_Years, wanting some months. Maacha. She is called elsewhere, Michaia, daughter of Uriel; but is was a common thing, in those days, for a person to have two names. (Challoner) --- Abessalom and Absalom, the son of David are the same, 2 Paralipomenon xi. 21. (Calmet) --- St. Jerome (Trad.) is of a di... [ Continue Reading ]
_Lamp, son; (chap. xi. 36.) though he deserved to have his family exterminated. (Calmet) --- He is preserved for his father's sake. (Worthington)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Hethite. This could not be excused. But all his other imperfections might not appear criminal in the eyes of the world, as they had some pretext of virtue; so that God reserves the judgment of them to himself, and to David's conscience, who confessed that he had sinned, 2 Kings xxiv. 10. (Tirinus)... [ Continue Reading ]
_Roboam. This had been remarked, chap. xiv. 30. (Haydock) --- There was a domestic quarrel between the two families. (Calmet) --- Some suspect that Roboam is placed to designate his successors, or that we ought to read, Abia. (Sanchez) --- Castalion rashly ventures to alter the text. (Calmet) --- Ab... [ Continue Reading ]
_Year complete, when the 21st was running on. (Usher) --- Septuagint, "the 24th." (Calmet) --- But Grabe's edition agrees with the Hebrew. (Haydock)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_His mother's, &c. That is, his grandmother; unless we suppose, which is not improbable, that the Maacha here named is different from the Maacha mentioned [in] ver. 2. (Challoner) --- She was probably another grand-daughter of David's son, (Calmet) as such are frequently styled simply daughters. So... [ Continue Reading ]
_Effeminate. See chap. xiv. 24. Yet his zeal could not entirely eradicate this evil. There was room for the exertions of his son Josaphat, chap. xxii. 47. (Calmet) --- The king punished with death such as he could discover. (Haydock)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Priapus. He would not spare such abominations in his own family. (Menochius) He took from his mother the direction of the palace, (Vatable) and her guards. (Grotius) --- Hebrew, "even her he removed from being queen, because she had made a Miphlatstah." (Haydock) --- Septuagint render this term a s... [ Continue Reading ]
The high places. There were excelsa, or high places, of two different kinds. Some were set up and dedicated to the worship of idols, or strange gods: and these Asa removed, 2 Paralipomenon xiv. 2. Others were only altars of the true God, but were erected contrary to the law, which allowed of no sacr... [ Continue Reading ]
_Vowed. Hebrew, "which he himself had dedicated," or vowed, 2 Paralipomenon xv. 18. (Haydock) --- Asa made liberal presents to the Lord, and gave what his father had promised, (Menochius) probably during the famous battle against Jeroboam, 2 Paralipomenon xiii. 5. (Abulensis, q. 17.) --- Abiam was a... [ Continue Reading ]
_Their days: not that they were always fighting. (Haydock) --- Open war was declared only in the 35 th year of Asa, (2 Paralipomenon xv. 19.) which must be dated from the schism, and not from the commencement of his reign; since his rival, Baasa, enjoyed the sovereignty only 24 years, and died in th... [ Continue Reading ]
_Rama, fortifying it with a wall all round, 2 Paralipomenon xvi. (Haydock) --- Rama signifies, "a height." This fort commanded a narrow pass, between the two kingdoms, (Calmet) and cut off all communication; which Baasa dreaded, lest his subjects should return to the service of the true God, and of... [ Continue Reading ]
_House. Sesac had not carried off all the treasures, (Calmet) and the losses had been since in a great measure repaired, ver. 15. (Haydock) --- Asa thought himself justified in employing these treasures in such a pressing necessity, (Calmet) perhaps (Haydock) without reason, as the danger was not so... [ Continue Reading ]
_League. The infidel is ready to take part with the best bidder. (Haydock) --- Benadad gains a double reward, as he plunders the conquered. (Menochius)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Ahion, or Ain, remote in the north, whence Theglathphalasar took away captives, (4 Kings xv. 29.) is perhaps the Enan of Ezechiel xlviii. 1., and Numbers xxxiv. 9. --- Maacha. In Paralipomenon, Abel-maim, "Abela of the waters," 2 Kings xx. 14. --- Ceneroth, near the sea of Tiberias, Josue xi. 2. Be... [ Continue Reading ]
_Returned. So the Septuagint. Hebrew, "dwelt." (Calmet) --- He returned to protect his own dominions, (Menochius) and shut himself up in his capital. (Calmet)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Excused. "When the country is to be defended, all exemptions cease." (Leg. ult.) (Calmet) --- Septuagint seem to preserve the terms of the original untranslated, "Asa called all....to Annacim." Hebrew en naki, (Haydock) means, "no one exempt." (Calmet) --- Rama belonged to the enemy; and, as it app... [ Continue Reading ]
_Strength. Septuagint, "dynasty," or power, whether of his dominions or of his person. (Calmet) --- Feet, with the gout, (Menochius) three years before his death. He did not confide in the Lord sufficiently, 2 Paralipomenon xvi. 12. His body was embalmed or burnt, unless aromatic spices evaporated w... [ Continue Reading ]
_Two years, incomplete; since he commenced his reign in the second, and died in the third year of Asa, ver. 28. (Calmet) --- Petau only allows him, "a few months;" and supposes, that he had been associated on the throne with Jeroboam. But this is unnecessary. (Houbigant) --- Nadab was the first king... [ Continue Reading ]
_Gebbethon, of the tribe of Dan, occupied by the Philistines. It was often attacked, chap. xvi. 15. (Calmet) --- The occasion of this war is not known. (Menochius)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Jeroboam. The author of schism is punished in his posterity. (Worthington) --- The body of Nadab was left unburied, chap. xiv. 11. (Menochius)_... [ Continue Reading ]
CHAPTER XV.... [ Continue Reading ]