Bible Commentaries

Psalms 107:4 — The word “wilderness” in the Scriptures means a desolate, barren, uninhabited region, usually destitute of trees, of springs, and of water-courses. It does not denote, as it does with us, a region of extensive “forests.” Compare the notes at Matthew 4:1.In a solitary way - Rather, in a “waste” way; a land that was desolate and uncultivated.They found no city to dwell in - In their journeyings. This was true of the region between Babylon and Palestine; a wide, barren, desolate waste.

Psalms 123:1 — God.Lift I up mine eyes - In supplication and prayer. Nature prompts us to look up when we address God, as if he dwelt above us. It is the natural prompting of the heart that he must be the most exalted of all beings, dwelling above all. See Psalms 121:1.O thou that dwellest in the heavens - Whose home - whose special home - is in heaven - above the sky. This is in accordance with the common feelings of people, and the common description of God in the Bible, though it is true also that God is everywhere.

Psalms 140:7 — of my salvation” means the strength or power on which my safety depends. I have no other hope of deliverance but in thee.Thou hast covered my head in the day of battle - Thou hast been a shield unto me. Literally, “In the day of arms,” or of armor, 1 Kings 10:25; Ezekiel 39:9-10.

Psalms 18:34 — He teacheth my hands to war - Compare Psalms 144:1. The skill which David had in the use of the bow, the sword, or the spear - all of which depends on the hands - he ascribes entirely to God.So that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms - This is mentioned as an instance of extraordinary strength,

Psalms 22:28 — For the kingdom is the Lord’s - The dominion belongs of right to Yahweh, the true God. See Matthew 6:13; Psalms 47:7-8.And he is the governor among the nations - He is the rightful governor or ruler among the nations. This is an assertion of the absolute right of Yahweh to reign over the nations of the earth, and the expression of an assurance on the

Psalms 37:39 — But the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord - Or, salvation comes to the righteous from the Lord. While the wicked are cut off, the righteous shall be safe. There are evidently two ideas here:(1) that there will be salvation to the righteous, while the wicked are cut off;(2) that this comes from the Lord, and not from themselves.It is not owing to any power of their own that they are safe, but is solely because they are kept by the Lord.He

Psalms 63:7 — argument is, that God’s mercy and favor in the past is a reason why we should confide in him in time to come.Therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice - Under the shadow or protection of thy wings will I feel safe. See the notes at Psalms 17:8. Compare Psalms 36:7; Psalms 57:1; Psalms 61:4.

Psalms 89:46 — How long, Lord? - How long is this to continue? Can it be that this is to continue always? Is there to be no change for the better? Are the promises which have been made, never to be fulfilled? Compare Psalms 13:1, note; Psalms 77:7-9, notes.Wilt thou hide thyself for ever? - Thy favor. Wilt thou never come forth and manifest thyself as the Helper of those who trust in thee?Shall thy wrath burn like fire? - Fire which entirely consumes; fire which never ceases

Psalms 94:5 — They break in pieces thy people - They tread down; they grind; they crush. The Hebrew word is often used as meaning to crush under foot; to trample on; and hence, it means to oppress. Lamentations 3:34; Isaiah 3:15.And afflict - To wit, by oppression and wrong. If this refers to foreigners, it means that they did this by invasion and by the ravages of war.Thine heritage - Thy people, regarded as an inheritance or possession. See Psalms 28:9, note; Psalms 33:12,

Proverbs 30:15-16 — Note the numeration mounting to a climax, the two, the three, the four (Amos 1:3 etc.). The word rendered “horseleach” is found nowhere else, and its etymology is doubtful; but there are good grounds for taking the word in its literal sense, as giving an example, in the natural world, of the insatiable greed of which the next

Isaiah 26:2 — Open ye the gates - This is probably the language of a chorus responding to the sentiment in Isaiah 26:1. The captive people are returning; and this cry is made that the gates of the city may be thrown open, and that they may be permitted to enter without obstruction (compare Psalms 24:7, Psalms 24:9; Psalms 118:19).That the righteous nation which keepeth

Isaiah 3:14 — With the ancients ... - With the old men, the counselors.Ye have eaten up the vineyard - Hebrew ‘Ye have burnt up’ - that is, you have oonsumed or destroyed it. By the vineyard is represented the Jewish republic or people; Psalms 80:9-13; compare the notes at Isaiah 5:1-7. The princes and rulers had, by their exactions and oppressions, ruined the people, and destroyed the country.The spoil of the poor - The “plunder” of the poor; or that which you have taken from the poor by exactions

Isaiah 44:24 — Thy Redeemer - (See the note at Isaiah 43:1).And he that formed thee from thee womb - (See the note at Isaiah 44:2).That stretcheth forth the heavens - (See the note at Isaiah 40:22).That spreadeth abroad the earth - Representing the earth, as is often done in the Scriptures, as a plain. God

Isaiah 46:5 — To whom will ye liken me - (see the notes at Isaiah 40:18, Isaiah 40:25). The design of this and the following verses is to show the folly of idolatry, and the vanity of trusting in idols. This is a subject that the prophet often dwells on. The argument here is derived from the fact that the idols of Babylon

Jeremiah 23:33 — Burden - Here a prophecy, either(1) as being something weighty: or(2) a something said aloud.Isaiah brought the word into general use: Jeremiah never used it, though his predictions were all of impending evil. The false prophets, however, applied it in derision to Jeremiah’s prophecies,

Ezekiel 1:9 — Two of the wings were in the act of flying, so stretched out that the extremity of each touched a wing of a neighboring living creature, similarly stretched out. This was only when they were in motion. See Ezekiel 1:24.They went every one straight forward - The four together formed a square, and never altered their relative position. From each side two faces looked straight out, one at each corner - and so all moved together toward any of the four quarters, toward

Ezekiel 12:4 — The particulars which Ezekiel here foretold actually occurred (compare 2 Kings 25:4; Jeremiah 39:4); but at this time Zedekiah seemed to be prosperous, and the Jews at Jerusalem expected, it is clear, a long continuance of his prosperity (see Ezekiel 17:1 note).The prophetic character of the passage is undoubted (the prophet is declared to be “a sign,” Ezekiel 12:6) - the genuineness of the book and of the position of the passage in the book, are beyond dispute; in the historical event we have an

Ezekiel 17:22 — and thrive. Yahweh’s favorite is like the “lofty cedar, eminent upon a high mountain.”The highest branch of the high cedar - The rightful representative of the royal house of David, the Messiah.Tender one - The Messiah. This prophecy rests upon Isaiah 11:1, Isaiah 11:10.

Daniel 2:3 — floating impression of what the dream was - such as we often have of a dream that has agitated out minds, but of which we cannot recal the distinct and full image; and he desired to recal that distinctly, and to know exactly what it meant. See Daniel 2:1.

Matthew 18:16 — But if he will not hear thee ... - That is, if he spurns or abuses you, or will not be entreated by you, and will not reform.Take with thee one or two more - The design of taking them seems to be,That he might be induced to listen to them, Matthew 18:17. They should be persons of influence or authority; his personal friends, or those in whom he could put confidence. That they might be witnesses of his conduct before the church, Matthew 18:17. The law of Moses required two or three witnesses, Deu