Bible Commentaries

Job 36:27 — vapor. That which excited his wonder was, the fact in regard to the suspension of water in the clouds, and the distilling of it on the earth in the form of rain and dew. This very illustration had been used by Eliphaz for a similar purpose (Notes, Job 5:9-10), and whether we regard it as it “appears” to people without the light which science has thrown upon it, or look at the manner in which God suspends water in the clouds and sends it down in the form of rain and dew, with all the light which has

Psalms 120:5 — along the furrows” Psalms 126:6; and then possession, Job 28:18. The people of Meshech or the Moschi, were a barbarous race inhabiting the Moschian regions between Iberia, Armenia, and Colchis. Meshech was a son of Japheth, Genesis 10:2; 1 Chronicles 1:5. The name is connected commonly with “Tubal,” Ezekiel 27:13 : “Tubal and Meshech they were thy merchants.” Ezekiel 39:1 : “I am against ... the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal,” Herodotus (iii. 94; vii. 78) connects them with the Tibarenes. The idea

Psalms 19:8 — idea here is not so much that the thing is right in itself as that it is appointed or ordered by God; that it is what he requires. The term is one that is often applied to the laws of God, Deuteronomy 6:1; Deuteronomy 7:11; Leviticus 4:13; Genesis 26:5; Exodus 15:26; Exodus 16:28; Psalms 78:7; Psalms 89:31; Psalms 119:6, Psalms 119:10, Psalms 119:19, Psalms 119:21, Psalms 119:32, Psalms 119:35, Psalms 119:47-48, Psalms 119:60, Psalms 119:66, Psalms 119:73, Psalms 119:86, Psalms 119:96, Psalms 119:98,

Psalms 22:8 — word. The idea is that of being under the pressure of a heavy burden, and of rolling it off, or casting it on another. Hence, the word is often used in the sense of committing to another; entrusting anything to another; confiding in another. Psalms 37:5, “commit thy way unto the Lord;” Margin, as in Hebrew: “Roll thy way upon the Lord.” Proverbs 16:3, “commit thy works unto the Lord,” Margin, as in Hebrew: “Roll.” The language here is the taunting language of his enemies, and the meaning is that he

Psalms 55:2 — not merely indications of deep feeling, but they are among the appointed means of relief. They are the effort which nature makes to throw off the burden, and if they are without complaining or impatience they are not wrong. See Isaiah 38:14; Isaiah 59:11; Hebrews 5:7; Matthew 27:46.

Psalms 67:2 — and principles may be everywhere made known upon the earth.Thy saving health among all nations - The original word here rendered “saving health,” is “salvation.” It is with great uniformity so rendered. It is indeed translated “welfare,” in Job 30:15; help, in Psalms 3:2; Psalms 42:5; deliverance, in Psalms 18:50; Psalms 44:4; Isaiah 26:18; helping, Psalms 22:1; and health, in Psalms 42:11; but elsewhere it is in all cases rendered “salvation.” The words “saving health” were adopted from an older

Psalms 75:6 — the original, and rendered “promotion” - הרים hariym - is susceptible of two quite different significations. According to one - that which is adopted by our translators - it is the infinitive (Hiphil) of רום rûm, “to raise” - the word used in Psalms 75:5-6, and there rendered “lift up.” Thus it would mean, that to “lift up” is not the work of people, or is not originated by the earth - does not originate from any part of it, east, west, or south, but must come from God alone. According to the other

Psalms 86:16 — upon me; as if God were now turned away, and were unmindful of his danger, his needs, and his pleading. The expression is equivalent to those in which he prays that God would incline his ear to him. See Psalms 86:1, Psalms 86:6, and the notes at Psalms 5:1.Give thy strength unto thy servant - Give such strength as proceeds from thee, and such as will accomplish what thou alone canst effect. Enable me to act as if clothed with divine power. The ground of the plea here is, that he was the “servant” of

Isaiah 1:9 — an argument to establish the doctrine of divine sovereignty in the salvation of people; see the note at Romans 9:29.The Lord - Hebrew Yahweh. Note Isaiah 1:2.Of hosts - צבאות tsebâ'ôth - the word sometimes translated “Sabaoth”; Romans 9:29; James 5:4. The word means literally armies or military hosts. It is applied, however, to the angels which surround the throne of God; 1Ki 22:19; 2 Chronicles 18:18; Psalms 103:21; and to the stars or constellations that appear to be marshalled in the sky; Jeremiah

Isaiah 16:11 — The “bowels” in the Scriptures are everywhere represented as the seat of compassion, pity, commiseration, and tender mercy Genesis 43:30 : ‘His bowels did yearn upon his brother’ - he deeply felt for him, he greatly pitied him 1 Kings 3:26; Psalms 25:6; Proverbs 12:10; Song of Solomon 5:4; Isaiah 63:15; Jeremiah 4:19; Jeremiah 31:20; Philippians 1:8; Philippians 2:1. In classic writers, the word ‘bowels’ denotes the “upper” viscera of victims - the heart, the lungs, the liver, which were eaten during

Isaiah 30:24 — that ear the ground - Hebrew, ‘Labouring,’ or ‘cultivating the ground,’ that is, plowing it. The Old English word “ear” (from the Latin aro) meant to till, to cultivate. The word is now obselete, but this is the sense which it has in the Bible Genesis 45:6; Exodus 34:21; Deu 21:4; 1 Samuel 8:12.Shall eat clean provender - Margin, ‘Leavened,’ or ‘savory.’ The word rendered ‘provender’ (בליל belı̂yl) is a verbal from בלל bâlal, “to mix, mingle, confuse;” and denotes provender that is made by “mixing”

Isaiah 30:4 — to secure the alliance; that they had gone to Egypt with much difficulty - through a land where lions, and vipers, and fiery serpents abounded; that they had at much hazard taken their treasures down to Egypt in order to secure the alliance Isaiah 30:5-6, and that after all, the Egyptians could not aid them. The phrase ‘his princes,’ refers to the princes of Judah, the ambassadors that the Jews sent forth, and the idea is, that they regarded the alliance as of so much importance that they had employed

Isaiah 30:7 — Egypt.Their strength is to sit still - This is evidently designed to be an expressive appellation of Egypt. The word rendered here, without much propriety, ‘strength’ (רהב râhab) is a proper name of Egypt, and is several times applied to it; Isaiah 51:9 : Art thou not it that hath cut Rahab And wounded the dragon?In this passage there can be no doubt that it refers to Egypt. So in Psalms 87:4; Psalms 89:10 (see the margin). Why it was given to Egypt is unknown, and can only be conjectured. Bochart

Isaiah 32:14 — is not the usual word to denote the temlple, and it is not necessary to suppose that that is particularly referred to. The word ארמון 'armôn usually denotes a palace, or royal residence in some part of the royal citadel (see 1 Kings 16:18; Isaiah 25:2; Jeremiah 30:18; Amos 1:4, Amos 1:7, Amos 1:10, Amos 1:12).The forts - Margin, ‘Cliffs and watch-towers.’ Hebrew, עפל ‛opel. This word properly denotes a hill or a cliff, such as is an advantageous situation for fortresses. It is translated in Micah

Isaiah 42:10 — Sing unto the Lord a new song - It is common, as we have seen, to celebrate the goodness of God in a hymn of praise on the manifestation of any special act of mercy (see the notes at Isaiah 12:1-6; Isaiah 25:1-12; Isaiah 26:0) Here the prophet calls upon all people to celebrate the divine mercy in a song of praise in view of his goodness in providing a Redeemer. The sentiment is, that God’s goodness in providing a Saviour demands the thanksgiving of all

Isaiah 44:2 — fear that God will finally abandon and destroy you.And thou Jeshurun - (וישׁרוּן vayeshurûn). This word occurs but four times in the Bible, as a poetical name for the people of Israel, apparently expressing affection and tenderness (Deuteronomy 32:15; Deuteronomy 33:5, Deuteronomy 33:26; and in this place). It is, says Gesenius (Commentary in loc.), ‘a flattering appellation (schmeichelwort) for Israel,’ and is probably a diminutive from ישׁור yāshûr = ישׁר yāshâr, the passive form in an intransitive

Isaiah 49:10 — needs of his people; and it may with as much propriety be applied to the joys of heaven, as to the happiness which they will experience on earth. Their longing desires for holiness and salvation; their hungering and thirsting after righteousness Matthew 5:6, shall be abundantly satisfied.Neither shall the heat nor sun smite them - In Revelation 7:16, this is, ‘Neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat;’ that is, the burning heat of the sun shall not oppress them - an image of refreshment, protection,

Isaiah 55:10 — occurs not unfrequently in the Bible. See Deuteronomy 32:2 - My doctrine shall drop as the rain, My speech shall distil as the dew, As the small rain upon the tender herb, And as the showers upon the grass.Compare 2 Samuel 23:4; Psalms 72:6; Isaiah 5:6; the note at Isaiah 44:3.And the snow - This is a part of the emblem or symbol designed to denote the fertilizing effect of the truth of God. The snow, as well as the rain, accomplishes important purposes in rendering the earth fertile. It constitutes

Isaiah 57:2 — נכח nakkoch means “straight, right,” and is used of one who walks straight forward. It here means an upright man, who is often represented as walking in a straight path in opposition to sinners, who are represented as walking in crooked ways Psalms 125:5; Proverbs 2:15; Isaiah 59:8; Philippians 2:15. The sense here is, that all who are upright shall leave the world in peace, and rest quietly in their graves.

Isaiah 9:3 — necessity for referring it to such an increase of the inhabitants. It may refer to the great increase of the Messiah’s kingdom, or of the kingdom which he would set up, and whose commencement would be in Galilee; see Hengstenberg, Christol., vol. i. p. 354.And not increased the joy - The Masoretes here read in the margin לו lô “to it,” instead of לא lo' “not.” Eleven manuscripts, two of them ancient, have this reading. This reading is followed by the Chaldee Paraphrase, the Syriac, and the Arabic. The