Bible Commentaries

1 Chronicles 11:1 — CHAPTER XI David is anointed king in Hebron, 1-3. He wars against the Jebusites, and takes their city, 4-9. An account of David's three mightiest heroes; and particularly of their hazardous exploit in bringing water from the well of Beth-lehem, 10-19. A list of the rest, and an account of their acts, 20-47. NOTES ON CHAP. XIVerse 1 Chronicles 11:1. Then

1 Chronicles 8:9 — Verse 1 Chronicles 8:9. He begat of Hodesh his wife — In the preceding verse it is said that Hushim and Baara were his wives; and here it is said he begat of Hodesh his wife, c. And then his children by Hushim are mentioned, but not a word of Baara! It is likely therefore

2 Chronicles 25:18 — Verse 2 Chronicles 25:18. The thistle that was in Lebanon — See the explanation of this 2 Kings 14:9. After reciting this fable, the Targum adds, "Thus hast thou done in the time thou didst send unto me, and didst lead up from the house of Israel a hundred thousand strong warriors for a hundred talents of silver: and after they were sent, thou didst

Ezra 9:1 — inform Ezra that many of the people now settled in the had married heathen wives; and several of the rulers were principal offenders in this thing, 1, 2. He is greatly afflicted, 3, 4. His prayer to God on thus account, 5-15. NOTES ON CHAP. IXVerse Ezra 9:1. The people of Israel — These were they who had returned at first with Zerubbabel, and were settled in the land of Judea and whom Ezra found on his arrival to be little better than the Canaanitish nations from whom God had commanded them ever

Ezra 9:2 — Verse Ezra 9:2. Hath been chief in this trespass. — They who are the first men have been the most capital offenders; so VIRGIL, AEn. ix. 783: - Unus homo, vestris, o cives, undique septus Aggeribus, tantas strages impune per urbem Ediderit? Juvenum primos

Nehemiah 6:18 — son-in-law of Shechaniah — Previously to the coming of Nehemiah, the Jews seemed to be fast intermixing with the heathen, by intermarriages with Ashdodites, Ammonites, and Moabites; see Nehemiah 13:23. Ezra had many evils of this kind to redress, (Ezra 9:3, c.,) chiefly among the common people, though there were both chiefs and priests in that trespass. But here we find the heathen and Jewish nobles interlinked and the latter were so far imbued with the spirit of idolatry, that they forgot God, his

Esther 1:9 — Verse Esther 1:9. Also Vashti the queen — [Persian] Vashti is a mere Persian word; and signifies a beautiful or excellent woman.Made a feast for the women — The king, having subdued all his enemies, left no competitor for the kingdom; and being thus quietly

Esther 9:19 — Verse Esther 9:19. The Jews of the villages — They joined that to the preceding day, and made it a day of festivity, and of sending portions to each other; that is, the rich sent portions of the sacrifices slain on this occasion to the poor, that they also might

Numbers 34:1 — CHAPTER XXXIV The land of Canaan is described, 1, 2. The south quarter, 3-5. The western border, 6. The north border, 7-9. The east border, 10-12. This land to be divided by lot among the nine tribes and half, 13; two tribes and half, Reuben and Gad, and the half of Manasseh, having already got their inheritance on the east side of Jordan, 14, 15. Eleazar the priest, and

Deuteronomy 10:17 — destroy; if he purpose to destroy, none can save. How absolutely necessary to have such a God for our friend!A great God - mighty — האל הגבר hael haggibbor, the mighty God; this is the very title that is given to our blessed Lord and Saviour, Isaiah 9:6.

Deuteronomy 3:4 — Verse Deuteronomy 3:4. All the region of Argob — כל חבל ארגב col chebel Argob, all the cable or cord of Argob; this expression, which is used in various other parts of Scripture, (see, in the original, Amos 7:17; Micah 2:5; Deuteronomy 32:9; Psalms 16:6), shows that anciently land was measured by lines or cords of a certain length, in a similar way to that by the chain among us, and the schoenus or cord among the Egyptians. Some think that it was the region of Argob that was afterwards

Joshua 9:17 — Verse Joshua 9:17. The children of Israel - came unto their cities — Probably when the fraud was discovered, Joshua sent out a detachment to examine their country, and to see what use could be made of it in the prosecution of their war with the Canaanites. Some

Judges 3:8 — of the two rivers; " translated Mesopotamia by the Septuagint and Vulgate.It was the district situated between the Tigris and Euphrates, called by the Arabian geographers Maverannaher, "the country beyond the river," it is now called Diarbek. Acts 2:9.Served Chushan - eight years. — He overran their country, and forced them to pay a very heavy tribute.

Judges 9:53 — Verse Judges 9:53. A piece of a millstone — פלח רכב pelach recheb, a piece of a chariot wheel; but the word is used in other places for upper millstones, and is so understood here by the Vulgate, Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic.And all to break his skull. —

Ruth 4:6 — house, and I should become a corrupter of my inheritance. Do thou redeem it, for thou hast no wife; for I cannot redeem it." This needs no comment. But still the gloss of the Targum has no foundation in the law of Moses. See the law, Deuteronomy 25:5-9.

1 Samuel 30:9 — Verse 1 Samuel 30:9. The brook Besor — This had its source in the mountain of Idumea, and fell into the Mediterranean Sea beyond Gaza. Some suppose it to have been the same with the river of the wilderness, or the river of Egypt. The sense of this and the following

1 Samuel 9:12 — Verse 1 Samuel 9:12. He came to-day to the city — Though Samuel lived chiefly in Ramah, yet he had a dwelling in the country, at a place called Naioth, where it is probable there was a school of the prophets. See 1 Samuel 19:18-24.A sacrifice of the people —

1 Samuel 9:16 — Verse 1 Samuel 9:16. Thou shalt anoint him to be captain — Not to be king, but to be נגיד nagid or captain of the Lord's host. But in ancient times no king was esteemed who was not an able warrior. Plutarch informs us that Alexander the Great esteemed the following

1 Samuel 9:3 — Verse 1 Samuel 9:3. The asses of Kish - were lost — What a wonderful train of occurrences were connected in order to bring Saul to the throne of Israel! Every thing seems to go on according to the common course of events, and yet all conspired to favour the election

2 Samuel 6:2 — Verse 2 Samuel 6:2. From Baale of Judah — This is supposed to be the same city which, in Joshua 15:60, is called Kirjah-baal or Kirjath-jearim; (see 1 Chronicles 13:6;) or Baalah, Joshua 15:9.Whose name is called by the name of the Lord — That is, The ark is called the ark of the Lord of hosts. But this is not a literal version; the word שם shem, NAME, occurs twice together; probably one of them should be read שם sham, THERE. There the name of the Lord of hosts was invoked, &c.