Bible Commentaries

1 Kings 10:1 — CHAPTER X The queen of Sheba visits Solomon, and brings rich presents; and tries him by hard questions, which he readily solves, 1-3. She expresses great surprise at his wisdom, his buildings, his court, c. and praises God for placing him on the Jewish throne, 4-9. She gives him rich presents, 10. What the navy of Hiram brought from Ophir, 11, 12. The queen of Sheba returns, 13.

1 Kings 15:6 — Verse 1 Kings 15:6. There was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam — This was mentioned in the preceding chapter, 1 Kings 14:30, and it can mean no more than this: there was a continual spirit of hostility kept up between the two kingdoms, and no doubt frequent skirmishing between bordering parties; but it never broke out into open war, for this was particularly forbidden.

Psalms 144:1 — PSALM CXLIV The psalmist praises God for his goodness, 1, 2. Exclamations relative to the vanity of human life, 3, 4. He prays against his enemies, 5-8; and extols God's mercy for the temporal blessings enjoyed by his people, 9-15. NOTES ON PSALM CXLIVThe Hebrew, and all the Versions, attribute this Psalm to David. The Vulgate, Septuagint, AEthiopic, and Arabic,

Psalms 5:3 — Verse Psalms 5:3. My voice shalt thou hear in the morning — We find from this that he had not prayed in vain. He had received a blessed answer; God had lifted upon him the light of his countenance; and he therefore determines to be an early applicant at the throne

Ecclesiastes 5:1 — CHAPTER V The reverence to be observed in attending Divine worship, 1-3. We should be faithfu1 to over engagements, 4-7. The oppression of the innocent, 8. The king dependent on the produce of the soil, 9. Against covetousness, 10, 11. The peace of the honest labourer, 12. The evil effect of riches, 13, 14. Man cannot carry

Isaiah 22:9 — Verse Isaiah 22:9. Ye gathered together the waters - "And ye shall collect the waters"] There were two pools in or near Jerusalem, supplied by springs: the upper pool, or the old pool, supplied by the spring called Gihon, 2 Chronicles 32:30, towards the higher part of the city, near Sion, or the city of David, and the lower pool, probably supplied by Siloam, towards the lower part. When Hezekiah was threatened with a siege by Sennacherib, he stopped up all the waters of the fountains

Isaiah 39:1 — Judah shows the messengers of Merodach-baladan all the treasures of his house and kingdom, 2. The prophet takes occasion from this ostentatious display of the king to predict the captivity of the royal family, and of the people, by the Babylonians, 3-8. NOTES ON CHAP. XXXIXHitherto the copy of this history in the second book of Kings has been much the most correct; in this chapter that in Isaiah has the advantage. In the two first verses two mistakes in the other copy are to be corrected from this:

Jeremiah 35:6 — Verse Jeremiah 35:6. We will drink no wine — The reason is given above. Their whole religious and political institution consisted in obedience to three simple precepts, each of which has an appropriate spiritual meaning: -1. Ye shall drink no wine — Ye shall

Ezekiel 2:1 — declare to the rebellious house of Israel the terrible judgments that would very shortly come upon the whole land, if they repented not; with a gracious assurance to Ezekiel that God would be constantly with him while executing the duties of his office, 3-5. The prophet is also commanded to be fearless, resolute, and faithful in the discharge of it. 6-8, as he must be the messenger of very unpleasing tidings, which well expose him to great persecution, 9, 10. NOTES ON CHAP. IIVerse Ezekiel 2:1. And he

Deuteronomy 20:10 — their abominations," Deuteronomy 20:18. After all, many plausible arguments have been brought to prove that even these seven Canaanitish nations might be received into mercy, provided they,1. Renounced their idolatry;2. Became subject to the Jews; and,3. Paid annual tribute: and that it was only in case these terms were rejected, that they were not to leave alive in such a city any thing that breathed, Deuteronomy 20:16.

Deuteronomy 24:1 — 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, widow, and bondman, 17,18. Gleanings of the harvest, c., to be left for the poor, stranger, widow, fatherless,

Deuteronomy 25:1 — CHAPTER XXV Punishment by whipping not to exceed forty stripes, 1-3. The ox that treads out the corn is not to be muzzled, 4. The ordinance concerning marrying the wife of that brother who has died childless, 5-10. Of the woman who acts indecently in succouring her husband, 11, 12. Of false weights and measures, 13-16.

Deuteronomy 28:2 — Lord thy God. The voice of God must be heard; without a Divine revelation how can the Divine will be known? And if not known, it cannot be fulfilled.2. When God speaks, men must hearken to the words of his mouth. He who does not hearken will not obey.3. He who hearkens to the words of God must set out for the kingdom of heaven. The curse must fall on him who stands in the way of sinners, and will overtake them who loiter in the way of righteousness.4. Those who run in the way of God's testimonies

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

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

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

Ruth 4:2 — Probably it required this number to constitute a court. How simple and how rational was this proceeding!1. The man who had a suit went to the city gates.2. Here he stopped till the person with whom he had the suit came 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

1 Samuel 17:34 — Verse 1 Samuel 17:34. Thy servant kept his father's sheep — He found it necessary to give Saul the reasons why he undertook this combat; and why he expected to be victorious.1. I have courage to undertake it, and strength to perform it.2. Both have been tried in

1 Samuel 31:1 — and Saul's three sons slain, 1, 2. Saul, being mortally wounded, and afraid to fall alive into the hands of the 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,

1 Samuel 6:1 — VI After the ark had been seven months in the land of the Philistines, they consult their priests and diviners about sending it to Shiloh, 1, 2. They advise that it be sent back with a trespass-offering of five golden emerods, and five golden mice, 3-6. They advise also that it be sent back on a new cart, 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