Bible Commentaries

Exodus 12:40 — Egypt. Samaritan and Septuagint add, "and in the land of Chanaan, they and their fathers," dating from the departure of Abraham from Haran in his 75th year; from which period, till Jacob’s going into Egypt, 215 years elapsed. Kennicott produces this instance, as a proof that the Hebrew text is defective: Dis. 1. p. 399. Josephus, [Antiquities?] ii. 15; St. Augustine, q. 47. and others, admit this addition as genuine; which, however we have observed on Genesis,

Exodus 7:18 — River. The Samaritan copy repeats here the very words of God to Pharao, as the other speeches are also twice put at length. "Moses and Aaron went to meet Pharao, and said to him, ’The Lord,’" &c., as ver. 16, 18. See chap. xi. 7. (Calmet) --- This is very agreeable to the style of Homer; and Kennicott believes that the repetitions have been omitted in the Hebrew for brevity’s sake, (Diss. 1 Chron. p. 383,) and that before the Greek version had been made. (Haydock)

1 Kings 3:5 — In a prophetic dream, or ecstasy. His mind had been so filled with the desire of wisdom, that the same thoughts recurred to him while he slept; and, as he had entertained them voluntarily before, he acquired fresh merit even during that time; as a man, who indulges sensual affections, becomes responsible for the accidents of the night. (St. Thomas Aquinas, [Summa Theologiae] 1. 2. q. 113. a. 2. and 2. 2. 9. 154. a. 5.) (St. Augustine, de Gen. ad lit. xii. 15.) (Calmet)

2 Kings 6:22 — though they might be slain by the strict laws of war, how much less ought these men to be treated with such severity? (Calmet) --- Sicut bellanti & resistenti violentia redditur: ita victo vel capto misericorida jam debetur. (St. Augustine, ep. 1. ad Bonif.) (Grotius) --- And water, all necessary provisions. (Worthington) --- These men were suffered to live that they might relate the wonders of God. (Theodoret, q. 20.)

Nehemiah 8:1 — Were in, or had been at home, (Haydock) after the dedication of the walls, (Calmet) till they assembled (Haydock) at the beginning of the civil year, on the feast of trumpets, which was a day of rejoicing, (ver. 9., and Numbers xxix. 1.) the festival of the new moon. (Riberia) (Menochius) --- Gate, near the temple, chap. iii. 26. (Calmet) --- Moses; the pentateuch. (Menochius) --- He is not desired to restore what was lost. (Tirinus) --- As many copies had been preserved by the prophets,

Esther 2:21 — CHAPTER II. Bagathan, or Bagatha and Thara, chap. xii. 1. One of the chief counsellors was called Bagatha. (Haydock) --- But these two were porters, (Calmet) or guards, of the king, (Septuagint; Grotius) or of the treasury. (Vatable) --- Some Greek copies and the Chaldean insinuate that they were displeased

Job 18:2 — "do thou attend." (Haydock) --- Baldad speaks to many who might be of Job’s opinion, as he was a figure of the Church, defending the common cause; while his friends, like heretics, speak both true and false things. (St. Gregory xiv. 1.) (Worthington)

Job 39:18 — High. With her head erect, the ostrich is taller than a man on horseback. (Pliny x. 1.) --- Its wings are used like sails, and enable it to run as fast as many birds can fly, (Calmet0 while it hurls stones at the pursuer with its feet, so as frequently to kill them. (Diodorus ii.) --- Rider, as they can travel with equal speed. (Menochius) (Ver. 13.) --- Adamson (Senegal) placed two negroes on one, and testified that it still went faster than any English horse. (Haydock)

Psalms 26:8 — text they derange the words, and add, "When thou saidst, Seek ye my face, my heart said," &c. (Haydock) --- Seek. "I have sought for no reward besides thee." (St. Augustine) --- I have earnestly desired to see thee face to face, 1 Corinthians xiii. 12. (Worthington)

Psalms 7:15 — Iniquity. Hebrew, "a lie." All the labour of the wicked ends in smoke. See Micheas ii. 1., and Isaias lix. 4. (Haydock) --- The psalmist sometimes speaks of many enemies, and sometimes of one, who was the chief. Yet what he says of him must, according to the genius of the Hebrew language, be applied to the rest. (Berthier) --- Saul, (Calmet)

Mark 4:29 — Cuando se produce el fruto: literalmente, cuando se produce el fruto [1] . Por fruto se entiende aquí la semilla; es decir, cuando la semilla ha producido gradualmente la hierba, luego la espiga, y por último el grano, que está maduro. (Witham) &mdash- Este es un sentido secundario del texto, cuando el fruto ha llegado

Mark 8:24 — El hombre [1] como árboles caminando. En el texto latino, caminar puede estar de acuerdo con los hombres o con los árboles, pero el griego muestra que caminar debe referirse a los hombres. Quizás Cristo restauró la vista al hombre de esta manera gradualmente, para

Luke 1:51 — Los sabios de los gentiles, los fariseos y los escribas, eran poderosos; pero a estos los derribó el Todopoderoso y exaltó a los que se humillaron bajo su mano poderosa. (1 Pedro v.) Los judíos estaban orgullosos de su fuerza, pero su incredulidad les trajo su humillación; mientras que los humildes y mezquinos entre los gentiles, por la fe, han ascendido a la cumbre de la perfección. (San Cirilo de Alejandría en la catena aurea de Santo Tomás de Aquino.) (Witham)

Joshua 3:24 — CHAPTER III. Ver 1. Days, in part, as they arrived on the 8th of Nisan, staid there the following day, and crossed the Jordan on the 10th, on Friday the 30th of our April. Thus Christ is said to have remained three days in the tomb, (Calmet) though he was there only a small part of Friday and of Sunday, and the whole of Saturday. Hebrew, "they lodged there before they passed over, (2) and it came to pass after three days that the," &c.

2 Timothy 4:13 — El manto [7] que dejé en Troas. Se expone un manto por San Juan Crisóstomo, San Jerónimo, etc. Otros piensan que puede que se refiera a algún cofre, o baúl, en el que estaban sus libros y algunas cosas que valoraba. (Witham) [BIBLIOGRAFÍA] Penulam, griego: phelonen, algunos manuscritos griego: phailonen y griego: phailonen. San Juan Crisóstomo, ( griego: om. 1. p. 375.) griego: entautha ton imation legei; aunque se da cuenta de que algunos entendieron el griego: glossokomon, entha ta biblia.

Philemon 1:5 — Tu caridad y fe ... en el Señor Jesús, [1] y para con todos los santos. En griego es hacia Jesucristo y hacia todos los santos. Por santos parece referirse, como en todas partes, a todos los cristianos; para que sea el sentido de tu fe en Cristo, y de tu caridad para con todos los santos o cristianos. (Witham) [BIBLIOGRAFÍA] Charitatem tuam et fidem, quam habes en Domino Jesu, et in omnes Sanctos; Griego: pros ton kurion Iesoun, kai eis pantas tous agious.

Judges 19:26 — Lord. So wives styled their husbands, 1 Peter iii. 5. --- Down dead through fatigue, (Menochius) shame, and grief. (Josephus) --- She had not power to knock. (Calmet) --- Though the former misconduct of this unhappy woman might call for punishment, yet, after she was reconciled to her husband,

2 Samuel 15:27 — Seer, supposing he was high priest, along with Abiathar, he might be thus addressed as one who consulted God by the ephod, as he might also, if he presided over the prophets, like Chonenias, 1 Paralipomenon xv. 22. (Dionysius) (Menochius) --- Hebrew, "Art not thou a seer?" a prudent man, who may be of greater service to me in the city; (Haydock; or) seest thou not "the state of my affairs?" Septuagint, "See and return."

2 Samuel 21:20 — Philistines; and Tostat supposes, that they wished to retake the city of Geth. (Salien) --- Statute, or "of contradiction." (Aquila) --- Hebrew Madon. Septuagint leave it as the proper name of a place, "Madon," specified [in] Josue xi. 1., and xii. 19. Capel would read, "a man of Madian." --- Six. Such people were styled Sedigiti, among the Romans. The daughters of Horatius were thus distinguished, as well as the poet Volcatius. (Pliny, [Natural History?] xi. 43.)

2 Samuel 5:13 — He had in all eight wives, and ten whom he married with less solemnity. He might desire to attach the principal families of the nation, as well as some foreign princes, to his interests. Moses forbids a king to have too many wives, Deuteronomy xvii. 17. (Calmet) --- But David is never blamed for the transgression of this precept. See chap. iii. 1. (Menochius)