayer, sacrifice, c., to put in the hand and draw out one of the lots, and then the case was decided. I have considered this subject at large on Leviticus 16:8, Leviticus 16:9; and Joshua 14:2.He was numbered with the eleven apostles. — The word συγκατεψηφισθη, comes from συν, together with, κατα, according to, and ψηφος, a pebble or small stone, used for lots, and as a means of enumeration among the Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians;

Joshua 3:17 — conviction.3. In some respects the passage of the Jordan was more strikingly miraculous than that even of the Red Sea. In the latter God was pleased to employ an agent; the sea went back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, Exodus 14:21. Nothing of this kind appeared in the passage of the Jordan; a very rapid river (for so all travellers allow it to be) went back to its source without any kind of agency but the invisible hand of the invisible God.4. Through the whole period of the

Joshua 7:21 — Quos radio caelat BABYLON. Punic. lib. xiv., ver. 667. MARTIAL seems to say they were embroidered with the needle: - Non ego praetulerim BABYLONIA PICTA superbe Textra, Semiramia quae variantur ACU. Lib. viii., E. 28, ver. 17. PLINY (lib. viii., c. 48) and APULEIUS (Florid. lib. i.) speak of them as if painted: "Colores diversos picturae intexere Babylon maxime celebravit, et nomen imposuit."Thus far Calmet: but it may be observed that the clothes woven of divers colours at Babylon, which were so