Bible Commentaries

Genesis 21:14-16 — prevented such an injustice. Besides that, when Abraham sent away his concubines, near the end of his career, it is written that, "Unto the sons of the concubines that Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts; and he sent them away from Isaac his son" (Genesis 25:6). There is no room for doubt that Abraham also bestowed gifts upon Hagar and Ishmael. The cryptic mention of "bread … and water" here indicates only the load that she carried with her, but not any money or silver which would not have been carried

Exodus 11:9-10 — due to the fact that each wonder confronted and discredited multiple pagan deities. This is Geisler's summary: a.    Bloody water (Exodus 7:12), against the god Nilus, the sacred river god. b.    Frogs (Exodus 8:6), against Hekt, the goddess of reproduction. c.    Lice (gnats) (Exodus 8:17), against Seb, god of the earth. d.    Flies (beetles), against Khephera, the sacred scarab. e.    Murrain on Egyptian

Exodus 35:1-35 — and said unto them, These are the words which Jehovah hath commanded, that ye should do them. Six days shall work be done; but on the seventh day there shall be to you a holy day,Literally "holiness," (Wilbur Fields, Exodus (Joplin: College Press, 1976, p. 774). a sabbath of solemn rest to Jehovah: whosoever doeth any work therein shall be put to death. Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations upon the sabbath day.This is the first mention of this regulation. It is one that is honored by

Psalms 14 overview — with the meaning that an essential element of human intelligence has been judiciously removed by God Himself. (3) They become vain in their reasonings (Romans 1:21). (4) They become fools (Romans 1:22), and (5) God gives them up (Romans 1:22; Romans 1:26; Romans 1:28). The universal hardening of mankind has already occurred three times: (1) in the total apostasy that preceded the Great Deluge; (2) in the conceited trust of mankind in their tower of Babel; and (3) again in the universal wickedness and

Leviticus 12:1-5 — unclean two weeks, as in her impurity; and she shall continue in the blood of her purifying threescore and six days." The appearance here of the "forty" and "double forty" time periods is interesting. To each of the Numbers 33 days (Leviticus 12:4) and 66 days (Leviticus 12:5), one must add the seven days of Leviticus 12:2 and the fourteen days of Leviticus 12:5, making totals of 40 and 80. When a male child was circumcised on the "eighth day," that day was reckoned with the 33. The highly symbolical

Leviticus 22:26-33 — verses. This paragraph gives further instructions regarding the sacrifices. An alleged `contradiction' is sometimes claimed with reference to Leviticus 22:30, where the sacrifice was commanded to be eaten "on the same day"; whereas, in Leviticus 19:6, two days were allowed for eating it.Ronald E. Clements, op. cit., p. 59. The explanation is simple enough. The rules for the priests were MORE STRICT than those for all the people, and it was "the congregation of Israel" (Leviticus 19:2) who were allowed

Deuteronomy 17:14-17 — Commentary, Deuteronomy (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1979), p. 299. We reject as absolutely irresponsible, the assertion, "That these verses were written in criticism of a known monarch. He would multiply horses, wives, or money (Deuteronomy 17:16-17). This is a reference to Solomon's activity."G. Ernest Wright, The Interpreter's Bible, Deuteronomy (New York: Abingdon Press, 1954), p. 441. The very text itself in this passage contradicts and nullifies such comments. "He shall not cause the people

Deuteronomy 30:1-5 — Lord will heal thy sins" as the meaning of this passage. "The reference here, then, must refer to a much more extensive captivity than that in Babylon."Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Whole Bible, Deuteronomy (New York: T. Mason and G. Lane, 1837), p. 816. "The Jews themselves do not consider this prophecy fulfilled by their return from Babylon."Robert Jamieson, Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary, Deuteronomy (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House), p. 139. The reasons why the Jews take this

Deuteronomy 31:1-8 — expressions by Herodotus.Albert Barnes, Notes on the New Testament, 1 Peter (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1953), p. 177. James Macknight also agreed with this.James Macknight, Macknight on the Epistles, Vol. V (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, reprint, 1969), p. 480. This O.T. example of this rather unusual type of idiom is valuable in that it sheds light on the many foolish theories based on 1 Peter 3:19, concerning what Jesus did while he was dead and buried! Again from Macknight: "If Christ is said

Deuteronomy 9:6-10 — God; and the character manifested by them in the wilderness was evidenced almost countless times afterward. In this single chapter, Oberst pointed out the following references to their rebellions, etc:Bruce Oberst, Deuteronomy (Joplin: College Press, 1968), p. 146. (a)    Stiff-necked, Deuteronomy 9:6; Deuteronomy 9:13 (b)    Rebellious, Deuteronomy 9:7; Deuteronomy 9:23-24 (c)    Corrupted themselves, Deuteronomy 9:12 (d)    Provoked

Acts 10:25 — of: (a)    worshiping God (Matthew 4:10; John 4;:21f; 1 Corinthians 14:25; Revelation 4:10, etc.). (b)    worshiping Christ (Matthew 2:2; Matthew 2:8; Matthew 2:11; Matthew 8:2; Matthew 9:18; Matthew 28:9; Matthew 28:17; John 9:38; Hebrews 1:6, etc.). (c)    worshiping a man (Matthew 18:16). (d)    worshiping the dragon (by men) (Revelation 13:4). (e)    worshiping the beast (Revelation 13:4; Revelation 13:8; Revelation 13:12; Revelation

Romans 1:17 — parallel expression a moment later, in verse 18, as "the wrath of God." Barmby noted that "`A wrath of God' has no intelligent meaning," J. Barmby, The Pulpit Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1963), Vol. 18 (iii), p. viii. and the same is true of "a righteousness of God." As Barmby noted, the two expressions simply mean "God's righteousness" and "God's wrath." Regarding the broader question of "the righteousness

Romans 1:28 — moral, intellectual, and physical nature of man. The dwarf peoples in some parts of earth show that man's physical body suffers the penalty of sin, some sins, in particular, being cited in scripture as sins against "the body" (1 Corinthians 6:18). The affections of people are corrupted (Romans 1:26), and they reach a state of loving darkness rather than the light (John 3:20). The intellect is darkened, and people become vain, or foolish, in their imaginations (Romans 1:21). Also, there is

Romans 3:5-6 — more conspicuous, or serves to exhibit more clearly the righteousness of God, then God would be unrighteous in inflicting his wrath upon the ungodly. John Murray, The Epistle to the Romans (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1968), vol. i, p. 96. Of course, there is more to this quibble than meets the eye, for it touches upon one of the truly great mysteries, that of how God can overrule sin, which is contrary to his will, and do so in such manner as to bring about the accomplishment

Romans 4:23-25 — faith. Another similarity between Abrahamic and Christian faith lies in the manner of regarding the "seed," Christ, Abraham truly believing that he would in time appear ("Abraham rejoiced to see my day; and he saw it, and was glad (John 8:56)), and Christians truly believing that he indeed did appear in his first advent, and also that the Christ shall appear the second time to judge the world. Who delivered us from our trespasses … It is not mere faith on the part of Christians that

Hebrews 1:2 — Hebrews 1:5; but in his mind the inheritance of the Son of God is not limited to earth; it embraces the universe, and particularly the world to come. F. F. Bruce, The Epistle to the Hebrews (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1967), p. 4. These credentials, if we may so name them, establish the authority of the King of kings, Christ; and the first of these makes him king by right of inheritance, which is the classical and historical means of establishing kingly authority. In

Hebrews 10:5-7 — thou wouldest not, But a body didst thou prepare for me; In whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sins thou hadst no pleasure: Then said I, Lo, I come (In the roll of the book it is written of me) To do thy will, O God. This quotation from Psalms 40:6-8 is introduced by the words, "When he cometh into the world," a reference to the incarnation of Christ, making him the true author of the words of David in this Psalm, and requiring that these words be understood as spoken by the Lord Jesus

Hebrews 8:6-7 — faultless, then would no place have been sought for a second. Particularly interesting in these two verses is the mention of two, and only two, covenants, designated "the first" and "the second." Now God made a covenant with Noah (Genesis 6:18; Genesis 9:9), and two covenants with Abraham (Genesis 17:2; Genesis 17:10; Genesis 15:18 ff), and a covenant of salt (Numbers 18:19; Leviticus 2:13), and a covenant of the everlasting priesthood (Numbers 25:13); but the "first covenant"

Revelation 14:13 — theology of redemption than is effected here. Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord … The key words here are "in the Lord," a little phrase which, with its equivalents "in him," "in whom," etc., occurs no less than 169 times in Paul's writings alone, John Mackay, God's Order (New York: The Macmillan Company, 1953), p. 59. besides dozens of other references. This truth alone emphatically stresses the overriding importance of it. To be "in Christ," of course,

Revelation 20:4 — of those who were suffering persecutions by giving them a vision of the final triumph of Christ and of the blessedness of his followers." James William Russell, Compact Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1964), p. 651. Some millennial theories place these thrones upon earth, but there is no more reason to do this than to suppose that the "twelve thrones" occupied by the apostles during "the times of the regeneration" (Matthew 19:28)