Bible Commentaries

2 Kings 22:14 — Went unto Huldah - It might have been expected that the royal commissioners would have gone to Jeremiah, on whom the prophetic spirit had descended in Josiah’s 13th year Jeremiah 1:2, or five years previous to the finding of the Law. Perhaps he was at some distance from Jerusalem at the time; or his office may not yet have been fully recognized.The prophetess - Compare the cases of Miriam Exodus 15:20; Numbers

2 Chronicles 13:3 — It has been proposed to change the numbers, here and in 2 Chronicles 13:17, into 40,000, 80,000, and 50,000 respectively - partly because these smaller numbers are found in many early editions of the Vulgate, but mainly because the larger ones are thought to be incredible. The numbers accord well, however, with the census

Job 11:4 — Syriac, “thou sayest I have acted justly.” But the word used here (לקח leqach) means properly “fair speech” or “taking arguments,” that by which one is “taken” or captivated, from לקח lâqach, “to take.” Then it means doctrine, or instruction, Proverbs 1:5; Proverbs 9:9. Here it means the views which Job had expressed. Dr. Good supposes that it means “conduct,” a word which would suit the connection, but the Hebrew is not used in this sense.And I am clean in thine eyes - In the eyes of God, or in his

Job 19:6 — him. He wished them to be “fully” apprised of all that he had suffered at the hand of God.Hath overthrown me - The word used here (עות ‛âvath) means to bend, to make crooked or curved; then to distort, prevert: them to overturn, to destroy; Isaiah 24:1; Lamentations 3:9. The meaning here is, that he had been in a state of prosperity, but that God had completely “reversed” everything.And hath compassed me with his net - Has sprung his net upon me as a hunter does, and I am caught. Perhaps there may

Job 3:16 — is, which is soon removed from the sight. So the Psalmist, Psalms 58:8 :As a snail which melteth, let thom dissolve;As the untimely birth of a woman, that they may not see the sun.Septuagint ἔκτρωμα ektrōma, the same word which is used by Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:8, with reference to himself; see the notes at that place.I had not been - I should have perished; I should not have been a man, as I now am, subject to calamity. The meaning is, that he would have been taken away and concealed, as such

Job 41:7 — to its thickness and impenetrability. A common method of taking fish is by the spear; but it is here said that the leviathan could not be caught in this manner. The common method of taking the crocodile now is by shooting him; see the notes at Job 41:1. Nothing is more remarkable in the crocodile than the thick and impenetrable skin with which it is covered; and the description here will agree better with this animal than with any other.Or his head with fish spears - The word here rendered “fish-spears”

Job 9:12 — us for a little time, and which he has a right to remove when it seems good to him. This truth Job fully admits, and in the calm contemplation of all his losses and his sorrows, he acknowledges that God had a right to do as he had done; see note, Job 1:21.

Psalms 18:29 — sense; to rush with violence upon one. The idea here is that he had been enabled to rush with violence upon his armed opposers; that is, to overcome them, and to secure a victory. The allusion is to the wars in which he had been engaged. Compare Psalms 115:1.And by my God - By the help derived from God.Have I leaped over a wall - Have I been delivered, as if I had leaped over a wall when I was besieged; or, I have been able to scale the walls of an enemy, and to secure a victory. The probability is

Psalms 24:8 — portion of the choir of singers. The answer is found in the other part of the verse.The Lord strong and mighty - Yahweh, strong and mighty - describing Him by His most exalted attributes as a God of power. This is in accordance with the idea in Psalms 24:1-2, where He is represented as the Creator and the Proprietor of all the earth. Perhaps, also, there is an allusion to the fact that He is mighty, as distinguished from idols which have no power.The Lord mighty in battle - Who displays His power eminently

Psalms 38:15 — is expressed, and the sentiment was beautifully and perfectly illustrated, in what is said of the Lord Jesus: “Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously,” 1 Peter 2:23.Thou wilt hear, O Lord my God - Margin, as in Hebrew: “answer.” The idea is, that God would answer his prayers, and that his character would, in answer to those prayers, be set right before the world.

Psalms 40:16 — understand thy ways; to be thy friends. The phrase is used to denote the truly pious, because it is a characteristic of all such that they truly desire to be acquainted with God, and to find the way which leads to his favor.Rejoice and be glad in thee - (1) By finding thee, or securing the object which they sought;(2) in thee, as the source of all true comfort and joy.The prayer is that all such may be successful in their efforts, while those who have no such aim may be disappointed, Psalms 40:14.Let

Psalms 44:24 — Wherefore hidest thou thy face? - See the notes at Psalms 13:1. Why dost thou turn away from us, and refuse to aid us, and leave us to these unpitied sufferings?And forgettest our affliction and our oppression - Our trials, and the wrongs that are committed against us. These are earnest appeals. They are the

Psalms 46:6 — or were agitated like the waves of the sea. This language would well describe the consternation of the nations when the Assyrians went forth to conquest, and when, having subdued so many other kingdoms, they made war on Jerusalem. Compare Isaiah 36:18-20.The kingdoms were moved - That is, those who were invaded, as well as those that made the invasion. There was a general convulsion or shaking among the nations of the earth.He uttered his voice - God spoke; he gave command; he expressed his will.

Psalms 46:7 — The Lord of hosts - The God commanding, ordering, marshalling the hosts of heaven - the angels, and the starry worlds. See the notes at Isaiah 1:9. Compare Psalms 24:10. The reference here is to God considered as having control over all “armies,” or all that can be regarded and described as a marshalled host, in earth and in heaven. Having such a Being, therefore, for a protector, they had nothing

Psalms 51:8 — sorrow. The burden was great and overpowering - such as to crush him; to break all his “bones.” He longed to hear the sweet voice of forgiveness, by which he might have peace, and by which his soul might be made to rejoice. Compare the notes at Psalms 32:1-2.That the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice - That is, which have been crushed or broken by the weight of sin. Compare the notes at Psalms 32:3. See also Psalms 6:2; Psalms 22:14; Psalms 31:10; Psalms 38:3. The word “rejoice” means here, be

Psalms 68:2 — represent the real weakness of the most mighty armies of men as opposed to God.So drive them away - With the same ease with which smoke is driven by the slightest breeze, so do the enemies of God disappear before his power. Compare the notes at Psalms 1:4.As wax melteth before the fire - Compare Psalms 22:14. The meaning here is plain. As wax is melted down by fire - losing all its hardness, its firmness, its power of resistance, so must the most mighty armies melt away before God.So let the wicked

Psalms 73:22 — guilty of such foolishness in the very presence of my Maker. If it had been when I was alone, or when no one saw me, the folly would not have been so aggravated, and so much to be regretted, but it was when the very eye of God was upon me. Compare Isaiah 1:7; Jeremiah 7:30; Jeremiah 18:10; Psalms 51:4. When he says that he was as a beast, he means that he was stupid and senseless; he had no proper understanding of the case; he did not take any just views of it.

Psalms 78:71 — in the language of a shepherd life.To feed Jacob his people - Rather, to be a shepherd to them; to perform toward them the office of a shepherd, including the ideas of governing them, providing for them, and defending them. See the notes at Psalms 23:1-2.

Psalms 80:18 — people only to be disregarded; a pledge proper for all who are in affliction, and often made in such circumstances, but, as in the case of the Hebrews, often made only to be forgotten.Quicken us - literally, Give us life. See the notes at Ephesians 2:1. Restore life to us as a people; save us from ruin, and reanimate us with thy presence.And we will call upon thy name - We will worship thee; we will be faithful in serving thee.

Psalms 80:9 — to turn; to turn the back; then, to turn in order to look at anything; to look upon; to see; then, in Piel, to cause to turn away; to remove. Then it comes to mean to remove, or to clear from impediments so as to prepare a way Isaiah 40:3; Isaiah 57:14; Isaiah 62:10; Malachi 3:1, and hence, to remove the impediments to planting a vine, etc.; to wit, by clearing away the trees, brush, stones, etc. Compare Isaiah 5:2. Here it means that the hindrances in planting the vine were taken out of the way;