From Nave’s Topical Bible
Reed
Every passage the 1896 Nave’s Topical Biblegathers under this heading, in Nave’s own arrangement and then in Bible order. MannaFest has not written this page — it is the older index, transcribed, with the Word travelling beside each reference.
- 21Passages listed
- 8Books of the 66
- 1896Nave's edition
How Nave’s arranged it
- A water plantIsaiah 19:6Isaiah 19:7Isaiah 35:7Jeremiah 51:32
- Used as a measuring device (six cubits)Ezekiel 40:3–8Ezekiel 41:8Ezekiel 42:16–19Ezekiel 45:1Revelation 11:1Revelation 21:15Revelation 21:16
- Mockingly given to Jesus as a symbol of royaltyMatthew 27:29
- Jesus hit withMatthew 27:30Mark 15:19
- FIGURATIVE
- Of weakness1 Kings 14:152 Kings 18:21Isaiah 36:6Isaiah 42:3Ezekiel 29:6Matthew 11:7Matthew 12:20
The passages, in Bible order (21)
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 Kings 14:15
For the LORD will strike Israel as a reed is shaken in the water. He will uproot Israel from this good land that He gave their fathers, and He will scatter them beyond the Euphrates, because they have made their Asherah poles, provoking the LORD to anger.
Commentary on 1 Kings 14:151 voice
The general prophecy of Moses Deu 29:28, that the disobedient Israelites would be rooted up out of their land, and cast into another land, is here for the first time repeated, and is definitively applied to the ten tribes, which are to be removed “beyond the river” (the Euphrates, 1Ki 4:21, 1Ki 4:24), and “scattered.” On the fulfillment of this prophecy, and especially on the “scattering” of the ten tribes, see 2Ki 17:6 note. Groves - See Exo 34:13 note.
Albert Barnes· Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)Evangelical
- 2 Kings 18:21
Look now, you are trusting in Egypt, that splintered reed of a staff that will pierce the hand of anyone who leans on it. Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him.
Commentary on 2 Kings 18:212 voices
This bruised reed - The “tall reed of the Nile bulrush” fitly symbolized the land where it grew. Apparently strong and firm, it was quite unworthy of trust. Let a man lean upon it, and the rotten support instantly gave way, wounding the hand that stayed itself so insecurely. So it was with Egypt throughout the whole period of Jewish history (compare 2Ki 17:4-6). Her actual practice was to pretend friendship, to hold out hopes of support, and then to fail in time of need.
Albert Barnes· Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)Evangelical
As I have already said, Sennacherib is a type of the devil, and this hypothesis is perfectly confirmed by the words that in this passage the Rabshakeh boastfully speaks against God when he makes false promises to the people, trying to take away from [God] …
Ephrem the Syrian· ON THE SECOND BOOK OF KINGS 18:19Patristic
- Isaiah 19:6
The canals will stink; the streams of Egypt will trickle and dry up; the reeds and rushes will wither.
- Isaiah 19:7
The bulrushes by the Nile, by the mouth of the river, and all the fields sown along the Nile, will wither, blow away, and be no more.
Commentary on Isaiah 19:71 voice
The paper reeds by the brooks, by the mouth of the brooks,.... Not at the fountain or origin of the Nile and its streams, but by the sides thereof; on the banks of which grew a reed or rush, called by the Greeks "papyrus" and "biblus"; from whence come the words "paper" and "bible", or book, of which paper was anciently made; even as early as the times of Isaiah, and so, many hundreds of years before the times of Alexander the great, to which some fix the era of making it.
John Gill· Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763)Reformed
- Isaiah 35:7
The parched ground will become a pool, the thirsty land springs of water. In the haunt where jackals once lay, there will be grass and reeds and papyrus.
- Isaiah 36:6
Look now, you are trusting in Egypt, that splintered reed of a staff that will pierce the hand of anyone who leans on it. Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him.
Commentary on Isaiah 36:61 voice
The staff of this broken reed - A weakened, faithless ally. On Egypt - The Bodl. MS. adds מלך melech, the king of Egypt; and so perhaps the Chaldee might read. It will go into his hand, and pierce it - Will take subsidy after subsidy, and do nothing for it.
Adam Clarke· Commentary on the BibleEvangelical
- Isaiah 42:3
A bruised reed He will not break and a smoldering wick He will not extinguish; He will faithfully bring forth justice.
- Jeremiah 51:32
The fords have been seized, the marshes set on fire, and the soldiers are terrified.”
Commentary on Jeremiah 51:321 voice
And that the passages are stopped,.... Or "taken", or "seized" (o); where Cyrus placed soldiers to keep them; these were the passages leading from the river Euphrates to the city, the keys of it; the little gates, that Herodotus (p) speaks of, leading to the river, which were left open that night.
John Gill· Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763)Reformed
- Ezekiel 29:6
Then all the people of Egypt will know that I am the LORD. For you were only a staff of reeds to the house of Israel.
Commentary on Ezekiel 29:62 voices
And all the inhabitants of Egypt shall know that I am the Lord,.... Who could eject their king from his kingdom, and deliver him into the hands of his enemy; though he thought no God could, as he boastingly said, before observed: because they have been a staff of reed to the house of Israel; alluding to the country of Egypt, which abounded with reeds that grew upon the banks of the river Nile, and other rivers.
John Gill· Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763)Reformed
They have been a staff of reed - An inefficient and faithless ally. The Israelites expected assistance from them when Nebuchadnezzar came against Jerusalem; and they made a feint to help them, but retired when Nebuchadnezzar went against them. Thus were the Jews deceived and ultimately ruined, see Eze 29:7.
Adam Clarke· Commentary on the BibleEvangelical
- Ezekiel 40:3–8
So He took me there, and I saw a man whose appearance was like bronze. He was standing in the gateway with a linen cord and a measuring rod in his hand.
Commentary on Ezekiel 40:3–81 voice
This man spoke to the prophet, in whose hand was a cord, and whose appearance was like bronze, and he held a reed in his hand. He spoke to Ezekiel, a true architect, whom Paul the apostle imitated, saying: Like a wise architect, I have laid the foundation. But he calls him the wise architect, to distinguish him from the foolish one, who is called an unworthy shepherd in Zechariah.
Jerome· COMMENTARY ON EZEKIEL 12:40.1-4Patristic
- Ezekiel 41:8
I saw that the temple had a raised base all around it, forming the foundation of the side rooms. It was the full length of a rod, six long cubits.
- Ezekiel 42:16–19
With a measuring rod he measured the east side to be five hundred cubits long.
Commentary on Ezekiel 42:16–192 voices
He measured the east - north - south - west side - Each of which was five hundred reeds: and, as the building was square, the area must have been nearly thirteen thousand paces. No wonder this was called a city. See Eze 40:2.
Adam Clarke· Commentary on the BibleEvangelical
(Verse 15 onwards) When he had finished measuring the interior dimensions of the house, he led me along the way of the gate that faced east, and he measured it all around. (He measured the likeness of the house all around in order.) He measured the east side with the measuring rod; it was 500 rods long by the measuring rod all around. (He also measured the north side, south side, and west side.) And he measured against the north wind, five hundred cubits, measuring with a cubit in circumference.
Jerome· Commentary on EzekielPatristic
- Ezekiel 45:1
“When you divide the land by lot as an inheritance, you are to set aside a portion for the LORD, a holy portion of the land 25,000 cubits long and 20,000 cubits wide. This entire tract of land will be holy.
- Matthew 11:7
As John’s disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swaying in the wind?
Commentary on Matthew 11:71 voice
Was it for this ye went out into the desert to see a man like unto a reed, and carried about by every wind, so that in lightness of mind he doubts concerning Him whom once he preached? Or it may be he is roused against Me by the sting of envy, and he seeks empty honour by his preaching, that he may thereof make gain. Why should he covet wealth? that he may have dainty fare? But his food is locusts and wild honey. That he may wear soft raiment? But his clothing is camel's hair.
Jerome· Catena Aurea by AquinasPatristic
- Matthew 12:20
A bruised reed He will not break, and a smoldering wick He will not extinguish, till He leads justice to victory.
Commentary on Matthew 12:202 voices
A bruised reed - A convinced sinner: one that is bruised with the weight of sin: smoking flax - One that has the least good desire, the faintest spark of grace: till he send forth judgment unto victory - That is, till he make righteousness completely victorious over all its enemies.
John Wesley· Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament, 1755Evangelical
A bruised reed shall he not break - A reed is, in Scripture, the emblem of weakness, Eze 29:6; and a bruised reed must signify that state of weakness that borders on dissolution and death. And smoking flax shall he not quench - Λινον τυφομενον. Λινος means the wick of a lamp, and τυφομενον is intended to point out its expiring state, when the oil has been all burnt away from it, and nothing is left but a mere snuff, emitting smoke.
Adam Clarke· Commentary on the BibleEvangelical
- Matthew 27:29
And they twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on His head. They put a staff in His right hand and knelt down before Him to mock Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!”
Commentary on Matthew 27:292 voices
What can be said about the reed they placed "in his right hand"? Here is my explanation: The reed embodied the hollow and fragile scepter that we all were leaning on before we saw it was a bad scepter, for we were trusting in the reed-shaped rod of Egypt or Babylon or some other kingdom opposed to God's kingdom. Then he took that reed and rod of the fragile kingdom from our hands, to subdue it and break it to pieces on the cross.
Origen of Alexandria· COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 125Patristic
He had been styled King of the Jews, and the Scribes and Priests had brought this charge against Him, that He claimed sovereignty over the Jewish nation; hence this mockery of the soldiers, taking away His own garments, they put on Him a scarlet cloak to represent that purple fringe which kings of old used to wear, for the diadem they put on Him a crown of thorns, and for the regal sceptre give Him a reed, and perform adoration to Him as to a king. All these things we may understand mystically.
Jerome· Catena Aurea by AquinasPatristic