Bible Commentaries

Psalms 130:5 — I wait for the Lord - That is, in this state of distress and trouble - from these “depths” of woe, and sorrow, and conviction of sin. This implies two things:(1) that he had no other dependence;(2) that his soul was actually in a waiting posture, or that he actually looked to the Lord for his interposition.My soul doth wait - I wait, with all my soul and heart.And in his word do I hope - In his promise. I believe

Psalms 143:5 — I remember the days of old - Former times.(1) as contrasted with my present condition.(2) as times when I called upon thee, and thou didst interpose.(3) as encouraging me now to come to thee, and spread out my case before thee. See Psalms 77:5-11, note; Psalms 42:4, note.I meditate on all thy

Psalms 18:8 — be produced “by” his nostrils, or to be caused by his breathing. The comparison, according to Rosenmuller and DeWette, is derived from wild beasts when excited with anger, and when their rage is indicated by their violent breathing. Compare Psalms 74:1; Deuteronomy 29:20; Isaiah 65:5.And fire out of his mouth devoured - That is, the clouds seemed to be poured forth from his nostrils, and the lightning from his mouth. So in Habakkuk 3:5 : “Before him went the pestilence, and burning coals went forth

Psalms 27:12 — him.And such as breathe out cruelty - That is, they meditate violence or cruel treatment. They are intent on this; they pant for it. Saul of Tarsus thus “breathed out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord.” See the notes at Acts 9:1.

Psalms 33:20 — piety. True piety leads people to wait on the Lord; to depend on Him; to look to His interposition in danger, sickness, poverty, want; to rely upon Him for all that is hoped for in this life, and for salvation in the life to come. Compare Psalms 62:1; Psalms 25:3.He is our help - Our aid; our helper. Compare Psalms 10:14; Psalms 22:11; Psalms 30:10.And our shield - See the notes at Psalms 5:12. That is, He will defend us from our enemies, as if He threw His shield between us and them.

Psalms 45:6 — by the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews in proof that the Messiah is exalted above the angels, and it is, beyond all question, adduced by him as having original reference to the Messiah. See the passage explained at length in the notes at Hebrews 1:8. I do not perceive, after an interval of nearly twenty years since those notes were written, that it is necessary to alter or to add anything to what is there said in explanation of the passage. It is undoubtedly an address to the “king” here referred

Psalms 56:1 — Be merciful unto me, O God - See the notes at Psalms 51:1.For man would swallow me up - The word used here means properly to breathe hard; to pant; to blow hard; and then, to pant after, to yawn after with open mouth. The idea is, that people came upon him everywhere with open mouth, as if they would swallow

Psalms 68:34 — Ascribe ye strength unto God - literally, “give.” That is, Acknowledge him as a God of power. Recognise his omnipotence in your worship. See the notes at Psalms 29:1.His excellency is over Israel - His majesty; his glory; his protecting care. The idea is, that his glorious character - his majesty - was manifested particularly in his protection of his people.And his strength is in the clouds - Margin, “heavens.”

Psalms 81:12 — way - to let them see what must be the result of forsaking the true God. The world - and the church too - has been often suffered to make this experiment.And they walked in their own counsels - As they thought wise and best. Compare Acts 7:42; Acts 14:16; Romans 1:24; Psalms 78:26-37.

Psalms 86:7 — steady assurance of mind, applicable not only to this case, but to all similar cases. He had firm confidence in God at all times; an unwavering belief that God is a hearer of prayer. This is a just foundation of hope when we approach God. Compare James 1:6-7.

Psalms 88:8 — Thou hast put away mine acquaintance far from me - The same ground of complaint, or expression of the depth of affliction, occurs elsewhere, Psalms 31:11; Psalms 38:11; Psalms 69:8. See also Job 19:13-17.Thou hast made me an abomination unto them - As something which they would avoid, or from which they would revolt and turn away - as we turn away from the body of a dead man, or from an offensive

Proverbs 7:14 — This pretence of a religious feast gives us an insight into some strange features of popular religion under the monarchy of Judah. The harlot uses the technical word Leviticus 3:1 for the “peace-offerings,” and makes them the starting-point for her sin. They have to be eaten on the same day that they are offered Leviticus 7:15-16, and she invites her victim to the feast. She who speaks is a “foreigner” who, under a show of conformity

Ecclesiastes 1:1 — in office, it is strictly a feminine participle, and describes a person in the act of calling together an assembly of people as if with the intention of addressing them. The word thus understood refers us to the action of Wisdom personified Proverbs 1:20; Proverbs 8:8. In Proverbs and here, Solomon seems to support two characters, speaking sometimes in the third person as Wisdom instructing the assembled people, at other times in the first person. So our Lord speaks of Himself (compare Luke 11:49

Isaiah 12:4 — And in that day - (see Isaiah 12:1).Call upon his name - Margin, ‘Proclaim.’ It denotes to call upon him in the way of celebrating his praise. The whole hymn is one of praise, and not of prayer.Declare among the people - Among all people, that they may be brought to see his glory,

Isaiah 15:8 — account of the distress.Unto Eglaim - This was a city of Moab east of the Dead Sea, which, Eusebius says, was eight miles south of Ar, and hence, says Rosenmuller, it was not far from the south border of Moab. It is mentioned by Josephus (“Ant.” xiv. 1), as one of the twelve cities in that region which was overthrown by Alexander the Great.Unto Beer-elim - literally, “the well of the princes.” Perhaps the same as that mentioned in Numbers 21:14-18, as being in the land of Moab, and near to Ar: The

Isaiah 24:1 — take away its inhabitants, and its wealth. The word ‘earth’ here (ארץ 'ārets) is used evidently not to denote the whole world, but the land to which the prophet particularly refers - the land of Judea. It should have been translated the land (see Joel 1:2). It is possible, however, that the word here may be intended to include so much of the nations that surrounded Palestine as were allied with it, or as were connected with it in the desolations under Nebuchadnezzar.And turneth it upside down - Margin,

Isaiah 28:6 — And for a spirit of judgment - (compare the note at Isaiah 1:26; Isaiah 11:2). The sense of this passage is, that Jehovah would enlighten the judges of the land, so that they should understand what was right, and be disposed to do it.To him that sitteth in judgment - This is to be understood collectively, and

Isaiah 51:5 — distant period extend salvation to all nations.And mine arm shall judge the people - That is, shall dispense judgment to them. The ‘arm’ here is put for himself, as the arm is the instrument by which we execute our purposes (see the notes at Isaiah 51:9).The isles shall wait upon me - The distant nations; the pagan lands (see the note at Isaiah 41:1). The idea is, that distant lands would become interested in the true religion, and acknowledge and worship the true God.

Jeremiah 11:14-17 — A parenthesis. As in Jeremiah 7:16, all intercession is forbidden, and for this reason. Prayer for others for the forgiveness of their sins avails only when they also pray. The cry of the people now was that of the guilty smarting under punishment, not of the penitent mourning over

Jeremiah 3:11 — Hath justified herself - Judah had had the benefit of the warning given by Israel’s example. Both abandon Yahweh’s service for idolatry, but Israel is simply “apostate,” Judah is also false.The verse is important,(1) as accounting for the destruction of Jerusalem so soon after the pious reign of Josiah. Manasseh’s crimes had defiled the land, but it was by rejecting the reforms of Josiah that the people finally profaned it, and sealed their doom:(2) As showing