Bible Commentaries

Genesis 19:18-22 — large cities on the eastern side of the southern portion of the Dead Sea."Henry M. Morris, op. cit., p. 252. The names of these were Sodom, the southernmost, Gomorrah, Zoar, Admah, and Zeboiim in order toward the north. This sheds light on Judges 1:7, where these other cities are the subject of the clause stating that they too had given themselves over to fornication, etc., "in like manner" to Sodom and Gomorrah. See also Deuteronomy 29:23, and Hosea 11:8.

Genesis 41 overview — paragraphs: (1)    Pharaoh's dream (Genesis 41:1-8). (2)    The butler remembers (Genesis 41:9-13). (3)    Joseph appears before Pharaoh (Genesis 41:14-16). (4)    Pharaoh tells the dream to Joseph (Genesis 41:17-24). (5)    Joseph interprets the dream (Genesis 41:25-32). (6)    Joseph proposes measures to cope with the coming famine (Genesis 41:33-36). (7)    Joseph is appointed chief administrator

Genesis 42:5-7 — some very snide remarks by some scholars. Simpson charged the narrator here with total ignorance of "the administrative problems in such an office as Joseph's."Cuthbert A. Simpson, The Interpreter's Bible, Vol. 1 (New York: Abingdon Press, 1950), p. 783. All such views are unjustified, because, as we have noted, many of the details are here omitted. While true enough that Joseph did not personally handle all of the details of so many sales, any group of strangers who might have been suspected of

Genesis 7:10-12 — Noah's life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of the heavens were opened. And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights." Genesis 7:11 here, is for the purpose of precisely dating the coming of the Flood. Of course, the exact manner of counting years referred to is unknowable in the light of what information we have; and, therefore, we do not know if it began in the Fall or the

Genesis 7:21-24 — left, and they that were with him in the ark. And the waters prevailed upon the earth a hundred and fifty days." These verses give the result of the Deluge, namely, the destruction of all life except that of Noah and his companions in the ark. Genesis 7:24 gives the duration of the flood as some five months when the waters reached their zenith. This also includes the forty days and forty nights of rain. At this point, the waters began to subside, or at least ceased rising. Some have objected that there

Exodus 9:22-26 — several of these were preserved in a deep-freeze icebox as a means of convincing the skeptics! Skeptical comments about "all of the cattle" having already been destroyed (Exodus 9:6) are based solely upon careless and inaccurate reading of Exodus 9:1-7, where "the cattle" were strictly limited to "those in the field" (Exodus 9:3). This type of criticism is typical of Biblical enemies. "And brake every tree" No tree of any age or size can escape very severe damage by the kind of hailstorm presented

1 Kings 16:34 — were cut off as a divine visitation upon Hiel for his disobedience in rebuilding the city that God had cursed."Wycliffe Old Testament Commentary, p. 330. Of course, Dentan explained their death as, "Fatal accidents"!The Layman's Bible Commentary, Vol. 7, p. 58. But no matter what happened, the prophecy proved to be true.

2 Kings 16:7-9 — their common Assyrian overlord. Ahaz called for help from Assyria, buying it with great treasure, and was saved from his immediate enemies. Damascus was captured, its people deported, and their king Rezin killed."The Interpreter's Bible, Vol. 3, p. 273. "This was the end of Syrian Damascus as a power.International Critical Commentary, op. cit., p. 459. This destruction of Damascus had been prophesied by Amos (Amos 1:3-5). "The word translated `present' in 2 Kings 16:8 is the same word also rendered

1 Chronicles 23:1-6 — therewith. And David divided them into courses according to the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari." "Now David was old… and made Solomon his son king over Israel" The truth here makes it impossible to receive Nathan's prophecy in 2 Samuel 7 as a primary reference to Solomon. The Great One mentioned there was prophesied to be born after David slept with his fathers. This verse clearly indicates that Solomon enjoyed a co-regency for an unspecified time with David his father. "Levites were

Ezra 6:16-18 — term children of Israel, was not only appropriate, it was required. As Hamrick noted, "This story indicates that there was a conscious attempt to imitate the ceremony associated with the dedication of Solomon's temple (1 Kings 8, and 2 Chronicles 5-7)."Ibid. However, the relative poverty of the people made it impossible to duplicate it. "Solomon offered over two hundred times as many oxen and sheep at the dedication of his temple as were offered on this occasion (1 Kings 8:63)."Wycliffe Old Testament

Ezra 6:8-10 — the God of heaven, and pray for the life of the king, and of his sons." "And pray for the life of the king, and of his sons" "Jeremiah's admonition for the Jews to seek the peace of Babylon during their residence there in the captivity (Jeremiah 29:7), was interpreted as a requirement that they should pray for their civil rulers, which the Jews do even until this day. In view of the kindness to them of the Persian kings, they would not have neglected to do this."The Pulpit Commentary, Vol. 7a, p.

Ezra 7:1 — Artaxerxes is the one spoken of here. Those kings were Artaxerxes I (Longimanus) who reigned 465-425 B.C., and Artaxerxes II (Mnemon) who ruled in 405(4) to 358 B.C. Depending upon which one of these monarchs was meant, there is a gap between Ezra 6 and Ezra 7 here of either 58 years or 117 years. There is a sharp disagreement among scholars on this. C. F. Keil,C. F. Keil, Keil and Delitzsch's Old Testament Commentaries, Vol. 2c, p. 94. Merrill F. Unger,Archeology and the Old Testament, p. 309. Henry H. Halley,Henry

Job 26:5-8 — understanding of God's power in these verses. "He recognizes God's dominion as not only existing in heaven and upon earth, but under the earth as well, even over the inhabitants of Hades, spoken of here as being under the oceans."The Pulpit Commentary, Vol. 7d, p. 429. Here is a reference to persons under the earth, as also in the New Testament (Revelation 5:3). "And hangeth the earth upon nothing" The amazing truth of what is said here was unknown in pre-Christian ages and thus anticipates scientific information

Isaiah 30 overview — No one knows exactly when Isaiah wrote this chapter; but it was evidently shortly before Sennacherib's invasion of Judah in 701 B.C. Barnes dated it at "the same time as the previous chapter,"Albert Barnes' Commentary, p. 447. which was dated by Dummelow "on the very eve of Sennacherib's invasion."J. R. Dummelow's Commentary, p. 435. Jamieson and other scholars move the date

Numbers 18:21-24 — for an inheritance: therefore I have said unto them, Among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance." (See Numbers 18:1 for a comment on "bear sin, or bear iniquity.") "The payment of tithes to the Levites is recognized in Nehemiah 10:37; Nehemiah 12:44, but here for the first time assigned to them as theirs."F. C. Cook, op. cit., p. 223. Carson mentioned a "contradiction" in this with Deuteronomy 14:22-29, where for two years the tithes were eaten by the worshippers and the Levites.T.

Numbers 19:14-19 — prevent one's accidentally incurring uncleanness by unintentionally touching, or walking over one. "And the clean person" (Numbers 19:19). Note that the priests were not even necessary in the cleansing ceremonies connected with the whole house (Matthew 23:7).

Deuteronomy 2:26-31 — him into thy hand, as at this day. And Jehovah said unto me, Behold, I have begun to deliver up Sihon and his land before thee: begin to possess, that thou mayest inherit his land. "The hardening of Sihon's heart parallels that of Pharaoh's (Exodus 7-14). In each case, refusal to accept the divine message plays a significant part in the process of deliverance."Peter E. Cousins, The New Layman's Bible Commentary, Deuteronomy (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1979), p. 288. God never takes

Deuteronomy 4:44-49 — Introduction… Deuteronomy 4:44-49. The Decalogue, Basis of the Covenant, the Essence of the Whole Law, etc.… Deuteronomy 5:1-33. First and Great Commandment… Deuteronomy 6:1-25. Entire Separation from Idolatry… Deuteronomy 7:1-26. Exhortation to Obedience… Deuteronomy 8:1-20. Dissuasives from Self-righteousness… Deuteronomy 9:1-29. Renewed Exhortations to Obedience… Deut. 10:1-11:33. Announcement of Particular Statutes and Rights… Deuteronomy

James 4:4 — "kill" in the preceding verses, this word too must be understood in the spiritual sense of unfaithfulness to God. "Spiritual adultery" is the unfaithfulness of the church, which is the bride of Christ (2 Corinthians 11:2; Romans 7:1-6; Revelation 21:2; Revelation 22:17). The marriage metaphor was extensively used in the Old Testament, as in Isaiah 54:5; and the new Israel of God, the church, naturally took it over. Jesus used it in John 3:29; and also in Matthew 12:39. The crass

Revelation 22:12 — Behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to render to each man according as his work is. Behold, I come quickly For discussion of this, see under Revelation 22:7. And my reward is with me, to render to each man … The coming of Christ in the New Testament is invariably associated with the final judgment of the good and bad alike, the good to receive eternal life, and the wicked to receive the second death. In