Bible Commentaries

Genesis 21:1-7 — (Genesis 17:19), and of Ishmael (Genesis 16:11). "Circumcised … when he was eight days old" This continued ever afterward as the invariable custom of the Jews; but the Arabians who descended through Ishmael observe the rite at the beginning of the 13th year, as it was initiated in the instance of Ishmael. Christ also was circumcised the eighth day; and thus Christians are "in Christ" circumcised with the "circumcision not made with hands" (Colossians 2:11-12). For the old Israel, circumcision was

Genesis 29:1-6 — with him? And they said, It is well: and, behold, Rachel his daughter cometh with the sheep." "Land of the children of the east" "This is northern Mesopotamia where Haran is located."John T. Willis, Genesis (Austin: Sweet Publishing Company, 1979), p. 336. "The well" Willis and other scholars suppose that this could have been the same well where the servant of Abrahm met Rebekah years earlier.Ibid. If it was, then some changes had evidently taken place in it, which, of course, was by no means impossible.

Genesis 30:43 — employment of them as shepherds. (2)    The ringstreaked, speckled, spotted and black sheep and cattle were separated from the main flock by a three days' journey, some fifty miles away. Jacob clearly did not trust Laban at all. (3)    The semi-pagan beliefs of Laban appear in Genesis 30:27, where he said, "I have divined that Jehovah hath blessed me for thy sake." The Pharaohs of Egypt used sacred cups by which they divined, a thing mentioned by Joseph in

Genesis 34:25-29 — were her real brothers distinguished from others who were half-brothers. There is some question as to whether any other of Jacob's sons took part in this episode, Simeon and Levi being the only ones mentioned. The indefinite "sons of Jacob" (Genesis 34:27) could mean that all of Jacob's sons participated in looting and plundering the city. It is one of the things that we can not know. At least it is a reasonable conjecture that Simeon and Levi had some kind of assistance, since two men would not

Exodus 12:29-30 — know about those houses were there were not any first-born! Such quibbles disappear in the light of the usage in all languages in which major proportions of anything are commonly referred to by the word "all." See my commentary on Matthew (at Matthew 3:5-6) for a discussion of the Biblical use of hyperbole, and also other N.T. examples of it. This tenth and final plague accomplished all that God had said concerning it. Pharaoh did indeed at last let the people go. he even sent for Moses and Aaron

Exodus 14:10-14 — the State of New Hampshire carry the motto, "Live free or die." What the Israelites were saying to Moses was an ancient equivalent of "Better Red than Dead!" Moses' response to the situation actually had five elements: (1) Fear not; (2) Stand firm; (3) See God's salvation; (4) Jehovah will fight for you; and (5) Shut up! i.e., "Hold your peace!" It should be noted that "Stand still" had no reference whatever to an order to "Do nothing." We cannot believe that Moses meant anything like that; but,

Exodus 20:22-26 — it simple!" This admonition too is carried over into the New Testament. "I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve in his craftiness, your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity and purity that is toward Christ" (2 Corinthians 11:3). Paul's fears, of course, were more than justified, for the one business of Christianity since the very beginning has been to make it more complicated, more liturgical, less simple, more elaborate, etc., etc. In other words, they lift up their "tools"

Exodus 20:7 — psychologists who deplore "negative commandments." Some Christian teachers, even, have fallen into the error of supposing that all of Jesus' commandments were positive. However, look at these from a single sermon by the Master: "Swear not at all" (Matthew 5:34). "Resist not him that is evil" (Matthew 5:39). Do not your righteousness before men (Matthew 6:1). "In praying, use not vain repetitions" (Matthew 6:7). "Be not therefore anxious" (Matthew 6:24). "Neither cast your pearls before swine" (Matthew 7:6). "Judge

Exodus 21:12-14 — Exodus 21:12 may be viewed as a limitation of the number of capital offenses. Only three were mentioned here, although more were specified later: (1) murder (Exodus 21:12); (2) striking or cursing father or mother (Exodus 21:15; Exodus 21:17); and (3) kidnapping (Exodus 21:16). "A place whither he may flee" God, through Moses, gave more complete and definite instructions regarding this in Numbers 35:9-34, where it was revealed that "after Israel entered Canaan" six cities of refuge were to be appointed,

Exodus 21:7-11 — heir to Abraham's wealth above Isaac. "A slave wife could be unfairly treated if they fell into disfavour, and the price of such unfair treatment was that which gave her her freedom."Ronald E. Clements, Exodus (Cambridge: University Press, 1972), p. 133. All of these "rights" of slaves (Exodus 21:1-11) have led some to criticize God's allowance of slavery under any circumstances. However, "God allowed slavery upon exactly the same basis that He allowed divorce (Matthew 19:3-9), allowed the monarchy

Exodus 3:16-18 — three days journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to Jehovah our God." One may only smile at such a contradiction as that alleged by Peake, who complained that here Moses was instructed to communicate through "the elders," whereas in Exodus 3:15, it was to be "with the people at large"!Canon George Harford, Peake's Commentary on the Old Testament (London: T. C. and E. C. Jack, 1924), p. 172. Of course, there would have been absolutely no other way that Moses could have contacted the people

Leviticus 9:1-7 — kind of sacrifice, but he also offered practically all of the various animals usually utilized for sacrifices. "A young calf" (Leviticus 9:2). This is a variation. The usual sin-offering for the High Priest was a bull, not a young calf (Leviticus 4:3), the difference here being that, "Aaron's full dignity had not yet devolved upon him."F. Meyrick, The Pulpit Commentary, Vol. 2, Leviticus (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1950), p. 138. That full dignity would fall upon Aaron after

Ezekiel 16 overview — upon her silks, sealskins, and every beautiful thing; who then made herself a prostitute to every man that passed by, thereby becoming even worse than Samaria and Sodom."Henry H. Halley's Bible Handbook (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House), p. 301. Plumptre described the language here as unmatched by anything else except some passages in Dante, but cautioned us to remember that, "The scenes brought forth by the prophet here were a very familiar thing to the men of the generation addressed by

Ezekiel 19 overview — the figure of a vine, a rod of which caused its total destruction. The first is in Ezekiel 19:1-9; the second is in Ezekiel 19:10-14. Dummelow noted that these laments appear to be (1) for the nation as a whole, (2) for the royal house of David, or (3) for Hammutal, the mother of Zedekiah.J. R. Dummelow's Commentary, p. 504. Actually, the lament is for all of Israel, about to suffer the irrevocable loss of their status as God's Chosen People, the final end of their racial status in God's sight,

Ezekiel 26 overview — Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1962), p. 742. Regarding the date of this chapter, Keil identified it as "the year in which Jerusalem fell."Carl Friedrich Keil, Keil-Delitzsch Old Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company), p. 310. Alexander gave that date as 587-586 B.C.RHA, p. 741. Ezekiel gave more space to God's prophecies against Tyre than did any other sacred writer. The prophecy which begins in this chapter is concluded in Ezekiel 28:19. This may have been due to the

Daniel 12 overview — contradicted by Keil; and, as we found in our studies of the last paragraph of Daniel 11, there is no reference whatever in those verses to Antiochus. That impressive gap between undeniable references to Antiochus earlier in chapter eleven, prior to Daniel 11:36, and the introduction of the resurrection of the dead in the first three verses of this chapter, make it absolutely imperative to understand that in this chapter the focus of the prophecy moves to the climax of the Messianic kingdom itself in the Final

Numbers 5:16-22 — "pure running water" here. "Dust from the floor of the tabernacle" (Numbers 5:17). This was a symbol of "vileness and misery."Robert Jamieson, op. cit., p. 98. It will be recalled that the curse upon the serpent was that he should eat dust (Genesis 3:14). However, such dust in itself was perfectly harmless. "Let the woman's hair go loose" (Numbers 5:18). "As a person under suspicion, she was thus deprived of her dignity."Elmer Smick, op. cit., p. 119. Notice that different designations are used

Numbers 9:9-14 — ordinance are here specified as governing also this supplementary Passover: (1)    observe it on the fourteenth day of the month (Numbers 9:11) (2)    eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs (Numbers 9:12) (3)    leave none of it until morning (Numbers 9:12) and (4)    nor break a bone thereof."George Buchanan Gray, op. cit., p. 84. Added to this was the requirement that "all of the statute and all of the ordinance

Deuteronomy 2:4-7 — children of Esau, that dwell in Seir, from the way of the Arabah from Elath and from Ezion-geber." Critical scholars complain that, "This story differs markedly from that in Numbers 20:14-21!"Anthony Phillips, Deuteronomy, (Cambridge: University Press, 1973), p. 22. Phillips even stated that, "Israel twice petitioned the king for permission to pass and was refused!"Ibid. Von Rad declared that their petition was "hard-heartedly rejected."Gerhard Von Rad, op. cit., p. 41. So what? Where is any contradiction?

Revelation 22 overview — of that. In this chapter, for the first time, "The imagery of the paradise of Eden, linking the end of history with its beginning, appears." G. R. Beasley-Murray, The Book of Revelation (Greenwood, South Carolina: The Attic Press, 1974), p. 330. John took the motif of the Fall in Genesis 3 and described the complete reversal of it to convey the ultimate glory of man in Christ Jesus." Douglas Ezell, Revelations on Revelation (Waco: Word Books, 1977), p. 109. Those scholars are wrong