Bible Commentaries

2 Kings 1:3 — king's messengers, to stop them peremptorily on the idolatrous errand, and convey by them to the king information of his approaching death. This consultation of an idol, being a breach of the fundamental law of the kingdom (Exodus 20:3; Deuteronomy 5:7), was a daring and deliberate rejection of the national religion. The Lord, in making this announcement of his death, designed that he should see in that event a judgment for his idolatry.

2 Kings 5:2 — 2-5. a little maid—who had been captured in one of the many predatory incursions which were then made by the Syrians on the northern border of Israel (see 1 Samuel 30:8; 2 Kings 13:21; 2 Kings 24:2). By this young Hebrew slave of his wife, Naaman's attention

2 Chronicles 36:5 — 5. Jehoiakim . . . did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord—He followed the course of his idolatrous predecessors; and the people, to a great extent, disinclined to the reforming policy of his father, eagerly availed themselves of the vicious

Job 10:22 — sunshine is thick darkness. A bold figure of poetry. Job in a better frame has brighter thoughts of the unseen world. But his views at best wanted the definite clearness of the Christian's. Compare with his words here Revelation 21:23; Revelation 22:5; 2 Timothy 1:10.

Job 18:4 — not punished as thou art, and as thou art unwilling to bear, the eternal order of the universe would be disturbed and the earth become desolate through unavenged wickedness [UMBREIT]. Bildad takes it for granted Job is a great sinner (Job 8:3-6; Isaiah 24:5; Isaiah 24:6). "Shall that which stands fast as a rock be removed for your special accommodation?"

Job 29:24 — in UMBREIT'S translation, "I smiled kindly on those who trusted not," that is, in times of danger I cheered those in despondency. And they could not cast down (by their despondency) my serenity of countenance (flowing from trust in God) (Proverbs 16:15; Psalms 104:15). The opposite phrase (Genesis 4:5; Genesis 4:6). "Gravity" cannot well be meant by "light of countenance."

Ecclesiastes 11:9 — 9. Rejoice—not advice, but warning. So 1 Kings 22:15, is irony; if thou dost rejoice (carnally, Ecclesiastes 2:2; Ecclesiastes 7:2, not moderately, as in Ecclesiastes 5:18), c., then "know that . . . God will bring thee into judgment" (Ecclesiastes 3:17 Ecclesiastes 12:14). youth . . . youth—distinct Hebrew

Song of Solomon 5:5 — 5. dropped with myrrh—The best proof a bride could give her lover of welcome was to anoint herself (the back of the hands especially, as being the coolest part of the body) profusely with the best perfumes (Exodus 30:23; Esther 2:12; Proverbs 7:17); "sweet-smelling"

Isaiah 1:9 — 9. Jehovah of Sabaoth, that is, God of the angelic and starry hosts (Psalms 59:5; Psalms 147:4; Psalms 148:2). The latter were objects of idolatry, called hence Sabaism (Psalms 148:2- :). God is above even them (Psalms 148:2- :). "The groves" were symbols of these starry hosts; it was their worship of Sabaoth instead of the Lord

Isaiah 36:7 — brass," because it was worshipped by Israel) was originally set up by God's command. Hence the Assyrian's allegation has a specious color: you cannot look for help from Jehovah, for your king has "taken away His altars." to Jerusalem— (Deuteronomy 12:5; Deuteronomy 12:11; John 4:20).

Isaiah 5:18 — iniquity—guilt, incurring punishment [MAURER]. cords, c.—cart-rope—Rabbins say, "An evil inclination is at first like a fine hair-string, but the finishing like a cart-rope." The antithesis is between the slender cords of sophistry, like the spider's web (Isaiah 59:5 Job 8:14), with which one sin draws on another, until they at last bind themselves with great guilt as with a cart-rope. They strain every nerve in sin. vanity—wickedness. sin—substantive, not a verb: they draw on themselves "sin" and its penalty recklessly.

Isaiah 54:16 — that forms "weapons against thee" ( :-) is wholly in My power, therefore thou needest not fear, having Me on thy side. for his work—rather, "by his labor [HORSLEY]. "According to the exigencies of his work" [MAURER]. waster to destroy— (Isaiah 10:5-7; Isaiah 37:26; Isaiah 37:27; Isaiah 45:1-6). Desolating conquerors who use the "instruments" framed by "the smith." The repetition of the "I" implies, however, something in the latter half of the verse contrasted with the former understand it, therefore,

Jeremiah 10:16 — 16. portion—from a Hebrew root, "to divide." God is the all-sufficient Good of His people (Numbers 18:20; Psalms 16:5; Psalms 73:26; Lamentations 3:24). not like them—not like the idols, a vain object of trust (Lamentations 3:24- :). former of all things—the Fashioner (as a potter, Isaiah 64:8) of the universe. rod of his inheritance—The portion marked off as

Jeremiah 11:16 — 16. called thy name—made thee. olive— (Psalms 52:8; Romans 11:17). The "olive" is chosen to represent the adoption of Judah by the free grace of God, as its oil is the image of richness (compare Psalms 23:5; Psalms 104:15). with . . . noise of . . . tumult—or, "at the noise," c., namely, at the tumult

Jeremiah 32:7 — 7. son of Shallum thine uncle—therefore, Jeremiah's first cousin. field . . . in Anathoth—a sacerdotal city: and so having one thousand cubits of suburban fields outside the wall attached to it (Numbers 35:4; Numbers 35:5). The prohibition to sell these suburban fields (Leviticus 25:34) applied merely to their alienating them from Levites to another tribe; so that this chapter does not contravene that prohibition. Besides, what is here meant is only the

Jeremiah 49:7 — 7. Concerning Edom—a distinct prophecy, copied in part from Obadiah, but with the freedom of one himself inspired and foretelling a later calamity. Obadiah's was fulfilled probably in Sennacherib's time (compare Isaiah 34:5; Amos 1:11); Jeremiah's about the same time as his preceding prophecies (Jeremiah 49:12; Ezekiel 25:12). wisdom—for which the Arabs and the people of Teman (a city of Edom) in particular, were famed (Genesis 36:15; 1 Kings 4:30; see Job, everywhere;

Ezekiel 13:20 — to raise their dupes when they veiled their heads with kerchiefs and made them rest on luxurious arm-cushions ( :-). let . . . souls go—"Ye make them fly" in order to destroy them; "I will let them go" in order to save them (Psalms 91:3; Proverbs 6:5; Hosea 9:8).

Ezekiel 21:25 — 25. profane—as having desecrated by idolatry and perjury his office as the Lord's anointed. HAVERNICK translates, as in Ezekiel 21:14, "slain," that is, not literally, but virtually; to Ezekiel's idealizing view Zedekiah was the grand victim "pierced through"

Ezekiel 26:10 — 10. dust—So thick shall be the "dust" stirred up by the immense numbers of "horses," that it shall "cover" the whole city as a cloud. horses . . . chariots—As in Ezekiel 26:3-5, New Tyre on the insular rock in the sea (compare Isaiah 23:2; Isaiah 23:4; Isaiah 23:6) is referred to; so here, in Isaiah 23:6- :, Old Tyre on the mainland. Both are included in the prophecies under one name. wheels—FAIRBAIRN thinks that here, and

Daniel 10:5 — 5. lifted up mine eyes—from the ground on which they had been fixed in his mourning. certain man—literally, "one man." An angel of the highest order; for in :- he commands Gabriel to make Daniel to understand the vision, and in Daniel 12:6 one of the