Bible Commentaries

Genesis 25:19-24 — intimate that Rebekah inquired of God through Abraham the prophet, her father-in-law, who still survived."J. R. Dummelow, op. cit., p. 32. If the latter opinion by such scholars as Dummelow and Kalish should be allowed, then his prophecy in Genesis 25:23 should also be allowed as the final recorded words of Abraham. The function of Abraham as a prophet was evident in his promise that God would send his angel to guide the servant in finding Rebekah, and here again, in the comprehensive prophecies

Genesis 3:4-5 — that, "he did not die (physically) immediately as God said,"John T. Willis, Genesis (Austin, Texas: Sweet Publishing Company, 1979), p. 119. and that, "It is also true that death does not immediately follow the act of eating,"John Skinner, op. cit., p. 75. etc., etc. It seems to be ignored by everyone that God said NONE of those things. He did not say that death would follow INSTANTANEOUSLY upon their eating the forbidden fruit, nor that they would die immediately. All such thoughts are interpretive

Genesis 46:1-4 — in a vision, thus removing all doubt. "And God spake unto him" As far as the record goes, this was the last appearance of God to Jacob, there being eight appearances in all: (1) Genesis 28:13; (2) Genesis 31:3; (3) Genesis 31:11; (4) Genesis 32:1; (5) Genesis 32:30; (6) Genesis 35:1; (7) Genesis 35:9; (8) Genesis 46:2. It is of interest that the appearance of God to Jacob came not for the personal benefit of the patriarch but upon occasions pertinent to the welfare of the covenant nation. God did

Exodus 16:31-36 — intelligent. Nevertheless, if God needed another, and a later writer, to include these details in the narrative, he might very well have used Joshua or Ezra, both of whom were inspired and who could easily have done so. As Fields stated it: Exodus 16:35 sounds as if it were written after the manna had ceased to be provided. If so, this one verse was inserted by Joshua, or some other writer after Moses' death. This probability no more casts doubt on the Mosaic authorship of Exodus, than does the insertion

Ezra 9 overview — against marriages with unbelievers (2 Corinthians 6:14)."The New Bible Commentary, Revised, p. 403. In this connection, we must reject the liberal view that, "The Israelites did not originally condemn intermarriage."Broadman Bible Commentary, Vol. 3, p. 465. Deuteronomy 7:3 specifically forbade intermarriage with non-Israelites; and it is a gross mistake to identify that restriction with some alleged "Deuteronomist." The prohibition against Israel's mingling with non-Israelites in marriage was an integral

Leviticus 14:10-20 — offerings: (1)    burnt-offering; (2)    meal-offering; (3)    purification-offering, and (4)    the trespass-offering. All of these were set forth in Leviticus (Leviticus 1-5). Only the peace-offering, which was voluntary, does not appear here. Another unusual feature of the ceremonies is the touching of the ear, thumb, and big toe, first with blood, and again with oil. Before leaving this catalogue of the things required

Jeremiah 22 overview — "I will cause the kingdom of the house of Israel to cease" (Hosea 1:3). The details of that destruction are all evident in this chapter. (For those interested in a further study of this, see Vol. 1 of my commentaries on the minor prophets, pp. 231-235.) As Halley said, "In Jeconiah and Zedekiah, we have the end of the earthly kingdom of Judah."Henry H. Halley's Bible Handbook (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House) , p. 288. The chapter naturally falls into four paragraphs: (1) Jeremiah 22:1-9,

Numbers 22:2-6 — what the apostle John said in his account of the trials of Jesus that, "Caiaphas was high priest that year" (John 18:13); and this was added merely to indicate that a different king was then reigning over Moab. "Unto the elders of Midian" (Numbers 22:15). "Balak here acted for Midian as well as for Moab. The Midianites were a weak people and had probably placed themselves under the protection of Balak."Thomas Whitelaw, The Pulpit Commentary, Vol. 2, Numbers (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing

Numbers 36:5-9 — man the inheritance of his fathers. So shall no inheritance remove from one tribe to another tribe; for the tribes of the children of Israel shall cleave every one to his own inheritance." "The tribe of the sons of Joseph speaketh right" (Numbers 36:5). This has the meaning of, "The plea is just."Harry M. Orlinsky, Notes on the New Translation of the Torah (Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Society of America, 1969), p. 242. Several of the more recent translations follow this change. The justice

Numbers 9:1-3 — Hebrew Congregations, 1979), p. 87. "The date given here is before the census, and before all the other events mentioned thus far in Numbers";Thomas Whitelaw, The Pulpit Commentary, Vol. 2, Numbers (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1950), p. 72. and, again we have evidence that indicates Numbers is somewhat of a Mosaic diary in which no exact chronological sequence is observed. The reason why this passage occurs just here is not certain, nor is the question of any great importance. The

Nahum 2 overview — guilty." As Fraser noted, "The overthrow of Nineveh was given in relation to the justice of God and to the oppressed people of Judah."Alexander Fraser, The New Bible Commentary, Revised (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1970), p. 765. As a prelude should do, the first chapter briefly introduced a number of elements that would receive more extensive treatment later. "In the remaining two chapters, he turns to his subject in particular and in detail, setting forth its accomplishment

Deuteronomy 19:15-21 — Orlinsky stated that a better rendition of this clause is, "One witness shall not validate any matter against another."Harry M. Orlinsky, Notes on the New Translation of the Torah (Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Society of America, 1969), p. 252. "Diligent inquisition" (Deuteronomy 19:18). "This was to be no resort to ordeal, as in the customs of legal practice among Israel's neighbors."Meredith G. Kline, Wycliffe Bible Commentary, Deuteronomy (Chicago: Moody Press, 1962), p. 182. As a matter

Deuteronomy 19:4-10 — "The appointment of the six was WHEN, but the appointment of the other three was IF; and the job apparently never got done!"Bruce Oberst, op. cit., p. 233. Deuteronomy 19:4-7 lays out instructions for the unintentional manslayer; and Deuteronomy 19:5-6 gives an example of what was meant by unintentional. Also, in Num. 35:26-24, there are other examples of inadvertent homicide.

Luke 7 overview — bereaved by raising the son of the widow of Nain (Luke 7:11-17); next, Jesus offered his love of the afflicted and the poor as proof of his Messiahship to John the Baptist, laying stress on the publicans and harlots who accepted John's message (Luke 7:24-25); and then, he gave the explanation of how publicans and harlots were saved and the Pharisees were not, this explanation growing out of a dinner in the house of a Pharisee (Luke 7:36-50). THE HEALING OF THE CENTURION'S SERVANT In my Commentary on Matthew

2 Corinthians 7 overview — from 2 Corinthians 6:13 to 2 Corinthians 7:2 we get perfect sense. This stern section seems out of place with the glad and joyous love of the verses on each side of it William Barclay, The Letters to the Corinthians (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1954), p. 245. Barclay's objections are similar to the views of many scholars who evidently consider it fashionable to assault the unity of this epistle for such flimsy reasons. Just what, really, is their argument? There are just two arguments in view,

Joshua 15:1-12 — south borders. This included all the land of the Philistines. It did not include Jerusalem, but lay south of that city."Ben F. Philbeck, The Teachers' Bible Commentary, Joshua (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1972), p. 146. "Jabneel, or Jabneed" (Joshua 15:11). This is the place where the northern border of Judah met the Mediterranean. "This place is located seven or eight miles south of Joppa.William H. Morton, Beacon Bible Commentary, Joshua (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1970), p. 356. Of course, Judah

Joshua 24:29-33 — hill-country of Ephraim. "Joshua…the servant of Jehovah" (Joshua 24:29). The title, "Servant of Jehovah" is used of Moses frequently in the Book of Joshua, as in Joshua 1:1-2; Joshua 1:13; Joshua 8:31; Joshua 8:33; Joshua 9:24; Joshua 11:12; Joshua 11:15; Joshua 12:6; Joshua 13:8; Joshua 14:7; Joshua 18:7; Joshua 22:2; Joshua 22:4-5. But this is the very first time the title is given to Joshua. Boling believed this was due to the tremendous importance of the covenant-relationship in which Joshua here

Joshua 8 overview — would bless them, and that, if they did not obey Him, they would suffer. Every student of this chapter is at once confronted with what is alleged to be a contradiction between the number of 30,000 chosen for the ambush in Joshua 8:3, and the number 5,000 mentioned allegedly for the same ambush in Joshua 8:12. We have read several explanations of this: (1) Keil and other very dependable scholars affirm that a scribal error is responsible, and that the number 5,000 is correct.C. F. Keil and F. Delitzsch,

Ruth 2:8-13 — his laborers not to touch her. (3)    He told her to remain near his own maidens and to do her gleaning, following them. (4)    He at once gave her the right to quench her thirst at the common drinking place. (5)    And he offered a special prayer for her that Jehovah would grant her a rich reward for what she had done to Naomi. To all of this, one must add the things mentioned in the following paragraph. (6)    He then

1 Samuel 20:1-3 — had not been formally expelled. (3)    He was even expected to sit at the king's table in the approaching feast of the new moon. (4)    The king had recently sworn in a solemn oath that David should not die. (5)    David was uncertain whether he was indeed committed to life as a fugitive and an outlaw, or if Saul's violent attempt to take his life might be attributed to a sudden fit of madness, and from which a reconciliation through the