Bible Commentaries

1 Kings 18:28 — after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them. And they cried aloud, and cut themselves. — To their vocis intentio, they added cutis incisio - and this they had learned of their heathen neighbours Deuteronomy 14:1 - but all would not do. Till the blood gushed out upon them. — This they did by the instigation of that old manslayer, who delighteth in sucking man’s blood, the blood of souls especially. He it is that set awork the priests of Cybele

1 Kings 21:21 — what to trust to. And the like boldness was used by Athanasius, Hilary, and Lucifer Calaritanus to Constantine, the Arian emperor, whom they spare not to call Herod, Nero, Antichrist, … John of Salisbury dealt as plainly also with the Pope, A.D. 1159. Thou hast made a match with mischief, and now thou shalt have thy bellyful of it. "The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways," saith Solomon. And will take away thy posterity. — Which yet Ahab thought to prevent by

1 Kings 9:28 — before we had. The gold of this land is called gold of Parvaim, 2 Chronicles 3:6 that is, of the two Perus, say they; the greater and the lesser. Four hundred and twenty talents. — At one time: as at another, four hundred and fifty, 2 Chronicles 8:18 for every three years they made a voyage thither, 1 Kings 10:22 it being distant from Jerusalem four thousand eight hundred miles, as some have computed it.

2 Kings 13:21 — trespasses and sins," by the touch of God’s prophets, applying thereunto the death and resurrection of the Son of God, who restored life to his own dead body, and thereby not only declared himself with power to be God blessed for ever, Romans 1:4 but also that he quickeneth all true believers, who are united unto him by the ligament of a lively faith, as it were by a corporeal contract.

2 Kings 16:5 — their hopes, resolving to set up the son of Tabeal, some great man of Syria, for king. Isaiah 7:5-6 And besieged Ahaz. — Who, with his people, was grievously frightened till confirmed by a sign, though most unworthy of such a favour. Isaiah 7:1 ; Isaiah 7:16 But could not overcome him. — For they proved like two tails of smoking firebrands. Isaiah 7:4 They came into the country like thunder and lightning: but went out like a snuff.

2 Kings 23:12 — and the altars which Manasseh had made in the two courts of the house of the LORD, did the king beat down, and brake [them] down from thence, and cast the dust of them into the brook Kidron. And the altars that were on the top. — See Jeremiah 19:13 Zephaniah 1:5 . Ahaz was ειδωλομανης . And the altars which Manasseh had made. — These, after his repentance, he cast out of the city, 2 Chronicles 33:15 but not so thoroughly

2 Kings 24:2 — cause are no better than robbers and spoilers. Josephus saith that Nebuchadnezzar, bringing from that siege of Tyre Ezekiel 26:7 some part of his army, entered therewith Jerusalem, slew Jehoiakim, and cast him out unburied, according to Jeremiah 22:18-19 , carrying away three thousand and three and twenty Jews. Jeremiah 52:28 And here began the seventy years’ captivity: now was Daniel and his companions brought to Babylon, Daniel 1:3-7 according to Isaiah 39:7 .

1 Chronicles 29:28 — γηρας and γερας , old age and honour. Having lived a fruitful and gracious life, he closed up all with a happy and blessed death, having his faith at his finger ends, and an abundant entrance into heaven. 2 Peter 1:10-11 Full of days, riches, and honour. — So that, if he might have had more of these, and longer time to enjoy them, he would not. As willing he was to leave the world, as ever he was to rise from the board when he had well dined. In the book

1 Chronicles 7:6 — their genealogies were not found. Dan is also - for their apostasy, likely, and idolatry - not reckoned among the rest that were sealed. Revelation 7:5-8 That Antichrist should be one of this tribe, is a fiction rightly exploded. We read of Hushim, 1 Chronicles 7:12 the sons of Aher, which signifieth Another - and so some render it - by Another, understanding Dan, compare Genesis 46:23 whom the penman of this book held not worth the naming. The Hebrews, when they would show their detestation of

2 Chronicles 14:11 — help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O LORD our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O LORD, thou [art] our God; let not man prevail against thee. It is nothing with thee. — See 1 Samuel 14:9 . Help us, O Lord our God; for we rest on thee. — Adiuva nos, nam te nitimur: Asa found his great army outmatched, and therefore resteth wholly upon God, and sped accordingly, as Hanani afterwards mindeth him. 2 Chronicles 16:8 For

2 Chronicles 2:14 — purple, in blue, and in fine linen, and in crimson; also to grave any manner of graving, and to find out every device which shall be put to him, with thy cunning men, and with the cunning men of my lord David thy father. The son of a woman. — See on 1 Kings 7:14 . Skilful to work in gold, … — Some men are good at anything; as Hippias, called Omniseius by Apuleius. Apulei. Florid. He was not only a general scholar, but made with his own hands he ring he wore, the clothes he had on, the

Ezra 10:10 — that his brethren should do it. Men’s offences are much increased by their obligations. To increase the trespass of Israel — To add to the heap which thereby is grown as high as heaven, Ezra 9:6 , and calls hard for fire from thence, Psalms 11:6 , to revenge the quarrel of the covenant. Draw water, therefore, before the Lord, as those did, 1 Samuel 7:6 . Yea, pour out your hearts before him. God is a refuge for us, Psalms 62:7 .

Nehemiah 1:3 — with fire. Are in great affliction and reproach — The Church is heir of the cross, saith Luther, Ecclesia est haeres crucis, and it was ever the portion of God’s people to be reproached, as David was by Doeg with devouring words, Psalms 52:1 . Their breath as fire shall devour you, Isaiah 33:11 . The wall of Jerusalem also is broken down — So that thieves and murderers came in, in the night, saith Comestor here, and slew many of them. And the gates thereof are burnt with fire —

Nehemiah 11:3 — and the children of Solomon’s servants. Now these are the chief of the province — So Judea is called, because now subject and tributary to the king of Babylon; as afterwards it was to the Romans (and is therefore called a province, Acts 25:1 ), and is now to the Turk. How then could those Jews in the Gospel say, We are Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man; but that they cared not what they said in a bravado? Spaniards are said to be impudent braggers, and extremely

Nehemiah 9:4 — divided into eight several congregations. And cried with a loud voice — Verbis non modo disertis, sed et exertis, Words not only of eloquence but shouted out, of that God might hear (which yet he can do very well without any audible voice, Exodus 14:15 1 Kings 22:32 ), and all the people might hear, and join in prayer. Unto the Lord their God — As being in covenant with them. This shows their faith, as the former their fervency. Faith is the foundation of prayer; and prayer is the fervency

Job 18:13 — of his skin — i.e. His bones, which support his skin; these destruction shall devour or swallow up at a bite, as a hungry monster. The firstborn of death shall devour his strength — i.e. The devil, say some, that destroyer, Revelation 9:11 , that old manslayer, John 8:44 , Prince of death, Hebrews 2:14 , as Christ is called Prince of life, Acts 3:15 , and firstborn of death, as Christ is the firstborn of the resurrection, Colossians 1:18 . Others understand it, De cruentissima ac funestissima

Job 19:6 — Know now that God hath overthrown me, and hath compassed me with his net. Know that God hath overthrown me — Do not you therefore add affliction to the afflicted, which is so odious a thing to God, Psalms 41:2 ; Psalms 69:26 ; but regard the greatness of mine evils, which draw these complaints from me that seem so immoderate to you. See Job 6:2 (Diodati). And hath compassed me with his net — Hath encompassed me round with affliction, that I can get

Job 38:3 — Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me. Gird up now thy loins like a man — As men did use to do when they went to fight, 1 Kings 20:11 . Stand to thy ward, and see to thyself; for I mean to assail thee and to try thy manhood. Plato hath observed, that the best fencers are the worst soldiers. Many can brave it beforehand, as that Thrasonical Gaal did, Judges 9:29 , who yet

Job 8:1 — Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said, Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said — Bildad (who was of the posterity of Shuah, Abraham’s son by Keturah, Genesis 24:1-2 ) interrupteth Job, and endeavours to maintain what Eliphaz had spoken; nevertheless, it appeareth by this chapter, Job 8:5-6 ; Job 8:20-21 , that his opinion was not so rigid as that of Eliphaz: for he grants that a righteous man may be afflicted,

2 Samuel 7:13 — He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever. He shall build an house for my name. — Solomon, a material temple; Christ, a mystical - that is, the Church, which is the house of God. 1 Timothy 3:15 The Jews say that the Messiah is to build a temple, but then it must be a material one: and therefore in their daily prayers they call hard for his coming, and they cry altogether to God, Templum tuum brevi, valde cito, valde cito in diebus