Bible Commentaries

Isaiah 10:17 — 10:17. And it shall burn and devour his thorns - "And he shall burn and consume his thorn."] The briers and thorns are the common people; the glory of his forest are the nobles and those of highest rank and importance. Isaiah 9:17, and compare Ezekiel 20:47. The fire of God's wrath shall destroy them, both great and small; it shall consume them from the soul to the flesh; a proverbial expression; soul and body, as we say; it shall consume them entirely and altogether; and the few that escape shall be

Isaiah 16:5 — ambition by the extension of his territory. On the contrary, his whole life is occupied in the distribution of justice.3. He seeketh judgment. He seeks out the poor distressed ones who cannot make their way to him, and avenges them on their oppressors.4. He hastens righteousness. He does not suffer any of the courts of justice to delay the determination of the causes brought before them: he so orders that the point in litigation be fairly, fully, and speedily heard; and then judgment pronounced. Delays

Isaiah 25:2 — Deuteronomy 18:22. Another MS. reads צרים tsarim, adversaries; which also makes a good sense. But זרים zarim, strangers, and זדים zedim, the proud, are often confounded by the great similitude of the letters ד daleth and ר resh. See Malachi 3:15; Malachi 4:1; Psalms 19:14, in the Septuagint; and Psalms 54:5, where the Chaldee reads זדים zedim, compared with Psalms 86:16.

Isaiah 31:4 — Verse Isaiah 31:4. Like as the lion — This comparison is exactly in the spirit and manner, and very nearly approaching to the expression, of Homer. Βη ρ' ιμεν, ὡστε λεων ορεσιτροφος, ὁστ' επιδευης Δηρον εῃ κρειων, κελεται δε ἑ θυμος αγηνωρ, Μηλων πειρησοντα,

Isaiah 44:4 — Verse Isaiah 44:4. They shall spring up as among the grass - "They shall spring up as the grass among the waters"] בבין חציר bebeyn chatsir, "They shall spring up in the midst of, or rather, in among, the grass." This cannot be right: eleven MSS., and thirteen editions,

Isaiah 65:4 — Verse Isaiah 65:4. Which remain among the graves — "For the purpose of evoking the dead. They lodged in desert places that demons might appear to them; for demons do appear in such places, to those who do believe in them." - Kimchi.In the monuments - "In the caverns"]

Jeremiah 12:1 — CHAPTER XII This chapter is connected with the foregoing. The prophet expostulates with God concerning the ways of Providence in permitting the wicked to prosper, 1-4. It is intimated to him that he must endure still greater trials, 5, from his false and deceitful brethren, 6; but that still heavier judgments awaited the nation for their crimes, 7-13. That God, however, would at length have compassion on them; restore

Jeremiah 3:22 — thence to the end of the chapter, show the reasons why they return unto God.1. Because he is the true God.2. Because the idols did not profit them: they could give no help in time of trouble.3. Because it is the prerogative of God alone to give salvation.4. Because they had no kind of prosperity since they had abandoned the worship of their Maker. And this was not only their case, but it was the case of their forefathers, who all suffered in consequence of their idolatry and disobedience.5. These reasons

Lamentations 3:40 — Verse 40. Let us search — How are we to get the pardon of our sins? The prophet tells us:1. Let us examine ourselves.2. "Let us turn again to the Lord."3. "Let us lift up our heart;" let us make fervent prayer and supplication for mercy.4. "Let us lift

Ezekiel 18:6 — adoration; has trusted in them for nothing, and has not made prayer nor supplication before them.3. Neither hath defiled his neighbour's wife — Has had no adulterous connexion with any woman; to which idolatrous feasts and worship particularly led.4. Neither hath come nigh to a menstruous woman — Has abstained from the use of the marriage-bed during the periodical indisposition of his wife. This was absolutely forbidden by the law; and both the man and the woman who disobeyed the command

Ezekiel 24:1 — CHAPTER XXIV The prophet now informs those of the captivity of the very day on which Nebuchadnezzar was to lay siege to Jerusalem, (compare Jeremiah 52:4,) and describes the fate of that city and its inhabitants by a very apt similitude, 1-14. As another sign of the greatness of those calamities the prophet is forbidden to mourn for his wife, of whom he is to be deprived; intimating thereby that the

Ezekiel 46:19 — Verse Ezekiel 46:19. He brought me thorough the entry — The prophet had entered by the north gate of the court of the priests, where he had seen, a little before, the glory of the Lord, and where he had received all those directions from Ezekiel 44:4-5, to this

Daniel 10:1 — seventh and eighth chapters. This chapter begins with an account of Daniel's fasting and humiliation, 1-3. Then we have a description of the Divine person who appeared to the prophet, not unlike him who appeared to the apostle in the isle of Patmos, 4-21. See Revelation 1:10-16. NOTES ON CHAP. XVerse Daniel 10:1. In the third year of Cyrus — Which answers to the first year of Darius the Mede.The time appointed was long — וצבא גדול vetsaba gadol, but the warfare long; there will be many

Hosea 1:4 — Verse Hosea 1:4. Call his name Jezreel — יזרעאל that is, God will disperse. This seems to intimate that a dispersion or sowing of Israel shall take place; which happened under Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, 2 Kings 17:5-6. But the word refers also to the name

Hosea 6:4 — Verse Hosea 6:4. O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? — This is the answer of the Lord to the above pious resolutions; sincere while they lasted, but frequently forgotten, because the people were fickle. Their goodness (for goodness it was while it endured)

Amos 5:1 — style of a funeral song, over the house of Israel, 1, 2. The prophet then glances at the awful threatening denounced against them, 3; earnestly exhorting them to renounce their idols, and seek Jehovah, of whom he gives a very magnificent description, 4-9. He then reproves their injustice and oppression with great warmth and indignation; exhorts them again to repentance; and enforces his exhortation with the most awful threatenings, delivered with great majesty and authority, and in images full of

Amos 8:1 — CHAPTER VIII This chapter begins with a fourth vision denoting the certainty and nearness of the destruction of Israel, 1-3. The prophet then proceeds to reprove their oppression and injustice, 4-7. Strong and beautiful figures, by which is represented the complete dissolution of the Israelitish polity, 8-10. The people threatened with a most awful judgment; a FAMINE of the word of God, 11-14. NOTES ON CHAP. VIIIVerse Amos 8:1. A basket of summer

Jonah 4:1 — give of the compassion of God! 1-5. This attribute of the Deity is still farther illustrated by his tenderness and condescension to the prophet himself, who, with all his prophetic gifts, had much of human infirmity, 6-11. NOTES ON CHAP. IVVerse Jonah 4:1. But it displeased Jonah exceedingly — This hasty, and indeed inconsiderate prophet, was vexed because his prediction was not fulfiled. He had more respect to his high sense of his own honour than he had to the goodness and mercy of God. He

Jonah 4:9 — Verse Jonah 4:9. I do well to be angry, even unto death. — Many persons suppose that the gifts of prophecy and working miracles are the highest that can be conferred on man; but they are widely mistaken, for the gifts change not the heart. Jonah had the gift

Zephaniah 3:4 — Verse 4. Her prophets are light and treacherous persons — They have no seriousness, no deep conviction of the awful nature of their office, no concern for the immortal souls of the people. Treacherous persons - they betray the souls of the people for