Bible Commentaries

Psalms 119:39 — 39, 40. Our hope of freedom from the reproach of inconsistency is in God's power, quickening us to live according to His Word, which He leads us to love. for thy judgments are good—The time must therefore be at hand when Thy justice will turn the "reproach" from Thy Church upon the world (Isaiah 25:8; Isaiah 66:5; Zephaniah 2:8-10). VAU. (Psalms 119:41-48).

Psalms 31:5 — 5, 6. commit my spirit—my life, or myself. Our Saviour used the words on the Cross [ :-], not as prophetical, but, as many pious men have done, as expressive of His unshaken confidence in God. The Psalmist rests on God's faithfulness to His promises to His people, and hence avows himself one of them, detesting all who revere objects of idolatry (compare Deuteronomy 32:21; 1 Corinthians 8:4).

Psalms 97:7 — 7. Idolaters are utterly put to shame, for if angels must worship Him, how much more those who worshipped them. all ye gods—literally, "all ye angels" (Psalms 8:5; Psalms 138:1; Hebrews 1:6; Hebrews 2:7). Paul quotes, not as a prophecy, but as language used in regard to the Lord Jehovah, who in the Old Testament theophania is the second person of the Godhead.

Proverbs 31:3 — 3-9. Succinct but solemn warnings against vices to which kings are peculiarly tempted, as carnal pleasures and oppressive and unrighteous government are used to sustain sensual indulgence. strength—mental and bodily resources for health and comfort. thy ways—or course of life. to that . . . kings—literally, "to the destroying of kings," avoid destructive pleasures (compare Proverbs 5:9; Proverbs 7:22; Proverbs 7:27; Hosea 4:11).

Ecclesiastes 1:11 — 11. The reason why some things are thought "new," which are not really so, is the imperfect record that exists of preceding ages among their successors. those that . . . come after—that is, those that live still later than the "things, rather the persons or generations, :-, with which this verse is connected, the six intermediate verses being merely illustrations of :- [WEISS], that are to come" (Ecclesiastes 2:16; Ecclesiastes 9:5).

Ecclesiastes 11:4 — 4. Therefore sow thy charity in faith, without hesitancy or speculation as to results, because they may not seem promising (Ecclesiastes 9:10). So in Ecclesiastes 11:1, man is told to "cast his bread corn" on the seemingly unpromising "waters" (Psalms 126:5; Psalms 126:6). The farmer would get on badly, who, instead of sowing and reaping, spent his time in watching the wind and clouds.

Ecclesiastes 6:9 — 9. Answer to the question in :-. This is the advantage: Better is the sight of the eyes—the wise man's godly enjoyment of present seen blessings than the (fool's) wandering—literally, walking ( :-), of the desire, that is, vague, insatiable desires for what he has not (Ecclesiastes 6:7; Hebrews 13:5). this—restless wandering of desire, and not enjoying contentedly the present (1 Timothy 6:6; 1 Timothy 6:8).

Isaiah 10:6 — 6. send him—"Kings' hearts are in the hand of the Lord" ( :-). hypocritical—polluted [HORSLEY]. nation—Judah, against whom Sennacherib was forming designs. of my wrath—objects of My wrath. give . . . charge— ( :-). and to tread, c.—HORSLEY translates: "And then to make him (the Assyrian) a trampling under foot like the mire of the streets" (so Isaiah 10:12 Isaiah 33:1; Zechariah 10:5). But see Isaiah 37:26.

Isaiah 16:5 — 5. If Judah shelters the suppliant Moab, allowing him to remain in Idumea, a blessing will redound to Judah itself and its "throne." truth . . . judgment . . . righteousness—language so divinely framed as to apply to "the latter days" under King Messiah, when "the Lord shall bring again the captivity of Moab" (Psalms 72:2; Psalms 96:13; Psalms 98:9; Jeremiah 48:47; Romans 11:12). hasting—"prompt in executing."

Isaiah 17:13 — 13. shall . . . shall—rather, "God rebuketh (Psalms 9:5) them, and they flee—are chased"; the event is set before the eyes as actually present, not future. chaff of . . . mountains—Threshing floors in the East are in the open air on elevated places, so as to catch the wind which separates the chaff from the wheat (Psalms 88:13; Hosea 13:3). rolling thing—anything that rolls: stubble.

Isaiah 17:8 — 8. groves—A symbolical tree is often found in Assyrian inscriptions, representing the hosts of heaven ("Saba"), answering to Ashteroth or Astarte, the queen of heaven, as Baal or Bel is the king. Hence the expression, "image of the grove," is explained ( :-). images—literally, "images to the sun," that is, to Baal, who answers to the sun, as Astarte to the hosts of heaven (2 Kings 23:5; Job 31:26).

Isaiah 20:5 — 5. they—the Philistine allies of Egypt who trusted in it for help against Assyria. A warning to the party among the Jews, who, though Judah was then the subordinate ally of Assyria, were looking to Egypt as a preferable ally ( :-). Ethiopia was their "expectation"; for Palestine had not yet obtained, but hoped for alliance with it. Egypt was their "glory," that is, boast ( :-); for the alliance with it was completed.

Isaiah 26:13 — 13. other lords—temporal; heathen kings (2 Chronicles 12:8; 2 Chronicles 28:5; 2 Chronicles 28:6), Nebuchadnezzar, c. Spiritual also, idols and lusts (2 Chronicles 28:6- :). by thee only—It is due to Thee alone, that we again worship Thee as our Lord [MAURER]. "(We are) Thine only, we will celebrate Thy name" [HORSLEY]. The sanctifying effect of affliction (Psalms 71:16 Psalms 119:67; Psalms 119:71).

Isaiah 38:4 — 4. In :-, the quickness of God's answer to the prayer is marked, "afore Isaiah had gone out into the middle court, the word of the LORD came to him"; that is, before he had left Hezekiah, or at least when he had just left him, and Hezekiah was in the act of praying after having heard God's message by Isaiah (compare Isaiah 65:24; Psalms 32:5; Daniel 9:21).

Isaiah 55:8 — 8. For—referring to :-. You need not doubt His willingness "abundantly to pardon" (compare Isaiah 55:12); for, though "the wicked" man's "ways," and "the unrighteous man's thoughts," are so aggravated as to seem unpardonable, God's "thoughts" and "ways" in pardoning are not regulated by the proportion of the former, as man's would be towards his fellow man who offended him; compare the "for" (Psalms 25:11; Romans 5:19).

Jeremiah 12:6 — 6. even thy brethren—as in Christ's case (Psalms 69:8; John 1:11; John 7:5; compare Jeremiah 9:4; Jeremiah 11:19; Jeremiah 11:21; Matthew 10:36). Godly faithfulness is sure to provoke the ungodly, even of one's own family. called a multitude after thee— (Isaiah 31:4). JEROME translates, "cry after thee with a loud (literally, 'full') voice." believe . . . not . . . though . . . speak fair— (Isaiah 31:4- :).

Jeremiah 13:22 — 22. if thou say—connecting this verse with "What wilt thou say" ( :-)? skirts discovered—that is, are thrown up so as to expose the person (Jeremiah 13:26; Isaiah 3:17; Nahum 3:5). heels made bare—The sandal was fastened by a thong above the heel to the instep. The Hebrew, is, "are violently handled," or "torn off"; that is, thou art exposed to ignominy. Image from an adulteress.

Jeremiah 14:22 — 22. vanities—idols ( :-). rain— (Zechariah 10:1; Zechariah 10:2). heavens—namely, of themselves without God (Matthew 5:45; Acts 14:17); they are not the First Cause, and ought not to be deified, as they were by the heathen. The disjunctive "or" favors CALVIN'S explanation: "Not even the heavens themselves can give rain, much less can the idol vanities." art not thou he—namely, who canst give rain?

Jeremiah 20:9 — 9. his word was—or literally, "there was in my heart, as it were, a burning fire," that is, the divine afflatus or impulse to speak was as . . . (Job 32:18; Job 32:19; Psalms 39:3). weary with forbearing, and I could not—"I labored to contain myself, but I could not" (Acts 18:5; compare Jeremiah 23:9; 1 Corinthians 9:16; 1 Corinthians 9:17).

Jeremiah 25:5 — 5. Turn . . . dwell—In Hebrew there is expressed by sameness of sounds the correspondence between their turning to God and God's turning to them to permit them to dwell in their land: Shubu . . . shebu, "Return" . . . so shall ye "remain." every one from . . . evil—Each must separately repent and turn from his own sin. None is excepted, lest they should think their guilt extenuated because the evil is general.