Bible Commentaries

Daniel 10:21 — events.They are described as written down in a book that is in the hands of God, in which are recorded all future events - the names of those that shall be saved - and all the deeds of men. Compare Deuteronomy 32:34; Malachi 3:16; Psalms 139:16; Revelation 5:1. The representation is figurative, of course; and the meaning is, that, in the view of the Divine mind, all future events are as certain as if they were actually recorded as history, or as if they were now all written down. The angel came that he

Hosea 10:14 — between Sepphoris and Tiberias , (and so in Naphthali) must, together with the countries in which they lay, have fallen into the bands of the Assyrians in the reign of “Tiglath-pileser,” who “took - Gilead and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali” 2 Kings 15:29, in the reign of Pekah. The whole country, East of Jordan, being now in the hands of Shalmaneser, his natural approach to Samaria was over the Jordan, through the valley or plain of Jezreel. Here was the chief wealth of Israel, and the fittest field

Hosea 13:6 — altar of Christ, not for the love of the sacraments which they celebrate, but only to ‘live of the altar.’ This fullness is like that of which the Psalmist says, ‘The Lord gave them their desire and sent leanness withal into their bones’ Psalms 106:15. For such fullness of the belly generates elation of spirit; such satiety produces forgetfulness of God.” It is more difficult to bear prosperity than adversity. They who, in the waste howling wilderness, had been retained in a certain degree of duty,

Hosea 3:5 — them, and He shall feed them, even My servant David, and He shall be their Shepherd, and I the Lord will be their God, and My servant David a Prince among them” Ezekiel 34:23-24. The same was to be a “witness, leader, commander to the people Isaiah 55:4; He who was to be “raised up to David Jeremiah 23:5-6, a righteous Branch,” and who was to “be called the Lord our Righteousness; David’s Lord” Psalms 110:1, as well as “David’s Son.” Whence the older Jews, of every school, Talmudic, mystical, Biblical,

Hosea 9:1 — king to judge us, like all the nations.” And when Samuel “told the people the word of God, they have rejected Me that I should not reign over them,” they still said, “Nay, but we will have a king over us, that we may be like all the nations” 1 Samuel 8:5, 1 Samuel 8:10, 1 Samuel 8:7, 1 Samuel 8:19-20. This was the joy of the nations, to have another king than God, and with this joy Israel wished to exult, when it asked for Saul as king; when it followed Jeroboam; when it “denied” Christ “before the

Joel 2:17 — they went to sprinkle the blood, typifying the atonement, before the veil of the tabernacle, or for any other office of the tabernacle. It seems to have been a place of prayer for the priests. It is spoken of as an aggravation of the sins of those 25 idolatrous priests, that here, where they ought to worship God, they turned their backs toward the Temple of the Lord, to worship the sun Ezekiel 8:16. Here, in the exercise of his office, Zechariah was standing 2 Chronicles 24:20-21; Matthew 23:35,

Amos 3:12 — throughout the prophets, “a reimnant” only “shall be saved.” So doubtless it was in the captivity of the ten tribes, as in the rest. So it was in Judah, when certain “of the poor of the land” only were “left behind vinedessers and for farmers” 2 Kings 25:12; Jeremiah 52:16. In the Gospel, “not many wise men after the flesh not many mighty, not many noble were called” 1 Corinthians 1:26, but “God chose the poor of this world, rich in faith James 2:5, and the Good Shepherd rescued from the mouth of the

Amos 3:14 — second and third, and so, most grievously; when brought to punishment for their other sins, they should suffer for their other guilt of impiety and superstition.”And the horns of the altar - This was the one great “altar” 1 Kings 12:32-33; 1 Kings 13:1-5 for burnt-offerings, set up by Jeroboam, in imitation of that of God at Jerusalem, whose doom was pronounccd in the act of its would-be consecration. He had copied faithfully outward form. At each corner, where the two sides met in one, rose the “horn,”

Micah 1:5 — man’s lust of conquest. None could have any power against God’s people, unless it had been given him by God. Those mighty monarchies of old existed but as God’s instruments, especially toward His own people. God said at this time of Assyria Isaiah 10:5, Asshur rod of Mine anger, and the staff in his hand is Mine indignation; and Isaiah 37:26, Now have I brought it to pass, that thou shouldest be to lay waste defensed cities into ruinous heaps. Each scourge of God chastised just those nations, which

Habakkuk 2:6 — Shall not all these take up a parable against him, and a taunting proverb against him? - Nebuchadnezzar gathered, Daniel 3:4-5, “all people, nations, and languages, to worship the golden image which he had set up.” The second Babylon, pagan Rome, sought to blot out the very Christian Name; but mightier were the three children than the King of Babylon; mightier, virgins, martyrs,

Zephaniah 1:7 — God.”) In the presence of God, even the righteous say from their inmost heart, “I am vile, what shall I answer Thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth” Job 40:4. “Now mine eye seeth Thee, wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes” Job 42:5-6. “Enter not into judgment with Thy servant, O Lord, for in Thy sight shall no man living be justified” Psalms 143:2. How much more must the “man without the wedding garment be speechless” Matthew 22:11-12, and every false plea, with which he deceived

Zechariah 14:16 — shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles shall be fulfilled” Luke 21:24. And Paul, “Blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles shall be come in; and so all Israel shall be saved” Romans 11:25-26. Hitherto prophets had spoken of a “remnant” of Jacob, who should “return to the mighty God” Isaiah 10:21, and should be saved; now, upon this universal rebellion of the pagan. He foretells the conversion of a remnant of the pagan also.Shall even

Matthew 13:3-9 — that one was near the Saviour when he spoke this parable.Matthew 13:4Some seeds fell by the way-side - That is, the hard “path” or headland, which the plow had not touched, and where there was no opportunity for it to sink into the earth.Matthew 13:5Stony places - Where there was little earth, but where it was hard and rocky, so that the roots could not strike down into the earth for sufficient moisture to support the plant.When the sun became hot they of course withered away. They sprang up the

Matthew 9:37 — “then” exerted that power, so he is ever the same, and will do it now.3. Jesus Christ is divine. Nothing could prove it more clearly than the power to pardon sinners. Only God can pronounce what shall be done with transgressors of His law, Isaiah 43:25. He that claims this right must be either an impostor or God. But no impostor ever yet worked a real miracle. Jesus was therefore divine. He can save to the uttermost all who come to God through him.4. We see here the proper rule to be observed in mingling

Acts 16:30 — The guilt of their imprisonment might rush upon his mind; and he might suppose that he, the agent of the imprisonment of the servants of God, would be exposed to his displeasure.(4) His guilt in attempting his own life might overwhelm him with alarm.(5) The whole scene was suited to show him the need of the protection and friendship of the God that had thus interposed. In this state of agitation and alarm, the apostles directed him to the only source of peace and safety - the blood of the atonement.

Acts 3:21 — It was also fit or expedient that he should do it, to direct the affairs of the universe for the welfare of the church Ephesians 1:20-22, and that he should exercise there his office as a priest in interceding for his people, 1 John 2:1-2; Hebrews 7:25; Hebrews 9:24; Romans 8:34, etc. It is remarkable that Peter did not adduce any passage of Scripture on this subject; but it was one of the points on which there was no clear revelation. Obscure intimations of it might be found in Psalms 110:1-7; Psalms

Acts 7:15-16 — And died - Genesis 49:33.He and our fathers - The time which the Israelites remained in Egypt was 215 years, so that all the sons of Jacob were deceased before the Jews went out to go to the land of Canaan.And were carried over - Jacob himself was buried in the field of Macpelah by Joseph and his brethren, Genesis 1:13. It is expressly said that the

Acts 7:6 — And God spake on this wise - In this manner, Genesis 15:13-14.His seed - His posterity; his descendants.Should sojourn - This means that they would have a “temporary residence there.” The word is used in opposition to a fixed, permanent home, and is applied to travelers, or foreigners.In a strange land -

Romans 7:6 — distinction from the effects of the Law. The way in which this is accomplished, the apostle illustrates more at length in Romans 8:0 with which this verse is properly connected. The remainder of Romans 7:0 is occupied in illustrating the statement in Romans 7:5, of the effects of the Law; and after having shown that its effects always were to increase crime and distress, he is prepared in Romans 8:0 to take up the proposition in this verse, and to show the superiority of the gospel in producing peace.We are

Romans 9:3 — this respect it is used to express the sense of the Hebrew word חרם cherem “anything devoted to Yahweh, without the possibility of redemption.” Leviticus 27:21; Leviticus 27:29; Numbers 18:14; Deuteronomy 7:26; Joshua 6:17-18; Joshua 7:1; 1 Samuel 15:21; Ezekiel 44:29.(2) As what was thus dedicated to Yahweh was alienated from the use of him who devoted it, and was either burnt or slain and devoted to destruction as an offering, the word came to signify a devotion of any thing to destruction, or