Bible Commentaries

1 Kings 12:16 — inheritance in the son of Jesse: to your tents, O Israel: now see to thine own house, David. So Israel departed unto their tents. The people answered the king, saying — Here that proverb is exemplified, "Grievous words stir up wrath." Proverbs 15:1 Rehoboam found also that strife is far easier stirred than stinted: and that the people is a most dangerous and heady water when once it is out. What portion have we in David? — So soon are all his good turns done for them, and their fathers

2 Kings 20:12 — sent letters and a present unto Hezekiah: for he had heard that Hezekiah had been sick. At that time Berodach-baladan. — Baladan, sine domino. Baladan signifieth a lordless or masterless man, saith Pagnine. This Berodach - or Merodach Isaiah 39:1 - Baladan is thought to be the first Babylonian monarch, after that he had first rebelled against Esarhaddon, king of Assyria, and then afterwards slain him. Hence we read no more in Scripture of the kings of Assyria, but of Babylon. Sent letters with

2 Kings 5:16 — therefore holds everything else worthless: as Abraham, when once assured that God, "the possessor of heaven and earth," was his "shield and exceeding great reward," would not take of the king of Sodom anything, to a shoelatchet. Genesis 14:23 ; Genesis 15:1 I will receive none. — Lest I should seem covetous, or to be thy beneficiary, or pensioner engaged. This made also Abraham so resolute. Genesis 14:22-23 Epaminondas, the famous Theban, though very poor, would by no means accept

2 Kings 7:12 — he either believed not, or else had "forgotten the consolation" [ παρακλησεως ], as the apostle saith the Hebrews had, Hebrews 4:6 the promise made him by the prophet. 2 Kings 7:1 They know that we be hungry, … — By such a stratagem as this here mentioned, Tomyris, the Scythian queen, circumvented and destroyed Cyrus and his Persians. Justin., lib. i. So when the Christians besieged Ptolemais, and were themselves

2 Chronicles 28:1 — in Jerusalem: but he did not [that which was] right in the sight of the LORD, like David his father: Ahaz was twenty years old. — And reigned but sixteen years; and yet when he died, Hezekiah his son was twenty-five years old. 2 Chronicles 29:1 Some Brought. Consent. say this was extraordinary, and render this reason: Ahaz so young a father, as Elizabeth an old mother, should have hoped in Emmanuel, born of a virgin. Others Dr Gouge. solve it thus: The beginning of that reign, when Ahaz was

2 Chronicles 35:20 — passover. Necho king of Egypt, — i.e., Pharaoh with the goutish feet. And Josiah went out against him. — But better he had kept at home. See 2 Kings 23:29 . Ius legionis facile est, The law of the army is easy, saith Vegetius, Lib. ii. cap. 1. Non sequi, non fugere bellum; war is neither to be followed after nor fled from. Passion is an ill counsellor. It is no weighing gold in the midst of a wind. We read not that he consulted with God by any prophet. Lassitude of the members precedeth

2 Chronicles 35:25 — mother that there was any such man in his kingdom. Whereas had he been a Tricongiustospot, he would sooner have taken knowledge of him. And behold they are written in the lamentations. — Whether he meant the Lamentations of Jeremiah Lamentations 4:1-22 , or some other mournful ditty extant in those time, and known by the name of the Lamentations, a is uncertain. The Roman senate bitterly bewailed the death of Titus, heaping more praise upon him dead than ever they had done whilst he was alive.

Ezra 10:8 — laws were more mild. All his substance shall be forfeited — This, to men of their metal, was a forcible motive. When some have a loss in their riches, it is, as it were, raked out of their bellies; a piece of their very heart goes with it, Job 20:15 , and they are filled with unmedicinable sorrows, Ecclesiastes 5:12 . And himself separated from the congregation — Banished the land, or at least cast out of the Church. Woe be to those that separate themselves, Judges 1:19 , Cainites you may

Ezra 7:10 — For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do [it], and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments. For Ezra had prepared his heart — Which, without due preparation, would not have been drawn to any good. See 1 Samuel 7:3 Job 11:13 Amos 4:12 . An instrument must be tuned ere it can be played upon; sour wines need good sweetening. To seek the law of the Lord — To dive into the very bosom and bottom of it. Qui nucleum vult, nucem frangat. The Rabbis have

Ezra 9:2 — trespass. For they have taken of their daughters — Taken them for wives: which was flatly forbidden, Deuteronomy 7:3 , and a reason given, Ezra 9:4 , from the evil effect of such unblest marriages. This abuse Malachi complaineth of, Malachi 2:11 ; Malachi 2:13 , whom some make to be the same man with Ezra. For themselves, and for their sons — Whom they herein helped to a cold armful (as Lycephron calleth a bad wife, ψυχρον παραγκαλισμα

Nehemiah 3:16 — Bethzur, unto [the place] over against the sepulchres of David, and to the pool that was made, and unto the house of the mighty. Over against the sepulchres of David — His burying place. The Jews had their sepulchres ready made, as the old prophet, 1 Kings 13:30 , Joseph of Arimathaea, … So had the emperors of Constantinople their tombstone presented them on their coronation day. Charles V, emperor of Germany, five years before his death caused his sepulchre to be made, with all things appertaining

Nehemiah 8:14 — had commanded by Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in booths in the feast of the seventh month: And they found written in the law — And therefore in nowise to be neglected, since there God had written for them great things, Hosea 8:12 ; excellent things, Proverbs 22:20 ; marvellous things, Psalms 119:18 . There is a mountain of sense hanging upon every apex or tittle of it, say the Rabbis; who do, therefore, prescribe to their disciples not to write any letter of it but by a copy;

1 Samuel 17:28 — preferment at court, and now feared his further advancement above himself and the other brethren: and hence this bitterness, and those evil surmises. And with whom hast thou left, …, — q.d., Get thee home again to thy hook, and thy harp. See 1 Samuel 17:22 . I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart. — Here he taketh upon him that which belongeth to God alone, Jeremiah 17:10 and judgeth of David’s heart by his own. Well might Augustine say that envy is vitium diabolicum,

1 Samuel 20:1 — and where Jonathan was resident and president in his father’s absence. Hither David was hunted "as a partridge in the mountains"; and so hard bestead, that he knew not whither to betake him, unless it were to heaven (as he did, Psalms 11:1-7 throughout), and to his fast friend Jonathan, who did his utmost for him when he was forlorn and forsaken of his hopes: God being now fitting him for the kingdom, by making "his soul even as a weaned child." Psalms 131:2 That he seeketh

1 Samuel 21:9 — there for a monument of that famous victory; dedicated by David, and therefore some Pellican. think, neither lawful nor fit for him, being to go among the Philistines, who could not but know it. But necessity hath no law; and why he desired it, see on 1 Samuel 21:8 . There is none like that. — Say we so of the sword of the Spirit, the word, when preached especially. As milk warmed is fitter for nourishment, and as the rain from heaven hath a fatness with it, and a special influence more than

1 Samuel 29:6 — swareth by Jehovah, of whom haply he had got some notions, either from the ancient patriarchs, or at least from David, whom haply he thought to please herewith; Diodate saith, he flattered with him; sure it is that David flattered grossly with Achish, 1 Samuel 29:8 which if Achish had known, he would never have said - Thou hast been upright. — It is better, saith one, to live so as thine enemies may be amazed at thy virtues, than that thy friends should have cause to excuse thy vice. Nevertheless

1 Samuel 5:6 — serve men for a sinning stock, though he oft bear long with them. Patientia laesa sit furor. These men hardened their hearts; God therefore hardeneth his hand, and hasteneth their destruction. And he destroyed them. — With mice, say some, from 1 Samuel 6:4 ; with some other mortal disease, say others, besides that next mentioned; but that might give them their passport, and set them going. And smote them with emerods. — In podicibus, so Vatablus rendereth it, which some understand de

2 Samuel 16:8 — taken] in thy mischief, because thou [art] a bloody man. The Lord hath returned upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul. — What blood was that? Saul he spared once and again, when but few men else would have done it, by his own confession. 1 Samuel 24:19 In the death of Ishbosheth and Abner it was well known he had no hand at all. But it may very well be, which some say, that Shimei and such like charged David, that he had stirred up the Philistines to make that invasion upon the land,

2 Samuel 20:3 — them, but went not in unto them. So they were shut up unto the day of their death, living in widowhood. And David came to his house at Jerusalem. — Which had been in his absence basely defiled, and was therefore by him newly dedicated. Psalms 30:1 , title And put them in ward. — He committed them to perpetual, yet liberal imprisonment: because they had not rather died, as they ought to have done, than yielded to Absalom’s lust, in so public a manner especially. Pellican here observeth

2 Samuel 7:14 — will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men: I will be his father. — Solomon’s, by adoption and regeneration. See 2 Corinthians 6:18 . Christ’s, by eternal generation and personal union. Hebrews 1:5 Psalms 2:7 If he commit iniquity. — As Solomon did, but Christ could not. One Augustinus de Roma was censured in the Council of Basil for affirming that Christ was the greatest