Bible Commentaries

Genesis 12:3 — En ti, etc., o en el Mesías, que será uno de tus descendientes, y la fuente de todas las bendiciones que se conferirán a cualquiera de la raza humana, Gálatas iii. 16. Muchas de las promesas anteriores se referían a un mundo futuro, y Abram no se mostró incrédulo cuando se vio afligido aquí abajo, como si Dios hubiera olvidado sus promesas. (Calmet) &mdash- Fue verdaderamente bendecido, al saber vivir pobre de espíritu,

Genesis 21:8 — Destetado. San Jerónimo dice cuando tenía cinco años, aunque algunos decían doce. Al prolongarse la edad de los hombres, su infancia se prolongó más. Uno de los Macabeos amamantó a su hijo de tres años, 2 Macabeos vii. 27. (2 Paralipomenon xxxi. 16.) (Calmet) &mdash- Fiesta. Ahora se considera que la vida del niño corre menos peligro. Desde el momento de la concepción hasta este lugar, el esposo se mantuvo alejado de su esposa. (Clemente de Alejandría, strom. Iii.) La madre de Samuel hizo un

Psalms 103:2 — Light. In this manner he always appeared, 1 Timothy vi. 16., and Exodus iii. 2. (Calmet) --- Christ only once assumed such a glorious form at this transfiguration, because he came to instruct our mind and heart. (Berthier) --- Stretchest. Hebrew and Septuagint have the verbs in the third person,

Psalms 114:3 — hell." (St. Jerome) (Haydock) --- I am like one buried after the manner of the Egyptians, who bound up the dead, and laid them in small holes cut out of a rock. David uses similar expressions to denote the dangers to which he had been exposed, 1 Kings xxi. 12., and Psalm xvii. 6. (Calmet) --- They may be applicable to all the just. (Berthier) --- When I offended, death and hell, which are due to sin, threatened me unawares; affliction opened my eyes, and I thereupon prayed to thee. (Worthington)

Psalms 122:2 — (Worthington) --- All must come from Him. --- Until. Or "waiting for his having mercy on us." We shall not cease to look up to Him afterwards. (Berthier) --- "Take care not to turn thine eyes away from mine." (Terent. Adelph. ii. 1.)

Isaiah 66:17 — supposing that this would remove their crimes, as the pagans did. (St. Jerome) (Tertullian, Bapt. v.) --- Instead of gate, St. Jerome wrote unam, "one," moon or Hecate, which is obviously derived from Hebrew Achat, chap. lvii. 8., and lxv. 11. Chaldean, Syriac, &c., "gardens, one after another with those who eat," &c. --- Mouse, or "field-rat," (Bochart) all declared unclean; (Leviticus xi. 7, 29.; Calmet) or, "the dor-mouse," (St. Jerome) which was

Jeremiah 29:1 — "false prophets," ver. 8. (Haydock) --- Daniel had begun to prophesy, the year of the world 3402. Ezechiel commenced only five years after the captivity of Jechonias. One prophet frequently instructs another, as Nathan did David, Daniel ix. 2., and 1 Peter i. 11. (Calmet) --- Jeremias declares that the captivity would continue long. He comforts and rebukes to chap. xl. (Worthington)

Jeremiah 51:3 — who bend....spare not." (Calmet) --- Protestants, "against him that bendeth let the archer bend his bow," &c. (Haydock) --- Hebrew is printed ne tendat tendat tendans. The second word is properly omitted in some manuscripts. Thus (1 Chronicles xxiv. 6.) we read taken taken, achuz having been put erroneously for achad, one. (Kennicott)

Ezekiel 47:14 — The seven tribes to the north have each an equal share, as the five who lay to the south of the Levites had with respect to each other, though their portion must have been only about half of what the former possessed, according to the map, chap. xlv. 1. (Haydock) --- Under Josue, the numbers of each tribe were considered. The present mysterious equality shews, perhaps, that there is no distinction of Jew or Gentile in the Church, and that Christ would come to redeem all. (Calmet) --- Lifted. People

Daniel 7:5 — attack the Chaldeans. --- Three. He ruled over the Medes and Chaldeans, as well as over the Persians. (Calmet) --- Rows. Greek: "wings or sides" of an animal, (Haydock) or "bones." (Grotius) --- Cyrus was always at war; and Justin (1.) says, that Tomyris II. of Scythia, ordered his head to be cut off, and thrown into a vessel full of blood. His troops are styled robbers, Jeremias li. 48. The ambition of Cambyses, Hystaspes, &c. are insatiable.

Hosea 5:19 — CHAPTER V. Ver 1. Of priests. What is said of priests in this prophecy is chiefly understood of the priests of the kingdom of Israel; who were not true priests of the race of Aaron, but served the calves at Bethel and Dan. (Challoner) --- They had the name of priests,

Micah 4:1 — Last days. This sometimes means after this, Isaias ix. 1. But here it denotes the time which shall elapse from Christ till the day of eternity. The Jews allow that this prediction regards the Messias, though they will not explain it of Jesus Christ. Their exceptions are well refuted by Ribera. (Worthington)

Matthew 11:5 — The blind see, &c.[2] Christ shews them who he was by the miracles, which were foretold concerning the Messias. --- The poor have the gospel preached to them. This is the sense held forth by the prophet Isaias. (Chap. lxi. ver. 1) (Witham) --- That is, they are declared to have the kingdom of heaven, and are styled blessed. Here also he fulfils the prophecy of Isaias, (Chap. lxi) which in the Septuagint version is rendered, He sent me to preach the gospel to the poor. (Nicholas

Matthew 8:30 — And not far from them.[1] In all Greek copies at present we read, There was afar off. Beza himself here owns, that the Latin Vulgate is to be preferred before all Greek copies and manuscripts. (Witham) --- The Greco-Latin manuscript of Cambridge has not the word non in the

Mark 1:1 — The beginning of the Gospel. The Greek word[1] and Latin derived from it, signifies the good news, or happy tidings about Christ’s coming and doctrine. The word gospel is from the Saxon, God’s spell, or good spell, i.e. God’s word, or good speech. (Witham) --- Some are of opinion

Acts 21:34 — Into the castle.[1] Neither the Latin nor the Greek word signifies a castle, but rather a camp, or a place walled, or with a trench about it. It is true, we may here understand the tower, called Antonia; but within its court might be tents for soldiers, where there was

Romans 1:1 — Called to be an apostle,[1] or a called apostle. That is, not only having the name of an apostle, but having a his call to this high function, and his mission from God. --- Separated unto the gospel of God. He means that he was separated from others, and appointed by the Holy

Revelation 5:10 — And hast made us to our God, &c. See 1 Peter ii. 5, 9. (Witham) --- All Christians may justly be styled kings and priests of God, by the spiritual empire they possess over their passions and the world; and by the continual offering they make on the altar of their hearts, by means of the

Baruch 6:20 — Fifty. How then was peace made in [the year of the kingdom of the Greeks] 148, as we read [in] 2 Machabees xi. 21.? Usher ([the year of the world] 3841) supposes the ear was reckoned according to the Chaldean custom, which defers is six months. Basnage (ii. 1.) rather thins that the letter is placed out of its proper order,

Letter of Jeremiah 4:23 — great, as he contradicts himself, (Antiquities xii. 6., and xv.; see chap. i. 7.; Calmet) though not in this point. (Haydock) --- By the law, those of the tribe of Benjamin could not be priests. Thus the succession was broken and restored in Mathathias, 1 Machabees ii. (Worthington)