Bible Commentaries

Hosea 6:6 — never commanded sacrifice, that it was merely the adoption by Israel of a device found in the pagan cults around them is totally wrong. Hindley discussed this briefly, thus: "Some critics have seen in this and the five similar passages (Isaiah 1:11-15; Isaiah 43:22-24; Amos 5:21-25; and Micah 6:6-8) a conflict between the prophets and the sacrificial cultus; but nowhere do the prophets deny the validity of sacrifice offered in the right spirit. In each case, they denounce sins of immorality, idolatry,

Amos 1:1 — which is categorically affirmed a moment later in the words "which he saw." That this is true "is affirmed by the succeeding clause, `which he saw.'"W. J. Deane, The Pulpit Commentary, Vol 14, Amos (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1950), p. 1. Schultz and many others have also discerned this: "The divine origin of the words of the prophet is emphasized by… `which he saw.'"Arnold C. Schultz, Wycliffe Bible Commentary, p. 830. In the words of the prophecy of Amos: "We are in

Micah 1:16 — "Make thee bald, and cut off thy hair for the children of thy delight: enlarge thy baldness as the eagle; for they are gone into captivity from thee." This chapter has the prophecy "concerning Samaria and Jerusalem" (Micah 1:1; Micah 1:5; Micah 1:9; Micah 1:12); and it is incorrect to view the prophecies as separated in time by any lengthy period. The judgment of Samaria and Jerusalem was one judgment, although executed at different times. Samaria fell completely in 722 B.C. to Sargon

Micah 4:10 — The slavery of the people is indicated by their "dwelling" in the field, the usual habitation of slaves. The rescue and redemption of the people are also prophesied at the same time. See the discussion of The Bible's Predictive Prophecies under Micah 5:2. Students should keep continually in mind the summary of this study on Micah 4:10 by W. J. Deane, a scholar ranking very much higher than some of those claiming to be "the best." He wrote: "There is no reason to consider that the reference to Babylon

Micah 6:6 — E. MacFayden, Abingdon Bible Commentary, (New York: Abingdon-Cokesbury, 1929), p. 796. This passage is one of the greatest in the Bible on the futility of ritualistic worship."Rolland E. Wolfe, The Interpreter's Bible, Vol. VI (New York: Abingdon, 1957), p. 938. There are many such comments regarding these verses, but they miss the point completely. This passage does not condemn God's own religion revealed to the Hebrews which was a ritualistic worship; and the true worship of God is the service

Zechariah 11:12 — shall be stoned. Barnes noted that this was only half the value of a freeman. "A freeman is valued, more or less, at sixty shekels, but a slave at thirty."E. B. Pusey, Notes on the Minor Prophets, Vol. 2 (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1953), p. 427. Note too, that a dead or severely-injured slave was so valued. Pusey interpreted Exodus 21:32 to mean "gored to death," affirming that the amount here was the "price of a slave gored to death."Ibid. This is doubtless correct and casts an

Zechariah 3:8 — come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch; and a king shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth, and this is the name whereby he shall be called, The Lord our Righteousness (Jeremiah 23:5-6). In those days and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David, and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land (Jeremiah 23:15)." "My servant the Branch" The dramatic announcement of the bringing in of

Zechariah 9:9-10 — River to the ends of the earth." This magnificent prophecy of the triumphal entry of Christ into Jerusalem and the establishment of his universal dominion is one of the greatest in the Old Testament. New Testament references to it are in Matthew 21:1-5; Mark 11:1-10; Luke 19:29-38 and John 12:12-19. Since it is impossible for the critics to date this "after the event," they attempt to explain it as a reference to something other than the entry of Christ. "The author, apparently, as soon as Alexander

Matthew 17:1 — elevation, compared with Hermon's 9,000 feet. (2) Tradition favoring Tabor, first advocated by St. Cyril of Jerusalem in the fourth century,A. Lukyn Williams, Pulpit Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1961), Vol. 15 II, p. 171. is much too late to have much weight. (3) Mount Tabor was populated, having a fortress on top, during the time of Christ,J. R. Dummelow, One Volume Commentary (New York: The Macmillan Company, 1937), p. 683. and was not suitable for such

Matthew 27:13-14 — "Galilee" as an excuse to send Christ to Herod. Matthew did not record any of the "many things" they witnessed against Christ, but Luke recorded their charge of having "stirred up the people, BEGINNING FROM GALILEE" (Luke 23:5). Herod, like all Roman deputies, was in Jerusalem for the Passover, and Pilate did a politically clever thing by sending Christ to Herod, the tetrarch of Galilee. Herod's curiosity was frustrated; Jesus performed no miracle; in fact, he said nothing.

Matthew 27:23 — that: 1.    Pilate sent him to Herod Antipas. 2.    He gave a verdict of innocence. 3.    He offered to substitute a lighter punishment. 4.    He proposed a choice between Christ and Barabbas. 5.    He insisted on Jesus' innocence: "Why, what evil hath he done?" 6.    He suggested that they take him and mob him. 7.    He still sought to release him. Yet after all that, when

Deuteronomy 9:1-5 — warnings here were ignored by the historical Israel. In view of so many O.T. commentators appealing to Ephesians 2:8-9, we shall make a few observations about that verse. (For a full discussion of it see Vol. 8 in my N.T. series of commentaries, pp. 158-164.) F. F. Bruce declared that the "watchword of Reformation theology is: `sola gratia, sola fide, soli Deo gloria' (`by grace alone, through faith alone, to God alone be glory')."F. F. Bruce, Answers to Questions (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing

Mark 12:1 — particulars to the climax reached in the marriage of the king's son, see my Commentary on Matthew, Matthew 21:28 ff. The arrangement here in Mark is absolutely incompatible with the Markan theory. In these words, as Turlington noted: The allusions to Isaiah 5:1-7 are unmistakable. The vineyard so completely tended was the "house of Israel" and the "men of Judah." The Lord himself was owner and provider.Henry E. Turlington, Broadman Bible Commentary (Nashville: The Broadman Press, 1946),

Mark 13:3-4 — told Adam that he would die in the day that he ate the forbidden fruit (Genesis 2:17); yet Adam lived 930 years. There was a primary fulfillment of this when Adam was separated from the garden of Eden, and a secondary fulfillment in his death (Romans 5:12). Isaiah foretold the birth of a son by a virgin, yet added a prophecy which confined it to his own generation (Isaiah 7:14-17). The prophet combined type and antitype in the same words.H. Leo Boles, Commentary on Matthew (Nashville: The Gospel Advocate

Mark 2:27 — any religious institution and that religious laws were made for the benefit of his own self-expression!"Ibid., p. 44. This view, of course, must be rejected. For fuller discussion of the title "Son of man," see Commentary on John, p. 54. Lord of the sabbath … Wholly apart from the fact that no violation of God's sabbath law had happened, there was the additional truth that Jesus' disciples were exempted from God's true sabbath laws, due to their being in the service of Jesus

Luke 12:57-59 — an agreement now, while you are "on the way." Even of yourselves … "Why, even without signs, do you not judge rightly of me and of my doctrine by the natural light of reason and of conscience?"J. R. Dummelow, op. cit., p. 755. The analogies in this teaching are: (1) Just as the human system of courts decides human affairs, in the larger sphere of time and eternity it is God the judge of all who makes decisions. (2) All men are represented here as "on the way"

Luke 3:21-22 — pondered the reasons why Jesus was baptized; and among reasons that might have entered into his submission to that rite are the following: (1) The reason that he himself gave, "thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness" (Matthew 3:15), indicates that it would have been unbecoming, even of the sinless Christ, to have withheld obedience to God's commandment. The message for all men in this is plain. (2) By so doing, he indicated the adoption of the rite of baptism to be the initiatory

Luke 5:36-39 — patch imposed upon Judaism, nor a mere refilling of old forms with vital new truth. "New wine … new garment …" Here was a glimpse of the truth stressed by the apostles, "Behold all things are become new!" (2 Corinthians 5:17).

John 3:16 — rejected. Glorious as faith assuredly is, it is faith "in Christ" that saves, not faith "in faith." Should not perish … The so-called translations that read this place "shall not perish" are incorrect. See under John 3:15. "Perish …" is a reference to the overthrow of the wicked in hell, and is a hint of the judgment when God will settle accounts with evil. Tender as the love of God is, it does not extend far enough to include any divine acceptance of

Romans 6:23 — any intelligence, however, will compose that final existence to which .the saints of God are invited. In Christ Jesus our Lord … To miss the significance of these words is to miss everything Paul was teaching. At the end of each chapter (Romans 5—8), Paul returned to this expression, suggesting the recurrence of the mighty theme of a symphony, the intention of the apostle plainly being that of preventing the Christian's forgetfulness, either of the source of such blessings, or the personal