Bible Commentary: Proverbs 29 - Isaiah 12

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Bible Commentary for Proverbs 29 thru Isaiah 12

Proverbs Chapter 29

A person that continuously rejects counsel will suddenly face death and there will be nothing that can save him at that time. The son who loves wisdom will not associate with the prostitute who will encourage him to squander all of his inherited wealth thus bringing grief to his father. The king who rules with justice is a stabilizing force for a nation, but if he loves unjust acts, he will bring it to ruin. Anyone who flatters another is setting himself up for a fall because flattery is an insincere form of praise designed to deceive or bring harm. (Job 32:21, 22)

A righteous man can be happy because he is confident that he is on the right course while the wicked man is constantly being entangled in his own sin. Those who mock will stir up nothing but strife among his peers while a wise man knows how to calm a situation down. Going to court with a fool will not bring resolution to a matter because he refuses to be reasonable. Those who hate people of integrity always want them out of the way, but the upright look for ways to preserve lives. Remaining calm under pressure is the course of wisdom.

If those who attend a king learn that he listens to lies, they will adjust their ways to suit his. The ruler who judges the poor with fairness will be secure in his kingdom because Jehovah will uphold it. A child who has not been disciplined will never act wisely and will bring disgrace upon his parent. The son who has been disciplined will bring delight to his parent. When Jehovah sends a prophet to His people it is to give divine warning of the imminent danger they are facing. If He did not do this, they would trample on His law or go unrestrained in their activities. Those who heed this warning will be blessed.

If a man has a disobedient servant, speaking to him will not be enough to correct him. If he is pampered from his youth, he will began to believe that he has the same rights as a son. Pride brings dishonor while humility brings honor. When a man has joined another in committing wrongdoing, he is trapped if he is asked to give testimony in court against his cohort. If he testifies, he would have to admit to his own part in the crime or he would have to lie and say he was not involved and he will not be believed. Either way, he looses credibility. Fear of man keeps a person from doing what is right while fear of Jehovah encourages the doing of what is right and that brings security. When a person appeals to a king for justice, he will get it if the king fears Jehovah. If he does not fear Jehovah, then Jehovah will provide justice in another way.

Proverbs Chapter 30

The following wise sayings are attributed to Agur and are called an oracle or prophetic words. Agur admits that he is not a learned man because there is so much that he does not know about Jehovah. He poses five questions that are designed to show that humans do not understand as much as they think they do.

Jehovah’s words are like refined silver in which there is nothing impure. (Psalms 12:6) All who turn to Him will find refuge. Humans should not make the mistake of trying to add to His words, as they will be shown to be liars. (Deuteronomy 4:2) Agur desired only two things from Jehovah: to keep his lips from falsehood and to give him only what was sufficient for his daily needs. He did not want to have too many material possession because he would be tempted to disown God by thinking he was responsible for his own wealth and if he were too poor, he would dishonor God by stealing to get his daily provisions. (Deuteronomy 6:10-12; 8:17, 18)

There are those who think so highly of themselves that they disrespect their parents. There are those who are morally filthy yet they see themselves are being pure. There are those who have a very high opinion of themselves and who look down on everyone else. There are those who, like the wild beast, desire only to oppress the poor and needy.

He lists the leech with his two suckers as one example of the effect of greed. The second thing is the grave as there is always room for more there. The third is the barren womb whose longing for a child is never satisfied. The fourth is a barren land that cannot hold water to keep it moist. The fifth thing is fire that will always continue consuming whatever is in its path.

He now lists four things that are not easy to trace. An eagle soaring across the sky, a snake moving across a rock, a ship that leaves no trail on the water, nor the courtship of a man and a maiden. The most difficult thing to understand is the adulteress who believes that her sins cannot be traced back to her.

He then lists four things that are difficult to bear up under: a servant who becomes a king, fools who have more food than they need, a woman who is not loved by her husband, and a maidservant who takes her mistresses’ place in the household. In these situations, none of the people know what to do with what they have.

He now lists four things that are able to survive because they act wisely. The ant, though not strong, stores his food to ensure his survival. The rock badger, though not a powerful animal, makes his home in crags to ensure his safety. The locust that move forward in unison as an army does but have no commander. A lizard, although small in size, is difficult to catch and is bold enough to enter into the palaces of kings.

The three things listed that appear noble in their bearing are the lion, often referred to as the king of beasts; a strutting rooster, who protects his hen house; and a he-goat because of his arrogant appearance. A king when surrounded by his army that is designed to quell any hint of revolt gives the appearance of one who moves with stately bearing.

If a person finds that he had exalted himself in any way or plotted wrong, he should repent of these things and gain control of himself. These attitudes will produce only anger and strife.

Proverbs Chapter 31

The wise sayings in the first nine verses of this chapter are those of a mother given to her son, a king. She advises or admonishes him to avoid the trap of expending his energies on wayward women, as they are the ruin of kings. She also warns him against the excessive use of wine and strong drink because they will cloud his mind and he will forget his duties to ensure that justice is carried out according to Jehovah’s law. She believes that it is proper to give wine and beer to those who are suffering because it will help them to forget their problems. But he is to champion those who cannot help themselves by judging fairly and defending the rights of those in need of help.

The virtues of the noble wife are now considered. Many scholars believe that this is a summation of all that has been written previously in this book about wisdom that is portrayed as a woman. In any case, the noble wife is one in whom her husband has full confidence as all that she does results in good for the household. She makes sure that she has the raw materials needed to make clothing for the family, and when she shops, she brings a variety of goods home. She rises early to make sure that food is prepared for the family and the servants. She is capable of buying a field that she will plant as a vineyard.

She does not loiter at her work and she applies her strength to completing it. She makes sure that she always has a sufficient supply of household needs. She weaves cloth to make her family’s clothing and their bedding. No matter what the weather, her family is appropriately clothed. She helps the poor and needy. Because of her activities, her husband has the respect of the city elders.

She makes fine linen garments and belts that she sells to the merchants. Because of her diligence and prudence, she does not worry about the future. She instructs her household in wisdom and she watches over it continually. Her husband and her children also bless and praise her. But the main reason that she garners praise is because she fears Jehovah and not because of her outward beauty. She was worthy to be honored at the city gate because of her works.

Ecclesiastes Chapter 1

This Bible book centers on the frustrations faced by humans as they live in a world that is alienated from God. The writer states that everything is meaningless. A man toils all of his life and cannot point to anything that he has gained from his toil. Some things never change. The earth remains stable no matter how many generations of humans come and go. The sun rises in the east and sets in the west, the wind blows from the south to the north continuously, the streams flow into the sea and it is never full. The writer, realizing that everything was cyclical, thought that it was wearisome even the fact that the eye never tires of seeing nor the ear of hearing. What has been done will be done again so that no one could say that there was anything new under the sun.

The writer of this book, who is believed to be King Solomon, calls himself the Teacher and he has set out to use his wisdom to find out about everything that is done under the heavens. He concludes that Jehovah has placed a heavy burden upon humans because everything was out of kilter and couldn’t be straightened out. Even with the wisdom and understanding that he had, he was reduced to saying it would only bring him more sorrow and more grief.

Ecclesiastes Chapter 2

The Teacher then decided to see if the pursuit of pleasure would bring some meaning to the lives of humans. He built houses, planted vineyards, made gardens and parks and reservoirs to water them. He acquired servants, herds and flocks in abundance, silver and gold, people to entertain him and he acquired a harem. No one could compare to him in the amount and value of the possessions he obtained. He did not deny himself anything that would bring him pleasure, but in the end, he concluded that none of these things had any real meaning.

Then he turned his thoughts to consider the value of wisdom versus that of foolishness. He found that having wisdom is better than being foolish because a wise person at least pays attention to his steps while the foolish one stumbles in darkness. But, in the end, they will both suffer the same fate, death. So if they both end up in the same place, what did he gain by being wise. Neither a wise person nor a fool will be remembered after they are dead.

The Teacher then states that even more meaningless is the fact that after he dies, he will leave his wealth to his son and he does not know if he will be foolish or wise. So all that he had accomplished could all come to nothing. No matter how much work a man may do nor how skillful he may do it, he will have to leave all that he has accumulated to someone who has not worked for it. Sometimes a man’s work brings him nothing but anxiety and pain and even robs him of his sleep. This too is vanity.

Ecclesiastes Chapter 3

Humans are subject to time and changes over which they have no control. All of these activities have an appropriate time and an appropriate duration and humans are responsible to discern how to appropriately respond when faced with these activities. He lists fourteen activities that brings or results in an opposing activity some of which God controls and some of which man controls.

Human have a desire to know all of God’s works but they cannot fathom them. All of them will endure forever and there is nothing that needs to be added to or taken away from them. They are there so that men will revere God. As Solomon reminds us, humans should learn from past history. These things should serve as warnings to us. (Romans 15:4) He also noted that in the place where justice and judgment should be found, he saw only wickedness. He concluded that Jehovah would therefore judge both the righteous as well as the wicked in His appropriate time.

He also noted that humans and animals have the same fate, they will both die. In this respect, man has no advantage over the animal. All were made from the dust and they both will return to the dust. There is nothing that indicates that man’s spirit ascends upwards and that the spirit of the animals goes downward. So he concludes that man should find happiness and enjoyment in his activities. He will have no knowledge about life after he dies.

Ecclesiastes Chapter 4

Solomon now takes note of those being oppressed who have no one to come to their aid. The oppressor was the one who was in control and had all the power. So he concluded that those who were already dead were better off than those still living but were living in misery. Even better is one who has never been born and have never seen any of the evil done on earth. Another meaningless thing is that humans are driven to hard labor to try to do better or have more than his neighbor does. A fool refuses to work and brings himself to ruin so this is not a good alternative. Solomon concludes that it is better to have just enough than to have too much when it has been gained through endless toiling because this is meaningless.

He also concludes that selfish greed is not a means to gaining satisfaction, which a man who is alone is prone to indulge in. One way to counter this would be to join forces with another person and the two would be able to help each other keep a balanced view of the reasons for their work. Three individuals working together would create an even better situation.

A ruler who has been in power for a long time may have become foolish because he no longer listens to counsel. In this case a younger person may be a better choice to take his position no matter what his background may be. When he does become the ruler, he will have a lot of followers but as time goes by, the situation will repeat itself. There will be those who will be dissatisfied with his ability to make wise decisions and they will want another ruler in his place.

Ecclesiastes Chapter 5

When a servant of Jehovah goes to His house, it should be for the main purpose of listening so that he can learn rather than using this occasion to make vows that he has not given serious thought to. Jehovah is not on our level, His abode is in heaven and He does not take what we say to him lightly. So, when in His presence, our words should be few. When we make a vow to God, it must be paid. It would be better not to vow than to do so and have no intention of carrying it through. We would be fools in His eyes and He would have to bring our works to ruin. (Deuteronomy 23:21; Psalms 50:4)

It should not be surprising that oppression and injustice would extend right up to the highest levels of government. At each level, there is always someone above him who would demand that he extract more from the ones he is over and so on until it comes to the top level, the king. The scriptures show that Solomon himself was guilty of being overly oppressive to the nation in order to support his rich lifestyle. (1 Kings 12:1-10)

Those who love wealth and money seem never to have enough. As a man’s possessions increase, so do the number of his acquaintances, who will help him consume these and he finds little joy in having them. But the common laborer will not have these anxieties because he does not have an abundance to worry about. Those who hoard wealth can loose it through some misfortune and then have nothing to leave to his offspring. The maxim holds true that a man comes into the world with nothing and he cannot take anything with him when he dies.

But Solomon realizes that it is good that a man should enjoy what he has gained through hard work and find some satisfaction through them. When God gives a man wealth and possessions and God gives him the ability to enjoy his possessions, then this is God’s gift to him and He continues to give him reasons to enjoy these and not to fret over the shortness of life.

Ecclesiastes Chapter 6

On the other hand, God may give a man wealth and possessions and honor but does not allow him to enjoy them and in the end they are given to a stranger. A man may have lived a long life and had many children, yet he was not able to take any pleasure in the possession he had toiled for. His family will not honor him when he dies, therefore he is worse off than a person who was born dead. Solomon believes that a stillborn that has not toiled or seen the sun has more rest than this man will.

A man works to feed himself but he is never satisfied with what he has, and in this the wise and the poor have no advantage over the fool as this is true of all men. So the best course is to be content with what one has because anything beyond this is a mere striving after the wind. God has set all things in motion and humans cannot contend with Him so that there is not much point in a lot of talking. Humans are in no position to tell each other what is best for them nor what will happen in the future.

Ecclesiastes Chapter 7

A good reputation is to be highly prized, as it will stand one in good stead up to the day of his death. The living should always reflect soberly on the fact that they are going to die. Attending a funeral will bring this to the fore while pursuing merriment will push this fact further to the background, which is the preference of the fool. Reminders of the brevity of life tend to cause a person to give more serious attention to his life’s course and where it is taking him. Accepting the rebuke of a wise person is more beneficial than listening to the frivolous merriment of the fool.

Extortion and bribery corrupt the heart. A person that is patient will keep his spirit in check until he sees how a matter turns out. But a prideful person will loose patience and respond in anger if something is not going the way he thinks it should. Those who prefer the ‘good old days’ will not act in a wise way when facing problems that are current. An inheritance is a good thing if one has wisdom along with it. Both wisdom and money can be a protection but only wisdom carries with it the promise of eternal blessings. Good times and adversity are both allowed by Jehovah. Since we cannot change either, we should take advantage of the good times and rejoice, but when bad times come, we accept them as being from Jehovah also. He alone knows what the future will bring. (Job 2:10)

A righteous man does not always live a long life nor do all wicked men die at a young age. Solomon now warns against a person going to extremes. A righteous person might become overly righteous or wise in an effort to keep living. Or he might turn to wickedness because he saw instances of wicked persons living as though they had done no wrong. Going in either direction will not lead a person to obtain the results he desires. The man that fears God will not allow himself to be drawn to either extreme but will be balanced.

There is no one who has not sinned at some time during his life even though he may be called a righteous person. At some point in time a person has been guilty of cursing another person and should not be surprised if he hears his servant cursing him, so he should not be too quick to take to heart what people say.

Solomon finds that wisdom is not easily obtainable and is most profound. So he would investigate further to see if he could understand wisdom in relations to wickedness and folly. He personifies folly as a woman who is a snare and a trap and only those who please God will evade her, the sinner will not. He also learned that those who please God are very difficult to find. According to him, he had only discovered one man out of a thousand who could be said to be pleasing to God or could be called wise. But the fault lies with humans themselves. Rather than seeking the wisdom that Jehovah gives, they preferred to search out their own schemes. (Deuteronomy 32:4, 5)

Ecclesiastes Chapter 8

The commands of the king are to be obeyed because Israel took an oath to do so. A person must be careful not to do anything that would cause the king to become angry with him, as he will do whatever he pleases and no one can question him as his word is supreme. Those that are obedient to him will come to no harm and those who are wise will recognize and know the importance of obeying even if he is made miserable by the king’s order.

There are those who oppress others yet they are constantly at the house of Jehovah. After they are buried, their deeds of oppression are soon forgotten and they are praised. Therefore if sentence against a crime is not executed speedily, then people will be emboldened to continue to do badness. Even if the wicked commit many crimes for which they are not punished, Solomon believes that those who obey Jehovah will, in the end, fare better. But there are still times when the righteous receives the punishment due the wicked and the wicked get what the righteous deserves. But he still advises that a person should get some enjoyment from life in spite of all his hard labor. He will then be able to continue his daily grind with some joy for the remainder of his life.

Ecclesiastes Chapter 9

Man is not able to know what his future will be other than that death will overtake him. The hearts of men are full of evil and madness all the while they are alive. But until they die, there is hope that they will change. As Solomon says, ‘a live dog is better than a dead lion.’ Because once a person goes to the grave there is no hope. The dead know nothing, they have no further reward, and will eventually be forgotten by those who knew them. So since no one knows what life will bring him, the recommendation is that a person should enjoy what he is able to provide for himself and his family. Again he repeats that this is what man's lot in life is, it is what God has given him. These things he must do while he is alive, because when he is in the grave, there will be no planning, working, knowledge or wisdom. Time and chance play an important part in the lives of humans. They do not know when they will die as it comes upon them unexpectedly.

Another anomaly that Solomon observed was that wisdom is not always rewarded. He cites the example of a city that was under siege by a powerful king who had built up siegeworks against it. A poor but wise man lived in the city and he was able by his wisdom to save the city. But because he was poor, his wisdom was despised and afterwards he was not remembered.

Ecclesiastes Chapter 10

Even if a person has been guided by wisdom throughout his life, one act of folly can minimize all that was done before. (2 Kings 20:12-19; 1 Corinthians 5:6) The wise move toward what is good and the fool towards what is bad. Because of his lack of sense, whomever a fool encounters is able to see what he is really like. It is best to remain calm if a king becomes angry with you because calmness will enable you to know what is the best way to comport yourself. Not all rulers should be in their positions. There are those who are not wise but they are in high positions while more deserving persons may be in a low position. The basis for choosing the person to rule may be done on a whim so wisdom is of no value in this case.

Sometime people do worthwhile things that in the end may cause them harm. The examples given such as digging a pit and falling into it or quarrying stone and being injured by them could be avoided if the person makes use of wisdom in doing these tasks. When doing a task that requires the use of tools, wisdom would dictate that the tools be sharpened or the person will expend a large of amount of energy in order to complete the task.

A wise man’s words win him favor but the words of a fool are self-destructive. Woe for the nation whose king is not of noble birth and whose princes lack self-control. Blessed is the nation whose king has been prepared for rulership and whose princes are temperate. Those who are lazy will allow their houses to fall down around their heads and a lazy king will allow the nation to fall apart because he spends too much time in feasting and merriment and for him money is more important than anything else. Even with such a ruler, a person should not even think bad thoughts about him because by some means he will hear what has been said about him.

Ecclesiastes Chapter 11

When doing business, a person should invest in more than one enterprise because no one knows when calamity might strike and he would lose all of his money if it were tied up in only one venture. When a person has plenty, he should share with many people because if he faces disaster, then he may receive returns from many sources. Humans cannot predict what the weather will be like so a farmer will have no harvest if he waits for the best weather to plant. So a person would not want to wait for the most opportune time to do something but should be constantly busy in diligent activity. Although all that we do may not succeed, if we continue to be diligent in our work, we will be confident of having some success.

Life should be enjoyed daily because a time will come when it will not be possible to do so, days that are referred to as ‘days of darkness.’ The young should find much pleasure in life and should pursue whatever activities they desire, but they should keep in mind that they will have to give an accounting to Jehovah for their actions. So they need to be careful of what they choose to be involved in and avoid those activities that will bring trouble for them. Although youth and vigor may be meaningless, having wisdom is not.

Ecclesiastes Chapter 12

Solomon advised a youth to remember Jehovah while he are young, when his strength and vitality are at their peak and he has little or nothing to complain about. When old age comes, then come problems and trouble and life is no longer pleasurable. Trouble and gloom are constant companions of the old as the arm and hands begin to tremble, the legs lose their strength, the teeth become few, the eyesight grows dim, hearing loss is experienced, the voice looses its strength. They become fearful of heights and traffic in the streets, they experience loss of sleep and loss of appetite. The back weakens causing difficult in walking, the hair turns white, and sexual desires are no longer stirred. The body loses it strength and death ensues. The course of wisdom would dictate that before all of this occurs, we need to remember the creator.

Solomon was a wise and knowledgeable teacher who took the time to search out and ponder these matters so that he could write correct words that were upright and true. These sayings are to act as goads guiding one to learn the wisdom that has been provided by Jehovah. Since human efforts and human wisdom have been shown to be limited, then the best course is to fear Jehovah and obey His commands because He will bring every deed whether hidden or open, good or evil into judgment.

The Song of Solomon

Song of Songs Chapter 1

This song opens with a young maiden speaking about her love for a young shepherd. The Bible Knowledge Commentary of the Old Testament, page 1013, tells us that the term 'shepherd' "is a common epithet for a man in ancient Near Eastern love poetry." She describes his love as being more fragrant than wine, and his name like perfume that is poured out and that is why all the young women adore him. She is desirous of having him come and take her away to his chambers in Jerusalem. He is referred to as the king therefore, this is a royal romance between a young woman and the king, Solomon. Her companions agree that her love for the shepherd is praisworthy.

She asks them not to stare at her because of her dark skin as her brothers made her work in the vineyard in the hot sun and she had had no time to care for herself. She would like to be with her lover, but does not want to be thought to be a prostitute if she wandered about looking for him. Her companions suggest that if she does not know where he is maybe she needs to return to her own kind which is where she really belongs.

Her lover now reassures her of his love by speaking of her physical attractions. She reminds him of a "mare harnessed to the chariots of Pharoah." Since stallions were used to pull chariots, he is saying to her that she is 'one in a million' among women as far as he is concerned. He would give her earrings and a necklace to adorn her beauty. After hearing how he viewed her, the women companions were forced to change their opinion of her and agree to make jewelry for her.

She then describes the effect that her lover has on her. When she thought of him it was like the sweet fragrances that come from myrrh, which is used in making incense and perfumes, and henna blossoms. The lover responds that she is beautiful and he compares her eyes to that of two doves. The Bible Knowledge Commentary of the Old Testament, page 1014 has this to say about this comparison: "According to Rabbinic teaching, a bride who has beautiful eyes possesses a beautiful character; they are an index to her character." She responds to him that he is handsome and very charming. He comments that their couch is of greenery and overhead, their roof is of cedars and fir, a pastoral setting.

The NIV Bible Commentary, page 1029 makes this comment about the use of descriptive terms from nature: "Notice the extensive references to animals, birds, trees, flowers, and mountains. The site of their love making is among the cedars and firs, in all of their greenery. It hints of a return to Eden (Ge 2:18-25), with its simplicity, naivete, equality, and purity. It is as if this were the original couple."

Song of Solomon Chapter 2

She says that she is merely a rose from Sharon, a common meadow flower, and he tells her that she is more like a lily among thorny weeds. She then describes him as an apple tree and she delights to sit in his shade and the fruit he gives is sweet. Because she is lovesick, she desires apples and cakes of raisins to sustain her. She longs for his embrace but she urges her companions not to rush any feeling of love until it is the right time.

She believes that her lover is on his way to see her and she can hear him climbing across the mountains like a gazelle. He arrives at the wall of Jerusalem and peers into the window. He spoke to her telling her to get up and come away with him. The winter has passed and spring has come in all its glory. Her lover views her as hiding from him and he tells her he longs to see her face and hear her voice. Her companions ask him to catch the foxes that are ruining the vineyards that are in bloom. Some scholars believe that this is an allusion to some problem that they two are facing and they want him to resolve it. She continues to desire his presence with her. This sequence may have simply been a dream of hers.

Song of Solomon Chapter 3

Her dream continues. She is still looking for her true love; she has called him but he has not answered her. So she decides to go out into the city to look for him and the watchmen see her and she asks them if they have seen him. Then suddenly she turns around and there he is. She grabs hold of him and takes him to the house of her mother.

The next scene depicts the wedding procession where the king, identified as Solomon in verse 6, is coming to the bride’s home to escort her back to his home. He is sitting in a traveling couch along with sixty of his mighty men around him, all experts with the sword. His couch is made from timber taken from Lebanon and the poles are made of silver with the back of the chair being of gold. The seat is made of purple material lined with leather. He is wearing a crown of gold that his mother put on his head on the day of his wedding. The daughters of Zion are invited to come out and welcome the king.

Song of Solomon Chapter 4

The bridegroom describes his bride’s beauty in glowing terms. Her eyes are as bright as doves, her hair is black, and her teeth are white and perfectly matched. Her lips are painted scarlet and her cheeks have the coloring of a pomegranate. Her neck was long and was ornamented with many jewels and her breasts are described as twin fawns because of their softness. He saw no flaw in her. He encourages her to leave behind her thoughts of home and to give him her full attention. (Psalms 45:10, 11)

He further says that she has stolen his heart with just one of her eyes and one jewel of her neck. Her love is more fragrant than wine and her lips drop sweetness like the honeycomb. Her two cheeks are an orchard of pomegranates and her garments smell of Lebanon with its fragrant cedar trees. She is also described as a locked garden indicating that she had kept her virginity intact. (Revelation 14:3) This garden was full of rich and exotic fruits, flowers, plants and spices. The bride responds that the north and south winds should blow upon her garden releasing its perfumes to attract her lover to come and enjoy its fruits. The first verse of chapter 5 described the consummation of their love.

Song of Solomon Chapter 5

Some scholars believe that the latter part of verse 1 is a public confirmation that the marriage had been consummated.

The young woman now relates a dream that she had to her companions. She heard a knock on her door as she slept and she knew that it was her lover who asks her to open the door for him. But she told him that she taken off her clothes and her feet have been washed. He tried to open her door but could not. Then she decided to get up and let him in but he had turned and walked away. She looked around for him but did not see him and she called out to him but he did not answer. The watchmen met her and they struck her and took her cloak from her. She then told her companions that if they saw her lover they were to tell him that she was lovesick. They then asked her what was so special about her lover that they should help her look for him. She described him to the woman in glowing terms.

He has a ruddy complexion, black wavy hair, and eyes like doves washed in milk and mounted like jewels. His cheeks were like beds of perfume-yielding spices, his lips like lilies dripping myrrh. His arms were like rods of gold, his body like polished ivory ornamented with sapphires and his legs were like marble pillars set on bases of pure gold.

Song of Solomon Chapter 6

The women asked her if she knew in which direction he might have gone so they could help her find him. She admits that she does know where he could be found. He has gone to his garden to browse and to pick the lilies. She realizes that she has been anxious for no good reason; they do belong to each other.

Her lover reassures her of his love by saying to her that she is beautiful as Tirzah and as lovely as Jerusalem. He repeats the description he gave of her as recorded in chapter 4. He says that of all the princesses and concubines and other young women he knew, she alone was the one he viewed as perfect.

Song of Solomon Chapter 7

He describes his beloved again beginning with her feet. The curves of her thighs are like jewels, her navel round like a goblet, her belly like wheat, her breasts like twin fawns, her neck like an ivory tower, her eyes like pools of water, and her nose like a towering mountain that looks towards Damascus. Her hair is a lustrous black and the flowing locks of her hair were like purple threads that the king was captivated by. Her stature was as stately as a palm tree that he would climb and take hold of its fruit.

She tells him that they should go into the country and spend the night in the villages. They would rise early the next day and visit the vineyards to see if the blossoms have opened. There she would give him her love and they could look forward to many such rapturous occasions.

Song of Solomon Chapter 8

She wishes that he were her brother so that when they are out in public she could kiss him and no one would say anything about it. She could take him to her mother’s house where she would give him wine to drink and he could embrace her. He told her companions not to awaken love until it so desires. Later they are seen returning from their trip to the vineyards and her companions see them and they asked “Who is this coming up from the wilderness leaning on her beloved?”

She tells him that their love began beneath the apple tree at the place where his mother had given birth to him. He should wear her as a seal upon his heart and upon his arm. This seal represented the possession of a valuable item. Love is as strong as death and it blazes like a mighty flame and no water can quench it nor can a flood sweep it away. It cannot be purchased with money; in fact, any money offered would be treated with scorn

Her companions now recall what her brothers had said of her. If she were a wall, that is, if she were unyielding, they would allow her freedom and would reward her. But if she were a swinging door, that is, she was not chaste; they would close it up with planks of cedar or restrict her freedom. She avers that she was chaste and as such was able to bring contentment to her husband.

King Solomon had rented out a vineyard to her brothers and this is apparently where the two had met. They were to pay him one thousand pieces of silver and they would get two hundred pieces of silver. As Solomon was master of his vineyard, she told him that she was master of hers, that is, she chose how she would give of herself.

The latter two verses show that the two lovers have lost nothing of the intensity of their first love even in marriage.


Book of Isaiah


Isaiah Chapter 1


The prophet Isaiah prophesied during the reigns of four kings of Judah, Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah. His message was directed specifically to the kingdom of Judah.

Jehovah calls the heavens and the earth to listen to His words. He had, like a father, raised children who had rebelled against Him because they did not know Him. Even animals know their owners but Israel did not understand that. They are a sinful nation loaded with guilt and given to corruption. So they have turned their backs on Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel. He described them as a nation that is sick from the top of their heads to the bottom of their feet. There was no sound place on their bodies as there are wounds, open sores and welts everywhere and these have not been attended to.

Foreigners had entered the land and were burning their cities, stripping their fields, and desolating the countryside. Jerusalem was like a shelter or a hut that stood in a vineyard where the watchman stayed to guard the crops. If Jehovah had not intervened, the nation itself would have been devastated with no survivors, as Sodom and Gomorrah had been. (Romans 9:29)

To Jehovah they are a lot like the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah so He calls them by these names. They need to listen and hear what He has to say to them. All of the sacrifices that they are offering are meaningless to Him, as He takes no pleasure in them. When they come before Him, they were desecrating His courts with their numberless offerings that that had no meaning for them. They were a burden to Him and He was tired of carrying this burden.

When they offered prayer to Him, He would not listen because those offering these prayers were not spiritually clean because they had spurned His law. They needed to stop doing wrong and learn to do what was right. They needed to change their attitudes, as they believed that they could deliberately do wrong then bring the required sacrifice to the temple and they would be forgiven. Jehovah was very clear in His requirement that they exercise justice towards all especially the fatherless and the widows, oppressing no one.

Jehovah was willing to be reasonable with Israel. He told them that if they were willing to be obedient, to turn around and stop sinning against Him, He would be willing to forgive all of their previous sins even though they were as red as crimson, a color that is almost impossible to wash out of material. He would remove the stain and make them as white as snow, spiritually speaking. He would not even remember their sin and He would bless them as He promised to do. (Deuteronomy 28:3-6, 12) But if they refused to obey and continued to rebel against Him, they would all die by the sword.

Jerusalem was once a faithful city where justice and righteousness dwelt but now she was a harlot and her citizens were murderers. Her valuable things were now worthless. Her rulers loved wrongdoing, taking bribes and chasing after gifts. Because the poor, the fatherless and the widow could not buy justice, they did not receive any. So Jehovah was determined to avenge Himself on His enemies. He would discipline them so thoroughly that all of their impurities would be washed away. He would then give them judges and counselors who would administer justice and Jerusalem would be called the “City of Righteousness, The Faithful City.” The remnant that will be left in Zion will experience justice and righteousness but those who continue to be rebellious would perish.

Israel would then become ashamed of the idolatry that they involved themselves in when they worshipped under the oak trees and in the gardens. They themselves would become like a dried up oak tree and like a garden that has not been watered. Their idolatry would be the very thing that would destroy them.

Isaiah Chapter 2

Isaiah now relates a prophecy concerning the last days when Jerusalem will be restored. In that day the worship of Jehovah will be exalted above all other religions and many people will be attracted to it. They will come to Jehovah’s house to be taught His ways so that they will know the correct way to worship Him. His law will then be used to settle matters between nations and many peoples who will respond by putting aside their war implements and seeking peace with each other. Since other nations are going to come and worship Jehovah why should the house of Jacob that had been given light continue to walk in darkness?

Those who desire to worship Jehovah will need to separate themselves from their brother Israelites because they have adopted pagan practices and they have gone after silver and gold. They fill the land with horses and chariots and it is full of idols that they bow down to, the work of their own hands. Their aim was to become independent of Jehovah. They were therefore in an abased condition and Jehovah would not forgive them or raise them up.

When Jehovah comes with judgment on His people they will try to hide in caves, in the rocks and in holes in the ground. (See Luke 23:30; Revelation 6:15) At that time, the arrogant ones will be humbled and only Jehovah will be exalted. Jehovah has a special day in which He will bring down every lofty thing, every tall tree, every tall mountain, all high hills, every lofty tower and any other lofty thing that stands in opposition to Him. On the day that Jehovah is exalted, all idols will vanish. They will be thrown to the rodents and bats that have no use for them. They will be in terror because of Jehovah’s coming judgments upon them. The prophet warns Israel to stop trusting in man who is too frail to help even himself. (Psalms 146:3, 4)

Isaiah Chapter 3

As part of their discipline, Jehovah will remove from Judah and Jerusalem all of the ones they looked up to and replace them with inexperienced, immature and oppressive leaders. They would be in such dire straits that anyone who they thought might have some rank or material possessions they would try to make him their leader. But this person would refuse saying that he was not qualified to straighten out the chaos that existed. (Ezekiel 17:12-14)

Jerusalem was staggering because everything that they did was in opposition to Jehovah. They are insolent and openly rebellious against Him, bringing disaster upon themselves. The righteous will not need to fear as Jehovah will remember them but the wicked will be recompensed for their badness. Their leaders are so ineffectual that it is like having youth and women ruling over them. They were leading the people astray, turning them from the right path. Jehovah would now judge them. He accused them of ruining His vineyard, stealing from the poor to enrich themselves, and oppressing His people.

Even the women of Jerusalem are haughty and materialistic. But Jehovah will bring them down as well. They would loose their hair, due to sores or by being cut off by the conquering army. All of their finery, their jewelry, their perfumes, charms, robes, purses and linen garments will all be taken away from them. They will now have a bad odor because of not being able to bathe, ropes would secure their garments of sackcloth, and the enemy would put brand marks on them. Zion would be in mourning as her warriors fall in battle.

Isaiah Chapter 4

At this time, seven women will ask one man to provide them the protection from the disgraceful situation that they face, that is, the male population has been decimated. So they simply would want to be called by his name but they would provide their own food and clothing.

Isaiah now turns his attention to a prophetic figure called ‘Branch’ who Jehovah would use to restore Jerusalem and who would cleanse the survivors of Israel so that they would be called ‘holy.’ After a remnant returned from captivity in Babylon, they began looking forward to this prophetic messianic figure that would fulfill this prophecy. Even in the first century when Jesus appeared on the scene, they were still looking for the “coming one.” (Luke 7:18) This prophecy will be fulfilled when the modern-day servant is used by Jehovah to restore a remnant from modern-day Israel, Jehovah’s Witnesses, in our day and time.

Isaiah Chapter 5

The prophet now takes the role of a folk singer and sings a song about a vineyard. The owner of the vineyard is Jehovah who the prophet describes as the one he loved. The vineyard was on a fertile hillside and it had been cleared of all stones and had been sown with the choicest vines. A watchtower was built in it and a winepress dug out. One day the owner of the vineyard came to inspect his vineyard for fruit and he found that it had yielded only bad fruit. Now, what should he do?

He brought the matter before those living in Jerusalem and Judah to see how they would assess the situation. He asked them if He had done everything necessary to ensure a good crop of fruit. If so, then why did it yield only bad fruit? They could not answer because He was talking about them. But Jehovah had already made His decision. He would take away its hedge, break down its wall, leave it uncultivated so that thorns and thistles will take over and He would not allow any rain to come upon it. He would allow His vineyard to be trampled and destroyed.

He then identifies this vineyard as the house of Israel and the people of Judah. He had looked for good fruitage from them such as justice and righteousness but all He found was bloodshed and cries of bloodshed. A modern-day application of this vineyard can be found the book entitled “The Report,” Volume I, Chapter 8.

Isaiah now pronounced six woes on Judah because of sins being committed. The first is against those who buy up the land that is the inheritance of other families and should not have been sold, in order to become wealthy. Jehovah’s judgment against these ones was that the large houses they built with their wealth would not be inhabited. Their large vineyards and fields would produce only a fraction of what they should have.

The second woe is on those who spend a lot of time feasting and drinking. They hold banquets that last well into the night and continue into the morning. Yet they do not give any thought to Jehovah. They will go into exile where many of their high-ranking officials and nobles will die of thirst and hunger along with all those who were revelers and brawlers. Man will be humbled but Jehovah will be exalted and He will show Himself holy because of His righteousness. Their large land holdings will become grazing places for sheep.

The third woe is directed against those who were so attached to sin and wickedness that they are spoken of as pulling it behind themselves with ropes as they would pull a load. They want Jehovah to act in their behalf quickly so that they can see it before they make any effort to bring their lives in harmony with His will. The fourth woe is directed at those who increase their sin by calling good that which Jehovah says is bad.

The fifth woe is directed at those who preferred to rely on their own means to protect themselves rather than on Jehovah. The sixth woe is directed at judges who allow themselves to fall under the influence of strong drink losing their clear thinking ability. They thus pervert justice by taking bribes from the guilty to acquit them and denying justice to the innocent. Their judgment will be as certain and as quick as when fire destroys straw and dry grass because they have shown utter disregard for Jehovah’s laws. When His anger burns against His people and He strikes them down, their dead bodies will lie as refuge in the streets.

Isaiah is now given a vision of the nation that Jehovah will use to execute his judgments on His people. Jehovah raises a banner as the rallying point for His army. When He whistles for them, they come very quickly. They are vigorous and their attire is in order. They are well equipped for war and as they seize their prey, they growl like young lions. The day that they attack will be a day of darkness and gloom because there will be no one to rescue out of their hands.

Isaiah Chapter 6

In the year the King Uzziah died, Isaiah was given a heavenly vision. (2 Kings 15:5-7) He saw Jehovah seated on His throne and His robes filled the temple. There were seraphs round about Him who were calling to one another “Holy, Holy, Holy is Jehovah of Hosts. The whole earth if full of His glory.” Then Isaiah became afraid because of his uncleanness and that of the people of Judah because he had seen the Almighty King, Jehovah. One of the seraphs came to him with a burning coal that he had taken from the altar and touched his mouth with it. He told him that his guilt had been taken away and his sin atoned for.

Then Jehovah spoke saying “Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?” Isaiah promptly answered “Here I am, send me.” He was told to go to the people and tell them that although they heard his message they would never respond to it. Since they had no desire to repent then Jehovah would allow them to become even duller in their hearing and seeing so that there would not be a healing for them. When Isaiah asked how long would Israel remain in this condition, Jehovah told him it would be until the cities were without inhabitants, the fields ravaged and He had sent them all away into exile. Though a tenth or a remnant would remain they too would need to be disciplined. When a tree is cut down a stump remains and when Israel is cut down, this stump would be the tenth or the holy seed upon which the nation would be rebuilt. (See Ezra 2:64-66)

Isaiah Chapter 7

When Ahaz was king of Judah, Rezin, king of Aram and Pekah, king of Israel plotted to take over the kingdom of Judah and replace Ahaz as king and put a king of their choice on the throne. When Ahaz was told of their plot, he became afraid. Jehovah sent Isaiah and his son, Shear-Jashub, whose name means “a remnant will return.” to meet Ahaz and reassure him that He would not allow this to happen. (2 Kings 16:5) Jehovah referred to these two kings as ‘smoldering stubs of firewood’ but their anger would soon fizzle out. Jehovah through Isaiah told Ahaz that within sixty-five years the Northern Kingdom would be in ruins so he was not to lose his faith in Him. Jehovah wanted to give him even more reassurance so He told him to ask for a sign that His word would come true. But Ahaz refused because he really did not have any faith in Jehovah.

Jehovah gave him a sign anyway. Isaiah told him that a young woman would give birth to a son whose name would be Immanuel, which means ‘God with us.’ The child would be but a few years old when Jehovah would bring the Assyrian army against these two kings. By the time that he was old enough to eat curds and honey, the Assyrian army would have destroyed these two kings. (2 Kings 18:9-11) Isaiah 7:14 was applied to Jesus at Matthew 1:22, 23.

Jehovah described the Assyrian army as flies and bees that He would whistle for and they would come and settle in the rock crevices and on the thornbushes in the land. Jehovah would use them as one would use a razor to shave off the hair from their legs, their heads and their faces. The footnote for verse 20 in the NIV says this: “The forcible shaving of the beard was considered a great insult (2 Sa 10:4-5).”

After the destruction of Israel by the Assyrian army, a man could survive if he had a cow and two goats. The milk from these animals would provide curds or a type of yogurt and this along with some honey would be the only food that those who were left in the land would have to eat. The invading army would have ruined all of their fields and vineyards. These would become places where cattle and sheep are pastured.

Isaiah Chapter 8

Jehovah told Isaiah to write the name, Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz, on a scroll and bring in Uriah the priest and Zechariah to witness it. The name means “quick to the plunder, swift to the spoil.” He would be the sign given to Judah that Jehovah’s word would be fulfilled. Isaiah then had relations with his wife and she conceived and gave birth to a son and Jehovah told him to call him Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz. Jehovah then told him that before the child was old enough to say ‘My father’ or ‘My mother,’ the king of Assyria would have plundered both Aram and Ephraim.

Since Israel had rejected Jehovah’s help described as gentle flowing waters, He would now bring upon them the floodwaters of a mighty river, the king of Assyria, who would overrun Ephraim and flood into Judah, its waters reaching up to her neck. The Assyrian king, after destroying Israel, conquered all of Judah’s cities except Jerusalem before Jehovah intervened. (2 Kings 18:13) The king was likened to a large bird that had spread its wings such that they covered the land of Judah. But Jehovah would come to their rescue because He was with Judah.

The people of Judah were concerned about everything except what was most important. Isaiah was warned by Jehovah not to be fearful of what they were afraid of but he was to fear Jehovah only and be in dread of Him because He would be a sanctuary to him. But He would be a stone that Judah and Israel would stumble over, a rock that would make them fall and even a snare and a trap to Jerusalem. Understanding of these events would elude them because they refused to pay attention to Jehovah therefore they would be faced with a terrible calamity. But there would be some that would pay attention to Isaiah’s words.

Isaiah knew that he and his children were signs to the nation of Israel. The names of his sons would be kept before them as reminders of Jehovah’s words to them. His first son was named ‘Shear-Jashub’ which means ‘a remnant will return.’ He would be a reminder to Judah that after her captivity, some of them would be restored to their land. The name of his second son, Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz, means ‘quick to the plunder, swift to the spoil.’ He would be a reminder of Jehovah’s decree of destruction for the ten-tribe kingdom.

Because the people refused to listen to Jehovah, they would naturally turn to spiritist and mediums to tell them what the future would hold for them. But if they did not speak according to Jehovah’s law, they would have no understanding to impart to the people. The people would then wander around in distress, looking for answers but finding none, they would then become enraged at their king and at Jehovah. Everywhere they turn there will be nothing but gloom and darkness, they can find no answers for their plight.

Isaiah Chapter 9

Isaiah now describes a bright future for Israel. The land was humbled because of Jehovah’s discipline upon them. Zebulun and Naphtali were among the first tribes to succumb to the Assyrian army. (2 Kings 15:29) But now Jehovah’s favor would shine upon them. They who have walked in darkness will see a great light. “Galilee of the Nations,” the land around the Jordan River, was where Jesus spent most of his time on earth preaching. (Matthew 4:12-17) Jehovah will enlarge the nation and increase their joyfulness. All of the disheartening things that had happened to them and the yoke that had burdened them will now be a thing of the past. A child will be born, that is, a son of David will come forth and he will take over the government. He will have four titles given to him: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father and Prince of Peace. There will be no end to his government and the peace it will bring. His throne is called David’s throne and it will be established with justice and righteousness. The zeal of Jehovah Almighty will accomplish this.

Israel has arrogantly said that they will rebuild what had been torn down and they would use even better materials but Jehovah thinks otherwise. The king of Aram in addition to others nations will continue to devour Israel. Jehovah’s anger has not turned from them. The people have been unresponsive to Jehovah’s prodding’s so He is going to take away Israel’s prominent men, their elders and prophets who are leading them astray. Everyone is ungodly and wicked even the fatherless, the widows and the young men. Because wickedness has gone unchecked it is spoken of as a fire that burns and consumes all of the people and the smell of smoke rises to heaven. Each one will be against his neighbor as civil strife ignites. This too is Jehovah’s judgment on the people

Isaiah Chapter 10

Jehovah’s judgments will come upon those who make unjust laws and oppressive decrees for the purpose of withholding justice from the oppressed, the poor and the widow and there will be no one to rescue them. They will either be captives or they will be among those killed. Jehovah also pronounces His judgment against the Assyrians whom He has used to execute His judgments upon His people. Jehovah had sent them to loot, plunder and trample them like mud in the streets. But the Assyrian ruler had more on his mind. His intent was to completely destroy many nations from the earth including Judah.

So Jehovah would deal with him when he had completed His work against Jerusalem. The Assyrian king had spoken with great pride that everything he had done was accomplished by his own hands and his own wisdom and understanding. He failed to see that he was simply an instrument in Jehovah’s hand but Jehovah would have to bring him down a peg or two. He would send a wasting disease upon his mightiest warriors. Jehovah would be like a fire that would consume his forests completely destroying them. What would be left of his army would be so few that a small child would be able to number them. (Isaiah 37:36, 37)

Jehovah would save a remnant (Shear-jashub) from Jacob who would learn to rely upon Him. Even though Israel may be like the sand by the sea for number only a remnant will survive the destruction that He had decreed. (Romans 9:27) Jehovah promised Judah that the Assyrian army was there to discipline them as with a rod but once His anger is appeased, He will turn against the Assyrians and destroy them. He reminds Judah of other times when He has come to their aid. The Assyrian king has already overrun a number of Judah’s fortified cities and now he about to come face to face with Jerusalem for the purpose of destroying it. Jehovah would now step in to stop them. (Isaiah chapter 37) The eleven cities listed in verses 28-32 are all situated along the route that the Assyrian King took on his way to Jerusalem.

Isaiah Chapter 11

This chapter continues with a description of the future ruler of Israel mentioned in chapter 9. A shoot will come from the stump of Jesse and will bear fruit. Jehovah’s spirit will rest upon him. He will be endowed with the spirit of wisdom and understanding, counsel and strength, knowledge and the fear of Jehovah in which he will delight. His judgments will not be based upon what he hears and sees. He will judge the needy and the poor with righteousness and with justice. His words of judgment will be effective against the wicked. Those with peaceful personalities will join with those who have violent personalities under his leadership and no one will harm the other because knowledge of Jehovah will fill the earth.

He will stand as a banner and the nations will rally to him and his place of rest will be glorious. Jehovah will again call the remnant of his people out of Assyria, Egypt, Cush, Elam, Babylonia, Hamath and from the islands of the sea gathering them from the four corners of the earth. Ephraim will no longer be jealous of Judah and Judah will not be hostile towards Ephraim. The two nations will be united. (Ezekiel 37:15-22) Together they will subject other nations under them. Jehovah will open up a way through the Euphrates for His people to come out of Babylon. The prophecies in this chapter are yet to be fulfilled. For additional information concerning the re-unification of the nation of Israel, see the article entitled “The Ten tribe kingdom Re-United With the Ten tribe Kingdom - When?” at the following site:

http://livingwatersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=316

Isaiah Chapter 12

Israel will now say to Jehovah that they will offer praise to Him because although He was angry with them, He is now comforting them. They will acknowledge Him as their salvation and their strength and the one they will sing about. They will say: “Give thanks to Jehovah, call on His name, and tell the nations what He has done and that His name should be exalted. He has done glorious things that should be proclaimed to the world.” All Israel will shout aloud and sing for joy because the Holy One of Israel is great. This chapter is also prophetic and has a future fulfillment.


NOTE: Scriptures cited in this commentary were taken from the New International Version (NIV), the New American Standard (NAS), and the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).

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