Bible Commentaries

2 Kings 13:20 — Verse 2 Kings 13:20. And Elisha died — The two prophets, Elijah and Elisha, were both most extraordinary men. Of the former, it is difficult to say whether he was a man, or an angel in a human body. The arguments for this latter opinion are strong, the objections

Psalms 119:16 — become holy in order to be happy, he shows how this holiness is to be attained, and adduces his own experience.1. Seek God with thy "whole heart." Be truly sensible of your wants.2. Keep and remember what God says: "Thy words have I hidden," &c.3. Reduce all this to practice: "That I might not sin against thee."4. Bless God for what he has given: "Blessed art thou," &c.5. Ask more: "Teach me thy statutes."6. Be ready to communicate his knowledge to others: "With my lips have I declared."7.

Psalms 18:2 — good. The word סלע sela signifies those craggy precipices which afford shelter to men and wild animals; where the bees often made their nests, and whence honey was collected in great abundance. "He made him to suck honey out of the rock," Deuteronomy 32:13.3. He was his fortress; a place of strength and safety, fortified by nature and art, where he could be safe from his enemies. He refers to those inaccessible heights in the rocky, mountainous country of Judea, where he had often found refuge from

Leviticus 13:2 — Verse Leviticus 13:2. The plague of leprosy — This dreadful disorder has its name leprosy, from the Greek λεποα, from λεπις, a scale, because in this disease the body was often covered with thin white scales, so as to give it the appearance of snow. Hence it is

Isaiah 1:2 — with the same terrible pomp that accompanied him on Mount Sinai: - "A consuming fire goes before him And round him rages a violent tempest: He calleth the heavens from above. And the earth, that he may contend in judgment with his people." Psalms 50:3-4. By the same bold figure, Micah calls upon the mountains, that is, the whole country of Judea, to attend to him, Isaiah 6:1-2: - "Arise, plead thou before the mountains, And let the hills hear thy voice. Hear, O ye mountains, the controversy of JEHOVAH;

Isaiah 42:11 — quorum, spend an hour in showing from these words,1. That they meant Jesus Christ, and none other.2. That he might be fully compared to a rock, as the foundation on which his Church was built, and on which all true believers rested for their salvation.3. A rock, because of his strength and might in destroying his enemies, and supporting his friends.4. A refreshing rock, like that in the wilderness; and that rock was Christ.5. A perspective rock, from which true believers could discover their heavenly

Ezekiel 4:4 — afterwards he lay in the same manner, upon his right side, for forty days. And thus was signified the state of the Jews, and the punishment that was coming upon them.1. The prophet himself represents the Jews.2. His lying, their state of depression.3. His being bound, their helplessness and captivity.4. The days signify years, a day for a year; during which they were to bear their iniquity, or the temporal punishment due to their sins.5. The three hundred and ninety days, during which he was to

Joel 1:1 — Chronological Notes relative to the commencement of Joel's prophesying, upon the supposition that this event took place about six hundred and ninety years before the commencement of the Christian era. -Year from the Creation, according to Archbishop Usher, 3314. -Year of the Julian Period, 4024. -Year since the Flood, 1658. -Year from the foundation of Solomon's temple, 322. -Year since the division of Solomon's monarchy into the kingdoms of Israel and Judah, 285. -Year since the extinction of the kingdom

Numbers 11:1 — CHAPTER XI The people complain, the Lord is displeased, and many of them are consumed by fire, 1. Moses intercedes for them, and the fire is quenched, 2. The place is called Taberah, 3. The mixed multitude long for flesh, and murmur, 4-6. The manna described, 7-9. The people weep in their tents, and the Lord is displeased, 10. Moses deplores his lot in being obliged to hear and bear with all their murmurings, 11-15. He is commanded

Numbers 7:1 — CHAPTER VII When the tabernacle was fully set up, it appeared that the princes of the twelve tribes had prepared six covered wagons, drawn by two oxen each, one wagon for two tribes, for the service of the tabernacle, 1-3. Moses is commanded to receive this offering, and distribute the whole to the Levites according to their service, 4, 5. Moses does so, and gives two wagons and four oxen to the sons of Gershon, 6, 7; and four wagons and eight oxen to the sons of Merari,

Haggai 2:1 — four years before the temple was finished, and sixty-eight after the former one was destroyed, it appears that some old men among the Jews were greatly dispirited on account of its being so much inferior in magnificence to that of Solomon. Compare Ezra 3:12. To raise the spirits of the people, and encourage them to proceed with the work, the prophet assures them that the glory of the second temple should be greater than that of the first, alluding perhaps to the glorious doctrines which should be preached

Matthew 10:5 — Verse Matthew 10:5. These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded — To be properly qualified for a minister of Christ, a man must be,1. filled with the spirit of holiness;2. called to this particular work;3. instructed in its nature, c. and,4. commissioned to go forth, and testify the Gospel of the grace of God.These are four different gifts which a man must receive from God by Christ Jesus. To these let him add all the human qualifications he can possibly

Matthew 27:66 — uncommon - the person uncommon - and the object uncommon; and the whole is grand, majestic, and awful. Nature itself is thrown into unusual action, and by means and causes wholly supernatural. In every part, the finger of God most evidently appears.3. How glorious does Christ appear in his death! Were it not for his thirst, his exclamation on the cross, and the piercing of his side, we should have found it difficult to believe that such a person could ever have entered the empire of death; but the

Matthew 3:6 — Verse Matthew 3:6. Were baptized — In what form baptism was originally administered, has been deemed a subject worthy of serious dispute. Were the people dipped or sprinkled? for it is certain βαπτω and βαπτιζω mean both. They were all dipped, say some. Can any

Luke 7:37 — Verse 37. A woman - which was a sinner — Many suppose that this woman had been a notorious public prostitute; but this is taking the subject by the very worst handle. My own opinion is, that she had been a mere heathen who dwelt in this city, (probably

Joshua 11:18 — which the exact time may be nearly ascertained. Caleb was forty years old when he was sent from Kadesh-barnea by Moses to search out the land, about A.M. 2514; and at the end of this war he was eighty-five years old; (compare Joshua 14:10 with Numbers 13:16, and Deuteronomy 1:36;) consequently the war ended in 2559, which had begun, by the passage of Jordan, on the tenth day of the first month of the year 2554. From this date to the end of 2559 we find exactly six years; the first of which Joshua seems

Joshua 11:23 — Verse Joshua 11:23. So Joshua took the whole land — All the country described here and in the preceding chapter. Besides the multitudes that perished in this war, many of the Canaanites took refuge in the confines of the land, and in the neighbouring nations. Some

Joshua 20:7 — might be convenient to every part of the land; and it is said they were situated on eminences, that they might be easily seen at a distance, the roads leading to them being broad, even, and always kept in good repair. In the concluding note on Numbers 35:33 it has been stated that these cities were a type of our blessed Lord, and that the apostle refers to them as such, Hebrews 6:17; Hebrews 6:18. Hence their names have been considered as descriptive of some character or office of Christ. I shall give

Joshua 4:9 — the rest of the chapter, which says these stones were pitched in Gilgal, where Israel lodged in Canaan for the first time. The solution of this difficulty is, that בתוך bethoch IN the midst, should be here מתוך mittoch, FROM the midst, as in Joshua 4:3; Joshua 4:8; Joshua 4:20, and as the word is here also in the Syrian version. The true rendering therefore is, And Joshua set up the twelve stones (taken) FROM the midst of Jordan," &c. I confess I see no need for this criticism, which is not supported

Joshua 7:1 — CHAPTER VII The trespass of the Israelites, 1. Joshua sends men to view the state of Ai, 2. They return with a favourable report, 3. Three thousand men are sent against it, who are defeated, and thirty-six killed, 4, 5. Joshua is greatly distressed, prostrates himself, and inquires of the Lord the reason why he has abandoned Israel to their enemies, 6-9. The Lord raises him, and