Bible Commentaries

Genesis 6:1 — this series, the key to understanding the O.T. is a thorough knowledge of the N.T., and therefore we shall first review the status of this chapter as revealed in the N.T. NEW TESTAMENT LIGHT ON THIS CHAPTER The Flood was received as history. 1 Peter 3:20: "The longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is eight souls, were saved by water." 2 Peter 3:5-6: "This they willfully forget, that there were heavens from of old, and an earth compacted out

Job 1:6-12 — angels within any such covenant relationship? Absolutely, NO! How blind the critics are to this passage! Dummelow noted that the use of the Tetragrammaton here is thought by some, "To be a slip on the part of the author!J. R. Dummelow's Commentary, p. 294. How could anybody make "a slip" seven times in six verses? Our own opinion is that we have proof here, as Dummelow wrote, that, "The Tetragrammaton (Jehovah) may have been much older than Moses."Ibid. This writer fully believes that the name Jehovah

Leviticus 16 overview — of the entire system, the Judaic High Priest performed an atonement for Israel, the same being an inspired shadow of that Greater High Priest, our Lord Jesus Christ, who would give his life as a propitiation for the sins of the whole world! (1 John 2:2). The Jews still observe this day which falls upon the tenth day of their first month of the civil year, Tishri, the same being the seventh month of their religious year, the very numbers of these months symbolizing the truth that the Atonement marks

Jeremiah 49:7-13 — THE PROPHECY AGAINST EDOM (Jeremiah 49:7-22) A. EDOM'S JUDGMENT IS INEVITABLE (; Jeremiah 49:7-13) "Of Edom. Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: Is wisdom no more in Teman? is counsel perished from the prudent? is their vision vanished? Flee ye, turn back, dwell in the depths, O inhabitants of Dedan;

Ezekiel 18:5-9 — enumerated are moral rather than ceremonial offenses";International Critical Commentary, p. 198. However, the reference to the righteous man's keeping "all my statutes" in such passages as Ezekiel 18:6; Ezekiel 18:9; Ezekiel 18:11; Ezekiel 18:17; Ezekiel 18:21, cannot possibly support such an error. Beginning with this paragraph and running through Ezekiel 18:18, "Ezekiel gives a concrete example of the truth announced in Ezekiel 18:4, above. Three generations are presented: (1) a just grandfather; (2) an

Daniel 7:13-14 — that Christ received the kingdom only after the total and final destruction of the world kingdoms. However, the placement of this paragraph cannot indicate the chronological sequence of the event of Jesus' receiving the everlasting kingdom. Daniel 7:9-12 merely indicate the fact of the vision's continuing until the time of the judgment and the destruction of the four beasts. These verses do not teach that all of the world powers were destroyed before Christ's kingdom was established. Daniel 7:13-14

Hosea 1:1 — prophecy primarily by the kings of Israel; but all of the prophets realized that Israel's doom was imminent and that the true seat of the theocracy was in Jerusalem, not in Samaria. The minimum and maximum dates indicated by this whole list of kings is 27 years (742-715 B.C.) and 96 years (783-687 B.C.). Homer Hailey's assumption of a date from 750 B.C. and for some indefinite period afterwardsHomer Hailey, Commentary on the Minor Prophets (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1972), p. 129. is as practical

Hosea 5:2 — this part of God's word which has been handed down through history; and, as Pfeiffer noted, "The translation of these words has troubled Biblical scholars since ancient times."Charles F. Pfeiffer, Wycliffe Bible Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1962), p. 806. There simply has to be a certain amount of guessing and speculation in putting together any kind of an intelligent rendition here. It should be noted, however, that while this surely applies in a very limited way to passages here and there,

Joel 2:19-20 — the western sea; and its stench shall come up, and its ill savor shall come up, because it hath done great things. "I will remove far off from you the northern army" This is a prophetic double entendre, rather than a problem."R. A. Cole, op. cit., p. 722. Not only did the worst locust plagues usually descend on Jerusalem from the north,John D. Whiting, National Geographic Magazine, Vol. 84, No. 12 (Washington D.C.: National Geographic Society, 1915). but, "It was also true that Israel's main invaders:

Numbers 4:1-16 — priest shall be the oil for the light, and the sweet incense, and the continual meal-offering, and the anointing oil, the charge of all the tabernacle, and of all that therein is, the sanctuary, and the furniture thereof." "The sons of Kohath" (Numbers 4:2). Despite the fact of Kohath's not being the oldest of the sons of Levi, he takes precedence here because both Moses and Aaron were of this branch of the family, and to them went the honor of moving the "most holy" things (Numbers 4:4). "To do the work

Haggai 2:23 — spirit and power" of Elijah. Similarly, Jesus, the true Messiah, was the true "Son of David," a title held by Zerubbabel only by accommodation. A note in the Douay Version states: "This promise relates to Christ who was of the race of Zerubbabel."<26a> "The meaning is that the Messianic descent was to come through Zerubbabel, of the line of David, just as it did through David himself."Charles L. Feinberg, op. cit., p. 895. And, of course, both the Matthew and Lucan genealogies show that this

Matthew 26:15 — out for number one!" Such an attitude betrayed the Son of God, and it is still doing so. Matthew indicates that Judas proposed the betrayal and that the priests named the amount they would pay. Luke's use of the word "covenanted" (Luke 22:5) indicates some haggling over the price, which was promptly paid in advance in cash on the spot, once agreement had been reached. It surely seems almost incredible that those priests who were supposed to know so much Scripture could have been so

Luke 17:11 — … This is the third and final of the three references in this long section of Luke, in which it is mentioned that they were on the way to Jerusalem. The three references to the fact that Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem are Luke 9:51, Luke 13:22, and this verse Luke 17:11. Ash's comment that "Jesus is always on the way but is no closer to Jerusalem at the last than at the first"Anthony Lee Ash, op. cit., p. 7. discloses an amazing failure to integrate this portion of Luke with the

Luke 20:41-44 — Christ is David's son? For David himself saith in the book of Psalms, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, Till I make thine enemies the footstool of thy feet. David therefore calleth him Lord, and how is he his son? Parallels: Matthew 22:41-46; Mark 12:35-37. V. Jesus himself asks his questioners a question. As seen from the parallels, this is an abbreviation of a very significant question which Jesus' questioners were utterly unable to answer. Its importance merits some further study

Luke 21:1-4 — widow casting in thither two mites. And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, This poor widow cast in more than they all: for all these did of their superfluity cast in unto the gifts; but she of her want did cast in all the living that she had. (Luke 21:1-4) The omniscience of Jesus appears in his knowledge of the financial condition of all the givers, this being another example of the emphasis on this attribute of Jesus on the part of the synoptic writers. The treasury … Bliss stated that

Luke 3:3 — peculiar to Christianity, and first introduced by John."H. Leo Boles, Commentary on the Gospel according to Luke (Nashville, 1940), p. 76. It is one of the seven baptisms mentioned in the New Testament.James Burton Coffman's Commentary on Matthew, p. 29. It consisted of the immersion of the penitent in water by the administrator, requiring John to preach where there was "much water" (John 3:23); and, coupled with repentance, it was "unto the remission of sins." John's baptism

Luke 7:9-10 — Jesus should have experienced amazement and wonder. How would the Lord, to whom all things were known, have wondered, or marveled? Trench called this question "One of the hardest in the whole domain of theology."Richard Trench, op. cit., p. 246. Every student of the Holy Scriptures must confess the awareness of the mystery in this which is beyond all human comprehension; but by faith we receive the answer supplied by the apostle who wrote that "He emptied himself, and took upon him

John 5:39 — so? 1.    They had made the word of God of none effect by their traditions; and a perfect example of that was in the episode here under study, these men having substituted their own petty and ridiculous rules in the place of God's true sabbath law. 2.    They had also changed the meaning of the words God had given them. God had promised a Messiah whose paradoxical qualities of glory and humiliation should have been sufficient to identify him when he came; but the hierarchy promptly

John 6:28-29 — unmerited favor, was nevertheless a system with works of its own, works of a far different nature from the law, but still "works of faith," for Christ said in this verse: "Work for the food that abides unto eternal life" (John 6:27). This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent … In all the New Testament, there is not a more instructive verse than this which designates faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as a work performed by men, but also in the ultimate

Acts 8:12 — so clearly taught in the New Testament that one can only be astounded at its denial by some scholars. For example, Ladd said: The church is not the kingdom … It is impossible to substitute "church" for "kingdom" in Acts 8:12, etc. … None of the sayings in the gospels equates Jesus' disciples with the kingdom … etc. George Eldon Ladd, Jesus and the Kingdom (Waco, Texas: Word Books, Publisher, 1964), p. 259. Amazingly, Ladd proceeded, immediately following the