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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.
When Elohim's scythe swung through the harvests of that empire, desolation followed.
Ecclesiastes 3:5 speaks of "a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together." The primary meaning emerges from Eastern husbandry: vineyards cultivated on steep valley sides required backbreaking labor. A husbandman must first cast away stones...
First, it demonstrated that on the Sabbath especially, men must attend to the interests of the soul rather than bodily comforts.
A paradox haunts this tetrarch: he reverenced God's faithful minister while remaining enslaved to his own appetites.
Man alone among creatures possesses articulate speech—the power to transmit thought from mind to mind.
When Joshua's leadership (30 years), Samuel's judgeship (30 years), and Saul's reign (40 years, Acts 13:21) are subtracted from the broader 240–260 year span between Israel's entrance into Canaan and David's coronation, this interval remains.
Thomson, D.D., witnessed in nineteenth-century Sidon diggers consumed by frenzy at the discovery of a single coin.
Removing thirty years for Joshua, thirty for Samuel, and forty for Saul's reign (Acts 13:21)—totaling 100 years—leaves 140–160 years for the events recorded in Judges.
What does it mean to trust one's heart?
Exell's *Biblical Illustrator* identifies three marks of temptation as she conducts her ministry of ruin.
The prophet reveals a profound truth: the created order itself stands as evidence against human transgression.
Exell's Victorian exposition distinguishes between two essential dimensions of this strength, each indispensable to true manhood.
When your interest, your feelings, your wants, nay, even your future independence are on one side, and the plain dictates of duty and religion on the other, then it is that you must "be very courageous" and not turn aside...
From the foolish child who refuses parental authority to the foolish man who resists rebuke, pride precedes the fall.
The Greek word here *kleio* means not merely to close, but to lock—to shut in a way that cannot be reopened.
Shepherds move constantly in pursuit of fresh pasture for their flocks, making the shepherd's tent the perfect emblem of life's transience and uncertainty.
Just as plants have evolved defenses against harmful insects, the soul requires vigilance against those who deceive through honeyed words.
The annihilation of Assyrian power unfolds as a great funeral obsequy, well known among Eastern nations.
Exell observed that no priesthood merits acceptance if entered without notice, preparation, or deliberate thought.
Isaiah condemns the absurdity of idolatry through the image of a *pesel* (graven image) crafted to not topple over. A wooden idol, planed smooth beneath and weighted above to prevent tipping at the slightest push, was deemed worthy of worship—yet...
The ablest theologians have settled that good intention cannot sanctify an immoral act; yet an evil intention will certainly corrupt even the best performances.
When a ruler is surrounded by wise counsellors, both he and his people are safe.
The oozing stream from a bursting reservoir becomes a torrent; the torrent becomes a deluge.
First, the *object* of true worship: "Men shall worship Him"—that is, Jehovah.