Bible Commentaries

1 Kings 11:35 — But I will take the kingdom out of his son’s hand, and will give it unto thee, [even] ten tribes. But I will take the kingdom, … — And accordingly he did; 1 Kings 12:12-19 whence some begin the three hundred and ninety days in Ezekiel 4:5 . Others, distinguishing between God’s decree and his command, say that Jeroboam in revolting from the house of Solomon, and drawing off the ten tribes, is not to

1 Kings 12:14 — And spake to them after the counsel of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, and I will add to your yoke: my father [also] chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions. And spake to them after the counsel of the young men. — This was egregious folly. Green wood is ever shrinking and warping: whereas the well seasoned holdeth a constant firmness. But I will chastise you with scorpions. — Vox haec dignior est carnifice quam rege. See 1 Kings 12:11 .

1 Kings 14:15 — For the LORD shall smite Israel, as a reed is shaken in the water, and he shall root up Israel out of this good land, which he gave to their fathers, and shall scatter them beyond the river, because they have made their groves, provoking the LORD to anger. As a reed is shaken in the water. — That never resteth, being in continual motion by wind and water, see 1 Samuel 25:29 ; the soul of a wicked man is "in a sling," violently tossed with infinite turmoils and restless.

1 Kings 14:21 — years in Jerusalem, the city which the LORD did choose out of all the tribes of Israel, to put his name there. And his mother’s name [was] Naamah an Ammonitess. His mother’s name was Naamah an Ammonitess. — Mentioned here, and again, 1 Kings 14:31 , but for no good. Omne malum ex Gynaeceo. She had the breeding of him, and corrupted him likely. His wicked wife also, Maachah, helped after.

1 Kings 3:5 — In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee. In Gibeon the Lord appeared, … — Solomen worshippeth God by day: God appeareth to him by night. Well may we look to enjoy God, when we have served him. The night cannot but be happy whose day hath been holy. Dr Hall. Ask what I shall give thee. — And saith not God as much in effect to every faithful petitioner? Matthew 7:7 James 1:5 Isaiah 45:11

1 Kings 4:1 — So king Solomon was king over all Israel. So king Solomon was king over all Israel. — So did not his father for the first seven years of his reign; nor any of his successors, save Rehoboam, only for a short space, 1 Kings 12:16 for he soon lost ten tribes with one churlish breath. The Hebrews say, but falsely, that Solomon was king over all nations; such a one as they dream their Messiah must be; under whom also they expect a distribution of honours and offices,

1 Kings 4:27 — Solomon’s table, every man in his month: they lacked nothing. And for all that came unto king Solomon’s table. — Who were not a few, not only natives, but foreigners; not ambassadors only, but others, who came from all parts to hear his wisdom, 1 Kings 4:34 and so to be proselyted haply. But Josephus relateth of the Jews, that they were very careful how they received proselytes in Solomon’s time; because then the state of the Jews flourished.

1 Kings 8:35 — rain, because they have sinned against thee; if they pray toward this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their sin, when thou afflictest them: When heaven is shut up. — These bottles of the sky stopped. And confess thy name. — As 1 Kings 8:33 . Or, Confess to thy name, that is, praise thee, even in this adversity. When thou aflictest them. — And so whippest them home. Or, When thou has testified against them - viz., by thy prophets.

1 Kings 9:2 — That the LORD appeared to Solomon the second time, as he had appeared unto him at Gibeon. That the Lord appeared to Solomon the second time. — This was a great engagement upon Solomon to cleave close to that God who had appeared unto him twice. 1 Kings 11:9 See an analogical appearance to all that love him, John 14:21 and be instructed, lest God’s soul depart from us, Jeremiah 6:8 for our "evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God." Hebrews 3:12

1 Kings 9:26 — out of covetousness, but for the ease of the people, and to defray his great charges. Fabrica enim opes etiam regias et maximas exhaurit. Building is very costly. In Eziongeber. — Jehoshaphat did the like, but with unlike success; and why? see 1 Kings 22:48 .

1 Samuel 27:11 — neither man nor woman alive, to bring [tidings] to Gath, saying, Lest they should tell on us, saying, So did David, and so [will be] his manner all the while he dwelleth in the country of the Philistines. And David saved neither man. — See on 1 Samuel 27:9 . And so will be his manner. — Semel malus semper praesumitur esse malus. God was in it, otherwise it could not have been so concealed, though these nations dwelt remote, and scattered in a solitary wilderness. Humanitus vix fieri

2 Samuel 12:2 — The rich [man] had exceeding many flocks and herds: The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds. — The greater was his sin, since pressed with no necessity. What need had the angels to leave their first estate and habitation? Judges 1:6 What need had Adam to reach after a deity? What need had Ahab to covet Naboth’s vineyard? … It is no small aggravation of a man’s sin to fall into it without a strong temptation; to be led to it with a wet finger, as we say.

2 Samuel 12:21 — weep for the child, [while it was] alive; but when the child was dead, thou didst rise and eat bread. What thing is this that thou hast done? — Quam absurda et insolens? The saints are "for signs and for wonders in Israel"; Isaiah 8:18 their rations also - because they keep a constant counter notion to the corrupt customs of others - seem strange and unreasonable, 1 Peter 4:4 though they need not.

2 Samuel 16:2 — And the king said unto Ziba, What meanest thou by these? And Ziba said, The asses [be] for the king’s household to ride on; and the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat; and the wine, that such as be faint in the wilderness may drink. What meanest thou by these? — Is it thy master’s doing, or thine own? For the young men to eat. — A modesty not unlike that of Abigail, to see to, 1 Samuel 25:27 only that was real, this in semblance.

2 Samuel 21:21 — And when he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimea the brother of David slew him. Jonathan the son of Shimei. — Whom some hold to be the same with that Jonadab, 2 Samuel 13:3 ; 2 Samuel 13:5 and then though he were witty and valiant, yet he was non nimus pius, not so honest as he should have been. So Joses Barnabas is by the Centurists thought to be the same with Joseph Barsabas, Acts 1:23 ; Acts 4:36 but a far better man he was than this Jonathan, alias Jonadab.

2 Samuel 23:9 — the son of Dodo the Ahohite, [one] of the three mighty men with David, when they defied the Philistines [that] were there gathered together to battle, and the men of Israel were gone away: When they defied the Philistines, — viz., At Pasdammim. 1 Chronicles 11:13 And the men of Israel were gone away. — Fled, and forsook their captains; a shame to forsake such a captain, of whom it might be said, as was once of Fabius Maximus, “ Hic patria est, murique urbis stant pectore in uno.

2 Samuel 3:19 — that seemed good to Israel, and that seemed good to the whole house of Benjamin. And Abner also spake in the ears of Benjamin. — Who were Saul’s own kindred, and much addicted to his family. And although Abner thus spake to them, yet by 1 Chronicles 12:29 , it appeareth that the greatest part of Benjamin did yet follow Ishbosheth. To the whole house of Benjamin. — If Abner may be believed.

2 Samuel 6:13 — they that bare the ark of the LORD had gone six paces, he sacrificed oxen and fatlings. Had gone six paces. — Gravi et decenti incessu, in a grave and decent equipage, and had felt by comfortable experience that God helped them to bear the ark, 1 Chronicles 15:16 - supporting it haply together with them by a divine power invisibly, so that it seemed light unto them. David thereupon took order to have sacrifices offered in the place, for the better carrying on of the good work in hand.

2 Samuel 6:15 — So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet. With shouting. — And singing of psalms, 1 Chronicles 16:8 which although they did with all their might, yet no man was wearied out, as Josephus Lib. viii. cap. 2. here noteth; much less exanimated and killed outright with vehemency of singing, as Paulus Diaconus Lib. iii. cap. 11 saith that

2 Samuel 7:11 — And as since the time that I commanded judges [to be] over my people Israel, and have caused thee to rest from all thine enemies. Also the LORD telleth thee that he will make thee an house. That he will make thee an house, — i.e., Give thee a numerous and longlasting offspring to succeed thee in the throne. See Exodus 2:21 Ruth 4:11 1 Kings 2:24 . Scarce any of the Roman emperors had a son to succeed him: all or most of them, till Constantine, died unnatural deaths.