Bible Commentaries

1 Chronicles 14:1 — CHAPTER XIV Hiram sends artificers and materials to David, to build him a house, 1, 2. David's wives and children, 3-7. He defeats the Philistines in two battles: one in the valley of Rephaim, 8-12; and the other at Gibeon and Gazer, 13-16. His fame goes out into all the surrounding nations, 17. NOTES ON CHAP. XIVVerse 1 Chronicles 14:1. Now Hiram king of Tyre — See the transactions of this chapter related 2 Samuel 5:11-25.

1 Chronicles 23:24 — Verse 1 Chronicles 23:24. Twenty years and upward. — It appears that this was a different ordinance from that mentioned 1 Chronicles 23:3. At first he appointed the Levites to serve from thirty years and upward; now from twenty years. These were David's last orders; see 1 Chronicles 23:27. They should begin at an earlier age, and continue later.This was not a very painful task; the ark being now fixed, and the Levites very numerous, there could be no drudgery.

2 Chronicles 3:17 — Verse 2 Chronicles 3:17. He reared up the pillars — "The name of that on the right hand was Jachin, because the kingdom of the house of David was established; and the name of the left was Boaz, from the name of Boaz the patriarch of the family of Judah, from whom all the kings of the house of Judah have descended." - Targum. See on 1 Kings 7:21; and see the parallel places for other matters contained in this chapter.

Nehemiah 9:32 — Verse 32. On our kings, on our princes — I believe Nehemiah in this place mentions the whole of civil society in its officers as they stand related to each other in dignity: -1. KINGS, as supreme.2. PRINCES.3. PRIESTS.4. PROPHETS.5. The FATHERS, heads or chiefs of tribes and families.6. The COMMON PEOPLE.Those who disturb this natural order (for it subsists even in Britain) are enemies to the peace of the whole, whatever they may pretend to the contrary.

Esther 9:26 — Verse Esther 9:26. They called these days Purim — That is from [Persian] pari, the lot; because, as we have seen, Haman cast lots to find what month, and what day of the month, would be the most favourable for the accomplishment of his bloody designs against the Jews. See on Esther 3:7.And of that which they had seen — The first letter to which this second refers, must be that sent by Mordecai himself. See Esther 9:20.

Job 11:3 — Verse Job 11:3. Should thy lies make men hold their peace? — This is a very severe reproof, and not justified by the occasion.And when thou mockest — As thou despisest others, shall no man put thee to scorn? Zophar could never think that the solemn and awful manner in which Job spoke could be called bubbling, as some would translate the term לעג laag. He might consider Job's speech as sarcastic and severe, but he could not consider it as nonsense.

Job 27:6 — Verse Job 27:6. My righteousness I hold fast — I stand firmly on this ground; I have endeavoured to live an upright life, and my afflictions are not the consequence of my sins.My heart shall not reproach me — I shall take care so to live that I shall have a conscience void of offense before God and man. "Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God;" 1 John 3:21. This seems to be Job's meaning.

Psalms 3:4 — Verse Psalms 3:4. I cried unto the Lord with my voice — He was exposed to much danger, and therefore he had need of fervour.He heard me — Notwithstanding my enemies said, and my friends feared, that there was no help for me in my God; yet he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah: mark this, and take encouragement from it. God never forsakes those who trust in him. He never shuts out the prayer of the distressed.

Psalms 39:3 — Verse Psalms 39:3. My heart was hot within me — A natural feeling of repressed grief.While I was musing — What was at first a simple sensation of heat produced a flame; the fire broke out that had long been smothered. It is a metaphor taken from vegetables, which, being heaped together, begin to heat and ferment, if not scattered and exposed to the air; and will soon produce a flame, and consume themselves and every thing within their reach.

Ecclesiastes 3:12 — Verse Ecclesiastes 3:12. I know that there is no good in them, but, c. — Since God has so disposed the affairs of this world, that the great events of providence cannot be accelerated or retarded by human cares and anxieties, submit to God make a proper use of what he has given: do thyself no harm, and endeavour as much as possible to do others good. Enjoy, and bless thyself; let others share The transient blessing: 'tis the gift of God.

Ecclesiastes 3:8 — Verse Ecclesiastes 3:8. A time to love, - hate, - of war, - of peace. — "Love turns to hatred; interest or caprice Dissolves the firmest knot by friendship tied. O'er rival nations, with revenge inflamed, Or lust of power, fell Discord shakes awhile Her baleful torch:

Jeremiah 14:15 — said there shall be neither sword nor famine, but peace and prosperity. The king believed them, and withheld the tribute. Nebuchadnezzar, being incensed, invaded and destroyed the land; and the false prophets fell in these calamities. See 2 Kings 25:3; Lamentations 2:11-19.

Jeremiah 3:12 — Verse Jeremiah 3:12. Proclaim these words toward the north — The countries where the ten tribes were then in captivity, Mesopotamia, Assyria, Media, c., see 2 Kings 17:6 these lay north of Judea. How tender and compassionate are the exhortations in this and the following verses! Could these people believe that God had sent the prophet and yet prefer the land of their bondage to the blessings of freedom in their own country, and the approbation of their God?

Jeremiah 49:3 — Verse Jeremiah 49:3. Run to and fro by the hedges — It is supposed that this may refer to the women making lamentations for the dead, that were in general buried by the walls of their gardens; but others think that it refers to the smaller cities or villages, called here the daughters of Rabbah, the metropolis; the inhabitants of which are exhorted to seek safety somewhere else, as none can be expected from them, now that the enemy is at hand.

Ezekiel 29:3 — Verse Ezekiel 29:3. The great dragon — התנים hattannim should here be translated crocodile, as that is a real animal, and numerous in the Nile; whereas the dragon is wholly fabulous. The original signifies any large animal.The midst of his rivers — This refers to the several branches of the Nile, by which this river empties itself into the Mediterranean. The ancients termed them septem ostia Nili, "the seven mouths of the Nile." The crocodile was the emblem of Egypt.

Daniel 7:15 — Verse 15. I Daniel was grieved, &c. — The words in the original are uncommonly emphatic. My spirit was grieved, or sickened, בגו נדנה bego nidneh, within its sheath or scabbard. Which I think proves,1. That the human spirit is different from the body.2. That it has a proper subsistence independently of the body, which is only its sheath for a certain time.3. That the spirit may exist independently of its body, as the sword does independently of its sheath.

Amos 3:7 — Verse Amos 3:7. Surely the Lord God will do nothing — In reference to the punishment, correction, or blessing of his people-But he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets. — They are in strict correspondence with him, and he shows them things to come. Such secrets of God are revealed to them, that they may inform the people; that, by repentance and conversion, they may avoid the evil, and, by walking closely with God, secure the continuance of his favour.

Micah 3:6 — Verse Micah 3:6. Night shall be unto you — Ye shall have no spiritual light, nor will God give you any revelation of his will.The sun shall go down over the prophets — They prospered for a while, causing the people to err; but they shall also be carried into captivity, and then the sun of their prosperity shall go down for ever, and the very day that gives light and comfort to others, shall be darkness and calamity to them.

Habakkuk 3:2 — Verse Habakkuk 3:2. In the midst of the years — בקרב שנים bekereb shanim, "As the years approach." The nearer the time, the clearer and fuller is the prediction; and the signs of the times show that the complete fulfilment is at hand. But as the judgments will be heavy, (and they are not greater than we deserve,) yet, Lord, in the midst of wrath - infliction of punishment - remember mercy, and spare the souls that return unto thee with humiliation and prayer.

Zephaniah 3:11 — Verse Zephaniah 3:11. Shalt thou not be ashamed — Thy punishment shall cease, for God shall pardon thy sin.For then I will take away out of the midst of thee — The wicked Jewish priests and scribes who blasphemed Christ, and would not come under his yoke.Because of my holy mountain. — Thou wilt no more boast in my temple, but become meek and lowly in following him who is meek and lowly in heart, that ye may obtain rest to your souls.