Bible Commentaries

Exodus 34:18-20 — appear before me empty." These verses are so emphatically a commandment for Israel to observe the Passover, that we must stand amazed that Rawlinson could not find it among the annual festivals enjoined, which are three in number: (1) the Passover; (2) the Pentecost; and (3) that of Tabernacles. That these verses indeed are a reference to the Passover is certain, because: (1) the mention of the month of Abib (Nisan); (2) the unleavened bread; (3) the sanctity of the firstborn; and (4) their coming

2 Chronicles 24:25-27 — Shimrith the Moabitess. Now concerning his sons, and the greatness of the burdens laid upon him, and the rebuilding of the house of God, behold, they are written in the commentary of the book of the kings. And Amaziah his son reigned in his stead." 2 Chronicles 24:23-27 is parallel with 2 Kings 12:18-21; and we have written additional comments on these verses in that commentary.

Psalms 92:7-9 — before. Nothing provides any better picture of wicked men than the grass which flourishes one day and is destroyed the next. "They shall be destroyed forever" "The prosperity of the wicked has posed a difficult problem for some. Job struggled with it (Job 21:7-21); and Asaph was troubled by it (Psalms 73:2-15); but the psalmist here found no problem at all with it. He saw the prosperous condition of the wicked as nothing but a prelude to their destruction."The Pulpit Commentary, op. cit., p. 283. No enemy

Proverbs 28:28 — "When the wicked rise, men hide themselves; But when they perish, the righteous increase." We have already reviewed two companion verses: this one in Proverbs 28:12, above, and in Proverbs 11:10. We shall also have it again in Proverbs 29:2. Nothing can be a source of more apprehension and dread for a community than the ascendancy of wicked people to positions of power and authority. Delitzsch gave this rendition:

Isaiah 7:1-2 — trees of the forest tremble with the wind." "Pekah the son of Remaliah" Both here and in Isaiah 7:4-5; Isaiah 7:9, below, this mention of Pekah's father suggests that he was thus designated "in contempt, Remaliah having been a man of no distinction (2 Kings 15:25)."G. Rawlinson, Pulpit Commentary, p. 126. "His heart trembled, and the heart of his people" Each of the hostile powers mentioned here had already defeated Ahaz (See 2 Chronicles 28:5-6); and now both together were attacking Israel with

Numbers 10:17-20 — Deuel." "The sons of Gershon and Merari" (Numbers 10:17)." The dispatch of these families in advance of the main group was evidently so that they could, "set up the tabernacle and have it ready when the furniture arrived."Elmer Smick, op. cit., p. 126. "The son of Deuel" (Numbers 10:20). This is evidently a typographical error, unless we resort to the supposition that Reuel (Numbers 2:14) was also called Deuel, which is not an impossible supposition at all. It may be news to some that there is even

Numbers 2:1-34 — Ahira. Place in line of march… LAST. A diagrammatic presentation of this is also given in the latter part of Numbers 1. There are a number of things of very great interest in these verses, and one of these is the use of the word "standards" in Numbers 2:2-3; Numbers 2:10; Numbers 2:17-18; Numbers 2:25; Numbers 2:31; Numbers 2:34. The use of this word in close connection with the word "ensigns" would certainly appear to suggest a flag or banner of some kind, but, beginning with G. B. Gray (1903) in

Matthew 11:11 — birth. Since Christ is Lord, this statement concerning John became the fulfillment of the prophecy that John would "be great in the sight of the Lord" (Luke 1:15). The statement proves that: (1) John was not in the kingdom of Christ, and (2) the kingdom had not then been set up, else John would have been in it. The least in God's kingdom are greater than John because (1) their sins are forgiven, whereas those of John were merely rolled forward to the cross, and (2) they enjoy full fellowship

Matthew 20:15 — it be remembered that all have sinned and fallen short of God's glory. This parable shows that men may forget this in two ways: (1) They may forget it like the ones who worked all day and supposed that they were better than the ones who came later; (2) and they may forget it like the eleventh-hour workers would have forgotten it if they had objected to the householder's payment of the "firsters" on the grounds that the "firsters" had the wrong attitude! Although such a development

Deuteronomy 17:1 — Israel needed it to be stressed frequently. Malachi has the sordid record of how the priests were offering the blind and the lame and the crippled sacrifices to God, and this among other sins, resulted in Jehovah's cursing the Jewish priesthood (Malachi 2:2). The lesson for all people today in such a passage as this is simply that God is entitled to receive our very best, and that nothing short of that can be pleasing to him. "There is always the temptation to offer the second best to Jehovah, which

Luke 2:22-23 — purification … carries some hint that Jesus needed purification also; and, if so, this has reference to ceremonial uncleanness, a thing Jesus suffered as an inherent factor of the incarnation. He was "made to be sin" on our behalf (2 Corinthians 5:21). Again from Childers: His whole life shows that he identified himself with this sinful race — though he was sinless. Jesus always submitted to religious rites which were necessary for sinful men, even though they were not really

John 7:27 — he is. The evil rulers made many arguments against the Messianic claims of Jesus: (1) Here they argued that the Messiah would have some mysterious origin; and, of course, they pretended to know all about the origin of Christ, although they did not. (2) They insisted that no prophet could come out of Galilee, because none ever had come from Galilee; but, in their arrogance, they were wrong on both counts, Jonah having come from Gath-Hepher, only three and one-half miles from Nazareth (2 Kings 14:25),

Acts 15:2 — between Paul's true position and the false position of the men who had come from Jerusalem. The brethren appointed that Paul, etc. … should go up … Although it is here said that the brethren appointed Paul and company to this task, Galatians 2:2 plainly says that Paul went up "by revelation." It is no doubt true that the church did appoint them; but that is not the reason Paul went; the Lord commanded him to go. And certain other men … One of these was Titus (Galatians 2:1),

Acts 19:11-12 — miracles." W. R. Walker, op. cit., p. 54. This is an appropriate place to mention the number of striking parallels between the lives of Peter and Paul as outlined by Luke in Acts. (1) Both at an early point in their ministries heal lame men (Acts 3:2 ff; Acts 14:8 ff). (2) Both exorcise demons (Acts 5:16; Acts 16:18). (3) Both have triumphant encounters with sorcerers (Acts 8:18 ff; Acts 13:6 ff). (4) Both raise the dead (Acts 9:36 ff; Acts 20:9 ff). (5) Both miraculously escape from prison (Acts

Colossians 1:5 — merely "seem to be saying," but that he emphatically affirmed that the Christian's faith and love are derived from and founded upon the hope of the gospel. The New Testament unequivocally states that we are "saved by hope" (Romans 8:24, margin); and here the reason for such a truth appears. Both faith and love are "by reason of hope." See more on this in my Commentary on Romans, Romans 8:24. In the heavens … "This appears to be a superlative expression here,

2 Thessalonians 1:3 — their communication was to the effect that "they were timorously afraid their faith was not going to stand the test"; William Barclay, The Letters to the Philippians, Colossians and Thessalonians (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1975), p. 209. and Morris was of the opinion that "they had modestly disclaimed to be worthy of such praise." Leon Morris, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries, 1 and 2 Thessalonians (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1956), p.

2 Thessalonians 3:1 — does not mean finally, but furthermore, to come to a conclusion, what remains is this, I shall only add — any of these phrases expresses the sense of the original. Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Holy Bible, Vol. VI (London: Carlton and Porter, 1829), p. 574. Pray for us … Morris tells us that the words here are in an emphatic position in the original, thus giving an intensified meaning: "Pray continually, keep on praying (as you are doing); or he may mean, `Not only hold fast our

2 Peter 3:9 — … will bring the whole world to himself." William Barclay, The Letters of James and Peter (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1976), p. 343. Green expressed amazement that Barclay could have held such a view, asking, "How can he in view of 2 Peter 3:7?" Michael Green, op. cit., p. 136. Of course, God wants all people to be saved; and Jesus gave himself as a propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but for the sins of the whole world. Nevertheless, some people will exercise

1 John 4:3 — original reading of the letter,David Smith, op. cit., p. 189. but this is rejected by current scholarship. The spirit of the antichrist … There is no need whatever to capitalize Antichrist. As Macknight said, "From this, as well as from 1 John 2:18, it appears that Antichrist is not any particular person, nor any particular succession of persons in the church."James Macknight, Macknight on the Epistles, 1 John (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, reprint, 1969), p. 88. It is thus

2 Samuel 4:7-8 — Delitzsch's Old Testament Commentaries, op. cit., p. 311. These evil men, "Had no regard either for God or for David's honor; they aimed at nothing but to make their own fortunes and to get preferment at David's court."Matthew Henry's Commentary, Vol. 2, p. 465. This is a deceit often practiced by evil men pretending to be obeying God's Word when actually they are God's enemies. Caird noted that these men, "True to Oriental style made the Lord a party to their crime."The Interpreter's Bible, Vol. 2,