Bible Commentaries

Genesis 25:21 — Isaac entreated the Lord for his wife — Though tried in a similar way to his father, he did not follow the same crooked policy. Twenty years he continued unblessed with offspring, whose seed was to be “as the stars” [Genesis 26:4 ]. But in answer to their mutual prayers (1 Peter 3:7), Rebekah was divinely informed that she was to be the mother of twins, who should be the progenitors of two independent nations; that the descendants of the younger should be the

Genesis 29:1 — Genesis 29:1-35. The well of Haran. Then Jacob went, etc. — Hebrew, “lifted up his feet.” He resumed his way next morning with a light heart and elastic step after the vision of the ladder; for tokens of the divine favor tend to quicken

Genesis 33:18 — Shalem — that is, “peace”; and the meaning may be that Jacob came into Canaan, arriving safe and sound at the city Shechem - a tribute to Him who had promised such a return (compare Genesis 28:15). But most writers take Shalem as a proper name - a city of Shechem, and the site is marked by one of the little villages about two miles to the northeast. A little farther in the valley below Shechem “he bought a parcel of a field,”

Genesis 39:21-23 — gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison, etc. — It is highly probable, from the situation of this prison (Genesis 40:3), that the keeper might have been previously acquainted with Joseph and have had access to know his innocence of the crime laid to his charge, as well as with all the high integrity of his character. That may partly account for his showing

Genesis 40:1 — Genesis 40:1-8. Two state prisoners. the butler — not only the cup-bearer, but overseer of the royal vineyards, as well as the cellars; having, probably, some hundreds of people under him. baker — or cook, had the superintendence of

Genesis 7:21 — fowl  …  cattle, and  …  creeping thing — It has been a uniform principle in the divine procedure, when judgments were abroad on the earth, to include every thing connected with the sinful objects of His wrath (Genesis 19:25; Exodus 9:6). Besides, now that the human race was reduced to one single family, it was necessary that the beasts should be proportionally diminished, otherwise by their numbers they would have acquired the ascendancy and overmastered the

Exodus 3:6-8 — Moreover, the time, as well as all the circumstances of this miraculous appearance, were such as to give him an illustrious display of God‘s faithfulness to His promises. The period of Israel‘s journey and affliction in Egypt had been predicted (Genesis 15:13), and it was during the last year of the term which had still to run that the Lord appeared in the burning bush.

1 Chronicles 1:36 — sons of Eliphaz — the tribe Adites, in the center country of the Saracens, so called from his mother, Adah (Genesis 36:10). Teman — gave rise to the land of Teman, near the head of the Red Sea. Omar — the tribe Beni-Amma, settled at the northern point of Djebel Shera (Mount Seir). Zephi — the tribe Dzaf. Gatam — Katam, inhabited

Job 17:5 — The Hebrew for “flattery” is “smoothness”; then it came to mean a prey divided by lot, because a smooth stone was used in casting the lots (Deuteronomy 18:8), “a portion” (Genesis 14:24). Therefore translate, “He that delivers up his friend as a prey (which the conduct of my friends implies that they would do), even the eyes,” etc. [Noyes] (Job 11:20). Job says this as to the sinner‘s children, retorting

Psalms 105:42-45 — marvelous kindness to His people (compare Psalm 105:8, Psalm 105:11). Exodus 2:24 is the fundamental passage [Hengstenberg]. (2) That they might be obedient. The observance of God‘s commands by Abraham was the object of the covenant with him (Genesis 18:19), as it was also the object of the covenant with Israel, that they might observe God‘s statutes. remembered  …  and Abraham — or, “remembered His holy word (that is, covenant confirmed) with Abraham.”

Psalms 123:2 — directing hand, to appoint them their work; (2) to His supplying hand (Psalm 104:28), to give them their portion in due season; (3) to His protecting hand, to right them when wronged; (4) to His correcting hand (Isaiah 9:13; 1 Peter 5:6; compare Genesis 16:6); (5) to His rewarding hand.

Psalms 23:1 — His perpetual favor. Christ‘s relation to His people is often represented by the figure of a shepherd (John 10:14; Hebrews 13:20; 1 Peter 2:25; 1 Peter 5:4), and therefore the opinion that He is the Lord here so described, and in Genesis 48:15; Psalm 80:1; Isaiah 40:11, is not without some good reason.

Jeremiah 31:1 — chapter. As in that chapter the restoration of Judah, so in this the restoration of Israel‘s ten tribes is foretold. At the same time — “In the latter days” (Jeremiah 30:24). the God of — manifesting My grace to (Genesis 17:7; Matthew 22:32; Revelation 21:3). all  …  Israel — not the exiles of the south kingdom of Judah only, but also the north kingdom of the ten tribes; and not merely Israel in general, but “all the families of Israel.”

Jeremiah 36:30 — 22:30). dead body  …  cast out — (Jeremiah 22:18, Jeremiah 22:19). day  …  heat  …  night  …  frost — There are often these variations of temperature in the East between night and day (Genesis 31:40).

Daniel 2:1 — (Daniel 1:5- :; compare Jeremiah 25:9; Ezekiel 28:12-15; Isaiah 44:28; Isaiah 45:1; Romans 13:1), is honored with the revelation in the form of a dream, the appropriate form to one outside the kingdom of God. So in the cases of Abimelech, Pharaoh, c. (Genesis 20:3 Genesis 41:1-7), especially as the heathen attached such importance to dreams. Still it is not he, but an Israelite, who interprets it. Heathendom is passive, Israel active, in divine things, so that the glory redounds to "the God of heaven."

Hosea 3:4 — to "thou shalt abide for me" (1 Chronicles 15:27- :). Abide in solitary isolation, as a separated wife. The teraphim were tutelary household gods, in the shape of human busts, cut off at the waist (as the root of the Hebrew word implies) [MAURER], (Genesis 31:19; Genesis 31:30-35). They were supposed to give responses to consulters (2 Kings 23:24; Ezekiel 21:21, Margin; Ezekiel 21:21- :). Saul's daughter, Michal, putting one in a bed, as if it were David, proves the shape to have been that of a

Numbers 24:17 — Israel. there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel — This imagery, in the hieroglyphic language of the East, denotes some eminent ruler - primarily David; but secondarily and pre-eminently, the Messiah (see on Genesis 49:10). corners — border, often used for a whole country (Exodus 8:2; Psalm 74:17). children of Sheth — some prince of Moab; or, according to some, “the children of the East.”

Deuteronomy 33:13-17 — the bullock and the horns of the unicorn” (rhinoceros), indicate glory and strength, and it is supposed that under these emblems were shadowed forth the triumphs of Joshua and the new kingdom of Jeroboam, both of whom were of Ephraim (compare Genesis 48:20).

Galatians 3:17 — time of his entrance into Egypt, the land of bondage. It was to Christ in him, as in his grandfather Abraham, and his father Isaac, not to him or them as persons, the promise was spoken. On the day following the last repetition of the promise orally (Genesis 46:1-6), at Beer-sheba, Israel passed into Egypt. It is from the end, not from the beginning of the dispensation of promise, that the interval of four hundred thirty years between it and the law is to be counted. At Beer-sheba, after the covenant

1 Samuel 1:4 — portions to all the members of his family; but “unto Hannah he gave a worthy portion”; that is, a larger choice, according to the Eastern fashion of showing regard to beloved or distinguished guests. (See on 1 Samuel 9:24; also see on Genesis 43:34).