Bible Commentaries

Psalms 128:5-6 — faithful study of the Bible. "Thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem all the days of thy life" "The man who fears the Lord is a man whose happiness is imperfect unless he can see also the prosperity of Jerusalem."The Interpreter's Bible, op. cit., p. 673. "All the days of thy life" There is more than a hint here that the God-fearing man will have a long life, a truth which is confirmed in the following verse. To be sure, "time and circumstance happen unto all men"; and there must, of course, be exceptions

Isaiah 64:9 — thee, we are all thy people." Isaiah's great prayer here is a model in many respects; but like all language, there is a line in it that might have been misunderstood, especially by the wicked majority of Israel. That line is the last clause of Isaiah 64:9. "We are ALL thy people" While true enough if understood as an assertion that all of us are created by God, it is a serious error for it to be construed that "all of the nation of the Jews" were God's people. That, however, was exactly the way the

Jeremiah 13:22-24 — scatter them, as the stubble that passeth away, by the wind of the wilderness." "For the greatness of thine iniquity" This is God's blunt answer to the question of why? all these things happened to Israel. "Thy skirts uncovered" See under Jeremiah 13:26. below, for comment on this. "Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots" A negative answer is required for both of these questions; and the meaning is simply that it is too late for Israel to change her ways. She has persistently wallowed

Hosea 12:11 — "Is Gilead iniquity? they are altogether false; in Gilgal they sacrifice bullocks; yea, their altars are as heaps in the furrows of the field." "Gilead" is mentioned in Hosea 6:8 and was one of the places in Israel associated with wickedness and false worship. Altars and shrines devoted to the bull-gods had been multiplied there, and this verse pronounces a judgment against them. "Is Gilead iniquity…?" This is a sarcastic

Hosea 13:9 — responsible for, their own everlasting destruction; and, not only was this true of ancient Israel, it is likewise true of all today who choose to follow the ways of vanity and wickedness. "The word for `destruction' here is used by the writer of Genesis 6:17; Genesis 9:15 with reference to the Flood with its utter and complete destruction."Jacob M. Myers, op. cit., p. 65. "Although there are textual problems here, the meaning is clear: by rebelling against the God who was always willing to help his people,

Hosea 5:15 — taught that God was, in any sense, restricted to some particular location. The continuation of the metaphor in this verse (from Hosea 5:14) also nullifies the findings of those scholars who would like to disconnect it from Hosea 5, and put it in Hosea 6. It is exactly where it belongs. McKeating objected, saying, "Hos. 15 does not follow naturally on Hosea 5:14, but makes a good introduction to the little psalm in Hosea 6:1-3."Henry McKeating, op. cit., p. 108. Harper also failed to see the lion returning

Micah 1:4 — as wax before the fire, as waters that are poured down a steep place." The geophysical disturbance of the whole earth is repeatedly mentioned in both the Old Testament and the New Testament as accompaniments of the final judgment day. See Revelation 6:14 ff; Revelation 11:19; Revelation 16:17-21, etc. The mention of such phenomena here definitely indicated that the judgment about to be executed against Samaria and Jerusalem is typical of that ultimate judgment upon all mankind, hence the propriety

Matthew 12:38 — a group who had already accused Jesus of being in league with the devil and who had already seen signs aplenty; but in this case, they were demanding a sign of their own choosing. Luke stated that they sought a "sign from heaven" (Luke 11:16). By that, they no doubt meant some spectacular wonder without moral value but which would appeal sensationally to a man's curiosity. Christ always rejected that type of sign, as, for example, when he refused to jump from the pinnacle of the temple

Deuteronomy 1:3-8 — rebellious generation to die, and this, of course, gave the citizens of Canaan time to fortify themselves and improve their strength greatly before the delayed confrontation with Israel actually took place. Some lost opportunities never return. Deuteronomy 1:6 is actually the beginning of the first address featured in Deuteronomy. It extends to Deuteronomy 4:40 and is divided from the second address by Deuteronomy 4:41-49. THE FIRST DISCOURSE (Deuteronomy 1:6 to Deuteronomy 4:40) The subject matter of this

Mark 10:15-16 — the New Testament. And, as for the allegation that sprinkling and pouring are permissible "forms" of Christian baptism, such is denied by every text bearing on this question in the whole New Testament. See my Commentary on Hebrews, Hebrews 6; also my Commentary on Romans, Romans 6. And he took them in his arms and blessed them … This verse is peculiar to Mark; but it is no basis for the fulsome comments which refer to this as "a matchless touch," proving of course that

Mark 14:63 — presence! Rent his clothes … This was unlawful for the high priest to do. God had specifically commanded even Aaron and his sons: Uncover not your heads, neither rend your clothes, lest ye die, and lest wrath come upon all the people (Leviticus 10:6). As Bickersteth said: Some of the Fathers think that by this action Caiaphas involuntarily typified the rending of the priesthood from himself and from the Jewish nation.E. Bickersteth, The Pulpit Commentary (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing

Luke 1:5 — 4 B.C.; but his actual control of the country dates from 37 B.C.Encyclopedia Britannica, Vol. 11, p. 510. The event narrated here occurred in either 7 B.C. or 5 B.C., depending upon the exact date assigned to the birth of our Lord. Dummelow favored 6 B.C.,J. R. Dummelow, op. cit., p. 627. and Boles 4 B.C.H. Leo Boles, Commentary on Matthew (Nashville: Gospel Advocate Company, 1936), p. 36. The reckoning of time from the birth of Christ began a long time after the event of his birth, the error

Luke 10:13-14 — human understanding. Obviously, there shall be many surprises in the judgment. J. W. McGarvey pointed out that "When the time came for evangelizing the Gentiles, Tyre and Sidon accepted the gospel and verified the words of this text (Acts 21:3-6; Acts 27:3).J. W. McGarvey, Commentary on Matthew (Delight, Arkansas: The Gospel Light Publishing Company), p. 100. For more on Tyre and Sidon, see in my Commentary on Mark, under Mark 7:24. In sackcloth and ashes … Clothing oneself in the coarsest

Luke 9:1-6 — your feet for a testimony against them. And they departed, and went through the villages, preaching the Gospel, and healing everywhere. SENDING FORTH OF THE TWELVE Both Matthew and Mark record this preaching mission of the Twelve (Matthew 10:5 ff; Mark 6:7 ff); and despite the fact of Luke's narrative partially following Mark's order, it actually is unlike both the others, indicating the independence of the sacred authors. There is more than a mere possibility that Jesus sent forth the Twelve twice,

John 1:39 — statement, coupled with the information that it was about the tenth hour, it has been supposed that John was here using the Roman method of counting time, thus making it about 10:00 A.M. when this occurred. The Jews numbered the hours of the day from 6:00 A.M., and by their method of reckoning, the tenth hour would have been 4:00 P.M.; and it would appear inappropriate to refer to the time remaining as "that day." The significant thing to note in this place, however, is the fact that the

John 3:23 — the whole body beneath the water."J. W. Shepherd, Handbook on Baptism (Nashville: The Gospel Advocate Company, 1950) p. 91. As Lightfoot said: There are some passages that seem to carry a color of conformity of the one to the other: at Matthew 3:6, "They were baptized of John in Jordan"; Matthew 3:16, "Jesus came straight out of the water"; Acts 8:38, "the eunuch went down into the water"; and the words in hand, "John baptized in Aenon because there was much

Romans 10:16 — the New Testament; and several of these are here cited (from Young's Analytical Concordance) in order to show what is meant by the apostle in this verse: The winds and the sea obey him (Matthew 8:27). Children obey your parents in the Lord (Ephesians 6:1). Servants obey in all things your masters (Colossians 3:22). That obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus (1 Thessalonians 1:8). Even as Sarah obeyed Abraham (1 Peter 3:6). Abraham, when he was called to go … obeyed (Hebrews 11:8). Our translators

1 John 1:8 — If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we say that we have no sin … This is the second false claim John refuted, the first being that of 1 John 1:6. Here the error is that of claiming inherent sinlessness, perfection, the absence of any need of cleansing through the blood of Christ. Such a claim is capable of deceiving the claimant, but not anyone else! Despite the effrontery of such a proposition,

1 Samuel 14:16-23 — some scholars prefer that reading. It appears to us that Willis is correct in his observation that, "Saul's bringing the ark from Kiriath-jearim to Gibeah in a time of crisis is no more out of harmony with the statements in 1 Samuel 7:2 and in 2 Samuel 6:2 than David's taking the ark out of the tent he had made for it (2 Samuel 6:17), so that it could accompany Joab and his army in the siege and conquest of Rabbah (2 Samuel 11:11)."Ibid., p. 143. "Withdraw your hand" Saul was here in the process of

2 Samuel 8:3-8 — gold which were carried by the servants of Hadadezer, and brought them to Jerusalem. And from Beta and from Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, King David took very much bronze." "Hadadezer" This is the same person who is called Hadarezer (in 2 Samuel 10:16 in some versions) and throughout Chronicles. "David hamstrung all the chariot horses" This was the greatest damage that could be done to a hostile military force, rendering their horses unserviceable. This was cruelty of a most contemptible kind; and