Bible Commentaries

1 Kings 2:5 — 5, 6. thou knowest also what Joab . . . did—The insolent and imperious conduct of that general had not only been deeply offensive to the feelings (2 Samuel 18:5-15; 2 Samuel 19:5-7), but calculated to bring reproach on the character, to injure the prospects,

Job 21:9 — 9. Literally, "peace from fear"; with poetic force. Their house is peace itself, far removed from fear. Opposed to the friends' assertion, as to the bad (Job 15:21-24; Job 20:26-28), and conversely, the good (Job 5:23; Job 5:24).

Ecclesiastes 5:1 — who, convinced of the vanity of the creature, wish to worship the Creator. Keep thy foot—In going to worship, go with considerate, circumspect, reverent feeling. The allusion is to the taking off the shoes, or sandals, in entering a temple (Exodus 3:5; Joshua 5:15, which passages perhaps gave rise to the custom). WEISS needlessly reads, "Keep thy feast days" (Exodus 23:14; Exodus 23:17; the three great feasts). hear—rather, "To be ready (to draw nigh with the desire) to hear (obey) is a better sacrifice

Ecclesiastes 7:19 — 19. Hebrew, "The wisdom," that is, the true wisdom, religion ( :-). than ten mighty—that is, able and valiant generals (Ecclesiastes 7:12; Ecclesiastes 9:13-18; Proverbs 21:22; Proverbs 24:5). These "watchmen wake in vain, except the Lord keep the city" (Proverbs 24:5- :).

Isaiah 1:21 — 21. faithful—as a wife (Isaiah 54:5; Isaiah 62:5; Hosea 2:19; Hosea 2:20). harlot— (Hosea 2:20- :). righteousness lodged— (2 Peter 3:13). murderers—murderous oppressors, as the antithesis requires (see on 2 Peter 3:13- :; 2 Peter 3:13- :).

Isaiah 38:5 — 5. God of David thy father—God remembers the covenant with the father to the children (Exodus 20:5; Psalms 89:28; Psalms 89:29). tears— (Psalms 89:29- :). days . . . years—Man's years, however many, are but as so many days (Psalms 89:29- :).

Isaiah 42:8 — 8. God turns from addressing Messiah to the people. Lord—JEHOVAH: God's distinguishing and incommunicable name, indicating essential being and immutable faithfulness (compare Exodus 6:3; Psalms 83:18; Psalms 96:5; Hosea 12:5). my—that is due to Me, and to Me alone.

Isaiah 53:11 — 11. Jehovah is still speaking. see of the travail—He shall see such blessed fruits resulting from His sufferings as amply to repay Him for them (Isaiah 49:4; Isaiah 49:5; Isaiah 50:5; Isaiah 50:9). The "satisfaction," in seeing the full fruit of His travail of soul in the conversion of Israel and the world, is to be realized in the last days (Isaiah 50:9- :). his knowledge—rather, the knowledge (experimentally) of

Isaiah 56:7 — :-). to my holy mountain—Jerusalem, the seat of the Lord's throne in His coming kingdom (Isaiah 2:2; Jeremiah 3:17). joyful— (Jeremiah 3:17- :). burnt offerings . . . sacrifices—spiritual, of which the literal were types (Romans 12:1; Hebrews 13:15; 1 Peter 2:5). accepted— (1 Peter 2:5- :). altar— (1 Peter 2:5- :), spiritually, the Cross of Christ, which sanctifies our sacrifices of prayer and praise. house . . . for all people—or rather, "peoples." No longer restricted to one favored people

Isaiah 66:19 — 19. sign—a banner on a high place, to indicate the place of meeting for the dispersed Jewish exiles, preparatory to their return to their land (Isaiah 5:26; Isaiah 11:12; Isaiah 62:10). those that escape of them—the Gentile survivors spared by God (see on Isaiah 62:10- :; Zechariah 14:16). Isaiah 2:2; Isaiah 2:3; Micah 5:7; Zechariah 14:16-19 represent it, not that the Jews go as missionaries to the

Ezekiel 11:20 — 20. walk in my statutes—Regeneration shows itself by its fruits (Galatians 5:22; Galatians 5:25). they . . . my people, . . . I . . . their God— (Ezekiel 14:11; Ezekiel 36:28; Ezekiel 37:27; Jeremiah 24:7). In its fullest sense still future (Zechariah 13:9).

Ezekiel 12:22 — 22. proverb—The infidel scoff, that the threatened judgment was so long in coming, it would not come at all, had by frequent repetition come to be a "proverb" with them. This skeptical habit contemporary prophets testify to (Jeremiah 17:15; Jeremiah 20:7; Zephaniah 1:12). Ezekiel, at the Chebar, thus sympathizes with Jeremiah and strengthens his testimony at Jerusalem. The tendency to the same scoff showed itself in earlier times, but had not then developed into a settled "proverb" (Isaiah

Ezekiel 13:5 — 5. not gone up into . . . gaps—metaphor from breaches made in a wall, to which the defenders ought to betake themselves in order to repel the entrance of the foe. The breach is that made in the theocracy through the nation's sin; and, unless it be made

Ezekiel 25:16 — cherethim, "I will slay the slayers." The name may have been given to a section of the Philistines from their warlike disposition (1 Samuel 30:14; 1 Samuel 31:3). They excelled in archery, whence David enrolled a bodyguard from them (2 Samuel 8:18; 2 Samuel 15:18; 2 Samuel 20:7). They sprang from Caphtor, identified by many with Crete, which was famed for archery, and to which the name Cherethim seems akin. Though in emigration, which mostly tended westwards, Crete seems more likely to be colonized from Philistia

Numbers 28:11 — 11-15. And in the beginnings of your months ye shall offer a burnt offering unto the Lord—These were held as sacred festivals; and though not possessing the character of solemn feasts, they were distinguished by the blowing of trumpets over the sacrifices

Romans 14:7 — 7, 8. For none of us—Christians liveth to himself—(See 2 Corinthians 5:14; 2 Corinthians 5:15), to dispose of himself or shape his conduct after his own ideas and inclinations. and no man—"and none" of us Christians "dieth to himself."

1 Corinthians 4:13 — 13. defamed, we entreat—namely, God for our defamers, as Christ enjoined (Matthew 5:10; Matthew 5:44) [GROTIUS]. We reply gently [ESTIUS]. filth—"the refuse" [CONYBEARE and HOWSON], the sweepings or rubbish thrown out after a cleaning. of all things—not of the "World" only.

2 Corinthians 5:2 — body's weaknesses now and liability to death. earnestly desiring to be clothed upon—translate, "earnestly longing to have ourselves clothed upon," c., namely, by being found alive at Christ's coming, and so to escape dissolution by death (2 Corinthians 5:1 2 Corinthians 5:4), and to have our heavenly body put on over the earthly. The groans of the saints prove the existence of the longing desire for the heavenly glory, a desire which cannot be planted by God within us in vain, as doomed to disappointment.

Galatians 5:20 — 20. witchcraft—sorcery; prevalent in Asia (Acts 19:19; compare Galatians 5:21). hatred—Greek, "hatreds." variance—Greek, "strife"; singular in the oldest manuscripts. emulations—in the oldest manuscripts, singular—"emulation," or rather, "jealousy"; for the sake of one's own advantage. "Envyings" (Galatians 5:21) are

Philippians 2:21 — 1:14; Philippians 1:17; Philippians 4:21: such Demas, then with him, proved to be, Philippians 4:21- :; compare 2 Timothy 4:10; Philemon 1:24). seek their own—opposed to Paul's precept (Philippians 2:4; 1 Corinthians 10:24; 1 Corinthians 10:33; 1 Corinthians 13:5). This is spoken, by comparison with Timothy; for Philippians 1:16; Philippians 1:17 implies that some of those with Paul at Rome were genuine Christians, though not so self-sacrificing as Timothy. Few come to the help of the Lord's cause, where ease,