Bible Commentaries

Genesis 15:12 — 12.A deep sleep fell upon Abram. The vision is now mingled with a dream. Thus the Lord here joins those two kinds of communication together, which I have before related from Numbers 12:6, where it is said, ‘When I appear unto my servants the prophets,

Genesis 2:7 — adventitious; for Moses relates that man had been, in the beginning, dust of the earth. Let foolish men now go and boast of the excellency of their nature! Concerning other animals, it had before been said, Let the earth produce every living creature; (113) but, on the other hand, the body of Adam is formed of clay, and destitute of sense; to the end that no one should exult beyond measure in his flesh. He must be excessively stupid who does not hence learn humility. That which is afterwards added from

Genesis 31:1 — 1.And he heard the words. Although Jacob ardently desired his own country, and was continually thinking of his return to it; yet his admirable patience appears in this, that he suspends his purpose till a new occasion presents itself. I do not, however,

Genesis 41:1 — 1.At the end of two full years (154) What anxiety oppressed the mind of the holy man during this time, each of us may conjecture from his own feeling; for we are so tender and effeminate, that we can scarcely bear to be put off for a short time. The Lord

Genesis 48:22 — the Hebrews signifies a part, allusion is made to the proper name of the place. But here a question arises; how can he say that he had obtained the field by his sword and by his bow, which he had purchased with money, as is stated before, (Genesis 33:19,) and is again recorded in the above mentioned chapter of Joshua? Seeing, however, that only a small portion of the field, where he might pitch his tents, was bought, I do not doubt that here he comprised a much greater space. For we may easily calculate,

Exodus 10:16 — 16.Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in haste. This haste arose from anxiety and fear, because it was a time of extremity, and the enormity of the evil admitted no delay. By this vehemence, then, Pharaoh betrays his distress, when he not only willingly

Exodus 17:1 — 1.And all the congregation. Scarcely was the sedition of the people about the want of food set at rest when they again rebel on the subject of drink. They ought, at least, to have learnt from the manna, that as often as necessity pressed upon them, they

Exodus 20:13 — therefore, anger is accounted murder; yea, inasmuch as He pierces even to the most secret feelings, He holds even concealed hatred to be murder; for so we must understand John’s words, “Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer,” (1 John 3:15;) i.e., hatred conceived in the heart is sufficient for his condemnation, although it may not openly appear.

Exodus 4:14 — 14.And the anger of the Lord was kindled. This passage confirms, by opposition, that expression, that there is no better sacrifice than to obey the voice of the Lord, (1 Samuel 15:22,) since God is so grievously offended with the hesitation of Moses,

Psalms 28:5 — The expression, Let him destroy them, and not build them up, is a common figure of speech among the Hebrews, according to what Malachi says concerning Edom, “Thus saith the Lord of Hosts, They shall build, but I shall throw down,” (Malachi 1:4.) Lest we should be struck, therefore, with an incurable plague, let us learn to awake our minds to the consideration of God’s works, that we may be taught to fear him, to persevere in patience, and to advance in godliness. (598) “Conduisant

Psalms 46:1 — 1.God is our refuge and strength Here the Psalmist begins with a general expression or sentiment, before he comes to speak of the more particular deliverance. He begins by premising that God is sufficiently able to protect his own people, and that he

Leviticus 10:9 — 9.Do not drink wine, nor strong drink. The second cleanness required in the priests is that they should abstain from wine, and strong drink; (188) in which word Jerome says that everything intoxicating is included; and this I admit to be true; but the definition would be more correct, that all liquors espressed from fruits are denoted by it, in whose sweetness there is nearly as much to tempt

Leviticus 26:26 — fall. God says, then, that it is in His power to break this staff, so that their bread should only fill their stomachs without refreshing their strength. Ezekiel has borrowed from Moses this figure, which he makes use of in several places, (Ezekiel 4:16,) although he there adverts to two sorts of punishment, like another Prophet, when He says, “Ye have sown much and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm;

Numbers 11:4 — displeased Him, because they longed to eat; flesh, as it were, against His will, when He would have them content with the manna alone; and then their intemperance and violent passion. For this reason Moses says that they “lusted a lust,” (14) indicating that they abandoned all self-control, so as to go beyond all bounds. In the third place, their ingratitude displeased Him, which is here adverted to, but openly condemned in the Psalm, where the Prophet reproves them, for that God “had

Numbers 13:2 — servist a l’authoriser;” in order that this name of honor might serve to give him authority. — Fr. Calvin here alludes to the apparent contradiction arising from the fact that Joshua had already been called by his new name in Exodus 17:9; and Numbers 11:28, which, as Hengstenberg remarks, was a topic of discussion as early as the times of Justin Martyr. Hengstenberg reviews the three modes of meeting the difficulty proposed, viz., 1. That he was so called in the earlier passages

John 1:12 — Евангелист возвещает о перемене их участи: после отвержения иудеев на их место заступили язычники. Дело обстояло так, что Бог как бы перенес права сыновства на других лиц. То есть, как говорит Павел, гибель одного народа дала жизнь всему миру (Romans 11:2). Они словно швырнули от себя Евангелие, и оно рассыпалось по всему свету. Так иудеи лишились отличавшей их привилегии. Христу же никак не помешало их нечестие. Он воздвиг Свой престол в другом месте и призвал к надежде спасения все те народы, которые

John 4:10 — Он завел дружескую беседу с самарянской женщиной. Однако в ее лице нам надлежало показать, сколь истинны слова, сказанные пророком: Я найден был не искавшими Меня, открылся не вопрошавшим обо Мне, Я сказал не просящим Меня: Вот, Я здесь. (Isaiah 65:1) Если бы ты знала дар Божий. Эти две части предложения: Если бы ты знала дар Божий, и: кто говорит тебе, – я читаю раздельно. Так что вторая часть как бы толкует первую. В этом и было особое благодеяние Божие – иметь присутствующего рядом Христа, несущего

John 5:24 — «верует в Пославшего Меня» подтверждает авторитет Евангелия. Оно говорит, что Христос пришел от Бога, а не по человеческой воле. В другом месте Христос также отрицает, что говорит от Самого Себя. Он возвещает лишь то, что заповедано Ему Отцом (ниже, 14:10). На суд не приходит. Здесь присутствует косвенное противопоставление между виной, которой по природе подвержены все, и незаслуженным прощением, которое мы получаем через Христа. Если бы осуждение не пребывало на всех, как могли бы верующие во Христа

Joshua 12:1 — 1.NOW these are the kings, etc This chapter does not need a lengthened exposition, as it only enumerates the kings of whose territories the Israelites gained possession. Two of them are beyond the Jordan, Og and Sihon, whose rule was extensive; in the

Joshua 14:1 — 1.And these are the countries, etc He now proceeds to the land of Canaan, from which nine tribes and a half were to obtain their lots. And he will immediately break off the thread of the narrative, as we shall see. Yet the transition is seasonably made