Bible Commentaries

2 Chronicles 17:7 — Verse 2 Chronicles 17:7-9. To teach in the cities of Judah. — "To teach the fear of the Lord in the cities of Judah."-Targum.In these verses we find a remarkable account of an itinerant ministry established by Jehoshaphat; and in this work he employed three classes

Ezra 7:28 — Verse Ezra 7:28. And I was strengthened — In what the king decreed he saw the hand of God; he therefore gave him the praise, and took courage. There is a most amiable spirit of piety in these reflections. Ezra simply states the case; shows what the king had

Job 12:7 — Verse Job 12:7. But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee — Mr. Good's paraphrase here is very just: "Why tell ye me that the Almighty hath brought this calamity upon me? Every thing in nature, the beasts of the field, the fowls of the heaven, every

Job 14:7 — Verse Job 14:7. For there is hope of a tree — We must not, says Calmet, understand this of an old tree, the stem and roots of which are dried up and rotted: but there are some trees which grow from cuttings, and some which, though pulled out of the earth, and

Job 27:3 — Verse Job 27:3. All the while my breath is in me — As Job appears to allude to the creation of Adam, whom God made out of the dust of the earth, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, so that he became a living soul, the whole of Job's assertion

Psalms 106:7 — Verse Psalms 106:7. Our fathers understood not — They did not regard the operation of God's hands; and therefore they understood neither his designs nor their own interest.At the sea, even at the Red Sea. — Some of the rabbins suppose that the repetition of

Psalms 124:7 — Verse Psalms 124:7. Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare — This is a fine image; and at once shows the weakness of the Jews, and the cunning of their adversaries. Haman had laid the snare completely for them; humanly speaking there was no prospect of their

Psalms 16:7 — Verse Psalms 16:7. Who hath given me counsel — Jesus, as man, received all his knowledge and wisdom from God; Luke 2:40-52. And in him were hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.My reins also instruct me — כליותי kilyothai, reins or kidneys, which

Psalms 22:7 — Verse Psalms 22:7. Laugh me to scorn — They utterly despised me; set me at naught; treated me with the utmost contempt. Laugh to scorn is so completely antiquated that it should be no longer used; derided, despised, treated with contempt, are much more expressive

Psalms 60:7 — Verse Psalms 60:7. Gilead is mine — This country was also beyond Jordan, and Manasseh and Ephraim are put for the tribes that formed the kingdom of Israel. All these, after the return from the captivity, formed but one people, the Jews and Israelites being united.The

Psalms 67:1 — PSALM LXVII The psalmist prays for the enlargement of God's kingdom, 1, 2; calls upon all nations to serve him, because he judges and governs righteously, 3-5; promises prosperity to the faithful and obedient, 6, 7. NOTES ON PSALM LXVIIThe title here is the same with that of Psalm iv., where see the notes. Psalms 4:1. It is supposed to have been written at the return from the Babylonish captivity, and to foretell the conversion of the Gentiles to the Christian

Psalms 97:7 — Verse Psalms 97:7. Confounded be all they — Rather, They shall be confounded that boast themselves in idols. There is a remarkable play on the letters here, המתהללים hammithhalelim, who move like madmen; referring to the violent gestures practised in idolatrous

Deuteronomy 19:1 — parts, a city is to be placed in each, a proper way to which is to be prepared, 1-3. In what cases of manslaughter the benefit of those cities may be claimed, 4-6. Three cities more to be added should the Lord enlarge their coasts, and the reasons why, 7-10. The intentional murderer shall have no benefit from these cities, 11-13. The landmark is not to be shifted, 14. One witness shall not be deemed sufficient to convict a man, 15. How a false witness shall be dealt with-he shall bear the punishment

1 Samuel 16:18 — David's life is the following: -1. David is anointed by Samuel;2. Carries provisions to his brethren in the army;3. Fights with and kills Goliath;4. Is received into the king's court,5. Contracts a friendship with Jonathan;6. Incurs Saul's jealousy;7. Retires to his father's house;8. Is after some time sent for by Saul to sooth his melancholy with his harp;9. Again excites Saul's jealousy, who endeavours to smite him with his javelin. This anticipation between the 14th and 23d verse comes in, in

1 Samuel 19:1 — CHAPTER XIX Jonathan pleads for David before Saul, who is for the present reconciled, 1-7. David defeats the Philistines; and Saul becomes again envious, and endeavours to slay him, but he escapes, 8-10. Saul sends men to David's house, to lie in wait for him; but Michal saves him by a stratagem, 11-17. David flees to Samuel, at Ramah, 18.

1 Samuel 27:1 — CHAPTER XXVII David flies to Achish, king of Gath, who receives him kindly, and gives him Ziklag to dwell in, where he continues a year and four months, 1-7. David invades the Geshurites and Amalekites, and leaves neither man nor woman alive, 8, 9. He returns to Achish, and pretends that he had been making inroads on the Israelites, and Achish believes it, 10-12. NOTES ON CHAP. XXVIIVerse 1 Samuel 27:1.

1 Samuel 5:1 — prostrate before it, broken in pieces, 1-5. The Philistines are also smitten with a sore disease, 6. The people of Ashdod refuse to let the ark stay with them; and the lords of the Philistines, with whom they consulted, order it to be carried to Gath, 7, 8. They do so; and God smites the inhabitants of that city, young and old, with the same disease, 9. They send the ark to Ekron, and a heavy destruction falls upon that city, and they resolve to send it back to Shiloh, 10-12. NOTES ON CHAP. VVerse

1 Samuel 6:7 — Verse 1 Samuel 6:7. Make a new cart — It was indecent and improper to employ in any part of the worship of God any thing that had before served for a common purpose. Every thing in the worship of God is said to be sanctified: now the general meaning of that word

1 Samuel 7:15 — Verse 1 Samuel 7:15. Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. — Samuel is supposed to have lived one hundred years; he did not begin to judge Israel till he was about forty years of age; and if he was one hundred years of age when he died, he must have been

2 Samuel 19:1 — CHAPTER XIX David continues his lamentation for his son, and the people are greatly discouraged, 1-4. Joab reproves and threatens him with the general defection of the people, 5-7. David lays aside his mourning, and shows himself to the people, who are thereby encouraged, 8. The tribes take counsel to bring the king back to Jerusalem, 9-12. He makes Amasa captain of the host in place of Joab, 13. The king, returning, is met by