Bible Commentaries

Isaiah 25:3 — 3.Therefore shall the strong people glorify thee. This is the end which I mentioned; (139) for if the Lord should destroy the world, no good result would follow, and indeed destruction could produce no feeling but horror, and we would never be led by

Isaiah 27:3 — 3.I Jehovah keep it. Here the Lord asserts his care and diligence in dressing and guarding the vine, as if he had said, that he left nothing undone that belonged to the duty of a provident and industrious householder. Not only does he testify what he

Isaiah 27:6 — gospel; and Israel was united with the Gentiles in one body, so that the distinction which formerly existed between them was removed. (Ephesians 2:14.) Now, we know that the gospel, and all the fruit that sprung from it, proceeded from the Jews. (Isaiah 2:3; John 4:22.) (201) Bogus footnote

Isaiah 47:8 — thirdly, she promises to herself everlasting repose, for she says, I shall not sit as a widow. As to the first, there is none of whom it can be said with truth that he is, but God alone, who has a right to say, “I am what I am,” (Exodus 3:14;) for by this mark he is distinguished from the creatures. Thus, he who thinks that he subsists by his own power robs God of the honor due to him, and so Babylon, by exalting herself, made war with God. Secondly, she treated the whole world with

Isaiah 52:12 — condition. He promises that this deliverance shall not resemble a flight such as that of Egypt; for there is an implied contrast between the deliverance from Egypt. and the deliverance from Babylon. They fled “by night” out of Egypt, (Exodus 12:31,) having pretended that they were only performing “a journey of three days to offer sacrifice to God.” (Exodus 5:3.) They went out “with haste” (Exodus 12:33) and bustle, as they were told to do, and Pharaoh pursued them in

Isaiah 52:3 — 3.For thus saith Jehovah. This verse has been badly expounded by many commentators, who have here chosen to enter into philosophical subtleties; for they have dreamed of many things at variance with the Prophet’s meaning. It agrees with what he

Isaiah 61:9 — fulfilled but once only, but is in course of being fulfilled every day. As to the Jews going before, and holding the first rank in God’s covenant, this ought to be ascribed to the mercy of God, and not to their own excellence, as Paul (Romans 3:2) teaches; for, after having shown that by nature they differ nothing at all from the Gentiles, and after having subjected them to the same condemnation, he likewise teaches that they hold this privilege of pre-eminence, because they were the very

Isaiah 64:8 — in the exposition of other passages: (192) Here they acknowledge a remarkable act of God’s kindness, in having elected them to be his people, and adorned them with benefits so numerous and so great. (192) Commentary on Isaiah, vol. 2, pp. 26, 83, 121, 264; vol. 3, pp. 132, 318, 338.

Isaiah 65:16 — an indirect contrast with Judea. Shall bless himself in the true God. Shall swear by the true God. By “blessing” and “swearing” he denotes the whole of the worship of God. “Swearing,” as we have formerly seen, (213) is a kind of worship of God; for by it we declare that all judgment belongs to God, and acknowledge that he is perfectly acquainted with all that we do. We “bless,” when we wish to obtain from him all prosperity, and render thanksgiving

Jeremiah 13:26 — says, that he had in readiness the punishment of casting the skirts of his people over their faces, that their reproach or baseness might appear by exposing their uncomely parts. It then follows — (100) This is no doubt the meaning. See Nahum 3:5. The verb means to strip off, so as to make bare. The threatening is, to strip off the skirts and throw them over the face; and this is the rendering of the Syriac. Probably the most literal rendering would be the following, — And I also will

Jeremiah 17:15 — — (182) The Targum thus paraphrases the verse, — Behold they say to me “Where is what thou hast prophesied in the name of the Lord? let it be now confirmed.” Their language was similar to that of those mentioned in 2 Peter 3:4. —Ed.

Jeremiah 42:7 — extricate us from all perplexity and doubt, we ought patiently to wait, according to the direction of Paul, who, when speaking of doctrine, admonished the faithful to remain contented until what they knew not should be revealed to them. (Philippians 3:15.) Much more should we do so, when we ask counsel as to any particular thing. When God does not immediately make known to us what we ask, we ought, as I have already said, to wait with calm and resigned minds for the time and the season when it shall

Lamentations 3:50 — The Prophet therefore anticipates here this false notion, and says that we ought nevertheless to wait until God looks down from heaven; which corresponds with what is said in the Psalms: that God is high and yet has respect to low things. (Psalms 113:4.) Though, then, the majesty of God is elevated above all the heavens, yet this does not prevent him familiarly to regard what is low and despised in the world. At length it follows, — (199) The connection of this verse with the preceding will

Daniel 8:16 — so, but only under the image and appearance of one. Christ therefore appeared as a man, and is called one, since Scripture often records how angels often appeared under the form of men, and are called indiscriminately, either angels or men. (Judges 8:3, etc.) So in this place Daniel relates the appearance of a. man, or the aspect of one, improperly indeed, but without any danger of mistake; for he afterwards admonishes the faithful, how this person was not clothed with the substance of flesh, but

Malachi 3:13 — ἐβαρύνατε) against me your words. — Septuagint To “grow strong” is the idea expressed by Jerome and Marckius; and it is the common meaning of the verb. “Strong of forehead” in Ezekiel 3:7, is rendered “impudent” in our version, and very justly. Impudence or insolence is what is here evidently meant, — Insolent against me have been your words. — Ed. (261) Rather, “What have we been talking together against

Matthew 13:16 — Matthew 13:16.But blessed are your eyes. Luke appears to represent this statement as having been spoken at another time; but this is easily explained, for in that passage he throws together a variety of our Lord’s sayings, without attending to the order

Matthew 2:3 — 3.Herod the king was troubled Herod was not unacquainted with the predictions, which promised to the Jews a King, who would restore their distressful and ruinous affairs to a prosperous condition. He had lived from a child among that nation, and was thoroughly

Matthew 24:1 — entertained for the temple even in remote districts, that scarcely any person would venture to suppose that it could ever be destroyed. (125) Instead of fifteen, Josephus states the length of each of the stones to have been twenty-five cubits, (Ant. XV. xi. 3) — Ed.

Mark 3:16 — Mark 3:16.And to Simon he gave the name Peter. Though all Christians must be living stones (354), of the spiritual temple, yet Christ gave this name peculiarly to Simon, according to the measure of grace which he intended to bestow upon him. This is not inconsistent

Luke 1:9 — 9.According to the custom of the priest’s office The law enjoined that incense should be offered twice every day, that is, every morning and at even, (Exodus 30:7.) The order of courses among the priests had been appointed by David, as we have already explained; and, consequently, what is here stated as to incense was expressly enjoined by the law of God. The other matters had been arranged by David, (1 Chronicles