Bible Commentaries

1 Kings 18:38 — Verse 1 Kings 18:36. Then the fire of the Lord fell — It did not burst out from the altar; this might still, notwithstanding the water, have afforded some ground for suspicion that fire had been concealed, after the manner of the heathens, under the altar.Pindar's

1 Kings 21:2 — it might be sold or mortgaged till the jubilee, but at that time it must revert to its original owner, if not redeemed before; for this God had particularly enjoined Leviticus 25:14-17; Leviticus 25:25-28: therefore Naboth properly said, 1 Kings 21:3, The Lord forbid it me, to give the inheritance of my fathers. Ahab most evidently wished him to alienate it finally, and this is what God's law had expressly forbidden; therefore he could not, consistently with his duty to God, indulge Ahab; and it

1 Kings 8:37 — Verse 1 Kings 8:37. If there be in the land famine - pestilence — The FOURTH case includes several kinds of evils:1. Famine; a scarcity or total want of bread, necessarily springing from the preceding cause, drought.2. Pestilence; any general and contagious disease.3.

2 Kings 20:1 — CHAPTER XX Hezekiah's sickness, and the message of the prophet to him, to prepare for death, 1. His distress and prayer to God, 2, 3. The Lord hears, and promises to add fifteen years to his life, and Isaiah prescribes a means of cure, 4-7. Hezekiah seeks a sign; and to assure him of the truth of God's promise, the shadow on the dial of Ahaz goes back ten degrees, 8-11. The King

Nehemiah 13:1 — CHAPTER XIII The law is read, which commands that the Ammonite and Moabite should be separated from the congregation, on which they separate all the mixed multitude, 1-3. Eliashib the high priest having not only joined opinion with Sanballat, but being also allied to Tobiah the Ammonite, and having given him some of the chambers in the court of the house of God, 4, 5; Nehemiah casts out the goods of Tobiah, and purifies

Job 18:9 — pitfalls, are laid or formed in different places, so that many are taken before they come to the point where the two lines close. "He is cast into a net, he walketh upon a snare - the trap is laid for him in the way-the snare in the ground," Job 18:8-10.3. The howling of the dogs, with the shouts of the huntsmen, fill him with dismay, and cause him to run himself beyond his strength and out of breath. "Terrors shall make him afraid on every side, and shall drive him to his feet," Job 18:11.4. While spent

Job 3:8 — Verse Job 3:8. Let them curse it that curse the day — This translation is scarcely intelligible. I have waded through a multitude of interpretations, without being able to collect from them such a notion of the verse as could appear to me probable. Schultens,

Job 5:24 — struck again with the same ease.The word נוך navecha, which we properly translate thy habitation, signifies a solid, permanent dwelling-place. ee Joshua 22:4, Joshua 22:6-8; 2 Samuel 18:17; 2 Samuel 19:8; 1 Kings 12:16; Psalms 52:7; Psalms 91:10; Psalms 132:3; Lamentations 2:4; Malachi 2:12; and with these passages compare the place in the text.As to תחטא techeta, which we translate thou shalt not SIN, it comes from חטא chata, to err, to mistake, to miss the mark: hence to sin, transgress God's laws,

Proverbs 24:17 — seven times. - That is, say many, "the most righteous man in the world sins seven times a day on an average." Solomon does not say so: -1. There is not a word about sin in the text.2. The word day is not in the Hebrew text, nor in any of the versions.3. The word יפול yippol, from נפל naphal, to fall, is never applied to sin.4. When set in opposition to the words riseth up, it merely applies to affliction or calamity. See Micah 7:8; Amos 8:4; Jeremiah 25:27; and Psalms 34:19; Psalms 34:20. "The righteous

Isaiah 2:8 — Verse Isaiah 2:8. Their land also is full of idols - "And his land is filled with idols"] Uzziah and Fotham are both said, 2 Kings 15:3-4; 2 Kings 15:34-35, "to have done that which was right in the sight of the Lord;" that is, to have adhered to and maintained the legal worship of God, in opposition to idolatry and all irregular worship; for to this sense the meaning of that phrase

Numbers 10:29 — Verse Numbers 10:29. Moses said unto Hobab — For a circumstantial account of this person see the notes on Exodus 2:15-16; Exodus 2:18; Exodus 3:1; Exodus 4:20; Exodus 4:24; and for the transaction recorded here, and which is probably out of its place, see Exodus 18:5, where the subject is discussed at large.We are journeying — God has brought us out of thraldom, and we are thus far on

Numbers 27:1 — inheritance, 1-4. Moses brings their case before the Lord, 5. He allows their claim, 6, 7; and a law is made to regulate the inheritance of daughters, 8-11. Moses is commanded to go up to Mount Abarim, and view the promised land, 12; is apprised of his death, 13; and because he did not sanctify God at the waters of Meribah, he shall not enter into it, 14. Moses requests the Lord to appoint a person to supply his place as leader of th Israelites, 15-17. God appoints a Joshua, commands Moses to lay his hands

Numbers 8:7 — water of sin, or water of the sin-offering. As this purifying water was made by the ashes of the red heifer, cedar-wood, hyssop, and scarlet; and the heifer herself was sacrificed, and her blood sprinkled seven times before the tabernacle, Numbers 19:3-6; she may be considered as a proper sacrifice for sin, and consequently the water thus prepared be termed the water of the sin-offering. As the ashes were kept ready at hand for purifying from all legal pollutions, the preparation might be considered

Deuteronomy 33:1 — CHAPTER XXXIII Moses delivers a prophetical blessing to the children of Israel, 1. The introduction, 2-5. Prophetic declarations concerning Reuben, 6; concerning Judah, 7; concerning Levi, 8-11; concerning Benjamin, 12; concerning Joseph, 13-17; concerning Zebulun, 18, 19; concerning Gad, 20, 21; concerning Dan, 22; concerning Naphtali, 23; concerning Asher, 24, 25. The glory of the God of Jeshurun, and the glorious privileges of his true followers, 26-29. NOTES ON CHAP. XXXIIIVerse Deuteronomy

Joshua 17:18 — appointment of God, and he saw no reason to reverse or change the grant already made. They were both numerous and strong, and if they put forth their strength under the direction of even the ordinary providence of God, they had every reason to expect success.3. Slothfulness is natural to man; it requires much training to induce him to labour for his daily bread; if God should miraculously send it he will wonder and eat it, and that is the whole. Strive to enter in at the strait gate is an ungracious word

Joshua 4:24 — fervent in teaching their children the knowledge of his name.2. This is one great use of the ordinances of the Gospel, and the rites of religion. They are all significators of sacred things, and point out matters of infinite importance beyond themselves.3. A spirit of inquiry is common to every child: the human heart is ever panting after knowledge; and if not rightly directed when young, will, like that of our first mother, go astray after forbidden science.4. If we wish our children to be happy we

Joshua 9:1 — Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, unite them forces against Joshua, 1, 2. The inhabitants of Gibeon, hearing what Joshua had done to Ai, sent ambassadors to him, feigning themselves to come from a very distant tribe, requesting a friendly alliance with him, 3-5. Their address to Joshua, and the means they used to deceive the Israelites, 6-13. The Israelitish elders are deceived, and make a league with them, which they confirm with an oath, 14, 15. After three day they are informed that the Gibeonites belong

1 Samuel 11:1 — CHAPTER XI Nahash, king of the Ammonites, besieges Jabesh-gilead; and proposes to its inhabitants the most degrading conditions of peace, 1, 2. They apply to their brethren for help, 3, 4. Saul hears of their distress; takes a yoke of oxen, hews them in pieces, and sends them throughout the coasts of Israel, with the threat that all who did not come to his standard should have his cattle served in like manner; in consequence of which

1 Samuel 30:1 — is absent with the army of Achish, the Amalekites invade Ziklag, and burn it with fire, and carry away captive David's wives, and those of his men, 1, 2. David and his men return; and, finding the desolate state of their city, are greatly affected, 3-5. The men mutiny, and threaten to stone David, who encourages himself in the Lord, 6. David inquires of the Lord, and is directed to pursue the Amalekites, with the promise that he shall recover all, 7, 8. He and his men begin the pursuit, but two

1 Samuel 4:1 — between Israel and the Philistines, in which the former are defeated, with the loss of four thousand men, 1, 2. They resolve to give the Philistines battle once more, and bring the ark of the Lord, with Hophni and Phinehas the priests, into the camp, 3, 4. They do so, and become vainly confident, 5. At this the Philistines are dismayed, 6-9. The battle commences; the Israelites are again defeated, with the loss of thirty thousand men; Hophni and Phinehas are among the slain; and the ark of the Lord