Bible Commentaries

2 Kings 14:17-22 — thing here is the conspiracy against Amaziah. There is no evidence whatever that the conspiracy was either led or encouraged by the children of the murderers of Amaziah's father whom Amaziah had spared on the basis of God's commandment mentioned in 2 Kings 14:6. 2 Chronicles 25:27 reveals that the element of Judah that was faithful to the worship of Jehovah was the center of that conspiracy. We read that, "From the time that Amaziah departed from the Lord, they formed a conspiracy against him."

Nehemiah 5:1-5 — daughters are brought into bondage already: neither is it in our power to help it; for other men have our fields and our vineyards." There are three classes of protesters here: "These were (1) the landless who were desperately short of food (Nehemiah 5:2), (2) the landowners who, because of famine had been compelled to mortgage their properties (Nehemiah 5:3), and (3) those who had been forced to borrow money at exorbitant rates to meet the Persian king's property taxes (Nehemiah 5:4)."The New Bible

Psalms 129:1-4 — youth up; Yet they have not prevailed against me. The plowers plowed upon my back; They made long their furrows. Jehovah is righteous: He hath cut asunder the cords of the wicked." "From my youth up" "Israel's youth was theft sojourn in Egypt (Jeremiah 2:2; Hosea 2:15)."Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary, p. 386. "Let Israel now say" "Israel is speaking in this psalm, not the individual."H. C. Leupold, p. 898. It must therefore be considered the cry of the whole nation and not that of a mere

Isaiah 52:1-2 — O captive daughter of Zion." "Jewish writers, supporting their obstinate and hopeless rejection of Christ as the Messiah, state that the uncircumcised here are the Christians, and that the unclean are the Turks!"Adam Clarke's Commentary, Vol. IV, p. 201. This shows the length to which unbelievers will go to support their infidelity. First, all Christians are indeed circumcised (Romans 2:29; Colossians 2:11). Above and beyond that truth is the fact that literal Jerusalem is certainly not "the holy

Isaiah 63:7-9 — care. He said, "Surely, the children of these people will not lie or deal falsely!" (Isaiah 63:8). "There was a condition, however, that if God was to abide among them, Israel would be required to hearken unto God's voice (Deuteronomy 6:3; Jeremiah 7:23; Ezekiel 11:20)); but God was disappointed in them."HI], p. 503. The near-universal extent of wickedness is emphasized by the statement that "There was none to help" (Isaiah 63:5). However, it is probably best to view such statements as hyperbole for

Jeremiah 2:9-13 — heavens, at this, and be ye horribly afraid, be ye very desolate, saith Jehovah. For my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water." Jeremiah 2:13 is the climax of this paragraph. The first verse (Jeremiah 2:9) uses legal terms that represent God as pressing a lawsuit against his people for doing a totally unheard of thing, namely, they had deserted the true God and gone after Baal. Furthermore,

Jeremiah 48:21-25 — mentioned in this paragraph. "Holon… Mephaath" Neither of these cities has ever been identified. "Dibon… Nebo" See above comments on these. "Jahaz" This name occurs in several forms. It was the scene of Israel's triumph over Sihon (Numbers 21:23; Deuteronomy 2:32). The Moabite Stone reports that Israel possessed the town for awhile; but the city was in the hands of Moab in the times of Jeremiah.The New Bible Dictionary, p. 596. "Beth-diblathaim… Beth-gamul… Beth-meon" Peloubet's

Hosea 1:11 — Jesus Christ. "The Gentiles were adopted into the Church, which, at the Day of Pentecost, was formed of Jews and Gentiles become one in Christ."Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament, Minor Prophets, Vol 1 (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1937). p. 25. Not only were there Jews incorporated into the church on that occasion; but many Jews of the dispersion (the ten tribes) were also included (See James 1:1). Thus Jews who were the children of both Judah and of Israel were included among the very earliest

Matthew 10:32 — of the apostle Peter (Matthew 16:17-18) whom Jesus confessed then and there. From this it would appear that when any person confesses Christ and is buried with him in baptism (the two actions being considered together in such passages as Ephesians 5:26 (Goodspeed's translation)), Christ confesses those who have been born again in the presence of God and the angels. It is possible that such is precisely the occasion when the redeemed have their names written in the "Lamb's book of life"

Matthew 4:1 — because God does not tempt any man (James 1:13). However, the Holy Spirit did desire that Jesus' temptation should take place at this particular time. Jesus' two great temptations were this one in the wilderness and that in the Garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:42; Matthew 26:39); but he was tempted at other times (Luke 4:13), and perhaps at ALL times (Hebrews 2:18). Into the wilderness … Dummelow saw in this wilderness temptation a contrast to the temptation of the first Adam. "The temptation

John 20:14 — Saviour. And knew not that it was Jesus … What an insight is this into the fact of mankind's inability to recognize that which is best and highest; nor is this exceptional. The apostles "knew not that it was Jesus" at the sea of Tiberius (20:4); and all of the great leaders in Jerusalem "knew him not, nor the voices of the prophets which are read every sabbath, fulfilled them by condemning him" (Acts 13:27). And of men today, are we any more able than they to know him? Concerning

Acts 2:21 — City; but all of the Jews who became Christians were spared in that disaster; and as it was a type of the final judgment and overthrow of the world itself, Peter's message applied not merely to Israel who first heard it but to all men, as stated in Acts 2:39. Call upon … The word thus translated denotes far more than merely pronouncing the Lord's name (Matthew 7:21-22; Luke 6:46). It is used of being declared to be a dedicated person, as to the Lord, Acts 15:17…to invoke, to call upon for

Acts 3:14-15 — colossal proportions. Within a generation, an entire company of the most reprobate robbers infested Jerusalem, taking charge of the temple itself, and filling the Holy of Holies with dead bodies. This is fully discussed in my Commentary on Mark, Mark 13:2. The Prince of Life … This pleasing expression is actually a mistranslation, the true reading being "Author of Life Eternal." Alexander Campbell, op. cit., p. 22. McGarvey also supported this translation, pointing out that the word

Romans 15:3 — accommodating themselves to the weak are extremely petty and trivial. The apostle's use of the most exalted and supreme example of Christ for the enforcement of practical duty is characteristic of his writings, other examples being visible in 1 Corinthians 8:12 and Philippians 2:5-8. This appeal to Psalms 69 stamps that Psalm as Messianic, especially when it is remembered that no less than five other New Testament passages refer to it, these being John 15:25 which quotes Psalms 69:4, John 2:17 which quotes

Romans 2:5 — impenitent heart treasurest up for thyself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God. The day of … Thus Paul followed the teaching of the Saviour who made repeated reference to "the day of judgment" (Matthew 7:22; Matthew 11:22-24, etc.). Impenitent heart … shows the wrong response to God's goodness, the purpose of which was to lead men to repent, but which had been perverted by some who had accepted it as tacit approval of THEIR wickedness, and with

1 Corinthians 9:25 — crown, all others being sure to perish with time and using. This is the reward which is called "the crown of righteousness," which shall be bestowed upon the faithful by the Lord himself "at that day," that is, the judgment day (2 Timothy 4:8). It is the "crown of glory that fadeth not away," which shall be given to the redeemed "when the chief Shepherd shall be manifested" (1 Peter 5:4). It is the "crown of life" (Revelation 2:10). Throughout this

Ephesians 2:20 — and prophets … There are five foundations of the Christian faith mentioned in the New Testament: (1) The foundational teaching is composed of the teachings of Christ delivered through the apostles and prophets of the new dispensation (Matthew 7:24-26). (2) The foundational fact is that Jesus Christ is the Son of the living God (Matthew 16:13-20). (3) The foundation person is Jesus Christ our Lord (1 Corinthians 3:11). (4) The foundational personnel was made up of the apostles and prophets of

James 2:17 — Even so faith, if it have not works, is dead in itself. As Ward said, "Faith alone in James 2:24 and faith without works in James 2:26 correspond with what is said here." Ronald A. Ward, op. cit., p. 1228. Is dead in itself … The dead do not do anything, the same being analogous with trust/faith without works. But is this not equivalent

1 Peter 2:11 — beseech you as sojourners and pilgrims … Like the overture to a great opera which gathers the dominating strains of the whole production, these words suggest the tragedy that lies so close at hand. "These words, when compared with Psalms 39:12, Septuagint (LXX), from which Peter drew them, prepare for the description of distress which is to follow." A. J. Mason, op. cit., p. 405. For more comment on "sojourners," see under 1 Pet. 2:1:1. The word "pilgrim" means primarily,

2 Samuel 21:18-22 — Commentary, Revised, pp. 318, 319. Bearing in mind the admitted corruption evident in this chapter, the Christian should have no difficulty with the problem. There are a number of ways to resolve the matter: (1) The parallel account in 1 Chronicles 20:5 states that, "Elhanan… slew Lahmi the brother of Goliath." (2) Elhanan and David were names of the same individual, just as Solomon was also named Jedidiah (2 Samuel 12:24 d). (3) "It is also possible that Goliath was a name worn by more than