Bible Commentaries

2 Chronicles 12:11 — εγνω . ” The guard came and fetched them. — Either to secure his person, who might be in danger of his life from discontented persons, by reason of the late great loss, or at least that he might not be altogether slighted by his people. See 1 Kings 14:28 .

2 Chronicles 24:1 — Joash [was] seven years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name also [was] Zibiah of Beersheba. And he reigned forty years. — See 2 Kings 12:1 . His mother’s name also was Zibiah of Beersheba. — Whatever his mother was, his foster mother, his aunt Jehoshebah, did all the offices of a good mother to him; but he ill requited her in her son Zechariah. It is said of the Irish, Camden’s

Ezra 8:2 — Daniel: of the sons of David; Hattush. Of the sons of Phinehas — The son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, that renowned zealot, with whom, and his seed after him, God gave a covenant of peace, even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood, Numbers 25:12-13 . Daniel — Not the prophet Daniel, God’s darling, Daniel 9:23 , but another of the same name, which might be some help to him. Of the sons of David — sc. Of David the king. See 1 Chronicles 3:22 .

Nehemiah 11:4 — Judah; Athaiah the son of Uzziah, the son of Zechariah, the son of Amariah, the son of Shephatiah, the son of Mahalaleel, of the children of Perez; Certain of the children of Judah, … — Yea, and of the children of Ephraim and Manasseh too, 1 Chronicles 9:3 ; where the same is set down as here, but the number is greater. And why? Here only those are reckoned who inhabited Jerusalem by lot; but there the volunteers also. See Nehemiah 11:2 .

Job 19:15 — house, and my maids, count me for a stranger: I am an alien in their sight. They that dwell in mine house, and my maids, … — My tenants, or my guests, or my sojourners, those widows and orphans haply, whom he kept at his own charge, Job 31:32 . More than this, my maidens, those housekeepers, intrusted with the keys of the family, and that are no drudges to wash the feet of other servants, as 1 Samuel 25:41 . And for his servants of the other sex, he was as coarsely used by them too.

Psalms 104:10 — υδωρ μεν αριστον (as Pindarus styleth it), for the satisfying of their thirst and for other necessary uses. This is David’s philosophy, and his son Solomon saith the same, Ecclesiastes 1:7 ; though Aristotle assign another cause of the perennity of the fountains and rivers.

Psalms 104:35 — Bless thou the LORD, O my soul. Praise ye the LORD. Let the sinners be consumed, … — Such sinners against their own souls, as when they know God, or might know him by his wonderful works, glorify him not as God, neither are thankful, Romans 1:21 ; but pollute and abuse his good creatures, to his dishonour, fighting against him with those lives that he hath given them. Bless thou the Lord, O my soul — The worse others are the better be thou, kindling thyself from their coldness, …

Psalms 106:14 — But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tempted God in the desert. But lusted exceedingly — Heb. lusted a lust. See Numbers 11:1-35 , they had a sufficiency, but must have superfluities, as belly-gods; not want, but wantonness, set them a lusting, and that in the wilderness, where they knew that in an ordinary way it was not to be had. And tempted God — Whom they should

Psalms 107:9 — For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness. For he satisfieth the longing soul, … — This as a recapitulation of the first part, Psalms 107:5-7 , and setteth forth the reason why the redeemed should praise God out of the sweet experience they have had of his wonderful providence and goodness toward them. And filleth the hungry soul with goodness — This flower the blessed Virgin

Psalms 114:8 — flint into a fountain of waters. Which turned the rock into a standing water — Set the rock of Rephidim abroach, and made it not only a standing water ( stagnum , as here), but a running river; for the rock followed them: and that rock was Christ, 1 Corinthians 10:4 , with John 4:14 ; John 7:38 . The flint into a fountain of waters — Still God worketh for his people, in oppositis mediis (as Luther expresseth it), by contrary means; and rather than they shall want necessaries, he both can

Psalms 119:107 — I am afflicted very much: quicken me, O LORD, according unto thy word. I am adflicted very much — Usque valde, extremely. If David be so fully bent to obey God, he shall have troubles great store; 1 Timothy 3:12 , All that will live godly, and are set upon it, shall suffer persecution. Zeal for Christ draweth troubles to itself, as the wind Caecias doth clouds. Quicken me, O Lord, according unto thy word — Help me to keep my promise, to perform

Psalms 22:25 — their own punishment. I will pay my vows, … — My peace offerings vowed in my distress: these are heavily paid by most people, according to that Italian proverb, The danger once escaped, the saint is defrauded. See David’s care, Psalms 116:1-19 . and elsewhere.

Psalms 27:12 — witnesses — Such as whereof Saul’s court was full, viz. his Aiones et Negones, who fed his humour by traducing and denigrating innocent David. And such as breathe out cruelty — As Saul breathed out threatening against the disciples, Acts 9:1 ; so did David’s spit fires.

Psalms 35:6 — slipperiness. If a man have neither light nor firm footing, and a fierce enemy at his heels, what shift can he make for himself? The word rendered slippery is of a double form (like that libbi secharchar, my heart panteth or beateth about, throbbeth, Psalms 38:10 ), to increase the signfication. See Jeremiah 23:12 . The soul of a wicked man is in a sling, 1 Samuel 25:29 , violently tossed about.

Psalms 43:1 — cause against an ungodly nation: O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man. Judge me, O God — This psalm is, as it were, an epitome or an appendix to the former, and little differing in words or matter. Plead my cause — See Psalms 35:1 . Against an ungodly nation — Heb. a nation not mild or merciful; so he calleth Absalom’s complices, who sought and would have sucked his blood. Such are a people of God’s wrath and of his curse. O deliver me, … — From

Psalms 68:35 — divided into three parts; and here hence God was terrible in his manifestations to his people, and in his operations to his enemies. See Psalms 67:2-3 . Blessed be God — Hereupon, saith one, God was called in Israel, Baruc-hu, the Blessed, as Mark 14:61 , with Matthew 26:63 . See Luke 1:68 .

Psalms 77:18 — of thy thunder [was] in the heaven: the lightnings lightened the world: the earth trembled and shook. The voice of thy thunder was in the heaven — Heb. in the sphere or round orb of the air. Of the thunder in the air, see Job 37:2-5 Psalms 29:1-11 This made the Egyptians say, Let us flee, for God fighteth for Israel against us. The lightnings lightened the world — Such flakes of fire there were with flashes of lightning, as darkened the sun, and made the whole heaven seem to be on a

Psalms 79:6 — have not known thee — More than by the book of the creatures, wherein there is indeed a τογνωστον του θεου , something of God manifested, Romans 1:19-20 , even his eternal power and Godhead, rendering men without excuse, but nothing of his goodness and patience, leading them to repentance, Psalms 2:4 . That have not called upon thy name — A note of profaneness, Psalms 14:4 .

Psalms 95:6 — bodies, for kneeling they use none (no more do the Grecians), neither stir they their bonnets in their synagogues to any man, but remain still covered. The Lord our maker — Who hath not only created us, but advanced us, as he did Moses and Aaron, 1 Samuel 12:6 .

Psalms 96:5 — were, their bodies, from whence in some places they gave oracles; but were silenced at Christ’s coming in the flesh, to the great amazement of their superstitious worshippers. But the Lord made the heavens — With singular artifice, Hebrews 11:10 , using παση σοφιας μηχανη , every engine of wisdom (Clem. Alex. Paid. l. 1. c. 9).