Bible Commentaries

Song of Solomon 4:12 — sealed, while He was in the sealed tomb: it poured forth its full tide on Pentecost (John 7:37-39). Still He is a sealed fountain until the Holy Ghost opens it to one (John 7:37-43.7.39- :). The Church also is "a garden enclosed" (Psalms 4:3; Isaiah 5:1, c.). Contrast Isaiah 5:1- :. So "a spring" (Isaiah 27:3 Isaiah 58:11); "sealed" (Ephesians 4:30; 2 Timothy 2:19). As wives in the East are secluded from public gaze, so believers (Psalms 83:3; Colossians 3:3). Contrast the open streams which "pass

Song of Solomon 8:6 — 6. Implying approaching absence of the Bridegroom. seal—having her name and likeness engraven on it. His Holy Priesthood also in heaven (Exodus 28:6-12; Exodus 28:15-30; Hebrews 4:14); "his heart" there answering to "thine heart" here, and "two shoulders" to "arm." (Compare Jeremiah 22:24; Haggai 2:23). But the Holy Ghost (Ephesians 1:13; Ephesians 1:14). As in Song of Solomon 8:5, she was "leaning" on Him, that

Isaiah 11:11 — is to be distinct from that after the Babylonish captivity, and yet to resemble it. The first restoration was literal, therefore so shall the second be; the latter, however, it is implied here, shall be much more universal than the former (Isaiah 43:5-7; Isaiah 49:12; Isaiah 49:17; Isaiah 49:18; Ezekiel 37:21; Hosea 3:5; Amos 9:14; Amos 9:15; Micah 4:6; Micah 4:7; Zephaniah 3:19; Zephaniah 3:20; Zechariah 10:10; Jeremiah 23:8). As to the "remnant" destined by God to survive the judgments on the nation,

Jeremiah 51:5 — 5. forsaken—as a widow (Hebrew). Israel is not severed from her husband, Jehovah ( :-), by a perpetual divorce. though . . . sin—though the land of Israel has been filled with sin, that is, with the punishment of their sin, devastation. But, as the Hebrew means "for," or "and therefore," not "though," translate, "and therefore their (the Chaldeans') land has been filled with (the penal consequences of) their sin" [GROTIUS].

Ezekiel 30:21 — 21. broken . . . arm of Pharaoh— (Psalms 37:17; Jeremiah 48:25). Referring to the defeat which Pharaoh-hophra sustained from the Chaldeans, when trying to raise the siege of Jerusalem (Jeremiah 37:5; Jeremiah 37:7); and previous to the deprivation of Pharaoh-necho of all his conquests from the river of Egypt to the Euphrates (2 Kings 24:7; Jeremiah 46:2); also to the Egyptian disaster in Cyrene.

Ezekiel 37:3 — 3. can these bones live? . . . thou knowest—implying that, humanly speaking, they could not; but faith leaves the question of possibility to rest with God, with whom nothing is impossible (Deuteronomy 32:39). An image of Christian faith which believes in the coming general resurrection of the dead, in spite of all appearances against it, because God has said it (John 5:21; Romans 4:17; 2 Corinthians 1:9).

Daniel 10:21 — 21. noted in the scripture of truth—in the secret book of God's decrees (Psalms 139:16; Revelation 5:1), which are truth, that is, the things which shall most surely come to pass, being determined by God (compare John 17:17). none . . . but Michael—To him alone of the angels the office of protecting Israel, in concert with the angelic speaker, was delegated; all the world powers were against Israel.

Hosea 7:5 — 5. the day of our king—his birthday or day of inauguration. have made him sick—namely, the king. MAURER translates, "make themselves sick." with bottles of wine—drinking not merely glasses, but bottles. MAURER translates, "Owing to the heat of wine." he stretched out his hand with scorners—the gesture of revellers in holding out the cup and in drinking to one another's health. Scoffers were the king's boon companions.

Joel 2:5 — 5. Like the noise of chariots—referring to the loud sound caused by their wings in motion, or else the movement of their hind legs. on the tops of mountains—MAURER connects this with "they," that is, the locusts, which first occupy the higher places, and thence descend to the lower places. It may refer (as in English Version) to "chariots," which make most noise in crossing over rugged heights.

Amos 8:8 — 8. the land . . . rise up wholly as a flood—The land will, as it were, be wholly turned into a flooding river (a flood being the image of overwhelming calamity, :-). cast out and drowned, &c.—swept away and overwhelmed, as the land adjoining the Nile is by it, when flooding (Amos 9:5). The Nile rises generally twenty feet. The waters then "cast out" mire and dirt (Isaiah 57:20).

Zephaniah 3:3 — 3. roaring—for prey (Proverbs 28:15; Ezekiel 22:27; Amos 3:4; Micah 2:2). evening wolves—which are most ravenous at evening after being foodless all day (Jeremiah 5:6; Habakkuk 1:8). they gnaw not the bones till the morrow—rather, "they put not off till to-morrow to gnaw the bones"; but devour all at once, bones and flesh, so ragingly ravenous are they [CALVIN].

Zechariah 14:1 — 1. day of the Lord—in which He shall vindicate His justice by punishing the wicked and then saving His elect people (Joel 2:31; Joel 3:14; Malachi 4:1; Malachi 4:5). thy spoil . . . divided in the midst of thee—by the foe; secure of victory, they shall not divide the spoil taken from thee in their camp outside, but "in the midst" of the city itself.

Acts 12:10 — 10. first and the second ward . . . the iron gate that leadeth unto the city—We can only conjecture the precise meaning of all this, not knowing the position of the prison. passed on through one street; and forthwith the angel departed from him—when he had placed him beyond pursuit. Thus "He disappointeth the devices of the crafty, so that their heads cannot perform their enterprise" (Job 5:12).

Acts 5:5 — 5. Ananias . . . gave up the ghost . . . great fear came on all that heard these things—on those without the Christian circle; who, instead of disparaging the followers of the Lord Jesus, as they might otherwise have done on the discovery of such hypocrisy, were awed at the manifest presence of Divinity among them, and the mysterious power of throwing off such corrupt matter which rested upon the young Church.

Romans 1:3 — 3, 4. Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord—the grand burden of this "Gospel of God." made of the seed of David—as, according to "the holy scriptures," He behooved to be. (See on :-). according to the flesh—that is, in His human nature (compare Romans 9:5; John 1:14); implying, of course, that He had another nature, of which the apostle immediately proceeds to speak.

Romans 8:5 — 5. For they that are after the flesh—that is, under the influence of the fleshly principle. do mind—give their attention to (Philippians 3:19). the things of the flesh, &c.—Men must be under the predominating influence of one or other of these two principles, and, according as the one or the other has the mastery, will be the complexion of their life, the character of their actions.

2 Corinthians 1:16 — 16. This intention of visiting them on the way to Macedonia, as well as after having passed through it, must have reached the ears of the Corinthians in some way or other—perhaps in the lost Epistle (1 Corinthians 4:18; 1 Corinthians 5:9). The sense comes out more clearly in the Greek order, "By you to pass into Macedonia, and from Macedonia to come again unto you."

2 Corinthians 5:5 — 5. wrought us—framed us by redemption, justification, and sanctification. for the selfsame thing—"unto" it; namely, unto what is mortal of us being swallowed up in life ( :-). who also—The oldest manuscripts omit "also." earnest of the Spirit—(See on 2 Corinthians 1:22). It is the Spirit (as "the first-fruits") who creates in us the groaning desire for our coming deliverance and glory (2 Corinthians 1:22- :).

2 Thessalonians 3:11 — 11. busy bodies—In the Greek the similarity of sound marks the antithesis, "Doing none of their own business, yet overdoing in the business of others." Busy about everyone's business but their own. "Nature abhors a vacuum"; so if not doing one's own business, one is apt to meddle with his neighbor's business. Idleness is the parent of busybodies (1 Timothy 5:13). Contrast 1 Thessalonians 4:11.

2 Timothy 2:5 — 5. And—"Moreover." strive for masteries—"strive in the games" [ALFORD]; namely, the great national games of Greece. yet is he not crowned, except—even though he gain the victory. strive lawfully—observing all the conditions of both the contest (keeping within the bounds of the course and stript of his clothes) and the preparation for it, namely, as to self-denying diet, anointing, exercise, self-restraint, chastity, decorum, &c. ( :-).