Bible Commentaries

Psalms 129:4 — Verse Psalms 129:4. The Lord-hath cut asunder the cords of the wicked. — The words have been applied to the sufferings of Christ; but I know not on what authority. No such scourging could take place in his case, as would justify the expression, - "The ploughers made long furrows there, Till all his body was one wound." It is not likely that he received more than thirty-nine stripes. The last line is an unwarranted assertion.

Proverbs 2:11 — Verse Proverbs 2:11. Discretion shall preserve thee — מזמה mezimmah. See on Proverbs 1:4. Here the word is taken in a good sense, a good device. The man invents purposes of good; and all his schemes, plans, and devices, have for their object God's glory and the good of man: he deviseth liberal things, and by liberal things he shall stand. Coverdale translates, "Then shall COUNSEL preserve thee." A very good translation, much better than the present.

Song of Solomon 1:4 — Verse Song of Solomon 1:4. Draw me — Let me have the full assurance of thy affection.We will run after thee — Speaking in the plural through modesty, while still herself is meant.The king hath brought me — My spouse is a potentate, a mighty king, no ordinary person.Into his chambers — He has favoured me with his utmost confidence.The upright love thee. — The most perfect and accomplished find thee worthy of their highest esteem.

Song of Solomon 5:4 — Verse Song of Solomon 5:4. My beloved put in his hand — If it were a real scene, which is mentioned in this and the two following verses, it must refer, from the well-known use of the metaphors, to matrimonial endearments. Or, it may refer to his attempts to open the door, when she hesitated to arise, on the grounds mentioned Song of Solomon 5:3. But this also bears every evidence of a dream.

Isaiah 28:16 — Verse Isaiah 28:16. Behold, I lay in Zion — See the notes on the parallel places in the margin (Genesis 49:32; Psalms 118:22; Matthew 21:42; Acts 4:11; Romans 9:33; Romans 10:11; Ephesians 2:20; 1 Peter 2:6-8). Kimchi understands this of Hezekiah; but it most undoubtedly belongs to Jesus Christ alone; and his application of it to himself, even the Jews could not contest. See the margin as above.

Jeremiah 4:8 — Verse Jeremiah 4:8. Lament and howl — הילילו heililu. The aboriginal Irish had a funeral song called the Caoinian, still continued among their descendants, one part of which is termed the ulaloo: this is sung responsively or alternately, and is accompanied with a full chorus of sighs and groans. It has been thought that Ireland was originally peopled by the Phoenicians: if so, this will account for the similarity of many words and customs among both these people.

Ezekiel 18:4 — Verse Ezekiel 18:4. All souls are mine — Equally so; I am the Father of the spirits of all flesh, and shall deal impartially with the whole.The soul that sinneth, it shall die. — None shall die for another's crimes, none shall be saved by another's righteousness. Here is the general judgment relative to the righteousness and unrighteousness of men, and the influence of one man's state on that of another; particularly in respect to their moral conduct.

Ezekiel 20:4 — Verse Ezekiel 20:4. Wilt thou judge them — If thou wilt enter into any discussion with them, show them the abomination of their fathers. The whole chapter is a consecutive history of the unfaithfulness ingratitude, rebellion, and idolatry of the Jews, from the earliest times to that day; and vindicates the sentence which God had pronounced against them, and which he was about to execute more fully in delivering them and the city into the hands of the Chaldeans.

Ezekiel 27:26 — Verse Ezekiel 27:26. Thy rowers have brought thee into great waters — Tyre is still considered under the allegory of a ship; and all the vessels of different nations trading with her are represented as towing her into deep waters-bringing her into great affluence. But while in this state, a stormy east wind, or a destructive wind, meaning the Chaldeans, arises, and dashes her to pieces! See the ode from Horace, already quoted on Ezekiel 27:4.

Ezekiel 41:4 — Verse Ezekiel 41:4. The length thereof, twenty cubits — This is the measurement of the sanctuary, or holy of holies. See G in the plan. Ezekiel 48:35. This also was the exact measurement of Solomon's temple, see 1 Kings 6:20. This, and the other resemblances here, sufficiently prove that Ezekiel's temple and that of Solomon were on the same plan; and that the latter temple was intended to be an exact resemblance of the former.

Daniel 5:6 — Verse Daniel 5:6. The king's countenance was changed — Here is a very natural description of fear and terror.1. The face grows pale;2. The mind becomes greatly agitated;3. Pains seize on the lower part of the back and kidneys;4. A universal tremor takes place, so that the knees smite against each other;5. And lastly, either a syncope takes place, or the cry of distress is uttered, Daniel 5:7: "The king cried."

Daniel 8:4 — Verse Daniel 8:4. I saw the ram pushing westward — The Persians, who are signified by the ram, as well as their founder Cyrus, pushed their conquests west, north and south. The principal theatre of their wars, says Calmet, was against the SCYTHIANS, northward; against the GREEKS, westward; and against the EGYPTIANS, southward.He did according to his will — There was no other nation at that time that could stay the progress of the Persian arms.

Hosea 8:4 — Verse Hosea 8:4. They have set up kings, but not by me — Properly speaking, not one of the kings of Israel, from the defection of the ten tribes from the house of David, was the anointed of the Lord.I knew it not — It had not my approbation. In this sense the word know is frequently understood.That they may be cut off. — That is, They shall be cut off in consequence of their idolatry.

Amos 4:11 — Verse Amos 4:11. I have overthrown some of you — In the destruction of your cities I have shown my judgments as signally as I did in the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah; and those of you that did escape were as "brands plucked out of the fire;" if not consumed, yet much scorched. And as the judgment was evidently from my hand, so was the deliverance; "and yet ye have not returned unto me, saith the Lord."

Micah 4:7 — Verse Micah 4:7. Her that halted a remnant — I will preserve them as a distinct people after their return from captivity, for the farther purposes of my grace and mercy.And the Lord shall reign over them in Mount Zion — The Chaldee is remarkable here, and positively applies the words to the Messiah: "But thou, O Messiah, of Israel, who art hidden because of the sins of the congregation of Zion, the kingdom shall come unto thee."

Haggai 1:4 — Verse 4. Is it time for you — If the time be not come to rebuild the temple, it cannot be come for you to build yourselves comfortable houses: but ye are rebuilding your houses; why then do ye not rebuild the house of the Lord? The foundation of the temple had been laid fourteen years before, and some considerable progress made in the building; and it had been lying waste in that unfinished state to the present time.

Matthew 12:16 — Verse Matthew 12:16. Charged them that they should not make him known — See Matthew 8:4. Jesus Christ, as GOD, could have easily concealed himself, but he chooses to do it as man, and to use no other than human means, as these were quite sufficient for the purpose, to teach us not to neglect them in our necessity. Indeed, he always used his power less on his own account, than on that of men.

Luke 11:33 — Verse 33. No man, when he hath lighted, &c.] Matthew 5:15; Matthew 5:15. Our Lord intimates, that if he worked a miracle among such an obstinate people, who were determined to disbelieve every evidence of his Messiahship, he should act as a man who lighted a candle and then covered it with a bushel, which must prevent the accomplishment of the end for which it was lighted. See also Clarke on "Mark 4:21", &c.

Luke 9:11 — Verse Luke 9:11. The people - followed him — Observe here five grand effects of Divine grace.1. The people are drawn to follow him.2. He kindly receives them.3. He instructs them in the things of God.4. He heals all their diseases.5. He feeds their bodies and their souls. See Quesnel.Reader! Jesus is the same to the present moment. Follow him, and he will receive, instruct, heal, feed, and save thy soul unto eternal life.

Acts 4:14 — Verse Acts 4:14. They could say nothing against it. — They could not gainsay the apostolic doctrine, for that was supported by the miraculous fact before them. If the doctrine be false, the man cannot have been miraculously healed: if the man be miraculously healed, then the doctrine must be true that it is by the name of Jesus of Nazareth that he has been healed. But the man is incontestably healed; therefore the doctrine is true.