Bible Commentaries

1 Kings 1:36 — Verse 1 Kings 1:36. Sit upon my throne — The matter of conducting a business of this kind seems to have been this:1. The king elect was placed on the mule of his predecessor, and caused to ride abroad to one of the public wells, or to a river where there was the

2 Chronicles 12:3 — Verse 2 Chronicles 12:3. The Lubims — Supposed to be a people of Libya, adjoining to Egypt; sometimes called Phut in Scripture, as the people are called Lehabim and Ludim.The Sukkiims — The Troglodytes, a people of Egypt on the coast of the Red Sea. They were called

Nehemiah 2:1 — CHAPTER II Artaxerxes, observing the sorrow of Nehemiah, inquires into the cause, 1, 2. Nehemiah shows him the cause, and requests permission to go and rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, 3-6. The king grants it, and gives him letters to the governors beyond the river, 7, 8. He sets out on his journey, 9. Sanballat and Tobiah are grieved to find he had got such a commission, 10. He comes to Jerusalem; and, without informing any person

Nehemiah 3:32 — Verse Nehemiah 3:32. The goldsmiths and the merchants. — The word הצרפים hatstsorephim may signify smiths, or persons who worked in metals of any kind; but it is generally understood to mean those who worked in gold. I have already observed, that the mention of

Esther 2:12 — Verse 12. Six months with oil of myrrh — See on Esther 2:3. The reason of this purification seems not to be apprehended by any writer I have seen. The most beautiful of all the young virgins of all the provinces of Babylon were to be selected; and these were taken out of all classes of the people, indiscriminately;

Esther 5:1 — CHAPTER V Esther presents herself before the king, and finds favour in his sight, 1, 2. He asks what her request is, and promises to grant it, 3. She invites him and Haman to a banquet, which they accept, 4, 5. He then desires to know her request; and she promises to make it known on the morrow, if they will again come to her banquet, 6-8. Haman, though overjoyed at the manner in which he was

Job 26:4 — whose spirit hath issued forth from thee? The retort is peculiarly severe; and refers immediately to the proverbial sayings which in several of the preceding answers have been adduced against the irritated sufferer; for which see Job 8:11-19; Job 15:20-35, some of which he has already complained of, as in Job 12:3, and following. I concur most fully therefore with Dr. Stock in regarding the remainder of this chapter as a sample, ironically exhibited by Job, of the harangues on the power and greatness

Job 8:1 — CHAPTER VIII Bildad answers, and reproves Job for his justifying himself, 1, 2. Shows that God is just, and never punishes but for iniquity; and intimates that it was on account of their sins that his children were cut off, 3, 4. States that, if Job would humble himself to the Almighty, provided he were innocent, his captivity would soon be turned, and his latter end be abundantly prosperous, 5-7. Appeals to the ancients for the truth of what he says; and draws examples

Psalms 27:9 — towards the kaaba, When our spiritual instructer turns his face towards the wine-cellar? I shall subjoin a higher authority than either: - Ὁτι οφθαλμοι Κυριου επι δικαιους, Και ωτα αυτου εις δεησις αυτων· Προσωπον δε Κυριου επι ποιουντας κακα. 1 Peter 3:12. For the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous; And his ears to their supplication: And the face of the Lord is upon the workers of evil.

Psalms 45:3 — Verse Psalms 45:3. Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most mighty — This clause should be translated, O hero, gird thy sword upon thy thigh! This, I think, cannot be spoken of Solomon. He was not a warlike prince: he never did any feats of arms. It has been said

Psalms 61:1 — PSALM LXI The psalmist's prayer for those who were banished from their own land, and from the ordinances of God, 1, 2. He praises God for his past mercies, 3; purposes to devote himself entirely to his service, 4, 5. He prays for the king, 6, 7; and promises to perform his vow to the Lord daily, 8. NOTES ON PSALM LXIThe title, To the chief Musician upon Neginath, נגינת. The verb נגן nagan signifies to strike

Psalms 70:5 — delay not!ANALYSIS OF THE SEVENTIETH PSALMThe contents of this Psalm are the following: - I. The prayer of David for himself, that he may be freed from his enemies, Psalms 70:1, repeated Psalms 70:5.II. For the speedy overthrow of the wicked Psalms 70:2-3.III. For the prosperity of the godly, Psalms 70:4.IV. The arguments he uses to induce God to answer his prayer.1. His miserable condition: "I am poor and needy."2. God's office: "Thou art my Helper and Redeemer."For a farther analysis, see at the end

Proverbs 25:9 — unprincipled lawyers!On this subject I cannot but give the following extract from Sir John Hawkins's Life of Dr. Johnson, which he quotes from Mr. Selwin, of London: "A man who deliberates about going to law should have,1. A good cause;2. A good purse;3. A good skilful attorney;4. Good evidence;5. Good able counsel;6. A good upright judge;7. A good intelligent jury; and with all these on his side, if he have not,8. Good luck, it is odds but he miscarries in his suit." O the glorious uncertainty of

Proverbs 3:6 — Verse Proverbs 3:6. In all thy ways acknowledge him. — Begin, continue, and end every work, purpose, and device, with God. Earnestly pray for his direction at the commencement; look for his continual support in the progress; and so begin and continue that all

Ecclesiastes 9:1 — CHAPTER IX No men knows, by any present sign, what is before him, 1. All things happen alike to all, 2, 3. Comparison of the state of the dead and the living, 4-6. Enjoy God's mercies, and live to his glory, 7-10. The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, 11. Man is ignorant of futurity, 12, 13. The account of the little city, and the

Isaiah 3:8 — Verse Isaiah 3:8. The eyes - "The cloud"] This word appears to be of very doubtful form, from the printed editions, the MSS., and the ancient versions. The first yod in עיני eyney, which is necessary according to the common interpretation, is in many of them omitted;

Judges 12:3 — Verse Judges 12:3. I put my life in my hands — I exposed myself to the greatest difficulties and dangers. But whence did this form of speech arise? Probably from a man's laying hold of his sword, spear, or bow. "This is the defender of my life; on this, and my

Judges 17:1 — XVII Micah, an Ephraimite, restores to his mother eleven hundred shekels of silver, which he had taken from her, 1, 2. She dedicates this to God; and out of a part of it makes a graven image and a molten image, and gets them up tn the house of Micah, 3, 4; who consecrates one of his sons to be his priest, 5. He afterwards finds a Levite, whom he consecrates for a priest, and gives him annually ten shekels of silver, with his food and clothing, 6-13. NOTES ON CHAP. XVIIVerse Judges 17:1. And there

1 Samuel 13:14 — Verse 1 Samuel 13:14. The Lord hath sought him a man after his own heart — That this man was David is sufficiently clear from the sequel. But in what sense was he a man after God's own heart? Answer:1. In his strict attention to the law and worship of God.2. In

1 Samuel 24:1 — En-gedi, and goes to seek him with three thousand men, 1, 2. He goes into a cave to repose, where David and his men lay hid; who, observing this, exhort David to take away his life: David refuses, and contents himself with privily cutting off Saul's skirt, 3-7. When Saul departed, not knowing what was done, David called after him; showed him that his life had been in his power; expostulates strongly with him; and appeals to God, the Judge of his innocence, 8-15. Saul confesses David's uprightness, acknowledges