Bible Commentaries

2 Kings 14:2 — Joash of Judah reigned forty years 2 Kings 12:1, and Joash of Israel ascended the throne in his namesake’s thirty-seventh year 2 Kings 13:10; hence, we should have expected to hear that Amaziah succeeded his father in the fourth rather than in the second year of Joash (of Israel). The usual explanation of the discrepancy is to suppose a double accession of the Israelite Joash - as co-partner with his father in the thirty-seventh year of his namesake, as sole king two years afterward.

2 Kings 17:2 — been repeatedly rejected, after lesser punishments have failed - judgment begins to fall. Forces have been set in motion, which nothing but a miracle could stop; and God does not see fit to work a miracle in such a case. Compare Butler, ‘Analogy, ‘ Pt. 1 Chronicles 2:0 end.

2 Kings 17:25 — the country, insufficiently remedied by the influx of foreigners, had the natural consequence of multiplying the wild beasts and making them bolder. Probably a certain number had always lurked in the jungle along the course of the Jordan Jeremiah 49:19; Jeremiah 50:44; and these now ventured into the hill country, and perhaps even into the cities. The colonists regarded their sufferings from the lions as a judgment upon them from “the god of the land” (2 Kings 17:26; compare 1 Kings 20:23 note).

1 Chronicles 2:1 — The sons of Israel - The order of the names here approximates to an order determined by legitimacy of birth. A single change - the removal of Dan to the place after Benjamin - would give the following result:(1) The six sons of the first wife, Leah.(2) the two sons of the second wife, Rachel.(3) the two sons of the first concubine, Bilhah.(4) the two sons of the second concubine, Zilpah.Dan’s undue prominency may, perhaps, be accounted for by his occupying

1 Chronicles 2:55 — Kenites - It is remarkable that Kenites - people of a race quite distinct from the Israelites Genesis 15:19 - should be attached to, and, as it were, included in the descendants of Judah. It seems, however, that the friendly feeling between the two tribes - based on the conduct of the Kenites at the time of the Exodus Exodus 18:10-19; Numbers 10:29-32;

1 Chronicles 28:6 — Besides the message sent to David through Nathan, he had a revelation, of which we have only the indirect account given here and in 1 Chronicles 22:8-10 (see the note). He was told that one of his sons should be raised up to fill his throne after him, and should build the temple. In the second revelation it was distinctly declared to him that the son intended was Solomon.My house and my courts - i. e., the temple and the courts of the temple (see 2 Chronicles 4:9).

2 Chronicles 3:1 — Where the Lord appeared unto David - The marginal rendering, or “which was shown to David,” is preferred by some; and the expression is understood to point out to David the proper site for the temple by the appearance of the Angels and the command to build an altar 2 Samuel 24:17-25; 1 Chronicles 21:16-26.In the place that David had prepared - This seems to be the true meaning of the passage, though the order of the words in the original has been accidentally deranged.

2 Chronicles 34:1 — Compare the parallel history of 2 Kings 22:0 notes; 23:1-30 notes; the writer here being more full on the celebration of the Passover. The only approach to a discrepancy between the two narratives is with respect to the time of the religions reformation, which the writer of Chronicles distinctly places before,

Job 2:6 — Behold, he is in thine hand - He is at thy disposal; see Job 1:12, Margin.But save his life - Margin, “only.” This was to be the only limitation. It would seem that he had the power to make any selection of disease, and to afflict him in any manner, provided it did not terminate fatally. The keen sorrows which Job afterward endured showed the malignancy of the tempter; evinced his ingenuity in inflicting pain, and his knowledge of what thc human frame could be made to bear.

Psalms 102:25-27 — Of old - See this passage fully explained in the notes at Hebrews 1:10-12. In the beginning; at the first. The phrase used here means literally “to the face;” then, “before” in the order of time. It means here, long ago; of olden time; at the beginning. The meaning is, that the years of God had stretched through all

Psalms 106:16 — They envied Moses also in the camp - They were envious of him, or rebelled against him, as assuming too much authority. See Numbers 16:1-2. The reference here is rather to the “result” of that envy in producing rebellion than to the envy itself. It is true, however, that the foundation of their opposition to him “was” envy.And Aaron the saint of the Lord - That is, as set apart to

Psalms 107:1 — O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good - See the notes at Psalms 106:1.For his mercy endureth for ever - He is unchanging in his mercy. It is an attribute of his very nature. He is constantly manifesting it. The word rendered “mercy” here, however - חסד chesed - is more general in its signification than our word “mercy.” Our word means “favor shown to the guilty;” the Hebrew word means kindness, goodness, benignity in general. It is this which is celebrated in the psalm before us.

Psalms 119:68 — Thou art good - See the Psalms 100:5, note; Psalms 107:1, note.And doest good - As the expression or manifestation of goodness. The goodness of God is not a mere sentiment; not mere feeling; not an inactive principle; not a mere wish: it finds expression in acts which tend to promote

Psalms 124:2 — If it had not been the Lord who was on our side - Repeating the idea, since the mind was full of it, and carrying the thought forward. This is one of the instances of an ascent of thought in these psalms, from which it has been supposed that the title “Songs of Degrees” was given to this collection. See, however, Introduction to Psalms 120:1-7.When men rose up against us - When we were assailed by our enemies. On what occasion this occurred, it is now impossible to determine.

Psalms 69:24 — Pour out thine indignation upon them - That is, Punish them for their sins; or, do justice to them.And let thy wrathful anger - literally, “the burning of thy wrath;” glow of anger; burning wrath. See Numbers 25:4; Num 32:14, 1 Samuel 28:18. This is undoubtedly a petition that God would visit them with the severity of his indignation; or, it expresses the belief of the psalmist that they “deserved” such tokens of his displeasure.Take hold of them - Seize upon them; overtake

Psalms 78:46 — He gave also their increase unto the caterpillar - The increase or the produce of their fields. Exodus 10:12-14. The word חסיל châsı̂yl - is supposed to denote a species of locust rather than the caterpillar. It literally means the devourer. In our version, however, it is uniformly rendered caterpillar as here; 1Ki 8:37; 2 Chronicles 6:28; Isaiah 33:4; Joel 1:4; Joel 2:25. It occurs nowhere else.And their labor unto the locust - The fruit of their labor; the harvests in their fields.

Psalms 78:61 — And delivered his strength into captivity - That is, the ark, considered as the symbol of his power. This constituted the defense of the people; this was the emblem of the presence of God, which, when with them, was their real protection. The allusion here is to the time when the ark was taken by the Philistines in the days of Eli. See 1 Samuel 4:3-11.And his glory - That which was emblematic of his glory, to wit, the ark.Into the enemy’s hand - The hand or power of the Philistines.

Psalms 89:25 — I will set his hand also in the sea ... - His dominion shall extend from the sea on the one hand to the rivers on the other. The sea here evidently refers to the Mediterranean; and the rivers to the great rivers on the east - the Tigris and Euphrates. These were the promised boundaries of the land. Genesis 15:18. David secured a conquest over all these territories, and united all under his scepter, thus securing the accomplishment of the promise made to Abraham. See the notes at Psalms 60:1-12.

Proverbs 12:12 — The meaning seems to be: The “net of evil men” (compare Proverbs 1:17) is that in which they are taken, the judgment of God in which they are ensnared. This they run into with such a blind infatuation, that it seems as if they were in love with their own destruction. The marginal rendering gives the thought that the wicked seek the protection of others like themselves, but seek in vain; the “root of the just” (i. e., that in them which is fixed and stable) alone yields that protection.

Proverbs 3:19 — creative act implies a Divine Wisdom, through which the Divine will acts. This thought, developed in Proverbs 8:0, is the first link in the chain which connects this “Wisdom” with the Divine Word, the Logos of John’s Gospel. Compare Psalms 33:6; John 1:3. The words of the writer of the Proverbs take their place among the proofs of the dogmatic statements of the Nicene Creed.