Bible Commentaries

Psalms 5 overview — PSALM 5 :-. Upon Nehiloth—flutes or wind instruments. The writer begs to be heard, on the ground of God's regard for His covenant-people and true worshippers as contrasted with His holy hatred to the wicked. He prays for divine guidance, on account of his watchful, malignant, and deceitful enemies; and for their destruction as being also God's enemies. At the same time he expresses his confidence that God will extend aid to His people.

Ecclesiastes 7:8 — 8. connected with :-. Let the "wise" wait for "the end," and the "oppressions" which now (in "the beginning") perplex their faith, will be found by God's working to be overruled to their good. "Tribulation worketh patience" ( :-), which is infinitely better than "the proud spirit" that prosperity might have generated in them, as it has in fools (Psalms 73:2; Psalms 73:3; Psalms 73:12-14; Psalms 73:17-26; James 5:11).

Ecclesiastes 9:10 — 10. Whatsoever—namely, in the service of God. This and last verse plainly are the language of Solomon, not of a skeptic, as HOLDEN would explain it. hand, c.— ( :-, Margin 1 Samuel 10:7, Margin). thy might—diligence (Deuteronomy 6:5; Jeremiah 48:10, Margin). no work . . . in the grave— (John 9:4; Revelation 14:13). "The soul's play-day is Satan's work-day; the idler the man the busier the tempter" [SOUTH].

Song of Solomon 1:10 — 10. rows of jewels— ( :-). OLERIUS says, Persian ladies wear two or three rows of pearls round the head, beginning on the forehead and descending down to the cheeks and under the chin, so that their faces seem to be set in pearls ( :-). The comparison of the horses ( :-) implies the vital energy of the bride; this verse, her superadded graces (Proverbs 1:9; Proverbs 4:9; 1 Timothy 2:9; 2 Peter 1:5).

Isaiah 26:1 — 1. strong city—Jerusalem, strong in Jehovah's protection: type of the new Jerusalem ( :-), contrasted with the overthrow of the ungodly foe (Isaiah 26:4-7; Isaiah 26:12-14; Revelation 22:2; Revelation 22:10-12, c.). salvation . . . walls— (Isaiah 60:18 Jeremiah 3:23; Zechariah 2:5). MAURER translates, "Jehovah makes His help serve as walls" (Isaiah 33:20; Isaiah 33:21, &c.). bulwarks—the trench with the antemural earthworks exterior to the wall.

Isaiah 30:27 — 27. name of . . . Lord—that is, Jehovah Himself (Psalms 44:5; Psalms 54:1); represented as a storm approaching and ready to burst over the Assyrians (Isaiah 30:30; Isaiah 30:31). burden . . . is heavy—literally, "grievousness is the flame," that is, the flame which darts from Him is grievous. Or else (as the Hebrew means an "uplifting") the uprising cloud is grievous [G. V. SMITH]; the gathering cloud gradually rising till it bursts.

Isaiah 51:15 — 15. divided . . . sea—the Red Sea. The same Hebrew word as "make to rest" ( :-). Rather, "that terrify the sea," that is, restrain it by My rebuke, "when its waves roar" [GESENIUS]. The Hebrew favors MAURER, "that terrify the sea so that the waves roar." The sense favors GESENIUS (Jeremiah 5:22; Jeremiah 31:35), or English Version (Isaiah 51:9; Isaiah 51:10, which favors the special reference to the exodus from Egypt).

Isaiah 57:4 — 4. sport yourselves—make a mock (Isaiah 66:5). Are ye aware of the glory of Him whom you mock, by mocking His servants ("the righteous," Isaiah 57:1)? (2 Chronicles 36:16). make . . . wide mouth— (Psalms 22:7; Psalms 22:13; Psalms 35:21; Lamentations 2:16). children of transgression, &c.—not merely children of transgressors, and a seed of false parents, but of transgression and falsehood itself, utterly unfaithful to God.

Jeremiah 23:22 — 22. stood in . . . counsel— (Jeremiah 23:18). they should have turned them from their evil way—They would have given such counsels to the people as would have turned them from their sins (Jeremiah 25:5; Isaiah 55:11), and so would have averted punishment. Their not teaching the law in which God's counsel is set forth proves they are not His prophets, though they boast of being so (Matthew 7:15-20).

Jeremiah 35:15 — 15. In :- and in 2 Chronicles 36:15, a distinct mode of address is alluded to, namely, God sending His servants. (Jeremiah 18:11; Jeremiah 25:5; Jeremiah 25:6). I enjoined nothing unreasonable, but simply to serve Me, and I attached to the command a gracious promise, but in vain. If Jonadab's commands, which were arbitrary and not moral obligations in themselves, were obeyed, much more ought Mine, which are in themselves right.

Jeremiah 38:5 — 5. the king is not he—Zedekiah was a weak prince, and now in his straits afraid to oppose his princes. He hides his dislike of their overweening power, which prevented him shielding Jeremiah as he would have wished, under complimentary speeches. "It is not right that the king should deny aught to such faithful and wise statesmen"; the king is not such a one as to deny you your wishes [JEROME].

Jeremiah 40:6 — 6. Mizpah—in Benjamin, northwest of Jerusalem (Jeremiah 41:5; Jeremiah 41:6; Jeremiah 41:9). Not the Mizpah in Gilead, beyond Jordan (Jeremiah 41:9- :). Jeremiah showed his patriotism and piety in remaining in his country amidst afflictions and notwithstanding the ingratitude of the Jews, rather than go to enjoy honors and pleasures in a heathen court (Hebrews 11:24-26). This vindicates his purity of motive in his withdrawal (Hebrews 11:24-58.11.26- :).

Jeremiah 41:18 — 18. afraid—lest the Chaldeans should suspect all the Jews of being implicated in Ishmael's treason, as though the Jews sought to have a prince of the house of David ( :-). Their better way towards gaining God's favor would have been to have laid the blame on the real culprit, and to have cleared themselves. A tortuous policy is the parent of fear. Righteousness inspires with boldness (Psalms 53:5; Proverbs 28:1).

Ezekiel 16:27 — 27. The consequent judgments, which, however, proved of no avail in reforming the people (Isaiah 9:13; Jeremiah 5:3). delivered thee unto . . . Philistines— (2 Kings 16:6; 2 Chronicles 28:18; 2 Chronicles 28:19). ashamed of thy lewd way—The Philistines were less wanton in idolatry, in that they did not, like Israel, adopt the idols of every foreign country but were content with their own (Ezekiel 16:57; Jeremiah 2:11).

Ezekiel 27:5 — 5. Senir—the Amorite name of Hermon, or the southern height of Anti-libanus ( :-); the Sidonian name was Sirion. "All thy . . . boards"; dual in Hebrew, "double-boards," namely, placed in a double order on the two sides of which the ship consisted [VATABLUS]. Or, referring to the two sides or the two ends, the prow and the stern, which every ship has [MUNSTER]. cedars—most suited for "masts," from their height and durability.

Ezekiel 32:29 — 29. princes—Edom was not only governed by kings, but by subordinate "princes" or "dukes" (Genesis 36:40). with their might—notwithstanding their might, they shall be brought down (Isaiah 34:5; Isaiah 34:10-17; Jeremiah 49:7; Jeremiah 49:13-18). lie with the uncircumcised—Though Edom was circumcised, being descended from Isaac, he shall lie with the uncircumcised; much more shall Egypt, who had no hereditary right to circumcision.

Ezekiel 34:5 — 5. scattered, because . . . no shepherd—that is, none worthy of the name, though there were some called shepherds (1 Kings 22:17; Matthew 9:36). Compare Matthew 9:36- :, where the sheep were scattered when the true Shepherd was smitten. God calls them "My sheep"; for they were not, as the shepherds treated them, their patrimony whereby to "feed themselves." meat to all . . . beasts—They became a prey to the Syrians, Ammon, Moab, and Assyria.

Ezekiel 35:12 — 12, 13. blasphemies . . . against . . . Israel . . . against me—God regards what is done against His people as done against Himself (Matthew 25:45; Acts 9:2; Acts 9:4; Acts 9:5). Edom implied, if he did not express it, in his taunts against Israel, that God had not sufficient power to protect His people. A type of the spirit of all the foes of God and His people (1 Samuel 2:3; Revelation 13:6).

Ezekiel 35:2 — 2. Mount Seir—that is, Idumea (Genesis 36:9). Singled out as badly pre-eminent in its bitterness against God's people, to represent all their enemies everywhere and in all ages. So in Isaiah 34:5; Isaiah 63:1-4, Edom, the region of the greatest enmity towards God's people, is the ideal scene of the final judgments of all God's foes. "Seir" means "shaggy," alluding to its rugged hills and forests.

Ezekiel 8:8 — 8. dig—for it had been blocked up during Josiah's reformation. Or rather, the vision is not of an actual scene, but an ideal pictorial representation of the Egyptian idolatries into which the covenant-people had relapsed, practising them in secret places where they shrank from the light of day [FAIRBAIRN], ( :-). But compare, as to the literal introduction of idolatries into the temple, Ezekiel 5:11; Jeremiah 7:30; Jeremiah 32:34.