Bible Commentaries

1 Kings 13:2 — to God only. For prophecies this rule is given; when the prophets foretold things ut futura in seipsis, then they always fell out; but when they foretold them only as in their causes, they might fall out, or not, as Isaiah 38:1 1 Kings 21:20 John 3:4 . And men’s bones shall be burnt upon thee. — Other men’s bones beside priests’. Jeroboam’s likely, who upon this prophecy should have made all "the stones of his altars as chalkstones that are beaten in sunder: this

1 Kings 7:2 — thereof fifty cubits, and the height thereof thirty cubits, upon four rows of cedar pillars, with cedar beams upon the pillars. He built also the house of the forest of Lebanon. — For public feasts, games, pastimes, and delights, Ecclesiastes 2:4-6 for a magazine also. 1 Kings 10:16-17 Isaiah 22:8 Framed it might be in Lebanon, 1 Kings 9:19 but built it was in Jerusalem, Solomon’s dwelling house and throne not far from it. 1 Kings 7:6-8 It seemeth to have been called "the house of

2 Kings 25:7 — man. And put out the eyes of Zedekiah. — The eyes of whose mind had been put out long before; else he might have foreseen and prevented this evil - as prevision is the best means of prevention, - had he taken warning by what was foretold. Jeremiah 32:4 ; Jeremiah 34:3 ; Ezekiel 12:13 The Dutchmen have a proverb, When God intends to destroy a man, he first puts out his eyes. This punishment of putting out the eyes of an enemy, was practised by the Philistines upon Samson; by Irene, the empress, upon

2 Kings 7:12 — intempestive meticulosus, more fearful than was fit; but he either believed not, or else had "forgotten the consolation" [ παρακλησεως ], as the apostle saith the Hebrews had, Hebrews 4:6 the promise made him by the prophet. 2 Kings 7:1 They know that we be hungry, … — By such a stratagem as this here mentioned, Tomyris, the Scythian queen, circumvented and destroyed Cyrus and his Persians. Justin., lib. i. So when the

2 Kings 8:1 — raising her son to life: then he foretold her, by way of gratitude, this sore famine, the same, some think, with that spoken of by Joel, Joel 1:1-20 which soon after began, and lasted seven years, which was an ordinary time for great famines, as Genesis 41:27 2 Samuel 24:13 2 Kings 4:38 . Thou and thy household. — Her husband is not mentioned; either because he was now dead, or else so decayed through old age, that he left the ordering of all to his wife, whom he knew to be pious and prudent. For

2 Chronicles 20:1 — the children of Ammon, and with them [other] beside the Ammonites, came against Jehoshaphat to battle. It came to pass after this also. — After Jehoshaphat’s great care to reform and set all to right throughout his kingdom, 2 Chronicles 19:4-11 for his further trial, and exercise of his faith, these enemies - moved with envy, doubtless, at his growing greatness, and stirred up by the Syrians, against whom he had taken part with Ahab lately - were turned loose upon him. The best are not

2 Chronicles 35:25 — mother that there was any such man in his kingdom. Whereas had he been a Tricongiustospot, he would sooner have taken knowledge of him. And behold they are written in the lamentations. — Whether he meant the Lamentations of Jeremiah Lamentations 4:1-22 , or some other mournful ditty extant in those time, and known by the name of the Lamentations, a is uncertain. The Roman senate bitterly bewailed the death of Titus, heaping more praise upon him dead than ever they had done whilst he was alive.

Ezra 10:8 — filled with unmedicinable sorrows, Ecclesiastes 5:12 . And himself separated from the congregation — Banished the land, or at least cast out of the Church. Woe be to those that separate themselves, Judges 1:19 , Cainites you may call them, Genesis 4:16 ; our church forsakers, worship scorners, that last brood of Beelzebub.

Ezra 6:12 — put to their hand to alter [and] to destroy this house of God which [is] at Jerusalem. I Darius have made a decree; let it be done with speed. And the God that hath caused his name — i. e. His word and true worship, Acts 9:15 Psalms 138:2 Micah 4:5 1 Kings 5:3 ; 1 Kings 5:5 . Destroy all kings and people — A dreadful curse, and such as God saith Amen to. Let all persecutors and church robbers look to themselves. God’s hand hath ever been very heavy upon such and their posterity.

Ezra 7:10 — prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do [it], and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments. For Ezra had prepared his heart — Which, without due preparation, would not have been drawn to any good. See 1 Samuel 7:3 Job 11:13 Amos 4:12 . An instrument must be tuned ere it can be played upon; sour wines need good sweetening. To seek the law of the Lord — To dive into the very bosom and bottom of it. Qui nucleum vult, nucem frangat. The Rabbis have a saying, that there is a

Ezra 9:2 — with the people of [those] lands: yea, the hand of the princes and rulers hath been chief in this trespass. For they have taken of their daughters — Taken them for wives: which was flatly forbidden, Deuteronomy 7:3 , and a reason given, Ezra 9:4 , from the evil effect of such unblest marriages. This abuse Malachi complaineth of, Malachi 2:11 ; Malachi 2:13 , whom some make to be the same man with Ezra. For themselves, and for their sons — Whom they herein helped to a cold armful (as Lycephron

Ezra 9:3 — forth his soul in a heavenly prayer, Ezra 9:5-6 . And sat down astonied — As one that hath neither life nor soul (as we say), that can neither say nor do for himself, being wonderfully amazed, astonished, or desolate, as David had been, Psalms 143:4 . The true zealot, as his love is fervent, his desires eager, his delights ravishing, his hopes longing; so his hatred is deadly, his anger fierce, his grief deep, his fear terrible, … Zeal is an extreme heat of all the affections, Romans

Nehemiah 13:18 — justly, because, Belshazzar like, though we knew all this, yet we rifted up ourselves against the Lord of heaven, as the horse that casteth his rider, and riseth up against him, Daniel 5:22-23 . Hath ever any waxed fierce against God, and prospered? Job 9:4 . Was not he that but gathered sticks upon the Sabbath day paid home with stones? Was there not for this very sin a fire kindled in the gates of Jerusalem, that devoured the palaces thereof? Jeremiah 17:27 . Justly is he made an example that will not

Nehemiah 4:9 — unto our God — Who is the saints’ sanctuary of safety, their present help in time of trouble. Prayer to him is an anchor in all storms and a salve for all sores; yea, it healeth not only body and soul, but even hard stony walls, Nehemiah 4:7 , provided that we judge ourselves in prayer, and commit our cause to God to be judged by him, as the Hebrew word ðçôìì here importeth. Thus did the children of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh, when to fight against the Hagarenes.

Nehemiah 9:20 — God, led into all truth and holiness, Ephesians 5:9 . For which end God hath promised to pour his Spirit upon all flesh, that is, the best thing upon the basest, Joel 2:28 . Next to the sending of his Son in the flesh (which is called the gift, John 4:10 , and the benefit, 1 Timothy 6:2 ), what can God do more for his people than to give them his good spirit? this is to give them all good things in one, Matthew 7:11 Luke 11:13 . And withheldest not thy manna — See Nehemiah 9:15 . It is twice

Job 22:10 — of adamant. Eliphaz having with more earnestness than truth set forth Job’s sins, now discourseth about his snares. Four punishments he assureth him of, and every one worse than the other. 1. He shall be ensnared; 2. Frightened; 3. Benighted; 4. Overwhelmed, if repentance step not in and take up the matter, as Job 22:22 . And it is as if he should say, Seek not after any other cause of thy calamities than thy before mentioned wickedness; neither seek any other way to get off than by confessing

Job 24:10 — They cause [him] to go naked without clothing, and they take away the sheaf [from] the hungry; They cause him to go naked without clothing — Naked and barefoot, even with their buttocks uncovered, to their shame and danger, as Isaiah 20:4 . So dealt the Popish bishops with the poor Protestant Albigenses, at the rendition of Carcasson, in France; they let them have their lives upon the condition that both men and women should go thence stark naked; those parts that cannot well be named

1 Samuel 5:6 — for a sinning stock, though he oft bear long with them. Patientia laesa sit furor. These men hardened their hearts; God therefore hardeneth his hand, and hasteneth their destruction. And he destroyed them. — With mice, say some, from 1 Samuel 6:4 ; with some other mortal disease, say others, besides that next mentioned; but that might give them their passport, and set them going. And smote them with emerods. — In podicibus, so Vatablus rendereth it, which some understand de lue Venerea:

2 Samuel 1:6 — crown and bracelets, for the which he promised himself some great preferment: but why should he tell so many lies? assuens mendacium mendacio, as Psalms 119:69 - viz., that he leaned, or fell, upon his spear, when it was upon his sword, 1 Samuel 31:4 that he talked to him, when his armourbearer saw him dead first, 1 Samuel 31:5 that he should desire an uncircumcised Amalekite to do for him that which he would not have done by the uncircumcised Philistines, …, Hugo observeth that Saul died

2 Samuel 9:7 — David said unto him, Fear not. — Mephi-bosheth feared, belike, that he was sent for to be put to death, as being Saul’s nephew. Kings are not without their jealousies; that Mephi-bosheth well knew, and afterwards smarted for. 2 Samuel 16:4 For I will surely show thee kindness. — It would be a great stay of mind if some great man should say to us, as David here doth to Mephibosheth, and as afterwards he did to Barzillai the Gileadite. Behold, God, the only potentate, saith more than