Bible Commentaries

Job 19:20 — away from the bone, instead of firmly covering it. skin of my teeth—proverbial. I have escaped with bare life; I am whole only with the skin of my teeth; that is, my gums alone are whole, the rest of the skin of my body is broken with sores (Job 7:5; Psalms 102:5). Satan left Job his speech, in hope that he might therewith curse God.

Job 31:38 — 38. Personification. The complaints of the unjustly ousted proprietors are transferred to the lands themselves (Job 31:20; Genesis 4:10; Habakkuk 2:11). If I have unjustly acquired lands (Job 24:2; Isaiah 5:8). furrows—The specification of these makes it likely, he implies in this, "If I paid not the laborer for tillage"; as Isaiah 5:8- :, "If I paid him not for gathering in the fruits." Thus of the four clauses in Job 31:38; Job 31:39, the first refers

Leviticus 25:32 — houses, the law conferred on them the same privileges that were granted to the lands of the other Israelites. A certain portion of the lands surrounding the Levitical cities was appropriated to them for the pasturage of their cattle and flocks (Numbers 35:4 Numbers 35:5). This was a permanent endowment for the support of the ministry and could not be alienated for any time. The Levites, however, were at liberty to make exchanges among themselves; and a priest might sell his house, garden, and right of

Leviticus 5:1 — words of an oath: "the voice of swearing." The offense, then, for the expiation of which this law provides, was that of a person who neglected or avoided the opportunity of lodging the information which it was in his power to communicate. Leviticus 5:2; Leviticus 5:3. TOUCHING ANY THING UNCLEAN.

Ecclesiastes 7:7 — 7. oppression—recurring to the idea (Ecclesiastes 3:16; Ecclesiastes 5:8). Its connection with Ecclesiastes 7:4-6 is, the sight of "oppression" perpetrated by "fools" might tempt the "wise" to call in question God's dispensations, and imitate the folly (equivalent to "madness") described (Ecclesiastes 7:5; Ecclesiastes

Isaiah 33:17 — 17. Thine—the saints'. king in . . . beauty—not as now, Hezekiah in sackcloth, oppressed by the enemy, but King Messiah (Isaiah 32:1) "in His beauty" (Song of Solomon 5:10; Song of Solomon 5:16; Revelation 4:3). land . . . very far off—rather, "the land in its remotest extent" (no longer pent up as Hezekiah was with the siege); see Margin. For Jerusalem is made the scene of the king's glory (Revelation 4:3- :, c.),

Isaiah 37:26 — 26. Reply of God to Sennacherib. long ago—join, rather, with "I have done it." Thou dost boast that it is all by thy counsel and might: but it is I who, long ago, have ordered it so (Isaiah 22:11); thou wert but the instrument in My hands (Isaiah 10:5; Isaiah 10:15). This was the reason why "the inhabitants were of small power before thee" (Isaiah 10:15- :), namely, that I ordered it so; yet thou art in My hands, and I know thy ways (Isaiah 37:28), and I will check thee (Isaiah 37:29). Connect also,

Isaiah 55:3 — 3. me . . . live—by coming to me ye shall live: for "I am the life" (John 14:6). everlasting covenant— (Jeremiah 32:40; 2 Samuel 23:5). with you . . . David—God's covenant is with the antitypical David, Messiah (2 Samuel 23:5- :), and so with us by our identification with Him. sure—answering to "everlasting," irrevocable, unfailing, to be relied on (Psalms 89:2-4; Psalms 89:28; Psalms

Isaiah 55:5 — 5. thou—Jehovah addresses Messiah. call . . . run—God must call, before man can, or will, run (Song of Solomon 1:4; John 6:44). Not merely come, but run eagerly. thou knowest not—now as thy people (so in Matthew 7:23). nation . . . nations—gradation;

Isaiah 60:1 — 1. Arise—from the dust in which thou hast been sitting as a mourning female captive (Isaiah 3:26; Isaiah 52:1; Isaiah 52:2). shine—or, "be enlightened; for thy light cometh"; impart to others the spiritual light now given thee (Isaiah 52:2- :). The Margin and GESENIUS translate, "Be enlightened"; be resplendent with posterity; imperative for the future

Isaiah 66:7 — 7. she—Zion. Before . . . travailed . . . brought forth—The accession of numbers, and of prosperity to her, shall be sudden beyond all expectation and unattended with painful effort (Isaiah 54:1; Isaiah 54:4; Isaiah 54:5). Contrast with this case of the future Jewish Church the travail-pains of the Christian Church in bringing forth "a man child" (Revelation 12:2; Revelation 12:5). A man child's birth is in the East a matter of special joy,

Ezekiel 16:43 — (Ezekiel 16:22; Psalms 78:42). In gratitude for God's favors to her in her early history. fretted me— (Isaiah 63:10; Ephesians 4:30). thou shalt not commit this lewdness above all thine abominations—that is, this the wickedness (compare Zechariah 5:8), peculiarly hateful to God, namely, spiritual unchastity or idolatry, over and "above" (that is, besides) all thine other abominations. I will put it out of thy power to commit it by cutting thee off. FAIRBAIRN translates, "I will not do what is

Ezekiel 16:49 — strengthen . . . the poor—Pride is always cruel; it arrogates to itself all things, and despises brethren, for whose needs it therefore has no feeling; as Moab had not for the outcast Jews (Isaiah 16:3; Isaiah 16:4; Jeremiah 48:27; Luke 16:19-21; James 5:1-5).

Hosea 12:5 — 5. Lord God—JEHOVAH, a name implying His immutable constancy to His promises. From the Hebrew root, meaning "existence." "He that is, was, and is to be," always the same (Hebrews 13:8; Revelation 1:4; Revelation 1:8; compare Exodus 3:14; Exodus 3:15; Exodus

Hosea 6:4 — 4. what shall I do unto thee—to bring thee back to piety. What more could be done that I have not done, both in mercies and chastenings ( :-)? At this verse a new discourse begins, resuming the threats (Hosea 5:14). See Hosea 5:14- : on this chapter. goodness—godliness. morning cloud—soon dispersed by the sun (Hosea 13:3). There is a tacit contrast here to the promise of God's grace to Israel hereafter, in Hosea 6:3. His going forth is "as the morning,"

Deuteronomy 11:14 — early rain was necessary, after a hot and protracted summer, to prepare the soil for receiving the seed; and the latter rain, which shortly preceded the harvest, was of the greatest use in invigorating the languishing powers of vegetation (Jeremiah 5:24; Joel 2:23; Amos 4:7; James 5:7).

Mark 6:56 — 56. and besought him that they might touch if it were but the border of his garment—having heard, no doubt, of what the woman with the issue of blood experienced on doing so (Mark 5:25-29), and perhaps of other unrecorded cases of the same nature. and

Romans 8:6 — carnally minded—literally, "the mind" or "minding of the flesh" (Margin); that is, the pursuit of fleshly ends. is death—not only "ends in" [ALFORD, c.], but even now "is" carrying death into its bosom, so that such are "dead while they live" (1 Timothy 5:6; Ephesians 2:1; Ephesians 2:5) [PHILIPPI]. but to be spiritually minded—"the mind" or "minding of the spirit"; that is, the pursuit of spiritual objects. is life and peace—not "life" only, in contrast with the "death" that is in the other pursuit,

2 Corinthians 11:23 — Version, less accurately, "more frequent"). :- records one case of his imprisonment with stripes. CLEMENT OF ROME [First Epistle to the Corinthians] describes him as having suffered bonds seven times. in death oft— (2 Corinthians 4:10; Acts 9:23; Acts 13:50; Acts 14:5; Acts 14:6; Acts 14:19; Acts 17:5; Acts 17:13).

2 Corinthians 6:16 — 16. agreement—accordance of sentiments (compare 1 Kings 18:21; Ephesians 5:7; Ephesians 5:11). the temple of God—that is, you believers (1 Corinthians 3:16; 1 Corinthians 6:19). with idols—Compare Dagon before the ark (1 Corinthians 6:19- :). as—"even as God said." Quotation from Leviticus 26:12; Jeremiah 31:33; Jeremiah