Bible Commentaries

Exodus 21:7 — Verse Exodus 21:7. If a man sell his daughter — This the Jews allowed no man to do but in extreme distress - when he had no goods, either movable or immovable left, even to the clothes on his back; and he had this permission only while she was unmarriageable. It

Exodus 38:1 — CHAPTER XXXVIII Bezaleel makes the altar of burnt-offering, 1-7. He makes the laver and its foot out of the mirrors given by the women, 8. The court, its pillars, hangings, c., 9-20. The whole tabernacle and its work finished by Bezaleel, Aholiab, and their assistants, 21-23. The amount of the gold contributed,

2 Kings 23:34 — greater power put another in office under himself, may be seen in the case of Mattaniah, changed into Zedekiah Daniel, Mishael, Hananiah, and Azariah, into Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego; and Joseph into Zaphnath-paaneah. See Daniel 1:6-7; Genesis 41:45.

2 Kings 5:7 — Verse 2 Kings 5:7. Am I God, to kill and to make alive — He spoke thus under the conviction that God alone could cure the leprosy; which, indeed, was universally acknowledged: and must have been as much a maxim among the Syrians as among the Israelites, for the

2 Chronicles 17:1 — CHAPTER XVII Jehoshaphat succeeds his father Asa, and reigns piously, and is particularly blessed, 14. He establishes an itinerant ministry, for the instruction of the people, through all the cities of Judah, which produces the most beneficial effects, 7-10. The Philistines and Arabians bring him gifts, 11. His greatness, 12, 13. The commanders of his troops, 14-19. NOTES ON CHAP. XVIIVerse 2 Chronicles 17:1. Jehoshaphat - and strengthened himself against Israel — The kingdoms of Israel and Judah

2 Chronicles 34:1 — CHAPTER XXXIV Josiah reigns thirty-one years; destroys idolatry in Judah, as also in Manasseh, Ephraim, Simeon, and even to Naphtali, 1-7. He begins to repair the temple, and collects money for the purpose, and employs workmen, 8-13. Hilkiah the priest finds the book of the law in the temple, which is read by Shaphan before the king, 14-19. He is greatly troubled, and consults Huldah

Job 16:7 — Verse Job 16:7. But now he hath made me weary — The Vulgate translates thus: - Nunc autem oppressit me dolor meus; et in nihilum redacti sunt omnes artus mei; "But now my grief oppresses me, and all my joints are reduced to nothing." Perhaps Job alluded here

Job 26:7 — Verse Job 26:7. He stretcheth out the north over the empty place — על תהו al tohu, to the hollow waste. The same word as is used, Genesis 1:2, The earth was without form, תהו tohu. The north must here mean the north pole, or northern hemisphere; and perhaps

Psalms 3:7 — Verse Psalms 3:7. Arise, O Lord — Though he knew that God had undertaken his defence, yet he knew that his continued protection depended on his continual prayer and faith. God never ceases to help as long as we pray. When our hands hang down, and we restrain prayer

Psalms 31:7 — Verse Psalms 31:7. Thou hast known my soul in adversities — When all forsook me; when none could help me; when I could not save my own life; when my enemies were sure that I could not escape; then I found thee to be my Friend and Supporter. When friend, so called,

Psalms 48:7 — Verse Psalms 48:7. Thou breakest the ships of Tarshish — Calmet thinks this may refer to the discomfiture of Cambyses, who came to destroy the land of Judea. "This is apparently," says he, "the same tempest which struck dismay into the land-forces of Cambyses,

Psalms 61:6 — precisely the paraphrase I had given to this text before I had looked into the Chaldee Version; and to which I need add nothing, as I am persuaded no earthly king is intended: and it is Christ, as Mediator, that "shall abide before God for ever," Psalms 61:7. Neither to David, nor to any earthly sovereign, can these words be applied.

Psalms 7:15 — Verse Psalms 7:15. He made a pit — He determined the destruction of David. He laid his plans with much artifice; he executed them with zeal and diligence; and when he had, as he supposed, the grave of David digged, he fell into it himself! The metaphor is taken

Psalms 7:4 — Verse Psalms 7:4. Yea, I have delivered him — When, in the course of thy providence, thou didst put his life in my hand in the cave, I contented myself with cutting off his skirt, merely to show him the danger he had been in, and the spirit of the man whom he

Numbers 29:35 — greater measure of spiritual devotion, and it was on this day of the feast that our blessed Lord called the Jews from the letter to the spirit of the law, proposing himself as the sole fountain whence they could derive the streams of salvation, John 7:37. On the subject of this chapter see the notes on Leviticus 12:1-8, Leviticus 16:0 and Leviticus 23:0

Deuteronomy 1:15 — arrangement:1. GOD, the KING and Supreme Judge2. Moses, God's prime minister;3. The priests, consulting him by Urim and Thummim;4. The chiefs or princes of the twelve tribes;5. Chilliarchs, or captains over thousands;6. Centurions, or captains over hundreds;7. Tribunes, or captains over fifty men;8. Decurions, or captains over ten men; and,9. Officers, persons who might be employed by the different chiefs in executing particular commands. All these held their authority from God, and yet were subject and

Deuteronomy 27:1 — XXVII Moses commands the people to write the law upon stones, when they shall come to the promised land, 1-3. And to set up these stones on Mount Ebal, 4; and to build an altar of unhewn stones, and to offer on it burnt-offerings and peace-offerings, 5-7. The words to be written plainly, and the people to be exhorted to obedience, 8-10. The six tribes which should stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people, 11, 12. Those who are to stand upon Mount Ebal to curse the transgressors, 13. The different

Joshua 18:26 — the presence of the Lord, as in the deliberation concerning the punishment to be inflicted on the men of Gibeah, for the abuse of the Levite's wife. Judges 20:1-3. Samuel assembled the people here to exhort them to renounce their idolatry, 1 Samuel 7:5-6. In this same place Saul was chosen to be king, 1 Samuel 10:17. It was deemed a sacred place among the Israelites; for we find, from 1Mac 3:46, that the Jews assembled here to seek God, when their enemies were in possession of the temple.

1 Samuel 18:7 — Verse 1 Samuel 18:7. Saul hath slain his thousands — As it cannot literally be true that Saul had slain thousands, and David ten thousands; it would be well to translate the passage thus: Saul hath smitten or fought against thousands; David against tens of thousands.

1 Samuel 24:7 — Verse 1 Samuel 24:7. Suffered them not to rise against Saul. — As he could restrain them, it was his duty to do so; had he connived at their killing him, David would have been the murderer. In praying for the king we call God the only Ruler of princes, for this simple