Bible Commentaries

Isaiah 18:3 — Verse Isaiah 18:3. When he lifteth up an ensign - "When the standard is lifted up"] I take God to be the Agent in this verse; and that by the standard and the trumpet are meant the meteors, the thunder, the lightning, the storm, earthquake, and tempest, by which Sennacherib's

Isaiah 3:9 — Verse Isaiah 3:9. The show of their countenance — Bishop Lowth has it the steadfastness of their countenance-they appear to be bent on iniquity, their eyes tell the wickedness of their hearts. The eye is the index of the mind. Envy, hatred, malice, malevolence,

Isaiah 40:2 — words of the original will very well bear, it was necessary to add a word or two in the version to supply the elliptical expression of the Hebrew. Compare Isaiah 61:7; Job 42:10; Zechariah 9:12. חטאה chattaah signifies punishment for sin, Lamentations 3:39; Zechariah 14:19. But Kimchi says, "Double here means the two captivities and emigrations suffered by the Israelites. The first, the Babylonish captivity; the second, that which they now endure." This is not a bad conjecture.

Isaiah 46:1 — burden of their votaries, that they themselves are borne by beasts of burden into captivity, 1, 2. This beautifully contrasted with the tender care of God, in bearing his people from first to last in his arms, and delivering them from their distress, 3, 4. The prophet, then, with his usual force and elegance, goes on to show the folly of idolatry, and the utter inability of idols, 5-7. From which he passes with great ease to the contemplation of the attributes and perfections of the true God, 8-10.

Isaiah 59:17 — Isaiah 59:17. For clothing - "For his clothing"] תלבשת tilbosheth. "I cannot but think that this word, תלבשת tilbosheth, is an interpolation.1. It is in no one ancient version.2. It is redundant in the sense, as it is before expressed in בגדי bigdey.3. It makes the hemistich just so much longer than it ought to be, if it is compared with the others adjoining.4. It makes a form of construction in this clause less elegant than that in the others.5. It might probably be in some margin a various reading

Jeremiah 10:1 — which he turns, in a beautiful apostrophe, to the one true God, whose adorable attributes repeatedly strike in view, as he goes along, and lead him to contrast his infinite perfections with those despicable inanities which the blinded nations fear, 3-16. The prophet again denounces the Divine judgments, 17, 18; upon which Jerusalem laments her fate, and supplicates the Divine compassion in her favour, 19-25. NOTES ON CHAP. XVerse Jeremiah 10:1. Hear ye the word which the Lord speaketh unto you —

Jeremiah 23:27 — Verse Jeremiah 23:27. By their dreams — Dreams were anciently reputed as a species of inspiration; see Numbers 12:6; 1 Samuel 28:6; Joel 3:1; Daniel 7:1. In the Book of Genesis we find many examples; and although many mistook the workings of their own vain imaginations

Jeremiah 34:18 — Verse Jeremiah 34:18. When they cut the calf in twain, and passed between the parts thereof — This was the ancient and most solemn way of making a covenant.1. A calf as sacrifice was offered to God to secure his approbation and support.2. The victim was then exactly

Jeremiah 44:19 — sort of imitation of the worship of the true God; only sacrifice was not common in it. The factious women here tell us in what it consisted.1. They burnt incense to the moon, and perhaps to the sun and the planets.2. They poured out libations to her.3. They made and consecrated cakes to her.All these were prescribed in the worship of the true GOD. See, among others, Exodus 29:23, c. Leviticus 2:4; Leviticus 23:16; and Numbers 6:15. And the women vindicate their conduct by asserting that they did

Jeremiah 45:1 — to many of the princes, is in great affliction because of the awful judgments with which the land of Judah was about to be visited; and also on account of the imminent danger to which his own life was exposed, in publishing such unwelcome tidings, 1-3. To remove Baruch's fear with respect to this latter circumstance, the prophet assures him that though the total destruction of Judea was determined because of the great wickedness of the inhabitants, yet his life should be preserved amidst the general

Lamentations 3:34 — Verse 34. To crush under his feet — He can neither gain credit nor pleasure in trampling upon those who are already bound, and in suffering; such he knows to be the state of man here below. From which it most assuredly follows, that God never afflicts

Daniel 1:2 — leaving Jehoiakim on the throne, he only laid the land under tribute. The Chaldeans carried these sacred vessels away at three different times.1. In the war spoken of in this place.2. In the taking of Jerusalem and Jeconiah a few months after, 2 Kings 24:13.3. Eleven years after, under the reign of Zedekiah, when the city and temple were totally destroyed, and the land ruined, 2 Kings 25:8-15.The land of Shinar — This was the ancient mame of Babylon. See Genesis 11:2.The treasure house of his god.

Daniel 10:20 — represented as a fight between him and the angel.The prince of Grecia shall come. — I believe this refers to Alexander the Great, who was to destroy the Persian empire. See the second and third verses of the following chapter. Daniel 11:2; "Daniel 11:3".

Hosea 12:10 — supposes that there are three distinct kinds of prophecy mentioned here:1. Immediate inspiration, when God declares the very words.2. Vision; a representation of external objects to the mind, in as lively a manner as if they were conveyed by the senses.3. Parables and apt resemblances.

Hosea 13:2 — Verse Hosea 13:2. And now they sin more and more — They increase in every kind of vice, having abandoned the great Inspirer of virtue.Let the men that sacrifice kiss the calves. — This was the test. If there be a Jew that pretends to sacrifice, and whose

Joel 1:6 — Zedekiah; and the fourth, three years after, when Jerusalem was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar. Others say that they mean four powers which have been enemies of the Jews:1. The palmerworm, the Assyrians and Chaldeans.2. The locust, the Persians and Medes.3. The cankerworm, the Greeks, and particularly Antiochus Epiphanes.4. The caterpillar, the Romans.Others make them four kings; Tiglath-pileser, Shalmaneser, Sennacherib, and Nebuchadnezzar. But of such similitudes there is no end; and the best of them

Micah 3:10 — Verse Micah 3:10. They build up Zion with blood — They might cry out loudly against that butchery practised by Pekah, king of Israel, and Pul coadjutor of Rezie, against the Jews. See on Micah 2:9. But these were by no means clear themselves; for if they strengthened

Zechariah 10:1 — The promise of prosperity and plenty in the close of the preceding chapter leads the prophet to suggest, next, the means of obtaining them; supplication to Jehovah, and not to idols, whose worship had already proved a fertile source of calamities, 1-3. The rest of the chapter (like the preceding) promises to the Jews a restoration to their own land under rulers and governors, victory over their enemies, and much increase and prosperity; and this in a manner so miraculous, that it is described, 4-12,

Zechariah 6:12 — Verse Zechariah 6:12. Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH! — I cannot think that Zerubbabel is here intended; indeed, he is not so much as mentioned in Zechariah 3:8. Joshua and his companions are called אנשי מופת anshey mopheth, figurative or typical men; the crowning therefore of Joshua in this place, and calling him the BRANCH, was most probably in reference to that glorious person, the Messiah, of whom he

Malachi 2:6 — Malachi 2:6. The law of truth was in his mouth — See the qualifications of Levi:1. "He feared me;" he was my sincere worshipper.2. "He was afraid;" he acted as in the presence of a just and holy God, and acted conscientiously in all that he did.3. "My law of truth was ever in his mouth; " by this he directed his own conduct and that of others.4. "No iniquity; " nothing contrary to justice and equity ever proceeded "from his lips."5. "He walked with me in peace;" he lived in such a way as to