Bible Commentaries

Exodus 17:11 — levantó su mano...  No podemos entender esta acción de ninguna manera literal ; porque el levantar o soltar las manos de Moisés no podía, humanamente hablando, influir en la batalla. Es probable que sostuviera la vara de Dios en su mano, Éxodo 17:9, como bandera para el pueblo. Ya hemos visto que en la oración las manos generalmente son  levantadas y extendidas , ( Éxodo 9:29,) y por lo tanto es probable que con este acto  de oración y súplica estuviera influemciando. El Targum de Jerusalén

Exodus 4:8 — Verse Exodus 4:8. If they will not believe - the voice of the first sign, c.] Probably intimating that some would be more difficult to be persuaded than others: some would yield to the evidence of the first miracle others would hesitate till they had seen the second; and others would not believe till they had seen the water of the Nile turned into blood, when poured upon the dry land; Exodus 4:9.

1 Kings 1:9 — Verse 1 Kings 1:9. Slew sheep and oven — Making a royal feast, in reference to his inauguration. As he had Abiathar the priest with him, no doubt these animals were offered sacrificially, and then the guests fed on the flesh of the victims. He had not only a splendid feast, but a great sacrifice; and he gave by this a popular colour to his pretensions, by affecting to receive his authority from God.

1 Kings 11:29 — Verse 29. When Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem — On what errand he was going out of Jerusalem, we know not.Ahijah the Shilonite — He was one of those who wrote the history of the reign of Solomon, as we find from 2 Chronicles 9:29, and it is supposed that it was by him God spake twice to Solomon; and particularly delivered the message which we find in this chapter, 1 Kings 11:11-13.

2 Kings 1:9 — Verse 2 Kings 1:9. A captain of fifty with his fifty. — It is impossible that such a man as Ahaziah, in such circumstances, could have had any friendly designs in sending a captain and fifty soldiers for the prophet; and the manner in which they are treated shows plainly that they went with a hostile intent.And he spake unto him, Thou man of God — Thou prophet of the Most High.

2 Kings 17:9 — Verse 2 Kings 17:9. Did secretly those things — There was much hidden iniquity and private idolatry among them, as well as public and notorious crimes.From the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city. — That is, the idolatry was universal; every place was made a place for some idolatrous rite or act of worship; from the largest city to the smallest village, and from the public watchtower to the shepherd's cot.

Nehemiah 5:9 — Verse Nehemiah 5:9. Ought ye not to walk in the fear of our God — If ye wish to accredit that religion ye profess which comes from the God of justice and mercy; should you not, in the sight of the heathen, abstain from injustice and cruelty? Can they credit your profession, when they see such practices? The inconsistent conduct of some professors of religion does much harm in the Church of God.

Psalms 9:20 — Verse Psalms 9:20. Put them in fear — שיתה יהוה מורה להם shithah Yehovah morah lahem, "O Lord, place a teacher among them," that they may know they also are accountable creatures, grow wise unto salvation, and be prepared for a state of blessedness. Several

Numbers 23:9 — Verse Numbers 23:9. From the top of the rocks I see him — That is, from the high places of Baal where he went, Numbers 22:41, that he might the more advantageously see the whole camp of Israel.The people shall dwell alone — They shall ever be preserved as a distinct nation. This prophecy has been literally fulfilled through a period of 3300 years to the present day. This is truly astonishing.

Numbers 30:1 — CHAPTER XXX The law concerning vows of men, 1, 2. Of women under age, and in what cases the father may annul them, 3-5. The vows of a wife, and in what cases the husband may annul them, 6-8. The vows of a widow, or divorced woman, in what cases they may be considered either as confirmed or annulled, 9-15. Recapitulation of these ordinances, 16. NOTES ON CHAP. XXX

Numbers 33:35 — STAT. XXXI.Verse Numbers 33:35. EZION-GABER.] Dr. Shaw places this port on the western coast of the Elantic gulf of the Red Sea. It is now called Meenah el Dsahab, or the golden port, by the Arabs; because it was from this place that Solomon sent his ships for gold to Ophir, 1 Kings 9:26. He supposes it to be about sixty miles distant from Mount Sinai. - Travels, p. 322, 4to. edition.

Numbers 33:9 — STAT. V.Verse Numbers 33:9. And came unto ELIM] A place on the skirts of the deserts of Sin, two leagues from Tor, and nearly thirty from Corondel, a large bay on the east side of the Red Sea. Dr. Shaw, when he visited this place, found but nine of the twelve wells mentioned in the text, and instead of 70 palm trees, he found upwards of 2,000. Exodus 15:27.

Deuteronomy 24:19 — Verse Deuteronomy 24:19. When thou cuttest down thine harvest — This is an addition to the law, Leviticus 19:9; Leviticus 23:22. The corners of the field, the gleanings, and the forgotten sheaf, were all the property of the poor. This the Hebrews extended to any part of the fruit or produce of a field, which had been forgotten in the time of general ingathering, as appears from the concluding verses of this chapter.

Deuteronomy 25:18 — Verse Deuteronomy 25:18. Smote the hindmost of thee — Exodus 17:8. It is supposed that this command had its final accomplishment in the death of Haman and his ten sons, Esther 3:0, Esther 7:0, Esther 9:0, as from this time the memory and name of Amalek was blotted out from under heaven, for through every period of their history it might be truly said, They feared not God.

Deuteronomy 32:9 — Verse Deuteronomy 32:9. The Lord's portion is his people — What an astonishing saying! As holy souls take GOD for their portion, so GOD takes them for his portion. He represents himself as happy in his followers; and they are infinitely happy in, and satisfied with, God as their portion. This is what is implied in being a saint. He who is seeking for an earthly portion, has little commerce with the Most High.

Joshua 9:25 — Verse Joshua 9:25. We are in thine hand — Entirely in thy power.As it seemeth good and right unto thee - do. — Whatever justice and mercy dictate to thee to do to us, that perform. They expect justice, because they deceived the Israelites; but they expect mercy also, because they were driven to use this expedient for fear of losing their lives. The appeal to Joshua is full of delicacy and cogent argument.

Judges 9:11 — Verse Judges 9:11. But the fig tree said - Should I forsake my sweetness — The fruit of the fig tree is the sweetest or most luscious of all fruits. A full-ripe fig, in its own climate, has an indescribable sweetness; so much so that it is almost impossible to eat it, till a considerable time after it is gathered from the trees, and has gone through an artificial preparation. This I have often noticed.

Judges 9:2 — Verse Judges 9:2. Whether is better for you, either that all the sons — This was a powerful argument: Whether will you have seventy tyrants or only one! For, as he had no right to the government, and God alone was king at that time in Israel; so he must support his usurped rule by whatever means were most likely to effect it: a usurped government is generally supported by oppression and the sword.

2 Samuel 18:9 — Verse 2 Samuel 18:9. And his head caught hold of the oak — It has been supposed that Absalom was caught by the hair, but no such thing is intimated in the text. Probably his neck was caught in the fork of a strong bough, and he was nearly dead when Joab found him; for it is said, 2 Samuel 18:14, he was yet alive, an expression which intimates he was nearly dead.

2 Samuel 4:9 — Verse 2 Samuel 4:9. Who hath redeemed my soul out of all adversity — This was, in David's case, a very proper view of the goodness and watchful providence of God towards him. His life was frequently in danger; murderers had often laid wait for it: but God, the living God, had always redeemed that life from all adversity; and called on him now to punish such evil-minded and blood-thirsty men.