Bible Commentaries

1 Kings 3 overview — THE BEGINNING OF THE REIGN OF SOLOMON (Note: 1 Kings 3:3-11 are devoted to a discussion of the reign of Solomon) In a sense, the previous chapter gave us the beginning of Solomon's reign, but it was concerned chiefly with his "liquidation" of potential enemies such as Shimei and Abiathar and with his carrying

Isaiah 60:10-14 — could not possibly be construed as literal, because with gates that never closed night or day, walls would be useless. What is meant is that in the Lord's Kingdom of Messiah, "God openeth and no man shutteth, and shutteth and none openeth" (Revelation 3:7). People represented here as bowing down to the soles of the feet of the Old Israel is fulfilled in the person of the Ideal Israel, who is Jesus Christ. Since Christ is the New Israel, all of his followers being "in him" and part of him, all who worship

Zephaniah 3:20 — time will I bring you in, and at that time will I gather you; for I will make you a name and a praise among all the peoples of the earth, when I bring back your captivity before your eyes, saith Jehovah." Such a marvelous promise as that of Zephaniah 3:19 required the repetition of it, which is featured in the greater part of this verse; but perhaps it was for the sake of emphasizing "at that time," as the moment of fulfillment, which from all indications points far away to the times of the end. "When

Deuteronomy 6:10-15 — great thrust of this passage is, "Beware, lest thou forget Jehovah." This warning is repeated several times in Deuteronomy, but it was never seriously heeded by the chosen people. (For a sermon on the subject of "Forgetting God," see Volume 2, pp. 211-213 of the Minor Prophets in my series of commentaries.) "And shalt swear by his name" This commandment was not contradicted by Jesus who indeed said, "Swear not at all," because Jesus in that passage was NOT speaking of taking an oath in court. This, of

Luke 10:13-14 — of human understanding. Obviously, there shall be many surprises in the judgment. J. W. McGarvey pointed out that "When the time came for evangelizing the Gentiles, Tyre and Sidon accepted the gospel and verified the words of this text (Acts 21:3-6; Acts 27:3).J. W. McGarvey, Commentary on Matthew (Delight, Arkansas: The Gospel Light Publishing Company), p. 100. For more on Tyre and Sidon, see in my Commentary on Mark, under Mark 7:24. In sackcloth and ashes … Clothing oneself in the

Luke 18:10 — to the temple to pray: the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The character of both classes of men represented by these two has frequently been noted in this series. For comment on "Pharisees," see my Commentary on Matthew, Matthew 3:7. The publicans were the tax collectors, particularly odious to the Jews because they were willing agents of Roman oppression; and besides that, many tax gatherers were dishonest. The very name "publican" passed into the popular vocabulary

John 3:27 — widespread success unless God had given it; and John's decline could not have occurred unless the Lord had willed it. How wonderful it would be if every minister accepted the principle that "It is God who gave the increase" (1 Corinthians 3:6). All power, ability, talent, intelligence, skill, beauty — everything comes from God (Deuteronomy 8:18).

John 5:38 — And ye have not this word abiding in you: for whom he sent, ye believe not. In the chapter heading, mention was made of the three witnesses of Christ presented here; but, in the ultimate sense, they are but one witness, that of God. Its three phases are: (1) the works given of the Father to Jesus, (2) the person of the Son himself, and (3) the sacred Scriptures themselves also of God. This verse introduces the third phase of the Father's witness, that of the Holy Scriptures.

John 6:33 — For the bread of God is that which cometh down out of heaven and giveth life unto the world. Unto the world … Not for Israel alone was the true bread, but for all the world. The true bread was far greater than the manna in these particulars: (1) it gives and sustains spiritual life, a far greater thing than merely sustaining physical life; (2) it is for all the world, not merely for Israel alone; (3) it creates spiritual life leading to eternal life, which no manna could have done.

John 7:14 — But when it was now in the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and taught. JESUS APPEARS IN THE TEMPLE Once more the messenger of the covenant came suddenly to his temple (Malachi 3:1); and such boldness frustrated and unnerved the Lord's enemies. They did not know how to deal with it. His learned dissertations in the temple were persuading many to believe on him; and the Pharisees were unable to reconcile such wisdom with the

John 7:4-5 — For no man doeth anything in secret, and himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou doest these things, manifest thyself to the world. For even his brethren did not believe on him. For no man doeth anything in secret … was their way of saying that Jesus was merely wasting his time in Galilee. If he wanted recognition, in their view, Jerusalem was the place to get it. If thou doest, these things … shows that they did not believe in him and recalls Satan's words (Matthew 4:3).

Acts 13:23 — the promised Messiah, a fact acknowledged in the first verse of the New Testament and brought into sharp focus here in Paul's address. Paul moved at once to prove the Messiahship of Jesus, citing as proof (1) the testimony of John the Baptist (Acts 13:24-25), (2) the fulfillment of prophecy by his rejection (Acts 13:26-29), and (3) his resurrection from the dead (Acts 13:30-37).

2 Corinthians 5:13 — this. Whether we are beside ourselves … This could be a hint of criticism directed against Paul by the false teachers. A governor called Paul "mad" (Acts 26:24); and even the Saviour was accused of being "beside himself" (Mark 3:21). In any case, all that Paul did was "unto God" and "unto" the Corinthians, i.e., for their sake.

2 Corinthians 5:17 — of so many scholars of any reference whatever to this little prepositional phrase which is nothing if not THE VERY EYE OF CHRISTIANITY. Paul used this expression, or its equivalent, 169 times! John McKay, God's Order (New York: Macmillan Company, 1953), p. 67. Failure to appreciate what Paul means by this is to misunderstand everything. Paul had just written that all people are dead spiritually, a deadness that shall never abate unless they are risen again IN CHRIST. In Christ, a new spiritual life

Galatians 1:2-3 — and the Lord Jesus Christ, who alone in the New Testament referred to God as "my" Father, but who also taught his followers to pray "our" Father. Paul often used "our Father" in his epistles (Romans 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:3; 2 Corinthians 1:2; Philp. 1:3; Philemon 1:3). "Jesus" is the transliteration of the Hebrew name Joshua, meaning Jehovah is salvation, or Jehovah is Saviour; and "Christ" is the Greek rendition of the Hebrew word Messiah, meaning

Ephesians 2:22 — of God in the Spirit. Regarding the basic concept of the church of our Lord being the true temple of God, see full comment on this in my Commentary on Acts, 7:44ff, also under the heading "The Church the Temple of God" under 1 Corinthians 3:16 in this series of commentaries. In whom … is the equivalent of "in Christ"; and thus we have here another verse in which the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are designated.

Joshua 7:10-15 — heavenly instructions, had resort to that manner of making decisions. Here is a list of occasions: The division of Canaan among the twelve tribes (Numbers 26:55). The choice of the Levitical cities (Joshua 21:4 ff). Regarding spoil or captives in war (Joel 3:3). To determine guilt in the case of Achan (here in Joshua 7). To determine guilt in the case of Jonathan (1 Samuel 14:42).… and in the case of Jonah (Jonah 1:7). To choose men for a mission (Judges 20:10). To make appointments (Acts 1:26). By

Titus 3:2 — to speak evil of no man, not to be contentious, to be gentle, showing all meekness toward all men. In this verse and in Titus 3:1, there are listed seven basic requirements of Christian character; and, on first thought, some might classify all of them as "old-fashioned." On the contrary, none of these virtues had ever been heard of, either in Crete or in the whole

Judges 5:3-4 — clouds dropped water" "Hear, O ye kings… princes" "These kings and princes were not those of Israel; Israel had no kings or princes; these are the kings and princes of the heathen nations."Keil-Delitzsch, Old Testament Commentaries, Vol. 2-A, p. 309. "Psalms 68:7-9; Habakkuk 3:3-16, and this passage all relate to the same event and mutually explain each other. The subject is the march of Israel with the Lord at their head to take possession of Canaan."Albert Barnes, Notes on Bible Books, Judges,

1 John 3:1 — Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of God; and such we are. (1 John 3:1 a) Behold what manner of love … Smith tells us that the Greek here has the implication "of what country,"David Smith, The Expositor's Greek New Testament, Vol. V (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1967),