Bible Commentaries

Psalms 101:6 — — i.e. Let them live where they will, I will hearken them out, and find them out. The Rabbis say, that here David repenteth him of taking into his service and tuition those indebted and discontented persons, men of broken fortunes and loose manners, 1 Samuel 22:1-2 , and resolveth to be better advised in the choosing and using of his retinue when he cometh to the kingdom, that his court might be like that of Cyrus, whereof Xenophon saith, that though a man should seek or choose blindfold, he could

Psalms 149:6 — [Let] the high [praises] of God [be] in their mouth, and a twoedged sword in their hand; Let the high praises (or the exaltations) of God be in their mouth — Heb. in their throat. So Isa. lviil. 1, "Cry aloud"; Heb. cry in the throat, set up thy note. - Sic clames, ut Stentora vincas. And a two-edged sword in their hand — Such an invincible power shall the saints have, as whereby they shall subdue all their enemies, corporal and

Proverbs 14:7 — Go from the presence of a foolish man, when thou perceivest not [in him] the lips of knowledge. Go from the presence of a foolish man. — If he be a proud fool, as Proverbs 14:6 , a scorner and derider of good counsel, and one that knows not how to lisp out the least syllable of savoury language, break off society with such as soon as may be; for what good can be gotten by their company or conference? "Do men gather

Proverbs 25:6 — Verulam. And stand not in the place of great men. — Exalt not thyself, but wait till God shall reach out the hand from heaven and raise thee. Psalms 75:5-8 Adonijah is branded for this, that he exalted himself, saying, "I will be king." 1 Kings 1:5 When none else would lift Hildebrand up into Peter’s chair, he got up himself: ‘for who,’ said he, ‘can better judge of my worth than I can?’ ‘Harden thy forehead,’ said Calvus to Vatinius, ‘and

Proverbs 5:9 — of thine age, the comeliness of thy body, the excellency of thy wit, thy possibility of preferment, that good opinion that the better sort had of thee, … How was David slighted by his own children and servants after he had thus sinned! Compare 1 Samuel 2:30 with 2 Samuel 12:10 . Chastity is a man’s honour. Castus; quasi καστος , ornatus, αγνος , ab αγος , venerabills. 1 Thessalonians 4:4 And

Proverbs 9:10 — The fear of the LORD [is] the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy [is] understanding. The fear of the Lord. — See Trapp on " Proverbs 1:7 " Here it is given as a reason why wise men are the better for sharp and seasonable admonition, because the fear of the Lord is in them. This makes them, when they are reproved of all, "fall upon their faces, worship God, and say, God is

Ecclesiastes 4:6 — toil and tire out himself with hard labour to compass commodity - making a drudge and a beast of himself for a little pelf, since he knows not who shall have the spending of it, and he is sure to be either squeezed by his superiors, as Ecclesiastes 4:1 or else envied by his neighbours? as Ecclesiastes 4:4 Is not a little with ease better? a penny by begging better than twopence by true labour? It is well observed by an interpreter, that this sentence uttered by the sluggard, is, in its true meaning,

Isaiah 11:5 — Kings and princes have their scita in scutis, their mottoes on their shields; so hath our king here, viz., "Righteousness and faithfulness"; and this is so manifest as if written on his girdle, The belt is put for a kingly ensign. Calvin. Job 12:18 or belt, see Revelation 19:16 ; where, for like cause, Christ’s high titles are written "on his vesture, and on his thigh." Others by this expression understand Christ’s alacrity and promptitude to vindicate his elect, and

Isaiah 12:4 — redemption, and do therefore call in help, all that may be. Call upon his name. — Which is a special way of praising him, while we make him the object of our prayers, professing our distance from him, our whole dependence upon him, … See 1 Chronicles 16:8 Psalms 105:1 . Declare his doings. — Sept., His glorious things; those many miracles of mercy wrought in our redemption, which is a work much more excellent than that of making all things at first of nothing, keeping heaven still

Isaiah 24:16 — heard songs. — Or, Psalms, aliquid Davidicam. The martyrs sang in the fire. Luther in deep distress called for the 46th Psalm to be sung in contemptum diaboli, in despite of the devil. Even glory to the righteous. — To Jesus the Just One. 1 John 2:2 But I said, My leanness, my leanness. — The prophet’s flesh was wasted and consumed with care and grief Merore ac macie conficior. for his graceless countrymen. See the like in David Psalms 119:158 and Paul. Romans 9:1-2 Woe unto

Isaiah 26:3 — him. Because he trusteth in thee. — So far as a soul can stay on and trust in God, so far it enjoyeth a sweet peace and calm of spirit; perfect trust is blessed with perfect peace. We have a famous instance for this in our blessed Saviour. John 12:27-28 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind; be sober, and hope perfectly for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 1:13

Isaiah 50:7 — again, Isaiah 50:9 , "Behold, the Lord God will help me." This lively hope held head above water "Hope" we also "perfectly - or, to the end - for the grace that is to be brought unto us at the revelation of Jesus Christ." 1 Peter 1:13 Therefore shall I not be confounded. — Heb., Ashamed, notwithstanding the shame they seek to cast upon me. Isaiah 50:6 I am as marble, to which no dirt will stick. Therefore I have set my face as a flint. — Or, As steel (which

Isaiah 54:5 — For thy Maker [is] thine husband; the LORD of hosts [is] his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called. For thy Maker is thine husband. — Mariti tui factores tui. Heb., Thy Makers. Job 35:10 See Trapp on " Job 35:10 " De sancta Trinitate dictum, saith Junius. Isaac hath the name of the most loving husband we read of in holy writ; but his love to Rebecca was not comparable to this of Christ to his Church, Ephesians 5:25-26 where

Isaiah 61:2 — to comfort all that mourn; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. — The new and true jubilee, or year of releasement, called here in the Hebrew the year of good will, like as the elect are called the men of God’s good will. Luke 2:14 This year is now, 2 Corinthians 6:2 and the present now must be embraced and improved, since God is but a while with men in the opportunities of grace; which opportunities are headlong, and, once past, irrecoverable. And the day of vengeance of our

Isaiah 64:8 — LORD, thou [art] our father; we [are] the clay, and thou our potter; and we all [are] the work of thy hand. But now, O Lord, thou art our father. — Or, Yet now, O Lord, thou art our father; therefore "we shall not die," say they, Hebrews 1:12 boldly, but warrantably. See on Isaiah 63:16 . We are the clay, and thou art our potter. — This was grown to a proverb among the heathens also, Kεραμος ο ανθρωπος

Jeremiah 42:4 — shall come to pass, [that] whatsoever thing the LORD shall answer you, I will declare [it] unto you; I will keep nothing back from you. I have heard you; behold, I will pray. — The wisdom from above is persuasible, easy to be entreated, James 3:18 and good men are ready to every good work. Titus 3:1 Jeremiah hoped they might speak their whole hearts, and promiseth to do his best for them, both by praying and prophesying. Whatsoever thing the Lord shall answer you, I will declare. — Sic

Lamentations 1:16 — these [things] I weep; mine eye, mine eye runneth down with water, because the comforter that should relieve my soul is far from me: my children are desolate, because the enemy prevailed. For these things I weep. — I, Jerusalem; as Lamentations 1:2 or, I, Jeremiah. “ Nam faciles motus mens generosa capit. ” - Ovid. Mine eye, mine eye runneth down with water. — Continuitatem significat: imo emphasin dicit. Niobe like, I weep excessively and without intermission. God would not

Lamentations 4:22 — iniquity, O daughter of Edom; he will discover thy sins. The punishment of thine iniquity is accomplished, O daughter of Zion. — A word of comfort in the close of this doleful ditty. The Sun of righteousness loveth not to set in a cloud. See Isaiah 40:1 . Profane elegies have no comfort in them, as this hath. He will no more carry thee away into captivity, — i.e., No more in haste, after thy return from Babylon. Carried away they were again, many ages later, by the Romans, Accommodant huc Isaiah

Ezekiel 1:15 — be turned upside down eftsoons; such is the various, promiscuous administration of them, to many men’s thinking. To set us right herein, here we have the vision of the four wheels; for each of the four living wights had a wheel by him, Ezekiel 1:16 ; Ezekiel 10:9 to show that God governeth all the four quarters of the world by the ministry of his angels. This the poets hammered at, but hit not on, in their foolish fable of Fortune’s wheel. St James speaketh of the wheel ( τροχος

Ezekiel 4:14 — soul hath not been polluted. — Neither had it been here by eating suchlike bread, because God bade him do it, and his command legitimateth anything. But a good soul feareth and deprecateth all kind of pollution: "Keep thyself pure"; 1 Timothy 5:22 "Abstain from all appearance of evil." 1 Thessalonians 5:22 The prophet in this prayer of his is very pathetic, Ah Domine Iehovi: not Iehova, but Iehovi. See the similar passage in Genesis 15:2 ; Genesis 15:8 Deuteronomy 3:24