Bible Commentaries

Genesis 43:25 — And they made ready the present against Joseph came at noon: for they heard that they should eat bread there. And they made ready the present. — For, "a man’s gift makes room for him, and bringeth him before great men." Proverbs 18:16 So it doth also before God, who looks for "a present," Psalms 72:10 and loves to hear from us. "Praise waiteth for thee, O God, in Sion, and unto thee shall the vow be performed." Psalms 65:1

Exodus 10:2 — And that thou mayest tell in the ears of thy son, and of thy son’s son, what things I have wrought in Egypt, and my signs which I have done among them; that ye may know how that I [am] the LORD. And that thou mayest tell. — The memory of God’s magnalia, his great works, must be transmitted to posterity - “ Ut nati natorum et qui nascentur ab illis, ” that later ages may hear and fear this great God. See 1 Samuel 4:8 .

Exodus 10:5 — And they shall cover the face of the earth, that one cannot be able to see the earth: and they shall eat the residue of that which is escaped, which remaineth unto you from the hail, and shall eat every tree which groweth for you out of the field: And they shall cover. — For "they go forth by heaps," Proverbs 30:27 and huge multitudes. Judges 6:5 And shall eat every tree. — See Joel 1:7 , Plin., lib. xi. cap. 29.

Exodus 11:6 — And there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there was none like it, nor shall be like it any more. A great cry. — Because in every house there shall be a dead corpse, and so a Conclamatum est. They had made Israel cry: and God usually retaliates spoil to spoil, Ezekiel 39:10 number to number, Isaiah 65:11-12 choice to choice, Isaiah 66:3-4 cry to cry, James 5:1 ; James 5:4 …

Exodus 24:10 — And they saw the God of Israel: and [there was] under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in [his] clearness. And they saw the God of Israel. — A glimpse of his glory. See Trapp on " 1 Timothy 6:16 " As it were a paved work of sapphire stone. — To show that God had now changed their condition, their bricks, made in their bondage, to sapphire. Compare Isaiah 54:11 .

Exodus 25:12 — And thou shalt cast four rings of gold for it, and put [them] in the four corners thereof; and two rings [shall be] in the one side of it, and two rings in the other side of it. Ver. 12, 13. And thou shalt cast four rings, … — These staff rings were to continue upon the ark; the Kohathites’ shoulders felt wherefore. But "God helped them to bear the ark"; 1 Chronicles 15:26 and so he doth still his gospel ministers.

Exodus 31:6 — And I, behold, I have given with him Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan: and in the hearts of all that are wise hearted I have put wisdom, that they may make all that I have commanded thee; I have given with him. — Two is better than one; four eyes see more than two: God usually therefore coupleth his agents. See Trapp on " Matthew 10:2 " See Trapp on " Matthew 10:3 " See Trapp on " Luke 10:1 "

Exodus 4:27 — And the LORD said to Aaron, Go into the wilderness to meet Moses. And he went, and met him in the mount of God, and kissed him. And the Lord said unto Aaron. — To this religious family rather than to any other, God appeareth: which mercy is remembered, 1 Samuel 2:27 . Met him in the mount of God. — His wife either had left him, or was sent back by him to her father. God supplies that comfort by the coming of Aaron.

Leviticus 11:3 — Whatsoever parteth the hoof, and is clovenfooted, [and] cheweth the cud, among the beasts, that shall ye eat. Whatsoever parteth the hoof, and cheweth the cud. — To teach them to think upon God’s commandments to do them, Psalms 103:18 cleansing themselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit. 2 Corinthians 7:1 Moreover clean Christians, typed by those clean beasts, must rightly part the hoof; that is, rightly divide their time; giving a due share thereof to either of their

Leviticus 20:25 — Ye shall therefore put difference between clean beasts and unclean, and between unclean fowls and clean: and ye shall not make your souls abominable by beast, or by fowl, or by any manner of living thing that creepeth on the ground, which I have separated from you as unclean. Between clean beasts. — How much more then shall you abstain from those unlawful copulations, whereby men put off all manhood, degenerate into dogs? Romans 1:27 Deuteronomy 23:18 2 Samuel 3:8

Leviticus 7:26 — Moreover ye shall eat no manner of blood, [whether it be] of fowl or of beast, in any of your dwellings. Ye shall eat no manner of blood. — This signified, (1.) That we should learn to honour holy things, and not to make a mock of them by employing them to common use; (2.) That we should be most careful not to shed man’s blood for the satisfying of our lust. See Leviticus 17:11-12 Genesis 9:4-5 Deuteronomy 12:13 .

Numbers 16:40 — [To be] a memorial unto the children of Israel, that no stranger, which [is] not of the seed of Aaron, come near to offer incense before the LORD; that he be not as Korah, and as his company: as the LORD said to him by the hand of Moses. To be a memorial. — God cannot abide to be forgotten; and they are worthily made examples that will not take them; as that second captain in 2 Kings 1:11-12

Numbers 28:11 — And in the beginnings of your months ye shall offer a burnt offering unto the LORD; two young bullocks, and one ram, seven lambs of the first year without spot; And in the beginning of your months. — Thus they had their daily, weekly, monthly, yearly addresses unto God, that they might ever be in communion with him, and conformity unto him, by this continual intercourse. On the new moons they rested, Amos 8:5 feasted, 1 Samuel 20:5 heard the word, …

Deuteronomy 28:9 — The LORD shall establish thee an holy people unto himself, as he hath sworn unto thee, if thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, and walk in his ways. The Lord shall establish thee a holy people unto himself. — This is more and better than all the former: he shall "bless thee with all spiritual blessings, in heavenly things, in Christ Jesus." Ephesians 1:3 He is rich, not that hath the world, but that can contemn it.

Deuteronomy 32:18 — Of the Rock [that] begat thee thou art unmindful, and hast forgotten God that formed thee. And hast forgotten God that formed thee. — Or, That brought thee forth. Here God is compared to a mother, as in the former clause to a father. So James 1:18 , "Of his own will begat he us," - απεκυησε , He brought us forth, and did the office of a mother to us; which doth notably set forth his love and the work of his grace.

Joshua 14:15 — And the name of Hebron before [was] Kirjatharba; [which Arba was] a great man among the Anakims. And the land had rest from war. Was a great man. — Both for his person and power; but there is a double greatness: (1.) Belluine; (2.) Genuine. In that, a beast may and doth exceed us. In this, we exceed ourselves and others. And the land had rest from war. — It had at last, bello confecto. See Joshua 10:23 , from whence hitherto, is a digression.

Joshua 7:23 — And they took them out of the midst of the tent, and brought them unto Joshua, and unto all the children of Israel, and laid them out before the LORD. And they took them out of the midst of the tent. — Sin not therefore in hope of secrecy: or if you have, take up the matter in God’s privy chamber of mercy by true repentance, that so his open judicial proceeding in court may be stopped. See 1 Corinthians 11:31 .

Judges 3:24 — When he was gone out, his servants came; and when they saw that, behold, the doors of the parlour [were] locked, they said, Surely he covereth his feet in his summer chamber. Surely he covereth his feet. — Or, He doth his easement, as Saul did in the cave. 1 Samuel 24:3 The Scripture thus cleanly expressing foul things, teacheth us to beware of barbarology, and not to use broad language as the Cynics did, Atque sic committere in bonos mores.

Judges 6:2 — And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel: [and] because of the Midianites the children of Israel made them the dens which [are] in the mountains, and caves, and strong holds. Made them the dens which are in the mountains. — These served for shelters, places of refuge and strength, until the last desolation of the Jews. See 1 Samuel 13:6 . And caves, and strongholds. — They sought not to God till needs must; till these coverings were too short. Judges 6:6

Ruth 1:18 — When she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, then she left speaking unto her. When she saw that she was steadfastly minded. — Heb., Strengthened herself, to wit, by her oath; and so gave sufficient testimony of the grace of God in her, that she was "steadfast and unmovable." 1 Corinthians 15:58 Then she left speaking unto her. — She rested in Ruth’s resolution, being well assured of her honest mind, which now to suspect were breach of charity.