Bible Commentaries

Psalms 7:1 — words of Cush the Benjamite — Which some take to be some cousin and courtier of Saul’s, who had falsely accused good David (far from any such thought, Psalms 131:1 ) of affecting the kingdom, and seeking Saul’s life. See 1 Samuel 24:10 . But I rather understand, with the Chaldee paraphrast, Saul’s self, who was of Kish, and of Jemini, 1 Samuel 9:1 , and that, by a disguise of name, he is called Cush the Benjamite, that is, an Ethiopian, because of his obstinate impenitence,

Proverbs 10:23 — child for a pastime, put his thumbs in the boy’s eyes, and thrust out the balls thereof This was Robert de Beliasme, Earl of Shrewsbury, in the reign of our Henry I, A.D. 1111. Speed. And what a mad sport was that of Joab and Abner, 2 Samuel 2:14 to see and set those youngsters of Helkath Hazzurim to sheath their swords in their fellows’ bowels! And that of Nero, who set the city of Rome on fire for his pleasure, while he played on his harp, the destruction of Troy! But a man of understanding

Proverbs 14:1 — foolish plucketh it down with her hands. Every wise woman buildeth her own house. — Quaevis pia perita. Every holy and handy woman buildeth her house; not only by bearing and breeding up children, as Rachel and Leah builded the house of Israel, Ruth 4:11 but by a prudent and provident preventing of losses and dangers, as Abigail; as also by a careful planning, and putting everything to the best: like as a carpenter that is to build a house, lays the plan and platform of it first in his brain, forecasts

Ecclesiastes 3:5 — Chronicles 9:11 ; 2 Chronicles 16:6 . A time to embrace. — With honest conjugal embracements (as the Chaldee paraphrast interprets it), not with those libidinous embracings of the bosom of a stranger Rupertus. Proverbs 5:20 No time for such. 1 Peter 4:3 Diabolus capite blanditur, ventre oblectat, cauda ligat. And a time to refrain. — As in times of common calamity; for should we then make mirth? Ezekiel 21:10 Should not the bridegroom come forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet?

Ecclesiastes 5:16 — γεωργειν . The apostle speaks of "beating the air," 1 Corinthians 9:26 as he doth that fights with his own shadow - that disquiets himself in vain. The four monarchies are called the "four winds of heaven." Zechariah 6:3-4 And at the Pope’s enthronisation a wad of straw is set on fire before him, and one appointed to say, Sic transit gloria mundi, - The glory of this world is but a blaze or blast.

Song of Solomon 4:7 — her bride attire, she is all fair, and hath perfection of beauty, Jeremiah 2:32 and is all glorious within and without, not having spot, wrinkle, or any such thing, but holy and spotless. Ephesians 5:26-27 Fair he called her before, Song of Solomon 4:1 but new, All fair. — And therefore "the fairest among women," a suitable mate for him who is "fairer than all the children of men." Psalms 45:2 Not but that she hath, while here, her infirmities and deformities, as the moon

Song of Solomon 7:1 — being shod with Tachash skin , Ezekiel 16:10 bestowed upon her by her spouse, as a love token, that is, with sound affections and holy actions. Whereas wicked men are carried captive by the devil, as the Egyptians once were by the Assyrians, Isaiah 20:4 "naked and barefoot," and so "perish from the way." Psalms 2:12 O prince’s daughter. — Thou that hast him for thy father "in whose hands are all the corners of the earth," and is supreme King of the universe.

Isaiah 58:1 — as a pipe for delight, but as a trumpet alarm against sin and Satan. As all the country was filled with the sound of that trumpet at the giving of the law, Exodus 19:16 and as all the world shall hear the sound of that trumpet of God 1 Thessalonians 4:16 when the law shall be required, so let the preacher’s voice be a summons to speedy repentance, or else to unavoidable judgment. There is one Dr Playfair on Matthew 5:19 . that descanteth thus upon the words: Various things there are, saith

Jeremiah 23:28 — (think the same of Ranters, Quakers, and some Anabaptists) prove palea - that is, chaff, hay, and stubble that shall be surely burnt. 1 Corinthians 3:11-15 Some render the text Quid paleae cum tritico? what hath chaff to do with the wheat? as Hosea 14:9 John 2:4 Away with any such mixtures. In the writings of some sectaries, “ Sunt bona mista malis, sunt mala mista bonis. ” The speech in the text seemeth to have been proverbial, and is not unlike that of the apostle, 2 Corinthians 6:14-16

Hosea 12:14 — with him that is mightier than they, Ecclesiastes 6:10 ; they shall cry out in the bitterness of their souls, as Lamentations 3:15 , "He hath filled me with bitternesses, he hath made me drunk with wormwood." And God shall reply, as Jeremiah 4:18 , "Thy way and thy doings have procured these things unto thee; and this is thy wickedness, because it is bitter." Therefore shall he leave his blood upon him — God shall bring upon him deserved destruction; he shall bring him into

Amos 1:5 — i.e. their power and might, all strength defensive, or offensive, and so make way for the enemy into the city; give him a fair entrance without resistance. It is God that orders the battle, and renders men’s attempts vain or prosperous, Isaiah 54:17 Jeremiah 50:9 ; whereever the sword comes it is "bathed in heaven," Isaiah 34:5 . And cut off the inhabitant from the plain of Aven — Campus idoli, the plain or valley of idols (so Mercer rendereth it), that is, of Syria given to

Amos 6:13 — παλλης φαντασιας , Acts 25:23 ), and as these voluptuaries in the text, who had their wine and their music, fat calves and choicest ointments, wherein they held themselves happy, Amos 6:4-6 , but the prophet telleth them that in rejoicing in these low things they rejoiced in a thing of nought; they fed altogether upon ashes, a deceived heart had turned them aside, so that they could not deliver themselves from these empty vanities, nor

Amos 9:11 — goodly family was sunk so low as from David the king to Joseph the carpenter. Besides, all was out of order both in Church and State when Christ came. And close up the breaches thereof — Heb. wall up; by unwalling (as the Hebrew hath it, Numbers 24:17 ) all the children of Seth; by subduing the sons of men, the godly seed, to the obedience of faith; by bringing into captivity every haughty thought, 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 (that at the name of Jesus every knee may bow, Philippians 2:10 ), and getting

Obadiah 1:15 — Lord shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming," Psalms 37:12-13 , the particular day of his sore punishment, a type and pledge of the general judgment, that great day of the Lord, as it is called, Revelation 6:17 ; Revelation 16:14 , because the great God will on that day do great works, and determine great matters, Judges 1:19 . But as some men’s sins go before to judgment (as it were, by a special sessions preceding and anteverting the great Assizes), so should Edom and

Jonah 1:17 — Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. Now the Lord had prepared a great fish — A whale, Matthew 12:40 , which is a great fish indeed. Pliny tells of one taken that was six hundred feet in length, and three hundred and sixty in breadth; when they swim and show themselves above water, annare insulas putes, saith the same author, you would think them

Micah 5:11 — the Lord" (saith David, who could not be safe in Keilah, that had gates and bars), "for he hath showed me his marvellous lovingkindness as in a strong city," Psalms 31:21 . The tower of Shechem saved not those that ran into it, Judges 9:49 . The stronghold of Zion could not secure the Jebusites, that in the height of their pride scorned David and his host, that laid siege to it, 2 Samuel 5:6-7 . Belshazzar and his Babylonians bare themselves so bold upon the strength of their city, and

Nahum 2:12 — against Verres, saith that the kings of Persia and Syria (think the same of Assyria), as they had many wives, so they would bestow upon them whole cities for their maintenance. Antiochus, King of Syria, gave two fair cities to his concubine, 2 Maccabees 4:30 . Antony gave all Egypt to Cleopatra. Henry II of France gave to Diana Valentina all the confiscation of goods made in the kingdom for cause of heresy, A.D. 1554, which caused the burning of many good people. Utinam hodie non essent leaenae, saith

Zephaniah 2:5 — translation rendereth it Gens perditorum, The nation of destroyers; so doth Aquila, Theodotion, and Symmachus. Now it comes to their turn to be destroyed, according to Isaiah 33:1 . That these Cherethites were a sort of Philistines, see 1 Samuel 30:14 ; 1 Samuel 30:16 Ezekiel 25:16 That they were valiant men appears by that legion of them that guarded David, 2 Samuel 8:4 , and were highly esteemed by him, because they stuck to him in his affliction at Gath, and also when Absalom was up in arms, 2

Haggai 1:14 — operation, sc. when God is pleased to work with it, and make it effectual; this man cannot do no more than the husbandman can make a harvest. "The weapons of our warfare are mighty, through God, to the pulling down of strongholds," 2 Corinthians 10:4 . Luther, having heard Staupicius say, that that is kindly repentance which begins from the love of God, found from that time forward the practice of repentance far sweeter to him than before. Galeacius Caracciolus, an Italian marquis, was converted

Zechariah 7:12 — hosts hath sent in his spirit by the former prophets: therefore came a great wrath from the LORD of hosts. Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant — That hardest of stones, harder than the flint, Ezekiel 3:9 , than the nether millstone, Job 41:24 . Pliny saith of it, Durities eius est inenarrabilis, et simul ignium victrix natura et nunquam incalescens. The hardness of this stone is unspeakable: the fire cannot burn it, nor so much as heat it through; the hammer cannot break it; and therefore