Bible Commentaries

1 Kings 10:2 — and even use the incense tree and myrrh to cook their victuals."2. All ancient authors speak, not only of their odoriferous woods, but of their rich gold and silver mines, and of their precious stones. See Pliny, Hist. Nat. lib. xxxvii., c. 6, &c.3. It is also well known that the Sabaeans had queens for their sovereigns, and not kings. So Claudian, in Eutrop. lib. i. _____ Medis levibusque Sabaeis Imperat hic sexus, reginarumque sub armis Barbariae pars magna jacet. By this is meant, says Mr.

1 Kings 13:2 — Verse 1 Kings 13:2. He cried against the altar — He denounced the destruction of this idolatrous system.A child shall be born - Josiah by name — This is one of the most remarkable and most singular prophecies in the Old Testament. It here most circumstantially

1 Kings 18:1 — CHAPTER XVIII 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;

1 Kings 5:6 — which in autumn and winter is consumed and dried up.2. Trees should not be cut down at once; they should be cut carefully round towards the pith, that the sap may drop down and distil away, and thus left till thoroughly dry, and then cut down entirely.3. When fully dried, a tree should not be exposed to the south sun, high winds, and rain; and should be smeared over with cow-dung to prevent its splitting.4. It should never be drawn through the dew, but be removed in the afternoon.5. It is not fit for

1 Kings 8:22 — He ascended the brazen scaffold, five cubits long, and five cubits broad, and three cubits high, and then kneeled down upon his knees, with his hands spread up to heaven, and offered up the following prayer: see 1 Kings 8:54, and 2 Chronicles 5:12-13.And spread forth his hands toward heaven — This was a usual custom in all nations: in prayer the hands were stretched out to heaven, as if to invite and receive assistance from thence; while, humbly kneeling on their knees, they seemed acknowledge

2 Kings 11:1 — CHAPTER XI Athaliah destroys all that remain of the seed royal of Judah, 1. Jehosheba hides Joash the son of Ahaziah, and he remains hidden in the house of the Lord six years; and Athaliah reigns over the land, 2, 3. Jehoiada, the high priest, calls the nobles privately together into the temple, shows them the kings son, takes an oath of them, arms them, places guards around the temple, and around the young king's person; they anoint and proclaim him, 4-12. Athaliah

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

2 Kings 20:3 — Verse 2 Kings 20:3. I beseech thee, O Lord — Hezekiah knew that, although the words of Isaiah were delivered to him in an absolute form, yet they were to be conditionally understood, else he could not have prayed to God to reverse a purpose which he knew to be irrevocable.

1 Chronicles 1:1 — relative to this Book -Year of the World, 1. -Year before Christ, according to Archbishop Usher, 4004. -Year before the Flood, according to the common Hebrew Bible, 1656. -Year of the Julian period, 710. CHAPTER I The genealogy of Adam to Noah, 1-3. Of Noah to Abraham, 4-27. The sons of Abraham, Ishmael, and Isaac, 28. The sons of Ishmael, 29-31. The sons of Keturah, 32, 33. The sons of Esau, 34-42. A list of the kings of Edom, 43-50. A list of the dukes of Edom, 51-54. NOTES ON CHAP. IVerse 1

Joshua 10:36 — Verse Joshua 10:36-37. Hebron - and the king thereof — See the note on Joshua 10:3. From Joshua 10:23 we learn that the king of Hebron was one of those five whom Joshua slew and hanged on five trees at Makkedah. How then can it be said that he slew the king of

Joshua 13:1 — CHAPTER XIII Joshua being old, the Lord informs him of the land yet remaining to be possessed, 1. Of the unconquered land among the Philistines, 2, 3. Among 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,

Joshua 24:14 — worship of whom these Israelites were still attached.1. Those which their fathers worshipped on the other side of the flood: i.e., the gods of the CHALDEANS, fire, light, the sun.2. Those of the EGYPTIANS, Apis, Anubis, the ape, serpents, vegetables, c.3. Those of the CANAANITES, MOABITES, &c., Baal-peor or Priapus, Astarte or Venus, &c., &c. All these he refers to in this and the following verse. Joshua 24:33; Joshua 24:33.How astonishing is this, that, after all God had done for them,

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

Judges 18:1 — CHAPTER XVIII Some Danites, seeking an inheritance, send five men to search 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

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 Gileads,

Ruth 2:20 — threefold:1. It belonged to him to buy back the forfeited inheritance, or the liberty of him who had been obliged to sell himself for a servant.2. It was his right to avenge the blood of any of the family who had been killed, by killing the murderer.3. It belonged to him to take the widow of a deceased brother or relative, if he died childless.If the nearest akin in any case refused, he was treated with indignity, lost his right to the inheritance, and the next akin to him might come forward and

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

1 Samuel 7:6 — Verse 1 Samuel 7:6. Drew water, and poured it out — It is not easy to know what is meant by this; it is true that pouring out water, in the way of libation, was a religious ordinance among the Hebrews, (Isaiah 12:3), and among most other nations, particularly the Greeks and Romans, who used, not only water, but wine, milk, honey, and blood, as we find by Homer, Virgil, Euripides, Sophocles, Porphyry, and Lucian. Our Lord seems to allude to this ceremony, John

1 Samuel 9:9 — Abraham is called a prophet, Genesis 20:7, and the term frequently occurs in the law. Besides, the word seer does not occur before this time; but often occurs afterwards down through the prophets, for more than three hundred years. See Amos 7:12; Micah 3:7.All prophets, false and true, profess to see God; see the case of Balaam, Numbers 24:4; Numbers 24:16, and Jeremiah 14:14. All diviners, in their enthusiastic flights, boasted that they had those things exhibited to their sight which should come to

2 Samuel 10:19 — Joshua 1:4." And thus, in the space of nineteen or twenty years, David had the good fortune to finish gloriously eight wars, all righteously undertaken, and 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