Bible Commentaries
Go deeper in Scripture
Browse trusted public-domain commentary alongside DiscipleDeck Bible study. References inside each commentary open Bible previews in place.
3,811 commentary entries
Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible
The Agony in the Garden
THE AGONY IN THE GARDEN. We have here the awful story of Christ's agony in the garden, just before he was betrayed, which was largely related by the other evangelists. In it Christ accommodated himself to that part of h…
The Treachery of Judas
THE TREACHERY OF JUDAS. Satan, finding himself baffled in his attempts to terrify our Lord Jesus, and so to put him out of the possession of his own soul, betakes himself (according to his usual method) to force and arm…
The Fall of Peter
THE FALL OF PETER. We have here the melancholy story of Peter's denying his Master, at the time when he was arraigned before the high priest, and those that were of the cabal, that were ready to receive the prey, and to…
Christ Abused and Insulted
CHRIST ABUSED AND INSULTED. We are here told, as before in the other gospels, I. How our Lord Jesus was abused by the servants of the high priest. The abjects, the rude and barbarous servants, gathered themselves togeth…
Christ before Pilate and Herod; Christ Accused and Insulted
CHRIST BEFORE PILATE AND HEROD; CHRIST ACCUSED AND INSULTED. Our Lord Jesus was condemned as a blasphemer in the spiritual court, but it was the most impotent malice that could be that this court was actuated by; for, w…
Barabbas Preferred to Christ
BARABBAS PREFERRED TO CHRIST. We have here the blessed Jesus run down by the mob, and hurried to the cross in the storm of a popular noise and tumult, raised by the malice and artifice of the chief priests, as agents fo…
The Crucifixion
THE CRUCIFIXION. We have here the blessed Jesus, the Lamb of God, led as a lamb to the slaughter, to the sacrifice. It is strange with what expedition they went through his trial; how they could do so much work in such…
The Crucifixion
THE CRUCIFIXION. In these verses we have, I. Divers passages which we had before in Matthew and Mark concerning Christ's sufferings. 1. That there were two others, malefactors, led with him to the place of execution, wh…
The Crucifixion
THE CRUCIFIXION. In these verses we have three things:— I. Christ's dying magnified by the prodigies that attended it: only two are here mentioned, which we had an account of before. 1. The darkening of the sun at noon-…
The Burial of Christ
THE BURIAL OF CHRIST. We have here an account of Christ's burial; for he must be brought not only to death, but to the dust of death (Psalm 22:15), according to the sentence (Genesis 3:19), To the dust thou shalt return…
The Resurrection
THE RESURRECTION. The manner of the re-uniting of Christ's soul and body in his resurrection is a mystery, one of the secret things that belong not to us; but the infallible proofs of his resurrection, that he did indee…
The Disciples Going to Emmaus
THE DISCIPLES GOING TO EMMAUS. This appearance of Christ to the two disciples going to Emmaus was mentioned, and but just mentioned, before (Mark 16:12); here it is largely related. It happened the same day that Christ…
Christ's Interview with the Apostles
CHRIST'S INTERVIEW WITH THE APOSTLES. Five times Christ was seen the same day that he rose: by Mary Magdalene alone in the garden (John 20:14), by the women as they were going to tell the disciples (Matthew 28:9), by Pe…
Christ's Ascension
CHRIST'S ASCENSION. This evangelist omits the solemn meeting between Christ and his disciples in Galilee; but what he said to them there, and at other interviews, he subjoins to what he said to them at the first visit h…
The Divinity of Christ
THE DIVINITY OF CHRIST. Augustine says (de Civitate Dei, lib. 10, cap. 29) that his friend Simplicius told him he had heard a Platonic philosopher say that these first verses of St. John's gospel were worthy to be writt…
The Testimony of John Baptist; Christ's Incarnation
THE TESTIMONY OF JOHN BAPTIST; CHRIST'S INCARNATION. The evangelist designs to bring in John Baptist bearing an honourable testimony to Jesus Christ, Now in these verses, before he does this, I. He gives us some account…
John's Testimony to Christ
JOHN'S TESTIMONY TO CHRIST. In these verses, I. The evangelist begins again to give us John Baptist's testimony concerning Christ, John 1:15. He had said (John 1:8) that he came for a witness; now here he tells us that…
John's Testimony to Christ; John Examined by the Priests
JOHN'S TESTIMONY TO CHRIST; JOHN EXAMINED BY THE PRIESTS. We have here the testimony of John, which he delivered to the messengers who were sent from Jerusalem to examine him. Observe here, I. Who they were that sent to…
John's Testimony to Christ
JOHN'S TESTIMONY TO CHRIST. We have in these verses an account of John's testimony concerning Jesus Christ, which he witnessed to his own disciples that followed him. As soon as ever Christ was baptized he was immediate…
The Call of Andrew and Peter
THE CALL OF ANDREW AND PETER. We have here the turning over of two disciples from John to Jesus, and one of them fetching in a third, and these are the first-fruits of Christ's disciples; see how small the church was in…
The Call of Philip and Nathanael
THE CALL OF PHILIP AND NATHANAEL. We have here the call of Philip and Nathanael. I. Philip was called immediately by Christ himself, not as Andrew, who was directed to Christ by John, or Peter, who was invited by his br…
Water Turned into Wine
WATER TURNED INTO WINE. We have here the story of Christ's miraculous conversion of water into wine at a marriage in Cana of Galilee. There were some few so well disposed as to believe in Christ, and to follow him, when…
Temple-Merchandise Punished; Christ's Death and Resurrection Foretold
TEMPLE-MERCHANDISE PUNISHED; CHRIST'S DEATH AND RESURRECTION FORETOLD. Here we have, I. The short visit Christ made to Capernaum, John 2:12. It was a large and populous city, about a day's journey from Cana; it is calle…
The Success of Christ's Ministry
THE SUCCESS OF CHRIST'S MINISTRY. We have here an account of the success, the poor success, of Christ's preaching and miracles at Jerusalem, while he kept the passover there. Observe, I. That our Lord Jesus, when he was…