Bible Commentaries

Genesis 3 overview — temptation and fall of humanity and their consequent expulsion from Eden. The tempter is introduced (Genesis 3:1); the temptation is presented (Genesis 3:2-5); the fall of Eve, then Adam, (Genesis 3:6); the consequent shame, loneliness and fear (Genesis 3:7-8); their confrontation with God and their futile excuses (Genesis 3:9-13); the curse of the serpent and the word of hope for mankind (Genesis 3:14-15); the outline of the penalties upon Eve and Adam (Genesis 3:16-20); and their expulsion from Eden

Exodus 19 overview — theme of it throughout. The children of Israel come to Sinai, and Moses ascends the mountain (Exodus 19:1-3); Israel called to be a holy nation of royal priests unto God (Exodus 19:4-6); Israel makes a solemn promise of faithfulness to God (Exodus 19:7-10); the three-day period of sanctification (Exodus 19:11-15); great wonders that occurred at Sinai (Exodus 19:16-20); the people again warned, only Moses and Aaron called to go up into the mountain (Exodus 19:21-25) - these are the subdivisions of

Exodus 20:7 — 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 not" (Matthew 7:1). It must be allowed that God is a good Psychologist, having, in fact, created the human mind, and these dramatic negatives

Exodus 21:7-11 — food, her raiment, and her duty of marriage, shall he not diminish. And if he do not these three things unto her, then shall she go out for nothing without money." We are surprised that Noth suggested a "contradiction" between Exodus 21:2 and Exodus 21:7, although he did not use that word. The difference he supposed might have been due to the "view that only a man is a person, while the woman on the other hand was a possession."Martin Noth, op. cit., p. 177. How can a "Christian" commentator ascribe

Exodus 9:1-7 — as one of the cattle of the Israelites dead, But the heart of Pharaoh was stubborn, and he did not let the people go." "Let my people go" This great imperative thunders again and again throughout Exodus like a mighty refrain. See Exodus 5:1; Exodus 7:2; Exodus 7:7; Exodus 7:16; Exodus 8:1; Exodus 8:20. The entire episode of the Plagues was designed to demonstrate to Pharaoh that the Israelites were not his people at all, despite the fact of his abusing and enslaving them. They belonged to a greater

1 Kings 10 overview — only did he succeed. Solomon's reign was a climax of sensuality and materialism. The gaudy ostentation of Solomon's court exhibits a false glitter, and, "One finds it easy to understand the judgment of Jesus Christ,"The Layman's Bible Commentary, Vol. 7, p. 42 who singled out the humble flowers of the meadow and declared that, "Even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these" (Matthew 6:28-29).

Psalms 7:15-16 — himself who was hanged there; and many another wicked man has experienced exactly the same kind of retribution. It is of interest that Spurgeon in his "Treasury of David" interpreted these lines of God Himself; but the words "If a man turn not" in Psalms 7:12, it seems to this writer, require the understanding of the passage as indicated here.

Ecclesiastes 7:1-4 — is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the countenance, the heart is made glad. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth." This paragraph deals with that second clause of Ecclesiastes 7:1. It is true in a number of ways, but not in others. When some promising young person is the victim of some terrible accident and is thus cut down in the prime of life, the day of such a death is not better than the day of his birth. However, the death

Hosea 7:7 — an oven, and devour their judges; all their kings are fallen: there is none among them that calleth unto me." This is the third usage of the oven metaphor, as follows: (1) They are like the banked fire ready to flare up at the slightest chance, Hosea 7:4. (2) They were an oven fire, waiting while preparations are being completed, using the occasion to plan new evil, Hosea 7:6. (3) They "are hot as an oven"; their evil passions are a vicious, burning lust. Commenting on this multiple use of such a

Numbers 21:21-32 — satellite kingdom of the Amorites (Numbers 21:31-32). Again, Moses mentioned the song (or proverbs) sung by the people in celebration of the victory. These amazing lines (fourteen) have somewhat the nature of a sonnet, the first eleven lines (Numbers 21:27-29) extolling the power and might of Heshbon and Sihon, and the last three (Numbers 21:30) extolling the utter destruction of Heshbon. "Thou art undone, O people of Chemosh" (Numbers 21:29). "Chemosh was the national god of the Moabites (1 Kings 11:7;

Numbers 7:4-11 — altar in the day that it was anointed, even the princes offered their oblation before the altar. And Jehovah said unto Moses, They shall offer their oblation, each prince on his day, of the dedication of the altar." "Jehovah spake unto Moses" (Numbers 7:4). Apparently, Moses was at first reluctant to accept these magnificent gifts of wagons, since no commandment had been given for such gifts and there was the problem of what to do with them. God promptly supplied the answer, and Moses appointed these

Micah 6:7 — rivers of oil." Some of Israel's kings, especially, had offered the most outlandish numbers of beasts as sacrifices. Solomon offered 1,000 burnt-offerings (1 Kings 3:4), 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep (1 Kings 8:63; 2 Chronicles 30:24; 2 Chronicles 35:7). Solomon must have supposed that cleared him of the blame for having 700 wives and 300 concubines! "The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul" Having already taken the position that Micah 6:6-7 are the response of a "truly sincere people" wishing

Zechariah 9:12 — render double" This speaks of the rich reward of those who suffer shame or hardship for the work of God. Isaiah wrote of the same thing: "Instead of your shame, ye shall have double; and instead of dishonor they shall rejoice in their portion" (Isaiah 61:7). "Prisoners of hope" is a reference to all who wait patiently for the fulfillment of God's purpose in their lives and in the world.

Matthew 1:24-25 — passages; but, concerning all such insinuations against the truth, men need only to remember that God's word is not vitiated by such quibbles. As reflecting further light on the question of Mary's virginity, whether perpetual or not, the statement in Luke 2:7 is also pertinent. "She brought forth her FIRSTBORN son, etc." This terminology also suggests that Mary bore other sons, otherwise Christ should have been called her "only" son. The sacred Scriptures make the truth quite plain. Christ

Deuteronomy 7:6-11 — people for his own possession" The Septuagint (LXX) renders this, "to be a peculiar people above all the nations that are upon the face of the earth." This is translated exactly the same way in 1 Peter 2:9. "Because the Lord loved you" (Deuteronomy 7:8). Alexander's comment on this is: "Instead of saying, he hath chosen you out of love to your fathers, as in Deuteronomy 4:37, Moses brings out in this place love to the people of Israel as the Divine motive, not for choosing Israel, but for leading

Mark 2:24 — Pharisees had been flouted. Of course, IN THEIR VIEW, their human regulations were equated with God's law; but no Christian should fall into such an error as that. Christ said of this very incident that his disciples were "guiltless" (Matthew 12:7).

Luke 14 overview — This section of Luke (Luke 14:1—17:10) is made up practically altogether of "material which Luke alone reports."Norval Geldenhuys, Commentary on the Gospel of Luke (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1951), p. 386. This chapter recounts the healing

Luke 4:31-32 — his word was with authority. THE CURE OF A DEMONIAC IN CAPERNAUM Note that Luke explained the location of Capernaum, due to the non-Jewish readers who would see it. The astonishment of the people was due to the authority of Jesus' words (see Matthew 7:29). His teaching was not patterned after the methods of the Pharisees. He did not bow down before the traditions of the elders, but spoke the truth of God's word regardless of the prejudices of the people.

Acts 19:9 — departed from them, and separated the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus. Were hardened and disobedient … With regard to God's hardening of willful sinners, see dissertation in my Commentary on Romans under Romans 1:25; Romans 11:7. Reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus … There is an addition to this place in Codex Bezae, according to Dummelow, which says, "Paul disputed from the fifth hour to the tenth," and which Dummelow believed was "probably an authentic

Romans 6:2 — ceased. Neither does it refer to repentance, nor to any other subjective or inward change wrought by the gospel in Christians themselves. Three times in this chapter it is stated that Christians are dead, or have died, unto sin (Romans 6:2; Romans 6:7; Romans 6:11). A careful reading of Romans 6:11 shows what is meant: Even so ye also reckon yourselves to be dead unto sin, but alive unto God, in Christ Jesus (Romans 6:11). Christ died to pay the penalty of sin; and the person who is truly "in