Bible Commentaries

Exodus 33:12-17 — God."Ibid. "The tempo of intercession is increased here. Moses had asked, and now he is seeking (Exodus 33:13), then knocking (Exodus 33:15; Exodus 33:18)."Hywel R. Jones, The New Bible Commentary, Revised (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1970), p. 138. Jesus himself commanded us to "Ask… seek… knock" (Matthew 7:7-8). "My presence shall go with thee" Orlinsky noted that the import of this is, "My Divine Presence (the [~shekinah]) will go, namely, I will not send again any angel;

Psalms 24 overview — religious singers of Jerusalem and used as a processional for the entry of King David into Jerusalem upon the occasion of his bringing the ark from Obed-Edom to the tabernacle prepared for it in Jerusalem, or Zion. Rhodes identified the "doors" of Psalms 24:7 as the doors of the Temple and concluded that it was written long after the times of David.The Layman's Bible Commentary, p. 55. Nevertheless, many dependable scholars are willing to accept the Davidic authorship of it.H. C. Leupold, p. 215. There is

Isaiah 12:1-6 — commentators arrogantly rejected this song as having any right to be in Isaiah at all. Typical of what critics were saying at that time is this blunt, unsupported assertion by Peake, "This is a late appendix."Peake's Commentary Series, p. 444. However, by 1937, such assertions had lost their appeal to most scholars. Dummelow, for example, wrote, "Some scholars doubt its Isaianic authorship and date it after the return from the exile."J. R. Dummelow's Commentary, p. 424. What a difference! In 1924 the radical

Lamentations 1:1-3 — JERUSALEM, THE GRIEVING WIDOW,The chapter headings which we have adopted here are those of Dr. Anthony L. Ash. See Anthony L. Ash, Jeremiah and Lamentations (Abilene, Texas: A.C.U. Press, 1987), p. 335.THE THEME OF LAMENTATIONS "How doth the city sit solitary that was full of people! She has become as a widow, she that was great among the nations! She that was a princess among the provinces is become tributary! She weepeth sore in the night,

Daniel 10:18-21 — that we know very little of this subject, due to the absence of specific teaching on it in the Word of God. Here, "Michael is presented as the guardian angel of the Jews."J. R. Dummelow, Commentary on the Holy Bible (New York: The Macmillan Company, 1937), p. 541. The idea of guardian angels for the different nations is hinted at in earlier portions of the Old Testament."Herbert L. Willett, Daniel (New York: Abingdon Press, 1929), p. 757. Cited in this connection were the following passages: "A time

Daniel 5:5-9 — all, the critical approval of such methods surely raises the question. Thus it is clear that allegations like the one just cited actually tell us far more about the critics than they tell us about the Bible. "The third ruler in the kingdom" (Daniel 5:7). This, of course, implied that Belshazzar himself was only the second ruler; and, "This is a mark of accuracy such as would be almost inconceivable if the Book of Daniel were a product of the 2nd century."Edward J. Young, op. cit., p. 694. As Culver

Zephaniah 3:18 — founding of the Christian church by the apostles for Judah and for the whole world, and has been gradually unfolded more and more through the spread of the name of the Lord and his worship among all nations."C. F. Keil, op. cit., p. 164. In Micah 4:6-7, a similar promise brings into the solemn assembly the lame, that which has been driven away, and the afflicted. No other system ever known to mankind has ever concerned itself with the downtrodden and dispossessed in the same degree as that which marks

Malachi 1:6 — warned: "Many will say to me in that day, Lord did we not prophecy by thy name, and by thy name cast out demons, and by thy name do many mighty works ? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity (Matthew 7:22-23)." The psychology of evil men is apparent in the delusion of those evil priests.

Malachi 1:7 — The word "bread" here is a reference to the bloody sacrifices of the Mosaic law, and not to "bread" as ordinarily used. "The offerings of Jehovah made by fire, the bread of their God" (Leviticus 21:6), and "My bread, the fat and the blood" (Ezekiel 44:7), as cited by Hailey, indicate clearly that the "table of Jehovah" is the altar, a fact also inherent in the words of this first clause. "The table of Jehovah" suggests "The Lord's table" of the New Testament. "This expression is used only by Malachi

Matthew 2:11 — down and worshipped him; and opening their treasures, they offered unto him gifts, gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. Came into the house … indicates the passage of some little time after the birth of Christ which took place in a stable (Luke 2:7). Since the departure of the holy family was so soon to follow, it may also be that the presentation in the temple had already taken place. If so, Jesus was about six weeks old at that time. Fell down and worshipped him … indicates that Christ

Matthew 7:15-16 — strait gate. This passage suggests the great apostasy which is elaborated in the following New Testament passages: Acts 20:29-31; 2 Corinthians 11:1-3; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12; 1 Timothy 4:1-5; 2 Timothy 3:1-8; 2 Timothy 4:1-5; 2 Peter 2:1-3; 2 Peter 3:1-7; and Revelation 17 and Revelation 18. It is essential that Christians recognize false teachers or prophets, as they are called here. By their fruits ye shall know them. To be effective in deceiving God's people, it is essential that false teachers be

Matthew 8:4 — Examples of this are: the blind men (Matthew 9:30), many who were healed (Matthew 12:16), the disciples to whom he was revealed as the Messiah (Matthew 16:20), those healed by the seaside (Mark 3:12), those who saw the healing of the deaf-mute (Mark 7:36), those witnesses of the healing of the blind man of Bethsaida (Mark 8:26), and others. It may border on speculation to inquire why our Lord thus prohibited certain ones from telling it abroad, and yet on other occasions he even encouraged it. Trench

Luke 6:47-49 — teaching, being contrary to it and refuted by it. If men indeed hope to receive eternal life, they must receive it of Christ and upon the terms laid down by him. Further detailed comment on this paragraph is found in my Commentary on Matthew, Matthew 7:24-29; Matthew 28:18-20.

Luke 7:4-5 — And they, when they came to Jesus, besought him earnestly, saying, He is worthy that thou shouldest do this for him; for he loveth our nation, and himself built our synagogue. Clearly, the centurion had remained at home (Luke 7:6), and the Jewish elders actually bore the request to Jesus. Our synagogue … McGarvey wrote that: The ruins of Capernaum show the ruins of a synagogue. It was a beautiful structure, built of white limestone, shows by its architecture that it

Luke 8:38-39 — God hath done for thee." "How great things Jesus hath done for him." This witness of Christ's power spread throughout the whole region; and later, Jesus healed a deaf-mute in one of the cities where this man had proclaimed Jesus (Mark 7:32). See my Commentary on Mark for discussion of that miracle. ONE MIRACLE EMBEDDED IN ANOTHER All the synoptics record the raising of the daughter of Jairus, along with the parenthetical wonder of his healing the woman with the issue of blood; and

John 10:20-21 — demon open the eyes of the blind … ? Such thoughts as these should have penetrated the hearts of the adamant majority but did not. The carnal mind is enmity against God, and the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God (Romans 7:7; 1 Corinthians 2:14). "The Scriptures had affirmed that only God could open the eyes of the blind (Exodus 4:11; Psalms 146:8)";Alan Richardson, op. cit., p. 133. and despite the fact that Richardson does not exactly quote Scripture here,

John 2:12 — the ruler of the synagogue (Mark 5:22). He healed the centurion's servant, and the centurion commanded the Roman military presence in the city and was doubtless the richest man in the whole area, having built the Jews a synagogue (Matthew 8:5-13; Luke 7:1-5). Also, the Lord cured the son of the king's personal representative in that town, called "a certain nobleman" (John 4:46 ff). If such deeds did not get the total attention of Capernaum, nothing could have done it. Add to all this the

Romans 8:4 — commandments of "thou shalt not" do this and "thou shalt" do that, under the New Testament system the believer in Christ lives a life of love and harmony with the Spirit of God. Paul earlier said that the law of Moses was spiritual (Romans 7:14), and, therefore, the law coincides absolutely in all of its commandments of moral uprightness with the Spirit of God. Thus, to walk in the Spirit is to fulfill the will of God. Who walk not after the flesh … This is an appropriate place to

Joshua 21 overview — assign a seventh-century B.C. date to this list on the basis of, "The distinction between the priests and the Levites in the division of these cities (which is post-exilic)."William H. Morton, Beacon Bible Commentary, Joshua (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1970), p. 365. We reject this because it was Moses himself who made that distinction, a distinction that is just as historical as anything else in the Bible, occurring in the fifteenth century B.C., not in the seventh century! It will be remembered from

Colossians 3 overview — 3:1-4). b.    They were to put off old vices (Colossians 3:5-8). c.    They were to put on new Christian virtues (Colossians 3:9-14). d.    The sovereignty of Christ was to rule them (Colossians 3:15-17). e.    Instructions regarding reciprocal relationships (Colossians 3:18 to Colossians 4:1). 1.    As wives and husbands (Colossians 3:18-20). 2.    As parents and children (Colossians 3:21). 3.    As