Bible Commentaries

Ezra 8:24-30 — vessels, to bring them to Jerusalem unto the house of our God." "The value of these gifts was well over a million pounds; but this is by no means inconceivable in view of the immense wealth of the Perisan kings."The New Bible Commentary, Revised, p. 403. Responsibility for transporting this vast sum of money, "Was vested in twelve priests and twelve Levites especially chosen for the task. This was in accordance with the Pentateuchal care and movement of the tabernacle furnishings (Numbers 3; Numbers

Esther 5:5-8 — Henry suggested that it might have been due: (1) "To her prudence as she sought more time to ingratiate herself with the king; (2) or that her heart failed her as she did not find sufficient courage to make it known without further time for prayer; or (3) that it was due to God's overruling providence which would use the intervening time prior to that second banquet to make the granting of Esther's petition absolutely certain."Matthew Henry's Commentary, op. cit., p. 1136. It might very well have been

Job 17:3-5 — (rather inspiration) of God the Son being Surety for his saints against God the Father's Judgment! As Kline expressed it, "This was Job's prayer for God to establish Job's integrity at the Judgment."Wycliffe Old Testament Commentary, Job, p.475. "Job 17:3 is clearly Job's appeal for God his Judge to be also God his Witness or Advocate as well."Layman's Bible Commentary, Vol. 8, p. 95. "For thou hast hid their heart from understanding" Job here stated that his friends' blindness was due to God's having

Job 22:12-16 — cannot be `poured out' because they are not liquids. The KJV has, "Whose foundation was overflown with a flood"; and the RSV has, "Their foundation was washed away." Kline,Wycliffe Old Testament Commentary, p. 478. DeHoffGeorge DeHoff's Commentary, Vol. 3, p. 51. and DriverInternational Critical Commentary, Job, p. 196. interpreted this as a reference to the flood; and Driver gave the literal meaning as, "The foundations of whose houses were carried away by the Deluge."Ibid. However, Pope disputed this

Psalms 105:1-5 — 18:19). The redeemed of all ages, therefore, may thank God for the ability of Abraham. In God's first announcement of the choice of Abraham, he made it clear that "all the families of the earth" were included in God's purpose of salvation (Genesis 12:3). "Remember his marvelous works, his wonders, and the judgments" This is the theme of the psalm. It is customary to break a psalm like this up into paragraphs; but as Rawlinson noted, "Such divisions here could be made only arbitrary, because there

Psalms 119:153-160 — of the Word of God and becomes the possession of those who seek to know what that word is." Paul himself could hardly have said it any better. "From a babe thou hast know the sacred writings which are able to make the wise unto salvation." (2 Timothy 3:15). Briggs also made the same deduction on the basis of Psalms 119:155, stating that, "The wicked are far from salvation, because they are far off from God's Law that gives it."International Critical Commentary, op. cit., p. 435. "Quicken me according

Psalms 30:4-5 — people. "Sing praise unto Jehovah, O ye saints of his. And give thanks to his holy memorial name. For his anger is but for a moment; His favor is for a lifetime: Weeping may tarry for the night, But joy cometh in the morning." "O ye saints of his" (Psalms 30:4). These were the faithful Israelites who were keepers of God's covenant. "Thanks to his memorial name" (Psalms 30:4). "This is, `The equivalent of, `Give thanks to his holy name."The Pulpit Commentary, Vol. 8, p. 219. The KJV rendition here is, "Give

Psalms 34:11-14 — Jehovah. What man is he that desireth life, And loveth many days, that he may see good? Keep thy tongue from evil, And thy lips from speaking guile. Depart from evil, and do good; Seek peace, and pursue it." "I will teach you the fear of Jehovah" (Psalms 34:11). "David was a famous musician, a statesman, and a great soldier; but he does not say, `I will teach you to play on the harp,' or `how to handle the sword, or the spear, or to draw the bow,' nor, `to know the maxims of state policy,' but `I will

Psalms 37:8-11 — Without this change, the meaning is simply that, "He (the wicked) shall not be found in his place." "They shall inherit the land" The meek shall inherit the earth (v. 11). It should be noted that we have substituted the word "earth" for "land" in Psalms 37:11, for two reasons: (1) The Septuagint (LXX) renders it "earth"; and when Jesus Christ quoted from this chapter, he deliberately chose the reading, "The meek shall inherit the earth" (Matthew 5:5). It is our opinion that the preference of the Blessed

Psalms 6:4-5 — death there is no remembrance of thee." Radical critics have tried to use this statement to prove that, "Life beyond the grave is scarcely worthy of the name."W. E. Addis, Peake's Commentary on the Bible (Edinburgh: T. C. and E. C. Jack, Ltd., 1924), p. 374. Whatever this expression means, it cannot reflect upon David's conviction of life after death, as attested by Psalms 16:10. Furthermore, David was doubtless familiar with Job 19:25 ff and other Old Testament passages that provide fleeting glimpses

Psalms 61:4-5 — dwelling of which the earthly tabernacle was a type." Another view is that of Addis, who wrote, "The king mentioned here seems to be a high priest also, for he dwells in the tabernacle (Psalms 61:4) and abides before God (Psalms 61:7)."W. E. Addis, p. 383. Of course, there is only one great King and High Priest dwelling in the presence of God, and that is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. Since the Messianic King is most surely mentioned in Psalms 61:6-8, we find no objection to Addis' interpretation;

Psalms 67:1-7 — God will bless us; And all the ends of the earth shall fear him." "God be merciful… bless us… cause his face to shine upon us, etc." As Addis noted, "This Psalm is an expansion of the Aaronic blessing of Numbers 6:24-26."W. E. Addis, p. 384. This short psalm is further shortened in meaning by the verbatim repetition of Psalms 67:3 in Psalms 67:5. There is not much we can add by way of interpretation to that which we have already stated above. This great prophecy of the reception of the

Song of Solomon 1:1 — "The Song of Songs, which is Solomon's." It is stated in 1 Kings 4:32 that Solomon wrote a thousand and five songs; yet only one of them is found in the Bible; and through the ages there have often been questions as to whether or not this one really belongs in the Canon. Most of the interpretations (especially the allegorical

Jeremiah 10:12-16 — name." "Who made… established… stretched out" The three things that entered into the Creator's preparing a home for his human creation are listed here: (1) he made the earth; (2) he prepared and fitted it to be a human dwelling place; and (3) he protected it from cosmic damage by such things as excessive radiation and falling meteorites, stretching out the heavens (the atmospheric shield) as a protection. "He maketh lightnings for the rain" "Every thunderstorm bears witness to the wise

Jeremiah 15:19-21 — unworthy. If Jeremiah will do these two things, four results will follow. (1) He will again be God's true messenger to the people; (2) He will not conform to the wishes of the people, but will cause the crowd to turn to him ultimately for the Word of God; (3) he will become what God promised him in his original call, "a fortified wall of bronze"; and (4) God will defend and deliver him from evil men.Broadman Bible Commentary (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1971), p. 96. Of course, Jeremiah only bared his innermost

Jeremiah 19:10-13 — Commentary (New York: Funk and Wagnalls Company), p. 400. Wiseman observed that "Because Jerusalem had made itself into a pagan altar, God made exactly that use out of them: (1) there was slaughter (Jeremiah 19:11); (2) burning (Jeremiah 19:12); and (3) offering up (Jeremiah 19:13)."The New Layman's Bible Commentary, p. 828. "Even all the houses upon whose roofs they have burned incense unto all the host of heaven" The destruction was destined to fall upon the city as a whole, and included in the

Jeremiah 31:35-37 — you as were baptized into Christ did put on Christ. There can be neither Jew nor Greek, there can be no male and female; for ye are all one man in Christ Jesus. And if ye are Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, heirs according to promise" (Galatians 3:27-29).

Jeremiah 31:38-40 — heaven from God. It will be a city without walls; and, as this passage shows, it will be much larger than the old Jerusalem. Also, it shall, as Dummelow noted, "embrace vast areas that were once considered unclean."J. R. Dummelow's Commentary, p. 473. This, of course, is a symbolical way of showing that the Gentiles shall be included in the inhabitants, along with Jews, and members of all nations. Another difference between the old and the new Jerusalems is that there is no promise here of the rebuilding

Ezekiel 1:26-28 — Incarnation itself in this vision. The various visions of God's throne, as revealed in Revelation (Revelation 4; Revelation 5; Revelation 19, etc) are fully consistent with all that appears here. Even the rainbow appears in both places (Revelation 4:3). Concerning the rainbow, Jamieson observed that, "This appearance of the rainbow in the vision was like hanging out a flag of peace upon the throne of the Eternal, assuring all mankind that the grand purpose of Heaven is to preserve rather than to

Ezekiel 8:16-18 — their backs turned upon the sacred temple of Jehovah! Keil pointed out that this was not the worship of Adonis, or any other sun-god, but, "The worship of the heavenly bodies, against which Moses had warned the people (Deuteronomy 4:19; Deuteronomy 17:3)."Carl Friedrich Keil, Keil-Delitzsch Old Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company), p. 123. "They put the branch to the nose" "Assyrian reliefs identify this gesture as an act of reverence and worship."G. R. Beasley-Murray