Bible Commentaries

Exodus 29:45 — word, and the influences of his Spirit for the conviction and conversion of sinners. And he dwells IN those who believe; and this is the very tenor of the New Covenant which God promised to make with the house of Israel; see Jeremiah 31:31-34; Ezekiel 37:24-28; Hebrews 8:7-12; and 2 Corinthians 6:16. And because God had promised to dwell in all his genuine followers, hence the frequent reference to this covenant and its privileges in the New Testament. And hence it is so frequently and strongly asserted

1 Kings 12:7 — Verse 1 Kings 12:7. If thou wilt be a servant unto this people — This is a constitutional idea of a king: he is the servant, but not the slave of his people; every regal act of a just king is an act of service to the state. The king is not only the fountain of law

1 Kings 18:1 — Elijah is commanded by the Lord to show himself to Ahab, 1, 2. Ahab, and Obadiah his steward, search the land to find provender for the cattle, 3-6. Obadiah meets Elijah, who commands him to inform Ahab that he is ready to present himself before him, 7-15. Elijah and Ahab meet, 16-18. Elijah proposes that the four hundred and fifty priests of Baal should be gathered together at Mount Carmel; that they should offer a sacrifice to their god, and he to Jehovah; and the God who should send down fire to

2 Kings 2:1 — CHAPTER II Elijah, about to be taken up to heaven, goes in company with Elisha from Gilgal to Beth-el, 1, 2. Thence to Jericho, 3-5. And thence to Jordan, 6, 7. Elijah smites the waters with his mantle; they divide, and he and Elisha pass over on dry ground, 8. Elijah desires Elisha to ask what he should do for him; who requests a double portion of his spirit, which is promised on a certain condition, 9, 10.

Numbers 21:1 — which they afterwards accomplished, 3. They journey from Hor, and are greatly discouraged, 4. They murmur against God and Moses, and loathe the manna, 5. The Lord sends fiery serpents among them, 6. They repent, and beg Moses to intercede for them, 7. The Lord directs him to make a brazen serpent, and set it on a pole, that the people might look on it and be healed, 8. Moses does so, and the people who beheld the brazen serpent lived, 9. They journey to Oboth, Ije-abarim, Zared, and Arnon, 10-13.

Numbers 24:7 — Verse Numbers 24:7. He shall pour the water out of his buckets, &c. — Here is a very plain allusion to their method of raising water in different parts of the East. By the well a tall pole is erected, which serves as a fulcrum to a very long lever, to the smaller

Numbers 28:2 — he-goat for a sin-offering, Numbers 28:16, &c. 2. The day of FIRST-FRUITS. The sacrifices, the same as on the beginning of the month, Numbers 28:26, &c.With these sacrifices were offered libations, or drink-offerings of strong wine, Numbers 28:7, Numbers 28:14, and minchahs, or meat-offerings, composed of fine flour mingled with oil, Numbers 28:8, Numbers 28:12, &c. For an ample account of all these offerings, Numbers 28:12- : and Exodus 12:1-51.

Numbers 3:12 — Romans 8:23. These wait on and follow the Lamb, being first-fruits unto God and to the Lamb, Revelation 14:4; and Christ hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father, that we may serve him day and night in his temple, Revelation 1:6; Revelation 7:15.

Numbers 31:1 — CHAPTER XXXI The command of the Lord to make war on the Midianites, 1, 2. One thousand men are chosen out of each of the twelve tribes, and sent with Phinehas against the Midianites, 3-6. They slay all the males, 7; their five kings and Balaam, 8. They take all the women captives, with the flocks and goods, 9; burn their cities, and bring away the spoil, 10,11. They bring the captives, c., to Moses, who is wroth with the officers for sparing the women, who had

Deuteronomy 23:1 — CHAPTER XXIII Neither eunuchs, bastards, Ammonites, nor Moabites, shall be incorporated with the genuine Israelites, 1-3. The reason why the Ammonites and Moabites were excluded, 4-6. Edomites and Egyptians to be respected, 7. Their descendants in the third generation may be incorporated with the Israelites, 8. Cautions against wickedness when they go forth against their enemies, 9. To keep the camp free from every defilement, and the reason why, 10-14. The slave who had

Deuteronomy 28:27 — Verse Deuteronomy 28:27. The Lord will smite thee with the botch — שחין shechin, a violent inflammatory swelling. In Job 2:7, one of the Hexapla versions renders it ελεφας, the elephantiasis, a disease the most horrid that can possibly afflict human nature. In this disorder,

Joshua 13:1 — the Canaanites, Sidonians, and Amorites, 4, 5. The inhabitants of the hill country and the Sidonians to be driven out, 6. The land on the east side of Jordan, that was to be divided among the tribes of Reuben and Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh, 7-12. The Geshurites and the Maachathites not expelled, 13. The tribe of Levi receive no inheritance, 14. The possessions of REUBEN described, 15-23. The possessions of GAD, 24-28. The possessions of the half tribe of Manasseh, 29-31. Recapitulation of

Joshua 24:14 — astonishing is this, that, after all God had done for them, and all the miracles they had seen, there should still be found among them both idols and idolaters! That it was so we have the fullest evidence, both here and in Joshua 24:23; Amos 5:26 and in Acts 7:41. But what excuse can be made for such stupid, not to say brutish, blindness? Probably they thought they could the better represent the Divine nature by using symbols and images, and perhaps they professed to worship God through the medium of these.

Judges 1:1 — THE BOOK OF JUDGES -Year before the common year of Christ, 1443. -Julian Period, 3271. -Year from the Flood, 904. -Year before the first Olympiad, 667. -Creation from Tisri, or September, 2561. CHAPTER I After the death of Joshua the Israelites purpose to attack the remaining Canaanites; and the tribe of Judah is directed to go up

Judges 18:1 — the land, who arrive at the house of Micah, 1, 2. They employ the Levite, who served to his house as priest, to ask counsel for them of God, 3-5. He inquires, and promises them success, 6. They depart, and go to Laish, and find the inhabitants secure, 7. They return to their brethren, and encourage them to attempt the conquest of the place, 8-10. They send six hundred men, who, coming to the place where Micah dwelt, enter the house, and carry off the priest and his consecrated things, 11-21. Micah

Judges 18:7 — Verse Judges 18:7. After the manner of the Zidonians — Probably the people of Laish or Leshem were originally a colony of the Sidonians, who, it appears, were an opulent people; and, being in possession of a strong city, lived in a state of security, not being

Judges 7:3 — Verse Judges 7:3. Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let ham return - from Mount Gilead — Gideon was certainly not at Mount Gilead at this time, but rather near Mount Gilboa. Gilead was on the other side of Jordan. Calmet thinks there must either have been two

Ruth 4:1 — the elders at the city gates, states the case, and proposes to the nearest kinsman to redeem the inheritance of Elimelech, and take Ruth to wife, 1-5. The kinsman refuses, and relinquishes has right to Boaz, 6. The manner of redemption in such cases, 7, 8. Boaz redeems the inheritance in the presence of the elders, and of the people, who witness the contract, and pray for God's blessing upon the marriage, 9-12. Boaz takes Ruth for wife, and she bears a son, 13. The people's observations on the birth

1 Samuel 1:1 — THE FIRST BOOK OF SAMUEL -Year from the Creation, 2833. -Year before the Incarnation, 1171. -Year before the first Olympiad, 395. -Year before the building of Rome, 418. -Year of the Julian Period, 3543. -Year of the Dionysian Period, 351. -Cycle of the Sun, 15. -Cycle of the Moon, 9. CHAPTER I Some account of Elkanah and his two wives,

2 Samuel 10:19 — all honourably terminated; viz.1. The civil war with Ish-bosheth.2. The war against the Jebusites.3. The war against the Philistines and their allies.4. The war against the Philistines alone.5. The war against the Moabites.6. The war against Hadadezer.7. The war against the Idumeans.8. The war against the Ammonites and Syrians.This last victory was soon followed by the complete conquest of the kingdom of the Ammonites, abandoned by their allies. What glory to the monarch of Israel, had not the splendour