Bible Commentaries

Genesis 30:22 — hearkened to her, and opened her womb. And God remembered Rachel. — She began to think that God had forgotten her, because she was so long suspended, and her prayers not answered. This is a common fault. David bewails it in himself. Psalms 77:1-20 Basil grew so weary of the Arian persecution, that once he cried out, An Ecclesias suas prorsus dereliquit Dominus? an novissima hora est? … So the Church of old: "Where is thy zeal and thy strength, Lord? the sounding of thy heart and

Genesis 31:38 — This twenty years [have] I [been] with thee; thy ewes and thy she goats have not cast their young, and the rams of thy flock have I not eaten. The rams of thy flock have I not eaten. — A lively picture of a careful pastor. 2 Corinthians 11:9 He fats not himself, but feeds the flock; he seeks not theirs, neither fleece nor flesh, but them and their welfare. He takes not to him "the instruments of a foolish shepherd"; Zechariah 11:15 that is, forcipes et mulctram, that he may

Genesis 33:1 — — Carnal fear oft expels man’s wisdom, and leaves him shiftless. But Jacob, after he had prayed and prevailed, was not so moped as not to know what to do in that great danger: he masters his fears, and makes use of two the likeliest means: (1.) The marshalling of his wives and children in best manner, for the saving of the last, at least; (2.) The marching before them himself, and doing low obeisance. So Esther, when she had prayed, resolved to venture to the king, whatever came of it. And

Genesis 45:20 — better things for you above: the good of all the land of the living is yours, … And should we not cheerfully follow the divine call? Many play loath to depart, because they have treasure in the world, as those ten men had in the field. Jeremiah 12:8 But all that this world affords is but trash to the truly religious. Alexander, hearing of the riches of the Indies, divided his kingdom of Macedon among his captains and soldiers. And being asked what he had left for himself; he answered, Hope.

Exodus 36:8 — for every particular about the sanctuary. This inventory was taken by Ithamar, at the commandment of Moses, Et sic in archivum Ecclesiae relatum, and so laid up in the charter house of the Church for the use of posterity. See the notes on Exodus 36:1-38 , and consider that saying of an ancient, Necessarium et utile est etiam quae scripta sunt scribere, ne leve existimetur quod non frequenter arguitur. Prosper., Epist. ad Augustin.

Leviticus 10:9 — strong drink. — As some are of opinion Nadab and Abihu had done; which miscarriage of theirs occasioned this precept. Ex malis moribus bonae leges. The perpetual equity whereof is, that ministers be no wine bibbers or tipplers or drunken sots . 1 Timothy 3:3 Why should it be said as of old, "They have erred because of wine, and have gone out of the way because of strong drink, even the priest and the prophet?" Isaiah 28:7 Drunkenness is a crime in all, but it is a kind of sacrilege

Leviticus 19:30 — an inward awe and fear of his presence, and not as into a dancing school as some do. "How fearful is this place," saith Jacob. It is the place of angels and archangels, the kingdom of God, it is heaven itself, saith Chrysostom. Hom. 36, ad 1 Cor. iv. Away then with all careless negligence and carnal security.

Leviticus 7:35 — the portion of the anointing. — That is, Of the anointed priests; and that because they were anointed to the office. Here Origen, according to his manner, turns all into allegories and mysteries, and tells us of a threefold sense of Scripture, (1.) Literal; (2.) Moral; (3.) Mystical: comparing them to the gridiron, frying pan, and oven, used in dressing the meat offering. Leviticus 7:9 But this itch of allegorising dark and difficult texts hath no small danger in it. And I may doubt of Origen,

Numbers 23:7 — come, defy Israel. And he took up his parable. — Or, Pithy and powerful speech, uttered in numerous and sententious terms, and taken among the heathen for prophecies or oracles: poemata pro vaticiniis, … Poets were taken for prophets, Titus 1:12 and poems for prophecies. Hence their στοιχομαντεια , wherein opening a book of Homer, Hesiod, …, they took upon them, by the first verse they lighted upon, to divine. Tragedians

Numbers 27:4 — others. Such a masculine faith was that of Mrs. Anne Askew, martyr, who thus subscribed her confession: Written by me, Anne Askew, that neither wisheth for death, nor feareth his might; and as merry as one that is bound for heaven. Act. and Mon., fol. 1128. I will not bid you good night - said Helen Stirk, a Scotchwoman, to her husband, at the place where they both suffered martyrdom - for we shall suddenly meet in the heavenly Canaan. Ibid., 1154. And was it not by the force of her faith, - that "substance

Deuteronomy 25:9 — nature: which she doth by taking off his or her shoe before the judge, and holding it the sole upward, but speaking nothing, for the uncleanness of the fact. And spit in his face. — As unworthy to show his face amongst his brethren. See Numbers 12:14 Isaiah 50:6 . That will not build up his brother’s house. — See Trapp on " Exodus 1:21 "

Deuteronomy 33:7 — his people: let his hands be sufficient for him; and be thou an help [to him] from his enemies. And this is the blessing. — Simeon is not mentioned, but implied in Judah’s blessing, in the midst of whose inheritance lay his portion. Joshua 19:1 Besides, that tribe was exceedingly defiled with fornication, spiritual and corporal, and by that means much decayed and diminished. Numbers 26:14 Hear, Lord, the voice of Judah. — Putting thy promises Genesis 8:9-11 into suit by his prayers,

Joshua 5:9 — said unto Joshua, This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you. Wherefore the name of the place is called Gilgal unto this day. This day have I rolled away the reproach, … — That is, the uncircumcision of your flesh, see 1 Samuel 17:26 Genesis 34:16 Philippians 3:4-5 together with all that filth and guilt which you have contracted by conversing with those superstitious and wicked Egyptians. "Righteousness exalteth a nation; but sin is a reproach to any people."

Judges 14:1 — feast, …, it is not recorded; but God had an overruling hand in this journey for the punishment of the Philistines, though Samson cannot be altogether excused; for he went "after the sight of his eyes and lust of his heart." Ecclesiastes 11:9 Ill guides. And saw a woman in Timnath. — This licentious eye should have been plucked out. Matthew 5:29 A little otherwise than Democritus the philosopher put out his eyes, because he could not look upon a woman but he must lust after her;

Judges 14:6 — rent a kid, and [he had] nothing in his hand: but he told not his father or his mother what he had done. And he rent him as he would have rent a kid. — So did the Lord Christ subdue the devil in the desert, Matthew 4:4 ; Matthew 4:7 ; Matthew 4:10-11 whereof David also was a type, when he slew the lion and the bear. 1 Samuel 17:36 And he had nothing in his hand. — But so had Hercules, when he killed a lion and a bear, as the poets sing of him, and Lysimachus, one of Alexander’s worthies.

Judges 18:24 — focis. This superstitious zealot shall rise up in judgment against our lukewarm Laodiceans, our neuter passive professors, that care not what becomes of true religion, - modo ferveat olla, so the pot boil. God hath many such cold friends now-a-days. 1 Kings 18:21

Judges 18:27 — the edge of the sword, and burnt the city with fire. And they took the things. — Chuckering themselves, to think what happiness they should have in them, and little considering that there would be "bitterness in the end." Jeremiah 2:19 Unto a people that were at quiet and secure. — See Judges 18:10 . This is often repeated, as the root of their wretchedness. Security ushereth in destruction. 1 Thessalonians 5:3 And they smote them. — God oft punisheth the wicked by the

Judges 21:19 — Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah. Behold, there is a feast of the Lord in Shiloh. — What feast this was is much controverted; some say, the feast of tabernacles; others, the feast of blowing trumpets, the seventh of the first month. Numbers 10:10 ; Numbers 29:1 Others again, that it was some singular feast kept in Shiloh only to the honour of God in way of thankfulness for choosing it to set his tabernacle there; and that, haply, upon the day that it was first set up there, from year to

Judges 4:2 — And the LORD sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, that reigned in Hazor; the captain of whose host [was] Sisera, which dwelt in Harosheth of the Gentiles. And the Lord sold them. — As Judges 2:14 . It must not be troublesome to us to hear the same things often: Verba toties repetita viva sunt, vera sunt, sans sunt, plana sunt, saith Augustine. Into the hand of Jabin. — Whose father or grandfather, of the same name, Joshua had slain, and

Judges 9:13 — And the vine said unto them, Should I leave my wine, which cheereth God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees? Should I leave my wine? — This is the drunkard’s motto, Malle so, vitam quam vinum eripi. Aug., De Temp. Serm., 131. Take away my liquor, you take away my life. Ambrose reporteth of one Theotimus (too good a name for such a wretch), that, having a disease upon his body, and told by the physician that unless he did abstain from wine he was like to lose his eyes,