Bible Commentaries

1 Kings 6:1 — hundred and eightieth year - It is upon this statement that all the earlier portion of what is called the “received chronology” depends. Amid Minor differences there is a general agreement, which justifies us in placing the accession of Solomon about 1000 B.C. (1018 B.C. Oppert.) But great difficulties meet us in determining the sacred chronology anterior to this. Apart from the present statement, the chronological data of the Old Testament are insufficient to fix the interval between Solomon’s accession

Job 24:25 — died a peaceful death, without any direct demonstration of the divine displeasure. He boldly appeals, now, to anyone to deny this, or to prove the contrary. The appeal was decisive. The fact was undeniable, and the controversy was closed. Bildad Job 25:1-6 attempts a brief reply, but he does not touch the question about the facts to which Job had appealed, but utters a few vague and irrelevant proverbial maxims, about the greatness of God, and is silent. His proverbs appear to be exhausted, and the

Job 36:14 — of the most worth mss and wicked of the race. The word rendered “unclean” (קדשׁים qâdêsh) is from קדשׁ qâdash, “to be pure or holy”; and in the Hiphil to regard as holy, to consecrate, or devote to the service of God, as e. g. a priest; Exodus 28:41; Exodus 29:1. Then it means to consecrate or devote to “any” service or purpose, as to an idol god. Hence, it means one consecrated or devoted to the service of Astarte, the goddess of the Sidonians or Venus, and as this worship was corrupt and licentious,

Job 38:8 — to denote gates, such as are made to shut up water in a dam. The Hebrew word properly refers, in the dual form which is used here דלתים delethiym), to “double doors,” or to folding doors, and is also applied to the gates of a city; Deuteronomy 3:5; 1 Samuel 23:7; Isaiah 45:1. The idea is, that the floods were bursting forth from the abyss or the center of the earth, and were checked by placing gates or doors which restrained them. Whether this is designed to be a poetic or a real description of

Psalms 1:6 — power; no one can claim this in virtue of rank and station. No one can be admitted to the favor of God, and to the rewards of heaven, whose character is not such that it will bear the scrutiny of the Omniscient eve. Compare the notes at 2 Timothy 2:19. Man may be deceived in judging character, but God is not. When it is said that “the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous,” the word “way” seems to be used to denote the whole of life - the manner of living (Notes, Psalms 1:1), and hence, the whole

Psalms 102:24 — I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of my days - This was the burden of my prayer, for this I earnestly pleaded. See Psalms 30:9; Isaiah 38:1-3, Isaiah 38:9-18. The word used here means “to cause to ascend or go up” and the expression might have been translated, “Cause me not to ascend.” The Septuagint and the Latin Vulgate render it, “Call me not away.” Dr. Horsley,” Carry me not off.” In

Psalms 19:6 — end of the heaven; that is, from the East, where he starts.And his circuit - The word used here - תקופה teqûphâh - means properly a coming about, or a return, as of the seasons, or of the year. It is found only in Exodus 34:22, “At the year’s end;” 1 Samuel 1:20, “When the time was come about” (Margin, in revolution of days); 2 Chronicles 24:23, “At the end of the year” (Margin, in the revolution of the year). The word here does not refer to the fact that the sun comes round to the starting-point

Psalms 29:5 — cedars of Lebanon - “Cedars are mentioned as the loftiest forest trees, and those of Lebanon as the loftiest of their species.” - “Prof. Alexander.” The cedars of Lebanon are often referred to in the Scriptures as remarkable for their size and grandeur: 1 Kings 4:33; 1 Kings 5:6; Psalms 92:12; Ezra 3:7.

Psalms 32:2 — proper for God to treat him as if he were innocent. The sin will not be re-charged upon him, or reckoned to his account; but he is admitted to the same kind of treatment to which he would be entitled if he had always been perfectly holy. See Romans 1:17, note; Romans 3:24, note; Romans 4:5, note; Romans 5:1, note.And in whose spirit there is no guile - Who are sincere and true. That is, who are not hypocrites; who are conscious of no desire to cover up or to conceal their offences; who make a frank

Psalms 40:10 — heart - The word “righteousness” here may denote the divine views on the subject of righteousness, or the divine method of making man righteous; that is, the method of justification, as the word is used in the New Testament. See the notes at Romans 1:17. The word, as it might have been employed by David, would have been used in the former sense, as meaning that, knowing what God requires of men, he had not concealed that in his heart, or had not kept it to himself; as used by the Messiah, as I suppose

Psalms 41:1 — Blessed is he - See the notes at Psalms 1:1. Literally, “Oh the blessings of him that considers the poor.” The object is to describe the advantages of doing what is here said; or the excellence of the spirit which would be manifested in such a case, and the effect which this would have on his

Psalms 50:3 — this doctrine was understood and believed by the Hebrews. The New Testament has stated the fact that this will be done by the coming of his Son Jesus Christ to gather the nations before him, and to pronounce tile final sentence on mankind: Matthew 25:31; Acts 17:31; Acts 10:42; John 5:22.And shall not keep silence - That is, the will come forth and “express” his judgment on the conduct of mankind. See the notes at Psalms 28:1. He “seems” now to be silent. No voice is heard. No sentence is pronounced.

Psalms 59:5 — constellations drawn out in the form of armies; thou, thus endowed with all power, and able to subdue all people though arrayed and combined for purposes of evil - awake to my help. On the meaning of the phrase “God of hosts,” see the notes at Isaiah 1:9.The God of Israel - The God of the Hebrew people - the descendants of Jacob or Israel - the Protector of thy people - awake to help me, one of those who, being of that covenant people, come under the promise of protection.Awake to visit all the heathen

Ecclesiastes 1:2 — Vanity - This word הבל hebel, or, when used as a proper name, in Genesis 4:2, “Abel”, occurs no less than 37 times in Ecclesiastes, and has been called the key of the book. Primarily it means “breath,” “light wind;” and denotes what: (1) passes away more or less quickly and completely; (2) leaves either no result or no adequate result behind, and therefore (3) fails to satisfy the mind of man, which naturally craves for something permanent and progressive: it is also applied to: (4)

Isaiah 1:12 — Hence, ‘to appear before God,’ Hebrew ‘to be seen before my face,’ פני לראות lerâ'ôth pânāy for פני את 'et pânāy, means to appear in his temple as a worshipper. The phrase occurs in this sense in the following places: Exodus 34:23-24; Deuteronomy 31:11; 1 Samuel 1:22; Psalms 42:3.Who hath required this - The Jews were required to appear there to worship God Exodus 23:17; Deuteronomy 16:16; but it was not required that they should appear with that spirit and temper. A similar sentiment is expressed

Isaiah 1:14 — applied to those festivals, because they were fixed by law to certain periods of the year. This verse is a very impressive repetition of the former, as if the soul was full of the subject, and disposed to dwell upon it.My soul hateth - I hate. Psalms 11:5. The nouns נפשׁ nephesh, soul, and רוּח rûach, spirit, are often used to denote the person himself, and are to be construed as “I.” Thus, Isaiah 26:9 : ‘With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee

Joel 3:18 — of antichrist, there will, it seems, still be a period of probation, in which the grace of God will abound and extend more and more widely. The prophet Zechariah, who continues on the image, of the “living waters going out from Jerusalem” Zechariah 14:8, places this gift after God had gathered all nations against Jerusalem, and had visibly and miraculously overthrown them Zechariah 14:2-4. But in that the blessings which he speaks of, are regenerating, they belong to time; the fullness of the blessing

Deuteronomy 30:1-10 — The rejection of Israel and the desolation of the promised inheritance were not to be the end of God’s dispensations. The closing words of the address therefore are words of comfort and promise. Compare marginal reference and Deuteronomy 4:29 ff; 1 Kings 8:46-50.The chastisements of God would lead the nation to repent, and thereupon God would again bless them.Deuteronomy 30:3Will turn thy captivity - Will change or put an end to thy state of captivity or distress (compare Psalms 14:7; Psalms 85:2;

James 1:14 — atrapado; es decir, es capturado por este poder y retenido; o es guiado y engañado, hasta que cae en pecado, como en una trampa que de repente brota sobre él. Επιθυμια Epithumia en el Nuevo Testamento, a veces se emplea en un buen sentido, Lucas 22:15; Phi 1:23 ; 1 Tesalonicenses 2:17; a menudo en un mal sentido, como en Marco 4:19; Juan 8:44; Romanos 1:24; Romanos 6:12; Romanos 7:7; 1 Juan 2:16; pero no hay dificultad en hacer la distinción; El contexto determina fácilmente el asunto. Y este

2 Peter 2:8 — no se vuelven indiferentes o contaminados por él. "Enfadado" su "alma justa de día a día con" sus "acciones ilegales". Torturó o atormentó su alma - ἐβασάνιζεν ebasanizen Compare Mateo 8:6, Mateo 8:29; Lucas 8:28; Apocalipsis 9:5; Apocalipsis 11:1; Apocalipsis 14:1; Apocalipsis 20:1, donde la misma palabra se representa "atormentada". El uso de esta palabra parecería implicar que hubo algo activo por parte de Lot que produjo esta angustia debido a su conducta. No solo estaba preocupado como