Bible Commentaries

Ezekiel 15:4 — 4. cast into . . . fire— ( :-). both the ends—the north kingdom having been already overturned by Assyria under Tiglath-pileser; the south being pressed on by Egypt ( :-). midst of it is burned—rather, "is on flame"; namely, Jerusalem, which had now caught the flame by the attack of Nebuchadnezzar. Is it meet for any work—"it," that is, the scorched part still remaining.

Ezekiel 28:3 — 3. Ezekiel ironically alludes to Ithbaal's overweening opinion of the wisdom of himself and the Tyrians, as though superior to that of Daniel, whose fame had reached even Tyre as eclipsing the Chaldean sages. "Thou art wiser," namely, in thine own opinion ( :-). no secret—namely, forgetting riches (Ezekiel 28:4). that they can hide—that is, that can be hidden.

Daniel 8:4 — 4. ram pushing westward—Persia conquered westward Babylon, Mesopotamia, Syria, Asia Minor. northward—Colchis, Armenia, Iberia, and the dwellers on the Caspian Sea. southward—Judea, Egypt, Ethiopia, Libya; also India, under Darius. He does not say eastward, for the Persians themselves came from the east ( :-). did according to his will— (Daniel 11:3; Daniel 11:16; compare Daniel 5:19).

Hosea 10:4 — 4. words—mere empty words. swearing falsely in making a covenant—breaking their engagement to Shalmaneser ( :-), and making a covenant with So, though covenants with foreigners were forbidden. judgment . . . as hemlock—that is, divine judgment shall spring up as rank, and as deadly, as hemlock in the furrows (Deuteronomy 29:18; Amos 5:7; Amos 6:12). GESENIUS translates, "poppy." GROTIUS, "darnel."

Amos 4:8 — 8. three cities wandered—that is, the inhabitants of three cities (compare :-). GROTIUS explains this verse and Amos 4:7, "The rain fell on neighboring countries, but not on Israel, which marked the drought to be, not accidental, but the special judgment of God." The Israelites were obliged to leave their cities and homes to seek water at a distance [CALVIN].

Zechariah 10:12 — 12. I . . . strengthen them in . . . Lord— (Hosea 1:7). I, the Father, will strengthen them in the name, that is, the manifested power, of the Lord, Messiah, the Son of God. walk . . . in his name—that is, live everywhere and continually under His protection, and according to His will (Genesis 5:22; Psalms 20:1; Psalms 20:7; Micah 4:5).

Matthew 10:19 — 19. But when they deliver you up, take no thought—be not solicitous or anxious. (See on :-). how or what ye shall speak—that is, either in what manner ye shall make your defense, or of what matter it shall consist. for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak—(See Exodus 4:12; Jeremiah 1:7).

Matthew 13:10 — 10. And the disciples came, and said unto him—"they that were with Him, when they were alone" (Mark 4:10). Why speakest thou to them in parables?—Though before this He had couched some things in the parabolic form, for more vivid illustration, it would appear that He now, for the first time, formally employed this method of teaching.

Matthew 25:20 — 20. Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents; behold, I have gained besides them five talents more—How beautifully does this illustrate what the beloved disciple says of "boldness in the day of judgment," and his desire that "when He shall appear we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before Him at His coming!" (1 John 4:17; 1 John 2:28).

Luke 10:20 — 20. rejoice not, &c.—that is, not so much. So far from forbidding it, He takes occasion from it to tell them what had been passing in His own mind. But as power over demons was after all intoxicating, He gives them a higher joy to balance it, the joy of having their names in Heaven's register (Philippians 4:3).

Luke 5:11 — 11. forsook all—They did this before (Matthew 4:20); now they do it again; and yet after the Crucifixion they are at their boats once more (John 21:3). In such a business this is easily conceivable. After pentecost, however, they appear to have finally abandoned their secular calling. John 21:3- :. LEPER HEALED. (See on John 21:3- :.)

John 15:4 — 4. Abide in me, and I in you; as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine, &c.—As all spiritual fruitfulness had been ascribed to the mutual inhabitation, and living, active interpenetration (so to speak) of Christ and His disciples, so here the keeping up of this vital connection is made essential to continued fruitfulness.

Acts 1:4 — 4. should not depart from Jerusalem—because the Spirit was to glorify the existing economy, by descending on the disciples at its metropolitan seat, and at the next of its great festivals after the ascension of the Church's Head; in order that "out of Zion might go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem" ( :-; and compare Luke 24:49).

Acts 11:3 — 3, 4. Thou wentest in . . . But Peter rehearsed the matter, c.—These objectors scruple not to demand from Peter, though the first among the apostles, an explanation of his conduct nor is there any insinuation on Peter's part of disrespect towards his authority in that demand—a manifest proof that such authority was unknown both to the complainers and to himself.

Acts 17:2 — 2-4. Paul, as his manner was—always to begin with the Jews. went in unto them—In writing to the converts but a few months after this, he reminds them of the courage and superiority to indignity, for the Gospel's sake, which this required after the shameful treatment he had so lately experienced at Philippi (1 Thessalonians 2:2).

Acts 19:5 — 5-7. When they heard this—not the mere words reported in Acts 19:4, but the subject expounded according to the tenor of those words. they were baptized—not however by Paul himself (1 Corinthians 1:14). in the name of the Lord Jesus—into the whole fulness of the new economy, as now opened up to their believing minds.

Acts 19:7 — 5-7. When they heard this—not the mere words reported in Acts 19:4, but the subject expounded according to the tenor of those words. they were baptized—not however by Paul himself (1 Corinthians 1:14). in the name of the Lord Jesus—into the whole fulness of the new economy, as now opened up to their believing minds.

Acts 2:4 — 4. they . . . began to speak with . . . tongues, c.—real, living languages, as is plain from what follows. The thing uttered, probably the same by all, was "the wonderful works of God," perhaps in the inspired words of the Old Testament evangelical hymns though it is next to certain that the speakers themselves understood nothing of what they uttered (see on :-).

Romans 16:3 — 3-5. Salute Priscilla—The true reading here is "Prisca" (as in :-), a contracted form of Priscilla, as "Silas" of "Silvanus." and Aquila my helpers—The wife is here named before the husband (as in Acts 18:18; Romans 16:26, according to the true reading; also in 2 Timothy 4:19), probably as being the more prominent and helpful to the Church.

1 Corinthians 4:20 — 20. kingdom of God is not in word—Translate, as in :-, to which the reference is "speech." Not empty "speeches," but the manifest "power" of the Spirit attests the presence of "the kingdom of God" (the reign of the Gospel spiritually), in a church or in an individual (compare 1 Corinthians 2:1; 1 Corinthians 2:4; 1 Thessalonians 1:5).