Sálmarnir 74:5

Heilögum Biblíunni

5 Eins og menn sem reiða hátt axir í þykkum skógi,

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

1 Kings 5:6, 2 Chronicles 2:14, Jeremiah 46:22, Jeremiah 46:23

Reciprocal: Isaiah 64:11 - holy

Gill's Notes on the Bible

A man was famous,.... Or, "it was", or "is known" m; the desolations the enemy made, the wickedness they committed, the terror they spread, and the signs they set in the sanctuary of the Lord:

according as he had lifted up, or "as one that lifts up"

axes upon the thick trees n; that is, the above things were as visible, and as well known, being as easy to be seen as such an action is, a man being obliged to lift his axe above his head, to cut down a thick tree: or rather the sense is, formerly a man was famous for, and it gave him some credit and esteem, to be an hewer of wood in the forest of Lebanon, where he lifted up his axe, and cut down the thick trees for the building of the temple, as the servants of Hiram king of Tyre did; and such an action was esteemed as if a man brought an offering to God; agreeably to which is Kimchi's note,

"when the temple was built, he who lifted up his axe upon a thick tree, to cut it down for the building, was known, as if he lifted it up above in heaven before the throne of glory; all so rejoiced and gloried in the building:''

and Aben Ezra interprets it of acclamations made above on that account. The words, according to the accents, should be rendered thus, "he" or "it was known, as he that lifteth up on high; even as he that lifteth up on high, axes upon the thick tree".

m יודע "cognitus erat", Munster; "noscitur", Cocceius; "cognoscitur, innotescit", Gejerus. n כמביא "velut adducens", Montanus, Gejerus; "tanquam sursum tollens et desuper inducens", Michaelis.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

A man was famous - literally, “He is known;” or, shall be known. That is, he was or shall be celebrated.

According as he had lifted up axes - literally, “As one raising on high axes;” that is, as one lifts up his axe high in the air in order to strike an effectual stroke.

Upon the thick trees - The clumps of trees; the trees standing thick together. That is, As he showed skill and ability in cutting these down, and laying them low. His celebrity was founded on the rapidity with which the strokes of the axe fell on the trees, and his success in laying low the pride of the forest. According to our common translation the meaning is, that “formerly” a man derived his fame from his skill and success in wielding his axe so as to lay the forest low, but that “now” his fame was to be derived from another source, namely, the skill and power with which he cut down the elaborately-carved work of the sanctuary, despoiled the columns of their ornaments, and demolished the columns themselves. But another interpretation may be given to this, as has been suggested by Prof. Alexander. It is, that “the ruthless enemy is known or recognized as dealing with the sanctuary no more tenderly than a woodman with the forest which he fells.” The former, however, is the more natural, as well as the more common interpretation. Luther renders it, “One sees the axe glitter on high, as one cuts wood in the forest.” The Vulgate, and the Septuagint, “The signs pointing to the entrance above that they did not know.” What idea was attached to this rendering, it is impossible to determine.