Bible Commentaries

Genesis 28:10 — stairway or staircase. It is most reprehensible that critical scholars pervert what is written here by changing ladder to stairway. "The word [~cullum], used only here in the Bible, is well established as meaning ladder.H. C. Leupold, op. cit., p. 772. Seeing that what the word means is ladder, why do the critics want to change it? First, why did the Holy Spirit use this word? Surely the word for a terraced staircase was known in those days. And, therefore, we must conclude that this word was chosen

Exodus 1:8-14 — and mightier than we" This statement of Pharaoh confirms the fact of the numerical strength of Israel. Egypt at that time could hardly have had any less than two or three million citizens. Therefore, the figure of over 600,000 fighting men (Numbers 2:32), indicating a population in excess of 2,000,000, is perfectly reasonable in the light of what Pharaoh said here. "Let us deal wisely with them" Pharaoh did not fear an armed uprising of Israel, for they were without weapons or military experience,

Exodus 33:18-23 — that, in spite of God's denial of Moses' request to see "God's glory," he was nevertheless shown more than any other person of human history was ever shown - either before or since - with a possible exception of Paul's vision in "the third heaven" (2 Corinthians 12:1-7). Certainly, "This is one of the most mysterious and solemn scenes in the entire Bible."Robert Jamieson, op. cit., p. 412. A number of scholars have attempted to answer the question of just why Moses made such a request of God, and

Leviticus 14:1-9 — intimation whatever that lepers were actually sinners, some innocents doubtless being among the sufferers from this terrible malady. Just as the apostle Peter's status as a bound prisoner, naked in darkness, guarded, and condemned to death in Acts 12 appears as an amazing type of all sinners, yet himself being altogether innocent of any particular sin, in like manner, the horrible state of the leper in this chapter stands as a true picture of the way it actually is with sinful people. "Him that

Leviticus 18:6-18 — half-sister, or a step-sister (Leviticus 18:9). (d)    A granddaughter, whether by a son or a daughter (Leviticus 18:10). (e)    A half-sister (Leviticus 18:11). (f)    A paternal aunt (Leviticus 18:12). (g)    A maternal aunt (Leviticus 18:13). (h)    An aunt by marriage (Leviticus 18:14). (i)    A daughter-in-law (Leviticus 18:15). (j)    A sister-in-law (Leviticus 18:16). (k)    A

Daniel 6:10-15 — ministers from Churches of Christ privileged to participate in the chaplaincy programs of the U.S. Military. OUTLINE Introduction A.    Daniel's attitude: 1     Was not one of defiance (he did not kneel outdoors). 2     Was not one of cowardice (he did not hide). 3     He continued in his normal pattern. B.    As he did aforetime: 4     A man's habits are the key to his destiny. 5

Numbers 1:1-54 — "And Jehovah spake unto Moses in the wilderness" These first words of Numbers, or their equivalent, are found not less than eighty times in the book;Elmer Smick, Wycliffe Bible Commentary, Old Testament, Vol. 1 (Chicago: Moody Press, 1962), p. 114. and we are absolutely unwilling to accept the postulations of evil critics that these words are "a pious fraud." They affirm dogmatically the divine source of the narrative, and there are no intellectual reasons why they should not be received

Deuteronomy 10:12-17 — mention of "this day" is exactly the equivalent of what Cardinal Cushing did in his prayer at the inauguration of John F. Kennedy as President of the U.S.A. The Cardinal told God no less than five times in that single prayer what the date was! "On this 21st of January, 1961" etc., etc. Micah 6:8 is an echo of this passage, indicating that Deuteronomy is far older than the minor prophets (848-844 B.C.), and at the time of their writing, already well known throughout Israel. "What doth Jehovah thy God

Deuteronomy 20:1-4 — Israelites, horses and chariots were always objects of terror in war (Joshua 11:4; Joshua 17:16; Judges 1:19; Judges 4:3, and 1 Samuel 13:5)."W. L. Alexander, The Pulpit Commentary, Deuteronomy (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1950), p. 230. Furthermore, all of the nations they would confront in Canaan were well supplied with that very type of military equipment. "And a people more than thou" Orlinsky translated this phrase, "forces larger than yours,"Harry M. Orlinsky, Notes on the

Deuteronomy 26:1-11 — to be patient with arrogant scholars who seize upon every possible pretext in order to shout "contradiction," "different traditions," "the melding of two or more sources." etc. Even Von Rad declared the passage "uneven," affirming that in Deuteronomy 26:4, the basket was handed to the priest at the beginning of the ceremony, and that in Deuteronomy 26:10, not until the end of it.Gerhard Von Rad, op. cit., p. 156. It is perfectly obvious that this account is abbreviated, and that not everything in

Mark 1:23-24 — observations are in order. DEMON POSSESSION Our Lord used language in addressing demons which is not reconcilable with any explanation of such maladies as mere diseases or mental disturbances. He addressed the demon as distinct from the man (Mark 1:25); and, in private conversations with the Twelve, indicated that particularly malignant demons could not be expelled except by "fasting and prayer" (Matthew 17:21). Any scheme that confounds such diseases as epilepsy, insanity, paranoia, etc.,

Luke 17:1-2 — those yet living against such a sin. Spence agreed that "There does seem a clear connection here with the narrative immediately preceding."H. D. M. Spence, The Pulpit Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1962), Vol. 16, Luke, ii, p. 86 After noting the opinions of many to the contrary, Geldenhuys also said, "It appears to us that there is a unity between the various pronouncements and that (although Luke does not say so) they were uttered on one and

Luke 21:5-6 — beautiful thing ever seen on earth. Josephus (Book V, Chapter 5) described the snow-white stones of such great size, some of which were overlaid with pure gold, and the magnificence of this structure which required the labor of thousands of men from 20-19 B.C. to 64 A.D. to build. Although not completed until long after Jesus' words, it was nevertheless sufficiently built, even then, to justify what is said of it here. In addition to the fundamental structure, there were adornments of the most extravagant

John 1:46 — look for the Messiah. The popular proverb regarding Nazareth, as many popular proverbs are, was quite inaccurate and unfair. Gath-hepher, an adjoining village, was the home of Jonah, first of the Old Testament prophets and a conspicuous type of Jesus (2 Kings 14:25), but there is no evidence that anyone in that generation even knew it. It was true, of course, that prophecy had named Bethlehem as the place where the Messiah would be born, but nothing was said about his continued residence there. Perhaps

John 10:3 — or through which the sheep enter the fold of God.David Lipscomb, A Commentary on the Gospel of John (Nashville: The Gospel Advocate Co., 1960), p. 150. Similarly, Christ is the door in two senses: (1) the door of access to the spiritual flock, and (2) the door of access for the sheep themselves into fellowship with God. This usage of the same symbols for diverse meanings, occurring sometimes in the same sentence, creates confusion unless this is taken into account. See John 10:9. To him the porter

John 19:32 — dead already, they brake not his legs: howbeit one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and straightway there came out blood and water. Two prophecies regarding Jesus were fulfilled in this: (1) that no bone of him should be broken (Psalms 34:20), and (2) that "They shall look upon me whom they have pierced" (Zechariah 12:10). The soldiers disobeyed one set of orders to fulfill the first, and instituted actions without any orders to fulfill the second. Soldiers in a disciplined army

John 3:20-21 — walking in the light. Human behavior is so corrected and disciplined that the whole life and all of its actions are wrought "in God." "For it is God who worketh in you both to will and to work for his good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13). In this connection, it should be observed that: God in people and people in God, Christ in people and people in Christ, the Spirit in people and people in the Spirit, the mind of Christ in people, and the word of Christ in people are not references

John 5:10 — grounds upon which all alleged guilt of Jesus in breaking the sabbath is totally removed. Thus: (1) It was well known among the Jews that a prophet might, for cause, set aside the sabbath; as the Prophet like unto Moses, Jesus had every right to do so; (2) as God incarnate, Christ had total authority, even referring to himself once as "Lord of the sabbath" (Matthew 12:8); and (3) the Lord's actions often referred to as breaking the sabbath, such as this man's carrying his bed, constituted no

John 5:28-29 — Marvel not at this: for the hour cometh, in which all that are in the tombs shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of judgment. In John 5:21, earlier, Jesus had claimed power to raise the dead; but his statement there fell a little short of declaring emphatically that he would indeed do so (although it was clearly implied). These words, however, dogmatically declare that Christ will raise

Judges 12:1-6 — that is not exactly what happened, then the demobilization of Jephthah's army had not taken place until the events related to Jephthah's vow had been resolved. In our view, the fact of Jephthah's gathering together, "all the men of Gilead" (Judges 12:4), does not refer to the recruitment of his army but to its deployment against Ephraim. In any case, there is absolutely nothing wrong with the sequence of events related in these chapters. And as for the critical complaint that the request of Jephthah