Bible Commentaries

Exodus 5:2 — recently at that time, that "Pharaoh could not have known the name since the Hebrews had only recently been introduced to it." With Fields, we believe that, "This goes against Bible teaching."Wilbur Fields, Exodus (Joplin: College Press, 1976), p. 129. It appears to us as extremely unlikely that Pharaoh did not know of Jehovah, because the action of Jehovah in the life of Joseph, elevating him to the throne of Egypt (as deputy), was no secret. If Pharaoh was ignorant, he was willfully ignorant.

1 Kings 11:9-13 — time until God would utterly dissolve and destroy the "sinful kingdom" (Amos 9:8). Neither the sinful monarchy nor the Temple was, in the ultimate sense, in harmony with God's will, in spite of the fact that God surely used both of them (1 Samuel 8 and 2 Samuel 7).

1 Kings 15:23-24 — kings of Judah were weak and sinful men, because the Christ, whose death enabled people to live more perfectly, had not yet come to mankind. "In his old age, he was diseased in his feet" This disease of Asa began in the thirty-ninth year of his reign (2 Chronicles 16:12), and he sought help from the physicians but not from the Lord. "From this we may see that the longer he lived the more he turned his heart away from the Lord."Ibid., p. 222. The old proverb that power corrupts and that total power

2 Kings 12:1-3 — places." "Jehoash did… right… all his days wherein Jehoiada the priest instructed him" The author of this passage was evidently one who loved Jehoash, because he refrained from recording the shameful lapses of this king after the death of Jehoiada. 2 Chronicles 24 gives us the "rest of the tragic story." The words "wherein Jehoiada… instructed him" are ample witness and confirmation of the fuller account in Chronicles. "Howbeit the high places were not taken away" "These vestiges of the ancient

2 Kings 14:11-14 — and all the vessels that were found in the house of Jehovah, and in the treasures of the king's house, the hostages also, and returned to Samaria." The facts related here become much clearer in the light of the supplemental material in Josephus and in 2 Chronicles 25. The battle was fought at Bethshemesh, some fifteen miles west of Jerusalem. A great panic (Josephus says it was sent by God) among Amaziah's troops left the king unprotected and Jehoash captured him and threatened to kill him unless he

2 Kings 14:8-10 — thereof, and abide at home; for why shouldest thou meddle to the hurt, that thou shouldest fall, even thou, and Judah with thee?" Our text in this narrative omits some of the important factors leading up to this declaration of war by Amaziah as revealed in 2 Chronicles 15 and in Josephus. When Amaziah was preparing to invade Edom, he paid a hundred talents in silver to hire some troops from the tribe of Ephraim. Upon the advice of a prophet he sent them back home, which dismissal they took as an insult;

Ezra 6:11-12 — peoples that shall put forth their hand to alter the same, to destroy this house of God which is at Jerusalem. I Darius have made a decree; let it be done with all diligence." There are two parts of this penalty: (1) the crufixion of the offender, and (2) an invocation that the God of heaven would also execute divine justice upon him. "The extremely favorable impact of Darius' decree upon the temple project was no doubt due, in part, to the influence of Cyrus, two of whose daughters Darius had married;

Psalms 2:12 — submission, and homage, paid to ancient kings and rulers. It was also adopted by pagan worshippers as a manner of honoring their false gods. The once-worshippers of God in the times of Hosea were saying, "Let the men that sacrifice kiss the calves"! (Hosea 13:2). "Kissing the calves, or kissing the hand toward the calves or idols was an act of devotion or homage expressed toward the false deity."Homer Hailey, Commentary on the Minor Prophets (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1972), p. 19. How incredible was

Psalms 2:6-7 — would be crucified, buried, and rise from the dead, and that there "The word of the Lord should go forth from Jerusalem." "The Messianic King now speaks, quoting the promise given to David, the father of the dynasty, through Nathan the prophet. See 2 Samuel 7:4-17."J. R. Dummelow, Commentary on the Holy Bible (New York: The Macmillan Company, 1937), p. 329. Israel's King David was indeed an Old Testament type of God's only begotten Son, as indicated in the very first verse of the New Testament;

Psalms 68:28-31 — God." "Thy temple at Jerusalem" David conceived the idea of building God a temple, and here envisioned the completion of it, two great steps toward that objective already having occurred: (1) David had purchased the site where the temple would be built; and (2) now the ark of the covenant was about to be enshrined in the temporary temple called the tabernacle. The tabernacle was often called "the temple" in Scripture, as we have repeatedly pointed out. "Kings shall bring presents unto thee" David's prophecy

Leviticus 15:16-18 — despite the two manifestations of it, the first involuntary, the second as a result of copulation. Both deal with normal discharges. "It is clear that these instances were recognized as less serious."Ronald E. Clements, Broadman Bible Commentary, Vol. 2, Leviticus (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1972), p. 43. Viscount Melbourne, a typical Victorian who died in 1848, wrote that, "Things have come to a pretty pass when religion is allowed to invade the sphere of private life."George A. F. Knight, Leviticus

Leviticus 7:15-18 — the thanksgiving type of peace-offering had to be consumed on the day of its offering; but the most logical, it appears to us, is that suggested by Wenham, (1) either it was for the purpose of encouraging the offerer to invite others to share it, or (2) it showed that the worshipper trusted God to supply his future needs.Gordon J. Wenham, op. cit., p. 124 Cate thought the word "abomination" meant the same thing as "spoiled".Robert L. Cate, op. cit., p. 82.

Ezekiel 17 overview — indeed be raised up one to sit upon the throne of David; but that spoke of Jesus' resurrection from the grave, and his ascension to the right hand of God, those glorious events which far more than adequately fulfilled all of God's promises to David (Acts 2:29-35). Concerning the date of the chapter, the last preceding date mentioned by Ezekiel was in Ezekiel 8:1, which was 592 B.C. and the next date mentioned by the prophet (Ezekiel 20:1) was eleven months later. "From Ezekiel 17:20, it is clear that

Numbers 28:11-15 — that the Jewish lunar months called special attention to "feasts of the new moons" which were prevalent among the pagans, they were specifically commanded not to worship the moon (Deuteronomy 17:3), but it would seem from Paul's words in Colossians 2:16 that the Jews continued to participate in "new moon" festivals, whether or not this was the original intention. Under Judaism they served a different purpose from the customs of pagans.

Numbers 34:1-5 — as defined by God Himself originated eastward from the southern tip of the Dead Sea (how far eastward was not stated) and moved southwestward to its terminus at the Mediterranean. In the terminology used in these verses, "The goings forth (Numbers 33:2) and the goings out (as in Numbers 34:5) have the meaning of `starting point' and `termination'."Harry M. Orlinsky, Notes on the New Translation of the Torah (Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Society of America, 1969), p. 241.

Joshua 3:4-6 — Longacre described what is meant by this command thus: "It consisted in the washing of garments and bodies as well as abstaining from any act or object regarded as unclean."Lindsay B. Longacre, Abingdon Bible Commentary, Joshua (New York: Abingdon Press, 1929), p. 347. The same author also gave as a good modern example of "sanctification," "The actions of a Mohammedan making his ceremonial ablutions before going into the mosque to pray."Ibid. Arthur Pink's comment on this is especially good, particularly

Judges 11:23-24 — ARGUMENT NO. 2 This argument was simply that since the God of Israel, the true God and ruler of all lands, had given the land in question to Israel, the Israelites therefore had every right to keep it. "So now Jehovah, the God of Israel, hath dispossessed the Amorites

Judges 20:12-14 — THE NEGOTIATIONS BREAK DOWN (Judges 20:12; Judges 20:14) "And the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying; What wickedness is this that is come to pass among you? Now therefore deliver up the men, the base fellows that are in Gibeah, that we may put them to death,

1 Samuel 25:1-2 — necessary. Nabal is introduced here, though not by name, as a very rich man whose residence was in Carmel, but whose great flocks of sheep and goats were in the wilderness of Maon. "Carmel is the modern Kermel, between Ziph and Maon."The Interpreter's Bible, Vol. 2, p. 1011. Of course, this is a different Carmel from Mount Carmel on the Mediterranean coast.

2 Samuel 12:24-25 — oldest son to be born in Jerusalem by a wife of David, as opposed to a concubine."The New Bible Commentary, Revised, p. 307. We include here also a statement by Porter, because it is interesting and not because of any certainty about what is stated. 2 Samuel 12:25 is not very clear as it stands in the RSV; and Mauchline (p. 256) says that the first clause could be rendered, and committed him to the care of Nathan the prophet. Thus, Nathan became Solomon's tutor and gave him the name Jedidiah, which