Bible Commentaries

1 Kings 15:27 — Baasha ... of the house of Issachar - It is curious to find Issachar furnishing a king. Tola, its one very undistinguished Judge Judges 10:1, on obtaining office had at once settled himself in the territory of Ephraim. The tribe was as little famous as any that could be named. The “ass crouching between two burthens” was a true symbol of the patient, plodding cultivators of the plain

1 Kings 7:20 — In this verse also a portion of the original text is supposed to have fallen out in consequence of the repetition of words. The full phrase of the original has been retained in 1 Kings 7:16-17. It may be restored thus: “And the pomegranates were two hundred in rows round about upon the one chapiter, and two hundred in rows round about upon the other chapiter.” The “four hundred” 1 Kings 7:42; 2 Chronicles 4:13, are obtained

2 Kings 10:13 — The brethren of Ahaziah - Not the actual brothers of Ahaziah, who had all been slain by the Arabs before his accession to the throne 2 Chronicles 21:17; 2 Chronicles 22:1; but his nephews, the sons of his brothers (marginal reference). It is remarkable that they should have penetrated so far into the kingdom of Israel without having heard of the revolution.The children of the king ... - i. e.” the

2 Kings 18:18 — dignity, he responds by sending officers of his court.Eliakim ... which was over the household - Eliakim had been promoted to fill the place of Shebna Isaiah 22:20-22. He was a man of very high character. The comptroller of the household, whose position 1 Kings 4:6 must have been a subordinate one in the time of Solomon, appears to have now become the chief minister of the crown. On the “scribe” or secretary, and the “recorder,” see the 1 Kings 4:3 note.

Job 8:20 — Behold, God will not cast away a perfect man - On the meaning of the word perfect, see the note at Job 1:1. The sentiment of Bildad, or the inference which he draws from the whole argument is, that God will be the friend of the pious, but that he will not aid the wicked. This accords with the general sentiment maintained in the argument of the friends

Psalms 119:80 — Let my heart be sound ... - Hebrew, “Be perfect.” See the notes at Job 1:1. The Septuagint here is “immaculate,” ἄμωμος amōmos. So the Latin Vulgate. It is the expression of a desire that the heart might be pure; that there might be no improper attachment for other objects; that there might be no defect of love to God.That

Psalms 119:88 — Quicken me - Cause me to live; revive me. See Psalms 71:20, note; Ephesians 2:1, note. Compare Psalms 80:18; Rom 8:11; 1 Peter 3:18; John 6:63.After thy loving-kindness - Thy mercy; thy grace; thy compassion. That is, Let the measure of the grace given to me be thine own benevolent nature, and not my deserts.

Psalms 28:7 — The Lord is my strength - See the notes at Psalms 18:1.And my shield - See the notes at Psalms 3:3. Compare Psalms 33:20; Psalms 59:11; Psalms 84:9; Psalms 89:18; Genesis 15:1.My heart trusted in him - I trusted or confided in him. See Psalms 13:5.And I am helped - I have found the assistance which I

Psalms 53:4 — Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge? - See the notes at Psalms 14:4. The only change in this verse is in the omission of the word “all.” This word, as it occurs in Psalms 14:1-7 (“all the workers of iniquity”), makes the sentence stronger and more emphatic. It is designed to affirm in the most absolute and unqualified

Psalms 62:7 — In God is my salvation - See Psalms 62:1. That is, his salvation, his safety, his anticipated deliverance, was to come only from God.And my glory - That in which I glory or boast; the source of all in me that is glorious or honorable. he gloried that there was such a God; he gloried that He

Isaiah 13:11 — And I will punish the world - By the ‘world’ here is evidently meant the Babylonian empire, in the same way as ‘all the world’ in Luke 2:1, means Judea; and in Acts 11:28, means the Roman empire. Babylonia, or Chaldea, was the most mighty empire then on earth, and might be said to comprehend the whole world.And I will cause the arrogancy - This was the prevailing sin of Babylon, and it

Isaiah 43:7 — Every one that is called by my name - To be called by the name of anyone, is synonymous with being regarded as his son, since a son bears the name of his father (see Isaiah 44:5; Isaiah 48:1). The expression, therefore, means here, all who were regarded as the children of God; and the promise is, that all such should be re-gathered to their own land.For I have created him - (See the note at Isaiah 43:1).For my glory - In order to show forth,

Jeremiah 39:1 — “The Capture of Jerusalem” - The majority of the particulars given in Jeremiah 39:1-14 occur again (marginal reference); and are by some regarded as an interpolation. The external evidence (that of the versions) is, however, in favor of their authenticity. Jeremiah 39:14 is to be reconciled with Jeremiah 40:1-4 by remembering that

Acts 21:18 — Unto James - James the Less. See the notes on Acts 15:13. He resided at Jerusalem. Compare Galatians 1:19. It is not improbable that he was the only one of the apostles then at Jerusalem; and there is reason to believe that the church at Jerusalem was left under his particular care. It was natural, therefore,

1 Corinthians 16:7 — For I will not see you now by the way - On the way to Macedonia. Something had occurred to change his mind, and to induce him to go to Macedonia by another way.But I trust to tarry a while with you - That is, on my return from Macedonia, 1 Corinthians 16:5. Greek, “I hope to remain with you a little while.If the Lord permit - The apostle did not use the language of certainty and of confidence. He felt his dependence on God, and regarded all as under his direction; see the same form of

Galatians 4:22 — For it is written - Genesis 16:0; Genesis 21:0.Abraham had two sons - Ishmael and Isaac. Abraham subsequently had several sons by Keturah after the death of Sarah; Genesis 26:1-6. But the two sons by Hagar and Sarah were the most prominent, and the events of their lives furnished

Ephesians 4:10 — He that descended is the same also that ascended - The same Redeemer came down from God, and returned to him. It was not a different being, but the same.Far above all heavens - see the notes on Ephesians 1:20-23; compare Hebrews 7:26. He is gone above the visible heavens, and has ascended into the highest abodes of bliss; see the notes on 2 Corinthians 12:2.That he might fill all things - Margin, “fulfil.” The meaning is, “that he might fill all things

1 Samuel 7:2 — And all the house of Israel lamented ... - The occupation of the country about Shiloh by the Philistines 1 Samuel 7:3 was partly the reason for the ark being kept so long at Kirjath-jearim. But another reason seems to have been the fall of the Israelites into idolatry, which made them neglect the ark, and brought upon them this Philistine servitude; probably

2 Samuel 6:10 — Obed-edom was a Levite of the family of Merari, being 1 Chronicles 15:18-24; 1 Chronicles 16:38 a son of Jeduthun, who was a Merarite. He was a porter, a player on the harp, and was one of the Levites especially designated to take part in the musical services on the occasion of bringing up the ark to Zion,

2 Samuel 8:2 — prisoners of war, and made them lie down on the ground, and then divided them by a measuring line into three parts, putting two-thirds to death, and saving alive one-third. The cause of the war with the Moabites, who had been very friendly with David 1 Samuel 22:3-4, and of this severe treatment, is not known. But it seems likely, from the tone of Psalms 60:1-12 that David had met with some temporary reverse in his Syrian wars, and that the Moabites and Edomites had treacherously taken advantage of