Bible Commentaries

2 Kings 14:6 — death for the children, nor the children be put to death for the fathers; but every man shall be put to death for his own sin. But the children of the murderers he slew not. — Which yet carnal policy would have prompted him to do. See on 2 Kings 10:6 . Nor the children be put to death, … — This was a law for man to follow; but God, the supreme Lord of life and death, is above law. Jeremiah 3:1

2 Kings 2:4 — will not leave thee. So they came to Jericho. For the Lord hath sent me to Jericho. — Where was another college of prophets, whom he would likewise visit ere he left the earth, that he might pray with them, and advise them - see the like, 2 Peter 1:14 - and haply leave with them that letter to Jehoram, king of Judah, which, some years after, was to be delivered, 2 Chronicles 21:12 prophesying and foretelling his sins and punishments.

2 Kings 21:14 — of their enemies; and they shall become a prey and a spoil to all their enemies; And I will forsake the remnant of mine inheritance. — Which is now unto me "as a speckled bird: the birds round about are against her," … Jeremiah 12:9 And deliver them into the hand of their enemies. — When God once forsaketh a people, all evils come rushing in upon them, as by a sluice. Saul’s doleful complaint was, "God hath forsaken me, and the Philistines are upon me."

2 Kings 3:20 — pass in the morning, when the meat offering was offered, that, behold, there came water by the way of Edom, and the country was filled with water. In the morning, when the meat offering was offered. — Which was the hour of public prayer. Acts 3:1 The devotions of all true Jews - all the world over - were in that hour combined. How seasonably doth the wisdom of God pick out that instant wherein he might at once answer both Elisha’s prophecy and his people’s prayers! That, behold,

1 Chronicles 12:32 — commandment. That had understanding of the times. — Noscentes scite tempora, Gnari occasionum. - Vat. such as well knew what was to be done, and when to do it, by a singular sagacity, gotten by long experience, rather than by skill in astrology. See Esther 1:13 . David set a high price upon these; so doth God on such as regard and use the season of well-doing. Were at their commandment. — They were looked upon as oracular men; and obeyed accordingly.

2 Chronicles 11:22 — And Rehoboam made Abijah the son of Maachah the chief, [to be] ruler among his brethren: for [he thought] to make him king. And Rehoboam loved Maachah. — Not for any good that was in her, see 1 Kings 15:13 but either for her beauty, or for her conformity unto him in wicked practices; for likeness maketh love, ομοιον ομοιου εφιεται

2 Chronicles 15:16 — [concerning] Maachah the mother of Asa the king, he removed her from [being] queen, because she had made an idol in a grove: and Asa cut down her idol, and stamped [it], and burnt [it] at the brook Kidron. And also concerning Maachah. — See on 1 Kings 15:13 . He removed her from being queen. — Or, From being chief priest, in sacris meplezethi, to that abominable grove idol, which had its name from trembling or terrifying, or from the horrible villainies committed at those roguish rites

2 Chronicles 20:25 — signifieth substance, or gathered goods; for it hath the name of getting and gathering. And precious jewels. — Vasa desideriorum, gold rings, precious stones, chains of pearl, … Pharaoh’s horses had golden trappings. Song of Solomon 1:8 And the Midianitish camels had chains of gold about their necks. Judges 8:26

2 Chronicles 22:10 — But when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed royal of the house of Judah. But when Athaliah. — See 2 Kings 11:1 . Destroyed all the seed royal. — Such another wicked woman was the mother of King Edward, called the martyr, whom she basely butchered; and because his brother Ethelred, who succeeded him, being but ten years of age, mourned for him, his mother

2 Chronicles 9:12 — And king Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever she asked, beside [that] which she had brought unto the king. So she turned, and went away to her own land, she and her servants. And king Solomon gave to the queen. — 1 Kings 10:13 . Besides that which she had brought unto the king, — i.e., Besides that which he gave her in exchange or requital of her presents, he added many more thereunto, out of his own mere bounty and liberality; even the greatest rarities

Ezra 5:17 — — They supposed it was nothing so, and hoped that these Jews would he found falsaries, but it fell out far otherwise; like as St Paul’s persecutions at Rome fell out "rather unto the furtherance of the gospel" than else, Philippians 1:12 .

Job 13:28 — he, as a rotten thing, consumeth, as a garment that is moth eaten. And he, as a rotten thing, consumeth — Heb. Waxeth old. He, that is, this poor man, this silly wretch, as David speaketh of himself, Psalms 34:6 . Or this body of mine, as Job 19:26 ; Job pointing to it, as it is like he did there; and Paul, 1 Corinthians 15:53-54 . "As a rotten thing" (Heb. as rottenness), "consumeth." When a thing once rotteth, as an apple, flesh, …, it soon perisheth. Such is man,

Psalms 10:7 — mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: under his tongue [is] mischief and vanity. His mouth is full of cursing and deceit — Such cursing men are cursed men; and for such slippery and deceitful persons the Lord is the avenger of all such, 1 Thessalonians 4:8 . Under his tongue is mischief — That is, in his heart, which is by nature placed beneath the tongue, making its use of it for much mischief, Matthew 12:34 James 3:8 . The word Toch, here rendered fraud, signifieth, properly,

Psalms 17:15 — and sanctified persons. I shall be satisfied — Better than those muckworms and their children are. When I awake — sc. Out of the dust of death, at the resurrection. With thy likeness — With the visible sign of thy glory in heaven, 1 John 3:2 .

Psalms 22:24 — abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him, he heard. For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction — Vel responsionem, id est orationem, quae est responsio linguae, Proverbs 16:1 . With men a poor man’s tale cannot be heard; and the answer given to such cuts off half the petition, as the echo doth the voice; but here it is otherwise. "I know thy poverty," saith Christ to one of the seven Churches; "but"

Psalms 28:7 — strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him. The Lord is my strength and my shield — So that I am furnished and harnessed within and without. See Psalms 18:2 . My heart trusted in him, and I am helped — Faith substantiateth things not yet seen, Hebrews 11:1 , it altereth the tenses, saith one, and putteth the future into the present tense, as here. My heart greatly rejoiceth, … — Inwardly

Psalms 31:15 — and from them that persecute me. My times are in thy hand — Both the time of my abode on earth and all those various occurrences of that time, all is predetermined by thee; particularly how long I shall suffer, and when I shall be delivered. See 1 Chronicles 29:30 Job 7:20 . Deliver me from the hand of mine enemies — Oh command deliverances for me; for thou canst easily do it. And here observe how David riseth in his requests; he laid the covenant for a foundation, and then he well knew

Psalms 31:6 — I have hated them that regard lying vanities: but I trust in the LORD. I have hated them that regard lying vanities — i.e. Idols, or aught else besides the living God, who giveth us all things richly to enjoy, 1 Timothy 6:17 John 2:8 . See Trapp on " Jonah 2:8 " Vanitates vanitatis, Vatablus rendereth it, and telleth us that some understand it of astrology. R. David doth so in this note of his upon the text, Astrologos et incantatores in fuga mea

Psalms 37:26 — [is] blessed. He is ever merciful, and lendeth — Heb. Every day, according to others’ necessity and his own ability; for to stretch beyond the staple were to mar all. But he is ever "ready to distribute, willing to communicate," 1 Timothy 6:17 , as Mr Wiseheart, the Scotch martyr, whose charity had never an end, night, day, nor noon, saith Mr Fox; and Thomas Tomkins, an English martyr, very forward to lend, looking for nothing again. And his seed is blessed — Heb. is in

Psalms 7:9 — the hearts and reins. Oh let the wickedness, … — Put a stop to their rage and rancour. But establish the just — The overthrow of the one will be a strengthening to the other; as it was between the house of Saul and David, 2 Samuel 3:1 . But who are just? The righteous God trieth the hearts and reins — i.e. The thoughts and affections or lusts of people, and accordingly esteemeth of them; for Mens cuiusque is est quisque; and God judgeth a man according to the hidden man of