Bible Commentaries

1 Kings 19:11 — merely natural; and that a real earthquake, and its accompaniments, are described.1. Previously to earthquakes the atmosphere becomes greatly disturbed, mighty winds and tempests taking place.2. This is followed by the actual agitation of the earth.3. In this agitation fire frequently escapes, or a burning lava is poured out, often accompanied with thunder and lightning.4. After these the air becomes serene, the thunder ceases to roll, the forked lightnings no longer play, and nothing remains but

2 Chronicles 33:25 — Verse 2 Chronicles 33:25. The people of the land slew all them — His murder was not a popular act, for the people slew the regicides. They were as prone to idolatry as their king was. We may rest satisfied that idolatry was accompanied with great licentiousness and

Esther 3:7 — Verse Esther 3:7. The first month — That is, of the civil year of the Jews.The month Nisan — Answering to a part of our March and April.The twelfth year of king Ahasuerus — According to the chronology in our Bibles, about five hundred and ten years

Job 19:23 — Verse Job 19:23. O that my words were now written! — Job introduces the important subject which follows in a manner unusually solemn; and he certainly considers the words which he was about to utter of great moment, and therefore wishes them to be recorded in

Psalms 1:3 — Verse Psalms 1:3. Like a tree planted — Not like one growing wild, however strong or luxuriant it may appear; but one that has been carefully cultivated; and for the proper growth of which all the advantages of soil and situation have been chosen. If a child be

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

Psalms 15:1 — Mount Zion, the holy mount, where the temple was built, was the type of the kingdom of heaven. There the ark became stationary, and was no longer carried about from place to place; and the whole was typical of the rest that remains for the people of God.3. The TABERNACLE was a temporary and frequently-removed building, carried about from place to place, and not long in any one place. Concerning this it is said: מי יגור mi yagur, "Who shall lodge, or sojourn," there? It is not a residence, or dwelling-place,

Psalms 34:1 — PSALM XXXIV David praises God, and exhorts others to do the same, 1-3; shows how he sought the Lord, and how he was found of him, 4-6. All are exhorted to taste and see the goodness of God; with the assurance of support and comfort, 7-10. He shows the way to attain happiness and long life, 11-16; the privileges of the

Psalms 60:4 — the truth. — מפני קשט mippeney koshet, from the face of truth; which has been thus paraphrased: If we have displayed the ensign of Israel, and gone forth against these our enemies, who have now made such a terrible breach among us, (Psalms 60:1-3,) it was because of thy truth-the promises of victory which we supposed would attend us at all times.Mr. Mudge, thus: "Thou givest to them that fear thee a signal to be displayed before the truth. That thy favoured ones may be delivered, clothe thy

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

Proverbs 30:19 — Verse Proverbs 30:19. The way of an eagle — I borrow, with thanks, the very sensible note of the Rev. Mr. Holden on this passage."The particle כן ken plainly shows that Proverbs 30:19-20 are to be taken in connection; consequently, it is a comparison between the

Proverbs 30:8 — Verse Proverbs 30:8. Remove far from me vanity and lies. —1. שוא shav, all false shows, all false appearances of happiness, every vain expectation. Let me not set my heart on any thing that is not solid, true, durable, and eternal.2. Lies, דבר כזב debar cazab,

Isaiah 2:19 — of David's persecution under Saul. At En-gedi, in particular, there was a cave so large that David with six hundred men hid themselves in the sides of it; and Saul entered the mouth of the cave without perceiving that any one was there, 1 Samuel 24:3. Josephus, Antiq., lib. xiv., c. 15, and Bell. Jud., lib. 1, c. 16, tells us of a numerous gang of banditti, who, having infested the country, and being pursued by Herod with his army retired into certain caverns almost inaccessible, near Arbela in

Numbers 20:1 — Israelites together, chides with them, and smites the rock twice, and the waters flow out plenteously, 9-11. The Lord is offended with Moses and Aaron because they did not sanctify him in the sight of the children of Israel, 12. The place is called Meribah, 13. Moses sends a friendly message to the king of Edom, begging liberty to pass through his territories, 14-17. The Edomites refuse, 18. The Israelites expostulate, 19. The Edomites still refuse, and prepare to attack them, 20, 21. The Israelites go to

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

Joshua 14:2 — hand in the lot, and his providence in the event?"How the lot was cast in this case cannot be particularly determined. It is probable,1. That the land was geographically divided into ten portions.2. That each portion was called by a particular name. 3. That the name of each portion was written on a separate slip of parchment, wood, c.4. That the names of the claimants were also written on so many slips.5. The names of the portions, and of the tribes, were put into separate vessels.6. Joshua, for

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

Joshua 6:27 — has already been made to some of these in the note on Joshua 6:20. But to those who believe the Divine authenticity of the New Testament, every objection of this kind is removed by the authority of the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews, Hebrews 11:30: By FAITH the walls of Jericho fell down, after they had been compassed about seven days. Hence we find that it was a miraculous interference and that Joshua's faith in the promise made to him by the captain of the Lord's host, was the instrument which

Judges 7:20 — ancient author, attributed to Tertullian, and written against the heretic Marcion, Gideon's three hundred men are represented as horsemen; and in this number he finds the mystery of the cross; because the Greek letter T, tau which is the numeral for 300, is itself the sign of the cross. The verses, which may be found in vol. v. of the Pisaurian Collection of the Latin heathen and Christian poets, Advers, Marcion., lib. 3, ver. 18, as being very curious, and not often to be met with, I shall here

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