Bible Commentaries

Song of Solomon 2:5 — 5. flagons—MAURER prefers translating, "dried raisin cakes"; from the Hebrew root "fire," namely, dried by heat. But the "house of wine" (Song of Solomon 2:4, Margin) favors "flagons"; the "new wine" of the kingdom, the Spirit of Jesus Christ. apples—from

Song of Solomon 8:12 — is, in my power [MAURER]. But though no longer under constraint of "keeping" the law as a mere letter and covenant of works, love to Jesus Christ will constrain her the more freely to render all to Solomon (Romans 8:2-4; 1 Corinthians 6:20; Galatians 5:13; 1 Peter 2:16), after having paid what justice and His will require should be paid to others (1 Corinthians 7:29-31; 1 Corinthians 9:14). "Before me" may also mean "I will never lose sight of it" (contrast 1 Corinthians 9:14- :) [MOODY STUART]. She

Isaiah 21:9 — some time before the other received the tidings of it. answered—not to something said previously, but in reference to the subject in the mind of the writer, to be collected from the preceding discourse: proclaimeth (Job 3:2, Margin; Daniel 2:26; Acts 5:8). fallen . . . fallen—The repetition expresses emphasis and certainty (Psalms 92:9; Psalms 93:3; compare Jeremiah 51:8; Revelation 18:2). images—Bel, Merodach, c. (Jeremiah 50:2 Jeremiah 51:44; Jeremiah 51:52). The Persians had no images, temples,

Isaiah 50:4 — servant of Jehovah" (Isaiah 42:1), declares that the office has been assigned to Him of encouraging the "weary" exiles of Israel by "words in season" suited to their case; and that, whatever suffering it is to cost Himself, He does not shrink from it (Isaiah 50:5; Isaiah 50:6), for that He knows His cause will triumph at last (Isaiah 50:7; Isaiah 50:8). learned—not in mere human learning, but in divinely taught modes of instruction and eloquence (Isaiah 49:2; Exodus 4:11; Matthew 7:28; Matthew 7:29; Matthew

Jeremiah 12:14 — 10:9.7]. On the restoration of these nations, they were to exchange places with the Jews. The latter were now in the midst of them, but on their restoration they were to be "in the midst of the Jews," that is, as proselytes to the true God (compare Micah 5:7 Zechariah 14:16). "Pluck them," namely, the Gentile nations: in a bad sense. "Pluck Judah": in a good sense; used to express the force which was needed to snatch Judah from the tyranny of those nations by whom they had been made captives, or to whom

Jeremiah 12:5 — 5. Jehovah's reply to Jeremiah's complaint. horses—that is, horsemen: the argument a fortiori. A proverbial phrase. The injuries done thee by the men of Anathoth ("the footmen") are small compared with those which the men of Jerusalem ("the horsemen")

Jeremiah 23:6 — worse than ever before. The accomplishment must, therefore, be still future, when both Judah and Israel in their own land shall dwell safely under a Christocracy, far more privileged than even the old theocracy (Jeremiah 32:37; Deuteronomy 33:28; Isaiah 54:1-17; Isaiah 60:1-22; Isaiah 65:17-25; Zechariah 14:11). shall be called, the Lord—that is, shall be (Zechariah 14:11- :) "Jehovah," God's incommunicable name. Though when applied to created things, it expresses only some peculiar connection they

Jeremiah 49:1 — no heir?—namely, to occupy the land of Gad, after it itself has been carried away captive by Shalmaneser. Ammon, like Moab, descended from Lot, lay north of Moab, from which it was separated by the river Arnon, and east of Reuben and Gad (Joshua 13:24; Joshua 13:25) on the same side of Jordan. It seized on Gad when Israel was carried captive. Judah was by the right of kindred the heir, not Ammon; but Ammon joined with Nebuchadnezzar against Judah and Jerusalem (Joshua 13:25- :) and exulted over its fall (Psalms

Ezekiel 15:2 — God's people lose their distinctive excellency by not bearing fruits of righteousness, they are more unprofitable than the worldly ( :-), for they are the vine; the sole end of their being is to bear fruit to His glory (Psalms 80:8; Psalms 80:9; Isaiah 5:1; Jeremiah 2:21; Hosea 10:1; Matthew 21:33). In all respects, except in their being planted by God, the Jews were inferior to other nations, as Egypt, Babylon, &c., for example, in antiquity, extent of territory, resources, military power, attainments

Ezekiel 26:12 — 12. lay thy stones . . . timber . . . in . . . midst of . . . water—referring to the insular New Tyre (Ezekiel 26:3; Ezekiel 26:5; Ezekiel 27:4; Ezekiel 27:25; Ezekiel 27:26). When its lofty buildings and towers fall, surrounded as it was with the sea which entered its double harbor and washed its ramparts, the "stones . . . timbers . . . and dust" appropriately are described

Ezekiel 45:1 — offered to God, the offerer raised the hand. The special territorial division for the tribes is given in the forty-seventh and forty-eighth chapters. Only Jehovah's portion is here subdivided into its three parts: (1) that for the sanctuary (Ezekiel 45:2; Ezekiel 45:3); (2) that for the priests (Ezekiel 45:4); (3) that for the Levites (Ezekiel 45:5). Compare Ezekiel 48:8-13. five and twenty thousand reeds, &c.—So English Version rightly fills the ellipsis (compare Note, see on Ezekiel 48:8-26.48.13-

Daniel 11:36 — 17:11), who is to usurp the kingly, as the Pope has the priestly, dignity of Christ—the false Messiah of the Jews, who will "plant his tabernacle between the seas in the holy mountain," "exalting himself above every god" (2 Thessalonians 2:4; Revelation 13:5; Revelation 13:6). This last clause only in part holds good of Antiochus; for though he assumed divine honors, identifying himself with Jupiter Olympius, yet it was for that god he claimed them; still it applies to him as the type. speak marvellous

Daniel 5:5 — 5. In the same hour—that the cause of God's visitation might be palpable, namely, the profanation of His vessels and His holy name. fingers of . . . hand—God admonishes him, not by a dream (as Nebuchadnezzar had been warned), or by a voice, but by "fingers

Amos 4:3 — into the palace, so as not to see their destruction, and to escape the more quickly. Rather, "ye shall cast yourselves into the palace," so as to escape from it out of the city [CALVIN]. The palace, the scene of the princes' riots (Amos 3:10; Amos 3:15; Amos 4:1), is to be the scene of their ignominious flight. Compare in the similar case of Jerusalem's capture, the king's escape by way of the palace, through a breach in the wall (Ezekiel 12:5; Ezekiel 12:12). GESENIUS translates, "Ye shall be cast

Habakkuk 1:5 — 5. Behold . . . marvellously . . . a work—(Compare Isaiah 29:14). Quoted by Paul (Acts 13:41). among the heathen—In Acts 13:41- :, "ye despisers," from the Septuagint. So the Syriac and Arabic versions; perhaps from a different Hebrew reading. In the

Haggai 2:3 — the captivity, fifty-two years; so that the elders might easily remember the first temple. The Jews note five points of inferiority: The absence from the second temple of (1) the sacred fire; (2) the Shekinah; (3) the ark and cherubim; (4) the Urim and Thummim; (5) the spirit of prophecy. The connection of it with Messiah more than counterbalanced all these; for He is the antitype to all the five (Haggai 2:9). how do ye see it now?—God's estimate of things is very different from man's (Haggai 2:9- :; compare

Zechariah 10:2 — captive. as a flock . . . no shepherd—As sheep wander and are a prey to every injury when without a shepherd, so the Jews had been while they were without Jehovah, the true shepherd; for the false prophets whom they trusted were no shepherds (Ezekiel 34:5). So now they are scattered, while they know not Messiah their shepherd; typified in the state of the disciples, when they had forsaken Jesus and fled (Matthew 26:56; compare Zechariah 13:7).

Zechariah 3:2 — thee—twice repeated to express the certainty of Satan's accusations and machinations against Jerusalem being frustrated. Instead of lengthened argument, Jehovah silences Satan by the one plea, namely, God's choice. chosen Jerusalem— (Romans 9:16; Romans 11:5). The conclusive answer. If the issue rested on Jerusalem's merit or demerit, condemnation must be the award; but Jehovah's "choice" (John 15:16) rebuts Satan's charge against Jerusalem (Zechariah 1:17; Zechariah 2:12; Romans 8:33; Romans 8:34; Romans

Zechariah 9:2 — "Hamath, which borders on Damascus, also shall be the resting-place of Jehovah's wrath" (the latter words being supplied from :-). Riblah, the scene of the Jews' sufferings from their foe, was there: it therefore shall suffer (2 Kings 23:33; 2 Kings 25:6; 2 Kings 25:7; 2 Kings 25:20; 2 Kings 25:21). Tyrus . . . Zidon—lying in the conqueror's way on his march along the Mediterranean to Egypt (compare Isaiah 23:1-18). Zidon, the older city, surrendered, and Abdolonymus was made its viceroy. very

Mark 2:4 — multitude," they "went upon the housetop"—the flat or terrace-roof, universal in Eastern houses. they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed—or portable couch wherein the sick of the palsy lay—Luke (Luke 5:19) says, they "let him down through the tilling with his couch into the midst before Jesus." Their whole object was to bring the patient into the presence of Jesus; and this not being possible in the ordinary way, because of the multitude that surrounded