_Israel. These registers were preserved by those who fled from the arms of Salmanasar, into the kingdom of Juda. Such records were preserved with the utmost care, and were collected by the author; who could give an account of what happened during and after the captivity, as he was an irreproachable... [ Continue Reading ]
_First. He only treats of those who returned first, (Tirinus) under Esdras. (Haydock) --- Nehemias brought back others, and more returned afterwards. Many also retook possession of their lands, which they had enjoyed before the captivity, 1 Esdras iii. 12. --- Nathineans. These were the posterity of... [ Continue Reading ]
_Manasses. People from these tribes particularly, (Haydock) as well as from others, had fled to the kingdom of Juda, when the Assyrians took their brethren prisoners; and these returned to Jerusalem. (Menochius) --- Cyrus gave a general leave for all Israel to return. The country was too spacious fo... [ Continue Reading ]
_Othei; perhaps Hathaia, son of Husias. The Hebrew names are differently pronounced. (Calmet)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Siloni may mean a native of Silo, or a descendant of Sela. See Numbers xxvi. 20., and 2 Esdras xi. 5. (Calmet)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Oduia, or Johed, or Juda, 2 Esdras xi., and vii. 9. (Junius)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Azarias, or Saraias, ibid. 11.[2 Esdras xi. 11.?] --- Mosollam, or Sellum, chap. vi. 12. (Calmet) --- High is not expressed in Pontifex; and this Azarias was only (Haydock) one of the principal families; (Menochius; Du Hamel) perhaps the second in dignity; (4 Kings xxv. 18.) while Jesus was the suc... [ Continue Reading ]
_Phassur, Phesur, (Haydock) or Phetur. From him sprung Zacharias, Amsi, Phelelia, Jehoram; so that the last was only the great-grandson of Phassur, 2 Esdras xi. 12. --- Maasai. In Esdras (v. 13) Amassai, the son of Azreel, the son of Ahazi._... [ Continue Reading ]
_Levites, established at Jerusalem._... [ Continue Reading ]
_Carpenter. Hebrew Cheresh, is taken by some to be a surname. Septuagint, "And Ares." It is asserted that the priests and Levites could follow no mechanical profession, (Abulensis) and the Bacbacar only presided over the carpenters, who wrought in the temple. (Menochius) (Tirinus) --- But why might... [ Continue Reading ]
_Suburbs, or "courts," atriis. (Haydock) --- Hebrew, "villages." (Menochius) --- Netophati was a town of Juda. The ancient regulations could not be observed exactly. (Calmet) --- The priests received the Levites into their cities. (Du Hamel)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Sellum had the superintendency over all the porters. (Haydock) --- He was also at the head of one of the four bands which guarded the doors, east, west, north, and south of the temple, with various apartments, ver. 26. (Calmet) --- Brother. Hebrew, "brethren," or bands. (Haydock)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Time. Hebrew, "and hitherto." This custom has been observed at the king's gate, who entered his tribune by the eastern gate of the temple, 4 Kings xvi. 18. So far the ancient records reach. Some would infer from this passage, that a guard was still kept at the king's gate, even though there was non... [ Continue Reading ]
_Service, to keep watch. (Calmet) --- Families. Hebrew, "fathers over the host, (Haydock) or camp of the Lord: keepers of the entry." The Corites, though not perhaps alone, performed what their fathers had done before the tabernacle, in the desert, and in the temple of Solomon; which were considered... [ Continue Reading ]
_Before. Hebrew, "the Lord with him," an usual form of blessing, (Calmet) or of wishing well (Haydock) to the deceased. (Calemt) --- This Phinees lived after the captivity, (Menochius) and possessed the same power as Eleazar and Joiada, chap. xii. 27., and Numbers iii. 32. It is not necessary to ref... [ Continue Reading ]
_Gate, leading to the holy place, which corresponded with the tabernacle._... [ Continue Reading ]
_Towns, where they resided, when they were not on duty. (Menochius) --- Seer, or prophet. (Haydock) --- We read not of his making any such regulation. But he probably made it after the misconduct of the sons of Heli, and when the ark was brought back. (Calmet) --- He might also give private instruct... [ Continue Reading ]
_Quarters: literally, "by the four winds."_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Up on. Hebrew, "after seven days....with them," to take their place for a week._... [ Continue Reading ]
_To these. Hebrew, "for these Levites, (Sellum, &c.; ver. 17) four chief porters were in their set office," for life, or as long as they were able to serve, and did not change every week like the rest. --- Lord: the apartments of the priests, and the storehouses, (Haydock) where all precious ornamen... [ Continue Reading ]
_Priests. They alone were allowed to make the composition, which no mortal was permitted to use (Calmet) for his own pleasure. (Haydock) (Exodus xxx. 34.)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Pan, to be offered on the altar of holocausts, (Leviticus ii. 4., and vii. 12.) or to be eaten by the priests, Ezechiel xlvi. 20. Mathathias was to take care that all this was done with decency, (Calmet) and to look after the utensils._... [ Continue Reading ]
_Propositions. Hebrew, "of arrangement;" (Exodus xxxv. 13.) "of faces." These loaves were made by the Levites, but arranged upon the golden table every week (Calmet) before the ark. See chap. xxiii. 92._... [ Continue Reading ]
_These; probably Sellum, &c., (ver. 17) though it is not certain that the chief porters presided over the singers, chap. xv., and xvi. Hebrew, "And these are the singers, chief of the families (Calmet; or fathers) of the Levites, in the chambers (of the temple) free" from all other avocations, (Hayd... [ Continue Reading ]
_Jerusalem, having no substitute; (chap. xxvi.; Haydock) or the chiefs of each family resided there. (Menochius)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_And in. These verses are repeated from the last chapter, in order to bring us to the death of Saul, (Menochius) and the reign of David. (Calmet) --- "Tis difficult to account for the repetition, provided they were repeated originally; but if they have been repeated through the blunder of a transcri... [ Continue Reading ]
CHAPTER IX.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Tharaa. Hebrew, "Tachrea." (Kennicott) e, is substituted for a. (Haydock) --- And Ahaz, is omitted in Hebrew, (Kennicott) and Septuagint._... [ Continue Reading ]
_Jara. Hebrew Yahra instead of Jeuade, or Johada, (Calmet) chap. viii. 36, twice. Septuagint, Jada here, and Joiada above. (Haydock)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Raphaia, called Rapha before. (Calmet)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_These. All is omitted, though it is found [in] chap. viii. 38, and in manuscript ii. (Kennicott) --- These remarks, which may appear to some minute, shew that all Hebrew manuscripts are not absolutely alike, as some once pretended; and that the Hebrew Bible is not printed from the best copies. (Hay... [ Continue Reading ]