Bible Commentaries

2 Chronicles 16:7 — to Asa king of Judah, and said unto him, Because thou hast relied on the king of Syria, and not relied on the LORD thy God, therefore is the host of the king of Syria escaped out of thine hand. At that time Hanani. — Father to Jehu the prophet. 1 Kings 16:1 And not relied on the Lord. — He trusteth not God at all, who trusteth him not over all. Therefore is the host of the king of Syria escaped. — Thou hast lost the glory and booty, that I would have given thee, if Benhadad had come

Ezra 3:5 — exercise to another, and were indefatigable in the Lord’s work. David, finding such a heat and height in his people, prays God to "keep it ever in the imagination of the thoughts of their hearts," which he knew well to be fickle and false, 1 Chronicles 29:18 . Both of the new moons — Kept in thankfulness to God for their time renewed upon them, from month to month, and his mercies every morning and moment. And of all the set feasts of the Lord that were consecrated — By a holy

Ezra 7:13 — make a decree, that all they of the people of Israel, and [of] his priests and Levites, in my realm, which are minded of their own freewill to go up to Jerusalem, go with thee. And of his priests — sc. The God of heaven’s priests, Ezra 7:12 , and therefore honoured and respected by this great monarch; so was Samuel by Saul, Jaddus by Alexander the Great; the Bards (anciently) here in Albion by the greatest commanders. Which are minded of their own freewill — He would compel none;

Job 2:1 — next first, day of the year (which is God’s day of general audit, as the Rabbis will have it), we have not to say. God, as he hath in his eternal counsel fore appointed everything that is done; so he hath set the times wherein, Ecclesiastes 3:1 , such as the creature can neither alter nor order. This is a comfortable consideration. When the sons of God, … — See Job 1:6 . And Satan came also among them — Whether summoned to give an account, or of his own accord to sue out

Job 21:9 — the rod of God upon them. Their houses are safe from fear — Seculi laetitia est impunita nequitia. No domestic discords, no foreign disturbances, but peaceable possession and enjoyment of what they have; as much welfare as David wished to Nabal, 1 Samuel 25:5: Thus shall ye say to him that lives (that is, that lives prosperously, for that is the only life), Peace be to thee, and to thine house, and to all that thou hast. Neither is the rod of God upon them — So that they seem to themselves

Psalms 119:116 — suavities spiritual I taste not any. And let me not be ashamed of my hope — Let me not be defeated, disappointed, frustrated. This David knew he should not be (for spes in terrenis incerti nomen boni; spes in divinis nomen est certissimi, Hebrews 11:1 Romans 5:5 ), but yet thinks fit to seek it by prayer; as Elijah foretold abundance of rain, but yet went up to the top of Carmel and prayed for it, 1 Kings 18:41-42 .

Psalms 38:2 — For thine arrows stick fast in me, and thy hand presseth me sore. For thine arrows stick fast in me — i.e. Sicknesses of body and troubles of mind, Job 6:4 Psalms 18:14 . The Jewish doctors say, that he had a leprosy for six months; and that the Divine presence was taken away from him; so that he complained not without uause (R. Obadiah). But these were sagittae salutis, saith Chrysostom; arrows of salvation, love

Psalms 42:8 — do it at any time. And in the night his song shall be with me — When others that are without God in the world have restless nights, the gnats of cares and griefs molesting them, a saint can sing away care, and call his soul to rest, as Psalms 116:7 , being filled with peace and joy through believing; such as setteth him a singing to God’s glory. And my prayer unto the God of my life — i.e. My praises, which are a chief part of prayer, 1 Timothy 6:1 . Thanksgiving is an artificial

Psalms 48:8 — As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the LORD of hosts, in the city of our God: God will establish it for ever. Selah. As we have heard — viz. By the relation of our forefathers, Psalms 44:1 , or rather by the promises contained in the Holy Scriptures, which now we see verified and exemplified in our signal deliverances. Jerusalem’s constant protection then is here assevered and assured, per comparationem promissionis et experientim

Psalms 53:1 — Psalm] of David. » The fool hath said in his heart, [There is] no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: [there is] none that doeth good. Maschil, a Psalm of David — Purposely set down here the second time see Psalms 6:1 to instruct what every man is by nature, and that he who is scholar to his own carnal reason is sure to have a fool to his master. The heathens are very obstinate in propugning man’s nature, witness Cicero, and both the Senecas, saying, that if

Psalms 55:9 — violence and strife in the city. Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongues — Heb. Swallow them up, O Lord, and divide their tongues; by an allusion, as some conceive, to those two famous judgments of God upon Dathan and Abiram, first, Numbers 16:31-33 , and then, secondly, upon the Babel builders, Genesis 11:6-9 , both which were thrown out for examples to all succeeding ages (as St Jude saith of the Sodomites, Judges 1:7 ), and are to be considered by the saints, as here, in their prayers

Psalms 78:38 — many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath. But he, being full of compassion — Not standing upon terms nor taking advantages; a sin pardoning God, whose mercy rejoiceth against (or glorieth over) judgment, James 2:13 ; it is of his mercy that we are not consumed, Lamentations 3:22 , if he should deal with us in strict justice, Et delicta nostra ad calculos vocare, there were no abiding by it, Psal. cxxx. 1; clxiii 1. Yea, many a time turned he his anger away —

Psalms 96:2 — Sing unto the LORD, bless his name; shew forth his salvation from day to day. Sing unto the Lord, … — David was at this time full of affection and exultation of spirit (insomuch as Michal mocked him for it, 1 Chronicles 15:29 ), and thence this heap of holy expressions to the same purpose. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. Show forth his salvation — Evangelize, preach the gospel of salvation by Christ. See Psalms 40:10 2 Samuel

Proverbs 1:20 — — Heb., Wisdoms: that is, the most absolute and sovereign wisdom, the Lord Jesus, "in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge," Colossians 2:3 who also "is made unto us of God wisdom, righteousness," … 1 Corinthians 1:30 Crieth without. — The Hebrew word signifies often to shout for joy. Psalms 81:2 Leviticus 9:24 Christ surely cried sweetly, "the roof of his mouth was like the best wine that goeth down sweetly"; Song of Solomon 7:9

Proverbs 30:23 — For an odious [woman] when she is married; and an handmaid that is heir to her mistress. For an odious woman when she is married. — Such a one was Peninnah, who vexed good Hannah, "to make her to thunder," as the original hath it. 1 Samuel 1:6 . Such was Jezebel, Herodias, Messalina, wife to the Emperor Claudias, who was her agent to effect her sinful purposes, and her patient to sustain her lewd conditions. She compelled also other Roman ladies to be as lewd as herself, and those

Ecclesiastes 1:12 — success; for he had the ill hap to write nothing well, saith one, Peacham. save the life of Henry VII, wherein he had reason to take a little more pains than ordinary, the book being dedicated to Henry VIII, his son. See Trapp on " Ecclesiastes 1:1 "

Isaiah 22:12 — that his justice may be magnified, and every foul mouth stopped. To weeping and mourning. — The walls of Zion cannot but stand firm if well tempered with the tears of true penitents. And to baldness. — Forbidden in other cases, Leviticus 19:27-28 ; Leviticus 21:5 Deuteronomy 14:1 Micah 1:16 called for in the practice of holy repentance, which hath nothing to do with despair. See Ezra 9:3 .

Isaiah 29:18 — The deaf and blind Gentiles being by the preaching of the gospel drawn out of darkness into God’s marvellous light, shall see and hear that which eye never saw nor ear heard, neither hath entered into the heart of any natural man to conceive. 1 Corinthians 2:9 They shall first be enlightened; secondly, to be cheered. Isaiah 29:19 Acts 13:48 Romans 14:17 The words of the book. — The Holy Scriptures, that book which the proud would not read, the ignorant could not. Isaiah 29:11-12 Shall

Isaiah 32:17 — dunghill knoweth not the worth of this jewel; it is the new name that none knoweth but he who hath it. Oh this blessed "quietness and assurance for ever," this "boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him," Ephesians 3:12 having a full certainty, Luke 1:4 yea, a confident glorying and boasting, Romans 5:3 so as to stand upon interrogatories, 1 Peter 3:21 such as are those, Romans 8:35-37 and to have God to make answer. as Isaiah 43:25

Isaiah 42:18 — moles will not see, by a petulant blindness, and of obstinate malice; such were the scribes and Pharisees, who winked hard with their eyes, and wilfully shut the windows, lest the light should come in unto them. See more of this in the notes on Isaiah 6:1-13 Isaiah 29:1-24 . That ye may see. — In nature, Caecorum mens occulatissima est. We read of Didymus Alexandrinus, that though blind, yet he wrote commentaries; and of two of Archbishop Ussher’s aunts, that being blind from their cradles,