Bible Commentaries

2 Kings 19:22 — The Holy One of Israel - This is a favorite phrase with Isaiah, in whose prophecies it is found 27 times, while it occurs five times only in the rest of Scripture Psalms 71:22; Psalms 78:41; Psalms 89:18; Jeremiah 50:29; Jeremiah 51:5. Its occurrence here is a strong proof - one among many - of the genuineness of the present passage, which is not the composition of the writer of Kings, but an actual prophecy delivered at this time by Isaiah.

1 Chronicles 26:19 — The divisions of the porters - The account of the porters here given makes them only twenty-four in number at any one time; 1 Chronicles 23:5 states that the duty was discharged by 4,000 persons. Perhaps of the 93 chief porters here spoken of 1 Chronicles 26:8-9, 1 Chronicles 26:11, 1 Chronicles 26:24 were always on guard as officers, while of the remaining 3,907, a certain proportion were each day on duty as their subordinates.

Ezra 2:64 — The sum total is given without any variation by Ezra, by Nehemiah (see the marginal reference), and by Esdras (1 Esdras 5:41), who adds, that in this reckoning only those of twelve years of age and upward were counted.It is curious that the total 42,360, is so greatly in excess of the items. Ezra’s items make the number 29,818; Nehemiah’s 31,089, Esdras, 33,950. The original document was probably illegible in places, and the writers were forced to make omissions.

Ezra 8:2-3 — Punctuate as follows:Ezra 8:2. ... of the sons of David, Hattush of the sons of Shechaniah.Ezra 8:3. Of the sons of Pharosh, Zechariah ....Hattush, the descendant of David, was the grandson of Shechaniah (see marginal reference).Most of these names Ezra 8:2-14 occur also as those of heads of families in the list of the Jews who returned with Zerubbabel Ezra 2:3-15. The Septuagint and Syriac versions supply omissions in Ezra 8:5, Ezra 8:10.

Psalms 106:1 — Praise ye the Lord - Margin, “Hallelu-jah.” The two Hebrew words mean, “praise ye the Lord.” They are the same words with which the previous psalm closes, and are here designed to indicate the general duty illustrated in the psalm.O give thanks unto the Lord - See the notes at Psalms 105:1.For he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever - See Psalms 100:5, note; Psalms 107:1, note; where the language in the Hebrew is the same.

Psalms 109:19 — Let it be unto him as the garment which covereth him - He has chosen to put it on, to wear it, to appear in it; so let him constantly feel its consequences. As he is always obliged to wear clothing, so let this be as constantly with him and upon him as his mantle and his sash.And for a girdle wherewith he is girded continually - The belt or girdle which he constantly wears. See the notes at Matthew 5:38.

Psalms 18:18 — They prevented me - They anticipated me, or went before me. See the note at Psalms 18:5. The idea here is that his enemies came before him, or intercepted his way. They were in his path, ready to destroy him.In the day of my calamity - In the day to which I now look back as the time of my special trial.But the Lord was my stay - My support, or prop. That is, the Lord upheld me, and kept me from falling.

Proverbs 16:26 — He that laboreth - literally, as in the margin, i. e., “The desire of the laborer labors for him” (or, helps him in his work), “for his mouth urges him on.” Hunger of some kind is the spring of all hearty labor. Without that the man would sit down and take his ease. So also, unless there is a hunger in the soul, craving to be fed, there can be no true labor after righteousness and wisdom (compare Matthew 5:6).

Leviticus 27:4-7 — The relative values of the persons appear to be regulated according to an estimate of the probable value of their future work: Ages Male Female From a month to five years of age 5 shekels 3 shekels From five years to twenty of age 20 shekels 10 shekels From forty years to sixty of age 50 shekels 30 shekels Sixty years of age and older: 15 shekels 10 shekels As regards the shekel of the sanctuary, see Exodus 38:24 note.

Ecclesiastes 10:8-10 — The figures seem to be taken from the work of building up and pulling down houses. In their general application, they recommend the man who would act wisely to be cautious when taking any step in life which involves risk.Ecclesiastes 10:8Breaketh an hedge - Rather: “breaks through a wall.”Serpent - The habit of snakes is to nestle in a chink of a wall, or among stones (compare Amos 5:19).Ecclesiastes 10:9Be endangered - Rather: “cut himself.”

Song of Solomon 7:5 — Compare and contrast with Song of Solomon 5:15. The rendering in the margin takes “Carmel” as the name of a color, equivalent to “carmine” (rendered “crimson” in 2 Chronicles 2:7, 2 Chronicles 2:14; 2 Chronicles 3:14). This interpretation is favored by the parallelism with “purple,” but removes a beautiful image.Purple - A deep violet black.The king ... - Rather, “A king is bound in the tresses or windings of thy hair.” These last words indicate the king’s approach.

Jeremiah 51:32 — The passages are stopped - The ferries are seized, occupied. The historians state that when Cyrus captured the city his troops moved down the bed of the river and occupied all these ferries, finding at each of them the gates negligently left open. See the Daniel 5:1 note.The reeds - literally, the marshes or pools, which formed an important part of the defenses of Babylon, were dried up as completely as a piece of wood would be consumed by fire.

Ezekiel 42:15-19 — The Precincts. The temple and its courts were surrounded by an area of exact dimensions 3,000 cubits (1,500 yards) square. See Plan IV.Ezekiel 42:15The inner house - The temple and its courts, all that lay within the “wall on the outside of the house Ezekiel 40:5; the gate” is the eastern gate of the outer court.Measured it round about - The precincts, into which he had brought the seer through the eastern gate of the outer court.

Matthew 9:1 — And he entered into a ship ... - Jesus acceded to the request of the people of Gadara Matthew 8:34, recrossed the Lake of Gennesareth, and returned to his own city. By “his own city” is meant Capernaum Mark 2:1, the city which was at that time his home, or where he had his dwelling. See the notes at Matthew 4:13. This same account, with some additional circumstances, is contained in Mark 2:3-12, and Luke 5:18-26.

Deuteronomy 17:2-7 — Compare Deuteronomy 13:1 ff. Here special reference is made to the legal forms to be adopted, Deuteronomy 17:5-7. The sentence was to be carried into effect at “the gates” (compare Genesis 19:1 note) of the town in which the crime was committed; because, as “all the people” were to take a part, an open space would be requisite for the execution. Note the typical and prophetical aspect of the injunction; compare Acts 7:58; Hebrews 13:12.

Deuteronomy 33:20 — i. e., Blessed be God who shall grant to Gad a spacious territory. Compare the blessing of Shem Genesis 9:26.With the crown - Rather, yea, the crown. The warlike character of this tribe is shown by their leading the van in the long campaigns of Joshua (compare Joshua 4:12-13; Joshua 22:1-4). Compare also 1Ch 5:18-22; 1 Chronicles 12:8 ff, and the acts of Jehu, the Gadite, in 2 Kings 9:0; 2 Kings 10:0.

1 Samuel 20:1 — While Saul was under the constraining influence of the spirit of prophecy, David escaped from Naioth, and, probably by Samuel’s advice, returned to Saul’s court to commune with Jonathan. Nothing could be a better evidence of his innocence than thus putting himself in Jonathan’s power. Perhaps something passed between Samuel and Saul on the subject, since it appears from 1Sa 20:5, 1 Samuel 20:25, 1 Samuel 20:27, that Saul expected David at the feast of the new moon.

2 Samuel 20:11 — He that favoreth Joab ... - This speech, addressed to Amasa’s followers as well as Joab’s, shows very distinctly that the rivalry between Joab and Amasa, and David’s purpose to make Amasa captain in Joab’s room, were well known; and shows also the real reason why Joab killed Amasa. What is added, “and he that is for David,” was intended to identify Joab’s cause with David’s, and also to insinuate that Amasa had not been loyal to David (2 Samuel 20:5 note).

2 Samuel 7:14 — I will be his father ... - In marginal reference the equivalent expressions are applied to David. In Hebrews 1:5, this text is applied to Christ. But in 1 Chronicles 17:13; 1 Chronicles 22:9-10; 1 Chronicles 28:6, it is expressly appropriated to Solomon.With the rod of men ... - i. e. such a chastisement as men inflict upon their children, to correct and reclaim them, not to destroy them. The whole clause is omitted in 1 Chronicles 17:13.

2 Samuel 7:27 — Therefore hath thy servant found in his heart ... - The promises of God are the true guide to the prayers of His people. We may dare to ask anything, how great soever it may be, which God has promised to give. In this and the two following verses David expresses the same wonder at the riches of God’s grace, and the same expectation founded on that grace, which Paul does. in such passages as Ephesians 1:5-7; Ephesians 2:7, etc. marginal references.