Bible Commentaries

Isaiah 48:1 — 1. the waters of Judah—spring from the fountain of Judah (Numbers 24:7; Deuteronomy 33:28; Psalms 68:26; Margin). Judah has the "fountain" attributed to it, because it survived the ten tribes, and from it Messiah was to spring. swear by . . . Lord— (Isaiah 19:18; Isaiah 45:23; Isaiah 65:16). mention—in prayers and praises. not in truth— (Jeremiah 5:2; John 4:24).

Isaiah 49:3 — 3. Israel—applied to Messiah, according to the true import of the name, the Prince who had power with God in wrestling in behalf of man, and who prevails (Genesis 32:28; Hosea 12:3; Hosea 12:4). He is also the ideal Israel, the representative man of the nation (compare Matthew 2:15; Hosea 11:1). in whom . . . glorified— (John 14:13; John 17:1-5).

Jeremiah 1:14 — 14. break forth—"shall disclose itself." Out of the north— (Jeremiah 4:6; Jeremiah 6:1; Jeremiah 6:22; Jeremiah 10:22; Jeremiah 25:9; Ezekiel 26:7). The Chaldeans did not cast off the yoke of Assyria till several years after, under Nabopolassar, 625 B.C.; but long previously they had so increased as to threaten Assyria, which was now grown weak, and other neighboring peoples.

Jeremiah 22:13 — 13. Not only did Jehoiakim tax the people (2 Kings 23:35) for Pharaoh's tribute, but also took their forced labor, without pay, for building a splendid palace; in violation of Leviticus 19:13; Deuteronomy 24:14; Deuteronomy 24:15. Compare Micah 3:10; Habakkuk 2:9; James 5:4. God will repay in justice those who will not in justice pay those whom they employ.

Jeremiah 22:27 — 27. they—Coniah and his mother. He passes from the second person ( :-) to the third person here, to express alienation. The king is as it were put out of sight, as if unworthy of being spoken with directly. desire—literally, "lift up their soul" (Jeremiah 44:14; Psalms 24:4; Psalms 25:1). Judea was the land which they in Babylon should pine after in vain.

Jeremiah 30:17 — 17. (Jeremiah 8:22; Jeremiah 33:6). Outcast—as a wife put away by her husband (Isaiah 62:4, contrasted with Jeremiah 30:12). Zion—alluding to its Hebrew meaning, "dryness"; "sought after" by none, as would be the case with an arid region (Jeremiah 30:12- :). The extremity of the people, so far from being an obstacle to, will be the chosen opportunity of, God's grace.

Jeremiah 7:26 — 26. hardened . . . neck— (Deuteronomy 31:27; Isaiah 48:4; Acts 7:51). worse than their fathers— (Jeremiah 16:12). In Jeremiah 16:12- : He had said, "your fathers"; here He says, "their fathers"; the change to the third person marks growing alienation from them. He no longer addresses themselves, as it would be a waste of words in the case of such hardened rebels.

Lamentations 5:5 — 5. Literally, "On our necks we are persecuted"; that is, Men tread on our necks (Psalms 66:12; Isaiah 51:23; compare Isaiah 51:23- :). The extremest oppression. The foe not merely galled the Jews face, back, and sides, but their neck. A just retribution, as they had been stiff in neck against the yoke of God (Isaiah 51:23- :, Margin; Nehemiah 9:29; Isaiah 48:4).

Ezekiel 16 overview — CHAPTER 16 :-. DETAILED APPLICATION OF THE PARABOLICAL DELINEATION OF THE FIFTEENTH CHAPTER TO JERUSALEM PERSONIFIED AS A DAUGHTER. (1) Taken up by God's gratuitous favor from infancy ( :-); (2) and, when grown up, joined to Him in spiritual marriage (Ezekiel 16:8-14); (3) her unfaithfulness, her sin (Ezekiel 16:8-26.16.14- :); (4) the judgment (Ezekiel 16:8-26.16.14- :); (5) her unlooked-for restoration (Ezekiel 16:8-26.16.14- :).

Ezekiel 18:23 — 23. (1 Timothy 2:4; 2 Peter 3:9). If men perish, it is because they will not come to the Lord for salvation; not that the Lord is not willing to save them (2 Peter 3:9- :). They trample on not merely justice, but mercy; what farther hope can there be for them, when even mercy is against them? (Hebrews 10:26-29).

Ezekiel 20:4 — 4. Wilt thou judge? . . . judge—The emphatical repetition expresses, "Wilt thou not judge? yes, judge them. There is a loud call for immediate judgment." The Hebrew interrogative here is a command, not a prohibition [MAURER]. Instead of spending time in teaching them, tell them of the abomination of their fathers, of which their own are the complement and counterpart, and which call for judgment.

Ezekiel 48:4 — 4. Manasseh—The intercourse and unity between the two and a half tribes east of the Jordan, and the nine and a half west of it, had been much kept up by the splitting of Manasseh, causing the visits of kinsmen one to the other from both sides of the Jordan. There shall be no need for this in the new order of things.

Hosea 10:13 — 13. reaped iniquity—that is, the fruit of iniquity; as "righteousness" ( :-) is "the fruit of righteousness" (Job 4:8; Proverbs 22:8; Galatians 6:7; Galatians 6:8). lies—false and spurious worship. trust in thy way—thy perverse way (Isaiah 57:10; Jeremiah 2:23), thy worship of false gods. This was their internal safeguard, as their external was "the multitude of their mighty men."

Hosea 10:15 — 15. So shall Beth-el do unto you—that is, Your idolatrous calf at Beth-el shall be the cause of a like calamity befalling you. your great wickedness—literally, "the wickedness of your wickedness." in a morning—that is, speedily, as quickly as the dawn is put to flight by the rising sun (Hosea 6:4; Hosea 13:3; Psalms 30:5). king—Hoshea.

Hosea 13:3 — 3. they shall be as the morning cloud . . . dew— (Hosea 6:4). As their "goodness" soon vanished like the morning cloud and dew, so they shall perish like them. the floor—the threshing-floor, generally an open area, on a height, exposed to the winds. chimney—generally in the East an orifice in the wall, at once admitting the light, and giving egress to the smoke.

Amos 2:9 — 9. Yet—My former benefits to you heighten your ingratitude. the Amorite—the most powerful of all the Canaanite nations, and therefore put for them all (Genesis 15:16; Genesis 48:22; Deuteronomy 1:20; Joshua 7:7). height . . . like . . . cedars— (Numbers 13:32; Numbers 13:33). destroyed his fruit . . . above . . . roots . . . beneath—that is, destroyed him utterly (Job 18:16; Ezekiel 17:9; Malachi 4:1).

Micah 6:4 — 4. For—On the contrary, so far from doing anything harsh, I did thee every kindness from the earliest years of thy nationality. Miriam—mentioned, as being the prophetess who led the female chorus who sang the song of Moses (Exodus 15:20). God sent Moses to give the best laws; Aaron to pray for the people; Miriam as an example to the women of Israel.

Zechariah 10:5 — 5. riders on horses—namely, the enemy's horsemen. Though the Jews were forbidden by the law to multiply horses in battle ( :-), they are made Jehovah's war horse (Zechariah 10:3; Psalms 20:7), and so tread down on foot the foe with all his cavalry (Ezekiel 38:4; Daniel 11:40). Cavalry was the chief strength of the Syro-Grecian army (1 Maccabees 3:39).

Zechariah 14:13 — 13. tumult—consternation (Zechariah 12:4; 1 Samuel 14:15; 1 Samuel 14:20). lay hold . . . on . . . hand of . . . neighbour—instinctively grasping it, as if thereby to be safer, but in vain [MENOCHIUS]. Rather, in order to assail "his neighbor" [CALVIN], (Ezekiel 38:21). Sin is the cause of all quarrels on earth. It will cause endless quarrels in hell (James 3:15; James 3:16).

Matthew 23:4 — 4. For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them—"touch them not" ( :-). with one of their fingers—referring not so much to the irksomeness of the legal rites, though they were irksome enough ( :-), as to the heartless rigor with which they were enforced, and by men of shameless inconsistency.