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Passage 1: Nehemiah 8

(Neh 8:1) And all the people assembled themselues together, in the streete that was before the watergate, and they spake vnto Ezra the Scribe, that hee would bring the booke of ye Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded to Israel.

(Notes Reference) And all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the street that [was] before the water gate; and they spake unto Ezra the (a) scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded to Israel.

(a) Read (Ezr 7:6).

(Neh 8:2) And Ezra the Priest brought the Lawe before the Congregation both of men and women, and of all that coulde heare and vnderstand it, in the first day of the seuenth moneth,

(Notes Reference) And Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation both of men and women, and all (b) that could hear with understanding, upon the first day of the seventh month.

(b) Who had age and discretion to understand.

(Neh 8:3) And he read therein in the streete that was before the watergate (from the morning vntill the midday) before men and women, and them that vnderstoode it, and the eares of all the people hearkened vnto the booke of the Lawe.

(Notes Reference) And he read therein before the street that [was] before the water gate from the morning until (c) midday, before the men and the women, and those that could understand; and the ears of all the people [were attentive] unto the book of the law.

(c) This declares the great zeal that the people had to hear the word of God.

(Neh 8:4) And Ezra the Scribe stoode vpon a pulpit of wood which he had made for the preaching, and beside him stood Mattithiah, and Shema, and Ananiah, and Vriiah, and Hilkiah, and Maaseiah on his right hande, and on his left hand Pedaiah, and Mishael, and Malchiah, and Hashum, and Hashbadana, Zechariah, and Meshullam.

(Neh 8:5) And Ezra opened the booke before all the people: for hee was aboue all the people: and when he opened it, all the people stoode vp.

(Notes Reference) And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people; (for he was (d) above all the people;) and when he opened it, all the people stood up:

(d) So that his voice might be heard the better.

(Neh 8:6) And Ezra praysed the Lord the great God, and all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting vp their handes: and they bowed themselues, and worshipped the Lord with their faces toward the grounde.

(Neh 8:7) Also Ieshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Iamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Iozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Leuites caused the people to vnderstand the lawe, and the people stood in their place.

(Neh 8:8) And they read in the booke of the Lawe of God distinctly, and gaue the sense, and caused them to vnderstand the reading.

(Neh 8:9) Then Nehemiah (which is Tirshatha) and Ezra the Priest and scribe, and the Leuites that instructed the people, saide vnto all the people, This day is holie vnto ye Lord your God: mourne not, neither weepe: for all the people wept, whe they heard the words of the Lawe.

(Notes Reference) And Nehemiah, which [is] the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day [is] holy unto the LORD your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people (e) wept, when they heard the words of the law.

(e) In considering their offences against the Law, therefore the Levites do not reprove them for mourning, but assure them of God's mercies if they are repentant.

(Neh 8:10) He saide also vnto the, Go, and eate of the fat, and drinke the sweete, and send part vnto them, for whome none is prepared: for this day is holie vnto our Lord: be ye not sorie therefore: for the ioy of the Lord is your strength.

(Notes Reference) Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is (f) prepared: for [this] day [is] holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the (g) joy of the LORD is your strength.

(f) That is, remember the poor.

(g) Rejoice in the Lord, and he will give you strength.

(Neh 8:11) And the Leuites made silence throughout all the people, saying, Holde your peace: for the day is holy, be not sad therefore.

(Neh 8:12) Then all the people went to eate and to drinke, and to send away part, and to make great ioy, because they had vnderstand the wordes that they had taught them.

(Neh 8:13) And on the second day the chiefe fathers of all the people, the Priests and the Leuites were gathered vnto Ezra the scribe, that he also might instruct them in the wordes of the Lawe.

(Neh 8:14) And they found written in the Law, (that the Lord had commanded by Moses) that the children of Israel should dwel in boothes in the feast of the seuenth moneth,

(Neh 8:15) And that they shoulde cause it to bee declared and proclaimed in all their cities, and in Ierusalem, saying, Go forth vnto the mount, and bring oliue branches, and pine branches, and branches of myrtus, and palme branches, and branches of thicke trees, to make boothes, as it is written.

(Neh 8:16) So the people went foorth and brought them, and made them boothes, euerie one vpon the roofe of his house, and in their courtes, and in the courtes of the house of God, and in the streete by the watergate, and in the streete of the gate of Ephraim.

(Notes Reference) So the people went forth, and brought [them], and made themselves booths, every one upon the (h) roof of his house, and in their courts, and in the courts of the house of God, and in the street of the water gate, and in the street of the gate of Ephraim.

(h) For their houses were made with flat roofs, read (Deu 22:8).

(Neh 8:17) And all the Congregation of them that were come againe out of the captiuitie made boothes, and sate vnder the boothes: for since the time of Ieshua the sonne of Nun vnto this day, had not the children of Israel done so, and there was very great ioy.

(Notes Reference) And all the congregation of them that were come again out of the captivity made booths, and sat under the booths: for since the (i) days of Jeshua the son of Nun unto that day had not the children of Israel done so. And there was very great gladness.

(i) Which was almost a thousand years.

(Neh 8:18) And he read in the booke of the Lawe of God euery day, from the first day vnto the last day. and they kept the feast seuen dayes, and on the eight day a solemne assemblie, according vnto the maner.

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Passage 2: Joel 3

(Joe 3:1) For beholde, in those dayes and in that time, when I shall bring againe the captiuitie of Iudah and Ierusalem,

(Notes Reference) For, behold, in (a) those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem,

(a) When I will deliver my Church, which consists of both Jews and Gentiles.

(Joe 3:2) I will also gather all nations, and wil bring them downe into the valley of Iehoshaphat, and will pleade with them there for my people, and for mine heritage Israel, whom they haue scattered among the nations, and parted my land.

(Notes Reference) I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the (b) valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and [for] my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.

(b) It appears that he alludes to the great victory of Jehoshaphat, whom God used without man's help to destroy the enemies, (2Ch 20:20-26); also he is referring to this word Jehoshaphat, which signifies pleading or judgment, because God would judge the enemies of his Church, as he did there.

(Joe 3:3) And they haue cast lottes for my people, and haue giuen the childe for the harlot, and sold the girle for wine, that they might drinke.

(Notes Reference) And they have cast lots for my people; and have (c) given a boy for an harlot, and sold a girl for wine, that they might drink.

(c) That which the enemy received for the sale of my people, they bestowed upon harlots and drink.

(Joe 3:4) Yea, and what haue you to do with me, O Tyrus and Zidon and all the costes of Palestina? will ye render me a recompence? and if ye recompence mee, swiftly and speedily will I render your recompence vpon your head:

(Notes Reference) Yea, and (d) what have ye to do with me, O Tyre, and Zidon, and all the coasts of Palestine? will ye render me (e) a recompence? and if ye recompense me, swiftly [and] speedily will I return your recompence upon your own head;

(d) He takes the cause of his Church in hand against the enemy, as though the injury were done to himself.

(e) Have I done you wrong, that you will render me the same?

(Joe 3:5) For ye haue taken my siluer and my golde, and haue caried into your temples my goodly and pleasant things.

(Joe 3:6) The children also of Iudah and the children of Ierusalem haue you solde vnto the Grecians, that ye might send them farre from their border.

(Joe 3:7) Beholde, I will rayse them out of the place where ye haue sold them, and will render your reward vpon your owne head,

(Joe 3:8) And I will send your sonnes and your daughters into the hande of the children of Iudah, and they shall sell them to the Sabeans, to a people farre off: for the Lord hath spoken it.

(Notes Reference) And I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hand of the children of Judah, and they (f) shall sell them to the Sabeans, to a people far off: for the LORD hath spoken [it].

(f) For afterward God sold them by Nebuchadnezzar and Alexander the Great, because of the love he had for his people, and by this they were comforted, as though they themselves had sold them.

(Joe 3:9) Publish this among the Gentiles: prepare warre, wake vp the mightie men: let all the men of warre drawe neere and come vp.

(Joe 3:10) Breake your plowshares into swords, and your sithes into speares: let the weake say, I am strong.

(Notes Reference) (g) Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I [am] strong.

(g) When I will execute my judgments against my enemies, I will cause everyone to be ready, and to prepare their weapons to destroy one another, for my Church's sake.

(Joe 3:11) Assemble your selues, and come all yee heathen and gather your selues together round about: there shall the Lord cast downe the mightie men.

(Joe 3:12) Let the heathen be wakened, and come vp to the valley of Iehoshaphat: for there will I sit to iudge all the heathen round about.

(Joe 3:13) Put in your sithes, for the haruest is ripe: come, get you downe, for the winepresse is full: yea, the winepresses runne ouer, for their wickednesse is great.

(Notes Reference) Put ye in the (h) sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness [is] great.

(h) In this way he will encourage the enemies when their wickedness is completely ripe to destroy one another, which he calls the valley of God's judgment.

(Joe 3:14) O multitude, O multitude, come into the valley of threshing: for the day of the Lord is neere in the valley of threshing.

(Joe 3:15) The sunne and moone shalbe darkened, and the starres shall withdrawe their light.

(Joe 3:16) The Lord also shall roare out of Zion, and vtter his voyce from Ierusalem, and the heauens and the earth shall shake, but the Lord wil be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel.

(Notes Reference) The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the LORD [will be] the (i) hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel.

(i) God assures his own against all trouble, that when he destroys his enemies, his children will be delivered.

(Joe 3:17) So shall ye know that I am the Lord your God dwelling in Zion, mine holy Mountaine: then shall Ierusalem bee holy, and there shall no strangers go thorowe her any more.

(Notes Reference) So shall ye know that I [am] the LORD your God dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass (k) through her any more.

(k) The strangers will no longer destroy his Church: and if they do, it is the fault of the people, who by their sins make the breach for the enemy.

(Joe 3:18) And in that day shall the mountaines drop downe newe wine, and the hilles shall flowe with milke, and al the riuers of Iudah shall runne with waters, and a fountaine shall come forth of the House of the Lord, and shall water the valley of Shittim.

(Notes Reference) And it shall come to pass in that day, [that] the mountains shall (l) drop down new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the rivers of Judah shall flow with waters, and a fountain shall come forth of the house of the LORD, and shall water the valley of Shittim.

(l) He promises to his Church abundance of graces, See Eze 47:1, which would water and comfort the most barren places; (Amo 9:13).

(Joe 3:19) Egypt shalbe waste, and Edom shall be a desolate wildernesse, for the iniuries of the childre of Iudah, because they haue shed innocent blood in their land.

(Notes Reference) (m) Egypt shall be a desolation, and Edom shall be a desolate wilderness, for the violence [against] the children of Judah, because they have shed innocent blood in their land.

(m) The malicious enemies will have no part of these graces.

(Joe 3:20) But Iudah shall dwell for euer, and Ierusalem from generation to generation.

(Joe 3:21) For I will clense their blood, that I haue not clensed, and the Lord will dwell in Zion.

(Notes Reference) For I will (n) cleanse their blood [that] I have not cleansed: for the LORD dwelleth in Zion.

(n) He had allowed his Church before this to lie in their filthiness, but now he promises to cleanse them and to make them pure unto himself.

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Passage 3: 2 Thessalonians 3

(2Th 3:1) Furthermore, brethren, pray for vs, that the worde of the Lord may haue free passage and be glorified, euen as it is with you,

(Notes Reference) Finally, (1) brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have [free] course, and be glorified, even as [it is] with you:

(1) He adds now consequently according to his manner, various admonitions: the first of them is, that they pray for the increase and passage of the Gospel, and for the safety of the faithful ministers of it.

(2Th 3:2) And that we may be deliuered from vnreasonable and euill men: for all men haue not fayth.

(Notes Reference) And that we may be delivered from (a) unreasonable and wicked men: (2) for all [men] have not faith.

(a) Who do not do or care about their duty. (2) It is no wonder that the Gospel is hated by so many, seeing that faith is a rare gift of God. Nonetheless, the Church will never be destroyed by the multitude of the wicked, because it is grounded and stayed upon the faithful promise of God.

(2Th 3:3) But the Lord is faithfull, which wil stablish you, and keepe you from euill.

(Notes Reference) But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep [you] from (b) evil.

(b) From Satan's snares, or from evil.

(2Th 3:4) And we are perswaded of you through the Lord, that ye both doe, and will doe the things which we warne you of.

(Notes Reference) (3) And we have confidence in the Lord touching you, that ye both do and will do the things which we command you.

(3) The second admonition is, that they always follow the doctrine of the apostles as a rule for their life.

(2Th 3:5) And the Lord guide your hearts to the loue of God, and the waiting for of Christ.

(Notes Reference) (4) And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.

(4) Thirdly, he diligently and earnestly admonishes them of two things which are given to us only by the grace of God, that is, of charity, and a watchful mind to the coming of Christ.

(2Th 3:6) We warne you, brethren, in the Name of our Lord Iesus Christ, that ye withdrawe your selues from euery brother that walketh inordinately, and not after the instruction, which hee receiued of vs.

(Notes Reference) (5) Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us.

(5) Fourthly, he says that idle and lazy persons ought not to be supported by the Church; indeed, they are not to be endured.

(2Th 3:7) For ye your selues know, how ye ought to follow vs: for we behaued not our selues inordinately among you,

(Notes Reference) (6) For yourselves know how ye ought to follow us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you;

(6) Lest he might seem to deal harshly with them, he sets forth himself as an example, who besides his travail in preaching, laboured with his hands, which he says he was not bound to do.

(2Th 3:8) Neither tooke we bread of any man for nought: but we wrought with labour and trauaile night and day, because we would not be chargeable to any of you.

(2Th 3:9) Not because we haue not authoritie, but that we might make our selues an ensample vnto you to follow vs.

(2Th 3:10) For euen when we were with you, this we warned you of, that if there were any, which would not worke, that he should not eate.

(Notes Reference) For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, (c) neither should he eat.

(c) What will we do then with those fat lazy monks, and sacrificing priests? A monk (says Socrates, book eight, of his Tripartite History) who does not work with hands, is like a thief.

(2Th 3:11) For we heare, that there are some which walke among you inordinately, and worke not at all, but are busie bodies.

(Notes Reference) For we hear that there are some which walk among (7) you disorderly, working not at all, (8) but are busybodies.

(7) How great a fault idleness is, he declares in that God created no man in vain or to no purpose, neither is there any to whom he has not allotted as it were a certain position and place. From which it follows, that the order which God has appointed is troubled by the idle, indeed broken, which is great sin and wickedness. (8) He reprehends a vice, which is joined with the former, upon which follows an infinite sort of mischiefs: that is, that there are none more busy in other men's matters, than they who neglect their own.

(2Th 3:12) Therefore them that are such, we warne and exhort by our Lord Iesus Christ, that they worke with quietnes, and eate their owne bread.

(Notes Reference) (9) Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread.

(9) The Lord commands and the apostles pray in the name of Christ, first, that no man be idle, and next, that every man quietly and carefully sees to do his duty in that office and calling in which the Lord has placed him.

(2Th 3:13) And ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.

(Notes Reference) (10) But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.

(10) We must take heed that the unworthiness of some men does not cause us to be slack in well-doing.

(2Th 3:14) If any man obey not this our saying in this letter, note him, and haue no company with him, that he may be ashamed:

(Notes Reference) (11) And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no (12) company with him, (13) that he may be ashamed.

(11) Excommunication is a punishment for the obstinate.

(12) We must have no familiarity or fellowship with the one who has been excommunicated.

(13) The end of the excommunication is not the destruction, but the salvation of the sinner, that at least through shame he may be driven to repentance.

(2Th 3:15) Yet count him not as an enemie, but admonish him as a brother.

(Notes Reference) (14) Yet count [him] not as an enemy, but admonish [him] as a brother.

(14) We must avoid familiarity with the one who has been excommunicated in such a way, that we diligently seek every occasion and means that may be, to bring them again into the right way.

(2Th 3:16) Now the Lord himselfe of peace giue you peace alwayes by all meanes. The Lord be with you all.

(Notes Reference) (15) Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord [be] with you all.

(15) Prayers are the seals of all exhortations.

(2Th 3:17) The salutation of me Paul, with mine owne hand, which is ye token in euery Epistle: so I write,

(Notes Reference) (16) The salutation of Paul with mine own hand, which is the token in every epistle: so I write.

(16) The apostle writes the conclusion of his letter with his own hand, so that false letters might not be brought and put in place of true ones.

(2Th 3:18) The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ be with you all, Amen. [The second Epistle to the Thessalonians, written from Athens.]