Bible Commentaries

Psalms 89:19-28 — perfectly fulfills them all in his spiritual kingdom."C. M. Miller, co-author with Anthony L. Ash, p. 310. But, of course, Israel never had the slightest understanding of the true meaning of all this. CONCERNING THE DYNASTY "In this section (Psalms 89:28-37), the psalmist extended the application of 2 Samuel 7 to David's line of successors. The words here are principally a poetical paraphrase of 2 Samuel 7:14."Alexander Maclaren, Vol. II, p. 497. The application of the prophecy in 2 Samuel 7 was elaborated

Isaiah 60:1-3 — Dummelow's Commentary, p. 450. We must not be deceived by the literal language of this chapter, "Which is that of the Old Testament ordinances and of the literal Jerusalem; it will need translating into the terms of the `Jerusalem above' (Galatians 4:26)… and also of the radiant city of heaven (Revelation , 21)."The New Bible Commentary, Revised, p. 621. "Darkness shall cover the earth" The birth of Christ did indeed occur at a time of universal spiritual darkness of the human race. (1) The

Jeremiah 49:23-27 — these cities, which Sennacherib had destroyed, and from this warned Hezekiah and Jerusalem not to trust in Jehovah (Isaiah 36:18). Hamath marked the farthest extent of the Solomonic empire, which was mentioned as having been restored by Jeroboam I (2 Kings 14:25). This ruthless, pagan city fully deserved the judgment of God pronounced upon then. One of their most intolerable sins was their slaughter of the people of Gilead with "threshing instruments of iron" (Amos 1:3). This happened during the

Jeremiah 5:14-18 — are given here. (1) It is an ancient nation, which excludes the Scythians and points squarely at Babylon. Ash, quoting Herodotus, called the Scythians, "The youngest of the nations."Anthony L. Ash, Psalms (Abilene, Texas: A.C.U. Press, 1987), p. 78. (2) The other clue comes from the words "mighty nation," rendered "enduring nation" by Ash. "These words describe Babylon, not the Scythians."Ibid. Feinberg listed the earmarks of Babylonian identity here as: (1) distant, (2) ancient, (3) enduring, (4)

Daniel 5:25-28 — is not available The words could be pointed in two different directions, thus making two different meanings of the passage possible. The two meanings are (1) "a mina, a mina, a half shekel (Tekel = shekel), and half minas."Footnote is not available (2) The other meaning is that given in the passage above. Keil noted, however that "divided" in the meaning of PERES does not mean merely, cut in two. "The word means to divide into pieces or to dissolve the kingdom."Footnote is not available We would

Amos 7:8 — denunciation uttered by the prophet were not his words at all, but the words of the true God of Israel. "A plumb-line in the midst of my people Israel" This was an ominous promise: "The plumb-line was used not only in building, but in destroying houses (2 Kings 21:13, Isaiah 28:17; Isaiah 34:11, and Lamentations 2:8). It denotes that God's judgments are measured out by the most exact rules of justice."Robert Jamieson, Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House,

Micah 1 overview — This and the following chapter (2) which are grouped together in the sacred text have the record of the word of the Lord through Micah; and, since this section has a prophecy of the approaching destruction of Samaria, that part of it must surely have originated in the times of Jotham king of Judah, that doubtless being the reason for Micah's inclusion of that king in the superscription.

Habakkuk 1:2 — of Habakkuk. True followers of the Lord "are in danger of being unduly depressed and disheartened by the rising power of the mystery of iniquity."H. A. Ironside, Notes on the Minor Prophets (Neptune, New Jersey: Loizeaux Brothers, reprint, 1909), p. 278. Taylor expressed doubt that the extensive wickedness indicated in this verse could have been descriptive of wickedness in Judah prior to 600 B.C., alleging at the same time that it points to a period of 333-63 B.C.!Charles L. Taylor, Jr., Interpreter's

Zechariah 1:1 — Rinehart and Winston), p. 37 (Ant. 1:3:3). It corresponds to our October-November and was a rainy season. Darius was Darius the Great, grandson of Cyrus the Great who issued the decree for the end of the captivity. His second year is identified as 520 B.C. This was only about two months after Haggai issued his prophecy. Came the word of Jehovah" A number of Old Testament books begin with this statement, including: Hosea, Joel, Jonah, Zephaniah, Micah, etc. This is an affirmation of Zechariah's authority

Zechariah 13 overview — The Christian dispensation continues to be the focus of the revelation in this brief chapter. This is indicated by the triple recurrence of "in that day" (Zechariah 13:1-2; Zechariah 13:4), by Peter's indication that part of the chapter applies to Christians (Zechariah 13:9), and by Jesus' own identification of himself with the smitten Shepherd (Zechariah 13:7). Part of Zechariah 13:5-6 are difficult of interpretation.

Matthew 6:6 — But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thine inner chamber, and having shut thy door, pray to thy Father who is in secret, and thy Father who seeth in secret shall recompense thee. (2) The best place for prayer is characterized by secrecy, privacy, and quietness. The secret place, the private room, the inner chamber, the shut door — these are the best situations in which acceptable prayer may be offered.

Mark 6 overview — Events related in Mark 6 are: (1) rejection of Jesus at Nazareth (Mark 6:1-6); (2) sending forth of the Twelve (Mark 6:7-13); (3) the beheading of John the Baptist (Mark 6:14-29); (4) the feeding of the five thousand (Mark 6:30-44); (5) walking on the sea (Mark 6:45-52); and (6) preaching and healing in Gennesaret (Mark 6:53-56).

Luke 24:27 — very large number of the glorious prophecies fulfilled in Jesus our Lord. Spence has suggested the following as having probably been included in the interpretations given by the Lord: The promise to Eve (Genesis 3:15) The promise to Abraham (Genesis 22:18) The Paschal lamb (Exodus 12) The scapegoat (Leviticus 16:1-34) The greater Prophet (Deuteronomy 18:15) The star and scepter (Numbers 24:17) Immanuel (Isaiah 7:14) "Unto us a child is born" (Isaiah 9:6) The Good Shepherd (Isaiah 40:10-11) The

Acts 14:3 — wonders to be done by their hands. It was the extensive Gentile character of Iconium which resulted in the "signs and wonders" God performed there by the hands of the apostles, thus "confirming the word" as had been promised (Mark 16:20). In situations more completely Jewish, such "signs of an apostle" (2 Corinthians 12:12; Romans 15:18) were not necessary. The Jews already professed to receive the Scriptures as the word of God; but the Gentiles knew nothing of the Scriptures,

Acts 21:26 — to about 58 A.D. These journeys established a large number of Gentile congregations throughout a large portion of the Roman Empire and proved the amazing success of the Lord's great apostle to the Gentile world. During this period, Galatians , 1 and 2 Corinthians , 1 and 2 Thessalonians, and Romans had been written and sent on their way through history. In a real sense, these eight years were crucial to the spread of Christianity throughout the world.

Acts 26:7 — that "A great part of the ten tribes had at various times returned to their country," John Wesley, Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House), in loco. Anna, for example, having been of the tribe of Asher (Luke 2:36). Concerning this hope … refers to the hope of the resurrection of the dead as proved by the resurrection of Christ. In fact Paul made our Lord's resurrection to be the only sure proof of that hope; and, as Milligan said, "He taught that

Philippians 2:5 — Have this mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. As Wesley said, "From this verse to Philippians 2:11, Paul presents the great renunciation of Christ as the supreme example of the unselfishness to which he has exhorted the Philippians in Philippians 2:4." John Wesley, op. cit., in loco. Have this mind in you … This is one of eight Scriptural

Hebrews 11:16 — is spoken of as already done. Another example is "I loved him and called my son out of Egypt" (Hosea 11:1). Speaking of the same city mentioned here, long centuries afterward, Jesus said, "I go to prepare a place for you" (John 14:2). That the city of the redeemed, mentioned by Jesus, and the one mentioned here as the inheritance of the patriarchs, are only one city, and not two, is evident from Luke 13:28 ff. God's not being ashamed of his servants is, of course, contingent upon

1 Peter 1:9 — but a present reference," Stephen W. Paine, op. cit., p. 970. thus making the salvation to be that which they already had. Of course, this harmonizes with the view in Acts that those who were "being saved" were added to the church (Acts 2:47). There was surely a sense in which Peter's addressees were already saved, that is, from "their old sins," as Peter explained in 2 Peter 1:9. Even the salvation of your souls … Dummelow pointed out that "the Greek has no word

2 Samuel 13 overview — THE SWORD COMES TO DAVID'S HOUSE Following David's adultery with Bathsheba and his wholesale murder of eighteen men including her husband Uriah, the prophet Nathan had warned David of God's punishments that would ensue, declaring that, "Therefore the sword shall never depart from your house" (2 Samuel 12:10). In this chapter, the sword of God's judgment fell upon David's first-born son and heir apparent to his throne.