Bible Commentaries

1 Kings 19:3 — Verse 1 Kings 19:3. He arose, and went for his life — He saw it was best to give place to this storm, and go to a place of safety. He probably thought that the miracle at Carmel would have been the means of effecting the conversion of the whole court and of the

1 Chronicles 18:1 — CHAPTER XVIII David smites the Philistines, and takes Gath, 1. Reduces the Moabites, 2. Vanquishes Hadarezer, king of Zobah, 3, 4. Overcomes the Syrians of Damascus, and takes several of their cities, 5-8. Tou, king of Hamath, congratulates him on his victory, and sends him vessels of silver, gold, and brass, 9, 10. Those and the different spoils he had taken from the conquered

1 Chronicles 3:17 — Verse 1 Chronicles 3:17. The sons of Jeconiah — Jeremiah has said (Jeremiah 22:30) that Jeconiah, or, as he calls him, Coniah, should be childless; but this must refer to his posterity being deprived of the throne, and indeed thus the prophet interprets it himself:

1 Chronicles 3:8 — Verse 1 Chronicles 3:8. Nine. — There are thirteen if we count the four sons of Bath-sheba, and nine without them; and in the second book of Samuel there are eleven, reckoning the above four, and without them only seven. In the book of Samuel probably only those who

Nehemiah 4:2 — general, that the enemies of God's work endeavour by all means to discredit and destroy it, and those who are employed in it.1. They despise the workmen: What do these feeble Jews?2. They endeavour to turn all into ridicule: Will they fortify themselves?3. They have recourse to lying: If a fox go up, he shall even break down their stone wall.4. They sometimes use fair but deceitful speeches; see Nehemiah 6:2, &c.

Nehemiah 9:19 — the form of a pillar, it went before them when they journey, to point out their way in the wilderness.2. As a pillar of fire, it continued with them during the night, to give them light, and be a rallying point for the whole camp in the night season.3. As an extended cloud, it hovered over them in their encampments, to refresh them with its dews, and to keep them from the ardours of the sun.

Job 1:3 — Verse Job 1:3. His substance also was seven thousand sheep — A thousand, says the Chaldee, for each of his sons. Three thousand camels: a thousand for each of his daughters. Five hundred yoke of oxen for himself. And five hundred she-asses for his wife. Thus

Job 28:3 — Verse Job 28:3. He setteth an end to darkness — As it is likely Job still refers to mining, the words above may be understood as pointing out the persevering industry of man in penetrating into the bowels of the earth, in order to seek for metals and precious

Psalms 104:24 — manifold are thy works — In this verse there are three propositions:1. The works of the Lord are multitudinous and varied.2. They are so constructed as to show the most consummate wisdom in their design, and in the end for which they are formed.3. They are all God's property, and should be used only in reference to the end for which they were created.All abuse and waste of God's creatures are spoil and robbery on the property of the Creator. On this verse Mr. Ray has published an excellent work,

Psalms 119:142 — plan of redemption; his method of saving others. And the word δικαιοσυνη, which answers to it, in the Septuagint and in the New Testament, is used with the same latitude of meaning, and in the same sense; particularly in that remarkable passage, Romans 3:25-26, where see the notes. Thy merciful method of dealing with sinners and justifying the ungodly will last as long as the earth lasts; and thy law that witnesses this, in all its pages, is the truth.

Psalms 40:3 — Verse Psalms 40:3. A new song — Cheerfulness and joy had long been strangers to him. He seemed to live to utter the most doleful complaints, and be a prey to suffering and wretchedness. Praise for a sense of God's favour was a new song to him. The word is often

Psalms 46:3 — Verse Psalms 46:3. Though the waters thereof roar — Waters, in prophetic language, signify people; and, generally, people in a state of political commotion, here signified by the term roar. And by these strong agitations of the people, the mountains - the secular

Psalms 47:3 — Verse Psalms 47:3. He shall subdue the people under us — He shall do again for us what he had done for our forefathers-give us dominion over our enemies, and establish us in our own land. I would rather read this in the past tense, relative to what God did for

Psalms 95:6 — highest act of adoration by which the supremacy of God is acknowledged.2. Let us bow down, נכרעה nichraah, let us crouch or cower down, bending the legs under, as a dog in the presence of his master, which solicitously waits to receive his commands.3. Let us kneel, נברכה nibrachah, let us put our knees to the ground, and thus put ourselves in the posture of those who supplicate.And let us consider that all this should be done in the presence of HIM who is Jehovah our Creator.

Proverbs 3:9 — Verse Proverbs 3:9. Honour the Lord with thy substance — The מנחה MINCHAH or gratitude-offering to God, commanded under the law, is of endless obligation. It would be well to give a portion of the produce of every article by which we get our support to God, or

Joshua 22:17 — Verse Joshua 22:17. Is the iniquity of Peor too little — See this history, Numbers 25:3, c., and the notes there. Phinehas takes it for granted that this altar was built in opposition to the altar of God erected by Moses, and that they intended to have a separate service, priesthood, &c., which would be rebellion against God, and bring

Judges 3:28 — Verse Judges 3:28. Took the fords of Jordan — It is very likely that the Moabites, who were on the western side of Jordan, hearing of the death of Eglon, were panic-struck, and endeavoured to escape over Jordan at the fords near Jericho, when Ehud blew his trumpet

Ruth 3:2 — Verse Ruth 3:2. He winnoweth barley tonight — It is very likely that the winnowing of grain was effected by taking up, in a broad thin vessel or sieve, a portion of the corn, and letting it down slowly in the wind; thus the grain would, by its own weight,

1 Samuel 20:3 — Verse 1 Samuel 20:3. There is but a step between me and death. — My life is in the most imminent danger. Your father has, most assuredly, determined to destroy me.The same figure used here, there is but a step between me and death, may be found in Juvenal, who, satirizing

1 Samuel 3:18 — Verse 1 Samuel 3:18. Samuel told him every whit — Our word whit, or wid, comes from the Anglo-Saxon [A.S.], which signifies person, thing, c. every whit is every thing. The Hebrew את כל הדברים et col haddebarim, "all these words."It is the Lord — He is Sovereign,