Bible Commentaries

Exodus 24:17-18 — Elijah also fasted that same length of time; and significantly those two characters, Moses and Elijah, were the ones who would participate with Jesus Christ our Lord in another great theophany on the mountain of Our Lord's Transfiguration (Matthew 17). This concludes the Scriptural record of the giving of the Old Covenant. We cannot leave this without noting the astounding declaration of Davies that, "Jeremiah corrected Moses by omitting any reference to blood in the New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34),

Psalms 92:10-12 — shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon." "My horn" The horn is a symbol of power, ability, stature and prosperity. "Like the horn of the wild ox" This animal is frequently mentioned in the Old Testament, as in Numbers 23:22; Numbers 24:8; Deuteronomy 33:17; Job 39:9-10; Psalms 22:21; Psalms 29:6; Psalms 92:10; Isaiah 34:7, where all of these references in the KJV are translated "the unicorn."International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (Chicago, Illinois: The Howard-Severance Company, 1915), p. 3037. The

Psalms 96 overview — rendition of Psalms 96, not only is David declared as the author, but the very time of his writing it was given as the occasion, namely, when David appointed Asaph and his brethren for certain musical responsibilities in the tabernacle (1 Chronicles 16:7). We must inquire, therefore, what basis is it upon which scholars boldly declare the psalm to have been written "in the times of the later Hebrew?" Rawlinson identified that basis as, "The style, phraseology and iteration, especially of Psalms 96:1-2;

Leviticus 17:1-7 — "the priests." This passage forbids any notion of a later point of origin for these rules in the Jewish priesthood, because it is the period of the Jewish journeyings in the vicinity of Sinai which is inherent in the mention of "the camp" (Leviticus 17:3). It is inconceivable that priests of some later time would have used such terminology! "A statute forever throughout their generations" (Leviticus 17:7). As a matter of fact, God Himself changed the regulation given here just before Israel entered

Numbers 22:21-30 — delegates from Balak had been with Balaam at this time, they, no more than the servants of Balaam, would have beheld this wonder. "When God granted visions, they alone for whom they were intended saw them, while others in the company saw nothing (Daniel 10:7; Acts 9:7)."Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Whole Bible, Vol. 1 (London: T. Mason and G. Lane, 1837), p. 690. It was true that, "Balaam knew that God would not permit him to curse Israel, but he did not tell the princes so. In this way, he was guilty

Zechariah 14:8 — waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the eastern sea, and half of them toward the western sea: in summer and winter shall it be." Here we are on safe ground. Christ only is the source of "living water" as he himself stated in John 7:37-39, where the Holy Spirit which the Father would send was firmly identified as "the living water." That Spirit came on Pentecost, making "that day" here to be nothing other than the times of the Christ, our present era, the Christian dispensation. "Eastern

Matthew 1:22-23 — fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, Behold the virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel; which is, being interpreted, God with us. The question of whether Isaiah (Isaiah 7:14) fully understood this as applying to the virgin birth of Christ is irrelevant. God's great prophets did not always know the true meaning of the words God gave them. Peter did not know the full meaning of what he prophesied on Pentecost (Acts 2:38-39);

Matthew 26:3 — called Caiaphas. The court of the high priest was his palace; and the high priest mentioned here, Caiaphas, or Joseph Caiaphas, a son-in-law of Annas, had been named to that position by Valerius Gratus prior to 26 A.D., and was deposed by Vitellius in 37 A.D. The synoptics omit the first trial before Annas. The New Testament references to two high priests at the same time should not be confusing. Annas was appointed high priest in 7 A.D. by Quirinius, governor of Syria.H. R. Reynolds, The Pulpit Commentary

Matthew 27:15-16 — Christ? The Fourth Effort of Pilate to Release Jesus No doubt Pilate thought they would choose Christ; but he had reckoned without consideration of the fanatical hatred of the leaders against Christ. Barabbas was a notorious seditionist and robber (Mark 15:7), the leader of a group who had made an insurrection against Rome (presumably). His crimes were murder, robbery, and sedition; and Pilate's strategy at that point was directed to forcing a choice between such a man and Christ. Under the circumstances,

Mark 14:3 — at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster cruse of ointment of pure nard very costly: and she brake the cruse and poured it over his head. JESUS WAS ANOINTED FOR HIS BURIAL This is a second anointing of Jesus, the other being recorded in Luke 7:37-50; but "it is absurd to represent the two anointings as the same."A. T. Robertson, A Harmony of the Gospels (New York: Harper and Brothers, 1922), p. 187, footnote. Simon, a leper had been healed by Jesus; but he retained the name to

Luke 15:28 — people themselves were also despised by their leaders. On one pretext or another, they hated everybody but themselves. Even of the multitudes of their own people, the Pharisees said, "This multitude that knoweth not the law are accursed" (John 7:49). And entreated him … This speaks of the tireless efforts of Jesus to persuade the Pharisees to believe in him. All of the gospels are eloquent in detailing the constant preaching of Jesus to this very class.

John 4:24 — to have their worship accepted should heed the restrictions. PROHIBITIONS REGARDING WORSHIP The verse before us is a powerful prohibition. Also, Jesus said, "In vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men" (Mark 7:7). An apostle declared that "God … dwelleth not in temples made with hands; neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed anything" (Acts 17:24-25). The author of this gospel wrote, "Testify unto every man that heareth

Galatians 5:6 — circumcised long ago, nor concern themselves with trying to undo it. Some indeed had, through surgery, attempted to become "uncircumcised." Although there is no evidence that any of the Galatians had done that, it may be inferred from 1 Corinthians 7:18-19 that some at Corinth had gone that far; and as MacKnight said, "Apostate Jews fancied that by such actions they could free themselves of their obligation to keep the Law of Moses." James MacKnight, Apostolical Epistles and Commentary,

Joshua 3 overview — complexity is the very thing overlooked by, "Those who have attempted to solve this narrative by appealing to `different accounts' woven together."Hugh J. Blair, The New Bible Commentary, Revised, Joshua (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1970), p. 237. We might be able to forgive such explanations if there were any different accounts, but, of course, this is the only account that has come down through history. Those ephemeral, imaginary "accounts" prior to this one are known to be non-existent

1 Timothy 4:3 — were to arise in Timothy's day, and shortly thereafter who would teach that God did not create matter because matter is evil … The command to abstain from meats and marriage is based upon the supposed evil of matter. Ronald A. Ward, op. cit., p. 78. (This is an indication) of the impious doctrine of some of the great Gnostic schools … probably in those early days creeping into the churches. The Jewish sects of the Essenes and the Therapeutae had already taught abstinence from marriage

Hebrews 11:28 — wonder and the miraculous deliverance of the Jews, were consciously designed by God himself to point the minds of people to the true Passover, Christ. The great significance of the Passover for Christians is that Christ is our passover (1 Corinthians 5:7-8), there being a number of typical circumstances linking the passover lamb slain by the Israelites on that dark night of the Exodus with that "Lamb slain from the foundation of the world," even the Lord Jesus Christ. Note the following: (1)

Hebrews 7:16-17 — of Christ's priesthood. Milligan rightly discerned this, saying, The precise time when he (Christ) was fully invested with the royal and sacerdotal honors and prerogatives of the new dispensation IS NOT KNOWN TO MORTALS. R. Milligan, op. cit., p. 207. Furthermore, it is the same with the end of his priesthood when he shall deliver up to the Father the kingdom and all that pertains to it (1 Corinthians 15:24 ff); but when is that? No man knows. Again, from Milligan, "But that epoch, like the

2 Peter 3:16 — unstedfast wrest, as they do also the other Scriptures, unto their own destruction. The acceptance by the apostle Peter, in this passage, of Paul's letters as "Scripture" is most important; but it was nothing new. Paul himself quoted from Luke 10:7 a passage clearly meant to be received as "Scripture," despite its being nowhere else in the Bible. The apostles accepted other New Testament writers as inspired. In all his epistles … This indicates that Peter was familiar with a number

Revelation 5:14 — fell down and worshipped. Amen … "This word confirms the preceding doxology, and is one of three ways in which the word 'Amen' is used in Revelation." Ralph Earle, Beacon Bible Commentary, Vol. 10 (Kansas City: Beacon Hill Press, 1967), p. 539. These are: a final "Amen" is used with no change of speaker (Revelation 1:6-7); the "Amen" as a name of God (Revelation 3:14); and the detached "Amen," as here. It is also used as both the beginning and the ending

Revelation 7:17 — their eyes. "Lamb in the midst of the throne … Here is the great consolation. "As long as this earth endures, Christ is still at the center of things; and his people are indestructible." Ibid. Furthermore, as seen above (Revelation 7:1-4), the mighty angels of God preserve the earth itself until God's great purpose is fully accomplished. Shall be their shepherd … This is strongly suggestive of John 10, where Jesus revealed himself as the "Good Shepherd." One does