Bible Commentaries

1 Kings 22:5 — And Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel, Enquire, I pray thee, at the word of the LORD to day. Inquire, I pray thee. — Ahab never thought of this, belike. God was not in all his thoughts. Psalms 10:4 And yet Scipio went first to the capitol, and then to the senate. Liv., lib. xxvi. And the Romans called a sacrifice hostia ; because, when they went against the enemies, they offered it. Gel., lib. vii., chap. 1. At the word of the Lord. —

1 Kings 6:36 — And he built the inner court with three rows of hewed stone, and a row of cedar beams. And he built the inner court. — Called the court of the priests, 2 Chronicles 4:9 and had without it an outer court, Ezekiel 10:3 ; Ezekiel 10:5 called also the great court, 2 Chronicles 4:9 where the people prayed, Luke 1:10 and heard the word preached. Acts 3:11-12 Ezra 10:9 In this outer court it was that our Saviour preached, when he is said to have taught in the temple:

2 Kings 10:31 — ruin. A man may recover of a fever, and die of a dropsy; so he that leaveth some gross sin, yet huggeth a less, is an undone person. For he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam. — No, though the Lord had made him such large promises, as 2 Kings 10:30 , compare 2 Corinthians 7:1 . Nevertheless he may as well deserve - as did Galba, and our Richard III - to be reckoned in the rank of bad men, but good princes.

Joshua 1:5 — man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, [so] I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. I will not fail thee. — This promise is five times, at least, found in Scriptures, and in Hebrews 13:6 , applied to all true believers. As for others, let them read that terrible text, Ezekiel 22:20 ; Ezekiel 29:5 ; - "I will gather you in mine anger and in my fury, and I will leave you there." Lord, "leave us not," saith the Church,

Joshua 14:7 — signifieth, Egregie cordatus homo. One of the disciples was called Lebbaemus, or hearty; and Hooper the martyr was called for like cause Hearty Hooper. His nephew Nabal was none such, but churlish and evil in his doings: yet he was of the house of Caleb, 1 Samuel 25:3 but as little like him as young Cicero was his worthy father; or as wise Socrates’s children, who took after the mother altogether, as Seneca testifieth.

Joshua 17:1 — firstborn of Joseph; [to wit], for Machir the firstborn of Manasseh, the father of Gilead: because he was a man of war, therefore he had Gilead and Bashan. For he was the firstborn of Joseph. — And so had right to a double portion. Deuteronomy 21:17 For Machir the firstborn of Manasseh. — Indeed, his only son. See the like expression in Matthew 1:25 . Because he was a man of war. — Machir was: or if he was dead by this time, - as he was, or else he was very old, - by Machir is meant

Joshua 8:17 — promise and God’s gracious presence, - and then doth what he will with them. "Little children," saith St John, "if ye abide in God’s commandments" (and so keep home), "ye abide in God," and so are in safety. 1 John 2:28

Judges 10:14 — the time of your tribulation. Go and cry unto the gods, … — He commandeth them not idolatry, but upbraideth them with it; layeth it in their dish, and showeth them how little they have profited by it. See the like in Deuteronomy 32:37-38 1 Kings 18:27 . And were we not ready to think in our late unnatural troubles, that God had even abandoned us, whatever he may do yet, and to say of England, as he once did of Rome, Nunquam magis, iustis iudiciis, approbatum est non esse curae Deo securitatem

Judges 16:18 — for he hath shewed me all his heart. Then the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and brought money in their hand. And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart. — Whoredom indeed had "taken away his heart," Hosea 4:11 had infatuated and besotted him, as it is the nature of these sensual sins to do; these "lusts of the flesh that war against the soul." 1 Peter 2:12 And brought money in their hand. — Money they knew to be the monarch of this world,

Judges 16:23 — they said, Our god hath delivered Samson our enemy into our hand. For to offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon their god. — That is, To Triton, the idol af those maritime nations, which was a fish downward, whence also he had his name Dagon. See 1 Samuel 5:4 . Diodorus Siculus calleth this idol Derceta; others, Leucothea. And to rejoice. — Ad celebranda hilaria. So the wild Irish when they go to rob, which they account no shame, pray to God that they may meet with a booty; and when they

Judges 9:23 — sedition, that great kindle coal and mischief maker of the world, who, working upon these men’s corruptions, whom God had justly given over to a reprobate mind, filled them with "envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity," … Romans 1:28-29 Dealt treacherously with Abimelech. — Whom themselves had chosen and set up. What a fickle tenure holdeth he by, who holdeth of the multitude! Neutrum modo, mas modo Vulgus. So the English were soon weary of Richard III, who yet was a good

Ruth 3:2 — And now [is] not Boaz of our kindred, with whose maidens thou wast? Behold, he winnoweth barley to night in the threshingfloor. Behold, he winnoweth barley tonight. — By night they winnowed, ad auram nocturnam, as the Chaldee here hath it: (1.) Because more cool, as Genesis 3:8 ; (2.) Because then they had a better wind. Naomi remindeth Ruth of this opportunity, and willeth her to improve it. A well chosen season is one of the best advantages of any action. It may seem that Boaz himself

1 Samuel 13:8 — that Samuel [had appointed]: but Samuel came not to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him. And he tarried seven days, — i.e., Till part of the seventh day was past; but because patience had not her perfect work, wanting nothing, James 1:3 the line of hope was not drawn out to the full length. Saul lost his kingdom by his precipitancy rashness and prefestination. hastiness If Samuel stayed to the last hour, it was not but by direction from the Lord whose ordinary course it is to prove

1 Samuel 2:20 — The LORD give thee seed of this woman for the loan which is lent to the LORD. And they went unto their own home. And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife. — In the words of God, as being his high priest: and they took it so, and sped accordingly. 1 Samuel 2:21 Faith is effectual. For the loan which is lent to the Lord. — This is a periphrasis for Samuel; who being begged of God, was no less the fruit of his parents’ supplications, than of their bodies. The words may be rendered, "For

1 Samuel 9:7 — is spent in our vessels, and [there is] not a present to bring to the man of God: what have we? What shall we bring the man? — q.d., Incivile esset sine honorario eum accedere antea ignotum: It would be no good manners to go empty handed. See 1 Kings 14:3 2 Kings 4:42 , and learn to show all thankful respects to God’s faithful ministers. But the word and the world is now altered. Once it was, What shall we bring the man? what have we? Now it is, What shall we take, or keep back from

2 Samuel 10:3 — to search the city, and to spy it out, and to overthrow it? Thinkest thou that David, …? — q.d, We think otherwise: wicked men muse as they use, and measure others by their own foot. These tale bearers - besides the old quarrel Genesis 3:15 compare Matthew 23:13 Acts 13:10 Proverbs 29:27 1 John 3:8 - retained a hereditary hatred against Israel. See Deuteronomy 23:3-5 . And hence these evil surmises, calumnies, and sinful counsels, whereof at length themselves had the worst. “ ηδε

2 Samuel 5:20 — there, and said, The LORD hath broken forth upon mine enemies before me, as the breach of waters. Therefore he called the name of that place Baalperazim. As the breach of waters. — Whenas, overflowing the banks, they bear all before them. See 1 Chronicles 14:11 . Or, As the division of waters; that is, as waters are easily divided with hand or foot, so God hath dispersed mine enemies with great facility. See a like place in Isaiah 25:11 , "And he shall spread forth his hands in the midst

2 Samuel 6:3 — the ark of God upon a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab that [was] in Gibeah: and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drave the new cart. And they set the ark of God upon a new cart. — After the example of the Philistines, 1 Samuel 6:7 but not after God’s command. Numbers 4:15 ; Numbers 7:9 It was no good that Israelites could learn of Philistines: and that which God will take from Philistines he will not brook from Israel. The staff rings that were upon the ark might

2 Samuel 7:29 — for thou, O Lord GOD, hast spoken [it]: and with thy blessing let the house of thy servant be blessed for ever. Let it please thee to bless. — Heb., Be thou pleased and bless. Another prophet hath it, "It hath pleased thee to bless." 1 Chronicles 17:27 Prayers are often made in faith, as if they were done things. Let the house of thg servant be blessed for ever. — This is to press and oppress the promises, as we are commanded to do, Isaiah 66:11 till we have expressed the utmost

2 Samuel 8:3 — Euphrates. David smote also Hadadezer. — An ambitious and turbulent prince, who began to grow exceeding potent; and had already, as it may seem, subdued Damascus, and was now formidable to the Israelites. Saul had had wars with his father Zobah, 1 Samuel 14:47 and haply he might pretend that old quarrel, or the conquest of Canaan by his predecessor Cushanrishathaim. As he went to recover. — And so must needs pass through part of Judea on the other side Jordan, or not far from it. And so