Bible Commentaries

1 Kings 14:10 — All the males of the family of Jeroboam were put to death by Baasha 1 Kings 15:28-29. The phrase “will cut off,” etc., appears to have been a common expression among the Jews from the time of David 1 Samuel 25:22 to that of Jehu 2 Kings 9:8, but scarcely either before or after. We may suspect that, where the author of

1 Kings 4:21 — Solomon’s empire, like all the great empires of Asia down to the time of the Persians, consisted of a congeries of small kingdoms, all ruled by their own kings 1 Kings 4:24, who admitted the suzerainty of the Jewish monarch, and paid him “presents,” i. e., an annual tribute (see 1 Kings 10:25).Unto the land of the Philistines - There is no word corresponding to “unto” in the Hebrew. The construction should be,

1 Kings 6:12 — The meaning is, “So far as this house goes, thou art obedient (2 Samuel 7:13; 1 Chronicles 17:12, etc.); if thou wilt be obedient in other things also, then will I perform My word,” etc., God’s promises being always conditional. The promises made to David were:(1) that he should be succeeded by one of his sons 2 Samuel 7:12;

1 Kings 8:43 — That all people of the earth may know thy name, to fear thee - Solomon prays that the result of Yahweh’s hearing the prayers of pagans addressed toward the temple may be the general conversion of the world to the worship of Him. Compare Psalms 96:1-13; Psalms 98:1-9.This house ... - literally, as in the margin. In Scripture, when God’s Name is said to be “called upon” persons or things, it seems to be meant that God is really present in them, upholding them and sanctifying them. This passage therefore

2 Kings 9:21 — from the seat of war. Ahaziah’s accompanying him is significant of the close friendship which united the uncle and the nephew. They went out not “against” Jehu, but rather “to meet him.”In the portion of Naboth - This is no longer called a “vineyard” 1 Kings 21:1-18; probably because it had been thrown into the palace garden, and applied to the purpose for which Ahab originally wanted it. The approach to the city on this side must have lain either through it, or close by it.

2 Chronicles 8:18 — It has been supposed that these ships were conveyed from Tyre to Ezion-geber, either(1) round the continent of Africa, or(2) across the isthmus of Suez.But the writer probably only means that ships were given by Hiram to Solomon at this time, and in connection with the Ophir enterprise. These vessels may have been delivered at Joppa,

Job 2:1 — Again there was a day ... - See the notes at Job 1:6. These seasons are represented as periodical, when the angels came, as it were, to make report to God of what they had observed and done. The Chaldee renders this, “And there was a day of the great judgment (רבא דינא יום yôm dı̂ynā' rābā'), a

Psalms 17:6 — was encouraged to call upon God by the conviction that he would hear his prayer, and would grant his request. In other words, he came to God in faith; in the full belief of his readiness to answer prayer, and to bestow needed blessings. Compare John 11:42; Hebrews 11:6.Incline thine ear unto me - See the notes at Psalms 17:1.My speech - My prayer. The reference here, as in Psalms 17:1, is to prayer “uttered” before God; and not mere mental prayer.

Psalms 34:4 — I sought the Lord, and he heard me - That is, on the occasion referred to in the psalm, when he was exposed to the persecutions of Saul, and when he sought refuge in the country of Abimelech or Achish: 1 Samuel 21:1-15. The idea is, that at that time he did not confide in his own wisdom, or trust to any devices of his own, but that he sought the protection and guidance of God, alike when he fled to Gath, and when he fled from Gath.And delivered me from

Psalms 35:22 — This thou hast seen, O Lord - Thou hast seen what they have done, as they profess to have seen what I have done Psalms 35:21. Thine eye has been upon all their movements, as they say that theirs has been upon mine. Compare the notes at Psalms 35:17.Keep not silence - That is, Speak; rebuke them; punish them. God seemed to look on with unconcern. As we express it, he “said

Judges 10:1 — Defend - The marginal reading “to deliver,” is far preferable. The word is the same as in Judges 2:16, Judges 2:18; Judges 3:9, Judges 3:15, Judges 3:31, etc., and is the technical word applied to the judges. Compare Nehemiah 9:27 (“saviours who saved them,” the King James Version).The term “there arose,” also marks Tola as one of the Judges, properly

Judges 16:23 — Dagon was the national idol of the Philistines 1 Chronicles 10:10, so called from Dag, a fish. The description of Dagon, in his temple at Ashdod 1 Samuel 5:4, exactly agrees with the representations of a fish-god on the walls of Khorsabad, on slabs at Kouyunjik, and on sundry antique cylinders and

Ruth 2:20 — the God of Israel. His kindness to the dead consisted in raising up (as Naomi hoped) an heir to perpetuate the name; and, in general, in His care for their widows.One of our next kinsmen - The word here is גאל gā'al, the redeemer, who had the right:(1) of redeeming the inheritance of the person;(2) of marrying the widow;(3) of avenging the death. (See Leviticus 25:25-31, Leviticus 25:47-55; Deuteronomy 25:5-10; Deuteronomy 19:1-13.)Since these rights belonged to the next of kin, גאל gā'al came to

1 Samuel 25:1 — In his house at Ramah - Probably in the court or garden attached to his dwelling-house. (Compare 2 Chronicles 33:20; 2 Kings 21:18; John 19:41.)The wilderness of Paran - The Septuagint has the far more probable reading “Maon.” The wilderness of Paran lay far off to the south, on the borders of the wilderness of Sinai Num 10:12; 1 Kings 11:18, whereas the following verse 1 Samuel

1 Samuel 26:1 — The incident related in this chapter of the meeting between Saul and David bears a strong general resemblance to that recorded in 1 Samuel 24:0, and is of a nature unlikely to have occurred more than once. Existing discrepancies are explained by the supposition that one narrative relates fully some incidents on which the other is silent. On the whole the most probable conclusion

1 Samuel 31:7 — The men on the other side of the valley - This must mean to the north of the plain of Jezreel, and would comprise the tribe of Naphtali, and Zabulon, and probably Issachar. But the text of 1 Chronicles 10:7 has “that were in the valley,” limiting the statement to the inhabitants of the plain of Jezreel.On the other side Jordan - This phrase most commonly means on the east of Jordan, the speaker being supposed to be on the west side. But

2 Samuel 15:18 — Passed on - Rather, “crossed” the Brook Kidron, as in 2 Samuel 15:22-23.Gittites - During David’s residence in the country of the Philistines he attached such a band to himself; and after the settlement of his kingdom, and the subjugation of the Philistines, the band received recruits from Gath, perhaps with the

2 Samuel 21:1 — note of time whatever, nor any clue as to what part of David’s reign the events of this chapter ought to be assigned.Enquired of the Lord - Hebrew “sought the face of the Lord,” quite a different phrase from that so often used in Judges (e. g. Judges 1:1) and the Books of Samuel, and probably indicating that this chapter is from a different source; an inference agreeing with the indefinite “in the days of David,” and with the allusion to the slaughter of the Gibeonites, which has not anywhere been

2 Samuel 21:15 — This, like the preceding paragraph 2 Samuel 21:1-14, is manifestly a detached and unconnected extract. It is probably taken from some history of David’s wars, apparently the same as furnished the materials for 2 Samuel 5:0; 2 Samuel 8:0; 2 Samuel 23:8-39. There is no direct clue to the time when

2 Samuel 3:3 — Chileab - In the duplicate passage (see the margin.) David’s second son is called Daniel (God is my judge), a name given to him in commemoration of the death of Nabal 1 Samuel 25:39. Chileab seems to be made up of the three first letters of the following Hebrew word, through an error of the transcriber, and intended to be erased.Talmai king of Geshur - Talmai was the name of one of the sons of Anak at Hebron Numbers