Bible Commentaries

Job 18:4 — 4. Rather, turning to Job, "thou that tearest thyself in anger" ( :-). be forsaken?—become desolate. He alludes here to Job's words as to the "rock," crumbling away (Job 14:18; Job 14:19); but in a different application. He says bitterly "for thee."

Job 26:10 — 10. Rather, "He hath drawn a circular bound round the waters" (Proverbs 8:27; Psalms 104:9). The horizon seems a circle. Indication is given of the globular form of the earth. until the day, c.—to the confines of light and darkness. When the light falls on our horizon, the other hemisphere is dark. UMBREIT and MAURER translate "He has

Job 27:8 — when?" c. "Gained" is antithetic to "taketh away." UMBREIT'S translation is an unmeaning tautology. "When God cuts off, when He taketh away his life." taketh away—literally, "draws out" the soul from the body, which is, as it were, its scabbard (Job 4:21 Psalms 104:29; Daniel 7:15). Job says that he admits what Bildad said (Job 8:13) and Zophar (Job 20:5). But he says the very fact of his still calling upon God (Job 20:5- :) amid all his trials, which a hypocrite would not dare to do, shows he is

Job 38:7 — 7. So at the founding of Zerubbabel's temple ( :-). So hereafter at the completion of the Church, the temple of the Holy Ghost (Zechariah 4:7); as at its foundation (Luke 2:13; Luke 2:14). morning stars—especially beautiful. The creation morn is appropriately associated with these, it being the commencement of this world's day. The stars are figuratively said to sing God's praises, as

Job 7:17 — 17. (Psalms 8:4; Psalms 144:3). Job means, "What is man that thou shouldst make him [of so much importance], and that thou shouldst expend such attention [or, heart-thought] upon him" as to make him the subject of so severe trials? Job ought rather to have reasoned

Job 8:4 — 4. If—Rather, "Since thy children have sinned against Him, and (since) He has cast them away (Hebrew, by the hand of) for their transgressions, (yet) if thou wouldst seek unto God, c., if thou wert pure, &c., surely [even] now He would awake for thee."

Ecclesiastes 8:8 — 8. spirit—"breath of life" (Ecclesiastes 3:19), as the words following require. Not "wind," as WEISS thinks (Proverbs 30:4). This verse naturally follows the subject of "times" and "judgment" (Ecclesiastes 8:6; Ecclesiastes 8:7). discharge—alluding to the liability to military service of all above twenty years old (Ecclesiastes 8:7- :), yet many were exempted (Ecclesiastes

Song of Solomon 3:8 — 8. hold—not actually grasping them, but having them girt on the thigh ready for use, like their Lord (Psalms 45:3). So believers too are guarded by angels (Psalms 91:11; Hebrews 1:14), and they themselves need "every man" (Hebrews 1:14- :) to be armed (Psalms 144:1; Psalms 144:2; 2 Corinthians 10:4; Ephesians 6:12; Ephesians 6:17; 1 Timothy 6:12), and "expert" (2

Song of Solomon 7:13 — apple, ruddy and sweet-smelling, gathered in wheat harvest, that is, in May (Mariti, ii. 195). gates—the entrance to the kiosk or summer house. Love "lays up" the best of everything for the person beloved (1 Corinthians 10:31; Philippians 3:8; 1 Peter 4:11), thereby really, though unconsciously, laying up for itself (1 Timothy 6:18; 1 Timothy 6:19).

Song of Solomon 8:13 — 15:26), under her (Song of Solomon 8:11; Song of Solomon 8:12); these ought to obey her when she obeys Jesus Christ. Her voice in prayer and praise is to be heard continually by Jesus Christ, if her voice before men is to be effective (Song of Solomon 2:14, end; Acts 6:4; Acts 13:2; Acts 13:3).

Isaiah 1:9 — 9. Jehovah of Sabaoth, that is, God of the angelic and starry hosts (Psalms 59:5; Psalms 147:4; Psalms 148:2). The latter were objects of idolatry, called hence Sabaism (Psalms 148:2- :). God is above even them (Psalms 148:2- :). "The groves" were symbols of these starry hosts; it was their worship of Sabaoth instead of the Lord of Sabaoth,

Isaiah 36:19 — Euphrates, above Babylon. It was a just retribution (Proverbs 1:31; Jeremiah 2:19). Israel worshipped the gods of Sepharvaim, and so colonists of Sepharvaim were planted in the land of Israel (thenceforth called Samaria) by the Assyrian conqueror (2 Kings 17:24; compare 2 Kings 18:34). Samaria—Shalmaneser began the siege against Hoshea, because of his conspiring with So of Egypt (2 Kings 17:4). Sargon finished it; and, in his palace at Khorsabad, he has mentioned the number of Israelites carried captive—27,280

Isaiah 38:13 — 13. I reckoned . . . that—rather, I composed (my mind, during the night, expecting relief in the "morning," so Job 7:4): for ("that" is not, as in the English Version, to be supplied) as a lion He was breaking all my bones [VITRINGA] (Job 10:16; Lamentations 3:10; Lamentations 3:11). The Hebrew, in Psalms 131:2, is rendered, "I quieted." Or else, "I made myself like a

Isaiah 40:11 — 11. feed—including all a shepherd's care—"tend" (Ezekiel 34:23; Psalms 23:1; Hebrews 13:20; 1 Peter 2:25). carry—applicable to Messiah's restoration of Israel, as sheep scattered in all lands, and unable to move of themselves to their own land (Psalms 80:1; Jeremiah 23:3). As Israel was "carried from the womb"

Isaiah 44:20 — 20. feedeth on ashes—figuratively, for the idolater delights in what is vain (Proverbs 15:14; Hosea 12:1). "Feedeth on wind." There is an allusion, perhaps, also, to the god being made of a tree, the half of which was reduced to ashes by fire (Isaiah 44:15-17); the idol, it is implied, was no better, and could, and ought, to have been reduced

Isaiah 56:3 — 3. God welcomes all believers, without distinction of persons, under the new economy (Acts 10:34; Acts 10:35). joined . . . to . . . Lord— (Numbers 18:4; Numbers 18:7). "Proselytes." separated—Proselytes from the Gentiles were not admitted to the same privileges as native Israelites. This barrier between Jews and Gentiles was to be broken down

Isaiah 66:1 — expressed, as a precautionary proviso for the majesty of God in deigning to own any earthly temple as His, as if He could be circumscribed by space (1 Kings 8:27) in inaugurating the temple of stone; next, as to the temple of the Holy Ghost (Acts 7:48; Acts 7:49); lastly here, as to "the tabernacle of God with men" (Isaiah 2:2; Isaiah 2:3; Ezekiel 43:4; Ezekiel 43:7; Revelation 21:3). where—rather, "what is this house that ye are building, &c.—what place is this for My rest?" [VITRINGA].

Jeremiah 14:18 — 18. go about—that is, shall have to migrate into a land of exile. HORSLEY translates, "go trafficking about the land (see :-, Margin; 2 Corinthians 4:2; 2 Peter 2:3), and take no knowledge" (that is, pay no regard to the miseries before their eyes) (Isaiah 1:3; Isaiah 58:3). If the literal sense of the Hebrew verb be retained, I would with English Version understand the words as referring to the

Jeremiah 23:7 — 7, 8. Repeated from Jeremiah 16:14; Jeremiah 16:15. The prophet said the same things often, in order that his sayings might make the more impression. The same promise as in Jeremiah 23:3; Jeremiah 23:4. The wide dispersion of the Jews at the Babylonish captivity prefigures their present

Jeremiah 30:6 — books, you can, you will not find an instance. Yet in that coming day men will be seen with their hands pressed on their loins, as women do to repress their pangs. God will drive men through pain to gestures more fitting a woman than a man (Jeremiah 4:31; Jeremiah 6:24). The metaphor is often used to express the previous pain followed by the sudden deliverance of Israel, as in the case of a woman in childbirth (Jeremiah 6:24- :). paleness—properly the color of herbs blasted and fading: the green