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3,811 commentary entries
Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible
God's Displeasure against Balaam; Remonstrance of Balaam's Ass; The Angel Appears to Balaam. (b. c. 1452.)
GOD'S DISPLEASURE AGAINST BALAAM; REMONSTRANCE OF BALAAM'S ASS; THE ANGEL APPEARS TO BALAAM. (B. C. 1452.) We have here an account of the opposition God gave to Balaam in his journey towards Moab; probably the princes h…
Meeting between Balak and Balaam. (b. c. 1452.)
MEETING BETWEEN BALAK AND BALAAM. (B. C. 1452.) We have here the meeting between Balak and Balaam, confederate enemies to God's Israel; but here they seem to differ in their expectations of the success. 1. Balak speaks…
Balaam Constrained to Bless Israel; The Blessing Pronounced on Israel. (b. c. 1452.)
BALAAM CONSTRAINED TO BLESS ISRAEL; THE BLESSING PRONOUNCED ON ISRAEL. (B. C. 1452.) Here is, I. Great preparation made for the cursing of Israel. That which was aimed at was to engage the God of Israel to forsake them,…
Balaam Again Blesses Israel. (b. c. 1452.)
BALAAM AGAIN BLESSES ISRAEL. (B. C. 1452.) Here is, I. Preparation made the second time, as before, for the cursing of Israel. 1. The place is changed, Numbers 23:13. Balak fancied that Balaam, having so full a prospect…
Balaam Blesses Israel a Third Time. (b. c. 1452.)
BALAAM BLESSES ISRAEL A THIRD TIME. (B. C. 1452.) The blessing itself which Balaam here pronounces upon Israel is much the same with the two we had in the foregoing chapter; but the introduction to it is different. I. T…
Balak's Remonstrance. (b. c. 1452.)
BALAK'S REMONSTRANCE. (B. C. 1452.) We have here the conclusion of this vain attempt to curse Israel, and the total abandonment of it. 1. Balak made the worst of it. He broke out into a rage against Balaam (Numbers 24:1…
Balaam's Prophecy. (b. c. 1452.)
BALAAM'S PROPHECY. (B. C. 1452.) The office of prophets was both to bless and to prophesy in the name of the Lord. Balaam, as a prophet, per force had blessed Israel; here he foretells future events. I. His preface is m…
The Sin of Israel. (b. c. 1452.)
THE SIN OF ISRAEL. (B. C. 1452.) Here is, I. The sin of Israel, to which they were enticed by the daughters of Moab and Midian; they were guilty both of corporal and spiritual whoredoms, for Israel joined himself unto B…
The Zeal of Phinehas. (b. c. 1452.)
THE ZEAL OF PHINEHAS. (B. C. 1452.) Here is a remarkable contest between wickedness and righteousness, which shall be most bold and resolute; and righteousness carries the day, as no doubt it will at last. I. Never was…
Matthew Henry on Numbers 25:16-18
God had punished the Israelites for their sin with a plague; as a Father he corrected his own children with a rod. But we read not that any of the Midianites died of the plague; God took another course with them, and pu…
The Numbering of the People. (b. c. 1452.)
THE NUMBERING OF THE PEOPLE. (B. C. 1452.) Observe here, 1. That Moses did not number the people but when God commanded him. David in his time did it without a command, and paid dearly for it. God was Israel's king, and…
Matthew Henry on Numbers 26:5-51
This is the register of the tribes as they were now enrolled, in the same order that they were numbered in Numbers 1:1-54. Observe, I. The account that is here kept of the families of each tribe, which must not be under…
Matthew Henry on Numbers 26:52-56
If any ask why such a particular account is kept of the tribes, and families, and numbers, of the people of Israel, here is an answer for them; as they were multiplied, so they were portioned, not by common providence,…
Matthew Henry on Numbers 26:57-62
Levi was God's tribe, a tribe that was to have no inheritance with the rest in the land of Canaan, and therefore was not numbered with the rest, but by itself; so it had been numbered in the beginning of this book at Mo…
Matthew Henry on Numbers 26:63-65
That which is observable in this conclusion of the account is the execution of the sentence passed upon the murmurers (Numbers 14:29), that not one of those who were numbered from twenty years old and upwards (and that…
The Daughters of Zelophehad. (b. c. 1452.)
THE DAUGHTERS OF ZELOPHEHAD. (B. C. 1452.) Mention is made of the case of these daughters of Zelophehad in the chapter before, Numbers 27:33. It should seem, by the particular notice taken of it, that it was a singular…
Moses Warned of His Death. (b. c. 1452.)
MOSES WARNED OF HIS DEATH. (B. C. 1452.) Here, 1. God tells Moses of his fault, his speaking unadvisedly with his lips at the waters of strife, where he did not express, so carefully as he ought to have done, a regard t…
Joshua Named as Moses's Successor. (b. c. 1452.)
JOSHUA NAMED AS MOSES'S SUCCESSOR. (B. C. 1452.) Here, I. Moses prays for a successor. When God had told him that he must die, though it appears elsewhere that he solicited for a reprieve for himself (Deuteronomy 3:24-2…
Laws Concerning Sacrifices. (b. c. 1452.)
LAWS CONCERNING SACRIFICES. (B. C. 1452.) Here is, I. A general order given concerning the offerings of the Lord, which were to be brought in their season, Numbers 28:2. These laws are here given afresh, not because the…
Matthew Henry on Numbers 28:9-15
The new moons and the sabbaths are often spoken of together, as great solemnities in the Jewish church, very comfortable to the saints then, and typical of gospel grace. Now we have here the sacrifices appointed, 1. For…
Matthew Henry on Numbers 28:16-31
Here is, I. The appointment of the pass-over sacrifices; not that which was the chief, the paschal lamb (sufficient instructions had formerly been given concerning that), but those which were to be offered upon the seve…
Solemnities of the Seventh Month. (b. c. 1452.)
SOLEMNITIES OF THE SEVENTH MONTH. (B. C. 1452.) There were more sacred solemnities in the seventh month than in any other month of the year, not only because it had been the first month till the deliverance of Israel ou…
Matthew Henry on Numbers 29:12-40
Soon after the day of atonement, that day in which men were to afflict their souls, followed the feast of tabernacles, in which they were to rejoice before the Lord; for those that sow in tears shall soon reap in joy. T…
Concerning Vows. (b. c. 1452.)
CONCERNING VOWS. (B. C. 1452.) This law was delivered to the heads of the tribes that they might instruct those who were under their charge, explain the law to them, give then necessary cautions, and call them to accoun…