Bible Commentaries

Hosea 5:3 — early history, it, with Manasseh and Benjamin, its two dependent tribes, held the pre-eminence in the whole nation. Ephraim is here addressed as foremost in idolatry. I how . . . not hid from me—notwithstanding their supposed profound cunning (Hosea 5:2; Revelation 2:2; Revelation 2:9; Revelation 2:13; Revelation 2:19). now—"though I have been a rebuker of all them" (Revelation 2:19- :) who commit such spiritual whoredoms, thou art now continuing in them.

Amos 5:18 — 18. Woe unto you who do not scruple to say in irony, "We desire that the day of the Lord would come," that is, "Woe to you who treat it as if it were a mere dream of the prophets" (Isaiah 5:19; Jeremiah 17:15; Ezekiel 12:22). to what end is it for you!—Amos taking their ironical words in earnest: for God often takes the blasphemer at his own word, in righteous retribution making the scoffer's jest a terrible reality against himself. Ye

Amos 6:6 — ointments—that is, the most costly: not for health or cleanliness, but wanton luxury. not grieved for the affliction of Joseph—literally, "the breach," that is, the national wound or calamity (Psalms 60:2; Ezekiel 34:4) of the house of Joseph (Amos 5:6); resembling in this the heartlessness of their forefathers, the sons of Jacob, towards Joseph, "eating bread" while their brother lay in the pit, and then selling him to Ishmaelites.

Micah 3:5 — 5. Here he attacks the false prophets, as before he had attacked the "princes." make my people err—knowingly mislead My people by not denouncing their sins as incurring judgment. bite with . . . teeth, and cry, Peace—that is, who, so long as they are

Micah 4:9 — there no king in thee?—asked tauntingly. There is a king in her; but it is the same as if there were none, so helpless to devise means of escape are he and his counsellors [MAURER]. Or, Zion's pains are because her king is taken away from her (Jeremiah 52:9; Lamentations 4:20; Ezekiel 12:13) [CALVIN]. The former is perhaps the preferable view (compare Ezekiel 12:13- :). The latter, however, describes better Zion's kingless state during her present long dispersion (Hosea 3:4; Hosea 3:5).

Micah 7:7 — 7. Therefore I will look unto the Lord—as if no one else were before mine eyes. We must not only "look unto the Lord," but also "wait for Him." Having no hope from man (Micah 7:5; Micah 7:6), Micah speaks in the name of Israel, who herein, taught by chastisement (Micah 7:6- :) to feel her sin (Micah 7:9), casts herself on the Lord as her only hope," in patient waiting (Lamentations 3:26). She did so under the Babylonian captivity;

Nahum 2:5 — 5. The Assyrian preparations for defense. He—the Assyrian king. shall recount his worthies— (Nahum 3:18). Review, or count over in his mind, his nobles, choosing out the bravest to hasten to the walls and repel the attack. But in vain; for they

Zechariah 12:1 — created and then left the universe to itself ( :-). To remove all doubts of unbelief as to the possibility of Israel's deliverance, God prefaces the prediction by reminding us of His creative and sustaining power. Compare a similar preface in Isaiah 42:5; Isaiah 43:1; Isaiah 65:17; Isaiah 65:18. formeth . . . spirit of man— (Numbers 16:22; Hebrews 12:9).

Zechariah 13:5 — 5, 6. The detection of one of the false prophets dramatically represented. He is seized by some zealous vindicator of the law, and in fear cries out, "I am no prophet." man—that is, one. taught me to keep cattle—As "keeping cattle" is not the same

Zechariah 2:5 — 5. I . . . wall of fire round—Compare Zechariah 2:4. Yet as a city needs some wall, I JEHOVAH will act as one of fire which none durst approach (Zechariah 9:8; Isaiah 26:1). glory in the midst—not only a defense from foes outside, but a glory within

Zechariah 5:11 — 11. To build . . . house in . . . Shinar—Babylonia (Genesis 10:10), the capital of the God-opposed world kingdoms, and so representing in general the seat of irreligion. As the "building of houses" in Babylon (Jeremiah 29:5; Jeremiah 29:28) by the Jews themselves expressed their long exile there, so the building of an house for "wickedness" there implies its permanent stay. set . . . upon her own base—fixed there as in its proper place. "Wickedness" being cast out of

Malachi 2:7 — 10:11; Deuteronomy 24:8; Jeremiah 18:18; Haggai 2:11). the law—that is, its true sense. messenger of . . . Lord—the interpreter of His will; compare as to the prophets, Haggai 2:11- :. So ministers are called "ambassadors of Christ" (2 Corinthians 5:20); and the bishops of the seven churches in Revelation, "angels" or messengers (Revelation 2:1; Revelation 2:8; Revelation 2:12; Revelation 2:18; Revelation 3:1; Revelation 3:7; Revelation 3:14; compare Revelation 3:14- :).

Matthew 19:5 — 5. And said, For this cause—to follow out this divine appointment. shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?—Jesus here sends them back to the original constitution of man as one pair, a male

Luke 1:5 — 5. Herod—(See on :-). course of Abia—or Abijah; the eighth of the twenty-four orders of courses into which David divided the priests (see 1 Chronicles 24:1; 1 Chronicles 24:4; 1 Chronicles 24:10). Of these courses only four returned after the captivity

Luke 10:31 — not inadvertently that he acted. came and looked—a further aggravation. passed by—although the law expressly required the opposite treatment even of the beast not only of their brethren, but of their enemy (Deuteronomy 22:4; Exodus 23:4; Exodus 23:5; compare Isaiah 58:7).

Luke 24:49 — 49. I send—the present tense, to intimate its nearness. promise of my Father—that is, what My Father hath promised; the Holy Ghost, of which Christ is the authoritative Dispenser (John 14:7; Revelation 3:1; Revelation 5:6). endued—invested, or clothed with; implying, as the parallels show (Romans 13:14; 1 Corinthians 15:53; Galatians 3:27; Colossians 3:9; Colossians 3:10), their being so penetrated and acted upon by conscious supernatural power (in the full sense

John 17:4 — 4, 5. I have glorified thee on the earth—rather, "I glorified" (for the thing is conceived as now past). I have finished—I finished. the work which thou gavest me to do—It is very important to preserve in the translation the past tense, used in the original,

John 3:6 — its corrupted, depraved condition, in complete subjection to the law of the fall (Romans 8:1-9). So that though a man "could enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born," he would be no nearer this "new birth" than before (Job 14:4; Psalms 51:5). is spirit—"partakes of and possesses His spiritual nature."

Acts 16:20 — 20. These men, being Jews—objects of dislike, contempt, and suspicion by the Romans, and at this time of more than usual prejudice. do exceedingly trouble our city—See similar charges, Acts 17:6; Acts 24:5; 1 Kings 18:17. There is some color of truth in all such accusations, in so far as the Gospel, and generally the fear of God, as a reigning principle of human action, is in a godless world a thoroughly revolutionary principle . . . How far external

Acts 19:29 — 29. having caught Gaius and Aristarchus—disappointed of Paul, as at Thessalonica (Acts 17:5; Acts 17:6). They are mentioned in Acts 20:4; Acts 27:2; Romans 16:23; 1 Corinthians 1:14; and probably 3 John 1:1. If it was in the house of Aquila and Priscilla that he found an asylum (see 3 John 1:1- :), that would explain Romans 16:3; Romans 16:4,