Bible Commentaries

Psalms 10:6 — the world as if he were sailing upon a tempestuous and dangerous sea, nevertheless, bears patiently all his troubles and sorrows, and comforts himself in his afflictions, because he leans wholly upon the grace of God, and entirely confides in it. (213) The ungodly man says, I shall not be moved, or I shall not shake for ever; because he thinks himself sufficiently strong and powerful to bear up against all the assaults which shall be made upon him. The faithful man says, What although I may happen

Psalms 119:17 — that Christ, “in whom are hid all the treasures of knowledge and wisdom,” “is the end of the law,” we need not be surprised at the prophet commending it, in consequence of the sublime mysteries which it contains, Colossians 2:3; Romans 10:4 (404) Marvelous things “means things which are difficult and wonderful. The reference here is to the figures and adumbration’s of the law, which so veiled and concealed the substances to which they related, that the mass of

Psalms 14:4 — aggravated from this circumstance, that it is the shepherds themselves, whose office it is to feed and to take care of the flock, (286) who cruelly devour it, and who spare not even the people and heritage of God. There is a similar complaint in Micah 3:1, “And I said, Hear I pray you, O heads of Jacob, and ye princes of the house of Israel: Is it not for you to know judgment? Who hate the good and love the evil; who pluck off their skin from off them; and their flesh from off their bones; who

Psalms 29:5 — pleasant exercise, were we led by it, as we ought, to the Author of Nature himself. But nothing is more preposterous than, when we meet with mediate causes, however many, to be stopped and retarded by them, as by so many obstacles, from approaching God; (613) for this is the same as if a man were to remain at the very rudiments of things during his whole life, without going farther. In short, this is to learn in such a manner that you can never know any thing. That shrewdness alone, therefore, is worthy

Psalms 49:6 — enforces the same lesson in the verse which follows, where he states that the redemption of their soul is precious, an expression not to be understood as implying merely that it is an event of rare occurrence, but that it never can take place, as 1 Samuel 3:1, where the word of the Lord is said to have been precious under the priesthood of Eli, when it is evidently meant that it had ceased altogether. The Psalmist would assert that no man can hope to purchase an immortality either for himself or others

Psalms 66:10 — proverbial expression, signifying, as our author afterwards states, extreme danger and complicated calamities. “When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burnt,” Isaiah 43:2. See also Psalms 32:6; Ezekiel 16:6; Numbers 31:23. Those things are said to come into or to pass through the fire, which abide the same, without being consumed; and which, like metals, lose only thereby their dross. (478) Cresswell takes this view.

Psalms 68:17 — 17.The chariots of God are twenty thousand thousands of angels. (34) For the most part, we are apt to undervalue the Divine presence, and therefore David presents us with a description fitted to exalt our thoughts of it. Owing to our unbelieving hearts, the least danger which occurs in the world weighs more with us

Psalms 76:5 — of might have not found their hands (272) that is to say, they were as incapable of fighting as if their hands had been maimed or cut off. In short, their strength, of which they boasted, was utterly overthrown. The words,they slept their sleep, (273) refer to the same subject; implying that whereas before they were active and resolute, their hearts now failed them, and they were sunk asleep in sloth and listlessness. The meaning, therefore, is, that the enemies of the chosen people were deprived

Psalms 78:23 — 23.But he had commanded the clouds from above. It is a mistake to suppose that this miracle is related merely in the way of history. The prophet rather censures the Israelites the more severely from the consideration, that although fed to the full with

Psalms 81:5 — 5He set it for a testimony in Joseph. The Hebrew word עדוה , eduth, is by some derived from עדה , adah, which signifies to adorn; and they translate it the honor or ornament of Joseph. But it rather comes from the verb עוד , ud, to testify; and the

Psalms 87:7 — have here described the great design of all the gifts which God has conferred upon his Church with so liberal a hand; namely, that the faithful, by hymns and songs, should testify their remembrance of his benefits and gratefully acknowledge them. (503) The Hebrew word חוללים , cholelim, which we have rendered the players upon instruments, is translated by some, those who dance to the sound of instruments. (504) But this is a matter of no great importance,

Isaiah 12:2 — can be no peace of conscience. Let us therefore know that we have made good progress in faith, when we have been endued with such confidence as the Prophet describes. Besides, this confidence ought to have the chief place in our hearts, (Colossians 3:15,) so as to banish all fear and dread; not that we are free from all distress and uneasiness, but that assurance will at length be victorious. Yet we must keep in mind what I said, that the Prophet here speaks of the cheerfulness which believers,

Isaiah 13:3 — 3.I have commanded my sanctified ones. (198) Here the Prophet introduces the Lord as speaking and issuing his commands. He calls the Medes and Persians sanctified ones, that is, those whom he has prepared. The verb קדש (kadash) is

Isaiah 15:2 — 2.He shall go up into the house. (236) So far as relates to the words, some pass by the Hebrew noun בית, (baith;) but as it signifies a house and a temple, it is probable that it was the word commonly used for a temple, as in many other passages the house of God means

Isaiah 19:1 — against his chastisements by the power of the Egyptians, as if by human resources they could make void his judgments, when they ought to have been turned to God altogether. On this subject Isaiah speaks more fully in a later portion of this book. (Isaiah 30:2.) Behold, the Lord rideth on a swift cloud. This mode of expression is found also in other passages of Scripture, but in a general form. (Psalms 104:3.) The Prophet applies it to this prediction, because the Egyptians thought that they were so well

Isaiah 25:6 — prepared for his Son, to which he invites all without exception, because those who were at first invited refused to come. (Matthew 22:2.) Nor have I any doubt that he speaks of the preaching of the gospel; and as it proceeded from Mount Zion, (Isaiah 2:3,) he says that the Gentiles will come to it to feast; for when God presents to the whole world spiritual food for feeding souls, the meaning was the same as if he had prepared a table for all. The Lord invites us at the present day, that he may fill

Isaiah 30:28 — 28.And his Spirit. (308) He proceeds with that threatening which he had begun to utter, namely, that the Church will indeed be chastised, but yet that the Assyrians shall utterly perish; for he says that they will be plunged into the deep by the “Spirit” of God,

Isaiah 32:6 — “baseness.” It might also be rendered, “The fool will speak wickedly;” and thus there would be an allusion to the words נבל (nābāl) and נבלה, (nĕbālāh,) (333) though the meaning would be considerably different; but, since he employed this word in the former verse, when speaking of “vile” persons, I willingly adopt that interpretation. And his heart will contrive iniquity. I consider און

Isaiah 33:16 — means all the daily necessaries of life. And his waters shall be sure. Though wicked men have abundance for a time, they shall afterwards be hungry; as God threatens in the Law, that they shall have famine and hunger. (Leviticus 26:19; Deuteronomy 28:23.) The same remark may be made with regard to “bread,” for the word “sure” relates to both; as if he had said, that all believers shall have their food made “sure.” “Lions are hungry, and wander about; but they

Isaiah 5:19 — soon as he has spoken it is idle talk. Thus Peter represents the ungodly as saying, “Since the world was created, the course of nature has been uniform; and, therefore, after so many ages, it is idle toexpect a day of judgment.” (2 Peter 3:4.) In the meantime, they purposely, as it were, provoke God to exert his power immediately, if he has any. Let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw near and come. To work is added counsel, as if they had said, “Why does God deliberate