Bible Commentaries

Isaiah 30:21 — the word preached is a singular help: God by his Spirit also sends for us in our strayings, and sets us right again. There will be upon any miscarriage, singultus cordis, sobbing of heart, an upbraiding or rising of heart, as it is termed by Abigail; 1 Samuel 25:31 the Spirit will come in with his secret and sweet voice, both correcting and directing pro re nata for unfolding affairs.

Isaiah 48:11 — Scripturis ne nostris operibus salutem tribuamus; it is Oecolampadius’s note upon the first verse of this chapter, i.e., the Holy Ghost doth everywhere in Scripture take course that we ascribe not our safety to our own works. See on Isaiah 43:13 . For how should my name be polluted? — As it will be by the blasphemous heathens, who else will say that their gods are fortiores et faventiores, more powerful and more merciful than the God of the Hebrews. Thus the Turks at this day, when they

Isaiah 48:17 — practise them. Which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go. — Heb., Making thee to tread in the way thou shalt walk, carefully choosing thy steps for thee, and setting thy foot right: thus "he led Joseph like a sheep," Psalms 80:1 and "Israel through the deep, as a horse in the wilderness, that they should not stumble." Isaiah 63:13 Thrice happy are the saints in such a guide. "The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and he delighteth in his way."

Isaiah 62:1 — said that he would never ask anything for himself if he might not prevail for the Church. Until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness. — Till Christ come in the flesh, if I should live so long; as long as I have any being howsoever, 1 Timothy 6:14 and after that by my writings, which shall continue to the world’s end.

Isaiah 64:5 — delight; that being acted by thee, acteth vigorously for thee. Tantum velis, et Deus tibi praeoccurret, saith an ancient, as the prodigal’s father met him upon the way. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good things of the land, Isaiah 1:21 which that we may be, Nolentem praevenit Deus ut velit, volentem subsequitur ne frustra velit, Augustine. God worketh in us both to will and to do of his own good pleasure. Howbeit he expecteth that we should go as far as we can naturally, if ever

Isaiah 65:15 — name: And ye shall leave your name for a curse. — So that when mine elect shall denounce my curse against any one, they shall say, God make thee such another as was such a cursed wretch. See Jeremiah 24:9 ; Jeremiah 29:22 ; Jeremiah 44:8; Zechariah 8:13 , See Trapp on " Zechariah 8:13 " Iadaeus sim si fallo, say the Turks at this day; As hard-hearted and unhappy as a Jew, say we. And call his servants by another name. — Jews inwardly, Israelites indeed, Christians, a chosen generation,

Isaiah 66:23 — and Mon. The Ebionites kept the Saturday with the Jews, and the Sunday with the Christians. But here it is foretold - and we see it fulfilled - that all flesh, i.e., all the faithful, whether Jews or Gentiles, shall not only keep every day holiday, 1 Corinthians 5:8 by resting from sin and rejoicing in God, but shall also, both "in season and out of season," have their Church meetings for holy services, worshipping God - from day to day, and from month to month, as the phrase is Esther

Jeremiah 21:13 — inhabitant of the valley, [and] rock of the plain, saith the LORD; which say, Who shall come down against us? or who shall enter into our habitations? Behold, I am against thee. — I, who alone am a whole army of men, van and rear both, Isaiah 52:12 and may better say than any other, how many reckon you me at? O inhabitant of the valley, — i.e., Of Jerusalem, called elsewhere the valley of vision. It stood high, but yet was compassed about with mountains that were higher. Psalms 125:2 And

Jeremiah 25:30 — voice, and roareth so fiercely, that presently they revive and rise. The "Lion of the tribe of Judah" will roar to like purpose at the last day; and doth afore, when he pleaseth, roar terribly upon his enemies, to their utter amazement. Joel 3:16 Amos 1:2 ; Amos 3:8 He shall give a shout, as those that tread the grapes. — When they have their feet in the winepress, and the new liquor in their heads, as one phraseth it.

Jeremiah 25:9 — against the inhabitants thereof, and against all these nations round about, and will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, and an hissing, and perpetual desolations. Behold, I will send and take. — By a secret instinct. as Jeremiah 1:15 And Nebuchadnezzar my servant, — i.e., Mine executioner, the rod of my wrath, Isaiah 10:5 and the scourge of the world, as Attila styled himself. And against all these nations round about. — Who were so infatuated that they did not combine

Jeremiah 31:20 — faces appear most oriently beautiful when they are most enstamped with sorrow. Heb., Is he a child of delight? q.d., He may seem to be otherwise by my hard dealing with him; but so he is assuredly - "Behold, he whom thou lovest is sick." John 11:3 For since I spake against him, I do earnestly remember him still. — Or, So oft as I speak of him, I am mindful still of him. See Isaiah 49:14 ; Isaiah 49:16 . Therefore my bowels are troubled for him. — Perstrepunt viscera mea. My bowels

Jeremiah 33:11 — mercy [endureth] for ever: [and] of them that shall bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the LORD. For I will cause to return the captivity of the land, as at the first, saith the LORD. The voice of joy. — See Jeremiah 7:34 ; Jeremiah 16:9 . The voice of them that shall say, Praise the Lord of hosts, for he is good. — This carmen intercalare the Jews sang joyfully at their return from Babylon, Ezra 3:11 and the saints shall have cause to sing throughout all eternity. And of them

Jeremiah 35:7 — Rechabites were originally Midianites; but Jethro, of whom they came, was a famous proselyte in the Church; his son Hobab a guide to God’s people in the wilderness; and his posterity imped and incorporated into the body of God’s people. Judges 1:16 Nevertheless they counted and called themselves "strangers," alienigenae, as those that looked for a better country above. See Hebrews 11:9 .

Lamentations 1:17 — barbarus nil nisi iras spirat, but his tender mercies are mere cruelties. God will not take the wicked by the hand, saith Bildad; Job 8:20 men may not, whenas God will not. No better course can be taken in this case than that prescribed, Lamentations 3:40-41 ; then God will repent, and men shall relent, toward a distressed creature. And there is none to comfort her. — See Lamentations 1:16 . This is oft complained of as a most heavy affliction. The Lord hath commanded. — What marvel, then, that

Ezekiel 34:2 — saith the Lord GOD unto the shepherds; Woe [be] to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks? Prophesy against the shepherds. — Good shepherds they should have been, but they were naught, Jeremiah 23:1-4 and naught would come of them, for their maladministration. Woe be to the shepherds of Israel. — Both to princes and priests, by whose evil government the people were so bad, as in the former chapter is fully set forth. Qualis rex, talis grex;

Ezekiel 35:15 — at other men’s harms; so, by a strange turn of things, others shall rejoice at thy just destruction, and revel in thy ruins: and at the last day especially, when thou shalt be awarded thy portion with the devil and his angels. 2 Thessalonians 1:6-8 Thou shalt be desolate, O Mount Seir. — This was accordingly effected shortly after by Nebuchadnezzar and his Chaldees, as Josephus Lib. xii. cap. 11. testifieth; and is daily executed on the Church’s enemies, who shall all be ere long

Ezekiel 36:26 — away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. A new heart also will I give you. — For the old heart will never hold out the hardship of holiness; the old fabric must be taken down, and a new set up. See Ezekiel 11:19 . A "new man" both in constitution and conversation one must be, or else he is no man in Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:17 And I will taks away the stony heart. — The natural heart, which is hard and refractory, "to every good work

Ezekiel 42:13 — not of the chameleon kind - cannot live upon air; and the Lord Christ "hath ordained that," as "they which waited at the altar were partakers of the altar," "so also should they that preach the gospel live of the gospel," 1 Corinthians 9:13-14 And the meat offering and the sin offering, — i.e., The priests’ share out of them; for, besides they tithes and glebe, or suburbs, the priests had many rich revenues, and were far better provided for than today’s

Ezekiel 7:7 — thou that dwellest in the land: the time is come, the day of trouble [is] near, and not the sounding again of the mountains. The morning is come unto thee. — Visitaberis summo mane, id est mature. - Piscat. The morning of execution (as Jeremiah 21:12 Psalms 101:8 cf. Hosea 10:15 Genesis 19:23-24 ), worse than the Sicilian Vespers or the French massacre. Thine utter destruction, bene mane in te irruet, shall be upon thee early, as it was upon Sodom, and as the morning light breaketh in upon those

Daniel 1:12 — water to drink. Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days. — All good means must be used for the keeping of a good conscience, and then God must be trusted for the issue. But did not Daniel herein tempt God? No; for besides that he had a word, (1.) Of precept; Deuteronomy 14:3 and (2.) Of promise, Exodus 23:25 ex arcana revelatione certior factus est, it might be revealed unto him that no inconvenience should follow upon this course. And let them give pulse to eat, and water to drink. —