Bible Commentaries

Job 19:20 — his mind, and vent his blasphemies against God, which he supposed sharp pain would force him to do.” Schultens has mentioned four different interpretations given to the phrase, none of which seems to be perfectly satisfactory. They are the following:(1) That it means that the skin “about” the teeth alone was preserved, or the gums and the lips, so that he had the power of speaking, though every other part was wasted away, and this exposition is given, accompanied with the suggestion that his faculty

Job 26:7 — expanse, a curtain, or a tent; see Isaiah 34:4, note; Isaiah 40:22, note.Over the empty place - על־תהוּ ‛al-tôhû, “Upon emptiness, or nothing.” That is, without anything to support it. The word used here (תהוּ tôhû) is one of those employed Genesis 1:2, “And the earth was wlthout form and void.” But it seems here to mean emptiness, nothing. The north is stretched out and sustained by the mere power of God.And hangeth the earth upon nothing. - It has nothing to support it. So Milton: “And earth self-balaneed

Job 31:34 — keep silence, and let me never appear abroad!” The Hebrew will admit of either construction, and either of them will accord well with the connection. The latter, however, regarding it as an imprecation, seems to me to be preferable, for two reasons:(1) It will accord more forcibly with what he had said in the previous verse. The sense then would be, as expressed by Patrick, “If I have studied to appear better than I am, and have not made a free confession, but, like our first parent, have concealed

Job 42:16 — is in the Hebrew text, is unknown. The supposition that he was about seventy years of age when his calamities came upon him, is not an unreasonable one.He had a family of ten children, and his sons were grown so as to have families of their own, Job 1:4. It should be remembered, also, that in the patriarchal times, when people lived to a great age, marriages did not occur at so early a period of life as they do now. In this book, also, though the age of Job is not mentioned, yet the uniform representation

Psalms 100:5 — is, therefore, worthy of universal praise. In the former verses, his claim to adoration is founded on the fact that he is the “Creator,” and has, as such, a right to our service; in this verse, the claim is asserted on account of his moral character:(1) his benevolence;(2) his mercy;(3) his truth; (a) the fact that he is a God of truth; and (b) the fact that his truth endures, or that in all generations he shows himself to be faithful to his promises.The first of these is his “benevolence:” “The Lord

Psalms 23:6 — house, and the place where thine honor dwelleth.” Psalms 65:4, “blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts.”Psalms 84:4, “blessed are they that dwell in thy house.” (Compare also Psalms 87:1, Psalms 87:3,10). The “language” here is obviously taken from the employment of those who had their habitation near the tabernacle, and afterward the temple, whose business it was to attend constantly on the service of God, and to minister in his courts.

Psalms 35:13 — intimately associated, or whom he had regarded as his personal friends, since it cannot be supposed that this deep sympathy would have been shown for those who were altogether strangers to him.My clothing was sackcloth - Compare the notes at Psalms 30:11. The meaning is, that he showed the deepest sympathy in their distress by putting on the emblems of humiliation or mourning. It was also with reference to prayer in their behalf; and to fasting, that he put on these marks of grief. The idea is, that

Psalms 48:13 — thing, and who does it negligently. The word rendered “bulwarks” - חיל chêyl - means, properly, a host or army, and then a fortification or entrenchment, especially the “ditch” or “trench,” with the low wall or breastwork which surrounds it: 2 Samuel 20:15; Isaiah 26:1. (Gesenius, Lexicon) The Septuagint translates it here: δύναμις dunamis, power; the Vulgate, “virtus,” courage; Luther, “Mauern” - walls.Consider her palaces - The word “palaces” here refers to the royal residences; and, as these were

Psalms 55:23 — that they would be “destroyed” or “cut off,” or would not die in the usual course of nature. The meaning is, that God would come forth in his displeasure, and cut them down for their crimes. The word “pit” usually denotes “a well,” or “cavern” Genesis 14:10; Genesis 37:20; Exodus 21:34, but is often used to denote the grave (Job 17:16; Job 33:18, Job 33:24; Psalms 9:15; Psalms 28:1; Psalms 30:3, Psalms 30:9, et al.); and the idea here is that they would be cut off for their sins. The word “destruction”

Isaiah 1:17 — to success. In Piel, which is the form used here, it means to cause to go straight; and hence, applied to leaders, judges, and guides, to conduct those under their care in a straight path, anal not in the devices and crooked Ways of sin; Proverbs 23:19 :Hear thou, my son, and he wise,And guide אשׁר 'asher, “make straight”) thine heart in the way.The oppressed - Him to whom injustice has been done in regard to his character, person, or property; compare the notes at Isaiah 58:6.Judge the fatherless

Isaiah 14:29 — they hoped to be still more successful, and would naturally rejoice at the death of Ahaz. When the prophet says ‘” whole” Palestina,’ he means to say that no part of Philistia would have occasion to rejoice at the succession of Hezekiah (see Isaiah 14:31).Because the rod of him that smote thee is broken - It was not true that they had been smitten during the reign of Ahaz, but it had been done by his predecessor Uzziah. Perhaps the prophet refers to that prince, and to his death. He had smitten

Isaiah 2:6 — passage; though our translation more nearly accords with the Hebrew than the others. The “East,” that is, Arabia, Persia, Chaldea, etc., was the country where astrology, soothsaying, and divination particularly abounded; see Daniel 2:2; Deuteronomy 18:9-11.And are soothsayers - Our word “soothsayers” means “foretellers, prognosticators,” persons who pretend to predict future events “without inspiration,” differing in this from true prophets. What the Hebrew word means, it is not so easy to determine.

Isaiah 22:16 — thus his building a tomb there was an evidence of vain glory, and of an attempt to occupy a place, even in death, to which he had no title.That thou hast hewed thee out a sepulchre here - Sepulchres were hewn or cut out of rocks (see the note at Isaiah 14:9). It was usual also for princes and rich people to have their sepulchres or tombs constructed while they were themselves alive (see Matthew 27:60). Shebna was doubtless a man of humble birth, none of whose ancestors or family had been honored with

Isaiah 29:21 — probably the sense here, and the meaning is, that they condemned the poor man; that is, that they were partial in their judgments.For a word - (בדבר bedâbâr). “In” a word; denoting the same as “a cause” that is tried before a court of justice. So Exodus 18:16 : ‘When they have “a matter” (דבר dâbâr “a word”), they come unto me.’ So Exodus 18:22 : ‘And it shoji be that every great “matter” (Hebrew every great “word”) that they shall bring unto me.’ So Exodus 22:8 (in the English version 9): ‘For all

Isaiah 39:2 — embassage from so great a distance, and so celebrated a place as Babylon. It is certain that he erred in some way in regard to the manner in which he received them, and especially in the ostentatious display which he made of his treasures 2 Chronicles 32:31.And showed them the house of his precious things - The Septuagint renders this, Νεχωθᾶ Nechōtha - ‘The house of Nechotha,’ retaining the Hebrew word. The Margin, ‘Spicery.’ The Hebrew word (נכתה nekotoh) properly means, according to Gesenius, a contusion,

Isaiah 40:22 — It is he that sitteth - Margin, ‘Him that sitteth,’ that is, have you not known him? The Hebrew literally means ‘the sitter, or he sitting on the circle of the each;’ and it may be connected either with Isaiah 40:21, ‘Have ye not known him sitting on the circle of the earth?’ or with Isaiah 40:18, ‘What likeness will ye compare to him that sitteth on the circle of the earth?’ In either case the phrase is designed to show the majesty and glory of God. The word ‘sitteth’

Isaiah 5:2 — “serki” in Morocco; in Persia, “kishmis.” - “Gesenius.”And built a tower - For the sake of watching and defending it. These towers were probably placed so as to overlook the whole vineyard, and were thus posts of observation; compare the note at Isaiah 1:8; see also the note at Matthew 21:33.And also made a wine-press - A place in which to put the grapes for the purpose of expressing the juice; see the note at Matthew 21:33.And he looked - He waited in expectation; as a farmer waits patiently for the

Isaiah 7:15 — unintelligible. It would “seem” from this, that his eating butter and honey would “contribute” to his knowing good and evil. But this cannot be the meaning. It evidently denotes ‘until he shall know,’ or, ‘at his knowing;’ Nord. “Heb. Gram.,” Section 1026. 3. He shall be no urished in the usual way, “until” he shall arrive at such a period of life as to know good from evil. The Septuagint renders it, Πρινη γνῶναι αὐτὸν Prinē gnōnai auton - ‘before he knows.’ The Chaldee, ‘Until he shall know.’To

Isaiah 8:12 — unite with the king and the people of Judah in their alarms about the threatened invasion by the kings of Syria and Samaria, and in their purpose to form an alliance with the king of Assyria. The reason why they should not do this, he states in Isaiah 8:13, where he exhorts the nation to put confidence in the Lord rather than in man. There has been, however, great diversity in the interpretation of this passage. The Septuagint renders the word קשׁר qesher, ‘confederacy,’ by the word σκληρόν sklēron

Isaiah 9:2 — capital, and from the temple; they had few religious privileges; they were intermingled with the pagan, and were comparatively rude and uncultivated in their manners and in their language. Allusion to this is several times made in the New Testament; John 1:46 : ‘Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?’ John 7:52 : ‘Search and look, for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet;’ Matthew 26:69; Mark 14:70. The word walked here is synonymous with lived, and denotes that thick darkness brooded over the country,