Bible Commentaries

Exodus 32:1-6 — certainly an allowable understanding of the place appears in the ASV marginal note substituting "a god" for "gods." "It here denotes `a god' and should be so rendered."F. C. Cook, Barnes, Notes, Exodus (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, Reprint 1983), p. 87. "Gathered themselves together unto Aaron" "Unto Aaron," here, would be better rendered "against Aaron."Robert P. Gordon, The New Layman's Bible Commentary (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1979), p. 204. The New English Bible reads "confronted

Exodus 33:18-23 — God's denial of Moses' request to see "God's glory," he was nevertheless shown more than any other person of human history was ever shown - either before or since - with a possible exception of Paul's vision in "the third heaven" (2 Corinthians 12:1-7). Certainly, "This is one of the most mysterious and solemn scenes in the entire Bible."Robert Jamieson, op. cit., p. 412. A number of scholars have attempted to answer the question of just why Moses made such a request of God, and there does not appear

2 Kings 13:1-9 — reprobate, licentious and totally wicked. Some appeal to the fact that Aaron did it in the wilderness with his Golden Calf. All right, go back to that episode and see what happened! God Himself declared that the people "had corrupted themselves" (Exodus 32:7). Some claim that they were, in fact, "worshipping God"; but God himself said that, "They have made a calf and worshipped it and that they sacrificed to it"! (Exodus 32:8). There was absolutely no worship of God whatever in that reversion ` to paganism. Under

1 Chronicles 2:1-55 — house of Rechab." Although there is a great deal of new material in this chapter (1 Chronicles 2:25-41), other scriptures parallel much of it: "1 Chronicles 2:1-2 are parallel with Genesis 35:22 b-26 and Exodus 1:1-6. 1 Chronicles 2:3-4 are in Gen. 38:2-7,29f; 46:12a, and Numbers 26:18 f. 1 Chronicles 2:5 appears in Genesis 46:12 b; Numbers 26:21; Ruth 4:18. 1 Chronicles 2:6-8 are related to Joshua 7:1; 1 Kings 5:11. 1 Chronicles 2:9-17 is parallel with Ruth 4:19-22; 1 Samuel 16:8-9; 2 Sam. 2:18; 17:35."International

Ezra 1:1-4 — and with goods, and with beasts, besides the freewill-offering for the house of God which is in Jerusalem." "In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia" A number of scholars place this date at 538 B.C.,F. C. Cook, Barnes' Commentary Series, Ezra, p. 437. but Darius was ruler of Persia (as Cyrus' deputy) for a couple of years; and Keil's placement of this date at 536 B.C.C. F. Keil, Keil and Delitzsch's Old Testament Commentaries, Jeremiah, p. 374. is a more accurate discernment, as that was Cyrus'

Proverbs 7:6-23 — our Venetian blinds."The Pulpit Commentary, op. cit., p. 154. "I beheld among the simple ones" "The word simple is here used in the bad sense for `empty-headed, empty-hearted.'"Barnes' Notes on the Old Testament (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, a 1987 reprint of the 1878 Edition), Proverbs, p. 28. He was hanging around a place of danger at a time when the pure in heart would have been seeking the security of their home. "And he went the way to her house" "Like meets like; the seduction is complete,"Wycliffe

Leviticus 18:6-18 — life-time." With minor exceptions, the stipulations here are clear enough and hardly need any comment. "Uncover the nakedness of" This, as used here, simply means "to marry."J. R. Dummelow, Commentary on the Holy Bible, (New York: The Macmillan Company, 1937), p. 96. However, in the extended meaning, it has reference to sexual intercourse, which by implication is also included in the prohibitions here. Here is a list of the prohibited marriages: The all-embracing injunction was simply this: that all marriages

Leviticus 4:1-12 — blood sprinkled. The offering in Leviticus 1-3 were voluntary, but these are obligatory. Although the principal class of violations covered by these were inadvertent, unintentional, or unwitting, "there are a few exceptions in Leviticus 5."Ibid., p. 27. The Jewish law did not permit a man to commit a sin deliberately and then square it with a sacrifice. "The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord" (Proverbs 15:8). Another marked difference between the first three and the last two kinds

Ecclesiastes 11:1-6 — not thy hand; for thou knowest not which shall prosper, whether this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good." These six verses are, "The first remedy proposed by the author for the perplexities of life,"The Pulpit Commentary, Vol. 9b, p. 275. a life which he has repeatedly called "vanity of vanities." And what is this recommended remedy? "Cast thy bread upon the waters, etc." For more than eighteen centuries, there was never any doubt about what was meant here. Franz Delitzsch noted, during

Isaiah 41:1-7 — Abraham, known to every Israelite on earth, were a thousand times more comforting than this passage could possibly have been if it were nothing more than an ambiguous prophecy of a ruler who would appear on earth near the very end of their captivity. 7.    The last three verses of this paragraph introduce the idolatrous peoples as greatly alarmed about the great man God raised up (Isaiah 41:2); and they are represented as going to work and making or repairing idols as rapidly as

Isaiah 52:13-15 — above every name; that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things on earth, and things under the earth. and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. See Philippians 2:7-11." The significant thing, is that by means of his terrible sufferings, Christ attained to his glorious victory and exaltation to the right hand of the Majesty on high. Right here is the reason that we know that these songs of the Servant were not

Numbers 10:1-10 — Israel could not fail to be used as an excuse to find evidence of a late date. "The word here for trumpet is distinctly a late term and usually a priestly word."John Joseph Owens, Broadman Bible Commentary, Vol. 2, Numbers (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1970), p. 111. The trumpets may not in any manner be supposed as a late invention in Israel. "Elegant specimens of this very kind of trumpet were found interred with the body of Tutankhamen, Egyptian Pharaoh (circa 1350 B.C.)."T. Carson, New Layman's Bible

Numbers 26:1-65 — Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun." Here is a graphic summary of this census and that of the first chapter, showing the changes during the intervening 38 years. GRAPHIC SUMMARYFirstSecondNet%%TribeFamiliesCensusCensusChangeGainLossREUBEN446,50043,7302,2706%SIMEON559,30022,20037,10063%GAD745,65040,5005,15011%JUDAH574,60076,5001,9002 1/2%ISSACHAR454,40064,3009,90018%ZEBULUN357,40060,5003,1005 1/2%EPHRAIM440,50032,5008,00020%MANASSEH832,20052,70020,50063%BENJAMIN735,40045,60010,20029%DAN162,70064,4001,7002

Obadiah 1:12-14 — telling us that, "In highly imaginative fashion, the prophet speaks of events in the past as if they were still present."Leslie C. Allen, New International Commentary on the Old Testament, Obadiah (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1976), p. 156. "This is a rhetorical device, and the RSV is right in seeing that it refers to the past."D. W. B. Robinson, The New Bible Commentary, Revised (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1970), p. 744. If such views are true, where

Zechariah 8:3 — Jerusalem. Note that "Zion" was used a second time in order to emphasize what part of Israel is the subject here. The ultimate fulfillment of this glorious promise occurred when the gospel was sent forth to all nations, "beginning at Jerusalem" (Luke 24:47). Furthermore, there is absolutely no unlimited guarantee on God's part that he would never leave Jerusalem. Therefore, we must reject an opinion such as this: "He begins by saying that he will now… return to Zion... moreover, this is to be a

Mark 13:2 — considerations, and the probabilities indicated by the rebellious nature of Israel and the character of the Roman authority. As a matter of fact, Rome would never have destroyed the temple of its own volition; and when Titus who had charge of the siege (A.D. 70) drew his armies around the city, he gave a specific commandment to his entire army forbidding its demolition, intending to preserve it as a "monument to the empire."James Macknight, A Harmony of the Four Gospels (Grand Rapids, Michigan:

1 Corinthians 12:10 — "Kinds of tongues" forbids the idea of there having been only one kind; and, besides that, the special gift of interpreting tongues mentioned a moment later and the absolute necessity of having an interpreter (as mentioned in 1 Corinthians 14:27-28) make it impossible to identify the "tongues" discussed here with the miracle of Pentecost. There was no interpreter then! For those who might be interested in a further examination of the interpretation that only the speaking of foreign

2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 — Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy by thy name, and by thy name cast out demons, and by thy name do many mighty works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity (Matthew 7:15-23). I know that after my departing grievous wolves shall enter in among you not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. Wherefore watch ye, remembering that

Hebrews 10:29 — translates a Greek word used by Matthew for heartless and totally indifferent action. Bristol says: The verb is used by Jesus of the useless salt cast out and trodden under foot (Matthew 5:13) and of the perils of being trampled down by swine (Matthew 7:6). Here it denotes that the sinner rejects the Son of God completely and brutally. Lyle O. Bristol, Hebrews, A Commentary (Valley Forge, Pennsylvania: The Judson Press, 1967), p. 134. It is easy to take the penalties of neglect, and other so-called

Revelation 7:4-8 — fit into this passage in any way. That our interpretation entails come difficulty is freely admitted. Smith called this, "a passage of unusual difficulty"; Wilbur M. Smith, Wycliffe Bible Commentary, New Testament (Chicago: Moody Press, 1971), p. 1070. but the difficulty of trying to make the tribes of literal Israel fit the meaning here is far more difficult. The 144,000 … This is a number made up of 12 x 12 x 1,000. Earlier in Revelation we had a number made up of 12 + 12, that