Bible Commentaries

2 Kings 12 overview — for 17 years (1 Kings 14:21); Abijah reigned for 3 years (1 Kings 15:2); Asa reigned for 41 years (1 Kings 15:10); Jehoshaphat reigned for 25 years (1 Kings 22:42); Jehoram reigned for 8 years (2 Kings 8:17); Ahaziah reigned for 1 year (2 Kings 8:25-26);p and the usurper, Athaliah, reigned for 6 years (2 Kings 11:1-3) - a total of 101 years. Furthermore, the repair of the breaches in the temple did not take place until the 23rd year of the reign of Joash (2 Kings 12:6). Thus, a total of 124 years

Proverbs 11:8 — 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.

Proverbs 12:1 — wise who does not know and love the Bible. "He loveth correction who loveth knowledge, and he hateth instruction who is without reason."C. F. Keil, Keil-Delitzsch's Old Testament Commentaries (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company), Vol. 6, p. 250.

Proverbs 15:33 — before honor goeth humility." "Humility is that low sweet root from which all the heavenly virtue shoot."Sir Thomas Moore, The Loves of the Angels "Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time" (1 Peter 5:6). The Magnificat has the precious lines, "He hath put down princes from their thrones, and hath exalted them of low degree" (Luke 1:52). The glorious Head of our holy religion washes the disciples' feet.

Leviticus 18 overview — divisions in this chapter: (1)    a warning for Israel not to fall into the customs of the Egyptians and the Canaanites (Leviticus 18:1-5); (2)    marriages between persons of close kinship forbidden (Leviticus 18:6-18); (3)    the prohibition of sexual deviations like those of the Canaanites (Leviticus 18:19-23); (4)    and God's warning of the consequences of failure to observe these rules (Leviticus 18:24-30). Significantly,

Zephaniah 1:5 — "And them that worship the host of heaven upon the housetops; and them that worship and swear to Jehovah and swear by Malcam." These verses (Zephaniah 1:4-6) give the reasons why God's judgment would fall upon Judah. They might all be summed up in a word, "apostasy" from the knowledge and worship of God. "Worship the host of heaven" Astrology and the worship of the sun, moon, and stars, as practiced by

Matthew 11:16 — But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the market-places, who call unto their fellows. Christ loved little children and made them models of kingdom virtues (Matthew 18:1-6) and flatly declared that unto such "belongs the kingdom of God" (Matthew 19:14). But here, Jesus used unruly and misbehaving children as a simile for the obdurate and unreasonable generation which rejected him and his kingdom. Such groups

Matthew 6:1 — Take heed that ye do not your righteousness before men to be seen of them: else ye have no reward with your Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 6:1) THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT (continued) The prohibition in this verse is against a false motive for righteousness, namely, "to be seen." Secrecy is not here enjoined in any absolute sense; because Christ also said, "Let your light so shine

Mark 6:35 — And when the day was now far spent, his disciples came unto him, and said, This place is desert, and the day is now far spent. The apostles were concerned that evening was drawing to a close, and they anticipated a real problem regarding food for so many in such a place. It does not appear that they had the slightest idea what Jesus would do, despite the fact that the Lord had mentioned the problem to Philip considerably in advance of the crisis (John 6:5 f).

John 16:24 — or (2) a mere statement of their habit up to that time, and mentioned only with a view to changing it. Surely the latter is correct, because when Jesus taught his disciples to pray, he did not at that time command them to pray in Jesus' name (Matthew 6:9-13). There is also here the mention of their joy being made full, and that hardly fits in with the idea of a reprimand. Hendriksen observed that: When a believer concludes his prayer by saying, "All this we ask in Jesus' name," he is not

John 3:27 — widespread success unless God had given it; and John's decline could not have occurred unless the Lord had willed it. How wonderful it would be if every minister accepted the principle that "It is God who gave the increase" (1 Corinthians 3:6). All power, ability, talent, intelligence, skill, beauty — everything comes from God (Deuteronomy 8:18).

John 8:17-18 — witness of two men is true. I am he that beareth witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me. Your law … was so called because the Pharisees professed such high regard for it. It is written … refers to Deuteronomy 17:6, Numbers 35:30, etc., where Moses' law taught that two concurring witnesses were sufficient for imposing the death penalty. Two concurring witnesses were therefore sufficient for establishing the authenticity of Christ and his message.

Galatians 3:17 — Now this I say: a covenant confirmed beforehand by God, the Law, which came four hundred and thirty years after, doth not disannul, so as to make the promise of none effect. This was Paul's repetition for the sake of emphasis of the argument already delivered above. Four hundred and thirty years … For comment on the variation in this figure from that given by Stephen in Acts 7:6, see my Commentary on Acts 7:5-8. Paul used the figure also found in the LXX, and Stephen used a round number.

1 Timothy 1:11 — possible meanings, "the gospel which tells of the glory of God." A. C. Hervey, op. cit., p. 4. The words as rendered, however, are the truth; and the general idea comes through beautifully any way. Blessed God … "This with 1 Timothy 6:15 are the only passages in the New Testament where blessed is an epithet of God." Ibid.

Hebrews 12:16 — wickedness?" (Genesis 39:9). The sin of fornication, or adultery (and for all practical purposes, the sins are one), is destructive and antagonistic. It is AGAINST the following: (1) primarily against God, as noted above; (2) against one's body (1 Corinthians 6:18) (this being true no matter how "body" is understood, whether the physical body, the body of the family, the social body, or any corporate body, many a corporation having been wrecked by adultery); (3) the church, as stated in the text;

Hebrews 3:2 — wilderness; Christ lifted himself upon the cross (John 3:14). Israel was baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea (1 Corinthians 10:2); spiritual Israel are baptized into Christ (Galatians 3:27). Moses gave to the people bread from heaven (Exodus 16:15); Christ gave the people loaves and fishes in the wilderness, a figure of him who is the Bread of Life (John 6:31; John 6:49 ff). Both were the subjects of a special interposition on the part of God when they died, Moses being buried by God (Deuteronomy

James 1:10 — Commentary, Vol. 21, James (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1950), p. 3. Nevertheless, the expression "brethren" is used sixteen times in this letter, and all who were mentioned (except in James 4:7-10 and in James 5:1-6) fall under the blanket inclusion of that endearing address. How could it be supposed that James was addressing rich unbelievers? It seems mandatory then to accept the rich of this passage as rich Christians. What James did here with reference to the

Judges 2 overview — ISRAEL GETS THE BAD NEWS AT BOCHIM This chapter and through Judges 3:6 are a continuation of the preface of Judges, and as Keil observed, all of this material may be considered as an absolute unity with the rest of the Book of Judges. There is no Deuteronomic introduction interpolated here into the main text! "The arguments

Revelation 20:12 — throne, standing and waiting for their sentence. The hour has struck which Jesus promised in John 5:28-29. There are no absentees; all are present. "This is the only bodily resurrection that the Scriptures know." R. C. H. Lenski, op. cit., p. 604. The entirety of all people will be there, even the living, who will be "changed" for the occasion (1 Corinthians 15:51). "And the books were opened"? What are these? We may not presume to give any complete answer, but the Scriptures

Revelation 4:7 — eagle. Of course, everyone is familiar with the adoption of these figures in church architecture to stand for the Four Gospels, but this has no foundation in the Bible. Roberts did not hesitate to identify these with the "seraphim" in Isaiah 6:2, and the "cherubim" of Ezekiel 10:20. J. W. Roberts, op. cit., p. 56.