Bible Commentaries

1 Kings 12:29 — a danger which would have been imminent, had the two cherubs been placed together in one shrine.He selected Bethel (in the south) for one of his seats of worship, on account of its pre-eminent sanctity. (See the marginal reference; Judges 20:26-28; 1 Samuel 7:16.)The north of Palestine did not furnish a spot possessing an equally sacred character, but still Dan had to some extent the character of a “holy city” (marginal reference).

1 Kings 3:15 — divided between them the reverence of the Jews. Having completed the religious service at Gibeon, where was the tabernacle of the congregation, he proceeded to Jerusalem, and sacrificed before the ark of the covenant, which was in Mount Zion 2 Samuel 6:12. A great feast naturally followed on a large sacrifice of peace-offerings. In these the sacrificer always partook of the flesh of the victim, and he was commanded to call in to the feast the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow Deuteronomy

1 Kings 4:26 — In 2 Chronicles 9:25, the number of stalls for Solomon’s chariot horses is stated at 4,000, instead of 40,000. The number in the present passage is probably a corruption. Solomon’s chariots were but 1,400 1Ki 10:26; 2 Chronicles 1:14, for which 40,000 horses could not possibly be required. The Assyrian chariots had at most three horses apiece, while some had only two. 4,000 horses would supply the full team of three to 1,200, and the smaller team

2 Kings 14:28 — He recovered Damascus - Jeroboam probably gained certain advantages over Benhadad, which induced the latter to make his submission and consent to such terms as those extorted by Ahab 1 Kings 20:34.Hamath was probably among the actual conquests of Jeroboam. It was brought so low in his reign, as to have become almost a by-word for calamity (compare Amos 6:2).Which belonged to Judah, for Israel - i. e. these cities were recovered to

2 Chronicles 29:24 — people of Israel, if not into a single state, yet, at any rate, into a single religious communion. The northern kingdom was in a condition approaching to anarchy. The end was evidently approaching. Hoshea, the king contemporary with Hezekiah 2 Kings 18:1, ruled, not as an independent monarch, but as an Assyrian feudatory 2 Kings 17:3. Under these circumstances Hezekiah designed to invite the revolted tribes to return, if not to their old temporal, at least to their old spiritual, allegiance 2 Chronicles

2 Chronicles 3:5 — covering of planks (marginal reference). The word translated “fir” bears probably in this place, not the narrow meaning which it has in 2 Chronicles 2:8, where it is opposed to cedar, but a wider one, in which cedar is included.Palm trees and chains - See 1 Kings 6:29. The “chains” are supposed to be garlands or festoons.

Psalms 38:13 — to them; he did not become angry; he was as calm and patient as if they had said nothing.And I was as a dumb man that openeth not his mouth - As if I were a man that could not speak. I was perfectly silent under all this persecution. Compare 2 Samuel 16:10. How eminently true was this of the Saviour! Isa 53:7; 1 Peter 2:23; Matthew 26:63; Matthew 27:12, Matthew 27:14.

Psalms 48:3 — The word “known” here means that it was well understood, or that the point had been fully tested and determined that God had chosen those abodes as his special residence - as the place where he might be found.For a refuge - See the notes at Psalms 46:1. That is, there was safety or security in the God who had chosen Jerusalem as his special abode.

Psalms 66:13 — composed on occasion of the return from the Babylonian captivity, it means that, as their first act, the people would go to the house of God, and acknowledge his goodness to them, and render him praise. On the word burnt-offerings, see the notes at Isaiah 1:11.I will pay thee my vows - I will keep the solemn promises which I had made; that is, the promises which the people had made in the long period of their captivity. On the word vows, see the notes at Psalms 22:25.

Psalms 72:10 — The kings of Tarshish - On the situation of Tarshish, see the notes at Isaiah 2:16. Compare Psalms 48:7. The word seems to be used here to denote any distant region abounding with riches.And of the isles ... - Representing also distant lands; or lands beyond the seas. The word “islands” among the Hebrews commonly denoted distant

Psalms 73:3 — For I was envious at the foolish - The word “foolish” here refers to sinners. It may either refer to them as foolish, or as proud, insolent, vain - for so the word is elsewhere used. See Psalms 14:1.When I saw the prosperity of the wicked - More literally, “the peace of the wicked.” The reference is not so much to their prosperity in general as to their peace; their conscious safety; their freedom from trouble; and especially their calmness,

Leviticus 1:3 — burnt - literally, that (offering) which ascends (as a flame).A male without blemish - Males were required in most offerings, since the stronger sex which takes precedence of the other. But females were allowed in peace-offerings Leviticus 3:1, Leviticus 3:6, and were expressly prescribed in the sin-offerings of the common people Leviticus 4:28, Leviticus 4:32; Leviticus 5:6.At the door of the tabernacle of the congregation - Wherever these words occur, they should be rendered: “at the entrance

Leviticus 12:6-8 — The sacrificial act expressed an acknowledgment of sin and a dedication of herself to Yahweh. See Leviticus 8:14.Leviticus 12:6Of the first year - literally, as in the margin, “a son of his year.” This expression is supposed to mean one less than a year old, while the “son of a year” is one that has just completed its first year.Leviticus 12:8A lamb - Rather,

Leviticus 26:1 — Idols - literally, “things of nought.” Hebrew אלילים 'ĕlı̂ylı̂m. There appears to have been a play on the similarity in sound of this word to אלהים 'ĕlohı̂ym (God). Compare 1 Corinthians 8:4.Standing image - Either an upright statue, or a pillar, such as an obelisk or a Celtic menhir, set up for an idolatrous purpose (compare Exodus 34:13 note). The public worship of Yahweh required, first, the exclusion of all visible symbols

Deuteronomy 17:17 — Multiplication of wives would lead to sensuality, and so to an apostasy no less fatal in effect than downright idolatry (compare Exodus 34:16). This rule, like the others, abridges to the ruler of Israel liberties usually enjoyed without stint by the kings of the East. The restriction was in the days of Moses unprecedented; and demanded a higher standard in the king of Israel than was looked

Deuteronomy 18:21 — And if thou say in thine heart, How ... - The passage evidently assumes such an occasion for consulting the prophet as was usual among the pagan, e. g., an impending battle or other such crisis (compare 1 Kings 22:11), in which his veracity would soon be put to the test. Failure of a prediction is set forth as a sure note of its being “presumptuous.” But from Deuteronomy 13:2 ff we see that the fulfillment of a prediction would not decisively accredit

Deuteronomy 9:1 — and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.”In referring to their various rebellions, Moses here, as elsewhere, has regard not so much for the order of time as to that of subject. (Compare Deuteronomy 1:9-15 note.) Such reasons as convenience and fitness to his argument sufficiently explain the variations observable when the statements of this chapter are minutely compared with those of Exo. 32–34. In these variations we have simply such treatment

Joshua 5:8 — The circumcision must have taken place on the day after the passage of Jordan, i. e. the 11th Nisan, and the Passover was kept on the 14th of the same month. For so long at least, they who had been circumcised would be disabled from war (compare the marginal reference), though they would not necessarily be debarred from keeping the feast.

1 Samuel 13:22 — This seems to be mentioned here, in anticipation of the narrative in the next chapter, to enhance the victory gained, through God’s help 1 Samuel 14:23, by the comparatively unarmed Israelites over their enemies. What with occasional skirmishes with the Philistines, the necessity of using their arms for domestic purposes, accidental losses, and the ordinary wear and tear, coupled with

1 Samuel 6:15 — The word “Levites” here probably means priests Exodus 4:14, sons of Levi, since Bethshemesh was one of the cities of the priests Joshua 21:13-16. The burnt offering of the kine was not in any sense the offering of the men of Bethshemesh, but rather of the Philistine lords to whom the cart and the kine belonged.