Bible Commentaries

Exodus 1:11 — probably in detachments, but they were not reduced to slavery, properly speaking, nor treated as captives of war. Amosis had special need of such laborers, as proved by the inscriptions.Treasure cities - “Magazines,” depots of ammunition and provisions 1 Kings 9:19; 2 Chronicles 8:4; 2 Chronicles 32:28.Pithom and Raamses - Both cities were situated on the canal which was dug or enlarged in the 12th Dynasty. The former is known to have existed under the 18th Dynasty. Both were in existence at the beginning

Exodus 12:37 — Rameses - See Exodus 1:11 note. Rameses was evidently the place of general rendezvous, well adapted for that purpose as the principal city of Goshen. The Israelites were probably settled in considerable numbers in and about it. Pharaoh with his army and court were at that

Exodus 2:5 — merely conjectural. Egyptian princesses held a very high and almost independent position under the ancient and middle empire, with a separate household and numerous officials. This was especially the case with the daughters of the first sovereigns of the 18th Dynasty.Many facts concur in indicating that the residence of the daughter of Pharaoh and of the family of Moses, was at Zoan, Tanis, now San, the ancient Avaris (Exodus 1:8 note), on the Tanitic branch of the river, near the sea, where crocodiles

Exodus 28:1-43 — (Compárese con Éxodo 39:1 .) Ahora se le ordena a Moisés que encomiende todo lo relacionado con las ofrendas hechas al Señor en el santuario a cargo exclusivo de los miembros de una sola familia, que debían desempeñar su cargo de generación en generación. Generacion. En los

1 Kings 12:2 — would be more clear without the division into chapters; which division, it must be remembered, is without authority.Dwelt in Egypt - By a change of the pointing of one word, and of one letter in another, the Hebrew text here will read as in 2 Chronicles 10:2, “returned out of Egypt; and they sent and called him.”In the Septuagint Version the story of Jeroboam is told in two different ways. The general narrative agrees closely with the Hebrew text; but an insertion into the body of 1 Kings 12:0 - remarkable

1 Kings 8:8 — withdrawal of the staves was intended as a sign that the ark had reached “the place of its rest,” and was not to be borne about anymore.There they are unto this day - This is a quotation from an author who lived while the temple was still standing. See also 1 Kings 9:21.

2 Kings 13:14 — of Elisha’s life. It was now at least sixty-three years since his call, so that he was at this time very possibly above ninety. He seems to have lived in almost complete retirement from the time he sent the young prophet to anoint Jehu king 2 Kings 9:1. And now it was not he who sought the king, but the king who sought him. Apparently, the special function of the two great Israelite prophets (Elijah and Elisha) was to counteract the noxious influence of the Baalistic rites; and, when these ceased,

2 Kings 20:14 — the great southern city; up to this time she had been little more to them than Tyre, or Tarshish, or any other rich and powerful idolatrous city. Henceforth, all this was wholly changed. The prophetic utterance of Isaiah on this occasion 2 Kings 20:16-18 never was, never could be, forgotten. He followed it up with a burst of prophecy Isa. 40–66, in which Babylon usurps altogether the place of Assyria as Israel’s enemy, and the captivity being assumed as a matter of certainty, the hopes of the people

2 Chronicles 17:14 — The captains of thousands; Adnah the chief - literally, “princes of thousands, Adnah the prince.” The writer does not mean that Adnah (or Johohanan, 2 Chronicles 17:15) was in any way superior to the other “princes,” but only that he was one of them.Three hundred thousand - This number. and those which follow in 2 Chronicles 17:15-18, have been with good reason regarded as corrupt by most critics. For:(1) They

Job 1:12 — property. The trial, therefore, only required that it should be seen whether his piety was the mere result of these blessings.So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord - That is from the council which had been convened; see the notes at Job 1:6.

Job 19:18 — children - Margin, or “the wicked.” This difference between the text and the margin arises from the ambiguity of the original word - עוילים ‛ăvı̂ylı̂ym. The word עויל ‛ăvı̂yl (whence our word “evil”) means sometimes the wicked, or the ungodly, as in Job 16:11. It may also mean a child, or suckling, (from עוּל ‛ûl - to give milk, to suckle, 1 Samuel 7:7-10; Genesis 22:13 : Ps. 77:71; Isaiah 40:11; compare Isaiah 49:15; Isaiah 65:20,) and is doubtless used in this sense here. Jerome, however, renders

Job 38:35 — subsidize to his purposes wind, and water, and steam, and air, yet there can be no prospect that the forked lightning can be seized by human hands and directed by human skill to purposes of utility or destruction among people; compare the notes at Job 36:31-33.And say unto thee, Here we are - Margin, “Behold us.” That is, we are at your disposal. This language is derived from the condition, of servants presenting themselves at the call of their masters, and saying that they stood ready to obey their commands;

Psalms 20:2 — thy help. So the Hebrew. The idea is, such help as he needed; such as would make him safe.From the sanctuary - From the tabernacle, or the holy place where God was worshipped, and where he was supposed to reside, Exodus 28:43; Exodus 29:30; Exodus 35:19; Exodus 39:1. This was his seat; his throne; where he abode among the people. Here, too, it would seem that he had been worshipped, and his aid implored, in view of this expedition; here the royal psalmist had sought to secure the divine favor by the

Psalms 9:18 — disappointed.Shall not perish for ever - The word “not” is supplied here by our translators, but not improperly. It is thus supplied in the Targum, and in the Syriac, the Vulgate and the Greek. Such forms of construction are not uncommon. Compare Psalms 1:5; Deuteronomy 33:6. “The negative is repeated from the preceding member.” - Michaelis.

Isaiah 41:2 — Who raised up - This word (העיר hē‛yr) is usually applied to the act of arousing one from sleep Song of Solomon 2:7; Song of Solomon 3:5; Song of Solomon 8:4; Zechariah 4:1; then to awake, arouse, or stir up to any enterprise. Here it means, that God had caused the man here referred to, to arouse for the overthrow of their enemies; it was by his agency that he had been led to form the plans which should result in their

Joshua 7:21 — A goodly Babylonian garment - literally, “a robe or cloak of Shinar,” the plain in which Babylon was situated Genesis 10:10. It was a long robe such as was worn by kings on state occasions Jonah 3:6, and by prophets 1 Kings 19:13; Zechariah 13:4. The Assyrians were in early times famous for the manufacture of beautiful dyed and richly embroidered robes (compare Ezekiel

Revelation 2:9 — momento, era eminentemente pobre, ya que esto no se especifica con respecto a ninguno de los otros. No se sugiere ninguna razón por la cual eran particularmente pobres. No era, de hecho, una característica poco común de los primeros cristianos (compárese 1 Corintios 1:26), pero podría haber habido algunas razones especiales por las que esa iglesia era tan eminentemente. Sin embargo, es la única iglesia de las siete que ha sobrevivido, y tal vez al final su pobreza no fue una desventaja. Pero eres rico

Revelation 20:8 — And shall go out to deceive the nations - See the notes on Revelation 12:9. The meaning here is, that he would again, for a time, act in his true character, and in some way delude the nations once more. In what way this would be done is not stated. It would be, however, clearly an appeal to the wicked passions of mankind,

Revelation 20:8 — Y saldrá a engañar a las naciones - Vea las notas en Apocalipsis 12:9. El significado aquí es que, de nuevo, por un tiempo, actuaría en su verdadero carácter, y de alguna manera engañaría a las naciones una vez más. De qué manera se haría esto no se indica. Sin embargo, sería claramente un llamamiento a las pasiones

Revelation 22:5 — And there shall be no night there - notes on Revelation 21:25.And they need no candle - No lamp; no artificial light, as in a world where there is night and darkness.Neither light of the sun; for the Lord God, ... - See the notes on Revelation 21:23.And they shall reign forever and ever - That is, with God;