Bible Commentaries

Job 2:7-10 — and Gray, like many others, identified the disease as Elephantiasis,International Critical Commentary, Job, p. 23. basing their conclusion upon many symptoms of the disease mentioned subsequently in the Book of Job, such as, his fetid breath (Job 19:17), maggots breeding in the sores (Job 7:5), the falling off of the skin (Job 30:30), feelings of terror (Job 3:25; 6:40), terrible dreams and horrible nightmares (Job 7:14), a sensation of strangulation (Job 7:15), and disfiguration of his appearance

Psalms 97:1-2 — course concerns the First Advent, when God's visitation of our sinful earth was indeed a matter of good news and universal rejoicing. It will not be so at the Second Advent, because then, "All the tribes of the earth will mourn over him" (Revelation 1:7). The greatest glory of the human race is simply this: "The Dayspring from on High has visited us, to shine upon them that sit in darkness and the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace" (Luke 1:78-79). "Clouds and darkness are

Psalms 97:3-6 — passage is a prophecy of the Second Advent of Christ in the Judgment of the whole earth. An apostle has warned us that, "The heavens and the earth which now are, are stored up for fire against the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men (2 Peter 3:7). "The earth saw and trembled" The Final Judgment is an appointment that shall be universally attended, with no absentees whatever. This thought is reiterated in Psalms 97:6, where "all the peoples" are depicted as seeing God's glory. The "trembling,"

Proverbs 20:27 — "The spirit of man is the lamp of Jehovah, Searching all his innermost parts." "The word `spirit' here is from the literal Hebrew word `breath'; and it refers to that "breath of life" which God breathed into mankind in the person of Adam (Genesis 2:7)."The Interpreter's Bible, op. cit., p. 899. It is that which distinguishes man from an animal. "It is the equivalent of conscience, God's lamp, that searches out the innermost recesses of a man's heart."Ibid. This is a very important verse. "It stands

Isaiah 3:4-7 — weakness, and ignorance of the people that will be elevated to places of authority as the decline of Israel continues. Verse 5 speaks of the arrogant rejection of authority and the utter disregard of God's law concerning respect for the aged. Isaiah 3:6-7 speak of a state of wretchedness in the continued ruin of Israel in which men would be offered high authority for no better reason than their having possession of a coat; but the ruin of the kingdom was so complete that no one wanted to be charged with

Isaiah 43:1-7 — not back; and bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the end of the earth; everyone that is called by my name, and whom I have created for my glory, whom I have formed, yea, whom I have made." "The comfort and encouragement here (Isaiah 43:1-7) is to the pious."E. Henderson, The Book of the Prophet Isaiah (London: Hamilton, Adams, and Co., 1857), p. 341. Let it also be noted that the promises here are for "everyone that is called by" the name of God (Isaiah 43:7), a qualification that existed

Isaiah 55:1-3 — mercies of David." "Everyone that thirsteth" "It is not improbable that Jesus had his eye on this very passage when he pronounced the blessing upon those who hunger and thirst after righteousness (Matthew 5:6)."Albert Barnes' Commentary, Vol. II, p. 297. The great misunderstanding here is simply that of supposing that the wonderful blessings of the grace and mercy of God are unconditional! Another error is that of limiting the conditions to conform to human theories of salvation, as did Archer: "The

Ezekiel 37:7-10 — prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceeding great army." EZEKIEL PROPHESIES AS COMMANDED "There was no breath in them" Like the great miracle in God's creation of Adam (Genesis 2:7), this one also was in two phases; the breathing of the "breath of life" appears as a separate action in both instances. "Prophesy unto the wind" "The Hebrew word [~ruwach] is translated `wind' (KJV), `spirit,' (Revised Standard Version margin), and

Amos 2:1 — to the point of violating the corpse, is a mark of peculiar hatred and particularly offensive to the common conscience of mankind.Henry McKeating, Cambridge Bible Commentary, The Books of Amos, Hosea, and Micah (Cambridge: At the University Press, 1971), p. 19. Unrestrained hatred will not stop with death. Wycliffe's bones were dug up and burned 44 years after he died."Ralph A. Smith, Beacon Bible Commentary, Vol. 7 (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1972), p. 95. History reveals nothing whatever regarding

Habakkuk 3:9 — earth with rivers." The Hebrew text is difficult here; but it is not safe to follow RSV and other versions which, "attempting to correct the text (by emending it), make it speak of the power of the divine judgment."L. E. H. Stephens-Hodge, op. cit., p. 772. "Thy bow was made quite bare" The figure is that of taking a bow out of its carrying case, thus readying it for action. Another similar figure is, "He hath bent his bow and made it ready" (Psalms 7:12). "The oaths to the tribe were a sure word" This

Zechariah 13:3 — duty to God (Luke 14:26)."Matthew Henry, Commentary, Zechariah, p. 1465. What is taught here is that, "Merciless extermination should be the fate of all such deceivers."H. C. Leupold, Exposition of Zechariah (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1971), p. 247. "These are actually men in the service of God's enemy, a foreign spirit, who would lead people to a false and unclean worship."John D. W. Watts, Beacon Bible Commentary, Vol. 7 (Nashville, Tennessee: Broadman Press, 1972), p. 359.

Zechariah 7:8-9 — critical scholars to the effect that this or that passage is an interpolation, or that it belongs in another place, or that some later editor placed it. The words of Leupold are profoundly true with regard to such things: "Statements such as Zechariah 7:8 should not be classed as interpolations as the critics do. If redactors shifted about phrases such as these in a rather arbitrary manner, the current Old Testament text would have lost all right to serious consideration. Then, the current text could

Matthew 20:8 — of the day; and it may be dogmatically assumed that any who abandoned work earlier received nothing at all for their labors. It corresponds to Bible teaching that these men were paid at the end of the day (see Deuteronomy 24:15; Leviticus 19-13; Job 7:2; Malachi 3:5; James 5:4).

Matthew 25:35-36 — all-important consideration; and as he pointed out a moment later, that relationship turns altogether upon the treatment of his disciples. Just as in the case of Saul of Tarsus his persecution of the church amounted to his persecution of Christ (Acts 22:7), so, in all ages, the treatment of the Lord's followers shall be the basis of determining one's relationship to their Head, which is Christ. What is done to Christ's followers is done to him. What is done to his church is done to him. Those who think

Matthew 26:65 — basis of his answer, was not from the mere claim that he was the Messiah. It was not a capital offense to claim to be the Messiah; but it was, for making himself the DIVINE MESSIAH, as they viewed it; this led to the charge of blasphemy. In John 19:7, "We have a law, and by that law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God!" (Leviticus 24:16). Commentaries are filled with dissertations on the violations of accepted judicial procedure committed by that august body in its

Matthew 7:23 — And they will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. In Matthew 7:22, above, "that day" obviously refers to the judgment; and in this verse Christ claims for himself the right to consign men to banishment from his holy presence. The entire tone and tenor of this sermon is predicated on the assumption that

Matthew 9:27 — that the Messiah had indeed appeared in the person of Jesus Christ. Matthew alone recorded this incident. From various Old Testament passages, it is clear that blindness is a type of sin (See Deuteronomy 28:29; Isaiah 59:10; Job 12:25; Zephaniah 1:17; Isaiah 29:8; also Ephesians 5:8; and Matthew 15:14). A number of examples of Jesus' restoring sight to the blind are recorded and were prophetically included as a positive mark of the Messiah's power when he should be revealed. Isaiah said of the Messiah

Deuteronomy 9:6-10 — pointed out the following references to their rebellions, etc:Bruce Oberst, Deuteronomy (Joplin: College Press, 1968), p. 146. (a)    Stiff-necked, Deuteronomy 9:6; Deuteronomy 9:13 (b)    Rebellious, Deuteronomy 9:7; Deuteronomy 9:23-24 (c)    Corrupted themselves, Deuteronomy 9:12 (d)    Provoked Jehovah to wrath, Deuteronomy 9:7-8; Deuteronomy 9:22 (e)    Believed not God, Deuteronomy 9:23 (f)    "Sinned"

Mark 12:17 — at him. Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's … is the basis of the Christian's concept of the state and his obligations to the secular government. The principle uttered here by the Lord was elaborated by the apostles in Romans 13:1-7; 1 Timothy 2:1-6; and 1 Peter 2:13-17. For an essay on "The Christian's Relation to the State," see my Commentary on Romans, Romans 13. And unto God the things that are God's … This is a higher theater of obligation; and the Christian

Luke 17:30 — the Son of man is revealed. Harrison pointed out that "Both in the case of Noah, and that of Lot, God's people were taken away from the scene of Judgment before it occurred."Everett F. Harrison, Wycliffe Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1971), p. 249. Paul indicated that the same will be the case with Christians when the final Disaster falls (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). Other analogies which we are perhaps justified in drawing are: (1) faith will virtually have ceased on earth; (2) men