Bible Commentaries

1 Kings 20:32 — girded sackcloth on their loins, and [put] ropes on their heads, and came to the king of Israel, and said, Thy servant Benhadad saith, I pray thee, let me live. And he said, [Is] he yet alive? he [is] my brother. So they girded sackcloth. — See 1 Kings 20:31 . Thy servant Benhadad saith. — Not long since it was, Thy lord Benhadad saith, All that thou hast is mine. Pride goeth before a fall. It was a great foretoken of Darius’s ruin, when in his proud embassy to Alexander he called

1 Chronicles 28:18 — refined gold by weight; and gold for the pattern of the chariot of the cherubims, that spread out [their wings], and covered the ark of the covenant of the LORD. The chariot of the cherubims. — So called, because God sat between them, Psalms 99:1 rode upon them; Psalms 18:10 the angels - represented by those cherubims - are called the chariots of God; Psalms 68:17 and the Hebrews have a saying, that such as saw God of old saw only Merehavah velo harocheb, the chariot in which God rode, but not

2 Chronicles 35:3 — uncle to the prophet Jeremiah, and husband to the prophetess Huldah, 2 Chronicles 34:22 and that therefore Josiah sent to her to consult with the Lord for him. It shall not be a burden upon your shoulders, — q.d., You are eased of that burden; 1 Kings 8:6 therefore, Serve now the Lord your God, … — Employ yourselves so much the more freely and vigorously in this other part of your service. 1 Chronicles 23:26

Ezra 5:5 — concerning this [matter]. But the eye of their God was upon the elders — Not the eye of his general providence only (which like unto a well drawn picture vieweth every one that cometh into a room), but the eye of his special grace and favour, Psalms 34:15 . He looked upon them; as afterwards the Son of man stood and looked upon St Stephen combating with his cruel persecutors, and clapt him on the shoulders, as it were, saying, Cheer up, Vincenti dabo, …, Acts 7:56 . They also looked up to him,

Nehemiah 9:35 — them, and in the large and fat land which thou gavest before them, neither turned they from their wicked works. For they have not served thee in their kingdom — As David did, who held it his highest honour to be the servant of the Lord, Psalms 36:1-12 ; and as those three famous Christian emperors, Constantine, Valentinian, and Theodosius, who styled themselves The vassals of Jesus Christ (Socrat.). And in thy great goodness that thou gavest them — In the abundance of all things, Deuteronomy

Job 10:9 — Remember, I beseech thee, that thou hast made me as the clay; and wilt thou bring me into dust again? Remember, I beseech thee, that thou hast made me as the clay — Remembrance and foreknowledge are not properly in God. See Trapp on " Job 10:4 " But he is said to remember us when he relieveth us, Psalms 136:23 ; Psalms 9:18 1 Samuel 1:19 . "That thou hast made me," …, viz. in those protoplasts, my first parents, formed out of the ground, Genesis 2:7 , whence the heathen

Job 32:18 — arrogantly and from the flesh, or from the spirit, I determine not, saith Brentius here. But sure it is, that such words as these, howsoever they may seem arrogant and carnal, possunt tamen esse spiritualissima, yet they may be very spiritual, as Jeremiah 4:1-31 Jeremiah 20:1-18 . And as sure it is, that we should be in company like full clouds or paps, that pain themselves with fulness till eased of their milk. The spirit within me constraineth me — Heb. The spirit of my belly; that is, God’s

Job 5:6 — forth of the dust, neither doth trouble spring out of the ground; Although addiction cometh not forth of the dust — It cometh not by fate or blind fortune, it haps not as it may that men suffer. Philistines indeed will say, haply, It is a chance, 1 Samuel 6:9 , a common occurrence, that had a time to come in, and must have a time to go in; but every Naomi will in such case conclude, "The hand of the Lord is gone out against me," Ruth 1:13 , and carry her sails accordingly, Job 5:20-21

Job 9:22 — abide by it, and be Doctor resolutus, resolute in the maintenance of it, viz. He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked — A harsh doctrine, yet a good one, saith an interpreter. Grace is no shield against the greatest affliction. See Ecclesiastes 9:1-3 Malachi 3:14 Ezekiel 21:3 Hebrews 11:36-38 shows that none out of hell have ever suffered more than God’s dearest children; and Hebrews 12:6 , He not only chasteneth, but scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. God will not cast away a righteous

Psalms 116:11 — man goes out of himself, off from his reason; and when pacified, he is said redire ad se, to return to himself. All men are liars — Prophets and all. Samuel hath deluded me, I doubt, in promising me the kingdom, which I shall never come to. See 1 Samuel 27:1 . Some make the meaning to be thus, What can I hope for, seeing every man betrayeth me, and that I can trust nobody? The truth is, that every man is a liar, either by imposture, and so in purpose, or by impotence, and so in the event, deceiving

Psalms 139:24 — any] wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. And see if there be any wicked way in me — Heb. any way of pain, or of grief, or of provocation; any cause of sin that is grievous to God or man, quae spiritum tuum vexat, ut Psalms 78:1-72 (Aben Ezra). A saint alloweth not of any wickedness, walloweth not in it, maketh it not his trade, is not transformed into sin’s image, the great scum abideth not in him, but (as in right wine or honey) it is continually cast out. The good

Psalms 147:10 — enemies had horses and chariots, but Israel had none. And it is expressly cautioned that the king of Israel "shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses," Deuteronomy 17:16 , lest they should occasion him or his people to trade with that idolatrous people, 1 Kings 10:26 ; 1 Kings 10:28 , or to trust in the number and strength of that warlike creature, a horse, Proverbs 21:31 . He taketh not pleasure in the legs of

Psalms 22:16 — pierced my hands and my feet. For dogs have compassed me — That is, men of mean rank; opposed to bulls and lions, i.e. great ones, and interpreted in the next words, the assembly of the wicked, the rude rabble, and of rancorous disposition, Job 30:1 Proverbs 26:11 Matthew 7:6 Philippians 3:2 Psalms 59:7 ; Psalms 59:15 . A.D. 1556, at Wessensten, in Germany, a Jew for theft was in this cruel manner to be executed. He was hanged by the feet with his head downward, between two dogs, which constantly

Psalms 22:6 — low language, as so many broken men. Contrarily the wicked speak big words, bubbles of words, as Peter hath it, ampullantur; as Pharaoh, who said, "Who is the Lord?" Nebuchadnezzar, "Who is that God that can deliver you?" Daniel 3:15 ; "Who is Lord over us?" …, Psalms 12:4 . Our Lord Christ, of whom the greatest part of this psalm must be understood, emptied and humbled himself to the utmost, Philippians 2:7-8 , that we might be exalted; this Sun of righteousness

Psalms 45:8 — of our money. This description, then, of Christ’s clothing doth allegorically set forth the sweetness and pleasure that the Father findeth in him ( εν ω ευδοκησα , Matthew 3:17 ), and that we also find, while he is made unto us of God, wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption, 1 Corinthians 1:30 , confer 2 Corinthians 2:15 and that out of his ivory palaces, i.e. his heavenly habitation, from which he beholdeth

Proverbs 12:1 — beat and bruise their links, before they light them, to make them burn the brighter. God first humbles whom he means to illuminate; as Gideon took thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he "taught the men of Succoth." Judges 8:16 See Trapp on " Revelation 3:19 " Mr Ascham was a good schoolmaster to Queen Elizabeth, but affliction was a better, as one well observeth. That verse was much in her mouth - “ Non ignara mali miseris suceurrere disco. ” - Virgil. But

Proverbs 14:27 — LORD [is] a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death. The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life. — So said to be, both for the constant faithfulness, as never failing, and for the gracious effects - viz., blessings of all sorts. (1). Temporal; Proverbs 22:4 riches, honour, life. (2). Spiritual; Malachi 4:2 such shall "grow up as the calves of the stall," fat and fair-liking. (3). Eternal; Psalms 31:19 "O how great is thy goodness which thou hast laid up for them

Proverbs 16:6 — that is, by the goodness and faithfulness of God; by his love tbat moved him to promise pardon to the penitent, and by his truth that binds him to perform; "iniquity" - though never so hateful, be it blasphemy or any like heinous sin Matthew 12:31 - "is purged," or expiated, viz., through Christ, "who is the propitiation for our sins." 1 John 2:2 Proverbs 14:22 See Trapp on " Proverbs 14:22 " And by the fear of the Lord men depart from evil. — As in the

Proverbs 18:5 — when little is said, but more is understood. Ut apud Virgil. Nec nulla innata est inaratae gratia terrae. - Georg., ii. This accepting of persons, declared here to be so very naught, is either in passing sentence of judgment, of which see Leviticus 19:15 ; See Trapp on " Leviticus 19:15 " or otherwise in common conversation, of which read James 2:1-4 . See Trapp on " James 2:1 " See Trapp on " James 2:2 " See Trapp on " James 2:3 " See Trapp on " James

Proverbs 28:27 — curse. He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack. — Eleemosyna ars omnium questuosissima, saith Chrysostom: Not getting but giving is the way to wealth. God will bless the bountiful man’s stock and store, his barn and his basket; Deuteronomy 15:10 his righteousness and his riches together shall endure for ever. Psalms 112:3 But he that hideth his eyes, — i.e., That when he hath a fit object and opportunity of showing mercy offered him, frameth excuse, and pretendeth this thing and that,