Bible Commentaries

Genesis 28:18-22 — R. Dummelow, Commentary on the Holy Bible (New York: The Macmillan Company, 1937), p. 34. The text seems to say that Jacob anointed the stone "as the house of God," but this is merely metonymy for the "place." Note: "God is in this place," (Genesis 28:16), not "in this stone." He called the name "of the place" Bethel (Genesis 28:19). "How dreadful is this place," not "how dreadful is this stone" (Genesis 28:17). Such emphasis leaves no doubt that "the place," not the rock was considered holy by

Genesis 32:3-12 — where the brothers met might have resulted from his being on some kind of military mission against his enemies. Jacob did two things: (1)    He took every possible precaution human wisdom could suggest, dividing the companies, etc. (2)    Then he prayed one of the greatest prayers of his life, consisting of "an invocation (Genesis 32:10), thanksgiving (Genesis 32:11), petition (Genesis 32:12), and appeal to the divine faithfulness (Genesis 32:12), a classic model

Genesis 35:16-20 — should be thankful for the ASV parenthesis, the same is Bethlehem, as it saves us from all kinds of allegations about contradictions and various sources. Bethlehem was the same as Ephrath; and sometimes, the names were even used together, as in Micah 5:2, "But thou, Bethlehem Ephrath." There is no reasonable ground whatever for denying the traditional site of Rachel's grave near Bethlehem. It is significant that the sacred author here used both names interchangeably; and if he did so with regard to

Genesis 39:7-10 — 1969), p. 76. Whether or not Joseph knew of such a dictum, it would appear that such was the course he followed here. And what were his reasons? They were: (1)    It would have been an act of disloyalty to his master (Genesis 39:8). (2)    His master had not wronged him. (3)    It would have been a "wickedness against God," (Genesis 39:9). Of these considerations, the far most important was (3). In a sense, adultery with Potiphar's wife could

Exodus 29:19-25 — THE PEACE OFFERING (Exodus 29:19-25): "And thou shalt take the other ram; and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands upon the head of the ram. Then shalt thou kill the ram, and take of its blood, and put it on the tip of the right ear of Aaron, and upon the tip of the right ear

Exodus 33:7-11 — on Israel's part. "It was regarded by them as the first step in the total abandonment with which God had threatened them."Robert Jamieson, Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary, Vol. 1 (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Roprint 1982), p. 412. Of course, this created intense alarm in Israel. "Every man… looked after Moses until he was gone into the Tent" True to their purpose of objecting to everything, Gressman denied that this Tent was outside the camp of Israel, "Only

Job 37 overview — refusing to mention his name, although mentioning the names of all others named in the book, God also interrupted and terminated Elihu's remarks with a question addressed to Job, "Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge"? (Job 38:2). Such an evaluation as that cannot be applied to Job's words, because God Himself said that, "My servant Job has spoken of me the thing that is right" (Job 42:7-8). Moreover, God specifically stated that the three friends, Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar

Psalms 24 overview — religious singers of Jerusalem and used as a processional for the entry of King David into Jerusalem upon the occasion of his bringing the ark from Obed-Edom to the tabernacle prepared for it in Jerusalem, or Zion. Rhodes identified the "doors" of Psalms 24:7 as the doors of the Temple and concluded that it was written long after the times of David.The Layman's Bible Commentary, p. 55. Nevertheless, many dependable scholars are willing to accept the Davidic authorship of it.H. C. Leupold, p. 215. There

Leviticus 21:10-15 — profane woman, a harlot, these shall he not take: but a virgin of his own people shall he take to wife. And he shall not profane his seed among his people: for I am Jehovah who sanctifieth him." "Upon whose head the anointing oil is poured" (Leviticus 21:10). Clements remarked that, "This implies that only the high priest was anointed, while the others were not. This was most certainly the older practice in Israel."Ibid. This comment is typical of the device critical scholars use in their efforts to

Leviticus 25:8-12 — to make the Jubilee correspond with the 49th year, but the text makes it certain that there were in fact two sabbath years together. "The Jubilee occurred every fiftieth year, and not as some suppose, in the forty-ninth."William Wilson, op. cit., p. 234. See Leviticus 25:21, where God's instructions mentioned particularly the "three years" increase promised on the year before the two adjacent sabbath years. "The loud trumpet… on the day of atonement" (Leviticus 25:9). The word for "Jubilee"

Isaiah 9 overview — so widespread among critical scholars. This is such a fundamental thing in the Bible that we would be extremely suspicious if a prophet did not mingle the tragic predictions with the happy ones. (See further extensive comment on this subject in Vol. 2 of my series on the minor prophets, pp. 219-222.) The outline of this chapter is: the troubles of Israel shall end through the birth of a marvelous Child (Isaiah 9:1-7); more threats and warnings addressed chiefly to the Northern Israel (Isaiah 9:8-21).

Jeremiah 38 overview — the one recounted here; but there is absolutely nothing that can justify the critical nonsense about these two chapters giving variable accounts of the same imprisonment. This was the third imprisonment of Jeremiah. The first was by Pashur (Jeremiah 21); the second is recorded in the preceding chapter, and the third imprisonment is the one recounted in this chapter. TWO IMPRISONMENTS, NOT ONE The great Jewish historian Josephus preserved a record of both of these imprisonments, (the two in Jeremiah

Lamentations 3 overview — merely the man in this chapter, but also the author of the whole book. We are aware, of course, that this is disputed. Most of the current scholars follow the notion that "the man" is, "A typical sufferer who represented many in the nation,"Ibid., p.352 "An individual, but not an historical figure, but anyone who has suffered greatly,… Everyman… who may feel that God is against him,"The Anchor Bible Commentary (Garden City, New York: Doubleday and Company, 1972), 7a, p. 122. "One who

Numbers 12:9-16 — and wretchedness inflicted by it. Aaron and Moses understood the lesson at once, and Aaron immediately appealed to Moses. Moses having been appealed to, could appeal only to God; and that he promptly did. "Heal her, O God, I beseech thee" (Numbers 12:13). Older versions add the word now. Heal her now! Scholars agree that the now should be omitted. Nevertheless, Gray stated that the narrative "implies that Miriam was healed immediately."George Buchanan Gray, op. cit., p. 128. Despite this, the quarantine

Numbers 31:13-20 — of who were and who were not virgins presented no problem at all, and certainly did not involve any "examination" by the soldiers. They merely killed all the female children old enough to have had sex relations with men.W. Gunther Plaut, op. cit., p. 299. "Have ye saved all the women alive…?" (Numbers 31:15). This is actually more clearly understood if the punctuation is changed. Orlinsky suggested that it should be made an exclamation, "Ye have saved all the women alive!"Harry M. Orlinsky,

Deuteronomy 12:1-7 — flock: and there ye shall eat before Jehovah your God, and ye shall rejoice in all that ye put your hand unto, ye and your households, wherein Jehovah thy God hath blessed thee." "High mountains… hills… under every green tree" (Deuteronomy 12:2). "The choice of such places for worship by most of the heathen nations was due to the widespread belief that men were closer to Deity in such places."C. F. Keil, Commentary on the Old Testament, Deuteronomy (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing

Deuteronomy 16:1-8 — clause restricting the sacrifices and celebrations to the central Sanctuary and that enjoined the inclusion of the Levites, widows, orphans, and the poor in the festivities."F. C. Cook, Barnes' Notes, Deuteronomy (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House), p. 302. "Bread of affliction" (Deuteronomy 16:3). The unleavened bread was called "the bread of affliction," because, "It was made in circumstances of trial and pressure, when there was no time for the making of bread of a higher quality."W. L. Alexander,

Deuteronomy 3:18-22 — settled east of Jordan, reminding them of their sworn promise to give their full military support to the remaining portion of Israel in their projected conquest of Canaan. The record of this obligation assumed by the eastern tribes is found in Numbers 32:28-32. It is our conviction that the action of those eastern tribes was sinful. They made promises that it would be impossible for them to keep, and the reason why Moses finally acceded to their request probably lies in the fact that the whole of the

Revelation 14:6 — probably got their ideas from Revelation; and, as for Clement, the best of modern scholarship now accepts the premise that he finished his work before 70 A.D. John A. T. Robinson, Redating the New Testament (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1976), p. 352. The eternal good tidings to proclaim … Another good translation of this renders it "the everlasting gospel" instead of "eternal good tidings," that is, the one and only "gospel" this world ever had. This angel is

Revelation 20:15 — book of life has often been mentioned; and here the absolute necessity of every man's being inscribed in it in order to be saved is dogmatically stated. Therefore, out of regard to all men, we shall declare how one may so be written. In Matthew 10:32, Jesus promised that all who confess him will themselves be confessed by Jesus in heaven "before God and the angels." In Matthew 16:16, is the record of the first man ever to confess Christ; and significantly, Jesus then and there upon that