Bible Commentaries

2 Chronicles 15:1-7 — purpose here is clear enough, namely, the encouragement of God's people to be constant in their faithfulness to their God, for it was their lack of faithfulness which had so frequently resulted in manifold sorrows for the Chosen People. 2 Chronicles 15:3-6 are interpreted in various ways. Cook believed that, "They refer to the many apostasies of God's people in the times of the Judges."Albert Barnes, Chronicles, p. 391. Curtis (Madsen) applied the words to, "The Northern Kingdom";International Critical

Psalms 29 overview — sublime grandeur," by Dummelow, "Awe-inspiring poetry," by Yates and, "A magnificent description of a thunder-storm rolling over the land," by Maclaren. We have adopted the title here that was used by Delitzsch.F. Delitzsch, Old Testament, Vol. V, p. 366. There is no good reason for rejecting the ancient inscription which labels this as "A Psalm of David." This psalm has: (1) a prelude (Psalms 29:1-2); (2) a description of the mighty thunderstorm (Psalms 29:3-9); and (3) a postlude (Psalms 29:10-11). Anyone

Psalms 37 overview — `Elijah') is based upon this chapter. There is no sufficient grounds for setting aside the assignment of the psalm to David in the superscription; and, if indeed, he wrote it, it seems likely that it is one of the psalms from his old age, based upon Psalms 37:25. "The theme of the Psalm is stated in the very first line, `Fret not thyself because of the wicked.' This is repeated in Psalms 37:7 b and Psalms 37:8."The Layman's Bible Commentary, Vol. 9, p. 69. The design or the purpose of the psalm was described

Psalms 5:1-3 — cannot suffice. Note the words: `my words,' `my meditation,' `my cry,' `my voice,' `my prayer,' `my King,' and `my God.' Prayer is the breathing of spiritual life; and where there is no prayer that life is either threatened or deceased altogether. (3)    The words at the end of Psalms 5:3, "will keep watch," indicate that true prayer involves the expectancy of God's answer, and of the worshipper's earnestly watching to receive it. As Jesus himself stated it, "Whatsoever ye shall

Lamentations 3:34-39 — High cometh there not evil and good? Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins?" "To crush under foot… the prisoners" "This refers to the harsh cruelties of the Babylonians."The Pulpit Commentary, op. cit., p. 34. The purpose of this being mentioned here is to indicate God's disapproval of men's atrocities. "We have here a short catalogue of the oppressions visited upon God's people by their conquerors."Anthony L. Ash, Jeremiah and Lamentations (Abilene, Texas:

Amos 1 overview — did not neglect Judah, considered by Amos as one with the northern kingdom, and then rested the fullness of its fury upon the nation of Israel itself. The following nations were blasted with these eloquent and fierce denunciations: Damascus (Amos 1:3-5); Philistia (Amos 1:6-8); Tyre (Amos 1:9-10); Edom (Amos 1:11-12); Ammon (Amos 1:13-15); Moab (Amos 2:1-3); Judah (Amos 2:4-5); and Israel (Amos 2:6-16). The skill and power of Amos as a speaker and orator appear in this arrangement of his material: "The

Malachi 1:1 — "The burden of the word of Jehovah to Israel by Malachi." A literal reading of the Hebrew text here gives "by the hand of Malachi,"E. B. Pusey, Commentary on the Minor Prophets, Vol. II (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1953), p. 465. and not merely "by Malachi." This indicates that Malachi is a person and that his proper name is given in this verse. See my introduction for full discussion of this. "Burden of the word of Jehovah" This prophecy is thus called because the

Malachi 2:17 — Gasque, op. cit., p. 1055. Hailey was correct in seeing this condition "in the large majority who had lost their faith in God";Homer Hailey, op. cit., p. 417. but a minority, called the remnant, were true to God; and they will be mentioned in Malachi 3:16. Under Malachi 3:6, below, a fuller discussion of why the Lord allows the wicked to prosper will be included.

Matthew 26:29 — literal sense is not merely possible but quite illuminating. Three conditions prerequisite to his partaking of the fruit of the vine with his disciples were spelled out: (1) it would be "new" wine; (2) it would be with his disciples; and (3) it would be "in" the kingdom. Perhaps this accounts for the fact that Christ refused the wine mingled with gall when he was crucified. In that case, (1) the wine was not new, (2) it was not with his disciples, and (3) the kingdom had not

Matthew 28:7-8 — have told you. And they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring his disciples word. The angel in this passage summoned the disciples to a prearranged meeting place with Christ in Galilee, upon a mountain (Matthew 26:32). Robertson identified the appearance there with the one mentioned by Paul (1 Corinthians 15:6) in which Christ was seen by more than five hundred brethren at one time.A. T. Robertson, A Harmony of the Gospels (New York: Harper and Brothers, 1922),

Luke 6:10-11 — very strong, indicating that those religious bigots were out of their rational minds with malicious fury. And why were they so angry? (1) Because he had shown his power to work a miracle; (2) because he had done so in contradiction of their rules; (3) because he had thus proved that he was from God, making them WRONG in their interpretations; (4) because Jesus had openly condemned THEIR views; and (5) because he had done these things in the sight of multitudes, — these were the reasons.Albert

Acts 11:18 — struggle to drag circumcision and various other Jewish ceremonials into the church of Jesus Christ. "The Judaizers in opposing Paul were acting against the church from which they pretended to derive their authority." E. H. Plumptre, op. cit., p. 73. Those who maintained the necessity for observing the older Covenant did so through misguided zeal ¿or the Law; but some did so from national pride and bigotry (Galatians 6:13). Cambridge Bible, One Volume New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids,

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

Romans 7 overview — become but an antechamber of Judaism. A full and constant attention to what the problem was should accompany the study of this chapter. Three times Paul had already indicated the severance of Christian faith from its Judaistic parent: (1) In Romans 3:20-24, he had elaborated the truth that no flesh can be justified by the law, that the law and the prophets themselves had foretold the new faith, and that God's grace had provided free and full redemption "in Christ Jesus." (2) In Romans

1 Corinthians 13 overview — Barclay said, "For many, this is the most wonderful chapter in the New Testament"; William Barclay, The Letters to the Corinthians (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1954), p. 131. but as McGarvey said, "It has been admired by all ages, but, unfortunately, practiced by none!" J. W. McGarvey, Commentary on 1 Corinthians (Cincinnati, Ohio: Standard Publishing Company, 1916), p. 127. A sample of the marvelous praise which

Galatians 2:20 — SON OF GOD." It is no longer I that live … This touches the incredibly important truth that no man is ever saved in his own personal identity as possessing any true righteousness. All of the righteousness of God is in Christ (Ephesians 1:3); and no mortal may be saved as John Doe. He must renounce self and become identified with Christ who is righteous. "As Christ," therefore, he is dead to sin, has fulfilled the law, is alive unto God, and the heir of eternal glory "in

Philippians 2:1 — here appealing to those very things which he considered most certain in the area of Christian experience. This was a common Hebrew method of making a statement in the affirmative, as when Jesus said, "If I go, I shall come again" (John 14:3), making the certainty of his going the pledge also of his Second Coming. Lightfoot paraphrased this quadruple list of "if's" thus: If your experiences in Christ appeal to you with any force, if love exerts any persuasive power upon you, if

1 Peter 3:1-2 — gained by the behavior of their wives; beholding your chaste behavior coupled with fear. Be in subjection to your own husbands … This is in agreement with other extensive teaching on this in the New Testament, as in Ephesians 5:22 ff, Colossians 3:18 ff, and Titus 2:5. Note also that this is extended to include the submission of a Christian wife to a pagan husband. Although it may be supposed that both the husband and the wife, many times, would be converted together, there would inevitably be

Revelation 3:8 — admission into the church, the messianic kingdom identified with the church, — this is the door meant. "It assures the church of how futile were such excommunications as the Jews were leveling against them." James Moffatt, op. cit., p. 366. Beckwith and Mounce concur in this interpretation. However, both of these with many current scholars, hold there is a difference between the church and the kingdom; but throughout this series of commentaries, the position has been maintained that

1 Samuel 3 overview — Critical Commentary, Samuel, p. 25. admitting that objections to its unity are "not well founded."Ibid. The other objection regarding the alleged "two accounts" of the prophecy regarding Eli is also of no significance. G. B. Caird admitted that if 1 Samuel 3:12 refers to 1 Samuel 2:27-36 (to which it most certainly does refer) then "Both passages would be vindicated against the charge of lateness."The Interpreter's Bible, Vol. 4, p. 894. Of course, he denied that any such thing should be admitted, declaring