Bible Commentaries

2 Kings 25:27 — kindly feeling is said to have originated in a familiar acquaintance formed in prison, in which Evil-merodach had lain till his father's death, on account of some malversation while acting as regent during Nebuchadnezzar's seven years' illness (Daniel 4:32; Daniel 4:33). But doubtless the improvement in Zedekiah's condition is to be traced to the overruling providence and grace of Him who still cherished purposes of love to the house of David (2 Samuel 7:14; 2 Samuel 7:15).

Isaiah 1:4 — 4. people—the peculiar designation of God's elect nation ( :-), that they should be "laden with iniquity" is therefore the more monstrous. Sin is a load (Psalms 38:4; Matthew 11:28). seed—another appellation of God's elect (Genesis 12:7; Jeremiah 2:21),

Isaiah 33:17 — 17. Thine—the saints'. king in . . . beauty—not as now, Hezekiah in sackcloth, oppressed by the enemy, but King Messiah (Isaiah 32:1) "in His beauty" (Song of Solomon 5:10; Song of Solomon 5:16; Revelation 4:3). land . . . very far off—rather, "the land in its remotest extent" (no longer pent up as Hezekiah was with the siege); see Margin. For Jerusalem is made the scene of the king's glory (Revelation 4:3- :, c.), and it could not be said to be "very

Isaiah 52:8 — (compare :-). The Hebrew is more forcible than English Version, "The voice of thy watchmen" (exclamatory as in Song of Solomon 2:8). "They lift up their voice! together they sing." eye to eye—that is, close at hand, and so clearly [GESENIUS]; Numbers 14:14, "face to face"; Numbers 12:8, "mouth to mouth." Compare 1 Corinthians 13:12; Revelation 22:4, of which Simeon's sight of the Saviour was a prefiguration (Revelation 22:4- :). The watchmen, spiritually, are ministers and others who pray for the peace

Isaiah 65:17 — 17. As Caleb inherited the same land which his feet trod on (Deuteronomy 1:36; Joshua 14:9), so Messiah and His saints shall inherit the renovated earth which once they trod while defiled by the enemy (Isaiah 34:4; Isaiah 51:16; Isaiah 66:22; Ezekiel 21:27; Psalms 2:8; Psalms 37:11; 2 Peter 3:13; Hebrews 12:26-28 Hebrews 12:26-58.12.28-

Jeremiah 7:12 — 12. my place . . . in Shiloh—God caused His tabernacle to be set up in Shiloh in Joshua's days (Joshua 18:1; Judges 18:31). In Eli's time God gave the ark, which had been at Shiloh, into the hands of the Philistines (Jeremiah 26:6; 1 Samuel 4:10; 1 Samuel 4:11; Psalms 78:56-61). Shiloh was situated between Beth-el and Shechem in Ephraim. at the first—implying that Shiloh exceeded the Jewish temple in antiquity. But God's favor is not tied down to localities (Psalms 78:56-19.78.61- :).

Lamentations 4:15 — 15. They . . . them—"They," that is, "men" (Lamentations 4:14). Even the very Gentiles, regarded as unclean by the Jews, who were ordered most religiously to avoid all defilements, cried unto the latter, "depart," as being unclean: so universal was the defilement of the city by blood. wandered—As the false prophets

Ezekiel 16:49 — 49. pride—inherited by Moab, her offspring (Isaiah 16:6; Jeremiah 48:26), and by Ammon (Jeremiah 49:4). God, the heart-searcher, here specifies as Sodom's sin, not merely her notorious lusts, but the secret spring of them, "pride" flowing from "fullness

Daniel 1:4 — 4. no blemish—A handsome form was connected, in Oriental ideas, with mental power. "Children" means youths of twelve or fourteen years old. teach . . . tongue of . . . Chaldeans—their language and literature, the Aramaic-Babylonian. That the heathen

Hosea 3:3 — thee, not taking any other consort. As Israel should long remain without serving other gods, yet separate from Jehovah; so Jehovah on His part, in this long period of estrangement, would form no marriage covenant with any other people (compare Hosea 3:4). He would not immediately receive her to marriage privileges, but would test her repentance and discipline her by the long probation; still the marriage covenant would hold good, she was to be kept separated for but a time, not divorced (Hosea 3:4-

Micah 1:8 — translates. Otherwise "naked" would be a tautology. naked—"Naked" means divested of the upper garment ( :-). "Naked and barefoot," the sign of mourning ( :-). The prophet's upper garment was usually rough and coarse-haired (2 Kings 1:8; Zechariah 13:4). like the dragons—so JEROME. Rather, "the wild dogs," jackals or wolves, which wail like an infant when in distress or alone [MAURER]. (See on Zechariah 13:4- :). owls—rather, "ostriches," which give a shrill and long-drawn, sigh-like cry, especially

Malachi 3:17 — 17. jewels— ( :-). Literally, "My peculiar treasure" (Exodus 19:5; Deuteronomy 7:6; Deuteronomy 14:2; Deuteronomy 26:18; Psalms 135:4; Titus 2:14; 1 Peter 2:9; compare Ecclesiastes 2:8). CALVIN translates more in accordance with Hebrew idiom, "They shall be My peculiar treasure in the day in which I will do it" (that is, fulfil My promise of gathering

Luke 3:2 — 2. Annas and Caiaphas . . . high priests—the former, though deposed, retained much of his influence, and, probably, as sagan or deputy, exercised much of the power of the high priesthood along with Caiaphas (John 18:13; Acts 4:6). Both Zadok and Abiathar acted as high priests in David's time (Acts 4:6- :), and it seems to have become the fixed practice to have two (2 Kings 25:18). (Also see on 2 Kings 25:18- :.) word of God came unto John—Such formulas, of course, are never

John 17:12 — Representative on earth. none of them is lost, but the son of perdition—It is not implied here that the son of perdition was one of those whom the Father had given to the Son, but rather the contrary (John 13:18) [WEBSTER and WILKINSON]. It is just as in Luke 4:26; Luke 4:27, where we are not to suppose that the woman of Sarepta (in Sidon) was one of the widows of Israel, nor Naaman the Syrian one of the lepers in Israel, though the language—the same as here—might seem to express it. son of perdition—doomed to

Acts 19:1 — 1-3. while Apollos was at Corinth—where his ministry was so powerful that a formidable party in the Church of that city gloried in his type of preaching in preference to Paul's (1 Corinthians 1:12; 1 Corinthians 3:4), no doubt from the marked infusion of Greek philosophic culture which distinguished it, and which the apostle studiously avoided (1 Corinthians 3:4- :). Paul having passed through the upper coasts—"parts," the interior of Asia Minor, which, with

Acts 19:3 — 1-3. while Apollos was at Corinth—where his ministry was so powerful that a formidable party in the Church of that city gloried in his type of preaching in preference to Paul's (1 Corinthians 1:12; 1 Corinthians 3:4), no doubt from the marked infusion of Greek philosophic culture which distinguished it, and which the apostle studiously avoided (1 Corinthians 3:4- :). Paul having passed through the upper coasts—"parts," the interior of Asia Minor, which, with

Acts 28:8 — has been observed here.) to whom Paul entered in, and prayed—thereby precluding the supposition that any charm resided in himself. and laid his hands on him, and healed him—Thus, as our Lord rewarded Peter for the use of his boat (Luke 5:3; Luke 5:4, &c.), so Paul richly repays Publius for his hospitality. Observe the fulfilment here of two things predicted in Luke 5:4- : —the "taking up serpents," and "recovering of the sick by laying hands on them."

1 Corinthians 15:19 — of salvation, even of the soul (not merely of the body), hangs on the resurrection of Christ, without which His death would be of no avail to us (Ephesians 1:19; Ephesians 1:20; 1 Peter 1:3). The heathen are "without hope" (Ephesians 2:12; 1 Thessalonians 4:13). We should be even worse, for we should be also without present enjoyment (1 Thessalonians 4:13- :).

2 Corinthians 4:1 — mercy—from God, in having had this ministry conferred on us (2 Corinthians 3:8- :). The sense of "mercy" received from God, makes men active for God (2 Corinthians 3:8- :). we faint not—in boldness of speech and action, and patience in suffering (2 Corinthians 4:2; 2 Corinthians 4:8-16, &c.).

Philippians 1:5 — first day (of your becoming partakers in it) until now." Believers have the fellowship of the Son of God (Philippians 1:3- :) and of the Father (1 John 1:3) in the Gospel, by becoming partakers of "the fellowship of the Holy Ghost" (2 Corinthians 13:14), and exercise that fellowship by acts of communion, not only the communion of the Lord's Supper, but holy liberality to brethren and ministers (Philippians 4:10; Philippians 4:15, "communicated . . . concerning giving"; 2 Corinthians 9:13; Galatians