Bible Commentaries

Job 11:8 — משׁאול meshe'ôl. The Septuagint renders this, “the heaven is high, what canst thou do? And there are things deeper than in Hades - βαθύτερα τῶν ἐν ᾃδου bathutera tōn en Hadou - what dost thou know?” On the meaning of the word Sheol, see Isaiah 5:14, note; Isaiah 14:9, note. It seems to have been supposed to be as deep as the heavens are high; and the idea here is, that it would be impossible for man to investigate a subject that was as profound as Sheol was deep. The idea is not that God was

Job 23:12 — appear to have read בחקי bēchôqı̂y - “in my bosom.” But there is no authority for the change, and there seems to be no reason for it. The word חק chôq, means something decreed, designated, appointed; then an appointed portion, as of labor, Exodus 5:14; then of food - an allowance of food, Proverbs 30:8; then a limit, bound, law, statute, etc. It seems to me that the word here means “purpose, intention, rule, or design,” and that the idea is that he had regarded the commands of God more “than his

Job 25:6 — See Job 4:19. Man is mentioned here as a worm; in Job 4:19 he is said to dwell in a house of clay and to be crushed before the moth. In both cases the design is to represent him as insignificant in comparison with God.A worm - רמה rı̂mmâh; see Job 7:5. The word is commonly applied to such worms as are bred in putridity, and hence, the comparison is the more forcible.And the son of man - Another mode of speaking of man. Any one of the children of man is the same. No one of them can be compared with

Job 30:21 — a soldier, and thence it may refer to such acts of violence as a soldier commonly commits. The word occurs in Hebrew in the following places, and is translated in the following manner. It is rendered “cruel” in Deuteronomy 32:33; Job 30:21; Proverbs 5:9; Proverbs 11:17; Proverbs 12:10; Proverbs 17:11; Proverbs 27:4; Isaiah 13:9; Jeremiah 6:23; Jeremiah 50:42; Jeremiah 30:14; and fierce in Job 41:10. Jerome renders it, mutatus mihi in crudelem - “thou art changed so as to become cruel to me;” the

Job 38:8 — rather to denote gates, such as are made to shut up water in a dam. The Hebrew word properly refers, in the dual form which is used here דלתים delethiym), to “double doors,” or to folding doors, and is also applied to the gates of a city; Deuteronomy 3:5; 1 Samuel 23:7; Isaiah 45:1. The idea is, that the floods were bursting forth from the abyss or the center of the earth, and were checked by placing gates or doors which restrained them. Whether this is designed to be a poetic or a real description

Psalms 25:2 — put in Him, as if it had been a false reliance; that he might not be disappointed, and made to feel that he had done a foolish thing in confiding in One who was not able to help him. See the word explained in the notes at Job 6:20. Compare Isaiah 30:5; Jeremiah 8:9; Jeremiah 14:3-4.Let not mine enemies triumph over me - This explains what the psalmist meant by his prayer that he might not be “ashamed,” or put to shame. He prayed that he might not be vanquished by his foes, and that it might not appear

Psalms 26:9 — that he might die as he had lived, united in feeling and in destiny with those who feared and loved God.With bloody men - Margin, “men of blood.” People who shed blood - robbers, murderers - a term used to denote the wicked. See the notes at Psalms 5:6.

Psalms 29:5 — “Cedars are mentioned as the loftiest forest trees, and those of Lebanon as the loftiest of their species.” - “Prof. Alexander.” The cedars of Lebanon are often referred to in the Scriptures as remarkable for their size and grandeur: 1 Kings 4:33; 1 Kings 5:6; Psalms 92:12; Ezra 3:7.

Psalms 38:12 — aggravation of his affliction, that those who were his enemies now sought to accomplish their purposes against him with better hopes of success, by taking advantage of his sickness.Lay snares for me - On the meaning of this phrase, see the notes at Psalms 9:15. The idea here is that they sought this opportunity of ensnaring or entrapping him so as to ruin him. They took advantage of the fact that he was weak and helpless, and of the fact that he was forsaken or abandoned by his friends, to accomplish his

Psalms 40:1 — this would refer to the fact that in his sorrows, in the deep sorrows connected with the work of redemption, he persevered in calling on God, and that God heard him, and raised him up to glory and joy. See Matthew 26:36-46. Compare the notes at Hebrews 5:7. The time supposed to be referred to, is after his sufferings were closed; after his work was done; “after” he rose from the dead. It is the language of grateful remembrance which we may suppose he uttered in the review of the amazing sorrows through

Psalms 40:10 — hast revealed; the truth on all subjects which it was important for men to understand.From the great congregation - That is, as in Psalms 40:9, the assembled multitudes - the throngs that gathered to hear the words of the Great Teacher. Compare Matthew 5:1; Matthew 13:2; Luke 8:4.

Psalms 41:1 — sickness, a low condition, or trouble. The particular thing here referred to was a case of sickness; where one was borne down by disease, perhaps brought on by mental sorrow, and when he particularly needed the sympathy of his friends. See Psalms 41:5-8.The Lord will deliver him in time of trouble - Margin, as in Hebrew: “in the day of evil.” This is the first happy effect or result of showing proper sympathy with others in their troubles. It is a statement of the general principle that the Lord

Psalms 5:11 — frequently signifies. The meaning is, that they should give every proper expression to their feeling of joy. This may be done by singing, or by grateful ascriptions of praise and gratitude.Because thou defendest them - While the wicked are cut off Psalms 5:10. The psalmist, in this expression, doubtless had a primary reference to himself and to those who adhered to him in his righteous cause; but, as is common in the Psalms, he gives to the sentiment a general form, that it might be useful to all who

Psalms 9:5 — particular event he refers it would not be possible now to decide.Thou hast destroyed the wicked - The Hebrew here is in the singular number - רשׁע râshâ‛ - though it may be used collectively, and as synonymous with the word “heathen.” Compare Isaiah 14:5; Psalms 84:10; Psalms 125:3. The Aramaic Paraphrase renders this, “Thou hast destroyed the impious Goliath.” The reference is undoubtedly to the enemies meant by the word pagan, and the writer speaks of them not only as pagan or foreigners, but as characterized

Leviticus 2:1 — Leviticus 2:4 an oblation of a meat offering קרבן qorbân, see Leviticus 1:2 מנחה mı̂nchāh. signifies literally a “gift”; and it appears to have been applied especially to what was given by an inferior to a superior Genesis 32:18-20; Genesis 43:11; Jdg 3:15; 1 Samuel 10:27 : but in the technical language of the Law, it regularly denoted the vegetable offerings as distinguished from the animal offerings. Our translators have rendered it “meat-offering”, applying the word “meat”, according to old usage,

Leviticus 24:1-9 — Pentecostal loaves, Leviticus 23:17. It appears that the responsibility of keeping up the lights rested on the high priest, but the actual service might be performed, on ordinary occasions, by the common priests. Compare margin reference.Leviticus 24:5Each cake or loaf of unleavened bread Leviticus 2:11 was to contain about six pounds and a quarter (see Exodus 29:40 note) of fine flour. The material was the same, both in quality and in quantity, with that of each one of the wave-loaves of Pentecost

Deuteronomy 10:1-11 — These verses are closely connected with the preceding chapter, and state very briefly the results of the intercession of Moses recorded in Deuteronomy 9:25-29. The people are reminded that all their blessings and privileges, forfeited by apostasy as soon as bestowed, were only now their own by a new and most unmerited act of grace on the part of God, won from Him by the self-sacrificing mediation of Moses

Deuteronomy 27:11-26 — Compare Joshua 8:32-35. The solemnity was apparently designed only for the single occasion on which it actually took place.Deuteronomy 27:12, Deuteronomy 27:13The tribes appointed to stand on Gerizim to bless the people all sprang from the two wives of Jacob, Leah and Rachel.

Deuteronomy 30:11-20 — Ignorance of the requirements of the law cannot be pleaded Deuteronomy 30:10-14; hence, Deuteronomy 30:15-20 life and death, good and evil, are solemnly set before the people for their own choice; and an earnest exhortation to choose the better part concludes the address.Deuteronomy 30:11-14. “The righteousness which is of faith” is really and truly described

Revelation 1:1 — light to lighten the Gentiles” - φῶς εἰς ἀποκάλυψιν ἐθνῶν phōs eis apokalupsin ethnōn; or when it is applied to the divine mysteries, purposes, or doctrines, before obscure or unknown, but made clear by light revealed in the gospel, Romans 16:25; 1Co 2:10; 1 Corinthians 14:6; Ephesians 3:5.(b) by the event itself; as the manifestation of the wrath of God at the day of judgment will disclose the true nature of his wrath. “After thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath