Bible Commentaries

Genesis 48:8 — And Israel beheld Joseph’s sons, and said, Who [are] these? Who are these? — Here Jacob, seeing Joseph’s two sons, and now first understanding who they were, breaks off his speech to Joseph, till the two last verses of the chapter, and starts blessing his sons; teaching us to be "ready to every good word and work," Titus 3:1 laying hold of every hint that God puts into our hands, accounting it a mercy that we may have opportunity.

Exodus 26:4 — And thou shalt make loops of blue upon the edge of the one curtain from the selvedge in the coupling; and likewise shalt thou make in the uttermost edge of [another] curtain, in the coupling of the second. Upon the edge of the one curtain. — The coupling of these two great curtains together, to make one tabernacle, might signify that the saints both in heaven and earth do make but one Church. Ephesians 1:10 ; Ephesians 3:15

Exodus 28:1 — And take thou unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office, [even] Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s sons. Take thou unto thee. — Christ also was "taken from among men," Hebrews 5:1 to mediate and negotiate man’s cause with God: and this honour he assumed not to himself, but it was given him from above. Hebrews 5:5

Exodus 4:11 — And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man’s mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD? Who hath made man’s mouth? — There is no mouth into which God cannot put fit words. Balaam’s ass was enabled by God to convince his master. Whereas by a man, never so full and fluent, he cannot bring forth his conceptions, without the obstetrication of God’s assistance. Proverbs 16:1

Leviticus 10:7 — And ye shall not go out from the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: for the anointing oil of the LORD [is] upon you. And they did according to the word of Moses. For the anointing oil of the Lord is upon you. — This is every true Christian’s case, who should therefore carry himself accordingly. There is a το πρεπον , a seemly carriage, belongs to every calling. "You have an unction," … 1 John 2:20

Numbers 1:4 — And with you there shall be a man of every tribe; every one head of the house of his fathers. A man of every tribe. — These were men of renown. Numbers 1:16 To "do worthily in Ephrata," is the way to be "famous in Bethlehem." Ruth 4:11 It is said of a great statesman, in Queen Elizabeth’s days, that he was in the number of those few that both lived and died with glory. Camden’s Elisab.

Numbers 16:22 — And they fell upon their faces, and said, O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and wilt thou be wroth with all the congregation? The God of the spirits. — The Former and Father of spirits, Zechariah 12:1 Hebrews 12:9 "that giveth to all ζωην και πνοην , life and breath," Acts 17:25 in whose hand is the soul of all living, and the spirit of all flesh. Job 12:10

Numbers 33:41 — And they departed from mount Hor, and pitched in Zalmonah. Pitched in Zalmonah. — Of Zelem; signifying an image; so called because there the people, stung by fiery serpents, not by little dragons sprung out of their own bodies, as Fontunius Licetus De Spontan. Vivent. Ortu., lib. iii. cap. 51. will have it, looked up to the brazen serpent, by God’s command, and were healed. Numbers 21:5 ; Numbers 21:9 John 3:16 1 Corinthians 10:9

Deuteronomy 12:20 — When the LORD thy God shall enlarge thy border, as he hath promised thee, and thou shalt say, I will eat flesh, because thy soul longeth to eat flesh; thou mayest eat flesh, whatsoever thy soul lusteth after. Thou mayest eat flesh. — Only it is noted as a fault to "feed without fear." Judges 1:12 And flesh mongers are taxed by Solomon. Nos etiam animas incarnavimus, saith an ancient, complaining of the arrogance of his times.

Deuteronomy 28:5 — Blessed [shall be] thy basket and thy store. Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store. — Or, Thy dough trough. The Greek hath it, Thy barns and thy remainders. The meaning is, Thou shalt know no want. Cicero Ad Attic. saith, One friend should wish to another three things only, to enjoy health, to possess honour, and not suffer necessity. He that observeth God’s commands to do them, as Deuteronomy 28:1 , shall have all these and more.

Deuteronomy 3:26 — But the LORD was wroth with me for your sakes, and would not hear me: and the LORD said unto me, Let it suffice thee; speak no more unto me of this matter. Speak no more. — Christians must be sober in prayer. 1 Peter 4:7 Socrates, a heathen, could say, We should pray for no more but this, that good things may be given us of God, who best knoweth what is best for us to receive.

Deuteronomy 4:30 — When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, [even] in the latter days, if thou turn to the LORD thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice; Even in the latter days. — This is by some understood of the Messiah’s days, which are the latter times of the world; Hosea 3:5 1 Corinthians 10:11 and they believe that here is pointed at the great and last conversion of the Jews.

Ephesians 1:14 — Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory. Which is the earnest — Not the pawn, but the earnest, Quia pignus redditur, arrha retinetur, saith Jerome. A pawn is to be returned again, but an earnest is part of the whole sum, and assures it. We here have eternal life, 1. In pretio; In reward, 2. In promisso; In promise, 3. In primitiis, In the firstfruits.

1 Thessalonians 2:11 — As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children, As a father — Before, as a mother, 1 Thessalonians 2:7 , a nurse not mercenary, but natural, with greatest tenderness and indulgence. Here he tempers his mother-like meekness with the gravity and authority of a father. Ministers must turn themselves, as it were, into all shapes and fashions, both of speech and spirit, to win people to God.

1 Thessalonians 4:10 — And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more; Towards all the brethren — This universality of their love showed the sincerity of it, and that it was for the truth’s sake, 2 John 1:2 . One or more good men may be favoured of those that love no good man, as Jeremiah was of Nebuzaradan, because he foretold the victory.

1 Timothy 2:10 — (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works. But which becometh — Our common conversation should be as becometh the gospel of Christ, πολιτευεσθε , Philippians 1:27 . And it is a sure sign of a base mind, to think that one can make himself great with anything that is less than himself; or that he can win more credit by his garments than by his graces. The worst apparel, saith one, is nature’s garment;

Hebrews 11:2 — unto; and are here eternalized in this notable chapter, this little book of martyrs, as one fitly calleth it. Faith honoureth God, and gives him a testimonial, John 3:33 , such as is that Deuteronomy 32:4 . God therefore honoureth faith, according to 1 Samuel 2:30 , and gives it his testimonial, as here in this truly named golden legend.

Hebrews 12:7 — If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? God dealeth with you, … — Corrections are pledges of our adoption and badges of our sonship. One Son God hath without sin, but none without sorrow. As God corrects none but his own, so all that are his shall be sure to have it; and they shall take it for a favour too, 1 Corinthians 11:32 .

1 Peter 5:4 — And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away. Ye shall receive a crown — A crown imports perpetuity, plenty, dignity, the height of human ambition. Quarta perennis erit It will be the fourth part of eternity, was Sir Thomas Bodly’s posy. Manet ultima caelo It remains by the greatest heaven, was Henry III’s of France, who was first crowned king of Poland. See Trapp on " James 1:12 "

2 Peter 1:2 — Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, Through the knowledge — There is not a new notion, or a further enlargement of saving knowledge, but it brings some grace and peace with it. All the grace that a man hath, it passeth through the understanding; and the difference of stature in Christianity grows from different degrees of knowledge. "Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ," John 1:17 .