Bible Commentaries

Exodus 15:4 — Verse Exodus 15:4. Pharaoh's chariots - his host - his chosen captains — On such an expedition it is likely that the principal Egyptian nobility accompanied their king, and that the overthrow they met with here had reduced Egypt to the lowest extremity. Had the Israelites been intent on plunder, or had Moses been influenced by a spirit of ambition, how easily might both have gratified themselves, as, had they returned, they might have soon overrun and subjugated the whole land.

1 Kings 22:4 — Verse 1 Kings 22:4. Wilt thou go with me — We find that there was a good understanding between Jehoshaphat and Ahab, which no doubt was the consequence of a matrimonial alliance between the son of the former, Jehoram, and the daughter of the latter, Athaliah; see 2 Chronicles 18:1; 2 Kings 8:18. This coalition did not please God, and Jehoshaphat is severely reproved for it by Jehu the seer, 2 Chronicles 19:1-3.

1 Kings 7:38 — Verse 1 Kings 7:38. Then made he ten lavers — These were set on the ten bases or pedestals, and were to hold water for the use of the priests in their sacred office, particularly to wash the victims that were to be offered as a burnt-offering, as we learn from 2 Chronicles 4:6; but the brazen sea was for the priests to wash in. The whole was a building of vast art, labour, and expense.

2 Kings 11:4 — Verse 2 Kings 11:4. And the seventh year Jehoiada sent — He had certainly sounded them all, and brought them into the interests of the young king, before this time; the plot having been laid, and now ripe for execution, he brings the chief officers of the army and those of the body guard into the temple, and there binds them by an oath of secrecy, and shows them the king's son, in whose behalf they are to rise.

2 Kings 18:22 — Verse 2 Kings 18:22. Whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away — This was artfully malicious. Many of the people sacrificed to Jehovah on the high places; Hezekiah had removed them, (2 Kings 18:4), because they were incentives to idolatry: Rab-shakeh insinuates that by so doing he had offended Jehovah, deprived the people of their religious rights, and he could neither expect the blessing of God nor the cooperation of the people.

2 Kings 4:16 — Verse 2 Kings 4:16. Thou shalt embrace a son. — This promise, and the circumstances of the parties, are not very dissimilar to that relative to the birth of Isaac, and those of Abraham and Sarah.Do not lie — That is, Let thy words become true; or, as the rabbins understand it, Do not mock me by giving me a son that shall soon be removed by death; but let me have one that shall survive me.

2 Chronicles 32:4 — Verse 2 Chronicles 32:4. Stopped all the fountains — This was prudently done, for without water how could an immense army subsist in an arid country? No doubt the Assyrian army suffered much through this, as a Christian army did eighteen hundred years after this. When the crusaders came, in A.D. 1099, to besiege Jerusalem, the people of the city stopped up the wells, so that the Christian army was reduced to the greatest necessities and distress.

Job 17:4 — Verse Job 17:4. For thou hast hid their heart — This address is to God; and here he is represented as doing that which in the course of his providence he only permits to be done.Shalt thou not exalt them. — This was exactly fulfilled: not one of Job's friends was exalted; on the contrary, God condemned the whole; and they were not received into the Divine favour till Job sacrificed, and made intercession for them.

Job 30:4 — Versículo Job 30:4 . Quien cortó malvas junto a los arbustos. מלוח malluach, que traducimos como malva, viene de מלח melach, sal; alguna hierba o arbusto de naturaleza salina, verdolaga de mar, o la salsaria, salsola o hierba salada. Bochart dice que es el αλιμος de los

Psalms 105:4 — Verse Psalms 105:4. Seek the Lord — Worship the one only Supreme Being, as the only and all-sufficient good for the soul of man.And his strength — Man is weak; and needs connexion with the strong God that he may be enabled to avoid evil and do good.Seek his face — Reconciliation to him. Live not without a sense of his favour.Evermore. — Let this be thy chief business. In and above all thy seeking, seek this.

Psalms 111:4 — Verse Psalms 111:4. He hath made his wonderful works — He who seeks them out will never forget them; and every thing of God's framing is done in such a way, as to strike the imagination, interest the senses, and charm and edify the intellect. But the psalmist may here intend principally the works of God in behalf of the Jewish people; and particularly in their deliverance from the Babylonish captivity, which this Psalm is supposed to celebrate.

Psalms 123:1 — PSALM CXXIII The prayer and faith of the godly, 1, 2. They desire to be delivered from contempt, 3, 4. NOTES ON PSALM CXXIIIThis Psalm is probably a complaint of the captives in Babylon relative to the contempt and cruel usage they received. The author is uncertain.Verse Psalms 123:1. Unto thee lift I up mine eyes — We have no hope but in thee; our eyes look upward; we have expectation from thy mercy alone.

Psalms 36:4 — Verse Psalms 36:4. He deviseth mischief upon his bed — He seeks the silent and undisturbed watches of the night, in order to fix his plans of wickedness.He setteth himself — Having laid his plans, he fixes his purpose to do what is bad; and he does it without any checks of conscience or abhorrence of evil. He is bent only on mischief, and lost to all sense of God and goodness. A finished character of a perfect sinner.

Psalms 63:4 — Verse Psalms 63:4. I will lift up my hands in thy name. — I will take God for my portion. I will dedicate myself to him, and will take him to witness that I am upright in what I profess and do. Pious Jews, in every place of their dispersion, in all their prayers, praises, contracts, &c., stretched out their hands towards Jerusalem, where the true God had his temple, and where he manifested his presence.

Psalms 88:1 — anteponen por separado a este Salmo y al siguiente, se mencionan como los nietos de Judá de su nuera Tamar,  1 Crónicas 2:6 , porque eran hijos de Zera, su hijo inmediato por el encima. "Y Tamar, su nuera, le dio a luz a Fares y Zera", 1 Crónicas 2:4 . "Y los hijos de Zera Zimri, Etán, Hemán, Calcol y Dara, (o Darda") 1 Crónicas 2:6 . Si estas eran las mismas personas mencionadas en 1 Reyes 4:31 , eran eminentes en sabiduría ; porque allí se dice que la sabiduría de Salomón "sobrepasó la sabiduría

Numbers 11:4 — Verse Numbers 11:4. The mixed multitude — האספסף hasaphsuph, the collected or gathered people. Such as came out of Egypt with the Israelites; and are mentioned Exodus 12:38. This mongrel people, who had comparatively little of the knowledge of God, feeling the difficulties and fatigues of the journey, were the first to complain; and then we find the children of Israel joined them in their complainings, and made a common cause with these demi-infidels.

Deuteronomy 4:2 — Verse Deuteronomy 4:2. Ye shall not add — Any book, chapter, verse or word, which I have not spoken; nor give any comment that has any tendency to corrupt, weaken, or destroy any part of this revelation.Neither shall ye diminish — Ye shall not only not take away any larger portion of this word, but ye shall not take one jot or tittle from the LAW; it is that word of God that abideth for ever.

Judges 5:24 — Verse Judges 5:24. Blessed above women shall Jael - be — She shall be highly celebrated as a most heroic woman; all the Israelitish women shall glory in her. I do not understand these words as expressive of the Divine approbation towards Jael. See the observations at the end of Judges 4:24. The word bless, both in Hebrew and Greek, often signifies to praise, to speak well of, to celebrate. This is most probably its sense here.

1 Samuel 4:19 — Verse 1 Samuel 4:19. And his daughter-in-law — This is another very affecting story; the defeat of Israel, the capture of the ark, the death of her father-in-law, and the slaughter of her husband, were more than a woman in her circumstances, near the time of her delivery could bear. She bowed, travailed, was delivered of a son, gave the child a name indicative of the ruined state of Israel, and expired!

2 Samuel 4:12 — Verse 2 Samuel 4:12. And they slew them — None ever more richly deserved death; and by this act of justice, David showed to all Israel that he was a decided enemy to the destruction of Saul's family; and that none could lift up their hands against any of them without meeting with condign punishment. In all these cases I know not that it was possible for David to show more sincerity, or a stricter regard for justice.