Bible Commentaries

Exodus 21:2 — Hebrew might lose his liberty:1. In extreme poverty they might sell their liberty. Leviticus 25:39: If thy brother be waxen poor, and be sold unto thee, c.2. A father might sell his children. If a man sell his daughter to be a maidservant see Exodus 21:7.3. Insolvent debtors became the slaves of their creditors. My husband is dead - and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen, 2 Kings 4:1.4. A thief, if he had not money to pay the fine laid on him by the law, was to be sold for

Exodus 23:1 — CHAPTER XXIII Laws against evil-speaking, 1. Against bad company, 2. Against partiality, 3. Laws commanding acts of kindness and humanity, 4, 5. Against oppression, 6. Against unrighteous decisions, 7. Against bribery and corruption, 8. Against unkindness to strangers, 9. The ordinance concerning the Sabbatical year, 10, 11. The Sabbath a day of rest, 12. General directions concerning circumcision, c., 13. The three annual festivals, 14. The feast

2 Kings 7:13 — Verse 2 Kings 7:13. And one of his servants answered — This is a very difficult verse, and the great variety of explanations given of it cast but little light on the subject. I am inclined to believe, with Dr. Kennicott, that there is an interpolation here which

2 Chronicles 36:23 — display does all this give of the power, justice, mercy, and long-suffering of the Lord! There was no people like this people, and no God like their God.MASORETIC NOTESThe sum of the verses in both books of Chronicles is 1656. Middle verse, 1 Chronicles 27:25. Its Masoretic sections, twenty-five.Having made particular remarks on every thing which I judged of importance in these and the preceding historical books, and in the course of this work having often found the want of a chronological list of the

Job 25:5 — not; and the stars are not pure in his sight."Some think that by stars are meant those angels who kept not their first estate: this may be so, but I cannot see it in the text. It may, however, mean the heavenly host, as it is supposed to do, Job 28:7; but I still must hesitate on the propriety of such applications.It is probable this speech of Bildad was delivered in the night-season, when clouds interrupted the bright shining of the moon. The third verse seems to refer immediately to the stars,

Job 36:1 — and his providential and gracious dealings with men, 1-9. Promises of God to the obedient, and threatenings to the disobedient; also promises to the poor and afflicted, 10-16. Sundry proofs of God's merely, with suitable exhortations and cautions, 17-33. NOTES ON CHAP. XXXVIVerse Job 36:1. Elihu also proceeded — Mr. Heath gives a good summary of this chapter. Elihu goes on to lay before Job the impropriety of his behaviour towards God, and desires him to consider how vain it will prove. That

Psalms 4:1 — PSALM IV David prays to be heard, 1; expostulates with the ungodly, 2; exhorts them to turn to God, and make their peace with him, 3-5; shows the vain pursuits of men in search of happiness, which he asserts exists only in the approbation of God, 6, 7; commends himself to the Lord, and then quietly takes his repose, 8. NOTES ON PSALM IVThis Psalm seems to have been composed on the same occasion with the preceding, viz., Absalom's rebellion. It appears to have been an evening hymn, sung by David

Psalms 5:1 — PSALM V David continues instant in prayer, 1, 2; makes early application to God, 3; and shows the hatred which God bears to the workers of iniquity, 4-6. His determination to worship God, and to implore direction and support, 7, 8. He points out the wickedness of his enemies, 9, and the destruction they may expect, 10; and then shows the happiness of those who trust in the Lord, 11, 12. NOTES ON PSALM VThis Psalm is inscribed to the chief Musician upon Nehiloth, A Psalm of

Psalms 5:2 — therefore lifts up his voice.6. Seeing the workers of iniquity, liars, and blood-thirsty men strong to accomplish their own purposes in the destruction of the godly, he becomes greatly in earnest, and cries unto the Lord: "Hearken unto the voice of my cry."7. He knows that, in order to have a right answer, he must have a proper disposition of mind. He feels his subjection to the supreme authority of the Most High, and is ready to do his will and obey his laws; therefore he prays to God as his King: "Hearken,

Psalms 6:1 — mercy, 2. This is enforced from a consideration of the psalmist's sufferings, 3; from that of the Divine mercy, 4; from that of the praise and glory which God would fail to receive if man were destroyed, 5; from that of his humiliation and contrition, 6, 7. Being successful in his supplication, he exults in God, 8, 9; and predicts the downfall of all his enemies, 10. NOTES ON PSALM VIThis Psalm has the following inscription: To the chief Musician on Neginoth, upon Sheminith, A Psalm of David; which the

Leviticus 12:4 — seven or fourteen days, more or less according to certain circumstances, that superabundance, no longer necessary for the growth of the child as before, continues to be evacuated: this was called the time of the female's purification among the Jews.7. When the lacerated vessels are rejoined, this superfluity of blood is returned into the general circulation, and, by a wise law of the Creator, becomes principally useful to the breasts, and helps in the production of milk for the nourishment of the

Numbers 10:1 — Secondly, to summon the princes and captains of the thousands of Israel, 4. Thirdly, to make the eastern camps strike their tents, 5. Fourthly, to make those on the south do the like, 6. No alarm to be sounded when the congregation only is to be assembled, 7. The sons of Aaron alone shall sound these trumpets, it shall be a perpetual ordinance, 8. Fifthly, the trumpets are to be sounded in the time of war, 9. Sixthly, on festival occasions, 10 On the twentieth day of the second month, in the second year,

Deuteronomy 25:4 — of them all, notwithstanding this precaution, must unavoidably be taken up with the grain, at the same time that the straw, which is their chief and only fodder, is hereby shattered to pieces; a circumstance very pertinently alluded to in 2 Kings 13:7, where the king of Syria is said to have made the Israelites like the dust by threshing. - Travels, p. 138. While the oxen were at work some muzzled their mouths to hinder them from eating the corn, which Moses here forbids, instructing the people by

Deuteronomy 32:1 — CHAPTER XXXII The prophetical and historical song of Moses, showing forth the nature of God's doctrine, 1-3. The character of God, 4. The corruption of the people, 5, 6. They are called to remember God's kindness, 7, and his dealings with them during their travels in the wilderness, 8-14. Their ingratitude and iniquity, 15-18. They are threatened with his judgments, 19-28. A pathetic lamentation over them because of their sins, 29-35. Gracious purposes in their

Joshua 10:1 — kings to fight against Gibeon, 1-4. They join forces, and encamp against Gibeon, 5. The Gibeonites send to Joshua for succour, 6, who immediately marches to their relief, receives encouragement from God, and falls suddenly on the confederate forces, 7-9, and defeats them; they fly, and multitudes of them are slain by a miraculous shower of hail-stones, 10, 11. Joshua, finding that the day began to fail, prayed that the sun and moon might stand still, that they might have time to pursue and utterly

Joshua 15:63 — frontiers of both those tribes, each possessed a part of it. If the Jebusites were ever driven out before the time of David, it is certain they recovered it again, or at least a part of it - what is called the citadel or strong hold of Zion, (see 2 Samuel 5:7), which he took from them; after which the city fell wholly into the hands of the Israelites. This verse is an additional proof that the book of Joshua was not written after the times of the Jewish kings, as some have endeavoured to prove; for when

Joshua 21:1 — tribes of Ephraim, Dan, and the half tribe of Manasseh, 5; and thirteen out of the other half tribe of Manasseh, and the tribes of Issachar, Asher, and Naphtali, 6. The children of Merari had twelve cities out of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun, 7. The names of the cities given out of the tribes of Judah and Simeon, 8-16. Those granted out of the tribe of Benjamin, 17-19. Out of Ephraim, 20-22. Those out of Dan, 23, 24. Those out of both the halves of the tribe of Manasseh, 25-27. Those out of

Judges 20:1 — CHAPTER XX The heads of the eleven tribes come before the Lord in Mizpeh, and examine the Levite relative to the murder of his wife, who gives a simple narrative of the whole affair, 1-7. They unanimously resolve to avenge the wrong, and make provision for a campaign against the Benjamites, 8-11. They desire the Benjamites to deliver up the murderers; they refuse, and prepare for battle, having assembled an army of twenty-six thousand

Ruth 1:1 — two sons marry; and, in the space of ten years, both their father and they die, 3-6. Naomi sets out on her return to her own country, accompanied by her daughters-in-law Orpah and Ruth; whom she endeavours to persuade to return to their own people, 7-13. Orpah returns, but Ruth accompanies her mother-in-law, 14-18. They arrive at Beth-lehem in the time of the barley harvest, 19-22. NOTES ON CHAP. IVerse Ruth 1:1. When the judges ruled — We know not under what judge this happened; some say

1 Samuel 13:1 — Saul chooses a body of troops, 1, 2. Jonathan smites a garrison of the Philistines, 3, 4. The Philistines gather together an immense host against Israel, 5. The Israelites are afraid; and some hide themselves in caves, and others flee over Jordan, 6, 7. Samuel delaying his coming, Saul offers sacrifice, 8, 9. Samuel comes and reproves him, and Saul excuses himself, 10-12. Samuel shows him that God has rejected him from being captain over his people, 13, 14. Samuel departs; and Saul and Jonathan, with