Bible Commentaries

1 Kings 12:1-5 — heavy burdens of taxation and forced labor so long imposed upon them during the reign of Solomon. "Solomon had a thousand wives and concubines; and yet we read of only one son he had to bear his name, and he was a fool."Matthew Henry's Commentary, Vol. 3, p. 639. The age of this prince at the time he became king is disputed. He is said to be "forty-one" (1 Kings 14:21); but that translation is questionable. "The Vatican manuscript and the Septuagint (LXX) in 1 Kings 14:24 a state that he was only sixteen."Ibid.

1 Chronicles 3:10-24 — Delaiah, and Anani, seven." "Bathshua" This is obviously just another name for Bathsheba. The Septuagint (LXX) and the Vulgate render the word Bathsheba. Elmslie noted that, "This name is only a variant of the name Bathsheba."The Interpreter's Bible, Vol. 3, p. 357. Judging from the order of Bathsheba's sons as listed here, Solomon was the youngest; and one may wonder if David selected him because he himself was the youngest of Jesse's sons. The appearance in this chapter of two sons of David named Elishama

Psalms 91:14-16 — speaker in these verses; and they convey very rich and precious promises for the faithful servant of God. This passage states that because one loves God and knows his name, that the Lord: (1) will deliver him from trouble; (2) exalt him and honor him; (3) give him the privilege of prayer; (4) satisfy him with long life; and (5) show him God's salvation! What a mountain of motivation there is here for humble and faithful service of God! There are a number of implications in these verses, as noted by

Proverbs 18:3 — "When the wicked cometh, there cometh also contempt, And with ignominy cometh reproach." "Three inevitable traveling companions of wickedness are mentioned here: contempt, ignominy and reproach."The New Bible Commentary, Revised, p. 564. "These three terms for shame give triple emphasis to shame, which is the corollary of sin, the antithesis of which is glory, the corollary of holiness (Isaiah 6:3, Romans 8:30)."Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries, Vol. 15, p. 127.

Jeremiah 30 overview — prophecies for Israel, these glorious prophecies are by no means limited to these chapters. Jeremiah 29:10-14 (of the previous chapter) is but one example. Cheyne mentioned that passages akin to these four chapters also "occur in earlier chapters of Jeremiah 3:14-19; Jeremiah 16:14-15, and Jeremiah 23:3-8."T. K. Cheyne, Jeremiah in the Pulpit Commentary, p. 1. There are three dates which are seriously proposed for these four chapters, the majority of current scholars seeming to prefer the tenth year of Zedekiah,

Jeremiah 48 overview — THE PROPHECY AGAINST MOAB There are three remarkable differences in this prophecy, as compared with others, as cited by Green. "These are (1) its unusual length, (2) its use of material from other prophets, and (3) the large number of place names in it."Broadman Bible Commentary (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1971), p. 187. A number of other prophets also received messages from God regarding the eventual judgment of Moab; and, "These include: Isaiah 15-16; Isaiah

Ezekiel 30:1 — ORACLES (3) Ezekiel 30:1-19 AND (4) Ezekiel 30:20-26 AGAINST EGYPT We may outline this chapter thus: A. Announcement of the Day of the Lord (Ezekiel 30:1-5) B. Allies, Dependents also destroyed (Ezekiel 30:6-9) C. Wealth of Egypt to be carried away (Ezekiel 30:10-12) D. Princes and Cities to be destroyed (Ezekiel 30:13-19) E. God breaks Pharaoh's arm (Ezekiel 30:20-26)

Matthew 3:1-2 — DIVISION 2 PREPARATION FOR HIS MESSIANIC WORK, THE HERALD, BAPTISM, TEMPTATION, AND HIS PUBLIC IDENTIFICATION BY JOHN THE BAPTIST Matthew 3:1—4:11 And in those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, saying Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. In those days … that is, some thirty years after the events recorded in the previous chapter.

Matthew 9:7 — And he arose, and departed to his house. Thus, another mighty wonder performed by the Master followed the usual pattern: (1) It was complete. (2) It was immediate. (3) It was accomplished by a mere word. (4) There were no incantations. (5) There was no agonizing. (6) There were no loud prayers. (7) It was totally accomplished with the utmost ease in the presence of his enemies, without prior staging, and without any props.

John 14:3 — The reference is not to Christ's return from the grave, but to his return from heaven, the second coming of the Lord, which is a part of the Christian faith. C. E. W. Dorris, A Commentary on the Gospel by John (Nashville: The Gospel Advocate Co., 1939), p. 200. THE SECOND ADVENT Not only here but in Acts 1:11; Acts 3:21; 2 Thessalonians 4:13-17, etc., the doctrine of the second coming of Christ is emphatically taught, the same being one of the foundational teachings of Christianity. I.    What

Romans 3:22 — reasons for staying with the KJV in this place, and similar places, of which there are a number, throughout the New Testament; because the same tampering with the word of God which resulted in the monstrosity of "a" righteousness of God (Romans 3:21 and Romans 1:17) is in evidence here. The true scriptural justification "by faith" has no reference at all to the faith of stinking sinners, but to the "faith of the Son of God." Note the following: The scriptures hath concluded

Romans 3:31 — CANNOT VOID LAW (1)    It cannot void the law of Moses. The ultimate scheme of redemption as set forth in Christianity is the very system foretold in the law and the prophets (Romans 1:2), witnessed by the law and the prophets (Romans 3:21); and, therefore. it should not be thought for a moment that the gospel and the faith therein enjoined could have the effect of voiding that great Old Testament system. Rather, that system was fulfilled by Christ and the new institution. The types

Romans 4:3 — reckoning righteousness to Abraham and entering into a covenant that in Abraham all the families of the earth should be blessed, Abraham had exhibited an obedient faith in all that God said: (1) God called Abram to leave Ur of the Chaldees (Genesis 12:1-3); Abram believed and obeyed, not even knowing whither he went (Hebrews 11:8). (2) When Abram reached Shechem in the land of Canaan, he built an altar and worshipped God (Genesis 12-6, 7). (3) Abraham built an altar unto Jehovah and called upon God's

Romans 8:1 — There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus. Seven times already in this letter, Paul had stressed the significance of being "in Christ." Faith (Romans 3:26), redemption (Romans 3:24), peace (Romans 5:1), rejoicing in God (Romans 5:11), abundance of grace and of the gifts of righteousness (Romans 5:17), being alive unto God (Romans 6:11), and eternal life (Romans 6:22), were all mentioned by Paul as

1 Corinthians 1:30-31 — of Christ (Romans 6:11). There are four things mentioned by Paul in this passage which belong to the Christian by virtue of his being "in Christ." Wisdom of God. In Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2:3). The person "in Christ," by reason of having believed and having been baptized "into Christ" is thus identified with Christ, being a part of his spiritual body; and thus, as Christ he has become the possessor of the wisdom of God. Righteousness.

Joshua 13:15-23 — the slain. And the border of the children of Reuben was the Jordan, and the border thereof. This was the inheritance of the children of Reuben, according to their families, the cities and the villages thereof." This material is an expansion of Numbers 32:33-42; and this location of Reuben east of the Jordan was discussed in Vol. 3 of our Pentateuchal series under that reference. There we learned that Israel actually took possession of that land; "But in the reigns of the wicked Omri and Ahab, the power

Colossians 1:3-4 — Galatians and 2 Corinthians indicates that they were included only when the progress of the converts was a real cause for thanksgiving." Ernest G. Ashby, A New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1969), p. 483. Faith … hope … love … make up Paul's famed triad, found in these two verses and the verse following, and reminding one of 1 Thessalonians 1:3; 1 Corinthians 13:3, etc. Hendriksen observed that Paul's letter to Titus also omitted

1 Timothy 4 overview — constitutes a main division of 1 Timothy; it deals with coming heresies and tells how Timothy is to be fortified and is to fortify the churches against them." R. H. H. Lenski, St. Paul's Epistles. 1 Timothy (Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House, 1937), p. 626. Lenski also denied the proposition that Paul was here merely writing instructions to the minister of a single congregation. "He is addressing his apostolic representative for the whole territory of which Ephesus is the center."

2 Peter 3:15 — of longsuffering, not only as an attribute of God, but as a grace to be cultivated by Christians, and even as one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit (Romans 2:4; Romans 9:22; 2 Corinthians 6:6, Galatians 5:22; Ephesians 4:2; Colossians 1:11; Colossians 3:1; 2 Timothy 1:16; and Titus 3:10; 4:11). Which of such references had Peter read? There is actually no good reason to suppose that he had not read most of them! Our beloved brother Paul also … Depending on wild, subjective guesses, the Tubingen

Revelation 1:5 — us, and loosed us from our sins by his blood. Jesus Christ who is the faithful witness … There is a powerful New Testament emphasis upon the faith of Jesus Christ, as in Paul's writings, especially in Galatians 2:16; Galatians 2:20; Galatians 3:22; Romans 3:22; Romans 3:26; Ephesians 3:12; Philippians 3:9; etc. There is a false impression that since Christ was deity incarnate he did not need to have faith; but in our Lord's humiliation as a man, faith in the Father was his predominate characteristic.