1Ki 22:24, Neh 13:25, Isa 58:4, Act 23:2, 2Ti 2:24-25 | JFB | STEP | 24, 25. Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah went near, and smote Micaiah on the cheek —The insolence of this man, the leader of the false prophets, seems to have been provoked by jealousy at Micaiah's assumed monopoly of the spirit of inspiration. This mode of smiting, usually with a shoe, is both severe and ignominious. The calm reply of the Lord's prophet consisted in announcing the fate of the false prophets who suffered as the advisers of the disastrous expedition.

1 Kings 22:24

24, 25. Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah went near, and smote Micaiah on the cheek—The insolence of this man, the leader of the false prophets, seems to have been provoked by jealousy at Micaiah's assumed monopoly of the spirit of inspiration. This mode of smiting, usually with a shoe, is both severe and ignominious. The calm reply of the Lord's prophet consisted in announcing the fate of the false prophets who suffered as the advisers of the disastrous expedition.

Nehemiah 13:25

25. cursed them—that is, pronounced on them an anathema which entailed excommunication.

smote . . . and plucked off their hair—To cut off the hair of offenders seems to be a punishment rather disgraceful than severe; yet it is supposed that pain was added to disgrace, and that they tore off the hair with violence as if they were plucking a bird alive.

Isaiah 58:4

4. ye shall not fast—rather, "ye do not fast at this time, so as to make your voice to be heard on high," that is, in heaven; your aim in fasting is strife, not to gain the ear of God [MAURER] (1Ki 21:9, 12, 13). In English Version the sense is, If you wish acceptance with God, ye must not fast as ye now do, to make your voice heard high in strife.

Acts 23:2

2. the high priest . . . commanded . . . to smite him on the mouth—a method of silencing a speaker common in the East to this day [HACKET]. But for a judge thus to treat a prisoner on his "trial," for merely prefacing his defense by a protestation of his integrity, was infamous.

2 Timothy 2:24-25

24. not strive—"The servant of the Lord" must imitate his master in not striving contentiously, though uncompromising in earnestly contending for the faith (Jude 3; Mt 12:19).

gentle unto all men—"patient" (Greek, "patient in bearing wrongs") in respect to adversaries. He is to be gentle so that he may occasion no evils; patient so that he may endure evils.

apt to teach—implying not only solid teaching and ease in teaching, but patience and assiduity in it [BENGEL].

25. instructing—Greek, "disciplining," instructing with correction, which those who deal in "uninstructive" or "undisciplined questions" need (see on 2Ti 2:23; 1Ti 1:20).

those that oppose themselves—Greek, "oppositely affected"; those of a different opinion.

if . . . peradventure—Greek, "if at any time."

repentance—which they need as antecedent to the full knowledge (so the Greek for 'acknowledgment') of the truth" (1Ti 2:4), their minds being corrupted (2Ti 3:8), and their lives immoral. The cause of the spiritual ignorance which prompts such "questions" is moral, having its seat in the will, not in the intellect (Joh 7:17). Therefore repentance is their first need. That, not man, but God alone can "give" (Ac 5:31).