Bible Commentaries

2 Chronicles 21 overview — JEHORAM, WICKED SON-IN-LAW OF AHAB, RULES JUDAHV. JEHORAM (949-942 B.C.) "This chapter is a commentary on the man who married the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel, and who walked in their ways (2 Chronicles 21:6). It describes his viciousness and his apostasy (2 Chronicles 21:1-11), and God's condemnation of him through the prophet Elijah, and the failures both national and personal that overwhelmed him as a result (2 Chronicles 21:12-20)."Wycliffe Old Testament

Proverbs 14:10 — most secret sanctuary of human personality. Every human being is a little world to self alone, a world which only God sees and understands."C. F. Keil, Keil-Delitzsch's Old Testament Commentaries (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company), Vol. 6, p. 297. "Who among men knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of the man which is within him"? (1 Corinthians 2:11).

Ecclesiastes 7:1 — Some scholars see this chapter as an attempt to answer the question implied in Ecclesiastes 6:12, "Who knoweth what is good for man"? However that verse may be read as a declaration that, "No one knows what is good for man." Many of the assertions in this chapter reveal that Solomon himself, in spite of all his vaunted research, experience,

Isaiah 20:5 — vain for victory (Nahum 3:9). One of the significant things not previously noted in this chapter is God's reference to Isaiah as "my servant" in Isaiah 20:3. "Isaiah shares this honorable title with a select few of God's saints: (1) Abraham (Genesis 26:24); (2) Moses (Numbers 12:7); (3) Caleb (Numbers 14:24); (4) Job (Job 1:8; Job 42:7-8; (5) Eliakim (Isaiah 22:20); and (6) Zerrubbabel (Haggai 2:23)."The Pulpit Commentary, p. 220. What an honor it is for any mortal to be recognized as one who is actually

Isaiah 44 overview — condemnation to seventy years of captivity, God was by no means through with Israel. He would restore Israel to his favor and to their homeland. Their posterity would turn to God and actually receive the Spirit of the Lord. 2.    (Isaiah 44:6-20) The most powerful and effective condemnation of idolatry to be found anywhere. 3.    (Isaiah 44:24-26) God will confound the wisdom of the astrologers, the soothsayers and the diviners and at the same time confirm the word of

Isaiah 57:20-21 — of the same thought found in Isaiah 48:22, being a categorical exclusion of all wicked and disobedient souls from the blessings of God's mercy. The comparison here of the wicked with the sea suggests New Testament references in 2 Peter 2:22; James 1:6; and Judges 1:13. The plight of the wicked appears more sharply here than in Isaiah 48:22, because it contrasts with the glorious salvation they have refused. "Only the choice of men separates the `peace, peace' of Isaiah 57:19 from the `no peace' of

Jeremiah 18 overview — analogy (Jeremiah 18:5-10), (3) Judah's place in the analogy revealed and the warning to repent given (Jeremiah 18:11), (4) Judah's obstinate rejection of God's call to repentance (Jeremiah 18:12), (5) the folly of Judah's choice (Jeremiah 18:13-14), (6) the consequences of that choice (Jeremiah 18:15-17), (7) the conspiracy against Jeremiah (Jeremiah 18:18-20), and (8) Jeremiah reveals the judgment of God against his enemies (Jeremiah 18:19-23).E. Henderson, The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah (London:

Amos 6:11 — breaches, and the little house with clefts." "The great house" does not mean any particular "great house," but all of the great houses, the same being true of the "small house." The mention of "great house" first in this verse, immediately after Amos 6:9-10, strongly supports the probability that the "ten men left in one house" in those verses has reference to one of those great palatial establishments for which Samaria was famous, each having an occupancy of a hundred or so, including domestics,

Matthew 4:10 — rejected Satan's proposal without regard to its truth or falsity. Satan's promise, whether true or false, had no bearing on the conduct of the Lord which was regulated altogether by the word of God, not by Satan's words. Christ quoted from Deuteronomy 6:13. Significantly, Christ applied that Old Testament passage to include devil worship. The prohibition is, in fact, against all worship except the worship of Almighty God through Jesus Christ. It is sinful to worship the devil, or angels (Revelation

Luke 9 overview — chapter (Luke 9:51), where Luke begins a large section of teachings and events not recorded elsewhere in the New Testament. Up to that point, he related a number of incidents reported in the other Gospels. These are: the Twelve sent forth (Luke 9:1-6), Herod's perplexity (Luke 9:7-9), feeding the five thousand (Luke 9:10-17), Peter's confession (Luke 9:18-27), the transfiguration (Luke 9:28-36), curing the epileptic boy (Luke 9:37-43), a prophecy of Jesus' being delivered up (Luke 9:44-45), on "Who's

John 14:22 — Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1939), p. 30. Thou wilt manifest … and not unto the world … The belief that Christ would be some kind of overpowering earthly Messiah persisted even among the Twelve, and even after the resurrection (Acts 1:6). Thaddeus' question here was strongly flavored with the ideas of Jesus' brothers (John 7:3-4), regarding a "manifestation" in Jerusalem. He did not understand that the death on the cross would be a manifestation before the whole world.

John 19:38 — special reason for mentioning Joseph. Alan Richardson said, "The apostolic church saw in the action of Joseph the fulfillment of an Old Testament type. Joseph had begged permission of Pharaoh to bury the body of the old Israel (Jacob) (Genesis 50:4-6)." Alan Richardson, The Gospel according to St. John (London: SCM Press, 1959), p. 204.

John 21:14 — to the disciples, after that he was risen from the dead. The third time … refers to the third appearance to the apostles, as this was the seventh in the sequence of the ten epiphanies: THE TEN EPIPHANIES (APPEARANCES) To Mary Magdalene (Mark 16:9; John 20:11-18). To the women (Matthew 28:9-10). To Cleopas and his companion (Luke 24:13-35). To Simon Peter (Luke 24:34; 1 Corinthians 15:15). To the apostles, Thomas absent (John 20:19-23). To the apostles, Thomas present (John 20:24-29). To the

John 9:28 — art his disciple; but we are disciples of Moses. This was a false boast on the part of the Pharisees. Jesus himself said that if they had believed Moses, they would have believed Christ. They were not the Israel of God in the spiritual sense (Romans 9:6-8). Thou art his disciple … Such an indirect admission (John 9:27) was all they needed; and they at once heaped upon him the full weight of their scorn, invective, and slander. They reviled him. Such was the justice and such was the pity of those

Acts 4:21-22 — old, on whom this miracle of healing was wrought. Further threatened them … These were not idle threats. Later, the apostles were arrested and beaten (Acts 5:17-40); and still later, Stephen was stoned to death for preaching the gospel (Acts 6:8—7:60). There is a progression in this inspired history toward that murderous fury which at last signaled official Israel's total rejection of Jesus Christ. For the moment, the popularity of the apostles with the people prevented all but the

Romans 6:8 — This does not imply that faith is not required, but shows that faith consummated by baptism into the death of Christ is the determinator. Again, Paul's tremendous "if" is hurled into the consideration of man's salvation, as also in Romans 6:5, thus stressing the conditional nature of human redemption, one of the conditions being stressed in this verse, that of dying with Christ, in the sense of being baptized "into Christ," etc. We shall also live with him … is a pledge

1 Corinthians 6:18 — remarks on this, see my Commentary on Hebrews, p. 325. The sin of fornication is against: (a) God (Genesis 39:9), (b) one's body (as here), (c) the church, (d) the marriage institution, (e) the life of the nation, and (f) the very soul itself (Proverbs 6:32). Against his own body … Although Paul doubtless had specifically in mind the impact of sin against the physical body, his words are true in the widest possible application. No matter how "body" is understood, whether the physical

Philippians 1:2 — Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1971), p. 32. True as such an observation be, however, it may be doubted that Paul consciously intended this understanding of these words as used in his salutations. Significantly, Paul reversed them in Ephesians 6:23-24. See comment under those verses.

1 Thessalonians 5:8 — sober" triggered the thought of an armed sentry; and, as the "armor of God" metaphor was a favorite of his, he immediately combined it with the prime virtues of faith, hope and love. The fullest development of the metaphor is in Ephesians 6:13 ff.

2 Thessalonians 3:12 — command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread. We command … See under 2 Thessalonians 3:4 for discussion of this, "In the Lord Jesus Christ …" See under 2 Thessalonians 3:6. That they with quietness work … Things were in a mess at Thessalonica. Moffatt analyzed the trouble thus: The three causes of disquiet at Thessalonica are: (a) the tension produced by the thought of the advent of Christ; (b) the disturbing effect