Bible Commentaries

Psalms 11:6 — portion of their cup.A horrible tempest — רוח זלעפות ruach zilaphoth, "the spirit of terrors." Suffering much, and being threatened with more, they shall be filled with confusion and dismay. My old MS. has gost of stormis. See at the end. Psalms 11:7. Or, the blast of destructions. This may refer to the horribly suffocating Arabian wind, called [Arabic] Smum.Mohammed, in describing his hell, says, "The wicked shall drink nothing there but hot stinking water; breathe nothing but burning winds; and

Psalms 138:1 — PSALM CXXXVIII The psalmist praises the Lord for his mercies to himself, 1-3. He foretells that the kings of the earth shall worship him, 4, 5. God's condescension to the humble, 6. The psalmist's confidence, 7, 8. NOTES ON PSALM CXXXVIIIThe Hebrew and all the Versions attribute this Psalm to David, and it is supposed to have been made by him when, delivered from all his enemies, he was firmly seated on the throne of Israel. As the Septuagint and Arabic prefix

Psalms 21:1 — PSALM XXI The psalmist returns thanks to God for giving him the victory over his enemies; which victory he had earnestly requested, 1, 2. He enters into a detail of the blessings that in consequent of the victory he had obtained, 3-7. He predicts the destruction of all those who may hereafter rise up against him, 8-12; and concludes with praising the power of Jehovah, 13. NOTES ON PSALM XXIIn the title of this Psalm there is nothing particularly worthy of remark. The occasion of

Psalms 28:1 — righteous man in affliction makes supplication to God, and complains of the malice of his enemies, 1-4; whom he describes as impious, and whose destruction he predicts, 5. He blesses God for hearing his prayers, and for filling him with consolation, 6, 7; then prays for God's people, 8, 9. NOTES ON PSALM XXVIIIThis Psalm is of the same complexion with the two preceding; and belongs most probably to the times of the captivity, though some have referred it to David in his persecutions. In the five first

Psalms 7:1 — 6-8; prays against the wickedness of his enemies, 9; expresses strong confidence in God, 10; threatens transgressors with God's judgments, 11-13; shows the conduct and end of the ungodly, 14-16; and exults in the mercy and lovingkindness of his Maker, 17. This Psalm is entitled, Shiggaion of David, which he sang unto the Lord, concerning the words of Cush the Benjamite. The word שגיון shiggayon comes from שגה shagah, to wander, a wandering song; i.e., a Psalm composed by David in his wanderings, when

Psalms 72:1 — PSALM LXXII David prays to God for Solomon, 1; prescribes Solomon's work, 2; the effects of his administration, 3-7; the extent of his dominion, 8-11; his mercy and kindness to the poor, and the perpetuity of his praise, 12-17. God is blessed for his power and goodness; and the psalmist prays that the whole earth may be filled with his glory, 18-20. NOTES ON PSALM

Psalms 78:57 — Verse Psalms 78:57. They were turned aside like a deceitful bow. — The eastern bow, which when at rest is in the form of a [curved figure 'C'], must be recurved, or turned the contrary way, in order to be what is called bent and strung. If a person who is unskilful

Ecclesiastes 12:4 — food may be said to travel before it is fitted by mastication or chewing to go down the aesophagus into the stomach. The doors or lips are shut to hinder the food in chewing from dropping out; as the teeth, which prevented that before, are now lost.7. The sound of the grinding is low — Little noise is now made in eating, because the teeth are either lost, or become so infirm as not to suffer their being pressed close together; and the mouth being kept shut to hinder the food from dropping

Ecclesiastes 2:8 — purchase, or the gifts of neighboring kings, Or spoils of war, made mine." If, after all this, I may add one conjecture, it shall be this; שדה sadeh, in Hebrew, is a field, and occurs in various parts of the Bible. שדות sadoth is fields, 1 Samuel 22:7, the points in such a case are of no consideration. May not Solomon be speaking here of farms upon farms, or estates upon estates, which he had added by purchase to the common regal portion? We know that a king of Israel (Ahab) once desired to have

Isaiah 17:1 — CHAPTER XVII Judgments of God upon Damascus, 1-3; and upon Israel, 4-6. Good effects of these judgments on the small remnant or gleaning that should escape them, 7, 8. The same judgments represented in other but stronger terms, and imputed to irreligion and neglect of God, 9-11. The remaining verses are a distinct prophecy, a beautiful detached piece, worked up with the greatest elegance, sublimity, and propriety;

Isaiah 3:1 — that should be occasioned by the Babylonish invasion and captivity. These calamities are represented as so great and so general, that even royal honours, in such a state, are so far from being desirable, that hardly any can be got to accept them, 1-7. This visitation is declared to be the consequence of their profanity and guilt; for which the prophet farther reproves and threatens them, 8-15. Particular amplification of the distress of the delicate and luxurious daughters of Zion; whose deplorable

Isaiah 35:7 — Verse Isaiah 35:7. The parched ground - "The glowing sand"] שרב sharab; this word is Arabic, [Arabic] as well as Hebrew, expressing in both languages the same thing, the glowing sandy plain, which in the hot countries at a distance has the appearance of water. It occurs

Isaiah 43:1 — CHAPTER XLIII Prediction of that blessed period when God should gather the posterity of Abraham, with tender care, from their several dispersions in every quarter under heaven, and bring them safely to their own land, 1-7. Struck with astonishment at so clear a display of an event so very remote, the prophet again challenges all the blinded nations and their idols to produce an instance of such foreknowledge, 8, 9; and intimates that the Jews should remains (as at this

Isaiah 46:7 — Verse Isaiah 46:7. They bear him upon the shoulder - and set him in his place — This is the way in which the Hindoos carry their gods; and indeed so exact a picture is this of the idolatrous procession of this people, that the prophet might almost be supposed to

Isaiah 50:6 — Verse Isaiah 50:6. And my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair — The greatest indignity that could possibly be offered. See the note on Isaiah 7:20.I hid not my face from shame and spitting. — Another instance of the utmost contempt and detestation. It was ordered by the law of Moses as a severe punishment, carrying with it a lasting disgrace; Deuteronomy 25:9. Among the Medes it was highly

Isaiah 55:1 — Gospel, and foretells again the enlargement of Messiah's kingdom, 1-5. This view leads the prophet to exhort all to seize the precious opportunity of sharing in such blessings, which were not, however, to be expected without repentance and reformation, 6, 7. And as the things now and formerly predicted were so great as to appear incredible, the prophet points to the omnipotence of God, who would infallibly accomplish his word, and bring about those glorious deliverances which he had promised; the happy

Isaiah 63:7 — Verse Isaiah 63:7. I will mention the loving-kindnesses of the Lord — The prophet connects the preceding mercies of God to the Jews with the present prospect he has of their redemption by the Messiah; thus making a circle in which eternal goodness revolves. The

Jeremiah 50:1 — instrumentality of a great northern nation, 1-3. Israel and Judah shall be reinstated in the land of their forefathers after the total overthrow of the great Babylonish empire, 4, 5. Very oppressive and cruel bondage of the Jewish people during the captivity, 6, 7. The people of God are commanded to remove speedily from Babylon, because an assembly of great nations are coming out of the north to desolate the whole land, 8-10. Babylon, the hammer of the whole earth, the great desolator of nations, shall itself

Zechariah 3:1 — them and that notwithstanding the interruptions they should meet with, the work should be finished under the gracious superintendence of Providence; and their high priest, clothed in his pontifical robes, would soon officiate in the holy of holies, 1-7. The subject is then, by an easy transition, applied to a much greater future deliverance and restoration, of which Joshua and his companions, delivered now, are declared to be figures or types; for that the Messiah or Branch, the great high priest

Malachi 1:1 — THE BOOK PROPHET MALACHI Chronological Notes relative to this Book -Year from the Creation, according to Archbishop Usher, 3607. -Year from the vocation of Abram, 1524. -Year since the destruction of Troy, 787. -Year since the commencement of the kingdom of Israel by the Divine appointment of Saul to the regal dignity, 698. -Year from the division of Solomon's monarchy into