Bible Commentaries

2 Kings 8:1 — 1. Then spake Elisha unto the woman—rather "had spoken." The repetition of Elisha's direction to the Shunammite is merely given as an introduction to the following narrative; and it probably took place before the events recorded in 2 Kings 5:1-6. the Lord hath called for a famine—All such calamities are chastisements inflicted by the hand of God; and this famine was to be of double duration to that one which happened in the time of Elijah (2 Kings 5:1-12.5.6- :) —a just increase of severity,

1 Chronicles 21:5 — 5. Joab gave the sum of the number of the children of Israel—It amounted to one million one hundred thousand men in Israel, capable of bearing arms, inclusive of the three hundred thousand military ( :-), which, being already enlisted in the royal service,

Psalms 45:10 — by all those scriptures, from :- on, which speak of the people of God as a chosen, separate, and peculiar people. The relation of subjection to her spouse at once accords with the law of marriage, as given in Genesis 3:16; Genesis 18:12; Ephesians 5:22; 1 Peter 3:5; 1 Peter 3:6, and the relation of the Church to Christ (1 Peter 3:6- :). The love of the husband is intimately connected with the entire devotion to which the bride is exhorted.

Psalms 62:1-12 — están aplicadas a la condición del hombre; eso es, el piadoso sufre: “¿Mataréis al justo?” Pero el otro sentido es el mejor. 4. su grandeza—la elevación hasta la que Dios lo ha alzado (4:2). Esto tratan de hacer mediante las mentiras y el doblez. (5:9). 5, 6. (Cf. 1:2). no resbalaré—no seré movido por nada: ha aumentado su confianza. 7. roca de mi fortaleza—su más fuerte amparo (7:10; 61:3). 8. derramad … vuestro corazón—Dad plena expresión a las emociones ( 1 Samuel 1:15; Job 30:16; Salmo

Ecclesiastes 10:11 — 11. A "serpent will bite" if "enchantment" is not used; "and a babbling calumniator is no better." Therefore, as one may escape a serpent by charms (Psalms 58:4; Psalms 58:5), so one may escape the sting of a calumniator by discretion (Psalms 58:5- :), [HOLDEN]. Thus, "without enchantment" answers to "not whet the edge" (Ecclesiastes 10:10), both expressing, figuratively, want of judgment. MAURER translates,

Isaiah 22:8 — 8. he discovered the covering—rather, "the veil of Judah shall be taken off" [HORSLEY]: figuratively for, exposing to shame as a captive (Isaiah 47:3; Nahum 3:5). Sennacherib dismantled all "the defensed cities of Judah" (Nahum 3:5- :). thou didst look—rather, "thou shalt look." house of . . . forest—The house of armory built of cedar from the forest of Lebanon by Solomon, on a slope of Zion called Ophel

Isaiah 57:13 — land . . . inherit—that is, the literal land of Judea and Mount Zion; the believing remnant of Israel shall return and inherit the land. Secondarily, the heavenly inheritance, and the spiritual Zion (Isaiah 49:8; Psalms 37:9; Psalms 37:11; Psalms 69:35; Psalms 69:36; Matthew 5:5; Hebrews 12:22). "He that putteth his trust in Me," of whatever extraction, shall succeed to the spiritual patrimony of the apostate Jew [HORSLEY].

Isaiah 60:7 — 7. Kedar— (Isaiah 21:16; Song of Solomon 1:5), in the south of Arabia-Deserta, or north of Arabia-Petræa; they traded in flocks (Ezekiel 27:21). Nebaioth—son of Ishmael, as was Kedar. Father of the Nabatheans in Arabia-Petræa. minister—by coming up as an acceptable sacrifice. come up with

Jeremiah 3:12 — 12. Go—not actually; but turn and proclaim towards the north (Media and Assyria, where the ten tribes were located by Tiglath-pileser and Shalmaneser, 2 Kings 15:29; 2 Kings 17:6; 2 Kings 18:9; 2 Kings 18:11). Return . . . backsliding—Hebrew, Shubah, Meshubah, a play on sounds. In order to excite Judah to godly jealousy (2 Kings 18:11- :), Jehovah addresses the exiled ten tribes of Israel with a loving invitation.

Jeremiah 3:6 — It consists of two parts, the former extending to :-, in which he warns Judah from the example of Israel's doom, and yet promises Israel final restoration; the latter a threat of Babylonian invasion; as Nabopolassar founded the Babylonian empire, 625 B.C., the seventeenth of Josiah, this prophecy is perhaps not earlier than that date (Jeremiah 4:5; Jeremiah 5:14; Jeremiah 6:1; Jeremiah 22:1-30); and probably not later than the second thorough reformation in the eighteenth year of the same reign.

Jeremiah 38:26 — to the information; no sanction is given by Scripture here to Jeremiah's representation of this being the cause of his having come to the king. Fear drove him to it. Compare Genesis 20:2; Genesis 20:12; on the other hand, 1 Samuel 16:2; 1 Samuel 16:5. left off speaking with—Hebrew, "were silent from him," that is, withdrawing from him they left him quiet (1 Samuel 16:5- :, Margin).

Lamentations 4:22 — accomplishment of this prophecy must therefore refer to the Jews' final restoration. discover—By the severity of His punishments on thee, God shall let men see how great was thy sin (Jeremiah 49:10). God "covers" sin when He forgives it (Psalms 32:1; Psalms 32:5). He "discovers," or "reveals," it, when He punishes it (Psalms 32:5- :). Jeremiah 49:10 shows that Margin is wrong, "carry captive" (this rendering is as in Nahum 2:7; compare "discovered," Margin).

Hosea 14:3 — 3. Three besetting sins of Israel are here renounced, trust in Assyria, application to Egypt for its cavalry (forbidden, Deuteronomy 17:16; compare Hosea 7:11; Hosea 11:5; Hosea 12:1; 2 Kings 17:4; Psalms 33:17; Isaiah 30:2; Isaiah 30:16; Isaiah 31:1), and idolatry. fatherless—descriptive of the destitute state of Israel, when severed from God, their true Father. We shall henceforth trust in none but Thee, the only Father

Hosea 5:12 — 12. as a moth—consuming a garment (Job 13:28; Psalms 39:11; Isaiah 50:9). Judah . . . rottenness—Ephraim, or the ten tribes, are as a garment eaten by the moth; Judah as the body itself consumed by rottenness (Proverbs 12:4). Perhaps alluding to the superiority of the latter in having the house of David, and the temple,

Habakkuk 3:14 — "spears") ( :-). head of his villages—Not only kings were overthrown by God's hand, but His vengeance passed through the foe's villages and dependencies. A just retribution, as the foe had made "the inhabitants of Israel's villages to cease" (Judges 5:7). GROTIUS translates, "of his warriors"; GESENIUS, "the chief of his captains." to scatter me—Israel, with whom Habakkuk identifies himself (compare Judges 5:7- :). rejoicing . . . to devour the poor secretly—"The poor" means the Israelites, for

Zechariah 8:9 — mind (2 Samuel 16:21), not merely in building, but in general, as having such bright prospects (Zechariah 8:13, c.). these days—the time that had elapsed between the prophet's having spoken "these words" and the time (Zechariah 8:10 compare Haggai 2:15-19) when they set about in earnest restoring the temple. the prophets—Haggai and Zechariah himself (Ezra 5:1; Ezra 5:2). The same prophets who promised prosperity at the foundation of the temple, now promised still greater blessings hereafter.

Matthew 5:32 — her into it in case she marries again. and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced—for anything short of conjugal infidelity. committeth adultery—for if the commandment is broken by the one party, it must be by the other also. But see on Matthew 5:1. Whether the innocent party, after a just divorce, may lawfully marry again, is not treated of here. The Church of Rome says, No; but the Greek and Protestant Churches allow it. Same Subject Illustrated from the Third Commandment (Matthew 5:1- :).

Deuteronomy 2:16 — that generation, though not universally abandoned to heathenish and idolatrous practices, yet had all along displayed a fearful amount of ungodliness in the desert, which this history only hints at obscurely, but which is expressly asserted elsewhere (Ezekiel 20:25; Ezekiel 20:26; Amos 5:25; Amos 5:27; Acts 7:42; Acts 7:43).

Luke 10:19 — renewal of their mission, though probably many of them afterwards became ministers of Christ but simply as disciples. serpents and scorpions—the latter more venomous than the former: literally, in the first instance (Mark 16:17; Mark 16:18; Acts 28:5); but the next words, "and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you," show that the glorious power of faith to "overcome the world" and "quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one," by the communication and maintenance of

Revelation 19:8 — his believing, their robes being made white in the blood of the Lamb. The righteousness of the saint is not, as ALFORD erroneously states, inherent, but is imputed: if it were otherwise, Christ would be merely enabling the sinner to justify himself. Romans 5:18 is decisive on this. Compare Article XI, Church of England. The justification already given to the saints in title and unseen possession, is now GIVEN them in manifestation: they openly walk with Christ in white. To this, rather than to their primary