Bible Commentaries

Jeremiah 29:1-4 — Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, unto all the captivity, whom I have caused to be carried away captive from Jerusalem unto Babylon." "The queen-mother, and the eunuchs, and the princes" The queen-mother's name was Nehushta the daughter of Elnathan (2 Kings 24:8); and in the Jewish system she was a very important person who seems to have worn a crown and occupied a throne adjacent to that of the king. Scholars have a lot of trouble with the word "eunuchs" in this passage; and Cheyne even called it

Jeremiah 38:1-4 — words unto them: for this man seeketh not the welfare of this people, but the hurt." The leader of this delegation to the king, Shephatiah, is unknown except for what is written here. Pashur is the prince who cast Jeremiah into the stocks in Jeremiah 21. All of these appear to have been bitter enemies of Jeremiah. "Let this man be put to death" From the ordinary viewpoint, this delegation appears to have been justified in their demand for the execution of Jeremiah; because, certainly, they were accurately

Jeremiah 49:34-39 — was two hundred miles east of Babylon and west of the Tigris river;Charles Lee Feinberg in Ezekiel (Chicago: Moody Press), p. 671, and Hyatt located it "east of Babylonian and north of the Persian Gulf."James P. Hyatt in the Interpreter's Bible, p. 1122. The prophecy, unlike others in this chapter, is dated in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah in 498 B.C. Scholars, seeking to find some reason why this prophecy was given have surmised that, "At the time of this prophecy through Jeremiah the Elamites

Jeremiah 52:28-30 — Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive of the Jews seven hundred forty and five persons: all the persons were four thousand and six hundred." Green dated the three deportations mentioned here as having happened in 597 B.C., 587 B.C., and 582 B.C.Broadman Bible Commentary (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1971), p. 202. Cawley and Millard dated them in "597 B.C., 586 B.C., and in 581 B.C."The New Bible Commentary, Revised, p. 658. The astounding thing about these numbers is that some 40,000 or

Ezekiel 23:35-42 — bracelets upon the hands of them twain, and beautiful crowns upon their heads." "Thou hast forgotten me" Add this to the other reasons God here outlined as the basis of Jerusalem's destruction. (1) They made forbidden political alliances with the nations; (2) they were polluted morally through the idols of the nations with their licentious worship; and (3) they had forgotten God! Thus, they violated the great imperative of the Law of Moses, thundered in the ears of Israel no less than four times, "See that

Ezekiel 24:15-18 — throughout the world upon funeral occasions. Cooke described the custom thus: "Friends and relatives of the deceased were accustomed to assemble in the house of mourning for a funeral meal, provided by those assembled."International Critical Commentary, p. 271. Of course, the bereaved was supposed to participate in the feast. It was that meal, here called, "the bread of men," that Ezekiel was forbidden to eat. "Bind thy headtire upon thee" The meaning of headtire is "turban." Eichrodt warned us not to be

Ezekiel 33:10-16 — renounce and turn away from the wickedness that had resulted in their terrible punishment and to turn to God with their whole heart. Bunn summarized this thus: "God condemns the righteous when he sins, and forgives the sinful when he repents."Ibid., p. 332. Thus, the two things Ezekiel stressed here are (1) the grace of God (Ezekiel 33:11), and (2) the importance of one's present state, rather than his past record.G. R. Beasley-Murray in the New Bible Commentary, Revised, p. 679. God had at this point

Ezekiel 39:1-8 — Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel. Behold, it cometh, and it shall be done, saith the Lord Jehovah; this is the day whereof I have spoken." RECAPITULATION OF THE JUDGMENT OF GOG Practically all of the previous chapter is repeated here, namely, Ezekiel 39:2-4; Ezekiel 39:14-17, and Ezekiel 18-22. "The writer is describing not a second invasion by Gog but the same events from a different perspective. He especially elaborates the numbers of the enemy, shown by the quantity of weapons left behind and the

Ezekiel 39:9-16 — the east side of the sea" Keil informs us that the Hebrew from which this translation is taken literally means "on the front of the sea"Footnote is not available which, of course, means "east of the sea." See our full discussion of this under Genesis 2:14, where we have exactly the same Hebrew words (Vol. 1 of the Pentateuchal Series, p. 51). The "sea" here "Undoubtedly means the Dead Sea."Footnote is not available "And it shall stop them that pass through" This is another one of the passages where

Ezekiel 4:1-3 — prophetic warning to Israel regarding the ultimate fall and total destruction of Jerusalem lay in the foolish and blind optimism of the people. "Even after they were carried into captivity, numbers of them were still engaging in false optimism,"GCM, p. 267. supposing that the captivity would soon end dramatically, and failing to understand that their dreadful servitude was nothing more than God's punishment of their consummate wickedness, a punishment they richly deserved. This unexpected, totally improbable

Ezekiel 8:14-15 — days, ended with Tammuz' triumphant return to life. The mythological basis of this tale was the death of vegetation in winter and its return in spring. The time of celebrating his return was usually observed at the time of the summer solstice (June 21). Because of this the fourth Babvlonian month was named Tammuz, the name that was adopted into the Jewish calendar for their fourth month (June-July). Plumptre has commented upon the prominent part women had, especially in the corrupted worship of

Daniel 10:1-3 — warfare" Young has pointed out that the meaning of "great" in this phase is "for a long time." "The word has now been found on the tablets of Mari in the sense of 'time.'"Robert D. Culver, Abingdon Bible Commentary, Daniel (Chicago: Moody Press, 1962), p. 796. Robert D. Culver is correct in the opinion that Daniel's fasting here was not due to asceticism, but applied to a special reason for his mourning.John Joseph Owens, Beacon Bible Commentary, Vol. 6, Daniel (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1971),

Hosea 1:4 — concern for the will of God, but only for his own will."Homer Hailey, op. cit., p. 317. Jehu promptly adopted the very sins for which God had decreed the destruction of the house of Ahab. "He took no heed to walk in the way of Jehovah, the God of Israel" (2 Kings 10:31). "Jezreel" The actual meaning of this name, as pointed out by many, is "God sows"; but Given also noted that there also appears to be the perversion of the name Israel in it. Israel to Yisrael to Yizreel to Jezreel, which means literally,

Hosea 1:8-9 — M. Myers, op. cit., p. 13. between God and the covenant nation. There is a specific reference in this to the covenant itself. Jeremiah had stated the essential heart of the covenant thus: "I will be your God, and you shall be my people" (Jeremiah 7:23); and in the name of the third child, God specifically cancelled it. The names of all three children tend to this inevitable conclusion. The people had wandered far away from the teaching of God. Myers interpreted the meaning of Jezreel as "defection,

Hosea 7:7 — oven, and devour their judges; all their kings are fallen: there is none among them that calleth unto me." This is the third usage of the oven metaphor, as follows: (1) They are like the banked fire ready to flare up at the slightest chance, Hosea 7:4. (2) They were an oven fire, waiting while preparations are being completed, using the occasion to plan new evil, Hosea 7:6. (3) They "are hot as an oven"; their evil passions are a vicious, burning lust. Commenting on this multiple use of such a figure

Joel 1:1 — conclusions of the prophet himself. On the day of Pentecost, an inspired apostle of Christ said: "This is that which hath been spoken through the prophet Joel: And it shall be in the last days, saith God, I will pour forth of my Spirit…. etc." (Acts 2:16-17). Note particularly the words "spoken through the prophet Joel… saith God" We may be certain therefore that no merely naturalistic origin of the great conclusions in Joel is possible. The words spoken and the conclusions given are of God

Joel 2:15-17 — porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O Jehovah, and give not thy heritage to reproach, that the nations should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the peoples, Where is their God? This passage is an elaboration of Joel 2:1 and indicates that the utmost participation in the solemn assembly must be achieved, even bridegrooms who by Jewish custom were exempted from all public duties during the first year of marriage (even war), as well as brides and infant children were

Amos 4:11 — overthrown cities among you" "This is generally taken to refer to an earthquake of extreme severity,"Hughell E. W. Fosbroke, The Interpreter's Bible, Vol. VI (New York: Abingdon Press, 1957), p. 807. an opinion followed by Barnes,Albert Barnes, op. cit., p. 286. Smith,Ralph L. Smith, op. cit., p. 106. and many others; but it appears to us that a specific reference to the judgment of Sodom and Gomorrah is made. Of course, that event was accompanied by a great earthquake also. McFadden's quotation from Lecky

Amos 6:1 — gospel of law, for that, too, is gospel. To understand and obey the laws by which God governs his world is the way of peace; to ignore or defy them is the way to destruction."John Edgar McFadden, A Cry for Justice (New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1912), p. 71. "Woe to them that are at ease in Zion" This is the second great woe, the first being in Amos 5:18, where it is written. "Woe unto you that desire the day of Jehovah!" Zion here is the poetic name of Jerusalem, and some of the commentators would

Nahum 1:8 — literally by an overrunning flood that Nineveh fell. THE FALL OF NINEVEH "The Assyrian and Babylonian records are silent with regard to the fall of the city,"T. G. Pinches, International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (Chicago: Howard-Severance Co., 1915), p. 2151. a very instructive fact in its own right. Why should their records have stressed the God-ordered ruin of the great pagan city that, at the time, had been standing nearly as many centuries as have now elapsed since the birth of Christ? In a similar