Bible Commentaries

1 Kings 20:42 — destruction, therefore thy life shall go for his life, and thy people for his people. A man whom I had appointed to utter destruction. — Heb., A man of mine accursing; such as was the king of Jericho, and his people, and afterwards Agag king of Amalek. 1 Samuel 15:33 He had vilified and blasphemed the God of Israel, 1 Kings 20:28 and was therefore devoted to destruction. So was Julian the apostate, Chosroes king of Persia, Lucian the athiest, devoured by dogs, … Therefore thy life shall go for

1 Kings 8:1 — king Solomon in Jerusalem, that they might bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of the city of David, which [is] Zion. Then Solomon assembled, … — "Then," when he had finished all the work for the house of the Lord. 1 Kings 7:51 Solomon decked and garnished his temple before he prayed in it: so, saith one, before thou prayest prepare thy heart, which is the true temple of him who is greater than Solomon. And as that woman that sought her groat, swept over all the

2 Kings 22:1 — to reign, and he reigned thirty and one years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name [was] Jedidah, the daughter of Adaiah of Boscath. Josiah was eight years old. — Josiah he was called by God two or three hundred years before he was born. 1 Kings 13:2 His name signifieth, The salvation of God: and he answered his name better than did Probus the emperor; of whom, notwithstanding, the historian saith, Fla. Vopis. that if Honest had not been his name, yet it might well have been his surname.

2 Kings 5:20 — Behold, my master, … — Ubi observa λογισμον hominis avarissimi. Covetousness is a complexive evil, the root of all evil, saith St Paul. David maketh it a violation of all the commandments. Psalms 119:36 See how fast this covetous captive in the text breaketh them: (1.) He accuseth his holy master of prodigality, "Behold, my master hath spared"; (2.) He speaks contemptuously of so noble a convert, calling him "Naaman this Syrian,"

1 Chronicles 28:2 — my brethren, and my people. — Praemittit exordiolum - not unlike that of Augustus to his soldiers, Audite senem iuvenes, quem iuvenem senes audierunt - wisely insinuating himself into their affections. As for me, I had in my heart. — See 1 Chronicles 17:1 , &o. And for the foot stool, — i.e., For the ark, which is called God’s footstool, because under the cherubims, where God was said to sit as in a throne. See Psalms 99:5 ; Psalms 132:7 .

1 Chronicles 29:1 — Isaac toward Esau, to set him above the rest of my sons upon the throne; but God, in whose will ye ought to rest satisfied, hath done it. Is yet young and tender. — Puellus est et tenellus. Married he was, as appeareth by Rehoboam’s age, 1 Kings 12:13 but not yet come to man’s estate: and young in comparison of some other of my sons, who are older than he: young also to undertake so great a work, … He was much about eighteen, at which age every Jew at this day is bound to

2 Chronicles 26:19 — censer in his hand to burn incense: and while he was wroth with the priests, the leprosy even rose up in his forehead before the priests in the house of the LORD, from beside the incense altar. Then Uzziah was wroth. — See on 2 Chronicles 24:21 ; 2 Chronicles 24:20 . The leprosy even rose up in his forehead. — Let our lay preachers look to it, though not presently punished, as here God will maintain his own order set by himself in Church or State, and take an order, sooner or later,

2 Chronicles 29:21 — sacrifices, bringeth seven of a sort of all kinds of clean beasts, to denote the community or whole body of the kingdom. To offer them on the altar of the Lord. — God sanctified the altar, Exodus 29:44 and the altar sanctified the gift. Matthew 23:19 We Christians also have an altar, Hebrews 13:10 but not as our late altar-men would have had it, and we believe that our sevenfold manifold sins shall be taken away by that perfect and absolute sacrifice of the Messiah, that Lamb without blemish and

2 Chronicles 33:19 — against God, and his trespass against men. So St Paul, I was - as to the first table - "a blasphemer," saith he, and - as to the second - "a persecutor": and - as to both - "injurious," one that wronged both God and man. 1 Timothy 1:13 Among the sayings of the seers. — Or, Of Hosai, who might be some prophet, whose book is not now extant. Some Rabbis hold that Hosai is Isaiah. Others of them say, that Isaiah was slain by Manasseh, before his captivity. Seder Olam

Ezra 6:11 — Also I have made a decree, that whosoever shall alter this word, let timber be pulled down from his house, and being set up, let him be hanged thereon; and let his house be made a dunghill for this. Let timber be pulled down from his house — 1. Let his house be pulled down for a penalty. The Popish Council of Toulouse called together against the Albigenses (those ancient Protestants) made this cruel constitution, We decree that that house, wherein is found a heretic, be pulled down to the

Ezra 8:36 — Heb. They gave them a lift, lent them a helping hand; not out of love to the work, but for fear of the king, and in pursuance of his commands and commissions. Thus the devil and his imps sometimes do God’s will, though with an ill will, Psalms 109:31 . They continue this day according to thine ordinances; for all are thy servants. How much better were it to work from a right principle, not by constraint, but willingly; not for fear of wrath, but of a ready mind, 1 Peter 5:2 ; to love to be

Nehemiah 9:10 — is] this day. And shewedst signs and wonders upon Pharaoh — That sturdy rebel, whom neither ministry, nor misery, nor miracle, nor mercy could possibly mollify. This was worse than any or all those ten plagues sent upon him, whereof see Exodus 3:19 . See Trapp on " Exodus 3:19 " For thou knewest that they dealt proudly, … — This the just and jealous God could not away with, Exodus 18:11 . His work in heaven is (said that heathen) to cast down the lofty, and to lift up the

Job 35:12 — There they cry, but none giveth answer, because of the pride of evil men. There they cry, but none giveth answer — Cry they do, but not to the true God, John 1:5 . The Papists have their he saints and she saints, for several uses. Or, if to the true God, yet not in a due manner; not in faith, and with remorse for their misdoings. And hence it is that either they are not heard and helped; or not in mercy, but

Job 40:14 — save thee. Then will I also confess unto thee, … — Or, I will give praise unto thee, as thou by right shouldest do to me; not for my goodness only, but for my greatness and majesty also, in destroying the wicked. See David doing it, Psalms 18:27 , and Moses, Exodus 15:1 , and the whole choir of heaven, Revelation 19:1-2 . And that thine own right hand can save thee — That thou art self sufficient, and my peer; strong enough to maintain thine own cause, and that thou hast some show

Job 40:6 — Then answered the LORD unto Job out of the whirlwind, and said, Then answered the Lord unto Job out of a whirlwind — As before, Job 38:1 , notwithstanding Job’s submission. See the reason on Job 40:4 . God took his outbursts against him so very ill, that he is not easily pacified; but the better to abase Job, and quite to break the neck of his pride, he answereth him again angrily,

Psalms 24:2 — very finger of God, and a standing miracle, worthy to be predicated to his praise all the world over, Job 38:6-8 , … See Trapp on " Job 38:6 " See Trapp on " Job 38:7 " See Trapp on " Job 38:8 " See also Genesis 1:9 , See Trapp on " Genesis 1:9 " And established it upon the floods — Upon the waves and surges of the sea; which, but for God’s decree, would soon surmount it. The dry land is that which is here called Tebel, οικουμενη

Psalms 26:1 — Judge between me and mine enemies; not between me and thee, as R. David expoundeth it, for then I am sure to be found faulty. For I have walked in mine integrity — viz. Toward Saul, whatever his flattering courtiers suggest against me; as Psalms 7:1-17 , which is much like this, and made, as it may seem, about the same time as this, viz. about the beginning of Saul’s persecution raised against David, 1 Samuel 22:7-8 , who thereupon appealeth here to God’s just judgment, and stands upon

Psalms 34:6 — Scotland. Heard him, and delivered him out of all his troubles — And the like he will do for all that, in like ease, being poor in spirit, make their humble addresses unto him. It is good to communicate unto others our experiences. See the like done, Psalms 116:6 Romans 8:2 1 Timothy 1:15 .

Psalms 61:2 — From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock [that] is higher than I. From the ends of the earth — Or, of the land. In all places men may lift up holy hands, 1 Timothy 2:8 John 4:21 , and speed. A desert may be a goodly oratory. Sic dicit respectu arae a qua exulabat longe in bello contra hostes (R. Sol.). When my heart is overwhelmed — Or, covered over, Ut fit in deliquiis et lipothimiis, as is usual

Psalms 86:11 — αιει πολλα διδασκομενος Unite my heart to fear thy name — i.e. To serve thee with simplicity and godly sincerity, 2 Corinthians 1:12 , cleaving to thee with full purpose of heart, Acts 11:23 , and attending upon thee without distraction, 1 Corinthians 7:35 . As thou art God alone, Psalms 86:10 so let my heart be toward thee alone. Behold, I find it divided, disjointed, and so