Bible Commentaries

2 Kings 23:16 — burned [them] upon the altar, and polluted it, according to the word of the LORD which the man of God proclaimed, who proclaimed these words. He sent and took the bones. — That had been foreseen and foretold three hundred years at least before. 1 Kings 13:2 Intervention ofttimes breaks no square in the divine decrees. Our blind eyes see nothing but that which toucheth their lids: the quick sight of God’s prescience sees that as present which is a world afar off.

1 Chronicles 10:3 — And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers hit him, and he was wounded of the archers. And the battle went sore against Saul. — The weight of the war was turned against him. See the like policy used, 1 Kings 22:31 . This is the right bird, said that officer of the cuirassiers, A horse soldier wearing a cuirass. who shot the king of Sweden through the body at the battle of Lutzen. And he was wounded of the archers. — Heb., He was grieved, or

1 Chronicles 20:2 — And David took the crown of their king from off his head, and found it to weigh a talent of gold, and [there were] precious stones in it; and it was set upon David’s head: and he brought also exceeding much spoil out of the city. 1 Chronicles 20:3 And he brought out the people that [were] in it, and cut [them] with saws, and with harrows of iron, and with axes. Even so dealt David with all the cities of the children of Ammon. And David and all the people returned to Jerusalem. Ver.

1 Chronicles 26:1 — or practices; as also that none of the sacred vessels, vestments, …, were stolen away. Of these there were twenty-four reliefs or exchanges, as well as of priests, Levites, and singers. Of the sons of Asaph. — Alias Abiasaph. Exodus 6:24 1 Chronicles 6:37

2 Chronicles 13:11 — pure table; and the candlestick of gold with the lamps thereof, to burn every evening: for we keep the charge of the LORD our God; but ye have forsaken him. Upon the pure table and the candlestick of gold. — Either it is table, for tables, as 1 Kings 7:48 ; or else this king, who little minded such matters, thought there had been but one such table and candlestick in the temple, as of old in the tabernacle. Lavat.

2 Chronicles 14:1 — So Abijah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David: and Asa his son reigned in his stead. In his days the land was quiet ten years. So Abijah slept with his fathers. — See 1 Kings 2:10 . In the city of David. — There David’s sepulchre was to be seen in the apostles’ days; Acts 2:29 and there Solomon’s sepulchre, which the Jews had in great esteem, fell to pieces without force offered to it, a little

Ezra 6:5 — Babylon, be restored, and brought again unto the temple which [is] at Jerusalem, [every one] to his place, and place [them] in the house of God. And also let the golden and silver vessels — This was decreed, and this was done accordingly, Ezra 1:7-8 . Let good resolutions be put in execution; purpose without performance is like a cloud without rain; and not unlike Hercules’s club in the tragedy, of a great bulk, but stuffed with moss and rubbish.

Ezra 8:34 — all the weight was written at that time. By number and by weight, … — In reference to this text, let thy confession be full, saith a reverend man; bring out thy sins as those in Ezra did the vessels of the temple, by number and by weight. 1. By number, Leviticus 16:21 . Aaron was to confess over the scape-goat all the iniquities of the children of Israel 2. By weight he was to confess all their transgressions in all their sins; that is, laying open how many transgressions were wrapped

Ezra 8:9 — Of the sons of Joab; Obadiah the son of Jehiel, and with him two hundred and eighteen males. Obadiah the son of Jehiel — This Obadiah (as also Zechariah, Ezra 8:11 , and Azgad, Ezra 8:12 ) sealed the covenant, Nehemiah 10:1 ; Nehemiah 10:5 , not without oath and execration. It is both lawful, and in some cases needful, for good people solemnly to bind themselves to bounden duties. Hereby, saith a grave divine,

Nehemiah 10:35 — of all fruit of all trees — God required to be honoured with the firstlings of all; to show how he sets by our young services. We prize nettle buds when they first put forth; so doth God remember and regard the kindness of our youth, Jeremiah 2:1 .

Job 36:24 — Remember that thou magnify his work, which men behold. Remember that thou magnify his work — His work of creation; wherein the wisdom, power, and goodness of God is clearly manifested, Romans 1:19 , in that glorious structure of the heavens especially, which men behold. Or his work of administration and gubernation, whereof David saith, All thy works praise thee, O Lord; that is, they yield matter of magnifying thee; and thy saints shall bless

Job 41:6 — whale are good meat. Or, Make a banquet for him; shall they feast those merchants they mean to sell him to, that they may get the better price for him? Shall they part him among the merchants? — Who might sell him out for sundry uses. See Job 41:1 .

Job 41:9 — to be disappointed; to labour all night, and take nothing, … Shall not one be cast down at the sight of him? — Surely there is cause enough to be cast down, if he be so big and dreadful to behold as is reported. See Trapp on " Job 41:1 "

Psalms 35:5 — angels and of the good, ready at God’s command to do execution upon his enemies. Chaff driven before the wind may rest against a wall; but where shall they rest who are chased by an angel? "Where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?" 1 Peter 4:18 . Surely nowhere.

Psalms 39:10 — consumed by the blow of thine hand. Remove thy stroke away from me — Having first prayed off his sin, he would now pray off his pain, though it less troubled him; and for ease he repaireth to Jehovah, that healeth as well as woundeth, Hosea 6:1 . - nam qui tibi vulnera fecit, Solus Achilleo tollere more potest (Ovid. Trist). I am consumed by the blow of thine hand — Heb. By the conflict or buffetings. Oh, keep out of his fingers, for it is a fearful thing to fall into them, Hebrews 10:31

Psalms 44:9 — handsomely brought in, the better to insinuate, the sooner to prevail for redress. Only this, it should have been remembered that the Lord’s hand was not shortened … but their iniquities had separated between them and their God, Isaiah 59:1-2 . That noble General Trajan told Valens, the Arian emperor, that by warring against God he had abandoned the victory, and sent it to the enemies (Niceph. l. 11, c. 40).

Psalms 48:10 — According to thy name, O God, so [is] thy praise unto the ends of the earth: thy right hand is full of righteousness. According to thy name, O God, so is thy praise — i.e. It is infinite and inexpressible, Psalms 148:1 ; Psalms 145:3 . God’s name is exalted above all blessing and praise, as those holy Levites acknowledge, Nehemiah 9:5 . The distance between God and us is infinite, and we should labour to fill up that distance, if possible, with our praises. Thy

Psalms 78:25 — Man did eat angels’ food: he sent them meat to the full. Man did eat angels’ food — Heb. the bread of the mighty, Pan de nobles (Hispan.); (Angels are called mighties, Isaiah 10:34 Revelation 18:21 ); such delicate bread as might beseem angels to eat, if they did eat any at all; such as the poets feign to be their Nectar, and Ambrosia. Or, the bread of the mighty, sc. that mightily strengthened them. He sent them meat to the

Psalms 78:54 — hand had purchased. And he brought them to the border of his sanctuary — i.e. Of Judea, which country he had consecrated to himself for the place and chief seat of religion; whence it is called, the holy land. It had been a loathsome land, Ezra 9:11 , filled with filthiness from corner to corner, but now otherwise. How it was afterwards again polluted, see Isaiah 1:21-23 . Even to this mountain — Moriah, whereon stood the temple; or, to this mountainous country of Judea. Which his right

Psalms 83:2 — the Church must, therefore, needs be invincible, because God is so. Have lifted up the head — Being insolent and confident, they bear their noses high in the air, uttering loud and lofty language; as did Rabshakeh, sent by Sennacherib, 2 Kings 18:17 , to which times some refer this psalm, as others to those of Jehoshaphat, 2 Chronicles 20:1-2 (Kimchi).