Bible Commentaries

Ezekiel 13:9 — people, neither shall they be written in the writing of the house of Israel, neither shall they enter into the land of Israel; and ye shall know that I [am] the Lord GOD. And my hand shall be upon the prophets — God’s hand is a mighty hand; 1 Peter 5:6 the heaven is spanned by it, the earth held in the hollow of it. They shall not be in the assembly of my people, — Dicit eos fore prorsus extraneos ab Ecclesia. Tesseris Eeclesiae aspectabilibus abalienati permanebunt. - Jun. Or, In

Ezekiel 33:10 — yourselves, as if your sins were unpardonable, and that ye were already ruined beyond relief; whereas true repentance is a ready remedy, a plank after shipwreck, that would set you safe, and render you right again. This they had been told before, Ezekiel 18:25-32 but to little purpose: the word was not mingled with faith in their hearts, and did therefore run through them, Hebrews 2:1 as water runs through a riven vessel. And we pine away in them. — Ita punimur ut pereamus. And so be punished and

Ezekiel 34:23 — them, [even] my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd. And I will set up one shepherd. — Who, indeed, is the only shepherd. Magistrates and ministers are shepherds; but Christ is the "good shepherd"; John 10:11 the "great shepherd and bishop of souls"; 1 Peter 2:25 Hebrews 13:20 the true shepherd, above all for skill, love, and power; above Jacob, above David, of whom he descended, and by whose name he is here called. so Jeremiah 30:9 Hosea 3:5

Ezekiel 45:1 — service, which Christ’s people are most zealous of, and do therefore allot, before any divident, a portion for the Lord’s house and servants, and that very large, to prefigure the largeness of the Church of the New Testament. See Revelation 7:9-10 , … Here Jerome aeknowledgeth himself to be in a labyrinth. The Jews call again for their Elias. Oecolampadius comes in with his huius loci mysteria tacitus veneror, and thinks this part of the prophecy such as no human understanding can fathom.

Ezekiel 8:16 — about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the LORD, and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward the east. Were about five and twenty men. — These, say some, were the king and his council See Ezekiel 11:1 . With their backs toward the temple. — And yet in a part of it. Hoc fuit signum nimiae improbitatis. Veluti Dominum in certamen provocantes. Here to turn their posteriors upon God’s house and ark, which they were commanded to look towards

Daniel 4:16 — man’s, and let a beast’s heart be given unto him; and let seven times pass over him. Let his heart be changed, — i.e., Obbrutescat, nihil humanum sapiat; a fearful judgment, and yet such as reprobates are usually delivered up to. Romans 1:24 And let a beast’s heart be given him. — Let his fantasy and appetite be so changed, that, upon a strong imagination that he is a beast, he may have affections carrying him in all things to do accordingly. Little is said of this in human

Daniel 8:25 — need, “ Candida de nigris, et de candentibus atra. ” And by peace shall destroy many. — Undo them by promises of prosperity and preferment, which are dangerous baits; Mark 4:9 "they were sawn asunder, they were tempted." Hebrews 11:37 Julian the apostate went this way to work, and prevailed to make many apostates. He shall also stand up against the Prince of princes. — God Almighty, by destroying the daily sacrifices, and by setting up idolatry in the temple. But he shall

Daniel 9:2 — understood by books. — Consideravi in libris. Daniel was a great student in the Scriptures, and well knew that there was no readier way to speed in heaven than by putting the promises in suit. The like also was done by Jacob; Genesis 32:9 ; Genesis 32:12 See Trapp on " Genesis 32:9 " See Trapp on " Genesis 32:12 " 2 Samuel 7:19 ; 2 Samuel 7:25 by Eliah, 1 Kings 18:42-44 and others. If we speak in our prayers no otherwise than the Lord doth in his promises, there shall be a sweet

Daniel 9:22 — said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding. And he informed me, and talked with me. — Rather than the saints shall want information and comfort, God will spare one out of his own train to do them any good office; Luke 1:19 Galatians 3:19 neither will the greatest angel in heaven grudge to serve them. I am now come forth to give thee skill. — Not by infusion, for so the Holy Ghost only, but by instruction, as was before noted. It is well observed by one, that

Joel 3:14 — of threshing, as Piscator, in reference to Jehoshaphat, who once threshed the Moabites and Ammonites there. These multitudes are thither summoned ( Turbae, Turbae adeste ), or are there laid dead, even heaps upon heaps, with those Philistines, Judges 15:16 . So Aben Ezra senseth it, and thence the name of the valley of concision, or decision: to show that their having passed a definitive sentence upon the Church’s enemies, and a very severe one too, such as was that kind of punishment, to put

Amos 1:8 — time had now triumphed over it, so that it lived by fame only) were the worse likely, and fared the worse for Gaza’s ill neighbourhood; like as Hamath did for Damascus, Zechariah 9:2 . And I will turn mine hand — Not in mercy, as Zechariah 13:7 , but for further mischief; I will have a double blow at Ekron, where Beelzebub the Grandiabolo is worshipped, Iterabo plagam: and when I have done with the rest I will begin again with Ekron; Acheronta movebo. And the remnant of the Philistines

Amos 6:9 — as Zechariah 8:23 Leviticus 26:26 , because ten is the utmost of single number: q.d. though a considerable company escape the enemy, yet pestilence or some other destruction shall put an end to them. They shall die — See this fulfilled 2 Kings 17:5 . In which common calamity what a happiness had they, that belonging to the election of grace, could confidently say, as Habakkuk 1:12 , "Art thou not from everlasting, O Lord my God, mine Holy One? We shall not die" (or if we do, death

Micah 1:12 — of Maroth waited carefully for good — Or, shall grieve for the good, viz. that he hath lost in the common calamity; grieve till he be heart sick, as Amos 6:6 , or wait till he faint, for "hope deferred maketh the heart sick," Proverbs 13:12 . The name of this city is Maroth, that is, bitternesses; and bitter things shall befall her, see Ruth 1:20 , because together with the good of piety, which she ought to have waited upon, she hath lost the good of prosperity, which in vain she hath

Nahum 1:13 — enemy would. Hold out faith and patience; deliverance is at next door by. And will burst thy bonds in sunder — By yoke and bonds here understand those tributes which the Assyrians, called out by Ahaz, imposed upon the kingdom of Judah, 2 Kings 16:7-9 . God promiseth them here their ancient liberty; which was, soon after this, recovered under Hezekiah, who, trusting in God, and reforming religion, rebelled against the King of Assyria, and served him no longer. Shortly after also the Persians

Habakkuk 2:7 — not rise up suddenly that shall bite thee, and awake that shall vex thee, and thou shalt be for booties unto them? Shall they not rise up suddenly that shall bite thee? — Rend and tear thee as hunting dogs do the beast they pursue. See Isaiah 13:14 ; Isaiah 13:21 Jeremiah 51:58 . The interrogation here used importeth both the certainty of the thing and their security, as if no such thing could possibly befall them. Suddenly, therefore, saith the prophet, shalt thou be surprised and spoiled

Zechariah 5:5 — up now thine eyes and see — No doubt. saith Calvin here, the prophet was frighted at the sight of the flying roll, full of curses "My flesh trembleth for fear of thee," saith David, "and I am afraid of thy judgments," Psalms 119:120 . And Habakkuk, when he considered the cursed condition of the Church’s enemies, "my belly trembled," said he, "when I heard it: nay lips quivered at the voice, rottenness entered into my bones," Habakkuk 3:16 . Daniel

Matthew 1:5 — And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse; And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab — This the Evangelist might have by tradition. Salmon’s genealogy is set down, 1 Chronicles 2:9-17 Ruth 4:18-22 ; but whom he married, nothing is reported. And Booz begat Obed of Ruth — While Orphah lacks bread in her own country, Ruth is grown a great lady in Bethlehem, and advanced to be great grandmother to the King of

Matthew 16:15 — stand doubtful, and to adhere to nothing certainly; to be in religion as idle beggars are in their way, ready to go which way soever the staff falleth; but to strive to a plerophory, a full assurance of knowledge, a certainty, as Luke hath it, Luke 1:4 and to be fully persuaded, Matthew 16:16 . A conjectural confidence, a general faith, the colliers’ faith, as they call it, sufficeth not, to believe as the Church believes, … And yet Thomas Aquinas, that great schoolman, had no better

Matthew 18:16 — to Christ by the help of friends. That in the mouth of two or three — To blame then are they that proceed upon every idle supposition, suspicion, report, or rumour. Three manner of persons (said Father Latimer) can make no credible information. 1. Adversaries, for evil will doth never speak well. 2. Ignorant men, and those without judgment. 3. Whisperers and blowers in men’s ears, which will spew out in hugger mugger more than they dare avow openly. To all such we must turn the deaf ear:

Matthew 9:11 — φαεσι καινειν . The wicked look around the saints, seeking to pick a hole in their coats; they pore and pry more narrowly than Laban did into Jacob’s stuff. "Walk circumspectly,"Ephesians 5:15; Ephesians 5:15 . They said unto his disciples — 1. Not to him; where the hedge is lowest, there the devil leaps over soonest; as he began his temptation with Eve, apart from her husband. Calumniare audacter, aliquid saltem adhaerebit, is a maxim