Bible Commentaries

Exodus 6:14 — should be noted that this is a selective and abbreviated genealogy. It is evident that, "There are not enough years in the life spans of these men to stretch over the 430 years of Egyptian bondage."Wilbur Fields, op. cit, p. 149. The Amram of Exodus 6:18, and the Amram of Exodus 6:20 (Moses' father) cannot be the same persons. "An indefinitely long list of generations has been omitted here."C. F. Keil, op. cit., p. 470. The fact that just four generations are mentioned here, whereas there were actually

Proverbs 28:20 — "A faithful man shall abound with blessings; But he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be unpunished." Paul admonished Christians in the strongest language against striving to be rich (1 Timothy 6:6-10). The lifestyle that is most compatible with the hope of receiving at last the crown of life that never fades away is one that stresses industry, contentment, kindness and a genuine concern for the welfare of others as well as that of one's own family.

Jeremiah 42 overview — PROPHETIC WARNING FOR ISRAEL TO STAY IN PALESTINE The divisions of this chapter are: (1) the people request God's Word of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 42:1-3); (2) Jeremiah promises to pray for them, and the people promise to obey God's Word (Jeremiah 42:4-6); (3) after ten days, God replies (Jeremiah 42:7-8); (4) the command to remain in Judea (Jeremiah 42:9-12); (5) severe warning against moving to Egypt (Jeremiah 42:13-18); (6) and a prophecy of destruction for those going to Egypt (Jeremiah 42:19-22).

Daniel 6 overview — over Babylon is correct."Ibid. (4)    The Babylonian kingdom was destroyed sixty-eight years after the commencement of the Exile. The seventy years of the Exile were completed in the first year of the reign of Cyrus (2 Chronicles 36:22 f; Ezra 1:1), therefore Cyrus became king two years after the overthrow of Babylon. Darius the Mede was king during the other two years. (Keil develops this carefully). (5)    A gold coin called the Daric has been excavated from

Micah 6:12 — "For the rich men thereof are full of violence, and the inhabitants thereof have spoken lies, and their tongue is deceitful in their mouth." Allen translated Micah 6:11-12 thus: "Can I condone the wrongly set scales or the bag of false weights? Her men of wealth are addicted to violence, her citizens speak lies, the tongues in their mouths are utterly deceitful."Leslie C. Allen, op. cit., p. 376. Throughout Micah

Micah 6:2 — with the shocking news that the one to stand trial is Yahweh's people, Israel, the Southern Kingdom by its covenant name."Leslie C. Allen, New International Commentary on the Old Testament, Micah (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1976), p. 365. The charge, of course, is breach of contract, under the terms of which God had long ago forewarned his people that their covenant would be abrogated and the intended blessings denied. "His people" These words are most significant, the equivalent

Micah 6:3 — "O, my people, what have I done unto thee? and wherein have I wearied thee? testify against me." This plaintive cry was addressed by God Himself to his sinful people; and it is related to the basic marvel of unbelief (Mark 6:6). What an incredible thing, really, that a people so blessed and honored by God would rebel against him, despise his laws, and revert to the wretched licentiousness of the Canaanite paganism! Isaiah also echoed this same exclamation: "What more could

Zechariah 6 overview — In this chapter, we have the concluding vision in the series of eight, the vision of the four chariots of God (Zechariah 6:1-8); and an altogether different type of revelation from God to Zechariah, in which by impressive symbolical actions, the coming of the Redeemer of the world is prophesied, namely, the Branch, the Messiah, the holy one who is both Priest and King, Jesus Christ the Lord (Zechariah 6:9-15).

Matthew 1:20 — unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife; for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. An angel of the Lord This is perhaps the same angel whose name is given in Luke 1:19; Luke 1:26; if so, he is Gabriel. The existence of angels affords no difficulty for Christians. The Scriptures abound with the deeds of angels. Angels announced the birth of Christ, ministered to Jesus in the wilderness of temptations, strengthened him in the

Matthew 12:45 — Then goeth he and taketh with him seven other spirits more evil than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man becometh worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this evil generation. These words were doubtless spoken in sorrow. They were a firm, dogmatic prophecy of Israel's rejection of Christ, reminding one of 2 Peter 2:20. What state is worse than being unsaved? It is the apostasy from which it is impossible to be renewed (Hebrews 6:4-6).

Mark 6:50 — the words so translated here actually mean "I AM"; and the view here is that: Mark intended his readers to identify Jesus with the Lord, the divine I AM of Exodus 3:14. The phrase occurs often in John, and with theological overtones (John 6:85; 8:12; 10:7; 11:25; 14:6). Mark uses the phrase two other times, in Mark 13:6 and Mark 14:62.Henry E. Turlington, op. cit., p. 322. Be not afraid … This is the constant admonition of faith in Christ. From the announcement of the angels to

Luke 2:2 — This was the first enrollment made when Quirinius was governor of Syria. The second census under Quirinius was in 6 A.D. (Acts 5:37); and the words "the first" in this passage refer to the census fourteen years earlier in 8 B.C., but which was delayed in Palestine until the time coinciding with the birth of Christ in 6 B.C. Quirinius was twice governor

John 6:59 — These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum. Earlier in this chapter, it was noted that the discussions were brought on by the fourth sign at Bethsaida Julius. When they tried to make Jesus king, he left them and returned to the western shore where some of them followed him. Apparently some of the discussions were held outside (John 6:25-40), then continued before the rulers of the synagogue inside that edifice at Capernaum (John 6:41-59).

Acts 6 overview — This very short chapter narrates the preliminaries of Stephen's martyrdom, noting that it occurred following a period of great growth and prosperity for the new faith (Acts 6:1), that Stephen's rise to prominence was a result of his appointment as one of the seven chosen to administer the distribution of food to the needy, an appointment brought about by complaints of neglecting the Grecian widows (Acts 6:2-7), and that

1 Corinthians 6 overview — Just as 1 Corinthians 5 was devoted to the subject of the incestuous man and related thoughts, so this is devoted to another serious problem at Corinth, that of Christians going to law with one another before the pagan judges (1 Corinthians 6:1-11), and a special paragraph on sexual vice (1 Corinthians 6:12-20), the entire subject matter in both chapters being discussed in the light of the conceited glorying which characterized the Christian community in Corinth.

1 Corinthians 6:5 — meant. Wise man … to decide … In this clause, Paul dropped the sarcasm for a moment, asking, "Why don't you appoint one of the wiser members to settle such disputes?" Thus it appears that Paul could not have meant in 1 Corinthians 6:4 that church members who were of "no account" should be entrusted with such an assignment. The apostles themselves when appointing brethren for such a purpose demanded that the ones appointed should be men "full of the Spirit and wisdom"

Ephesians 4:6 — God, as reiterated in the first commandment of the Decalogue, was thus emphasized at a time when the world was steeped in polytheism. This great truth burst upon the pagan darkness of pre-Christian times like sheet lightning at midnight (Deuteronomy 6:4). "The Lord our God is one Lord!" The Old Testament, however, does not deny the New Testament conception of the Godhead as a plurality. The word for God's oneness in the Old Testament is [~'echad], the same being a compound unity (as in

1 Timothy 6:11 — following outline of the next two verses, thus: The fact that a man has been called of God and is equipped for service by the gift of the Holy Spirit does not eliminate the necessity for strenuous effort. He must: "Flee …" (1 Timothy 6:11). One of the best influences is a pair of heels. "Follow …" To flee is not enough, being only negative; the positive counterpart of flight is following the Lord. "Fight …" (1 Timothy 6:12). Whatever metaphor Paul

2 Peter 2:20 — verse is a spiritual condition described as worse than being lost; and the only thing that answers to such a condition is that of being lost without the possibility of being saved. Therefore, this verse is to be understood in connection with Hebrews 6:6, "quenching the Spirit" (1 Thessalonians 5:19), "the sin unto death" (1 John 5:16), being "dead while alive" (1 Timothy 5:6), etc., that is, the state of having committed "an eternal sin" (Mark 3:29). The apostate

1 John 4:4 — Ye are of God, my little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world. Ye … Stott pointed out that 1 John 4:4; 1 John 4:5; and 1 John 4:6 all begin with an emphatic personal pronoun: "(1 John 4:4) ye ([@humeis]), (1 John 4:5) they ([@autoi]), and (1 John 4:6) we ([@hemeis])."John R. W. Stott, op. cit., p. 157. These refer respectively to (1 John 4:4) John's readers in general,