Bible Commentaries

Proverbs 8:22-31 — p. 68, Kidner identifies the source of the false rendition in the RSV, pointing out that, "Ugaritic literature (and the paganism that dominates it) has recently swung opinion toward `created' as in the RSV."Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries, Vol. 15, p. 79. The false notion that, "Wisdom was the first of God's works,"Arthur S. Peake, A Commentary on the Bible (London: T. C. and E. C. Jack, Ltd., 1924), p. 401 overlooks the axiomatic truth that nothing could have been created, not even wisdom, without

Isaiah 2:1-4 — reference to the Jewish temple, but to the Church of Jesus Christ. As an apostle expressed it, addressing a faithful church, "Ye are the temple of God" (1 Corinthians 3:16). Other passages that identify God's "house" are Hebrews 12:18-23 and 1 Timothy 3:5. Perhaps the most difficult portion of this prophecy to understand is the last portion of it which speaks of beating swords into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks, which is often misunderstood to teach that war shall pass away as an instrument

Jeremiah 23:5-8 — merits.Barnes' Notes (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House), p. 206. As a title, BRANCH traces the human and divine ancestry of Messiah and focuses upon the kingly and priestly natures of the Messianic task.The New Bible Commentary, Revised, p. 641. In Jeremiah 23:5-8, we have the promise of Messiah.J. R. Dummelow's Commentary, p. 479. Under the just scepter of Messiah, all Israel will reach the destiny designed for it by the Lord.C. F. Keil, Keil-Delitzsch's Old Testament Commentaries (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans

Ezekiel 36:8-15 — happened. Pearson has summarized the promises of Israel's re-entry into Palestine as inclusive of: "(1) The wonderful fruitfulness and productivity of the land; (2) the re-population of Palestine; (3) the elimination of scarcity; (4) freedom from reproach; and (5) the security and prosperity of the nation in a degree even surpassing their former estate' and the time of their `beginnings.'"Anton T. Pearson in Wycliffe Bible Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1962), p. 753. We agree with Cook that these great promises

Numbers 18:8-20 — observed during the long and never fully successful campaign to possess it. "Of all" Plaut tell us that the Jews interpreted this to apply only to the seven principal fruits for which the land was famous: (1) wheat; (2) barley; (3) grapes; (4) figs; (5) pomegranates; (6) olive oil; and (7) dates (including honey).W. Gunther Plaut, Torah, a Modern Commentary (Philadelphia: The Union of American Hebrew Congregations, 1979), p. 175. "Surely redeem… redeem" (Numbers 18:15). There are two different

Deuteronomy 18:15-19 — impossible for "a prophet" to mean fifteen or twenty prophets! "Nowhere in all the Bible is the singular employed to mean more than one individual!"W. L. Alexander, The Pulpit Commentary, Deuteronomy (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1950), p. 304. G. Ernest Wright disposed of this remarkable prophecy in three lines, as follows: "As the need arises, God will raise up from among the Israelites one of their own number as his prophet. Like me, i.e., like Moses the speaker, in the sense

Mark 15:42 — them "the third day" (Genesis 41:17-18). (b) Rehoboam asked the people's delegation to "depart yet for three days, then come again to me … All the people came to Rehoboam the third day as the king had appointed" (1 Kings 12:5; 1 Kings 12:12). Queen Esther requested of her maidens that they "neither eat nor drink three days, night or day" … "on the third day" she went to the king (Esther 4:16; Esther 5:1). McGarvey was impressed with such examples,

Luke 20:27-40 — Mormonism! Just as other fleshly relationships shall have been left behind, so marriage also will not exist in the next world. Two worlds are clearly spoken of by Jesus in this passage. "This world" (Luke 20:34) and "that world" (Luke 20:35) are the designations Jesus used of the "here" and the "hereafter," nor is there the slightest hint of anything unreal about the future world. The Lord spoke with full authority of conditions there; and his words should illuminate

John 1:18 — faithful revelation of the Father. No man hath seen God at any time … This is not a contradiction of Exodus 24:10, where it is recorded that a whole company of Israelites "saw the God of Israel"; nor is this a contradiction of Job 42:5, where Job said of God, "Now mine eye seeth thee." Of course the TERMINOLOGY of these passages is contradictory: no man hath seen … they saw; but "seeing" is not used in the same sense in these passages. As Torrey observed: We

John 3:9 — He answer by performing a miracle? How can prayer do any good when God already knows everything? We must confess a little sadly that we do not know; but we believe that "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much" (James 5:16). (3) How are the dead raised up? (1 Corinthians 15:35). This is another "how" that torments the intellect endlessly; but the believer holds that it is no more difficult for God to give one another life than it was for Him to have given

John 6:39-40 — "it" do not compromise the plain meaning of this passage, human souls being viewed not as masculine or feminine, but abstractly (Galatians 3:28). The last day … is repeated four times in this chapter (John 6:39-40; John 6:44; John 6:54). As Dummelow said, "These words show that Christ came to abolish not natural, but spiritual death. Believers will die, but their death will be followed by a glorious resurrection."J. R, Dummelow, Commentary on the Holy Bible (New York: The

2 Corinthians 1:1 — because they have realized in life the full implications of the name, but simply because they authentically belong to Christ as a body of believers. Frank G. Carver, Beacon Bible Commentary (Kansas City, Missouri: Beacon Hill Press, 1968), Vol. 8, p. 500. However, there is also in this word a prospect of the ultimate destiny of every Christian. Whatever the shortcomings now, there is certain to come the hour when every child of God shall be presented "without blemish" and "perfect in

Ephesians 1:4 — "establishing" or "founding"; the phrase used here and in ten other New Testament passages is unambiguous and denotes the creation of the universe. F. F. Bruce, op. cit., p. 28. In love … standing squarely between Ephesians 1:4 and Ephesians 1:5 may in fact belong to either, scholars being sharply divided as to where, exactly, it belongs. If it goes with Ephesians 1:4, it would refer to the love of God for those whom he will redeem from sin unto eternal life. Both thoughts are fully in keeping

Hebrews 11:17-20 — test of his faith recorded in Genesis 22:1 ff. It is said there that God did "tempt" Abraham, but the word "tried" is the true meaning. Although the word here rendered "tried" is translated "tempted" no less than 57 times in the New Testament, such a translation here would be erroneous; because as Barnes noted: It does not mean here, as it often does, to place inducements before one to lead him to do wrong, but to subject his faith to a trial in order to test

Hebrews 12:16 — the body of the family, the social body, or any corporate body, many a corporation having been wrecked by adultery); (3) the church, as stated in the text; (4) marriage, that institution being able to survive any assault except this (Matthew 19:6); (5) the life of the nation; and (6) against one's very soul (Proverbs 6:32). Profane person is the opposite of a holy person. Horace wrote, "Odi profanum vulgus, et arceo", which translates, "I abominate the profane vulgar and drive them

Hebrews 3:2 — by Pharaoh's daughter, Christ by means of the incarnation, and his birth by miracle, of the virgin Mary. Both were Israelites, it being specifically prophesied that the Messiah would be raised up from amidst "the brethren" (Deuteronomy 18:15). Both were sent to the children of Israel, Moses from Midian, and Christ from heaven. Both forsook the high status of their lives to perform a mission of rescue, Moses leaving the court of Pharaoh, and Christ leaving heaven. Both were rejected. The

Hebrews 9:11 — question which is the true text. Both aspects are true, for Christ is a high priest of good things that have already come as well as the glorious future hope. A. T. Robertson, Word Pictures of the New Testament (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1932), Vol. 5, p. 398. Through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation is easily understood as far as the last two clauses are concerned, since they clearly refer to the spiritual and more heavenly nature

1 Peter 1:1-2 — outstanding things about this passage is that it takes words and conceptions which had originally applied only to Jews and applies them to Christians." William Barclay, The Letters of James and Peter (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1976), p. 165. These are elect, Chosen, Dispersion, and sojourners. "Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ …" Peter was the beloved name that Jesus himself had bestowed upon this apostle, and is the Greek form of the Aramaic name meaning "stone"

1 Peter 2:25 — and Bishop, are here applied to the Lord Jesus Christ. One can only marvel that a scholar like Barclay would ascribe these titles as being referred here to God. He said, "These are two precious names for God." William Barclay, op. cit., p. 215. Jesus himself said, "I am the good shepherd" (John 10:14), appropriating the title in such a manner as to affirm his Godhead, without giving the Pharisees any excuse for charging him with sedition. Furthermore, no other title of Jesus our

1 Peter 3:20 — (John 16:13). While the ark was a preparing … is a reference to a period of some 120 years during which the ark was built, and during which Noah preached to the rebellious world. He is called a "preacher of righteousness" (2 Peter 2:5). Some who would interpret this Scripture as meaning that Christ preached through some other instrumentality than that of the Holy Spirit make various arguments from the Greek text; but, as Barnes said (even while not agreeing that it was by the Holy