Bible Commentaries

Exodus 1:2-6 — and Asher. And all the souls that came out of the loins of Jacob were seventy souls: and Joseph was in Egypt already. And Joseph died, and his brethren, and all that generation." Regarding the number "seventy," see comments on this under Genesis 46:7. All of the alleged "difficulties" regarding "the seventy," and Stephen's "seventy-five" (Acts 7:14) disappear altogether when it is seen as evident that different frames of calculation were used, some included the family of Joseph (who were already

1 Kings 5:1-6 — Solomon's arrogant assumption in this passage that he himself was that promised `seed' of David whom God would establish eternally upon David's throne, declaring emphatically that, "I (God) will establish the throne of his kingdom forever (2 Samuel 7:13)." The subsequent events in the history of David's earthly dynasty demonstrated most effectively the error of Solomon's conceited assumption. Furthermore, Solomon had been elevated to David's throne during David's lifetime, with whom, for a season,

Job 4 overview — COMFORTWycliffe Old Testament Commentary, p. 466. This chapter and the next record the first speech of Eliphaz, loaded with the false wisdom of his day, "It merely poured vinegar, rather than oil, upon Job's wounds."Preacher's Homiletic Commentary, Vol. 7, Job, p. 27. Out of the whirlwind, God Himself declared that Job's friends, "Had not spoken of God the things that were right" (Job 42:7); and the very first word that God spoke out of the whirlwind blasted the long-winded diatribes of Job's comforters,

Psalms 19 overview — GLORY THE WORLD BOOK,AND THE WORD BOOK (FOR THE CHIEF MUSICIAN. A PSALM OF DAVID). This magnificent psalm naturally falls into two divisions. "Psalms 19:1-6 describe the glory of God as seen in the heavenly bodies, especially the sun… Psalms 19:7-14 deal with the excellence of the revelation of God in the Law."J. R. Dummelow's Commentary, p. 336. Spurgeon called this psalm, "The World Book and the Word Book," both of them having been written by The Father.Charles Haddon Spurgeon, p. 85. "Ordinarily

Psalms 37 overview — `Elijah') is based upon this chapter. There is no sufficient grounds for setting aside the assignment of the psalm to David in the superscription; and, if indeed, he wrote it, it seems likely that it is one of the psalms from his old age, based upon Psalms 37:25. "The theme of the Psalm is stated in the very first line, `Fret not thyself because of the wicked.' This is repeated in Psalms 37:7 b and Psalms 37:8."The Layman's Bible Commentary, Vol. 9, p. 69. The design or the purpose of the psalm was described

Psalms 7:3-5 — was at peace with me (Yea, I have delivered him that without cause was mine adversary); Let the enemy pursue my soul and overtake it; Yea, let him tread my life down to the earth, And lay my glory in the dust. (Selah)" Notice the triple "if" in Psalms 7:3-5. This format was typical of what was called The Oath of Clearance which is mentioned in 1 Kings 8:31-32. When one was accused, he could go to the temple and there take a solemn oath after the pattern noted here, asking that God would receive his

Isaiah 50:5 — "The Lord Jehovah hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away backward." There is great solemnity of the sacred language. Note that the double name of Jehovah ([~'Adonay] [~Yahweh]) appears four times in Isaiah 50:4-5; Isaiah 50:7; Isaiah 50:9. The mission to which Christ was called involved the ultimate in hardship, rejection, hatred, persecution, torture and death; but unlike many prophets before Christ, our Lord was not rebellious, as was Jonah; he did not complain, as did

Isaiah 7:1-2 — prevail against it. And it was told the house of David, saying, Syria is confederate with Ephraim. And his heart trembled, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the forest tremble with the wind." "Pekah the son of Remaliah" Both here and in Isaiah 7:4-5; Isaiah 7:9, below, this mention of Pekah's father suggests that he was thus designated "in contempt, Remaliah having been a man of no distinction (2 Kings 15:25)."G. Rawlinson, Pulpit Commentary, p. 126. "His heart trembled, and the heart of his

Isaiah 8 overview — The great sign of Immanuel given in Isaiah 7 indicated that the wonderful child foretold in Isaiah 7:14 would not come to an age of knowledge until after the current crisis was past; but significantly, the actual time of the birth of Immanuel was not disclosed. We agree that Isaiah might have

Amos 6 overview — conclusion of Amos 2. First, he uttered the second woe over the careless and indulgent leaders of the nation, sunk in their revellings and indifference (Amos 6:1-6). For them, he pronounced their destruction and the overthrow of their nation (Amos 6:7-11), emphasizing that they had acted perversely, trusting in their own power (Amos 6:12-14). The blunt reiteration of their doom in Amos 6:14 concludes this section of the prophecy. In the first sub-section of the chapter (Amos 6:1-6), "The link word

Micah 6 overview — This begins the concluding section of Micah (Micah 6-7). The prophet had already declared the guilt of Israel and pronounced dramatically the divine sentence of the destruction of their "sinful kingdom," stating also at the same time the salvation that would yet be available to a faithful remnant of the

Micah 7:1 — "Woe is me! for I am as when they have gathered the summer fruits, as the grape gleanings of the vintage: there is no cluster to eat; my soul desireth the first-ripe fig." Beginning here and through Micah 7:6, we have "one of the most poignant criticisms of a commercial community ever to appear."George Adam Smith, The Book of the Twelve Prophets (Cincinnati: Jennings and Graham), p. 429. Nothing "to eat" is a metaphor of the lack of honesty and integrity

Matthew 12:42 — known."Albert Barnes, op. cit., p. 135. Christ as "greater than Solomon" was expounded by James H. Childress as follows: (1) Christ was greater in his birth, (2) his wisdom, (3) his temple, (4) his throne, (5) his prayers, (6) in his mansions, and (7) in the sacrifice Christ offered. As one example, Solomon offered at the dedication of the temple "twenty-two thousand oxen, and a hundred twenty thousand sheep" (2 Chronicles 7:5). Christ offered his own blood within the holiest place of

Mark 11:17 — And he taught them, and said unto them, Is it not written, My, house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations? But ye have made it a den of robbers. Here Christ quoted from Isaiah 56:7 and Jeremiah 7:11. For discussion of the messianic implications of what Jesus did in both these cleansings, see comment in my Commentary on John, John 2. What Jesus did in each of these cleansings was to present a dramatic claim upon his own behalf

John 8 overview — In this chapter, the controversy continues. There is the case of the woman taken in adultery (John 7:53—8:11); Jesus the Light of the world (John 8:12-20.); teaching of his heavenly origin (John 8:21-30); and the passage on the true children of Abraham (John 8:31-59). THE WOMAN TAKEN IN ADULTERY This paragraph (John 7:53—8:11) is omitted

Romans 13:8 — Owe no man anything, save to love one another: for he that loveth his neighbor hath fulfilled the law. Greathouse understood the first clause here as the negative statement of the first clause in Romans 13:7, thus referring it to the obligations of custom, tribute, honor, etc. He said: This means, do not continue in a state of owing any of the obligations referred to in Romans 13:7, but fulfill them and discharge them. There is only one debt of which you

1 Corinthians 7:24 — Brethren, let each man, wherein he was called, therein abide with God. This is a pointed recapitulation of the whole paragraph (1 Corinthians 7:17-24).

2 Corinthians 1:3 — Every chapter in the Koran, except one, begins with the words, "In the name of God the Merciful, the Compassionate." God of all comfort … "The word COMFORT, either as a verb or a substantive, occurs ten times in 2 Corinthians 1:3-7." F. W. Farrar, op. cit., p. 2. As a matter of truth, God is the God of everything beautiful and desirable. He is the God of patience and of comfort (Romans 15:5), the God of glory (Acts 7:2), the God of hope (Romans 15:33), the God of peace (Romans

1 Peter 4:13 — even as Christ suffered. Over and beyond this is the identity of the church as Christ's spiritual body, making the church's sufferings to be those of Christ himself. At the revelation of his glory … Peter used this same expression in 1 Peter 1:7; and, in both places, it is better to understand it as a reference to the Second Advent, the general resurrection and judgment of the last day, and the visible revelation of Christ before all people as the Redeemer and Judge. Such a revelation is that

Revelation 3 overview — This chapter continues the letters to the seven churches, having the last three: to Sardis (Revelation 3:1-6), to Philadelphia (Revelation 3:7-13), and to Laodicea (Revelation 3:14-22).