Bible Commentaries

1 Kings 22:48 — made ships, &c. This was subsequent to 2 Chronicles 20:36-37 . Here Jehoshaphat made "Tharshish ships" to go to Ophir, and, profiting by the experience and warning of 2 Chronicles 20:37 , refused the request of Aha-ziah, king of Israel. In 2 Chronicles 20:35 he had joined himself with Ahaziah to make (ordinary) ships to go to Tharshish, which was quite a different thing. ships of Tharshish = Tharshish ships: i. e, large ocean-going ships. Tharshish. See note on 1 Kings 10:22 .

2 Chronicles 32:9 — After this. Omitting the account of the surrender of 2 Kings 18:14 . send his servants. Compare 2 Kings 18:17-37 ; 2 Kings 19:1-35 .Isaiah 10:8-11 ; Isa 10:36 ; Isa 10:37 . against Lacnish. A difficult task, for Rab-shakeh found Sennacherib had abandoned the siege (2 Kings 19:8 ). Joshua had found it the same (see note on "second day", Joshua 10:31 , Joshua 10:32 ). In Jeremiah 34:7 it still belonged to Judah. power = royal retinue.

Ezra 10:3 — such as are born. It does not appear that Shechaniah's proposal was carried out. Compare verses: Ezra 10:11 , Ezra 10:14 . counsel. See Psalms 33:11 ; Psalms 73:24 ; Psalms 106:13 .Proverbs 8:14 ; Proverbs 19:21 .Isaiah 46:10 , Isaiah 46:11 . my LORD* = Jehovah. One of the 134 places where Jehovah was altered by the Sopherim to Adonay. See App-32 and App-4 . tremble. Compare Ezra 9:4 . according to the law. See Deuteronomy 24:1 , Deuteronomy 24:2 .

Nehemiah 6:10 — Shemaiah. A professed friend, but a false prophet. See Nehemiah 6:12 . shut up = confined, as in prison. Hebrew. 'azar. See Jeremiah 33:1 ; Jeremiah 36:5 . the house of God. This must have been a temporary structure. Nehemiah would not be without some place wherein to worship. The Altar not yet erected. The Temple not yet built. See notes on Nehemiah 7:4 , and p. 618; also App-58 . God. Hebrew. Elohim. (with Art.) = the [true] God. shut = close, so as to conceal.

Psalms 104:35 — sinners. Hebrew. chata'. App-44 . the wicked = lawless ones. Hebrew. rasha'. App-44 . be no more = be there no sign of them. Compare Psalms 103:16 . Praise ye THE LORD (Hebrew Jah. App-4 ). Hebrew. Halelu-jah. This is the first "Hallelujah" in the O.T. The Talmud and the Midrash call attention to the fact that it is connected with the overthrow of the wicked. We may note that it is the same with the first Hallelujah in the N.T. (Revelation 19:1 , Revelation 19:2 ).

Psalms 119:9 — a young man. The writer not necessarily a youth. way = path. Not the same word as in Psalms 119:1 . By taking = So as to take. Put interrogation at end of the second line instead of the first. word = the articulate subject-matter of what is said. The tenth in order of the ten words of this Psalm. See note on Psalms 18:30 . App-73 . Not the same word as in Psalms 119:11 . Some codices, with Aramaean, Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate, read "words" (plural)

Psalms 134:1 — Title. A Song of degrees. Same as 120. See App-67 . Behold. See note on Psalms 133:1 . the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4 . servants. Limited and denned in next clause, as in Psalms 135:2 . stand. The night-watchmen. The reference is to 2 Chronicles 29:11 ; 2 Chronicles 30:16 ; 2 Chronicles 31:2 . There were no seats in the Tabernacle or Temple. Compare Hebrews 10:11 . the house of the LORD. The reference is to Hezekiah's interest in the Temple. See App-67 .

Psalms 146:4 — His breath, &c. This verse occurs in the Apocrypha (1 Mace. Psa 2:63 ); but why is it assumed that this verse is taken from the Book of Maccabees, instead of this verse in Maccabees being taken from this Psalm? breath = spirit. Hebrew. ruach. App-9 . Not the same word as in Psalms 150:6 . returneth. See Genesis 2:7 ; Genesis 3:19 , and compare Ecclesiastes 12:7 . Ecc 104:29 . earth = ground, or dust. Hebrew. 'adamah. Not ' erez = the Earth. thoughts = purposes, or plans.

Proverbs 26:4 — Answer not. The point of Proverbs 26:3 is that you cannot reason with a fool; Proverbs 26:4 gives the reason. If you answer not according to his folly, he will think he is wise like yourself. If you do answer him according to his folly, he will think you are a fool like he is: i.e. according to Proverbs 26:3 you cannot reason with him. These are finely stated facts, not commands. folly. Hebrew. 'evil. See note on Proverbs 1:7 .

Proverbs 3:32 — froward = those who turn aside. The same word as in Proverbs 2:15 ; not as elsewhere in Proverbs. abomination to the LORD. Note all the things thus declared: Proverbs 3:32 (Proverbs 11:20 ); Proverbs 6:16 ; Proverbs 8:7 ; Proverbs 11:1 ; Proverbs 12:22 ; Proverbs 15:8 (Proverbs 21:27 ), 9, 16, 26; Proverbs 16:5 ; Proverbs 17:15 , Proverbs 17:15 ; Proverbs 20:10 (23); Proverbs 28:9 . secret = secret counsel. What is sealed up from all save those to whom He reveals it.

Ecclesiastes 12:11 — The words of the wise. See notes on p. 864, and App-7 . nails. These were built into a wall, because Eastern walls were too hard or too soft for them to be hammered in. fastened = planted. Masculine, while "nails" is feminine: but the Accent unite the two words. The verb nata' is found again only in Ecclesiastes 3:2 , where it is singular. by the masters = [are] the lords, or rulers. ba'al. one shepherd. The Inspirer. See Genesis 48:15 ; Genesis 49:24 .Psalms 23:1 .

Song of Solomon 1:6 — Look not upon me = Look not down on: i.e. regard me not. Compare 1 Chronicles 17:17 . Psalms 106:44 . the sun hath looked. Figure of speech Prosopopoeia ( App-6 ), to emphasize the cause of her swarthiness. children = sons: i.e. her brothers are referred to as speaking as in Song of Solomon 2:15 , and see note on p. 921 and Compare Song of Solomon 8:8 . have I not kept = I never kept. She says this to show the harsh treatment of her brothers.

Song of Solomon 2:3 — the apple tree. Occurs only six times in Scripture: four times in this book (Song of Solomon 2:3 , Song of Solomon 2:5 ; Song of Solomon 7:8 ; Song of Solomon 8:5 ); once in Proverbs ( Son 25:11 ); and once in Joel (Song of Solomon 1:12 ); three times for the tree, and three times for the fruit. Probably the orange tree. the trees of the wood: i.e. the wild trees. my beloved. Masculine. Showing that it is the Shulamite speaking. his = its.

Isaiah 36:2 — Rabshakeh: or, "political officer". Probably a renegade Jew. Lachish. Now Tell el Hesy , or Umm Lakis . See the work on the excavations there, published by the "Palestine Exploration Fund". Compare note on 2 Kings 18:17 , and 2 Kings 19:8 . with a great army. Foretold in Isaiah 29:1-6 , as foretold in Isa 22:15-26 . he stood. In the same spot where Isaiah stood with Ahaz twenty-eight years before. See Isaiah 7:3 . highway. See note on Isaiah 7:3 .

Jeremiah 28:1 — the same year. As Jeremiah 27:12 , when Jeremiah spoke to Zedekiah; not Jeremiah 27:1 , when he received the message which was to be delivered. The same year in which Jeremiah had counseled Zedekiah not to hearken to the false prophets (Jeremiah 27:14 ). Hananiah. A false prophet.

Daniel 5:23 — the Lord . Chaldee. mare. The equivalent for the Hebrew Adonai. App-4 . Compare Maran in " Maranatha " (1 Corinthians 16:22 ). which see not, &c . Compare Psalms 115:4-8 ; Psalms 135:15-17 . Isaiah 37:19 ; Isaiah 46:6 , Isaiah 46:7 . in Whose hand, &c. Compare Genesis 2:7 . Job 12:10 ; Job 34:14 , Job 34:15 .Psalms 104:29 . breath . Chaldee. nishma'. Same as Hebrew. neshamah. App-16 . and Whose, &c . Compare Job 31:4 .Psalms 139:3 .Proverbs 20:24 .Jeremiah 10:23 .

Daniel 8:22 — for it = in the place thereof. four kingdoms . These are said to have been: (1) Ptolemy's (Egypt, Palestine, and some parts of Asia Minor); (2) Cassander's (Macedonia and Greece); (3) Lysimachus's (Bithynia, Thrace, Mysia, &c.); (4) Seleucus's (Syria, Armenia, and territory east of the Euphrates). But the continuity of Alexander's

Hosea 8:14 — forgotten His Maker. Ref to Pentateuch (Deuteronomy 32:18 ). buildeth temples. Compare 1 Kings 12:31 , and 2 Chronicles 24:7 with 2 Chronicles 23:17 . fenced cities = fortified cities. See 2Ch 26:9 , 2 Chronicles 26:10 . his cities. See 2 Kings 18:13 , i.e. Judah's. the palaces thereof = her citadels,

Joel 2:17 — the priests, the ministers of the LORD. See note on Joel 1:9 . between, &c. Compare Ezekiel 8:16 . Spare Thy People, &c. Reference to Pentateuch (Exodus 32:11 , Exodus 32:12 Deuteronomy 9:26 , Deuteronomy 9:29 ). App-92 . Compare Nehemiah 13:22 . Thine heritage . Reference to Pentateuch, (Deuteronomy

1 Samuel 1:3 — yearly . Hebrew "from days to days". Figure of speech Synecdoche (of Part), App-6 , to emphasise the regularity. the LORD of hosts = Jehovah Sabaioth, one of the Jehovah-titles. The first of 281 occurrences. Denotes the God of Israel as the Lord of all the hosts of heaven and earth. See App-4 . This title specially characterises this book. Shiloh. Where the Tabernacle and Ark were. Joshua 18:1 ; Joshua 19:51 ; Joshua 22:9 . Judges 18:31 . the LORD . Hebrew. Jehovah . App-4 .