Bible Commentaries

Daniel 2:48 — of a college or university. Daniel was placed over the whole as the president, principal, or chancellor. It had been the policy of Nebuchadnezzar to assemble at the capital the principal talent and learning of the realm. Compare the notes at Daniel 1:18-20; Daniel 2:2. Daniel thus, in both these stations of honor at an early period of life, though recently an unknown stranger, and a captive; was exalted to the highest honors which could be conferred on a subject, and raised to posts of distinction

Hosea 4:3 — name, as the Sea of Tiberias and the Dead Sea. Yet here the prophet probably alludes to the history of man’s creation, when God gave him dominion “over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the heaven, and over every living thing (chaiah)” Genesis 1:28, in just the inverse order, in which he here declares that they shall be taken away. There God gives dominion over all, from lowest to highest; here God denounces that He will take away all, down to those which are least affected by any changes.

Hosea 6:8 — Mount Gilead, dear to the memory of Israel, because God there protected their forefather Jacob. Some think that it was Ramoth in Gilead , which God appointed as “a city of refuge,” and which, consequently, became a city of Levites and priests Joshua 21:38.Here, where God had preserved the life of their forefather, and, in him, had preserved them; here, where He had commanded the innocent shedder of blood to be saved; here, where he had appointed those to dwell, whom He had hallowed to Himself, all

Micah 6:10 — that he wicked shall have no treasure, no fruit, but his wickedness. He treasureth up treasures, but of wickedness; as James saith, “Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days” James 5:3, that is, of the miseries that shall come upon them James 1:0. The words stand over against one another; “house of the wicked, treasures of wickedness;” as though the whole house of the wicked was but a “treasure-house of wickedness.” Therein it began; therein and in its rewards it shall end. “Are there yet?”

Micah 7:15 — Egypt.” Micah had said, in the name of his people, “I shall behold His Righteousness; God answers, I will make him to behold marvelous things” . The word marvelous things was used of God’s great marvels in the physical world Job 5:9; Job 37:5, Job 37:14, or the marvelous mercies of His Providence toward individuals or nations (Psalms 9:2; Psalms 26:7; Psalms 71:17; Psalms 72:18, etc.), and especially of those great miracles, which were accumulated at the deliverance from Egypt Exodus 3:20; Judges

Zechariah 13:9 — God’s ways. “Thou hast proved us, O God; Thou hast tried us, like as silver is tried. Thou broughtest us into the snare, Thou laidest trouble upon our loins: we went through fire and water, and Thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place” Psalms 66:9-11. “I have refined thee, but not with silver, I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction” Isaiah 48:10; and, “Through much tribulation we must enter into the kingdom of God” Acts 14:22.Dionysius: “In adversity virtue is most tried, and it is shown

Zechariah 4:10 — is marked by the accents. “For who hath despised the day of small things? and (that is, seeing that there have rejoiced and seen the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel, these seven, the Eyes of the Lord, they are running to and fro in all the earth,” 1:e., since God hath with joy and good-pleasure beheld the progress of the work of Zerubbabel, who can despise the day of small things? The day of small things was not only that of the foundation of the temple, but of its continued building also. The

Malachi 4:4 — the law of tithes, but Matthew 23:23 : “omitted weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith.” It is in obedience to the commandments, one by one, one and all. Moses exhorted to the keeping of the law, under these same words: Deuteronomy 4:1-2, Deuteronomy 4:5, Deuteronomy 4:8, Deuteronomy 4:14, “Now, therefore hearken, O Israel, unto the statutes and judgments which I teach you, to do them, that ye may live. Ye shall not add unto the word that I command you, neither shall ye diminish it.

Matthew 10:29-31 — numbers; they are tame, intrusive, and nestle everywhere. “They are extremely pertinacious in asserting their right of possession, and have not the least reverence for any place or thing. David alludes to these characteristics of the sparrow in Psalms 84:1-12, when he complains that they had appropriated even the altars of God for their nests. Concerning himself, he says, I watch, and am as a sparrow upon the housetop, Psalms 102:7. When one of them has lost its mate - a matter of everyday occurrence

Matthew 16:1-4 — See also Mark 8:11-12.The Pharisees also, and the Sadducees - See the notes at Matthew 3:7.Tempting - That is, trying him - feigning a desire to see evidence that he was the Messiah, but with a real desire to see him make the attempt to work a miracle and fail, so that

Matthew 27:9 — Spoken by Jeremy the prophet - The words quoted here are not to be found in the prophecy of Jeremiah. Words similar to these are recorded in Zechariah 11:12-13, and from that place this quotation has been doubtless made. Much difficulty has been experienced in explaining this quotation. In ancient times, according to the Jewish writers; “Jeremiah” was reckoned the first of the prophets, and was placed

Mark 12:44 — not, and in doing it they have shown no self-denial.She of her want - Of her poverty.All her living - All that she had to live on. She trusted in God to supply her wants, and devoted her little property entirely to him. From this passage we may learn:1. That God is pleased with offerings made to him and his cause.2. That it is our duty to devote our property to God. We received it from him, and we shall not employ it in a proper manner unless we feel that we are stewards, and ask of him what we shall

Mark 16:17 — in which Jesus himself wrought miracles. He did it in “his own name,” and as possessing original, underived authority. See the account of his stilling the sea (Matthew 8:26, etc.); of his healing the sick Matthew 9:5-6; of his raising Lazarus, John 11:0. The prophets spoke “in the name of the Lord.” The apostles did likewise, Acts 3:6, etc. There was, therefore, an important difference between Jesus and all the other messengers that God has sent into the world. He acted in his own name; they in

Luke 11:54 — talk; that they did as men do who catch birds - who lay snares, and deceive them, and take them unawares.That they might accuse him - Before the Sanhedrin, or great council of the nation, and thus secure his being put to death.From this we may learn:1. That faithful reproofs must be expected to excite opposition and hatred. Though the “conscience” may be roused, and may testify against the man that is reproved, yet that does not prevent his hating the reproof and the reprover.2. We see here the manner

Luke 14:32 — treat with an enemy and propose terms of peace. These expressions are not to be improperly pressed in order to obtain from them a spiritual signification. The general scope of the parable is to be learned from the connection, and may be thus expressed:1. Every man who becomes a follower of Jesus should calmly and deliberately look at all the consequences of such an act and be prepared to meet them.2. Men in other things act with prudence and forethought. They do not begin to build without a reasonable

John 14:26 — Will send in my name - On my account. To perfect my work. To execute it as I would in applying it to the hearts of men. See John 14:13.Shall teach you all things - All things which it was needful for them to understand in the apostolic office, and particularly those things which they were not prepared then to hear or could not then understand. See John 16:12. Compare the notes

John 14:9 — of the Father in sending him. The knowledge of the Son was itself, of course, the knowledge of the Father. There was such an intimate union in their nature and design that he who understood the one understood also the other. See the notes at Matthew 11:27; also Luke 10:22; John 1:18.

John 15:22 — unto them - Declared unto them the will of God, and made known his requirements. Jesus had not less certainly shown by his own arguments that he was the Messiah than by his miracles. By both these kinds of proof their guilt was to be measured. See John 15:26. No small part of the gospel of John consists of arguments used by the Saviour to convince the Jews that he came from God. He here says if he had not used these arguments, and proved to them his divine mission, they had not had sin.Had not had sin

John 5:8 — was really healed. For almost 40 years he had been afflicted. He was not even able to walk. Jesus commanded him not only to “walk,” but to take up his “bed” also, and carry that as proof that he was truly made whole. In regard to this we may observe,1. That it was a remarkable command. The poor man had been sick for a long time, and it does not appear that he expected to be healed except by being put into the waters. Yet Jesus, when he gives a commandment, can give strength to obey it.2. It is our

Acts 8:28 — it was natural for him, in returning, to look at the prophecies respecting the Messiah, either to meditate on them as a suitable subject of inquiry and thought, or to examine the claims of Jesus of Nazareth to this office. The prophecy in Isaiah 53:1-12; was so striking, and coincided so clearly with the character of Jesus, that it was natural for a candid mind to examine whether “he” might not be the person intended by the prophet. On this narrative we may remark:It is a proper and profitable employment,