Bible Commentaries

Psalms 117:19 — Justice. Of the temple, where the undefiled Israelites alone can enter, (Psalm xiv. 1.) or the land of Judea, Isaias xxvi. The Fathers explain it of the Church, and of heaven, to which none can be admitted, who have not departed in the communion of saints, (St. Chrysostom; St. Augustine) having walked in the narrow path. (Eusebius) ---

Psalms 118:176 — allusion to Christ, the good shepherd. The prophet admits that notwithstanding his love of the law, he may have still many ways transgressed; and that without faith in the Messias, he could not belong to his fold, or escape the many dangers of the world, 1 Corinthians iv. 4., and ix. 27. (Berthier) --- Seek. St. Hilary and some Greek copies have read incorrectly "quicken." (Calmet)

Proverbs 6:8 — Harvest. The economy and diligence of this littel republic is admirable. (Pliny, [Natural History?] xxx. 11.) --- Some copies of the Septuagint add with St. Ambrose, (Hex. v. []1., &c.; Calmet) "or go to the bee, and behold what a worker it is, and how beautiful is its work; whose labours kings and private people use for health. But it is desirable

Ezekiel 27:16 — Syrian: always much addicted to commerce. (St. Jerome) --- Septuagint read Adam for Aram, as if the traffic in men was meant: (Calmet) "ivory, and to those who brought, thou gavest thy rewards. (16) Men of thy traffic," &c. (Haydock) --- Linen. Hebrew buts, "silk" extracted from the pinna fish, 1 Paralipomenon xv. 27. Silk. Hebrew ramoth, may rather denote unicorns, Job xxviii. 18. (Calmet) --- Chodchod. It is the Hebrew name

Ezekiel 39:13 — Day. It does not occur in the calendar. Yet Comestor and [Denis] the Carthusian mentions Cambysa, the day when Bethulia was delivered, Judith xvi. 31. The history of Judith may perhaps relate to the defeat of this prince. The embellishments will not injure the truth. The Jews immediately after his death recommence the building of the temple, (1 Esdras iv.; Aggeus i. 14.) which they are forced to

Daniel 1:1 — Third, at the conclusion, so that it is called the fourth. (Jeremias xxv. 1.) (Cornelius a Lapide; Menochius) --- Nabuchodonosor began his expedition into Syria a year before he was king; (Salien, A. 3428 [in the year of the world 3428 or 624 B.C.]. Josephus, &c.) or he had the title before his father Nabopolassar’s

Daniel 10:2 — Passover, till the 24th. (Calmet) --- He was grieved that the people did not make use of the leave granted by Cyrus; (Theod.) or because the Samaritans had prevailed at court to have the temple forbidden; (Usher, A. 3470 [in the year of the world 3470], and 1 Esdras i. 14.) or rather because he could not fully understand the former visions. (Chap. ix. 30. and xii. 9. &c.) (Calmet)

Daniel 7:8 — Heliodorus. He also defeated three, Philometor, on the south; Artaxias, king of Armenia, on the east; and the strength, or God’s people, verse 24. and Chap. viii. 9. --- Man. He gained several at first, by his affability. --- Things: blasphemy. (1 Machabees i. 23. 43.) (Calmet)

Jonah 3:3 — Journey. By the computation of some ancient historians, Ninive was about fifty miles round: so that to go through all the chief streets and public places, was three days’ journey. (Challoner) --- Diodorus (iii. 1.) says Ninive was 150 stadia or furlongs in length. It must have been therefore 480 round; and as each furlong contains 125 paces of 5 ft. each, the compass would be "60 Italian miles, (about 50 English)" which would employ a person three

Zechariah 10:4 — Juda; but it was the chief, and gave name to the rest. Judas was also a figure of Christ, the chief corner-stone, and he should be born of that tribe. --- Pin, to fasten down the tent, or to hang things upon. These comparisons were not deemed mean, 1 Esdras ix. 8., and Isaias xxii. 23. --- Exactor. The term may have a good as well as a bad sense. Taxes must be paid for the support of lawful governments. Judas forced other nations to pay tribute. (Calmet) --- The same term in Ethiopia, means "a

Matthew 2:3 — Through fear of losing his kingdom, he being a foreigner, and had obtained the sovereignty by violence. But why was all Jerusalem to be alarmed at the news of a king so long and so ardently expected? 1. Because the people, well acquainted with the cruelty of Herod, feared a more galling slavery. 2. Through apprehension of riots, and of a revolution, which could not be effected without bloodshed, as the Romans had such strong hold. They had also been

Matthew 23:26 — Thou blind Pharisee. The vices of the Scribes and Pharisees are not frequently to be found in Christians. The genuine characters of the pharisaical and hypocritical spirit, are: 1. to be punctiliously exact in trifles; 2. to be fond of distinction and esteem; 3. to be content with external piety; 4. to entertain a high opinion of ourselves, and to be impatient of reproof; 5. to be harsh to others, and ready to impose on them

Matthew 7:21 — we must join works with faith; for in this shall we be examined at the last day. (Menochius) --- Without faith they could not cry out, Lord, Lord. (Romans x.) But the strongest faith without the works of justice, will not be available to salvation. (1 Corinthians xiii.) (Bristow) --- Many who have the lord continually in their mouths, but care little about putting on the Lord, or penetrating themselves with his true spirit, will find their presumption, and the false consciences they have made to

Luke 19:19 — his merit. For there are many mansions, and many degrees of glory, in the house of the heavenly Father. (Calmet) --- For there is one brightness of the sun, another of the moon, and another of the stars; for star differeth from star in brightness. (1 Corinthians xv. 41.)

Luke 19:48 — (Witham) --- The original Greek, exekremato autou akouon, shews how eagerly they catched the words that dropped from his sacred lips, all enraptured with the wisdom of his answers, and the commanding superiority of his doctrines. Seneca (Controv ix. 1.) uses a similar turn of expression: Ex vultu discentis pendent omnium vultus. The chief priests and rulers were all apprehension lest the people, who followed Jesus with such avidity, and who had conceived such high sentiments of his character, might

Luke 22:15 — With desire I have desired: literally, with a desire have I desired.[1] The repetition expresseth a great and earnest desire. (Witham) =============================== [BIBLIOGRAPHY] With a desire have I desired. This is commonly reputed a Hebraism, or form of speech peculiar to the Hebrews: hearing, I have heard; seeing,

Luke 3:15 — Many reasons might have induced the people to think that John was the Christ: 1. The wonders that took place at his birth and conception, his mother being very old, and without any prospect of offspring: 2. the excellence of his preaching, his mortified life, and the novelty of his baptism; and thirdly, the report which them generally

Luke 7:39 — The Pharisee was egregiously deceived. 1. In thinking that Christ was ignorant of the character of the woman, when he not only clearly saw the past bad conduct of the woman, but the present unjust thoughts of the Pharisee; 2. in his erroneous inference that Christ could not be a prophet; for

John 15:28 — Ver 1. I am the true vine. Christ, says St. Augustine, speaks of himself, as man, when he compares himself to a vine, his disciples to the branches, and his Father to the husbandman. He himself, as God, is also the husbandman. --- Without me, you can do nothing,

Romans 14:1 — Not in disputes about thoughts.[1] That is, without blaming or condemning the thoughts, and reasonings (as it appears by the Greek) of those new converts, who had been Jews, and who were still of this opinion, that they ought to abstain from meats forbidden by the Jewish law, and observe