Bible Commentaries

Genesis 27:18-29 — thy mother's sons bow down to thee: Cursed be every one that curseth thee. And blessed be every one that blesseth thee." Of interest here are the number of falsehoods attributable to Jacob: (1)    He said, "I am your first-born." (2)    "I have brought the venison, as you commanded." (3)    "I did it so quickly because `your God' gave me good speed." (4)    He wore Esau's clothes. (5)    He wore goat

Genesis 4:25 — crop of Bible-splitters is that the name Yahweh (Jehovah) was unknown until God revealed it to Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 3). But right here in this chapter Eve used two different names for God: [~Yahweh] (Genesis 4:1) and [~'Elohiym] (Genesis 4:2). The Exodus account, however, says nothing whatever about God's revelation to Moses concerning the sacred name being the first time that it had been known on earth, but merely reveals that the children of Israel at this stage of their development after

Exodus 16:21-30 — pre-Mosaic Hebrews." Such an allegation was made by RylaarsdamJ. Coert Rylaarsdam, op. cit., p. 854. and others, but the facts regarding the sabbath are as follows: 1.    There is no sabbath commandment in Genesis. Some cite Genesis 29:7 as such, but "sabbath" is not in the passage. 2.    The very first occurrence of the word "sabbath" in the entire Bible is right here in Exodus 16:23.David F Payne op. cit., p. 189. 3.    Furthermore, in this

Exodus 19:1-3 — understanding this appears to us to be absolutely accurate. Jamieson fixed the time of their arrival at 45 days after the Passover,Robert Jamieson, Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Reprint 1982), p. 349. basing this upon the meaning ascribed by the Jews to the phrase, "the same day of the month, i.e., the first day of the month. If that is the case, then two days elapsed in: (1) making the encampment; and (2) returning the people's answers

Exodus 20:17 — observation of the wealth, honors, popularity, fame, or whatever may belong to contemporaries, setting off a jealous reaction to surpass them. How can this be done? Through the control of the affections. "Set your affections upon things above" (Colossians 3:2). We should think of things beautiful, lovely, honorable, of good report, etc. (See Philippians 4:8). Who violates this commandment? Every unregenerated man violates it by the very nature of fallen humanity, and in whatever degree the professed Christian

Proverbs 3:1-10 — to Moses' law";Wycliffe Old Testament Commentary, p. 559. but we believe that the word [~torah] (the Hebrew word which is translated law) here could hardly refer to anything else. The same writer admitted that there is probably an allusion to Exodus 20:12 in the following verse; and Walls pointed out that, "The reference to first-fruits in Proverbs 3:9 points back to the Mosaic Law in Deuteronomy 26, where the worshipper was commanded to bring each year as an offering to God the first-fruits of his

Leviticus 17:14-16 — not, nor bathe his flesh, then he shall bear his iniquity." There are four short paragraphs in this chapter, but there are only two topics: (1)    the prohibition against offering sacrifices anywhere except at the tabernacle, and (2)    the law against eating blood. Paragraphs 2 and 4 are merely extensions, in each case, of paragraphs 1 and 3. This paragraph relates to the subject of eating blood and is an extension of the regulation to include the prohibition

Leviticus 8:6-9 — did he set the golden plate, the holy crown; as Jehovah commanded Moses." For the detailed description of all these particular items of which the official dress of the High Priest consisted, see a full discussion under the appropriate verses (Exodus 28; Exodus 29) in my commentary on the Book of Exodus. It is of the very greatest importance here that the investiture of the High Priest in his sacred office did not begin with robing him in his official robes, as mistakenly thought by Clements,Ronald

Ecclesiastes 12:2-8 — the pitcher is broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern, and the dust returneth to the earth as it was, and the spirit returneth to God who gave it. Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher; all is vanity." "This passage (Ecclesiastes 12:2-8) has one of the most striking and beautiful allegories in the literature of mankind. Every phrase describes with a vivid metaphor, a symptom of the infirmities of old age."Ibid. There have been many efforts to literalize what is meant by the beautiful

Hosea 9 overview — and divine blessings."Samuel J. Schultz, The Old Testament Speaks (New York: Harper and Row, 1960), p. 391. Take a look at what this prophecy says in this chapter: Let Israel's joy cease...Hosea 9:1. Your (Israel's) food supply shall fail...Hosea 9:2. Your vulgar licentiousness has disgusted me...Hosea 9:1. You are a nation of harlots...Hosea 9:1. You shall eat mourner's bread...Hosea 9:4. You shall be defiled...Hosea 9:4. You shall be removed from the land...Hosea 9:3. You shall go back into slavery...Hosea

Luke 1:1-4 — Hobbs, An Exposition of the Gospel of Luke (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1966), p. 17. Here also is a glimpse of the true meaning of the doctrine of the inspiration of the Holy Scriptures. "All scripture is inspired by God" (2 Timothy 3:16 RSV), and "Men spake from God, being moved by the Holy Spirit" (2 Peter 1:21); but this does not mean that God's inspiration comes to the lazy and inactive mind, but rather to the diligent seeker of truth, as beautifully exemplified

John 11 overview — that is a reason for denying it, then the omission by John of the other two instances of Jesus' raising the dead is grounds for denying them! Why was this sign omitted from the other Gospels? (1) The synoptics reported the miracles done in Galilee. (2) Lazarus was still alive when the synoptics were written, and it would have endangered his life to have included this miracle, the Sanhedrin being determined to put him to death (John 12:10). (3) It might have endangered the soul of Lazarus. He had

Romans 15:25-26 — wrote: It may surprise us that Paul would have interrupted his primary apostolic function for what is apparently secondary and concerned with material things. We think so only when we overlook the dignity of the work of mercy. John Murray, op. cit., p. 218. This noble concern for the poor on the part of Paul was not an occasional or expedient thing with him at all. On the occasion of that confrontation in Jerusalem with Peter, James, and John, the harmonious communique which closed the disputation was

Romans 6:3 — ceremony were included in this letter. In this verse, Paul explained HOW it is true that Christians are dead to sin, and WHEN they became so. Baptism being the ordinance which brings people "into Christ," as stated here and in Galatians 3:26-27, and through means of the unity with Christ thus effected, the Christian actually enters the spiritual body of Christ, thus making it true that "in Christ" he is dead to sin, since Christ died. That is the thought here expressed by "baptized

Joshua 22:21-29 — exceedingly interesting things: (1)    Note that the Trans-Jordanic group waited patiently until the full extent of Phinehas' charges were made and understood by the accused. There were no interruptions and no display of resentment. (2)    The accused tribes professed total innocence on the charge of rebelling against God. (3)    They patiently explained why they had built this great altar. (4)    Incidentally, we learn here

Joshua 5:2-5 — people that were born in the wilderness by the way as they came forth out of Egypt, they had not been circumcised." "The reason why circumcision was omitted in the wilderness was that a sentence of death was upon that generation of murmurers (Numbers 14:28 ff)."F. C. Cook, Barnes' Notes, Vol. 2, Joshua (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House), p. 360. The rebellion of Israel which led to God's rejection of that entire generation also resulted in a number of other conditions: (1)    Very little

Joshua 6:2-7 — the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of Jehovah. And they said unto the people, Pass on, and compass the city, and let the armed men pass on before the ark of Jehovah." "Jehovah" in Joshua 6:2 is identical with "The Prince of the Hosts of Jehovah" in Joshua 5:14; and these are the instructions for which Joshua made request. This description of the manner in which Joshua is to proceed against Jericho must have shocked Joshua. If there had

Judges 10:10-16 — them, and served Jehovah; and his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel" "We have sinned" "The penitential confession of Israel's sins undoubtedly had its setting in a fast called together by their leaders."Broadman Bible Commentary, op. cit., p. 432. If this was the case, there was probably a prophet who, upon behalf of Jehovah, spoke the stern words of Judges 10:13-14. "Did I not deliver you," Reference is here made to no less than seven nations from whose power the Lord had delivered Israel.

Revelation 1:1 — having come from God through Jesus Christ, it is also true in the extended sense of being a revelation of the Son of God in his capacity as the judge appointed by the Almighty God himself and divinely commissioned to "execute judgment" (John 5:27). The word "Revelation," capitalized in the text, was so rendered in order to indicate the word as the title of the prophecy. It is translated from a Greek word [@apokalupsis], from which also comes the similar English word given to the book

1 Samuel 29:6-11 — difficult to realize that the David who appears in these chapters is the same David who wrote: O Lord, who shall sojourn in thy tent?Who shall dwell on thy holy hill?He who walks blamelessly,And does what is right,And speaks truth in his heart (Psalms 15:1-2). That the man's conscience was indeed wounded by such continual lying as is seen in these chapters is indicated by Psalms 51, in which David wrote: Behold thou desirest truth in the inward being…Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;Wash