Bible Commentaries

2 Kings 24:8-9 — his father had done." It is amazing that so short a reign could have been marked by so much evil. Ezekiel described him as… a young lion who devoured men and also that he knew, i.e. ravished, the widows of those whom he murdered (Ezekiel 19:5-7). Keil commented that, "Jehoiakin did not confine his deeds of violence to individuals, but extended them to all who were left behind by his murders, viz., their families and possessions. Also, nothing is affirmed in Jeremiah 22:24; Jeremiah 22:28 respecting

Job 15:1 — blessing the righteous and heaping on the punishments on the wicked. Eliphaz proceeded, in effect, to preach Job's funeral. Jehovah himself addressed Eliphaz and the other friends of Job, saying, "Ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right" (Job 42:7); and this is reason enough for avoiding any detailed analysis of this cruel and inconsiderate speech. What he said was unkind, brutal, cruel, inaccurate, conceited, arrogant and without any redeeming quality whatever. It was merely another bitter experience

Psalms 103:6-13 — from us. Like as a father pitieth his children, So Jehovah pitieth them that fear him." That the children of Israel are the ones particularly addressed in these lines is evident from the mention of Moses and the specific mention of them in Psalms 103:7. "For all that are oppressed" The meaning of this may not be restricted to a minority of unfortunates, because the whole nation of Israel is meant. "The whole nation was once in bondage; and the thought here is retrospective to the days of Moses."H.

Psalms 116:15 — OF HIS SAINTS "Precious in the sight of Jehovah Is the death of his saints." Where is the minister of the gospel who has never used this passage as comfort for the bereaved at a funeral service? "The word `precious' here means `costly,' as in Psalms 72:14; 1 Kings 5:17; and 7:9-11, where the same Hebrew word is used."C. M. Miller, co-author with Anthony L. Ash, p. 380. "The sense is that Yahweh will not easily suffer his saints to perish; the cost of their death is too great. In other words, the

Psalms 140:12-13 — And justice for the needy. Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name: The upright shall dwell in thy presence." A number of other Davidic psalms carry the same thoughts in very similar words, as seen in Psalms 9:4; Psalms 9:10; Psalms 11:7; Psalms 17:15 and Psalms 18:27. "Justice for the needy" There seems to be in many Old Testament passages a presumption regarding the wicked rich and the righteous poor; but Barnes' discerning words on this seem to be correct, "There is no reason why

Psalms 20 overview — Maccabaeus.Alexander Maclaren,. p. 196. However, the use of the word "king" refutes such a supposition, because Simon Maccabaeus was never, in any sense, a king. Furthermore, "The reference to the army of Israel as unequipped with cavalry and chariots (Psalms 20:7) favors the early date."Ibid., p. 199. After the times of Solomon, Israel possessed many chariots and horses. There is no king whatever in the whole history of Israel whose times fit the situation that surfaces in this psalm, except those of King David. This

Psalms 90:7-11 — strength four-score years; Yet is there pride, but labor and sorrow; For it is soon gone, and we fly away. Who knoweth the power of thine anger, And thy wrath according to the fear that is due unto thee." "We are consumed in thine anger" (Psalms 90:7). "Such expressions suit the time of the later wanderings in the wilderness,"The Pulpit Commentary, Vol. 8-B, p. 254. in which the condemned generation which God forbade to enter Canaan, "Were being gradually consumed that they might not enter the Holy

Ecclesiastes 7:15-18 — "Things that were not right" (Job 42:8); but it is an equally false affirmation that God does not reward the righteous nor punish the wicked. This truth is freely admitted in the words that the wicked "die before their time" (generally) (Ecclesiastes 7:17) and in the tremendous affirmation of Ecclesiastes 7:18 (See comment below). As for the reasons why there are exceptions, we discussed this thoroughly in the Book of Job; but the summary of them is: (1) the activity of Satan, (2) freedom of the human

Ecclesiastes 8:6-8 — ignorance of the future. This ignorance is summarized in Ecclesiastes 8:8, under four uncertainties. The literal Hebrew for the first clause is, "Man's evil is great upon him."The Anchor Bible Commentary (Garden City, New York: Doubleday and Company, 1972), p. 18, p. 241. However, there is absolutely nothing in man's ignorance of the future that causes him misery, unless he gives himself over to anxiety and worry because of it. It is the glory of the New Testament revelation that men are relieved of

Jeremiah 47:2-3 — his chariots, at the rumbling of his wheels, the fathers look not back to their children for feebleness of hands." "Waters rise up out of the north" Isaiah also compared the ravages of the great Assyrian army as the Euphrates River at flood (Isaiah 8:7-8); and here Jeremiah uses the same metaphor to describe the ravages of the Babylonians. "Fathers look not back to their children for feebleness of hands" This depicts the terror stricken fathers as so overcome with fear that they could not even try

Amos 7:16 — drop not thy word against the house of Isaac." "Drop not thy word" Dummelow seems to have captured the thought behind this second clause thus: "Don't let it drip, drip, drip, in imbecile and wearisome fashion (Micah 2:6; Micah 2:11; and Ezekiel 21-2, 7)."J. R. Dummelow, op. cit., p. 570. Harper, and others, rejected this view: "The word does not carry with it any contemptuous idea";W. R. Harper, op. cit., p. 173. but the idea, especially in English, is certainly there; furthermore, it fits the context

Micah 5:4 — government and of peace, "There shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from henceforth, even for ever. The zeal of Jehovah of hosts will perform this" (Isaiah 9:7). Yes, that also is a prophecy of Christ; and it, like all the others, can never fail.

Zechariah 1:7 — Haggai. See under Zechariah 1:1, which except for the date is the same as this verse. Perhaps the reason for such a formal beginning being used twice is that the first (Zechariah 1:1) pertains to Zechariah's call as a prophet, and this (Zechariah 1:7) pertains to the particular series of visions beginning here. All of these visions came within a single night, "two full months after Haggai's last message (Haggai 2:10) it is February, 519 B.C."H. C. Leupold, op. cit., p. 31.

Matthew 7:9-10 — ask for a fish, will give him a serpent? Christ's argument here from the predictable conduct of men has strong overtones teaching the likeness between God and man. Of course, this is inherent in the fact that man was created in God's image (Genesis 1:27), and Jesus' words here show that something of God can be known by observing that which is highest and best in man. The basic kinship between God and man is a broad principle underlying the entire Judeo-Christian revelation. The apparent relation between

Mark 4:23-24 — spiritual understanding be measured unto you."Ibid. Inherently: This one-sentence parable is true in any context. Thus the Lord applied it to the kind of judgments men give of others, resulting always in their being judged in the same fashion (Matthew 7:2). Again, the Saviour extended it in an application to the grace of giving (Luke 6:38).

Acts 7:41-43 — B.C.. and was associated with the sacrifice of children in the fire." The New Bible Dictionary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans, Publishers, 1962), p. 836. Solomon built a high place for this god on a hill east of Jerusalem (1 Kings 11:7); Ahaz burned his children (2 Chronicles 28:3), and Manasseh did the same (2 Kings 21:6); and Samaria was judged for this sin (2 Kings 17:17). Rephan … "This is the name of a god identified or connected with the planet Saturn." Ibid.,

1 Timothy 4 overview — constitutes a main division of 1 Timothy; it deals with coming heresies and tells how Timothy is to be fortified and is to fortify the churches against them." R. H. H. Lenski, St. Paul's Epistles. 1 Timothy (Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House, 1937), p. 626. Lenski also denied the proposition that Paul was here merely writing instructions to the minister of a single congregation. "He is addressing his apostolic representative for the whole territory of which Ephesus is the center." Ibid.,

Revelation 22:14 — supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:9). V.    Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection (Revelation 10:6). VI.    Blessed is he that keepeth the words of the prophecy of this book (Revelation 22:7). VII.    Blessed are they that wash their robes, that they may have the right to come to the tree of life, and to enter in through the gates into the city (Revelation 22:14). Barclay's comment on this seventh beatitude is excellent: This

1 Samuel 12:6-15 — their efforts to get Samuel out of both 1 Samuel 11 and 1 Samuel 12, but here it is just the same. "There is nothing improper or out of place in Samuel mentioning his own judgeship. It had supplied a remarkable instance of God's deliverance (1 Samuel 7:12-15); and as it was the last, as well as one of the greatest deliverances, it was natural that he should have done so."Albert Barnes, Samuel, p. 29. Furthermore, Hebrews 11:32 also corroborates the appropriateness and necessity of Samuel's being mentioned

2 Samuel 5:17-21 — proposed this solution: "If David was engaged in building operations on the hill northward from Jerusalem, he certainly would have had to `go down' to the old Jebusite city, which stood at a slightly lower level."The Interpreter's Bible, op. cit., p. 1074. "Now the Philistines spread out in the valley of Rephaim" Many able scholars, including Willis, identify this valley as "southwest of Jerusalem";John T. Willis, p. 317. but Caird insists that, "The valley of Rephaim has been wrongly identified with