Bible Commentaries

Psalms 107:2 — Let the redeemed of the LORD say [so], whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy; Let the redeemed of the Lord — Four sorts of whom are afterwards instanced: 1. exiles; 2. prisoners; 3. sick persons; 4. seamen. These and the like must praise him in a special manner for their deliverance. From the hand of the enemy — Or, of distress.

Psalms 119:127 — Therefore I love thy commandments above gold; yea, above fine gold. Therefore I love thy commandments — I like them the better because they slight them, and prize that way the more they persecute. I kindle myself from their coldness, and while they greedily grasp after gold, and fine gold, I lay hold upon eternal life, 1 Timothy 6:10-12 .

Psalms 132:16 — I will also clothe her priests with salvation: and her saints shall shout aloud for joy. I will also clothe her priests, … — So that they shall save themselves and those that hear them, 1 Timothy 4:16 . Thus God answereth his people’s prayers both for temporals and spirituals; see Psalms 132:9 , and that with an overplus of comfort; they shall shout aloud.

Psalms 136:17 — To him which smote great kings: for his mercy [endureth] for ever: To him which smote great kings — Great, as those times accounted them, when every small city almost had their king; Canaan had thirty and more of them. Great also in regard of their stature and strength; for they were of the giant’s race, Deuteronomy 3:11-13 Amos 2:1

Psalms 59:3 — For, lo, they lie in wait for my soul: the mighty are gathered against me; not [for] my transgression, nor [for] my sin, O LORD. The mighty are gathered aqainst me — The seven sons of Saul, say the Rabbis, who were afterwards hanged, 2 Samuel 21:1-9 , with a company of cut-throats attending them (R. Obad. Gaon in loc.).

Psalms 76:8 — Thou didst cause judgment to be heard from heaven; the earth feared, and was still, Thou didst cause judgment to be heard from heaven — From thence is God’s wrath revealed plainly and plentifully, Romans 1:18 , and thence he oft appeareth for his people as out of an engine. The earth feared — All was hushed, as after a thunder clap.

Psalms 78:62 — He gave his people over also unto the sword; and was wroth with his inheritance. He gave his people also unto the sword — sc. Of the Philistines, who slew thirty thousand of them in one battle, 1 Samuel 4:10 , they lost him and themselves too; the ark having been a far better defence to them than the Palladium to the Trojans.

Isaiah 43:21 — This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise. This people have I formed for myself. — Even the Gentiles now as well as the Jews. They shall show forth my praise. — They shall "preach forth ( εξαγγειλητε ) the virtues, or praises, of him who hath called them out of darkness into his marvellous light." 1 Peter 2:9

Jeremiah 27:1 — In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah came this word unto Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim. — By the date of this prophecy, compared with Jeremiah 27:12 ; Jeremiah 28:1 , it should seem that it lay dormant for fourteen or fifteen years ere it was recited.

Jeremiah 28:17 — So Hananiah the prophet died the same year in the seventh month. So Hananiah died. — Two months after this prediction, Jeremiah 28:1 yet the people relented not, but persisted in their obstinace to the end. Such a sward, or rather hoof, is grown over some men’s hearts, as neither ministry, nor misery, nor miracle, nor mercy, can possibly mollify.

Jeremiah 49:25 — How is the city of praise not left, the city of my joy! How is the city of praise not left? — Why is so praiseworthy and renowned a city so demolished? See Jeremiah 49:23 . Cause enough there was, because it was a valley of vanity, Amos 1:3-5 and Comus, Venus, and Bacchus there made their dividend, and shared their devotes.

Ezekiel 3:10 — Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, all my words that I shall speak unto thee receive in thine heart, and hear with thine ears. Son of man, all my words receive in thine heart, … — This is to eat the roll, to turn it in succum et sanguinem, that it may surely nourish. See on Ezekiel 3:1-3 .

Ezekiel 8:9 — And he said unto me, Go in, and behold the wicked abominations that they do here. Go in, and behold the wicked abominations. — No words are bad enough for sin. Solomon calleth it "wickedness of folly, even foolishness of madness"; Ecclesiastes 7:25 "mischievous madness"; Ezekiel 10:13 so Luke 16:11 , "mammon of unrighteousness," and "abominable idolatries." 1 Peter 4:3

Mark 6:7 — And he called unto him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits; By two and two — Both for more authority, and for mutual comfort. Two are better than one, Ecclesiastes 4:9 . See Trapp on " Ecclesiastes 4:9 " See Trapp on " Matthew 10:1 " See Trapp on " Matthew 10:2 "

Luke 5:11 — And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him. They forsook all, and followed him — They had given their names to him before, John 1:43 ; but now they see by this miracle his power to provide for them, they leave all to live with him. We love to see how we shall subsist.

Luke 6:24 — But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation. But woe unto you that are rich — sc. In this world only, and not to Godward. See Trapp on " James 5:1 " See Trapp on " James 5:3 " See Trapp on " James 5:3 " Every grain of riches hath a vermin of pride and ambition in it.

John 10:9 — I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. And shall go in and out, … — That is, shall live securely, and be fed daily and daintily, as David shows, Psalms 23:1-6 , where he sweetly strikes upon the whole string through the whole hymn.

John 2:19 — Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. Destroy this temple — This was the same in effect with that sign of the prophet Jonah, Matthew 12:39-40 . His resurrection was a plain demonstration of his Deity, Superas evadere ad auras, hic labor, hoc opus est, befitting a God, Romans 1:4 .

John 6:3 — And Jesus went up into a mountain, and there he sat with his disciples. And Jesus went up into a mount — See Trapp on " Matthew 5:1 " He would have been private till the passover and refreshed himself with his disciples; but seeing God had now put a new opportunity into his hands of benefiting many, he would not neglect it.

John 8:55 — Yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you: but I know him, and keep his saying. Yet ye have not known him — There is a twofold knowledge of God. 1. Apprehensive; 2. Affective, or cognoscitiva, standing in speculation, and directiva vitae.