Bible Commentaries

Ecclesiastes 1:14 — I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all [is] vanity and vexation of spirit. I have seen all the works that are done. — I have seen them, and set down mine observations of them. 1 Kings 4:33 Pliny did somewhat like unto this in his Natural History; which work of his, saith Erasmus, Non minus varium est quam ipsa rerum natura: imo non opus, sed thesaurus, sed vere mundus rerum cognitu dignissimarum, it hath as much variety in

Ecclesiastes 10:4 — not persist in thy place," do not stand to affront anger, but go aside a little out of sight, as Jonathan, when his father had thrown a javelin at him, went forth shooting. See Trapp on " Ecclesiastes 8:3 " See Trapp on " Proverbs 15:1 " For yielding pacifieth great offences. — Thus by yielding David pacified Saul; Abigail, David. See Proverbs 25:15 . See Trapp on " Proverbs 25:15 " Salve the wound and save thyself. The weak reed, by bending in a rough wind,

Ecclesiastes 5:19 — wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this [is] the gift of God. This is the gift of God. — A gift of his right hand, donum throni, non scabelli, - Godliness only hath contentedness. 1 Timothy 6:6 The comfort of wealth comes in by no other door than by the assurance of God’s love in bestowing it, and of his grace in sanctifying it. "God give thee the dew of heaven." Genesis 27:28 Esau likewise had the like, but not

Isaiah 1:22 — omnia fucata, omnia inquinata; but all things are deceitful, degenerate, and corrupt. Dross looketh like silver, and is nothing less. Wine mixed, or marred, with water hath the name of wine, when it is nil nisi vappa. Hypocrites are mere seemers, James 1:26 magicians, Job 13:16 having a form of knowledge, Romans 2:20 a form of godliness. 2 Timothy 3:5 Fair professors they are, and foul sinners. But be not deceived; God is not mocked; he is a faithful metallary, saith a Father, and will easily find out

Isaiah 13:18 — them. O barbaram crudelitatem! O cruel barbarian. Incredibilis sanguinis aviditas in milite bacchabitur. And they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb. — Quamvis adhuc teneri essent et fructus novelli, ripping up their mothers; as Amos 1:13 or at the Sicilian Vespers; and as in the late Parisian and Irish massacres, which were the most prodigious horrid villanies that ever the sun saw. Their eye shall not spare children. — In the massacre of Paris, a bloody Papist having snatched

Isaiah 14:11 — God’s house to quaff in to the honour of Shac, his drunken god, and had no doubt variety of music. These feast days were called σακεαι ημηραι , like the Roman saturnalia. See Jeremiah 51:39 ; Jeremiah 51:41 ; Jeremiah 51:47 Daniel 5:1 ; Daniel 5:30 . The worm is spread under thee, and worms cover thee. — Pro linteamine tinea sternitur: pro lodice vermes superimponuntur. For sheets thou hast maggots, and for a coverlet, worms;

Isaiah 24:22 — out when he argued from his text, that the damned in hell should after a time be visited, that is, delivered. There are that begin the promise at these words, And after many days shall they be visited, — i.e., In mercy and favour as Isaiah 23:17 through Christ. This gracious visitation began in Israel, Luke 1:68 and then came abroad to the Gentiles also. Acts 15:14-17

Isaiah 28:18 — your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it. And your covenant with death shall be disannulled. — See Isaiah 28:15 . God shall shoot at such with an arrow suddenly; Psalms 64:7 and when they shall say, Peace and safety, then shall sudden destruction come upon them, as travail upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape. 1 Thessalonians 5:3 They made a covenant

Isaiah 38:11 — the glass of his ordinances, his love whereunto made Hezekiah so loath to depart; as also his delight in the communion of saints, and his desire to do more good among them on all occasions. This made good Paul "in a strait" also. Philippians 1:23-24 I loved the man, said Theodosius concerning Ambrose, for that when he died he was more solicitous of the Church’s welfare than of his own. Even the Lord. — Non videbo Iah Iah. I shall not see the Lord of the Lord, Deum Dei, vel Deum

Isaiah 41:23 — themselves to be no better than deceivers of the people. Yea, do good or evil. — Good to your friends, evil to your foes. This is the second argument, and it is unanswerable. If it be objected, that this the devil can do, and hath done, the answer is; (1.) that idols can do neither good nor evil, (2.) no, nor yet devils; but the good they do their clients is a mere magic, and the evil they do to any is by divine permission. See Cyprian’s Fourth Treatise, De Vanitate Idolorum. Vide etiam, Aug.

Isaiah 41:5 — desperate obstinace of obdurate sinners. Pharaoh menaced Moses, even during that palpable darkness. The Philistines were afraid when they saw the ark of the covenant brought into the field, and yet they encourage one another to fight against Israel. 1 Samuel 4:8-9 The thief on the cross was under the arrest of death, and yet railed. Felix trembled, and yet expected a bribe from St Paul. There is a cold sweat sitteth on all the limbs of Antichrist at this day, and yet they repent not of their idolatries,

Isaiah 53:9 — disposal of wicked ones, and of rich men or rulers, the Jews and Pilate, at his death. And with the rich. — The same, say some, with wicked. And indeed Magna cognatio ut rei sic nominis, divitiis et vitiis. Rich men are put for wicked rich. James 5:1 And how hardly do rich men enter heaven! Hyperius thinks that the two thieves crucified together with Christ were rich men, put to death for sedition; and Christ was placed in the midst, as their chieftain; whence also that memorable title set over

Isaiah 7:6 — may be a vassal to us both. Thus the Pope gave away England primo occupaturo, to him that should first take it in Henry VIII’s days; but he reckoned without his host, as they say. Even the son of Tabeal. — A Syrian, likely, as Tabrimmon ; 1 Kings 15:18 a good Rimmonite ; 2 Kings 5:18 so Tabeal a good god. Rimmon was the Syrian’s god. The Chaldee expoundeth it, good, or right for us.

Isaiah 8:13 — your fear, and [let] him [be] your dread. Sanctify the Lord of hosts himself. — Even your sweetest Immanuel; non sanctificatur autem nisi in eam credatar; sanctify him, I say, by believing in your hearts and confessing with your mouths, Romans 10:9 and walking "as becometh the gospel, … in nothing terrified by your adversaries." Philippians 1:27-28 And let him be your fear. — That is, the object of your fear, as Genesis 31:53 Psalms 76:11 where God is called "Fear"

Jeremiah 17:18 — upon them the day of evil, and destroy them with double destruction. Let them be confounded. — A heavy imprecation. Let persecutors take heed how they move ministers to make intercession to God against them, as Elias did against Israel; Romans 11:2 as Jeremiah here and elsewhere doth against the Jews; as the Christian churches did against Julian the apostate. God will set to his fiat. Let them be dismayed, but let not me be dismayed. — Paveant illi et non paveam ego, so the Vulgate Latin

Jeremiah 2:23 — some, to the sun, as to the universal cause, strongly concurring to the generation of their children so sacrificed. Sol et homo generant hominem. Thou art a swift dromedary. — That runneth amadding after her mate; so dost thou after idols. Compare 1 Corinthians 12:2 .

Jeremiah 26:11 — saying, This man [is] worthy to die; for he hath prophesied against this city, as ye have heard with your ears. Then spake the priests and the prophets. — Against a priest and a prophet; but he had earnestly inveighed against them, Jeremiah 23:1-2 ; Jeremiah 23:14-15 ; Jeremiah 23:33-34 and hence the hatred. As Erasmus told the Duke of Saxony that Luther had been too busy with the Pope’s triple crown and with the priests’ fat paunches, and was therefore so generally set against. Saying,

Jeremiah 3:19 — said, Thou shalt call me, My father; and shalt not turn away from me. But I said, How shall I put thee among the children? — How, but by my free grace alone, since thou hast so little deserved it? For the causes of our adoption, see Ephesians 1:5-6 . And give thee a pleasant land. — The heavenly Canaan, which is here fitly called "a land of desire" or "delight," a heritage or possession of godliness, a land of the hosts or desires of the nations. And I said, Thou

Jeremiah 39:3 — Babylon came in, and sat in the middle gate, [even] Nergalsharezer, Samgarnebo, Sarsechim, Rabsaris, Nergalsharezer, Rabmag, with all the residue of the princes of the king of Babylon. In the middle gate. — Called the second gate (Zephaniah 2:10 ; see Jeremiah 1:15 ). Jeremiah lived to see many of his prophecies fulfilled. Jerusalem was taken in or about the fortieth year of his prophesying, as it was afterwards by the Romans, in or about the fortieth year after our Saviour’s ministry

Jeremiah 49:2 — shall be a desolate heap, and her daughters shall be burned with fire: then shall Israel be heir unto them that were his heirs, saith the LORD. Behold, the day is come, saith the Lord, — scil., After the subversion of the Jewish nation Ezekiel 21:25-27 For judgment commonly beginneth at the house of God. And I will cause an alarm of war to be heard in Rabbah. — Megalopolis, the metropolis of the Ammonites; it was afterwards called Philadelphia, from Ptolemy Philadelph, who re-edified it. And