Bible Commentaries

Psalms 118:5-7 — them that hate me." "And set me in a large place" The palace of the king of Israel would indeed qualify for such a designation. "I will not fear what man can do unto me" The author of Hebrews quoted this making it applicable to Christians in Hebrews 13:6. "Therefore shall I see my desire upon them that hate me" David indeed lived to see the death of King Saul, and the fierce partisans who had attempted to kill him, either dispersed and powerless, or slain in battle.

Psalms 18:40-42 — were the gift of God. "They cried… even unto Jehovah." Here again we have a suggestion of the Final Judgment of the Great Day when earth's kings, captains, and mighty men shall "cry for the rocks and the mountains to fall upon them" (Revelation 6:16). It is at this point that the psalm appears to drift into overtones that are Messianic.

Psalms 28 overview — writers, we have chosen this one by Kyle Yates.Wycliffe Bible Commentary of the Old Testament, Old Testament, p. 505. The organization of the psalm is simple. There are just two divisions: (1) The Prayer (Psalms 28:1-5); and (2) The Answer (Psalms 28:6-9). The ancient title which has come down to us identifies this as "A Psalm of David"; and Barnes assures us that, "There is no need for doubting the correctness of the inscription."Albert Barnes' Commentary on the Old Testament, p. 142. Delitzsch identified

Proverbs 15:29 — that are in open rebellion against God's commandments. It is not the so-called "good people" whom God hears, but it is the "righteous," a Biblical definition of which is, "Walking in all the ordinances and commandments of the Lord, blameless" (Luke 1:6). The common idea of who is "good" applies the term to anyone who minds his own business and stays out of jail. The Bible definition is quite different. "Only God is good" (Mark 10:18).

Leviticus 19:35-36 — have: I am Jehovah your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt." a.    Just weights, measures, etc. In Leviticus 19:34 the love of neighbor is shown to include love of alien strangers also. Leviticus 19:35 and Leviticus 19:36 required the use of honest weights, measures, etc. The device of cheating customers by using different standards for buying and selling was extensively used in Israel (contrary to God's law here), as evidenced by the confession of the tradesmen who

Isaiah 26 overview — FURTHER PROPHECIES ON THE JUDGMENT "In several respects Isaiah 26 parallels Isaiah 25, and so reinforces its message."The New Layman's Bible Commentary, p. 788. No other scripture in the Old Testament surpasses this in providing comfort for God's people in time of distress by a contemplation of future blessings; and

Jeremiah 20 overview — ministry of warning and vain calls for the repentance and reform of the people. There are two division of the chapter. First, there is the episode of Jeremiah's imprisonment and the symbolical name that God fastened upon his oppressor (Jeremiah 20:1-6), and then there is the fifth and final one of the so-called Confessions or Personal Laments of Jeremiah. Ash and others see two laments in these verses, giving six in all; but, to this writer, it appears that the two actually constitute only one lament,

Lamentations 5:1 — in the Temple (2 Kings 19:14). Price called this chapter, "A national prayer to Jehovah, Zion's only hope and help."The Wycliffe Old Testament Commentary, p. 700. "It is not a dirge, but a nation's prayer for compassion."The Interpreter's Bible, Vol. 6, p. 35. Nevertheless, the Douay Version heads this chapter as, "The Prayer of Jeremiah." It was the prophet's prayer for the suffering nation.

Hosea 10:3 — "Surely now shall they say, We have no king; for we fear not Jehovah; and the king, what can he do for us?" "These verses have caused much discussion,"John Mauchline, The Interpreter's Bible, Vol. VI (New York: Abingdon, 1957), p. 670. as Mauchline said; and the meaning is somewhat ambiguous. "They describe the state of perplexity and resourcelessness which prevailed just before the judgment took place."Ibid. "Surely now shall they say" would appear to be more accurately rendered

Hosea 7:1 — enterprises of the country. The situation described in this chapter is one of practical anarchy. The people were no longer safe either in their homes or in the streets. Even the priests who serviced the pagan temples were robbers and thieves (Hosea 4:8; Hosea 6:9). Significantly, God was still willing to heal his people had their own behavior justified it.

Amos 5:24 — the word righteousness. It has no reference at all to a proper regard for the poor and oppressed, that having been covered in the previous clause; but it means "have the proper regard for the commandments and ordinances" of God, as indicated in Luke 1:6, and in Psalms 119:172.

Zechariah 6:14 — "And the crowns shall be to Helem, and to Tobijah, and to Jedaiah, and to Hen the son of Zephaniah, for a memorial in the temple of Jehovah." We are surprised here by the names apparently being changed from those mentioned in Zechariah 6:9; but we refuse to find any problem here. Any of those mentioned could have borne two or more names; and as Baldwin suggested, "It may be that Heldai preferred to use his more dignified name for official purposes; or the names could have been interchangeable."Ibid.,

Zechariah 7 overview — 308. The six parts of the answer are: 1.    Zechariah 7:4-7 2.    Zechariah 7:8-14 3.    Zechariah 8:1-7 4.    Zechariah 8:9-13 5.    Zechariah 8:14-17 6.    Zechariah 8:18-23 Only two of these responses are given in this chapter.

Zechariah 8:6 — should it also be marvelous in mine eyes? saith Jehovah of hosts." There are ten of these brief statements in this chapter, each one introduced by an affirmation that the promise is of God and not of Zechariah. They begin in Zechariah 8:2-4; Zechariah 8:6-7; Zechariah 8:9; Zechariah 8:14; Zechariah 8:19-20; Zechariah 8:23. The subject here is the marvelous fact that a remnant of the people of God have been brought back home, an event unique in human history up to that time. "The message means that the

Luke 17:22 — indeed come to pass (at the Second Coming,) but not now. Like the martyred saints, Christians who find themselves a conscious, hated minority in society, reviled, and set at naught by a hostile secular world, will cry, "How long?" (Revelation 6:10); but the end is not yet.

John 13:16 — greater than he that sent him. An expression similar to this was used by Jesus to show that his disciples would be hated and persecuted like himself (Matthew 10:24; John 15:20), and that the disciples of the Pharisees were as blind as their leaders (Luke 6:40). Tertullian made the words of this verse a mandate that no disciple might advocate a doctrine contrary to the teachings of the Lord, saying, "If Marcion be even a disciple, he is not yet `above his Master.'" Tertullian, De Fuge in Persecutione,

1 Corinthians 2 overview — an understanding of the true wisdom of God (as contrasted with the current sophistry); and the mystery of God, far more wonderful than the so-called mysteries of the Greeks, could be participated in by those of genuine spirituality (1 Corinthians 2:6-16). Throughout this chapter, Paul made it clear that the glory of the Christian faith is resident in the content of the gospel and not in the manner of its presentation.

1 Timothy 6:19 — laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on the life which is life indeed. Laying up in store … This is exactly what we should have expected the author of 1 Corinthians 16:2 to have written; and here is the obvious meaning of "both" references. The one doing the "laying" is the Christian, from "lay by HIM in store." The words "for themselves" identify both Scriptures as being related

Hebrews 1:9 — Thou hast loved righteousness and hated iniquity; Therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. This is a continuation of the quotation from Psalms 45:6-7; and it cites the reasons for Christ's exaltation as being founded upon his love of righteousness and corresponding hatred of evil. Can one imagine an application of this Psalm to Solomon? (See under above verse.) The anointing seems not to refer

1 Peter 3:9 — an ethic developed by the apostles, but one handed down directly from the mouth of the Lord himself, who said, "Love your enemies, do good to them that hate you, bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you" (Luke 6:27-28). Likewise, all of the apostolic teachings should be understood to have originated, not with themselves, but with the Lord Jesus Christ.