Bible Commentaries

Genesis 13:14 — northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: After that Lot was separated from him. — Till Lot was departed, and the strife ceased, God appeared not. He is the God of peace, and hates contention; which as it indisposeth us to holy duties, 1 Peter 3:7 so it keepeth God from us by his comforts and influences. They say of bees, that stir and strife among them is a sign their queen is about to remove, to leave the hive, and to be gone somewhere else. God refuseth to be served till the matter

Genesis 22:5 — and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you. Abide ye here with the ass. — This, the Hebrews use for a proverb, against such as are dull and uncapable. Zophar saith, that "man is born as a wild ass’s colt". Job 11:12 As an "ass’s foal" for rudeness, and "a wild ass’s" for unruliness. It imports that he is untamed and untractable, till a new heart be put into him. Agur had not the understanding of a man, till he spake to Ithiel

Genesis 28:18 — at Bethel, was afterwards backward enough; and stood in need that God should pull him by the ear, once and again, with a "Go up to Bethel," and punish him for his delays, in the rape of his daughter, cruelty of his sons, … Genesis 35:1

Genesis 29:20 — were, in continual wishes to be at home, to be with Christ, which is "far, far the better," ( πολλω μαλλον , κρεισσον , Philippians 1:23 ). Oh, let the eternal weight of the crown weigh down with us the light and momentary weight of the cross.

Genesis 29:23 — younger son, for the elder. God pays us often in our own coin, Plerumque Deus servat legem talionis . and measures to us again the self-same measure that we have meted to others. Matthew 7:2 Herod mocked the wise men, and is mocked of them. Matthew 2:16 And how oft do we see those that would beguile others, punished with illusion? God usually retaliates, and proportions jealousy to jealousy, provocation to provocation, Deuteronomy 32:21 number to number, Isaiah 65:11-12 choice to choice, Isaiah 66:3-4

Genesis 7:11 — everything was in its prime and pride; birds chirping, trees sprouting, …, nothing less looked for than a flood; then God "shot at them with an arrow suddenly," Psalms 64:7 as saith the psalmist. So shall "sudden destruction" 1 Thessalonians 5:3 come upon the wicked at the last day, when they least look for it. So the sun shone fair upon Sodom the same day wherein, ere night, it was fearfully consumed. What can be more lovely to look on, than the grain field a day before harvest,

Genesis 9:17 — allusion. He well knows how slow of heart we are, and how dull of hearing; and therefore whets and beats things of high concernment upon us, that we may once apprehend andm embrace them. Christ is said to have "a rainbow on his head," Revelation 10:1 to show that he is faithful and constant in his promises, and that tempests shall blow over. Let us see God’s love in his corrections, as by a rainbow we see the beautiful image of the sun’s light, in the midst of a dark and waterish

2 Corinthians 12:11 — have been commended of you: for in nothing am I behind the very chiefest apostles, though I be nothing. For in nothing am I behind — And yet there were a sort of silly souls (that thought themselves jolly fellows) in the days of Zuinglius, A. D. 1519, that talked thus at Zurich: Quis tandem Paulus? nonne homo est? Apostolus est, sed suburbanus tantum, non Exodus 12:1-51 viris, non cum Christo est conversatus, articulum fidei non composuit. What was Paul? but a man. An apostle he was, but of an

2 Corinthians 8:8 — the naturalness, legitimateness opposed to bastardliness. This age aboundeth with mouth mercy, which is good cheap, and therefore like refuse fruit is found growing in every hedge. But a little handful were worth a great many such mouthfuls, Isaiah 58:13 . Complaint is made that there is not any one that taketh Sion by the hand. St James tells of some in his time that would feed their poor brethren with good words and good wishes, James 2:15-16 , as if they had been of the chameleon kind, to live with

Colossians 1:24 — for their trial and exercise. Of the afflictions of Christ — That is (say some) of the Church; the afflictions whereof are said to be the afflictions of Christ, by reason of the sympathy between the head and the members, Acts 9:4 ; 2 Corinthians 1:5 ; Hebrews 11:26 . For his body’s sake — For the confirmation of men’s minds in the truth of the gospel.

2 Thessalonians 3:13 — εντραπη . Ut quaerat ubi se possit prae pudore occultare. (Cameron.) That he may turn into himself, or turn short again upon himself; recognize his disorders, and return to a better course. The repenting prodigal is said to come to himself,Luke 15:17; Luke 15:17 , and those relenting Israelites to bethink themselves, or to bring back to their hearts, 1 Kings 8:47 . The Greek here signifies that he may hide his head for shame; Sed illum ego periisse dico, cui periit pudor. (Curtius.) He is past

Titus 3:5 — mercy — God is no merchant; his kingdom is not partum, but paratum He that said, Coelum gratis non accipiam, I will not have heaven on free cost, went without it. (Vega.) He saved us by the washing of regeneration — So baptism saveth us, 1 Peter 3:21 . It sacramentally saveth, by sealing up salvation to the believer: hence it is called the laver of regeneration. It is a noble question in divinity (saith Mr. Burgess, Vindic. Legis.), seeing regeneration is attributed both to the word and

Hebrews 4:1 — Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. Let us fear — With a fear not of diffidence, but of diligence. See Trapp on " Philippians 2:12 " See Trapp on " 1 Corinthians 10:12 " Lest a promise — Some render it thus, Lest we should seem to fall short of the promise that is left us, … But where is that promise left us, may some say? It is closely couched in the

James 1:12 — Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. Blessed is the man — Provided that God teach him, as well as chastise him, Psalms 94:12 , instruct him as well as correct him. See my Love Tokens, par. 2. He shall receive the crown — A man can be content to have his head broken with a bag of gold, so he may have it, when it is done. Eternal life is called "a crown:" 1.

1 Peter 3:6 — own, and accept of it. There was no good word in all the whole sentence, but this, that she called her husband lord. God is pleased to single out this, and set it as a precious diamond in a gold ring to Sarah’s eternal commendation. So, Hebrews 11:31 , mention is made of Rahab’s entertaining the spies, and not of the lie she told: God lays the finger of mercy on the scars of our sins, as that limner A painter, esp. a portrait painter. ŒD in the story. And are not afraid, …

2 Peter 2:3 — And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not. With feigned words — Covetousness is never without a cloak and flattering words 1 Thessalonians 2:5 for a colour; as, what wool is so coarse, but will take some or other colour? Seducers pretend the glory of God and good of souls to their worldly and wicked practices,Philippians 3:18-19; Philippians 3:18-19 . And hereunto they want

Revelation 10:1 — was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire: Come down from heaven — Not from the bottomless pit, as Antichrist, that opposite to Christ’s unction and function. Christ cometh down from heaven, 1. By the assumption of our nature. 2. By the preaching of his word. 3. By punishing his enemies. 4. By relieving and delivering his people; and in this last sense chiefly it is here to be understood. Clothed with a cloud — Not yet so clearly to

Revelation 16:12 — of spiritual Babylon and the coming in of the Jews, as the Turkish empire. That the way of the kings — Christians, say some, who are kings in righteousness, and come from the East, or from Christ, "That dayspring from on high," Luke 1:78 . Others understand this text of the Jews, who are most of them in the East, dispersed through Turkey, Tartary (the ten tribes especially), and China. Tartars of Tothar, a remnant or residue. Junius saith, that which is called the "land of Sinim,"

Revelation 4:5 — lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. Lightnings and thunderings — Is not destruction to the wicked? and a strange punishment to persecutors? Job 31:3 . Who ever hardened himself against God’s Church and prospered? Job 9:4 . Have these workers of iniquity no knowledge, who eat up God’s people as they eat bread? Psalms 14:4 . Surely, if they had but so much wit for themselves as Pilate’s

Revelation 9:7 — head tires, shaven crowns; which last is a ceremony so bald, that some priests in France are now ashamed of the mark, and few of them have it that can handsomely avoid it. (Spec. Europ.) As the faces of men — "But beware of men,"Matthew 10:17; Matthew 10:17 . See the note there. Yea, beware of those that are looked upon as good men, who yet may act for Satan and not discern it, Matthew 16:23 . The temptation lies in this, when angels from heaven, men of singular parts and piety, preach