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3,811 commentary entries
Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible
Ceremonial and Moral Laws. (b. c. 1490.)
CEREMONIAL AND MORAL LAWS. (B. C. 1490.) Moses is ordered to deliver the summary of the laws to all the congregation of the children of Israel (Leviticus 19:2); not to Aaron and his sons only, but to all the people, for…
Matthew Henry on Leviticus 19:11-18
We are taught here, I. To be honest and true in all our dealings, Leviticus 19:11. God, who has appointed every man's property by his providence, forbids by his law the invading of that appointment, either by downright…
Matthew Henry on Leviticus 19:19-29
Here is, I. A law against mixtures, Leviticus 19:19. God in the beginning made the cattle after their kind (Genesis 1:25), and we must acquiesce in the order of nature God hath established, believing that is best and su…
Moral Laws. (b. c. 1490.)
MORAL LAWS. (B. C. 1490.) Here is, I. A law for the preserving of the honour of the time and place appropriated to the service of God, Leviticus 19:30. This would be a means to secure them both from the idolatries and s…
Moral Laws. (b. c. 1490.)
MORAL LAWS. (B. C. 1490.) Moses is here directed to say that again to the children of Israel which he had in effect said before, Leviticus 20:2. We are sure it was no vain repetition, but very necessary, that they might…
Matthew Henry on Leviticus 20:10-21
Sins against the seventh commandment are here ordered to be severely punished. These are sins which, of all others, fools are most apt to make a mock at; but God would teach those the heinousness of the guilt by the ext…
Matthew Henry on Leviticus 20:22-27
The last verse is a particular law, which comes in after the general conclusion, as if omitted in its proper place: it is for the putting of those to death that dealt with familiar spirits, Leviticus 20:27. It would be…
Laws Concerning the Priests. (b. c. 1490.)
LAWS CONCERNING THE PRIESTS. (B. C. 1490.) It was before appointed that the priests should teach the people the statutes God had given concerning the difference between clean and unclean, Leviticus 10:10-11. Now here it…
Matthew Henry on Leviticus 21:10-15
More was expected from a priest than from other people, but more from the high priest than from other priests, because upon his head the anointing oil was poured, and he was consecrated to put on the garments (Leviticus…
Matthew Henry on Leviticus 21:16-24
The priesthood being confined to one particular family, and entailed upon all the male issue of that family throughout their generations, it was very likely that some or other in after-ages that were born to the priesth…
Laws Concerning the Priests. (b. c. 1490.)
LAWS CONCERNING THE PRIESTS. (B. C. 1490.) Those that had a natural blemish, though they were forbidden to do the priests' work, were yet allowed to eat of the holy things: and the Jewish writers say that "to keep them…
Matthew Henry on Leviticus 22:10-16
The holy things were to be eaten by the priests and their families. Now, I. Here is a law that no stranger should eat of them, that is, no person whatsoever but the priests only, and those that pertained to them, Leviti…
Laws Concerning Sacrifices. (b. c. 1490.)
LAWS CONCERNING SACRIFICES. (B. C. 1490.) Here are four laws concerning sacrifices:— I. Whatever was offered in sacrifice to God should be without blemish, otherwise it should not be accepted. This had often been mentio…
Sundry Feasts. (b. c. 1490.)
SUNDRY FEASTS. (B. C. 1490.) Here is, I. A general account of the holy times which God appointed (Leviticus 23:2), and it is only his appointment that can make time holy; for he is the Lord of time, and as soon as ever…
Matthew Henry on Leviticus 23:4-14
Here again the feasts are called the feasts of the Lord, because he appointed them. Jeroboam's feast, which he devised of his own heart (1 Kings 12:33), was an affront to God, and a reproach upon the people. These feast…
Matthew Henry on Leviticus 23:15-22
Here is the institution of the feast of pentecost, or weeks, as it is called (Deuteronomy 16:9), because it was observed fifty days, or seven weeks, after the passover. It is also called the feast of harvest, Exodus 23:…
Matthew Henry on Leviticus 23:23-32
Here is, I. The institution of the feast of trumpets, on the first day of the seventh month, Leviticus 23:24-25. That which was now the seventh month had been reckoned the first month, and the year of jubilee was still…
Matthew Henry on Leviticus 23:33-44
We have here, I. The institution of the feast of tabernacles, which was one of the three great feasts at which all the males were bound to attend, and celebrated with more expressions of joy than any of them. 1. As to t…
Laws Concerning the Lamps. (b. c. 1490.)
LAWS CONCERNING THE LAMPS. (B. C. 1490.) Care is here taken, and orders are given, for the decent furnishing of the candlestick and table in God's house. I. The lamps must always be kept burning. The law for this we had…
The Blasphemy of Shelomith's Son; The Punishment of Shelomith's Son. (b. c. 1490.)
THE BLASPHEMY OF SHELOMITH'S SON; THE PUNISHMENT OF SHELOMITH'S SON. (B. C. 1490.) Evil manners, we say, beget good laws. We have here an account of the evil manners of a certain nameless mongrel Israelite, and the good…
The Sabbatical Year. (b. c. 1490.)
THE SABBATICAL YEAR. (B. C. 1490.) The law of Moses laid a great deal of stress upon the sabbath, the sanctification of which was the earliest and most ancient of all divine institutions, designed for the keeping up of…
Institution of the Jubilee; the Year of the Jubilee. (b. c. 1490.)
INSTITUTION OF THE JUBILEE; THE YEAR OF THE JUBILEE. (B. C. 1490.) Here is, I. The general institution of the jubilee, Leviticus 25:8-22, &c. 1. When it was to be observed: after seven sabbaths of years (Leviticus 25:8)…
Matthew Henry on Leviticus 25:23-38
Here is, I. A law concerning the real estates of the Israelites in the land of Canaan, and the transferring of them. 1. No land should be sold for ever from the family to whose lot it fell in the division of the land. A…
Oppression of Brethren Forbidden. (b. c. 1490.)
OPPRESSION OF BRETHREN FORBIDDEN. (B. C. 1490.) We have here the laws concerning servitude, designed to preserve the honour of the Jewish nation as a free people, and rescued by a divine power out of the house of bondag…