Bible Commentaries

Genesis 17:23 — painful and humiliating, to denote that repentance, self-denial, c., are absolutely necessary to all who wish for redemption in the blood of the covenant and the putting away this filth of the flesh showed the necessity of a pure heart and a holy life.4. As eternal life is the free gift of God, he has a right to give it in what way he pleases, and on what terms. He says to Abraham and his seed, Ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin, and he that doth not so shall be cut off from his people.

Genesis 19:26 — of salt, that is, the foundation of the true faith, c. See Calmet.Josephus says that this pillar was standing in his time, and that himself had seen it: Εις στηλην ἁλων μετεβαλεν, ἱοτορηκα δ' αυτην· ετι γαρ και νυν διαμενει. Ant. lib. i., c. xi. 3, 4.St. Clement, in his First Epistle to the Corinthians, chap. ii., follows Josephus, and asserts that Lot's wife was remaining even at that time as a pillar of salt.Authors of respectability and credit who have since travelled into the Holy Land, and

Genesis 6:15 — genera of animals necessary to be brought into the ark should be included Naturalists have divided the whole system of zoology into CLASSES and ORDERS, containing genera and species. There are six classes thus denominated:1. Mammalia;2. Aves;3. Amphibia;4. Pisces;5. Insectae; and6. Vermes.With the three last of these, viz., fishes, insects, and worms, the question can have little to do.The first CLASS, Mammalia, or animals with teats, contains seven orders, and only forty-three genera if we except the

1 Kings overview — Preface to the First Book of the KingsOtherwise Called the Third Book of the KingsIn the most correct and ancient editions of the Hebrew Bible, the two books of Kings make but one, with sometimes a little break, the first book beginning with 1 Samuel 22:40. Some of the ancient fathers seem to have begun the First Book of Kings at the death of David, 1 Kings 2:12. The more modern copies of the Hebrew Bible have the same division as ours; but in the time of the Masoretes they certainly made but one book;

Psalms 62:11 — trust in God; and not to trust in wealth, or strength, nor in the power or promise of men.It may be divided into the five following parts: -I. David's confidence in God, Psalms 62:1-2.II. The mischievous but vain attempts of his enemies, Psalms 62:3-4.III. He encourages himself and others in the same confidence, Psalms 62:5-9.IV. That no trust is to be put in men, nor riches, Psalms 62:9-10.V. The grounds of our confidence in God, Psalms 62:11-12.I. In the first verses David expresses, or rather

Isaiah 7:8 — and who planted the country with new inhabitants. That the country was not wholly stripped of its inhabitants by Shalmaneser appears from many passages of the history of Josiah, where Israelites are mentioned as still remaining there, 2 Chronicles 34:6-7; 2 Chronicles 34:33; 2 Chronicles 35:18; 2 Kings 23:19-20. This seems to be the best explanation of the chronological difficulty in this place, which has much embarrassed the commentators: see Usserii Annal. V. T. ad an. 3327, and Sir I. Newton,

Isaiah 7:8 — y que plantó el país con nuevos habitantes. Que el país no fue totalmente despojado de sus habitantes por Salmanasar se desprende de muchos pasajes de la historia de Josías, en los que se menciona a israelitas que aún permanecían allí,  2 Crónicas 34:6 ; 2 Crónicas 34:33 ; 2 Crónicas 35:18 ; 2 Reyes 23:19-12 . Esta parece ser la mejor explicación de los hechos. Esta parece ser la mejor explicación de la dificultad cronológica en este lugar, que ha avergonzado mucho a los comentaristas: véase

Nahum overview — formed of brick kneaded with straw and baked in the sun, a flood of waters could easily effect their dissolution. Babylon was built in the same manner; and this is the reason why scarcely any vestiges of those cities are to be found. See on Nahum 3:14 (note).The time of the prophet's death is not known. The Greek meneologies and the Latin martyrologies place his festival on the first of December. Petrus Natalis places it on the twenty-fourth of the same month, which he says was the day of his death,

Matthew 21:46 — Verse Matthew 21:46. They sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude — Restraining and preventing grace is an excellent blessing, particularly where it leads to repentance and salvation; but he who abstains from certain evils, only through fear of scandal

Acts 9:5 — in any Greek MS. yet discovered, but is wanting in the Itala, Erpen's Arabic, the Syriac, Coptic, Sahidic, and most of the Slavonian. It is found in the Vulgate, one of the Arabic, the AEthiopic, and Armenian; and was probably borrowed from Acts 26:14, and some marginal notes. It is wanting also in the Complutensian edition, and in that of Bengel. Griesbach also leaves it out of the text.It is hard for thee, c.] σκληρον σοι προς κεντρα λακτιζειν. This is a proverbial expression, which exists, not

1 Corinthians 7:36 — appear to be a necessity; is to be understood of any particular change in his circumstances or in his feelings; or, that he finds, from the law and custom in the case, that it is a scandal for him not to marry; then let him do what he wills or purposes.4. Instead of γαμειτωσαν, let THEM marry, I think γαμειτω, let HIM marry, is the true reading, and agrees best with the context. This reading is supported by D*EFG, Syriac, in the Arabic, Slavonic, one of the Itala, and St. Augustine. Si nubat, if he

1 Corinthians 7:36 — parece que hay necesidad; debe entenderse de algún cambio particular en sus circunstancias o en sus sentimientos; o, que encuentre, por la ley y la costumbre del caso, que es un escándalo para él no casarse; entonces que haga lo que quiera o se proponga. 4. En lugar de γαμειτωσαν, que se casen, creo que γαμειτω, que se case ÉL, es la verdadera lectura, y concuerda mejor con el contexto. Esta lectura es apoyada por D*EFG, el siríaco, en el árabe, el eslavo, uno de los Itala, y San Agustín. Si nubat, si

Colossians overview — Eusebius; and the city which was raised in the place of the former was called Chonos or Konos, which name it now bears. See New Encyclopedia. On modern maps Konos is situated about twenty miles NE. of Degnizlu, in lat. about 38 north, and in long. 29 40' east of London.The epistle to this city appears to have been written about the same time with that to the Philippians, viz. towards the end of the year 62, and in the ninth of the Emperor Nero.That the two epistles were written about the same time

Colossians 1:16 — had a beginning, whether they exist in time or in eternity.2. That whatsoever was created was created FOR himself; that he was the sole end of his own work.3. That he was prior to all creation, to all beings, whether in the visible or invisible world.4. That he is the preserver and governor of all things; for by him all things consist.Now, allowing St. Paul to have understood the terms which he used, he must have considered Jesus Christ as being truly and properly God.I. Creation is the proper work

Colossians 1:16 — sea que existan en el tiempo o en la eternidad . 2. Que todo lo que fue creado fue creado PARA sí mismo ; que él era el único fin de su propia obra. 3. Que fue anterior a toda la creación , a todos los seres , ya sea en el mundo visible o invisible . 4. Que él es el conservador y gobernador de todas las cosas; porque en él subsisten todas las cosas . Ahora bien, permitiendo que San Pablo haya entendido los términos que usó, debe haber considerado a Jesucristo como siendo verdadera y propiamente Dios

1 Timothy 1:4 — Verso 1 Timoteo 1:4 . Tampoco prestes atención a las fábulas... Fantasías ociosas; cosas sin importancia; doctrinas y opiniones no autentificadas; leyendas tontas, de las que ningún pueblo poseyó jamás una reserva mayor que los judíos. Su Talmud abunda en ellas; y el lector

Titus 2:11 — επεφανη, hath shined out, that is rarely noted; it seems to be a metaphor taken from the sun. As by his rising in the east and shining out, he enlightens, successively, the whole world; so the Lord Jesus, who is called the Sun of righteousness, Malachi 4:2, arises on the whole human race with healing in his wings. And as the light and heat of the sun are denied to no nation nor individual, so the grace of the Lord Jesus, this also shines out upon all; and God designs that all mankind shall be as equally

1 Peter 5:14 — Verse 1 Peter 5:14. Greet ye one another with a kiss of charity. — Romans 16:16, and on "1 Corinthians 16:20". In the above places the kiss is called a holy kiss; here, φιληματιαγαπης, a kiss of LOVE; i.e. as a mark of their love to each other, in order that misunderstandings

2 Peter 2:4 — Verse 4. For if God spared not the angels — The angels were originally placed in a state of probation; some having fallen and some having stood proves this. How long that probation was to last to them, and what was the particular test of their fidelity,

1 Samuel 2:1 — inspired writers of the New. And the allusion thereto by Zacharias, the father of the Baptist, in his hymn, Luke 1:69, where he calls Christ a 'horn of salvation,' and the beautiful imitation of it by the blessed Virgin throughout in her hymn, Luke 1:46-55, furnishing the finest commentary thereon, clearly prove that Hannah in her rejoicing had respect to something higher than Peninnah her rival, or to the triumphs of Samuel, or even of David himself; the expressions are too magnificent and sublime