Bible Commentaries

Exodus 6 overview — of our own day are guilty of the same shortsightedness. "One of the most pernicious misapprehensions of the Gospel is that which looks on salvation as an instantaneous thing, which speaks of the `saved,' instead of those who `are being saved' (Acts 2:47)."D. Young, The Pulpit Commentary, Vol. 1, Exodus (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1950), p. 144. The finding of multiple "sources" in this chapter by the critics in the first half of this century is nothing but a preposterous scholarly

Psalms 109 overview — same bitter spirit that appeared in the lives of two of the blessed apostles, namely, "The Sons of Thunder," that is, "Boanerges" (Mark 3:17). These, of course, were James and John the sons of Zebedee. The glimpse referred to is recorded in Luke 9:52 ff. The apostles went before Jesus into a village of the Samaritans to prepare the way for Jesus, but the Samaritans did not receive him. James and John immediately asked, "Lord wilt thou that we bid fire come down from heaven and consume them?" However,

Psalms 34 overview — ascribes this psalm to David and identifies it with the occasion when he feigned madness to escape from Abimelech. It is an imperfect acrostic, omitting the sixth letter and adding another letter at the last, very similar in this particular to Psalms 25. We are surprised that five or six reputable scholars point out what they call a mistake in the superscription, insisting that in 1 Samuel 21:11-15, the name of the king from whom David escaped by feigning madness was called Achish, not Abimelech. Of

Psalms 57 overview — when he had him in his power; and now he takes pleasure in the employment of the same words in his supplications to God. We may thus infer from the spirit of the Lord's Prayer, that God will spare us if we spare our foes."Charles Haddon Spurgeon, p. 256. When he fled from Saul in the cave. "This occasion was either David's stay in the cave of Adullum (1 Samuel 22:1), or the incident in the cave of Engedi (1 Samuel 24:3); but there is no direct reference in the psalm to either."J. R. Dummelow's Commentary,

Psalms 69 overview — (regarding the authorship), we still feel that the suggestion offered by the Hebrew (superscription) has the most to commend it - `of David.'"Ibid. The most interesting thing about this psalm is that "More than any other in the whole Psalter, except Psalms 22, this psalm is quoted in the New Testament."The New Layman's Bible Commentary, p. 647. "They hated me without a cause" (Psalms 69:4) was quoted by Jesus Christ in John 15:25. "Zeal for thy house shall eat me up" (Psalms 69:9) is quoted in John 2:17. "The

Psalms 96 overview — general knowledge that God is the Creator of the heavens and the source of all righteousness and truth."Ibid. The Septuagint (LXX) ascribes this psalm to David; and "Significantly, Psalms 95 is written again, with very little change, in 1 Chronicles 16:23-33."The Pulpit Commentary, Vol. 8-B, p. 319. In the Chronicles rendition of Psalms 96, not only is David declared as the author, but the very time of his writing it was given as the occasion, namely, when David appointed Asaph and his brethren for

Isaiah 22 overview — THE BURDEN OF JERUSALEM (Isaiah 22:1-14) This chapter falls into two divisions, the burden of Jerusalem (Isaiah 22:1-14), and the replacement of Shebna by Eliakim (Isaiah 22:15-25). It is significant that in this division where, for the principal part, foreign nations which were enemies

Isaiah 54 overview — what would occur in distant times under the Messiah… The design of the whole chapter is consolatory, and is a promise of what would certainly result from God's purpose of sending the Messiah into the world."Albert Barnes' Commentary, Vol. II, p. 287. "All attempts to interpret this chapter as a prophecy of the exiles' return from Babylon and the rebuilding of physical Israel as a nation and of physical Jerusalem as a city are extremely weak. Rather, the subject here is the glorious results of

Isaiah 6 overview — the prophet's own times, and the obduracy of the Jews of that age, and to their punishment by the Babylonian captivity; it extends in its full latitude to the age of Messiah, and the blindness of the Jews to the gospel; (See Matthew 13:14-15; John 12:40; Acts 28:26-27; and Romans 11:7-8) to the desolation of their country by the Romans, and to their being rejected by God."Ibid., p. 182. Thus the extremely significant implications of the prophecy in this chapter constitute the only reason needed

Amos 7 overview — Here begins the final major section of Amos, consisting principally of five visions, three of which are found in this chapter: (1) that of the locusts (Amos 7:1-3); (2) that of the fire (Amos 7:4-6); and (3) that of the plumb-line (Amos 7:7-9). The balance of the chapter (Amos 7:10-14) has an exceedingly interesting and instructive narrative of the confrontation between God's Prophet (Amos) and Jeroboam's Priest.

Numbers 36 overview — This short chapter concludes the Book of Numbers, the whole text of it being concerned with a problem that came up over the Divine permission that had been given to the daughters of Zelophehad (Numbers 27) to inherit their father's estate due to Zelophehad's having no sons. Some scholars, seeing the relationship between the legislation here and that in Numbers 27, are quick to disapprove of the separate locations these related laws find in Numbers.

Zechariah 11 overview — to the True Shepherd. This is one of the easiest chapters in the Bible to interpret, due to the inspired Matthew having applied the central incident in the chapter to the betrayal of Jesus Christ for thirty pieces of silver by Judas Iscariot (Matthew 27:3-10). With that as the key to the whole chapter, the whole passage unravels with remarkable boldness and clarity. It is amusing that liberal commentators who cannot find Jesus Christ anywhere in this chapter are unanimous in their declaration that

Matthew 1 overview — ancestry down through the royal line of the kings of Israel. Luke's genealogy is utterly different, because it is not concerned with title to a throne but with the blood ancestry of Jesus. The only real difficulty in this view is the statement in Luke 3:23 that Joseph is the "son of Heli." R. A. Torrey stated that "Joseph's name is introduced into this place instead of Mary's, he being Mary's husband. Heli was Joseph's father-in-law; and so Joseph was called "the son of Heli."

Acts 27 overview — Interpreter's Bible (New York: Abingdon Press, 1954), Vol. IX, p. 331. The occasion of the voyage recounted here was the transfer of the apostle Paul to Rome, pursuant to his appeal to Caesar. God's angel had assured him that he would testify in Rome (Acts 23:11); and now that was to be accomplished. Paul did not come to Rome, however, in any manner that might have been anticipated by him, multiple providences having worked together in fulfilling the prophecy. As McGarvey said: The machinations of the Jews,

Revelation 11:2 — of this means that there are people who are nominally "Christian," associated in every way with Christianity, but who actually are no part of it. "This represents the unfaithful portion of the church." Frank L. Cox, Revelation in 26 Lessons (Nashville: Gospel Advocate Company, 1956), p. 73. Leave without … "This means that John was commanded to, "Throw it out; reject it as profane, and to draw no boundary to mark any part of it as sacred." R. C. H. Lenski,

Revelation 2 overview — them: (1)    The applications simply do not fit. Sardis, for example, could not possibly represent the church of Jesus Christ during the age of Reformation, because this, as regards the true church was a time of its greatest zeal and purity. (2)    The conditions typical of each of these seven congregations, from the very beginning of the Christian era, and until the present time, are to be found simultaneously existing in all the ages of the church. Right now, there are

Revelation 4:2 — up to heaven. Addressing himself to this misconception, Nee pointed out that all the theories of the "rapture" posit the resurrection of their bodies: The rapture of the church is a bodily rapture, yet here it is in the Spirit (Revelation 4:2). And thus this verse cannot be interpreted as referring to the rapture of the church. Watchman Nee, "Come Lord Jesus" (New York: Christian Fellowship Publishers, 1976), p. 53. Thus, it is not hard to see why some object to the book as the

Revelation 7:17 — think of a lamb as a shepherd, but with this Lamb it is true. Pack pointed out that all of the language of these final two verses draws upon the language of Isaiah 49:10; Frank Pack, Revelation (Austin, Texas: The R. B. Sweet Company, 1965), Part 1, p. 72. and Bruce found an echo of Isaiah 26:8, making the whole passage applicable to the new age, "when God will swallow up death forever." F. F. Bruce, op. cit., p. 646. Only then shall the redeemed find the fountains of living waters and have

Revelation 7:9 — See under Revelation 7:1. The logic of the first vision of this chapter (Revelation 7:1-8) coming first is inherent in the fact that two different states of Christians are in view: (1) their state on earth suffering persecutions and martyrdom, and (2) their state in heaven where they are eternally safe. The saints on earth are sealed with the Holy Spirit as a pledge of their ultimately receiving their inheritance; but the saints in heaven are not said to be sealed, for they have already received

Revelation 9:21 — men at intervals; but there is one continual fornication within those who do not have purity of heart." Frank L. Cox, op. cit., p. 66. "When men turn from the knowledge of God, the path leads downward to idolatry and immorality (Romans 1:18-32)." Robert H. Mounce, op. cit., p. 204. And they repented not … This trumpet (the sixth) has revealed the world in its final impenitence." R. C. H. Lenski. op. cit.. p. 309. What comes next? The final judgment of Revelation 11:14-19;