Bible Commentaries

Genesis 39:1 — Pharaoh's, the captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hand of the Ismaelites, that had brought him down thither." This important verse does a number of things: (1)    It shows that the Ismaelites and Midianites of Genesis 37 were the same group of traders. (2)    It gives more fully the status of Potiphar, captain of the guard, an office that also included the directorship of the prisons, the deputy of Potiphar also being called, the captain of the

Nehemiah 10 overview — THOSE WHO SEALED THE COVENANT; TERMS OF THE COVENANT This writer finds it impossible to believe the flat declaration of Bowman that, "Nehemiah 10:1-27 are interpolated,"The Interpreter's Bible, Vol. 3, p. 761. there being no historical evidence whatever of such a thing. The critical scholars seek to connect those verses with the Book of Ezra, but that notion is refuted absolutely by the fact that, of the families who returned (in the Book of Ezra),

Esther 2 overview — but it was still sinful, a rebellion against God that cried to high heaven for vengeance. Esther 2:16 tells us that Esther became queen in Xerxes' seventh year; and, as the great feast mentioned in the previous chapter was in his third year (Esther 1:3), we must understand a time lapse of some four years in between Esther 1 and Esther 2. During this period, Xerxes fought the Grecian war. Although the military expedition against Greece was principally concluded in the years 481-479 B.C.,Wycliffe Old

Leviticus 5 overview — in which sin-offerings were required are listed as follows: (1)    the failure to give testimony (Leviticus 5:1); (2)    incurring uncleanness by touching an unclean object or an unclean person (Leviticus 5:2-3); (3)    making a rash vow (Leviticus 5:4). The required sin-offering is outlined (Leviticus 5:5-6). Leviticus 5:7-13 are a kind of appendix in which special provisions were given for the benefit of persons wishing to comply with

Ezekiel 32 overview — FINAL CHAPTER AGAINST EGYPT WITH ORACLES (6) Ezekiel 32:1-16 AND (7) Ezekiel 32:17-32 This chapter has the final two of seven oracles against Egypt in Ezekiel 29-32. The first of these, Ezekiel 32:1-16 is a prophecy of the, "Monster of Egypt, caught, slain and devoured."Anton T. Pearson in Wycliffe Bible

Deuteronomy 5 overview — L. Alexander, The Pulpit Commentary, Deuteronomy (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1950), p. 84. Scott listed the so-called "differences" between the two as follows: (1) hortatory additions; (2) more definite and emphatic statement; (3) raising of wife's status; (4) humanitarian motive for observing sabbath; (5) additional incentive for honoring parents; and (6) the addition of "ox," "ass," "manservant," and "woman servant," to the list of Exodus 20:10.D. R. Scott, Abingdon Bible

Acts 24:5-8 — profane the temple: on whom also we laid hold: … from whom thou wilt be able, by examining him thyself, to take knowledge of all these things whereof we accuse him. Briefly stated: Paul was accused of being (1) a pest, (2) an insurrectionist, (3) a ringleader of the Nazarenes, and (4) one who had attempted to profane the temple. All these charges except No. 3 were unspecific, and even it was unsupported by any evidence whatever. "The weak part of Tertullus' case was that he produced no

Romans 2:25 — is implied, but also by the direct assertion of their own writers. Such assertions have been gathered in abundance from their own works by Eisenmenger, Shoettgen, and others. For example, Rabbi Menachem, in his commentary on the Book of Moses (folio 43, column 3), says, "Our Rabbis have said, that no circumcised man will see hell." <footnote8> Charles Hodge, op. cit., p. 64. Circumcision, as Paul discussed it here, refers to the rite itself, not to the whole law of which that rite

Romans 4:13 — earth. John Murray, The Epistle to the Romans (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1968), i. p. 142. The word "seed," as it is used of Abraham, has four distinct meanings. In the singular, it means Christ (Galatians 3:16); in the literal plural it means all the fleshly descendants of Abraham, those through Keturah and Hagar, as well as through Sarah; in the legal plural, it refers to the Jews, those who possessed the law of Moses; in the spiritual plural, it refers

1 Corinthians 15:47-50 — been made of the dust of the earth; but Christ had ever been with the Father. As Jesus expressed it, "I came forth and am from God" (John 8:42). And again, "I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world" (John 8:23). One can only marvel at the type of Scriptural illiteracy which cannot find the virgin birth in Paul, John and other portions of the New Testament. The earthy … All people bear the likeness of Adam (Genesis 5:3). THE NATURE OF THE RESURRECTION

1 Corinthians 2:1 — speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. Paul had been educated at Tarsus which Strabo preferred as a school of learning above either Alexandria or Athens, and also had been schooled "at the feet of Gamaliel" (Acts 22:3), the famed scholar in Jerusalem. "Paul was a university man, the outstanding scholar of his generation." Henry H. Halley, Bible Handbook (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1927), p. 545. Nevertheless, he despised the pedantry, superficiality

1 Corinthians 3:1 — Corinthians had been impressed by the pretentious claims of false teachers; but Paul in this chapter affirmed that "Their philosophical pretense was a sign of their spiritual infancy, produced faction, tended to destroy the church (1 Corinthians 3:17), and resulted in no permanent value (1 Corinthians 3:12-15)." Henry H. Halley, Bible Handbook (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing Company, 1927), p. 545. Speaking of such a false teacher, Macknight said, "He had represented Paul as either

Ephesians 1:7 — Testament passage which tells sinful people what it is, because it is clear enough that many are spurning the manner of being united with God "in Christ" through faith, repentance and submission to God's ordinance of baptism (1 Corinthians 12:13; Romans 6:3-5; Galatians 3:27). Redemption through his blood … The New Testament presents the blood of Jesus Christ as the purchase price of the church, the grounds of redemption and the great atonement (Acts 20:28; 1 Corinthians 6:20; 1 Peter

Philippians 4:8 — whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Finally … Paul had written this in Philippians 3:1; but as Caffin put it, "Again and again he prepares to close his epistle, but he cannot at once bid farewell to his beloved Philippians. B. C. Caffin, op. cit., p. 157. Thought control is clearly the practice Paul enjoined here. If people would

2 Timothy 3:16 — such a viewpoint has always been a mystery to this writer. The passages simply do not say the same thing. "The first of these renderings necessarily implies that there are some Scriptures which are not inspired"; A. C. Hervey, op. cit., p. 43. and, in context, it is impossible to suppose that Paul meant to imply that. All Scripture … In distinction from the "sacred writings" (2 Timothy 3:15), "all Scripture" here means everything which, through the testimony of

Hebrews 10:20 — way properly denotes the means of access through Christ by believers into the very presence of God. It was a NEW WAY because: (1) only recently, in the historical sense, had it been made available; (2) it was an essential feature of the new covenant; (3) it is never subject to change or decay, being thus eternally new; and it is a LIVING WAY because: (1) it is through the eternally living Saviour that access exists, not through blood of dead animals; (2) it leads to newness of life for them that travel

Hebrews 5:13-14 — may grow thereby unto salvation" (1 Peter 2:2). Paul used the same metaphor and extended it thus, "I fed you with milk, not with meat; for ye were not able to bear it; nay, not even now are ye able; for ye are yet carnal" (1 Corinthians 3:2-3). The metaphor of children and full-grown men is also used in Ephesians 4:13-14, where Paul admonished his readers to attain the stature of "full-grown men" and that they should be no longer "children." From the passage before

1 Peter 1:7 — precious than gold (though of course it is), but that the testing of it … was a much more important and valuable process than that of testing gold by fire. Albert Barnes, Notes on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1953), p. 116. Also inherent in this verse is the tremendous fact itself, that faith is more precious than fine gold, the reason for this, as pointed out by Zerr, being that: Even while the earth remains, the joys that gold may procure for us are uncertain

2 Peter 1:3 — the fact that all subsequent "revelations" so-called, are relegated to the status of not pertaining to life and godliness. The very fact of the saving knowledge delivered through the apostles being complete (as Paul also said in 2 Timothy 3:17), effectually denies the need of any subsequent information bearing upon life and godliness. In the light of this truth, what must be thought of the claims of a Mary Baker Eddy or Joseph Smith, or of any others claiming to add anything to the word

Jude 1:4 — intrusion from without."Alfred Plummer, op. cit., p. 509. Whatever had been their beginnings, the evil men were at that time "ungodly," a favorite word with Jude. The Greek word [@asebeia] (ungodly) "is found 4 times in Romans , 3 times in Timothy and Titus , 1 time in 1 Peter , 2 times in 2 Peter, and 6 times in Jude."Delbert R. Rose, op. cit., p. 432. "They had corrupted the concept of the grace of God so as to make it a cover for blatant immorality."Ibid.