Loading...
Loading...
By Joseph S. Exell · 1887 · 1,353 illustrations
The Biblical Illustrator is a 56-volume reference work compiled by Joseph S. Exell in the late 19th century. Each passage of Scripture is illuminated with historical anecdotes, biographical sketches, analogies from nature, and homiletical observations drawn from ancient and contemporary sources. These illustrations have been carefully restored from the original public-domain text and rewritten for clarity and accessibility — preserving the historical depth while removing Victorian OCR artifacts.
A general proclamation that Elohim reigns means little until the hearer recognizes: *you* are the branch.
Both inquired diligently, yet their motives revealed the condition of their hearts.
David's resolution teaches us how to begin each day with God through deliberate prayer.
Under Nebuchadnezzar, who followed his illustrious father Nabopolassar, the empire extended from the frozen northern zones to the equatorial belt, subjugating Egypt, Assyria, and even maritime Tyre.
"Justification" (*dikaiōsis*), literally acquittal, denotes vindication before a court of divine justice.
They walk uprightly—their goodness is not stationary but progressive—and are consecrated to God's service, living temples of the Holy Ghost.
When a man looks downward at his feet, his circle of vision measures mere inches—encompassing only small details and fragmented parts whose purpose remains obscure.
Consider the empty house: bills posted in windows reading "To let," black windows gaping without blinds or curtains, long matted grass overtaking the lawn, doors creaking on hinges as if reluctant to wake.
First, confidence in human means stands opposed to this truth.
First, constancy of character: the disciples must not appear changeable or fickle, betraying the weakness of those who chase comfort.
Our Lord forgave the sick man's sins for his own sake, yet healed his disease for the sake of those who stood by—a distinction revealing His intimate knowledge of human need and skepticism.
Rather, we are cautioned against over-valuing earthly possessions.
The Psalmist does not merely celebrate the eternal fitness of the Divine statutes in abstract terms; he recommends them by an argument closer to human feeling and interest.
The mirage—from the Latin *mirari* (to wonder at)—deceives the thirsty traveler with an optical illusion: shimmering water that recedes as one approaches.
Exell termed a "strange silence" about matters of the soul.
Joseph Exell's 1887 commentary identifies three essential truths about Christian ministry.
This remarkable scene illustrates a profound truth: the miracles of Christ and His apostles were chiefly miracles of healing.
This vision discloses three critical truths about Adonai's character.
The law permits no negotiation, no partial obedience, no appeals to good intention.
Religious instruction must uphold God's law as supreme, though these three need not contradict one another.
First, the law could not justify or save because human weakness in the flesh rendered perfect obedience impossible (Romans 8:3).
First, the *sources* of our vulnerability: the human heart harbors dormant moral propensities until outward circumstance awakens them.
Clean hands may indicate abstinence from visible transgressions, yet a clean heart—*katharos*—concerns the inward disposition, the bias of the will, and the affections themselves.
Calls to holy living are constantly sown; yet people respond with either sudden rejection or gradual forgetfulness.