Bible Commentaries

Exodus 4 overview — This great chapter gives a prophetic summary of the deliverance of Israel before the events actually happened. In Exodus 3, God dealt with two of Moses' objections: (1) Who am I? and (2) What is thy name? And here, three other objections are encountered and dealt with: (3) "They will not believe" (Exodus 4:1); (4) "I am not eloquent" (Exodus 4:10); and (5) "Send …

Exodus 6:4 — established (Exodus 6:4).I have heard (Exodus 6:5).I have remembered (Exodus 6:5).I AM JEHOVAH (Exodus 6:6).I will bring (Exodus 6:6).I will rid (Exodus 6:6).I will redeem! (Exodus 6:6). "And with great judgments" These had previously been hinted at (Exodus 3:20; Exodus 4:22), but had not previously been called judgments? The meaning of this is that the mighty plagues visited upon Egypt were not merely "wonders." They were judgments also, sent upon the nation by God Himself for the punishment of their sinful

1 Kings 18:3-6 — peradventure we may find grass and save the horses and mules alive, that we lose not all the beasts. So they divided the land between them to pass throughout it: Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself." These verses (1 Kings 18:3-6) are a double parenthesis, first to explain how Elijah happened to meet Obadiah alone; and then verses (1 Kings 18:3 b-4) are a parenthesis within the larger one to explain the loyalty of Obadiah to Jehovah. Although a dozen people in the O.T. are

Psalms 2:2-3 — here to his reigning to the uttermost parts of the earth could have any application whatever to the Jewish King David. The New Testament makes it clear enough who is spoken of in this chapter. It is none other than the Christ. See Acts 4:25-28; Acts 13:33; Hebrews 1:5; Hebrews 5:5; Matthew 3:17; Romans 1:4; Revelation 2:26-27; and Revelation 19:15. Sclater, mentioned above, tried to make something out of the fact that Jesus Christ himself did not quote this Psalm; nevertheless, Almighty God Himself

Psalms 28:2-3 — 269. David is in such danger that unless God hears him, he will lose his life. "Hands lifted up in prayer can be expressive of prayer in many moods, such as calling down the power of heaven upon others as in Exodus 17:9 f."Derek Kidner, Vol. I, p. 123. Paul also associated this action with prayer in 1 Timothy 2:8. "Toward thy holy oracle" (Psalms 28:2). Dummelow identified this as the Holy of Holies in the tabernacle.J. R. Dummelow, p. 340. The ASV marginal reading supports this view, offering as

Psalms 6:1-3 — David's actual sin in this instance might have been. David's terrible illness was threatening his very life, and he had earnestly prayed for God's healing hand to be laid upon him; but that healing had not come. This is evident in the words of Psalms 6:3, "O Jehovah, how long?" "Have mercy upon me, O Jehovah." In Dr. George DeHoff's commentary on this verse, he has this priceless little paragraph: "David did not cry for justice; he cried for mercy. I once participated in a funeral with a splendid young

Psalms 93:1-2 — be moved. Thy throne is established of old. Thou art from everlasting." These verses present three consecutive affirmations: (1)    There is the statement that God reigns majestically in the security of unlimited strength (Psalms 93:1 a). (2)    Then there is the unmovable stability of the planet earth; and although the conclusion is not stated here, it is surely implied that the established world with its security and stability derives such qualities from the

Song of Solomon 2:7 — "I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, By the roes, or by the hinds of the field, That ye stir not up, nor awake my love, Until he please." "This refrain appears four times in this book: here, and in Song of Solomon 3:5; Song of Solomon 5:8; and Song of Solomon 8:3; and with each use of it, there is a definite break in mood and movement. It twice follows the clause, `O that his left hand were under my head, and that his right hand embraced me.'"Ibid. What does it

Isaiah 28 overview — DIVISION IV (Isaiah 28-35) These four chapters constitute almost one continuous prophecy regarding (1) the destruction of Ephraim; (2) the impiety and folly of Judah; (3) the danger of alliances with Egypt; and (4) the straits to which they would be reduced by the Assyrians.Jamieson,

Isaiah 50 overview — This remarkable chapter contains the beginning of what is called "The Third Servant Song," although the word "servant" does not appear in it. Isaiah 42:1-4; Isaiah 49:1-6; and Isaiah 52:13 to Isaiah 53:12, are reckoned as the three, along with what is written here. "The first two songs emphasized the Servant's mission; the third one, however, treats of his obedience, and of his steadfast endurance under persecution. Because of the song's

Isaiah 60:15-18 — humiliation and suffering shall be made up to them (if they are faithful) a thousand-fold. (2) Nothing can thwart the eternal purpose of God. Satan indeed may win victories over any given generation, but God is forever winning the Great War against evil. (3) The walls that have been destroyed will be rebuilt. (4) Those who have hated God's people will return, along with their seed, to adore and honor them. (5) God's judgment against the wicked will take place dramatically before the eyes of the whole world. Note

Jeremiah 29:5-7 — have peace." What a marvelous anticipation of New Testament teaching is in this paragraph. The wholehearted cooperation with the governmental powers under which one may chance to live is spoken as a cardinal principle of the gospel of Christ in Romans 13:1-12. Praying for civil authorities is specifically commanded in 1 Timothy 2:1-3. If the Jewish nation had properly received and obeyed this commandment, the Roman destruction of 70 A.D. would have been averted. Of course, instructions such as these

Jeremiah 41 overview — ISHMAEL'S MURDER OF GEDALIAH All of the events of this chapter revolve around the shameful and treacherous murder of the new governor Gedaliah by Ishmael. The chapter divisions are: (1) the murder of the governor (Jeremiah 41:1-3); (2) the murder of the pilgrims (Jeremiah 41:4-7); (3) captives at Mizpah taken (Jeremiah 41:8-10); (4) Ishmael defeated, escapes to Ammon (Jeremiah 41:11-15); and (5) the people gathered by Johanan to go to Egypt (Jeremiah 41:16-18). The length of

Zechariah 10 overview — Testament, Vol. 10 (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company), p. 844. and Gill entitled it, "Zion Triumphant through the Messiah."Clinton R. Gill, Commentary on the Minor Prophets, Zechariah (Joplin, Missouri: College Press, 1971), p. 386. The principal focus of this chapter is not the inter-testamental period at all, but the establishment of the kingdom, or church, of Jesus Christ our Lord. Assyria, Egypt, Judah, Ephraim, etc. are mentioned, but they are symbols of qualities reaching

Ephesians 1:3 — here. As Bruce expressed it, "Christ is exalted to the heavenly realm, and thus those who are `in him' belong to that heavenly realm also." F. F. Bruce, op. cit., p. 27. This remarkable expression occurs five times in this epistle (Ephesians 1:3; Ephesians 1:20; Ephesians 2:6; Ephesians 3:10; Ephesians 6:12) and nowhere else. The expression was evidently used by Paul to convey the idea that the totality of all blessings of a spiritual nature and having eternal value are to be found exclusively

Hebrews 4:8 — benefited not himself but his followers only. The rest that Jesus made available to his disciples was already his own. (2) Joshua did not ALONE conquer Canaan but was aided extensively by all the Israelites; Christ trod the winepress alone (Isaiah 63:3). (3) The conquest of Canaan did not cost Joshua either wounds or death; but Jesus won the eternal land of promise at the cost of suffering and death (1 Peter 1:18-19). (4) Joshua could not totally expel the old inhabitants of Canaan; but the victory

2 Peter 1:16 — Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. We did not follow … The plural "we" here is not a mere editorial device, but is inclusive of all the holy apostles of Christ, an inclusion Peter was always careful to make (See 2 Peter 3:2). Cunningly devised fables … "Cleverly devised myths were a feature of the theological systems of the Gnostic speculators," David H. Wheaton, op. cit., p. 1254. already operating at the time Peter wrote. However, it is just as likely

1 John 2:3 — of the true God."James Macknight, op. cit., p. 41. Hereby we know … Similar words are used several times in this letter to introduce "tests" by which the validity of one's faith might be tested (1 John 2:5; 1 John 2:29; 1 John 3:19; 1 John 3:24; 1 John 4:2; 1 John 4:6; 1 John 4:13, and 1 John 5:2). In the last analysis, it is keeping the commandments of the Lord, walking in the light, doing the truth, obeying the word, etc., which are the final determinator of whether one is

1 John 5:1 — Jesus is the Christ … Christianity is grounded in the absolute proposition that Jesus of Nazareth was (is) the Dayspring from on High, God incarnate in human flesh, the promised Messiah of the Hebrews, the "seed of the woman" (Genesis 3:15) who would crush the head of the serpent, whose "goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting" (Micah 5:2). That incarnate deity identified in the New Testament as "Jesus Christ" is man's unique Saviour, and only those

1 Samuel 23:15-18 — adamantly opposed to what he knew to be the will of God. Willis pointed out three things which Jonathan did for David by way of encouraging him. (1) Saul would not be able to find him, for God would protect David; (2) David would indeed be king; and (3) Saul himself was perfectly aware of all this. "The two of them made a covenant" "In all probability, this was a renewal of the covenant mentioned earlier in 1 Samuel 18:3 and 1 Samuel 20:8."John T. Willis, p. 234.