Bible Commentaries

Genesis 50:26 — 26. and they embalmed him—[See on Genesis 50:5]. His funeral would be conducted in the highest style of Egyptian magnificence and his mummied corpse carefully preserved till the Exodus.

2 Kings 6:5 — 5. it was borrowed—literally, "begged." The scholar's distress arose from the consideration that it had been presented to him; and that, owing to his poverty, he could not procure another.

Job 19:9 — 9. stripped . . . crown—image from a deposed king, deprived of his robes and crown; appropriate to Job, once an emir with all but royal dignity (Lamentations 5:16; Psalms 89:39).

Psalms 12:5 — 5. The writer intimates his confidence by depicting God's actions (compare Psalms 9:19; Psalms 10:12) as coming to save the poor at whom the wicked sneer (Psalms 10:12- :).

Psalms 28:4 — 4. The imprecation is justified in Psalms 28:5. The force of the passage is greatly enhanced by the accumulation of terms describing their sin. endeavours—points out their deliberate sinfulness.

Jeremiah 30:21 — 21. their nobles—rather, "their Glorious One," or "Leader" (compare Acts 3:15; Hebrews 2:10), answering to "their Governor" in the parallel clause. of themselves—of their own nation, a Jew, not a foreigner; applicable to Zerubbabel, or J. Hyrcanus (hereditary high priest and governor), only as types of Christ (Genesis 49:10;

Ezekiel 16:8 — 8. thy time of love—literally, "loves" (compare :-). Thou wast of marriageable age, but none was willing to marry thee, naked as thou wast. I then regarded thee with a look of grace when the full time of thy deliverance was come (Genesis 15:13; Genesis 15:14; Acts 7:6; Acts 7:7). It is not she that makes the advance to God, but God to her; she has nothing to entitle her to such notice, yet He regards her not with mere benevolence, but with love, such as one cherishes to the person of his

Ezekiel 18:6 — lifted . . . eyes to—namely, in adoration (Psalms 121:1). The superstitious are compared to harlots; their eyes go eagerly after spiritual lusts. The righteous man not merely refrains from the act, but from the glance of spiritual lust (Job 31:1; Matthew 5:28). idols of . . . Israel—not merely those of the Gentiles, but even those of Israel. The fashions of his countrymen could not lead him astray. defiled . . . neighbour's wife—Not only does he shrink from spiritual, but also from carnal, adultery

Daniel 11:34 — the world times (Gentile rule) is the period of depression of the theocracy, extending from the exile to the millennium [ROOS]. The more immediate reference seems to be, the forces of Mattathias and his five sons were originally few (1 Maccabees 2:1-5). many shall cleave to them—as was the case under Judas Maccabeus, who was thus able successfully to resist Antiochus. with flatteries—Those who had deserted the Jewish cause in persecution, now, when success attended the Jewish arms, joined the

Daniel 4:27 — mean; Repent and show the reality of thy repentance by works of justice and charity (compare Luke 11:41); so God will remit thy punishment. The trouble will be longer before it comes, or shorter when it does come. Compare the cases of Hezekiah, Isaiah 38:1-5; Nineveh, Jonah 3:5-10; Jeremiah 18:7; Jeremiah 18:8. The change is not in God, but in the sinner who repents. As the king who had provoked God's judgments by sin, so he might avert it by a return to righteousness (compare Psalms 41:1; Psalms 41:2;

Daniel 8:3 — during his short reign of two years, being a weak king ( :-), the government was almost entirely in Cyrus' hands. Hence HERODOTUS does not mention Darius; but XENOPHON does under the name of Cyaxares II. The "ram" here corresponds to the "bear" (Daniel 7:5), symbolizing clumsy firmness. The king of Persia wore a jewelled ram's head of gold instead of a diadem, such as are seen on the pillars at Persepolis. Also the Hebrew for "ram" springs from the same root as "Elam," or Persia [NEWTON]. The "one horn

Numbers 25:5 — 5. judges of Israel—the seventy elders, who were commanded not only to superintend the execution within their respective jurisdictions, but to inflict the punishment with their own hands. (See on :-).

Zephaniah 2:3 — "work judgment," not merely to be zealous about outward ordinances. seek meekness—not perversely murmuring against God's dealings, but patiently submitting to them, and composedly waiting for deliverance. it may be ye shall be hid— (Isaiah 26:20; Amos 5:6). This phrase does not imply doubt of the deliverance of the godly, but expresses the difficulty of it, as well that the ungodly may see the certainty of their doom, as also that the faithful may value the more the grace of God in their case (Amos

2 Corinthians 12:6 — 11:17). think of me—Greek, "form his estimate respecting me." heareth of me—Greek, "heareth aught from me." Whatever haply he heareth from me in person. If on account of healing a cripple (Acts 14:12; Acts 14:13), and shaking off a viper (Acts 28:5), the people thought him a god, what would they have not done, if he had disclosed those revelations? [ESTIUS]. I wish each of you to estimate me by "what he sees" my present acts and "hears" my teaching to be; not by my boasting of past revelations.

2 Corinthians 2:3 — ( :-), as, if I were to come then, it would have to be "in heaviness" (causing sorrow both to him and them, owing to their impenitent state). He refers to the first Epistle (compare :-; compare 1 Corinthians 4:19; 1 Corinthians 4:21; 1 Corinthians 5:2-7; 1 Corinthians 5:13). sorrow from them of whom I ought to rejoice—that is, sorrow from their impenitence, when he ought, on the contrary, to have joy from their penitent obedience. The latter happy effect was produced by his first Epistle, whereas

2 Corinthians 5:11 — 11. terror of the Lord—the coming judgment, so full of terrors to unbelievers [ESTIUS]. ELLICOTT and ALFORD, after GROTIUS and BENGEL, translate, "The fear of the Lord" (2 Corinthians 7:1; Ecclesiastes 12:13; Acts 9:31; Romans 3:18; Ephesians 5:21). persuade—Ministers should use the terrors of the Lord to persuade men, not to rouse their enmity (Judges 1:23). BENGEL, ESTIUS, and ALFORD explain: "Persuade men" (by our whole lives, Judges 1:23- :), namely, of our integrity as ministers. But

2 Corinthians 5:14 — 14. For—Accounting for his being "beside himself" with enthusiasm: the love of Christ towards us (in His death for us, the highest proof of it, :-), producing in turn love in us to Him, and not mere "terror" (2 Corinthians 5:11). constraineth us—with irresistible power limits us to the one great object to the exclusion of other considerations. The Greek implies to compress forcibly the energies into one channel. Love is jealous of any rival object engrossing the soul

2 Corinthians 6:5 — 5. stripes— (2 Corinthians 11:23; 2 Corinthians 11:24; Acts 16:23). imprisonments— (Acts 16:23- :). He had been, doubtless, elsewhere imprisoned besides at Philippi when he wrote this Epistle. tumults— (Acts 13:50; Acts 14:5; Acts 14:19; Acts 16:22;

Colossians 1:5 — 5. For—to be joined with the words immediately preceding: "The love which ye have to all the saints because of (literally, 'on account of') the hope," c. The hope of eternal life will never be in us an inactive principle but will always produce "love."

1 Timothy 5:8 — natural duties, but strengthens them" [BENGEL]. worse than an infidel—because even an infidel (or unbeliever) is taught by nature to provide for his own relatives, and generally recognizes the duty; the Christian who does not so, is worse (Matthew 5:46; Matthew 5:47). He has less excuse with his greater light than the infidel who may break the laws of nature.