Bible Commentaries

1 Kings 21:7 — Verse 1 Kings 21:7. Dost thou now govern the kingdom of Israel? — Naboth, not Ahab, is king. If he have authority to refuse, and thou have no power to take, he is the greater man of the two. This is the vital language of despotism and tyranny.

2 Kings 7:14 — Verse 2 Kings 7:14. They took - two chariot horses — They had at first intended to send five; probably they found on examination that only two were effective. But if they sent two chariots, each would have two horses, and probably a single horse for crossing the country.

1 Chronicles 1:7 — Verse 1 Chronicles 1:7. The sons of Javan — "But the sons of Macedon, Alsu, and Tarsus, Ilation, and Dardania, or, according to others, Elisha, Alam, Titsas, Achzavia, and Dardania, Ridom, and Chamen, and Antioch." So says this Targum, which I shall henceforth designate by the letter T.

1 Chronicles 7:40 — Verse 1 Chronicles 7:40. The children of Asher — The rabbins say that the daughters of Asher were very beautiful, and were all matched with kings or priests. Several things relative to the subjects in this chapter may be found explained in the parallel places marked in the margin.

2 Chronicles 13:7 — Verse 2 Chronicles 13:7. When Rehoboam was young and tender-hearted — Therefore he could not be forty-one when he came to the throne; 2 Chronicles 13:3. Children of Belial here signifies men of the most abandoned principles and characters; or men without consideration, education, or brains.

2 Chronicles 4:17 — Verse 2 Chronicles 4:17. In the clay ground — See on 1 Kings 7:46. Some suppose that he did not actually cast those instruments at those places, but that he brought the clay from that quarter, as being the most proper for making moulds to cast in.

Nehemiah 12:7 — Verse Nehemiah 12:7. The chief of the priests — They were twenty-four orders or courses in number, all subordinate to each other; as established by David, 1 Chronicles 24:18. And these orders or courses were continued till the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans. See Calmet.

Nehemiah 6:7 — Verse Nehemiah 6:7. Thou hast also appointed prophets — Persons who pretend to be commissioned to preach to the people, and say, Nehemiah reigneth!Come now therefore, and let us take counsel — Come and justify yourself before me. This was a trick to get Nehemiah into his power.

Esther 7:3 — Verse Esther 7:3. Let my life be given me — This was very artfully, as well as very honestly, managed; and was highly calculated to work on the feelings of the king. What! is the life of the queen, whom I most tenderly love, in any kind of danger?

Job 10:7 — Verse Job 10:7. Thou knowest that I am not wicked — While thou hast this knowledge of me and my conduct, why appear to be sifting me as if in order to find out sin; and though none can be found, treating me as though I were a transgressor?

Psalms 7:13 — Verse Psalms 7:13. He hath also prepared for him the instruments of death — This appears to be all a prophecy of the tragical death of Saul. He was wounded by the arrows of the Philistines; and his own keen sword, on which he fell, terminated his woful days!

Psalms 7:8 — Verse Psalms 7:8. The Lord shall judge the people — He will execute justice and maintain truth among them. They shall not be as sheep without a shepherd.Judge me, O Lord — Let my innocence be brought to the light, and my just dealing made clear as the noonday.

Psalms 99:7 — Verse Psalms 99:7. He spake unto them in the cloudy pillar — That is, he directed all their operations, marchings, and encampments by this cloudy pillar. See Exodus 33:9.They kept his testimonies — Do ye the same, and God will be your portion as he was theirs.

Proverbs 16:7 — Verse Proverbs 16:7. When a man's ways please the Lord — God is the guardian and defence of all that fear and love him; and it is truly astonishing to see how wondrously God works in their behalf, raising them up friends, and turning their enemies into friends.

Ecclesiastes 2:4 — Verse Ecclesiastes 2:4. I builded me houses — Palace after palace; the house of the forest of Lebanon, 1 Kings 7:1, c. a house for the queen; the temple, c., 2 Chronicles 8:1, c. 1 Kings 9:10, &c., besides many other buildings of various kinds.

Jeremiah 13:7 — Verse Jeremiah 13:7. And behold, the girdle was marred; it was profitable for nothing. — This symbolically represented the state of the Jews: they were corrupt and abominable; and God, by sending them into captivity, "marred the pride of Judah, and the great pride of Jerusalem," Jeremiah 13:9.

Jeremiah 5:6 — Verse Jeremiah 5:6. Wherefore a lion — Nebuchadnezzar, according to the general opinion; who is called here a lion for his courage and violence, a bear for his rapaciousness, and a leopard for his activity. Dahler supposes the Scythians to be intended, both here and in Jeremiah 4:7.

Jeremiah 7:5 — Verse Jeremiah 7:5. If ye throughly amend your ways — Literally, If in making good ye fully make good your ways. God will no longer admit of half-hearted work. Semblances of piety cannot deceive him; he will not accept partial reformation; there must be a thorough amendment.

Ezekiel 22:7 — Verse Ezekiel 22:7. In thee have they set light — The children do not reverence their parents. Parental affection and filial respect do not exist among you. The stranger is not only not succoured, but he is oppressed. The widows and fatherless are vexed by wrongs and exactions.

Ezekiel 36:4 — Verse Ezekiel 36:4. Therefore - thus saith the Lord God to the mountains, c.] They shall neither possess mountain nor valley, hill nor dale, fountain nor river for though in my justice I made you desolate, yet they shall not profit by your disasters. See Ezekiel 36:5-7.