Bible Commentaries

1 Chronicles 15:2 — 2. Then David said, None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites—After the lapse of three months (1 Chronicles 13:14) the purpose of transporting the ark to Jerusalem was resumed. Time and reflection had led to a discovery of the cause of the painful catastrophe that marred the first attempt. In preparing for the solemn procession that was now to usher the sacred

1 Chronicles 7:5 — 5. fourscore and seven thousand—exclusive of the 58,600 men which the Tola branch had produced (1 Chronicles 7:24), so that in the days of David the tribe would have contained a population of 45,600. This large increase was owing to the practice of polygamy, as well as the fruitfulness of the women. A plurality of wives, though tolerated among the Hebrews, was

Job 18:13 — 13. UMBREIT has "he" for "it," that is, "in the rage of hunger he shall devour his own body"; or, "his own children" (Lamentations 4:10). Rather, "destruction" from Lamentations 4:10- : is nominative to "devour." strength—rather, "members" (literally, the "branches" of a tree). the first-born of death—a personification full of poetical horror. The first-born son held the chief

Job 23:6 — 6. An objection suggests itself, while he utters the wish ( :-). Do I hereby wish that He should plead against me with His omnipotence? Far from it! (Job 9:19; Job 9:34; Job 13:21; Job 30:18). strength—so as to prevail with Him: as in Jacob's case (Hosea 12:3; Hosea 12:4). UMBREIT and MAURER better translate as in Job 4:20 (I only wish that He) "would attend to me," that is, give me a patient hearing as an ordinary

Job 7:1 — 1. appointed time—better, "a warfare," hard conflict with evil (so in Isaiah 40:2; Daniel 10:1). Translate it "appointed time" (Daniel 10:1- :). Job reverts to the sad picture of man, however great, which he had drawn (Job 3:14), and details in this chapter the miseries which his friends will see, if, according to his request

Psalms 32:1-11 — Salmo 32 Masquil, lit., que da instrucción. El salmista describe las bendiciones del perdón de Dios para los que se arrepienten, y de su propia experiencia deduce enseñanza y exhortación para otros. 1, 2. (Cf. Romanos 4:6). perdonadas—quitadas, lo contrario de retenidas ( Juan 20:23). borrados—lit., cubiertos, de modo que Dios ya no los toma en cuenta ( Juan 85:3). imputa—carga en su contra y lo trata de conformidad. superchería—engaño, ninguna falsa estimación de

Psalms 71:1-24 — enemigos; fundándose en favores anteriores da a conocer su presente necesidad, y seguro de ser oído en su súplica, promete hacimiento de gracias y alabanza. 1-3. (Cf. el Salmo 30:1.) roca … fortaleza—18:2). mandado has—lit., ordenado, como en el Salmo 44:4; el 68:28. 4, 5. el perverso y violento—el corrompido y de mal humor—lit., acre. 6-9. Su vída desde la temprana infancia ilustra el cuidado de Dios; sus liberaciones maravillosas eran a la vez ocasiones de alabanza y motivo de confianza para el

Leviticus 12:2 — 2. If a woman, c.—The mother of a boy was ceremonially unclean for a week, at the end of which the child was circumcised (Genesis 17:12 Romans 4:11-13); the mother of a girl for two weeks (Leviticus 12:5) —a stigma on the sex (1 Timothy 2:14; 1 Timothy 2:15) for sin, which was removed by Christ; everyone who came near her during that time contracted a similar defilement. After these periods,

Song of Solomon 6:9 — like half wives, have no part in the one bride. only one of her mother—namely, "Jerusalem above" ( :-). The "little sister" ( :-) is not inconsistent with her being "the only one"; for that sister is one with herself ( :-). choice— (Ephesians 1:4; 2 Thessalonians 2:13). As she exalted Him above all others (Song of Solomon 5:10), so He now her. daughters . . . blessed her— (Isaiah 8:18; Isaiah 61:9; Ezekiel 16:14; 2 Thessalonians 1:10). So at her appearance after Pentecost (Acts 4:13; Acts

Isaiah 10:7 — 7. meaneth not so—He is only thinking of his own schemes, while God is overruling them to His purposes. think—intend. Sinners' plans are no less culpable, though they by them unconsciously fulfil God's designs (Psalms 76:10; Micah 4:12). So Joseph's brethren (Genesis 50:20; Proverbs 16:4). The sinner's motive, not the result (which depends on God), will be the test in judgment. heart to destroy . . . not a few—Sennacherib's ambition was not confined to Judea. His plan was also

Isaiah 20:2 — 2. by—literally, "by the hand of" (compare Ezekiel 3:14). sackcloth—the loose outer garment of coarse dark hair-cloth worn by mourners (Ezekiel 3:14- :) and by prophets, fastened at the waist by a girdle (Matthew 3:4; 2 Kings 1:8; Zechariah 13:4). naked—rather, "uncovered"; he merely put off the outer

Isaiah 22:1 — 1. of . . . valley of vision—rather, "respecting the valley of visions"; namely, Jerusalem, the seat of divine revelations and visions, "the nursery of prophets" [JEROME], (Isaiah 2:3; Isaiah 29:1; Ezekiel 23:4, Margin; Ezekiel 23:4- :). It lay in a "valley" surrounded by hills higher than Zion and Moriah (Psalms 125:2; Jeremiah 21:13). thee—the people of Jerusalem personified. housetops—Panic-struck, they went up on the flat balustraded roofs to look

Isaiah 29:10 — 6:10; Psalms 69:23. eyes; the prophets, c.—rather, "hath closed your eyes, the prophets and your heads (Margin; see also Isaiah 3:2), the seers, He hath covered." The Orientals cover the head to sleep; thus "covered" is parallel to "closed your eyes" (Judges 4:19). Covering the face was also preparatory to execution (Judges 4:19- :). This cannot apply to the time when Isaiah himself prophesied, but to subsequent times.

Isaiah 47:6 — 6. reason for God's vengeance on Babylon: in executing God's will against His people, she had done so with wanton cruelty (Isaiah 10:5; Jeremiah 50:17; Jeremiah 51:33; Zechariah 1:15). polluted my inheritance— (Isaiah 43:28). the ancient—Even old age was disregarded by the Chaldeans, who treated all alike with cruelty (Lamentations 4:16; Lamentations 5:12) [ROSENMULLER]. Or, "the ancient" means Israel, worn out with calamities in the latter period of its history

Isaiah 9:5 — the din of battle, and the martial garment (or cloak, called by the Latins sagum) rolled in blood, shall be for burning, (and) fuel for fire" [MAURER]. All warlike accoutrements shall be destroyed, as no longer required in the new era of peace (Isaiah 2:4 Isaiah 11:6; Isaiah 11:7; Psalms 46:9; Ezekiel 39:9; Micah 5:5; Micah 5:10; Zechariah 9:9; Zechariah 9:10). Compare Malachi 4:1, as to the previous burning up of the wicked.

Jeremiah 17:19 — palace, called the gate of David, and the gate of the people, from its being the principal thoroughfare: now the Jaffa gate. It is probably the same as "the gate of the fountain" at the foot of Zion, near which were the king's garden and pool (Jeremiah 39:4; 2 Kings 25:4; Nehemiah 2:14; Nehemiah 3:15; Nehemiah 12:37).

Jeremiah 17:22 — palace, called the gate of David, and the gate of the people, from its being the principal thoroughfare: now the Jaffa gate. It is probably the same as "the gate of the fountain" at the foot of Zion, near which were the king's garden and pool (Jeremiah 39:4; 2 Kings 25:4; Nehemiah 2:14; Nehemiah 3:15; Nehemiah 12:37).

Jeremiah 2:5 — 5. iniquity—wrong done to them (Isaiah 5:4; Micah 6:3; compare Deuteronomy 32:4). walked after vanity—contrasted with "walkest after me in the wilderness" (Jeremiah 2:2): then I was their guide in the barren desert; now they take idols as their guides. vanity . . . vain—An idol is not only

Deuteronomy 31:26 — security and reverence in a little chest beside the ark of the covenant, for there was nothing contained within it but the tables of stone (1 Kings 8:9). Others think it was put within the ark, it being certain, from the testimony of Paul (Hebrews 9:4), that there were once other things inside the ark, and that this was the copy found in the time of Josiah (Hebrews 9:4- :).

2 Samuel 7:18 — 18. Then went king David in, and sat before the Lord—Sitting was anciently an attitude for worship (Exodus 17:12; 1 Samuel 4:13; 1 Kings 19:4). As to the particular attitude David sat, most probably, upon his heels. It was the posture of the ancient Egyptians before the shrines; it is the posture of deepest respect before a superior in the East. Persons of highest dignity