Bible Commentaries

Isaiah 44:23 — Sing, O ye heavens - (see Isaiah 42:10). It is common in the sacred writings to call on the heavens, the earth, and all created things, to join in the praise of God on any great and glorious event (see Psalms 96:1, Psalms 96:11-12; Psalms 148:1-14) The occasion of the joy here was the fact

Isaiah 45:17 — not be a temporary deliverance; but it shall be perpetual. In heaven his people shall meet no more foes; they shall suffer no more calamity: they shall be driven into no exile; they shall never die.Ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded - This means: 1. That they should never find God to fail, that is, to be either unable or unwilling to befriend and rescue them Psalms 46:1. 2. That they should never be ashamed, that is, have cause to regret that they had put their trust in him.The idea is, that they

Isaiah 58:1 — Cry aloud - Margin, ‘With the throat;’ that is, says Gesenius, with open throat, with full voice coming from the throat and breast; while one who speaks low uses only the lips and tongue 1 Samuel 1:13. The Chaldee here introduces the word prophet, ‘O prophet, cry aloud.’ The Septuagint renders it, ‘Cry with strength.’ (ἐν ἰσχύΐ en ischui).Spare not - That is, do not spare, or restrain the voice. Let it be full, loud, and strong.Lift

Daniel 2:12 — wisdom; all who came under the wellknown denomination of “wise men,” or “sages.” He had called that class before him Daniel 2:2; he had demanded of them an explanation of his dream; he had been assured by the leading men among them, the Chaldeans Daniel 2:10-11, that they could not recall his dream; and, as he supposed that all who could be relied on in such a case had failed, he resolved to cut them off as impostors.Where Daniel was at this time is not known. It would seem, however, that from some reason

Daniel 8:10 — to the host of heaven - Margin, against. The Hebrew word (עד ‛ad) means “to” or “unto,” and the natural idea would seem to be that he wished to place himself among the stars, or to exalt himself above all that was earthly. Compare the notes at Isaiah 14:13 : “For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God.” Lengerke supposes that the meaning here is, that he not only carried his conquests to Egypt and to the East, and to the holy land in

Hosea 8:5 — abhorred good” in order to show the connection of his sin and its punishment. “Thy calf,” whom thou madest for thyself, whom thou worshipest, whom thou lovest, of whom thou saidst, “Behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt” 1 Kings 12:28-31; “thy” calf, in whom thou didst trust instead of thy God, it has requited thee the dishonor thou didst put on thy God; it hath “cast thee off” as a thing “abhorred.” So it is with all people’s idols, which they make to themselves, instead

Amos 9:4 — and shalt have none assurance of thy life” Deuteronomy 28:65-66. The book of Esther shows how cheaply the life of a whole nation was held by Eastern conquerors; and the book of Tobit records, how habitually Jews were slain and cast out unburied (Tobit 1:17; 2:3). The account also that Sennacherib (Tobit 1:18) avenged the loss of his army, and “in his wrath killed many,” is altogether in the character of Assyrian conquerors. Unwittingly he fulfilled the command of God, “I will command the sword and

Jonah 2:4 — forth,” driven forth, expelled, like the “mire and dirt” Isaiah 57:20 which the waves drive along, or like the waves themselves in their restless motion Isaiah 57:20, or the pagan (the word is the same) whom God had driven out before Israel (Exodus 34:11, and the Piel often), or as Adam from Paradise Genesis 3:24.Yet (Only) I will look again - He was, as it were, a castaway, cast out of God’s sight, unheeded by Him, his prayers unheard; the storm unabated, until he was cast forth. He could no longer

Haggai 2:8 — should fill the house, meant our material riches, suggest the contrary. For silver was no ornament of the temple of Solomon. Everything was overlaid with gold. In the tabernacle there were bowls of silver, in Soloman’s temple they and all were of gold 1Ki 7:50; 2 Chronicles 4:8. Silver, we are expressly told, “was nothing accounted of 1 Kings 10:21 in the days of Solomon: he 1 Kings 10:27. made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones - for abundance.” Rather, as God says by the Psalmist Psalms 50:10-12,

Zechariah 2:11 — people, and I will be your God” Exodus 6:7. This was the covenant with them, “that thou shouldest enter into covenant with the Lord thy God, that He may establish thee today for a people unto Himself, and that he may be unto thee a God” (Deuteronomy 29:12-13, add Leviticus 26:12; Deu 27:9; 1 Samuel 12:22; 2 Samuel 7:23-24; 2 Kings 11:17; 1Ch 17:22; 2 Chronicles 23:16; Jeremiah 7:23; Jeremiah 11:4). The contrary was the title of the pagan, “not a people; with whom God said, I will move Israel to jealousy”

Zechariah 5:3 — laws.”Shall be cut off - Literally, “cleansed away” , as something defiled and defiling, which has to be cleared away as offensive: as God says, “I will take away the remnant of the house of Jeroboam, as a man taketh away dung, until it be all gone” (1 Kings 14:10, add 1 Kings 21:21), and so often in Deuteronomy, “thou shalt put the evil away from the midst of thee” (Deuteronomy 13:5 (6 Heb.); Deuteronomy 17:7; Deuteronomy 19:19; Deuteronomy 21:21; Deuteronomy 22:21, Deuteronomy 22:24; Deuteronomy

Matthew 3:16 — was, proves that all others must be, in order that there could be a valid baptism.Neither of these three things has ever been demonstrated from this passage, nor can they be.The heavens were opened unto him - This was done while he was praying, Luke 3:21. The ordinances of religion will be commonly ineffectual without prayer. If in those ordinances we look to God, we may expect that he will bless us; the heavens will be opened, light will shine upon our path, and we shall meet with the approbation of

Luke 13:24 — be diligent, be active, be earnest; that we should make it our first and chief business to overcome our sinful propensities, and to endeavor to enter into heaven. This same figure or allusion to the Grecian games is often used in the New Testament, 1 Corinthians 9:24-26; Philippians 2:16; Hebrews 12:1.Strait gate - See the notes at Matthew 7:13-14. Dr. Thomson (“The Land and the Book,” vol. i. p. 32) says: “I have seen these strait gates and narrow ways, ‘with here and there a traveler.’ They are

John 15:1 — they had just partaken, cannot now be determined. The comparison was frequent among the Jews, for Palestine abounded in vineyards, and the illustration was very striking. Thus, the Jewish people are compared to a vine which God had planted, Isaiah 5:1-7; Psalms 80:8-16; Joel 1:7; Jeremiah 2:21; Ezekiel 19:10. When Jesus says he was the true vine, perhaps allusion is had to Jeremiah 2:21. The word “true,” here, is used in the sense of real, genuine. He really and truly gives what is emblematically

Acts 3:25 — prophets, but that they were their “disciples,” “pupils,” “followers.” They professed to follow the prophets as their teachers and guides. Teachers among the Jews were often spoken of under the appellation of fathers, and disciples as sons, Matthew 12:27. See notes on Matthew 1:1. As they were the professed disciples of the prophets, they should listen to them. As they lived among the people to whom the prophets were sent, and to whom the promises were made, they should avail themselves of the offer

Romans 14:19 — will further an object. Applied to the church, it means to do anything by teaching, counsel, advice, etc. which will tend to promote its great object; to aid Christians, to enable them to surmount difficulties, to remove their ignorance, etc.; Acts 9:31; 1Co 8:1; 1 Corinthians 14:4. In these expressions the idea of a “building” is retained, reared on a firm, tried cornerstone, the Lord Jesus Christ; Ephesians 2:20; Isaiah 28:16. Compare Romans 9:33. Christians are thus regarded, according to Paul’s

Romans 8:21 — same body and soul, though freed from all the corruptions of humanity, and elevated above all the degradations of the present condition. The idea is everywhere presented, that the identical person shall be admitted to heaven without essential change, 1Co 15:35-38, 1 Corinthians 15:42-44. That this is the hope of all Christians, see 2 Peter 3:13.From the bondage of corruption - This does not differ materially from “vanity,” Romans 8:20. It implies that this state is not a willing state, or not a condition

1 Corinthians 11:7 — proper that he should be covered. The reason why it is not proper, the apostle immediately states.Forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God - The phrase “the image of God” refers to the fact that man was made in the likeness of his Maker Genesis 1:27; and proves that, though fallen, there is a sense in which he is still the image of God. It is not because man is truly or pure, and thus resembles his Creator; but it evidently is because he was invested by his Maker with authority and dominion;

1 Corinthians 5:3 — as if I were personally present. Many suppose that Paul by this refers to a power which was given to the apostles, though at a distance, to discern the real circumstances of a case by the gift of the Spirit. Compare Col 2:5; 2 Kings 5:26; 2 Kings 6:12. (Whitby, Doddridge, etc.) But the phrase does not demand this interpretation. Paul meant, probably, that though he was absent, yet his mind and attention had been given to this subject; he felt as deeply as though he were present, and would act in

1 Corinthians 7:17 — particular calling. The object of Paul, therefore, is to preserve order, industry, faithfulness in the relations of life, and to show that Christianity does not design to break up the relations of social and domestic contact. This discussion continues to 1 Corinthians 7:24. The phrase “as God hath distributed” refers to the condition in which people are placed in life, whether as rich or poor, in a state of freedom or servitude, of learning or ignorance, etc. And it implies that God appoints the lot of