Commentary on the Holy Bible

TaTIAW, wliD!flauriab«i3 about A.D. 150, "ktoIb a ttrir-mmy^ the four Cluepcla; perliapa the firBt thing of the kii\d e^r composed t die f^nuinft vork ia prol^silly lost; aa tbat eft&nt, undi^r hia namt, la justly Bxiapecii^l hy the Ictorned.

In thia class OaiGE^ ocfupic? r di^rinauiFii'^d place; hi ma birn A. D, 1S5, and ■ft-roip, muefi an the Scripturea: hia pririei[ial W'nrks ue iraforiunaioly Icisi; many of hia Hmtili^a atill remain, but Ihey ■ore bo replete with nieinpborical and fancyful ioterprelaiiona of llie Sarretl teal, that there ia- much reason to believe liiey nave bean corrupted iinoe his limp. Spewnn^na of hja mode of pin^rpretiii; the Seri^turea may be seen in the enauing comment,

HvroLiTi™ wroli' m^siy thinera on tho Scriplut^ moat of whii^b are liwi: be flourirflcJ about A- D. 230-

CjiavsosTOM 141 Weill knowrt ajid jiiatly celebrated for ItQjiilng, akill, ami *lor|uenoe in his Hornilies on the S&cri?d WririTiya, parti cularly the Psalmt. He ftouriahed A. D. 34J.

Jerom id aim well kmwn! he is B'iHior of whnt is c-alle4 ihe Vulirale, a Lniin veraion from ihe Hebrew and Greek of ibo Old and Now Teaiamems; aa n!eo of a very vnihiol^le eoinraciit on all dT,c Bililc^ He flouriahcd A. D. 360.

Ephraim Svntjs, who mii^^ht be rather aaid lo liave mourned thon lO hnvt Jtatiriifhed, A- D. 360, haa wriiien tomo v&liioble eJcpOaitiona of paj-ticuiar parts of Scripture. They iiiay be fannd in Bia vorka, puhliabed by Aagemon, Rome, 1737, &r„ Svolai. ft>lii.

To Auo-wsTW, a Inboricua and of^en a eonfuaed ■wriler, wn are iadebled for miieh valuable informalion on \hf- Snereii Writing, Hia exi^oaLLLnTbi of SiTipturc, however^ hiive been the aubjeiMa cf jtiftiiy a<Tinioilio(ia eontroveraiEs in the CliriBtin.n cliiiri-h. Uftajipmra aAen itci to unde^Ftuid himself i nnd it is not m be wondered at, thai hia comicentolDrp miatalce bia irfnnlnj, Muiy atrirsc thin^ in ht« wrLiirerj, and aevcral things in hie ereeii, may hp^ attribmed to Ihe Lncture his mind received from his Mantdiean anntjini^nta; for it la well known that he had embraced, pr*- Yioualy 10 hia cMnversion to CbriatiaQily, ttie doctrine of the tico principUi, one icholly tvil, and the other xeholly ^ood; lo whoae ancrey nnil optratian all the irood and erif in the worfd ^-erc aitribuied. These two oppnain; and conllictinfr iMini*!, he seeraa in aonie cases, UBWOriJiy lo unjie in mie God; and benre, hf, and many of hia followers, have fbrmM tho tUerttuin. hiirribUt, mnkion; Ood, the fiJiiTiti.in of all fmUcs and holineBi, tho autliof, not only of all Ltie pLiod that 19 in the wOrld, for on ihia there can be Init one opiiiiofl, but of all tho tril bkewlie; halving redur^ed il to a necessity of Misi£nci% by n pre-d^termininH;, jnchangc^i'ble, snd etcrui^l decree, by which, all the aciioiis nf lingda qjid men are ■appointed and irrevocably eaiabliabed- So ihai, to use the words of B certain cuiBchiami "ho haa Joreardaintd WHATt^OBVKR coiriBs tu psiiB." S, AiiguBlin died A^ D. 430.

Ciit:&onY the Grtai, irho ilo^triahed about A. D. 600, haa written commentiriea ^Kich ara greatly eitecubd, capecinlJy tLinong the Catholics.

TnEOpmLACT has wriilen a valunbU connneaL on Ihe Goapels, Acla^ and St, PBurs Epislke. £le flouciahcd A,

V'c±jiLRjtBi.E Bede llourlahed A. D. 780i, and wtols eommenia, (or miher collected ihoae of othen) on the principal lon'ca [hf_- Old and N^ew Teftatnenia, which aro still ext*nt.

llASAKiH Mach'b, who flouriahed A, D, 800i was one of the moat valurajnoue oomniienLatorH *LDce the riava of Ori^efi. n'sidi'a hia liuirKrouH comments iniblialiod in hia wticka, tliere ia a glosB&ry of hia on the whole BlbTe, in MsC in the impnrinl library at Vic;iina.

WAtJTBjiiiTa STBABtJB or Slribo, eompoaed a ivorlc ofl the Old and New Teaiamenls entitled Gloaaa Ordinari/f { wbidi ia properly a eatma or collection of all commetila of the Greek &nd Latin EaJierB prior to h» time. Smdbo

Kholars ainee the Auguitan age. He died in 1636. I need aot state thai in aome «Mea, he ^^wared ao!ndeeiaiv« ia his religious creed, that he is both claimed and diactvowed by ProteatantB and Catholics.

John Calvin wrote a, commentary on all the prophets and evan^lista. His part in the reformation is well known. In many respects his commenu are allowed to be learned and iudicioua. He w*a a strenuoua advocate for the doctrins of Mlvation by grace throughfa.Uk, and for what he juetly aula dtcrttum horribUe, the horrible decree of wot eternal, irrespective reprobation. This opinion, from the manner in which it haa been de&nded by seme, and c by others, has tended greatly to the disunion of many ChriBtians, and produced every temper but Invtherly Idi aiid charity. He died in 15o4.

Mr. David Habtin of Utrecht, not onl^ translated the whole of the Old and N«w Testaments into French, but also wrote short notes on both, which contun much good aeoae, learning and pety. Amsterdam, 1707, 3 vols, fiilio.

Dr. Benry HammoiO) is celebrated over Europe as a venr learned and judicious divine. He wrote an extensive comment on the Ptalnu, first published in 1669, aitd «> the whole of the JVew Tutammt in 1653. In this latter work, he imagines he sees the €hwttie» every where pointed at) and he uaea Oma as a universal meneCruitm to diaaolve all the difficulties in the lezt. If I miritt be allowed die diatinctio% I would aay, ttuu there ia mudt theology, but little practical piety in his notes. He died in 1660.

Tneedore Beza, not only published the Greek Testament but wrote many ezoelknt notei on it. Tbe beat edition of this work is that printed at Cambridge, folio, 1642.

Dr. Edward Wells published a very useAil Testament in Greek and English, in several parcels, with notes^ from 170% to 1719; in which, I. Ilie Greet text ia amended according to the neot and most ancient readings. 2. Hm common English translation rendered more agreeable to the original. 3. A paraphrase, explaining the difficult exmaaiona, design of the sacred writer, &c. 4. Short annotations. Ilus is a judicicRu^ uaefol work.

Of merely critical oommenu on the Greek Testament, the moat valuable is that of J. Jamea Vixrertm, 2 vols, folio, Amsterdam, 1761 — 2. Almost every peculiar form of speech in the sacred text, he has illustrated by quotaliooa from the Jewish, Greek, and Roman writers.

Mr. Hunr published a Greek Testament with a great varied of useful notes^ chiefly extracted from Poole't Sync^Mia. The work ia in 2 vols, B vo. Load. 1778, and is a very useful companion to every Dibli<»l student. It hao gone throng two editions; and it must be acknowledged, that lite Greek text in both ia inexcuaably incorrect

Mr. HcNBT AtNswOBTH, a Scottish man, made a new translation of the Pattateutk, Paahu, and CanHdta, lAieh beilluairated with notes, fol. 1639. He was a good H^irev acbohtr, sod made gKM uae of hia ndifaimeal ba^^ his comment, especially on the five books of Moaes.

Mr. J. CaryVt Expodtimi of the book of Jofa^ in two immenae vols. fbliOi 1676; another by Alhvrt SehuUmti and a third by C%o|v>e/<w, on the aame bool^ omtain a vaat deal oC important nntter, deUvere^ in ge^^ and most umnterestii^ form.

_Mr. Matthew Pools, a Non-Conformiat divine, has publidied a commentary on the Scriptores, in two vols, folio. The notes, whidi are mingled with the text, are iboit, but abound with good aense and aound judgment. He died in Holland, in 1679. •» •> » J— e

Dr. JoMW LiouTFOOT was a profound scholar, a sound divine, and pious man. He brought all his immense learning to bear on the sacred volumes, and diffused light wherever he went His Historical, Chronological, and TopographiwU RemarkB on the Old Testament, and hia TalmudUal ExercUations on the Pfew, are invaluable. His works were published in lioo large vols, fol, 1684. He died in 1676.

Oo the plan of Dr. Lighlfoot's Hoax Hbbkaicb, or Thlmudieal EiereUatum*, a work waa undertaken fay Christian Sdtottlgeniua, with the title Bores Hebraicee 4" Talmudica in univtrntm Novum Tutamentum,

Sii6tM hora.fa. LightfooH in labria hittaricia mpplenlur, Epi*l<da ^ ApocalyptU eodvm modo iJhufrantur, ifw. resda, 1733, two vols. 4to. This is a learned and useful work, and mppliea and eomplelea the work of Dr. Lightfoot. The Horn Hebraicic of Lightfoot extend no farther than the First Epistle to the Corinthians f the work of Sdwttgen passes over the same ground as a supplcmml, without touching the tilings already produced in the English work; and then eoriiinue* the work on the a&mf. plan to the end of the New Testament. It is both oearee and aiar.

Mr. RicHASD Baxteb published the New Testament widi notes, 8vo. 169S. H» notes are interaperaed with the text, and ore very ^ort, out they contain much sound sense and pjety.

Dr. Sixox Patbick, bishop of Ely, be^nn a comment on the Did Testament, which was finished by Dr. Lottth; to which the New Testament, by Dr. Wh*^y, is generally added to complete the work. Dr. Whitby's work was first

Sbiiahed in 1703, and often since, with many emendations. This is a valuable collection, and is compriaed in six vols, io. Patrick ani Lowlh are always judicious and solid; and Whitby is learned, argumentative, and thoroughly orthodox. The best comment on the New Testament, taken in all points of view, is certainly that of Wbitl^'. He is said to Iwve embraced Socinianism previous to his death, which took place in 1726.

Mr. AsTHONT Pt;avEx, one of the people called Quakers, translated the whole Bible into English, illuslralfld with critical ootea, which was published at the expense of Dr. J. Fothergill, in 1764, two vols, folio. The work has never been highly valued; and is much less literal, and much less simple, than the balnta of the man, and those of the lelijrious community to which he belonged, might authorize one to expect.

Ilie Rev. William BiraKrrr, rector of Dednam, in Esaez, boa written a very uaeftil commentary on the New Testament^ whii^ has ofUa been republished. It is both piooi and piMCtiea], but not distinguished eiloer by depth of learning or judgment. TTie pioua author died in 1703.

Tbo Rev. Matthcw Hbsxt, a very eminent diaaenUng minister, is author of a very extensive commentary on the OM and New Testament^ five vola. folio, and one of the most popular woAs of the kind ever pubUshM. It i» alwajrs orthodox, gensrail? judicious, and truly pious and nractical, and has contributed much to dlfiuse the knowledge of the Scriptures amonz the common people, for whose saxes it was chiefly written. A new edition of this work, by ths Rev. J. Huf^het, of Battersea, and the Rev. O. Burder, corrected from innumerable errors which have been aoeumulaUng with every edition, is now in the course of publication.

Dr. JoHirGiLL, an eminent divine of the Baptist persuasioo, is author of a vei^ diffuse commentary on the Old and New Testaments, in nine vols, folio. Dr. OilSt work is written alwaya withu si^t of hia particular creed. He was a very learned and good man; but haa often epiritualBed his text to abmrdiQr; sxtd encumbered it with the most rigid Calvinism and rabbinnical learning.

T)r. pHiup Doddbidok's Family Expositor, 4to. 1746, often republished, is (with the exception of his ParaphroM^ a very judidoiu work. It has bees long highly esteemed, and is worthy of all the credit it has among religious people.

To Dr. Z. PsAKcB, bishop of Rochester, we are indebted for an mvaluable commentary and notes on the four Ooapela, the Acts, and the First Epistle to the CoriDthiani^ two vola. 4lo. 1777. The deep learning and judgment displayed in these notes are really beyond aU praise.

Dr. Campbell's work oa the evangeliau is well known, and univeraally prized. Sola also Dr. BLtCKKiaHr'a translation of the epistles, with nolea. AKh duae works abound in aound judgmeid, deep erudititn^ and a atrong vein of correct critical acumen.

Mr. Locke and Dr. Bensoit are well known in the republic of lettera: their respective worln on different parts of the New Testament abound with judgment and learning.

The Benr. J, Wcslbt ptiblidiea a Selection of Notes on the Old and New Testaments, in four vols. 4to. Briatol, 1766. lie notes on the Old Testament are allowed, on all hands, to be meagre and unsatiafaet«y t this ia owing to a cirenmatance wiili whidi few are aequainted. Mr. Pine, the printer, having aet up and printed off several sheets to a tjrpe much lars^ than was intended, it was found impossible to get the work within the prescribed limits of four vohimet, without retrenching the notes, or cancelling what was already printed. The former measure was uniortonately adopted; and the woric fell &r diort of the expectation of the public This account I had from the excellent wdior hinaalf. TlieNoteo on l)w New TeBtamen^\nlieh have gone throiighaeveraledttioiia, are of a widely diffbrent deaoriptioa; though short, they are always judicious, accurate, Ritual, twae, and impreaaive; and poneas tfte h^I7 S