Bible Commentaries

Psalms 103:7 — He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel. He made known his ways unto Moses — Even right judgments, true laws, good statute and commandments, Nehemiah 9:13-14 . The Rabbis by ways here understand God’s attributes and properties (Middoth they call them), those thirteen proclaimed, Exodus 34:1-35 , after that Moses had prayed, Exodus 33:13 , "Show me thy ways"; and the next words favour

Psalms 104:24 — O LORD, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches. O Lord, how manifold, … — q.d. They are so many and so great that I cannot recount or reckon them up, but am even swallowed up of wonderment; all that I can say is, that they are magna et mirifica. In man’s body only there are miracles enough, between head and foot, to fill a volume. The earth is full — It is God’s great purse, Psalms 24:1 .

Psalms 106:19 — people, that they were wholly set upon wickedness, Exodus 32:22 . This piece of idolatry they had learned belike of the Egyptians, who worshipped Apis in such a shape, so catching is sin, and so dangerous is ill company (Lege Lacrant. and Aug. lib. 1, de Mirab. Script. cap. 15).

Psalms 112:2 — upon earth — As Abraham’s was, and, besides, the reward of his humility and fear of the Lord was riches and honour, and life, Proverbs 22:4 . For godliness is profitable to all things, having the promises of this life, and of that to come, 1 Timothy 4:8 , as in this psalm is fully set forth. The generation of the upright, … — Personal goodness is profitable to posterity; and the contrary.

Psalms 114:7 — if the giving of the law had such dreadful effects, what should the breaking thereof have? At the presence of the God of Jacob — Whom Jacob, that is, God’s covenanted people, knoweth and confideth in amidst all his austerities, Isaiah 63:16 , and can boldly say, as Habakkuk 1:12 , "Art not thou from everlasting, O Lord my God, mine Holy One? we shall not die."

Psalms 119:115 — Depart from me, ye evildoers: for I will keep the commandments of my God. Depart from me, ye evildoers — For what reason? there is no doing my duty in your company; besides, a double danger: 1. Infection of sin; 2. Infliction of punishment, Revelation 18:4 . For I will keep the commandments — Which it booteth me not to set about unless I do first abandon your society, hating the garment spotted by the flesh, that is, avoiding evil company

Psalms 119:161 — SCHIN. Princes have persecuted me without a cause: but my heart standeth in awe of thy word. Princes have persecuted me without a cause — And But better without a cause than for evil-doing, 1 Peter 4:12-19 David suffered by these potentates, because he was small and despised, Psalms 119:141 , as a little dog is worried by the bigger, as the lesser fishes are devoured by the greater. But my heart standeth in awe of thy word — The fear

Psalms 119:66 — commandments. Teach me good judgment — Heb. good taste, for the soul also hath her senses; and as the mouth tasteth meat, so the ear trieth words; the mind relisheth religion. For I have believed thy commandments — But would do yet more: 1 John 5:13 . "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God, that ye may know that ye have eternal life; and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God."

Psalms 139:5 — Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me. Thou hast beset me behind and before — As a beast that is pursued, as an enemy that is begirt and environed; and lest I should think by some means to make escape (as David did from Saul and his host, by a providence, 1 Samuel 23:27 ; as Hannibal did from the Romans, by a stratagem). Thou hast laid thine hand upon me — As by an arrest; so that I am thy prisoner, and cannot stir a foot from thee.

Psalms 18:35 — Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great. Thou hast also given me, … — i.e. Thou hast preserved and settled me. See Trapp on " Psalms 5:12 " And thy gentleness hath made me great — Or, Thy meekness hath multiplied me, i.e. Thou hast so far stooped to my meanness as to advance me to this height of honour. Or, by thy humbling me thou hast magnified me, according to 1 Peter 5:6

Psalms 22:17 — tell all my bones — Now especially, when stretched out upon the cross, Quando pendens extentus erat in ligno, saith Austin. Derident maciem meam, saith Kimchi. They look and stare upon me — Aspiciunt, id est, despiciunt, ut Song of Solomon 1:6 , saith Kimchi, they feed their eyes and passions with my misery, as Luke 23:35 . This απιχαιρεκακια is the devil’s disease, and declareth a devilish disposition, sc. for

Psalms 25:15 — Mine eyes [are] ever toward the LORD; for he shall pluck my feet out of the net. Mine eyes are ever toward the Lord — I look him full in the face, and confidently expect deliverance. This he speaketh, saith one, in reference to the army that he had sent out to meet Absalom, 2 Samuel 18:1 , nothing doubting of getting the day. For he shall pluck my feet out of the net — Of evil concupiscence, saith Aben Ezra; rather of my foes, those crafty and cruel fowlers.

Psalms 31:7 — — In the midst of trouble faith will find matter of joy; as extracting abundance of comfort in most desperate distresses from the precious promises and former experiences. Thou hast known my soul in adversity — God knows our souls best, Psalms 1:6 , and we know him best, in adversity. Isaiah 63:16 , the Church thought she should know him in the midst of all his austerities.

Psalms 32:11 — Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all [ye that are] upright in heart. Be glad in the Lord — Joy is the just man’s portion. A pardoned sinner, as Psalms 32:1-2 , is here called upon (in a use of consolation) to be as merry as mirth can make him; for what should all such a one? as we say of a rich man. Viscount Lisle, in Henry VIII’s time, died for joy of an unexpected pardon. But what was that to God’s pardon of all sins?

Psalms 35:20 — [them that are] quiet in the land. For they speak not peace — Which yet God doth to his people, Psalms 85:9 , and that is their comfort. "I am for peace," saith David elsewhere, "but when I speak, they are for war," Psalms 120:7 . Against the quiet of the land — i.e. Against myself, and such as I am, who study to be quiet and to do our own business, 1 Thessalonians 4:11 , affecting rather quietness from the world than acquaintance with it.

Psalms 37:18 — The LORD knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be for ever. The Lord knoweth the days of the upright — In bonum novit, Psalms 1:6 id est prolongat, saith Kimchi; he knoweth, that is, he acknowledgeth, approveth, hath a gracious regard unto, their days and the events thereof; he hath decreed to a minute how long they shall suffer, and what happiness shall succeed their sufferings. And

Psalms 44:14 — Thou makest us a byword among the heathen, a shaking of the head among the people. Thou makest us a byword among the heathen — Who use to say, As base as a Jew, as wretched as an Israelite, … The Turks at this day say, Iudaeus sim si fallam, If I be not as good as my word, count me a very Jew. We use to say, As hard hearted as a Jew. Thus is fulfilled that which was threatened Deuteronomy 28:37 1 Kings 9:7 Jeremiah 24:9 .

Psalms 72:8 — from the river unto the ends of the earth — i.e. From Euphrates, and the northern countries, to Egypt, and the uttermost parts of all Africa. This was a type of Christ’s universal dominion throughout the whole world, Zechariah 9:9 Psalms 110:1 .

Psalms 85:3 — removed. Thou hast turned thyself from the fierceness, … — Here are six hasts drawing in the next turn, Psalms 85:4 . God hath, and therefore God will, is a strong medium of hope, if not a demonstration of Scripture logics. See 2 Corinthians 1:10 .

Psalms 94:13 — rest — Here usually, but hereafter certainly. Mors aerumnarum requies was Cbaucer’s motto; Those that die in the Lord shall rest from their labours. Meanwhile they are chastened of the Lord that they may not be condemned with the world, 1 Corinthians 11:32 . Until the pit be digged for the wicked — Until the cold grave hold his body, and hot hell hold his soul.