A Favor Involving Matthew Poole?

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py3ak

Unshaven and anonymous
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Usually I am able to access Matthew Poole through the Bible Centre --but they are down for renovations at the moment. Would someone who has access to his commentary in electronic format do me a great favor and post his comments on the following verses --or as many as you have time to do? Thanks!

Leviticus 19:15
Deuteronomy 1:17
Deuteronomy 16:19
2 Samuel 14:14
2 Chronicles 19:7
Proverbs 24:23
Proverbs 28:21
Romans 2:11
Galatians 2:6
Galatians 2:11-14
Ephesians 6:9
Colossians 3:25
James 2:1-9
1 Peter 1:17
Jude 1:16
 
You asked for it!

Matthew Poole:

Lev 19:15. Thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, so as through pity to him to give an unrighteous sentence.

Deut 1:17. Not respect persons, Heb. not know or acknowledge faces, i.e. not give sentence according to the outward qualities of the person as he is poor or rich, your friend or enemy, but purely according to the merits of the cause. For which reason some of the Grecian lawgivers ordered that the judges should give sentence in the dark, where they could not see men's faces. See the same or the like phrase Deut 10:17; 2 Chron 19:6-7; Job 13:8; James 2:1,9. The small; persons of the meanest rank. The judgment is God's, i.e. it is passed in the name of God, and by commission from him, by you as representing his person, and doing his work, who therefore will own and defend you therein against all your enemies, and to whom you must give an exact account.

Deut 16:19. Not wrest judgment, i.e. not give a perverse, forced, and unjust sentence. See on Exod 23:8. Not respect persons, i.e. not give sentence according to the quality of the person, his riches or poverty, friendship or enmity, but according to the justice of the cause. A gift doth blind the eyes of the wise; corrupts and biasseth his mind, that as he will not, so ofttimes he cannot, discern between right and wrong. The words of the righteous; either, 1. The words, i.e. the sentence, of those judges who are inclined and used to do righteous things, and have the repute of righteous men, it makes them give wrong judgment. Or, 2. The words, i.e. the matters, or causes, (as word oft signifies,) of righteous persons, or of them whose cause is just.

2 Sam 14:14. We must needs die, Heb. in dying we shall die, i.e. we shall certainly and suddenly die all of us; both thou, O king, who therefore art obliged to take due care of thy successor, who is Absalom; and Absalom, who, if he do not die by the hand of justice, must shortly die by the necessity of nature; and Amnon too must have died in the common way of all flesh, if Absalom had not cut him off. Therefore, O king, be not implacable towards Absalom for nipping a flower a little before its time of fading, and restore him to us all before he die in a strange land. Spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; which is quickly drunk up and buried in the earth, and cannot be recovered. Neither doth God respect any person, to wit, so far as to exempt him from this common law of dying. But this version seems not to agree with the Scripture phrase; for the accepting of a person is never to my knowledge expressed in Hebrew by nasa nephesh, which is the phrase here, but by nasa panim, every where. The words therefore may be rendered either thus, yet God will not take away, or doth not use to take away, (the future tense oft noting a continued act, as Hebricians observe,) the soul, or souls, or lives of men, to wit, by violence. God doth not severely and instantly cut off offenders, but suffers them to live till they die by the course of nature; and therefore so shouldst thou do too. Or rather thus yet God hath not taken away his soul or life; the pronoun his being understood here as it is in many other places, and as being easily supplied out of the context. So the sense is, God hath hitherto spared him, and did not suffer his brethren to kill him, as in reason might have been expected; nor hath God himself yet cut him off for his murder, as he oft doth with persons who are out of the magistrate's reach; but hath hitherto preserved him even in a heathenish land; all which are intimations that God would have him spared. Yet doth he devise means, that his banished be not expelled from him; or, but hath devised means, etc., i.e. hath given laws to this purpose, that the manslayer who is banished should not always continue in banishment, but upon the high priest's death return to his own city; whereby he hath showed his pleasure that the avenger of blood should not implacably persist in seeking revenge, and that the manslayer should be spared. Or rather thus, but thinketh thoughts, or, but hath designed, or, therefore he intendeth that he who is banished (to wit, Absalom) be not (always) expelled or banished from him, i.e. from God and from his people, and from the place of his worship, but that he should return home to him. So the sense is, that God, by sparing Absalom's life in the midst of dangers, did sufficiently intimate that he would in due time bring him back to his land and people.

2 Chron 19:7. And therefore you who are in God's stead, and do his work, and must give an account to him, must imitate God here. Of respect of persons, see Deut 10:17; Job 34:19; Acts 10:4. No taking of gifts; so as to pervert judgment for them, by comparing this with Exod 23:8; Deut 16:19; Prov 17:23.

Prov 24:23. These things also, these proverbs or counsels here following to the end of the chapter, no less than those hitherto mentioned, belong to the wise; are worthy of the consideration, and fit for the use, of them who are or would be wise; for only such are capable of understanding and improving these proverbs, as was noted, Prov 1:5-7, and elsewhere. To have respect of persons in judgment; for judges to determine controversies partially, according to the quality of the persons, and not according to the merits of the cause.

Prov 28:21. When a man hath once vitiated his conscience, and accustomed himself to take bribes, a very small advantage will make him sell justice, and his own soul into the bargain. The design of the proverb is to warn men to take heed of the beginnings of that sin, and consequently of other sins.

Rom 2:11. This seems to be borrowed from 2 Chron 19:7, and Deut 10:17. You have the same again, Acts 10:34: see Job 34:19; Gal 2:6; Gal 3:28; Eph 6:9; 1 Pet 1:17. Objection. God loved Jacob, and hated Esau, when they were yet unborn, and had done neither good nor evil. Answer. This was not properly a respecting of persons, because God did not this as a judge, but as an elector: so the apostle states it, Rom 9:11-13. God is gracious to whom he will be gracious, and may do what he will with his own.

Gal 2:6. But of those who seemed to be somewhat: the word translated seemed, is the same with that in Gal 2:2, which we there translate of reputation. The apostle means the same persons that were of the greatest reputation, and so the following words, to be somewhat, do import, Acts 5:36; Acts 8:9. We must not understand the apostle, by this expression, to detract from the just reputation that the apostles, and these eminent Christians at Jerusalem, had; he only taketh notice here of them, as magnified by the false teachers of this church, to the lessening of himself; and as those who seemed to be somewhat, must be interpreted as relating to these men's estimation of them; that seemed to you to be somewhat, though I seem nothing to you. Whatsoever they were, it maketh no matter to me; whatsoever they were formerly, suppose (as probably some of these Galatians had said) that they saw Christ in the flesh, were immediately called by him, when I was a Pharisee, etc. God accepteth to man's person; hath no regard to what a man hath been, but to what he is. For they who seemed to be somewhat in conference added nothing to me; when I came to confer and discourse with them, about the doctrine which I and they had taught, I learned no new doctrine from them, different from what I had before taught, neither did they reprove or correct me, for any thing which I had taught amiss; we were all of the same mind.

Gal 2:11. Of this motion of Peter's to Antioch the Scripture saying nothing, hath left interpreters at liberty to guess variously as to the time; some judging it was before, some after, the council held at Jerusalem, of which we read, Acts 15. Those seem to judge best, who think it was after; for it was at Antioch, while Barnabas was with Paul; now Paul and Barnabas came from Jerusalem to Antioch, to bring thither the decrees of that council; and at Antioch Barnabas parted from Paul; after which we never read of them as being together. While Paul and Barnabas were together at Antioch, Peter came thither; where, Paul saith, he was so far from taking instructions from him, that he withstood him to the face. Not by any acts of violence, (though the word often expresseth such acts,) but by words reproving and blaming him; for, (saith he) he deserved it, he was to be blamed. Though the word signifies, he was condemned, which makes some to interpret it, as if Peter had met with some reprehension for his fact before Paul blamed him, yet there is no ground for it; for though the Greek participle be in the preterperfect tense, yet it is a Hebraism, and put for a noun verbal, which in Latin is sometimes expressed by the future, according to which we translate it; see 1 Cor 1:18; 2 Cor 2:15; 2 Pet 2:4 so our interpreters have truly translated it according to the sense of the text.
Gal 2:12. It should seem that Peter had been at Antioch some time; while he was there, there came down certain Jews from James, who was at Jerusalem: before they came Peter had communion with those Christians at Antioch, which were by birth Gentiles, and at meals eat as they eat, making no difference of meats, as the Jews did in obedience to the ceremonial law; but as soon as these zealots for the Jewish rites (though Christians) were come, Peter withdrew from the communion of the Gentile Christians, and was the head of a separate party; and all through fear of the Jews, lest they should, at their return to Jerusalem, make some report of him to his disadvantage, and expose him to the anger of the Jews.
Gal 2:13. The fact was the worse, because those Christians which were of the church of Antioch, having been native Jews, followed his example, and made a separate party with him. Nay, Barnabas, my fellow labourer, who was joined with me in bringing the decrees of the council in the case, was carried away with their dissimulation. So dangerous and exemplary are the warpings and miscarriages of those that are eminent teachers.
Gal 2:14. Uprightly, here, is opposed to halting. Peter halted betwixt two opinions, (as Elijah sometime told the Israelites,) when he was with the Gentiles alone, he did as they did, using the liberty of the gospel; but when the Jews came from Jerusalem, he left the Gentile church, and joined with the Jews; this was not according to that plainness and sincerity which the gospel required; he did not (according to the precept he held, Heb 12:13) make straight paths to his feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way. Paul not hearing this from the report of others, but being an eyewitness to it, doth not defer the reproof, lest the scandal should grow: nor doth he reprove him privately, because the offence was public, and such a plaster would not have fitted the sore; but he speaketh unto Peter before
them all, rebuking him openly, because he sinned openly; and by this action had not offended a private person, but the church in the place where he was, who were all eyewitnesses of his halting and prevarication, 1 Tim 5:20. If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews; if thou, who art a Jew, not by religion only, but by birth and education, hast formerly lived, eat, and drank, and had communion with the Gentiles, in the omission of the observance of circumcision, and other Jewish rites, generally observed by those of their synagogues; (as Peter had done before the Jews came from Jerusalem to Antioch;) why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews? Why dost thou, by thy example, compel the members of a Gentile church to observe the Jewish rites? For compelling here doth not signify any act of violence, (Peter used none such,) but the example of leaders in the church, who are persons of reputation and authority, is a kind of compulsion to those that are inferiors, and who have a great veneration for such leaders. So the word here used, a)nagka&zeij, is used in 2 Cor 12:2, as also to express the force of exhortations and arguments. Of such a compulsion the word is used, Luke 14:23. Peter, by his example, and possibly by some words and arguments he used, potently moved those proselyted Jews, who were in communion with the churches of Galatia, to observe the Jewish rites: so that by this fact he did not only contradict himself, who by his former walking with the Gentile church had practically asserted the gospel liberty; but he also scandalized those Christians in these churches who stood fast in the liberty which Christ had purchased for them, and Paul had taught them; and also drew others away from the truth they had owned and practised. This was the cause of Paul's so open and public reproof of him.

Eph 6:9. And, ye masters, do the same things unto them; not the same in special, which belong only to servants, but in general, which concern you no less than them, viz. do your duty to them with good will, with an eye to God and Christ, etc.; or rather, do your duty mutually to them, according to your condition and calling, Col 4:1. Forbearing threatening; or rather, (as in the margin,) moderating, or remitting; i.e. do not carry yourselves angrily to them, (which appears in vehement and frequent threatenings,) when ye may otherwise maintain your authority over them. Knowing that your Master also is in heaven; and therefore too strong for you, though you may be too hard for your servants. Neither is there respect of persons with him; he is just as well as powerful, and will neither spare you because you are masters, nor punish them because they are servants: see Acts 10:34; Gal 2:6; Col 3:25.

Col 3:25. But he that doeth wrong; but if the reward will not engage to a right discharge of these relative duties, the injurious person, whether he be bond or free, Eph 6:8, an inferior servant or a domineering master, who doth violate the rules of right, agreeing with the law natural and eternal, shall receive for the wrong which he hath done; shall have the just recompence of that injury, whereby he wrongs his correlate; the penalty apportioned to his fault, Rom 2:6; 2 Cor 5:10; 2 Pet 2:13. And there is no respect of persons; from the impartiality of Divine justice, there is no respect of persons with God, Rom 2:11, or with Christ, in the place parallel to this, Eph 6:9, who is so righteous a Judge that he is not swayed by the outward circumstances and qualifications of men, whether potent or poor, Lev 19:15; Job 34:19: he seeth not as man seeth, he looketh not on the outward appearance, but on the heart, 1 Sam 16:7: in the distribution of justice, he will put no difference betwixt the mightiest monarch and the most enslaved peasant; the purloining servant, and oppressing master shall certainly receive answerable to their doings from his impartial hand: the mean one who is at present abused without relief, and the great one who doth tyrannize without control, shall one day have right, and be reckoned with by the righteous Judge, 2 Tim 4:8, who will show to all the world that he will honour those that honour him, and lightly esteem those that despise him, 1 Sam 2:30, and that he is the avenger of all those that are wronged, 1 Thess 4:6; 2 Thess 1:6.


James 2:1. Have not; profess not yourselves, and regard not, or esteem not in others. The faith of our Lord Jesus Christ; i.e. faith in our Lord Jesus Christ; not the author but the object of faith is meant, as Gal 2:20; Gal 3:22; Phil 3:9. The Lord of glory; Lord not being in the Greek, glory may be joined with faith, (admitting only a trajection in the words, so frequent in the sacred writers,) and then the words will run thus, the faith of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ, i.e. the faith of his being glorified, which by a synecdoche may be put for the whole work of redemption wrought by him, which was completed by his glorification, as the last part of it; or, by a Hebraism, the faith of the glory, may be for the glorious faith. But the plainest way of reading the words is (as our translators do) by supplying the word Lord just before mentioned; Lord of glory, (Christ being elsewhere so called, 1 Cor 2:8,) i.e. the glorious Lord; as the Father is called the Father of glory, Eph 1:17, i.e. the glorious Father: and then it may be an argument to second what the apostle is speaking of; Christ being the Lord of glory, a relation to him by faith puts an honour upon believers, though poor and despicable in the world; and therefore they are not to be contemned. With respect of persons; the word rendered persons signifies the face or countenance, and synecdochically the whole person; and, by consequence, all those parts or qualities we take notice of in the person. To respect a person is sometimes taken in a good sense, Gen 19:21; 1 Sam 25:35. Mostly in an evil, when either the person is opposed to the cause, we give more or less to a man upon the account of something we see in him which is altogether foreign to his cause, Lev 19:15, or when we accept one with injury to or contempt of another. To have, then, the faith of Christ with respect of persons, is to esteem the professors of religion, not for their faith, or relation to Christ, but according to their worldly condition, their being great or mean, rich or poor; this the apostle taxeth in the Hebrews to whom he wrote, that whereas in the things of God all believers are equal, they respected the greater and richer sort of professors, because great or rich; so as to despise those that were poor or low. The Greek hath the word plurally, respects, which may intimate the several ways of respecting persons, in judgment or out, of judgment. This doth not exclude the civil respect we owe to magistrates and superiors upon the account of their places or gifts; but only a respecting men in the things of religion upon such accounts as are extrinsical to religion; or, with prejudice to others as considerable in religion as themselves, though inferior to them in the world.
James 2:2. For if there come unto your assembly; either church assemblies for worship, Heb 10:25; and in these we find some respect of men's persons, which may here be blamed: see 1 Cor 11:20-22. Or their assemblies for disposing church offices, and deciding church controversies, etc.; for he speaks of such respecting men's persons as is condemned by the law, James 2:9, which was especially in judgment. A man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel; the usual ensigns of honourable or rich persons, Gen 38:18,25; Gen 41:42; Luke 15:22; Luke 16:19. And there come in also a poor man; the word signifies one very poor, even to beggarliness. In vile raiment; filthy and sordid, Zech 3:3-4, the sign of extreme poverty.
James 2:3. And ye have respect to him; Greek, look upon, viz. with respect and veneration, or a care and concern to please him. Sit thou here in a good place; an honourable place, either contrary to the usual orders of the churches, according to which, (as some say) the elder sat in chairs, the next to them on benches; and the novices on the pavement at their feet; the apostle taxing their carnal partiality in disposing these places to the people as rich, not as Christians;or it may note their disposing church offices to them that were rich, or favouring them in their causes rather than the poor. Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool; the meanest places, and belonging to the youngest disciples: both are expressions of contempt.
James 2:4. Are ye not then partial in yourselves? Either, are ye not judged in yourselves, convicted by your own consciences of partiality, and accepting men's persons? Or, have ye not made a difference? viz. out of a corrupt affection rather than a right judgment; and then it falls in with our translation; Are ye not partial? The Greek word is used in this sense, Acts 15:9; Jude 22. And are become judges of evil thoughts; i.e. judges that have evil thoughts, or are evil affected: q.d. You evidence the corruptness of your affections by your thus perversely judging.
James 2:5. Hath not God chosen the poor? Not that God hath chosen all the poor in the world, but his choice is chiefly of them, 1 Cor 1:26,28. Poor he means in the things of this world, and in the esteem of worldly men; they are opposed to those that Paul calls rich in this world, 1 Tim 6:17-18. Rich: some insert the verb substantive to be between this and the former clause, and read: Hath not God chosen the poor of this world to be rich, etc. So Rom 8:29, predestinate to be conformed: the like defective speeches we find, John 12:46; 2 Cor 3:6. And the verb understood here is expressed, Eph 1:4, after the same word we have in this text. And yet if we read the words as they stand in our translation, they do not prove that foresight of faith is previous to election, any more than that being heirs of the kingdom is so too. In faith; either in the greatness and abundance of their faith, Matt 15:28; Rom 4:20; or rather, rich in those privileges and hopes to which by faith they have a title. And heirs of the kingdom; an instance of their being rich, in that they are to inherit a kingdom. Which he hath promised to them that love him: see James 1:12, where the same words occur, only that which is here a kingdom, is there a crown.
James 2:6. But ye have despised the poor; God's poor, viz. by your respecting persons. Do not rich men? Either those that were unbelieving Jews or heathen; or such as made a profession of Christianity, but were not cordial friends to it; or, both may be included. Oppress you; insolently abuse you, and unrighteously, either usurping a power over you which belongs not to them, or abusing the power they have. And draw you before the judgment-seats; especially before unbelieving judges, 1 Cor 6:1,6: they would colour their oppression with a pretence of law, and therefore drew the poor saints before the judgment-seat.
James 2:7. Do not they blaspheme? If the rich here spoken of were Christians, then they may be said to blaspheme Christ's name, when by their wicked carriage they caused it to be blasphemed by others, unbelievers, among whom they were, Rom 2:24; Titus 2:5, etc.; 1 Tim 6:1: but if rich unbelievers be here meant, the rich men of those times being generally great enemies to Christianity; he would from thence show how mean a consideration riches were, to incline the professors of religion to such partiality as he taxeth them for. That worthy name; or, good or honourable (as good place, James 2:3, for honourable) name of Christ; they blaspheme what they should adore. By the which ye are called; or, which is called upon you, either, which was called upon over you, when you were baptized into it; or rather it is a Hebrew phrase, and, implies no more than (as we read it) their being called by it, as children are after their fathers, and wives after their husbands, Gen 48:16; Isa 4:1; for so God's people are called by his name, Deut 28:10; Eph 3:15.
James 2:8. If ye fulfil; or, perfect; the word signifies to accomplish perfectly, but no more is meant by it than sincerity in observing the duties of the law in an indifferent respect to one as well as another, which he seems to oppose to their partiality in the law, by respecting some and neglecting others. The royal law; either the law of God the great King, or Christ the King of saints; or rather, the royal law is the king's law, i.e. the great law which is the same to all, rich and poor, the common rule by which all are to act, as, the king's way, Num 21:22, i.e. the great plain way in which all are to travel. Here may likewise be a tacit reflection on the servile disposition of these accepters of men's persons, evil becoming them that pretended to be governed by the royal law, which was to be observed with a more free and king-like spirit. According to the Scripture: see Matt 22:39; Gal 5:14. Ye do well; ye are not to be blamed, but commended. The apostle seems here to answer an objection they might make in their own defence; that in the respect they gave to rich men, they did but act according to the law which commands us to love our neighbour as ourselves: to this he replies partly in this verse by way of concession, or on supposition; that if the respect they gave to rich men were indeed in obedience to the law of charity, which commands us to love our neighbour as ourselves, then they did well, and he found no fault with them; but the contrary he shows in the next verse.
James 2:9. But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin; the second part of the apostle's answer, in which he sets persons in opposition to neighbour: q.d. If you, instead of loving your neighbour, which excludes no sort of men, poor no more than rich, choose and single out (as ye do) only some few (viz. rich men) to whom ye give respect, despising others, ye are so far from fulfilling the royal law, that ye sin against it. And are convinced of the law; either by the particular law against respecting persons, Lev 19:15, or rather, by that very law you urge; your thus partially respecting the rich to the excluding of the poor, being so contrary to the command of loving your neighbour, which excludes none. As transgressors; i.e. to be transgressors, viz. of the whole law, as fellows.

1 Pet 1:17. And if; this particle is used here, and frequently elsewhere, not as a note of doubting, but by way of assertion, and supposition of a thing known. Ye call on the Father; either this is to be meant of invocation, their calling on God in prayer; and then the sense is: If you be servants and worshippers of the Father; prayer being many times put for the whole worship of God, Isa 43:22; Acts 9:11: or, of their calling God, Father, as Matt 6:9; and then the sense is: If you would be counted God's children, James 2:7. Who, without respect of persons; and so will no more excuse you that are Jews, and descended from Abraham, than those that are born of Gentile parents, Job 34:19; Acts 10:34; Eph 6:9. Judgeth; and so is not a Father only, but a Judge, and that a most righteous one. According to every man's work; i.e. works, the singular number put for the plural, as James 1:25: see Rom 2:6; Job 34:11. Pass the time of your sojourning here; the word signifies the temporary abode of a man in a place where he was not born, or doth not ordinarily reside; such being the condition of believers in the world, that they are sojourners, not citizens of it; they are travelling through it to their Father's house and heavenly country, Heb 11:9-10,13,16. They are here exhorted to a suitable carriage, expressed in the next words. In fear; which is due to him as a Father and a Judge. It may imply the greatest reverence, and the deepest humility, Phil 2:12; 1 Cor 2:3; 1 Pet 3:2,15.

Jude 16. Murmurers, complainers; either these two words signify the same thing; or murmurers may be meant with relation to God's decrees, laws, providences, and his ordinations in the church or state, 1 Cor 10:10; and complainers, with respect to their own condition, with which they were discontented. Walking after their own lusts; minding neither the law of God nor man, but making their lusts their law, and being wholly subject to them, led by them, 2 Pet 2:10. And their mouth speaketh great swelling words: though they were mere slaves to their own lusts, yet they would speak big, and use high and exotic strains in their language, that they might be applauded and admired: see 2 Pet 2:18. Having men's persons in admiration because of advantage; flattering and magnifying the greater and richer sort of men, not considering what they were, so they could gain them to their party, or get gain by them.
Jude 17. Especially Paul and Peter: see Acts 20:29 and 2 Pet 3:2, besides the places in the margin. From this passage it appears that this Epistle was written late, and, likely, after the other apostles, except John, were dead.
Jude 18. Told you; whether in their preaching or writing. Ungodly lusts; Greek, lusts of ungodliness; a Hebraism; the vilest lusts.
Jude 19. These be they who separate themselves; viz. from the true doctrine and church of Christ, as being in love with their carnal liberties, and loth to come under the yoke of Christ's discipline. Sensual; or carnal, or animal, 1 Cor 2:14; such as are mere men, and have no higher principle in them than human nature, which, left to itself, and being destitute
 
Thanks very much, Gil! That's just what I needed. I may add a couple verses a little later on today, but this is really great.
 
Just a few additional passages, if someone could help me out again by posting the Matthew Poole quotes.

Exodus 23:1-3

Deuteronomy 10:17

Job 13:8

Job 34:19

Acts 10:34

Thanks!
 
Just a few additional passages, if someone could help me out again by posting the Matthew Poole quotes.

Exodus 23:1-3

Deuteronomy 10:17

Job 13:8

Job 34:19

Thanks!

Exod 23:1. Thou shalt not raise, Heb. not take up, to wit, into thy mouth, as Exod 20:7, either by the first raising, or further spreading of it; or not bear, or endure, as that word oft signifies; not hear it patiently, delightfully, readily, approvingly, as persons are very apt to do; but rather shalt discourage and reprove the spreader of it, according to Prov 25:23. Possibly the Holy Ghost might choose a word of such general signification to show that all these things were forbidden. Put not thine hand, i.e. not conspire or agree with them, which is signified by joining hands, Prov 11:21, not give them a helping hand in it, not encourage them to it by gifts or promises, not assist them by counsel or interest. Others, not swear with them; but swearing is not noted by putting the hand, but by lifting it up.

Exod 23:2. Thou shalt not follow a multitude, either their counsel or example. But the Hebrew rabbin both here and in the following clause is by some rendered great men, men in power and authority, whom we are commanded not to follow. And as the word is thus used Job 32:9; Jer 41:1, so this sense may seem most probable, 1. Because in the last clause he speaks of causes or controversies, as the Hebrew rib signifies; and matters of judgment, which were not determined by the multitude, but by great men. 2. Because these are opposed to the poor in the next verse. 3. Because the examples of such men are most prevalent. To do evil, either in general or particular, to work mischief, to oppress or crush another. Neither shalt thou speak, Heb. answer, when thou art summoned as a witness in any cause. To wrest judgment, or to turn aside right, or to pervert thyself the verb being taken reciprocally, as hiphil is oft put for hithpahel; or, which is all one, to do perversely, i.e. unrighteously.

Exod 23:3. Heb. honour, i.e. respect, or prefer his cause when the richer man's cause is more just: the meaning of this and the former verse is, there shall be no respect of persons, whether rich or poor, but an impartial consideration of the cause. See Lev 19:15; Ps 72:1-2.

Deut 10:17. Regardeth not persons, whether Jews or Gentiles, but deals justly and equally with all sorts of men; and as whosoever fears and obeys him shall be accepted of him, so all incorrigible transgressors shall be severely punished, and you no less than other people; therefore do not flatter yourselves as if God would bear with your sins because of his particular kindness to you or to your fathers.

Job 13:8. Will ye accept his person? not judging according to the right of the cause, but the quality of the person, as corrupt judges do. Will ye contend, i.e. wrangle and quarrel with me, and cavil at my speeches, and pervert my meaning? For God, i.e. that you may gratify him, or defend his rights.

Job 34:19. To him that accepteth not the persons of princes, i.e. to God, who respecteth not the greatest princes, so as to do any unjust thing to gain their favour, or to avoid their anger, to whom princes and peasants are equally subject, and infinitely inferior; who therefore is free from all temptation to injustice, which commonly proceeds from respect of persons, Lev 19:15, and to whom therefore thou didst owe more reverence than thy words have expressed. They all are the work of his hands; and therefore of equal worth and price with him, and equally subject to his power and pleasure.
 
Acts 10:34

Acts 10:34. Opened his mouth; an expression used (as formerly) in matters of great moment, as Matt 5:2. God is no respecter of persons; God does not accept of one because he is a Jew, and respect another because he is a Gentile; though St. Paul, being prejudiced by his education, had been carried along with that error of the Jews; against which, notwithstanding, God had declared himself even unto them, Deut 10:17, which is also confirmed unto us in the New Testament, Rom 2:11; 1 Pet 1:17: so that our being of any nation or any condition, rich or poor, honoured or despised, on the one side recommends us not unto God, and on the other side it will not hinder us from being accepted with the Lord.
 
Very fast, Andrew! And you even caught the edits. Thanks ever so much.
 
To prove I don't throw all my research off on PB friends!

John Davenant (on Colossians 3:25) "Human tribunals are very much like a spider's web: they enfold the powerless and weak; but the mighty and the rich break through by main force. But that Supreme Judge is not terrified by power, nor turned aside by favour, not bribed by the money of the wicked: there is at his tribunal no respect of persons."
 
Very fast, Andrew! And you even caught the edits. Thanks ever so much.

You're welcome!

To prove I don't throw all my research off on PB friends!

John Davenant (on Colossians 3:25) "Human tribunals are very much like a spider's web: they enfold the powerless and weak; but the mighty and the rich break through by main force. But that Supreme Judge is not terrified by power, nor turned aside by favour, not bribed by the money of the wicked: there is at his tribunal no respect of persons."

Nice! :up:
 
Oh, I came upon one more. I think this is the last --my list is getting out of control!

Psalm 82:2. Please? Thank you!
 
Oh, I came upon one more. I think this is the last --my list is getting out of control!

Psalm 82:2. Please? Thank you!

Here you go:

Ps 82:2. The psalmist speaketh to them in God's name, and reproves them for their continued and resolved unrighteousness in their public administrations. Accept the persons, by overlooking the merits of the cause, and giving sentence according to your respect or affection to the person.
 
I sometimes think you must have the entire Internet in your back pocket.
 
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