Bible Commentaries

Psalms 106:38 — do with his drudges, when God’s word cannot obtain the smallest things of us? Whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan — Prompted thereunto by that old manslayer. This was practised by Manasseh, Ahaz, and others not a few, Jeremiah 7:19 Ezekiel 16:1-63 Haec atrocitas frequens apud gentes. And the land was polluted with blood — Impiata est abominabilis reddita est quasi hypocrita. See Ezra 9:11 . As a hypocrite is a fair professor, but a foul sinner, so here.

Psalms 106:4 — with the favour, … — The psalmist would have favour, and special favour, mercies, and sure mercies, proper to God’s peculiar, and with these he would be remembered; grace he would find, such as might help in time of need, Hebrews 4:16 . "God remembered Noah," Genesis 8:1 . "Your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of these things," Matthew 6:32 . Though our ark be driven in a tempestuous sea, yet it shall neither sink nor split while we sail in the thoughts

Psalms 109:17 — As he loved cursing, so let it come unto him: as he delighted not in blessing, so let it be far from him. As he loved cursing, … — "The backslidcr in heart shall be filled with his own ways," Proverbs 14:14 . Cursing men are cursed men, as were easy to instance in sundry, as Hacker, hanged in Queen Elizabeth’s reign, and Sir Jervase Elloways, lieutenant of the Tower in King James’s days, according to their own wishes. See Mr. Clark’s

Psalms 109:4 — prayer. For my love they are mine adversaries — Heb. they satanically hate me. To render evil for evil is brutish, but to render evil for good is devilish. But I give myself to prayer — Heb. But I am prayer, or, a man of prayer, as Psalms 120:7 , But I am peace. So, being defamed, we pray, 1 Corinthians 4:12 . When our Saviour was wearied out with the people’s obstinace, he turned himself to God in prayer, Matthew 11:26 , and prayed for his crucifiers, Luke 23:34 Send me to my toads

Psalms 112:4 — gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous. Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness — i.e. Joy in tribulation, as did unto the martyrs, plenty in penury, as "having nothing, and yet possessing all things," 2 Corinthians 6:10 . If they have not an external affluence, yet they have an internal influence of grace and comfort, which is far better and sweeter, 1 Timothy 6:6 . Some render the words thus, He who is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous ( i.e. God),

Psalms 115:12 — God hath, God will, is an ordinary Scripture medium, as hath been above noted. He will bless the house of lsrael — Not help and keep them only, but bless them with the blessings of both lives; for he is no penny father, … See Ephesians 1:3 . He will bless the house of Aaron — Ministers were ever a distinct order from the rest. Note this against the Libertines, who would gladly make a jumble, affirming the ministry to be as arrant a fruad as the Papacy itself.

Psalms 118:17 — I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the LORD. I shall not die, but live — This he was well assured of by faith; as was also the Church in Habakkuk, Habakkuk 1:12 , "Art not thou from everlasting, O Lord my God, mine Holy One? we shall not die." Learned Keckerman, lying on his death bed, and desirous, if it had so pleased God, to have lived a while longer for the finishing of those excellent pieces

Psalms 119:6 — them in the face, free from an evil conscience. When I have respect unto all thy commandments — Mine obedience being universal both for subjects and objects: this is a sure sign of sincerity, such as entitleth a man to true blessedness, Psalms 119:1 . A hypocrite is funambulus virtutum, as Tertullian phraseth it; he hath a dispensatory conscience; his obedience is partial, and such as goeth in a narrow track; it extendeth not to the compass of the whole law, and is therefore lost labour.

Psalms 138:7 — right hand shall save me. Though I walk in the midst of trouble — Even in the vale of the shadow of death, so that I seem little different from a dead man. Thou wilt revive me — That is, restore me from so great a death, as 2 Corinthians 1:10 . Thou shall stretch forth thine hand — Thou shall interpose thy help between me and them, and save me harmless; as the poets feign their gods did those whom they favoured. Thou shall strike them with thy left hand, and save me with thy right;

Proverbs 24:18 — prevention hereof, think thus with thyself, Either I am like mine enemy, or else I am better or worse than he. If like him, why may not I look for the like misery? If better, who made me to differ? If worse, what reason then have I to insult? See Obadiah 1:12 .

Proverbs 4:27 — discedendum; A man may not depart a hair’s breadth all his life long from the dictates of a good conscience. Remove thy foot from evil. — Bestir thee no otherwise than if thou hadst trod upon a snake. "Abhor that which is evil"; Romans 12:9 "abstain from all appearance," all shows and shadows of it. 1 Thessalonians 5:22 Run from the occasions of it; "come not near the doors of her house." Proverbs 5:8

Proverbs 7:15 — credit? who belives that? And I have found thee. — By a providence, no doubt; God must have a hand in it, or else it is marvel. "God hath given me my hire," said Leah; "because I have given my maid to my husband." Genesis 30:18 See 1 Samuel 23:7 Zechariah 11:5 .

Ecclesiastes 3:12 — thousand years hence; to expend what he hath upon himself, and to extend it unto others that are in necessity, this is to "lay up in store for himself a good foundation against the time to come"; this is to "lay hold upon eternal life." 1 Timothy 6:18-19

Isaiah 31:8 — not of a mean man, shall devour him: but he shall flee from the sword, and his young men shall be discomfited. Then shall the Assyrian fall. — Fall in his forces, flee in his person; but evil shall hunt that violent man to destroy him. Psalms 140:11 Not of a mighty man. — Or, Of a mean man, but of an angel. And his young men shall be discomfited. — Heb., Shall be unto melting; they shall melt away. 1 Samuel 14:16 Vide hic, saith A Lapide; see here how this world is nothing else

Isaiah 42:6 — with thee. And will keep thee. — That thou be not crucified till thine hour be come, and that thou despair not when thou sufferest. And give thee for a covenant of the people, — i.e., For that "angel of the covenant," Malachi 3:1 and that thou mayest reconcile all the elect in one body to me by thy cross, … Ephesians 2:16 For a light to the Gentiles. — See Isaiah 9:2 .

Isaiah 49:18 — with wonder and delight. Thou shalt surely clothe thee with them, as with an ornament. — The good sons of Zion are a great honour to their mother, as the two Scipios were to Cornelia; and as that elect lady’s children were to her. 2 John 1:2 A godly man is a gallant man, but the wicked are botches and blots to a Church.

Isaiah 49:6 — for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth. I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles. — De vocatione gentium illustre testimonium; and to this purpose it is cited by Paul and Barnabas. Acts 13:47 John 12:46 Luke 1:78-79 That thou mayest be my salvation. — Vide quam Deo cordi et curae sit salus nostra, cum eam vocat suam. A Lapide. See how God mindeth and fancieth our salvation, when he calleth it here "his salvation."

Isaiah 5:15 — shall be humbled: And the mean man shall be brought down, … — Here the prophet, before he comes to the third denunciation (for this part of the chapter, like Ezekiel’s roll, is full of lamentation, and mourning, and woe, Ezekiel 2:10 ), inserteth three good effects of the fore-threatened punishments: Piscat. 1. That the wicked shall be thereby tamed (in this verse); 2. That God’s glory shall be asserted; Isaiah 5:16; Isaiah 5:3. That God’s poor people shall be graciously

Isaiah 64:12 — refrain thyself for these [things], O LORD? wilt thou hold thy peace, and afflict us very sore? Wilt thou refrain thyself for these things? — Or, Canst thou contain thyself at these things? No, he cannot; witness his answer hereunto. Isaiah 65:1 The obstinate Jews do in vain still recite these words in their synagogues, as Jerome here noteth. Wilt thou hold thy peace? — And by thy silence seem to consent to the enemy’s outrages and our calamities? Habet acrimoniam, saith Hyperius.

Isaiah 8:18 — LORD hath given me [are] for signs and for wonders in Israel from the LORD of hosts, which dwelleth in mount Zion. Behold, I and the children whom the Lord. — That is, my disciples and converts, who have the same conflict with me. Philippians 1:30 Are for signs and for wonders. — Hissed and hooted at as so many monsters by the mad world, even beside itself in point of salvation; and accounting the saints, as the Spaniards were wont to say of the Portuguese, Pocos et focos, few and foolish;