Bible Commentaries

Psalms 49:14 — Some influence or power is pressing them in masses down to the grave. The word rendered “grave” is “Sheol.” It is sometimes used in the sense of the grave, and sometimes as referring to the abode of departed spirits. See Job 10:21-22, note; Psalms 6:5, note. It seems here to be used in the former sense.Death shall feed on them - The word rendered “feed” here - רעה râ‛âh - means properly to feed a flock; to pasture; then, to perform the office of a shepherd. The idea here is not, as in our translation,

Isaiah 15:2 — 48:24, or Beth-Baal-Meon Joshua 13:17, north of the Arnon, now “Macin.” I have adopted the translation proposed by Kimchi as better expressing the sense in my view than that which makes it a proper name. Dibon, perhaps the same place as Dimon in Isaiah 15:9, was a city given by Moses to Gad, and afterward yielded to Reuben Numbers 32:3, Numbers 32:33-34; Joshua 13:9. It was again occupied by the Moabites Jeremiah 48:18, Jeremiah 48:2. Eusebius says it was a large town on the north of the river Arnon.

Isaiah 40:31 — to his people now as it was in the times of the captivity in Babylon. Religion is often expressed in the Scriptures by ‘waiting on Yahweh,’ that is, by looking to him for help, expecting deliverance through his aid, putting trust in him (see Psalms 25:3, Psalms 25:5, Psalms 25:21; Psalms 27:14; Psalms 37:7, Psalms 37:9, Psalms 37:34; Psalms 69:3; compare Isaiah 8:17, note; Isaiah 30:18, note).It does not imply inactivity, or want of personal exertion; it implies merely that our hope of aid and salvation

Isaiah 41:1 — should be able to overcome the enemies of the Jews, and to effect their deliveranceIsaiah 41:2-4; Isaiah 41:2-4. III. The consternation of the nations at the approach of Cyrus, and their excited and agitated fleeing to their idols is described Isaiah 41:5-7. IV. God gives to his people the assurance of his protection, and friendship Isaiah 41:8-14. This is shown: 1. Because they were the children of Abraham, his friend, and be was bound in covenant faithfulness to protect them Isaiah 41:8-9. 2. By direct

Isaiah 49:7 — word ‘soul’ here (נפשׁ nephesh) means the same as man; that is, every man. It was a characteristic of him that he was despised and rejected by all; and the prophet, in this verse, has given a summary of all that be has said respecting him in Isaiah 53:1-12.To him whom the nation abhorreth - The word ‘nation’ here refers doubtless to the Jewish people, as in Isaiah 1:4; Isaiah 10:6. The word rendered ‘abhorreth’ means “for an abomination” (למתעב limetâ‛ēb), Piel participle, from תעב tâ‛ab), and

Daniel 8:9 — succession of princes who reigned in Antioch, from Seleucus to Antiochus Epiphanes, were as follows: (1) Seleucus Nicator, 312-280 b.c. (2) Antiochus Soter, his son, 280-261. (3) Antiochus Theos, his son, 261-247. (4) Seleucus Callinicus, his son, 247-226. (5) (Alexander), or Seleucus Ceraunus, his son, 226-223. (6) Antiochus the Great, his brother, 223-187. (7) Seleucus Philopater, his son, 187-176. (8) Antiochus Epiphanes, his brother, 176-164. - Clinton’s Fasti Hellenici, vol. iii. Appendix, ch. iii.The

Joel 1:7 — snow, through the whiteness of the trees and the dryness of the herbs. It pleased God that the fresh crops were already gathered in.”The “vine” is the well-known symbol of God’s people Psalms 80:8, Psalms 80:14; Song of Solomon 2:13, Song of Solomon 2:15; Hosea 10:1; Isaiah 5:1-7; Isaiah 27:2; the fig too, by reason of its sweetness, is an emblem of His Church and of each soul in her, bringing forth the fruit of grace Hosea 9:10; Matthew 21:19; Luke 13:6-7. When then God says, “he hath laid My vine

Amos 3:2 — seemed as if God knew not those, of whom He was not known. Knowledge, with God, is love, and so He seemed not to have known those, to whom, although “He left not Himself without witness” Acts 14:17, He had shown no such love (see the note at Hosea 13:5). Whence our Lord shall say to the wicked, “I never knew you” Matthew 7:23; and contrariwise, He says, “I am the good Shepherd and know My sheep, and am known of Mine” (John 10:14; see 2 Timothy 2:19). : “Myriads of cities and lands are there under

Amos 8:9 — throne. Ahaz was weak, with no human power to resist; his “heart was moved, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the forest are moved with the wind” Isaiah 7:2. Tiglath-pileser came upon Pekah and carried off the tribes beyond Jordan 2 Kings 15:29. Pekah’s sun set, and all was night with no dawn. Shortly after, Pekah himself was murdered by Hoshea 2 Kings 15:30, as he had himself murdered Pekahiah. After an anarchy of nine years, Hoshea established himself on the throne; the nine remaining

Amos 9:11 — of its ruins. Under the word “tabernacle,” he probably blends the ideas, that it should be in a poor condition, and yet that it should be the means whereby God should protect His people. The “succah, tabernacle” (translated “booth” in Jonah) Jonah 4:5; Genesis 33:17, was originally a rude hut, formed of “intertwined” branches. It is used of the cattle-shed Genesis 33:17, and of the rough tents used by soldiers in war 2 Samuel 11:11, or by the watchman in the vineyard Isaiah 1:8; Job 27:18, and of

Obadiah 1:21 — And saviors shall ascend on Mount Zion - The body should not be without its head; saviours there should be, and those, successively. The title was familiar to them of old Judges 3:9, Judges 3:15. “The children of Israel cried unto the Lord, Who raised them up a savior, and he saved them. And the Lord gave unto Israel a savior” 2 Kings 13:5, in the time of Jehoahaz. Nehemiah says to God, Nehemiah 9:27. “According to Thy manifold mercies, Thou

Micah 2:12 — Isaiah 40:11; Isaiah 13:14, became, from Moses’ prophecy (Deuteronomy 30:3-4, see Nehemiah 1:9), a received word of the gathering of Israel from the dispersion of the captivity (see below, Micah 4:6; Psalms 106:47; Psalms 107:3; Isaiah 11:12; Isaiah 43:5; Isaiah 54:7; Isaiah 56:8; Zephaniah 3:19-20; Jeremiah 23:3; Jeremiah 29:14; Jeremiah 31:8, Jeremiah 31:10; Jeremiah 32:37; Ezekiel 11:17; Ezekiel 20:34, Ezekiel 20:41; Ezekiel 28:25; Ezekiel 34:13; Ezekiel 37:21; Ezekiel 38:8; Ezekiel 39:27; Zechariah

Nahum 3:16 — They commenced at once, they said , the long voyages, in which they transported the wares of Egypt and Assyria. The building of “Tadmor in the wilderness” 1 Kings 9:18 on the way to Tiphsach (Thapsacus) the utmost bound of Solomon’s dominions (1 Kings 5:4 1 Kings 4:24), connected Palestine with that commerce.The great route for couriers and for traffic, extending for 1,500 or 1,600 miles in later times, must have lain through Nineveh, since, although no mention is made of the city which had perished,

Habakkuk 1:12 — God, and so, in the name of all who at any time shall be perplexed about the order of God’s judgments, asks how it shall be, teaching us that the only safe way of enquiring into God’s ways is by setting out with a living conviction that they, Psalms 25:10, are “mercy and truth.” And so the address to God is full of awe and confidence and inward love. For “God placeth the oil of mercy in the vessel of trustfulness.”Art Thou not - (the word has always an emphasis) “Thou” and not whatsoever or whosoever

Habakkuk 3:14 — himself perished; Daniel’s accusers perished in the den of lions, from which Daniel was delivered unharmed; Daniel 6:24. and so Haman was hanged on the gallows which he prepared for Mordecai Esther 7:10. So it became a saying of Psalmists (Psalms 7:5, add Psalms 9:15; Psalms 10:2; Psalms 35:8; Psalms 57:6; Psalms 94:23; Psalms 141:10; Proverbs 5:22; Proverbs 26:27; Ecclesiastes 10:8.) “He made a pit and digged it, and is fallen into the ditch which he made; his mischief shall return upon his own

Zephaniah 2:15 — it, that there is need to point out that it is the same); this is she, who was full of joy, exulting exceedingly, but in herself, not in God; “that dwelt carelessly,” literally, “securely,” and so carelessly; saying “Peace and safety” 1 Thessalonians 5:3, as though no evil would come upon her, and so perishing more certainly and miserably (see Judges 18:27) “That said in her heart,” this was her inmost feeling, the moving cause of all her deeds; “I am and there is none beside me;” literally , “and

Matthew 13:24-30 — Matthew 3:2) means here the effect of the gospel by its being preached. The meaning of this parable is plain. The field represents the “world,” in which the gospel is preached. The “good seed,” the truths preached by Christ and his apostles.Matthew 13:25While men slept, his enemy came ... - That is, “in the night,” when it could be done without being seen, an enemy came and scattered bad seed on the new-plowed field, perhaps before the good seed had been harrowed in.Satan thus sows false doctrine in

Matthew 3:4 — Egypt Exodus 10:0. In Eastern countries they are very numerous. They appear in such quantities as to darken the sky, and devour in a short time every green thing. The whole earth is sometimes covered with them for many leagues, Joel 1:4; Isaiah 33:4-5. “Some species of the locust are eaten until this day in Eastern countries, and are even esteemed as a delicacy when properly cooked. After tearing off the legs and wings, and taking out the entrails, they stick them in long rows upon wooden spits,

Acts 2:4 — sacred influence and power. See the notes on Luke 1:41, Luke 1:67. To be filled with anything is a phrase denoting that all the faculties are pervaded by it, engaged in it, or under its influence, Acts 3:10, “Were filled with wonder and amazement”; Acts 5:17, “Filled with indignation”; Acts 13:45, “Filled with envy”; Acts 2:4, “Filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.”Began to speak with other tongues - In other languages than their native tongue. The languages which they spoke are specified in Acts 2:9-11.As

Revelation 1:4 — evidencia del restablecimiento de la iglesia allí antes de que John escribió este libro. La mención más temprana que tenemos de una iglesia allí, después de la mencionada en el Nuevo Testamento por Paul Colosenses 2:1; Colosenses 4:13, Colosenses 4:15-16, está en el momento de Trajano, cuando Papias era obispo allí, en algún momento de 98 dC y 117 a.d. Aparecería, entonces, no ser improbable que en el momento en que se escribiera el Apocalipsis, de hecho, hubo siete iglesias en los alrededores. El