Bible Commentaries

Job 27:16 — Though he heap up silver as the dust - That is, in great quantities - as plenty as dust; compare 1 Kings 10:27, “And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones.”And prepare raiment - Oriental wealth consisted much in changes of raiment. Sir John Chardin says that in the East it is common to gather together immense quantities of furniture and

Psalms 104:14 — the same earth - has been made to produce the endless varieties of food required for the creatures that have been placed on it. The word “grass” here refers to all the vegetable productions needful for cattle.And herb for the service of man - Genesis 1:29. The word “herb” here would include every green plant or vegetable; or all that the earth produces for the food of man. This, of course, refers to the earth as it came from the hand of God, and to the original arrangement, before permission was given

Psalms 106:28 — of the land of Canaan, and all his promises were about to be fulfilled, they still showed a disposition to depart from God. Baal-peor was an idol of the Moabites, in whose worship females prostituted themselves. Gesenius, Lexicon. Compare Numbers 25:1-3. Baal was the name of the idol; Peor was the name of a mountain in Moab, where the idol was worshipped.And ate the sacrifices of the dead - Of false gods, represented as “dead” or having no life, in contradistinction from the true and “living God.”

Psalms 113:9 — He maketh the barren woman to keep house ... - Margin, as in Hebrew, “to dwell in a house.” That is, to be at the head of a family. See the notes at Psalms 68:6. Compare 1 Samuel 2:5. This, too, is suggested as a reason why God should be praised and adored. In instances where all hope of posterity is cut off, he interposes, and diffuses joy through a dwelling. We may look abroad, and see abundant occasion for praising

Psalms 115:16 — heavens.”Even the heavens are the Lord’s - A more literal and correct rendering of this would be, “The heavens are heavens for Jehovah.” That is, he has reserved the heavens as a home for himself, or as his special possession and home. Compare Isaiah 66:1; Matthew 5:34; Acts 7:49.But the earth ... - He propared earth for the abode of man; he has placed man upon it to cultivate it; he has given its fruits and productions to man, to be held and enjoyed by man; he has made all on earth subject to man -

Psalms 119:118 — Thou hast trodden down all them that err from thy statutes - Compare the notes at Psalms 119:21. Rather, “Thou hast made light of,” or “thou despisest.” The Hebrew word means properly to suspend in a balance; to weigh. Then it means to lift up lightly or easily; and then, to make light of; to contemn; to regard anything as “light.” The Septuagint

Psalms 119:22 — suffer in the estimation of mankind on account of my religion. Let me not be exposed to malicious charges; to accusations of hypocrisy, insincerity, and unfaithfulness on account of my religion. This “reproach and contempt” might arise from two sources;(1) on account of religion itself, or because he was a true friend of God; or(2) he may have been charged with hypocrisy and insincerity; with doing things inconsistent with the profession of religion. These accusations he prays may be removed from him:

Psalms 119:36 — lead us not into temptation.” That is, Restrain us from it; let us not be put in circumstances where we shall be in danger of it. We are not to suppose that God exerts any positive influence either to make a man covetous, or to tempt him. See James 1:13-14.

Psalms 12:3 — them off from the favors which he will show to his own people, or will punish them. The word used here is the common one to denote disowning or excommunicating, and derives its meaning from the act of separating offenders from a community. See Genesis 17:14; Leviticus 17:10; Leviticus 18:29; Leviticus 20:3, Leviticus 20:6; et soepe.And the tongue that speaketh proud things - That boasts, or is self-confident. For an example of this, see Isaiah 28:15; and compare the notes at that passage. It was this

Psalms 18:9 — the earth. “He inclines the canopy of the heavens, as it were, toward the earth; wraps himself in the darkness of night, and shoots forth his arrows; hurls abroad his lightnings, and wings them with speed.” Herder, Spirit of Hebrew Poetry (Marsh), ii. 157. The allusion is still to the tempest, when the clouds ran low; when they seem to sweep along the ground; when it appears as if the heavens were brought nearer to the earth - as if, to use a common expression, “the heavens and earth were coming together.”And

Psalms 22:12 — Many bulls have compassed me - Men with the fierceness and fury of bulls. Compare Isaiah 51:20; Psalms 68:30.Strong bulls of Bashan - The country of Bashan embraced the territory which was on the east of the Jordan, north of Gilead, which was given to the half tribe of Manasseh: compare Genesis 14:5 with Joshua 12:4-6. It was distinguished

Psalms 26:8 — to dwell in Thy house. See the notes at Psalms 23:6. The psalmist often refers to his delight in the house of God - the place of public worship; his love to be there united with the people of God in the solemn services of religion. Compare Psalms 84:1-2, Psalms 84:4,Psalms 84:10; Psalms 27:4.And the place where thine honour dwelleth - Margin, “the tabernacle of thine honor.” This might indeed refer to the tabernacle; and the idea might be that he loved the place where that rested in its wanderings.

Psalms 34:18 — Omnipresent Being, God is equally near to all persons at all times; but the language is adapted to our conceptions, as we feel that one who is near us can help us, or that one who is distant from us cannot give us aid. Compare the notes at Psalms 22:11. The phrase, “them that are of a broken heart,” occurs often in the Bible. It refers to a condition when a burden “seems” to be on the heart, and when the heart “seems” to be crushed by sin or sorrow; and it is designed to describe a consciousness

Psalms 34:3 — mind, or to regard and treat as great. The idea is, that he wished all, in circumstances similar to those in which he had been placed, to have a just sense of the greatness of God, and of his claims to love and praise. Compare Psalms 35:27; Psalms 40:17; Psalms 69:30; Psalms 70:4; Luke 1:46.And let us exalt his name together - Let us unite in “lifting up” his name; that is, in raising it above all other things in our own estimation, and in the view of our fellow-men; in so making it known that it

Psalms 38:6 — I am troubled - Margin, “wearied.” The Hebrew word means to bend, to curve; then, to be distorted, to writhe with pain, convulsions, and spasms. In Isaiah 21:3, the same word is rendered, “I was bowed down at the hearing of it;” that is, Sorrow so took hold of him, that at the intelligence he writhed with pain as a woman in travail. So here it means that he was bent, or bowed down, or that he writhed in

Psalms 40:4 — Blessed is that man that maketh the Lord his trust - See the notes at Psalms 34:8. Compare Psalms 27:1. Literally, here, “The blessings of the man who places Yahweh for his confidence;” that is, who makes Him his seeurity, or who feels that his security for happiness and salvation is in Him.And respecteth not the proud - The haughty, or those who are

Psalms 52:6 — people - a solemn sense of the justice of God; to make them tremble at such fearful judgments; and to fear lest they should violate the law, and bring judgment on themselves.And shall laugh at him - Compare the notes at Psalms 2:4. See also Psalms 58:10; Psalms 64:9-10; Proverbs 1:26. The idea here is not exultation in the “sufferings” of others, or joy that “calamity” has come upon them, or the gratification of selfish and revengeful feeling that an enemy is deservedly punished; it is that of approbation

Psalms 57:3 — come.And save me from the reproach ... - This would be more correctly rendered, “He shall save me; he shall reproach him that would swallow me up.” So it is rendered in the margin. On the word rendered “would swallow me up,” see the notes at Psalms 56:1. The idea here is, that God would “rebuke” or “reproach,” to wit, by overthrowing him that sought to devour or destroy him. God had interposed formerly in his behalf Psalms 57:2, and he felt assured that he would do it again.Selah - This seems here

Psalms 78:25 — free from the ordinary coarse properties of food, that it might be supposed to be such as angels feed on. The word rendered “angels” - אביר 'abbı̂yr - means properly “strong, mighty,” and may be applied to people in general, Judges 5:22; Lamentations 1:15; Jeremiah 46:15; to animals, Psalms 22:13 (“bulls of Bashan”); to princes, Psalms 68:31; or to nobles, Job 24:22. It might be rendered here food of nobles, or princes; that is, food of richer quality, or of a more delicate nature, than common food;

Psalms 86:1 — Bow down thine ear, O Lord, hear me - See the notes at Psalms 5:1.For I am poor and needy - This is the reason here assigned why God should hear him. It is not a plea of merit. It is not that there was any claim on God in the fact that he was a poor and needy man - a sinner helpless and dependent, or that it would