Bible Commentaries

Psalms 109:8 — sacred writings, from Genesis downward, to signify offices and officers, appointed either by God immediately, or in the course of his providence, for the accomplishment of the most important purposes. It is applied to the patriarch Joseph, Genesis 39:4, ויפקדהו vaiyaphkidehu, he made him bishop, alias overseer; therefore it might be as wisely said, and much more correctly, "The first bishop we read of was bishop Joseph;" and many such bishops there were of God's making long before Judas was born.

Psalms 11:1 — advise him to flee to the wilderness from Saul's fury, 1-3. He answers that, having put his trust in God, knowing that he forsakes not those who confide in him, and that he will punish the ungodly, he is perfectly satisfied that he shall be in safety, 4-7. NOTES ON PSALM XIThe inscription is, To the chief Musician, A psalm of David. By the chief musician we may understand the master-singer; the leader of the band; the person who directed the choir: but we know that the word has been translated, To

Psalms 150:1 — PSALM CL A general exhortation to praise God, 1, 2. With the trumpet, psaltery, and harp, 3. With the timbrel and dance, stringed instruments and organs, 4. With the cymbals, 5. All living creatures are called upon to join in the exercise. 6. NOTES ON PSALM CL.This Psalm is without title and author in the Hebrew, and in all the ancient versions. It is properly the full chorus of all voices and instruments

Psalms 80:9 — the ground at proper distances, c. So when God had cast out the heathen, he caused the land to be divided by lot to the different tribes, and then to the several families of which these tribes were composed.And didst cause it to take deep root — 4. By sheltering, propping up, and loosening the ground about the tender plants, they are caused to take a deep and firm rooting in the ground. Thus did God, by especial manifestations of his kind providence, support and protect the Israelites in Canaan

Psalms 84:1 — PSALM LXXXIV The psalmist longs for communion with God in the sanctuary, 1-3. The blessedness of those who enjoy God's ordinances, 4-7. With confidence in God, he prays for restoration to his house and worship, 8-12. NOTES ON PSALM LXXXIVThe title here is the same as that of Psalms 81:1, only that was for Asaph, this for the sons of Korah. This person was one of the chief rebels

Psalms 93:1 — PSALM XCIII The universal government of God, 1, 2; the opposition to that government, 3, 4; the truth of God's testimonies, 5. NOTES ON PSALM XCIIIThis Psalm has no title either in the Hebrew or Chaldee. The Vulgate, Septuagint, AEthiopic, and Arabic, state it to be "A song of praise of David for the day preceding the Sabbath, when the earth

Ecclesiastes 8:3 — this. I command that. No hesitation! My will is law!" Therefore it is added here, Where the word of a king is, there is power-influence, authority, and the sword. And who may say unto him, whether he acts right or wrong, What doest thou? Ecclesiastes 8:4. No wonder in such governments there are so many revolutions; but they are revolutions without amendment, as it is one tyrant rising up to destroy another, who, when seated in authority, acts in the way of his predecessor; till another, like himself,

Isaiah 27:11 — his parable of the vine, used figuratively for the people of God, as the vineyard is here: "Shall wood be taken thereof to do any work? or will men take a pin of it to hang any vessel thereon? Behold, it is cast into the fire for fuel;" Ezekiel 15:3-4. "If a man abide not in one," saith our Lord, "he is cast forth as a branch of the vine and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned;" John 15:6. They employed women and children to gather these things, and

Isaiah 29:4 — Verse Isaiah 29:4. And thy speech shall be low out of the dust - "And from out of the dust thou shalt utter a feeble speech"] That the souls of the dead uttered a feeble stridulous sound, very different from the natural human voice, was a popular notion among the heathens

Isaiah 3:7 — for presents, and sorted," Harmer, Observ., II. 11 and 88. A great quantity of provision for the table was equally necessary. The daily provision for Solomon's household, whose attendants were exceedingly numerous, was proportionately great, 1 Kings 4:22-23. Even Nehemiah, in his strait circumstances, had a large supply daily for his table; at which he received a hundred and fifty of the Jews and rulers, besides those that came from among the neighbouring heathen, Nehemiah 5:17-18.This explains the

Isaiah 9:1 — world, and diffusing joy and gladness wherever he sheds his beams, 1-3. His conquests are astonishing and miraculous, as in the day of Midian; and the peace which they procure is to be permanent, as denoted by the burning of all the implements of war, 4, 5. The person and character of this great Deliverer are then set forth in the most magnificent terms which the language of mankind could furnish, 6. The extent of his kingdom is declared to be universal, and the duration of it eternal, 7. The prophet

Jeremiah 32:10 — is made of the reversion of the ground, till the jubilee, to him who would then of right come into possession.2. The price is agreed on, and the silver weighed in the balances.3. A contract or deed of sale is drawn up, to which both parties agreeing,4. Witnesses are brought forward to see it signed and sealed; for the contract was both subscribed and sealed.5. A duplicate of the deed was drawn, which was not to be sealed, but to lie open for the inspection of those concerned, in some public place

Lamentations 1:4 — Verse Lamentations 1:4. The ways of Zion do mourn — A fine prosopopoeia. The ways in which the people trod coming to the sacred solemnities, being now no longer frequented, are represented as shedding tears; and the gates themselves partake of the general distress.

Ezekiel 27:4 — Verse Ezekiel 27:4. Thy builders have perfected thy beauty. — Under the allegory of a beautiful ship, the prophet, here and in the following verses, paints the glory of this ancient city. Horace describes the commonwealth of Rome by the same allegory, and is as

Daniel 5:25 — the character which we now call Hebrew is the Chaldean character.2. That the true Hebrew character is that which we call the Samaritan.3. Daniel could easily read this, for it was the character used by the Jews previously to the Babylonish captivity.4. It appears that it was simply on account of the strangeness of the character that the Chaldeans could not read it.I shall set down the words in both characters, by which the least learned reader may see that it was quite possible that one might be

Matthew 26:52 — Jews by the sword of the Romans, and the Romans by that of the Goths, Vandals, c. The event has verified the prediction-the Jewish government has been destroyed upwards of 1700 years, and the Roman upwards of 1000. Confer with this passage, Psalms 2:4; Psalms 2:9; Psalms 110:1; Psalms 110:5-6. But how came Peter to have a sword? Judea was at this time so infested with robbers and cut-throats that it was not deemed safe for any person to go unarmed. He probably carried one for his mere personal safety.

Matthew 4:6 — Verse Matthew 4:6. Cast thyself down — Our Lord had repelled the first temptation by an act of confidence in the power and goodness of God; and now Satan solicits him to make trial of it. Through the unparalleled subtlety of Satan, the very means we make use

Matthew 4:8 — Verse Matthew 4:8. An exceeding high mountain, and showeth him — If the words, all the kingdoms of the world, be taken in a literal sense, then this must have been a visionary representation, as the highest mountain on the face of the globe could not suffice

Luke 1:74 — Verse Luke 1:74-75. Being delivered, c.] The salvation brought by Jesus Christ, consists in the following things: -1. We are to be delivered out of the hand of our enemies, and from all that hate us so that sin shall neither have dominion over us, nor existence in

Luke 8:3 — sometimes the inspector or overseer of a province, and sometimes a tutor of children, yet here it seems to signify the overseer of Herod's domestic affairs: the steward of his household. Steward of the household was an office in the king's palace by s. 24, of Hen. VIII. The person is now entitled lord steward of the king's household, and the office is, I believe, more honourable and of more importance than when it was first created. Junius derives the word from the Islandic stivardur, which is compounded