Bible Commentaries

Psalms 102:13 — yea, the set time, is come. Thou shalt arise and have mercy upon Zion — This he speaketh with as much confidence as if he had been in God’s bosom; for he knew the promise of deliverance after 70 years’ captivity. See the like Habakkuk 1:12 . For the time to favour her, … — This he understood by books, as Daniel 9:2 , and therefore presseth God to a speedy performance. God loveth to be burdened with his own word, to be sued upon his own bond, … But besides the promise,

Psalms 104:3 — chariot: who walketh upon the wings of the wind: Who layest the beams of his chambers in the waters — God, as he hath founded the solid earth upon the fluid waters, Psalms 26:9 ; so the highest heaven upon those waters above the firmament, Genesis 1:7 Psalms 17:11 . This notably sets forth the wisdom and power of this Almighty architect, since artists say, In solido extruendam, The foundation of a building should be hard and rocky, and experience sealeth to it. Who maketh the clouds, … —

Psalms 106:3 — the life of thankfulness. Those that say God a-thank only, and no more, are not only contumelious, but injurious. And he that doth righteousness — So preaching forth the virtues (or praises) of God who hath called him into his marvellous light, 1 Peter 2:9 , and composing his whole course, velar spectatum aliquod simulaehrum et documentum laudis eius constans atque perpetuum (Jun.).

Psalms 115:8 — that make them are like unto them; [so is] every one that trusteth in them. They that make them are like unto them — Blind and blockish, Vervecum in patria crassoque sub aere nati; given up by a just God to a judiciary stupidity. See Isaiah 44:9-11 , …; Revelation 9:20 , Their foolish hearts were darkened, and they were delivered up to a reprobate sense, to an injudicious mind, Romans 1:24-31 , to strong delusions, vile affections, just damnation. So is every one that trusteth in them

Psalms 118:26 — Lord — Thus say the priests to the people. Ministers must bless those that bless Christ, saying, "Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity," Ephesians 6:24 ; as if any do not, let him be Anathema Maranatha, 1 Corinthians 16:22 .

Psalms 119:43 — have hoped in thy judgments. And take not the word of truth utterly — Give me free utterance, "that in nothing I be ashamed; but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ may be magnified in my body," …, Philippians 1:20 . Despoil me not of my courage in a good cause, let not Satan rob me of that jewel: Ne auferas, id est ut spolium, ut Exodus 12:36 (Aben Ezra). I have read of a nobleman, who when he came into jeering company of great ones, would begin and own himself

Psalms 138:1 — praise unto thee. I will praise thee with my whole heart — Which no hypocrite can do; though he may pray in distress from the bottom of his heart. A grateful man is a gracious man, viz. if he come with a true heart, as the apostle hath it, Hebrews 10:22 (Aben Ezra). Before the gods will I sing praise unto thee — That is, before angels, who are present in holy assemblies, 1 Corinthians 11:10 (as was represented by those cherubims pictured in the temple), as also before princes and potentates,

Psalms 139:18 — still with thee. If I should count them, … — q.d. They are infinite and immmerable. Archimedes, that great mathematician, bragged, that he could number all the sands in the habitable and inhabitable world, but no man ever believed him. See 1 Samuel 13:5 2 Samuel 17:11 Psalms 78:27 . When I awake, I am still with thee — Still taken up with some holy contemplation of thy works and wisdom. These thoughts I fall asleep with, and these I awake with. As I rake up my fire overnight, so I

Psalms 48:7 — Thou breakest the ships of Tarshish with an east wind. Thou breakest the ships of Tarshish — i.e. Of the ocean, or of the Mediterranean Sea, Isaiah 2:16 ; Isaiah 23:1 ; Isaiah 23:6 ; Isaiah 23:10 ; Isaiah 23:14 . The meaning is, Like as thou, O God, with thine east wind, that Euroclydon especially, which Pliny calleth Navigantium pestem (the mariner’s mischief), art wont to dash and drown the

Psalms 55:16 — As for me, I will call upon God; and the LORD shall save me. As for me, I will call upon God — Or, I have called upon God, sc. for good to be done to myself, Psalms 55:1 , …, and for evil to mine enemies, Psalms 55:9 , … (of which sort of imprecations. See Trapp on " Psalms 35:4 " And he hath heard me — I know he hath, both for myself, Psalms 55:17-18 , and against them, Psalms 55:19-21

Psalms 56:6 — accommodandum est, qui in odium bonorum et proborum conspirant, saith Tertullian (Apol. advers. Gentes, cap. 39, num 520). They mark my steps — They spy and pry into my practices, that they may take any advantage; this calls for careful and exact walking, 1 Peter 2:21 Hebrews 12:13 .

Psalms 62:2 — He only [is] my rock and my salvation; [he is] my defence; I shall not be greatly moved. He only is my rock, … — See Psalms 18:2-3 . I shall not be greatly moved — Non labascam multo lapsu (Vatabl.), for the Lord putteth under his hand. I shall not be moved greatly, or into the great abyss, Tehom Rabi bah (as Aben Ezra hath it), into hell (as other Rabbis sense it);

Psalms 64:7 — deal with them lege talionis, for he loveth to retaliate, see Psalms 64:4 , they shall find that he can handle his arms a fair deal better against them than they did against David. With an arrow suddenly — As was Ahab, and the rich fool, Luke 12:16-21 , while he sat pruning himself like a bird on a bough, death fetched him off suddenly by his shaft shot at him, and down be came tumbling. See 1 Thessalonians 5:3 .

Psalms 69:29 — But I [am] poor and sorrowful: let thy salvation, O God, set me up on high. But I am poor and sorrowful — The Church is usually so, and may sing, as here, Vaani gnani, …, but her comfort is, 1. That Christ saith unto her, as Revelation 2:9 , I know thy sorrow and poverty (but that is nothing), thou art rich. 2. That her poverty is not penal, but medicinal; God’s dispensation to fit her for better riches; as a wise physician purgeth

Psalms 74:3 — Lift up thy feet unto the perpetual desolations; [even] all [that] the enemy hath done wickedly in the sanctuary. Lift up thy feet unto the perpetual desolations — i.e. Make haste to help, accurre, advola, as Genesis 29:1 . Or, lift up thy feet, viz. to tread down thy enemies. A metaphor from combatants, Qui elevant pedes et passus, ut violentius in hostem invehantur. Some have rendered it, The loftiness of thy feet is perpetually ( i.e. irreparably) desolated, understanding

Psalms 78:55 — of Israel, … — Notwithstanding all their former provocations. "See that none render evil for evil to any man, but ever follow" (by God’s example) "that which is good, both among yourselves and toward all men," 1 Thessalonians 5:15 .

Psalms 83:4 — They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from [being] a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. They have said, Come, … — The wicked have their Come, Proverbs 1:11 , as well as the saints, Isaiah 2:3 ; Isaiah 2:5 Zechariah 8:21 , but for a worse purpose. Let us cut them off — "Them," by way of contempt, as not worth naming, they were so base. The devil and his imps would utterly root out the

Psalms 91:10 — Tertullian expresseth it; nothing that tendeth ad exitium, but only ad exercitium, and such as shall end in thy good. Neither shall any plague — What a wonderful separation made the Lord between the houses of the Israelites and the Egyptians, Exodus 11:7 . See Job 5:1-27 , and take these places, as Psalms 91:6 . For it may befall a saint to share in a common calamity; as the good corn and weeds are cut down together, but for a different end and purpose, - Non te tua plurima, Pantheu, Labentem texit

Proverbs 11:13 — talebearer revealeth secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter. A talebearer revealeth secrets. — Heb., A pedlar. See Trapp on " Leviticus 19:16 " See Trapp on " 1 Timothy 5:13 " Si sapis arcano vina reconde cado. God forbids us to chaffer with these petty chapmen. Proverbs 20:19 Concealeth the matter. — Tacitus to him is the best historian - primus in historia. He is

Proverbs 5:6 — thou shouldest ponder, — q.d., Lest thou shouldest persuade thyself that thou mayest embrace the bosom of a stranger, and yet lay hold upon the paths of life by repenting thee of thy folly - this was Solomon’s error sometimes Ecclesiastes 1:17 ; Ecclesiastes 2:3 - thou art utterly deceived herein, for her ways are moveable, so that thou observest not whither she tendeth; she wanders here and there (and thou with her), yet not so wide as to miss hell; lo, that is the centre whereunto she