With the Prophets, the second volume opens. Bach will have read is, but the number of markings is small, and often only corrections. Intriguing, however, are marginal pencil markings in Jeremiah 38, which are accepted as authentical based on the NB (Based on info supplied by H-J. Schulze, concludes: ‘Here the evidence suggests Bach’s hand (Cox 1985, p. 1), and two ‘marginal notes’ about a Prayer.

bold = bibletext
italics and underlining = text marked by Bach (italics renders emphatic marks in the margin)
– corrections by Bach, are explained between brackets, often using green
blue text = extra context/explication (Dick Wursten)
small type = This entry is not marked by Bach, he only corrects a printing error
images are from the Van Wijnen facsimile (2017)

Volume 2, Part I The prophets

Dedication Foreword (fac. 187-188).

There are two miniature hands (pencil) pointing from the margin to the text. Might be Bach, but unsure to what these marks actually point. So a large extract.

Jeremiah also speaks clearly about Christ, especially in Chapter XXIII as Luther interpreted it in Volume Ill of Altenburg, p. 798: namely, that He shall come from the lineage of David, be true man, be born of a pure virgin, and be a just king, all of which applies to His person. It follows that what the King has He shall not keep for Himself but offer up unto men, thus speaks the prophet here. He shall proceed judiciously; that is, He shall govern with pure wisdom, etc. The prophet says further: that this King shall institute justice and righteousness on earth. These two small words- justice and righteousness-often come together in the text, as in Isaiah IX. Upon the throne of David and in his kingdom, that He may direct and strengthen it with justice and righteousness from now until eternity, for he speaks of the kingdom of Christ. We Germans say it this way: to judge rightly. The Jews express it with two words but mean nothing more than what we say: righteousness. But there are two aspects covered by this: Avoid evil and do good, for those are the two aspects that belong to righteousness, and because there is nothing besides these two aspects the text uses only two words: judicium and Justitia [this passage is noted with a small drawn handprint in the margin]; through judgment or justice God punishes; that is, He strikes down what is evil; through righteousness, He makes people pious and He sustains and shelters innocence.
When Christ preached in Jerusalem many Jews were converted and confessed faith in Christ, Jews from the tribes both of Judah and Israel. For on Whitsuntide, Acts II, there were people in Jerusalem from Assyria, Cilicia, Persia, Media, and from all lands, among whom on one day there were three thousand converts to Christ, the seed of David; therefore this text cannot be read as speaking of the physical kingdom but rather of the spiritual kingdom of Christ. For the fact that Judah and Israel are to be reunited did not occur under any actual king. Therefore whenever the prophets place these two peoples – Judah and Israel – together it is to indicate Christ’s kingdom [this passage is noted in the margin with the same kind of hand figure as on the facing page]. Thus speaks also here the prophet Jeremiah: the wish that Judah shall be helped and that Israel shall dwell securely has been fulfilled only under Christ, for otherwise, as was said, they never reunited and never shall reunite.

Isaiah (only corrections)

Column 81–82 (fac. 189). v. Diss ist die Last.. This is the curse (the heavy punishment) over Moab (whose arrogance was great because of the fruitfulness of their lands and other gifts and who became very dangerous to the Jews): destruction comes by night [Here Bach adds an insertion mark – the text to be inserted he writes in the margin of col. 82 “über Ar in Moab: sie ist dahin: des Nachts komt Zerstörung” (over Ar in Moab; it is vanished; by night comes destruction)] (through Sennacherib’s hand. See Isaiah XVI. 14. Compare Jeremiah XLVIII.1. Ezekiel XXV. 8. Amos II. 1. Hebrew reads “in the night of destruction”) to Kir in Moab: it is finished.

A number of corrections

Column 89 (fac. 190). v. 70 For you have forgotten the God of your salvation and have not been mindful of the rock of your strength (of God the Lord in whom alone you shall have placed your hope), therefore you will plant [Bach inserts in the margin “lustige” (happy)] seedlings (in the vineyards and gardens) but you will have laid the shoots for foreigners. (the Assyrians, who will enjoy their taste.)

Column 123 (fac. 191). v. 2 For you have made the city Jerusalem) into a stone heap (Compare chapter XXI. 9. XXIII. 13. Revelation XIV. 8. XIII. 3.) the mighty city (Luther: Jerusalem is called this because of its presumptuousness with the temple, the law, and the worship of God, as practiced among them) so that it [Bach strikes through “es” and replaces it with the feminine pronoun “sie” for “city”] lies as a rubble pile, a palace of strangers (Luther: he calls them strangers because of their faithlessness; it must be a powerful blindness of the jews that they give no regard to this text which is so clear) that will be no more a city and never be built. v.3 Therefore a mighty people (Oh Lord of glory) honors you (a people gathered together unto You from all the world), the cities of powerful nations will [Bach strikes through “ehren” (honor) and inserts “fürchten” (fear)] You.

Columns 206-207 (fac. 192). v. 29 Because you rage against me and because your [Bach strikes through “Volck” (people) and inserts “Stolz” (pride)] has come to my ears (in that I, in the high throne of my majesty, hear and see everything that happens and am present everywhere so that I can hear and see it, I who fill heaven and earth. Jeremiah XXIII. 24.) I will put a ring in your nose … and a bridle bit in your mouth … and lead you home again by the way you came.

Column 303 (fac. 193). v. 71 Because his soul has labored (in his suffering) he shall see his delight … and have his fullness … and by his knowledge … he my servant [Bach inserts “Der Gerechte” (the righteous one)] shall … cause much to be righteous … .

Column 307 (fac. 194). v. 1 Sing praise to yourself, 0 barren one, you who did not give birth (who as much as bore no children unto God. john I. 12. 13. With this the prophet awakens the Jewish church which in the Old Testament was practically barren, but can now rejoice in its fruitfulness, especially in the time of the New Testament, as Paul has shown, Galatians. IV. 27.), be joyous with praise and cry aloud, you who have not been with child, for the desolate woman (who until now has been just like a desolate woman. Interpret her as the Jewish church which at the time of Jesus Christ consisted of very few compared to the multitude of faithless jews. john IV.) [Bach inserts in margin “hatt mehr Kinder” (has more children)] than she who is married.

Jeremiah

This text is marked with a pencil (vertical line alongside Jer. 38: 17, 20), and an NB at v. 17. The probability that it’s Bach’s is still high (but only based on the handwriting of NB, not because of the chemical analysis of the used clay-graphite (this was not tested in 1985 – too few samples)
Column 569 (fac. 195). Jer 38
v. 17 Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, thus says the Lord, the God of hosts, the God of Israel, if you go unto the princes of the king of Babylonia (and present Zedekiah which was cause of his ruin and of his family and of the city and of the temple. See Hosea Xlll. 9.)
v. 20 Jeremiah said: You will not be given to them. Rather obey the voice of the Lord which I speak to you and it will go well for you and you will remain alive. (these were fine clear promises; how easy it was for him to obey the voice of the Lord, but lack of faith hinders such obedience powerfully.)
v. 24 [Column 570 (fac. 195). And Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, Let no one know of these words and you shall not die. (Zedekiah kept the oath he had made to Jeremiah that he would not be killed but be deemed worthy of remaining alive, but he did not heed the words which he knew to be the Lord’s word, and it was an act of faithlessness that he placed more credence with man than with God.) ·

Ezekiel (two corrections)

two spelling corrections in col. 832, 864

Daniel (one marking with NB)

Preface
Columns 917-918 (fac. 196). (… Thus it is the course of the world that the ones at court who work the most have the least and that the ones who do nothing get the most. According to the evangelist’s proverb: one person sows and another person reaps. John IV. 37. Indeed that is all the more vexing that he had as compensation hate, envy, danger, and persecution: as the world tends to compensate all service and beneficence. But this does not harm Daniel; he is all the more dear to God; He [God] compensates him all the more generously and regards Daniel as king in Babylonia and Persia… .) vertical line pencil

Daniel 7:25 : Mohammed. the Hidrja and ‘Maranatha’

Columns 981-982 (fac. 197). v. 25 ·He will defile the Most High (v. 8 above) and bewilder the saints of the Most High (v. 21) and shall dare to change time and law (the time, indeed, through the special calendar system of Mohammed’s flight in the year 602 A. D. for which epoch the years are counted according to moon changes in which a full year amounts to only 354 days and 18 hours, along with festival days; as well as the law, through the Koran which the cursed Mohammed introduced and through which he elevated his teaching over the law of Moses and of Christ.) They (the saints of the Most High) shall be given into his hands (see above v. 21) for a time (one year) and some period of time (two years) and a half period of time (half a year.
Bach marks the ensuing passage, also adding “NB” in the margin…. he is interested in the calculation of the years until Jesus’ return.
Compare chapter IV. 13. and since it is the angelic calendar, it will be 1277 112 years that the Mohammed’s kingdom shall stand, which began in the year 613 A. D. , so that only 211 years remain in this, the 1679th year of Christ’s reign: and of this period several years will be shortened for the sake of the chosen ones. Oh come, Lord Jesus, come. Relevation XXII. 20.) once more Bach shows interest in numbers, calculations (i.c. years). See also the next entries.

Daniel 12
Column 1044 (fac. 198). Dan 12 v7 (For each angelic year encompasses the same number of normal years as there are days in a normal year. If 360 days, divided into 12 months with 30 days each, comprise one year, and therefore 360 years comprise an angelic year, then these three and one-half angelic years make up 1260 years… .) [Bach writes the number “1260” in the margin. ]

Column 1045-1046 (fac. 199). v. 11 And from the time that the custom of daily offerings i. s abandoned … and that the abomination of desolation is imposed … there will be one thousand two hundred and ninety days. [Bach writes the number “1290” in margin. ] (understood as angelic days which is the same as years, and therefore thirty years more than was thought in v. 7.)

Column 1046 (fac. 199). v. 12 Blessed is he who waits and arrives at the thousand three hundred and thirty-five days. (That is, years, of which there are 75 more than announced in the seventh verse and 45 more years than determined in verse 11. When these 1335 years [Bach writes the number “1335” in the margin. ] are completed, Christ will come for judgment and will bring an end to the Antichrist through the appearance of His future; II Thessalonians 11. 8. and grant perfect salvation to His church… .)
Column 1047 (fac. 200). (… Thus these prophesies would be achieved in 1941 according to the first way of counting [Bach writes the number “1941” in the margin]; however, in 2408 according to the latter way of counting. [Bach writes the number “2408” in the margin. ]

Volume 2, Part 2 Minor prophets

Joel

NB Joel 2:2

Column 139 (fac. 201). v. 2 A gloomy day, a dark day, a cloudy day, an obscured day (a gloomy day, etc. , speaks the prophet, which, according to Luther’s interpretation, is awesome and terrifying, for the Lord unleashes his anger and causes it to rage, and He shows that He is not a God who is pleased by godless creatures. This is therefore aimed alone at those God-fearing who are concerned most of all with their insecurity within the world, with sharing in its dam nation, and therefore live in the fear of God; it is not aimed at those who are certain that the day of the Lord will come on which the sins of the godless will surely be assaulted and punished. Those who hold to this the Lord shall either escort away through death prior to the coming distress (as the writings of Hosea say, expressed also in II Kings XXII and Isaiah LVI; the righteous are taken away prior to the misfortune)

NB Joel 2:2 or comfort and protect in the midst of distress, as He did [for] Daniel in Babylon… .)

NB: Preces pro Ecclesia Joel 3:26

Column 170 (fac. 202). (… Luther says, with these fine and glorious prophesies Joel concludes his preaching. Thus let us band together firmly in this miserable time to ask and to speak: Almighty and merciful God and Father of our dear Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ: We see and feel how Your church fares in this life, what measure of fortune it enjoys, and how it is tormented in so many ways by the devil and the world… .)

Amos

Columns 213-214 (fac. 203). Amos 6 v. 6

NB: “um den Schaden Josephs” Amos 6:6

“the term “Schade Josephs” refers to the fate of Joseph and refers to the indifference of Joseph’s brothers towards his suffering after they threw him into the pit (Genesis 37:24). Amos compares this to those who had no sympathy for the misery and suffering of Israel. It was used in contemporary literature (of Bach’s times) in order to refer to similar behavior (the Rich living in luxury, while the poor…)

Micha – Habbacuc – Zechariah – Wisdom of Solomon

Column 347 (fac. 204). [Micha 5 v. 2] … out of you [Bach replaces the misprint “mir” (me) with the correct “dir” (you); the town of Bethlehem is addressed] shall come to me … that one who is to be Lord of Israel … whose going forth … has been from the beginning and eternity. [Commentary not translated. ]

Micha 17:20 Gebeth

Column 382 (fac. 205). (… Therefore we thank God through Christ with due course for such abundant understanding and pray with the prophet [Micah], as Saint Jerome also prayed at the end of his commentary on the prophet, in this manner: [Bach writes “Gebeth” (prayer) in the margin] Oh almighty God, who can compare to you, Who forgives sin and remits the misdeeds of those who remain in Your inheritance, Who does not prolong anger forever, but rather will·bmerciful. You have turned to us again and taken mercy upon us. You have suppressed our misdeeds and hurled our sins into the depths of the sea. This mercy sustains us now and forever, that we may walk in the light of Your word and may escape all peril of the devil and the world through Jesus Christ Your son and our saviour! Amen! Amen!)

Columns 415-416 (fac. 206). Preface to Habakkuk: … Saint Paul thus honored him [Habakkuk] highly and cited more than once this passage of his: The righteous man lives by his faith: And on this pas ge he bases his very beautiful letter to the Romans. In addition Luke cites him twice in Acts, thus indicating that Habakkuk had no small reputation among the apostles. See Acts XVII. 4. and following.

Habaccuc: Realism (about the effect of preaching)

Hab 1:3 Column 420 (fac. 207). (… And that comes to us as consolation and warning so that we are not surprised or think it unusual if our teaching brings little improvement, even perhaps making matters worse. For it is common to all preachers, especially when they are new and fresh out of the mold, that they believe when they say something it should immediately be fully developed and everything should suddenly happen and be changed. But that is in error. This was the case with the prophets and with Christ Himself: It happens the way they say: You are too young to make old scoundrels pious… .)

Hag 1:1 Column 507 (fac. 208). v. 1 In the second year of Darius the King, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came to Zerubbabel the son of Shea/tiel by Haggai (he is also given this name by Ezra chapters Ill. 2. and V. 2 and Nehemiah chapter XII. 1. , as also Matthew says I. 12. : following the Babylonian captivity Jeconia [Bach underlines this name and marks it “NB’] begot Shealtiel and Shealtiel begot Zerubbabel.)

Zacharia 4:7 – a vision explained

Zech 4:7 the explanation of the vision of the Golden Lamp and Olive trees
Apparently Bach was interested in this kind of apocalyptic vision, especially if it contained eschatological calculations (Daniel). However, what he underlines/marks here are general ‘Trostredenen’.

Column 560 (fac. 209).

Zech 9:1 Column 605 (fac. 210). (Luther: Until now we have heard how the prophet comforted and encouraged the silly and terrified Jews to build the temple as a precursor to the future kingdom of Christ, and how temporal and physical possessions were promised as part of this plan; such promises are not to be taken lightly for they are God’s word, and great examples of faith are involved. Many, however, feign such great spirituality, place no value on such fälschliche (Bach corrects to: fleischliche (carnal)) possessions, and fail to -see what great faith is contained in these promises… .)

Wisdom of Solomon 7:6

⁵(Denn es hat kein König einen andern anfang seiner Geburt) ⁶Sondern sie haben alle einerley eingang in das Leben / und gleichen ausgang.

Column 785 – 786 (fac. 211). About ‘Hoffartige Leute’ and government, the example of Joseph