Bible Commentaries

Genesis 33:11 — omnia, saith Augustine. Esau’s "enough," in the original, is not the same with Jacob’s. øáìé ëìÎìé There are two manner of enoughs. Godliness only hath contentedness. 1 Timothy 6:6

Genesis 41:55 — And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread: and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians, Go unto Joseph; what he saith to you, do. Cried to Pharaoh. — Though they knew he had deputed Joseph: so 1 Kings 6:27 . Iσοθεοι ημεν ; We should be as gods, if we had not businesses, cares, and fears, above any of our subjects, ει μη και πραγματα,

Exodus 9:4 — And the LORD shall sever between the cattle of Israel and the cattle of Egypt: and there shall nothing die of all [that is] the children’s of Israel. And there shall nothing die. — It is fair weather oft with the saints when it is foulest with the wicked. God hideth his in the hollow of his hand, Psalms 91:1-16 till the indignation be overpast. Isaiah 26:20 He gives the like charge of them as David did of Absalom. 2 Samuel 18:5

Leviticus 18:4 — Ye shall do my judgments, and keep mine ordinances, to walk therein: I [am] the LORD your God. To walk therein. — Not to halt therein, nor to take a turn or two, or for a while, as Samson went with his parents till he met with a honeycomb; but indesinenter ambulabo, as David saith, Psalms 116:9 "Walk, and not be weary; run, and not faint," as those in Isaiah 40:31 . "So run, that ye may obtain," saith the apostle. 1 Corinthians 9:24

Numbers 25:17 — Vex the Midianites, and smite them: Vex the Midianites. — As more malicious and mischievous than the Moabites; as appears, (1.) By their detaining of Balaam, when the Moabites dismissed him in great displeasure; (2.) By the wickedness of their women, who by Cozbi may seem to have been meretrices meretricissimae, such as afterwards was Julia, Messalina, and that Romish Lucretia,

Numbers 25:9 — And those that died in the plague were twenty and four thousand. Twenty and four thousand. — Twenty and three thousand, saith St Paul, 1 Corinthians 10:8 insisting only in the special punishment of the people, who were provoked to sin by that other thousand, their princes, Numbers 25:4 and all to show, quam frigida et ieiuna sit eorum defensio, …, saith Junius, Jun., Parallel.

Numbers 4:20 — But they shall not go in to see when the holy things are covered, lest they die. But they shall not go in to see. — The men of Bethshemesh paid for their peeping. 1 Samuel 6:9 Search not into God’s secrets: hic oportet mirari, non rimari Deuteronomy 29:29 Remember that saying of Xenocrates the philosopher: Nihil interesse, pedesne quisquam, an oculos in aliena domo ponat, Plutarch, De Curiosit. It is as great unmannerliness to pry into another man’s house as to press into it.

Deuteronomy 17:8 — If there arise a matter too hard for thee in judgment, between blood and blood, between plea and plea, and between stroke and stroke, [being] matters of controversy within thy gates: then shalt thou arise, and get thee up into the place which the LORD thy God shall choose; According to all that they inform thee, — viz., Agreeable to the sentence of the law. Deuteronomy 17:11 The Jews from this text foolishly seek footing for their traditions, which they so much magnify. Matthew 15:1-2

Deuteronomy 8:10 — When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the LORD thy God for the good land which he hath given thee. Then thou shalt bless. — “ Rarm fumaut foelicibus arm. ” Solomon’s wealth did him more harm than ever his wisdom did him good. But that should not have been. Solomon’s altar was four times as large as Moses’s, Exodus 27:1 to teach us, that as our peace and prosperity is more than others, so should our service in a due proportion.

Joshua 13:22 — Balaam also the son of Beor, the soothsayer, did the children of Israel slay with the sword among them that were slain by them. Balaam also the son of Beor. — The spellman of Satan: though by his words he might seem a friend to Israel, yet was he worthily cut off by them for his wicked counsel. So shall all such perish as "turn aside, like Balaam, unto their crooked ways: but peace shall be upon Israel." Psalms 125:5 See Judges 1:11 .

Judges 18:1 — In those days [there was] no king in Israel: and in those days the tribe of the Danites sought them an inheritance to dwell in; for unto that day [all their] inheritance had not fallen unto them among the tribes of Israel. There was no king. — See Judges 17:6 . All their inheritance had not fallen unto them. — Because the Amorites were too hard for them, and detained it. See Judges 1:34 , with Joshua 19:47 , where this expedition is briefly set down, by anticipation.

Judges 19:23 — wickedly; seeing that this man is come into mine house, do not this folly. Nay, my brethren. — Brethren they were by race and place: but these were unworthy of this compellation, as having put off the man, and become dogs, and worse, Deuteronomy 23:18 2 Timothy 3:8 scalded εξεκαυθησαν . in their own grease. Romans 1:27

Judges 6:20 — And the angel of God said unto him, Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes, and lay [them] upon this rock, and pour out the broth. And he did so. And lay them upon this rock. — Christ is called the Rock, 1 Corinthians 10:4 and that is a good rule given by the apostle in Colossians 3:17 , - "Whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him."

Judges 8:14 — And caught a young man of the men of Succoth, and enquired of him: and he described unto him the princes of Succoth, and the elders thereof, [even] threescore and seventeen men. And he described unto him the princes. — Who had denied him refreshing in his pursuit of the enemy, and were therefore to be punished; though it is seldom seen that princes fall alone, since their sins do much harm, (I.) By imitation; (2.) By imputation: for pleotuntur Achivi, as 2 Samuel 24:1-25

1 John 2:8 — Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth. A new commandment — See Trapp on " John 13:34 " "A new commandment" it is called, saith a late learned interpreter, 1. Because it was renewed by the Lord after it had been as it were antiquated, and almost extinguished. 2. Because it was commanded to such men as were new or renewed. 3. Because it was an excellent commandment.

Revelation 6:3 — And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see. Come and see — John’s better attention is called for. How dull and drowsy are the best in perceiving and receiving heavenly mysteries! A sea coal fire, if not stirred up, will die of itself, so will our spark and spunk of light. Christ calls upon those that had come far to hear him, saying, "Let him that hath an ear hear," Matthew 13:9 ; cf. Zechariah 4:1 .

Ruth 1:5 — woman was left of her two sons and her husband. — Catenata piorum crux. Crosses seldom come single. This excellent woman was left desolate and disconsolate, only she "comforted herself in the Lord her God," as David in like distress did. 1 Samuel 30:6

1 Samuel 17:12 — Now David [was] the son of that Ephrathite of Bethlehemjudah, whose name [was] Jesse; and he had eight sons: and the man went among men [for] an old man in the days of Saul. And he had eight sons. — See on 1 Samuel 16:10 . And the man went among men for an old man. — Not fit to bear arms as his sons were. But what meant the Chaldee Paraphrast here to say that Jesse was numbered bebichirova, among the choice, or young men?

1 Samuel 17:17 — And Jesse said unto David his son, Take now for thy brethren an ephah of this parched [corn], and these ten loaves, and run to the camp to thy brethren; And run to the camp. — This some think David did often, interpreting that going and returning from Saul, 1 Samuel 17:15 of his going to and fro from his father’s house to the camp. Though anointed king, yet he disdaineth not this low employment; wherein he was a type of Christ. Philippians 2:7

1 Samuel 2:6 — The LORD killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up. The Lord killeth, and maketh alive. — He layeth men for dead, and then reviveth them, as 2 Corinthians 1:9-10 . That great apostle was "in death often"; and those ancient confessors cry out, "For thy sake are we killed all the day long." Romans 8:36 The Hebrews say that Peninnah’s children died all but two, and that those were