Bible Commentaries

Genesis 25:13 — were at a great stand, and much offended; seeing so pious a person fare nothing better than those that were far worse. And what wonder, when Jeremiah and David stumbled at the same stone, ran upon the same rock, and were well-nigh shipwrecked? Jeremiah 12:1 Psalms 73:3-4 Neither they only, but many other of God’s dear servants, as it is in the same Psalm Psalms 73:10 , "Therefore his people return hither"; that is, are every whit as wise (or rather, as foolish) as I have been, to miscensure

Ezra 10:3 — commandment of our God; and let it be done according to the law. Now therefore let us make a covenant — And so tie ourselves thereby to the better abearance; that we slip not collar, that we detract not the yoke of God’s obedience, Deuteronomy 10:20 . Cleaving to God with full purpose of heart will require swearing. Broken bones must have strong bands to close them. Tottering houses must be cramped with iron bars, or they will soon fall down. If the vows of God be upon us, if we are covenanters,

Ezra 9:9 — remembering that our God hath not forsaken us in our bondage, but brought us from darkness to light, "and from the power of Satan unto God, that we might receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified," Acts 26:18 ; we should blush and bleed in the sense of our unthankfulness, saying, as Ezra 9:14 , Should we again break thy commandments, … Yet our God hath not forsaken us in our bondage — As he may seem to do his prisoners of hope, when he leaves

Esther 4:11 — entre al rey en el atrio interior, y no sea llamado, [hay] una ley suya para dictar [ él] hasta la muerte, excepto aquellos a quienes el rey extienda el cetro de oro para que viva; pero no he sido llamado para entrar al rey en estos treinta días. Ver. 11. Todos los sirvientes del rey] Sus cortesanos y consejeros, que probablemente eran tan esclavos para él, como ahora lo son los grandes señores de la corte para el Gran Turco; ningún hombre tiene poder sobre sí mismo, y mucho menos es dueño de la casa

Esther 4:3 — with their brethren; and God himself cried out unto them, "Ho, ho, come forth," …, Zechariah 2:6 . "Arise, depart; this is not your rest: because it is polluted, it shall destroy you, even with a sore destruction," Micah 2:10 . This was now a bodkin at their hearts; like as it shall be one day to those in hell, to think, we might have been delivered. And fasting — The word signifieth an abstinence from food and sustenance, either a toto, totally, as 2 Samuel 12:16

Esther 6:9 — fool’s paradise of a sublime dotage, like as the Spaniards have in their dream of a catholic monarchy, divinitus debita, saith one, sed in Utopia. They were laughed heartily at Captain Drake and his company, when they took Sancta Domingo, A.D. 1585, and in the town hall found the king of Spain’s arms, and under them a globe of the world, out of which arose a horse with his forefeet cast forth with this inscription, Non sufficit orbis, Not enough territory. Pyrrhus, that ambitious king

Esther 8:3 — contenta Esther (Vulg.). She had a further request, and having had so free access, and so good success, she takes the boldness to commence it. We should do so when we come before God. Prayer should be multiplied like those arrows of deliverance, 2 Kings 13:18 , and our suits reinforced while we speak yet again; as Abraham did in his intercession for Sodom. See, for our encouragement, that fourfold comfortable, yet again uttered by the Lord, Zechariah 1:17 . And fell down at his feet — This was

Job 1:4 — Eteocles, … And when such are once out, "A brother offended" (saith Solomon) "is harder to be won than a strong city: and their contentions are like the bars of a castle," which, being strong, will neither bow nor yield, Proverbs 18:19 . All good means, therefore, must be used to prevent them, and to preserve that amity and unity which the psalmist doth so magnify, Psalms 133:1-3 , and concludeth, that there God commandeth the blessing, and life for evermore; that is, constant

Job 15:20 — The wicked man travaileth with pain all [his] days, and the number of years is hidden to the oppressor. The wicked man travaileth with pain all his days — He tormenteth himself, or thrusteth himself through (so some read it), 1 Timothy 6:10 . He takes no more rest than one upon a rack; he hath his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail, Jeremiah 30:6 ; he smiteth upon his thigh; sicut mulierculae in puerperio facere solent, saith Luther in his marginal note on Jeremiah

Job 31:33 — would not do, but that he was driven from that κρησφυγετον , then he seeks to excuse it, by accusing God, and transferring the blame upon him, for giving him a woman to tempt him, Genesis 3:12 . The like thereunto do they that plead predestination, or constellations, or natural inclination, …, that put God to his proofs, as they did, Jeremiah 2:35 . Job was none such; but made it his daily practice to acknowledge his iniquities against

Job 4:16 — therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men: and oh that we could persuade them! An image was before mine eyes — But I could not tell what to make of it. It is not the will of God that man should represent him by an image, Deuteronomy 4:15-16 . The Jews, after the captivity, were so far from idolatry, that they would not admit a carver or painter into their city. The Turks will not endure any image, no, not upon their coins, because of the second commandment. Varro saith, he that first

Job 5:13 — the flesh unto ends of pleasure; and devilish, as managing the pride of life unto ends of power: these subtle sirs, these profound politicians, that dig deep to hide their counsels, not from men only, but (which is impossible) from the Lord, Isaiah 29:15 , that think they can work out anything ( πανουργια ), 1 Corinthians 3:19 , and that none can prevent them (as the apostle’s word from this text importeth), God takes and makes fools of them; he

Song of Solomon 8:7 — arca que trae consigo la plaga. Dios pone un precio muy alto a su amor que se adhiere a él en la aflicción, como lo hizo David con los hombres que estaban con él en Gat, los cereteos y peleteos que se apegaron a él cuando Absalón estaba despierto. 2Sa 15:18 Y a pesar de su reciente rebelión en Siclag, los lleva consigo a Hebrón (donde iba a ser coronado), para que, como habían compartido con él en su miseria, pudieran participar de su prosperidad. He aquí, así también trata a nuestro David celestial

Micah 3:11 — Sus jefes juzgan por recompensa, y sus sacerdotes enseñan por salario, y sus profetas adivinan por dinero. ¿Se apoyarán en el SEÑOR y dirán: No está el SEÑOR entre nosotros? ningún mal puede sobrevenirnos. Ver. 11. Sus cabezas juzgan por recompensa ] Siendo tantas langostas, et latrones cum privilegio, ambos ladrones con inmunidad, como se dice. Bien podría decir San Pablo que la codicia es la raíz de todos los males, 1 Timoteo 6:10 . Aquí se asigna como una

Zechariah 4:7 — they have slept their sleep" (such as Sisera did): "and none of the men of might have found their hands," Psalms 76:4-5 , when once they fell into the punishing hands of the living God. He will soon level these lofty mountains, Jeremiah 51:25 . Babylon is called a destroying mountain seated upon a rock; yet God will level, and lay it low enough. They shall become a plain — A champaign, that before seemed impossible, inaccessible. Christ’s enemies shall be in that place that

Matthew 5:36 — smallest. ( Magnus in magnis, nec parvus in minimis. ) What less than a hair? yet in making a hair white or black, God’s power appeareth. The devil can as little create a hair of the head as he could of old a louse in the land of Egypt, Exodus 8:18 . There are miracles enough in man’s body to fill a volume. It is the image of God and a little world ( μικροκοσμος ), an epitome of the visible world, as his soul is of the invisible.

Matthew 5:36 — nec parvus in minimis. ) ¿Qué menos que un cabello? sin embargo, al hacer blanco o negro un cabello, aparece el poder de Dios. El diablo puede crear tan poco un cabello de la cabeza como pudo en la antigüedad un piojo en la tierra de Egipto, Éxodo 8:18 . Hay suficientes milagros en el cuerpo del hombre para llenar un volumen. Es la imagen de Dios y un pequeño mundo (μικροκοσμος), un epítome del mundo visible, ya que su alma es del invisible. La idea o el ejemplo del gran mundo, que estuvo en Dios

Matthew 7:11 — Entonces, si vosotros, siendo malos, sabéis dar buenas dádivas a vuestros hijos, ¿cuánto más vuestro Padre que está en los cielos dará buenas cosas a los que le pidan? Ver. 11. Si, pues, siendo malos ] también vosotros mis discípulos; porque por naturaleza nunca hay uno mejor para nosotros. Pero como dijo el historiador que había muchos Marii en un César, también hay muchos Caín y Judas en el mejor de todos nosotros. Homo

Deuteronomy 32:15 — the fed hawk forget our master? Or being full with God’s benefits, like the full moon, then get farthest off from the sun, and by an interposition of earthly desires become dark? The cords of love are called "the cords of a man." Hosea 11:4 To sin against mercy is to sin against humanity; it is bestial, nay, it is worse. To render good for evil is divine; to render good for good is humane; to render evil for evil is brutish; but to render evil for good is devilish; as a reverend man

2 Samuel 12:5 — the man that hath done this [thing] shall surely die: And David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man. — Little dreaming that himself was the man, till afterwards, and then it was, - "Yea, what indignation!" 2 Corinthians 7:11 Men usually favour themselves too much when they are chancellors in their own cause, and measure all things by their own private interest; as David could allow himself another man’s wife, and judge another to death for taking away a poor man’s