Bible Commentaries

Genesis 2:4 — 11:10-26, the [~toledowth] of the sons of Shem; VI.    Genesis 11:27—25:11, the [~toledowth] of Terah; VII.    Genesis 25:12-18, the [~toledowth] of Ishmael; VIII.    Genesis 25:19—35:29, the [~toledowth] of Isaac; IX.    Genesis 36:1—37:1, the [~toledowth] of Esau; X.    Genesis 37:2—50:26, the [~toledowth] of Jacob.Wilhelm Moller, International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Vol.

Genesis 29:13-20 — comment on the custom of marrying the firstborn daughter before giving the younger ones in marriage, as claimed by Laban as an excuse). Her pre-eminence consisted of the following: (1)    She was the actual mother of six sons (Genesis 30:19), half of the twelve patriarchs, and one daughter (Dinah). (2)    Her son Judah succeeded to the headship of the Chosen Nation, through whom the Messiah was born. (3)    Her posterity became the principal

Genesis 37 overview — Toledoth X (Genesis 37:2) Here, in Genesis 37:2, begins the tenth and final division of Genesis, the same being the [~toledowth] of Jacob, following logically upon that of Esau just concluded. The narrative in this section is concerned chiefly with the story of Joseph; and,

Genesis 5:1-2 — great heroes up to and including the Flood, according to Babylonian myth, varied between 18,000 and over 64,000 years each,E. A. Speiser, The Anchor Bible, Genesis (Garden City, New York: Doubleday and Company, 1964), p. 42. thus giving a total of some 432,000 years for the consecutive reigns of those ten kings.William Nell, Harper's Bible Commentary (New York: Harper and Row, 1975), p. 28. There are certainly a lot fewer problems with the Genesis account! Some flatly refuse to believe that men once

Exodus 16:4-8 — murmuring which ye murmur against him: and what are we? your murmurings are not against us, but against Jehovah." "Bread from heaven for you" Our Lord Jesus Christ utilized this passage in his magnificent announcement that, "I am the bread of life" (John 6:35), and in his words that, "I am the bread that came down from heaven" (John 6:41). How is Jesus the Bread of Life? He came from heaven, like the manna. He gives life (spiritually) as the manna did physically. He is the only hope of eternal life; manna

Exodus 20 overview — DECALOGUE Introductory remarks: A.    The Divisions of the Decalogue God's division of the Decalogue was on two tables of stone, a division honored by Christ himself who marked the divisions as "Duties to God," and "Duties to Man" (Mark 12:28-31). And all major religious divisions have honored this, the differences being only in the question of which of the Ten Commandments belongs in which division. (1)    The Jewish division of the Decalogue places Commandments I-V on

1 Kings 11:1-8 — face what is written here. Keil wrote that "Solomon continued to offer the sacrifices to Jehovah three times in the year (as in 1 Kings 9:25), and that certainly to the day of his death";C. F. Keil, Keil and Delitzsch's Old Testament Commentaries, Vol. 3a, p. 166. and Hammond spoke of some who stress the fact that the text does not say that Solomon "served the false gods."The Pulpit Commentary, Vol. 5a, p. 221 These efforts to soften the fact of Solomon's apostasy are futile. The passage in 1 Kings

1 Kings 7:13-22 — the temple hall, but were set up in front of the hall on either side of the entrance."Ibid., p. 102. "They were put there simply because such pillars were commonly found in front of other (pagan) temples in the East."The Layman's Bible Commentary, p. 35. There is no agreement whatever as to what they might have symbolized. Their names, Jachin and Boaz, are said to mean, "he shall establish, and in it is strength,"Wycliffe Old Testament Commentary, p. 318 respectively, but the word has no antecedent

Psalms 65:1-5 — Thou that art the confidence of the ends of the earth, And of them that are afar off upon the sea." God is here praised: (a)    because He hears prayers (Psalms 65:2) (b)    because He forgives sins (Psalms 65:3) (c)    because He provides fellowship with Himself for His people "in His courts," that is, in His presence in heaven, (Psalms 65:4), and (d)    because He delivers His people from their enemies (Psalms 65:5). "Praise

Psalms 97:8-12 — righteous; And give thanks to his holy memorial name." "Zion heard and was glad… daughters of Judah rejoiced" The Anchor Bible renders this, "Let Zion hear… let the daughters of Judah rejoice."Mitchell Dahood in The Anchor Bible, Vol. II, p. 362. It appears to us that the passage is true either way it reads, the "righteous remnant" alone being the portion of Zion that heard and obeyed God. "Daughters of Judah" is Hebraic for the towns and villages surrounding Jerusalem."Ibid. The big thought

Ecclesiastes 9:2-6 — passage, is cited as the end of everything. And, in the earthly sense, of course it is. This is an obstinate fact; but God has placed in man's heart some equally obstinate intuitions that contradict it. "He has set eternity in their heart" (Ecclesiastes 3:11). And this pushes us toward an answer that lies beyond the pages of Ecclesiastes; and that is, "The prospect (even the certainty) of reward and punishment in the world to come."The Bible Speaks Today, p. 82. Loader interpreted what is written here

Numbers 25:1-5 — themselves unto Baal-peor." "Shittim" This means "Acacia Trees."Merrill F. Unger, Unger's Commentary on the Old Testament (Chicago: Moody Press, 1981), p. 219. It was the very last stopping place of Israel prior to crossing the Jordan (Joshua 2:1; Joshua 3:1). It was not very far from Mount Peor, from which the last effort of Balaam to curse Israel was attempted. It is thought that a special shrine or temple to Baal-peor was located on the top of it. "Gods" are mentioned in Numbers 25:2; but only Baal-Peor

Deuteronomy 27:1-8 — covenant which was here commanded, Moses would not be present, because he would die before Israel entered Canaan."P. C. Craigie, The New International Commentary on the Old Testament, Deuteronomy (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishlng Company, 1976), p. 327. Another feature of this paragraph is the repetition occurring in it. Cousins noted that this is characteristic of Hebrew style,Peter E. Cousins, The New Layman's Bible Commentary, Deuteronomy (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1979), p. 304.

John 16:13 — himself," thus prohibiting the notion that the Holy Spirit would initiate new doctrine, formulate new truth, or announce new teachings in any manner beyond or in addition to the "all truth" Jesus had already delivered to the apostles (John 13:3; John 16:15). The Father delivered all truth to Jesus (John 13:3); and Jesus delivered all truth to the apostles, promising that the Spirit would enable them to remember "all truth" (John 14:26); and, therefore, only the apostles of Jesus

Romans 7:1-3 — doctrine concerning marriage, which is here incidentally taught, or rather which is assumed as known by Christians and Jews is, that the marriage contract can only be dissolved by death. The only exception to this rule is given by Christ (Matthew 5:32); unless indeed Paul (1 Corinthians 7:15) recognizes willful and final desertion as a sufficient ground of divorce. Charles Hodge, Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1968), p. 220. Regarding

2 Corinthians 4:18 — contributed so heavily to scholarly disagreements about what is meant by that passage. 1.    God framed the universe itself out of things unseen (stated invertedly). "Hath not been made out of things which appear" (Hebrews 11:3). Modern science has proved that atoms, the building blocks of all creation, are not merely invisible, but are also practically nothing at all, being electrically charged particles in orbit around other particles and in the aggregate composed almost

Joshua 5:13-15 — would have forbidden Joshua to worship him, as did the angel for the apostle John (Revelation 19:10; Revelation 22:9). There are a number of these remarkable appearances in the O.T. Dummelow identified the Person here with "The Angel of Jehovah (Exodus 3:2)," adding that, "The Angel of Jehovah is not a created angel but Jehovah Himself in the act of self-manifestation."J. R. Dummelow, op. cit., p. 145. "There can be no doubt that this was God Himself seen as human form."Hugh J. Blair, The New Bible

1 Timothy 6:1 — institution, recognized and practiced in every nation under heaven. That slaves formed a considerable portion of all the congregations of Paul's day may be inferred from the extensive teachings on the subject in 1 Corinthians 7:21-24; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Eph. 6:5:8; Colossians 3:11; Colossians 3:22; 1 Peter 2:18 and also in 1 Corinthians 1:27-29. The holy gospel must have been especially welcomed and appreciated by slaves who, despite being at the bottom of the social and economic ladder, were nevertheless

James 5:14-15 — miraculous healing which was no infrequent occurrence in the apostolic age, and is regarded in the New Testament as a supernatural sign vindicating the truth of the Christian gospel in the early days of its proclamation. R. V. G. Tasker, op. cit., p. 130. Supporting this view is the fact of the apostles, upon the Lord's instructions, using such a method when they were first sent out by Jesus (Mark 6:13). An objection to this view has been founded on the fact that the New Testament does not say that

Revelation 14:4-5 — non-Lesbian females? Literalism here could hardly mean anything else: therefore, the true spiritual meaning of the passage must be sought. For a discussion of "Fundamentalism among Modernists," see my Commentary on James , 1 and 2 Peter , 1, 2, and 3 John, and Jude, pp. 289,290. Before observing what other learned men have written about this, let it be observed that John here categorically stated exactly who the "virgins" of this passage are: They are they that follow the Lamb whithersoever