Bible Commentaries

Genesis 15:5 — question rises as to how such a fact is mentioned so casually. The answer has to lie in the omniscience of God, the real Author of Genesis. "So shall thy seed be" Seed, of course, has two meanings, being a collective noun, meaning: (1) a single Seed, or (2) billions of seeds. Both meanings are found in the Scriptures. Here the "seed" refers to the vast and innumerable company of Abram's physical posterity on earth. However, in Genesis 3:15, and in Genesis 26:4, "seed" is used restrictively as reference

Genesis 19:9-11 — men" Actually, these were "the angels"; and Lot could no longer have failed to know this, especially when they smote the would-be intruders with blindness. "The blindness" This was not actually blindness, in the ordinary sense, as proved by a glance at 2 Kings 6:18, where the only other use of this word in the entire Bible is found. "There God smote the Syrian army with blindness, but did not leave them sightless. It was blindness of confusion … they could see but could not identify where they

Exodus 4 overview — This great chapter gives a prophetic summary of the deliverance of Israel before the events actually happened. In Exodus 3, God dealt with two of Moses' objections: (1) Who am I? and (2) What is thy name? And here, three other objections are encountered and dealt with: (3) "They will not believe" (Exodus 4:1); (4) "I am not eloquent" (Exodus 4:10); and (5) "Send … by the hand of whom thou wilt send" (Exodus 4:13). These latter

1 Kings 4 overview — magnificence and glory of the kingdom of Solomon, but this writer's opinion of that kingdom holds it in a somewhat different light - the light shed on it by the Prince of Peace who declared of himself that, "Behold, a greater than Solomon is here" (Matthew 12:42)! The full implication of Jesus' words in that passage clearly mean that Solomon's kingdom suggests that of the Messiah only in their dramatic contrasts. The materialistic trappings of the Solomonic kingdom exhibited all of the extravagant abuses

Job 9 overview — rich and prosperous; and if he is wicked, he will suffer disease and hardship. The only thing wrong with that theory was its being absolutely false: (1) No man is righteous enough to deserve all of the blessings which are poured out upon all men; and (2) "Such a theory makes every poor man, and every martyr, a wicked sinner,"R. B. Sweet Publishing Company, No. 216, p. 24. and every wealthy person a saint of God. No fair-minded person could accept such a theory. The response of Job begins with a sarcastic

Psalms 36 overview — MAN'S WICKEDNESS AND GOD'S LOVINGKINDNESS CONTRASTED There are three divisions in this psalm. "(1) Psalms 36:1-4 give the portrait of the wicked man; (2) Psalms 36:5-9 paint the Divine goodness; and (3) Psalms 36:10-12 have the prayer and an expression of confidence."The Pulpit Commentary, Vol. 8, p. 274. There are representatives of some three types of Hebrew poetry in these few verses. "Each of the

Psalms 87 overview — repose?With salvation's walls surrounded,Thou mayest smile at all thy foes. "This marvelous little psalm is a prophecy of the glorification of the Church universal, when all the nations of the world have come into it."The Pulpit Commentary,, Vol. 8-B, p. 222. "It is a Korahitic psalm; it is also prophetic of the time when God's chosen and beloved city shall become the birthplace of all nations."F. Delitzsch, Vol. V-C, p. 18. What a wonderful way of saying that "The word of the Lord shall go forth from

Psalms 99 overview — HOLY, HOLY, HOLY, IS THE LORD OF HOSTS (Isaiah 6:3) "This Psalm falls into three parts: (1) Psalms 99:1-3; (2) Psalms 99:4-5; and (3) Psalms 99:6-9, each concluded with a declaration of God's holiness. It is an echo of the Trisagion of the seraphim (Isaiah 6:3)."F. Delitzsch, Vol. V-C, p. 99. In the light of this discerning remark by Delitzsch, we have chosen

Isaiah 50 overview — This remarkable chapter contains the beginning of what is called "The Third Servant Song," although the word "servant" does not appear in it. Isaiah 42:1-4; Isaiah 49:1-6; and Isaiah 52:13 to Isaiah 53:12, are reckoned as the three, along with what is written here. "The first two songs emphasized the Servant's mission; the third one, however, treats of his obedience, and of his steadfast endurance

Jeremiah 14 overview — the chapter into various units, assigning a different date to each; but, as Keil noted, "Such efforts have proved to be a complete failure."C. F. Keil, Keil-Delitzsch's Old Testament Commentaries (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company), p. 243. As we have frequently noted, the "exact date" of any or all of these prophecies is of very little importance. The general facts are well known. It is clear enough that the occasion of this chapter was a terrible drought that fell upon Judaea. A practical

Jeremiah 41 overview — ISHMAEL'S MURDER OF GEDALIAH All of the events of this chapter revolve around the shameful and treacherous murder of the new governor Gedaliah by Ishmael. The chapter divisions are: (1) the murder of the governor (Jeremiah 41:1-3); (2) the murder of the pilgrims (Jeremiah 41:4-7); (3) captives at Mizpah taken (Jeremiah 41:8-10); (4) Ishmael defeated, escapes to Ammon (Jeremiah 41:11-15); and (5) the people gathered by Johanan to go to Egypt (Jeremiah 41:16-18). The length of Gedaliah's

Joel 1 overview — This whole chapter (Joel 1:1-20) relates to a terrible and destructive locust plague that came upon Israel, particularly Judah, a disaster so overwhelming that no escape was possible. The fact of it is dramatically stated (Joel 1:1-4); the prophet's admonition to the people is given

Numbers 15 overview — status of having to wait until certain faithless and short-sighted leaders have passed over the river. It is futile to seek any exact dates for events and revelations in these chapters. "While the children of Israel were in the wilderness" (Numbers 15:32) is the only date given, the same being the period after the rebellion of Numbers 14 and until just prior to their entry into Canaan. Gray's outline of the chapter is as good as any:George Buchanan Gray, International Critical Commentary, Numbers, (Edinburgh:

Luke 19 overview — as twice proclaimed by the beggar (Luke 19:18:37,38): (1) This first "announcement" (it was actually that) was founded on the fact that restoring sight to the blind was one of the prophetic signs of the Messianic age (Luke 19:4:18; Luke 7:21; Isaiah 29:18; Isaiah 35:5). (2) Jesus' calling of Zacchaeus, a prominent publican, as a "son of Abraham," stressed the religious rather than any political quality of his kingdom (Luke 19:1-10). (3) He then gave a great parable (the pounds),

Romans 11 overview — dominates the entire epistle, especially in its relation to the master theme of God's rectitude; but, beginning with Romans 9, Paul began to lay the ground for the revelation of the mystery concerning Israel which was finally stated formally in Romans 11:25. The key facts which Paul had already established regarding Israel are: (1) they are not all Israel who are of Israel (Romans 9:6), making it clear that there are, and always have been, TWO Israels: (a) the external Israel, the state, the nation, the

Romans 3 overview — righteous and that justification was impossible either through the law of Moses or any similar system of law (Romans 3:9-19), and then presented God's master plan of human redemption, as achieved in Christ, and available to all people in him (Romans 3:21-31). Verses 1-8 raise four questions, each being imputed to objectors, as in the old diatribe style; and the apostolic answers are given. These are: (1) What advantage then hath the Jew (Romans 3:1)? (2) What is the profit of circumcision (Romans 3:1)?

Joshua 14 overview — next five chapters (Joshua 14:15-15), where is recorded the apportionment of the Land of Canaan among the Twelve Tribes of Israel. It is an introduction: (1) because it gives the names of the principal persons who conducted the casting of lots; and (2) because it deals with a matter that was required to be taken care of before the casting of lots take place, i.e., the granting of Caleb's claim to Hebron, based upon a prior promise given by Moses. Woudstra also pointed out a third function of this

Revelation 12:16 — swallowed up the river which the dragon cast out of his mouth. Earth helped the woman … swallowed up the river … There are two different interpretations of this: (1)    Beasley-Murray illustrated this with Judges 5:20, where it is said that, "The stars in their courses fought against Sisera," also citing the case of the waters of the Red Sea withdrawing and enabling Israel to escape from Pharaoh. G. R. Beasley-Murray, op. cit., p. 206. Barclay also took

Revelation 2:6 — followers of that Nicolas who was one of the seven first ordained to the diaconate by the apostles." Irenaeus, The Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. I, Translated by Roberts and Donaldson (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, n.d.), p. 352. They taught that it was a matter of indifference to commit adultery or eat things sacrificed to idols. "It was an exaggeration of the doctrine of Christian liberty which attempted an ethical compromise with heathenism." Merrill C. Tenney,

Revelation 9:8 — this horde is seen in the teeth, namely, that of utter destructiveness. Some will object to the view expressed here, and we respect their right of doing so. Mounce noted that, "The fact that both Samson (Judges 16:13; Judges 16:19) and Absalom (2 Samuel 14:25-26) wore their hair long should show that long hair may be a symbol of vitality rather than femininity"; Robert H. Mounce, The Book of Revelation (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1977), p. 197. and while