Bible Commentaries

Genesis 10:14 — "Casluhim (whence went forth the Philistines), and Caphtorim" The critics go to work on this to find some kind of a mistake in it, since in Amos 9:7, reference is made to the Philistines having come from Caphtor. So what? They went from BOTH places to the land of Palestine to which area they gave their name "Palestine." The first wave of immigrants to what would become later "The Holy Land" undoubtedly

1 Chronicles 28:1-8 — for an inheritance to your children after you forever." "I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father" This and the following verse positively indicate that David was here basing what he said upon his understanding of the prophecy in 2S:7; however, that prophecy said nothing at all resembling what David here declared. Solomon, in no sense whatever, was God's son, nor did God establish Solomon's throne for… ever. All that was happening in this chapter was taking place during David's

Psalms 21 overview — is concerned. The Destructive Criticism has, by its rationalistic inventions, disposed of the many Messianic prophecies in the Psalms and has made, in this respect, common cause with infidel Judaism, known as reformed Judaism."Arno C. Gaebelein, p. 97. That God's promised Messiah was identified for a thousand years as "The Son of David," thus automatically establishing David, the king of Israel, as a legitimate type of the Messiah cannot intelligently be denied. Many of the things in David's life

Psalms 29:3 — wrote that the "waters" mentioned here, "Are the waters stored in the clouds that float on high in the air."The Pulpit Commentary, Vol. 8, p. 212. Some writers have proposed that the "waters" are the "waters above the firmament, mentioned in Genesis 1:7."The New Layman's Bible Commentary, p. 618. This is true, of course, only if those "waters above the firmament" are truly interpreted as being "those billions of tons of water stored in the clouds." (See a full discussion of this interpretation in our

Psalms 95:8 — "Harden not your hearts, as at Meribah, As in the day of Massah in the wilderness." "Massah and Meribah" These two names are applied to only one place in Exodus 17:7; and in the passage here, as in Deuteronomy 33:8, they are used as parallel statements. Ewing referred to them as, "Double names for the same place."International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (Chicago, Illinois: The Howard-Severance Company, 1915),

Proverbs 11:8 — but the RSV clears it up: "The righteous is delivered from trouble, and the wicked gets into it instead." "There are many examples in Scripture of where this has happened. Thus Haman was hanged on the gallows which he had erected for Mordecai (Esther 7:10), and Daniel's accusers perished in the lions' den from which Daniel was saved (Daniel 6:24)."The Pulpit Commentary, op. cit., p. 213.

Isaiah 27:2-6 — may make peace with me; yea, let him make peace with me. In days to come shall Jacob take root; Israel shall blossom and bud; and they shall fill the face of the world with fruit." "This is a joy-song, set over against the dirge recorded in Isaiah 5:1-7."The Pulpit Commentary, p. 433. Both regard the Lord's vineyard; but the one in Isaiah 5:1-7 is the object of God's disapproval and judgment; and the one here is a vineyard approved and protected by the Lord. "The first one of these is beyond all doubt

Isaiah 29:13-16 — simply not in it at all. One cannot avoid the fear that today there must be some worship of God that falls into the pattern of what is condemned here. "Their religion had become a mere formality."Broadman Bible Commentary (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1971), p. 275. Jesus Christ reiterated the thought here in Matthew 15:8-9; Mark 7:6-7. "Your fear of me is a commandment of men" This describes a situation in which religious teachers had usurped the place of God. Even morality is determined and founded

Isaiah 50:8 — the resurrection, God acquitted Christ of the charge of blasphemy upon which he had been condemned, and by that resurrection proclaimed him to be, `holy, harmless, undefiled and separate from sinners.'"Pulpit Commentary, Vol. II, p. 248. (See Hebrews 7:26).

Jeremiah 42 overview — PROPHETIC WARNING FOR ISRAEL TO STAY IN PALESTINE The divisions of this chapter are: (1) the people request God's Word of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 42:1-3); (2) Jeremiah promises to pray for them, and the people promise to obey God's Word (Jeremiah 42:4-6); (3) after ten days, God replies (Jeremiah 42:7-8); (4) the command to remain in Judea (Jeremiah 42:9-12); (5) severe warning against moving to Egypt (Jeremiah 42:13-18); (6) and a prophecy of destruction for those going to Egypt (Jeremiah 42:19-22).

Luke 18:10 — to the temple to pray: the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The character of both classes of men represented by these two has frequently been noted in this series. For comment on "Pharisees," see my Commentary on Matthew, Matthew 3:7. The publicans were the tax collectors, particularly odious to the Jews because they were willing agents of Roman oppression; and besides that, many tax gatherers were dishonest. The very name "publican" passed into the popular vocabulary

Luke 8:31 — And they entreated him that he would not command them to depart into the abyss. As Ash observed: The demons recognized that when Jesus commanded they must obey, and that the abyss was the fate for which they were destined (cf. Revelation 9:1-11; Revelation 11:7; Revelation 17:8; and Revelation 20:1-3). The ABYSS symbolized the chaos in opposition to which the world was fashioned (Genesis 1:2).Anthony Lee Ash, The Gospel according to Luke (Austin, Texas: Sweet Publishing Company, 1972), p. 145.

Luke 9:1-6 — feet for a testimony against them. And they departed, and went through the villages, preaching the Gospel, and healing everywhere. SENDING FORTH OF THE TWELVE Both Matthew and Mark record this preaching mission of the Twelve (Matthew 10:5 ff; Mark 6:7 ff); and despite the fact of Luke's narrative partially following Mark's order, it actually is unlike both the others, indicating the independence of the sacred authors. There is more than a mere possibility that Jesus sent forth the Twelve twice, this

John 10:19 — There arose again a division among the Jews because of these words. Again a division … has reference to John 7:48 and John 9:16. As Ryle said: It may seem strange, at first sight, that he who came to preach peace between God and man should be the cause of contention. But herein were Jesus' own words fulfilled: "I came not to send peace but a sword" (Matthew 10:34). The fault was not in Christ or his doctrine, but in the carnal mind of his hearers.Ibid., II, p. 17. ENDNOTE:

John 8:48 — vilification as this in pressing their claims. to righteousness. They meant, "We are not children of the devil; you are the one who has a demon." Samaritan … was a gross racial epithet reserved for persons utterly hated (see under John 4:7). For a list of ten such slanders against Jesus, see my Commentary on Luke, Luke 9:19.

Acts 21 overview — Paul's third journey continued from Miletus to Tyre (Acts 21:7-15), and was concluded in Jerusalem (Acts 21:17-26); and Luke's account of these events, although very brief, is of keen interest. The great feature of the chapter, however, is that of Paul's being mobbed in the temple and rescued by the Romans who

Ephesians 2:22 — In whom ye also are builded together for a habitation of God in the Spirit. Regarding the basic concept of the church of our Lord being the true temple of God, see full comment on this in my Commentary on Acts, 7:44ff, also under the heading "The Church the Temple of God" under 1 Corinthians 3:16 in this series of commentaries. In whom … is the equivalent of "in Christ"; and thus we have here another verse in which the Father, the

Hebrews 3:7-11 — years. Wherefore, I was displeased with this generation, And said, They do always err in their heart: But they did not know my ways; As I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest. THE SECOND EXHORTATION The quotation here is from Psalms 95:7 ff and introduces the second of a series of exhortations designed to bolster the lagging faith of the Hebrew Christians and to warn them against apostasy, the warning being strongly reinforced by the appeal to the analogous falling away which took place

James 5:10 — only the example of Job, perhaps singling out this one because of the significant time element involved in his example, exactly the crucial factor in the problem of the brethren addressed by James. Note the repeated use of "brethren" (James 5:7; James 5:10).

1 Samuel 6:19-21 — up away from us"? So they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kiriath-jearim, saying, "The Philistines have returned the ark of the Lord. Come down and take it up to you." (For a definitive comment on 1 Samuel 6:19-21, see the note under 1 Samuel 7:1.) 1 Samuel 7:1 "And the men of Kiriath-jearim came and took up the ark of the Lord, and brought it to the house of Abinidab on the hill; and they consecrated his son Eleazar, to have charge of the ark of the Lord." We have added 1 Samuel 7:1 here,