Bible Commentaries

Song of Solomon 3:6-11 — its acceptable worship. Christian fathers, in a like spirit, make most things here refer to the espousals of the Church with Christ in the Passion and Resurrection, or the communion of Christian souls with Him in meditation thereon.Song of Solomon 3:6-11Two or more citizens of Jerusalem, or the chorus of youths, companions of the bridegroom, describe the magnificent appearance of the bride borne in a royal litter, and then that of the king in festive joy wearing a nuptial crown.Song of Solomon 3:6“wilderness”

Isaiah 10:5 — O Assyrian - The word הוי hôy, is commonly used to denounce wrath, or to indicate approaching calamity; as an interjection of threatening; Isaiah 1:4. ‘Wo sinful nation;’ Isaiah 10:8, Isaiah 10:11, Isaiah 10:18, Isaiah 10:20-21; Jeremiah 48:1; Ezekiel 13:2. The Vulgate so understands it here: Vae Assur; and the Septuagint, Οὐαι Ἀσσυρίοις Ouai Assuriois - ‘Woe to the Assyrians.’ So the Chaldee

Isaiah 12:2 — Jehovah - This is one of the four places in which our translators have retained the original word Yahweh, though the Hebrew word occurs often in the Scriptures. The other places where the word Jehovah is retained in our version are, Exodus 6:3; Psalms 68:18; lsa. Psalms 26:4. The original in this place is יהוה יה yâh yehovâh. The word יה yâh is an abbreviation of the word Yahweh. The abbreviated form is often used for the sake of conciseness, particularly in the Psalms, as in the expression “Hallelujah”

Isaiah 23:15 — Tyre shall be forgotten - Shall cease to be a place of importance in commerce; shall be unheard of in those distant places to which ships formerly sailed.Seventy years, according to the days of one king - ‘That is, of one kingdom (see Daniel 7:17; Daniel 8:20).’ (Lowth) The word ‘king’ may denote dynasty, or kingdom. The duration of the Babylonian monarchy was properly but seventy years. Nebuchadnezzar began his conquest in the first year of his reign, and from thence to the taking of Babylon

Isaiah 28:7 — which awaited them, is the design of the remainder of the chapter. The word rendered ‘have erred’ (שׁגוּ shâgû) refers usually to the fact that people “stagger” or “reel” through wine, and is applied commonly to those who are intoxicated Proverbs 20:1. The subsequent part of this verse shows, however, that it does not refer merely to the fact that they stagger and reel as intemperate people do, but that it had an effect on their ‘vision’ and ‘judgment;’ that is, it disqualified them for the discharge

Isaiah 38:3 — of the people, and for the establishment of the worship of Yahweh.How I have walked - How I have lived. Life, in the Scriptures, is often represented as a journey, and a life of piety is represented as walking with God (see Genesis 5:24; Genesis 6:9; 1 Kings 9:4; 1 Kings 11:33).In truth - In the defense and maintenance of the truth, or in sincerity.And with a perfect heart - With a heart sound, sincere, entire in thy service. This had been his leading aim; his main, grand purpose. He had not pursued

Amos 7:10 — at Jerusalem, which should rival it in the eyes of Israel, was part of the policy of the first Jeroboam. Amaziah was at the head of this imposture, in a position probably of wealth and dignity among his people. Like “Demetriers the silversmith” Acts 19:0, he thought that the craft whereby he had his wealth was endangered. To Jeroboam, however, he says nothing of these fears. To the king he makes it an affair of state. He takes the king by what he expected to be his weak side, fear for his own power

Amos 8:10 — your feasts into mourning - He recurs to the sentence which he had pronounced Amos 8:3, before he described the avarice and oppression which brought it down. Hosea too had foretold, “I will cause all her mirth to cease, her feast-days, etc” Hosea 2:11. So Jeremiah describes, “the joy of our heart is ceased; our dance is turned into mourning” Lamentations 5:15. The Book of Tobit bears witness how these sayings of Amos lived in the hearts of the captive Israelites. The word of God seems oftentimes

Micah 2:6 — not - , literally drop not. Amaziah and the God-opposing party had already given an ungodly meaning to the word . “Drop not,” “distill not,” thus unceasingly, these same words, ever warning, ever telling of “lamentation and mourning and woe Ezekiel 2:10; prophesying not good concerning us, but evil” 1 Kings 22:18. So their descendants commanded the Apostles Acts 4:18; Acts 5:40 not to speak at all or to teach in the Name of Jesus Acts 5:28. Did we not straitly command you, that ye should not teach

Micah 5:8 — in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself, and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation; now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God!” 2 Corinthians 5:19-11. What sweeter than the dew of love, the shower of true affection? And so, on to that, “our heart is enlarged.” They are such drops of dew as no one could doubt came from “the Lord, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the

Zechariah 14:14 — And Judah also shall fight at Jerusalem - This seems more probable than the alternative rendering of the English margin, “against.” For Judah is united with Jerusalem as one, in the same context Zechariah 14:21; and, if it had shared with the pagan, it must also have shared their lot. It is Judah itself, not “a remnant of Judah,” as it is “every one that is left of all the nations” Zechariah 14:16, which is thus united to Jerusalem: it is that same Judah,

Matthew 1:19 — be exposed to public shame. He sought, therefore, secretly to dissolve the connection, and to restore her to her friends without the punishment commonly inflicted on adultery. The word just has not unfrequently this meaning of mildness, or mercy. See 1 John 1:9; compare Cicero, De Fin. 5, 23.A public example - To expose her to public shame or infamy. Adultery has always been considered a crime of a very heinous nature. In Egypt, it was punished by cutting off the nose of the adulteress; in Persia,

John 10:1 — with being blind, and of course of being unqualified to lead the people. He proceeds here to state the character of a true shepherd, to show what was a hireling, and to declare that he was the true shepherd and guide of his people. This is called John 10:6 a parable, and it is an eminently beautiful illustration of the office of the Messiah, drawn from an employment well known in Judea. The Messiah was predicted under the image of a shepherd. Ezekiel 34:23; Ezekiel 37:24; Zechariah 13:7. Hence, at

Acts 1:2 — Until the day - The 40th day after the resurrection, Acts 1:3. See Luke 24:51.In which he was taken up - In which he ascended to heaven. He was taken up into a cloud, and is represented as having been borne or carried to heaven, Acts 1:9.After that ... - This passage has been variously rendered. The Syriac translates

Acts 13:11 — the secret feelings and desires of the heart of Elymas; and he inflicted on him a punishment that could have proceeded from none but God. That the apostles had the power of inflicting punishment is apparent from various places in the New Testament, 1 Corinthians 5:5; 1 Timothy 1:20. The punishment inflicted on Elymas, also, would be highly emblematic of the darkness and perverseness of his conduct.Not seeing the sun for a season - For how long a time this blindness was to continue is nowhere specified.

Acts 17:16 — arrive. In the meantime Paul had ample opportunity to observe the state of the city.His spirit was stirred in him - His mind was greatly excited. The word used here (παρωξύνετο parōxuneto) denotes “any excitement, agitation, or paroxysm of mind,” 1 Corinthians 13:5. It here means that the mind of Paul was greatly concerned, or agitated, doubtless with pity and distress at their folly and danger.The city wholly given to idolatry - Greek: κατέιδωλον kateidōlon. It is well translated in the margin,

Romans 7:13 — good and pure, should be changed into evil? Can what tends to life, be made death to a man?” In answer to this, the apostle repeats that the fault was not in the Law, but was in himself, and in his sinful propensities.Made death - Romans 7:8, Romans 7:10.God forbid - Note, Romans 3:4.But sin - This is a personification of sin as in Romans 7:8.That it might appear sin - That it might develope its true nature, and no longer be dormant in the mind. The Law of God is often applied to a man’s conscience,

1 Corinthians 14:6 — among them speaking foreign languages, it could be of no use unless it were interpreted to them.Speaking with tongues - Speaking foreign languages; that is, speaking them “only,” without any interpreter. Paul had the power of speaking foreign languages 1 Corinthians 14:18; but he did not use this power for ostentation or display, but merely to communicate the gospel to those who did not understand his native tongue.Either by revelation - Macknight renders this, “speak intelligibly;” that is, as he explains

1 Corinthians 3:13 — shall attend the consummation of all things - the close of the world. That the world shall be destroyed by fire, and that the solemnities of the Judgment shall be ushered in by a universal conflagration, is fully and frequently revealed. See Isaiah 66:15; 2Th 1:8; 2 Peter 3:7, 2 Peter 3:10-11. The burning fires of that Day, Paul says, shall reveal the character of every man’s work, as fire sheds light on all around, and discloses the true nature of things. It may be observed, however, that many critics

2 Corinthians 1:15 — eboulomēn); it was my intention.To come unto you before - Tyndale renders this: “the other time.” Paul refers doubtless to the time when he wrote his former Epistle, and when it was his serious purpose, as it was his earnest wish, to visit them again; see 1 Corinthians 16:5. In this purpose he had been disappointed, and he now proceeds to state the reasons why he had not visited them as he had purposed, and to show that it did not arise from any fickleness of mind. His purpose had been at first to pass