Bible Commentaries

Exodus 15:27 — Elim, to the north-west of Sinai. Shaw says there are now only nine fountains. (Haydock) --- Strabo mentions a place of this description, five days’ journey from Jericho, which was consecrated to the gods. (B. xvi. p. 511.) (Calmet) --- We might here, (at the conclusion of the third age, according to those who call the deluge the first, and Abraham’s call, the second,) pause, with Dr. Worthington, to take a view of the progress of the Church, and of the true doctrine,

Exodus 32:28 — Hebrew letter c means about, and stands also for twenty. All the versions, and some copies of the Vulgate, retain the first signification; but our edition gives also the second. Sixtus V. and the Louvain Bible have about 33,000. (Haydock) --- St. Paul (1 Corinthians x. 7, 8,) mentions, that three and twenty thousand perished, in punishment of their fornication (with the Moabites), which some explain of the adoration of the calf, and say that Moses only specifies those slain by the Levites; while St.

1 Kings 2:10 — tomb. (Ep. ad Marcel.) --- If it be now unknown, the Holy Ghost has left us a more illustrious monument to the honour of this great man, in the Psalms, and Ecclesiasticus xlvii. 2., &c. (Calmet) --- We have now only an abridgment of his history, 1 Paralipomenon xxix. 29.

Numbers 1:2 — Houses. The families consisted of the immediate descendants of the 12 patriarchs; the houses were from the subdivisions of these. The same plan of numbering the people was adopted on other occasions, Josue viii. 16., and 1 Kings x. 20. --- Sex, between 20 and 60 years of age. All the subjects of the Eastern kings may

Numbers 10:31 — for pasturage and for water, and to inform us what sort of people we are near. Hebrew, "thou shalt serve us for eyes." Septuagint, "as a senator." The Persians had officers who had the title of eyes and ears of the king. (Brisson 1.) Some suppose that Moses stood in no need of Hobab, having lived himself in that country 40 years, with Jethro; and that he only wished to keep his kinsman with him, that he might observe the true religion. He supposed at that time that they would

Numbers 24:7 — Waters. Septuagint, Chaldean, and Syriac, "From his seed a man shall spring, who shall have dominion over many nations." This must be understood of the Messias; or, his posterity shall be very numerous; (see Proverbs v. 15, 16) or his country shall be well watered, and his crops luxuriant. --- Agag. Saul lost his crown for sparing the king of the Amalecites, who always took this title, 1 Kings xv. 9. Hebrew may be translated, "Above Agag shall his (Israel’s)

Deuteronomy 20:2 — &c.) --- But this seems to be an invention of their own, and Moses makes no distinction between voluntary wars and those of precept. These regulations were, no doubt, observed, through the sacred historians do not mention the particulars. (Calmet) See 1 Machabees iii. 56.

Deuteronomy 20:7 — her. It was customary to leave the espoused virgin in her father’s house for the space of a year, (during which time, if she proved unfaithful, she was punished like an adulteress, chap. xxii. 23, &c.) and she could not be given till she was 12 years old. If she were 13 complete, when she was asked in marriage, she was only obliged to wait 30 days. (Selden, Uxor. ii. 1.) (Chap. xxv. 5.) Philo allows this immunity from war, only to those who had espoused a virgin. They were also freed from

Deuteronomy 3:8 — Beyond. East of the promised land of Chanaan, which the sacred writers have generally in view. (Haydock) --- Hebrew heber, means, "alongside, opposite to, at the passage, at this side," &c. See chap. i. 1., and 3 Kings iv. 24. (Calmet) --- There is no need, therefore, to suppose that this and similar passages have been inserted by a later writer. (Haydock) --- Hermon, which profane authors commonly call Antilibanus, (Calmet) was a part of the range of

Joshua 19:47 — them had been already assigned to the tribe of Juda. (Menochius) --- Dan. This city was not Peneas, or Cæsarea, but the utmost boundary of Palestine on the north, as Bersabee was on the south. This history is given more at large, Judges xviii. 1. The Septuagint vary from the Hebrew in verses 46, 47, and 48, (Calmet) and add that "the children of Dan did not destroy the Amorrhites, who afflicted them in the mountains, and would not suffer them to descend into the plain....But the land of

Judges 10:12 — Chanaan. Hebrew, "Maon." Septuagint (Roman and Alexandrian), "Madian." The Maonites are styled Mineans by the Septuagint (1 Paralipomenon iv. 40,) and these inhabited Arabia, (Diodorus iii. 42,) and might join themselves to Madian and Amalec, in their attacks upon the Israelites. As for Chanaan, which other editions of the Septuagint retain, we know that they were domestic

Judges 13:4 — it by touching any thing unclean, nor by the violent cutting off his hair. As the deliverer of the people, he must often have been obliged to touch dead bodies. (Calmet) --- Begin. The power of the Philistines was greatly broken by Samson, chap xvi. 13. (Menochius) --- But Samuel, Saul, and David had still to contend with them, 1 Kings vii. 13. (Haydock)

Judges 17:1 — must be soon after the death of Josue and of the ancients. The grandson of Moses must, on the former supposition, have been extremely old, whereas he is said to have been a young man, ver. 7. The tribe of Dan was still straitened for room, chap. xviii. 1, &c. (Calmet) --- Josephus, ([Antiquities?] v. 2,) who passed over the history of Michas. (Salien, in the year of the world 2622, the 22d year of Othoniel and Phinees. (Haydock) --- Anarchy at that time prevailed, (ver. 6,) so that we need not wonder

Judges 6:38 — conditional. The readiness with which God grants his requests, shews that he was inspired to act as he did, and his faith is greatly commended, Hebrews xi. 32. Other great saints have asked for a miraculous confirmation of what was promised, Exodus iv. 1., Josue v. 13., and Luke i. 34. (Calmet) --- Vessels. Hebrew sephel, Septuagint lecane, "a dish." Syriac, "a basin." The dew in Chanaan is very copious, resembling a shower of rain, insomuch that the roads are rendered extremely

1 Samuel 15:32 — past. Septuagint, "Is death thus bitter?" Chaldean, "I pray my Lord: the bitterness of death." (Haydock) --- O death! how bitter is the remembrance of thee to a man that hath peace in his possessions, &c., Ecclesiasticus xli. 1. So Aristotle (Nicom. iii. 6.) says, "Death is most terrible, (Greek: peras gar) for it is a passage," or separation, from all the things which could attach a man to this world. (Calmet) --- This catastrophe of Agag and Saul, had been long

1 Samuel 21:10 — and nobility might raise their thoughts above the vulgar sentiments of jealousy and revenge. (Salien) --- David only retired from the court of this king, to avoid the hatred of the courtiers; he returned again, and was kindly received, chap. xxvii. 1. (Calmet)

1 Samuel 25:29 — treasury of the lives of the age, before the Lord God." (Calmet) --- It shall be preserved for length of days, like something most precious, (Haydock) while the wicked shall be in continual danger and anxiety, like a stone in a sling, Zacharias ix. 15. By substituting c for b in Hebrew, the sense may be still more striking: "the soul of my lord shall be preserved like a living (precious, serviceable,) stone. But the soul of thy enemies shall be whirled in a sling." The Hebrews had a great

1 Samuel 31:13 — Wood. 1 Paralipomenon x. 12., under the oak. --- Days, at their own option. David fasted one day, (Calmet) as he did for Abner. (Salien) --- There was no obligation of mourning for the kings, though it is probable that those near the royal city, would shew

2 Samuel 11:3 — Eliam. By a transposition of letters, he is called Ammiel, in 1 Paralipomenon iii. 5. Both words signify "my people is God’s." This son of Achitophel (chap. xxiii. 34,) was one of David’s valiant men, as well as Urias, who is styled the Hethite, being born at Eth; (St. Jerome; Salien) or on

2 Samuel 6:7 — privilege belonged to the sons of Caath, who could claim this honour only after the ark had bee folded up with three covers. Moreover, the priests seem to have been always selected to carry the ark, after they came into the promised land, ver. 3., and 1 Kings iv. 4., &c. It is hoped that the fault of Oza would be expiated by his sudden death, (Calmet) as his intention was laudable. (Tirinus) --- But God would teach his ministers with what caution they were to treat sacred things, (Calmet) and how