Bible Commentaries

Isaiah 6:1 — 1. In . . . year . . . Uzziah died—Either literal death, or civil when he ceased as a leper to exercise his functions as king [Chaldee], (2 Chronicles 26:19-21). 754 B.C. [CALMET] 758 (Common Chronology). This is not the first beginning of Isaiah's prophecies, but his inauguration to a higher degree of the prophetic office: Isaiah 6:9, c., implies the tone of one who had already experience of the people's obstinacy.

Ezekiel 40:5 — 5. Measures were mostly taken from the human body. The greater cubit, the length from the elbow to the end of the middle finger, a little more than two feet: exceeding the ordinary cubit (from the elbow to the wrist) by an hand-breadth, that is, twenty-one

Amos 7:9 — 9. high places—dedicated to idols. of Isaac—They boasted of their following the example of their forefather Isaac, in erecting high places at Beer-sheba (Amos 5:5; compare Genesis 26:23; Genesis 26:24; Genesis 46:1); but he and Abraham erected them before the temple was appointed at Jerusalem—and to God; whereas they did so, after the temple had been fixed as the only place for sacrifices—and to idols. In the

Micah 5:5 — 5. this man—in Hebrew simply "This." The One just mentioned; He and He alone. Emphatical for Messiah (compare :-). the peace—the fountainhead of peace between God and man, between Israel and Israel's justly offended God (Genesis 49:10; Isaiah 9:6;

Zephaniah 3:5 — 5-7. The Jews regard not God's justice manifested in the midst of them, nor His judgments on the guilty nations around. The just Lord—Why then are ye so unjust? is in the midst thereof—He retorts on them their own boast, "Is not the Lord among us" (Micah

Haggai 2:23 — merits of Zerubbabel, but to God's gratuitous choice. Christ is the "signet" on God's hand: always in the Father's presence, ever pleasing in his sight. The signet of an Eastern monarch was the sign of delegated authority; so Christ (Matthew 28:18; John 5:22; John 5:23).

Zechariah 2:7 — dwelling is "Zion," inseparably connected with the temple, art altogether out of thy place in "dwelling with the daughter of Babylon" (that is, Babylon and her people, Psalms 137:8; Isaiah 1:8). After the glory—After restoring the "glory" (Zechariah 2:5; Isaiah 4:5; Romans 9:4) of Jehovah's presence to Jerusalem, He (God the Father) hath commissioned ME (God the Son, Isaiah 48:16, the Divine Angel: God thus being at once the Sender and the Sent) to visit in wrath "the nations which spoiled you." Messiah's

Zechariah 3:4 — 4. those that stood before him—the ministering angels (compare the phrase in 1 Kings 10:8; Daniel 1:5). Take away the filthy garments—In Zechariah 3:9 it is "remove the iniquity of that land"; therefore Joshua represents the land. from him—literally, "from upon him"; pressing upon him as an overwhelming burden. change of raiment—festal robes of

Malachi 3:5 — 5. I . . . come near . . . to judgment—I whom ye challenged, saying, "Where is the God of judgment?" ( :-). I whom ye think far off, and to be slow in judgment, am "near," and will come as a "swift witness"; not only a judge, but also an eye-witness against

John 3:3 — approaching it, his spiritual vision required to be rectified by an entire revolution on his inner man. Had the man been less sincere, this would certainly have repelled him but with persons in his mixed state of mind—to which Jesus was no stranger (John 2:25) —such methods speed better than more honeyed words and gradual approaches. a man—not a Jew merely; the necessity is a universal one. be born again—or, as it were, begin life anew in relation to God; his manner of thinking, feeling, and acting,

Romans 16:16 — 16. Salute one another with an holy kiss—So 1 Corinthians 16:20; 1 Thessalonians 5:26; 1 Peter 5:14. The custom prevailed among the Jews, and doubtless came from the East, where it still obtains. Its adoption into the Christian churches, as the symbol of a higher fellowship than it had ever expressed before, was probably as immediate

1 Corinthians 1:11 — said not a syllable about the enormities and disorders that had crept in among them. That information reached Paul by other quarters. Hence his language about those evils is, "It hath been declared unto me," c. "It is reported commonly" (1 Corinthians 5:1; 1 Corinthians 5:2). All this he says before he refers to their letter, which shows that the latter did not give him any intimation of those evils. An undesigned proof of genuineness [PALEY, Horæ Paulinæ]. Observe his prudence: He names the family,

1 Corinthians 11:19 — the congregation through differences of opinion" [AUGUSTINE, Con. Crescon. Don. 2.7, quoted by TRENCH, Greek Synonyms of the New Testament], but also "heresies," that is, "schisms which have now become inveterate"; "Sects" [CAMPBELL, vol. 2, pp. 126, 127]: so Acts 5:17; Acts 15:5 translate the same Greek. At present there were dissensions at the love-feasts; but Paul, remembering Jesus' words (Matthew 18:7; Matthew 24:10; Matthew 24:12; Luke 17:1) foresees "there must be (come) also" matured separations, and established parties

2 Corinthians 11:6 — finish of diction. 1 Corinthians 2:1-4; 1 Corinthians 2:13; 2 Corinthians 10:10; 2 Corinthians 10:11, shows his words were not without weight, though his "speech" was deficient in oratorical artifice. "Yet I am not so in my knowledge" (2 Corinthians 12:1-5; Ephesians 3:1-5). have been . . . made manifest—Read with the oldest manuscripts, "We have made things (Gospel truths) manifest," thus showing our "knowledge." English Version would mean, I leave it to yourselves to decide whether I be rude in speech

Galatians 5:13 — c.—Translate, "Only turn not your liberty into an occasion for the flesh." Do not give the flesh the handle or pretext ( :-, "occasion") for its indulgence which it eagerly seeks for do not let it make Christian "liberty" its pretext for indulgence (Galatians 5:16; Galatians 5:17; 1 Peter 2:16; 2 Peter 2:19; Judges 1:4). but by love serve one another—Greek, "Be servants (be in bondage) to one another." If ye must be servants, then be servants to one another in love. While free as to legalism, be bound by

Ephesians 1:14 — 8:21-23; 2 Peter 3:13). of the purchased possession—God's people purchased ("acquired," Greek) as His peculiar (Greek) possession by the blood of Christ (Acts 20:28). We value highly that which we pay a high price for; so God, His Church (Ephesians 5:25; Ephesians 5:26; 1 Peter 1:18; 1 Peter 2:9; "my special treasure," 1 Peter 2:9- :, Margin).

Ephesians 5:19 — persecution] and to recite a hymn among themselves by turns, to Christ, as if being God." The Spirit gives true eloquence; wine, a spurious eloquence. psalms—generally accompanied by an instrument. hymns—in direct praise to God (compare Acts 16:25; 1 Corinthians 14:26; James 5:13). songs—the general term for lyric pieces; "spiritual" is added to mark their being here restricted to sacred subjects, though not merely to direct praises of God, but also containing exhortations, prophecies, c. Contrast

1 Thessalonians 3:11 — 2:17, the verb is singular, implying that the subject, the Father and Son, are but one in essential Being, not in mere unity of will. Almost all the chapters in both Epistles to the Thessalonians are sealed, each with its own prayer (1 Thessalonians 5:23; 2 Thessalonians 1:11; 2 Thessalonians 2:16; 2 Thessalonians 3:5; 2 Thessalonians 3:16) [BENGEL]. Paul does not think the prosperous issue of a journey an unfit subject for prayer (Romans 1:10; Romans 15:32) [EDMUNDS]. His prayer, though the answer

1 Timothy 3:7 — 7. a good report—Greek, "testimony." So Paul was influenced by the good report given of Timothy to choose him as his companion ( :-). of them which are without—from the as yet unconverted Gentiles around (1 Corinthians 5:12; Colossians 4:5; 1 Thessalonians 4:12), that they may be the more readily won to the Gospel (1 Thessalonians 4:12- :), and that the name of Christ may be glorified. Not even the former life of a bishop should be open to reproach [BENGEL]. reproach

1 Timothy 4:6 — 6. If thou put . . . in remembrance—rather as Greek, "If thou suggest to (bring under the notice of) the brethren," c. these things—namely, the truths stated in 1 Timothy 4:4 1 Timothy 4:5, in opposition to the errors foretold, 1 Timothy 4:1-3. minister—"servant." nourished up—The Greek is present, not past: "continually being nourished in" (2 Timothy 1:5; 2 Timothy 3:14; 2 Timothy 3:15). the words of faith—rather, "the words of the