Bible Commentaries

Genesis 30:1-42 — The last paragraph of the preceding chapter and most of this one relate the birth of the Twelve Patriarchs. The last section of this chapter (Genesis 30:24-43) relates Jacob's preparations to leave Laban and return to Canaan. As the birth of the antediluvian patriarchs was discussed earlier and presented by means of a chart, the Twelve Patriarchs of Israel will now be presented in much the same manner.

Exodus 7:8-10 — God's Word is confronted with the miraculous and the supernatural on every page of it. "To explain away or excise one miracle will not solve the problem. The Bible is filled with them … the removal of one requires the removal of all!"Ibid. p. 42. The three customary ways of trying to get rid of miracles are: (1)    outright denial of the supernatural, leaving man himself as the highest thing in the universe, (2)    finding "natural explanations" that

Hosea 2:2 — reference to licentiousness generally, but "adulteries" refers to Israel's having broken their marriage covenant with the Lord by the committing of idolatry. This figure is used extensively in the Old Testament (Exodus 34:14-15; Leviticus 17:7; Leviticus 20:5-6; Numbers 14:33; Numbers 15:39; Deuteronomy 31:16; Deuteronomy 32:16; Deuteronomy 32:21, etc.). Of course, in the background of these remarks was Hosea's consciousness of Gomer's infidelity. "For she is not my wife, neither am I her husband" As

Numbers 31:1-12 — children of Israel, unto the camp at the plains of Moab, which are by the Jordan at Jericho." Unbelievers usually begin their analysis here by shouting that the size of the victory makes it impossible that such a great triumph was achieved by only 12,000 men. First, it was God's triumph, not that of the 12,000! Their status was exactly the same as that of the 300 helpers of Gideon to whom God also gave a great victory. Secondly, the word rendered "thousand" here is actually [~'eleph]; "This word

Jonah 4:1 — prophets."W. J. Deane, The Pulpit Commentary, Vol. 14, Jonah (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1950), p. 79. Both of these viewpoints, of course, are plausible; but we believe there is a clue in the text itself, in the very next verse (Jonah 4:2). Jonah had observed the wholesale conversion of the people; and his knowledge of God's true nature, mentioned by Jonah in the next verse, led him to the conclusion that God would in no wise destroy a penitent and pleading people. That Jonah acted upon

Deuteronomy 24:1-5 — no such thing. "This is not a law instituting or regulating divorce but a regulation concerning this ancient Semitic custom."R. K. Harrison, The New Bible Commentary, Revised, Deuteronomy (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1970), p. 223. Cook has elaborated this correct view a little more fully, as follows: "Moses neither instituted nor enjoined divorce. The exact spirit of this passage is found in our Lord's words to the Pharisees: "Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered

Deuteronomy 7:1-5 — quickly. But thus shall ye deal with them: ye shall break down their altars, and dash in pieces their pillars, and hew down their Asherim, and burn their graven images with fire." The list of nations here in Deuteronomy 7:1 is also found in Genesis 15:19-21; Exodus 3:8; Deuteronomy 1:4; Deuteronomy 20:17; Joshua 3:10; Joshua 24:11, a "total often of these being enumerated in all."C. F. Keil, Commentary on the Old Testament, Deuteronomy (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company), p. 327. In several

Mark 14:9 — her for a memorial of her. This verse requires important deductions: (1) Christ did not believe that the end of all things would occur at some near time in the future, this verse envisaging a worldwide proclamation of the gospel throughout the ages. (2) That this memorial "of her" intrinsically demanded the publication of her name is evident; and therefore the silence of the synoptics regarding it must be accounted for by supposing that it was deliberately concealed for a long while afterward,

Luke 14:11 — powerful in any eternal sense. Man's life is ephemeral; his days are few and full of trouble; at his best, man is above only a few of his contemporaries, and that only for a brief moment in time. "O why should the spirit of mortal be proud?" (2) They can look at the lives and achievements of others which exceed their own in excellence and glory. As Barclay suggested, "Many a man has decided to burn his clubs after watching the Golf Open Championship."William Barclay, op. cit., p.

Acts 14:22 — In order to avoid the overtones of the word "confirming," as it is erroneously associated with the so-called "seven sacraments," Plumptre suggested that it should be rendered "strengthening," as it is rendered in Acts 18:23. "It is not the same word as that used by later writers for the ecclesiastical rite of confirmation." E. H. Plumptre, op. cit., p. 92. Of the so-called "seven sacred sacraments," only two, namely, baptism and the Lord's Supper,

Romans 1:18 — against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hinder the truth in unrighteousness. The wrath of God was upon Jew and Gentile alike, but the Gentiles are that portion of humanity directly under consideration, beginning here and through Romans 2:16. The displeasure of God against the Gentiles resulted not from caprice, or happenstance, but from their unrighteousness and ungodliness, these two words standing for their irreverence and impiety toward God and for their faithless and immoral conduct

Romans 12:19 — collect a blood debt, to borrow the euphemism of the North Vietnamese who murdered 9,000 civilians in one of their Tet offensives. Vengeance is not a Christian prerogative, this being true for a number of reasons, such as: (1) God has forbidden it; (2) it is illegal in any civilized state; and (3) it is contrary to the Christian principle of overcoming evil with good, the latter being the master strategy against evil. The punishment of evil-doers is a prerogative of God and may not be usurped by

Romans 4:11 — Christ. There can be neither Jew nor Greek, there can be neither bond nor free, 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 the promise (Galatians 3:27-29). The father of all them that believe … shows that all of the saved are children of Abraham, both Jews and Gentiles called here circumcision and uncircumcision. We have now dwelt at length upon the great deduction which Paul himself made

Romans 9:21 — belongs to God himself to decide, according to his wisdom. F. Godet, op. cit., p. 353. The figure of the two kinds of vessels, honorable and dishonorable, made from the same lump is most instructive and was extended by Paul in his letter to Timothy (2 Timothy 2:20-21). Paul's instruction from the same figure there reveals that caprice is not the determining factor in selecting which vessels are to be honorable; because Paul granted to those who will "purge themselves of wickedness" the

1 Corinthians 16:1 — funds for their relief. A number of very important considerations are suggested by this. The reasons behind Paul's engagement in the fund-raising were as follows: (a) It had been strongly recommended at the so-called council in Jerusalem (Galatians 2:10). (b) It was drastically necessary from a humanitarian viewpoint. The persecutions that arose around the martyrdom of Stephen had left many in a state of dire need. As Adam Clarke said, "The enmity of their countrymen to the gospel of Christ

Galatians 6:4-5 — own work, and then shall he have his glorying in regard of himself alone, and not of his neighbor. For each man shall bear his own burden. Work … here means "practical behavior contrasted with profession." E. Huxtable, op. cit., p. 296. Such a work is here set forth as the basis of one's "glorying," a Pauline expression meaning "rejoicing in the hope of salvation." This is a companion statement to "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling"

Ephesians 2:2-3 — manner regards not the will of God but only the passions, appetites and ambitions of egocentric self. The prince of the powers of the air … The character in view here is most assuredly Satan, who is called the "god of this world" in 2 Corinthians 4:4, and who was called the "prince of this world" (John 14:30; John 16:11) by none other than the Christ himself. Only those who consciously reject the teaching of the New Testament can deny the existence of the personal ruler

Colossians 1:12 — to give heed to the things which were spoken" (Acts 16:14 ff). III.    Belief enters into qualification for salvation; and, as Jesus said, "This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent" (John 6:29). IV.    Repentance also figures in salvation (see Luke 13:3; Luke 13:5); but it is God who "grants" repentance. "To the Gentiles also hath God granted repentance unto life" (Acts 11:18). V.    Confession

1 Thessalonians 4:13 — fall asleep; that ye sorrow not as the rest, who have no hope. SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST We would not have you ignorant … This was one of Paul's favorite ways of introducing a new and important subject. It is also found in Romans 1:13; Romans 11:25; 1 Corinthians 10:1; 1 Corinthians 12:1, and 2 Corinthians 1:8, in all of which, as here, the term "brethren" is used with it for the sake of conveying the idea of tenderness and affection in what he was about to say. Concerning them that

Hebrews 11:5 — meant, namely, that he was received into eternal fellowship with God without being obligated to pass through the experience of death. Of all the souls ever to live on earth, only Elijah and Enoch enjoyed the blessed privilege of translation (Genesis 5:24; 2 Kings 2:17). The character of Enoch was summed up by Moses who said simply that "Enoch walked with God." This means that all of his earthly sojourn was enacted with constant respect to the divine presence of God; and it was doubtless in