Bible Commentaries

Isaiah 61:9 — Christians, famous among the very heathens for their holy conversation. Pliny giveth a very honourable testimony of their innocence in his second epistle to Trajan. Those that stood with the Lamb had his Father’s name in their foreheads; Revelation 14:1 they led convincing lives, so that their friends could never sufficiently praise them, nor their foes justly find any fault with them. Such a one was Luther, Bucer, Bradford, … Christians should shine as lamps, show forth the power of godliness

Isaiah 66:11 — her consolations. — Zion is not only a fruitful mother, but a joyful nurse. God giveth her the blessings both of the belly and of the breasts; and these breasts of hers are full strutting with the sincere milk of the word, that rational milk, 1 Peter 2:2 the sweet and precious promises of the gospel. These "breasts of consolation" we must suck, as the babe doth the mother’s dug, as long as he can get a drop out of it, and then sucks still till more cometh. Let us suck the blood

Jeremiah 29:25 — and as we have many from the Romish factors sent hither, to the seducing of not a few, a subtle and shrewd way of deceiving the simple. And to Zephaniah. — The second under the high priest Seraiah, and successor likely to that Pashur Jeremiah 20:1 who was deposed for some misdemeanour, like as Dr Weston was here in Queen Mary’s days, put by all his Church dignities for being taken in bed with a harlot. Acts and Mon. Of this Zephaniah, see 2 Kings 25:18 , his office was to judge of prophecies,

Jeremiah 30:17 — Judea was once a land flowing with milk and honey, and Mount Zion was in no small request. Howsoever, none ought by their bitter taunts to add affliction to the afflicted, but rather to weep with those that weep; "be pitiful, be courteous." 1 Peter 3:8

Lamentations 3:24 — The LORD [is] my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. The Lord is my portion. — And that is enough for me, should I never have more. See Trapp on " Psalms 16:5 " That which giveth content in any portion is (1.) The favour and presence of God; (2.) That it is from the hand of a Father; (3.) That it comes to us in the covenant of grace; (4.) That it is the purchase of Christ’s blood; (5.) That

Ezekiel 11:19 — spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh: And I will give them one heart. — Opposed to a "divided heart," such as the Paphlagonian partridges are said to have; Hosea 10:2 that is, partly for God, and partly for the world. Ezekiel 33:31 This oneness of heart truly and entirely cleaving to God alone, is that boon that David so dearly beggeth, Psalms 86:11 that he might attend upon God without distraction. 1 Corinthians

Ezekiel 46:1 — the Sabbath, and shall much more when they come to rest with him in heaven. Shall be shut the six working days. — Six days shalt thou labour and do all thy work. Neither doth this hinder holiness, as the abbey lubbers pretend, but further it: (1.) By preventing temptation; (2.) By nourishing experience of God’s bounty and providence; (3.) By filling the heart with objects of heavenly thoughts; (4.) By stirring up to prayer and praise for each day’s mercies. But on the Sabbath it

Ezekiel 47:8 — out toward the east country, and go down into the desert, and go into the sea: [which being] brought forth into the sea, the waters shall be healed. These waters issue out toward the east country. — In Galilaeam anteriorem. Piscat. See Acts 9:31 - the churches in Galilee, "walking in the fear of the Lord and comforts of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied." And go down into the desert. — Or, Plain; i.e., into the plains of Moab. Numbers 22:1 The gospel worketh upon the worst, even

Daniel 11:5 — dominion. And the king of the south shall be strong. — Ptolemy, king of Egypt, together with his whole family, line, and race, the Lagidae, shall be eminently strong; and a great enemy he was to the poor Jews, as Josephus Antiq., lib. xii. cap. 1. explains. And one of his princes, — i.e., Of Alexander’s princes, meaning Seleucus Nisanor, king of Syria, together with his house and line, called the Seleucidae. And he shall be strong above him, — i.e., Stronger than Ptolemy, and

Joel 1:15 — little to their profit while impenitent; for that it should be put forth and exercised for their utter destruction. Aben Ezra interpreteth Shaddai a conqueror, others a destroyer, which a conqueror must needs be. And hereto this text and that Isaiah 13:6 , do allude, when they say Shod shall come from Shaddai, Destruction from the Almighty. Here, also, we may learn when we are under affliction to ascend to the first cause thereof, Amos 3:6 , as David did in that three years’ famine, 2 Samuel

Joel 1:17 — afterwards, when it came to be grain, dried up with excessive heat. The corn is withered — So that the garners were desolated, the barns broken down for want of stuffing, and for that there was no use of them, since they sowed but reaped not, Micah 6:15 . The husbandman was called to mourning, Amos 5:16 , for a threefold calamity that lay upon his tillage. First, immoderate rain in or about seeding; secondly, locusts and other vermin at spring; thirdly, extreme drought after all, Joel 1:19-20 . Thus

Amos 8:6 — shoes; [yea], and sell the refuse of the wheat? That we may buy the poor for silver, … — Thus the poor always pay for it; the modest and mild poor especially, as Amos 8:4 . Hence poor and afflicted are put for one and the same, Zephaniah 3:12 , and to want and to be abased, Philippians 4:12 ; they that want shall be sure to be abased and abused by the wretched rich, who will ever go over the hedge where it is lowest, and catch the poor by drawing him into the nets, Psalms 10:9 , that is,

Micah 1:13 — portas, Hannbal at the gates, begone with all possible speed; haste, haste, haste. She is the beginning of sin to the daughter of Zion — Not partner only, but author and ringleader. Such are all leaders of heresy and inventors of evil things, Romans 1:30 . These shall drink deep of God’s wrath here, and be cast alive into the burning lake, Revelation 19:20 . Some apply the words to the confederacy of Lachish with Jerusalem against King Amaziah, 2 Kings 14:19 , slain at this city. For the transgressions

Micah 7:11 — [In] the day that thy walls are to be built, [in] that day shall the decree be far removed. In the day that thy walls are to be built — In the type, by Nehemiah, Nehemiah 3:1-32 , who did the work with all his might; and having a ready heart, made riddance and good dispatch of it. In the truth, and spiritually, when the gospel was to be "preached to every creature," Mark 16:15 , and a Church collected of Jews and

Micah 7:13 — for the fruit of their doings. Notwithstanding the land shall be desolate — Understand it, not of the land of Chaldea, as A Lapide doth; but of Judea, which must be desolated before the coming of Christ in the flesh. And this is here foretold. 1. Lest the impenitent, by misapplying the former promises, should dream of impunity, saeculi laetitia est impunita nequitia (Aug.); and, 2. Lest the godly, because of this desolation shortly to ensue, should despair of the former promises. Because of

Nahum 1:15 — pass through thee; he is utterly cut off. Behold upon the mountains the feet of him, … — This "behold" is as the sound of a trumpet before some proclamation, to bespeak attention. Jerusalem is surrounded with mountains, Psalms 125:2 , and on the mountains a voice may be heard afar off. The feet of him that bringeth good tidings — Or of an evangelist ( Pedes Evangelizantis, Vulgate), that brings news of Sennacherib’s ruin; but especially of Satan subdued by Christ,

Nahum 3:11 — spue and fall, and rise no more, because of the sword which I will send among you." This is that κοινος μεθη , dry drunkenness of them that are "drunk, but not with wine," Isaiah 51:21 ; of them that remember their affliction and their misery, the wormwood and the gall, Lamentations 3:19 . If the saints sip sometimes of the top of God’s cap, the wicked shall drink deep of it; yea, though it be eternity to the bottom. Thou

Habakkuk 3:7 — the land of Midian did tremble. I saw the tents of Cushan — King of Mesopotamia, who tyrannized over Israel eight years after Joshua’s death; God selling his people to him for nought, and not increasing his wealth by their price, Psalms 44:12 Judges 3:8 . But delivering them in the end by that valiant Othniel, who brought the tents of Cushan under affliction or vanity. Some render it propter iniquitatem, because of iniquity, and set this sense upon it; It was for sin that God sold his people

Matthew 7:19 — and there will be heard, saith one, a fiery hissing of the gold thrusting out the poison. Whereby is signified, saith he, that God threateneth judgment and hell fire to those that corrupt and poison heavenly doctrine. See more of this above, Matthew 3:10 . Let us study and strive to resemble the tree of Paradise, that was fair to the eye and good to eat; and that tree of life, Revelation 22:2 , that bringeth forth every month, twelve manner of fruits, …, And those trees, Psalms 92:13 , that

Matthew 8:11 — his garments were divided into four parts, to show that out of what part of the world soever we come, if we be naked, Christ hath robes to clothe us; if we be harbourless, Christ hath room to lodge us. Jethor, an Ishmaelite, may become an Israelite, 1 Chronicles 7:17 ; cf. 2 Samuel 17:25 , and Araunah the Jebusite may be made an exemplary proselyte, 2 Samuel 24:18 ; cf. Zechariah 9:7 . Vide Junium in locum. a Α. Ανατολη. Δ. Δυσις,