Bible Commentaries

Isaiah 21:5 — 5. Prepare the table—namely, the feast in Babylon; during which Cyrus opened the dykes made by Semiramis to confine the Euphrates to one channel and suffered them to overflow the country, so that he could enter Babylon by the channel of the river. Isaiah

Isaiah 33:23 — foe's camp. After the invasion, Hezekiah had so much wealth that he made an improper display of it (Isaiah 33:21- :); this wealth, probably, was in part got from the Assyrian. the lame—Even the most feeble shall spoil the Assyrian camp (compare Isaiah 35:6; 2 Samuel 5:6).

Isaiah 38:15 — 15-20. The second part of the song passes from prayer to thanksgiving at the prayer being heard. What shall I say?—the language of one at a loss for words to express his sense of the unexpected deliverance. both spoken . . . and . . . done it— (Numbers

Ezekiel 13:1 — their own frauds; for example, Ahab, Zedekiah, and Shemaiah. Hananiah must have believed his own lie, else he would not have specified so circumstantial details (Jeremiah 29:31- :). The conscious knaves gave only general assurances of peace (Jeremiah 5:31; Jeremiah 6:14; Jeremiah 14:13). The language of Ezekiel has plain references to the similar language of Jeremiah (for example, Jeremiah 23:9-38); the bane of false prophecy, which had its stronghold in Jerusalem, having in some degree extended to

Ezekiel 17:7 — 7. another . . . eagle—the king of Egypt (Ezekiel 17:15). The "long-winged" of Ezekiel 17:3 is omitted, as Egypt had not such a wide empire and large armies as Babylon. vine . . . bend . . . roots towards him—literally, "thirsted after him with its roots"; expressing the longings after Egypt in the Jewish

Ezekiel 34:2 — rulers who sought in their government their own selfish ends, not the good of the people ruled. The term was appropriate, as David, the first king and the type of the true David (Ezekiel 34:23; Ezekiel 34:24), was taken from being a shepherd (2 Samuel 5:2; Psalms 78:70; Psalms 78:71); and the office, like that of a shepherd for his flock, is to guard and provide for his people. The choice of a shepherd for the first king was therefore designed to suggest this thought, just as Jesus' selection of fishermen

Ezekiel 36:25 — 25. The external restoration must be preceded by an internal one. The change in their condition must not be superficial, but must be based on a radical renewal of the heart. Then the heathen, understanding from the regenerated lives of God's people how

Ezekiel 5:12 — 12. Statement in plain terms of what was intended by the symbols ( :-; see Ezekiel 6:12; Jeremiah 15:2; Jeremiah 21:9). draw out . . . sword after them— (Leviticus 26:33). Skeptics object; no such thing happened under Zedekiah, as is here foretold; namely, that a third part of the nation should die by pestilence, a third part by the sword, and a

Ezekiel 8:15 — 15, 16. The next are "greater abominations," not in respect to the idolatry, but in respect to the place and persons committing it. In "the inner court," immediately before the door of the temple of Jehovah, between the porch and the altar, where the priests

Daniel 10 overview — the epilogue. The tenth chapter unfolds the spiritual worlds as the background of the historical world (Job 1:7; Job 2:1; Zechariah 3:1; Zechariah 3:2; Revelation 12:7), and angels as the ministers of God's government of men. As in the world of nature (John 5:4; Revelation 7:1-3), so in that of history here; Michael, the champion of Israel, and with him another angel, whose aim is to realize God's will in the heathen world, resist the God-opposed spirit of the world. These struggles are not merely symbolical,

Hosea 2:6 — between Israel and her idols. As she attributes all her temporal blessings to idols, I will reduce her to straits in which, when she in vain has sought help from false gods, she will at last seek Me as her only God and Husband, as at the first (Isaiah 54:5; Jeremiah 3:14; Ezekiel 16:8). then—before Israel's apostasy, under Jeroboam. The way of duty is hedged about with thorns; it is the way of sin that is hedged up with thorns. Crosses in an evil course are God's hedges to turn us from it. Restraining

Hosea 5:8 — made of the curved horn of animals and was used by shepherds. The "trumpet" was of brass or silver, straight, and used in wars and on solemn occasions. The Hebrew is hatzotzerah, the sound imitating the trumpet note (Hosea 8:1; Numbers 10:2; Jeremiah 4:5; Joel 2:1). Gibeah . . . Ramah—both in Benjamin (Isaiah 10:29). Beth-aven—in Benjamin; not as in Hosea 4:15; Beth-el, but a town east of it (Joshua 7:2). "Cry aloud," namely, to raise the alarm. "Benjamin" is put for the whole southern kingdom of

Hosea 8:9 — 9. gone . . . to Assyria—referring to Menahem's application for Pul's aid in establishing him on the throne (compare Hosea 5:13; Hosea 7:11). Menahem's name is read in the inscriptions in the southwest palace of Nimrod, as a tributary to the Assyrian king in his eighth year. The dynasty of Pul, or Phalluka, was supplanted at Nineveh by that of Tiglath-pileser, about 768 (or

Amos 4:13 — too subtle to be seen, though of powerful agency, as the "wind." declareth unto man . . . his thought— (Psalms 139:2). Ye think that your secret thoughts escape My cognizance, but I am the searcher of hearts. maketh . . . morning darkness— (Amos 5:8; Amos 8:9). Both literally turning the sunshine into darkness, and figuratively turning the prosperity of the ungodly into sudden adversity (Psalms 73:12; Psalms 73:18; Psalms 73:19; compare Jeremiah 13:16). treadeth upon . . . high places—God treadeth

Amos 5:15 — 15. Hate . . . evil . . . love . . . good— (Isaiah 1:16; Isaiah 1:17; Romans 12:9). judgment in the gate—justice in the place where causes are tried. it may be that the Lord . . . will be gracious—so, "peradventure" (Romans 12:9- :). Not that men are

Amos 7:8 — confined to an outer part of Israel, as by Tiglath-pileser; it is to reach the very center. This was fulfilled when Shalmaneser, after a three years' siege of Samaria, took it and carried away Israel captive finally to Assyria (2 Kings 17:3; 2 Kings 17:5; 2 Kings 17:6; 2 Kings 17:23). not . . . pass by . . . any more—not forgive them any more (Amos 8:2; Proverbs 19:11; Micah 7:18).

Micah 5:1 — no king of the house of David reigned. The smiting on the cheek of other judges of Israel was a type of the same indignity offered to Him who nevertheless is the Judge, not only of Israel, but also of the world, and who is "from everlasting" (Micah 5:2; Isaiah 50:6; Matthew 26:67; Matthew 27:30).

Micah 5:4 — circumspection, as a shepherd stands erect to survey and guard His flock on every side ( :-) [MAURER]. feed—that is, rule: as the Greek word similarly in :-, Margin, means both "feed" and "rule" (Isaiah 40:11; Isaiah 49:10; Ezekiel 34:23; compare 2 Samuel 5:2; 2 Samuel 7:8). in the majesty of the name of the Lord—possessing the majesty of all Jehovah's revealed attributes ("name") (Isaiah 11:2; Philippians 2:6; Philippians 2:9; Hebrews 2:7-9). his God—God is "His God" in a oneness of relation distinct

Malachi 1:11 — as ye offer (Isaiah 66:20- :). "In every place," implies the catholicity of the Christian Church (John 4:21; John 4:23; 1 Timothy 2:8). The "incense" is figurative of prayers (Psalms 141:2; Revelation 8:3). "Sacrifice" is used metaphorically (Psalms 51:17; Hebrews 13:10; Hebrews 13:15; Hebrews 13:16; 1 Peter 2:5; 1 Peter 2:12). In this sense the reference to the Lord's Supper, maintained by many of the fathers, may be admitted; it, like prayer, is a spiritual offering, accepted through the literal

Matthew 6:27 — because the subject is the prolongation of life, by the supply of its necessaries of food and clothing: and next, because no one would dream of adding a cubit—or a foot and a half—to his stature, while in the corresponding passage in Luke (Luke 12:25; Luke 12:26) the thing intended is represented as "that thing which is least." But if we take the word in its primary sense of "age" (for "stature" is but a secondary sense) the idea will be this, "Which of you, however anxiously you vex yourselves