Bible Commentaries

Job 13:9 — Verse Job 13:9. Is it good that he should search you out? — Would it be to your credit if God should try your hearts, and uncover the motives of your conduct? Were you tried as I am, how would you appear?Do ye so mock him? — Do ye think that you can deceive him; and by flattering speeches bring him to your terms, as you would bring an undiscerning, empty mortal, like yourselves?

Job 15:32 — Verse Job 15:32. It shall be accomplished before his time — I believe the Vulgate gives the true sense: Antequam dies ejus impleantur, peribit; "He shall perish before his time; before his days are completed."8. He shall be removed by a violent death, and not live out half his days.9. And his branch shall not be green - there shall be no scion from his roots; all his posterity shall fail.

Job 28:9 — Verse Job 28:9. He putteth forth his hand upon the rock, — Still there appears to be a reference to mining. Man puts his hand upon the rock, he breaks that to pieces, in order to extract the metals which it contains.He overturneth the mountains — He excavates, undermines, or digs them away, when in search of the metals contained in them: this is not only poetically, but literally, the case in many instances.

Job 31:5 — Verse Job 31:5. If I have walked with vanity — If I have been guilty of idolatry, or the worshipping of a false god: for thus שאו shau, which we here translate vanity, is used Jeremiah 18:15; (compare with Psalms 31:6; Hosea 12:11; and Jonah 2:9,) and it seems evident that the whole of Job's discourse here is a vindication of himself from all idolatrous dispositions and practices.

Job 33:7 — Verse Job 33:7. My terror shall not make thee afraid — This is an allusion to what Job had said, Job 9:34: "Let him take his rod away from me, and let not his fear terrify me." Being thy equal, no fear can impose upon thee so far as to overawe thee; so that thou shouldst not be able to conduct thy own defence. We are on equal terms; now prepare to defend thyself.

Job 37:15 — Verse Job 37:15. Dost thou know when God disposed them — Dost thou know the laws by which they are governed; and the causes which produce such and such phenomena?And caused the light of his cloud to shine? — Almost every critic of note understands this of the rainbow, which God gave as a sign that the earth should no more be destroyed by water. See Genesis 9:13, and the note there.

Job 9:16 — Verse Job 9:16. If I had called, and he had answered — I could scarcely suppose, such is his majesty and such his holiness, that he could condescend to notice a being so mean, and in every respect so infinitely beneath his notice. These sentiments sufficiently confuted that slander of his friends, who said he was presumptuous, had not becoming notions of the majesty of God, and used blasphemous expressions against his sovereign authority.

Job 9:6 — Verse Job 9:6. The pillars thereof tremble. — This also refers to an earthquake, and to that tremulous motion which sometimes gives warning of the approaching catastrophe, and from which this violent convulsion of nature has received its name. Earthquakes, in Scripture language, signify also violent commotions and disturbances in states; mountains often signify rulers; sun, empires; stars, petty states. But it is most likely that the expressions here are to be understood literally.

Psalms 63:9 — Verse Psalms 63:9. Lower parts of the earth. — They are appointed, in the just judgment of God, to destruction; they shall be slain and buried in the earth, and shall be seen no more. Some understand the passage as referring to the punishment of hell; which many supposed to be in the centre of the earth. So the old Psalter, - Thai sall entir in till lagher pine of hell. Lahher or laigher, lower, undermost.

Psalms 69:9 — Verse Psalms 69:9. The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up — The strong desire to promote thy glory has absorbed all others. All the desires of my body and soul are wrapped up in this. This verse is very properly applied to our Lord, John 2:17, who went about doing good; and gave up his life, not only for the redemption of man, but to "magnify the law, and make it honourable."

Psalms 96:9 — Verse Psalms 96:9. Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness — I think בהדרת קדש behadrath kodesh, signifies holy ornaments, such as the high priest wore in his ministrations. These were given him for glory and beauty; and the psalmist calls on him to put on his sacerdotal garments, to bring his offering, מנחה minchah, and come into the courts of the Lord, and perform his functions, and make intercession for the people.

Proverbs 14:9 — Verse Proverbs 14:9. Fools make a mock at sin — And only fools would do so. But he that makes a sport of sinning, will find it no sport to suffer the vengeance of an eternal fire. Some learned men by their criticisms have brought this verse into embarrassments, out of which they were not able to extricate it. I believe we shall not come much nearer the sense than our present version does.

Proverbs 21:9 — Verse Proverbs 21:9. In a corner of the housetop — A shed raised on the flat roof: - a wide house; בית חבר beith chaber, "a house of fellowship;" what we should call a lodging-house, or a house occupied by several families. This was usual in the East, as well as in the West. Some think a house of festivity is meant: hence my old MS. Bible has, the hous and feste.

Ecclesiastes 8:9 — Verse Ecclesiastes 8:9. One man ruleth over another to his own hurt. — This may be spoken of rulers generally, who, instead of feeding, fleece the flock; tyrants and oppressors, who come to an untimely end by their mismanagement of the offices of the state. All these things relate to Asiatic despots, and have ever been more applicable to them than to any other sovereigns in the world. They were despotic; they still are so.

Isaiah 51:17 — Verse Isaiah 51:17. The cup of trembling — כוס התרעלה cos hattarelah, "the cup of mortal poison," veneni mortiferi. - MONTAN. This may also allude to the ancient custom of taking off criminals by a cup of poison. Socrates is well known to have been sentenced by the Areopagus to drink a cup of the juice of hemlock, which occasioned his death. Hebrews 2:9, and see also Bishop Lowth's note on Isaiah 51:21.

Jeremiah 3:24 — Verse Jeremiah 3:24. For shame hath devoured — The word shame, here and in Jeremiah 11:13; Hosea 9:10, is supposed to signify Baal, the idol which they worshipped. That thing or shame which has brought you into contempt, confusion, and ruin. Sooner or later every sinner must be ashamed of his conduct; next, confounded; and, lastly, ruined by it, unless by true faith and hearty repentance he returns to the Lord.

Jeremiah 9:23 — Verse Jeremiah 9:23. Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom — Because God is the Fountain of all good, neither wisdom, nor might, nor riches, nor prosperity can come but from or through him. Nothing can be more rational than that the Source of all our blessings should be acknowledged. Riches cannot deliver in the day of death; strength cannot avail against him; and as a shield against him, our wisdom is foolishness.

Lamentations 2:9 — Verse 9. Her gates are sunk into the ground — The consequence of their being long thrown down and neglected. From this it appears that the captivity had already lasted a considerable time.Her king and her princes are among the Gentiles — Zedekiah and many of the princes were then prisoners in Babylon, another proof that the captivity had endured some time, unless all this be spoken prophetically, of what should be done.

Ezekiel 9:11 — Verse Ezekiel 9:11. I have done as thou hast commanded me. — Angels and men must all give account of their conduct to God; for although he is every where, and his eye sees all things, yet they must personally account for all that they have done. I have done as thou hast commanded me. The penitents are all signed; the penitents are all safe. This is good news for them that mourn.

Zechariah 9:17 — Verse Zechariah 9:17. How great is his goodness — In himself and towards them.And how great is his beauty! — His comeliness, holiness, and purity, put in and upon them.Corn shall make the young men cheerful — They shall be gladdened and strengthened by plenty of food; and they shall speak aloud of God's mercies in their harvest home.And new wine the maids. — Who shall prepare the wine from an abundant vintage.