Bible Commentaries

1 Kings 6:36 — there were three courses of stone, and then one course of timber all through this wall? Three strata of stone and one stratum of timber, and so on. If so, could such a building be very durable? This is also referred to in the succeeding chapter, 1 Kings 7:11; and as both the temple and Solomon's house were built in the same manner, we may suppose that this was the ordinary way in which the better sort of buildings were constructed. Calmet thinks that to this mode of building the prophet alludes, Habakkuk

1 Kings 6:7 — Verse 1 Kings 6:7. The house - was built of stone — It appears that every stone was hewn and squared, and its place in the building ascertained, before it came to Jerusalem: the timbers were fitted in like manner. This greatly lessened the trouble and expense of

1 Kings 7:1 — for the temple, 13-20. He makes the two pillars Jachin and Boaz, 21, 22. The molten sea, and the twelve oxen that bare it, 23-26. And ten brazen bases, and the ten lavers with pots, shovels, and basons, all of which he cast in the plain of Jordan, 27-46. The quantity of brass too great to be weighed; and the vessels of the temple were all of pure gold, 47-50. Solomon brings into the house the silver and gold which his father had dedicated, 51. NOTES ON CHAP. VIIVerse 1 Kings 7:1. Building his own

2 Kings 14:1 — CHAPTER XIV Amaziah begins to reign well; his victory over the Edomites, 1-7. He challenges Jehoash, king of Israel, 8. Jehoash's parable of the thistle and the cedar, 9, 10. The two armies meet at Beth-shemesh; and the men of Judah are defeated, 11, 12. Jehoash takes Jerusalem, breaks down four hundred cubits of the wall; takes

2 Kings 19:35 — — I believe this angel or messenger of the Lord was simply a suffocating or pestilential WIND; by which the Assyrian army was destroyed, as in a moment, without noise confusion or any warning. 1 Kings 20:30. Thus was the threatening, 2 Kings 19:7, fulfilled, I will send a BLAST upon him; for he had heard the rumour that his territories were invaded; and on his way to save his empire, in one night the whole of his army was destroyed, without any one even seeing who had hurt them. This is called

2 Chronicles 7:10 — Verse 2 Chronicles 7:10. On the three and twentieth day — This was the ninth day of the dedication of the temple; but in 1 Kings 8:66 it is called the eighth day. "The meaning is this," says Jarchi: "he gave them liberty to return on the eighth day, and many of them

Nehemiah 2:1 — Artaxerxes, observing the sorrow of Nehemiah, inquires into the cause, 1, 2. Nehemiah shows him the cause, and requests permission to go and rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, 3-6. The king grants it, and gives him letters to the governors beyond the river, 7, 8. He sets out on his journey, 9. Sanballat and Tobiah are grieved to find he had got such a commission, 10. He comes to Jerusalem; and, without informing any person of his business, examines by night the state of the city, 11-16. He informs the priests,

Esther 2:1 — CHAPTER II The counsellors advise that a selection of virgins should be made throughout the empire, out of whom the king should choose one to be queen in place of Vashti, 1-4. Account of Mordecai and his cousin Esther, 5-7. She is chosen among the young women, and is placed under the care of Hegai, the king's chamberlain, to go through a year's purification, 8-11. The manner in which these young women were introduced to the king, and how those were disposed of who were

Job 8:1 — intimates that it was on account of their sins that his children were cut off, 3, 4. States that, if Job would humble himself to the Almighty, provided he were innocent, his captivity would soon be turned, and his latter end be abundantly prosperous, 5-7. Appeals to the ancients for the truth of what he says; and draws examples from the vegetable world, to show how soon the wicked may be cut off, and the hope of the hypocrite perish, 8-19. Asserts that God never did cast of a perfect man nor help the

Psalms 113:1 — PSALM CXIII An exhortation to bless God for his own excellencies, 1-6; and for his great mercy to the poor and necessitous, 7-9. NOTES ON PSALM CXIIIPsalms 113:0, Psalms 114:0, Psalms 115:0, Psalms 116:0, Psalms 117:0, and Psalms 118:0, form the great Hallel, and were sung by the Jews on their most solemn festivals, and particularly at the passover. To these reference is

Psalms 33:7 — Verse Psalms 33:7. He gathereth the waters of the sea together — He separated the water from the earth and, while the latter was collected into continents, islands, mountains, hills, and valleys, the former was collected into one place, and called seas; and by

Psalms 37:7 — Verse Psalms 37:7. Rest in the Lord — דום dom, "be silent, be dumb." Do not find fault with thy Maker; he does all things well for others, he will do all things well for thee.And wait patiently for him — והתחולל לו vehithcholel lo, and set thyself to expect

Psalms 61:1 — PSALM LXI The psalmist's prayer for those who were banished from their own land, and from the ordinances of God, 1, 2. He praises God for his past mercies, 3; purposes to devote himself entirely to his service, 4, 5. He prays for the king, 6, 7; and promises to perform his vow to the Lord daily, 8. NOTES ON PSALM LXIThe title, To the chief Musician upon Neginath, נגינת. The verb נגן nagan signifies to strike or play on a musical instrument, especially one of the stringed kind; but the נגינות

Psalms 75:6 — Verse Psalms 75:6. For promotion cometh neither from the east, c. — As if the Lord had said, speaking to the Babylonians, None of all the surrounding powers shall be able to help you none shall pluck you out of my hand. I am the Judge: I will pull you down,

Proverbs 25:9 — Hawkins's Life of Dr. Johnson, which he quotes from Mr. Selwin, of London: "A man who deliberates about going to law should have,1. A good cause;2. A good purse;3. A good skilful attorney;4. Good evidence;5. Good able counsel;6. A good upright judge;7. A good intelligent jury; and with all these on his side, if he have not,8. Good luck, it is odds but he miscarries in his suit." O the glorious uncertainty of the law!

Ecclesiastes 7:8 — Verse Ecclesiastes 7:8. Better is the end — We can then judge of the whole, and especially if the matter relate to the conduct of Divine Providence. At the beginning we are often apt to make very rash conjectures, and often suppose that such and such things are against

Ecclesiastes 9:1 — CHAPTER IX No men knows, by any present sign, what is before him, 1. All things happen alike to all, 2, 3. Comparison of the state of the dead and the living, 4-6. Enjoy God's mercies, and live to his glory, 7-10. The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, 11. Man is ignorant of futurity, 12, 13. The account of the little city, and the poor wise man, 14-18. NOTES ON CHAP. IXVerse Ecclesiastes 9:1. The righteous, and the wise, and their works,

Isaiah 14:28 — Verse Isaiah 14:28. In the year that king Ahaz died was this burden — Uzziah had subdued the Philistines, 2 Chronicles 26:6-7; but, taking advantage of the weak reign of Ahaz, they invaded Judea, and took, and held in possession, some cities in the southern part of the kingdom. On the death of Ahaz, Isaiah delivers this prophecy, threatening them with the destruction that

1 Samuel 24:1 — and goes to seek him with three thousand men, 1, 2. He goes into a cave to repose, where David and his men lay hid; who, observing this, exhort David to take away his life: David refuses, and contents himself with privily cutting off Saul's skirt, 3-7. When Saul departed, not knowing what was done, David called after him; showed him that his life had been in his power; expostulates strongly with him; and appeals to God, the Judge of his innocence, 8-15. Saul confesses David's uprightness, acknowledges

2 Samuel 14:7 — Verse 2 Samuel 14:7. The whole family is risen — They took on them the part of the avenger of blood; the nearest akin to the murdered person having a right to slay the murderer.They shall quench my coal which is left — A man and his descendants or successors