Bible Commentaries

Genesis 21:25-27 — internal diameter at the mouth of 12 feet 6 inches, a circumference of 40 feet! The shaft is solid masonry of high quality to a great depth until it reaches rock, where a spring perpetually feeds it … A second well, about 600 feet further south is 5 feet in diameter, but of equally good construction.Thomas Whitelaw, op. cit., p. 281. The digging of this well involved cutting through 16 feet of solid rock. It is 38 feet from the top to the surface of the water."W. J. Martin, op. cit., p. 138.

Exodus 5:8-9 — lying words." "The number of the bricks" In the KJV, this reads "the tale of bricks." "To tell" in Old English meant "to count." And the total was called the "tale."J. R. Dummelow, Commentary on the Holy Bible (New York: The Macmillan Company, 1937), p. 53 (Compare our word "tally".) The counter of votes in the English Parliament is still called The Teller! "And let them not regard lying words" By this order, Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron "liars," not only disbelieving them, but attempting also to destroy

Ezra 2:1 — indicating that he was born there. He is usually described as the son of Shealtiel (Ezra 3:2); but 1 Chronicles 3:19 shows him to have been the son of Shealtiel's brother Pedaiah. Probably Shealtiel died childless, whereupon a Levirate marriage (Deuteronomy 25:5 ff) resulted in the birth of Zerubbabel, who was thus the actual son of Pedaiah but the legal son of Shealtiel."The New Layman's Bible Commentary, p. 326.

Psalms 37:12-15 — poor and needy, To slay such as are upright in the way. Their sword shall enter into their own heart, And their bows shall be broken." "And gnasheth on him with their teeth" The technical meaning here is "grinding their teeth,"Derek Kidner, Vol. 1, p. 150. which is an animalistic expression of fanatical rage and hatred. The mob that stoned Stephen did this (Acts 7:54). "He seeth that his day is coming" "`His day,' here is the judgment day."W. E. Addis, p. 378. Although the Old Testament does not have

Psalms 40:4-5 — which are beyond the power of men to accomplish; (2) so complex that they cannot be set in order, meaning that they cannot be classified, or in any sense completely comprehended; and (3) they are innumerable, as stated in the last line of Psalms 40:5. "When we have said the most we can of the wonders of divine love to us, we must conclude with an `etc.,' or an `as such,' and adore the depths of that to which we can never find the bottom!"Matthew Henry's Commentary, Vol. III, p. 387.

Psalms 85 overview — miraculous ending of the Babylonian captivity, as affirmed by a number of able scholars. "It evidently belongs to the time soon after the return from the Babylonian exile - either the days of discouragement before the building of the second temple (Ezra 4:5-24; Haggai 1; Zechariah 1:12-21) or the period of Nehemiah (Nehemiah 1:3).J. R. Dummelow's Commentary, p. 363. - The situation into which the psalm could fit with more than average propriety is the time shortly after the return from the Babylonian captivity.H.

Proverbs 1:8-9 — chaplet… and chains about thy neck" "To the Israelite's mind, no signs or badges of joy or glory were higher in worth than the garland around the head, or the gold chain around the neck, worn by kings and their favorites (Genesis 41:42; Daniel 5:29)."Barnes' Notes on the Old Testament (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1987 reprint of the 1878 Edition), Proverbs, p. 16. The meaning of this is that there is a loving grace that rests upon respectful and obedient children which is comparable to

Ecclesiastes 5:8-9 — and righteousness in a province, marvel not at the matter; for one higher than the high regardeth; and there are higher than they. Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king himself is served by the field." "The Hebrew text of Ecclesiastes 5:9 has been damaged; and the translation is little more than a guess at what might have been meant."The Anchor Bible Commentary (Garden City, New York: Doubleday and Company, 1972), Vol. 18, p. 228. As the verses stand, they appear to be an apology,

Song of Solomon 6:13 — the king retained her in his harem), asking, "Why should she dance, and be looked upon by the monarch's company like a camp follower who danced before the lascivious eyes of the troops"?Broadman Bible Commentary (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1972), Vol. 5, p. 145. The reader is invited to take his choice of interpretations. This is reasonable enough except for the chronological misplacement of it.

Song of Solomon 8:11-12 — are the eunuchs in charge of it. Solomon can have his godless harem and all its profits. The Shulamite's `vineyard' is her own chaste and virtuous person, reserved for her lover alone."Broadman Bible Commentary (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1972), Vol. 5, p. 148. It is extremely significant that the great king is not giving orders in these verses; it is the Shulamite who is `calling the shots.' This passage alone is absolute proof that Solomon did not overpower this young woman and succeed in taking

Isaiah 11 overview — a time, "line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little" (See Introduction), Isaiah here gives additional information about: (1) the Messiah; (2) kingdom of God; (3) the character of Christians; (4) the punishment of Israel; (5) the destruction of Assyria; (6) the call of the Gentiles; and (7) the triumph of Christianity.

Isaiah 3:4-7 — ye shall not make me ruler of the people." The babes and children mentioned in Isaiah 3:4 is a reference to the incompetence, 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

Isaiah 5:13-17 — man is humbled; but Jehovah of hosts is exalted in justice, and God the Holy One is sanctified in righteousness. Then shall the lambs feed as in their pasture, and the waste places of the fat ones shall the wanderers eat." "The present tense in Isaiah 5:13 is the perfect of prophetic certitude."T. K. Cheyne, p. 32. Note also that there is the strong affirmation here that Israel deserves the death, destitution, and deportation that awaited them. Here is a terrible metaphor of death. The grave, or Sheol,

Jeremiah 3 overview — seventeenth year of Josiah, pointing out that some scholars favored the eighteenth year (E. Henderson), and some the year 620 B.C. (MH).W. Harvey Jellie, Jeremiah, in Preacher's Complete Homiletic Commentary (New York: Funk and Wagnalls Company), p. 55. Salient teachings of the chapter proclaim the final divorce of Israel as God's wife, and the impossibility of her return to her former status (Jeremiah 3:1-5); the refusal of Judah to learn her lesson despite the wretched example of Israel (Jeremiah

Jeremiah 48:18-20 — fleeth, and her that escapeth; say, What hath been done? Moab is put to shame; for it is broken down; wail and cry; tell ye it by the Arnon, that Moab is laid waste." "Come down… sit in thirst" The thought here is the same as that of Isaiah 47:1-5, in which Babylon was spoken of as a deposed queen, coming down from a throne to sit on the ground. "Dibon... Aroer... the Arnon" Dibon, the same as modern Diban, was located four miles north of the Arnon river and twelve or thirteen miles east of the

Micah 5:8 — rebellious and sinful men refusing to obey it. The terrible metaphor of destruction "as a lion… a young lion" would indeed come to pass, as executed by God Himself, not by his humble and faithful children. Again, the whole passage points to Micah 5:15. The sons of earth who have the opportunity to know and obey the gospel are laying up for themselves a terrible harvest when they neglect or refuse to be corrected by it. Some see this verse as a prophecy of the earthly kingdom of Israel, after the

Malachi 2 overview — period. Such continued support would continue to be the portion of the returned Israel, no matter what they did; and yet the displeasure of God with their behavior (as a whole) would continue to be evident in the execution of the sentence of Hosea 3:4-5. "Without king, without prince, without sacrifice, without altar, without ephod and teraphim."

Malachi 3 overview — is no longer referred to by God's prophet as "the people of God," but as "this whole nation" (Malachi 3:9). They would abide many days for God "without king, without prince, without altar, without sacrifice, and without ephod and teraphim" (Hosea 3:4-5). Robinson pointed out that most of these two chapters (Malachi 3-4) regards the Messiah, "The apocalyptic character of Malachi 3:13 to Malachi 4:2 is fine."George I. Robinson, The Twelve Minor Prophets (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1926),

Matthew 4:12 — DIVISION 3 ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD,AND REVELATION OF ITS PRINCIPLES OFTEACHINGS AND LAWS Matthew 4:12—13:52 Now when he heard that John was delivered up, he withdrew into Galilee. (Matthew 4:12) Delivered up refers to the imprisonment of John the Baptist by Herod. Christ's withdrawal into Galilee was precautionary, to avoid an untimely martyrdom, and to

Luke 1 overview — pivotal point in history which would split all time into the two segments called B.C. and A.D., then let them read it here. This is what happened! This chapter contains the author's preface (Luke 1:1-4), the record of the annunciation to Zacharias (Luke 1:5-23), the conception of Elizabeth (Luke 1:24-25), the annunciation to Mary (Luke 1:26-38), and Mary's visit to Elizabeth (Luke 1:39-56), the birth of John the Baptist (Luke 1:57-66), the prophecy of Zacharias (Luke 1:67-79), and a one-sentence summary