Bible Commentaries

Exodus 12:29-30 — about those houses were there were not any first-born! Such quibbles disappear in the light of the usage in all languages in which major proportions of anything are commonly referred to by the word "all." See my commentary on Matthew (at Matthew 3:5-6) for a discussion of the Biblical use of hyperbole, and also other N.T. examples of it. This tenth and final plague accomplished all that God had said concerning it. Pharaoh did indeed at last let the people go. he even sent for Moses and Aaron whom

Exodus 22:25-27 — passage which may well be valid. They give as an alternative reading for the words "with thee that is poor," making it to read, "even when poverty is with thee."Rabbi Shmelke of Nikolsburg, Wellsprings of the Torah, Vol. I (New York: The Judaic Press, 1969), p. 157. The meaning of this is: "Even if you yourself are short of money, you must still set aside part of what you have for the poor."Ibid. Is it wrong to charge interest on loans today? With regard to "loans" made to brothers in Christ, as a matter

2 Kings 6:1-7 — had not been able to recover it, he would have been unable to replace it. After the brutal custom of the times, he could have been sold into slavery for such a trivial debt. Oh yes! Amos mentioned those who "sold the poor for a pair of shoes" (Amos 2:6). God's honoring the willingness of Elisha to recover that axe-head demonstrates God's care for the concerns of the poor. As Jesus said, "Blessed are ye poor, for yours is the kingdom of heaven" (Luke 6:20). The mercy and tenderness of the love of God

1 Chronicles 8:29-40 — Benjamin's loyalty to David and his dynasty."The New Bible Commentary, Revised, p. 374. Also it appears that special attention was given to the line of David's friend Jonathan. It is impossible to harmonize this with the parallel list in 1 Chronicles 7:6-12; and some scholars have believed that list to be a "corrupted genealogy of Zebulun and Dan."Ibid., p. 375. All of the names given thus far in Chronicles belonged to persons of pre-exilic Israel, "The first verse of the following chapter (1 Chronicles

Psalms 23:5-6 — sheep. We show forth the Lord's death till he come. The Lord himself is with us in the assembly; and there are onlookers. Our enemies are also looking on! The table spread telling forth his conquering love is the Table of Victory."Arno C. Gaebelein, p. 116. No, we cannot claim that any of this is foretold here; but the description of the Good Shepherd fits the Lord perfectly. The marvelous assurance of this psalm is the Old Testament equivalent of Romans 8:31-39. McCaw pointed out that the imagery of

Psalms 35:1-10 — foes has no expression of secret malice against Saul; for he had spared Saul's life. It is a plea for the visible demonstration of essential righteousness."The New Bible Commentary, Revised, p. 472. The mention of the angel of Jehovah in Psalms 35:5-6 is of interest because "Only here and in the preceding Psalms 34,"H. C. Leupold, p. 287. is this mighty being mentioned in the entire catalogue of the Psalms. "My soul shall be joyful… my bones shall say" "`My soul,' and `my bones,' are two emphatic

Psalms 57:1-5 — be overpast" "The word here rendered `calamities' may also be translated as `wickednesses,' or `malignities.' That they would indeed pass the psalmist was certain; but what he needed was support while they endured."The Pulpit Commentary, Vol. 8-B, p. 6. "Unto God who performeth all things for me" "This indicates that already the psalmist's confidence in God's deliverance begins to be felt."H. C. Leupold, p. 432. Perhaps this confidence may spring in part from the titles of God here, which are "[~'Elohiym],

Song of Solomon 6:4-10 — the events covered by this Song took place early in Solomon's reign, at a time when he had only threescore queens and fourscore concubines.C. F. Keil, Keil-Delitzsch's Old Testament Commentaries (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company), Vol. 6d, p. 111. Others have supposed that the author was some other than Solomon; and Carr also denied that this is actually a reference to Solomon. "No particular harem is being considered."GKC, p. 148 Solomon is clearly meant; and one may find the balance

Song of Solomon 7:1-9 — to human nature and is absolutely unsupported by anything in the Bible. The attitude which is characteristic of women involved in a polygamous situation is represented by the hatred of Sarah for Hagar, and that of Penninah toward Hannah (1 Samuel 1:1-6). "The king is held captive in the tresses (of her hair)" The use of the third person here is not a denial that the king is the speaker. Monarchs frequently spoke of themselves in the third person. Whatever may be correct regarding the first five verses

Isaiah 40:9-11 — the lambs in his arms, and carry them in his bosom, and will gently lead them that have their young." The repetition of the same thought in successive clauses, as in Isaiah 40:9, "is quite in the manner of Isaiah."The Pulpit Commentary, Vol. 10b, p. 67. Some scholars seem to be troubled here by the use of a feminine pronoun in "Thou that tellest good tidings to Zion." But the solution proposed by Archer appears to us as correct. "Jerusalem, the Holy City (The New Jerusalem that cometh down out of

Isaiah 48:16 — of the first section; but due to its importance we shall discuss it separately. The fact of the obvious prophecy of the Son of God as having been sent to our world by the Father certainly identifies it as among the "new things" mentioned in Isaiah 48:6. And, like almost every other prophecy of Christ in the Old Testament, it is subject to all kinds of interpretations. Calvin and many other scholars have seen it as a prophecy of the sending of Isaiah. Barnes agreed with this, stating that, "The scope

Isaiah 57:5-8 — yourselves" "This describes the excitement that attended the orgies which accompanied the celebration of heathen rites."J. R. Dummelow's Commentary, p. 448. "The `memorial' of Isaiah 57:8 was probably a phallic symbol."Peake's Commentary Series, p. 469. "Shall I be appeased for these things?" This is a positive statement made in the form of a question which is common in Hebrew; and it has the meaning of, "I will certainly not be appeased for these things." Notice the reference in Isaiah 57:7 to the

Zechariah 3:9 — anything except another metaphor of the Son of God. The fact of the stone's having "seven eyes" seals the matter; for anything with eyes is alive; and that identifies this stone as "the living Stone," hailed by the apostles as Jesus Christ (1 Peter 2:6-9; Romans 9:32-33). (For extensive discussion of Christ as the Living Stone, see my commentary on Romans, pp. 352-357.) Some have read the word "eyes" as "facets," alleging that the verse should read, "a single stone with seven facets."Hinckley G. Mitchell,

Malachi 3:16 — need a literal book, or anyone to write in it. The thought here is quite similar to that in passages which mention the "book of Life." The thought of God's keeping his records in a book occurs in several Old Testament passages (Exodus 32:32-33; Psalms 69:28; Psalms 86:6; and Daniel 12:1). "But only Malachi calls it a book of remembrance."Joyce G. Baldwin, op. cit., p. 249. Keil thought the metaphor here is founded, "On the custom of the Persians, of having the names of those who deserved the king's

Deuteronomy 8:11-16 — who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not; that he might humble thee, and that he might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end." "Beware lest thou forget Jehovah thy God" (Deuteronomy 8:11). (See under Deuteronomy 6:12 for discussion of this warning, a warning which occurs several times in Deuteronomy. The warning in this paragraph is, "that luxury and ease could blunt the edge of Israel's awareness of God.Meredith G. Kline, op. cit., p. 166. "Wealth is likely

Luke 23:38 — the Sanhedrin, was another instance of the wrath of man praising God; because it was highest truth that Jesus of Nazareth was King of the Jews, the only rightful king they ever had, even the ancient monarchy being contrary to God's will (1 Samuel 8:6-9).

John 9:39 — spiritually blind. Thus he came to make the blind see and the seeing blind! In these words, Christ indicated his fulfillment of two classes of prophecies, those stating that the Messiah would bring "recovering of sight to the blind" (Isaiah 61:1 f), and those stating that certain of the Israelites would be blinded spiritually, "And seeing ye shall see, and shall in no wise perceive" (Isaiah 6:9-10). See more on judicial hardening in my Commentary on Romans, p. 376. For judgment

Hebrews 3:7-11 — tragic, and the tendency to procrastination so universal, that action is demanded now, today. One steals who presumes upon tomorrow; tomorrow belongs to God; "Behold now is the acceptable time; behold now is the day of salvation" (2 Corinthians 6:2). The statement of Paul underlines the fact that life does not come to people a day at a time, but a moment at a time; hence, NOW is the day of salvation. And why today? (1) People have waited long enough already. (2) There may never be a tomorrow

Judges 13:2-7 — reader know from the first the true identity of the Angel of Jehovah, although Manoah does not catch on to this until later in the narrative. "The child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb" The Mosaic Law concerning Nazarites is found in Numbers 6, but the rules given there apply to persons taking the Nazarite vow for a limited number of days or weeks. These were called `Nazarites of days.' A Nazarite for life was called a perpetual Nazarite, of which class Samuel, Samson and John the Baptist

1 Samuel 15:10-16 — have made Saul king" God's repentance is a far different thing from that of men. God does not change; but when men change, their standing with God is reversed; and that is what is meant here. "And it repented the Lord that he had made man" (Genesis 6:6 KJV). This is an accurate statement because it reflects the location of the change, not in God, but in men. "And Samuel was angry, and he cried to God all night" The same words for being angry are found in Jonah 4:1; and it is clear that Samuel was