Bible Commentaries

2 Kings 5:3 — And she said unto her mistress, Would God my lord [were] with the prophet that [is] in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy. For he would recover him of his leprosy. — Few in Israel believed thus much. Luke 4:27 This poor girl was confident that the prophet, famous in her country for so many miracles, both could and would cure her master, if duly sought unto; and her words found credit, to the great honour of the true God.

1 Chronicles 6:22 — The sons of Kohath; Amminadab his son, Korah his son, Assir his son, Korah his son. — This was that sinner against his own soul, Numbers 16:1 whom the earth swallowed up quick. Howbeit his children came to good, many of them, as Elkanah, Samuel, the sons of Korah, in David’s days. Dathan and Abiram, his fellow sinners, are stigmatised for their stubbornness, Numbers 26:9 as before them was Cain, Genesis 4:15 and after them Ahaz. 2 Chronicles 28:22

2 Chronicles 34:7 — And when he had broken down the altars and the groves, and had beaten the graven images into powder, and cut down all the idols throughout all the land of Israel, he returned to Jerusalem. And when he had broken. — See 2 Chronicles 34:4 . And cut down all the images. — Which have their name from burning or raging heat; because idolaters, quasi aestu perciti, followed their idols with much heat of desire, through any danger. Some render it the sun images.

Ezra 6:7 — Let the work of this house of God alone; let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews build this house of God in his place. Let the work of this house of God alone — Meddle not, make no disturbance; this was doubtless a hard task to them, for their spirits were irked, as Moab, Numbers 22:3 , and their fingers even itched at these builders. They sleep not, except they may do mischief, Proverbs 4:16 .

Psalms 101:4 — froward heart shall depart from me: I will not know a wicked [person]. A froward heart shall depart from me — i.e. Say some, I will endeavour to put off the old man with the lusts thereof, Ephesians 4:22 , the old crooked frame shall be dissolved, and a better erected. I will not know evil, that is, regard, or allow it, Psalms 1:6 . Others understand the text of rotten hearted and wicked counsellors, whom David would abhor and abandon.

Psalms 119:113 — SAMECH. I hate [vain] thoughts: but thy law do I love. I hate vain thoughts — Which, though they may swarm in my head, shall never lodge in my heart, Jeremiah 4:14 , for there I have entertained a better guest. Thy law do I love — All hatred proceedeth from love, and is προς το μενος , against the whole kind, as Aristotle speaketh. True love

Psalms 147:3 — He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds. He healeth the broken in heart — Pouring the oil of his grace into none but those broken vessels. And bindeth up their wounds — As a good shepherd, Zechariah 11:4 , that good Samaritan, Luke 10:34 , and as a good surgeon dealeth by his patient. But let no man ever think that God will lap up his sores before they be searched, or scarf his bones before they be set.

Psalms 21:7 — For the king trusteth in the LORD, and through the mercy of the most High he shall not be moved. 7. For the king trusteth in the Lord — So then his joy was the joy of faith, which is unspeakable and full of glory; and he must needs be safe who relieth upon God, Isaiah 26:4 . He shall not be moved — sc. From the prosperous success of his affairs and state; the beauty and bulwark whereof is God’s never failing mercy.

Psalms 31:2 — Bow down thine ear to me; deliver me speedily: be thou my strong rock, for an house of defence to save me. Bow down thine ear to me, deliver me — This repetition of his petition is no vain babbling, as Matthew 6:9 , but an effect and an evidence of greatest earnestness, as Matthew 26:44 . For an house of defence — Where the enemy can as little hurt me as when I was in the hold, 1 Samuel 22:4 .

Psalms 37:15 — Their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bows shall be broken. Their sword shall enter into their own heart — As did Saul’s, and his armourbearer’s, 1 Samuel 31:4-5 see Psalms 7:1 . And their bows shall be broken — Neither their bows only, but their arms also, Psalms 37:17 . They shall utterly be disarmed and disabled when once God takes them to do; which is commonly when they are at the strongest and most confident.

Isaiah 28:25 — When he hath made plain the face thereof, doth he not cast abroad the fitches, and scatter the cummin, and cast in the principal wheat and the appointed barley and the rie in their place? When he hath made plain. — Laid it level and equal. Doth he not cast in the fitches? — See on Isaiah 28:24 . The appointed barley. — Hordeum signatum. Whatsoever is sealed with a seal is excellent in its own kind; so are all God’s sealed ones. Ephesians 4:30

Isaiah 3:26 — And her gates shall lament and mourn; and she [being] desolate shall sit upon the ground. And her gates shall lament. — Because unfrequented. Lamentations 1:4 And the king desolate. — Swept and wiped of all; not, as once, with her turrified head πυργουν κεφαλην . - Nazian. and stretched forth neck. Sitteth upon the ground.

Isaiah 51:8 — For the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them like wool: but my righteousness shall be for ever, and my salvation from generation to generation. For the moth shall eat them up. — They shall be crushed before the moth, Job 4:19 that is, easily be destroyed, and their own consciences shall grub upon them too throughout all eternity. But my righteousness shall be for ever. — Bear therefore bravely all contumelies and contempts of men.

Jeremiah 1:15 — For, lo, I will call all the families of the kingdoms of the north, saith the LORD; and they shall come, and they shall set every one his throne at the entering of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all the walls thereof round about, and against all the cities of Judah. And set every one his throne. — Judging such as in those very gates had unjustly judged others. See this performed, 2 Kings 24:4 ; 2 Kings 25:6 Jeremiah 52:9

Jeremiah 17:15 — Behold, they say unto me, Where [is] the word of the LORD? let it come now. Behold, they say unto me. — Heb., They are saying unto me; it is their daily dicterium, or jeer. Where is the word of the Lord? — Whereby thou so oft threatenest us with desolation. Ubi est? It is where? i.e., Nusquam est. It is nowhere. - Piscat Thus profane persons flear, when they should fear. See 2 Peter 3:4 Isaiah 5:19 Amos 5:18 .

Jeremiah 20:13 — Sing unto the LORD, praise ye the LORD: for he hath delivered the soul of the poor from the hand of evildoers. Sing unto the Lord, praise ye the Lord. — Nota hic alternantis animi motus aestusque. Here the Spirit triumpheth over the flesh; as in the next verses, the flesh again gets the wind and hill of the Spirit. Every good man is a divided man. For he hath delivered the soul of the poor, — i.e., Of poor me. as Psalms 34:4

Jeremiah 21:6 — And I will smite the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast: they shall die of a great pestilence. They shall die of a great pestilence. — See Jeremiah 16:4 ; Jeremiah 18:21 . Hippocrates calleth the pestilence το θειον , the divine disease; because there is much of God’s hand in it, like as there was here in the sweating sickness, wherewith the English only

Jeremiah 49:16 — Thy terribleness hath deceived thee, [and] the pride of thine heart, O thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, that holdest the height of the hill: though thou shouldest make thy nest as high as the eagle, I will bring thee down from thence, saith the LORD. Thy terribleness, — i.e., Thine insolence and cruelty wherewith thou frighten folk. Or thine idol, that terrible business, so called in contempt. Though thou shouldest make thy nest. — See Obadiah 1:4 .

Matthew 12:12 — How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days. It is lawful to do well — Nay, it is needful, since not to do well is to do ill, and not to save a life, or a soul, is to destroy it, Mark 3:4 . Not to do justice is injustice, and not to show mercy is no better than cruelty, non faciendo nocens, sed patiendo fuit. Aul. de Claud.

Matthew 26:32 — But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee. But after I am risen again, … — Infirmities bewailed, break no square. Peccata nobis non nocent, si non placent (Aug.): our sins hurt us not, if they please us not. The Church stands as right with Christ when penitent, as while innocent,Song of Solomon 7:12; Song of Solomon 7:12 ; cf. Matthew 4:1-2 , … Her hair, teeth, temples, all as fair and well featured as ever.