Bible Commentaries

Isaiah 13:7 — would abandon their plans of defense, and give themselves up to despair (compare Jeremiah 50:43 : ‘The king of Babylon hath heard the report of them, and his hands waxed feeble; anguish took hold of him, and pangs as of a Women in travail;’ Ezekiel 7:17; Zephaniah 3:16).And every man’s heart shall melt - Or, shall faint, so that he shall have no courage or strength (compare Deuteronomy 20:8). The fact was, that the destruction of Babylon took place in the night. It came suddenly upon the city, while

Isaiah 37:14 — (plural). It is not mentioned in the account of the embassy Isaiah 37:9, that a letter was sent, but it is not probable that all embassage would be sent to a monarch without a written document.Went up into the house of the Lord - The temple Isaiah 37:1.And spread it before the Lord - Perhaps unrolled the document there, and spread it out; or perhaps it means simply that he spread out the contents of the letter, that is, made mention of it in his prayer. Hezekiah had no other resource. He was a man

Isaiah 37:37 — So Sennacherib departed - Probably with some portion of his army and retinue with him, for it is by no means probable that the whole army had been destroyed. In 2 Chronicles 32:21, it is said that the angel ‘cut off all the mighty men of valor, and the leaders and captains in the camp of the king of Assyria.’ His army was thus entirely disabled, and the loss of so large a part of it, and the consternation produced by their sudden

Isaiah 41:5 — The isles saw it - The distant nations (see the note at Isaiah 41:1). They saw what was done in the conquests of the man whom God in this remarkable manner had raised up; and they had had demonstration, therefore, of the mighty power of Yahweh above the power of idols.And feared - Were alarmed, and trembled. All were

Isaiah 43:22 — mere unmerited favor.Thou hast been weary - As a people, you have been weary of my service. They had accounted his laws grievous and oppressive; and they had groaned under what they regarded as burdensome rites and ceremonies (see Amos 8:5-6; Malachi 1:13). God here refers, doubtless, to the times before the captivity, and is stating what was the general characteristic of the people.

Isaiah 48:20 — their own land.Utter it even to the end of the earth - It is an event so great and wonderful that all the nations should be made acquainted with it.The Lord hath redeemed ... - Yahweh has rescued from captivity his people (see the notes at Isaiah 43:1).

Isaiah 5:21 — fifth crime specified. It refers to those who are inflated with a false opinion of their own knowledge, and who are, therefore, self-confident and vain. This is expressly forbidden; Proverbs 3:7 : ‘Be not wise in thine own eyes;’ compare Proverbs 26:12.In their own eyes - In their own opinion, or estimation.And prudent - Knowing; self-conceited. This was, doubtless, one characteristic of the times of Isaiah. It is known to have been strikingly the characteristic of the Jews - particularly the Pharisees

Isaiah 5:3 — He intended to “punish” them Isaiah 5:5-6, and he appeals to them for the justice of it. He would do to them as they would do to a vineyard that had been carefully prepared and guarded, and which yet was valueless. A similar appeal he makes in Isaiah 1:18; and our Saviour made an application remarkably similar in his parable of the vineyard, Matthew 21:40-43. It is not improbable that he had his eye on this very place in Isaiah; and it is, therefore, the more remarkable that the Jews did not understand

Isaiah 52:9 — waste places of Jerusalem to break out into expressions of praise, is in accordance with a style which frequently occurs in Isaiah, and in other sacred writers, by which inanimate objects are called on to manifest their joy (see the notes at Isaiah 14:7-8; Isaiah 42:11).For the Lord hath comforted his people - That is, he does comfort his people, and redeem them. This is seen by the prophet in vision, and to his view it is represented as if it were passing before his eyes.He hath redeemed Jerusalem

Isaiah 56:6 — Also the sons of the stranger - (see the note at Isaiah 56:3). The conditions on which they should be admitted to the same privileges are specified, and are the following: 1. They were to ‘join themselves to the Lord’ (see the note at Isaiah 56:3). 2. This should be with a purpose to ‘serve him.’ Their aim and design should be to keep his commandments and to do his will. 3. They were to ‘love the name of the Lord;’ that

Isaiah 62:7 — and duty of the ministers of God to pray unceasingly for the extension of his kingdom. Day and night the voice of prayer is to be urged, and urged as if they would give Yahweh no rest until the desires of their hearts should be granted (compare Luke 18:1 ff).

Isaiah 66:14 — world.Your bones shall flourish like an herb - This is an image which is often employed in the Scriptures. When the vigor of the body fails, or when it is much afflicted, the bones are said to be feeble or weakened, or to be dried Psalms 6:2; Psalms 51:8; Psalms 22:14, Psalms 22:17; Psalms 38:3; Lamentations 1:13; Proverbs 14:30; Proverbs 17:22. like manner, prosperity, health, vigor, are denoted by making the bones fat (see the notes at Isaiah 58:11; Proverbs 15:20), or by imparting health, marrow,

Jeremiah 17:1 — This section Jeremiah 17:1-4 is inseparably connected with the preceding. Judah’s sin had been described Jeremiah 16:19 as one of which the very Gentiles will become ashamed. and for which she will shortly be punished by, an intervention of God’s hand more marked than anything

Jeremiah 18:1 — In the first prophecy of the series Jeremiah 18:0, the fate of Jerusalem was still undetermined; a long line of kings might yet reign there in splendor, and the city be inhabited forever. This was possible only so long as it was still undecided whether Josiah’s efforts would end in a national reformation

Jeremiah 4:23-26 — In four verses each beginning with “I beheld,” the prophet sees in vision the desolate condition of Judaea during the Babylonian captivity.Jeremiah 4:23Without form, and void - Desolate and void (see Genesis 1:2 note). The land has returned to a state of chaos (marginal reference note).And the heavens - And upward to the heavens. The imagery is that of the last day of judgment. To Jeremiah’s vision all was as though the day of the Lord had come, and earth

Ezekiel 25:12 — became a powerful nation before the Israelites came out of Egypt. David conquered them, but in the reign of Joram they rebelled and were not again subdued 2 Kings 8:20. Under the name of Idumea the land was conquered by John Hyrcanus (compare Ezekiel 25:14), when many of the people adopted the religion of the Jews. In later times the Idumean Herod became king of Palestine, reckoning himself as a Jew. Mount Seir, deserted by its original inhabitants, was occupied by a tribe of Arabians (the Nabatheans),

Amos 8:7 — By the excellency of Jacob - that is, by Himself who was its Glory, as Samuel calls Him “the Strength” 1 Samuel 15:29 or the Glory of Israel. Amos had before said, “God sware by His Holiness” and “by Himself” or “His soul.” Now, in like way, He pledges that Glory wherewith He was become the Glory of His people. He reminds them, who was the sole Source

Micah 6:11 — your other sins, not defiled? All these things were expressly forbidden in the law. “Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment, in mete-yard, in weight or in measure. Just balances, just weights, a just ephah and a just him, shall ye have” Leviticus 19:35-36; and, “Thou shalt not have in thy bag divers weights, a great and a small. Thou shalt not have in thine house divers measures, a great and a small. For all that do such things, and all that do unrighteousness are an abomination unto the Lord

Micah 6:3 — have I done for thee; what against thee? ‘what evil have I done unto thee?’” “Thy foot did not swell these forty years” Deuteronomy 8:4, for He upbears in all ways where He leads. Wherein have I wearied thee? for “His commandments are not grievious” 1 John 5:3. Thou hast been weary of Me, O Israel, God says by Isaiah, “I have not wearied thee with incense; thou hast wearied Me with thine iniquities” Isaiah 43:22-24.

Zephaniah 3:18 — I will gather them that are sorrowful - for the solemn assembly, in which they were to “rejoice” Leviticus 23:40; Deuteronomy 12:12, Deuteronomy 12:18; Deuteronomy 16:11; Deuteronomy 27:7 before God and which in their captivity God made to cease. “They were of thee” Lamentations 1:4; Lamentations 2:6, the true Israel who were “grieved for the affliction of Joseph; to whom the