Bible Commentaries

Psalms 46:4 — 4. God's favor is denoted by a river (compare Psalms 36:8; Zechariah 14:8; Revelation 22:1). city of God, the holy place—His earthly residence, Jerusalem and the temple (compare Psalms 2:6; Psalms 3:4; Psalms 20:2; Psalms 48:2, &c.). God's favor, like a river whose waters are conducted in channels, is distributed to all parts of His Church. most High—denoting His supremacy (Psalms 17:2).

Psalms 72:4 — 4. That peace, including prosperity, as an eminent characteristic of Christ's reign (Isaiah 2:4; Isaiah 9:6; Isaiah 11:9), will be illustrated in the security provided for the helpless and needy, and the punishment inflicted on oppressors, whose power to injure or mar the peace of others will be destroyed (compare Isaiah 65:25; Zechariah 9:10). children of the needy—for the needy (compare sons of strangers, Zechariah 9:10- : [Margin]).

Proverbs 30:2 — 2-4. brutish—stupid, a strong term to denote his lowly self-estimation; or he may speak of such as his natural condition, as contrasted with God's all-seeing comprehensive knowledge and almighty power. The questions of this clause emphatically deny the attributes mentioned to be those of any creature, thus impressively strengthening the implied reference of the former to God (compare Deuteronomy 30:12-14; Isaiah 40:12; Ephesians 4:8).

Isaiah 14:4 — 4. proverb—The Orientals, having few books, embodied their thoughts in weighty, figurative, briefly expressed gnomes. Here a taunting song of triumph (Micah 2:4; Habakkuk 2:6). the king—the ideal representative of Babylon; perhaps Belshazzar (Habakkuk 2:6- :). The mystical Babylon is ultimately meant. golden city—rather, "the exactress of gold" [MAURER]. But the old translators read differently in the Hebrew, "oppression," which the parallelism favors (compare Habakkuk 2:6- :).

Isaiah 66:24 — 24. go forth, and look—as the Israelites looked at the carcasses of the Egyptians destroyed at the Red Sea (Exodus 14:30; compare Isaiah 26:14-19; Psalms 58:10; Psalms 49:14; Malachi 4:1-3). carcasses, c.— (Malachi 4:1-39.4.3- :), those slain by the Lord

Jeremiah 31:9 — 9. weeping—for their past sins which caused their exile (Psalms 126:5; Psalms 126:6). Although they come with weeping, they shall return with joy (Jeremiah 50:4; Jeremiah 50:5). supplications—(Compare Jeremiah 31:18; Jeremiah 31:19; Jeremiah 3:21-25; Zechariah 12:10). Margin translates "favors," as in Joshua 11:20; Ezra 9:8; thus God's favors or compassions are put in opposition to the people's weeping; their

Ezekiel 23:9 — 9. God, in righteous retribution, turned their objects of trust into the instruments of their punishment: Pul, Tiglath-pileser, Esar-haddon, and Shalmaneser (2 Kings 15:19; 2 Kings 15:29; 2 Kings 17:3; 2 Kings 17:6; 2 Kings 17:24; Ezra 4:2; Ezra 4:10). "It was their sin to have sought after such lovers, and it was to be their punishment that these lovers should become their destroyers" [FAIRBAIRN].

Daniel 11:2 — 2. three kings in Persia—Cambyses, Pseudo-Smerdis, and Darius Hystaspes. (Ahasuerus, Artaxerxes, and Darius, in Ezra 4:6; Ezra 4:7; Ezra 4:24). The Ahasuerus of Esther (see on Daniel 9:1) is identified with Xerxes, both in Greek history and in Scripture, appearing proud, self-willed, careless of contravening Persian customs, amorous, facile, and changeable (Daniel 9:1-

Numbers 4:28 — 28. their charge shall be under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron, &c.—The Levites were generally subject to the official command of the priests in doing the ordinary work of the tabernacle. But during the journeyings Eleazar, who was next in succession to his father, took the special charge of the Kohathites [Numbers 4:16], while his brother Ithamar had the superintendence of the Gershonites and Merarites [Numbers 4:33].

Zechariah 13:2 — pardon; not indolence, but the extirpation of sin. names of . . . idols—Their very names were not to be mentioned; thus the Jews, instead of Mephibaal, said Mephibosheth (Bosheth meaning a contemptible thing) (Exodus 23:13; Deuteronomy 12:3; Psalms 16:4). out of the land—Judea's two great sins, idolatry and false prophecy, have long since ceased. But these are types of all sin (for example, covetousness, Psalms 16:4- :, a besetting sin of the Jews now). Idolatry, combined with the "spirit" of "Satan,"

Malachi 2:12 — 12. master and . . . scholar—literally, "him that watcheth and him that answereth." So "wakeneth" is used of the teacher or "master" (Isaiah 50:4); masters are watchful in guarding their scholars. The reference is to the priests, who ought to have taught the people piety, but who led them into evil. "Him that answereth" is the scholar who has to answer the questions of his teacher (Isaiah 50:4-

Acts 13:33 — psalm—in many manuscripts "the first Psalm"; what we call the first being regarded by the ancient Jews as only an introduction to the Psalter, which was considered to begin with the second. this day have I begotten thee—As the apostle in Romans 1:4 regards the resurrection of Christ merely as the manifestation of a prior Sonship, which he afterwards (Romans 1:4- :) represents as essential, it is plain that this is his meaning here. (Such declarative meaning of the verb "to be" is familiar to every

Romans 4:3 — as a substitute for complete obedience. But this is at variance with the whole spirit and letter of the apostle's teaching. Throughout this whole argument, faith is set in direct opposition to works, in the matter of justification—and even in Romans 4:4; Romans 4:5. The meaning, therefore, cannot possibly be that the mere act of believing—which is as much a work as any other piece of commanded duty (John 6:29; 1 John 3:23) —was counted to Abraham for all obedience. The meaning plainly is that Abraham believed

1 Corinthians 14:22 — their faith), but mainly to be a condemnation to those, the majority, who, like Israel in Isaiah's day, reject the sign and the accompanying message. Compare "yet . . . will they not hear Me" ( :-). "Sign" is often used for a condemnatory sign (Ezekiel 4:3; Ezekiel 4:4; Matthew 12:39-42). Since they will not understand, they shall not understand. prophesying . . . not for them that believe not, but . . . believe—that is, prophesying has no effect on them that are radically and obstinately like Israel (Isaiah

2 Corinthians 4:15 — 15. For—Confirming his assertion "with you" ( :-), and "life . . . worketh in you" ( :-). all things—whether the afflictions and labors of us ministers ( :-), or your prosperity (2 Corinthians 4:12; 1 Corinthians 3:21; 1 Corinthians 3:22; 1 Corinthians 4:8-13). for your sakes— (1 Corinthians 4:8-46.4.13- :). abundant grace, c.—rather, "That grace (the grace which preserves us in trials and works life in you), being made the greater (multiplied), by

Galatians overview — evidence for Paul's authorship is conclusive. The style is characteristically Pauline. The superscription, and allusions to the apostle of the Gentiles in the first person, throughout the Epistle, establish the same truth (Galatians 1:1; Galatians 1:13-24; Galatians 2:1-14). His authorship is also upheld by the unanimous testimony of the ancient Church: compare IRENÆUS [Against Heresies, 3,7,2] (Galatians 3:19); POLYCARP [Epistle to the Philippians, 3] quotes Galatians 4:26; Galatians 6:7; JUSTIN MARTYR,

Galatians 4:14 — 14. my temptation—The oldest manuscripts read, "your temptation." My infirmity, which was, or might have been, a "temptation," or trial, to you, ye despised not, that is, ye were not tempted by it to despise me and my message. Perhaps, however, it is better

Ephesians overview — INTRODUCTION THE headings (Ephesians 1:1; Ephesians 3:1, show that this Epistle claims to be that of Paul. This claim is confirmed by the testimonies of IRENÆUS, [Against Heresies, 5.2,3; 1.8,5]; CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA, [Miscellanies, 4, P. 65, and The Instructor, 1.8]; ORIGEN, [Against Celsus, 4,211]. It is quoted by VALENTINUS, A.D. 120, namely, Ephesians 3:1- :, as we know from HIPPOLYTUS [The Refutation of All Heresies, p. 193]. POLYCARP [Epistle to the Philippians, 12], testifies

Philippians 3:12 — conformity to His death. either were already perfect—"or am already perfected," that is, crowned with the garland of victory, my course completed, and perfection absolutely reached. The image is that of a race course throughout. See 1 Corinthians 9:24 Hebrews 12:23. See TRENCH [Greek Synonyms of the New Testament]. I follow after—"I press on." apprehend . . . apprehended—"If so be that I may lay hold on that (namely, the prize, Hebrews 12:23- :) for which also I was laid hold on by Christ" (namely,

1 John 5:1 — 1. Reason why our "brother" (1 John 4:21) is entitled to such love, namely, because he is "born (begotten) of God": so that if we want to show our love to God, we must show it to God's visible representative. Whosoever—Greek, "Everyone that." He could not be our "Jesus" (God-Saviour)