Bible Commentaries

Job 36 overview — (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, a 1987 reprint of the 1878 edition),Job, Vol. 2, p. 162 The divisions of this chapter, according to Barnes are: (1) "The introduction (Job 36:1-4); God's purpose in sufferings is that of discipline and improvement (Job 36:5-14); if Job had manifested the right spirit, God would have been merciful to him also (Job 36:15-17); Job is threatened with ruin and destruction (Job 36:18-21); Job lectured on the wisdom of God (Job 36:22-25); Elihu here begins a lecture on the wonders

Psalms 64 overview — Absalom was in its formative stages. It is also true that there could have been many other occasions in the psalmists reign when similar opposition was manifested. Seemingly, the most natural divisions of the psalm are (1) Psalms 64:1-4; (2) Psalms 64:5-6; and (3) Psalms 64:7-10.

Proverbs 10 overview — in this long list of proverbs; but none that we have seen is convincing. All such, "Groupings are secondary; and the main burden of exegesis must be borne by the individual sentences."Broadman Bible Commentary (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1971), Vol. 5, p. 35. Many of the comments which we have reviewed are little more than the author's attempt to repeat the message of the proverb in different phraseology; and quite frequently this is helpful. Our purpose here will be to follow, in some degree at

Hosea 6 overview — place them here, but that they appear as the result of some later editor's placement of them. This of course, must be rejected, because the words clearly belong exactly where they are. Even the figure of the lion tearing his prey is continued from Hosea 5:14; and the balance of the chapter (Hosea 6:4-11) has the specific function of being a rejection of the first three verses as being in any sense an adequate response from Israel sufficient to avert their punishment.

Numbers 34:1-5 — eastward from the southern tip of the Dead Sea (how far eastward was not stated) and moved southwestward to its terminus at the Mediterranean. In the terminology used in these verses, "The goings forth (Numbers 33:2) and the goings out (as in Numbers 34:5) have the meaning of `starting point' and `termination'."Harry M. Orlinsky, Notes on the New Translation of the Torah (Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Society of America, 1969), p. 241.

Mark 7:21-23 — … All violent deeds under this heading are proscribed; but, as is clear from the Sermon on the Mount, anger and insulting language against a fellow-mortal are equally blameworthy, being in fact murder, according to Jesus' own definition (Matthew 5:21-22). Covetings … This, like most of the other sins in this list, was forbidden in the Decalogue. In the New Testament, covetousness is not merely forbidden but classified as "idolatry" (Colossians 3:5). It must be supposed that this

John 11:33-34 — Where have ye laid him? They say unto him, Lord, come and see. He groaned in the spirit, and was troubled … Hunter said that this is "Clear proof that Christ's miracles were not done without cost to himself."A. M. Hunter, op. cit., p. 115. In this connection, see also Mark 5:30. Being moved with indignation in the spirit … is an alternative translation of this place (English Revised Version margin) and this merits attention. Of what was Jesus angry or indignant? We shall not

John 3:17 — the Gentiles, hence, he said, "God sent not the Son into the world to judge the world …" (that is, in the sense they expected). There was, to be sure, a function of judgment pertaining to the Son, revealed later in this Gospel (John 5:22 ff); and that was not here denied. What was denied was Christ's conformity to the Jewish expectation of judgment upon the Gentiles. Christ's first advent was not to pronounce and execute judgment upon the nations abiding in God's wrath; but rather,

Acts 4:36-37 — not the practice of those early disciples to make a total liquidation of their assets in order to distribute all to the poor. Son of Exhortation … contrasts with "Son of Consolation" as in the KJV and the English Revised Version (1885) margin, both meanings being in the original. Barnabas … This was the faithful and distinguished Christian who accompanied Paul on the first missionary journey. Having related the example of the generosity of Barnabas, Luke would at once relate

Acts 8:36-37 — true, being valuable as commentary, whether or not it belongs in the sacred text. It was the custom from the very earliest Christian times for converts to confess their faith upon the occasion of their baptism, a fact referred to by Paul in Ephesians 5:26 (Goodspeed translation). This writer has never read of any commentator who denied the truth expressed in Acts 8:37.

Acts 8:5 — And Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed unto them the Christ. The city of Samaria … was long considered by scholars as ambiguous, some declaring that it had reference to Sychar, as in John 4:5, and others thinking it referred to the city of Samaria, that is, the capital of the province. McGarvey said: The definite article is now admitted to be a part of the Greek text, and this settles the question (as proved by the Sinaitic manuscript which

Romans 13:13 — usually committed at night, and therefore called the works of darkness (Romans 13:12). Deeds that are becoming to Christians are those of virtue, integrity, faithfulness, purity, and love. It was becoming of Christ to fulfill all righteousness (Matthew 3:15). Even the discussion of gross sins was forbidden to Christians upon the ground that such guarding of the conversation "becometh saints" (Ephesians 5:3). A further glimpse of the meaning of "becometh" is seen in the word chosen to

Romans 4:18 — Hebrews; from which it is to be concluded that genuine faith accepts what God has said, no matter what considerations of human wisdom and experience seem to nullify it. Such is Abrahamic faith. So shall thy seed be … is a quotation from Genesis 15:5, where is recorded God's commandment for Abraham to number the stars, saying, "So shall thy seed be." Brunner's definition of true faith is thus: The existence of faith in God's promise is completely clear only where God's promise runs counter

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

1 Corinthians 12:29-31 — before he would give those orders (1 Corinthians 14), he would show them "a most excellent way." That way was the way of love, love itself being one of the fruits, indeed the first fruit, of the Holy Spirit in the lives of Christians (Galatians 5:22). The immortal words of the thirteenth chapter comprise the apostle's exhortation for the Corinthians to walk in the way of love.

1 Corinthians 4 overview — Christ, their first concern being to please the Lord, and not to accommodate their teaching to win favor with false teachers. He stated that the lower courts of conscience and public opinion were inferior to the judgment of the Lord (1 Corinthians 4:1-5). We agree with Adam Clarke that a more logical division of the chapters would have been to extend chapter 3 through the fifth verse here. Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Holy Bible (New York: Carlton and Porter, 1831), Vol. VI. p. 207. In 1 Corinthians

2 Corinthians 3:2 — Review of the New Versions (Fort Worth, Texas: Foy E. Wallace, Jr., Publications, 1973), p. 437. and Paul's laying claim to the epistle as his is a reference to his having established their congregation through the preaching of the gospel. In verse 5, Paul made it clear that in the higher sense he considered God to be the true author of the epistle, that is, of the conversions at Corinth.

2 Corinthians 4:6 — conversion after the blinding light he witnessed on the Damascus road. Furthermore, the reference to Genesis 1:3, where it is written, "Let there be light," links the original creation with the new spiritual creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). Tasker gives a quotation from Chrysostom as follows: Then indeed he said, Let it be; and it was. But now he said nothing, but himself became Light for us. For the apostle does not say, "has also now commanded," but "he himself shined."

Philippians 3:21 — it is." D. A. Hayes, Paul and His Epistles (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1969), p. 439. Nevertheless, the mortal body is sooner or later in every life a source of humiliation and ultimately death. See my Commentary on 2 Corinthians 5:4 ff. Changed … This change must occur in either one of two ways: (1) as a result of death itself, following which the body crumbles into dust, or (2) as a result of the change mentioned in 1 Corinthians 15:52. This writer will spare the reader

2 Samuel 18:20-23 — run." So he said to him. "Run." Then Ahimaaz ran by way of the plain, and outran the Cushite." David had executed the messenger who brought him the news of Saul's death, and also the ones who brought him the news of the death of Ishbosheth (2 Samuel 1:15-16; 2 Samuel 4:5-12), and Joab wanted to spare Ahimaaz the danger he would encounter if he brought David the news of the death of his son Absalom. For that reason, he sent a negro slave, called here "The Cushite" with the news that he knew would break