Bible Commentaries

1 Kings 14:17 — Jeroboam had by this time removed from Shechem, and established a new capital in Tirzah, one of the old Canaanite towns Joshua 12:24 - a town of great reputation for beauty, counted in that respect on a par with Jerusalem Song of Solomon 6:4. Tirzah is perhaps to be identified with “Telluzah,” a place in the mountains about 9 miles distant from Shechem (Nablous) (or with Teiasir

1 Kings 4:5 — The son of Nathan - It is uncertain whether the Nathan of this verse is the prophet or the son of David 2 Samuel 5:14. While on the one hand the position of “king’s friend” is more likely to have been held by a contemporary, which the prophet’s son would have been, than by one so much younger as the son of a younger brother; on the other hand the title “cohen” seems

2 Chronicles 19:2 — Jehu ... went out to meet him - Compare 2 Chronicles 15:2. The monarch was therefore rebuked at the earliest possible moment, and in the most effective way, as he was entering his capital at the head of his returning army. Jehu, 35 years previously, had worked in the northern kingdom, and prophesied against

Job 11:13 — was now, as he supposed, a hollow-hearted and an insincere man, yet, if he would repent, he might expect the divine favor. In this he accords with the sentiment of Eliphaz, and he concludes his speech in a manner not a little resembling his; see Job 5:17-27.And stretch out thine hands toward him - In the attitude of supplication. To stretch out or spread forth the hands, is a phrase often used to denote the act of supplication; see 1 Timothy 2:8, and the notes of Wetstein on that place. Horace, 3 Carm.

Job 31:5 — the second specification in regard to his private deportment. He says that his life had been sincere, upright, honest. The word vanity here is equivalent to falsehood, for so the parallelism demands, and so the word (שׁוא shâv') is often used; Psalms 12:3; Psalms 41:7; Exodus 23:1; Deuteronomy 5:20; compare Isa, Deuteronomy 1:13. The meaning of Job here is, that he had been true and honest. In his dealings with others he had not defrauded them; he had not misrepresented things; he had spoken the exact

Job 41:26 — animal. They flew off when hurled at him.Nor the habergeon - Margin, “breastplate.” Noyes, “javelin.” Prof. Lee, “lance.” Vulgate, “thorax, breastplate.” So the Septuagint, θώρακα thōraka. The word used here (שׁריה shiryâh), the same as שׁריון shiryôn 1 Samuel 17:5, 1 Samuel 17:38; Neh 4:16; 2 Chronicles 26:14, means properly a “coat of mail,” and is so called from its shining - from שׁרה shârâh, “to shine.” It is not used in the sense of spear or javelin elsewhere, though perhaps it may have that

Job 5:25 — Thou shalt know also that thy seed shall be great - Margin, “much.” That is, thy posterity shall be numerous. This was one of the blessings supposed to be connected with the favor of God; see the notes at Isaiah 53:10.And thine offspring as the grass of the earth - On the meaning of the word here rendered offspring, see the notes at Isaiah 48:19. Nothing is more common in the Scriptures, than to compare a prosperous and a happy man to a green and flourishing tree;

Psalms 103:6 — interpositions in their behalf as shall entirely vindicate their cause.For all that are oppressed - By harsh laws; by unjust governments; by slavery; by unrighteous decisions in courts; by the pride and power of wicked people. Compare the notes at Isaiah 1:17, notes at Isaiah 1:23-27.

Psalms 104:18 — hills - have their inhabitants. Where man cannot climb or dwell, there are abodes of animals which God has made to dwell there, and which find there a refuge - a shelter - a home. On the word used here, and rendered “wild goats,” see the notes at Job 39:1. The word occurs elsewhere only in 1 Samuel 24:2.And the rocks for the conies - The word here “employed” - שׁפן shâphân - denotes a quadruped that chews the cud, in the manner of a hare Leviticus 11:5; Deuteronomy 14:7, and living in flocks. The rabbis

Psalms 104:6 — Thou coveredst it with the deep as with a garment - Compare the notes at Job 38:9. The meaning is, that God covered the earth with the sea - the waters - the abyss - as if a garment had been spread over it. The reference is to Genesis 1:2; where, in the account of the work of creation, what is there called “the deep” - the abyss - (the same Hebrew word as here - תהום tehôm - covered the earth, or was what “appeared,” or was manifest, before the waters were collected into seas, and

Psalms 42:9 — I will say unto God my rock - I will appeal to God as my defense, my helper, my Saviour. On the word rock, as applied to God, see the notes at Psalms 18:2.Why hast thou forgotten me? - See the notes at Psalms 22:1. He had seemed to forget and forsake him, for He did not come to interpose and save him. This is a part of the prayer which he says Psalms 42:8 that he would use.Why go I mourning? - On the

Psalms 81:2 — hymn, a psalm, composed for the occasion, and accompany it with the instruments of music which are specified.And bring hither the timbrel - For the purpose of praise. On the meaning of this word rendered “timbrel” - תף tôph - see the notes at Isaiah 5:12.The pleasant harp - On the word here rendered “harp” - כנור kinnôr - see also the notes at Isaiah 5:12. The word translated “pleasant” - נעים nâ‛ı̂ym - means properly pleasant, agreeable, sweet, Psalms 133:1; Psalms 147:1. It is connected here with

Psalms 83:6 — habitation. The Edomites were not, in fact, a roving and wandering people, but a people of fixed boundaries. In early periods, however, like most ancient people, they doubtless dwelt in tents. Edom, or Idumea, was south of Palestine. See the notes at Isaiah 11:14.And the Ishmaelites - The descendants of Ishmael. They dwelt in Arabia Deserta.Of Moab - On the situation of Moab, see the notes at Isaiah 15:1-9. It was on the southeast of Palestine.And the Hagarenes - The Hagarenes were properly Arabs, so called

Psalms 89:4 — seed will I establish for ever - Thy children; thy posterity. The reference is to his successors on the throne. The promise was that there should not fail to be one on his throne; that is, that his dynasty should never become extinct. See 2 Samuel 7:16 : “And thy house and thy kingdom shall be established forever before thee: thy throne shall be established forever.” Compare also 1 Kings 2:4. The word rendered “establish” means properly to fit; then, to make firm; to put on a solid basis.And build

Psalms 99:1 — The Lord reigneth - The Lord, Yahweh, is king. See Psalms 93:1.Let the people tremble - The Septuagint and the Latin Vulgate render this, “Let the people rage” - or, be angry: as if the idea were that God reigned, although the people were enraged, and were opposed to him. The true meaning of the word used here,

Isaiah 5:13 — Therefore my people are gone - This is evidently used with reference to the “future.” The prophet described events as “passing before his eyes” as a vision (note, Isaiah 1:1); and he here seems to “see” the people going into captivity, and describes it as an event actually occurring.Into captivity - Referring, doubtless, to the captivity at Babylon.Because they have no knowledge - Because they do not choose to retain

Daniel 1:11 — prince of the eunuchs had set over Daniel ... - Margin, or, the “steward.” It is not easy to determine whether the word here used (מלצר meltsâr) is to be regarded as a proper name, or the name of an office. It occurs nowhere else, except in Daniel 1:16, applied to the same person. Gesenius regards it as denoting the name of an office in the Babylonian court - master of the wine, chief butler. Others regard it as meaning a treasurer. The word is still in use in Persia. The Vulgate renders it as

Numbers 21:1 — King Arad the Canaanite - Rather, “the Canaanite, the king of Arad.” Arad stood on a small hill, now called Tel-Arad, 20 miles south of Hebron.In the south - See Numbers 13:17, Numbers 13:22.By the way of the spies - i. e. through the desert of Zin, the route which the spies sent out by Moses 38 years before had adopted (compare Numbers 13:21).He fought against Israel - This attack (compare Numbers 20:1 and note), can

Joshua 17:16 — The possession by the Canaanites of chariots strengthened and tipped with iron, such as were used by the Egyptians Exodus 14:7, is named here by the children of Joseph as a reason why they could not possess themselves of the plains. “The valley of Jezreel” is the broad low valley which sweeps from “Zerin” between the mountains of Gilboa and the range of little Hermon eastward

2 Samuel 5:9 — defense of the city of David, and to have been a part of the original Canaanite defenses of Zion, as appears probable also from there having been a fortress called the house of Millo in the Canaanite city of Shechem. (Judges 9:6 note, and 2 Samuel 9:1-20.) Millo may be the native name. Some identify it with the great platform called the Haram es Sherif.David built round about - Probably meaning built his own house and other houses and streets, all, in short, that caused it to be coiled the city of