Bible Commentaries

Psalms 103:21 — — That is, all his creatures, which are fitly called God’s hosts, first, for their number; secondly, for their order; thirdly, for their obedience. Ye ministers of his — Whether in State or Church. Kings are God’s ministers, Romans 13:4 ; Romans 13:6 . So are angels, Hebrews 1:14 , like as ministers are angels, Revelation 2:1 ; they have exchanged names, their office is, angel-like, to wait upon God, to stand before him, to serve in his presence, and to bless his name.

Psalms 132:11 — The LORD hath sworn [in] truth unto David; he will not turn from it; Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne. The Lord hath sworn in truth — The eternity of Israel cannot lie, 1 Samuel 15:29 , yet tendering our infirmity, he sweareth and sealeth to us. Of the fruit of thy body — David was excellent at making the utmost of a promise, at pressing and oppressing it, till he had expressed the sweetness out of it, Isaiah 66:11

Psalms 142:1 — « Maschil of David; A Prayer when he was in the cave. » I cried unto the LORD with my voice; with my voice unto the LORD did I make my supplication. When he was in the cave — sc. Of Engedi, 1 Samuel 24:1 Loquitur in spelunca, sed prophetat in Christo, saith Hilary. I cried unto the Lord with my voice — sc. Of my heart, and more with my mind than mouth; for if he had been heard, he had been taken up by the enemy. Thus Moses cried, but

Psalms 97:9 — For thou, LORD, [art] high above all the earth: thou art exalted far above all gods. For thou, Lord, art high above all the earth — Declared now to be so with power, as Romans 1:4 , and the world convinced of singular sottishness in fancying other divinities. Thou art exalted above all gods — "Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but

Proverbs 10:16 — wicked to sin. The labour of the righteous, … — If the righteous man may but sweat out a poor living, get enough to bear his charges home to heaven, have enough to serve his turn here, be it but "food and raiment, he is content." 1 Timothy 6:8 Cibus et potus sunt divitiae Christianorum. The true Christian desires but meat and drink. The fruit of the wicked. — Or, The revenues of the wicked are wasted upon their lusts, which to seek to satisfy is an endless labour, besides

Proverbs 21:12 — wickedness. The righteous man wisely considereth, … — He foreseeth its fearful fall, and is not offended at their present prosperity; for God, he knows, will shortly overturn it. This consideration cures him of the fret, as it did David Psalms 37:1-2 It doth also instruct him in many points of heavenly wisdom, as it did the Church. Isaiah 26:11 1 Corinthians 10:11 The destruction of others should be an instruction to us, that we may wash our feet in the blood of the wicked. Psalms 52:6

Proverbs 23:15 — correction I may make thee wise or well spoken, Bonum virum, dicendi peritum - as Quintilian’s orator - totus laetitia dissiliam, I shall be a joyful man indeed. St John had no greater joy than to hear that his children walked in the truth. 3 John 1:4 And St Paul could never be thankful enough for such a mercy. 1 Thessalonians 3:9 Even mine. — Or, Even as I - viz., was a comfort to my parents.

Isaiah 33:3 — shall give them their passport. This their confidence was the fruit of prayer. At the lifting up of thyself. — If God do but "arise" only, "his enemies shall be scattered; and all that hate him shall flee before him." Psalms 68:1 See Trapp on " Psalms 68:1 "

Isaiah 41:20 — man, behold with thine eye, and hear with thine ears, and set thine heart upon all that I shall show thee," …, Ezekiel 40:4 and Haggai calleth upon the good people of his time to "consider" and better "consider." Haggai 1:5 ; Haggai 1:7

Isaiah 45:6 — That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that [there is] none beside me. I [am] the LORD, and [there is] none else. That they may know from the rising of the sun, — i.e., All the world over, by thy proclamation. Ezra 1:1-2 That there is none besides me. — Quia nihilum praeter me: ego Dominus et nihil ultra, so Oecolampadius rendereth it, and saith further that it is oppido profanda sententia, a very profound sentence, teaching us that where God is not, there

Isaiah 65:2 — I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way [that was] not good, after their own thoughts; I have spread out my hands. — As preachers use to do, Proverbs 1:24 Acts 26:1 or as those that invite and beckon others to themselves with the hand. See Matthew 11:28 . Unto a rebellious people. — Whose destruction therefore is of themselves, since they will not be ruled, reclaimed. After their own thoughts.

Jeremiah 10:7 — as among all the wise [men] of the nations, and in all their kingdoms, [there is] none like unto thee. Who would not fear thee, O King of nations? — Tremble at thy transcendent greatness, thy matchless majesty, power, and prowess? See Malachi 1:14 Revelation 15:4 Psalms 103:19 . See Trapp on " Malachi 1:14 " See Trapp on " Revelation 15:4 " See Trapp on " Psalms 103:19 " Forasmuch as among all the wise men of the nations. — Who used to deify their wise men

Jeremiah 2:30 — smitten your children; they received no correction: your own sword hath devoured your prophets, like a destroying lion. In vain have I smitten your children. — My hammers have but beaten cold iron; ye are incorrigible, irreformable. See Isaiah 1:5 . See Trapp on " Isaiah 1:5 " Your own sword hath devoured your prophets. — As it did in the days of Ahaz, Joash, Manasseh, of whom Josephus Lib. x. cap. 4. saith, that he slew some prophet of God every day. Like a destroying lion.

Jeremiah 33:16 — Heb., This is that he shall call her, Jehovah our righteousness; called the Church shall be by Christ’s own name, which is a very high honour, as being his spouse, and making up one mystical body with him. Hence she is called "Christ," 1 Corinthians 12:12 and "the fulness of him who filleth all in all." Ephesians 1:23 See Jeremiah 23:6 , with Ezekiel 48:35 .

Jeremiah 40:8 — Nethaniah, and Johanan and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth, and the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, and Jezaniah the son of a Maachathite, they and their men. Then they came to Gedaliah to Mizpah. — Where Samuel dwelt, 1 Samuel 7:16-17 not far from Shiloh. Even Ishmael. — Who was of the blood royal Jeremiah 41:1 and envied Gedaliah his so great preferment, whom he looked upon for a transfuga, deserter and a traitor, for revolting to Nebuchadnezzar, which yet he

Jeremiah 50:38 — idols. A drought is upon her waters. — Which Cyrus did so drain by many outlets, that without any great difficulty he took the city, assaulting it on two sides. Frontinius saith, Lib. iii. c. 7. s. 4. that thrice Babylon was taken by this stratagem; (1.) By Semiramis; (2.) By Cyrus; (3.) By Alexander the Great. And they are mad upon their idols. — ειδωλομανεις . Deos terrificos et truces, statues of their kings and worthies,

Ezekiel 2:2 — And the spirit entered into me when he spake unto me, and set me upon my feet, that I heard him that spake unto me. And the Spirit entered into me. — This was right, when word and Spirit went together. See Isaiah 59:21 . See Trapp on " Isaiah 59:21 " And set me upon my feet. — Called me off from earthly cares, and made me hear savingly. In the Scriptures the Holy Ghost speaketh ρητως , 1 Timothy 4:1 "Let him that hath

Ezekiel 8:14 — described by Herodotus, Diodorus Siculus, Plutarch, and Eusebius, as celebrated with very unseemly ceremonies, worse, if it might be, than those of Priapus. But who would ever have looked for such immodest doings among God’s professed people? See 1 Corinthians 5:1 . Weeping for Tammuz, — i.e., For Osiris, king of Egypt, and idolatrously adoring his image, which his wife Isis had advanced.

Amos 2:5 — iniquities; yet, is it not said, as Amos 2:2 , that Judah shall "die with tumult?" … God will make a difference in his dealings with his own and others, his sons and his slaves; these shall totally and finally be consumed at once, Nahum 1:9 , not so the saints. The remnants of the Philistines shall perish, Amos 1:8 . But of Judah a remnant shall be still reserved, for royal use, Isaiah 11:11 ; Isaiah 11:16 .

Matthew 22:36 — Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Which is the great commandment — the Rabbis reckoned up 613 commandments of the law; and distinguished them into the greater and the lesser. These later they thought might be neglected or violated with little or no guilt. The Romish Pharisee have also their venial sins, their peccadillos, as we know, but the