Bible Commentaries

Exodus 23:11 — nourishment, to the poor, the slave, and the stranger, and even to the cattle."3. To accustom the people to submit to and depend on the Divine providence, and expect their support from that in the seventh year, by an extraordinary provision on the sixth."4. To detach their affections from earthly and perishable things, and to make them disinterested and heavenly-minded."5. To show them God's dominion over the country, and that HE, not they, was lord of the soil and that they held it merely from his bounty."

Exodus 34:6 — Verse Exodus 34:6. And the Lord passed by - and proclaimed, The Lord, c. — It would be much better to read this verse thus: "And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed JEHOVAH," that is, showed Moses fully what was implied in this august name. Moses had

Exodus 4:31 — Verse Exodus 4:31. The people believed — They credited the account given of the Divine appointment of Moses and Aaron to be their deliverers out of their bondage, the miracles wrought on the occasion confirming the testimony delivered by Aaron.They bowed their

Exodus 8:16 — Egyptians, and especially to their priests, who were obliged to shave the hair off every part of their bodies, and to wear a single tunic, that no vermin of this kind might be permitted to harbour about them. See Herod. in Euterp., c. xxxvii., p. 104, edit. Gale. Of the nature of these insects it is not necessary to say much. The common louse is very prolific. In the space of twelve days a full-grown female lays one hundred eggs, from which, in the space of six days, about fifty males and as many

2 Kings 5:1 — CHAPTER V The history of Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, a leper; who was informed by a little Israelitish captive maid that a prophet of the Lord, in Samaria, could cure him, 1-4. The king of Syria sends him, with a letter and rich presents, to the king of Israel, that he should recover him of his leprosy, 5, 6. On receiving the letter, the king of Israel is greatly distressed, supposing that the Syrian king designed to seek

Esther 6:1 — negative, 3. At this time Haman arrives, in order to request the king's permission to hang Mordecai; and being suddenly asked what should be done to the man whom the king delighted to honour, supposing that himself must be meant, presented the ceremonial, 4-9. The king orders him to give Mordecai those honours; which he performs, to his extreme mortification, 10, 11. He informs his wife Zeresh of these transactions, who predicts his downfall, 12-13. He is hurried by the eunuchs to the queen's banquet,

Psalms 118:1 — PSALM CXVIII A general exhortation to praise God for his mercy, 1-4. The psalmist, by his own experience, encourages the people to trust in God, and shows them the advantage of it, 5-9; then describes his enemies, and shows how God enabled him to destroy them, 10-13. The people rejoice on the account, 15, 16. He speaks

Psalms 18:10 — those great events which take place in the administration of his providence; and particularly such as manifest his immediate interposition in the extraordinary judgments which he inflicts for the punishment of sinful nations. See Psalms 103:20; Psalms 104:4. The cherub is particularly mentioned as an emblem of the Divine presence, and especially as employed in supporting and conveying the chariot of the Almighty, when he is represented as riding in his majesty through the firmament of heaven: - -Forth

Psalms 3:8 — though they went about to dishonour, him. 3. The lifter up of his head, which they wished to lay low enough.3. To their vain boast of desertion, There is no help for him in his God, he opposeth his own experience, "I cried unto the Lord, and he heard me."4. By whose protection being sustained and secured, he deposes all care and fear, all anxiety and distraction. 1. He sleeps with a quiet mind: "I laid me down and slept, I awoke." 2. He sings a requiem: "I will not be afraid of ten thousands of the people,

Psalms 36:1 — PSALM XXXVI The miserable state of the wicked, 1-4. The excellence of God's mercy in itself, and to his followers, 5-9. He prays for the upright, 10; for himself that he may be saved from pride and violence, 11; and shows the end of the workers of iniquity, 12. NOTES ON PSALM XXXVIThe title in the

Proverbs 30:4 — Verse Proverbs 30:4. Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? — Calmet paraphrases this passage thus: "Who hath descended, c. In order to show the truth of what he was about to say, he observes: I have not the science of the saints for how could I have acquired

Leviticus 25:55 — Verse Leviticus 25:55. For unto me the children of Israel are servants — The reason of this law we have already seen, (Leviticus 25:42,) but we must look farther to see the great end of it. The Israelites were a typical people; they represented those under the Gospel dispensation who are children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. But these last have a peculiarity of blessing: they

Isaiah 22:1 — CHAPTER XXII Prophecy concerning Jerusalem, 1-14. Sentence against Shebna, who was over the household, 15-19. Prophecy concerning Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah, 20, 21. From Eliakim, Isaiah, (agreeably to the mode universally adopted in the prophetical writings, of making the things then present, or

Isaiah 29:1 — CHAPTER XXIX Distress of Ariel, or Jerusalem, on Sennacherib's invasion, with manifest allusion, however, to the still greater distress which it suffered from the Romans, 1-4. Disappointment and fall of Sennacherib described in terms, like the event, the most awful and terrible, 5-8. Stupidity and hypocrisy of the Jews, 9-16. Rejection of the Jews, and calling of the Gentiles, 17. The chapter concludes by a recurrence to

Isaiah 49:2 — Verse Isaiah 49:2. And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword - "And he hath made my mouth a sharp sword"] The servant of God, who speaks in the former part of this chapter, must be the Messiah. If any part of this character can in any sense belong to the prophet,

Isaiah 52:15 — frequent in the law, means only to sprinkle: but the water sprinkled is the accusative case; the thing on which has על al or אל el. θαυμασονταιο, makes the best apodosis. ינהג yenahag would do. ינהרו yinharu is used Isaiah 2:2; Jeremiah 31:12; Jeremiah 51:14, but is unlike. 'Kings shall shut,' c., is good, but seems to want a first part." - SECKER. Munster translates it, faciet loqui, (de se) and in his note thus explains it: יזה yazzeh proprie significat spargere et stillas disseminare; hic hero capitur

Numbers 19:2 — sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God!" Hebrews 9:13-14. As the principal stress of the allusion here is to the ordinance of the red heifer, we may certainly conclude that it was designed to typify the sacrifice of our blessed Lord.We may remark several curious particulars in this ordinance.1. A heifer was

Numbers 27:7 — consequently are types of those who make a wise provision for their eternal state.3. They are examples of encouragement to weak and destitute believers, who, though they are orphans in this world, shall not be deprived of their heavenly inheritance.4. Their names are mysterious; for Zelophehad, צלפחד TSELOPHCHAD, signifies the shadow of fear or dread.His first daughter, מחלה MACHLAH, infirmity;the second, נעה NOAH, wandering;the third, חגלה CHOGLAH, turning about or dancing for joy:the fourth, מלכה

Deuteronomy 33:25 — c., of iron, brass, and tin, were used by ancient warriors. Goliath had greaves of brass on his legs, 1 Samuel 17:6 and the brazen-booted Greeks, χαλκοκνημιδες Αχαιοι, is one of the epithets given by Homer to his heroes; see Iliad. lib. viii., ver. 41.And as thy days, so shall thy strength be. — If we take this clause as it appears here, we have at once an easy sense; and the saying, I have no doubt, has comforted the souls of multitudes. The meaning is obvious: "Whatever thy trials or difficulties

Joshua 15:8 — Ireland and Wales.The same is Jerusalem — This city was formerly called Jebus a part of it was in the tribe of Benjamin; Zion, called its citadel, was in the tribe of Judah.The valley of the giants — Of the Rephaim. See the notes on Genesis 6:4; Genesis 14:5; Deuteronomy 2:7; Deuteronomy 2:11.On this subject, a very intelligent clergyman favours me with his opinion in the following terms: -"The boundary between Judah and Benjamin went up from the valley of Hinnom on the east to the top of