Bible Commentaries

Psalms 141:2 — του νου (saith Darnasen), the ascension of the heart to God. In this incense how many sweet spices are burned together by the fire of faith, as humility, hope, love, …, all which come up for a memorial before God, Acts 10:4 ; and the saints (as Manoah’s angel) ascend up in the flame, and do wondrously, Judges 13:19-20 , while their pillars of smoke are perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all powders of the spice merchants, Song of Solomon 3:6 , that is,

Psalms 41:13 — world unto the world to come. Amen, and Amen — So be it, and so it shall be. Dictio est acclamationis, approbationis, et confirmationis. The Rabbis say, that our amen in the close of our prayers must not be, first, hasty, but with consideration, 1 Corinthians 14:16 . Secondly, nor maimed or defective; we must fetch out our hearts after it, and be swallowed up in God. Thirdly, nor alone, or an orphan; that is, without faith, love, and holy confidence. The spirits of the whole prayer are contracted

Psalms 48:1 — and loss, 2 Samuel 5:7 ; 2 Samuel 5:9 . If upon the slaughter of Sennacherib’s army by an angel, Isaiah or some other prophet of those times (as there were many) might be the penman. It seemeth to be of the same time and occasion with Psalms 76:1-12 Great is the Lord — Greater, Job 33:12 , greatest of all, Psalms 95:3 , greatness itself, Psalms 145:3 . A degree he is above the superlative. And greatly to be praised — No mean praises can be meet for so great a majesty. It must be

Psalms 58:2 — do all according to law and justice (pictured with a pair of balances in her hand), when, indeed, you weigh out wrong for right, and do things κατα προσκλισιν , by partiality, 1 Timothy 5:21 , by tilting the balance on the one side, Trutina iustior. Prov. ζυγον μη παρα αινειν (Pythag. Symb.).

Psalms 90:3 — — Ad minutissimum quiddam, so Beza rendereth it, to a very small business, to dust and powder. Others, ad contritionem vel contusionem, by turning loose upon him various diseases and distresses; thou turnest him out of the world, Ecclesiastes 1:13 . And generally, thou sayest of all and singular sons of men, Return, ye — Your bodies to the earth, according to the decree, Genesis 3:17-19 , your souls to God, that gave them, Ecclesiastes 12:7 . And here the course of man’s life is

Psalms 98:1 — — The Greek addeth, of David. A man might think it were rather of John Baptist pointing out Christ, and his kingdom, as if already come, with the great good thereby accruing to the saints. O sing unto the Lord a new song — See Psalms 96:1 , and observe how the compiler of the psalms hath hereabout set together sundry psalms of the same subject. His right hand and his holy arm — His is emphatic, and exclusive; q.d. Christ alone hath done the deed, he is our sole Saviour, Isaiah

Proverbs 11:2 — 4:6 that is, as some sense it, good repute and report among men. Who am I? saith Moses; and yet who fitter than he to go to Pharaoh? He refused to be Pharaoh’s daughter’s son; he was afterwards called to be Pharaoh’s god. Exodus 7:1 Aben Ezra observes, that the word here rendered "lowly," signifies "bashful," "shame faced," Qui prae verecundia sese abdunt, that thrust not themselves into observation. The hmnble man, were it not that the fragrant smell

Proverbs 16:10 — transgresseth not in judgment. A divine sentence is in the lips of the king. — It is, or should be. His words usually pass for oracles, and many times stand for laws. It should be his care, therefore, to "speak as the oracles of God." 1 Peter 4:11 Yea, "so to speak, and so to do, as one that shall be judged by the law of liberty," James 2:12 or, as some read it, As they that should judge by the law of liberty. Our old word Koning, and by contraction King, comes of Con, saith

Proverbs 18:3 — wicked cometh, then cometh contempt. — It comes into the world with him, so the Hebrew doctors expound it. He is born a contemner of God, of his people, and of his ordinances, being "vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind," Colossians 2:18 and having a base esteem of others, in comparison of himself. Thus "vain man would be wise," yea, the only wise, "though man be born like a wild ass’s colt," Job 11:12 and so he could not but confess, would he but consult

Proverbs 2:4 — will, of ourselves, and our duties? Beg we must; Proverbs 2:3 but with it we must dig too, Proverbs 2:4 and continue to do so, searching for her as for hid treasures. Ora et labora, for else "the talk of the lip only brings want." Proverbs 14:23 What man, finding a rich mine of gold or silver, is content with the first ore that offers itself to his view, and doth not dig deeper and deeper till he become owner of the whole treasure? So here, "Then shall ye know, if ye follow on to know

Proverbs 22:11 — He that loveth pureness of heart, [for] the grace of his lips the king [shall be] his friend. He that loveth pureness of heart. — That is vexed at his inward pollutions, and affecteth (what he can never fully effect) to be pure as God is pure. 1 John 3:3 He that hath gotten that pure lip, Zephaniah 3:9 called here the grace of his lips, and elsewhere the "law of grace," Proverbs 31:26 he that can skill of those good words that do ingratiate with God and man (Genesis 49:21 , compared

Proverbs 22:12 — Flattery gets friends, but truth hatred. And he overthroweth the words (or matters) of the transgressors. — That is, Of the court parasites, who speak only pleasing things, et saepe leonum laudibus murem obruunt, flatter abominably, as those in Acts 12:21-23 did Herod; as the false prophets did Ahab. God will confute and convince their soothing words of singular vanity; he will also overthrow their matters, attempts, practices, "as a man wipeth a dish, turning it upside down." 2 Kings 21:13

Proverbs 26:3 — wicked men - both for a whip to incite them to good, and for a bridle to rein them in from evil. God hath rods sticking in every corner of his house for these froward fools; and if a rod serve not turn, he hath a "terrible sword." Isaiah 27:1 So must magistrates. Cuncta prius tentanda. If a rod will do, they need not brandish the sword of justice; nor do as Draco did, who punished with death every light offence. This was to kill a fly upon a man’s forehead with a beetle, to the knocking

Proverbs 27:23 — look well to thy herds. Be thou diligent to know the state, … — Heb., Knowing thou shalt know the face of thy flocks; alluding, belike, to those shepherds that know their sheep asunder by their visages, and can call them by name, as John 10:3 And look well to thy herds. — Heb., Set thy heart to them - that is, be very inquisitive and solicitous of their welfare. Leave not all to servants, though never so faithful; but supervise and oversee business, as Boaz did. His eyes were in

Proverbs 28:25 — bounds of his calling or condition, but thinks great thoughts of himself, and therefore seeks great things for himself, this man, if crossed, is easily kindled, and shall be made lean; God will tame him, and take him a link lower, as we say. Isaiah 2:11-13 Proverbs 13:10 See Trapp on " Proverbs 13:10 " This largeness of heart is but as the bigness of a blown bladder, … But he that putteth his trust in the Lord, shall be fat. — He shall laugh and be fat, as the saying is; he

Proverbs 4:23 — in tune, I make no question of the bass; that goes not out so easily. So here. For out of it are the issues of life. — That is, as of natural, so of spiritual actions, Hinc fons boni et peccandi origo, saith Jerome. It is the fountain; Matthew 15:19 the root; Matthew 7:17-18 the treasury or storehouse; Luke 6:49 the primum mobile; the great wheel; the Pharos that commands the haven; the chief monarch in this Isle of Man that gives laws to all the members. Romans 7:1-25 Keep it therefore with

Proverbs 8:30 — the Arians, ην οταν ουκ ην , There was a time when he was not. This scripture, so much abused by them, makes utterly against them. But heretics pervert the Scriptures, saith St Peter. 2 Peter 3:15 A metaphor from those who put a man upon the rack, and make him speak that which he never thought. Tertullian calls Marcion the heretic, Mus Ponticus, because of his arroding To gnaw or nibble at. and gnawing the Scripture, to make it serviceable to

Ecclesiastes 9:12 — fishes are taken, …, so are graceless men snared, … Security ushers in their calamity: "When they say, Peace and safety, then sudden destruction breaks in upon them, as travail upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape." 1 Thessalonians 5:3 God made fair weather before Pharaoh till he was in the heart of the Red Sea. The old world, Sodom, Amnon, Belshazzar, Herod, the rich fool, were all suddenly surprised in the ruff of their jollity. Jerusalem had three years of extraordinary

Isaiah 21:11 — The burden of Dumah. He calleth to me out of Seir, Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night? The burden of Dumah, — i.e., Of Idumea, Onus Idumeae. - Sept. or of the Edomites. For burden, see on Isaiah 13:1 . This prophecy is the shorter the harder. The Jews apply this prophecy to Rome. They read for Dumah, Roma. The Romans they call the new Idumeans, and the Pope’s kingdom the wicked kingdom of Edom. Some of them say that Julius Caesar was an

Isaiah 22:1 — The burden of the valley of vision. What aileth thee now, that thou art wholly gone up to the housetops? The burden. — See Isaiah 13:1 . Of the valley of vision, — i.e., Of Zion or Jerusalem, as the Septuagint express it, which is called first a valley, though set upon a knoll - first, Because environed with mountains; Psalms 125:2 secondly, Because shortly to be laid low