Bible Commentaries

Psalms 126:5 — They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. They that sow in tears — Whether ministers (as some restrain the sense), who serve the Lord with many tears and temptations, Acts 20:19 , but see little fruit; or others, who sow in the tears of affliction and compunction for sin, the cause thereof; his foecunda sine dubio messis indulgentiae orietur, saith Arnobius, these shall certainly reap in joy pardon of sin, Isaiah 1:16 , power

Psalms 130:4 — But [there is] forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared. But there is forgiveness with thee — This holds head above water, that we have to do with a forgiving God, Nehemiah 9:31 ; none like him for that, Micah 7:18 ; for he doth it naturally, Exodus 34:6 ; abundantly, Isaiah 55:7 ; constantly, as here; there is (still is) forgiveness and propitiation with God: so John 1:27 , the Lamb of God doth take away the sins of the world;

Psalms 138:8 — of thine own hands. The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me — He will not do his business to the halves, leave it in the midst, but carry it on to a consummation, and lay the top stone of grace; this I am well assured of. See Philippians 1:6 . Only I must pray, and do my part; having an eye still to God’s everlasting mercy in Christ. Forsake not the works of thine own hands — Look upon the wounds of thy hands, and forsake not the works of thy hands, prayed Queen Elizabeth.

Psalms 139:1 — of psalms so notable a one as this, saith Aben Ezra, concerning the ways of God and the workings of conscience. It was penned, saith the Syriac interpreter, upon occasion of Shimei’s railing upon him for a bloody man and a Belialist, 2 Samuel 16:5-13 Here, therefore, he purgeth himself by an appeal to God, and delivereth up his false accusers to God’s just judgment, Psalms 139:19 . O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me — Even mine heart and reins, Jeremiah 17:10 , hast thou

Psalms 146:8 — Severianus, the consul, that in the town of Alexandria they that worshipped Serapis were Christians, … The Lord raiseth, … — As he did that daughter of Abraham in the Gospel, whom Satan had bound and bowed down twelve years, Luke 13:16 , and as he doth still, Isaiah 61:1 . The Lord loveth the righteous — And this is more than all the rest. God dispenseth outward blessings, but not always in love.

Proverbs 1:11 — ear, and thence sucks his blood; because he knows that to be the only place that he cannot reach with his trunk to defend. So deal the red dragon and his angels: "with good words and fair speeches they deceive the hearts of the simple" Romans 16:18 "With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him." Proverbs 7:21 Come with me. — If sinners have their "Come," should not saints much more? "Come, let us go up to the

Proverbs 13:6 — the way: but wickedness overthroweth the sinner. Righteousness keepeth him that is upright. — That, though belied or otherwise abused, he will not let go his integrity. Job 27:5 David’s "feet stood on an even place." Psalms 26:12 The spouse, though despoiled of her veil, and wounded by the watch, yet cleaves close to Christ. Song of Solomon 5:7-8 Not but that the best are sometimes disquieted in such cases; for not the evenest weights but, at their first putting into the balance,

Proverbs 15:10 — himself in his outstrays, and would not be reduced; he is in love with his own ruin, and takes long strides towards hell, which is now but a little afore him. And if any man seek to save him, "with fear pulling him out of the fire," Judges 1:23 he flies in his face. This is as great madness as if they whom our Saviour had healed or raised should have raged and railed at him for so doing. And he that hateth reproof shall die. — He that is embittered by rebukes, and not bettered by

Proverbs 25:20 — dissolvit cantus, ut vestes discutiunt frigus, et acetum dissolvit nitrum. Junius. As a garment warmeth the body, and vinegar dissolveth nitre, so a sweet singer, by his delightsome ditty, cheereth up the pensive soul and driveth sorrow out of it. See 1 Samuel 16:23 2 Kings 3:15 Daniel 6:18 .

Proverbs 27:25 — fodder in the hard winter. The earth is alma mater, a bountiful mother, to man and beast. It is, as one well saith, marsupium Domini, the Lord’s great purse. The stars also are God’s storehouses, which he openeth to our profit. Deuteronomy 28:12 Every star is like a purse of gold, saith one, out of which God throws down riches, which good men gather, bad men scramble for. By their influence they make a scatter of corn, hay, fruits of all sorts. And good husbands cut hay, not only in the valleys,

Proverbs 31:25 — Strength and honour [are] her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come. Strength and honour are her clothing. — See Proverbs 31:22 . She is not of those, quae fulgent monilibus, sordent moribus, that are well habited but ill mannered. No; she is inwardly decked with spiritual attire, such as rendereth her glorious in the eyes of God and angels. "The joy of the Lord is her

Proverbs 4:5 — measure, they must get humility laid on as a weight to keep them down. Forget it not. — For so much a man learns as he remembers. The promise also of salvation is limited to the condition of "keeping in memory what we have received." 1 Corinthians 15:2

Ecclesiastes 3:13 — And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it [is] the gift of God. And enjoy the good of all his labour. — "They that will not labour must not eat," 2 Thessalonians 3:10 saith the apostle. As they that do shall enjoy the good of all their labour, eat the labour of their hands, and be thrice happy. Psalms 128:1-2 Jabal and Jubal, Genesis 4:20-21 frugality and music, good husbandry and good content, dwell together; and

Ecclesiastes 8:6 — might have saved his kingdom. So might many a man his life, his livelihood - nay, his soul. "The men of Issachar" in David’s days are famous for this, that they "had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do," 1 Chronicles 12:32 their posterity are set below stork and swallow for want of this skill, Jeremiah 8:7 and deeply doomed. Luke 19:44

Isaiah 1:24 — as to a vindictive person revenge is very sweet. “ Est vindicta bonum vita iucundius ipsa. ” So - but in a way of justice - God delighteth Animumque explesse iuvabit. in the destruction of his stubborn enemies. Deuteronomy 28:63 Ezekiel 5:13 Proverbs 1:26 Mine adversaries. — Such as, by a specialty, are corrupt judges, as Calvin here noteth.

Isaiah 1:6 — malagma imponere, say the Septuagint here. You will not endure to have them searched or suppled: what hope therefore of healing? If the Sun of righteousness shall shine upon us with healing under his wings, we must repent and believe the gospel. Mark 1:15

Isaiah 14:20 — honest care, περι συνταφων , with whom they be buried, and where they are laid when dead, that as they lived together and loved together, so in their death they may not be divided. 2 Samuel 1:23 Because thou hast destroyed thy The Septuagint read it, my land, and my people. land. — Tyrannised over thine own subjects also. So did Saul, Manasseh, Herod - who butchered about Bethlehem fourteen thousand infants, as some affirm, and his

Isaiah 2:1 — former chapter. There, alas! he had laboured in vain, and spent his strength for nought, and in vain. as Isaiah 49:4 Howbeit, he will try again, as considering that he had lost many a worse labour; and although his report were not believed, Isaiah 53:1 yet he would bestow one more sermon upon them, the short notes and general heads whereof we have in this and the two following chapters: I say, the general heads, for Calvin in his preface to this book telleth us, that it was the manner of the holy

Isaiah 7:15 — partake with us in our natural infirmities, feeding, as other children there did, on "butter and honey," Noematica periphrasis. not able to discern good from evil, through want of judgment, till he came to be of discretion, Luke 2:52 Deuteronomy 1:39 that he might be in all things like unto us, and that we might once come "unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ"; Ephesians 4:13 that we might become "strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might"; able

Isaiah 8:14 — rupes, a rock of refuge to the godly; so he is reorum scopulas, a rock of revenge to dash in pieces the impenitent, as Valerius Maximus once said the tribunal of Lucius Cassius was. This was chiefly fulfilled in the time of the gospel. See Romans 9:23 1 Peter 2:6 Matthew 21:42 Acts 4:11 . But for a stone of stumbling. — Petra perditionis, to all that refuse to be ruled by him and to rely upon him; with these froward ones he will show himself froward. Psalms 18:26