_NOW IN THE TWENTY AND FOURTH DAY OF THIS MONTH THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL WERE ASSEMBLED WITH FASTING, AND WITH SACKCLOTHES, AND EARTH UPON THEM._ Now in the twenty and fourth day of this month - i:e., on the second day after the close of the Feast of Tabernacles, which commenced on the 14th day and t... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND THE SEED OF ISRAEL SEPARATED THEMSELVES FROM ALL STRANGERS, AND STOOD AND CONFESSED THEIR SINS, AND THE INIQUITIES OF THEIR FATHERS._ Confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers. Not only did they read in their recent sufferings a punishment of the national apostasy and guilt; bu... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND THEY STOOD UP IN THEIR PLACE, AND READ IN THE BOOK OF THE LAW OF THE LORD THEIR GOD ONE FOURTH PART OF THE DAY; AND ANOTHER FOURTH PART THEY CONFESSED, AND WORSHIPPED THE LORD THEIR GOD._ Read in the book of the law. Their extraordinary zeal led them to continue this as before. ONE FOURTH PAR... [ Continue Reading ]
_THEN STOOD UP UPON THE STAIRS, OF THE LEVITES, JESHUA, AND BANI, KADMIEL, SHEBANIAH, BUNNI, SHEREBIAH, BANI, AND CHENANI, AND CRIED WITH A LOUD VOICE UNTO THE LORD THEIR GOD._ Then stood up upon the stairs. The scaffolds or pulpits, whence the Levites usually addressed the people. There were proba... [ Continue Reading ]
_THEN THE LEVITES, JESHUA, AND KADMIEL, BANI, HASHABNIAH, SHEREBIAH, HODIJAH, SHEBANIAH, AND PETHAHIAH, SAID, STAND UP AND BLESS THE LORD YOUR GOD FOR EVER AND EVER: AND BLESSED BE THY GLORIOUS NAME, WHICH IS EXALTED ABOVE ALL BLESSING AND PRAISE._ Said, Stand up and bless the Lord your God. If thi... [ Continue Reading ]
_THOU, EVEN THOU, ART LORD ALONE; THOU HAST MADE HEAVEN, THE HEAVEN OF HEAVENS, WITH ALL THEIR HOST, THE EARTH, AND ALL THINGS THAT ARE THEREIN, THE SEAS, AND ALL THAT IS THEREIN, AND THOU PRESERVEST THEM ALL; AND THE HOST OF HEAVEN WORSHIPPETH THEE._ Thou, even thou, art Lord alone ... In this sol... [ Continue Reading ]
_THOU ART THE LORD THE GOD, WHO DIDST CHOOSE ABRAM, AND BROUGHTEST HIM FORTH OUT OF UR OF THE CHALDEES, AND GAVEST HIM THE NAME OF ABRAHAM;_ NO JFB COMMENTARY ON THESE VERSES.... [ Continue Reading ]
_YEA, WHEN THEY HAD MADE THEM A MOLTEN CALF, AND SAID, THIS IS THY GOD THAT BROUGHT THEE UP OUT OF EGYPT, AND HAD WROUGHT GREAT PROVOCATIONS;_ They had made them a molten calf, and said, This is thy God that brought thee up out of Egypt. The English translation of Exodus 32:4 is, "These be thy gods... [ Continue Reading ]
_YET THOU IN THY MANIFOLD MERCIES FORSOOKEST THEM NOT IN THE WILDERNESS: THE PILLAR OF THE CLOUD DEPARTED NOT FROM THEM BY DAY, TO LEAD THEM IN THE WAY; NEITHER THE PILLAR OF FIRE BY NIGHT, TO SHEW THEM LIGHT, AND THE WAY WHEREIN THEY SHOULD GO._ No JFB commentary on these verses.... [ Continue Reading ]
_MOREOVER THOU GAVEST THEM KINGDOMS AND NATIONS, AND DIDST DIVIDE THEM INTO CORNERS: SO THEY POSSESSED THE LAND OF SIHON, AND THE LAND OF THE KING OF HESHBON, AND THE LAND OF OG KING OF BASHAN._ Moreover them gavest them kingdoms and nations - i:e., put them in possession of a rich country, of an e... [ Continue Reading ]
_THEIR CHILDREN ALSO MULTIPLIEDST THOU AS THE STARS OF HEAVEN, AND BROUGHTEST THEM INTO THE LAND, CONCERNING WHICH THOU HADST PROMISED TO THEIR FATHERS, THAT THEY SHOULD GO IN TO POSSESS IT._ No JFB commentary on these verses.... [ Continue Reading ]
_NOW THEREFORE, OUR GOD, THE GREAT, THE MIGHTY, AND THE TERRIBLE GOD, WHO KEEPEST COVENANT AND MERCY, LET NOT ALL THE TROUBLE SEEM LITTLE BEFORE THEE, THAT HATH COME UPON US, ON OUR KINGS, ON OUR PRINCES, AND ON OUR PRIESTS, AND ON OUR PROPHETS, AND ON OUR FATHERS, AND ON ALL THY PEOPLE, SINCE THE T... [ Continue Reading ]
_HOWBEIT THOU ART JUST IN ALL THAT IS BROUGHT UPON US; FOR THOU HAST DONE RIGHT, BUT WE HAVE DONE WICKEDLY:_ No JFB commentary on these verses.... [ Continue Reading ]
_BEHOLD, WE ARE SERVANTS THIS DAY, AND FOR THE LAND THAT THOU GAVEST UNTO OUR FATHERS TO EAT THE FRUIT THEREOF AND THE GOOD THEREOF, BEHOLD, WE ARE SERVANTS IN IT:_ Behold, we are servants this day. Notwithstanding their happy restoration to their native land, they were still tributaries of a forei... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND IT YIELDETH MUCH INCREASE UNTO THE KINGS WHOM THOU HAST SET OVER US BECAUSE OF OUR SINS: ALSO THEY HAVE DOMINION OVER OUR BODIES, AND OVER OUR CATTLE, AT THEIR PLEASURE, AND WE ARE IN GREAT DISTRESS._ It yieldeth much increase unto the kings whom thou hast set over us because of our sins - our... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND BECAUSE OF ALL THIS WE MAKE A SURE COVENANT, AND WRITE IT; AND OUR PRINCES, LEVITES, AND PRIESTS, SEAL UNTO IT._ We make a sure covenant, and write - i:e., subscribe or sign it. This written document would exercise a wholesome influence in restraining their backslidings or in animating them to... [ Continue Reading ]