Bible Commentaries

Genesis 2:4 — and the earth," [~toledowth], is the recurring introduction to the various sections of the Book of Genesis that follow. The word introduces ten sections of Genesis: The ten toledoths are the following: I.    Genesis 2:4—4:26, the [~toledowth] of the heavens and the earth; II.    Genesis 5:1—6:8, the [~toledowth] of Adam; III.    Genesis 6:9—9:29, the [~toledowth] of Noah; IV.    Genesis 10:1—11:9,

Exodus 16:4-8 — murmuring which ye murmur against him: and what are we? your murmurings are not against us, but against Jehovah." "Bread from heaven for you" Our Lord Jesus Christ utilized this passage in his magnificent announcement that, "I am the bread of life" (John 6:35), and in his words that, "I am the bread that came down from heaven" (John 6:41). How is Jesus the Bread of Life? He came from heaven, like the manna. He gives life (spiritually) as the manna did physically. He is the only hope of eternal life; manna

Isaiah 48:1-6 — the fall of Samaria (722 B.C.). (5)    This was the "covenant name" of the righteous remnant as distinguished from the hypocritical, rebellious majority, who made up the principal mass of those deported into captivity in Babylon. (6)    In the times of the personal ministry of Messiah, the name "Israel" was reserved for a tiny handful of the fleshly nation of the Jews who were called "Israelites Indeed" by Jesus Christ (John 1:47), categorically distinguishing

Numbers 13:4-16 — story of Mephibosheth (2 Samuel 9:4). "Gaddiel" means "God is my fortune." This is the full form of the name Gad. "Geuel" means "majesty of God." It occurs nowhere else in the Bible. "Igal" means "he will redeem." One of David's heroes (2 Samuel 23:36). "Nahbi" means "hidden." "Palti" means "God's deliverance." Also the name of Michal's husband (1 Samuel 25:44). "Gaddi" another form of "Gad." "Caleb" means "dog" and could have been applied to him because of his Gentile ancestry. He was a Kenizzite

Micah 1:16 — was one judgment, although executed at different times. Samaria fell completely in 722 B.C. to Sargon of Assyria; the cities and towns in the vicinity of Jerusalem fell to Sennacherib of Assyria in 701 B.C.; and Jerusalem fell to the Babylonians in 586 B.C. It was only upon that latter occasion that the citizens of Jerusalem were carried into captivity, exactly the same fate that the Assyrians had imposed upon the area towns in 701 B.C. We believe that all of these events were prophesied in this chapter,

Zechariah 1:6 — writers in the Interpreter's Bible. D. Winton Thomas, for example, stated that this verse "contradicts what is said in Zechariah 1:4, and is probably a later editorial edition."D. Winton Thomas, Interpreter's Bible, Vol. VI (New York: Abingdon Press, 1956), p. 1060. If such a comment is sincere, it obviously springs out of a failure to understand what the sacred text plainly teaches. "Did they not overtake your fathers…?" Men may deny God's Word and try to run away from it, but it always overtakes

Zechariah 12:10 — 1971), p. 258. Hailey also summed it up thus: "There is clearly depicted a tragedy occurring in the family of David, when some leading personage in the family would be smitten (Zechariah 13:7); his hands would be pierced (Zechariah 12:10; Zechariah 13:6); a fountain for sin will be opened (Zechariah 13:1). It was to happen in the day when the house of David shall be as God (Zechariah 12:8). Only One member of David's family was ever God. That One was Jesus. This identifies the Person here referred

Zechariah 6:11 — crown) and take up first the object of the coronation. Was it indeed Joshua, as our text flatly declares, or should we allow the speculations of critics who boldly claim that, "Zerubbabel and not Joshua, must be the subject of the address in Zechariah 6:11; for it is he who was building the Temple."J. E. McFadyen, Abingdon Bible Commentary (New York City: Abingdon Press, 1929), p. 823. It is hard to imagine a more erroneous perversion of the sacred text. First of all, such a notion is founded upon

Matthew 27:23 — searching and casting about in all directions for a possible way out of his dilemma. The Sixth Effort of Pilate to Release Jesus Somewhere during the proceedings of that dark day, Pilate tried another approach. It was possibly a little earlier (John 19:6) that Pilate suggested, in view of their determination to kill Jesus, that they take him without legal process and crucify him. This would appear as an implied offer to look the other way if the priests decided to take the law into their own hands.

Luke 1:17 — the NEB, and the RSV concur in the reading, "And he shall go before him … etc." A good deal of importance attaches to this, because, as Summers noted, "The immediate antecedent of the pronoun `him' appears to be `God' in Luke 1:16."Ray Summers, op. cit., p. 26. and this accounts for the rendition in Phillips translation which reads, "He will go out before God … etc." Thus, an archangel delivered the word that John the Baptist would go before God as a herald;

Luke 23:26 — hold upon one Simon of Cyrene, coming from the country, and laid on him the cross, to bear it after Jesus. SIMON OF CYRENE Most commentators identify this Simon as the father of Alexander and Rufus (Mark 15:21) and with Rufus and his mother (Romans 16:13). The inference is that Simon became a Christian, that his sons Alexander and Rufus were distinguished members of the church in Rome, and that Simon's widow (?), the mother of Rufus (Romans 16:13), was a close friend and associate of the apostle

Acts 13:46-47 — to any except their own race. What is so amazing about this is that there were many Jewish Scriptures which plainly indicated that through them, that is through the Jews, God intended to redeem the Gentiles also. The quotation here is from Isaiah 49:6; but this is only one of many. In Romans Paul cited Hosea 1:10; Hosea 2:23; and Isaiah 65:2 as indicative of God's purpose of saving Gentiles.

Acts 15:10-11 — of God himself. A rooster did it the night Jesus was betrayed; but it took Paul to do it here. Why make ye trial … put a yoke … The antecedent of the pronoun "ye" in this passage is "the apostles and elders" (Acts 15:6), indicating the near-unanimous victory the Pharisee-Christians had accomplished in Jerusalem. However, by the time they came down to the formal part of the council, the victory had already been won. Peter had already been won over to a complete endorsement

Acts 23:7-9 — people; but it should be remembered that the "noble Pharisee" must never be identified with the Pharisees whom Jesus denounced. See my Commentary on Matthew, Matthew 3:7, for classifications of Pharisees. Many priests became Christians (Acts 6:7), most of whom were doubtless Pharisees; and it is very likely that much of Luke's gospel (Luke 9:51—19:28) was researched through Luke's interviews with such Pharisees (then Christians) while Paul suffered the two whole years incarceration

1 Corinthians 10:9 — provoking the Lord through disobedience and murmuring against his benign government, in a sense "testing" the Lord to see whether or not he will punish the disobedient. The Old Testament background of this admonition is found in Numbers 21:5-6. Significantly, all sin and disobedience of God fall into the category of making "trial" of him. The particular sins of Israel mentioned here were those of speaking against God and Moses and complaining of the manna. The Lord … Many

Philippians 4:6 — In nothing be anxious; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. In nothing be anxious … In Matthew 6:25-34, our Lord gave extensive admonition on the subject of anxiety; and reference is here made to the comment on those passages in my Commentary on Matthew, Matthew 6:25 ff. In order to avoid anxiety here, Paul followed exactly the instruction given

2 Thessalonians 3:5 — should have for God. Gloag's comment is: "Not the love of God to men … but objectively our love to God." P. J. Gloag, The Pulpit Commentary, Vol. 21, 2 Thessalonians (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1950), p. 63. The patience of Christ … One of the most hurtful tendencies of the current era is that toward impatience. The industrialization of the economy with its invariable emphasis upon speed and speedy results, and such things as the mad quest for

2 Timothy 4:20 — always for confirming the word, either of Christ or his blessed apostles. TROPHIMUS This Asiatic Christian was a friend and traveling companion of the apostle Paul, being mentioned three times in the New Testament, here, and in Acts 21:29, and in Acts 24:6. Some also think that he might have been the one Paul mentioned in 2 Corinthians 8:16-24, but without giving his name. He was one of the eight friends who accompanied Paul at the close of his third missionary journey. He was the innocent cause of the

1 John 2:29 — all things," whereas, it is clear that the gospel itself was their actual source of teaching. The essential unity of all such elements is the basis for seemingly diverse statements. After all, the word of God is the word of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17); and was it not the Holy Spirit who guided the apostles (including John himself) into all truth? (John 14:16; John 16:13). An over-compartmentalizing of such Scriptural teachings as those of this chapter will only frustrate and confuse the student.

2 Samuel 6:1-5 — all the house of Israel were making merry before the Lord with all their might, with songs and lyres and harps and tambourines and castanets and cymbals." "Again" This word is presumably a reference to a previous gathering of David's men (2 Samuel 5:6). The parallel account explains that David had consulted all of the leaders of Israel before the journey to Baale-judah. "David… went… with all the people… from… Baale-Judah" From 1 Chronicles 13:6 we learn that the word