Bible Commentaries

Exodus 34:10-13 — this is not that God was about to replace the first covenant with another, but that he would renew the first covenant. Rawlinson gave the meaning as, "I lay down afresh the terms of the covenant between me and Israel."George Rawlinson, op. cit., p. 369. See under Exodus 34:14 for confirmation of this. "I will do marvels" The summary judgments executed upon Israel during their wanderings must surely have. been included in these, as, for example, when the earth swallowed up Korah and his rebellious

1 Kings 13:1-10 — revealed as valid by the most startling signs coming from God Himself. "There came a man of God out of Judah" "Josephus said his name was Jadon; Tertullian supposed he was Shemaiah; and some have thought he might have been Iddo the seer (2 Chronicles 13:22). But these are all untenable guesses."F. W. Farrar in Expositor's Bible, p. 297. We do not know his name. The close connection of this narrative with the preceding chapter, "Shows that it is the fifteenth day of the eighth month that is here described,"The

1 Kings 21:1-4 — And he laid him down upon his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no bread." "None of the crimes of Ahab left any deeper brand upon him than this judicial murder and robbery of Naboth."F. W. Farrar in The Expositor's Bible, First Kings, p. 483. "A vineyard, which was in Jezreel, hard by the palace of Ahab king of Samaria" The Septuagint (LXX) omits the words "which was in Jezreel," and, upon this, Barlow has based an interesting argument attempting to prove that the palace of Ahab which was

1 Kings 21:5-10 — them bear witness against him" How remarkable it is that Jezebel here betrayed a rather thorough knowledge of the Law of Moses, which specifically required that at least two witnesses be required for the condemnation of anyone accused of crime (Numbers 35:30; Deuteronomy 17:6; Deuteronomy 19:15). "Saying, that, Thou didst curse God and the king" Oh yes, and Jezebel knew exactly what kind of a crime was punishable by death (See Leviticus 24:15). "And take him out, and stone him to death?" Furthermore

Leviticus 16:29-34 — And this shall be an everlasting statute unto you, to make atonement for the children of Israel because of all their sins once in the year. And he did as Jehovah commanded Moses." "Afflict your souls" "This means observe a fast, as indicated by Psalms 35:13 and Isaiah 58:3; Isaiah 58:5. This was the only fast enjoined in the Mosaic law.J. R. Dummelow, op. cit., p. 95. The Jews understood the command to "afflict your souls" as a command to abstain from "food, drink, bathing, perfuming, sandals, and

Leviticus 17:10-13 — many of which required the shedding of blood. (2)    It was a perpetual reminder to them of the means of forgiveness and salvation. Even under the law, "Without the shedding of blood, there was no remission of sins" (Hebrews 9:22). (3)    It was designed to direct their attention to the Holy One, even Christ, who in the fullness of time would make an atonement for the sins of all people by the shedding of his blood. (4)    It was to provide

Numbers 12:9-16 — and wretchedness inflicted by it. Aaron and Moses understood the lesson at once, and Aaron immediately appealed to Moses. Moses having been appealed to, could appeal only to God; and that he promptly did. "Heal her, O God, I beseech thee" (Numbers 12:13). Older versions add the word now. Heal her now! Scholars agree that the now should be omitted. Nevertheless, Gray stated that the narrative "implies that Miriam was healed immediately."George Buchanan Gray, op. cit., p. 128. Despite this, the quarantine

Numbers 14:1-4 — kingdom is nothing but complaining and murmuring. God was sorely displeased with it then, and he still is. What was the trouble with these people? The author of Hebrews pinpoints their trouble exactly: "They could not enter because of unbelief" (Hebrews 3:17-19). "Would God we had died… in Egypt" What were those "good old days" in Egypt? They consisted of endless drudgery under the slave whips of their oppressors. Here the people seem to have forgotten the "service with rigor" that was their lot

Numbers 5:11-15 — dead!); and if he floated, he was guilty! (2)    In others, the person tried was forced to plunge his hands into boiling water. If no damage resulted, the person was innocent. If a severe burn resulted, the person was declared guilty. (3)    There were other cases in which the defendant was compelled to pick up red-hot metal, or walk barefooted over burning coals, etc. To refer to these "ordeals" as similar in any manner whatsoever to the non-injurious procedures

Deuteronomy 16:1-8 — clause restricting the sacrifices and celebrations to the central Sanctuary and that enjoined the inclusion of the Levites, widows, orphans, and the poor in the festivities."F. C. Cook, Barnes' Notes, Deuteronomy (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House), p. 302. "Bread of affliction" (Deuteronomy 16:3). The unleavened bread was called "the bread of affliction," because, "It was made in circumstances of trial and pressure, when there was no time for the making of bread of a higher quality."W. L. Alexander,

Deuteronomy 33:1-5 — An inheritance for the assembly of Jacob. And he was king in Jeshurun, When the heads of the people were gathered, All the tribes of Israel together." This paragraph is the introduction to the main body of the blessing which extends from Deuteronomy 33:6 through Deuteronomy 33:25. "Some of the outstanding manifestations of God's power and glory and his goodness toward Israel are reviewed here as a proper introduction to the blessings,"Bruce Oberst, Deuteronomy (Joplin: College Press, 1968), p. 387.

Joshua 9:22-27 — place) that the Lord should choose. Such is God's grace. It was for the Gibeonites that God wrought the mighty miracle of the battle of Beth-horon (Joshua 10:7-15); and it was among the Gibeonites that God later located the tabernacle (2 Chronicles 1:3), and, in still later days, when the priests and Levites failed, God replaced them with the Gibeonites (Ezra 2:43; Ezra 8:20)."Hugh J. Blair, op. cit., p. 243. Joshua's curse upon the Gibeonites was the same as the curse upon the king of Ai. "Thus the

Judges 10:6-9 — chapter also is an introduction anticipating the conflict of Samson with the Philistines. "This also explains the fact that the Samson narrative, which is the second longest in the Book of Judges, has but a single verse introducing the story."Ibid., p. 432. Yates also agreed that, "This chapter is introductory to the Samson story (Judg. 10:13:1-16:31), as well as to the judgeship of Jephthah (Judges 11:1-40)."Wycliffe Bible Commentary, op. cit., p. 253. "And Israel served the Baalim and the Ashtaroth…"

Judges 15:4-8 — and thigh with a great slaughter: and he went down and dwelt in the cleft of the rock of Elam" Hervey tells us that, "Many cavils have been directed against thee truth of this paragraph, but without the slightest reason."The Pulpit Commentary, Vol. 3-C, p. 159. "The wheat-fields of that section of Palestine extended continuously for thirty miles,"Ibid. and the fire that ensued was similar to those devastating fires seen occasionally in California, where hundreds of homes and everything else are

Judges 18:1-6 — before Jehovah is your way wherein ye go" "The Danites sought them an inheritance" The Danites indeed had been allotted their inheritance in Canaan, but their distress was due to the encroachment against their territory: (1) first by the Amorites (Joshua 3:10 and (2) also by the Philistines (Judges 13:1; Judges 13:5; Judges 14:4; and Judges 15:11). It is a mistake to hold the Danites guiltless in this situation. "Their failure to drive out the Amorites was not due to lack of power, but to lack of faith.

Judges 7:9-14 — a man of Israel: into his hand God hath delivered Midian, and all his host" "If thou fear to go down, go thou down with Purah" This was God's concession to the human weakness of Gideon, who no doubt was indeed afraid to go down into the camp of the 135,000 Midianites and their allies. Gideon admitted that fear, when he took Purah with him on that journey. This mention of the great hero's fear was cited by Cundall as denying any probability of "Any fabrication of this narrative."The Tyndale Old Testament

1 Samuel 29:1-5 — own people; and only the intervention of God Himself prevented that from happening, as revealed here. Fortunately, the temptation that came to David in this trial brought with it the promised "way of escape," as the Lord promised (1 Corinthians 10:13). David wrote in Psalms that, "I do not sit with false men… I hate the company of evildoers" (Psalms 26:4-5); but at this juncture in his life he had been closely associated with the wicked for years. God alone could have spared him from the

2 Samuel 12:15-23 — fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.'" This well-known passage, read at many funerals, is incapable of being misunderstood and, "Needs but little comment."International Critical Commentary, op. cit., p. 325. To us, it seems strange that David was so touched by the death of this child. In the normal run of things, the death of some infant in the harem of an Oriental king would have rated little or no attention. Why the difference here? David knew that

2 Samuel 12:26-31 — capture of the city during the invasion of Africa in World War II. "The city of waters" was the name of the fortification built to protect the fountain that still flows in Amman the capital of Jordan."International Critical Commentary, op. cit., p. 326. The loyalty of Joab to David is conspicuous in this episode. He might easily have captured Rabbah, having already taken their water supply, but he desired that the king should have the glory of taking the city and so arranged it. "And he took the

2 Samuel 3:12-16 — return"; and he returned." Payne explained this demand on the part of David as a maneuver that would, "Greatly strengthen David's claim to Saul's throne; and the fact of Ishbosheth's meek compliance is significant."The New Bible Commentary, Revised, p. 303. We agree with Tatum that, "David did not seek the return of Michal in love, but rather as a political move."The Teachers' Bible Commentary, p. 181. It is also perfectly evident that Michal and Paltiel loved each other, and there is hardly a more