Bible Commentaries

Jeremiah 41:1-3 — over the land. Ishmael also slew all the Jews that were with him, to wit, with Gedaliah, at Mizpah, and the Chaldeans that were found there, the men of war." "Of the seed royal" It is believed that Ishmael was descended from David through Elishama (2 Samuel 5:16), and that this royal connection might have originated Ishmael's vengeful hatred of Gedaliah, being bitterly jealous that Nebuchadnezzar had passed over Ishmael, a member of the royal house of David, to make Gedaliah governor! In all the

Jeremiah 51:6-10 — hath brought forth our righteousness: come, let us declare in Zion the work of Jehovah our God." The analogy between the literal Babylon here and the spiritual Babylon of Revelation is amazing. Note the following: (1) Both shall be utterly destroyed (2) God's people are commanded to "come out of her." (3) She has a golden cup in her hand. (4) The nations have become drunk with her wine. (5) Her judgment reaches all the way to heaven. (6) Her doom is like a stone cast into the river (see last paragraph

Lamentations 4:21-22 — visit thine iniquity, O daughter of Edom; he will uncover thy sins." The traditional hatred of Edom (the descendants of Esau) against Israel was, in all probability, exhibited by them during Jerusalem's siege and capture by the Chaldeans. Amos 1:11-12 and the Book of Obadiah make strong references to this hatred. We may safely conclude that a disaster of such dimensions as the ruin of Jerusalem and the captivity of her people would not have been overlooked by the Edomites as a wonderful opportunity

Ezekiel 27:21-25 — other `tricks of the trade.' Like the ancient term "Corinth," which gave the ancient world the term "Corinthianize," meaning to corrupt morally, the term `trafficker' came to mean a crooked Canaanite dealer. (See a full documentation of this in Vol. 2 of my Minor Prophets Series (Hosea), pp. 198,199.) The skillful organization of the ancient evil world appears in this passage. There was a single, sprawling, net-work of traders under the leadership of Tyre and her navy of "the ships of Tarshish."

Ezekiel 39:17-20 — Ezekiel 39:4, foretelling The Great Supper of God. There are two Suppers which God has provided for human beings: (1) the Lord's Supper in his kingdom to which all men are invited to come, regardless of race or any other merely human classification, and (2) the Great Supper of God. The first is optional for men. If they desire redemption from their sins, the Lord's Supper is given for their nourishment and teaching; but if men through wickedness reject this supper, there is yet another, the Great Supper

Ezekiel 6:8-10 — text; and we are unwilling to allow evil men to re-write the Bible in order to prove their theories. As Matthew Henry stated it, "It is a preserved remnant and a penitent remnant";Matthew Henry Commentary (Westwood, New Jersey: Fleming H. Revell), p. 782. and it was in this small remnant who after the exile would find their way back to Judea that the ancient promises to the patriarchs and the coming of Messiah to redeem mankind would eventually be achieved, according to the eternal purpose of God. Plumptre

Daniel 3:13-15 — cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that god that shall deliver you out of my hands?" NEBUCHADNEZZAR'S RECEPTION OF THE CHARGES To this writer it appears to be significant that both in this passage and in Daniel 3:12, the matter of "serving" Nebuchadnezzar's gods is distinguished from worshipping the image which he had set up. From this it would appear that the golden image was not dedicated to any of his gods, but to Nebuchadnezzar himself. Despite his rage and

Hosea 13:1 — Patriarch Jacob (Genesis 48:14), Ephraim had always been prominent and powerful among the twelve tribes, being the largest and strongest, and at the same time, the most ambitious among them. They led the rebellion against the house of David (1 Kings 12:20); Joshua, the successor to Moses and leader of the conquest of Canaan was an Ephraimite;Herbert Lockyer, All the Men of the Bible (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1958), p. 205. after the death of Solomon, the Hebrew dominion in the Middle

Joel 1:3 — seen as a prelude to the divine devastation the prophet envisions for the disobedient people of God, and those nations which have oppressed her.Paul E. Leonard, The New Layman's Bible Commentary (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1979), p. 942. "Tell ye your children… etc." There is unmistakable allusion to Exodus 10:2, where the Lord charges Moses to tell Pharaoh that he will do signs,"C. F. Keil, Commentary on the Old Testament, Vol. 10 (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company),

Micah 1:13 — of Lachish: she was the beginning of sin to the daughter of Zion; for the transgressions of Israel were found in thee." "She was the beginning of sin to the daughter of Zion" It is an interesting question how a border town like Lachish, located some 25 miles southwest of Jerusalem, was "the beginning" of the sin of the southern kingdom. It occurred like this: "Lachish was apparently one of the first cities to permit the Northern Israelite cults to be established in it."Gleason L. Archer, Jr., op.

Habakkuk 3:2 — the years. In the midst of the years make it known; And in wrath remember mercy." Keil regarded this verse as "the theme of the whole chapter."C. F. Keil, Commentary on the Old Testament, Vol. 10 (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company), p. 92. "Jehovah is displayed in so terrible a manner, that his judgment not only inspires with joy at the destruction of the foe, but fills with alarm at the omnipotence of the Judge of the world."Ibid., p. 94. "In the midst of the years" This is a very interesting

Zechariah 1:17 — overflow with prosperity" This is not a flat promise that the walled city of Jerusalem shall be rebuilt. Note that "cities" are in view, not merely Jerusalem. The same corresponds with "Jerusalem shall be inhabited as villages without walls" (Zechariah 2:4), making it obvious that there are significant overtones in these visions suggesting the kingdom of Messiah in the age of the gospel. Higginson split the meaning of the verse, applying half of it (Zechariah 1:17 a) to the successful era of the Maccabees,R.

Zechariah 11:5 — identification of the "three shepherds" that were "cut off" in Zechariah 11:8 i.e., the scribes and Pharisees and Sadducees, or (by identifying the scribes and the Pharisees as one party), the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Herodians who are so visible in Matthew 22. "Blessed be Jehovah, for I am rich" This is a further clue to the identity of the "possessors… sellers… and shepherds" mentioned as they who said such a thing. In Hosea 12:8, the same class of persons, the leaders of Ephraim, as evil

Zechariah 2:5 — unto her a wall of fire round about, and I will be the glory in the midst of her." As Ellis stated it. "This is one of the greatest texts of the Old Testament."John D. W. Watts, Beacon Bible Commentary, Vol. 7 (Nashville, Tennessee: Broadman Press, 1972), p. 317. It is the Old Testament equivalent of the blessed promise of Jesus, "I will be with you always, even unto the end of the world" (Matthew 28:18-20). The blunt meaning of the vision is simply this: God's real people do not need any walls, the

Zechariah 6:15 — are far off" If there is an expression in the entire Old Testament that means "Gentiles," it is this one, being exactly the terminology used by the Holy Spirit on Pentecost when Peter announced the gospel as being for "them that are afar off" (Acts 2:39), thus placing a divine seal upon this whole revelation and certifying it as a prophecy of the times of the Messiah and of the coming of the Gentiles into the church of God. The ones that were "far off" were those not included with Israel in the

Zechariah 8:13 — speaking merely to the returnees in this verse. "Fear not, but let your hands be strong" There are echoes of the New Covenant here also. "Fear Not" was the very first commandment of the Messianic age when the angels of heaven said, "Be not afraid" (Luke 2:10).

Malachi 1:1 — condition that would continue until Pentecost. These two Israels must be kept continually in mind if one is to understand the prophets. In all ages, God's Word has been "a burden" in various senses: (1) It is burden for those who are ashamed of it. (2) It is a burden for those who despise it, a burden that "will sink them to the lowest hell, unless they repent."Matthew Henry, Commentary, Vol. IV (Old Tappan, New Jersey: Fleming H. Revell Company), p. 1476. (3) It is a burden even for them that love

Malachi 2:14 — current godless society's tolerance and even approval of divorce is an evil blight upon mankind. Men do not have the right to allow what God has forbidden that they should do. Marriage is "a covenant to which the Lord was witness (Genesis 31:50; Proverbs 2:17)."Joyce G. Baldwin, op. cit., p. 239. Therefore, "Marriage is not simply an individual matter, or even a social institution; rather it is a divine ordinance, the Lord himself being the chief witness at the wedding ceremony."W. Ward Gasque, The New

Malachi 2:17 — Yet ye say, Wherein have we wearied him? In that ye say, Every one that doeth evil is good in the sight of Jehovah, and he delighteth in them; or where is the God of justice?" Malachi concluded the argument and commandment against divorce in Malachi 2:16, and in this he takes up a new subject. It is the old problem of the prosperity of the wicked. Where is the justice of God? when the wicked prosper and the righteous are having a hard time of it ? "Ye have wearied Jehovah with your words" God is

Matthew 5:24 — is really quite simple. It is "Go!" Three definite situations are outlined in which it is imperative that the true follower of Christ "go" to his brother. These are: (1) when a brother has aught against such a one (this passage), (2) when such a one has been wronged by a brother (Matthew 18:15-17), and (3) when one shall observe that a brother has been overtaken in any fault (Galatians 6:1). Need it be said that this is the only procedure laid down in God's word for dealing with