Bible Commentaries

Genesis 15:18 — Canaanite, and the Gergashite, and the Jebusite." "In that day Jehovah made a covenant" This must be understood in the sense that God ratified and confirmed with this ancient type of oath the covenant already existing, and which was recounted in Genesis 12:1 f. He also elaborated significant details not previously given: (1)    Abram himself would not inherit the land at all, but it would be possessed by his posterity. (2)    Even his seed would not possess the

Genesis 17:8 — not stated as conditions, but simply as commands! … It is clear that no action on the part of Abraham's descendants can ever permanently sever the land from them!"Henry M. Morris, The Genesis Record (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1976), p. 332. Two gross errors attend such a view: (1) The notion that commandments of God may be ignored with impunity, and (2) that "everlasting" here means "eternally." All of God's commands are conditions, and failure to obey is forfeiture of every blessing

Genesis 20:7-9 — pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt die, thou, and all that are thine." "For he is a prophet" "This is the first time that the word prophet appears in the Scripture,"G. Ch. Aalders, op. cit., p. 29. and we are unwilling to assign any lesser meaning of this term here than the meaning usually understood in the term throughout the Bible. The critical allegation that "prophet" was a term that did not appear until the times of Samuel is ridiculous

Genesis 33:1 — hindermost." What was the reason for Jacob's arrangement of these divisions in his family, divisions that surely separated them in the order of his love for them? Two reasons have been suggested: (1) he did this to provide greater safety for Rachel and Joseph, or (2) he had in mind the order of their being presented to Esau, intending to present them in ascending climactic order. Either reason, or both, might easily have motivated Jacob's action. "With him four hundred men" Previously, we referred to these men

Genesis 50:12-13 — "practically all commentators" agree that the words for east of in Genesis are "in front of," not "beyond,"John Skinner, International Critical Commentary, Genesis (Edinburgh: T. and T. Clark, 1910), p. 61. as was noted earlier in our studies of Genesis 2:14. Therefore, if the text here was saying that Atad was east of Jordan, the words would have been "in front of," not, "beyond." Of course, the location of the place is unknown, and some have eliminated the difficulty by translating "near Jordan," instead

Exodus 26:7-14 — a covering for the tent of rams' skins dyed red, and a covering of sealskins above." The four coverings are all mentioned in these verses, but no instructions whatever are recorded regarding the last two: (1) The fine linen woven with the cherubim; (2) the goats' hair, which may have been black; (3) the covering of rams' skins dyed red; and (4) the covering of sealskins are all mentioned; and it is usually thought that the goats' hair covering was the outermost of the four. All of these were properly

Exodus 5:22-23 — people, at that point in time, could see that real progress had already been made. (1)    There had been a very necessary unification of the people in that the "officers" were enrolled among the oppressed, along with all the people. (2)    By Pharaoh's refusing a perfectly reasonable and legitimate request of his workers to go sacrifice to their God, he firmly established himself as an unqualified enemy of God, and that, not upon the refusal of the preposterous

Leviticus 15:19-24 — Rachel when hiding the idols from her father Laban indicates that the conviction existed that early, and probably much earlier (Genesis 31:34). Sexual intercourse during a woman's period is expressly forbidden (Leviticus 18:19; Ezekiel 18:6; Ezekiel 22:10). Note that no sacrifice was required for violations. We appreciate the words of Knight on this Passage: "Leviticus 15:19 implies that a woman's menstrual period is to be respected… Here we meet with suggestions about tenderness, affection,

Numbers 30:6-8 — consideration in this chapter: "They are (a) promises to give or to dedicate something to Jehovah, and (b) pledges to practice some form of abstinence."George Woosung Wade, Peake's Commentary on the Bible, Numbers (London: T. C. and E. C. Jack, Ltd., 1924), p. 228. It is easy to see the wisdom of such legislation. A dependent minor daughter might make a foolish and irresponsible vow to give vast sums of money to some project, such a vow, for some reason not being disallowed, and then the bridegroom

Malachi 1 overview — This chapter begins with a statement of the name of the prophet and the identification of his message as the Word of God Himself (Malachi 1:1). The next four verses (Malachi 1:2-5) develop the thought that "God had loved Israel, a truth then denied by the people, but proved by God's citation of what he "had done" for them, illustrating it by a comparison of their state with that of Edom. We reject the notion that this is the

Deuteronomy 32:4-6 — THE CORRUPT PEOPLE CALLED TO REMEMBER GOD (Deuteronomy 32:4-6) "The Rock, his work is perfect; For all his ways are justice: God of faithfulness and without iniquity, Just and right is he. They have dealt corruptly with him, they are not his children, it is their blemish; They are a perverse and crooked generation.

Deuteronomy 6:16-19 — thine enemies from before thee, as Jehovah hath spoken." "Ye shall not tempt Jehovah your God" This, of course, is one of the passages from Deuteronomy that Jesus used in vanquishing the Devil on the occasion of the Temptation (Matthew 4:7; Luke 4:12). Eerdman's explanation of this passage is as follows: "To tempt God is to put him to a test, or to try to make him act in a certain way to prove his goodness and power. Thus in Massah, when the people needed water, they cried out in unbelief, saying,

Luke 6 overview — Luke's account in this chapter reveals: (1) how Jesus refuted the false charge of sabbath-breaking (Luke 6:1-5); (2) that he angered the Pharisees by healing a man with the withered hand on the sabbath day (Luke 6:6-11); (3) Jesus' appointment of the apostles after a night of prayer (Luke 6:12-19); and gives (4) the content of one of Jesus' sermons (Luke 6:20-49). Luke

John 10 overview — evil shepherds is uttered. "Jesus swiftly turned the tables on his judges and sentenced them.A. M. Hunter, The Gospel according to John (Cambridge University Press, 1965), p. 100. The controversy that erupted over the miracle dominates the first 21 verses, as evidenced by "Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?" (John 10:21). The expression, "Verily, verily," is one which is not used at the commencement of a discourse";Albert Barnes, Notes on the New Testament (Grand

John 7 overview — schooled his disciples concerning the approaching Passion and his resurrection. Peter had confessed him (Matthew 16:13 f); he had fed another great multitude (Mark 9:1-9); and the transfiguration had been witnessed by the inner circle of the Twelve (Luke 9:28 f). It was time to face eventualities in the capital city, the account of which events comprises the rest of John. A short break would again occur (John 10:4-42) at the end of this section of controversy, in which the Lord briefly withdrew to await

Acts 7 overview — thing they objected to was his application of it! STEPHEN'S ADDRESS The name "Stephen" means "wreath" or "crown," Herbert Lockyer, All the Men of the Bible (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1958), p. 321. and it is appropriate that the first to win the martyr's crown should have worn such a name. It is said of Stephen in the New Testament that he was a man: Full of faith (Acts 6:5). Full of grace (Acts 6:8, English Revised Version). Full of power (Acts

Romans 7 overview — become but an antechamber of Judaism. A full and constant attention to what the problem was should accompany the study of this chapter. Three times Paul had already indicated the severance of Christian faith from its Judaistic parent: (1) In Romans 3:20-24, he had elaborated the truth that no flesh can be justified by the law, that the law and the prophets themselves had foretold the new faith, and that God's grace had provided free and full redemption "in Christ Jesus." (2) In Romans 5:20-21,

1 Corinthians 13 overview — (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1954), p. 131. but as McGarvey said, "It has been admired by all ages, but, unfortunately, practiced by none!" J. W. McGarvey, Commentary on 1 Corinthians (Cincinnati, Ohio: Standard Publishing Company, 1916), p. 127. A sample of the marvelous praise which has been heaped upon this chapter is the following: It is a glorious hymn or paean in honor of Christian love, in which St. Paul rises on the wings of inspiration to the most sunlit heights of Christian eloquence.

Joshua 4:19-24 — which he dried up from before us, until we were passed over; that all the people of the earth may know the hand of Jehovah, that it is mighty; that ye may fear Jehovah your God forever." Notice the first person plural used by the writer in Joshua 4:23 b, indicating that the author of Joshua was an eye-witness of the Red Sea crossing, powerful evidence indeed that Joshua himself is the author. Who else, in all that ancient world, 40 years after the event, could have said anything like this? We can

Judges 5:1-31 — THE SONG OF DEBORAH James Strahan called this, "The greatest war song of any age or nation."Arthur S. Peake Commentary, p. 262 The language used in this poem is identifiable with, "The Canaanite poetry of the second millennium B.C.",OTL, Judges 9. 93. and the "presence of Aramaisms here"International Critical Commentary, Judges, p. 130. in this chapter, unanimously held by