Bible Commentaries

Hosea 7:16 — have understood this to be "a slack bow, one that looks good but has no spring, packs no power to propel the arrow."Jacob M. Myers, op. cit., p. 41. However, Harper thought that: The comparison is not to a bow which has lost its elasticity (See Psalms 120:2 f; Psalms 78:37), nor one that cannot be used because it is relaxed, nor one whose string breaks without shooting the arrow, nor one which strikes and wounds the bowman, but rather to a bow which is expected to shoot in one direction but actually

Amos 1:14-15 — happened exactly as Amos had foretold? The cuneiform inscriptions of Tiglath-pileser, the great Assyrian king, relate how Ahaz of Judah, "Sanipu king of Ammon" both appear in a list of kings who paid tribute to him.Arnold C. Schultz, op. cit., p. 832. Also, some forty years later, "Buduilu of Ammon (along with others) paid Sennacherib tribute and kissed his feet."Ibid Both of these destructions of Ammon occurred at substantial time periods subsequent to Amos' prophecy. "Their last stand seems to

Amos 5:2 — as if it had already occurred. This device called "the prophetic tense" was widely used throughout the Hebrew scriptures. Likewise, in the New Testament, the final overthrow of Babylon the great is given in words very similar to these (Revelation 18:2), "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great." The fact that the figure employed here is that of a virgin "does not indicate that this is (or will be) the first time that Israel is defeated,"Erling Hammershaimb, op. cit., p. 76. nor that the nation is in

Jonah 1:7 — basing their subsequent actions upon Jonah's confession, rather than upon the uncertainty of the lot. Yes, the Scriptures reveal that even the apostles f relied upon the casting of lots in their selection of Matthias to succeed Judas Iscariot (Acts 1:26); but in that case, the lots were cast after the apostles had earnestly prayed unto God to show by that manner who was chosen. No such prayer to the true God occurred in this instance. Of course, today, there is no need for the casting of lots on the

Habakkuk 3:8 — against the sea, That thou didst ride upon thy horses, Upon thy chariots of salvation?" This double mention of the rivers was likely prompted by the two miracles: (1) the divine visitation of plagues upon the Nile in the land of Israel's bondage, and (2) the rolling back of the Jordan at flood in order to enter Israel into Canaan. The mention of the "sea" almost certainly refers to the passage of that body of water called the Red Sea upon the occasion of Israel's departure from Egypt. "Was Jehovah

Zephaniah 1:3 — shows that, "The approaching judgment will be general over all the earth, and as terrible as the judgment of the flood (Genesis 6:7)."C. F. Keil, Commentary on the Old Testament, Vol. 10, Zephaniah (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company), p. 127. "I will cut off man from the face of the ground, saith Jehovah" (See Eakin's comment on this sentence given under Zephaniah 1:2, above.) Barnes translated as follows: "I will cut off the whole race of man from the face of the earth, saith the Lord"…

Haggai 1:12 — (Zechariah 3:1-10), and that of the Crown (Zechariah 6:9-15). These will be discussed in the notes on Zechariah. "His father was among the captives at the fall of Jerusalem (586 B.C.), and also his grandfather Seraiah, who was put to death at Riblah (2 Kings 25:18 ff, 1 Chronicles 6:15)."David Francis Roberts, International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (Chicago: Howard-Severance Company, 1915), p. 1748.

Zechariah 1:12 — indignation these threescore and ten years." Our Lord Jesus Christ appeared in his true character in this Christophany, i.e., as an intercessor of the people of God, a function now being fulfilled by him for Christians before the throne of God (Hebrews 7:25). It was like a stroke of lightning at midnight. Israel is not deserted, small and weak as they undoubtedly were; for their mighty champion, the Angel of God's Presence, is pleading their case before the God of all creation! These threescore and ten"

Zechariah 11:2-3 — O ye oaks of Bashan, for the strong forest is come down. A voice of the wailing of the shepherds! for their glory is destroyed: a voice of the roaring of young lions! for the pride of the Jordan is laid waste." Zechariah 11:3 "explains Zechariah 11:2. The cedars, firs, and oaks are the false shepherds of Israel, "the goodly ones" who possessed the wealth and glory of Israel and whom Jesus himself spoke of in the parable as "rich, clothed in purple and fine linen, and faring sumptuously every day"

Zechariah 12:6 — of a millennial kingdom with Jerusalem as the earthly capital of it. The Christ made it plain enough for all who will hear, "My kingdom is NOT OF THIS WORLD" (John 18:36). A failure to see that "Judah" in this passage is not the same as in Zechariah 12:2 results in some very imaginative interpretations. Baldwin wrote: "The very fact that Judah is among the enemy is turned to advantage. As instantaneously as fire ignites dry tinder and ripe sheaves, so will Judah inflict devastation on the enemy while

Zechariah 14:14 — wealth of all nations round about shall be gathered together, gold, and silver, and apparel in great abundance." This is one of the most astonishing passages in the Old Testament. Although classified as "ambiguous"Hinckley G. Mitchell, op. cit., p. 352. by scholars, based upon the fact that the Hebrew word here rendered "at" (Judah shall fight at Jerusalem) may also be accurately rendered "against."R. E. Higginson, op. cit., p. 802. Although practically all of the current scholars insist that the

Malachi 4:3 — of that joy would be to trample the wicked like ashes under the soles of their feet. This ugly vindictive trait reminds us how fierce the temper of the later time could be."J. E. McFadyen, Abingdon Bible Commentary (New York City: Abingdon Press, 1929), p. 836. If this text is read, it must be clear that nothing in it speaks about the joy the saved shall receive from trampling the wicked or seeing them punished. There is nothing vindictive, ugly, or mean in God's Word here, or anywhere else. What

Matthew 13:45-46 — The pearl is a symbol of difficulties overcome, since it is caused by an annoyance to an oyster. It is a life-created thing of great value and beauty. Significantly, the gates of the Eternal City are said to be "each one a pearl" (Revelation 21:21). Thus, through obstacles overcome, one may enter the home of the soul. The prime comparison, however, regards the merchant. man engaged in the search. This was Jesus' emphasis: "Seek ye first the kingdom of God!" Seeking is a vital and

Matthew 16:23 — rather than of the things of God. The things of God would be clear to Peter much later, when he would write, "Who his own self bare our sins in his body upon the tree, that we, having died unto sin, might live unto righteousness" (1 Peter 2:24). One lesson of stark and overwhelming power that flows out of this strange rebuke of Peter is that temptation does not always come through one's enemies, but may also come through the most faithful and intimate of earthly companions. Peter's sad

Matthew 17:20-21 — unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. The reasons for the apostles' failure were (1) their lack of faith, (2) the double difficulty of the case at hand, and (3) their failure to exercise the privilege of prayer and fasting. At this place in Matthew, some very ancient authorities include Matthew 17:21 which reads, "But this kind goeth not out save by prayer

Matthew 27:55-56 — obedience, the soldiers broke the legs of the two robbers; but they came to Christ and found him already dead, they disobeyed their orders, thrust a spear into his side without orders, and thus fulfilled two prophecies at one time (John 19:31-37). Psalms 34:20 prophesied of the Messiah that "He keepeth all his bones; not one of them is broken." Zechariah prophesied, "They shall look upon me whom they have pierced" (Zechariah 12:10). The manner of fulfillment of those prophecies, one that

Matthew 5:15 — heaven. This passage sets forth instructions regarding the Christian's light, or influence, in the world: (1) Christ forbade hiding it under a bushel (Matthew 5:14), that is, permitting business and commerce to obscure one's influence for the truth. (2) He warned against hiding it under a vessel (Luke 8:16), that is, permitting cares, duties, and obligations of life to take precedence over faith. (3) He prohibited hiding it under the bed of licentiousness, laziness, or idleness (Luke 8:16). What then

Mark 12:38-40 — for a pretence make long prayers; these shall receive greater condemnation. The sentiments of these verses are found in Matthew's extensive account of the seven woes pronounced upon the Pharisees, most of the scribes belonging to that party (Matthew 23). In the same context as "the woes," Mark here abbreviated a long sermon, reducing it to this single small paragraph; and yet it quite accurately catches the sentiment of the longer passage in Matthew. On the other hand, it is sheer nonsense

Mark 12:43 — together."Ibid. (1)    This teaches that a gift to be valuable in the sight of God is not solely determined by the face amount of it. The motive, attitude, and financial condition of the giver are taken into consideration. (2)    Christ did not condemn the widow for giving. His commendation of her gift dramatically underlines the Scriptural teaching that the poor should give, and that the exercise of this grace is not to be omitted by any person on the

Luke 10:27-28 — (not the same as this) was given this very reply by Jesus to the effect that loving God and loving one's neighbor fulfilled all the law and the prophets, saying, "On these two commandments the whole law hangeth, and the prophets" (Matthew 22:40). Significantly, both there and here, the attainment of eternal life depends absolutely upon keeping perfectly the entire law of God. Salvation has never been possible except on the basis of doing God's will, all of it; but of course, this has always