Bible Commentaries

Genesis 21:20 — 20, 21. God was with the lad, c.—Paran (that is, Arabia), where his posterity has ever dwelt (compare Genesis 16:12 also Isaiah 48:19; 1 Peter 1:25). his mother took him a wife—On a father's death, the mother looks out for a wife for her son, however young; and as Ishmael was now virtually deprived of his father, his mother set about forming a marriage connection for him, it would seem, among her relatives. 1 Peter 1:25- :. COVENANT.

Exodus 12:36 — 36. the Lord gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians—Such a dread of them was inspired into the universal minds of the Egyptians, that whatever they asked was readily given. spoiled the Egyptians—The accumulated earnings of many years being paid them at this moment, the Israelites were suddenly enriched, according to the promise made to Abraham (Genesis 15:14), and they left the country like a victorious army laden with spoil (Psalms 105:37; Ezekiel 39:10).

Job 15:8 — 8. secret—rather, "Wast thou a listener in the secret council of God?" The Hebrew means properly the cushions of a divan on which counsellors in the East usually sit. God's servants are admitted to God's secrets (Psalms 25:14; Genesis 18:17; John 15:15). restrain—Rather, didst thou take away, or borrow, thence (namely, from the divine secret council) thy wisdom? Eliphaz in this (Job 15:8; Job 15:9) retorts Job's words upon himself (Job 12:2; Job 12:3; Job 13:2).

Job 2:13 — 13. seven days . . . nights—They did not remain in the same posture and without food, c., all this time, but for most of this period daily and nightly. Sitting on the earth marked mourning (Lamentations 2:10). Seven days was the usual length of it (Genesis 50:10 1 Samuel 31:13). This silence may have been due to a rising suspicion of evil in Job; but chiefly because it is only ordinary griefs that find vent in language; extraordinary griefs are too great for utterance.

Job 34:14 — 14, 15. "If He were to set His heart on man," either to injure him, or to take strict account of his sins. The connection supports rather [UMBREIT], "If He had regard to himself (only), and were to gather unto Himself (Psalms 104:29) man's spirit, c. (which he sends forth, Psalms 104:30 Ecclesiastes 12:7), all flesh must perish together," &c. (Genesis 3:19). God's loving preservation of His creatures proves He cannot be selfish, and therefore cannot be unjust.

Job 34:23 — 23. (1 Corinthians 10:13; Lamentations 3:32; Isaiah 27:8). Better, as UMBREIT, "He does not (needs not to) regard (as in Job 34:14; Isaiah 41:20) man long (so Hebrew, Genesis 46:29) in order that he may go (be brought by God) into judgment." Literally, "lest his (attention) upon men" (Job 11:10; Job 11:11). So Job 11:11- :, "without number" ought to be translated, "without [needing any] searching out," such as has to be made in human judgments.

Job 9:9 — exceedingly impious rebel) among the Assyrians; Orion among the Greeks. Sabaism (worship of the heavenly hosts) and hero-worship were blended in his person. He first subverted the patriarchal order of society by substituting a chieftainship based on conquest (Genesis 10:9; Genesis 10:10). Pleiades—literally, "the heap of stars"; Arabic, "knot of stars." The various names of this constellation in the East express the close union of the stars in it (Amos 5:8). chambers of the south—the unseen regions of the

Psalms 119:160 — 160. God has been ever faithful, and the principles of His government will ever continue worthy of confidence. from the beginning—that is, "every word from Genesis (called so by the Jews from its first words, 'In the beginning') to the end of the Scriptures is true." HENGSTENBERG translates more literally, "The sum of thy words is truth." The sense is substantially the same. The whole body of revelation is truth. "Thy Word is nothing but truth" [LUTHER]. SCHIN. (Psalms 119:161-168).

Ecclesiastes 1:16 — 16. communed with . . . heart— (Genesis 24:45). come to great estate—Rather, "I have magnified and gotten" (literally, "added," increased), c. all . . . before me in Jerusalem—namely, the priests, judges, and two kings that preceded Solomon. His wisdom exceeded that of all before

Isaiah 21:13 — 13. upon—that is, respecting. forest—not a grove of trees, but a region of thick underwood, rugged and inaccessible; for Arabia has no forest of trees. travelling companies—caravans: ye shall be driven through fear of the foe to unfrequented routes (Isaiah 33:8; Judges 5:6; Jeremiah 49:8 is parallel to this passage). Dedanim—In North Arabia (Genesis 25:3; Jeremiah 25:23; Ezekiel 25:13; Ezekiel 27:20; a different "Dedan" occurs Ezekiel 27:20- :).

Isaiah 21:14 — 14. Tema—a kindred tribe: an oasis in that region (Jeremiah 25:23). The Temeans give water to the faint and thirsting Dedanites; the greatest act of hospitality in the burning lands of the East, where water is so scarce. prevented—that is, anticipated the wants of the fugitive Dedanites by supplying bread (Genesis 14:18). their bread—rather, "his (the fugitive's) bread"; the bread due to him, necessary for his support; so "thy grave" (Isaiah 14:19), [MAURER].

Isaiah 21:3 — 3. Isaiah imagines himself among the exiles in Babylon and cannot help feeling moved by the calamities which come on it. So for Moab (Isaiah 15:5; Isaiah 16:11). pain—(Compare Isaiah 13:8; Ezekiel 30:4; Ezekiel 30:19; Nahum 2:10). at the hearing—The Hebrew may mean, "I was so bowed down that I could not hear; I was so dismayed that I could not see" (Genesis 16:2; Psalms 69:23) [MAURER].

Isaiah 51:14 — mystical Babylon, the last enemy of Israel and the Church, in which they have long suffered, but from which they are to be gloriously delivered. pit—such as were many of the ancient dungeons (compare Jeremiah 38:6; Jeremiah 38:11; Jeremiah 38:13; Genesis 37:20). nor . . . bread . . . fail— (Isaiah 33:16; Jeremiah 37:21).

Jeremiah 36:16 — 16. afraid, both one and other—Hebrew, "fear-stricken," they turned to one another (compare Genesis 42:28). This showed, on their part, hesitancy, and some degree of fear of God, but not enough to make them willing to sacrifice the favor of an earthly king. We will surely tell the king—not the language of threatening but implying that the matter is of such moment that the king ought to be made acquainted with it, so as to seek some remedy against the divine anger.

Ezekiel 31:8 — 8. cedars . . . could not hide him—could not outtop him. No other king eclipsed him. were not like—were not comparable to. garden of God—As in the case of Tyre (Ezekiel 28:13), the imagery, that is applied to the Assyrian king, is taken from Eden; peculiarly appropriate, as Eden was watered by rivers that afterwards watered Assyria (Genesis 2:10-14). This cedar seemed to revive in itself all the glories of paradise, so that no tree there outtopped it.

Daniel 1:7 — 7. gave names—designed to mark their new relation, that so they might forget their former religion and country (Genesis 41:45). But as in Joseph's case (whom Pharaoh called Zaphnath-paaneah), so in Daniel's, the name indicative of his relation to a heathen court ("Belteshazzar," that is, "Bel's prince"), however flattering to him, is not the one retained by Scripture,

Hosea 10:1 — 1. empty—stripped of its fruits [CALVIN], ( :-); compelled to pay tribute to Pul ( :-). MAURER translates, "A widespreading vine"; so the Septuagint. Compare Genesis 49:22; Psalms 80:9-11; Ezekiel 17:6. bringeth forth fruit unto himself—not unto ME. according to . . . multitude of . . . fruit . . . increased . . . altars—In proportion to the abundance of their prosperity, which called for fruit unto God (compare Romans 6:22), was the abundance of their idolatry (Hosea 8:4; Hosea 8:11).

Malachi 2:15 — amidst the surrounding polytheisms. Marriage with foreign women, and repudiation of the wives wedded in the Jewish covenant, utterly set aside this divine purpose. CALVIN thinks "the one" to refer to the conjugal one body formed by the original pair (Genesis 2:24). God might have joined many wives as one with the one husband, for He had no lack of spiritual being to impart to others besides Eve; the design of the restriction was to secure a pious offspring: but compare Note, see on Genesis 2:24- :.

Ephesians 2:14 — God. He took both into Himself, and reconciled them, united, to God, by His assuming our nature and our penal and legal liabilities (Ephesians 2:15; Isaiah 9:5; Isaiah 9:6; Isaiah 53:5; Micah 5:5; Colossians 1:20). His title, "Shiloh," means the same (Genesis 49:10). the middle wall of partition—Greek, ". . . of the partition" or "fence"; the middle wall which parted Jew and Gentile. There was a balustrade of stone which separated the court of the Gentiles from the holy place, which it was death

Judges 8:5 — 5. he said unto the men of Succoth—that is, a place of tents or booths. The name seems to have been applied to the whole part of the Jordan valley on the west, as well as on the east side of the river, all belonging to the tribe of Gad (compare Genesis 33:17; 1 Kings 7:46; Joshua 13:27). Being engaged in the common cause of all Israel, he had a right to expect support and encouragement from his countrymen everywhere.