Bible Commentaries

1 Kings 16:17 — Went up - The expression “went up” marks accurately the ascent of the army from the Shephelah, where Gibbethon was situated Joshua 19:44, to the hill country of Israel, on the edge of which Tirzah stood 1 Kings 14:17.

1 Kings 2:19 — A seat - Or, “a throne.” We have here a proof of the high dignity of the Queen-mother. Compare also 1Ki 15:13; 2 Kings 11:1-3. In the Persian court the Queen-mother had often the chief power.

1 Kings 22:41 — The writer returns to the history of the kingdom of Judah (connect this verse with 1 Kings 15:24), sketching briefly a reign much more fully given by the writer of Chronicles 2 Chr. 17–20. Compare also the marginal references.

1 Kings 3:28 — The wisdom of God - i. e. “Divine wisdom,” “a wisdom given by God” 1 Kings 3:12. The ready tact and knowledge of human nature exhibited in this pattern judgment, and its special fitness to impress Orientals, have generally been admitted.

1 Kings 6:9 — He built the house, and finished it - i. e., the external shell of the house. The internal fittings were added afterward. See 1 Kings 6:15-22.Covered the house - Roofed it with a wooden roof, sloped like our roofs.

1 Kings 9:22 — Comparing this with 1 Kings 5:13-14, it would seem that a modified service of forced labor for one-third of each year was not regarded as reducing those who were subject to it to the condition of bondmen.

2 Kings 14:1 — The history of Judah is resumed 2 Kings 14:1-22, followed by a brief account of the contemporary history of Israel under Jeroboam II 2 Kings 14:23-29. The earlier narrative runs parallel with 2 Chronicles 25:0.

2 Kings 6:30 — Sackcloth - Jehoram hoped perhaps to avert Yahweh’s anger, as his father had done 1 Kings 21:29. But there was no spirit of self-humiliation, or of true pentitence in his heart 2 Kings 5:7. See the next verse.

1 Chronicles 17:13 — My son - The minatory clause which occurs after this in Samuel is here omitted, because the writer is not about to record the sins of Solomon, or the sufferings 1 Kings 11:9-40 which he thereby brought upon himself.

1 Chronicles 22:5 — Young and tender - The exact age of Solomon at this time is uncertain; but it cannot have been more than 24 or 25. It may have been as little as 14 or 15. Compare the 1 Kings 2:2 note.

1 Chronicles 27:4 — Dodai The words “Eleazar, son of,” have probably fallen out before Dodai (or Dodo). According to Jewish tradition, EIeazar 1 Chronicles 11:12 was cousin to David; his father, Dodai, being Jesse’s brother. Mikloth was probably second in command to Eleazar.

1 Chronicles 29:23 — The throne of David is called here “the throne of the Lord,” as in 1 Chronicles 28:5 it is called “the throne of the kingdom of the Lord,” because God had set it up and had promised to establish it.

1 Chronicles 8:28 — These dwelt in Jerusalem - Jerusalem was partly within the limits of the tribe of Benjamin Joshua 18:28; but we do not hear of Benjamites inhabiting it until after the return from the captivity 1 Chronicles 9:3; Nehemiah 11:4.

Psalms 78:52 — But made his own people to go forth like sheep ... - That is, he was a shepherd to them. He defended them; provided for them; led them - as a shepherd does his flock. See the notes at Psalms 23:1-2.

1 Samuel 16:13 — The Spirit ... came upon David - The exact phrase used of the Judges and Saul. See 1 Samuel 10:6, note; Judges 3:10, note; Judges 6:34, note; Judges 11:29, note; Judges 14:18, note; Judges 15:14, note.

1 Samuel 8:2 — The mention of Beer-sheba, on the extreme southern frontier of Judah, as the place where Samuel’s sons judged Israel is remarkable. It was probably due to the recovery of territory from the usurpation of the Philistines 1 Samuel 7:14.

2 Samuel 10:18 — Seven hundred chariots - More probable than the “seven thousand” of 1 Chronicles 19:18. The frequent errors in numbers arise from the practice of expressing numerals by letters, with one or more dots or dashes to indicate hundreds, thousands, etc.

2 Samuel 15:24 — Abiathar went up - i. e., continued to ascend the Mount of Olives. Abiathar was high priest 1 Kings 2:35. Perhaps Zadok is addressed by David 2 Samuel 15:25 as the chief of those who were actually bearing the ark.

2 Samuel 23:14 — In an hold - In “the hold” 1 Chronicles 11:16 close to the cave of Adullam (marginal reference note). It shows the power and daring of the Philistines that they should hold a post so far in the country as Bethlehem.

2 Samuel 3:17 — Ye sought for David ... - Compare 1 Samuel 18:5. It was only by Abner’s great influence that the elders of Israel had been restrained hitherto from declaring for David, and this accounts for Ish-bosheth’s helpless submission to his uncle’s dictation.