Bible Commentaries

Psalms 101:1 — evil, inward and outward, 3. No evil person shall stand in his presence, 4; nor any slanderer of his neighbour, 4, 5. He will encourage the faithful and upright, 6; but the deceitful, the liars, and the profligate, he will cast out of the city of God, 7, 8. NOTES ON PSALM CIThe Hebrew and all the Versions attribute this Psalm to David. It shows us the resolutions he formed when he came to the throne; and it is a perfect model according to which a wise prince should regulate his conduct and his government.Verse

Psalms 135:7 — Verse Psalms 135:7. He causeth the vapours to ascend — Dr. Shaw thinks that the account here refers to the autumnal rains in the east. Of them he speaks as follows: "Seldom a night passes without much lightning in the north-west quarter, but not attended with thunder;

Psalms 142:1 — PSALM CXLII The psalmist, in great distress and difficulty, calls upon God, 1-7. NOTES ON PSALM CXLIIThe title says, "An Instruction of David," or a Psalm of David giving instruction; "A Prayer when he was in the cave."David was twice in great peril in caves.1. At the cave of Adullam, when he fled from Achish, king of Gath, 1

Psalms 147:1 — PSALM CXLVII The psalmist praises God for his goodness to Jerusalem, 1-3; shows his great mercy to them that trust in him, 4-6; he extols him for his mercies, and providential kindness, 7-11; for his defence of Jerusalem, 12-15; For his wonders in the seasons, 16-18; and his word unto Jacob, 19, 20. NOTES ON PSALM CXLVIIThis Psalm, which is without title in the Hebrew, Chaldee, and Vulgate, is attributed by the other Versions to Haggai

Proverbs 25:7 — Verse Proverbs 25:7. Come up hither — Our Lord refers to this, see Luke 14:8, and the notes there. Be humble; affect not high things; let those who are desperate climb dangerous precipices; keep thyself quiet, and thou shalt live at ease, and in peace. Hear the speech

Proverbs 7:18 — Verse Proverbs 7:18. Come, let us take our fill of love — נרוה דדים nirveh dodim, "Let us revel in the breasts;" and then it is added, "Let us solace ourselves with loves," נתעלסה באהבים nithallesah boohabim; "let us gratify each other with loves, with the utmost

Ecclesiastes 7:11 — Verse Ecclesiastes 7:11. Wisdom is good with an inheritance — In this chapter Solomon introduces many observations which appear to be made by objectors against his doctrine; and as he was satisfied of their futility, he proposes them in their own full strength, and

Song of Solomon 7:4 — Verse Song of Solomon 7:4. Thy neck - as a tower of ivory — High, white, and ornamented with jewellery, as the tower of David was with bucklers. See on Song of Solomon 4:4.The fish - pools in Heshbon — Clear, bright, and serene. These must have been very beautiful

Isaiah 10:28 — Jerusalem; from Ai northward, to Nob westward of it; from which last place he might probably have a prospect of Mount Sion. Anathoth was within three Roman miles of Jerusalem, according to Eusebius, Jerome and Josephus. Onomast. Loc. Hebr. et Antiq. Jud. x. 7, 3. Nob was probably still nearer. And it should seem from this passage of Isaiah that Sennacherib's army was destroyed near the latter of these places. In coming out of Egypt he might perhaps join the rest of his army at Ashdod, after the taking of

Isaiah 2:7 — Verse Isaiah 2:7. Their land is also full of horses - "And his land is filled with horses"] This was in direct contradiction to God's command in the law: "But he (the king) shall not multiply horses to himself; nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that

Isaiah 30:1 — CHAPTER XXX The Jews reproved for their reliance on Egypt, 1-7. Threatened for their obstinate adherence to this alliance, 8-17. Images the most elegant and lofty, by which the intense gloriousness of Messiah's reign at the period when all Israel shall be added to the Church is beautifully set forth, 18-26. Dreadful

Isaiah 35:10 — redemption.3. A promise of the manifestation of God among men is given.4. The miracles which Christ should work are explicitly mentioned.5. The privileges of Christianity are specified; there shall be, 1. Thorough teaching; 2. Holy walking.6. Perfect safety.7. Complete happiness. And - 8. Final glory.The chapter shows also that no impurity should be tolerated in the Church of God; for as that is the mystical body of Christ, it should be like himself, without spot or wrinkle, or any such thing.

Isaiah 53:12 — sentence.He made intercession for the transgressors. - This was literally fulfilled at his death, "Father, forgive them; they know not what they do!" Luke 23:34. And to make intercession for transgressors is one part of his mediatorial office. Hebrews 7:25; Hebrews 9:24.IN this chapter the incarnation, preaching, humiliation, rejection, sufferings, death, atonement, resurrection, and mediation of Jesus Christ are all predicted, together with the prevalence of his Gospel, and the extension of his kingdom

Isaiah 57:9 — Verse Isaiah 57:9. And thou wentest to the king with ointment - "And thou hast visited the king with a present of oil"] That is, the king of Assyria, or Egypt. Hosea, Hosea 12:1, reproaches the Israelites for the same practice: - "They make a covenant with Assyria,

Jeremiah 15:1 — Jeremiah 15:1. Though Moses and Samuel — Moses had often supplicated for the people; and in consequence they were spared. See Exodus 32:11 and following verses, Numbers 14:13. Samuel also had prayed for the people, and God heard him, 1 Samuel 7:9; but if these or the most holy men were now to supplicate for this people, he would not spare them.Cast them out of my sight, and let them go forth. — Do not bring them into my presence by your prayers; let them go forth into captivity.

Lamentations 1:7 — Verse 7. Did mock at her Sabbaths. — משבתה mishbatteha. Some contend that Sabbaths are not intended here. The Septuagint has κατοικεσια αυτης, "her habitation;" the Chaldee, על טובהא al tubaha, "her good things;" the Syriac, [Syriac] al toboroh, "her

Ezekiel 16:3 — Hittite. — These tribes were the most famous, and probably the most corrupt, of all the Canaanites. So Isaiah calls the princes of Judah rulers of Sodom, Isaiah 1:10; and John the Baptist calls the Pharisees a generation or brood of vipers, Matthew 3:7. There is a fine specimen of this kind of catachresis in Dido's invective against AEneas: - Nec tibi Diva parens, generis nec Dardanus auctor, Perflde; sed duris genuit te cautibus horrens Caucasus, Hyrcanaeque admorunt ubera tigres. AEn. lib. iv.

Daniel 12:13 — enemy rob thee of it. Be determined to stand in thy own lot at the end of the days. See that thou keep the faith; die in the Lord Jesus, that thou mayest rise and reign with him to all eternity. Amen. MASORETIC NOTES Number of verses in this book, 357 Middle verse, Daniel 5:30 Masoretic sections, 7 Finished correcting for the press, March 1st, 1831. - A. C.

Hosea 11:1 — Israel, by metaphors chiefly borrowed from the conduct of mothers toward their tender offspring. From this, occasion is taken to reflect on their ungrateful return to the Divine goodness, and to denounce against them the judgments of the Almighty, 1-7. But suddenly and unexpectedly the prospect changes. Beams of mercy break frown the clouds just now fraught with vengeance. God, to speak in the language of men, feels the relentings of a tender parent; his bowels yearn; his mercy triumphs; his rebellious

Zechariah 14:1 — display his power in behalf of his people in a manner so astonishing and miraculous, that even they themselves, and much more their enemies, shall be struck with terror, 4, 5. The national prosperity of the Jews shall then be permanent and unmixed, 6, 7; and these people shall be made the instruments of converting many to the faith of the Messiah, 8, 9. The great increase and prosperity of the Christian Church, the New Jerusalem, is then described in terms accommodated to Jewish ideas; and the most