Bible Commentaries

Isaiah 66:17 — Hierophant ("priest"), who led the rest in performing the sacred rites. in . . . midst—namely, of the garden (see on Isaiah 66:6). mouse—legally unclean (Leviticus 11:29) because it was an idol to the heathen (see on Leviticus 11:29- :; 1 Samuel 6:4). Translate, "the field mouse," or "dormouse" [BOCHART]. The Pharisees with their self-righteous purifications, and all mere formalists, are included in the same condemnation, described in language taken from the idolatries prevalent in Isaiah's times.

Jeremiah 2:13 — further sin of changing the true God for idols ( :-). forsaken me—The Hebrew collocation brings out the only living God into more prominent contrast with idol nonentities. "Me they have forsaken, the Fountain," c. (Jeremiah 17:13 Psalms 36:9; John 4:14). broken cisterns—tanks for rain water, common in the East, where wells are scarce. The tanks not only cannot give forth an ever-flowing fresh supply as fountains can, but cannot even retain the water poured into them; the stonework within being

Jeremiah 2:3 — 3. holiness unto the Lord—that is, was consecrated to the service of Jehovah (Exodus 19:5; Exodus 19:6). They thus answered to the motto on their high priest's breastplate, "Holiness to the Lord" (Deuteronomy 7:6; Deuteronomy 14:2; Deuteronomy 14:21). first-fruits of his increase—that is, of Jehovah's produce. As the first-fruits of the whole produce of the land were devoted to God (Exodus 23:19; Numbers 18:12; Numbers 18:13), so Israel was devoted to Him as the first-fruit

Jeremiah 21:12 — degenerated from the piety of their forefather, David; and to repress their glorying in their descent from him, as if they were therefore inviolable; but God will not spare them as apostates. in the morning—alluding to the time of dispensing justice (Job 24:17; Psalms 101:8); but the sense is mainly proverbial, for "with promptness" (Psalms 90:14; Psalms 143:8). MAURER translates, "every morning." lest my fury . . . like fire—Already it was kindled, and the decree of God gone forth against the city (Jeremiah

Jeremiah 21:4 — 4. God of Israel—Those "wondrous works" ( :-) do not belong to you; God is faithful; it is you who forfeit the privileges of the covenant by unfaithfulness. "God will always remain the God of Israel, though He destroy thee and thy people" [CALVIN]. turn

Jeremiah 31:2 — manifested to Israel "in the wilderness" God grounds His argument for renewing His favors to them now in their exile; because His covenant is "everlasting" ( :-), and changes not. The same argument occurs in Hosea 13:5; Hosea 13:9; Hosea 13:10; Hosea 14:4; Hosea 14:5; Hosea 14:8. Babylon is fitly compared to the "wilderness," as in both alike Israel was as a stranger far from his appointed "rest" or home, and Babylon is in Isaiah 40:3 called a "desert" (compare Isaiah 40:3- :). I went to cause him

Ezekiel 16:15 — 15. Instead of attributing the glory of her privileges and gifts to God, Israel prided herself on them as her own (Deuteronomy 32:15; Jeremiah 7:4; Micah 3:11), and then wantonly devoted them to her idols (Micah 3:11- :; compare Luke 15:12; Luke 15:13). playedst . . . harlot because of thy renown—"didst play the wanton upon thy name" [FAIRBAIRN], namely, by allowing thy renown to lead thee into

Ezekiel 16:38 — 38-40. judge thee, as women that break wedlock— (Leviticus 20:10; compare Ezekiel 16:2). In the case of individual adulteresses, stoning was the penalty (John 8:4; John 8:5). In the case of communities, the sword. Also apostasy (Deuteronomy 13:10) and sacrificing children

Ezekiel 2:1 — the divine "Son of man" here revealed as "man" (see on :-). That title, as applied to Messiah, implies at once His lowliness and His exaltation, in His manifestations as the Representative man, at His first and second comings respectively (Psalms 8:4-8; Matthew 16:13; Matthew 20:18; and on the other hand, Daniel 7:13; Daniel 7:14; Matthew 26:64; John 5:27).

Ezekiel 25:12 — vengeance—literally, "revenging with revengement," that is, the most unrelenting vengeance. It was not simple hatred, but deep-brooding, implacable revenge. The grudge of Edom or Esau was originally for Jacob's robbing him of Isaac's blessing (Genesis 25:23; Genesis 27:27-41). This purpose of revenge yielded to the extraordinary kindness of Jacob, through the blessing of Him with whom Jacob wrestled in prayer; but it was revived as an hereditary grudge in the posterity of Esau when they saw the younger branch rising to

Ezekiel 29:4 — 4. hooks in thy jaws— ( :-; compare Job 41:1; Job 41:2). Amasis was the "hook." In the Assyrian sculptures prisoners are represented with a hook in the underlip, and a cord from it held by the king. cause . . . fish . . . stick unto . . . scales—Pharaoh,

Ezekiel 33:31 — 31. as the people cometh—that is, in crowds, as disciples flock to their teacher. sit before thee—on lower seats at thy feet, according to the Jewish custom of pupils (Deuteronomy 33:3; 2 Kings 4:38; Luke 10:39; Acts 22:3). as my people—though they are not. hear . . . not do— (Matthew 13:20; Matthew 13:21; James 1:23; James 1:24). they show much love—literally, "make love," that is, act the part of lovers. Profess love to the Lord (James

Ezekiel 5:9 — 9. See on :-. that which I have not done—worse than any former judgments (Lamentations 4:6; Daniel 9:12). The prophecy includes the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans, and the final one by Antichrist (Zechariah 13:8; Zechariah 13:9; Zechariah 14:2), as well as that by Nebuchadnezzar. Their doom of evil was not exhausted by the Chaldean conquest.

Hosea 11:12 — avoid this, MAURER translates this verse as a censure, "Judah wanders with God," that is, though having the true God, he wanders after false gods. ruleth with God—to serve God is to reign. Ephraim wished to rule without God (compare 1 Corinthians 4:8); nay, even, in order to rule, cast off God's worship [RIVETUS]. In Judah was the legitimate succession of kings and priests. with the saints—the holy priests and Levites [RIVETUS]. With the fathers and prophets who handed down the pure worship

Hosea 13:10 — Margin and the Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate, "Where now is thy king?" [MAURER]. English Version is, however, favored both by the Hebrew, by the antithesis between Israel's self-chosen and perishing kings, and God, Israel's abiding King (compare Hosea 3:4; Hosea 3:5). where . . . Give me a king—Where now is the king whom ye substituted in My stead? Neither Saul, whom the whole nation begged for, not contented with Me their true king (1 Samuel 8:5; 1 Samuel 8:7; 1 Samuel 8:19; 1 Samuel 8:20; 1 Samuel

Hosea 14:7 — 7. They that used to dwell under Israel's shadow (but who shall have been forced to leave it), shall return, that is, be restored ( :-). Others take "His shadow" to mean Jehovah's (compare Psalms 17:8; Psalms 91:1; Isaiah 4:6), which Hosea 14:1; Hosea 14:2 ("return unto the Lord," c.) favor. But the "his" in Hosea 14:6 refers to Israel, and therefore must refer to the same here. revive as . . . corn—As the corn long buried in the earth springs up, with an abundant produce,

Hosea 4:12 — came out first, in drawing them out of a case, gave the omen for, or against, an undertaking. declareth—that is, is consulted to inform them of future events. spirit of whoredoms—a general disposition on the part of all towards idolatry (Hosea 5:4). err—go astray from the true God. from under their God—They have gone away from God under whom they were, as a wife is under the dominion of her husband.

Hosea 9:10 — 10. As the traveller in a wilderness is delighted at finding grapes to quench his thirst, or the early fig (esteemed a great delicacy in the East, Isaiah 28:4; Jeremiah 24:2; Micah 7:1); so it was My delight to choose your fathers as My peculiar people in Egypt (Hosea 2:15). at her first time—when the first-fruits of the tree become ripe. went to Baal-peor— (Hosea 2:15- :): the Moabite idol, in whose

Joel 2:4 — 4. appearance . . . of horses— (Revelation 9:7). Not literal, but figurative locusts. The fifth trumpet, or first woe, in the parallel passage (Revelation 9:1-11), cannot be literal: for in Revelation 9:11 it is said, "they had a king over them, the angel

Amos 2:7 — thirst for this object, by their oppression to prostrate the poor so as to cast the dust on their heads in mourning on the earth (compare 2 Samuel 1:2; Job 2:12; Ezekiel 27:30). turn aside . . . way of . . . meek—pervert their cause (Amos 5:12; Job 24:4 [GROTIUS]; Isaiah 10:2). a man and his father—a crime "not so much as named among the Gentiles" (Isaiah 10:2- :). When God's people sin in the face of light, they often fall lower than even those who know not God. go in unto the same maid—from Amos