Bible Commentaries

Genesis 50:22-26 — assumed that the same is true of the descendants of Ephraim. "Born on his knees" In some circumstances, these words imply the adoption of the children so born, but we agree with Leupold that this meaning is "not suitable here."H. C. Leupold, op. cit., p. 1218. It appears to mean that they were born while Joseph still had the strength to take them upon. his knees, thus loving them. "Machir" This individual headed "a powerful Manassite clan."Arthur S. Peake, op. cit., p. 167. The outstanding thing in this

Exodus 28:6-14 — gold and the three colors so predominately used throughout the whole tabernacle. The gold was apparently to be woven separately into the completed tapestry. "According to their birth" This meant either: (1) according to their chronological ages; or (2) accordingly as they were born (a) of Jacob's legal wives, or (b) of his concubines. Scriptural examples of either arrangement may be cited; but which was to be used here is not given. The old problem so often encountered in the O.T. of the same word

Daniel 2:43-45 — Biblical description; and Jamieson tells us that "This third empire (the Greeks) were celebrated for the bronze armor of their warriors."Robert Jamieson, Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary, Daniel (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House), p. 625. Another distinguishing mark of this third empire was "its universality."A. R. Millard, op. cit., p. 910. It is said of this third empire, "They shall bear rule over all the earth" (Daniel 2:39). This mark of identification settles forever the error

Numbers 20:1-9 — eyes, that it give forth its water; and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock; so thou shalt give the congregation and their cattle drink. And Moses took the rod from before Jehovah, as he commanded him." "In the first month" (Numbers 20:1). "This is the first month of the fortieth year."J. R. Dummelow, Commentary on the Holy Bible (New York: The Macmillan Company, 1937), p. 111. Of course, the people had already gone to Kadesh in the second year (Numbers 13:26), but this does not

Numbers 21:4-9 — is bitten, when he seeth it, shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and set it upon the standard: and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he looked unto the serpent of brass, he lived." "By way of the Red Sea" (Numbers 21:4). It seems almost incredible that so many current commentaries go out of their way here to insert comments such as the following: "This means Sea where the reeds grow! The word is [~Yam] [~Cuwph], or Reed Sea."Elmer Smick, Wycliffe Bible Commentary,

Malachi 1:11 — falsehood. How is one to know which tense should have been chosen? Certainly, we dare not trust scholars to do it who will lean over backwards to make a passage contradict the truth. "The context has to be the deciding factor."Joyce G. Baldwin, op. cit., p. 229. The only objection that we have ever seen that is related to the context was also given by Baldwin who interpreted the future tense if used here as having the sense of, "Is about to be offered, indicating that the event is near at hand and sure to

Deuteronomy 19:1-3 — (cities of refuge) is in Numbers 35, where the order to appoint cities of refuge is given. There the number of cities was placed at six, and the general laws for their use were announced, but the names of the cities were not given. Next, in Deuteronomy 4:42-45, following the conquest of Trans-Jordan, Moses named the three cities eastward from that river, and their names were given. Then in this passage (Deuteronomy 19:1-13), Moses directed that after they had possessed the territory west of Jordan, three

Deuteronomy 9:6-10 — following references to their rebellions, etc:Bruce Oberst, Deuteronomy (Joplin: College Press, 1968), p. 146. (a)    Stiff-necked, Deuteronomy 9:6; Deuteronomy 9:13 (b)    Rebellious, Deuteronomy 9:7; Deuteronomy 9:23-24 (c)    Corrupted themselves, Deuteronomy 9:12 (d)    Provoked Jehovah to wrath, Deuteronomy 9:7-8; Deuteronomy 9:22 (e)    Believed not God, Deuteronomy 9:23 (f)    "Sinned"

Luke 11:24-26 — either in or out of context; and out of context, this is a marvelous teaching of the futility of negative morality, or religion. Barclay titled this section, "The Peril of the Empty Soul," stressing (1) that a man's soul may not be left empty, (2) that a genuine religion cannot be erected on negatives, and (3) that the best way to avoid evil is to do good.William Barclay, The Gospel of Luke (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1956), p. 151. However, it is a mistake not to see more than moralizings

Luke 15:8-10 — causing the loss of precious souls. I.    Note the coin as the type of a man. (1)    Both are from the earth, silver being refined from earthly ore, and man having been created of the dust of the earth (Genesis 2:7). (2)    Both are valuable. Silver coins have ever been recognized as items of value, but sometimes men have been accounted as cheap in the eyes of their fellows. Earth's warlords have ever looked upon men as mere pawns in the

Luke 18:15-17 — See my Commentary on Matthew, my Commentary on Mark, (en loco). Summers said that the word here used for "babes" was used of "unborn and very young babies. Paul used it of Timothy who had received religious instruction from babyhood (2 Timothy 3:15)."Ray Summers, op. cit., p. 211. It should be pointed out here, as Lamar said, that: There is no baptism here, and no hint of any; and I think it is unfortunate that this beautiful and tender incident was ever transferred to the arena

John 14:16 — whatever, as a glance at Windisch's so-called reasons will prove. Here are the particular prejudices presented by him as "evidence." 1.    "They can be removed from the context without leaving a gap." Ibid., p. 2. Is this a reason? One might remove any of the beatitudes without leaving a gap, or take a whole paragraph out of the Declaration of Independence without leaving a gap. 2.    "The idea that Jesus comes back to his own is nowhere

Romans 4:5 — "resting from the notion that any such thing is possible." Neither of these terms has any reference to obeying the gospel, and the primary steps of obedience such as repentance and baptism. To understand Paul's teaching, a comparison with James 2 is necessary. Paul was affirming that works cannot justify apart from faith in Jesus Christ; and James was stressing that faith in Jesus Christ cannot save without works. To fail to believe, to exclude either faith, or the work of faith, is to fail

2 Corinthians 5:10 — i.e., no unbelievers." Norman Hillyer, op. cit., p. 1080. The same opinion was voiced by Clines, "All Christians, not all men." David J. A. Clines, A New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1969), p. 426. Inasmuch as the New Testament knows and mentions only one judgment, there can be no reconciliation of that truth with any opinion limiting the judgment scene in this verse to Christians only. The problem does not lie in what Paul taught here, but

Joshua 13:1-7 — thou it unto Israel for an inheritance, as I have commanded thee. Now therefore divide this land for an inheritance unto the nine tribes and the half tribe of Manasseh." "Thou art old" (Joshua 13:1). "Joshua was 110 years old the year he died (Joshua 24:29); so he must have been more than 90 years old at this time."Merrill F. Unger, Unger's Commentary on the Old Testament, Joshua (Chicago: Moody Press, 1981), p. 300. If one wonders why the age of Joshua is stressed here, "It was a principal reason

Joshua 9:9-15 — Their presenting themselves as ambassadors, that is, representatives of other peoples, was true. Gibeon was the leader of a league of cities. The three elements of their deception: (1) the truth, that they had indeed heard of Jehovah and of his works; (2) hypocrisy by pretending that they intended to worship Jehovah; and (3) outright falsehood, that they came from a very far off, that the worn state of their clothes was due to the length of their journey, etc. Their clothing, their shoes, the wineskins,

James 3:1 — of "masters" in the year 1611, at which time it was understood throughout the English-speaking world as a short-form of "schoolmasters." It was the change in that usage which made "masters" archaic in the present era. (2) Three of the great uncial manuscripts, the Vatican, the Alexandrinus and the Sinaitic, were not available to the KJV translators; and in a few instances, their work needed correction in the light of the manuscript authority of those uncials. (3) Archeological

1 John 5:16 — another. For them that sin not unto death … There are a number of New Testament passages that deal with the "sin unto death," namely, the passage here, 1 Corinthians 11:30; 1 Thessalonians 5:19; 1 Timothy 5:6; Hebrews 6:4-6; Hebrews 10:26-27; 2 Peter 2:20-21, and Mark 3:29 with parallel in Matthew. For a complete discussion of this question see in my Commentary on Mark, pp. 65-67, and, in my Commentary on Matthew, pp. 173-175, and, in my Commentary on Hebrews, pp. 125-128. Briefly stated,

Revelation 20:4 — 1964), p. 651. Some millennial theories place these thrones upon earth, but there is no more reason to do this than to suppose that the "twelve thrones" occupied by the apostles during "the times of the regeneration" (Matthew 19:28) are actually upon earth. In fact, those thrones are exactly like these. And judgment was given unto them … It is wrong to think that this means only the martyrs received judgment and sat upon thrones. "The thrones are occupied by the living,

Revelation 3:22 — p. 130. A SUMMARY REGARDING THE SEVEN LETTERS The background. The discerning student cannot fail to see that Jewish persecution against the church is active in these letters, in which "the synagogue of Satan" is twice mentioned (Revelation 2:9; Revelation 3:9). The casting of Christians into prison at Smyrna is evidently related to this Jewish opposition. "When the appeals of sophistry failed to draw the Christians back to the religion of their ancestors, the Jews sought every association