Bible Commentaries

Esther 4:1 — in distress at the palace gate, sends her servant Hatach to inquire the reason, 4-6. Hatach returns with the information, and also the express desire of Mordecai that she should go instantly to the king, and make supplication in behalf of her people, 7-9. Esther excuses herself on the ground that she had not been called by the king for thirty days past; and that the law was such that any one approaching his presence, without express invitation, should be put to death, unless the king should, in peculiar

Job 1:7 — Verse Job 1:7. From going to and fro in the earth — The translation of the Septuagint is curious: Περιελθων την γην και εμπεριπατησας την ὑπ' ουρανον, παρειμι; "Having gone round the earth, and walked over all that is under heaven, I am come hither." The Chaldee

Job 12:4 — the godly and innocent man is laughed to scorne. Godlynesse is a light despysed in the hertes of the rich; and is set for them to stomble upon. The fifth verse is thus rendered by Mr. Parkhurst: "A torch of contempt, or contemptible link, (see Isaiah 7:4; Isaiah 40:2, Isaiah 40:3), לעשתות leashtoth, to the splendours of the prosperous (is he who is) ready (נכון nachon, Job 15:23; Job 18:12; Psalms 38:17) to slip with his foot." The general sense is tolerably plain; but to emendations and conjectures

Job 18:1 — enough to be the cause of altering the general rules of Providence, Job 18:4. And that it was much more expedient for the good of the whole, that he, by his example, should deter others from treading in the same path of wickedness and folly;" Job 18:5-7.

Psalms 10:1 — complains to God of the oppressions which the poor suffer from the wicked man, whom he describes as the hater of the poor, 1, 2; proud, 3; one who will not seek God, 4; and is regardless of his judgments, 5; self-confident, 6; blasphemous and deceitful, 7; strives by subtlety and treachery to destroy the poor, 8-10; and supposes that God is regardless of his conduct, 11. The psalmist calls earnestly on God to preserve the poor and humble, and cast down the oppressor, 12-15. He foresees that his prayer

Psalms 137:1 — PSALM CXXXVII The desolate and afflicted state of the captives in Babylon, 1, 2. How they were insulted by their enemies, 3, 4. Their attachment to their country, 5, 6. Judgments denounced against their enemies, 7-9. NOTES ON PSALM CXXXVIIThe Vulgate, Septuagint, AEthiopic, and Arabic, say, ridiculously enough, a Psalm of David for Jeremiah. Anachronisms with those who wrote the titles to the Psalms were matters of no importance. Jeremiah never was at Babylon;

Psalms 141:1 — psalmist prays that his devotions may be accepted, 1, 2. That he may be enabled so to watch that he do not offend with his tongue; and that he may be preserved from wickedness, 3, 4. His willingness to receive reproof, 5. He complains of disasters, 6, 7. His trust in God, and prayer against his enemies, 8-10. NOTES ON PSALM CXLIThis Psalm is generally attributed to David, and considered to have been composed during his persecution by Saul. Some suppose that he made it at the time that he formed the

Psalms 146:5 — Psalms 146:8; but a measure of light is given from that true Light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. This son of Adam returns to his earth, לאדמתו leadmatho, to the ground, from which he was taken; this refers directly to Genesis 2:7; Genesis 3:19. But he that has the God for his help who helped Jacob in his distress, and was with him, and sustained him in and through all adversities, can never be destitute; for this God changes not; he lives for ever, and his projects cannot perish.

Psalms 24:1 — PSALM XXIV The Lord is Sovereign Ruler of the universe, 1, 2. The great question, Who is fit to minister to the Lord in his own temple? 3-6. The glory of God in his entrance into his temple, 7-10. NOTES ON PSALM XXIVIt is probable that this Psalm was composed on occasion of bringing the ark from the house of Obed-edom to Mount Sion, and the questions may respect the fitness of the persons who were to minister before this ark: the last verses

Psalms 31:1 — PSALM XXXI The psalmist, with strong confidence in God, in a time of distress prays earnestly for deliverance, 1-5. He expresses his abhorrence of evil, 6; gratefully mentions former interpositions of God, 7, 8; continues to detail the miseries of his case, 9-18; points out the privileges of them that fear God, 19, 20; shows that God had heard his prayers, notwithstanding he had given himself over for lost, 21, 22; calls on the saints to love God, and to

Psalms 39:1 — PSALM XXXIX The psalmist's care and watchfulness over his thoughts, tongue, and actions, 1-3. He considers the brevity and uncertainty of human life, 4-7; prays for deliverance from sin, 8-11; and that he may be protected and spared till he is fitted for another world, 12, 13. NOTES ON PSALM XXXIXThe title says, To the chief Musician, Jeduthun himself, A Psalm of David. It is supposed that this Jeduthun

Psalms 41:3 — by a particular providence, Psalms 41:2.4. He shall be kept alive amidst infection and danger, Psalms 41:2.5. He shall be blessed on the earth in his temporal concerns, Psalms 41:2.6. His enemies shall not be able to spoil or destroy him, Psalms 41:2.7. He shall be strengthened on a bed of languishing, to enable him to bear his afflictions, Psalms 41:3.8. He shall have ease, comfort, and support in his last hours, Psalms 41:3.

Psalms 61:7 — Verse Psalms 61:7. He shall abide before God for ever — Literally, "He shall sit for ever before the faces of God." He shall ever appear in the presence of God for us. And he ever sits at the right hand of the Majesty on high; for he undertook this office after

Psalms 75:1 — PSALM LXXV The psalmist praises God for present mercies, 1; the Lord answers, and promises to judge the people righteously, 2, 3; rebukes the proud and haughty, 4, 5; shows that all authority comes from himself, 4-7; that he will punish the wicked, 8; the psalmist resolves to praise God, 9; and the Most High promises to cast down the wicked, and raise up the righteous, 9, 10. NOTES ON PSALM LXXVThe title is, "To the chief Musician, or conqueror, Al-taschith, destroy

Psalms 81:1 — PSALM LXXXI An exhortation to the people to praise God for his benefits, 1-7; and to attend to what he had prescribed, 8-10; their disobedience lamented, 11; the miseries brought on themselves by their transgressions, 12-16. NOTES ON PSALM LXXXIThe title is the same as to Psalms 8:1, which see. There are various opinions concerning

Ecclesiastes 12:7 — Verse Ecclesiastes 12:7. Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God —5. Putrefaction and solution take place; the whole mass becomes decomposed, and in process of time is reduced to dust, from which it was originally made;

Isaiah 25:8 — light."III. That it is a source of comfort and happiness: "I will wipe away all tears from off all faces."As in the Arabic countries a covering was put over the face of him who was condemned to suffer death, it is probable that the words in Isaiah 25:7 may refer to this. The whole world was condemned to death, and about to be led out to execution, when the gracious Lord interposed, and, by a glorious sacrifice, procured a general pardon.

Isaiah 3:10 — he does nothing but good, and has a good God to deal with, from whom he expects nothing but goodness. It shall be well with such in all circumstances of life.1. In prosperity.2. In adversity.3. In sickness.4. In health.5. In death.6. In judgment. And,7. Through eternity.In every case, occurrence, and circumstance, he shall eat the fruit of his doings - he shall derive benefit from being a righteous man, and walking in a righteous way.

Isaiah 51:23 — Come near, put your feet upon the necks of these kings," Joshua 10:24. "Adonibezek said, Threescore and ten kings, having their thumbs and their great toes cut off, gathered their meat under my table: As I have done, so hath God requited me," Judges 1:7. The Emperor Valerianus, being through treachery taken prisoner by Sapor king of Persia, was treated by him as the basest and most abject slave: for the Persian monarch commanded the unhappy Roman to bow himself down, and offer him his back, on which

Ezekiel 29:14 — Persians, it came into the hands of the Macedonians.4. After the Macedonians it fell into the hands of the Romans.5. After the division of the Roman empire it was subdued by the Saracens.6. About A.D. 1250, it came into the hands of the Mameluke slaves.7. Selim, the ninth emperor of the Turks, conquered the Mamelukes, A.D. 1517, and annexed Egypt to the Ottoman empire, of which it still continues to be a province, governed by a pacha and twenty-four beys, who are always advanced from servitude to the