Bible Commentaries

2 Kings 21:26 — Rursus notat Theodoretus τοαλσος esse Astartem et Venerem, et ab aliis interpretibus dictum Ashatroth; i.e. "Again Theodoret observes, αλσος is Astarte and Venus; and by other interpreters called Ashtaroth."The Targum of Ben Uzziel, on Deuteronomy 7:5, ואשירהם תגדעון vaasheyrehem tegaddeun; i.e., "Their groves shall ye cut down" - translates the place thus, ואילני סיגדיהון תקצצון veilaney sigedeyhon tekatsetsun; "And the oaks of their adoration shall ye cut down."From the above it is pretty evident

Psalms 106:1 — PSALM CVI God is praised for his manifold mercies, 1-3. The prophet prays for himself, 4, 5. A recapitulation of the history of the Hebrew people: of God's mercies toward them, and their rebellions, 6-39. The judgments and afflictions which their transgressions brought upon them, 40-42. God's mercy to them notwithstanding their transgressions,

Psalms 119:120 — falsehood.3. This is most certain, for "thou puttest away all the wicked of the earth like dross;" they are utterly vile, and of no account in thy sight.4. "Therefore I love thy testimonies." And for this, among others reasons, that I may avoid their judgments.5. Foreseeing the judgments to fall on the wicked, it was necessary that he should be filled with a salutary fear. 1. "My flesh trembleth." Happy is he who by other men's harms learns to be wise. 2. We should work out our salvation with fear and trembling.

Psalms 119:128 — greatness of his love, he says, I love thy commandments "above gold; yea, above fine gold." My love is greater to thy law, than that of the miser is to his bags.4. He received all God's precepts to be right; and he takes not some, but the whole of them.5. Whatever gain idolatry and time-serving might hold out to him, he abominated it, because he hated every false way. His love of God, his law, and holiness, was greater than his love of life.

Psalms 119:72 — calumny are the first weapons of persecutors.3. They forged these lies; they invented them. There was none ready to their hand, so they framed some to serve their purpose.4. The psalmist opposes them with humility and truth: "I will keep thy precepts."5. He shows more particularly their moral character: "Their heart was as fat as grease;" they were stupid, brutish, hoggish. Their god was their belly. 1. Because they abounded in wealth, they were proud. 2. Because they pampered themselves, they were

Psalms 18:7 — salutary to himself. There might, indeed, have been such a one, though there is no particular mention of it: unless it may be thought that something of this nature is intimated in the account given of David's second battle with the Philistines, 2 Samuel 5:23-24. It is undoubted, however, that the storm is represented as real; though David, in describing it, has heightened and embellished it with all the ornaments of poetry. See Chandler, Delaney, and Lowth's ninth Prelection.

Psalms 32:1 — PSALM XXXII True blessedness consists in remission of sin, and purification of the heart, 1, 2. What the psalmist felt in seeking these blessings, 3-5. How they should be sought, 6, 7. The necessity of humility and teachableness, 8, 9. The misery of the wicked, 10. The blessedness of the righteous, 11. NOTES ON PSALM XXXIIThe title of this Psalm is significant, לדוד משכיל ledavid maskil, A Psalm of

Psalms 34:1 — who sincerely seek God, 17-22. NOTES ON PSALM XXXIVThe title states that this is "A Psalm of David, when he changed his behaviour before Abimelech; who drove him away, and he departed." The history of this transaction may be found in 1 Samuel 21:10-15, on which chapter see the notes. But Abimelech is not the person there mentioned; it was Achish, king of Gath, called here Abimelech, because that was a common name of the Philistine kings. Neither MS. nor version reads Achish in this place; and all

Psalms 64:10 — their heads together how to lay snares, c.3. They are impudent and atheistical: "They say, Who shall see them?"4. They are indefatigable - they are carried on with an earnest desire to do mischief they invent all crafty waits to circumvent the righteous.5. All this they do subtly, craftily: "Both the inward thought and heart of them is deep" it is not easy to find out their snares.III. Now he foretells, 1. Their punishment; and, 2. The event.1. Their punishment was to be hasty, sharp, deadly, and very

Psalms 8:1 — PSALM VIII The glory and excellence of God manifested by his works, 1, 2; particularly in the starry heavens, 3; in man, 4; in his formation, 5; and in the dominion which God has given him over the earth, the air, the sea, and their inhabitants, 6-8: in consequence of which God's name is celebrated over all the earth, 9. NOTES ON PSALM VIIIThe inscription to this Psalm is the following: To

Leviticus 4:27 — 1:4; Leviticus 1:4.Such institutions as these could not be considered as terminating in themselves, they necessarily had reference to something of infinitely higher moment; in a word, they typified Him whose soul was made an offering for sin, Isaiah 53:10. And taken out of this reference they seem both absurd and irrational. It is obviously in reference to these innocent creatures being brought as sin-offerings to God for the guilty that St. Paul alludes 2 Corinthians 5:21, where he says, He (God)

Leviticus 6:28 — fire, אש תמיד esh tamid, Leviticus 6:13, and the perpetual burnt-offering, עלת תמיד olath tamid, Exodus 29:42, translated by the Septuagint θυσια διαπαντος, πυο διαπαντος, and ὁλοκαυτωσις and ὁλοκαυτωμα διαπαντος, all cast much light on Hebrews 7:25, where it is said, Christ is able to save them to the uttermost (εισ το παντελες, perpetually, to all intents and purposes) that come unto God by him; seeing he ever liveth (παντοτε ζων, he is perpetually living) to make intercession for them; in which

Numbers 20:1 — CHAPTER XX The Israelites come to Zin, and Miriam dies, 1. They murmur for want of water, 2-5. Moses and Aaron make supplication at the tabernacle, and the glory of the Lord appears, 6. He commands Moses to take his rod, gather the congregation together, and bring water out of the rock, 7, 8. Moses takes the rod, gathers the Israelites together,

Numbers 3:1 — CHAPTER III The generations of Aaron and Moses, 1-4. The tribe of Levi to minister to the Lord under Aaron and his sons, 5-10. They are taken in the place of the first-born, 11-13. Moses is commanded to number them, 14-16. Gershon, Kohath, and Merari, the names of the three heads of families of the Levites, 17. Of Gershon and his family, 18-21. Their number, 7,500, ver.

Numbers 9:1 — CHAPTER IX The Israelites are reminded of the law that required them to keep the passover at its proper time, and with all its rites, 1-3. They kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the first month, 4, 5. The case of the men who, being unclean through touching a dead body, could not keep the passover, 6, 7. Moses inquires at the Lord concerning them, 8; and the Lord appoints the fourteenth day of the second month for all those who through any accidental

Deuteronomy 34:1 — goes up Mount Nebo to the top of Pisgah, and God shews him the whole extent of the land which he promised to give to the descendants of Abraham, 1-4. There Moses died, and was so privately buried by the Lord that his sepulchre was never discovered, 5, 6. His age and strength of constitution, 7. The people weep for him thirty days, 8. Joshua being filled with the spirit of wisdom, the Israelites hearken to him, as the Lord commanded them, 9. The character of Moses as a prophet, and as a worker of

Joshua 14:2 — Verse Joshua 14:2. By lot was their inheritance — Concerning the meaning and use of the lot, see the note on Numbers 26:55; and concerning the manner of casting lots in the case of the scapegoat, see the note on Leviticus 16:8-9.On this subject Dr. Dodd has selected some good observations from Calmet and Masius, which I here borrow: "Though God had sufficiently pointed

Joshua 24:1 — CHAPTER XXIV Joshua gathers all the tribes together at Shechem, 1; and gives them a history of God's gracious dealings with Abraham, 2, 3; Isaac, Jacob, and Esau, 4; Moses and Aaron, and their fathers in Egypt, 5, 6. His judgments on the Egyptians, 7. On the Amorites, 8. Their deliverance from Balak and Balaam, 9, 10. Their conquests in the promised land, and their establishment in the possession of it, 11-13. Exhorts them to abolish idolatry, and informs them

Joshua 6:27 — Verse Joshua 6:27. So the Lord was with Joshua — Giving him miraculous assistance in all his enterprises; and this was what he was naturally led to expect from the communication made to him by the captain of the Lord's host, Joshua 5:14, c.1. MANY attempts have been made either to deny the miracle in the fall of Jericho, or to account for it on natural causes. Reference has already been made to some of these in the note on Joshua 6:20. But to those who believe the Divine authenticity

Judges 8:35 — Verse Judges 8:35. Neither showed they kindness to the house of - Gideon — They were both unthankful and unholy. Though they had the clearest proofs of God's power and goodness before their eyes, yet they forgot him. And although they were under the greatest obligations