Bible Commentaries

Psalms 34:1-6 — continually" (Psalms 34:1). This indicates David's purpose of praising God under all circumstances. Such continual prayer and thanksgiving are also required of Christians. "Giving thanks always for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus" (Ephesians 5:20) and "Pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks, for this is the will of God" (1 Thessalonians 5:17-18), are New Testament references to this obligation. Of course, what is required is a life of consistent prayer, praise, and thanksgiving,

Proverbs 28:16 — Version. is a covetous person greedy for wealth. There is also the implication that, "Such a ruler will not be tolerated very long."Broadman Bible Commentary (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1971), op. cit., p. 89. Covetousness is idolatry (Colossians 3:5). "Neither the possession of wealth nor the acquisition of it is sinful, but the eager haste of covetousness."Barnes' Notes on the Old Testament (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, a 1987 reprint of the 1878 Edition), Proverbs, p. 77,

Leviticus 23:4-8 — lasted seven days; and both the first day (the fifteenth) and the last day (the twenty-first) were also observed as holy convocations (sabbaths, or periods of rest). In this appears the back-to-back sabbaths on the successive dates of Nisan 14 and 15 which also occurred while our Lord was in the tomb. That is why Matthew wrote, "And after the sabbaths (plural) were past… came Mary Magdalene… etc." (Matthew 28:1, see the Greek Text). The recognition of this truth has a significant bearing

Leviticus 27:1-8 — the discharge of it was required. In practical effect, the vowing of a person to God usually meant merely the paying of a certain sum of money into the hands of the priests. These verses give the standard scale for such payments: MEN WOMEN Age 20-60 50 shekels 30 shekelsAge 5-20 20 shekels 10 shekelsAge to 5 years 5 shekels 3 shekelsAge above 60 15 shekels 10 shekels These rules heralded the equality of all people before God. "There was no discrimination as to rank or wealth. The redemption of the

Ecclesiastes 5:13-17 — Paul's words an application that he did not state, namely, that "This is exactly what happened to Solomon." Several of the great tragedies connected with wealth are mentioned here. (1)    "They perish by evil adventure" (Ecclesiastes 5:14). This might occur in a hundred different ways, a false partner, an unwise investment, a natural calamity of some kind, a revolution, a bankruptcy, or something else (2)    "If he hath begotten a son, there is nothing in his hand"

Ecclesiastes 8:1-5 — OBEDIENCE AN ESSENTIAL PART OF WISDOMParagraph heading of Ecclesiastes 8:1-5, by Cook in Barnes' Notes on the Old Testament (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, a 1989 reprint of the 1878 edition), Ecclesiastes, p. 104. "Who is as the wise man? and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? A man's wisdom maketh his face to shine,

Jeremiah 46 overview — Beginning here and through Jeremiah 51, we have a collection of Jeremiah's prophecies against various Gentile nations, "Arranged geographically, beginning with Egypt, and then moving to Philistia, Moab, Ammon, Edom, Syria, Elam, and Babylon."The New Layman's Bible Commentary, p. 844. The

Malachi 3:1 — here: "Jehovah's response to their question, "Where is the God of justice?" (Malachi 2:17), is that He himself will come, and suddenly. But before he comes, he will send his messenger to prepare the way before him. This promise of a messenger rests on Isaiah 40:3-5: The voice of one that crieth, Prepare ye in the wilderness the way of Jehovah; make level in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the uneven shall be made level, and the rough

Matthew 10:10 — for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." The laborer is worthy of his food … is the Saviour's first utterance of the principle that his ministers are entitled to their support. More on this subject is found in 1 Corinthians 9:14 and 1 Timothy 5:17-18.

Matthew 5:47 — Their righteousness is a matter of going beyond, giving the cloak also, going the second mile, turning the other cheek, loving enemies, praying for those who persecute them, and, in short, being "sons of your Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 5:45).

Mark 5:11-12 — Now there was there on the mountain side a great herd of swine feeding. And they besought him saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them. Whereas "he" besought the Lord in Mark 5:10, it is "they" who do the beseeching here, making it sure that the demons were the ones pleading. Great herd of swine … Of all the lower creation, only the serpent and swine are revealed in Scripture as possessed of an evil spirit.

Luke 12:39-40 — preaching a warning against unreadiness; and he here dramatically shifted to another metaphor in which he compares his Second Coming to the unexpected arrival of a thief. "Paul applied the same figure of speech to the Second Coming in 1 Thessalonians 5:2"Everett F. Harrison, op. cit., p. 236. At this point, Jesus' sermon was again interrupted, this time by the apostle Peter.

John 11:31 — avail, and so it came to pass that the work was wrought in the presence of a mixed body of spectators."Brooks Foss Westcott, op. cit., p. 170. It may be assumed that Jesus had intended that this sign be performed in the presence of his foes (John 5:20); and, therefore, the following of Mary by the Jews was a providential overruling of Martha's intention to secrecy.

John 15:23 — He that hateth me hateth my Father also. Jesus said: I and the Father are one (John 10:30). He that believeth on me, believeth … on him that sent me (John 12:44). He that beholdeth me beholdeth him that sent me (John 12:45). If ye had known me, ye would have known my Father also (John 14:7). He that honoreth not the Son honoreth not the Father (John 5:23). He that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me (John 13:20). God will send the Comforter (John 14:16); Christ will

John 8:1-2 — people came unto him; and he sat down and taught them. Early in the morning … is a detail that suggests the report of an eyewitness. And he sat down and taught them … refers to his assumption of the formal position of a teacher (Matthew 5:1). And all the people … Scholars notice what is called a change of style here and throughout the paragraph, evidenced by the stringing together of one thought after another by the use of "and." Also, this is the only mention of the

Romans 6:22 — sacred text or in the experience of believers. But isn't baptism the new birth? Yes, of course, in the sense of its being necessary thereunto, and an integral part of it, being specifically that "water" of which people must be born (John 3:5); but the new birth is not of water only, but "of the Spirit" as well. These dual elements in the new birth relate justification and sanctification as follows: (1) The WATER of the new birth (baptism) is the condition upon which justification

Galatians 5:6 — they would strive to avoid the plague! It happens that Paul used the expression "circumcision nor uncircumcision, etc." three different times thus: Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision … but faith working through love (Galatians 5:6). Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision … but a new creature (Galatians 6:15). Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision … but the keeping of the commandments of God (1 Corinthians 7:19). From the above comparison, it can be seen that

Hebrews 11:28 — wonder and the miraculous deliverance of the Jews, were consciously designed by God himself to point the minds of people to the true Passover, Christ. The great significance of the Passover for Christians is that Christ is our passover (1 Corinthians 5:7-8), there being a number of typical circumstances linking the passover lamb slain by the Israelites on that dark night of the Exodus with that "Lamb slain from the foundation of the world," even the Lord Jesus Christ. Note the following:

James 4:1 — the plural and always of battles carried on with weapons." J. W. Roberts, The Letter of James (Austin, Texas: Sweet Publishing Company, 1977), p. 123. Other uses of this word in the New Testament substantiate this meaning, as in 2 Corinthians 7:5; 2 Timothy 2:23, and Titus 3:9. Paul spoke of "fightings within and fears without." Thus it is safe to view James' words here as directed toward the solution of "a spiritual problem within the circle of believers." A. F. Harper,

1 Peter 5:1 — leadership." David H. Wheaton, New Bible Commentary, Revised (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1970), p. 1247. The elders which are among you … Since these men are those exercising the oversight of the church (1 Peter 5:2), the church officials of that name are meant here. Significantly, in some of the older manuscripts "exercising the oversight" is omitted, probably for the purpose of denying the eldership the same authority which came, in time, to be attributed