Bible Commentaries

1 Kings 8:23 — (23) There is no God like Thee.—These words, often used in the Psalms (Psalms 71:19; Psalms 86:8; Psalms 89:6), and especially found in the thanksgiving of David after the great promise (2 Samuel 7:22), are evidently suggested by more ancient utterances

Esther 1:3 — (3) In the third year of his reign.—Assuming, as we do, the identity of Ahasuerus and Xerxes, this will be 483 B.C., when Xerxes held a meeting at Susa of his princes to make arrangements for invading Greece. At so important a gathering, the feasting

Psalms 68:30 — (30) Rebuke . . .—See margin, which (if we change beasts to beast) gives the right rendering. So LXX. and Vulgate. The beast of the reed is undoubtedly symbolical of Egypt, whether it be the crocodile or the hippopotamus. Bulls . . . calves.—These are

Ecclesiastes 3:1 — (1) A season.—The word is only found in later Hebrew (Nehemiah 2:6; Esther 9:27; Esther 9:31), and in the Chaldee of Daniel and Ezra. Purpose.—The use of the word here and in Ecclesiastes 3:17; Ecclesiastes 5:8; Ecclesiastes 8:6, in the general sense of “a matter,” belongs to later Hebrew. The primary meaning of the word is “pleasure” or “desire,” and it is so used in this book (Ecclesiastes 5:4; Ecclesiastes 12:1; Ecclesiastes 12:10).

Jeremiah 29:21-22 — (21, 22) Ahab the son of Kolaiah . . .—We know nothing, beyond what is here recorded, of either of these prophets. They would seem to have been the leaders of the party of revolt, and to have been conspicuous, like their brethren at Jerusalem (Jeremiah

Jeremiah 4:7 — (7) The lion is come up . . .—The “lion” is, of course, the Chaldæan invader, the destroyer, not of men only, but of nations. So in Daniel 7:4 the lion is the symbol of the Assyrian monarchy. The winged lions that are seen in the palaces of Mosul and

Ezekiel 21:27 — (27) And it shall be no more.—Literally, this also shall not be. After the emphatic repetition of “over-turn” at the beginning of the verse, it is now added that the condition which follows the overthrow shall not be permanent; “the foundations” shall

Daniel 1:6 — (6) Now among these . . .—Four persons only are mentioned here, because the narrative of the book is only concerned with four. Daniel calls our attention to the fact that the very four whom Providence had endowed with the greatest natural gifts were

Daniel 10:1 — (1) A thing.—A revelation, as Daniel 9:25. The contents of the revelation are specified in the perplexing words, “the thing was true, and the time appointed (comp. Daniel 8:12) was long,” by which is meant apparently that truth and long tribulation

Daniel 11:17 — (17) He shall also.—He has further plans for subduing the dominions of the southern king. He brings together all the forces he can amass, and then attempts by means of a political marriage to establish peace; but this also proves a failure. Upright

Daniel 11:20 — (20) A raiser of taxes.—The marginal version is to be preferred, as it gives the meaning of the word “exactor,” or “oppressor,” which it has in Exodus 3:7, and in every passage where it occurs, except perhaps Isaiah 9:4. The new king of the north causes

Daniel 11:24 — (24) Peaceably.—The subject continues to be the perfidious conduct of the king mentioned in the last two verses. While the inhabitants are expecting nothing of the sort, he enters the richest parts of the province, and while he scatters largesses with

Daniel 11:6 — (6) In the end.—Comp. Daniel 11:8; Daniel 11:13, and 2 Chronicles 18:2. Here again the reference is most obscure. If the “joining themselves together” refers to the marriage of Antiochus II. with Berenice, the daughter of Ptolemy Philadelphus, and if

Daniel 9:17 — (17) Cause thy face to shine.—See Numbers 6:25. The meaning is “let thy works show the fulfilment of “thy Word.” For the Lord’s sake.—Comp. Daniel 9:19, “because Thou art the Lord.” Never does prayer rise higher, than when the soul humbly appeals to God as the sovereign lord of all, and patiently waits for Him to do as He pleases. (Comp. Psalms 44:9-26.)

Daniel 9:21 — (21) Being caused to fly swiftly.—A very difficult expression, occurring only here. The Authorised Version follows the LXX. and Theodotion. The rendering has been defended on the ground that the word translated “swiftly” comes from a root meaning “to

Daniel 9:24 — (24) Seventy weeks.—Great difficulty is experienced in discovering what sort of weeks is intended. Daniel 9:25-27 are sufficient to show that ordinary weeks cannot be meant. Possibly, also, the language (Daniel 10:2, margin “weeks of days”) implies

Matthew 24:15 — (15) The abomination of desolation.—The words, as they stand in Daniel 12:11, seem to refer to the desecration of the sanctuary by the mad attempt of Antiochus Epiphanes to stop the “daily sacrifice,” and to substitute an idolatrous worship in its place

Deuteronomy 23:1 — (1) The rule that a eunuch should not enter into the congregation was doubtless intended to prevent the Israelitish rulers from making eunuchs of their brethren the children of Israel. As a set off to this apparent harshness towards the man who had

Revelation 1:15 — (15) His feet like unto fine brass.—The feet, like the feet of the ministering priests of Israel, were bare, and appeared like chalcolibanus (fine brass). The exact meaning of this word (used only here) is not certain. The most trustworthy authors incline

Revelation 20:4 — THE MILLENNIAL REIGN. (4) And I saw thrones, and they sat . . . There is a prominence given to the thrones, because the thought of the reign of the saints is uppermost in the mind of the seer. The thrones are seen, and those who sat on them. It has