Bible Commentaries

1 Kings 20:10 — of Samaria. — We shall be able not only to reduce it to dust, but also to carry it away in our hands when we have so done; quanquam aurum quaerebant Syri, non arenam, although it was not dust they came for, but gold, silver, and all desirables. 1 Kings 20:5-6

1 Kings 22:50 — And Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father: and Jehoram his son reigned in his stead. And Jehoram his son. — His most wicked son, for so he proved, 2 Chronicles 21:6 , … being the worse doubtless for his wife Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab; between whom and good Jehoshaphat there was so great a league, that they gave the same names to each other’s children: Jehoshaphat called his son Jehoram - marrying

1 Kings 3:7 — God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I [am but] a little child: I know not [how] to go out or come in. And I am but a little child. — So he seemed to himself; though his father counted and called him a wise man, 1 Kings 2:9 even before that wonderful increase of his wisdom after David’s death. See the like modesty in Agur, that great wise man. Proverbs 30:2-3 I know not how to go out or come in, — i.e., To sway this massy sceptre, to rule this great

1 Kings 4:23 — rather vomited out a book of his own intemperances. Geta the emperor would have his dishes served in by the alphabet, viz., anserem, anatem, aprum; aliquando fasianum, farra, ficus; aliquando pullum, pavunem, perdicem, … Bruson., lib. iii. cap. 1. Caligula would have his bread gilded. Well might Nasica say of Rome, when nothing so luxurious, Stant moenia, ruunt mores; The walls indeed stand, but good manners are fallen to the ground and abolished. Not so at Jerusalem in Solomon’s days.

2 Kings 14:7 — He slew of Edom in the valley of salt ten thousand, and took Selah by war, and called the name of it Joktheel unto this day. In the valley of Salt. — Near to the Lake Asphaltites, which yielded much salt. Justin. See 2 Samuel 8:13 . Ten thousand. — Besides ten thousand more whom he cast down from a rock; 2 Chronicles 25:11-12 not to make himself and the soldiers sport with, as the cruel Spaniards have dealt by the poor Indians, - but because they still stood out, as it

2 Kings 23:26 — nothing can fetch out. His posterity also, yea, and the generality of the people, persisting in Manasseh’s sins, were justly punishable for the same. The Corinthians were accessory to the sin of the incestuous person, because they bewailed it not; 1 Corinthians 5:2 and shall not we of this age smart for those bloody Marian days, if we lament not, and so disclaim them?

2 Chronicles 2:1 — for his kingdom. And Solomon determined. — Heb., Said. He slighted not the divine oracle nor his father’s charge; but was still plodding and talking of it to himself till it was done. To build a house for the name of the Lord. — See 1 Kings 5:3 , and compare this chapter with that: the one giveth light to the other; as glasses set one against another do cast a mutual light. And a house for his kingdom. — David had built a fair palace: but Solomon’s far exceeded it: this

2 Chronicles 7:1 — the house. The fire came down from heaven. — In a miraculous manner, to testify God’s approbation. This fire was kept alive till the captivity of Babylon: and after that, it was said to have been miraculously also renewed; /APC 2 Maccabees 1:18-22 fides sit penes authorem. And the glory of the Lord filled the house, — i.e., The thick cloud, a sign of God’s glory, hidden here from us who are not able to behold it: like as we cannot look upon the sun in rota, but only in radiis.

Ezra 5:11 — which a great king of Israel builded and set up. We are the servants of the God of heaven — And in that respect, higher than all the kings on the earth, Psalms 89:27 (for all his servants are sons, heirs of God, and co-heirs with Christ, Romans 8:17 ), who have held it no small honour to be called his vassals. See how bold these brave men bear themselves upon this relation to the God of heaven and earth, and how courageously they stand to their work, and stout it out with their adversaries. See

Ezra 7:26 — not. Let judgment be executed speedily upon him — Let this be noted against those that hold that magistrates have nothing to do with men in matters of religion. Artaxerxes here interposed, and Ezra blesseth God for it. See Daniel 3:29 Deuteronomy 13:6 Romans 13:4 1 Peter 2:13-14 .

Nehemiah 4:5 — iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before thee: for they have provoked [thee] to anger before the builders. Ver 5. And cover not their iniquity. — O fearful imprecation! Surely if they only are blessed whose sin is covered, Psalms 32:1 , what shall become of those that are in a contrary condition? If pardon of sin be such a voluminous mercy, as having many other mercies bound up with it, think what a misery it is to have sin imputed; and get a cover speedily, for that abominable filth,

Nehemiah 9:16 — that their sins might thereby be aggravated; for good turns aggravate unkindness; and men’s sins are much increased by their obligations. It is charged upon Solomon as a foul fault, that he departed from the Lord, who had appeared unto him twice, 1 Kings 11:9 . Dealt proudly — Pride is the master pock of the soul, and the root of rebellion against God, Psalms 119:21 . And hardened their necks — As unruly beasts, that will not bear the yoke; lawless and aweless persons, that refuse

Job 16:22 — longest liver are but few, they may be quickly numbered. This ran much in Job’s mind, and made him very desirous to be cleared before he died, that he might not go out of the world in a snuff. Then shall I go the way — That way of all flesh, 1 Kings 2:2 , which Job feareth not to do, as knowing whom he had trusted, and that death should be unto him the daybreak of eternal brightness. Whence I shall not return — See Job 7:9-10 ; Job 10:21 , with the notes.

Job 30:28 — not hold. Rise I did, and roar I must amidst the press of people, whatever they should think of me. So Mordecai went out into the midst of the city, and cried with a loud and a bitter cry; and came even before the king’s gate, …, Esther 4:1-2 . In extreme heaviness men care not to keep decorums.

Job 30:31 — My harp also is [turned] to mourning, and my organ into the voice of them that weep. My harp also is turned to mourning — All the days of the afflicted are evil, Proverbs 15:15 , his harps are hanged up, his lute no longer fit but for melancholy airs; his song nothing but lachrymae, doleful ditties; his organs, all those instruments that were wont to divert him, are condemned either to sigh or to be silent. Intempestiva

Psalms 41:3 — languishing: thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness. The Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing — Whether through sickness of body, as Isaiah 38:2 , or sorrow of heart; for in such case also men cast themselves upon their beds, 1 Kings 21:4 . This God, and not the physicians, will do for the sick man, die septimo, on the seventh day, saith R. Solomon, when he is at sickest. Thou wilt make all his bed — Heb. Thou wilt turn, thou wilt stir up feathers under him, that he

Psalms 51:10 — sparks of the spirit that lay almost quite smothered; to put forth his Almighty power for that purpose, to farm that Augaean stable of his heart; to sanctify him throughout in spirit, soul, and body; and to keep him blameless unto the coming of his Son 1 Thessalonians 5:23 . And renew a right spirit within me — Or, a firm spirit, firm for God, able to resist the devil, steadfast in the faith, and to abide constant in the way that is called holy.

Psalms 56:4 — God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me. In God I will praise his word — Having placed my confidence in God, I will take his bare word for my security. He hath promised to make me king, 1 Samuel 16:13 , and he will not suffer his faithfulness to fail, or alter the thing that is gone out of his mouth, Psalms 89:33 . The word of God cannot be broken, John 5:35 . David once doubted it, but he soon took himself up for halting, Psalms 116:11

Psalms 59:1 — Altaschith, Michtam of David; when Saul sent, and they watched the house to kill him. » Deliver me from mine enemies, O my God: defend me from them that rise up against me. Al-taschith — Destroy not, preserve me from this ambush. See Psalms 57:1 , title. When Saul sent, and they watched the house — But were disappointed by Michal shifting him out of the way, preferring a husband before a father, though she had otherwise no great goodness in her. The glory of this deliverance David wholly

Psalms 69:25 — desolate; [and] let none dwell in their tents. Let their habitation be desolate — Heb. their palaces, or castles, so named of being fair and high built, in row and order. It is here put not only for their habitation, but for their function. See Acts 1:20 . And let none dwell in their tents — Lege et luge, Read and lament, saith one, speaking of the ruin of Jerusalem by the Romans, under Vespasian, and again under Hadrian, by whom all Judaea was left almost uninhabited, the Jews utterly banished,