Bible Commentaries

Job 29:3 — valley (not a dark entry) of the shadow of death (the darkest side of death), and not fear (though he should go back again in the same way). And why? "for thou art with me," saith he, "thy rod and thy staff they comfort me," Psalms 23:4 .

Psalms 16:5 — original, universal, all sufficient, and satisfactory, proportionable, and fitting to my soul; so that, having him, I am abundantly provided for. And of my cup — A phrase taken from those shares that every one had assigned unto him at feasts, Genesis 43:34 1 Samuel 1:4 ; 1 Samuel 9:23: q.d. Thou art my meat and my drink, Lord, and I am very well content with my condition, be it better or worse. That which gives quiet in any portion, is, First, The favour and presence of God; Secondly, That it is from

Psalms 24:6 — God of Jacob. As the Church is called Christ, 1 Corinthians 12:12 ; so God is here called Jacob, such a near union there is between him and his people. Or, this is Jacob. So the true seekers are fitly called, first, because Israelites indeed, John 1:47 Romans 9:6 ; secondly, because they see God face to face, as Jacob did at Penuel, Genesis 32:24 ; Genesis 32:26 ; Genesis 32:29-30 ; thirdly, because they also, as here, do bear away a blessing, Hosea 12:4 , even righteousness from the God of their

Psalms 26:5 — hell where the wicked are, for, Lord, thou knowest I never loved their company here. And will not sit with the wicked — But hate the very garment spotted by the flesh, Judges 1:2-3 ; that is, avoid evil company, saith Mr Perkins, as Leviticus 15:4 ; so Deuteronomy 22:12 . It is not safe coming near stinking carrion, except one have the wind of it. Sin is as catching as the plague.

Psalms 40:12 — their afflictions we have in this verse, and such as cannot well be understood by any but those that have been wellbeaten porters to the cross of Christ. Mine iniquities have taken hold upon me — i.e. The punishment of mine iniquities, Genesis 4:13 , my sin hath found me out. If this be taken of Christ, he is Maximus peccatorum, the greatest of sinners by imputation, 2 Corinthians 5:20 Isaiah 53:6 , for our sins (which here he calleth his) he suffered; and here his bitter agony in the garden

Psalms 40:8 — I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law [is] within my heart. I delight to do thy will, O my God — To Christ it was his meat and drink, John 4:34 , he set his face to do it, and to suffer it, Luke 9:51 ; yea, he was straitened, pained, till it was done, Luke 12:50 . And the same mind is also in the saints that was in Christ Jesus, Philippians 2:5 . They delight in the law of God after the

Psalms 6:2 — trouble of mind. Basil expounds it as his foul sins into which he fell from infirmity, and for which he was threatened with judgments by the prophet Nathan. O Lord, heal me — On both sides: heal my soul, for I have sinned against thee, Psalms 41:4 , ; heal my body, which is full of dolours and diseases, Psalms 107:18 ; Psalms 107:20 ; for thou art Jehovah the physician, Exodus 15:26 . Heal mine estate, which is very calamitous by reason of mine enemies, who wish my death, and would gladly

Psalms 6:9 — how doth many another man in like sort know that God hath heard his prayer, though as yet no visible return appeareth? I answer, This he may know, 1. By a cast of God’s pleased countenance. 2. By the testimony of his own conscience, Philippians 4:6-7 , and by the assurance of faith, which saith to a man, as the angel once did to Cornelius, Thy prayers are heard and answered. Of Luther we read, that having been once wrestling hard with God by prayer for the prosperous proceeding of the Reformation

Psalms 62:3 — [shall ye be, and as] a tottering fence. How long will ye imagine mischief against a man? — What though I am but a man, and in your eyes a mean despicable creature; yet know ye, that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself, Psalms 4:3 , where David bespeaketh his enemies with like sharpness as here for their malice and madness against him. The Hebrew word rendered imagine is found only here: the Septuagint and Vulgate Latin render it, How long will ye rush against a man? επιτιθεσθε

Proverbs 11:2 — above the top of their places, fail of their footing, and fall to the bottom. But with the lowly is wisdom. — Which maketh the face to shine. Pride proceeds from folly, and procures contempt. But "God gives grace to the humble"; James 4:6 that is, as some sense it, good repute and report among men. Who am I? saith Moses; and yet who fitter than he to go to Pharaoh? He refused to be Pharaoh’s daughter’s son; he was afterwards called to be Pharaoh’s god. Exodus 7:1

Proverbs 12:5 — The thoughts of the righteous [are] right: [but] the counsels of the wicked [are] deceit. The thoughts of the righteous are right. — He feeds his thoughts upon the best objects, those especially mentioned in that little Bible, Philippians 4:8 , "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be

Proverbs 16:10 — transgresseth not in judgment. A divine sentence is in the lips of the king. — It is, or should be. His words usually pass for oracles, and many times stand for laws. It should be his care, therefore, to "speak as the oracles of God." 1 Peter 4:11 Yea, "so to speak, and so to do, as one that shall be judged by the law of liberty," James 2:12 or, as some read it, As they that should judge by the law of liberty. Our old word Koning, and by contraction King, comes of Con, saith Becanus,

Proverbs 18:21 — tongue. — That best and worst member of the body, as Bias told Amasis, king of Egypt; Plutarch. an "unruly evil set on fire of hell," saith St James of an ill tongue - as contrarily a good one is fired with zeal by the Holy Ghost. Acts 2:2-4 Fire, we know, is a good servant, but an ill lord; if it get above us once, there is no dealing with it. Hence it is, that as the careful householder lays a strict charge upon his children and servants to look well to their fire, so doth Solomon give

Proverbs 2:4 — the very bowels of the earth, that we may get the gem that we desire. Shall we not do as much for this pearl of price, the knowledge of God and his will, of ourselves, and our duties? Beg we must; Proverbs 2:3 but with it we must dig too, Proverbs 2:4 and continue to do so, searching for her as for hid treasures. Ora et labora, for else "the talk of the lip only brings want." Proverbs 14:23 What man, finding a rich mine of gold or silver, is content with the first ore that offers itself

Proverbs 22:12 — Ahab. God will confute and convince their soothing words of singular vanity; he will also overthrow their matters, attempts, practices, "as a man wipeth a dish, turning it upside down." 2 Kings 21:13 See in that claw back Amalekite, 2 Samuel 1:4-10 in Ahithophel, Haman, Sejanus, …

Ecclesiastes 10:13 — futilous. To begin foolishly may befall a wise man: but when he sees it, or hath it showen unto him, he will not persist: "Once have I spoken," saith holy Job, "but I will not answer again: yea, twice, but I will proceed no further." Job 40:4-5 Much otherwise the fool, and because he will be dicti sui dominus as Ecclesiastes 10:11 having lashed out at first, he launcheth further out into the deep, as it were, of idle and evil prattle. And if you offer to interrupt or admonish him, the

Isaiah 10:12 — suck up the dregs. What became of the primitive persecutors, and of such as were most active here in those dogdays of Queen Mary? See the Acts and Monuments of the Church. Upon Mount Zion. — For there he usually beginneth; Jeremiah 25:18 1 Peter 4:17 his own he least of all spareth. Amos 3:2 I will punish the fruit of the stout heart. — His arrogant words and lofty looks, proceeding from the pride of his heart. But let himself tell what those fruits are.

Isaiah 29:1 — Woe to Ariel, to Ariel, the city [where] David dwelt! add ye year to year; let them kill sacrifices. Woe to Ariel, to Ariel, — i.e., To the brazen altar, Ezekiel 43:15-16 called here Ariel, or God’s lion, because it seemed as a lion to devour the sacrifices daily burnt upon it. Here it is put for the whole temple, Metonymiae adiuncta synecdochica. which, together with the city wherein it stood, is threatened

Isaiah 29:9 — stupidity and desperate security. Piscator rendereth the text thus: Cunctantur, itaque admiramini; deliciantur, itaque vociferamini. They delay (to return), therefore wonder ye at it; they sport at it, but cry ye out, as lamenting their folly. Ezekiel 9:4 , where the original is very elegant Some translate the words thus: Obstupefacite vos ipsi, et sitis stupidi, et excaecate vos ipsi et sitis caeci, stupify yourselves and be stupid; blind yourselves and be blind; do so, I say, for you will do so undoubtedly.

Isaiah 8:16 — Julius III about the year 1553. Seal the law among my disciples. — Such as have been θεοδιδακτοι , "taught of God," taught "as the truth is in Jesus." Ephesians 4:20-21 Seal the law, that "perfect law of liberty," the gospel, for such, for their behoof and support in these calamitous times.