Bible Commentaries

Genesis 39:1-23 — - Joseph in Potiphar’s HouseAccording to our reckoning, Perez and Zerah were born when Judah was in his twenty-eighth year, and therefore, Joseph in his twenty-fourth. Here, then, we go back seven years to resume the story of Joseph.Genesis 39:1-6Joseph fares well with his first master. “Potiphar.” This is a racapitulation of the narrative in Genesis 37:0: “The Lord;” the God of covenant is with Joseph. “In the house.” Joseph was a domestic servant. “And his master saw.” The prosperity that

Job 10:17 — word rendered “changes” (חליפה chălı̂yphâh) means properly “changes,” or exchanges, and is applied to garments, 2Ki 5:5, 2 Kings 5:22-23. It may be used also of soldiers keeping watch until they are relieved by a succeeding guard; see the note at Job 14:14. Here it is not improbably employed in the sense of a succession of attacks made on him. One succeeds another, as if platoon after platoon, to use the modern terms, or phalanx after phalanx, should come up against him. As soon as one had discharged

Job 28:28 — word were יהוה yehovâh. The original word is, however, אדני 'ǎdonāy; and the fact is worthy of notice, because one point of the argument respecting the date of the book turns on the question whether the word Yahweh occurs in it; see the notes at Job 12:9. The fear of the Lord is often represented as true wisdom; Proverbs 1:7; Proverbs 14:27; Proverbs 15:33; Proverbs 19:23; Psalms 111:10, et al. The meaning here is, that real wisdom is connected with a proper veneration for God, and with submission

Job 30:18 — which his garment girded him. The word rendered “is changed” - יתחפשׂ yitchâphaś, is from חפשׂ châphaś, to seek, to search after in the Qal; in the Hithpael, the form used here, to let oneself be sought; to hide oneself; to disguise one’s self; 1 Kings 20:38. According to this, it would mean that his garment was disquised; that is, its appearance was changed by the force of his disease. Gesenius. Jerome renders it, “In their multitude, my garment is consumed; the Septuagint, “With great force

Job 5:2 — connection requires us to understand it of wrath, or indignation, as in Deuteronomy 29:20; Psalms 79:5. As applied to God, it often means his jealousy, or his anger, when the affections of people are placed on other objects than himself; Numbers 25:11; Zephaniah 1:18, et al.Slayeth the silly one - Good and Noyes render this, “the weak man.” Jerome, parvulum, the little one. The Septuagint, πεπλανημένον peplanēmenon, the erring. Walton, ardelionem, the busy-body. The Hebrew word פתה poteh is from

Psalms 12:6 — The words of the Lord - In contrast with the words of the persons referred to in Psalms 12:2-4. Their words were vanity, flattery, and falsehood; and no reliance could be placed on them. In contrast with these words, the words of the Lord were pure. They were to be relied on. All his sayings were true and faithful. The design is to bring

Psalms 19:14 — meditation of my heart - The thoughts of my heart.Be acceptable in thy sight - Be such as thou wilt approve; or, be such as will be pleasing to thee; such as will give thee delight or satisfaction; such as will be agreeable to thee. Compare Proverbs 14:35; Isaiah 56:7; Isaiah 60:7; Jeremiah 6:20; Exodus 28:38; Leviticus 22:20-21; Leviticus 19:5. This supposes:(a) that God has such control over our thoughts and words, that he can cause us to order them aright;(b) that it is proper to pray to him to

Psalms 19:3 — truths alike to all mankind.”That the passage cannot mean that there is no speech, that there are no words, or that there is no language in the lessons conveyed by the heavens, seems to me to be clear from the fact that alike in the previous verse Psalms 19:2, and in the following verse Psalms 19:4, the psalmist says that they do use speech or language, “Day unto day uttereth speech;” “their words unto the end of the world.” The phrase “their voice” refers to the heavens Psalms 19:1. They utter a clear

Psalms 37:40 — him, and not on themselves. This verse is a summing up of the sentiments of the psalm, and is designed to confirm the main thought which runs through it, to wit, that we should not fret, or complain, or repine at the prosperity of wicked men, Psalms 37:1. The reason ultimately assigned for this is, that whatever may be the danger of the righteous from the designs of wicked men, they will in the end be safe. It will go well with them, for the Lord will keep them. The general course of thought in the

Psalms 71:9 — of all this, and not pray for special grace for himself should he live to see those days of infirmity and weakness? And who, in view of such infirmities, can fail to see the propriety of seeking the favor of God in early years? Compare Ecclesiastes 12:1-6.Forsake me not when my strength faileth - As I may expect it to do, when I grow old. A man can lay up nothing better for the infirmities of old age than the favor of God sought, by earnest prayer, in the days of his youth and his maturer years.

Isaiah 13:2 — It was customary for military leaders to plant a standard on a tower, a fortress, a city, a high mountain, or any elevated spot, in order that it might be seen afar, and be the rallying point for the people to collect together (see the note at Isaiah 11:10). Here, the prophet does not refer to any particular “mountain,” but means simply, that a standard should be raised, around which the hosts should be assembled to march to Babylon. The Chaldee renders it, ‘Over the city dwelling in security, lift

Isaiah 13:3 — about to destroy Babylon. “He” claimed the control and direction of all their movements; and though the command was not understood by “them” as coming from him, yet it was by his direction, and in accordance with his plan (compare the notes at Isaiah 10:7; Isaiah 45:5-6). The “command” was not given by the prophets, or by an audible voice; but it was his secret purpose and direction that led them to this enterprise.My sanctified ones - The Medes and Persians; not called ‘sanctified because they were

Isaiah 2:16 — And upon all the ships of Tarshish - Ships of Tarshish are often mentioned in the Old Testament, but the meaning of the expression is not quite obvious; see 1Ki 10:22; 2 Chronicles 9:21; 2 Chronicles 20:36-37; Psalms 48:7, ... It is evident that “Tarshish” was some distant land from which was imported silver, iron, lead, tin, etc. It is now generally agreed that “Tartessus” in Spain is referred to by the

Isaiah 24:20 — the agitation that occurs in an earthquake when everything is shaken from its foundation, and when trees and towers are shaken by the mighty concussion. The same figure is used in Isaiah 29:9. See also the description of a tempest at sea, in Psalms 107:27 : They reel to and fro, And stagger like a drunken man, And are at their wit’s end.And shall be removed like a cottage - Or rather, shall move or vacillate (התנודדה hitenôdedâh) like a cottage. The word “cottage” (מלוּנה melûnâh from לין lı̂yn,

Isaiah 40:1 — emphasis to it, in the usual manner in Hebrew, where emphasis is denoted by the repetition of a word. The word rendered ‘comfort’ (from נחם nâcham) means properly to draw the breath forcibly, to sigh, pant, groan; then to lament, or grieve Psalms 90:13; Jeremiah 15:6; then to comfort or console one’s-self Genesis 38:12. then to take vengeance (compare the note at Isaiah 1:24). All the forms of the word, and all the significations, indicate deep emotion, and the obtaining of relief either by repenting,

Isaiah 42:5 — accomplish all that he had promised: and he seeks thus to elevate and confirm the hopes of the people with the assurance of their deliverance and salvation.And stretched them out - The heavens are often represented as stretched out as a veil (Genesis 1:6, Hebrew) or as an expanse that can be rolled up (see the note at Isaiah 34:4), or as a tent for the appropriate dwelling-place of God (see the note at Isaiah 40:22). His great power and glory are indicated by the fact that he has stretched out what

Isaiah 44:18 — ignorance and stupidity than this idol worship.He hath shut their eyes - God hath closed their eyes. Margin, ‘Daubed.’ The word used here, טה ṭah from טוה ṭûah denotes properly “to spread over”; to besmear; to plaster; as, e. g., a wall with mortar Lev 14:42; 1 Chronicles 29:4; Ezekiel 13:10; Ezekiel 22:28. Here it means to cover over the eyes so as to prevent vision; and hence, metaphorically, to make them stupid, ignorant, dull. It is attributed to God in accordance with the common statement of the

Isaiah 63:2 — hour longer; this is sufficient to squeeze the good juice out of them, for an additional pressure would even crush the unripe grapes and give the whole a disagreeable flavor.’ The following statement of I. D. Paxton, in a letter from Beyrout, March 1, 1838, will show how the modern custom accords with that in the time of Isaiah: ‘They have a large row of stone vats in which the grapes are thrown, and beside these are placed stone troughs, into which the juice flows. People get in and tread the grapes

Amos 1:5 — También romperé la barra de Damasco - En el este, cada ciudad fue fortificada; las puertas de las ciudades más fuertes estaban revestidas de hierro, para que el enemigo no las incendiara; estaban sujetos dentro con barras de latón 1 Reyes 4:13 o hierro (Salmo 107:16; Isaías 45:2; compare Isaías 48:14; Jeremias 51:3 O). Estaban flanqueados por torres y construidos, de modo que lo que naturalmente era el punto más débil y el acceso más fácil a un enemigo se convirtió en la defensa

2 Corinthians 3:18 — Todos los cristianos. La discusión en el capítulo se ha relacionado principalmente con los apóstoles; pero esta declaración parece referirse evidentemente a todos los cristianos, a diferencia de los judíos. Con la cara abierta - compare la nota en 1 Corintios 13:12. Tyndale expresa esto: "y ahora la gloria del Señor aparece en todos nosotros como en un vaso". El sentido es, "con cara descubierta", aludiendo al hecho 2 Corintios 3:13 de que la cara de Moisés estaba velada, de modo que los hijos