Bible Commentaries

1 Kings 1:49-53 — the horns of the altar" "Originally the horns of the altar were appointed as a place of asylum for those who had accidentally committed homicide; but later on, other transgressors sought and received refuge there."Preacher's Homiletic Commentary, p. 2. "For a brief period David and Solomon were co-regents, but following the death of David, the power was soon consolidated in the hands of Solomon, under whom Israel had her most glorious era of peace and prosperity."The Teachers' Bible Commentary, p.

2 Kings 5:8-9 — at once complied with Elisha's request. "So Naaman came… and stood at the door of the house of Elisha" At first glance, this seems to say that Naaman was standing at Elisha's door, intending to be admitted to his house, but Naaman's own words (2 Kings 5:11) indicate that Naaman had merely driven up to the front of Elisha's house, expecting the prophet to come out of his house and serve Naaman in his chariot. Thus it was Naaman and his impressive party, chariots, horses and all, that "stood

2 Kings 9:14-16 — let none escape and go forth out of the city, to go to tell it in Jezreel. So Jehu rode in a chariot; and went to Jezreel; for Joram lay there. And Ahaziah king of Judah was come down to see Joram." Apparently, the purpose of the long parenthesis in 2 Kings 9:15 is to stress the fact that "all Israel," that is, the entire armed forces of Israel were stationed there under the command of Jehu. "If this be your mind, let none escape" Once any man was proclaimed king during the reign of another king,

1 Chronicles 20:4-8 — servants." There was not merely one Goliath (or giant); there was an entire family of them; and there is no reason whatever to question the accuracy of what the Chronicler has written here. (See my comments further on the Giants of Gath in my commentary on 2 Samuel, pp. 302-303.) Critical objections to the Chronicler's report here are grounded in their prior hatred of the witness borne in the Chronicles to the authenticity of the Books of Moses. The Chronicler did not "create" this record of several giants;

2 Chronicles 8:1-6 — cities with walls, gates, and bars; and Baalath, and all the store-cities that Solomon had, and the cities for the horsemen, and all that Solomon desired to build for his pleasure in Jerusalem, and in Lebanon, and in all the land of his dominion." The 20th Century Christian, as a general rule, could have little or no interest in Solomon's building program, which, in the matter of his huge horse business, to say nothing of anything else, was a violation of God's word! "And all that Solomon desired to

Job 19 overview — JOB'S SIXTH DISCOURSE: KNOW THAT MY REDEEMER LIVETH, AND THAT HE SHALL STAND AT THE LATTER DAY UPON THE EARTH There are just two parts of this marvelous chapter: (1)    In Job 19:1-22, Job described his pitiful condition, accepting all of it as being, for some unknown and mysterious reason, the will of God, pleading for mercy from his friends who refused to extend it, and bewailing the abhorrence and persecution heaped upon him

Job 31:5-8 — step… if any spot… etc." Nearly twenty times in this chapter we encounter these "if' clauses; and their significance was explained by Van Selms. "Job here appealed to the self-imprecatory oath: "God do so to me, and more also, if I… etc. (2 Samuel 3:35)."Van Selms, p. 112. "Then let me sow, and let another eat" This is the imprecation Job invoked upon himself in case he was found to be lying. In this chapter, we may understand all of the "if" clauses as an appeal to exactly this same kind

Job 33 overview — referring to Job by name, as though addressing an intimate or an inferior, something that Job's three friends had refrained from doing throughout the whole book. His talk is loaded with repetitions; and "He protests too much about his sincerity (Job 33:2 f)."Tyndale Old Testament Commentary, Vol. 13, p. 248. Furthermore, he is not perfectly fair with Job. Job had never claimed absolute perfection, admitting minor transgressions and mistakes; but he insisted that he had committed no violent crimes or

Psalms 102 overview — noted, "This psalm has been miscalled a Penitential Psalm"Derek Kidner, Vol. II, p. 360. for ages, but there is no confession of sin anywhere in it. Kidner was also willing to label the whole psalm Messianic; and, without any doubt whatever, Psalms 102:23-28 certainly fall into that classification. Some have supposed that David might have written it, but the depiction of Jerusalem in ruins (Psalms 102:13) points rather to the times of the Captivity. On the basis of Psalms 102:13-21, the date seems

Psalms 138 overview — as a reason for denying their accuracy. We agree with Leupold that, "Up to this point, we have found the inscriptions in the Hebrew text to be at least defensible."H. C. Leupold, p. 917. There are some writers who take the word "temple" (Psalms 138:2) as a reference to that of Solomon. However, as Barnes declared, "In this passage it undoubtedly refers to the tabernacle."Barnes' Notes on the Old Testament (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, a 1987 reprint of the 1878 edition), Vol. III, p. 287. Dahood

Psalms 142 overview — Charles Wesley's immortal hymn, "Jesus, Lover of my Soul."The New Layman's Bible Commentary, p. 697. "Other refuge have I none; Hangs my helpless soul on thee.Hide me, O my Saviour, hideTill the storm of life is past."Great Songs of the Church, Hymn No. 127. The superscription ascribes Psalms 142 to David; and there being nothing whatever in the psalm to raise any doubt of it, we shall so consider it. Of course, scholars who find an Aramaism here and there, speak knowingly of post-exilic times, apparently

Psalms 77:1-3 — incredible agony of living through all of the sorrows that fell upon national Israel during those days leading up to the captivity. It was indeed a time of darkness and doubt for all of them. "I sought the Lord" "My soul refused to be comforted" (Psalms 77:2)… "I remember God… am disquieted… and my spirit is overwhelmed" (Psalms 77:3). The trouble was due to the cessation of God's blessings upon national Israel in the manner that he had once so gloriously done. The impossibility was

Song of Solomon 6:1-3 — seek him with thee? My beloved is gone down to his garden, To the beds of spices, To feed in the gardens, and to gather lilies. I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine: He feedeth his flock among the lilies." What we have here is: (1) a question and (2) the answer. The question is from "the daughters of Jerusalem," whether understood as God's people generally, or as the members of Solomon's harem. The question: Where is your lover that we also may seek him? The lover described by the maiden was so

Jeremiah 17 overview — prophet. Kuist noted that, "It contains a variety of examples of prophetic preaching, namely, an indictment of Judah's guilt (Jeremiah 17:1-4), a psalm (Jeremiah 17:5-8), two proverbs (Jeremiah 17:9-10 and Jeremiah 17:11), an invocation (Jeremiah 17:12-13), a prayer (Jeremiah 17:14-18), and a sabbath proclamation (Jeremiah 17:19-27)."JKP, p. 56. The prayer (Jeremiah 17:14-18) is also identified by many writers as "Jeremiah's Third Personal Lament." This distinction is not noted in the chapter headings

Colossians 2 overview — with Paul's refutation of false doctrine, in which the emphasis by the apostle lies squarely upon the eternal power and Godhead of the Lord Jesus Christ. Morgan said, "The central declaration of the epistle is found in this chapter (Colossians 2:9-10)." G. Campbell Morgan, An Exposition of the Holy Bible (Old Tappan, New Jersey: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1959), p. 497. This chapter also exposes to some degree the nature of the false teachings Paul was refuting. True, he does not explain

1 Timothy 2 overview — services of the congregations. As David Lipscomb stated it, "He laid down rules for the men in the public worship, and then gave rules for the women." David Lipscomb, Commentary on First Timothy (Nashville: The Gospel Advocate Company, 1942), p. 142. Wallis referred the chapter to "the public worship"; Wilbur B. Wallis, Wycliffe Bible Commentary, New Testament (Chicago: Moody Press, 1971), p. 847. Nute said it stressed "the importance of public prayer"; Alan G. Nute,

James 2:20 — said, "The vain man addressed is anyone who is so devoid of spiritual understanding that he does not see that faith which never results in works is merely a sham." R. V. G. Tasker, op. cit., p. 67. As Roberts puts it: The language of James 2:20 calls upon the believer in "faith only" to be willing to recognize or acknowledge the truth. James is so confident of the truth of his position and of the force of his reasoning that he calls upon the errorists to concede. J. W. Roberts,

1 Peter 1:20 — manifested at the end of the times for your sake, Who was foreknown indeed … The redemptive visitation of our world by the Son of God was known in purpose from the beginning, but "was kept in silence through times eternal" (Romans 16:25); it "in other generations was not made known unto the sons of men" (Ephesians 3:5); it was "hidden for ages and generations" (Colossians 1:26). Before the foundation of the world … "This means `before Creation.'"

2 Peter 1:10 — Christian may fall (literally stumble)." David F. Payne, A New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1969), p. 600. "All Christians have been called, but they must work out their salvation" (Philippians 2:12). James William Russell, op. cit., p. 590. We are amazed at the comment of Wheaton, who said, "Peter even hints at the possibility that one can fall from grace!" David H. Wheaton, op. cit., p. 1253. Reference to Peter's warnings in this

Jude 1:21 — keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. Keep yourselves in the love of God … Again the human response factor is stressed, the meaning here being exactly what it was in Judges 1:20, "keeping oneself in the love of God" being one and the same thing with obeying God's commandments, as extensively taught in the Johannine literature, above. Summarizing the admonitions of these verses, what Jude commanded, or rather pleaded