Bible Commentaries

1 Kings 9:11 — 11. Solomon gave Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee—According to JOSEPHUS, they were situated on the northwest of it, adjacent to Tyre. Though lying within the boundaries of the promised land (Genesis 15:18; Joshua 1:4), they had never been conquered till then, and were inhabited by Canaanite heathens (Judges 4:2-13; 2 Kings 15:29). They were probably given to Hiram, whose dominions were small, as a remuneration for his important services in

Song of Solomon 1:11 — 11. We—the Trinity implied by the Holy Ghost, whether it was so by the writer of the Song or not (Genesis 1:26; Proverbs 8:30; Proverbs 30:4). "The Jews acknowledged God as king, and Messiah as king, in interpreting the Song, but did not know that these two are one" [LEIGHTON]. make—not merely give (Ephesians 2:10). borders of gold, with studs of

Song of Solomon 2:11 — highest sense, the coming resurrection and deliverance of the earth from the past curse is here implied (Romans 8:19; Revelation 21:4; Revelation 22:3). No more "clouds" shall then "return after the rain" (Ecclesiastes 12:2; Revelation 4:3; compare Genesis 9:13-17); "the rainbow round the throne" is the "token" of this.

Isaiah 38:3 — according to the Old Testament dispensation, wherein temporal rewards (as long life, c., :-) followed legal obedience, he makes his religious conduct a plea for asking the prolongation of his life. walked—Life is a journey the pious "walk with God" (Genesis 5:24; 1 Kings 9:4). perfect—sincere; not absolutely perfect, but aiming towards it (1 Kings 9:4- :); single-minded in walking as in the presence of God (1 Kings 9:4- :). The letter of the Old Testament legal righteousness was, however, a standard

Jeremiah 16:16 — 16. send for—translate, "I will send many"; "I will give the commission to many" (2 Chronicles 17:7). fishers . . . hunters—successive invaders of Judea (Amos 4:2; Habakkuk 1:14; Habakkuk 1:15). So "net" (Ezekiel 12:13). As to "hunters," see Genesis 10:9; Micah 7:2. The Chaldees were famous in hunting, as the Egyptians, the other enemy of Judea, were in fishing. "Fishers" expresses the ease of their victory over the Jews as that of the angler over fishes; "hunters," the keenness of their

Jeremiah 30:21 — (compare Acts 3:15; Hebrews 2:10), answering to "their Governor" in the parallel clause. of themselves—of their own nation, a Jew, not a foreigner; applicable to Zerubbabel, or J. Hyrcanus (hereditary high priest and governor), only as types of Christ (Genesis 49:10; Micah 5:2; Romans 9:5), the antitypical "David" (Jeremiah 30:9). cause him to draw near—as the great Priest (Exodus 19:22; Leviticus 21:17), through whom believers also have access to God (Leviticus 21:17- :). His priestly and kingly

Jeremiah 51:27 — Lesser Armenia. RAWLINSON says that Van was the capital of Minni. It was conquered by Tettarrassa, the general of Tetembar II, the Assyrian king whose wars are recorded on the black obelisk now in the British Museum. Ashchenaz—a descendant of Japheth (Genesis 10:3), who gave his name to the sea now called the Black Sea; the region bordering on it is probably here meant, namely, Asia Minor, including places named Ascania in Phrygia and Bithynia. Cyrus had subdued Asia Minor and the neighboring regions,

Daniel 4:27 — 27. break off—as a galling yoke (Genesis 27:40); sin is a heavy load (Matthew 11:28). The Septuagint and Vulgate translate not so well, "redeem," which is made an argument for Rome's doctrine of the expiation of sins by meritorious works. Even translate it so, it can only mean; Repent

Daniel 9:27 — Jews persecuted the Church and stoned Stephen (Hebrews 9:28- :), the respite of grace granted to them was at an end (Hebrews 9:28- :). Israel, having rejected Christ, was rejected by Christ, and henceforth is counted dead (compare Hebrews 9:28- : with Genesis 5:5; Hosea 13:1; Hosea 13:2), its actual destruction by Titus being the consummation of the removal of the kingdom of God from Israel to the Gentiles (Hosea 13:2- :), which is not to be restored until Christ's second coming, when Israel shall

Amos 5:15 — God with an uncertainty whether or no He will be gracious: the expression merely implies the difficulty in the way, because of the want of true repentance on man's part, so as to stimulate the zealous earnestness of believers in seeking God (compare Genesis 16:2; Joel 2:14; Acts 8:22). the remnant of Joseph—(see Amos 5:6). Israel (represented by "Ephraim," the leading tribe, and descendant of Joseph) was, as compared to what it once was, now but a remnant, Hazael of Syria having smitten all the

Amos 7:8 — 8. plumb-line in . . . midst of . . . Israel—No longer are the symbols, as in the former two, stated generally; this one is expressly applied to Israel. God's long-suffering is worn out by Israel's perversity: so Amos ceases to intercede (compare Genesis 18:33). The plummet line was used not only in building, but in destroying houses (2 Kings 21:13; Isaiah 28:17; Isaiah 34:11; Lamentations 2:8). It denotes that God's judgments are measured out by the most exact rules of justice. Here it is placed

Habakkuk 3:19 — (the prophet and his people) to escape from his enemies, and return to his native land. The "high places" are called "mine," to imply that Israel shall be restored to his own land, a land of hills which are places of safety and of eminence (compare Genesis 19:17; Matthew 24:16). Probably not only the safety, but the moral elevation, of Israel above all the lands of the earth is implied (Matthew 24:16- :). on my stringed instruments—neginoth. This is the prophet's direction to the precentor ("chief

Zechariah 9:11 — according to the covenant vouchsafed to thee on Sinai, and ratified by the blood of sacrifices (Exodus 24:8; Hebrews 9:18-20). pit wherein . . . no water—Dungeons were often pits without water, miry at the bottom, such as Jeremiah sank in when confined (Genesis 37:24; Jeremiah 38:6). An image of the misery of the Jewish exiles in Egypt, Greece, c., under the successors of Alexander, especially under Antiochus Epiphanes, who robbed and profaned the temple, slew thousands, and enslaved more. God delivered them

Matthew 13:33 — leaven. Nor does it yield much satisfaction to understand the "three measures of meal" of that threefold division of our nature into "spirit, soul, and body," alluded to in :-, or of the threefold partition of the world among the three sons of Noah (Genesis 10:32), as some do. It yields more real satisfaction to see in this brief parable just the all-penetrating and assimilating quality of the Gospel, by virtue of which it will yet mould all institutions and tribes of men, and exhibit over the whole

Deuteronomy 8:8 — and barley—These cereal fruits were specially promised to the Israelites in the event of their faithful allegiance to the covenant of God (Psalms 81:16; Psalms 147:14). The wheat and barley were so abundant as to yield sixty and often an hundredfold (Genesis 26:12; Matthew 13:8). vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates—The limestone rocks and abrupt valleys were entirely covered, as traces of them still show, with plantations of figs, vines, and olive trees. Though in a southern latitude, its mountainous

Mark 4:20 — "choked" and brings no fruit to perfection. The "thirtyfold" is designed to express the lowest degree of fruitfulness; the "hundredfold" the highest; and the "sixtyfold" the intermediate degrees of fruitfulness. As a "hundredfold," though not unexampled (Genesis 26:12), is a rare return in the natural husbandry, so the highest degrees of spiritual fruitfulness are too seldom witnessed. The closing words of this introductory parable seem designed to call attention to the fundamental and universal character

Romans 8:32 — conduct regarding his son Isaac seems designed to furnish something like a glimpse into the spirit of His own act in surrendering His own Son. "Take now (said the Lord to Abraham) thy son, thine only, whom thou lovest, and . . . offer him for a burnt offering" (Genesis 22:2); and only when Abraham had all but performed that loftiest act of self-sacrifice, the Lord interposed, saying, "Now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou HAST NOT WITHHELD THY SON, THINE ONLY SON, from Me." In the light of this incident,

1 Thessalonians 2:16 — 16. Forbidding—Greek, "Hindering us from speaking," c. to fill up their sins alway—Tending thus "to the filling up (the full measure of, Genesis 15:16 Daniel 8:23; Matthew 23:32) their sins at all times," that is, now as at all former times. Their hindrance of the Gospel preaching to the Gentiles was the last measure added to their continually accumulating iniquity, which made them fully

Hebrews 12:24 — the same kind (namely, Christ's sacrifice, and Abel's sacrifice) is more natural, than between two things different in kind and in results (namely, Christ's sacrifice, and Abel's own blood [ALFORD], which was not a sacrifice at all); compare Hebrews 11:4; Genesis 4:4. This accords with the whole tenor of the Epistle, and of this passage in particular (Genesis 4:4- :), which is to show the superiority of Christ's sacrifice and the new covenant, to the Old Testament sacrifices (of which Abel's is the first

James 2:7 — 30:9; Exodus 20:7). that worthy name—which is "good before the Lord's saints" (Psalms 52:9; Psalms 54:6); which ye pray may be "hallowed" (Matthew 6:9), and "by which ye are called," literally, "which was invoked" or, "called upon by you" (compare Genesis 48:16; Isaiah 4:1, Margin; Isaiah 4:1- :), so that at your baptism "into the name" (so the Greek, Matthew 28:19) of Christ, ye became Christ's people (Matthew 28:19- :).