Woe is me! for I am as when they have gathered the summer fruits, as the grapegleanings of the vintage: there is no cluster to eat: my soul desired the firstripe fruit. I AM AS WHEN THEY HAVE GATHERED THE SUMMER FRUITS, AS THE GRAPE GLEANINGS OF THE VINTAGE: THERE IS NO CLUSTER TO EAT: MY SOUL D... [ Continue Reading ]
The good man is perished out of the earth: and there is none upright among men: they all lie in wait for blood; they hunt every man his brother with a net. THE GOOD MAN IS PERISHED OUT OF THE EARTH. The Hebrew [ chaaciyd (H2623)] expresses 'one merciful and good in relation to man' rather than t... [ Continue Reading ]
That they may do evil with both hands earnestly, the prince asketh, and the judge asketh for a reward; and the great man, he uttereth his mischievous desire: so they wrap it up. THAT THEY MAY DO EVIL WITH BOTH HANDS EARNESTLY - literally, 'Their hands are for evil, that they may do it well' (i:... [ Continue Reading ]
The best of them is as a brier: the most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge: the day of thy watchmen and thy visitation cometh; now shall be their perplexity. THE BEST OF THEM IS AS A BRIER; THE MOST UPRIGHT IS SHARPER THAN A THORN HEDGE - or thorn: pricking with injury all who come in contac... [ Continue Reading ]
Trust ye not in a friend, put ye not confidence in a guide: keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom. TRUST YE NOT IN A FRIEND - faith is kept nowhere: all to a man are treacherous (Jeremiah 9:2). When justice is perverted by the great, faith nowhere is safe. So, in Gospel ti... [ Continue Reading ]
For the son dishonoureth the father, the daughter riseth up against her mother, the daughter in law against her mother in law; a man's enemies are the men of his own house. FOR THE SON DISHONOURETH THE FATHER. The state of unnatural lawlessness in all relations of life is here described which is... [ Continue Reading ]
Therefore I will look unto the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me. THEREFORE I WILL LOOK UNTO THE LORD - as if no one else were before mine eyes. I WILL WAIT FOR THE GOD OF MY SALVATION. We must not only "look unto the Lord," but also "wait for Him." Having no ho... [ Continue Reading ]
Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD shall be a light unto me. REJOICE NOT AGAINST ME - at my fall. O MINE ENEMY - as Babylon, Edom, etc., were to Israel. A type of the great enemy of the believer and of the Church, Satan. The time... [ Continue Reading ]
I will bear the indignation of the LORD, because I have sinned against him, until he plead my cause, and execute judgment for me: he will bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold his righteousness. I WILL BEAR - patiently. THE INDIGNATION OF THE LORD - His punishment inflicted on me ().... [ Continue Reading ]
Then she that is mine enemy shall see it, and shame shall cover her which said unto me, Where is the LORD thy God? mine eyes shall behold her: now shall she be trodden down as the mire of the streets. THEN SHE THAT IS MINE ENEMY SHALL SEE IT, AND SHAME SHALL COVER HER - in seeing how utterly mis... [ Continue Reading ]
In the day that thy walls are to be built, in that day shall the decree be far removed. IN THE DAY THAT THY WALLS ARE TO BE BUILT - under Cyrus, after the 70 years' captivity; and again, hereafter, when the Jews shall be restored (Amos 9:11; Zechariah 12:6). IN THAT DAY SHALL THE DECREE BE FAR... [ Continue Reading ]
In that day also he shall come even to thee from Assyria, and from the fortified cities, and from the fortress even to the river, and from sea to sea, and from mountain to mountain. IN THAT DAY ALSO HE SHALL COME EVEN TO THEE FROM ASSYRIA - rather, an answer to the supposed question of Zion, Whe... [ Continue Reading ]
Notwithstanding the land shall be desolate because of them that dwell therein, for the fruit of their doings. NOTWITHSTANDING THE LAND SHALL BE DESOLATE BECAUSE OF THEM THAT DWELL THEREIN, FOR THE FRUIT OF THEIR DOINGS. However glorious the prospect of restoration, the Jews are not to forget the... [ Continue Reading ]
Feed thy people with thy rod, the flock of thine heritage, which dwell solitarily in the wood, in the midst of Carmel: let them feed in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old. FEED THY PEOPLE - prayer of the prophet in the name of his people to God, which, as God fulfils believing prayer, is p... [ Continue Reading ]
According to the days of thy coming out of the land of Egypt will I shew unto him marvellous things. ACCORDING TO THE DAYS OF THY COMING OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT WILL I SHOW UNTO HIM MARVELOUS THINGS - "thy ... him," both referring to Israel. So in the person is changed from the first to the th... [ Continue Reading ]
The nations shall see and be confounded at all their might: they shall lay their hand upon their mouth, their ears shall be deaf. THE NATIONS SHALL SEE - the "marvelous things" (; , "Lord, when thy hand is lifted up, they will not see: but they shall see"). AND BE CONFOUNDED AT ALL THEIR MIGHT... [ Continue Reading ]
They shall lick the dust like a serpent, they shall move out of their holes like worms of the earth: they shall be afraid of the LORD our God, and shall fear because of thee. THEY SHALL LICK THE DUST LIKE A SERPENT - in abject prostration as suppliants (Psalms 72:9, "His enemies shall lick the d... [ Continue Reading ]
Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy. WHO IS A GOD LIKE UNTO THEE. Micah herein alludes to the meaning of his own name (see Introduction), "Who is... [ Continue Reading ]
He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. HE WILL TURN AGAIN - to us, from having been turned away from us. Henceforth His "anger is turned away from" Israel; God Himself is turned to His peop... [ Continue Reading ]
Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which thou THOU WILT PERFORM THE TRUTH - the faithful promise. TO JACOB, AND THE MERCY TO ABRAHAM - thou shalt make good to their posterity the promise made to the patriarchs. God's promises are called "mercy," because they flow s... [ Continue Reading ]