Bible Commentaries

Ecclesiastes 10:15 — many things, and so createth himself many crosses; he will needs be full of business, and so must needs be full of trouble, since he wants wit to manage the one and improve the other. "Thou art wearied in the greatness of thy way." Isaiah 57:10 And again, "Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels," Isaiah 47:13 saith God to such as had "wearied him also with their iniquities, and made him to serve with their sins." Isaiah 43:24 Yea, even then, when they think

Ecclesiastes 10:6 — candle (that on a table would give a comfortable and comely light) is put under a bushel. And the rich in low place, — i.e., The wise, as appears by the opposition, who, in true account, are the only rich, James 2:5 "rich in faith," 1 Timothy 6:18 "rich in good works," Luke 12:21 rich to Godward, who hath highly honoured and advanced them, though vilipended and underrated by men; digni etiam qui ditentur, worthy they are also to be set in highest places, as being drained

Ecclesiastes 12:2 — let in light as an old dusty window. The air to aged eyes seemeth dusty and misty, and the sun wadeth as the moon in a foggy evening, and the stars are out of sight; they "see through a glass darkly," as the apostle speaks in another case, 1 Corinthians 13:12 they can know no kin without spectacles; the defluxion of rheum, Watery matter secreted by the mucous glands or membranes, such as collects in or drops from the nose, eyes, and mouth, etc., and which, when abnormal, was supposed to

Isaiah 53:10 — chapter lendeth light to the New in several places. He hath put him to grief. — Or, He suffered him to be put to pain. See Acts 2:23 ; Acts 4:28 . God the Father had a main hand in his Son’s sufferings, and that out of his free mercy, John 3:16 for the good of many. When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin. — Compare 2 Corinthians 5:20 , "He made him sin for us that knew no sin." Our sins were laid upon him, as the sins of him that sacrificed were laid upon the beast;

Daniel 6:22 — lions’ mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt. My God hath sent his angel. — Glad to be employed for the safety and service of the saints, Hebrews 1:14 whence it is that these heavenly courtiers delight more in their names of ministry (as angels, watchers, …), than of dignity, as principalities, thrones, … And hath shut the lions’ mouths. — Though they were savage and hunger

Daniel 8:5 — behold, an he goat came from the west on the face of the whole earth, and touched not the ground: and the goat [had] a notable horn between his eyes. And as I was considering. — Such as are studious shall see more of God’s mind. Revelation 1:12 Behold, an he-goat came from the west, — i.e., From Greece and Macedon, west from Persia. This goat, more nimble, swift, and potent than a ram, was the Grecian monarch Alexander, who came capering and prancing over the whole earth - that is,

Daniel 9:21 — fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation. Yea; whilst I was speaking in prayer. — This he recogniseth and celebrateth as a sweet and singular mercy. God sometimes heareth his people before they pray; Isaiah 65:24 Psalms 21:3 David was sure up early when he anticipated the Lord with his prayer; Psalms 88:13 ; Psalms 119:147 sometimes while they are praying, as he did those in Acts 4:31 ; Acts 12:5 ; Acts 12:17 , and Luther, who came leaping oat of his study, where he had

Hosea 12:13 — forced. By Moses, that prophet, by an excellency; as Aristotle is called the philosopher, Cicero the orator, Paul the apostle, Calvin the most learned interpreter, … Moses was a famous prophet indeed, and a type of Christ. Confer Deuteronomy 18:15 ; Deuteronomy 18:18 ; Deuteronomy 34:10-12 Acts 3:22 ; Acts 7:35-38 . Theodoret calleth him the great ocean of divinity, τον της θεολογαις Wκεανον

Hosea 12:2 — should be thought partial in the law, Malachi 2:9 , See Trapp on " Malachi 2:9 " and lest Ephraim should say of Judah, as once Oded did of Israel, "Are there not with them, even with them also, sins against the Lord?" 2 Chronicles 28:10 . The prophet answers by way of concession, that there were so indeed; and that therefore God had a controversy with them, a litigation, or disceptation: he was expostulating with them by words, and some lighter strokes, notwithstanding he had commended

Hosea 13:12 — and burneth them; so shall it be in the end of the world. "The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all scandals, and them which do iniquity; and shall cast them into a furnace of fire," Matthew 13:30 ; Matthew 13:41-42 . As the clerk of assizes binds up the indictments of malefactors in bundles, or seals them up in a bag for more surety, and at the assizes brings his bag, takes them out, and reads them; so will it be at that last and great day.

Amos 3:10 — done wrong so long together, against knowledge and conscience, that now they are given up to a reprobate sense, to an injudicious mind, εις νουν αδοκιμον , Romans 1:28 , having sinned away the light they had, and lost that little knowledge they had learned out of the law of Moses concerning good works: this they had wickedly blotted out of their own minds; as also those common notions of good and evil, that glimmering

Amos 3:11 — he saith it in great haste and heat; as appeareth by that concise kind of expression that he here useth, after the manner of those that are thorough angry, and therefore say not much, but mean to do the more, Aposiopesis, ut Quos ego (Virg. Aen. i. 135). An adversary round about the land — A distresser at every corner; that as all the borderers have beheld thy wickedness, so shall they thy wretchedness, by reason of the enemy and the avenger, who shall meet thee at every turn, and leave thee

Amos 4:5 — thanksgiving with leaven, and proclaim [and] publish the free offerings: for this liketh you, O ye children of Israel, saith the Lord GOD. And offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving with leaven — Which I have flatly forbidden to be done, Leviticus 2:11 . Neither leaven nor honey (which hath a leavening property in it) might be burnt in any offering made by fire; to show how God hateth hypocrisy; which, as leaven, soureth, swelleth, impureth, both us and our services. Out with it, therefore, 1 Corinthians

Jonah 3:2 — Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee. Arise, go unto Nineveh — Begin again, and take better heed; as that Nazarite was to do that had defiled the head of his consecration, Numbers 6:9 ; Numbers 6:12 . Unto Nineveh, that great city — See Trapp on " Jonah 1:2 " There was no city since, by the estimation of Diodorus, had the like compass of ground or stateliness of walls; the height thereof being a hundred feet, the breadth able to

Jonah 3:4 — day’s journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown. And Jonah began to enter into the city — Having seen God he now fears no colours, dreads no danger; as neither did Moses, Micaiah, Isaiah, Isaiah 6:9-12 , Paul, Acts 21:13 , Luther going to Worms. "Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men," 2 Corinthians 5:11 , we forewarn them to flee from the wrath to come, Matthew 3:7 , we pull them out of the fire of hell, as firebrands,

Micah 4:8 — — That is, O Church of Christ, who is often compared to a shepherdess in the Canticles; here to a Migdaleder, or tower of the flock (that flock of Christ which hath golden fleeces, precious souls), in reference either to that tower, Genesis 25:21 , built for the safety and service of shepherds, or else to the sheep gate in Jerusalem (whereof read, Nehemiah 3:1 ; Nehemiah 12:39 ), so called from the sheep market, which, for the couvenience of the temple, was near to it; as was also the sheep

Habakkuk 3:16 — absolutely unlawful. God sometimes draweth aside the doctrine, to satisfy some soul which the preacher knows not; and, sparingly used, it quickeneth attention. "O Lord, I have heard thy speech" (touching Israel’s captivity, Habakkuk 1:6-11 , and after that, the Chaldeans’ calamity, Habakkuk 2:5-18 ), "and was afraid," Habakkuk 3:2 . Neither was this a slight or sudden pang, and soon put over; but such as soaked to the very roots, so that my belly, or my heart in my

Haggai 2:22 — and their riders shall come down, every one by the sword of his brother. And I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms — sc. "By pouring contempt upon princes, and causing them to wander in the wilderness, where there is no way," Psalms 107:40 (as he dealt with Darius, the last Persian monarch); "by putting down the mighty from their seat, and exalting them of low degree," Luke 1:52 (as he dealt with Bajazet, the Great Turk, and Tamerlane, the Scythian shepherd); by changing

Zechariah 11:10 — — i.e. with all the tribes of Israel, which were as so many different peoples, over whom God had reigned (but now rejected), and in whom he delighted more than in all the nations of the world besides. The saints are called all things, Colossians 1:20 , because they are of more worth than a world of wicked men, Hebrews 11:38 . And the Jews have a saying, that those 70 souls that went with Jacob into Egypt were as much as all the 70 nations in the world. What great account God once made of them

Zechariah 9:10 — made proclamation that no man should thenceforth give him the title of Lord, manifesto praesagio maioris dominatus qui tum in terris ortus est, saith he, not without a manifest presage of a greater lord than himself then born into the world; greater, 1. Both for the peaceableness of his government, as here; no use of weapons or warlike engines. "The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but spiritual," 2 Corinthians 10:4 . Christ shall bring both to Jews and Gentiles the gospel of peace