Bible Commentaries

Daniel 1:18 — Now at the end of the days that the king had said he should bring them in, then the prince of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. Now at the end of the days, — i.e., After three years’ time of studying. See on Daniel 1:5 . Account is to be exacted of time and profiting. Pliny Plin. Epist. said to his nephew, when he saw him walk out some hours without studying, Poteras has horas non perdere, You might have spent these hours better. Ignatius, when he heard a clock

Daniel 2:32 — thighs of brass, The image’s head was of fine gold. — This is the first, and till now, altogether unheard of prophecy concerning the four monarchies of the world. Res plane digna quae memoriae tota commendetur, saith one; Sleid. Deuteronomy 4:1-49 Monarch. a scripture worthy to be well remembered, because it briefly comprehendeth the history of all ages to the world’s end. His breast and his arms of silver. — The elder they are the baser; so is Rome papal, of which one of her sons,

Daniel 7:14 — dominion. — Christ hath a manifold right to the kingdom; it is his by inheritance, conquest, donation, … This is comfortable to consider, forasmuch as he will not reign without his members, who all hold all in capite; and have all already, (1.) In precio; in prayer (2.) In promisso; in promise (3.) In primitiis. in starting. That all people, nations, and languages, … — Christ’s kingdom is first universal, secondly perpetual; so was none of the former, though the Roman

Zephaniah 2:13 — [and] dry like a wilderness. And he will stretch out his hand against the north — i.e. Against Assyria (which lay north from Judea), as is presently added by way of exposition. The Scripture sometimes hath its own interpretation annexed, as John 2:19 ; John 2:21 ; John 7:39 . Howsoever, the Rabbis have this saying among them, Nulla est obiectio in lege quae non habet solutionem in latere; i.e. there is not any doubt in the law but may be resolved by the context. And destroy Assyria — Cast

Haggai 2:18 — benediction answereth to the time of your conversion; so that you no sooner begin to build, but I begin to bless. It is said of the men of Issachar, that they were in great account with David because they "had understanding of the times," 1 Chronicles 12:32 . It is certainly a point of spiritual prudence to consider the times, and to compare things past with present and future. Time is the wisest of all things, said Thales; the best counsellor, said Plutarch. Truth is the daughter of time,

Zechariah 10:12 — them in the LORD; and they shall walk up and down in his name, saith the LORD. And I will strengthen them in the Lord — That is, in Christ, the head of the Churches; "for by his own strength shall no man prevail," saith holy Hannah, 1 Samuel 2:9 , and "without me ye can do nothing," saith Christ, the true vine, John 15:5 , from whom we have both the bud of good desires, the blossom of good resolutions, and the fruit of good actions. Only we must fetch our strength by faith

Matthew 14:20 — and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full. And were filled — So David’s cup overflowed, Psalms 23:5 ; he had not only a sufficience but an affluence. So, at the marriage of Cana, Christ gave them wine enough for 150 guests, John 2:10 . Howbeit he hath not promised us superfluities. Having food and raiment, let us be content, 1 Timothy 6:8 . A little of the creature will serve to carry us through our pilgrimage. And they took up of the fragments — Thrift

Matthew 14:31 — robberies done by pirates of either nation break not the league between princes; as lesser failings dissolve not the marriage knot. Christ knew us well before he took us, yet took us for better for worse. 2. He "hates putting away," Malachi 2:16 , and herein, as he is above law, so his mercy is matchless, Jeremiah 3:1 . Joshua the high priest, though he was ill-clothed, yet he stood before the angel, Zechariah 3:3 . Much will be so borne with, where the fault is of passion merely, or of incogitance

Matthew 21:9 — instigation of the priests and Pharisees, cry, Crucify: dealing by Christ as Xerxes did by his steersman, whom he crowned in the morning, and then took off his head in the afternoon of the same day: or as the fickle Israelites dealt by David, 2 Samuel 20:1-2 , where we shall find the same hands that all the while fought for David to be all theirs, do now fight against him under the son of Bichri, to be none of theirs.

Matthew 22:42 — to be ignorant of Christ’s descent and pedigree. They say unto him, The Son of David — Herein they said well, but not all; for they conceived no otherwise of Christ than as of a mere man. Our Saviour therefore takes a text out of Psalms 110:1 , and thereby convinceth them of his divinity. We must be well versed in the mystery of Christ, and neglect nothing needful to be known by us.

Matthew 25:28 — ten talents. Take therefore the talent from him — God will take his own, and be gone from an unworthy people or person, Hosea 2:9 . The idol shepherd’s "arm shall be clean dried up, and his right eye utterly darkened," Zechariah 11:17 . It is no hard matter to observe a wane and decay of God’s gifts in them that use them not; till at last, Zedekiah like, they may say, "When did the Spirit depart from me?" 1 Kings 22:24 . And as many of Ishbosheth’s friends

Luke 1:44 — in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. Leaped in my womb — More like a suckling at the breast (as the word signifieth) than an embryo in the womb ( βρεφος , puer recens natus the boy newly formed, 1 Peter 2:2 ). The Spirit then worketh, even in unborn babes that are elect, some kind of saving knowledge of Christ, answerable to faith in those that are grown up. The babe’s motion here was not natural, but spiritual (saith one). Therefore John

John 11:41 — 4:6 . And therefore in the law, whatever request they had to God, they must be sure to come with their peace offerings, in token of thankfulness: that they might sing with the Psalmist, "Praise waiteth for thee, O God, in Sion," Psalms 65:1 . It is said of Tiberius the emperor, that he never denied his favourite Sejanus anything, and oftentimes anticipated his request, so that he needed only to ask and give thanks. (Tacitus.) All God’s people are his favourites, and may have anything

John 16:21 — come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world. A woman when she is in travail — The sorrow of a saint is often compared to that of a travailing woman, Isaiah 26:17 ; Jeremiah 6:24 , … 1. In bitterness and sharpness; which made Medea say, that she had rather a thousand times be slain in battle than once bring forth a child: Millies in belle perire mallem, quam semel parere. 2. In utility; it tends to a

John 21:6 — knew not what another draught might produce. It is good to be doing in God’s way: sooner or later success will ensue. Bind not the Lord to a day; wake not my beloved till he please; he will pay us for all our pains and patience. Consider but our, 1. distance, 2. dependence, and we will wait.

John 3:10 — Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? Art thou a master, … — The Pharisees and philosophers, for their learning, are called "princes of this world," 1 Corinthians 2:8 . And yet, had they known, they would never have crucified the Lord of glory. Indocti rapiunt coelum, … The poor are gospelized, ευαγγελιζονται

John 5:28 — hereof is to be believed, not discussed; admired, not pried into, … Mirari decet non rimari. His voice — Put forth by the ministry of mighty angels, and called by the apostle κελευσμα , 1 Thessalonians 4:16 ; a metaphor from watermen, who call upon one another, and strike oars together, as it were with one consent.

John 7:13 — Jews. For fear of the Jews — Who had made an order (it seems) somewhat like that of the Jesuits’ edict at Dola in the country of Burgundy, that for prevention of heresy, no man should speak of God, either in good sort or bad. This the Jews did, 1. To save themselves a labour of confuting our Saviour’s doctrine. 2. To persuade the people that it was such horrible blasphemy as was not fit to be named. So the Papists debar the people all sound of the religion, in prohibiting the books of

Acts 13:1 — And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem, when they had fulfilled their ministry, and took with them John, whose surname was Mark. 1 Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. Now there were, … —

Acts 9:11 — the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth, The street called Straight — God’s people are so dear to him, that their walls are ever before him,Isaiah 49:16; Isaiah 49:16 ; he loveth the streets the better they dwell in, the air the better they breathe in, Psalms 87:5-6 . For behold he prayeth — He never prayed till now, though a strict Pharisee. So Daniel 9:13 . The captives in Babylon prayed not