Bible Commentaries

Esther 4:1 — CHAPTER IV On hearing the king's decree to exterminate the Jews, Mordecai mourns, and clothes himself in sackcloth, 1, 2. The Jews are filled with consternation, 3. Esther, perceived Mordecai 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

Esther 8:1 — CHAPTER VIII Ahasuerus invests Mordecai with the offices and dignities possessed by Haman, 1, 2. Esther begs that the decree of destruction gone out against the Jews may be reversed, 3-6. He informs her that the acts that had once passed the kings seal cannot be reversed; but he instructs her and Mordecai to write other letters in his name, and seal them with his seal, and send them to all the provinces in the empire, giving the Jews

Job 12:4 — 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 there is no end.

Psalms 10:1 — PSALM X The psalmist 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

Psalms 103:1 — PSALM CIII God is praised for his benefits to his people, 1, 2; he forgives their iniquities, and heals their diseases, 3; redeems their lives, crowns them with loving-kindness, 4; satisfies them with good things, renews their youth, 5; he helps the oppressed, makes his ways known, is merciful and gracious, and keeps not his anger for ever, 6-9; his forbearance, and pardoning

Psalms 112:1 — PSALM CXII The blessedness of the man that fears the Lord, both as it regards himself and his family, 1-3; his conduct to his family, his neighbours, and the poor, 4-9; the envy of the wicked at his prosperity, 10. NOTES ON PSALM CXIIThis is another of the acrostic or alphabetical Psalms, under the title Hallelujah. It is formed exactly as the preceding

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

Psalms 146:5 — 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. He has

Psalms 23:3 — Verse Psalms 23:3. He restoreth my soul — Brings back my life from destruction; and converts my soul from sin, that it may not eternally perish. Or, after it has backslidden from him, heals its backslidings, and restores it to his favour. See the old paraphrase

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

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

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.

Psalms 92:3 — Verse Psalms 92:3. Upon an instrument of ten strings — Eusebius, in his comment on this Psalm, says: Ψαλτηριον δε δεκαχορδον, ἡ του Ἁγιου Πνευματος δια των αισθητηριων πεντε μεν του σωματος, ισαριθμων δε της ψυχης δυναμεων, επιτελουμενη λατρεια· "The Psaltery

Proverbs 7:14 — More literally, "the sacrifices of the peace-offerings are with me." Peace-offerings, shelamim, were offerings the spiritual design of which was to make peace between God and man, to make up the breach between them which sin had occasioned; Leviticus 7:38, where every kind of sacrifice offered under the law is explained. When the blood of these was poured out at the altar, and the fat burnt there, the breast and right shoulder were the priest's portion; but the rest of the carcass belonged to the sacrificer,

Ecclesiastes 11:3 — Verse Ecclesiastes 11:3. If the clouds be full of rain. — Act as the clouds; when they are full they pour out their water indifferently on the field and on the desert. By giving charity indiscriminately, it may be that thou wilt often give it to the unworthy: but thou

Isaiah 63:3 — Verse Isaiah 63:3. And of the people there was none with me — I was wholly abandoned by them: but a good meaning is, No man has had any part in making the atonement; it is entirely the work of the Messiah alone. No created being could have any part in a sacrifice

Jeremiah 39:3 — Verse Jeremiah 39:3. Sat in the middle gate — The city of Jerusalem stood upon two hills, Sion to the south, and Acra to the north, with a deep valley between them. The gate of the centre, as the term seems plainly to import, was a gate of communication in the

Ezekiel 29:14 — thousand years since this prophecy was delivered, and it has been uninterruptedly fulfilling to the present hour.1. Egypt became tributary to the Babylonians, under Amasis.2. After the ruin of the Babyionish empire, it became subject to the Persians.3. After the 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

Daniel 4:1 — chapter gives a particular account, in the very words of the edict or proclamation which the Babylonyish monarch issued on his restoration to the throne. This state document begins with Nebuchadnezzar's acknowledging the hand of God in his late malady, 1-3. It then gives an account of the dream of Nebuchadnezzar, which portended the loss of his kingdom and reason for seven years, on account of his pride and arrogance, 4-18. So it was explained by Daniel, 19-27, and so it was verified by the event, 28-33.

Daniel 6:1 — succeeded Belshazzar in the kingdom of Babylon, having heard of Daniel's extraordinary wisdom and understanding, constitutes him the chief of the three presidents who were over the whole empire, and purposed also to make him prime minister or viceroy, 1-3. This great partiality of the king towards a stranger of Jewish extraction, and who had been carried captive into Chaldea, raised up a great many enemies to Daniel; and a scheme was even contrived by the presidents and princes to ruin him, 4-15; which