Bible Commentaries

Leviticus 10:19 — weep in times of affliction and distress. In his infinite kindness he has ordained that tears, which are only external evidences of our grief, shall be the outlets to our sorrows, and tend to exhaust the cause from which they flow. See on "Leviticus 10:3".

Leviticus 10:3 — Verse Leviticus 10:3. And Aaron held his peace. — וידם אהרן vaiyiddom Aharon, and Aaron was dumb. How elegantly expressive is this of his parental affection, his deep sense of the presumption of his sons, and his own submission to the justice of God! The flower and

Leviticus 12:3 — Verse Leviticus 12:3. And in the eighth day — Before this time the child could scarcely be considered as having strength sufficient to bear the operation; after this time it was not necessary to delay it, as the child was not considered to be in covenant with God,

Numbers 12:3 — Verse Numbers 12:3. Now the man Moses was very meek — How could Moses, who certainly was as humble and modest as he was meek, write this encomium upon himself? I think the word is not rightly understood; ענו anav, which we translate meek, comes from ענה anah, to

Numbers 13:1 — CHAPTER XIII Twelve men, one out of every tribe, are sent to examine the nature and state of the land of Canaan, 1-3. Their names, 4-16. Moses gives them particular directions, 17-20. They proceed on their journey, 21, 22. Come to Eshcol, and cut down a branch with a cluster of grapes, which they bear between two of them upon a staff, 23, 24. After forty days they

Numbers 19:1 — CHAPTER XIX The ordinance of the red heifer, 1, 2. She shall be slain by Eleazar without the camp, and her blood sprinkled before the tabernacle, 3, 4. Her whole body and appurtenance shall be reduced to ashes, and while burning, cedar wood, scarlet, and hyssop, shall be thrown into the fire, 5, 6. The priest, and he that burns her, to bathe themselves, and be reputed unclean till the evening,

Numbers 21:3 — Verse Numbers 21:3. The Lord hearkened to the voice of Israel — The whole of this verse appears to me to have been added after the days of Joshua. It is certain the Canaanites were not utterly destroyed at the time here spoken of, for this did not take place till

Numbers 30:3 — Verse Numbers 30:3. In her youth — That is, say the rabbins, under twelve years of age; and under thirteen in case of a young man. Young persons of this age were considered to be under the authority of their parents, and had consequently no power to vow away

Numbers 8:1 — CHAPTER VIII Directions how the lamps are to be lighted, 1-3. How the candlestick was formed, 4. The Levites to be consecrated to their service by being cleansed, sprinkled, shaved, purified, and their clothes washed, 5-7. To offer a meat-offering and a sin-offering, 8. The people to put their hands upon them,

Deuteronomy 10:1 — CHAPTER X Moses is commanded to make a second set of tables, 1, 2. He makes an ark, prepares the two tables, God writes on them the ten commandments, and Moses lays them up in the ark, 3-5. The Israelites journey from Beeroth to Mosera, where Aaron dies, 6; and from thence to Gudgodah and Jotbath, 7. At that time God separated the tribe of Levi for the service of the sanctuary, 8, 9. How long Moses stayed the second time in the mount,

Deuteronomy 10:12 — God; him who made, preserves, and governs you.2. That ye walk in all his ways - that, having received his precepts, all of which are good and excellent, ye obey the whole; walking in God's ways, not your own, nor in the ways of the people of the land.3. That ye love him - have confidence in him as your father and friend, have recourse to him in all your necessities, and love him in return for his love.4. That you serve him - give him that worship which he requires, performing it with all your heart

Deuteronomy 12:1 — CHAPTER XII All monuments of idolatry in the promised land to be destroyed, 1-3; and God's service to be duly performed, 4-7. The difference between the performance of that service in the wilderness and in the promised land, 8-11. The people are to be happy in all their religious observances, 12. The offerings must be brought to

Deuteronomy 16:1 — CHAPTER XVI The month of Abib to be observed, 1. The feast of the passover and of unleavened bread, 2-8. The feast of weeks, 9-12. The feast of tabernacles, 13-15. All the males to appear before the Lord thrice in the year, none to come empty, each to give according to his ability, 16, 17. Judges and officers to be made in all their cities, 18. Strict justice shall be executed, 19, 20. No grove to be planted

Deuteronomy 3:1 — CHAPTER III The war with OG, king of Bashan, 1, 2. He is defeated, 3. Sixty fortified cities with many unwalled towns taken, 4, 5. The utter destruction of the people, 6. The spoils, 7; and extent of the land taken, 8-10. Account of OG'S iron bedstead, 11. The land given to the Reubenites, Gadites, and half tribe of

Joshua 11:3 — Verse Joshua 11:3. The Canaanite on the east, c. — Those who dwelt on the borders of Jordan, south of the sea of Tiberias.On the west — Those were the Phoenicians who dwelt on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, from Dor northwards, on the way to Mount Libanus.-Calmet.The

Joshua 3:1 — river, and the distance they are to keep from the ark, 2 4. Joshua directs the people, 5, 6; and the Lord gives directions to Joshua, 7, 8. He delivers the Lord's message to the people, and foretells the miraculous passage and division of Jordan, 9-13. The priests, bearing the ark, enter the river, and immediately the waters are cut off, and the priests stand on dry ground, in the bed of the river, till all the camp passes over, 14-17. NOTES ON CHAP. IIIVerse Joshua 3:1. Joshua rose early —

Judges 3:10 — Verse Judges 3:10. His hand prevailed — We are not told or what nature this war was, but it was most decisive; and the consequence was an undisturbed peace of forty years, during the whole life of Othniel. By the Spirit of the Lord coming upon him, the Chaldee

1 Samuel 26:1 — CHAPTER XXVI The Ziphites inform Saul of David's hiding place, 1. Saul, with three thousand men, goes in pursuit of him, 2, 3. David sends out spies; and finds where Saul had pitched his camp; and he and Abishai come to the camp by night, find all asleep, and bring away Saul's spear, and the cruse of water that was at his head, 4-12. David goes to the opposite hill; awakes

1 Samuel 4:3 — Verse 1 Samuel 4:3. Let us fetch the ark — They vainly supposed that the ark could save them, when the God of it had departed from them because of their wickedness. They knew that in former times their fathers had been beaten by their enemies, when they took not

1 Samuel 6:3 — Verse 1 Samuel 6:3. Send it not empty — As it appears ye have trespassed against him, send him an offering for this trespass.Why his hand is not removed — The sense is, If you send him a trespass-offering, and ye be cured, then ye shall know why his judgments