Bible Commentaries

Exodus 12:49 — outline. As a system of teaching or instruction, it is the most sovereign and most effectual; as by it is the knowledge of sin, and it alone is the schoolmaster, παιδαγωγος, that leads men to Christ, that they may be justified through faith. Galatians 3:24. Who can absolutely ascertain the exact quantum of obliquity in a crooked line, without the application of a straight one? And could sin, in all its twistings, windings, and varied involutions, have ever been truly ascertained, had not God given

Exodus 8:32 — Verse Exodus 8:32. Pharaoh hardened his heart at this time also — See Exodus 8:15. This hardening was the mere effect of his self-determining obstinacy. He preferred his gain to the will and command of Jehovah, and God made his obstinacy the means of showing forth

Nehemiah 8:17 — some of the mud from the bottom being brought upon the altar, was kindled afresh by the rays of the sun, which suddenly broke out, though before covered with clouds, c., is worthy of no credit. Those who wish to see the detail may consult 2Mac 1:18-36.ON the subject in Nehemiah 8:8, I beg leave to make a few observations:-So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading. The Israelites, having been lately brought out of the Babylonish

Psalms 2:7 — sufferings and the death of that human nature were stamped with an infinitely meritorious efficacy. We have St. Paul's authority for applying to the resurrection of our Lord these words, "Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee; " - see Acts 13:33; see also Hebrews 5:5; - and the man must indeed be a bold interpreter of the Scriptures who would give a different gloss to that of the apostle. It is well known that the words, "Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee," have been produced

Leviticus 11:1 — CHAPTER XI Laws concerning clean and unclean animals, 1, 2. Of QUADRUPEDS, those are clean which divide the hoof and chew the cud, 3. Those to be reputed unclean which do not divide the hoof, though they chew the cud, 4-6. Those to be reputed unclean also which, though they divide the hoof, do not chew the cud, 7. Whosoever eats their flesh, or touches their carcasses, shall be reputed

Joel 2:2 — clouds; and, as the prophet Joel expresses it, (Joel 2:10) they darkened the sun. When the wind blew briskly, so that these swarms were crowded by others, or thrown one upon another, we had a lively idea of that comparison of the psalmist, (Psalms 109:23,) of being 'tossed up and down as the locust.' In the month of May, when the ovaries of those insects were ripe and turgid, each of these swarms began gradually to disappear; and retired into the Mettijiah, and other adjacent plains, where they deposited

Numbers 24:25 — Verse Numbers 24:25. And Balaam - returned to his place — Intended to have gone to Mesopotamia, his native country, (see Deuteronomy 23:4), but seems to have settled among the Midianites, where he was slain by the Israelites; see Numbers 31:8.THOUGH the notes in the preceding chapters have been extended to a considerable length, yet a few additional remarks may be necessary: the reader's

Matthew 15:2 — to explain which the two Talmuds, called the Jerusalem and Babylyonish Talmuds, were compiled, which are also called the Gemera or complement, because by these the oral law or Mishnah is fully explained. The Jerusalem Talmud was completed about A. D. 300; and the Babylonish Talmud about the beginning of the sixth century. This Talmud was printed at Amsterdam in 12 vols. folio. These contain the whole of the traditions of the elders, and have so explained, or rather frittered away, the words of God,

Matthew 23:39 — Verse Matthew 23:39. Ye shall not see me — I will remove my Gospel from you, and withdraw my protection.Till ye shall say, Blessed — Till after the fulness of the Gentiles is brought in, when the word of life shall again be sent unto you; then will ye rejoice,

Luke 2:11 — sins of men, or profitably minister in holy things, unless enlightened, influenced, and directed by the Spirit of grace and holiness. Hence the priest was anointed, to signify his being divinely qualified for the due performance of his sacred functions.3. That no man could enact just and equitable laws which should have the prosperity of the community and the welfare of the individual continually in view, or could use the power confided to him only for the suppression of vice and the encouragement of

John 8:59 — Leviticus 24:16.But Jesus hid himself — In all probability he rendered himself invisible-though some will have it that he conveyed himself away from those Jews who were his enemies, by mixing himself with the many who believed on him, (John 8:30-31), and who, we may suppose, favoured his escape. Pearce.But where did they find the stones, Christ and they being in the temple? It is answered:1st. It is probable, as the buildings of the temple had not been yet completed, there might have been

John 9:2 — having killed his mother: but this person they say, before his new birth, will suffer many years' torment in hell. See many curious particulars relative to this in the AYEEN AKBERY, vol. iii. p. 168-175; and in the Institutes of Menu, chap. xi. Inst. 48-53.The Jewish rabbins have had the same belief from the very remotest antiquity. Origen cites an apocryphal book of the Hebrews, in which the patriarch Jacob is made to speak thus: I am an angel of God; one of the first order of spirits. Men call me Jacob,

Acts 18:28 — be impostors, or had they not been under the immediate protection of Heaven! Hence it is evident that these holy men feared no rational investigation of their doctrines, for they taught them in the face of the most celebrated schools in the universe!3. They preached Christ crucified in JERUSALEM, where it was the most solemn interest of the Jews to disprove their doctrine, that they might exculpate themselves from the murder of Jesus Christ. They preached the same Christ, and the vanity of idolatry,

Romans 5:21 — capítulo anterior! Nada menos que la doctrina de la caída del hombre de la justicia original; y la redención del mundo por la encarnación y muerte de Cristo. Sobre el tema de la CAÍDA, aunque he hablado mucho en las notas sobre Génesis, cap. Génesis 3 , sin embargo, puede ser necesario hacer algunas observaciones adicionales: 1. El apóstol afirma categóricamente que toda la humanidad ha caído bajo el imperio de la muerte por esta transgresión original, y pocos hombres que profesan creer en la Biblia

Romans 9:3 — Verse Romans 9:3. For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ — This and the two preceding verses are thus paraphrased by Dr. Taylor: I am so far from insisting on the doctrine (of the rejection of the Jews) out of any ill-will to my countrymen, that

2 Corinthians 2:17 — manner as is worthy of him, he must, with St. Paul, be always mindful of these three things:1. That he be sent by God, and that he speak directly from him, and as his ambassador.2. That he speak as in his presence, and under his immediate inspection.3. That he consider himself as being in the place of Christ, and endeavour to minister to the souls of men, as he has reason to believe Christ would do, were he in the place; and as he knows Christ did, when he sojourned among men.The minister of the

2 Corinthians 4:4 — of this world? It is generally answered, the same who is called the prince of this world, John 16:11. But the question recurs, who is the prince of this world? and the answer to both is, SATAN. The reader will do well to consult the notes on "John 12:31", and the concluding observations on "John 14:30". I must own I feel considerable reluctance to assign the epithet ο θεος, THE God, to Satan; and were there not a rooted prejudice in favour of the common opinion, the contrary might be well vindicated,

1 Timothy 2:15 — not depend on that condition at all; since many pious women die in child-bearing, while others of a contrary character are preserved. The salvation of the human race, through child-bearing, was intimated in the sentence passed on the serpent, Genesis 3:15: I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed. It shall bruise thy head. Accordingly, the Saviour being conceived in the womb of his mother by the power of the Holy Ghost, he is truly the seed of the woman who was

1 Samuel 25:44 — Verse 1 Samuel 25:44. Phalti — Called also Phaltiel, 2 Samuel 3:16.Of Gallim. — Probably a city or town in the tribe of Benjamin; see Isaiah 10:30. It is likely therefore that Saul chose this man because he was of his own tribe.IN this chapter we have the account of the death of Samuel, who from his infancy

2 Samuel 22:11 — to show how this description can possibly agree with that character: but if it did in fact agree, yet would it contradict St. Paul, who quotes part of it as predicting the conversion of the Gentiles under Christ the Messiah. Romans 15:9; Hebrews 2:13; and see Peirce's Commentary, p. 50. Now if the person represented as speaking through this Divine ode be David only, the Messiah is excluded. In consequence of the difficulties resulting from each of these suppositions, the general idea has been that