Bible Commentaries

Genesis 16:1-2 — and we can hardly suppose that Abram and Sarai here deliberately chose to violate God's law. However, there are a number of things wrong: (1)    It violated the concept of monogamous marriage, which had been from the beginning. (2)    It was a sinful use of a slave girl, who was hardly in a position to deny what was demanded of her, to fulfill the personal desires of Abram and Sarai, and such an inconsiderate use of one's fellow human beings for his own purposes

Genesis 16:9-11 — affliction." "And the angel of Jehovah" The threefold repetition of this in Genesis 16:9, Genesis 16:10, and Genesis 16:11, is used by critics as an excuse to cast out the last two of these verses as "an interpolation."H. C. Leupold, op. cit., p. 502. This is not at all reasonable, for the smoothness of the narrative would be restored completely merely by supplying the words, "Again, the angel of Jehovah said unto her" Such a device is used by translators constantly, and there is no good reason

Genesis 17:3-5 — moment later, the same scholar affirmed concerning the change from Sarai to Sarah that, "Once more, we have to confess that the difference between the two names is not clear."Theodore H. Robinson, Abingdon Bible Commentary (New York: Abingdon Press, 1929), p. 231. Perhaps, this was the forerunner of that promise in which God promised that each of the redeemed would receive a new name, "which no one knoweth but he that receiveth it" (Revelation 2:17). "Thus kings and popes take on new names when they

Genesis 39:1 — Egyptian, bought him of the hand of the Ismaelites, that had brought him down thither." This important verse does a number of things: (1)    It shows that the Ismaelites and Midianites of Genesis 37 were the same group of traders. (2)    It gives more fully the status of Potiphar, captain of the guard, an office that also included the directorship of the prisons, the deputy of Potiphar also being called, the captain of the guard, the title relating to his actual

Genesis 8:1 — This chapter continues the story of the Flood, including the period of the ark's flotation, its coming to rest, and the decrease of the waters (Genesis 8:1-5), the sending forth of the raven and the dove (Genesis 8:6-12), the disembarkation (Genesis 8:13-19), and Noah's burnt-offering with God's response (Genesis 8:20-22). "And God remembered Noah, and all the beasts, and all the cattle that were with him in the ark: and God made a wind to pass over the earth, and

Exodus 17:7 — (Matthew 15:39; Mark 8:10). Hebron was known also as Kiriath-arba. Beersheba was known by two designations: "The Well of the Oath," and "The Well of the Seven."W. J. Martin, The New Bible Dictionary (Grand Rapids; Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1962), p. 138. The dual events commemorated by these names were: (1) Israel's tempting or "proving" of God, or rather, of God's proving them; and (2) the quarrelsome rebellion against Moses involving a threat of stoning. Both needed to be memorialized, and

Exodus 25:8-9 — dwell in that elaborate tent, but "among them," that is, among the children of Israel. The construction of this tabernacle was necessary for several reasons: (1)    It would be a rallying place where God's Word would be proclaimed. (2)    It would serve as a physical reminder of God's presence among the people. (3)    It was the place where God recorded his name, the place where he would meet with them and bless them (Exodus 20:24). (4)    It

Exodus 3:4-5 — said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. And he said Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground." "God called to him" This makes it necessary to view the Angel of Jehovah (Exodus 3:2) as none other than God Himself. "Moses, Moses" Such double use of a man's name always implied very unusual urgency and importance. It was the case with Samuel (1 Samuel 3:10), and with Saul of Tarsus (Acts 9:4). "Put off thy shoes" The holiness of

Exodus 34:27-28 — words on the second tablets; and it would be natural so to understand the passage, had nothing else been said on the subject. But in Exodus 34:1, we are told that "God said, I will write upon these tables," and the same is repeated in Deuteronomy 10:2, where it is distinctly declared that "He (God) wrote on the tables according to the first writing." We must therefore regard "he" in this passage as meaning "the Lord," which is quite possible according to Hebrew idiom."George Rawlinson, op. cit.,

Exodus 4:9 — his power and superiority above the pagan gods of Egypt. Canon Harford alleged a contradiction from which he unhesitatingly postulated "separate sources" for portions of this chapter, based, of all things, upon the rod of Moses mentioned in Exodus 4:2, being called the "rod of God" in Exodus 4:20!Canon George Harford, Peake's Commentary on the Old Testament (London: T. C. and E. C. Jack, 1924), p. 173. We cannot imagine a more picayune objection. Moses' rod became the rod of God in the instance of

Exodus 7:3-5 — would harden Pharaoh's heart at the beginning of these events, but that such hardening executed upon him by God would be the final result. What we have in these verses (Exodus 7:1-7) is a prophetic summary of the next seven chapters. See under Exodus 4:21, above, for more on "Hardening." Canon George Harford has a very perceptive comment on this subject, as follows: "There are three forms of the word used in reference to hardening: (1) hard; (2) self-hardened; and (3) God-hardened; raising difficulty,

Leviticus 11:44-47 — continuation of the separation involved in the rules here given could not possibly be any longer pleasing to God. Why? Because God had caused all distinctions between Jew and Gentile to cease. There is no distinction between Jew and Gentile (Romans 10:12). And the Spirit commanded them to go with them (to the house of a Gentile), making no distinction (Acts 11:12). In every nation, the one who reveres God and practices righteousness is acceptable to God (Acts 10:35). "And God made no distinction between

Leviticus 2:1-3 — Company, 1970), p. 144. "There is only one word in the Hebrew text here rendered `fine flour'; and thus the rendition should be simply `flour'."Robert P. Gordon, New Layman's Bible Commentary, Leviticus (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1979), p. 217. (2)    The worshipper poured oil upon the top of the flour, (3)    and then placed an appropriate amount of frankincense on the oil; (4)    next, the officiating priest took a handful of

Leviticus 20:6-9 — your God. And ye shall keep my statutes, and do them: I am Jehovah who sanctifieth you. For every one that curseth his father or his mother shall surely be put to death: he hath cursed his father or his mother; his blood shall be upon him." Leviticus 20:6… "To play the harlot" is equivalent to the same words in Leviticus 20:5, above. It is a mistake to read this merely as "spiritual adultery." Of course, it was also that, but there was the grossest kind of immorality connected with all phases

Amos 8 overview — Amaziah, the prophet finishes the recital of his visions."J. R. Dummelow, Commentary on the Holy Bible (New York: The Macmillan Company, 1937), p. 570. Deane outlined the chapter thus: (1) the vision of the basket of the summer fruit (Amos 8:1-3); (2) The denunciation of the dealers (Amos 8:4-10); and (3) the warning of a famine of hearing God's Word and a wandering all over the earth by Israel (Amos 8:11-14).W. J. Deane, The Pulpit Commentary, Vol. 14, Amos (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing

Numbers 32:20-27 — and all our cattle, shall be there in the cities of Gilead; but thy servants will pass over, every man that is armed for war, before Jehovah to battle, as my lord saith." Note the repetition of the words "every man that is armed for war" in Numbers 32:21 and Numbers 32:27. What these tribes actually did amounted to far less than half of what they promised. See Joshua 4:13. Instead of the words "men armed for war" in Numbers 32:17; Numbers 32:21, and Numbers 32:27, some follow the rendition found

Numbers 8:14-19 — wondering why they had not been deemed worthy to perform these functions… This frequent mention of the children of Israel shows that God held all of His people in the utmost affection, not just the Levites.Hiddushai Hatira, Wellsprings of Torah, Vol. 2 (New York: The Judaic Press, 1969), p. 302. "And to make atonement" (Numbers 8:19). This is quite an unexpected place to find the word "atonement," for it cannot have its usual meaning in this place. As Wade pointed out, "The meaning is, `afford a covering,

Numbers 9:18-23 — Moses." "At the commandment of Jehovah" This phrase occurs no less than seven times in this paragraph, stressing the important truth that God directed and controlled the movements of Israel in the wilderness. "Two days, or a month, or a year" (Numbers 9:22). The word here rendered "year" does not have exactly that meaning. "It indicates a period of time not precisely indicated."C. F. Keil, Commentary on the Old Testament, Vol. 1 (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company), p. 54. The use of "year"

Deuteronomy 25:13-16 — wicked practices of the Canaanites that Israel would be continued in the promised land for a much longer time. It was precisely because they failed to heed such warnings that God finally removed them, when they were carried away by the Assyrians. Hosea 12:7 has, "He (Ephraim) is a trafficker, the balances of deceit are in his hand." Ward tells us that, "The word here rendered `trafficker' is actually `Canaanite.'"James M. Ward, A Theological Commentary on Hosea (New York: Harper and Row, 1966), p. 207.

Romans 9 overview — Christ. This chapter may be outlined thus: (1) Paul skillfully introduced the problem of Israel's attitude of rejection toward Christ, affirming his love for his own nation, and showing his appreciation of what God had done through them (Romans 9:1-5). (2) God's rejection of Israel, due to their rejection of the Messiah, was shown to be consistent with God's promises and his sovereignty (Romans 9:6-24). (3) The rejection of Israel was specifically foretold by the Jewish prophets (Romans 9:25-29). (4)