Bible Commentaries

1 Kings 13:4 — that he could not pull it in again to him. That he put forth his hand. — To apprehend the prophet, or for a sign to others to do it. "Hear and give ear," saith the prophet, "be not proud, for the Lord hath spoken it." Jeremiah 13:15 But “ Corde stat inflato pauper honore dato. ” Jeroboam - a poor widow’s son, 1 Kings 11:26 or, as the Septuagint hath it, a harlot’s son - being advanced by God to a kingdom, rebelleth, and becometh a ringleader of rebellion

Nehemiah 1:6 — many things. We apprehend not all our wants; and so cannot pray for relief of all. He of his own accord, without any monitor, is wont to aid us. "The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous; and his ears are open to their prayer," Psalms 33:15 . That thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant — If not secundum voluntatem, yet ad utilitatem (Aug. Confess. 1. 5, c. 8), but usually God answereth his servants’ prayers, fitting his mercy ad cardinem desiderii, to a longing heart,

Nehemiah 5:11 — rather, as the civilian saith, Perquam durum est; sed ita lex scripta est, ‘Tis hard to be done, but the law will have it so done; Aut faciendam, aut patiendum (Ulpian.). Either we must do it, or do worse. The law for restitution, see Leviticus 6:1 ; Leviticus 6:4 Numbers 5:6-7 , … The wrong-doer must not only confess, but restore. The transgression was against God, but the trespass against man; and he must be satisfied, if the sin shall be pardoned. Samuel proffered to restore, if it might

Nehemiah 6:10 — the house of God, within the temple, and let us shut the doors of the temple: for they will come to slay thee; yea, in the night will they come to slay thee. Afterward I came unto the house of Shemaiah — Perhaps the same that is mentioned Ezra 8:16 , but now fallen, as a star from heaven. Blazing stars were never but meteors. Demas not only forsook Paul, but became a priest in an idol’s temple at Thessalonica, if Dorotheus may be believed. A priest Shemaiah was, and would seem to be a prophet;

Esther 1:9 — should use, how they should take place, when salute, … The Romans decreed in senate that no women should drink wine. What Vashti’s practice was I know not; but by her name she should be a meribibula, a wine bibber, as was noted, Esther 1:1 . The notables came together often with their own matters. Josephus, and after him Lyra, give her the commendation of a modest woman. ‘Tis probable she had the king’s consent to feast the women, because it was in the royal house; and it

Job 1:12 — proportion the burden to the back, and the stroke to the strength of them that shall bear it. See his gracious dealings with the apostles at their first setting forth into the world; and how by degrees he inured them to bear the cross of Christ, Acts 2:1-13 ; Acts 4:5-22 ; Acts 5:17-42 ; Acts 12:1-19 . So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord — As thinking every hour two till he had sped his commission; the devil descended like lightning upon the earth, to search occasions to ruin Job,

Job 12:2 — No doubt but ye [are] the people, and wisdom shall die with you. No doubt but ye are the people — The select peculiar people, the only ones, as a man is put for a good man, Jeremiah 5:1 , a wife for a good wife, Proverbs 18:22 , a name for a good name, Ecclesiastes 7:1 . As Athens was said to be the Greece of Greece, and as one promising to show his friend all Athens at once, showed him Solon; or as the Latin poet, saying of Fabius

Job 3:18 — in our darkness do lightsomely sing psalms and praises to God for his great goodness, but especially for this, that I am so near the apprehension of eternal bliss. God forgive me mine unthankfulness and unworthiness of so great glory (Acts and Mon. 1669, 1670). What pitiful hard usage God’s poor prisoners met with in the late troubles, at Oxford especially (from which death God graciously delivered me when I was in their hands) and in the western parts, see Mr Bonas’ Sermon called Job

Job 31:19 — quod Papalis, … This Pope Alexander then was a rare bird at Rome. Or any poor without covering — Whether he craved it of me or not, if I did but see it, the poor creature was sure of it. The liberal man helps the poor and needy, Psalms 41:1 . Praeoccupat vocem petituri, so Augustine expounds that text in Psalms 103:1-22 He stays not till he is asked a good turn, but ministereth to the uses, not only to the necessities, of the saints, as the apostle’s word is in the original, Romans

Job 39:19 — tremit artus; Collectumque premens volvit sub naribus ignem (Virg. Georg.). In this creature therefore we have a clear instance of the wonderful power and wisdom of God. If the horse be so strong and warlike, what is the Almighty, that man of war? Exodus 15:3 , and victor in battle, as the Chaldee there calleth him? This is one way whereby we may conceive of God, sc. per viam eminentiae, for if there be such and such excellence in the creature, what is there in the Creator, since all that is in us is

Job 5:23 — field shall be at peace with thee. For thou shall be in league with the stones of the field — Thou shall not dash thy foot against them (the Latins call a stone lapidem a laedendo pede, from hurting the foot that hitteth against them, Psalms 91:1-2 .) They were wont of old to go barefoot (as Vatablus here noteth). And our chronicler telleth us of King Henry II, that, for a penance, going to Canterbury to the shrine of Thomas Becket, his bare feet with the hard stones were forced to yield bloody

Psalms 30:5 — — Though it lasts all a man’s life; for what is that to eternity? Puncture est quod vivimus et puncto minus. But it soon repenteth the Lord concerning his servants; whom, out of love displeased, he correcteth for a short braid, Isaiah 54:7-8 1 Corinthians 14:17 Isaiah 26:20 Hebrews 10:37 . Tantillum, tantillum, adhuc pussillum. Bear up, therefore, faint not, fret not. If our sorrows be long, they are light; if sharper, the shorter. The sharp north east wind never lasteth three days; nothing

Psalms 34:1 — Semper in ecclesia hic psalmus piis fuit commendatissimus (Moller). When he changed his behaviour — Heb. Gustum, hoc est gestum. This he did (being put to his shifts), but not without sin, for he was splendide mendax (as Horace, lib. iii. Od. 11, saith of Hypermnestra), at the best; neither can this dissimulation or officious lie of his be excused; as some have by distinctions endeavoured it, but in vain. Before Abimelech — Or, Achish, king of Gath, 1 Samuel 21:10 , for he was binominis,

Zechariah 1:14 — Entonces el ángel que habló conmigo me dijo: Clama, diciendo: Así ha dicho Jehová de los ejércitos; Estoy celoso de Jerusalén y de Sion con gran celo. Ver. 14. Entonces el ángel que comulgó conmigo ] Ver nota sobre Zacarías 1:10 . Clama tú, diciendo ] qd Consolaos, consolad a mi pueblo, dice vuestro Dios, hablad con tranquilidad a Jerusalén, hablad a su corazón y clamad a ella, diciendo que su tiempo señalado

Matthew 5:44 — aunque nunca sea tan contrario a nuestra naturaleza inmunda y práctica anterior. "El espíritu que hay en nosotros codicia la envidia, pero la Escritura enseña mejores cosas", Santiago 4:5,6 . ¿Y qué son esos? Para no ir más allá del presente texto: 1. "Ama a tus enemigos", por dentro, sé afectado con ternura hacia ellos como deseando de todo corazón su bien en todos los sentidos; alegrarse de su bienestar y apenarse cuando sucede lo contrario. Así, David era un hombre afligido cuando sus enemigos

Matthew 5:6 — bienaventurados deben tener hambre y sed, es decir, fervientemente, y afligir el deseo, como hizo Raquel por los hijos, ella debe prevalecer o perecer; como lo hizo David tras el agua del pozo de Belén, poniendo en peligro la vida de sus tres más valientes, 1 Crónicas 11:18 ; como el ciervo perseguido (o, como lo lee la Septuaginta, η ελαφος, ciervo) brayeth tras los arroyos de agua. Los filósofos observan del ciervo o cierva, que siendo una bestia sedienta por naturaleza, cuando es perseguida por perros,

Romans 12:12 — hath sure hopes of heaven, will not matter a shower of stones; he that is to take possession of a kingdom will not stand upon a foul day. Hope unfailable is grounded upon faith unfeigned, which is seldom without its joy unspeakable and full of glory, 1 Peter 1:8 . Patient in tribulation — Bearing up under pressures, as among many other martyrs Nicholas Burton, who by the way to the stake, and in the flame, was so patient and cheerful, that the tormentors said, the devil had his soul before he

2 Corinthians 5:1 — descants. Our earthly house of this tabernacle — Our clay cottage. Man is but terra friabilis, a piece of earth neatly made up. The first man is of the earth earthy; and his earthly house is ever mouldering over him, ready to fall upon his head,1 Corinthians 15:47; 1 Corinthians 15:47 . Hence it is called "the life of his hands," because hardly held up with the labour of his hands, Isaiah 57:10 . Paul, a tentmaker, elegantly compares man’s body to a tent. Plato also in his dialogue

1 Thessalonians 2:5 — specious pretences, but will pull off the vizard, wash off the covetous man’s varnish with rivers of brimstone. Religion, as it is the best armour, so it is the worst cloak: and will serve self-seekers, as the disguise Ahab put on and perished,1 Kings 22:30; 1 Kings 22:30 . The covetousness of the court of Rome was anciently muttered forth in that saying, Curia Romana non petit ovem siue lana; and again, In parabola ovis, capras suas quaerunt. This the poor people were ever sensible of; but

2 Samuel 12:13 — undone, but I have done amiss. A short word, but passionate. The greatest griefs are not always the most verbal. Saul confessed his sin more largely, but less effectually; because his confession of sin was not joined with confusion of sin, as Proverbs 28:13 . "I have sinned," said he; "yet honour me before the people": and he sped accordingly, Serm. of Rep., p. 54. as shall be showed. And Nathan said unto David, The Lord also hath put away thy sin. — Dominus transtulit, The Lord