Bible Commentaries

1 Kings 15:4 — To set up his son - The idolatry of Abijam deserved the same punishment as that of Jeroboam 1 Kings 14:10-14, of Baasha 1 Kings 16:2-4, or of Zimri 1 Kings 16:19, the cutting off of his seed, and the transfer of the crown to another family. That these consequences did not follow in the kingdom of Judah, was owing to the “faithfulness” of David

1 Kings 20:23 — ancient polytheism. Each country was considered to have its own gods; and wars were regarded as being to a great extent struggles between the gods of the nations engaged in them. This is apparent throughout the Assyrian inscriptions. Compare also 2 Kings 18:33-35; 2 Kings 19:12. The present passage gives an unusual modification of this view. The suggestion of the Syrian chiefs may have been a mere politic device - they being really anxious, “an military grounds,” to encounter their enemy on the plain,

1 Kings 6:23 — of wood, merely overlaid with a golden plating. The arrangement of the wings, and the direction of the faces, seem also to have been different. Moses’ cherubim “covered with their wings over the mercy seat;” Solomon’s stretched out theirs to the full 1 Kings 6:27, so that the four wings, each five cubits long 1 Kings 6:24, extended across the whole sanctuary, the width of which was twenty cubits 1 Kings 6:20. The former looked toward one another, and were bent downward toward the mercy-seat; the latter

1 Kings 6:23 — simplemente recubiertos con un revestimiento dorado. La disposición de las alas, y la dirección de las caras, también parecen haber sido diferentes. Querubines de Moisés "cubiertos con sus alas sobre el propiciatorio"; Salomón extendió la suya al completo 1 Reyes 6:27, de modo que las cuatro alas, cada una de cinco codos de largo 1 Reyes 6:24, se extendieron por todo el santuario, cuyo ancho era de veinte codos 1 Reyes 6:2. Los primeros se miraron unos a otros y se inclinaron hacia el propiciatorio;

1 Chronicles 19:7 — They hired thirty and two thousand chariots - The reading is corrupt. Such a number as 32,000 chariots alone was never brought into battle on any occasion. Compare the numbers in Exodus 14:7; 1 Kings 10:26; 2 Chronicles 12:3. The largest force which an Assyrian king ever speaks of encountering is 3,940. The words “and horsemen” have probably fallen out of the text after the word “chariots” (compare 1 Chronicles 19:6). The 32,000 would

Job 30:8 — They were children of fools - The word rendered “fools” נבל nâbâl, means,(1) stupid, foolish; and(2) abandoned, impious; compare 1 Samuel 25:3, 1 Samuel 25:25.Here it means the worthless, the refuse of society, the abandoned. They had no respectable parentage. Umbreit, “A brood of infamy.” Coverdale, “Children of fools and

Psalms 45:7 — Thou lovest righteousness ... - See this verse explained in the notes at Hebrews 1:9, where it is applied to the Messiah. The word “God” is rendered in the margin “O God”; “O God, thy God, hath anointed thee,” etc. According to this construction, the thought would be carried on which is suggested in Psalms 45:6, of a direct address

Psalms 89:27 — Also I will make him my first-born - He shall be regarded and treated by me as the first-born son is in a family; that is, with distinguished favor and honor. Compare Genesis 27:19; Genesis 29:26; Exodus 4:22; Exodus 13:12; Jeremiah 31:9. See also the notes at Colossians 1:15, notes at Colossians 1:18.Higher than the kings of the earth - Than other kings; the most exalted among kings and rulers. This was entirely fulfilled in

Psalms 89:38 — whom these promises were made, as if he were a vile and detestable object - as that which one throws away because it is worthless or offensive.And abhorred - Hast despised; that is, as if it were an object of aversion or contempt. Compare Psalms 60:1, Psalms 60:10.Thou hast been wroth - literally, “Thou hast suffered (thine anger) to overflow,” or to pour itself forth. See Psalms 78:21, Psalms 78:59.With thine anointed - With him who had been anointed as king - anointed as thine own - to administer

Proverbs 1:4 — This verse points out the two classes for which the book will be useful:(1) the “simple,” literally the “open,” the open-hearted, the minds ready to receive impressions for good or evil Proverbs 1:22; and(2) the “young,” who need both knowledge and discipline.To these the teacher offers the “subtilty,” which may turn to evil

Isaiah 24:4 — The earth mourneth - The word ‘earth’ here, as in Isaiah 24:1, means the land of Judea, or that and so much of the adjacent countries as would be subject to the desolation described. The figure here is taken from flowers when they lose their beauty and languish; or when the plant that lacks moisture, or is cut

Zechariah 12:9 — will seek to destroy - Woe indeed to those, whom Almighty God shall “‘seek’ to destroy!” Man may seek earnestly to do, what at last he cannot do. Still it is an earnest seeking. And whether it is used of human seeking which fails, or which succeeds 1 Samuel 14:4; 1 Samuel 23:10; Ecclesiastes 12:10, inchoate or permitted 1 Kings 11:22; Zechariah 6:7, it is always used of seeking to do, what it is a person’s set purpose to do if he can. Here it is spoken of Almighty God . Ribera: “He saith not, ‘I

Joshua 19:34 — Aznoth-tabor - This place (“ears of Tabor”) was no doubt in the neighborhood of Mount Tabor - probably on the eastern slope; and Hukkok on the western slope.To Judah upon Jordan - i. e. to the “Havoth-jair” Numbers 32:41, which were on the opposite side of Jordan. Jair, from whom these towns or villages were named, traced his ancestry in the male line through Hezron to Judah Numbers 27:1; and it is likely that he was assisted by large numbers of his kinsmen of that

Titus 2:3 — person, or becoming to religion. Their conduct should be such as the gospel requires.Not false accusers - - Margin, “make-bates.” Greek, διαβόλους diabolous - the word commonly applied to the devil - “as the accuser.” See it explained in the notes at 1 Timothy 3:11, where it is rendered slanderers.Not given to much wine - Notes, 1 Timothy 3:0.Teachers of good things - That is instructing the younger - whether their own children, or whether they sustain the office of deaconness, and are appointed to

Hebrews 11:36 — been often experienced by martyrs, and doubtless it was the case with those who suffered on account of their religion, before the advent of the Saviour as well as afterward. Some instances of this kind are mentioned in the Old Testament 2 Kings 2:23; 1 Kings 22:24; and it was frequent in the time of the Maccabees.And scourging - Whipping. This was a common mode of punishment, and was usually inflicted before a martyr was put to death; see the notes on Matthew 10:17; Matthew 27:26. For instances of

James 1:16 — are to be traced to him. There was great danger that they would embrace that opinion, for experience has shown that it is a danger into which men are always prone to fall. Some of the sources of this danger have been already alluded to. Notes, James 1:13. To meet the danger he says that, so far is it from being true that God is the source of evil, he is in fact the author of all that is good: every good gift, and every perfect gift James 1:17, is from him, James 1:18.

Judges 15:8 — origin, meaning all the “great” and “mighty,” all the choice pieces like the thigh and shoulder.In the top of the rock - Rather, “the cleft of the rock.” These clefts of the rock were the natural fortresses and hiding places of the land. (Isaiah 2:21; Isaiah 57:5. Compare 1 Samuel 13:6; 1 Kings 18:13.)Etam - Not the same as the place in the territory of Simeon 1 Chronicles 4:32. Its situation is uncertain, but a site near Eleutheropolis (“Beth-jibrin”) is required; and there exist some extraordinary

1 John 2:28 — Y ahora, niños pequeños - Vea las notas en 1 Juan 2:1. Permanece en él; que, cuando aparezca - En el fin del mundo, para recibir a su pueblo para sí mismo. Vea las notas en Juan 14:2. Podemos tener confianza - Griego, negrita - παῤῥησίαν parrēsian. Esta palabra se usa comúnmente para denotar

2 Samuel 6:13 — The meaning is, not that they sacrificed oxen and fatlings every six steps, which would have been impossible, but that when - after the arrangement made by David for the Levites to carry the ark 1 Chronicles 15:2, 1 Chronicles 15:12, 1 Chronicles 15:15 they had borne it successfully and with visible tokens of God’s favor, out of the house of Obed-edom and six “steps” on the road to the city of David to the sound of the musical instruments - then

2 Samuel 6:13 — El significado es, no que sacrificaron bueyes y gallinas cada seis pasos, lo que hubiera sido imposible, sino que, después del acuerdo hecho por David para que los levitas llevaran el arca 1 Crónicas 15:2, 1 Crónicas 15:12, 1 Crónicas 15:15 lo habían llevado con éxito y con signos visibles del favor de Dios, fuera de la casa de Obed-edom y seis "pasos" en el camino a la ciudad de David hacia el sonido de los instrumentos musicales; luego