Bible Commentaries

1 Chronicles 2:7 — “Achan” Joshua 7:1 seems to have become “Achar,” in order to assimilate the word more closely to the Hebrew term for “troubler,” which was from the time of Achan’s sin regarded as the true meaning of his name Joshua 7:25-26.

1 Chronicles 21:12 — And the angel of the Lord destroying ... - These words are not in Samuel, which puts the third alternative briefly. They prepare the way for the angelic appearance 1 Chronicles 21:16, on which the author is about to lay so much stress.

1 Chronicles 4:43 — Unto this day - These words are probably taken from the record which the writer of Chronicles had before him, and do not imply that the Simeonites remained undisturbed in their conquests until after the return from the captivity. So 1 Chronicles 4:41.

1 Chronicles 5:11 — From this passage and from the subsequent account of the Manassites 1 Chronicles 5:23-24, the Gadites extended themselves to the north at the expense of their brethren, gradually occupying a considerable portion of the tract originally allotted to the “half tribe.”

2 Chronicles 4:3 — For “oxen” we find in 1 Kings 7:24, “knops” or “gourds.” An early copyist, not comprehending the comparatively rare word here used for “gourd,” and expecting to hear of oxen, as soon as the molten sea was mentioned, changed the reading.

Esther 8:15 — See the Esther 1:6 note. The “crown” was not a crown like the king’s, but a mere golden band or coronet.A garment - Or, “an inner robe.” The tunic or inner robe of the king was of purple, striped with white.

Esther 9:32 — As “the book” elsewhere in Esther always means a particular book - “the book of the chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia” - Esther 2:23; Esther 6:1; Esther 10:2 it seems best to give it the same sense here.

Proverbs 8:34 — The image is suggested probably by the Levites who guarded the doors of the sanctuary Psalms 134:1; Psalms 135:2. Not less blessed than theirs is the lot of those who wait upon Wisdom in the temple not made with hands.

Jeremiah 38:16 — That made us this soul - This very unusual addition to the formula of an oath 1 Samuel 20:3 was intended to strengthen it. By acknowledging that his soul was God’s workmanship Zedekiah also implied his belief in God’s power over it.

Jeremiah 6:18 — God summons three witnesses to hear His sentence.(1) the Gentiles.(2) all mankind, Jews and Gentiles.(3) nature (see Jeremiah 6:19).What is among them - Rather, “what happens” in them; i. e., “Know what great things I will do to them.”

Deuteronomy 1:41 — Ye were ready to go up into the hill - Rather, perhaps, “ye made light of going up;” i. e. “ye were ready to attempt it as a trifling undertaking.” Deuteronomy 1:43 shows the issue of this spirit in action; compare marginal references.

Joshua 10:11 — Compare Ecclesiasticus 46:6. Frightful storms occasionally sweep over the hills of Judaea; but this was evidently a miraculous occurrence, like the hail which smote Egypt Exodus 9:24 and the tempest which fell on the Philistines at Ebenezer 1 Samuel 7:10.

Joshua 23:2 — All Israel, and for their elders - Omit “and,” which is not in the Hebrew. The meaning is that Joshua summoned to him all Israel as represented by its elders, etc. Deuteronomy 1:15. This gathering probably took place at the tabernacle at Shiloh.

Joshua 3:2 — These days (Joshua 1:11 note) were no doubt occupied in preparations of various kinds. The host consisted not of armed men only, but of women and children also; and many arrangements would be necessary before they actually advanced into a hostile country.

Judges 3:19 — Gilgal was in the immediate neighborhood of Jericho Judges 2:1, where doubtless Eglon held his court at this time Judges 3:13.Quarries - Some take the original of this word in its common meaning of carved images or idols (see the margin).

1 Samuel 14:16 — Multitude - The word is in 1 Samuel 14:19 (margin) rendered tumult. It must have the same meaning here. The sentence is obscure and probably corrupt; perhaps it means, “and behold the tumult! and it went on” (increased) “melting away and beating down.”

1 Samuel 14:36 — Then said the priest ... - Ahijah, with equal courage and faithfulness, worthy of his office as “the priest,” when every one else yielded to Saul’s humor, proposed that they should draw near to God to inquire of Him. (Compare 1 Kings 22:7.)

1 Samuel 15:16 — Samuel now acquiesces in the wisdom and justice of the sentence which 1 Samuel 15:11 he had so strenuously resisted at first. What before was known only to the Searcher of hearts, had now been displayed to Samuel by Saul himself.

1 Samuel 7:15 — Samuel judged Israel ... - The repetition of the phrase in 1 Samuel 7:16-17, in connection with Samuel’s circuit, is a proof that it is his civil judgeship which is meant. The military leadership of course belonged to Saul, when he became king.

2 Samuel 11:21 — Who smote Abimelech ... - This reference indicates the existence in David’s time of the national annals of that period in an accessible form, and the king’s habit of reading, or having read to him, the history of his country. (Compare Esther 6:1.)