Bible Commentaries

Genesis 15:2 — 2. Lord God, what wilt thou give?—To his mind the declaration, "I am thy exceeding great reward" [Genesis 15:1], had but one meaning, or was viewed but in one particular light, as bearing on the fulfilment of the promise, and he was still experiencing the sickness of hope deferred.

Job 18:15 — 15. It—"Terror" shall haunt, &c., and not as UMBREIT, "another," which the last clause of the verse disproves. none of his—It is his no longer. brimstone—probably comparing the calamity of Job by the "fire of God" ( :-) to the destruction of guilty Sodom by fire and brimstone (Genesis 19:24).

Job 22:16 — 16. cut down—rather, "fettered," as in :-; that is, arrested by death. out of time—prematurely, suddenly (Job 15:32; Ecclesiastes 7:17); literally, "whose foundation was poured out (so as to become) a stream or flood." The solid earth passed from beneath their feet into a flood (Genesis 7:11).

Job 5:4 — 4. His children . . . crushed in the gate—A judicial formula. The gate was the place of judgment and of other public proceedings (Psalms 127:5; Proverbs 22:22; Genesis 23:10; Deuteronomy 21:19). Such propylæa have been found in the Assyrian remains. Eliphaz obliquely alludes to the calamity which cut off Job's children.

Psalms 11:6 — 6. Their punishment is described by vivid figures denoting abundant, sudden, furious, and utter destruction (compare Genesis 19:24; Job 18:15; Psalms 7:15; Psalms 9:15). cup—is a frequent figure for God's favor or wrath (Psalms 16:5; Psalms 23:5; Matthew 20:22; Matthew 20:23).

Psalms 119:168 — 168. all my ways are before thee—I wish to order my ways as before Thee, rather than in reference to man (Genesis 19:1; Psalms 73:23). All men's ways are under God's eye (Psalms 73:23- :); the godly alone realize the fact, and live accordingly. TAU. (Psalms 119:169-176).

Psalms 119:38 — 38. who is devoted to thy fear—or better, "which (that is, Thy word) is for Thy fear," for producing it. "Which is to those who fear Thee." God's word of promise belongs peculiarly to such (compare Genesis 18:19; 1 Kings 2:4; 1 Kings 8:25) [HENGSTENBERG].

Psalms 16:10 — 10. soul—or, "self." This use of "soul" for the person is frequent (Genesis 12:5; Genesis 46:26; Psalms 3:2; Psalms 7:2; Psalms 11:1), even when the body may be the part chiefly affected, as in Psalms 35:13; Psalms 105:18. Some cases are cited, as Leviticus 22:4; Numbers 6:6; Numbers 9:6; Numbers 9:10; Numbers 19:13;

Ecclesiastes 9:7 — 7. Addressed to the "righteous wise," spoken of in Ecclesiastes 9:1. Being "in the hand of God," who now accepteth "thy works" in His service, as He has previously accepted thy person (Genesis 4:4), thou mayest "eat . . . with a cheerful (not sensually 'merry') heart" (Ecclesiastes 3:13; Ecclesiastes 5:18; Acts 2:46).

Song of Solomon 3:3 — 3. watchmen—ministers (Isaiah 62:6; Jeremiah 6:17; Ezekiel 3:17; Hebrews 13:17), fit persons to consult (Isaiah 21:11; Malachi 2:7). found me—the general ministry of the Word "finds" individually souls in quest of Jesus Christ (Genesis 24:27, end of verse Acts 16:14); whereas formalists remain unaffected.

Jeremiah 31:15 — 15. Ramah—In Benjamin, east of the great northern road, two hours' journey from Jerusalem. Rachel, who all her life had pined for children ( :-), and who died with "sorrow" in giving birth to Benjamin (Genesis 35:18; Genesis 35:19, Margin; 1 Samuel 10:2), and was buried at Ramah, near Beth-lehem, is represented as raising her head from the tomb, and as breaking forth into "weeping" at seeing the whole land depopulated of her sons, the Ephraimites. Ramah was

Jeremiah 40:4 — 4. look well unto thee—the very words of Nebuchadnezzar's charge ( :-). all the land is before thee . . . seemeth good— (Genesis 20:15, Margin). Jeremiah alone had the option given him of staying where he pleased, when all the rest were either carried off or forced to remain there.

Jeremiah 48:24 — 24. Kerioth— (Joshua 15:25; Amos 2:2). Bozrah—(See on Amos 2:2- :); at one time under the dominion of Edom, though belonging originally to Moab (Genesis 36:33; Isaiah 63:1). Others think the Bozrah in Edom distinct from that of Moab. "Bezer" (Isaiah 63:1- :).

Jeremiah 48:47 — 47. Restoration promised to Moab, for the sake of righteous Lot, their progenitor (Genesis 19:37; Exodus 20:6; Psalms 89:30-33). Compare as to Egypt, Jeremiah 46:26; Ammon, Jeremiah 49:6; Elam, Jeremiah 49:6- :. Gospel blessings, temporal and spiritual, to the Gentiles in the last days, are intended.

Jeremiah 49:5 — 5. every man right forth—whithersoever chance may lead him (Jeremiah 46:5; Genesis 19:17); straight before him, onwards at random (Amos 4:3). none . . . gather up him, &c.—There shall be none to gather together the wandering fugitives, so as to care for them and restore them to their own homes.

Jeremiah 51:9 — 9. We would have healed—We attempted to heal. her judgment—her crimes provoking God's "judgments" [GROTIUS]. reacheth unto heaven— (Genesis 18:21; Jonah 1:2; Revelation 18:5). Even the heathen nations perceive that her awful fall must be God's judgment for her crying sins (Psalms 9:16; Psalms 64:9).

Jonah 1:6 — 6. call upon thy God—The ancient heathen in dangers called on foreign gods, besides their national ones (compare :-). MAURER translates the preceding clause, "What is the reason that thou sleepest?" think upon us—for good (compare Genesis 8:1; Exodus 2:25; Exodus 3:7; Exodus 3:9; Psalms 40:17).

Romans 4:18 — 18-22. Who against hope—when no ground for hope appeared. believed in hope—that is, cherished the believing expectation. that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be—that is, Such "as the stars of heaven," Genesis 15:5.

1 Corinthians 6:16 — 16. Justification of his having called fornicators "members of an harlot" ( :-). joined—by carnal intercourse; literally, "cemented to": cleaving to. one body—with her. saith he—God speaking by Adam (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:5). "He which made them at the beginning said," &c. (Matthew 19:5- :).

2 Peter 2:7 — 7. just—righteous. filthy conversation—literally, "behavior in licentiousness" (Genesis 19:5). the wicked—Greek, "lawless": who set at defiance the laws of nature, as well as man and God. The Lord reminds us of Lot's faithfulness, but not of his sin in the cave: so in Rahab's case.