Bible Commentaries

Genesis 2:19 — Here, as in several previous instances Genesis 1:5; Genesis 2:4, Genesis 2:8-9, the narrative reverts to the earlier part of the sixth day. This is, therefore, another example of the connection according to thought overruling that according to time. The order of time, however, is restored, when we take

Genesis 40:1-23 — confined. “Charged Joseph with them.” As Joseph was his slave, and these were state prisoners, he appointed him to wait upon them. It is probable that Joseph’s character had been somewhat re-established with him during his residence in the prison.Genesis 40:5-8These prisoners dream, “each according to the interpretation of his dream,” the imagery of which was suited to indicate his future state. They were sad - anxious to know the meaning of these impressive dreams. “Why are your forces bad today?” Joseph

Exodus 32:1-6 — but imperfectly instructed in the reality of a personal unseen God. Being disappointed at the long absence of Moses, they seem to have imagined that he had deluded them, and had probably been destroyed amidst the thunders of the mountain Exodus 24:15-18. Accordingly, they gave way to their superstitious fears and fell back upon that form of idolatry which was most familiar to them (see Exodus 32:4 note). The narrative of the circumstances is more briefly given by Moses at a later period in one of

Job 13:14 — casket of jewels, or a purse of gold, in the hand, which may at any moment be seized by robbers. The phrase is not uncommon in the Scriptures to denote exposure to great peril; compare Psalms 119:109, “My soul is continually in my hand;” 1 Samuel 19:5, “For he did put his life in his hand, and slew the Philistine;” Judges 12:3, “I put my life in my hands, and passed over against the children of Ammon.” A similar expression occurs in the Greek Classics denoting exposure to imminent danger - ἐν τῇ

Job 2:7 — Arabic, and meaning to be hot or inflamed. It is translated “bile” or “boil,” in Exodus 9:9-11; Leviticus 13:18; 2 Kings 20:7;: Isaiah 28:21, (see the notes on that place), Leviticus 13:19-20; Job 2:7; and “botch,” Deuteronomy 28:27, Deuteronomy 28:35. The word does not occur elsewhere in the Scriptures. In Deuteronomy 28:27, it means “the botch of Egypt,” some species of leprosy, undoubtedly, which prevailed there.In regard to the disease of Job, we may learn some of its characteristics, not only

Job 42:14 — would indicate that Job had now emerged from the “night” of affliction, and that returning light shone again on his tabernacle. It was usual in the earliest periods to bestow names because they were significant of returning prosperity (see Genesis 4:25), or because they indicated hope of what would be in their time Genesis 5:29, or because they were a pledge of some permanent tokens of the divine favor; see the notes at Isaiah 8:18. Thomas Roe remarks (“Travels,” 425), that among the Persians it is

Job 7:16 — and understands by it, “death in comparison with my sufferings do I despise.” The Syriac is, - it fails to me, that is, I fail, or my powers are wasting away. But the Hebrew word מאס mâ'as means properly to loathe and contemn (see the note at Job 7:5), and the true idea here is expressed in the common version. The sense is, “my life is painful and offensive, and I wish to die.”I would not live alway - As Job used this expression, there was doubtless somewhat of impatience and of an improper spirit.

Psalms 14:1 — The fool - The word “fool” is often used in the Scriptures to denote a wicked man - as sin is the essence of folly. Compare Job 2:10; Psalms 74:18; Genesis 34:7; Deuteronomy 22:21. The Hebrew word is rendered “vile person” in Isaiah 32:5-6. Elsewhere it is rendered “fool, foolish,” and “foolish man.” It is designed to convey the idea that wickedness or impiety is essential folly, or to use a term in describing the wicked which will, perhaps, more than any other, make the mind averse

Psalms 16:9 — means properly to let oneself down; to lie down, Numbers 9:17; Exodus 24:16; then, to lay oneself down, to lie down, as, for example, a lion lying down, Deuteronomy 33:20; or a people in tents, Numbers 24:2; and hence, to rest, to take rest, Judges 5:17; and then to abide, to dwell. Gesenius, Lexicon. Perhaps the sense here is that of “lying down,” considered as lying in the grave, and the expression is equivalent to saying, “When I die I shall lie down in the grave in hope or confidence, not in

Psalms 48:2 — as it would appear to one approaching it, and especially as it appeared to the “kings” Psalms 48:4 who came to invest it, and who were so impressed with its marvelous beauty and strength, that they were afraid to attack it, and turned away Psalms 48:5.The joy of the whole earth - Either the whole “land” of Palestine, or the whole world. Most probably the former is the meaning; and the idea is that, as a place of beauty and strength, and as a place where the worship of God was celebrated, and where

Psalms 69:21 — name may have been given also to some other similar plants. The word then comes to denote poison; venom; anything poisonous; and then, anything very bad-tasted; “bitter.” It is rendered “gall,” as here, in Deuteronomy 29:18; Jeremiah 8:14; Jeremiah 9:15; Jeremiah 23:15; Lamentations 3:5, Lamentations 3:19; Amos 6:12; “venom” in Deuteronomy 32:33; “poison,” in Job 20:16; and “hemlock,” in Hosea 10:4. In Deuteronomy 29:18, it is rendered, in the margin, “rosh,” or “a poisonful herb.” It does not occur

Isaiah 1:24 — Isaiah 1:13. It means that he had been pained and grieved by their crimes; his patience had been put to its utmost trial; and now he would seek relief from this by inflicting due punishment on them. An expression explaining this may be seen in Ezekiel 5:13; ‘Then shall mine anger be accomplished, and I will cause my fury to rest upon them, and I will be comforted.’ Also, Deuteronomy 28:63 : ‘As the Lord rejoiced over you, to do you good; so the Lord will rejoice over you, to destroy you.’Mine adversaries

Isaiah 13:10 — will cover the heavens, and make the stoa thereof dark, I will cover the sun with a cloud, And the moon shall not give her light. And the bright lights of heaven will I make dark over thee. And set darkness upon thy land.(Compare Joel 2:10; Joel 3:15-16.) Thus in Amos 8:9 : I will cause the sun to go down at noon, And I will darken the earth in a clear day.See also Revelation 6:12-14 : And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and lo, The sun became black as sackcloth of hair, And the moon

Isaiah 21:1 — question why this phrase was applied, has given rise to a great diversity of opinions. The term ‘desert’ (מדבר midbâr) is usually applied to a wilderness, or to a comparatively barren and uncultivated country - a place for flocks and herds (Psalms 65:13; Jeremiah 9:9 ff); to an actual waste, sandy desert Isaiah 32:15; Isaiah 35:1; and particularly to the deserts of Arabia Genesis 14:6; Genesis 16:7; Deuteronomy 11:24. It may here be applied to Babylon either historically, as having been “once” an

Isaiah 27:8 — changes in expressions are not uncommon in the Hebrew poets.Thou wilt debate with it - Or, rather, thou hast “judged” it; or hast punished it. The word ריב riyb means sometimes to debate, contend, or strive; but it means also to take vengeance 1 Samuel 25:39, or to punish; to contend with anyone so as to overcome or punish him. Here it refers to the fact that God “had” had a contention with his people, and had punished them by removing them to Babylon.He stayeth - ( הגה hâgâh). This word means in one

Isaiah 33:14 — friends have. 3. That such an alarm is evidence of conscious guilt and hypocrisy. 4. That the persons here spoken of had a belief of the doctrine of eternal punishment - a belief which hypocrites and sinners always have, else why should they be alarmed? 5. That the punishment of hypocrites in the church will be dreadful and terrific. This seems to have been the conviction here. They saw that if such judgments came upon those who had no knowledge of the true God, it must be infinitely more terrible on

Isaiah 40:28 — earth is sometimes spoken of as a vast plain having limits or boundaries (see Isaiah 40:22). It is probable that this was the prevailing idea among the ancients (compare Deuteronomy 33:17; 1 Samuel 2:10; Psalms 19:6; Psalms 22:27; Psalms 48:10; Psalms 65:5; Psalms 67:7; Psalms 98:3; Isaiah 43:6; Isaiah 45:22; Isaiah 52:10). The argument here is, that he who has formed the earth could not be exhausted or weary in so small a work as that of protecting his people.Fainteth not - Is not fatigued or exhausted.

Isaiah 48:10 — these afflictions - to purify them. The word used here, and rendered ‘refined’ (צרף tsâraph), means properly to melt; to smelt metals; to subject them to the action of fire, in order to remove the scoria or dross from them (see the notes at Isaiah 1:25). Then it means to purify in any manner. Here it means that God had used these afflictions for the same purpose for which fire is used in regard to metals, in order that every impurity in their moral and religious character might be removed.But not

Isaiah 51:20 — child cleaveth to the roof of His mouth for thirst; The young children ask bread, and no man breaketh it unto them; They that did feed delicately are desolate in the streets; They that were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghills. - Lamentations 4:4-5As a wild bull in a net - The word rendered here ‘wild bull’ is תוא tô'. Gesenius supposes it is the same as תאו t'ô, a species of gazelle, so called from its swiftness. Aquila, Symm. and Theod. render it here, Ὀρυξ Oruch - ‘Oryx;’ Jerome also renders

Isaiah 6:3 — alternate responses. One cried ‘holy;’ the second repeated it; then the third; and then they probably united in the grand chorus, ‘Full is all the earth of his glory.’ This was an ancient mode of singing or recitative among the Hebrews; see Exodus 15:20-21, where Miriam is represented as going before in the dance with a timbrel, and the other females as following her, and “answering,” or responding to her, Psalms 136:1; compare Lowth, “on the Sacred Poetry of the Hebrews,” Lect. xix.Holy, holy,