Bible Commentaries

Isaiah 15:2 — the Turks to their Mohammed at Mecca (situated in the same country as once Moab, and perhaps in the same place with one of these idol temples) by troops and caravans; but they do worse than lose their devotion. To weep. — And to pray too, Isaiah 16:12 but to no good purpose, for want of a right object, principle, motive, end. So afterwards the Romans, in a like exigent, cum coniugibus ac liberis iussi sunt a senatu supplicatum ire, pacemque exposcere Deum, omnia delubra implent, Liv., lib. iii.

Isaiah 53:1 — Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed? Who hath believed our retort? — q.d., The Gentiles, some of them, even of their potentates, have believed our report concerning the Messiah: Isaiah 52:13-15 but, Lord, how few Jews will give credit to what we have said? Albeit this chapter may not unfitly be called "The Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Isaiah"; Lib. i. De Consens. Evang., cap. 31. and things are here set down so plainly

Isaiah 53:11 — righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. He shall see of the travail of his soul. — Or, Because his soul laboureth, he shall see (his seed), and be satisfied. A metaphor from a travailing woman. Compare Acts 2:24 John 16:21 . And shall be satisfied. — Saturabitur salute fidelium quam esurivit. As a parent is in his dear children, or a rich man in the sight of his large farms and incomes. If therefore we would gratify and satisfy Christ, come by troops to the

Isaiah 65:11 — prepare a table for that troop, and that furnish the drink offering unto that number. But ye are they that forsake the Lord. — Or, As for you, that have forsaken the Lord to observe lying vanities, and so are miserable by your own election, John 12:8 you shall be yet more miserable at the great day of judgment especially, of which some take this following part of the chapter to be meant and intended. Then these improbi et reprobi shall be sure to smoke for it; then they shall return and discern

Ezekiel 2:6 — Steven Gardiner set upon Dr Taylor, and was well told of it Acts and Mon. - of their bitter scoffs, dreadful threats, as if they could undo us at their pleasure. Our times are in God’s hands; kill us they may, but hurt us they cannot. See Jeremiah 1:17 Matthew 10:25 . When Bonner said to Hawkes, A faggot will make you turn; No, no, said Hawkes, a point for your faggot, you shall do no more than God permits you. Ibid., 1443. A minister of God should live by faith, and not die by fear. He should

Hosea 4:19 — bind them up in her wings; God shall blow them to destruction, Job 4:9: his executioners have the "wings of a stork," large and long, and "wind in those wings," to note their ready obedience, Zechariah 5:9 . And although, Ezekiel 1:26 , God be represented as sitting upon a throne to show his slowness to punish, yet that "throne hath wings and hands under those wings," to show his swiftness and readiness to do seasonable execution upon his enemies. And they shall be ashamed

Joel 1:4 — testifieth that the Egyptians made the locust a hieroglyphic of famine. And although we find not expressly set down in the holy history when this particular plague was executed, yet we need not doubt but it was done according to Deuteronomy 28:38-39 . See 1 Kings 8:37 .

Amos 5:5 — true reformed Churches, in the beauties of holiness, in the midst of those seven golden candlesticks, in the hearts and houses of his faithful people, concerning whom he hath said, "I will dwell in them, and walk in them," 2 Corinthians 6:16 , and when they walk within their houses with a perfect heart, I will come unto them, Psalms 101:2 . I will there command my blessing, "even life for evermore," Psalms 133:3: see Amos 4:4 Hosea 4:15 . See Trapp on " Amos 4:4 " See

Amos 9:3 — hide themselves in the top of Carmel — In densis silvis, inter spelaea ferarum. In the thick woods among the dens of the wild beasts. Lawful enough it is in some cases to hide, as David did often and Elias, and Christ, and Paul, 2 Corinthians 11:32-33 , and Athanasius, and various other saints. Tertullian was too rigid in condemning all kind of hiding in evil times. But to hide from God, who searcheth Jerusalem with lights, and to whom the darkness and the light are both alike, Psalms 139:12

Jonah 1:10 — they think; but demand of the prophet, why hast thou done this? as if he were the only misdoer. Because he had told them — As willing now to give glory to God and take shame to himself: this is the property of a true penitentiary. See Psalms 51:1 title (where David stands to do penance in a white sheet, as it were), and Augustin’s Confessions. Hypocrites deal with their souls as some do with their bodies; when their beauty is decayed they desire to hide it from themselves by false glasses

Micah 4:11 — God and man, said they (in that blind letter, that brought all to light), have agreed to punish the wickedness of this age. Those that would kill a dog give out that he was mad first, saith the French proverb. Whom no man looketh after, Jeremiah 30:17 . And let our eyes look upon Zion — Let us feed our eyes with such a delightful spectacle; and say, as that cruel Charles IX of France did, when he saw the streets strewed with the bodies of the massacred Protestants, and the rivers dyed with

Nahum 2:10 — áå÷ä åñáå÷ä åôáì÷ä . whereby the utter destruction and consternation of the city and monarchy is graphically depainted, and set forth to the life. See a like elegance Jeremiah 16:15 . The last word, rendered waste, signifieth burnt up, or void of all verdure; a place where nothing green groweth. Such a horrible devastation followeth upon God’s word of command to the Chaldees, Nahum 2:9 , like as when Christ cursed the

Zechariah 11:2 — down. Howl, fir tree — That is, ye of lower rank, or ye meaner cities, those daughters of Jerusalem, that felt the Roman’s force; howl, take up a loud outcry, a doleful ditty, after the manner of those that are carried captive by the enemy, Psalms 137:3 . For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us, qui contumulabant nos, that threw us on heaps (so Tremellius rendereth it, confer Isaiah 25:2 ), or those that made us howl, ululatores nostri (so Schindler),

Zechariah 8:6 — there is no comparison. Abraham cared not for the deadness of his own body or his wife’s, but was strong in faith, and gave God the glory of his power, Romans 4:20 . This was it indeed that God himself minded him of when he said unto him, Genesis 17:1 , I am God Almighty, walk before me and be upright: q.d. Thou wilt never do the latter unless thou believe the former.

Matthew 12:27 — them out? therefore they shall be your judges. By whom do your children, … — That is, your countrymen. Not the disciples (as Augustine, Civ. Dei, and other ancients would have it), but the Jewish exorcists, of whom see Mark 9:38 ; Acts 19:13 . As if our Saviour should have said, Unless that be a blemish in me that you hold to be a beauty in others, why should you condemn me for a conjurer? Why doth your malice thus wilfully cross your consciences? Certain it is, saith Erasmus, that

Matthew 14:10 — therefore raged at him. But we must lay our hands upon our mouths when God’s hand is upon our backs or necks: and stand on tiptoes, with Paul, to see which way Christ may be most magnified in our bodies, whether by life or by death, Philippians 1:20 .

Matthew 19:20 — Lie and all; as now the Popish Pharisees dream and brag that they can keep the law, and spare. Arrogantius mendaeium nemo hominum de se dixit. Pareus. Insignem hypocritam se gloriatur. Ib. They can do more than any that ever went before them, Psalms 143:2 ; Job 15:14 ; James 3:2 . Oecolampadius saith that none of the patriarchs lived out a full thousand years (which is a number of perfection), to teach us that here is no perfection of piety. David’s heart smote him for doing that which Saul

Matthew 19:5 — said, For this cause, … — Dixit, duxit, benedixit He ordered, he commaned, he blessed these three things are said by Moses to have been done by God in the institution, and for the honour of marriage; to the which still (saith Bifield on 1 Peter 3:2 ) God beareth so great respect, as that he is pleased to bear with, cover, and not impute the many frailties, follies, vanities, weaknesses, and wickednesses that are found between man and wife. For this cause shall a man leave father —

Matthew 25:36 — in prison, and ye came unto me. Naked, and ye clothed me — Darius, before he came to the kingdom, received a garment for a gift of one Syloson. And when he became king he rewarded him with the command of his country Samus. Aelian, l. 4. c. 5. 1:187 Who now will say that Syloson merited such a boon for so small a courtesy? A gardener, offering a rape root (being the best present the poor man had) to the Duke of Burgundy, was bountifully rewarded by the duke, which his steward observing, thought

Matthew 8:20 — the true treasure, εκενωσεν , Philippians 2:7 ; 2 Corinthians 8:9 . Say we with that Father, Christi paupertas meum est patrimonium: prefer the reproach of Christ before the treasures of Egypt, Hebrews 11:26 ; and if, besides and with Christ, we have food and raiment, let us therewith rest content, 1 Timothy 6:8 . Say we have no house on earth, we have one in heaven not made with hands. Those good souls dwelt in "dens and caves of the earth,"