Bible Commentaries

Numbers 16:7 — shall be [that] the man whom the LORD doth choose, he [shall be] holy: [ye take] too much upon you, ye sons of Levi. Ye take too much upon you. — He retorts that upon them, that they had falsely charged upon him and Aaron. So doth Elias upon Ahab. 1 Kings 18:17-18 So do we worthily upon Popery, the charge of novelty. When a Papist tauntingly demanded of a Protestant, Where was your religion before Luther? he was answered, In the Bible, where yours never was. Scaliger truly and trimly told the Jesuits,

Numbers 31:5 — were delivered out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand of [every] tribe, twelve thousand armed for war. Twelve thousand. — This was no great army, but they were Deo armati, with whom "there is no restraint to save by many or by few." 1 Samuel 14:6 How wondrously did God work by that handful of Hussites in Bohemia, when all Germany was up in arms against them by the Pope’s instigation! And may it not be said of that small remnant, that now fighteth the Lord’s battles in

Deuteronomy 10:1 — in our nature had broken the law, and could not be saved by the keeping of it. This Christ, our true Moses, repairs again, writing the law, not in tables of stone, but in the heart of believers, and enabling them in some good measure to keep it, John 1:17 walking, as Luther phraseth it, in the heaven of the promise, but in the earth of the law; that in respect of believing, this of obeying.

Deuteronomy 32:1 — ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth. Give ear, O ye heavens, — q.d. , Such is this people’s stupidity and obstinacy, that I may as soon gain audience of these inanimate creatures as of them. See Isaiah 1:2 Joshua 24:27 Jeremiah 22:29 . We may cry till we are hoarse; speak till we spit forth our lungs, and to no more purpose than Bede did, when he preached to a heap of stones. Holy Melancthon, being himself newly converted, thought it impossible for

Deuteronomy 33:14 — fifty pounds or more a-piece; though the life of man had no need of a statue, but could not subsist without grain. May not we more justly tax men for undervaluing the bread of life, and "spending money for that which is not bread?" Isaiah 4:1

Joshua 22:19 — rebel not against the LORD, nor rebel against us, in building you an altar beside the altar of the LORD our God. Be unclean. — In your opinion at least; for to the pure all things are pure: and God may be enjoyed in one place as well as another. 1 Timothy 2:3 And take possession among us. — Though we have room little enough, yet better bear an inconvenience than a mischief: better we be distressed than God dishonoured, and the public hazarded to God’s hot and heavy displeasure.

Judges 21:13 — αειμνηστος , long-lasting; memor ira, as Virgil hath it. They hated all barbarians for the Persians’ sake, and forbade them their sacrifices, as they used to do murderers. It is a grievous sin to be implacable, irreconcilable. Romans 1:31 2 Timothy 3:3 Men should piece again, and not be as broken glass, that cannot be made whole any more.

Judges 8:2 — And he said unto them, What have I done now in comparison of you? [Is] not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer? What have I done now in comparison of you? — By a soft answer he pacifieth their wrath. Proverbs 17:1 ; Proverbs 25:15 Milk quencheth wildfire: oil, saith Luther, quenches lime, which water kindles. Hard to hard, will never do well: but you may break a flint upon a cushion; a bullet if it light upon a wool sack, dieth there. "Dearly beloved,

Ruth 1:3 — head was cut off, her root uncovered. Mulier vel hoc solo nomine misera est quod vidua est; To be a widow is misery enough of itself, and haleth at the heels of it many miseries. "I am indeed a widow woman, and my husband is dead." 2 Samuel 14:5 But Naomi as a "widow indeed," though desolate and a relict, as here, "yet trusted in God, and continued in prayers and supplications day and night." 1 Timothy 5:5 Her motto was that of a certain French lady, Sola facta solum

1 Samuel 10:25 — LORD. And Samuel sent all the people away, every man to his house. Then Samuel told the people the manner of the kingdom. — Not what it usually is, - degenerating into tyranny, as if it were not enough to be above men, but to be above mankind, 1 Samuel 8:9-10 - but what it ought to be, according to Deuteronomy 17:14-16 Ezekiel 45:9-10 ; Ezekiel 46:6 . And wrote it in a book. — Hic liber periit cum multis aliis. - Vat. That it might be as their Magna Charta, made to keep the beam right

1 Samuel 15:3 — Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass. Now go and smite Amalek. — This God had twice threatened; Exodus 17:14 Deuteronomy 25:17 Ut ostenderet quam ex animo et omnino id vellet fieri. A. Lapide. The greater was Saul’s offence, in executing it so slackly. And utterly destroy all that they have. — Oh the severity of God! Oh the venomous nature

1 Samuel 20:13 — in peace: and the LORD be with thee, as he hath been with my father. And the Lord be with thee, as he hath been with my father. — Much joy mayest thou have of the kingdom after him; and the will of the Lord be done, whatever becometh of me. See 1 Samuel 23:17 . Pellican therefore was mistaken in thinking that Jonathan’s affection was somewhat abated toward David while he thought of the succession of the kingdom; and that therefore he was so hard of belief that his father intended mischief

1 Samuel 22:11 — himself will needs be both his accuser and his judge; and let him make never so good an apology, he must die for it; that is resolved on. And all his father’s house. — The remnant of Eli’s house, so long since doomed to destruction. 1 Samuel 2:31 If God’s word sleep, it shall not die; but, after long intermissions, breaks forth into those effects which we had forgotten to look for and ceased to fear.

1 Samuel 3:9 — place. That thou shalt say, Speak, Lord; for thy servant heareth. — Eli, though his conscience told him that Samuel would shortly bespeak him, as afterwards Ahijah the prophet did Jeroboam’s wife, "I am sent to thee with heavy tidings," 1 Kings 14:6 yet he instructeth him when God called again, what answer he should make: and saith in effect, as that holy Dutch doctor did, Veniat, veniat verbum Dei et submittemus ei, sexcenta si nobis essent colla. Let the word of God be what it will,

1 Samuel 4:10 — depositis hastis domum ad beatos rastros, benedictum aratrum, sanctamque stivam recurrerunt, as one Bucholc. saith of the Dutch boors. And there was a very great slaughter. — Notwithstanding the presence of the ark, and far greater than before. 1 Samuel 4:2 Men fare the worse for their external privileges, if they rest in them. "Of the Jew first," … Romans 2:9 Thirty thousand footmen. — That is, Men able to march afoot; for horsemen they had none.

2 Samuel 11:5 — womb, my husband will slay me, … Whereupon that father inferreth, Videte et admiramini fratres, See here and admire, my brethren, what a mischief there is in sweet sins, what a happiness in freedom from foul offences. Chrysost., in Psalms 50:1-23 . Hoc curabat ne lapidaretur, saith Vatablus here. Now all her care was, lest she should be stoned to death, according to the law of God.

2 Samuel 15:14 — — And so prevent, what in us lieth, the misery of a civil war, and the sacking of the city. And bring evil upon us. — Impellatque super nos malum, push evil upon us by a sudden surprise. This he spake, not for want of courage, witness Psalms 3:1-8 or of good company about him, but out of prudence, and willingness to serve God’s providence.

2 Samuel 15:20 — and down with us? — David had need enough of him; but yet would not do anything that had but a show of unwarrantableness in it. Mercy and truth be with thee. — Mercy, the fruit of God’s faithfulness, covenant kindness. See Psalms 25:10 . So Paul prayeth for Onesiphorus. 2 Timothy 1:18 And such prayers could not be ineffectual; for God will gratify his afflicted; Zechariah 13:9 they may have even what they will of him.

2 Samuel 2:2 — with him in his prosperity as they had done in his misery. The Lord Christ likewise will shortly remove his spouse, the Church, from the land of her banishment, from the ashes of her forlorn Ziklag, to the Hebron of her peace and glory. 2 Timothy 2:12 Luke 22:28-29 He hath taken order for it already, John 17:24 is gone a little afore to make ready, John 14:2-3 and counteth not himself complete till he hath us all with him. Ephesians 1:23

2 Samuel 5:2 — and the LORD said to thee, Thou shalt feed my people Israel, and thou shalt be a captain over Israel. That leddest out and broughtest in. — Educebas et reducebas. And the Lord said to thee, — viz., When thou wast first anointed by Samuel, 1 Samuel 16:13 then was this word added to that sign; though for brevity’s sake it is not there mentioned. So when Christ was baptized, there came a voice from heaven. Matthew 3:16-17 And so still he sanctifieth and cleanseth his Church "with