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Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible
Matthew Henry on Exodus 22:25-31
Here is, I. A law against extortion in lending. 1. They must not receive use for money from any that borrowed for necessity (Exodus 22:25), as in that case, Nehemiah 5:5. And such provision the law made for the preserva…
Judicial Laws. (b. c. 1491.)
JUDICIAL LAWS. (B. C. 1491.) Here are, I. Cautions concerning judicial proceedings; it was not enough that they had good laws, better than ever any nation had, but care must be taken for the due administration of justic…
Matthew Henry on Exodus 23:10-19
Here is, I. The institution of the sabbatical year, Exodus 23:10-11. Every seventh year the land was to rest; they must not plough nor sow it at the beginning of the year, and then they could not expect any great harves…
Precepts and Promises. (b. c. 1491.)
PRECEPTS AND PROMISES. (B. C. 1491.) Three gracious promises are here made to Israel, to engage them to their duty and encourage them in it; and each of the promises has some needful precepts and cautions joined to it.…
Israel's Acceptance of the Laws. (b. c. 1491.)
ISRAEL'S ACCEPTANCE OF THE LAWS. (B. C. 1491.) The first two verses record the appointment of a second session upon Mount Sinai, for the making of laws, when an end was put to the first. When a communion is begun betwee…
A Manifestation of God. (b. c. 1491.)
A MANIFESTATION OF GOD. (B. C. 1491.) The people having, besides their submission to the ceremony of the sprinkling of blood, declared their well-pleasedness in their God and his law, again and again, God here gives to…
Matthew Henry on Exodus 24:12-18
The public ceremony of sealing the covenant being over, Moses is called up to receive further instructions, which we have in the following chapters. I. He is called up into the mount, and there he remains six days at so…
The Tabernacle and Its Furniture. (b. c. 1491.)
THE TABERNACLE AND ITS FURNITURE. (B. C. 1491.) We may suppose that when Moses went into the midst of the cloud, and abode there so long, where the holy angels attended the shechinah, or divine Majesty, he saw and heard…
Matthew Henry on Exodus 25:10-22
The first thing which is here ordered to be made is the ark with its appurtenances, the furniture of the most holy place, and the special token of God's presence, for which the tabernacle was erected to be the receptacl…
Matthew Henry on Exodus 25:23-30
Here is, 1. A table ordered to be made of wood overlaid with gold, which was to stand, not in the holy of holies (nothing was in that but the ark with its appurtenances), but in the outer part of the tabernacle, called…
Matthew Henry on Exodus 25:31-40
I. The next thing ordered to be made for the furnishing of God's palace was a rich stately candlestick, all of pure gold, not hollow, but solid. The particular directions here given concerning it show, 1. That it was ve…
The Tabernacle and Its Furniture. (b. c. 1491.)
THE TABERNACLE AND ITS FURNITURE. (B. C. 1491.) I. The house must be a tabernacle or tent, such as soldiers now use in the camp, which was both a mean dwelling and a movable one; and yet the ark of God had not better, t…
Matthew Henry on Exodus 26:7-14
Moses is here ordered to make a double covering for the tabernacle, that it might not rain in, and that the beauty of those fine curtains might not be damaged. 1. There was to be a covering of hair camlet curtains, whic…
Matthew Henry on Exodus 26:15-30
Very particular directions are here given about the boards of the tabernacle, which were to bear up the curtains, as the stakes of a tent which had need to be strong, Isaiah 54:2. These boards had tenons which fell into…
Matthew Henry on Exodus 26:31-37
Two veils are here ordered to be made, 1. One for a partition between the holy place and the most holy, which not only forbade any to enter, but forbade them so much as to look into the holiest of all, Exodus 26:31. Und…
The Tabernacle and Its Furniture. (b. c. 1491.)
THE TABERNACLE AND ITS FURNITURE. (B. C. 1491.) As God intended in the tabernacle to manifest his presence among his people, so there they were to pay their devotions to him, not in the tabernacle itself (into that only…
Matthew Henry on Exodus 27:9-19
Before the tabernacle there was to be a court or yard, enclosed with hangings of the finest linen that was used for tents. This court, according to the common computation of cubits, was fifty yards long, and twenty-five…
Matthew Henry on Exodus 27:20-21
We read of the candlestick in the twenty-fifth chapter; here is an order given for the keeping of the lamps constantly burning in it, else it was useless; in every candlestick there should be a burning and shining light…
The Priests' Attire. (b. c. 1491.)
THE PRIESTS' ATTIRE. (B. C. 1491.) We have here, I. The priests nominated: Aaron and his sons, Exodus 28:1. Hitherto every master of a family was priest to his own family, and offered, as he saw cause, upon altars of ea…
Matthew Henry on Exodus 28:6-14
Directions are here given concerning the ephod, which was the outmost garment of the high priest. Linen ephods were worn by the inferior priests, 1 Samuel 22:18. Samuel wore one when he was a child (1 Samuel 2:18), and…
Aaron's Attire. (b. c. 1491.)
AARON'S ATTIRE. (B. C. 1491.) The most considerable of the ornaments of the high priest was this breast-plate, a rich piece of cloth, curiously wrought with gold and purple, &c., two spans long and a span broad, so that…
Matthew Henry on Exodus 28:31-39
Here is, 1. Direction given concerning the robe of the ephod, Exodus 28:31-35. This was next under the ephod, and reached down to the knees, was without sleeves, and was put on over their head, having holes on the sides…
The Priests' Attire. (b. c. 1491.)
THE PRIESTS' ATTIRE. (B. C. 1491.) We have here, 1. Particular orders about the vestments of the inferior priests. They were to have coats, and girdles, and bonnets, of the same materials with those of the high priest;…
The Consecration of the Priests. (b. c. 1491.)
THE CONSECRATION OF THE PRIESTS. (B. C. 1491.) Here is, I. The law concerning the consecration of Aaron and his sons to the priest's office, which was to be done with a great deal of ceremony and solemnity, that they th…