Bible Commentaries

2 Kings 10:34 — eyes, 2 Kings 10:30. The cutting off of Ahab's family was decreed by the Divine justice; the means by which it was done, or at least the manner of doing, were not entirely of his appointing: yet the commission given him by the young prophet, 2 Kings 9:7, was very extensive. Yet still many things seem to be attributed to God, as the agent, which he does not execute, but only permits to be done.

2 Kings 14:7 — Verse 2 Kings 14:7. He slew of Edom to the valley of salt — This war is more circumstantially related in 2 Chronicles 25:5, c. The Idumeans had arisen in the reign of Joram king of Judah, and shaken off the yoke of the house of David. Amaziah determined to reduce

2 Kings 6:1 — CHAPTER VI The sons of the prophets wish to enlarge their dwelling-place, and go to the banks of Jordan to cut down wood, when one of them drops his axe into the water, which Elisha causes to swim. 1-7. Elisha, understanding all the secret designs of the king of Syria against Israel, informs the king of Israel of them, 8-10. The king of Syria, finding that Elisha had thus penetrated his secrets and frustrated his attempts, sends a great host to Dothan,

Nehemiah 2:6 — viz., from the twentieth to the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes, Nehemiah 5:14. He then returned to Susa; and after staying a short time, had leave to return to rectify some abuses that Tobiah the Ammonite had introduced into the temple, Nehemiah 13:6-7, and several others of which the people themselves were guilty. After having performed this service, it is likely he returned to the Persian king, and died in his office of cup-bearer; but of this latter circumstance we have no mention in the text.

Job 28:5 — sapphires," c. The Vulgate has, "The land from which bread has been produced has been destroyed by fire." If this be the meaning of the original, there is probably an allusion to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah and the seventh and eighth verses Job 28:7-8 may be supposed to refer to that catastrophe, there being no place left tangible or visible where those cities once stood: neither fowl nor beast could discern a path there, the whole land being covered with the lake Asphaltites.

Psalms 80:8 — Verse Psalms 80:8. Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt — This is a most elegant metaphor, and every where well supported. The same similitude is used by Isaiah, Isaiah 5:1, c. by Jeremiah, Jeremiah 2:21; by Ezekiel, Ezekiel 17:5-6; by Hosea, Hosea 10:1; by Joel, Joel 1:7; by Moses, Deuteronomy 32:32-33; and often by our Lord himself, Matthew 20:1, c. Matthew 21:33, c. Mark 12:1, c. And this was the ordinary figure to represent the Jewish Church. We may remark several analogies

Leviticus 27:1 — Of males and females from twenty to sixty years of age, and their valuation, 3, 4. Of the same from five to twenty years, 5. Of the same from a month to five years of age, 6. Of males and females from sixty years old and upwards, and their valuation, 7. The priest shall value the poor according to his ability, 8. Concerning beasts that are vowed, and their valuation, 9-13. Concerning the sanctification of a house, 14, 15. Concerning the field that is sanctified or consecrated to the Lord, to the year

Deuteronomy 13:1 — CHAPTER XIII Of false prophets and their lying signs, 1-6. Of those who endeavour to entice and seduce people to idolatry, 7-8. The punishment of such, 9-11. Of cities perverted from the pure worship of God, 12-14. How that city is to be treated, 15. All the spoil of it to be destroyed, 16. Promises to them who obey these directions, 17, 18. NOTES ON CHAP. XIIIVerse Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 24:1 — CHAPTER XXIV The case of a divorced wife, 1-4. No man shall be obliged to undertake any public service for the first year of his marriage, 5. The mill-stones shall not be taken as a pledge, 6. The man-stealer shall be put to death, 7. Concerning cases of leprosy, 8, 9. Of receiving pledges, and returning those of the poor before bed-time, 10-13. Of servants and their hire, 14,15. Parents and children shall not be put to death for each other, 16. Of humanity to the stranger, fatherless,

Deuteronomy 31:10 — relative to a public reading of the law every seven years, should have been rarely attended to. It does not appear that from the time mentioned Joshua 8:30, at which time this public reading first took place, till the reign of Jehoshaphat 2 Chronicles 17:7, there was any public seventh year reading - a period of 530 years. The next seventh year reading was not till the eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah, 2 Chronicles 34:30, a space of two hundred and eighty-two years. Nor do we flnd any other publicly

Deuteronomy 33:7 — Verse Deuteronomy 33:7. And this is the blessing of Judah — Though the word blessing is not in the text, yet it may be implied from Deuteronomy 33:1; but probably the words, he spake, are those which should be supplied: And this he spake of Judah, Lord, hear the voice

Joshua 18:1 — set up at Shiloh, 1. Seven of the tribes having not yet received their inheritance, 2. Joshua orders three men from each tribe to be chosen, and sent to examine the land and divide it into seven parts, which should be distributed among them by lot, 3-7. The men go and do as commanded, and return to Joshua, 8, 9. Joshua casts lots for them, 10. The lot of Benjamin, how situated, 11. Its northern boundaries, 12-14. Its southern boundaries, 15-19. Its eastern boundary, 20. Its cities, 21-28. NOTES ON

Joshua 5:1 — CHAPTER V The effect produced on the minds of the Canaanites by the late miracle, 1. Joshua is commanded to circumcise the Israelites, 2. He obeys, 3. Who they were that were circumcised, and why it was now done, 4-7. They abide in the camp till they are whole, 8. The place is called Gilgal, and why, 9. They keep the passover in the same place, 10. They eat unleavened cakes and parched corn, on the morrow after the passover, 11. The manna ceases, 12. The captain

Judges 16:7 — Verse Judges 16:7. Seven green withs — That is, any kind of pliant, tough wood, twisted in the form of a cord or rope. Such are used in many countries formed out of osiers, hazel, c. And in Ireland, very long and strong ropes are made of the fibres of bog-wood,

Judges 9:1 — CHAPTER IX Abimelech is made king; and, to secure himself tn the kingdom, slays his brethren; Jotham, the youngest only escapes, 14. Jotham reproves him and the Shechemites by a curious and instructive parable, 7-21. Abimelech having reigned three years, the Shechemites, headed by Gaal the son of Ebed, conspire against him, 22-29. Zebul, governor of the city, apprises Abimelech of the insurrection, who comes with his forces, and discomfits Gaal, 30-40. Abimelech

Ruth 4:2 — to the gate on his way to his work.3. He called him by name, and he stopped and sat down.4. Then ten elders were called, and they came and sat down.5. When all this was done, the appellant preferred his suit.6. Then the appellee returned his answer.7. When the elders heard the case, and the response of the appellee, they pronounced judgment, which judgment was always according to the custom of the place.8. When this was done, the people who happened to be present witnessed the issue.And thus the

1 Samuel 31:1 — Philistines, desires his armour-bearer to despatch him; which he refusing, Saul falls on his sword, and his armour-bearer does the same, 3, 6. The Israelites on the other side of the valley forsake their cities, and the Philistines come and dwell in them, 7. The Philistines, finding Saul and his three sons among the slain, strip them of their armour, which they put in the house of Ashtaroth, cut of their heads, send the news to all the houses of their idols, and fasten the bodies of Saul and his three

1 Samuel 6:1 — drawn by two milch kine from whom their calves shall be tied up; and then conclude that if these cows shalt take the way of Beth-hemesh, as going to the Israelitish border, then the LORD had afflicted them, if not, then their evils were accidental, 7-9. They do as directed; and the kine take the way of Beth-shemesh, 10-13. They stop in the field of Joshua; and the men of Beth-shemesh take them, and offer them to the Lord for a burnt-offering, and cleave the wood of the cart to burn them, and make

2 Samuel 13:1 — CHAPTER XIII Amnon falls in love with his half-sister Tamar, and feigns himself sick, and requests her to attend him, 1-6. David sends her to him, and he violates her, 7-14. He then hates her, and expels her from his house, 15-17, She rends her garments, puts ashes on her head, and goes forth weeping, 18, 19. She is met by Absalom her brother, who, understanding her case, determines the death of Amnon, 20-22. Two years

2 Samuel 2:1 — CHAPTER II David, by the direction of God, goes up to Hebron, and is there anointed king over the house of Judah, 1-4. He congratulates the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead on their kindness in rescuing the bodies of Saul and his sons from the Philistines, 5-7. Abner anoints Ish-bosheth, Saul's son, king over Gilead, the Ashurites, Jezreel, Ephraim, Benjamin, and all Israel; over whom he reigned two years, 8-10. David reigns over Judah, in Hebron, seven years and six months, 11. Account of a battle between