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3,811 commentary entries
Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible
The Feast of Unleavened Bread. (b. c. 726.)
THE FEAST OF UNLEAVENED BREAD. (B. C. 726.) After the passover followed the feast of unleavened bread, which continued seven days. How that was observed we are here told, and every thing in this account looks pleasant a…
Hezekiah Destroys Idolatry. (b. c. 726.)
HEZEKIAH DESTROYS IDOLATRY. (B. C. 726.) We have here an account of what was done after the passover. What was wanting in the solemnities of preparation for it before was made up in that which is better, a due improveme…
The Maintenance of the Priests. (b. c. 720.)
THE MAINTENANCE OF THE PRIESTS. (B. C. 720.) Here we have, I. Two particular instances of the care of Hezekiah concerning church matters, having put them into good order, to keep them so. The tithes and other holy thing…
Sennacherib's Invasion; Hezekiah's Patient Confidence. (b. c. 713.)
SENNACHERIB'S INVASION; HEZEKIAH'S PATIENT CONFIDENCE. (B. C. 713.) Here is, I. The formidable design of Sennacherib against Hezekiah's kingdom, and the vigorous attempt he made upon it. This Sennacherib was now, as Neb…
The Destruction of the Assyrians. (b. c. 713.)
THE DESTRUCTION OF THE ASSYRIANS. (B. C. 713.) This story of the rage and blasphemy of Sennacherib, Hezekiah's prayer, and the deliverance of Jerusalem by the destruction of the Assyrian army, we had more at large in th…
The Death of Hezekiah. (b. c. 698.)
THE DEATH OF HEZEKIAH. (B. C. 698.) Here we conclude the story of Hezekiah with an account of three things concerning him:— I. His sickness and his recovery from it, 2 Chronicles 32:24. The account of his sickness is bu…
The Reign of Manasseh. (b. c. 662.)
THE REIGN OF MANASSEH. (B. C. 662.) We have here an account of the great wickedness of Manasseh. It is the same almost word for word with that which we had 2 Kings 21:1-9, and took a melancholy view of. It is no such pl…
Matthew Henry on 2 Chronicles 33:11-20
We have seen Manasseh by his wickedness undoing the good that his father had done; here we have him by repentance undoing the evil that he himself had done. It is strange that this was not so much as mentioned in the bo…
The Reign and Death of Amon. (b. c. 641.)
THE REIGN AND DEATH OF AMON. (B. C. 641.) We have little recorded concerning Amon, but enough unless it were better. Here is, I. His great wickedness. He did as Manasseh had done in the days of his apostasy, 2 Chronicle…
The Reign of Josiah. (b. c. 623.)
THE REIGN OF JOSIAH. (B. C. 623.) Concerning Josiah we are here told, 1. That he came to the crown when he was very young, only eight years old (yet his infancy did not debar him from his right), and he reigned thirty-o…
Matthew Henry on 2 Chronicles 34:8-13
Here, 1. Orders are given by the king for the repair of the temple, 2 Chronicles 34:8. When he had purged the house of the corruptions of it he began to fit it up for the services that were to be performed in it. Thus w…
Matthew Henry on 2 Chronicles 34:14-28
This whole paragraph we had, just as it is here related, 2 Kings 22:8-20, and have nothing to add here to what was there observed. But, 1. We may hence take occasion to bless God that we have plenty of Bibles, and that…
Matthew Henry on 2 Chronicles 34:29-33
We have here an account of the further advances which Josiah made towards the reformation of his kingdom upon the hearing of the law read and the receipt of the message God sent him by the prophetess. Happy the people t…
The Reign of Josiah. (b. c. 623.)
THE REIGN OF JOSIAH. (B. C. 623.) The destruction which Josiah made of idols and idolatry was more largely related in the Kings, but just mentioned here in the foregoing chapter (2 Chronicles 35:33); but his solemnizing…
The Death of Josiah. (b. c. 610.)
THE DEATH OF JOSIAH. (B. C. 610.) It was thirteen years from Josiah's famous passover to his death. During this time, we may hope, thing went well in his kingdom, that he prospered, and religion flourished; yet we are n…
The Destruction of Jerusalem. (b. c. 588.)
THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM. (B. C. 588.) The destruction of Judah and Jerusalem is here coming on by degrees. God so ordered it to show that he has no pleasure in the ruin of sinners, but had rather they would turn an…
Matthew Henry on 2 Chronicles 36:11-21
We have here an account of the destruction of the kingdom of Judah and the city of Jerusalem by the Chaldeans. Abraham, God's friend, was called out of that country, from Ur of the Chaldees, when God took him into coven…
Matthew Henry on 2 Chronicles 36:22-23
These last two verses of this book have a double aspect. 1. They look back to the prophecy of Jeremiah, and show how that was accomplished, 2 Chronicles 36:22. God had, by him, promised the restoring of the captives and…
The Proclamation of Cyrus. (b. c. 536.)
THE PROCLAMATION OF CYRUS. (B. C. 536.) It will be proper for us here to consider, 1. What was the state of the captive Jews in Babylon. It was upon many accounts very deplorable; they were under the power of those that…
Matthew Henry on Ezra 1:5-11
We are here told, I. How Cyrus's proclamation succeeded with others. 1. He having given leave to the Jews to go up to Jerusalem, many of them went up accordingly, Ezra 1:5. The leaders herein were the chief of the fathe…
The Return of the Captives. (b. c. 536.)
THE RETURN OF THE CAPTIVES. (B. C. 536.) We may observe here, 1. That an account was kept in writing of the families that came up out of captivity, and the numbers of each family. This was done for their honour, as part…
Matthew Henry on Ezra 2:36-63
Here is an account, I. Of the priests that returned, and they were a considerable number, about a tenth part of the whole company: for the whole were above 42,000 (Ezra 2:64), and four families of priests made up above…
Matthew Henry on Ezra 2:64-70
Here is, I. The sum total of the company that returned out of Babylon. The particular sums before mentioned amount not quite to 30,000 (29,818), so that there were above 12,000 that come out into any of those accounts,…
The Renewal of the Sacrifices. (b. c. 536.)
THE RENEWAL OF THE SACRIFICES. (B. C. 536.) Here is, I. A general assembly of the returned Israelites at Jerusalem, in the seventh month, Ezra 3:1. We may suppose that they came from Babylon in the spring, and must allo…