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3,811 commentary entries
Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible
The Virgins of Shiloh Surprised. (b. c. 1409.)
THE VIRGINS OF SHILOH SURPRISED. (B. C. 1409.) We have here the method that was taken to provide the 200 Benjamites that remained with wives. And, though the tribe was reduced to a small number, they were only in care t…
Elimelech and Naomi; Death of Elimelech and His Sons. (b. c. 1312.)
ELIMELECH AND NAOMI; DEATH OF ELIMELECH AND HIS SONS. (B. C. 1312.) The first words give all the date we have of this story. It was in the days when the judges ruled (Ruth 1:1), not in those disorderly times when there…
Naomi Returns to Canaan; Naomi and Her Daughters-in-Law; Ruth's Constancy to Naomi. (b. c. 1312.)
NAOMI RETURNS TO CANAAN; NAOMI AND HER DAUGHTERS-IN-LAW; RUTH'S CONSTANCY TO NAOMI. (B. C. 1312.) See here, I. The good affection Naomi bore to the land of Israel, Ruth 1:6. Though she could not stay in it while the fam…
Naomi's Reception at Bethlehem. (b. c. 1312.)
NAOMI'S RECEPTION AT BETHLEHEM. (B. C. 1312.) Naomi and Ruth, after many a weary step (the fatigue of the journey, we may suppose, being somewhat relieved by the good instructions Naomi gave to her proselyte and the goo…
Ruth in the Field of Boaz. (b. c. 1312.)
RUTH IN THE FIELD OF BOAZ. (B. C. 1312.) Naomi had now gained a settlement in Bethlehem among her old friends; and here we have an account, I. Of her rich kinsman, Boaz, a mighty man of wealth, Ruth 2:1. The Chaldee rea…
The Kindness of Boaz to Ruth. (b. c. 1312.)
THE KINDNESS OF BOAZ TO RUTH. (B. C. 1312.) Now Boaz himself appears, and a great deal of decency there appears in his carriage both towards his own servants and towards this poor stranger. I. Towards his own servants,…
Ruth's Report to Naomi. (b. c. 1312.)
RUTH'S REPORT TO NAOMI. (B. C. 1312.) Here, I. Ruth finishes her day's work, Ruth 2:17. 1. She took care not to lose time, for she gleaned until evening. We must not be weary of well-doing, because in due season we shal…
Ruth's Visit to Boaz. (b. c. 1312.)
RUTH'S VISIT TO BOAZ. (B. C. 1312.) Here is, I. Naomi's care for her daughter's comfort is without doubt very commendable, and is recorded for imitation. She had no thoughts of marrying herself, Ruth 1:12. But, though s…
Ruth's Reception by Boaz. (b. c. 1312.)
RUTH'S RECEPTION BY BOAZ. (B. C. 1312.) Here is, I. Boaz's good management of his common affairs. It is probable, according to the common usage, 1. When his servants winnowed, he was with them, and had his eye upon them…
Ruth Sent Back in Peace to Naomi. (b. c. 1312.)
RUTH SENT BACK IN PEACE TO NAOMI. (B. C. 1312.) We are here told, I. How Ruth was dismissed by Boaz. It would not have been safe for her to go home in the dead of the night; therefore she lay at his feet (not by his sid…
Ruth Refused by Her Kinsman. (b. c. 1312.)
RUTH REFUSED BY HER KINSMAN. (B. C. 1312.) Here, 1. Boaz calls a court immediately. It is probable he was himself one of the elders (or aldermen) of the city; for he was a mighty man of wealth. Perhaps he was father of…
Ruth Married to Boaz. (b. c. 1312.)
RUTH MARRIED TO BOAZ. (B. C. 1312.) Boaz now sees his way clear, and therefore delays not to perform his promise made to Ruth that he would do the kinsman's part, but in the gate of the city, before the elders and all t…
The Pedigree of David; Naomi Comforted in Her Grandson. (b. c. 1312.)
THE PEDIGREE OF DAVID; NAOMI COMFORTED IN HER GRANDSON. (B. C. 1312.) Here is, I. Ruth a wife. Boaz took her, with the usual solemnities, to his house, and she became his wife (Ruth 4:13), all the city, no doubt, congra…
Parentage of Samuel; Elkanah, Hannah, and Peninnah. (b. c. 1140.)
PARENTAGE OF SAMUEL; ELKANAH, HANNAH, AND PENINNAH. (B. C. 1140.) We have here an account of the state of the family into which Samuel the prophet was born. His father's name was Elkanah, a Levite, and of the family of…
Hannah's Prayer. (b. c. 1140.)
HANNAH'S PRAYER. (B. C. 1140.) Elkanah had gently reproved Hannah for her inordinate grief, and here we find the good effect of the reproof. I. It brought her to her meat. She ate and drank, 1 Samuel 1:9. She did not ha…
The Birth of Samuel; Samuel Presented to the Lord. (b. c. 1137.)
THE BIRTH OF SAMUEL; SAMUEL PRESENTED TO THE LORD. (B. C. 1137.) Here is, I. The return of Elkanah and his family to their own habitation, when the days appointed for the feast were over, 1 Samuel 1:19. Observe how they…
Hannah's Song. (b. c. 1137.)
HANNAH'S SONG. (B. C. 1137.) We have here Hannah's thanksgiving, dictated, not only by the spirit of prayer, but by the spirit of prophecy. Her petition for the mercy she desired we had before (1 Samuel 1:11), and here…
Samuel in the Sanctuary; The Wickedness of Eli's Sons. (b. c. 1130.)
SAMUEL IN THE SANCTUARY; THE WICKEDNESS OF ELI'S SONS. (B. C. 1130.) In these verses we have the good character and posture of Elkanah's family, and the bad character and posture of Eli's family. The account of these tw…
Eli and His House Threatened. (b. c. 1128.)
ELI AND HIS HOUSE THREATENED. (B. C. 1128.) Eli reproved his sons too gently, and did not threaten them as he should, and therefore God sent a prophet to him to reprove him sharply, and to threaten him, because, by his…
The Call of Samuel. (b. c. 1128.)
THE CALL OF SAMUEL. (B. C. 1128.) To make way for the account of God's revealing himself first to Samuel, we are here told, 1. How industrious Samuel was in serving God, according as his place and capacity were (1 Samue…
Eli and His House Threatened. (b. c. 1128.)
ELI AND HIS HOUSE THREATENED. (B. C. 1128.) Here is, I. The message which, after all this introduction, God delivered to Samuel concerning Eli's house. God did not come to him now to tell him how great a man he should b…
Samuel Honoured as a Prophet. (b. c. 1128.)
SAMUEL HONOURED AS A PROPHET. (B. C. 1128.) Samuel being thus brought acquainted with the visions of God, we have here an account of the further honour done him as a prophet. I. God did him honour. Having begun to favou…
The War with the Philistines. (b. c. 1120.)
THE WAR WITH THE PHILISTINES. (B. C. 1120.) The first words of this paragraph, which relate to Samuel, that his word came to all Israel, seem not to have any reference to the following story, as if it was by any directi…
The Defeat of the Israelites. (b. c. 1120.)
THE DEFEAT OF THE ISRAELITES. (B. C. 1120.) Here is a short account of the issue of this battle. I. Israel was smitten, the army dispersed and totally routed, not retiring into the camp, as before (1 Samuel 4:2) when th…