Bible Commentaries

Nehemiah 8:10 — Entonces les dijo: Id, comed la grosura y bebed lo dulce, y enviad porciones a aquellos para quienes no hay nada preparado; porque este día es santo para nuestro Señor; ni os arrepintáis; porque el gozo del SEÑOR es tu fuerza. Ver. 10. Entonces les dijo: Id. ] Una amistosa destitución. Debemos reprender o amonestar a otros de tal manera que siempre conservemos en ellos una opinión de nuestra buena voluntad para con ellos; porque este es el azúcar que endulza todas esas pastillas

Esther 10:3 — judíos, y aceptado entre la multitud de sus hermanos, buscaba las riquezas de su pueblo y hablaba de paz a toda su descendencia. Ver. 3. Porque Mardoqueo, el judío, era el próximo del rey Asuero ] Proximus a primo, el segundo del rey, como 2 Crónicas 28:11 , teniendo el próximo asiento principal para él, como lo expone Josefo, y puesto sobre todos los príncipes de esa monarquía ( Mετα βασιλεα εχων προεδριαν); para que pudiera gritar, con ese noble general Ifícrates, εξ οιων εις οια, ¡desde qué mezquinos

Esther 6:13 — todos sus amigos, todo lo que le había sucedido. Entonces le dijeron sus sabios y Zeres su mujer: Si Mardoqueo es de la simiente de los judíos, ante quien has comenzado a caer, no prevalecerás contra él, sino que ciertamente caerás delante de él. Ver. 13. Y Amán le dijo a Zeres, su esposa, y a todos sus amigos.] Esperando consuelo y consejo de ellos; pero le leen su destino y aumentan su dolor y desesperación; haciéndole saber que su estado era tal que no había esperanza de mejor ni lugar para peor;

Esther 8:16 — Los judíos tenían luz, gozo, gozo y honra. Ver. 16. Los judíos tenían luz y alegría ] "Verdaderamente la luz es dulce, y agradable a los ojos ver el sol", Eclesiastés 11:7 . Los que llevan mucho tiempo encerrados en un oscuro calabozo, como José, seguramente lo dirán. Estos judíos habían estado enterrados

Job 2:3 — aún conserva su integridad, aunque me empujaste contra él para destruirlo sin causa. Ver. 3. Y el Señor dijo a Satanás ] Antes de condenarlo, lo interroga así (lo cual no se atrevió a hacer cuando había engañado a nuestros primeros padres, Génesis 3:14), pero con una burla muy amarga y una reprensión aguda; como si Dios hubiera dicho: ¿No te avergüenzas, Satanás, de responderme así, como si me hubiera olvidado de lo que te concedí en nuestra última asamblea, y así en mi presencia fingir? &C. (Beza). ¿Has

Song of Solomon 4:14 — Spikenard and saffron; calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense; myrrh and aloes, with all the chief spices: Nard. — Called in John 12:3; John 12:3 , "spikenard very costly," or rather, as some learned men will have it, nard of Opis, a town near Babylon, where grew the most precious spikenard, and whence it was transported to other places. πιστικης

Song of Solomon 4:15 — as in their well head. Certam est nos facere quod facimus, sed ille facit, ut faciamus, saith Augustine. True it is that we do what we do; but it is as true that Christ maketh us to do what we do; for "without him we can do nothing"; John 15:5 "in him is our fruit found": Hosea 14:8 it is he that "works all our works in us." Isaiah 26:12 Hence it is that the Church is nowhere in all this book described by the beauty of her hands or fingers, because he alone doth all

Song of Solomon 4:3 — thread of scarlet, and thy speech [is] comely: thy temples [are] like a piece of a pomegranate within thy locks. Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet. — Which hath two comely properties, small and ruddy. A thin lip is a sign of eloquence; Job 12:20 Pitho sits upon it. As, on the other side, a thick lip is an uncircumcised lip, Exodus 6:12 a polluted lip. Isaiah 6:5 Scarlet or coralline lips are counted a great grace, as white, black, bluish lips are held no small deformity. The Church’s

Song of Solomon 4:8 — blood sister. Thus Christ is better to his people than their prayers - better than their hopes. Hezekiah asked one life; God gave him two, adding fifteen years to his days. David asked life, and God "gave him life for ever and ever." Psalms 21:4 "Hitherto ye have asked me nothing," John 16:24 saith Christ; that is, nothing to what I am ready to give you. He stands disposed to his suitors, as Naaman did toward Gehazi. 2 Kings 5:22-23 Gehazi asked but one talent. Nay, take two, saith

Song of Solomon 7:2 — φρικωδης table, as he calleth it - whereunto all must come with the best preparation they can make, wash and be clean - wash their hands in innocence before they compass God’s altar, wash their "hearts," Jeremiah 4:14 their "feet." John 13:10 "He that is washed ( sc., for the outside) needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit"; an allusion to those that, having bathed their bodies, foul their feet by going out of the bath, and

Hosea 4:10 — For they shall eat, and not have enough: they shall commit whoredom, and shall not increase: because they have left off to take heed to the LORD. For they shall eat and not have enough — Only they shall be filled with their own ways, Proverbs 14:14 , but that is but to feed upon the wind with Ephraim, Hosea 12:1 , which breedeth nothing but troublesome belching, or a dog-like appetite (as they call it), that cannot be satisfied ( Bουλιμια , appetitus

Hosea 7:1 — discovered, and the wickedness of Samaria: for they commit falsehood; and the thief cometh in, [and] the troop of robbers spoileth without. When I would have healed Israel, … — Whereas Israel, hearing of a happy harvest promised to Judah, Hosea 6:11 , and themselves excluded, might complain of hard dealing; God shows them here, that crudelem medicum intemperans aeger facit, the fault was merely in themselves. God came with his healing medicines to have cured them, but they hated to be healed,

Obadiah 1:3 — business when it’s no such matter, and that thou canst secure thyself in thy strongholds from thy strongest enemies: but herein thy pride hath befooled thee, and put the same trick upon thee that the serpent did once upon the first woman, Genesis 3:13 (the same word is there used as here), who complained, when she was in the transgression, 1 Timothy 2:14 , "The serpent hath deceived me." He is still the king of all the children of pride; and thereby cheateth them, ravisheth them of their

Jonah 1:5 — afraid, and cried every man to his god — Forced by the present necessity, first these stout fellows were surprised with fear; neither could they look pale death in the face with blood in their cheeks. Death is the "king of terrors," Job 18:14 , Nature’s slaughter man, God’s curse, and helps purveyor. Next they "cried every man to his god." This was a lesson of Mother Nature’s teaching, sc. that there is a God, and that this God is to be called upon, and especially

Jonah 4:9 — tempted by Satan and his instruments? Of Judah indeed it is expressly noted, that he knew his daughter-in-law Tamar again no more, Genesis 38:26 . But what shall we say to Lot’s double incest? to Samson’s going down again to Gaza, Judges 16:1 ? to Abraham’s twice denying his wife? to John’s twice adoring the angel, Revelation 19:10 ; Revelation 22:8 ? "Let him that standeth take heed lest he fall": and let God’s people see that there be no way of wickedness

Micah 6:5 — forgotten; whereas the soul should be as a holy ark, the memory like the pot of manna preserving holy truths, as the law; and special blessings, as Aaron’s rod, fresh and flourishing. This Israel did not, and are therefore justly blamed, Psalms 106:7 ; Psalms 106:13 ; Psalms 106:21 , and here again reminded of one signal mercy among many, that they might take notice of the enemies’ malignity, God’s benignity, and their own indignity and ingratitude, that parching wind, that drieth

Nahum 1:9 — useth not to do his work to the halves. Surely a short work will the Lord make in your land, now that he taketh you to do, certo, cito penitus. Affliction shall not rise up the second time — God will despatch you at one blow. See a like expression 1 Samuel 26:8 . Nineveh had many brushes before, by Phraortes, King of Medes, and his son Cyaxares, and afterwards by the Scythians, whereof see Jeremiah 49:34 , and by Astyages, … Now Nebuchadnezzar was appointed by God to make an utter end of

Zephaniah 1:3 — man and beast; I will consume the fowls of the heaven, and the fishes of the sea, and the stumblingblocks with the wicked; and I will cut off man from off the land, saith the LORD. I will consume man and beast — Heb. I will gather as Zephaniah 1:2 them, and cast them away as they do the sweepings of the house. See the word used in this sense, Psalms 26:9 , "Gather not my soul with sinners," … God gathered his people for a better purpose; both while they are alive, Psalms 27:10

Malachi 4:3 — Christ, the champion of his Church, hath already won the field, and will shortly set his people’s feet upon the necks of all their enemies. The broken horns of Satan himself shall be the trumpets of their triumph and the cornets of their joy, Romans 16:20 . See what honour all the saints have in this respect, Psalms 149:7-9 ; see what comfort, John 16:33 ; see what conquests, Romans 8:37 . How much more at the last day, when the thrones shall be set, …, Matthew 19:28 . Rabbi David Kimchi understands

Matthew 4:13 — he had his conception and education; and did therefore in a special manner affect them, and seek their good, but they would not. For when he would have healed Israel, then the iniquity of Ephraim broke out, as the leprosy in their foreheads, Hosea 7:1 ; they refused to be reformed, they hated to be healed. Some few sick folk he healed there, and that was all he could do for them, more than marvel at their unbelief. He "could do there no mighty work," saith St Mark, Mark 6:5-6 and therefore