Bible Commentaries

Psalms 101:5 — תליתי על חבריה demishtaey lishan telitai al chabreyah: "He who speaks with the triple tongue against his neighbour." That is, the tongue by which he slays three persons, viz.,1. The man whom he slanders;2. Him to whom he communicates the slander; and,3. Himself, the slanderer.Every slanderer has his triple tongue, and by every slander inflicts those three deadly wounds. Such a person deserves to be cut off. On this subject St. Jerome speaks nearly in the same way: Ille qui detrahit, et se, et illum

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.

Psalms 80:9 — Verse Psalms 80:9. Thou preparedst - before it — 3. When the ground is properly cleared, then it is well digged and manured, and the vines are placed in 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

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

Psalms 84:3 — Verse Psalms 84:3. Yea, the sparrow hath found a house — It is very unlikely that sparrows and swallows, or birds of any kind, should be permitted to build their nests, and hatch their young, in or about altars which were kept in a state of the greatest purity;

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

Ecclesiastes 8:3 — Verse Ecclesiastes 8:3. Be not hasty — I consider the first five verses here as directions to courtiers, and the more immediate servants of kings.Be steadily faithful to your sovereign. Do not stand in an evil thing. If you have done wrong, do not endeavour to vindicate

Isaiah 1:6 — not been closed, c. - "It hath not been pressed," c.] The pharmaceutical art in the East consists chiefly in external applications: accordingly the prophet's images in this place are all taken from surgery. Sir John Chardin, in his note on Proverbs 3:8, "It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones," observes that "the comparison is taken from the plasters, ointments, oils, and frictions, which are made use of in the East upon the belly and stomach in most maladies. Being ignorant in

Isaiah 10:15 — total negation of the thing expressed by the noun. "How hast thou given help (ללא כח lelo choach) to the no-strength? And saved the arm (לא עז lo oz) of the no-power? How hast, thou given counsel (ללא חכמה lelo chochmah) to the no-wisdom?" Job 26:2-3. That is, to the man totally deprived of strength, power, and wisdom. "Ye that rejoice (ללא דבר lelo dabar) in nothing." Amos 6:13. That is, in your fancied strength, which is none at all, a mere nonentity. "For I am God, (ולא איש velo ish,) and no-man;

Isaiah 27:11 — the dialogue above.The scarcity of fuel, especially wood, in most parts of the east is so great, that they supply it with every thing capable of burning; cow-dung dried, roots, parings of fruit, withered stalks of herbs and flowers; see Matthew 6:21-30. Vine-twigs are particularly mentioned as used for fuel in dressing their food, by D'Arvieux; La Roque, Palestine, p. 198. Ezekiel says, in his parable of the vine, used figuratively for the people of God, as the vineyard is here: "Shall wood be taken

Isaiah 3:7 — Verse Isaiah 3:7. In that day shall he swear - "Then shall he openly declare"] The Septuagint, Syriac, and Jerome, read וישא veyissa, adding the conjunction, which seems necessary in this place.I will not be a healer — I am not a leche. - Old MS. Bible. Leech

Isaiah 9:1 — CHAPTER IX This chapter contains an illustrious prophecy of the Messiah. He is represented under the glorious figure of the sun, or light, rising on a benighted 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

Jeremiah 21:1 — prophet to request him to intercede with God in behalf of his people, 1, 2. But he is declared to be against Jerusalem, and the whole land of Judah; and the only mitigation of their punishment must proceed from their surrendering to the king of Babylon, 3-10. Prophecy concerning the house of the king of Judah, 11, 12. Notwithstanding the amazing fortifications round about Jerusalem, in which the people vainly trust, the Lord will most assuredly visit them for their iniquities; the city shall be taken

Jeremiah 31:3 — Verse Jeremiah 31:3. I have loved thee with an everlasting love — ואהבת עולם אהבתיך veahabath olam ahabtich, "and with the old love I have loved thee." "Also, with a love of long standing have I loved thee." - Blayney. "But I love thee always." - Dahler. I still

Jeremiah 32:10 — Verse Jeremiah 32:10. I subscribed the evidence — We have here all the circumstances of this legal act:1. An offer 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

Lamentations 1:4 — solemnities, being now no longer frequented, are represented as shedding tears; and the gates themselves partake of the general distress. All poets of eminence among the Greeks and Romans have recourse to this image. So Moschus, in his Epitaph on Bion, ver. 1-3: - Αιλινα μοι στροναχειτε ναπαι, και Δωριον ὑδωρ Και ποταμοι κλαιοιτε τον ἱμεροεντα Βιωνα. Νυν φυτα μοι μυρεσθε, και αλσεα νυν γοαοισθε, κ. τ. λ. "Ye winds, with grief your waving summits bow, Ye Dorian fountains, murmur as ye flow; From weeping

Daniel 5:25 — that could read the alphabet of his own language, could have read and interpreted them. Let it be observed, -1. That 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

Hosea 7:1 — CHAPTER VII Here God complains that though he had employed every means for reforming Israel, they still persisted in their iniquity, without fearing the consequences, 1, 2; that those who ought to check their crimes were pleased with them, 3; and that they all burned with adultery, as an oven when fully heated, and ready to receive the kneaded dough, 4. The fifth verse alludes to some recent enormities; the sixth charges them with dividing their time between inactivity and iniquity; the

Amos 3:15 — Verse Amos 3:15. I will smite the winter house with the summer house — I will not only destroy the poor habitations and villages in the country, but I will destroy those of the nobility and gentry as well as the lofty palaces in the fortified cities in which

Matthew 8:29 — the company or importunity of others. Jehu said to the messenger who was sent by Joram to meet him, What hast thou to do with peace? David said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah? Compare Judges 11:12; 2 Samuel 16:10; 2 Kings 9:18; Ezra 4:3; John 2:4. Mark 1:24.Jesus, thou Son of God — Griesbach omits the word Jesus, on the authority of several MSS. of the greatest antiquity and respectability; besides some versions, and several of the fathers. I heartily concur with these MSS.,