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Expanded Comments |
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| 1 The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart; and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come. |
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| 2 He entereth into peace; they rest in their beds, each one that walketh in his uprightness. |
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| 3 But draw near hither, ye sons of the sorceress, the seed of the adulterer and the harlot. |
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| 4 Against whom do ye sport yourselves? against whom make ye a wide mouth, and put out the tongue? are ye not children of transgression, a seed of falsehood, |
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| 5 ye that inflame yourselves among the oaks, under every green tree; that slay the children in the valleys, under the clefts of the rocks? |
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| 6 Among the smooth stones of the valley is thy portion; they, they are thy lot; even to them hast thou poured a drink-offering, thou hast offered an oblation. Shall I be appeased for these things? |
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| 7 Upon a high and lofty mountain hast thou set thy bed; thither also wentest thou up to offer sacrifice. |
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| 8 And behind the doors and the posts hast thou set up thy memorial: for thou hast uncovered thyself to another than me, and art gone up; thou hast enlarged thy bed, and made thee a covenant with them; thou lovedst their bed where thou sawest it. |
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| 9 And thou wentest to the king with oil, and didst increase thy perfumes, and didst send thine ambassadors far off, and didst debase thyself even unto Sheol. |
And thou – Israel, represented as a woman. E371
Wentest to the king – Made alliance with earthly kings. E371
Didst debase thyself – Oblivious to the Lord and to the principles of his truth and the righteousness which is of faith. E372
Even unto hell – Sheol, oblivion, becoming figuratively dead. E371
Figurative of deep degradation. R2599:5
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| 10 Thou wast wearied with the length of thy way; yet saidst thou not, It is in vain: thou didst find a quickening of thy strength; therefore thou wast not faint. |
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| 11 And of whom hast thou been afraid and in fear, that thou liest, and hast not remembered me, nor laid it to thy heart? have not I held my peace even of long time, and thou fearest me not? |
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| 12 I will declare thy righteousness; and as for thy works, they shall not profit thee. |
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| 13 When thou criest, let them that thou hast gathered deliver thee; but the wind shall take them, a breath shall carry them all away: but he that taketh refuge in me shall possess the land, and shall inherit my holy mountain. |
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| 14 And he will say, Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way, take up the stumbling-block out of the way of my people. |
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| 15 For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy: I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite. |
High and lofty One – Jehovah. R5217:3
All who would be in harmony with God must be repentant in respect to their own shortcomings and must be appreciative of his lofty standards--his holy standards. R5218:4
Inhabiteth eternity – Before the mountains were brought forth, or the hills, before the First-born was created, he is God. R5217:3
Contrite – Quiet, deep, continual sorrow for acts not in harmony with righteousness. R5217:6
Our great and lofty God is particularly sympathetic toward those of a broken and contrite heart. R5217:3
Humble spirit – This humble, discouraged condition becomes a favorable one if the person will seek divine assistance. R5218:1
The lowly estate in the present life is only the necessary discipline to fit one for the glory and service of the time to come. R2139:5*
The aristocracy of the present age will not be the aristocracy of the new dispensation, but the poor in spirit will reign with Christ for the blessing of all the families of the earth. R2139:4*
Revive the spirit – Give strength and assist in the right way. R5217:6
Of the humble – Only the humble-minded can really appreciate their own condition. God will not only revive their spirit, but make them again sons of God, with all that this implies. R5218:4
To revive the heart – To such he is ever near, to revive and give them strength. R5217:6
This text applies not only to the present time, but will also have an application in the next age. R5218:5
Contrite ones – To be repentant is to be thoroughly submissive to the divine will, and implies a change of mental attitude toward sin. R5218:1
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| 16 For I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth; for the spirit would faint before me, and the breaths that I have made. |
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| 17 For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth, and smote him; I hid my face and was wroth; and he went on backsliding in the way of his heart. |
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| 18 I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners. |
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| 19 I create the fruit of the lips: Peace, peace, to him that is far off and to him that is near, saith Jehovah; and I will heal him. |
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| 20 But the wicked are like the troubled sea; for it cannot rest, and its waters cast up mire and dirt. |
Cast up mire and dirt – "A froward man soweth strife, and a whisperer separateth chief friends." (Prov. 16:28) R2038:4
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| 21 There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked. |
No peace... to the wicked – The peace, joy, rejoicing, blessing, comfort in the Scriptures are only for the Lord's beloved ones. SM334:i
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