Superstition

How Nave’s arranged it

• General scriptures concerningActs 25:19
• INSTANCES OF
• Israelites, supposing that their defeat in battle with the Philistines was due to their not having brought with them the ark of the covenant with 4:10,111 Samuel 4:3
• Philistines, refusing to step on the threshold of the temple of Dagon after the image of Dagon had repeatedly fallen upon it1 Samuel 5:5
• The belief of the Syrians concerning the help of the gods1 Kings 20:23
• Jews, attributing their calamities to having ceased offering sacrifices to the Queen of HeavenJeremiah 44:17–19
• Nebuchadnezzar, supposing that the spirit of the gods was upon DanielDaniel 4:8Daniel 4:9
• The sailors who threw Jonah into the seaJonah 1:4–16
• The disciples, supposing they saw a ghost when Jesus came walking upon the lakeMatthew 14:26Mark 6:49Mark 6:50
• Herod Antipas, imagining that Jesus was actually John the Baptist risen from the deadMark 6:14Mark 6:16
• The Gadarenes (Gerasenes, Gergasenes), because Jesus expelled demons out of the man who lived among the tombsMatthew 8:34
• The disciples who were frightened at the appearance of PeterActs 12:14Acts 12:15

The passages, in Bible order (18)

The same references, sorted Genesis to Revelation. The first 16 are quoted in full; the rest are one click beneath them, book by book.

1. 1 Samuel 4:3

   When the troops returned to the camp, the elders of Israel asked, “Why has the LORD brought defeat on us before the Philistines today? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD from Shiloh, so that it may go with us to save us from the hand of our enemies.”

   ›Commentary on 1 Samuel 4:31 voice

   “5. For "why" in this place is not an interrogation of inquiry, but a complaint of amazement. They ask about the defeat, then, with amazement, because they were unable to arrive at the reason by which they had observed that the men of their religion had received the faith of the Redeemer. And it should be noted that those who ask with amazement are recorded to have been the elders of Israel, because indeed all the proud, glorying in their own wisdom, were in no way able to arrive at the knowledge of divine mysteries.

   Everything gathered on 1 Samuel 4:3→

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2. 1 Samuel 5:5

   That is why, to this day, the priests of Dagon and all who enter the temple of Dagon in Ashdod do not step on the threshold.

   ›Commentary on 1 Samuel 5:51 voice

   “4. For they present themselves as priests of Dagon, who do not tread upon the threshold. In these words it must be carefully observed that he did not say "the threshold," but "upon the threshold," so that the head and hands of Dagon are taught to be what must be trampled upon, which are reported to have been cut off upon the threshold. The reason, moreover, that the priests do not tread upon the threshold is that they avoid crushing his severed hands and head with their foot.

   Everything gathered on 1 Samuel 5:5→

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3. 1 Kings 20:23

   Meanwhile, the servants of the king of Aram said to him, “Their gods are gods of the hills. That is why they prevailed over us. Instead, we should fight them on the plains; surely then we will prevail.

   ›Commentary on 1 Kings 20:232 voices

   “Here the Scripture relates the two battles of the king of Israel against the Arameans, at which we have already hinted, and the twin slaughters of the Arameans, of which the second caused the death of 127,000 men, as God took his revenge on the …

   “And the servants of the king of Syria said unto him,....

   Everything gathered on 1 Kings 20:23→

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4. Jeremiah 44:17–19

   Instead, we will do everything we vowed to do: We will burn incense to the Queen of Heaven and offer drink offerings to her, just as we, our fathers, our kings, and our officials did in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. At that time we had plenty of food and good things, and we saw no disaster.

   ›Commentary on Jeremiah 44:17–191 voice

   “But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth out of our own mouth,....

   Everything gathered on Jeremiah 44:17–19→

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5. Daniel 4:8

   But at last, into my presence came Daniel (whose name is Belteshazzar after the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods). And I told him the dream:

   ›Commentary on Daniel 4:82 voices

   “Then he described what happened in his second vision, as none of the magicians, soothsayers, and Chaldeans were able to declare the matter to the king, until Daniel was called who also described to Nebuchadnezzar his first vision, so that in all things God might glorify his own slaves the prophets beyond the other barbarians and foreign nations, who pretend to be flattered in their human wisdom, having practiced earthly learning.

   “Verse 8. "'Then at last my associate, Daniel, whose name according to the name of my god is Belteshazzar, entered before my presence.'" With the exception of the Septuagint translators (who for some reason or other have omitted this whole passage), the other three translators have translated the word as "associate" (collega). Consequently by the judgment of the teachers of the Church, the Septuagint edition has been rejected in the case of this book, and it is the translation of Theodotion which is commonly read, since it agrees with the Hebrew as well as with the other translators.

   Everything gathered on Daniel 4:8→

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6. Daniel 4:9

   “O Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you and that no mystery baffles you. So explain to me the visions I saw in my dream, and their interpretation.

   ›Commentary on Daniel 4:91 voice

   “Good fortune often causes the general run of people to forget their benefactors, whereas it is necessity that recalls to mind those who have treated us well; and while the person in good health does not keep in mind the physician's competence, on falling ill …

   Everything gathered on Daniel 4:9→

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7. Jonah 1:4–16

   Then the LORD hurled a great wind upon the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship was in danger of breaking apart.

   ›Commentary on Jonah 1:4–161 voice

   "But the LORD sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken." LXX: "and the Lord induced a great wind over the sea and a great storm was over the sea, and the boat threatened to break up." The flight of the prophet can be related to man in general, who, forsaking the commands of God, flees from his face and goes out into the world.

   Everything gathered on Jonah 1:4–16→

   Verse page →Original language →

8. Matthew 8:34

   Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw Him, they begged Him to leave their region.

   ›Commentary on Matthew 8:342 voices

   “(Verse 34) And behold, the whole city went out to meet Jesus, and when they saw Him, they begged Him to pass through their borders. They ask Him to pass through their borders, not out of pride as some think, but out of humility by which they judged themselves unworthy of the Lord's presence, just as Peter, falling to the knees of the Savior in the catch of fish, said: Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man (Luke 5:8).

   “And behold, the whole city,.... The inhabitants of it, not every individual person, but the greater number of them, or, at least, a very great number of them.

   Everything gathered on Matthew 8:34→

   Verse page →Original language →

9. Matthew 14:26

   When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost!” they said, and cried out in fear.

   ›Commentary on Matthew 14:261 voice

   “(Verse 26.) And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying: It is a ghost. If, according to Marcion and Manichaeus, our Lord was not born of a Virgin, but appeared in a vision: how is it that now the apostles fear seeing a vision? And they cried out due to fear. The confused shout and uncertain voice is a sign of great fear.

   Everything gathered on Matthew 14:26→

   Verse page →Original language →

10. Mark 6:14

    Now King Herod heard about this, for Jesus’ name had become well known, and people were saying, “John the Baptist has risen from the dead! That is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”

    ›Commentary on Mark 6:142 voices

    “This Herod was the son of the Herod who slaughtered the infants. Though he was a tetrarch, Mark calls him king, using this title in a loose sense. Having heard of the Lord's miracles and being conscious that he had killed the righteous John without …

    “And king Herod heard of him,.... "Of Jesus", as the Syriac version supplies it; or "the miracles of Jesus", as the Persic version. This Herod here called a king, as he might be by his courtiers, and the common people, is the same with the Tetrarch in Mat 14:1, for he was only Tetrarch of Galilee.

    Everything gathered on Mark 6:14→

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11. Mark 6:16

    But when Herod heard this, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has risen from the dead!”

    ›Commentary on Mark 6:161 voice

    “(Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc.) There follows, But when Herod heard thereof, he said, It is John, whom I beheaded: he is risen from the dead. Herod expressly says, this in irony.

    Everything gathered on Mark 6:16→

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12. Mark 6:49

    but when they saw Him walking on the sea, they cried out, thinking He was a ghost—

    ›Commentary on Mark 6:492 voices

    “But notice also another circumstance, namely that before ending the danger, He casts them into even greater fear; for when they saw Him, they cried out in fright, thinking it was a ghost. Then the Lord immediately encourages them with His voice, saying: "Do not …

    “But when they saw him walking on the sea,.... See Gill on Mat 14:26; they supposed it had been a spirit; a phantom, a spectre, an apparition, a nocturnal demon: and cried out; as men affrighted at the sight, and fearing they should be hurt by it, or that it portended some evil to them; See Gill on Mat 14:26.

    Everything gathered on Mark 6:49→

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13. Mark 6:50

    for they all saw Him and were terrified. But Jesus spoke up at once: “Take courage! It is I. Do not be afraid.”

    ›Commentary on Mark 6:502 voices

    “But notice also another circumstance, namely that before ending the danger, He casts them into even greater fear; for when they saw Him, they cried out in fright, thinking it was a ghost. Then the Lord immediately encourages them with His voice, saying: "Do not …

    “And immediately he spoke to them and said, "Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid." And he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. The first aid to those trembling and in danger is to banish fear struck into their …

    Everything gathered on Mark 6:50→

    Verse page →Original language →

14. Acts 12:14

    When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed that she forgot to open the gate, but ran inside and announced, “Peter is standing at the gate!”

    ›Commentary on Acts 12:142 voices

    “Notice the reverence of the servant girl: "from joy," it says, "she did not open." But this turned out beautifully, for otherwise the rest, astonished by his unexpected appearance, would perhaps not have believed that it was he, since even as it was they did …

    “And when she knew Peter's voice,.... often heard him preach and converse in the family: she opened not the gate for gladness, filled with joy to hear his voice, and that he was delivered from prison, and in haste to carry the welcome news to the company within, stayed not to open the gate, and let Peter in: but ran in and told how Peter stood before the gate: she went into the house in a great hurry, and related to them within, that Peter was at the door without.

    Everything gathered on Acts 12:14→

    Verse page →Original language →

15. Acts 12:15

    “You are out of your mind,” they told her. But when she kept insisting it was so, they said, “It must be his angel.”

    ›Commentary on Acts 12:151 voice

    “Thus, too, does the angel, the witness of baptism, "make the paths straight" for the Holy Spirit, who is about to come upon us, by the washing away of sins, which faith, sealed in (the name of) the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, obtains.

    Everything gathered on Acts 12:15→

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16. Acts 19:13–19

    Now there were some itinerant Jewish exorcists who tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those with evil spirits. They would say, “I bind you by Jesus, whom Paul proclaims.”

    ›Commentary on Acts 19:13–191 voice

    “And the nature of all these deceits is obscure to those who are without the truth. For they think that those demons profit them when they cease to injure, whereas they have no power except to injure. Some one may perchance say that they are therefore to be worshipped, that they may not injure, since they have the power to injure. They do indeed injure, but those only by whom they are feared, whom the powerful and lofty hand of God does not protect, who are uninitiated in the mystery of truth.

    Everything gathered on Acts 19:13–19→

    Verse page →Original language →