Bible Commentaries

Job 34:3 — Verse Job 34:3. The ear trieth words — I do not think, with Calmet, that the inward ear, or judgment, is meant simply. The Asiatics valued themselves on the nice and harmonious collection of words, both in speaking and in writing; and perhaps it will be found

Psalms 10:17 — Verse Psalms 10:17. Lord, thou hast heard — Thou hast not permitted thy tempted and afflicted followers to pray in vain.Thou wilt prepare their heart — See the economy of the grace of God:1. God prepares the heart;2. Suggests the prayer;3. Hears what is prayed;4. Answers the petition.He who has got a cry in his heart after God, may rest assured that that cry proceeded from a Divine preparation, and that an answer will soon arrive. No man ever had a cry in his heart after salvation, but

Psalms 100:4 — praise him for the permission.The word בתודה bethodah, which we render with thanksgiving, is properly with the confession-offering or sacrifice. See on the title. Psalms 100:1.Bless his name. — Bless Jehovah, that he is your Elohim; see Psalms 100:3. In our liturgic service we say, "Speak good of his name;" we cannot do otherwise; we have nothing but good to speak of our God.

Psalms 141:3 — Verse Psalms 141:3. Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth — While there are so many spies on my actions and words, I have need to be doubly guarded, that my enemies may have no advantage against me. Some think the prayer is against impatience; but if he were now

Psalms 2:3 — Verse Psalms 2:3. Let us break their bands — These are the words of the confederate heathen powers; and here, as Bishop Horne well remarks, "we may see the ground of opposition; namely, the unwillingness of rebellious nature to submit to the obligations of Divine

Psalms 96:3 — Verse Psalms 96:3. Declare his glory among the heathen. — The heathen do not know the true God: as his being and attributes are at the foundation of all religion, these are the first subjects of instruction for the Gentile world. Declare, ספרו sapperu, detail,

Proverbs 22:18 — profit which may be derived from an attentive hearing.1. They should be laid up in the heart - stored, treasured up within thee.2. This will yield high satisfaction and happiness to the soul: "For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee."3. The man who thus attends to the teachings of wisdom shall gain an experimental knowledge of them, so as to be able to speak of them suitably, pertinently and persuasively. "They shall withal be fitted in thy lips."

Proverbs 3:20 — Verse Proverbs 3:20. By his knowledge the depths are broken up — He determined in his wisdom how to break up the fountains of the great deep, so as to bring a flood of waters upon the earth; and by his knowledge those fissures in the earth through which springs

Ecclesiastes 8:17 — Ecclesiastes 8:17. Then I beheld all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun — I saw it to be of such a nature -1, That a man cannot find it out.2. That if he labour to find it out, he shall not succeed.3. That though he be wise - the most instructed among men, and think to find it out, he shall find he is not able. It is beyond the wisdom and power of man. How vain then are all your cavils about Providence. You do not understand it; you cannot comprehend

Song of Solomon 7:10 — Verse 10. I am my beloved's, and his desire is toward me. — It is worthy of remark that the word which we translate his desire is the very same used Genesis 3:16: Thy desire, thy ruling appetite, תשוקתך teshukathech, shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. This was a part of the woman's curse. Now here it seems to be reversed; for the bride says, I am my beloved's, and his desire or ruling appetite

Isaiah 41:25 — יבא yabo, Le Clerc reads יבס yebes, from the Chaldee, who seems to read both words. "Forte legend. ויבס vaiyebes vel וירמס vaiyirmos: sequitur ס." "This should perhaps be read ויבס vaiyebes, or וירמס vaiyirmos: a ס samech follows." - Secker. See Nahum 3:14.

Jeremiah 2:3 — Verse Jeremiah 2:3. Israel was holiness unto the Lord — Fully consecrated to his service.The first fruits of his increase — They were as wholly the Lord's, as the first fruits were the property of the priests according to the law, Numbers 18:13. These the

Jeremiah 3:15 — Verse Jeremiah 3:15. I will give you pastors according to mine heart — The pastor means either the king or the prophet; and the pastors here promised may be either kings or prophets, or both. These shall be according to God's own heart; they shall be of his own

Ezekiel 11:3 — Verse Ezekiel 11:3. It is not near — That is, the threatened invasion.This city is the caldron, and we be the flesh. — See the vision of the seething pot, Jeremiah 1:13. These infidels seem to say: "We will run all risks, we will abide in the city. Though

Ezekiel 16:12 — thy forehead or mouth, (though they have sometimes a piece of gold or jewel fastened to the centre of their forehead.) I have already spoken of this Asiatic custom, so often referred to in the sacred writings: see Genesis 24:22; Genesis 24:42; Exodus 32:2; Job 42:11; Proverbs 11:22; Isaiah 3:21; Hosea 2:13.

Daniel 9:3 — Verse Daniel 9:3. I set my face - to seek by prayer — He found that the time of the promised deliverance could not be at any great distance; and as he saw nothing that indicated a speedy termination of their oppressive captivity, he was very much afflicted, and

Hosea 12:14 — Verse Hosea 12:14. Therefore shall he leave his blood upon him — He will not remove his guilt. These are similar to our Lord's words, John 3:36; John 9:41: "He that believeth not on the Son of God, shall not see life, for the wrath of God ABIDETH ON HIM" - shall not be removed by any remission, as he rejects the only way in which he can be saved. Because ye say, We see; therefore, YOUR SIN

Joel 2:3 — Verse Joel 2:3. A fire devoureth before them — They consume like a general conflagration. "They destroy the ground, not only for the time, but burn trees for two years after." Sir Hans Sloane, Nat. Hist. of Jamaica, vol. i., p. 29.Behind them a flame burneth

Amos 3:8 — Verse Amos 3:8. The lion hath roared, — God hath sent forth a terrible alarm, Who will not fear? Can any hear such denunciations of Divine wrath and not tremble?The Lord God hath spoken — And those only who are in communion with him have heard the speech.

Amos 4:1 — CHAPTER IV Israel reproved for their oppression, 1-3; idolatry, 4, 5; and for their impenitence under the chastising hand of God, 6-11. The omniscience and uncontrollable power of God, 12, 13. NOTES ON CHAP. IVVerse Amos 4:1. Hear this word, ye kine of Bashan — Such an address was quite natural