Bible Commentaries

Psalms 112:4 — come in upon the darkness. The clouds will break away. The prejudices against him will be dispersed. Full justice will be done to his character both by man and by God, and the world will see that he is a just and pious man. See the notes at Psalms 37:5-6. Every man will ultimately be seen as he is; every man will attain the position, and have the reputation which he “ought” to have.

Psalms 116:6 — trick, or cunning. Such a man was Nathanael John 1:47 : “Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile.” The Hebrew word used here is rendered simple, Psalms 19:7; Psalms 119:130; Proverbs 1:4, Proverbs 1:22, Proverbs 1:32; Proverbs 7:7; Proverbs 8:5; Proverbs 9:4; Proverbs 14:15, Proverbs 14:18; Proverbs 19:25; Proverbs 21:11; Proverbs 22:3; Proverbs 27:12; Ezekiel 45:20; and foolish, Proverbs 9:6. It does not elsewhere occur. The meaning here is, that the Lord preserves or keeps those who have

Psalms 146:9 — in distress - may find in God one who will regard his condition; who will sympathize with him; who is able to protect and befriend him. Compare Exodus 12:49; Exodus 22:21; Exodus 23:9; Leviticus 19:33; Deuteronomy 1:16; Deuteronomy 10:18-19; Isaiah 56:3, Isaiah 56:6.He relieveth the fatherless and widow - He is their friend. This is the tenth reason why those who put their trust in the Lord are happy. It is that God is the Friend of those who have no earthly protector. See the notes at Psalms 68:5

Psalms 42:8 — the psalmist was that a time of prosperity would return; that he might hope for better days; that the loving-kindness of God would again be manifested to him. He did not wholly despair. He expected to see better times (compare the notes at Psalms 42:5); and, in view of this, and in the confident assurance of it, he says in the subsequent part of the verse that even in the night - the season of calamity - his song should be unto God, and he would praise Him. Some, however, as DeWette, have understood

Psalms 44:26 — Arise for our help - Margin, as in Hebrew, “a help for us.” That is, Deliver us from our present calamities and troubles.And redeem us - Save us; deliver us. See Psalms 25:22, note; Psalms 31:5, note; Isaiah 1:27, note; Isaiah 52:3, note.For thy mercies’ sake - On account of thy mercies. That is, in order that thy mercy may be manifested; or that thy character, as a God of mercy, may be made known. It was not primarily

Psalms 50:3 — this doctrine was understood and believed by the Hebrews. The New Testament has stated the fact that this will be done by the coming of his Son Jesus Christ to gather the nations before him, and to pronounce tile final sentence on mankind: Matthew 25:31; Acts 17:31; Acts 10:42; John 5:22.And shall not keep silence - That is, the will come forth and “express” his judgment on the conduct of mankind. See the notes at Psalms 28:1. He “seems” now to be silent. No voice is heard. No sentence is pronounced.

Psalms 59:5 — those who, being of that covenant people, come under the promise of protection.Awake to visit all the heathen - On the word here rendered “heathen” - גוים gôyim - see the notes at Psalms 2:1. It is from the use of this word in this verse and in Psalms 59:8, as remarked in the Introduction to the psalm, that DeWette infers that the psalm could not have been composed on the occasion referred to in the title, and argues, that this term could not be applied by David to Saul and his followers. This objection,

Psalms 71:20 — them also. Our severest trials often are those which affect our friends.Shalt quicken me again - literally, “Shalt return and make us live.” The word “quicken” in the Scriptures has always this sense of “making to live again.” See the notes at John 5:21; compare Romans 4:17; 1 Corinthians 15:36; Ephesians 2:1. The plural form should have been retained here as in the former member of the sentence. The authors of the Masoretic punctuation have pointed this as if it were to be read in the singular,

Psalms 74:20 — Have respect unto the covenant - The covenant which thou hast made with thy people, promising, on thy part, to protect them, and to be their God. Compare Deuteronomy 4:13; Deuteronomy 5:2; Deuteronomy 26:18-19. The prayer here is, that God would remember, in the day of national calamity, the solemn promise implied in that covenant, and that he would interpose to save his people. Compare Genesis 9:15; Leviticus 26:42; Ezekiel 16:60;

Psalms 90:4 — Hebrew, “In thy eyes;” that is, It so appears to thee - or, a thousand years so seem to thee, however long they may appear to man. The utmost length to which the life of man has reached - in the case of Methuselah - was nearly a thousand years Genesis 5:27; and the idea here is, that the longest human life, even if it should be lengthened out to a thousand years, would be in the sight of God, or in comparison with his years, but as a single day.Are but as yesterday when it is past - Margin, “he hath

Psalms 91:3 — or gin set for catching birds; meaning, here, that God would save him from the purposes of wicked people; such purposes as might be compared with the devices employed to catch birds. On the meaning of the figure used here, see the notes at Psalms 18:5.And from the noisome pestilence - The “fatal” pestilence; the pestilence that spreads death in its march. That is, he can prevent its coming upon you; or, he can save you from its ravages, while others are dying around you. This promise is not to be

Psalms 93:1 — The Lord reigneth - The same commencement of a psalm occurs in Psalms 97:1-12; Psalms 99:1-9. The same idea is often found in the Scriptures. 1 Chronicles 16:31; Psalms 47:8; Isaiah 52:7; Revelation 19:6. The thought seems abrupt here. It would appear as if the psalmist had been meditating on the dark things which occur in the world; the mysteries which abound; the things which seem irreconcilable with the idea that there is a just

Isaiah 14:31 — straggler; the army shall advance in close military array, and in dense columns; and this is represented as the cause of the cloud or smoke that the prophet saw rising, the cloud of dust that was made by the close ranks of the invading host (compare Isaiah 5:27).

Isaiah 15:9 — For the waters of Dimon - Probably the same as “Dibon” Isaiah 15:2. Eusobius says it was a large town on the northern bank of the river Arnon. Jerome says that the letters “m and b” are often interchanged in oriental dialects (see the note at Isaiah 15:2).Shall be full of blood - That is, the number of the slain

Isaiah 29:3 — And I will camp against thee - That is, I will cause an army to pitch their tents there for a siege. God regards the armies which he would employ as under his control, and speaks of them as if he would do it himself (see the note at Isaiah 10:5).Round about - (כדוּר kadûr). As in a circle; that is, he would encompass or encircle the city. The word used here דור dûr in Isaiah 22:18, means a ball, but here it evidently means a circle; and the sense is, that the army of the besiegers would

Isaiah 38:10 — when he had every prospect of usefulness, and of happiness in his reign.I shall go to the gates of the grave - Hebrew, ‘Gates of sheol.’ On the meaning of the word sheol, and the Hebrew idea of the descent to it through gates, see the notes at Isaiah 5:14; Isaiah 14:9. The idea is, that he must go down to the regions of the dead, and dwell with departed shades (see the note at Isaiah 38:11).The residue of my years - Those which I had hoped to enjoy; of which I had a reasonable prospect in the ordinary

Isaiah 41:23 — foes; accomplish something - anything, good or bad, that shall prove that you have power. This is said in opposition to the character which is usually given to idols in the Scriptures - that they were dumb, deaf, dead, inactive, powerless (see Psalms 95:1-11) The command here to ‘do evil,’ means to punish their enemies, or to inflict vengeance on their foes; and the idea is, that they had no power to do anything; either to do good to their worshippers, or harm to their enemies; and that thus they showed

Isaiah 5:8 — which the Jews had been guilty. The first is “avarice.”That join house to house - That seek to possess many houses; or perhaps that seek to live in large and magnificent palaces. A similar denunciation of this sin is recorded in Micah 2:2; Nehemiah 5:1-8. This, together with what follows, was contrary to the law of Moses. He provided that when the children of Israel should enter the land of Canaan, the land should be equitably divided; and in order to prevent avarice, he ordained the “jubilee,”

Isaiah 7:20 — compare 2 Samuel 10:4 : ‘Hanun took David’s servants, and shaved off one half of their beards;’ 1 Chronicles 19:4.With a razor - Using them as an instrument. God here claims the power of directing them, and regards them as employed by him; see Isaiah 10:5-7.That is hired - This is an allusion to the custom of hiring soldiers, or employing mercenary armies. Thus Great Britain employed mercenary troops, or hired of the Germans bodies of Hessians to carry on the war in America. The meaning here is, that

Isaiah 8:9 — Judah.Give ear, all ye of far countries - That should be particularly engaged in the confederacy - Assyria, and the kingdoms allied with it.Gird yourselves - As if for war; that is, prepare yourselves thoroughly for conquest; see the note at Isaiah 5:27. The repetition of this shows the excited and agitated state of the prophet’s mind. It is a strong, emphatic mode of expression - denoting that they should be certainly broken in pieces, notwithstanding the strength of their confederacy.