Bible Commentaries

1 Kings 18:44 — thee not. Behold, there ariseth a little cloud. — This little cloud shall ere long overmask the whole heaven. Every former mercy is a pledge and forerunner of a future and greater, if it be well improved; only we must pray on, and not faint. Luke 18:1 Gregorius Turonensis relateth Lib. ii. cap. 7. the like to have fallen out once at Orleans, upon the prayer of Anianus, bishop there; at what time that city was almost taken by Attilus, king of Hunns, but seasonably rescued, and the siege raised

1 Kings 20:1 — kings with him, and horses, and chariots: and he went up and besieged Samaria, and warred against it. And there were thirty and two kings with him. — Reguli; petty kings, such as once were the kings of Canaan, thirty-two likewise in number; Joshua 12:7 , … such as were once the kings of this land. Caesar telleth us of four kings of Kent in his time, viz., Cingentorix, Carvilius, Taximagulus, and Segonax, who shared that country amongst them. And he went up and besieged Samaria. — Some

1 Kings 20:12 — [Benhadad] heard this message, as he [was] drinking, he and the kings in the pavilions, that he said unto his servants, Set [yourselves in array]. And they set [themselves in array] against the city. As he was drinking. — Even unto drunkenness, 1 Kings 20:16 which is none of the best counsellors. Drunkards are besotted and disabled: as a snuff of a candle in a socket drowned in the tallow yieldeth little or no light, but only a stench. He and the kings. — Who were, likely, preferred by

2 Kings 10:15 — my heart [is] with thy heart? And Jehonadab answered, It is. If it be, give [me] thine hand. And he gave [him] his hand; and he took him up to him into the chariot. He lighted on Jehonadab the son of Rechab. — A Kenite of Jethro’s stock, 1 Chronicles 2:55 famous for his piety and holy life, and highly esteemed of the people. See Jeremiah 35:6 . Josephus saith, that he was of Jehu’s old acquaintance. Whether he were or not, now he desires his approbation, and therefore takes him

2 Kings 11:4 — them to him into the house of the LORD, and made a covenant with them, and took an oath of them in the house of the LORD, and shewed them the king’s son. And the seventh year. — When now the young prince was full seven years old, 2 Kings 11:21 and able to say - as Grave Maurice did to the States when they doubted to choose him their general, because young - Tandem fit sureulus arbor, a twig in time comes to be a tall tree, might he have but princely education and dignity. Jehoiada sent

2 Kings 17:29 — their cities wherein they dwelt. Made gods of their own. — Goodly gods, that were made of men. Olim truncus eram ficulnus, … God made man after his own image, and men, to be even with him, will needs make gods after their image. See Romans 1:23 2 Corinthians 8:5 . Every nation in the cities. — So each city had its own god, and lest they should miss of the right, they closed their petitions with that general Diique deaeque omnes; or, as Medics doth in the tragedy, O Deus quisquis es,

2 Kings 17:34 — feared him not, because neither truly nor totally: their religion was a galimaufrey, a mixture of true and false, which is as good as none; for God will not part stakes with the devil at any hand. Such a religion is a mere irreligion, because contrary, (1.) To God’s law, which rejecteth heathen rites; 2 Kings 17:34 ; 2 Kings 17:36-37 ; 2 Kings 17:39-40 (2.) To God’s covenant, which heathens have nothing to do with. 2 Kings 17:33 ; 2 Kings 17:38 The mongrel religion of the Samaritans was afterwards

2 Kings 18:2 — mother’s name also [was] Abi, the daughter of Zachariah. Twenty and five years old was he, … — And therefore born in the eleventh year of his father Ahaz - who was twenty years old when he began, and reigned sixteen years. 2 Kings 16:2 A thing not impossible: Rehoboam was begotten by Solomon about the same age, as some do gather from 1 Kings 14:21 . His mother’s name also was Abi. — A woman famous in those times, saith Vatablus, for her goodness. Her son Hezekiah was

1 Chronicles 11:10 — strengthened themselves with him in his kingdom, [and] with all Israel, to make him king, according to the word of the LORD concerning Israel. These also are the chief of the mighties. — The same catalogue of David’s worthies we have in 2 Samuel 23:1-39 , but here with a more ample inscription. Christ hath his heroes also, who in their several generations have done "worthily in Ephrata," and been "famous in Bethlehem." And if their names be not all registered on earth, yet they

2 Chronicles 13:10 — God, … — Summa ratio est quae pro religione facit, saith Papinian. Abijah was none of the best, and yet pretendeth to a great deal of religion, and pleadeth hard for it; though he "walked in all the sins of his father" Rehoboam. 1 Kings 15:3 Hypocrites want for no fair words. Some think that Abijah, when he went forth to battle, was indifferent good; but puffed up with his great victory, he fell away. Pellican holdeth that he was ever naught: only the worship of God was by him

2 Chronicles 18:2 — after [certain] years he went down to Ahab to Samaria. And Ahab killed sheep and oxen for him in abundance, and for the people that [he had] with him, and persuaded him to go up [with him] to Ramothgilead. He went down to Ahab to Samaria. — See 1 Kings 22:2 , in which chapter we have the same history related as here, not abridged - as is usual with this author - but at large; this much commendeth it unto us as necessary and profitable, since the Holy Ghost doth nothing in vain. And Ahab killed

2 Chronicles 21:17 — heard of in the Swedish wars, is said to come from planum dare, to level or plane all to nothing; or from the Dutch, as if it were to plume or pluck the feathers of a bird to the bare skin. And his sons also. — Whom they slew. 2 Chronicles 22:1 And his wives. — Athaliah escaped, for a public mischief.

Ezra 4:15 — same of old time: for which cause was this city destroyed. In the book of the records — Chaldee, of the remembrances, that is, the chronicles usual in all kingdoms. And know that this city is a rebellious city — See Trapp on " Ezra 4:1 " See Trapp on " Ezra 4:2 " Learn, that fidelity to governors is ever both safe and honourable. Zedekiah’s falsifying his oath to the king of Babylon, was the overthrow of that commonwealth. See what God himself saith, not without

Ezra 8:23 — besought our God for this: and he was intreated of us. So we fasted — They put their holy resolution into execution: purpose without practice is like Rachel, beautiful, but barren. And besought our God for this — And they had it, Ezra 8:31 . For fasting and prayer are like Jonathan’s bow and Saul’s sword, that never turned back or returned empty, 2 Samuel 1:22 . God is a liberal rewarder of all such as in this sort diligently seek him, Hebrews 11:6 2 Chronicles 15:2 . he will

Nehemiah 10:38 — to make an equal distribution. When the Levites take tithes — As their due, and not as a benevolence from the people. Melchizedeck tithed Abraham, Hebrews 7:6 . It is your reward or wages which you dearly earn, and may justly call for, Numbers 10:31-32 . The chief of the Levites demanded their due, when they were not thought of; but, by great oversight, were passed over in the division, Joshua 21:1 . And the Levites shall bring up — See Trapp on " Nehemiah 10:37 "

Nehemiah 13:1 — On that day they read in the book of Moses in the audience of the people; and therein was found written, that the Ammonite and the Moabite should not come into the congregation of God for ever; On that day — That great fast day, Nehemiah 9:1-2 , … Or, after Nehemiah’s return from the court of Persia, Nehemiah 13:6 , so the most expound it. They read in the book of Moses — viz. In Deuteronomy 23:3 , called by the Rabbis Sepher tochechoth, the book of rebukes, or of instructions,

Nehemiah 8:11 — their groans and moans, the expressions of their great grief conceived for their sins, making a wailing like the dragons, mourning as the owls, and saying, "Look away from me; I will weep bitterly, labour not to comfort me," …, Micah 1:8 Isaiah 22:4 . But these holy Levites did comfort them, and quiet them. Saying, Hold your peace — Or, Sit; peace, and be still. For the day is holy — And God loves not the bread of mourners for a sacrifice, is like as none might come into

Job 4:11 — cruelty, that their wives who surpassed them in insolence, do end their lives tragically, Quotidiana et domestica experimenta hoc docent; all this is true for the most part. Eliphaz speaks of what is usually done, saith another (Mercer), in Psalms 30:1-12 . Or he speaks of what God can easily do at any time; and of what God may justly do at all times. If he suspend this justice, it is for weighty reasons, … Some wicked men God punisheth here, saith Augustine, lest his providence, but not all,

Job 6:7 — and they go down the worse because you vex me with your hard words (who have little need of such choke pears), and will not allow me the liberty of a needful lamentation, which yet I must needs take (lest heart should break), and say, as before, Job 3:1-26 , though with some more respect to God, the object of my present prayer:

Job 9:33 — Neither is there any daysman betwixt us, [that] might lay his hand upon us both. Neither is there any daysman betwixt us — Heb. Any arguer or reprover, as Genesis 31:24 . We call him an umpire or referee who hath power to reprove and to lay the blame where he findeth it, and finally to compromise the business. The late judge Dyer amongst us, if there came any controversies of poor men to be tried before him, would