Bible Commentaries

2 Chronicles 30:2 — permission to those who were at a distance, and could not attend to the fourteenth of the first month, and to those who were accidentally defiled, and ought not to attend, to celebrate the passover on the fourteenth of the second month; see Numbers 9:10-11. Hezekiah therefore, and his counsellors, thought that they might extend that to the people at large, because of the delay necessarily occasioned by the cleansing of the temple, which was granted to individuals in such cases as the above, and

2 Chronicles 36:1 — brother made king in his stead, who reigns wickedly eleven years, and is dethroned and led captive to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar, 3-8. Jehoiachin is made king in his stead, and reigns wickedly three months and ten days, and is also led captive to Babylon, 9, 10. Zedekiah begins to reign, and reigns wickedly eleven years, 11, 12. He rebels against Nebuchadnezzar, and he and his people cast all the fear of God behind their backs; the wrath of God comes upon them to the uttermost; their temple us destroyed;

Ezra 9:8 — Verse Ezra 9:8. And now for a little space — This interval in which they were returning from servitude to their own land.Grace hath been showed] God has disposed the hearts of the Persian kings to publish edicts in our favour.To leave us a remnant to escape

Nehemiah 10:1 — to have affinity with the people of the land, 28-30; to observe the Sabbaths, 31; to provide for the sanctuary according to the law, 32-36; and to pay the regular tithes for the support of the priests, Levites, and other officers of the temple, 37-39. NOTES ON CHAP. XVerse Nehemiah 10:1. Now those that sealed — Four classes here seal. Nehemiah first, as their governor. And after him, secondly, The priests, Nehemiah 10:2-8. Thirdly, The Levites, Nehemiah 10:9-13. Fourthly, The chiefs of the

Nehemiah 5:3 — Verse Nehemiah 5:3. Because of the dearth. — About the time of Zerubbabel, God had sent a judicial dearth upon the land, as we learn from Haggai, Haggai 1:9, c., for the people it seems were more intent on building houses for themselves than on rebuilding the house of the Lord: "Ye looked for much, and, lo, it is come to little because of mine house that is waste; and ye run, every man unto his own house.

Esther 3:1 — that of the Jews, 4-6. Lots are cast to find out the proper time, 7. Haman accuses the Jews to Ahasuerus, counsels him to destroy them, and offers ten thousand talents of silver for the damage which the revenue might sustain by their destruction, 8, 9. The king refuses the money, but gives Haman full authority to destroy them, 10, 11. Letters are written to this effect, and sent to the king's lieutenants throughout the empire, and the thirteenth day of the month Adar is appointed for the massacre,

Job 37:1 — CHAPTER XXXVII Elihu continues to set forth the wisdom and omnipotence of God, as manifested in the thunder and lightning, 1-5; in the snows and frosts, 6-8; in various meteors; and shows the end for which they are sent, 9-13. Job is exhorted to consider the wondrous works of God in the light, in the clouds, in the winds, in heat and cold, in the formation of the heavens, and in the changes of the atmosphere, 14-22. The perfections of God, and how he should be reverenced

Job 38:1 — Lord answers Job out of a whirlwind, and challenges him to answer, 1-3. He convinces him of ignorance and weakness, by an enumeration of some of his mighty works; particularly of the creation of the earth, 4-7. The sea and the deeps, 8-18. The light, 19-21. Snow, hail, thunder, lightning, rain, dew, ice, and hoar-frost, 22-30. Different constellations, and the ordinances of heaven influencing the earth, 31-33. Shows his own power and wisdom in the atmosphere, particularly in the thunder, lightnings,

Psalms 115:1 — PSALM CXV God alone is to be glorified, 1-3. The vanity of idols, 4-8. Israel, the house of Aaron, and all that fear God, are exhorted to trust it the Lord, 9-11. The Lord's goodness to his people, and his gracious promises, 12-16. As the dead cannot praise him, the living should, 17, 18. NOTES ON PSALM CXVThis Psalm is written as a part of the preceding by eighteen of Kennicott's and fifty-three of De Rossi's

Psalms 35:1 — PSALM XXXV The psalmist, in great straits, prays for his personal safety, 1-3; and for the confusion of his enemies, 4-8; expresses has confidence in God, 9, 10; mentions his kindness to those who had rewarded him evil for his good, 11-16; appeals to God against them, 17-26; prays for those who befriended him; and praises God for his goodness, 27, 28. NOTES ON PSALM XXXVThere is nothing in the title worthy

Psalms 47:1 — celebrate the praises of God as the Sovereign of the world, 1, 2. The Jews exalt in his kindness to them, 3, 4. All then join to celebrate his Majesty, as reigning over the heathen, and gathering the dispersed Jews and Gentiles together into one Church, 5-9. NOTES ON PSALM XLVIIThe title, "A Psalm for the sons of Korah," has nothing remarkable in it. The Psalm was probably written about the same time with the preceding, and relates to the happy state of the Jews when returned to their own land. They renewed

Psalms 74:9 — Verse Psalms 74:9. We see not our signs — "They have taken away all our trophies, and have left us no memorial that God has been among us. Even thou thyself hast left us destitute of all those supernatural evidences that have so often convinced us that thou wert

Psalms 90:9 — Verse Psalms 90:9. We spend our years as a tale — The Vulgate has: Anni nostri sicut aranea meditabuntur; "Our years pass away like those of the spider." Our plans and operations are like the spider's web; life is as frail, and the thread of it as brittle, as

Psalms 92:1 — PSALM XCII The psalmist shows the duty and advantage of praising God, 1-3; speaks of the grandeur of God's works, 4-6; the fall of the wicked, 7-9; the happiness of the righteous, 10-14; and all this founded on the perfections of God. NOTES ON PSALM XCIIThe title, A Psalm or Song for the Sabbath, gives no information concerning the time, occasion, or author. The Chaldee, has "Praise, and a song

Proverbs 1:1 — THE PROVERBS -Year from the Creation, 3004. -Year before the birth of Christ, 996. -Year before the vulgar era of Christ's nativity, 1000. -Year since the Deluge, according to Archbishop Usher and the English Bible, 1348. -Year from the destruction of Troy, 185. -Year before the first Olympiad, 224. -Year before the building of

Ecclesiastes 7:1 — CHAPTER VII The value of a good name, 1. Advantages of sorrow and correction, 2-5. The emptiness of a fool's joy, 6. Of oppression, 7. The end better than the beginning, 8. Against hastiness of spirit, 9. Comparison of former and present times, 10. Excellence of wisdom, 11, 12. Of the dispensations of Providence, 13-15. Against extremes, 16-18. The strength of wisdom, 19. Man is ever liable to sin and mistake, 20. We should guard our words, 21, 22.

Isaiah 10:17 — Verse Isaiah 10:17. And it shall burn and devour his thorns - "And he shall burn and consume his thorn."] The briers and thorns are the common people; the glory of his forest are the nobles and those of highest rank and importance. Isaiah 9:17, and compare Ezekiel 20:47. The fire of God's wrath shall destroy them, both great and small; it shall consume them from the soul to the flesh; a proverbial expression; soul and body, as we say; it shall consume them entirely and altogether; and

Isaiah 10:5 — Verse Isaiah 10:5. O Assyrian - "Ho to the Assyrian"] Here begins a new and distinct prophecy, continued to the end of the twelfth chapter: and it appears from Isaiah 10:9-11 of this chapter, that this prophecy was delivered after the taking of Samaria by Shalmaneser; which was in the sixth year of the reign of Hezekiah: and as the former part of it foretells the invasion of Sennacherib, and the destruction of his army,

Isaiah 45:14 — Verse Isaiah 45:14. The labour of Egypt - "The wealth of Egypt"] This seems to relate to the future admission of the Gentiles into the Church of God. Compare Psalms 68:32; Psalms 72:10; Psalms 60:6-9. And perhaps these particular nations may be named, by a metonymy common in all poetry, for powerful and wealthy nations in general. Isaiah 60:1.The Sabeans, men of stature - "The Sabeans, tall of stature"] That the Sabeans were of a more majestic appearance

Isaiah 54:9 — Verse Isaiah 54:9. For this is as the waters of Noah unto me - "The same will I do now, as in the days of Noah"] כימי kimey, in one word, in a MS., and some editions; and so the Syriac, Chaldee, Vulgate, Symmachus, Theodotion, Abarbanel, Sal. ben Melec, and Kimchi acknowledge