Bible Commentaries

Psalms 57:11 — THE REFRAIN "Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; Let thy glory be above all the earth." We commented on this in Psalms 57:5, above.

Psalms 7:3-5 — peace with me (Yea, I have delivered him that without cause was mine adversary); Let the enemy pursue my soul and overtake it; Yea, let him tread my life down to the earth, And lay my glory in the dust. (Selah)" Notice the triple "if" in Psalms 7:3-5. This format was typical of what was called The Oath of Clearance which is mentioned in 1 Kings 8:31-32. When one was accused, he could go to the temple and there take a solemn oath after the pattern noted here, asking that God would receive his affirmation

Proverbs 19:9 — "A false witness shall not be unpunished; And he that uttereth lies shall perish." This is almost a verbatim repetition of Proverbs 19:5. See comment above.

Amos 9:5-6 — and hath founded his vault upon the earth; he that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth; Jehovah is his name." THE DOXOLOGY This is the third of Amos' doxologies, the other two being in Amos 4:13 and Amos 5:8-9, the purpose of all three being quite clearly that of a reminder that the Lord, whose word to Israel Amos was faithfully delivering, was indeed all-sufficient and powerful to bring to pass exactly that which he promised. As Keil accurately discerned

Numbers 5:5-10 — disposed of, if the owner has died without leaving any kinsman to whom restitution may be made.George Woosung Wade, Peake's Commentary on the Bible, Numbers (London: T. C. and E. C. Jack, Ltd., 1924), p. 216. "To commit a trespass against Jehovah" (Numbers 5:6). A very significant revelation here is the fact that all sins, against whomsoever committed, are not only sins against the persons wronged, but are also sins against Jehovah. "All sins against man are also sins against God."George Buchannan Gray,

Matthew 1:20 — with the deeds of angels. Angels announced the birth of Christ, ministered to Jesus in the wilderness of temptations, strengthened him in the garden of Gethsemane, and escorted him to glory. Angels appeared and spoke at his resurrection (Matthew 28:5), at his ascension (Acts 1:11), to Cornelius (Acts 10:3), to Philip (Acts 8:26), and to Peter (Acts 12:7). The scholarly Robert Milligan summarizes the functions of angels as follows: (1) to frustrate the wiles of Satan (Judges 1:6); (2) to punish wicked

Matthew 12:42 — the South is seen in that she came upon a paucity of evidence, responding to rumor, or hearsay. The ends of the earth, according to Barnes, referred to "the most distant parts of the habitable world then known."Albert Barnes, op. cit., p. 135. Christ as "greater than Solomon" was expounded by James H. Childress as follows: (1) Christ was greater in his birth, (2) his wisdom, (3) his temple, (4) his throne, (5) his prayers, (6) in his mansions, and (7) in the sacrifice Christ offered.

Matthew 5:1 — THE SERMON ON THE MOUNTTHE BEATITUDES (Matthew 5:1-12) And seeing the multitudes, he went up into the mountain: and when he had sat down, his disciples came unto him. (Matthew 5:1) The traditional site of this mountain is seven miles southwest of Capernaum; the place is known as The Horns of Hattin.

Luke 12:2-3 — shall be exposed. This underscores the foolish stupidity of hypocrisy. "Since God knows all and will ultimately reveal all, how foolish it is for one to be content with the form and shadow without the reality."Charles L. Childers, op. cit., p. 518. When the Lord comes, "He will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and make manifest the counsels of the hearts; and then shall each man have his praise from God" (1 Corinthians 4:5; see also Ephesians 5:13).

Luke 7:2 — "It is worthy of remark that in no case is there the slightest hint that the profession of a soldier is unlawful in the sight of God."J. C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels, Luke (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House), p. 205. The list of centurions listed in the New Testament is: 1.    The one whose servant was healed (in this passage). 2.    The one who confessed Christ at the cross (Matthew 27:54). 3.    The

John 12:46 — I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me may not abide in darkness. See under John 9:5, etc.

Acts 16:27 — "Brutus bade adieu to his friends and ended the last struggle for the republic by self-inflicted death." Ibid. Not many suicides are mentioned in the Bible. There are those of Samson (Judges 16:29-30), Saul and his armor-bearer (1 Samuel 31:4-5; 1 Chronicles 10:4-5); Ahithophel (2 Samuel 17:23), Zimri (1 Kings 16:18), and Judas Iscariot (Acts 1:18). In pagan lands, however, suicide was an accepted manner of solving a problem, as in the case before us.

Acts 5:30 — ye slew, hanging him on a tree. In this verse appears another instance of Peter's speeches, as recorded by Luke, stressing the same thought and expressing it in terminology similar (see 1 Peter 2:24) to that in Peter's epistles. Twice in Acts (Acts 5:30; Acts 10:39) Jesus' death is significantly called "hanging on a tree." This phrase points back to the Jewish belief that a man "hanged on a tree" was a man "accursed by God" (Deuteronomy 21:22 f). Anyone who so described

Acts 8:4 — regions beyond, was effected not by the apostles but by an entirely voluntary and unofficial agency. Joseph Benson, One Volume New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1972), in loco. II. THE CHURCH IN JUDEA AND SAMARIA (Acts 8:5—11:18) With Acts 8:5, a new era in the church began. The tide of evangelism burst forth from the Jewish capital, bringing the good news of salvation in Christ to Judaea and Samaria. Samaria was especially stressed by Luke, as he was a Gentile;

2 Corinthians 1:15-16 — and by you to pass into Macedonia, and again from Macedonia to come unto you, and of you be set forward on my journey to Judaea. Paul's first purpose was to go via Corinth to Macedonia, and thence via Corinth again to Judea; but in 1 Corinthians 16:5, he wrote that this plan had given way to another, and that he proposed to go to Macedonia first. This was apparently the basis of the slander that Paul could not make up his mind, or that he was deceitful. If the plan made originally could have been

1 Thessalonians 1:6 — … As Mason noted, "they did not become "disciples' of Paul, but followers of him as he followed the Lord." A. J. Mason, Ellicott's Commentary on the Whole Bible, Vol. VIII (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1959), p. 131. In much affliction … For a glimpse of the afflictions which attended their reception of the gospel, see Acts 17:5-8. With joy of the Holy Spirit … Upon conversion, every Christian receives the earnest of the Holy Spirit; and

Judges 5:1-2 — offered themselves willingly, Bless ye Jehovah" "The gender of the Hebrew verb here indicates that Deborah was the composer of this ode and that Barak assisted her in singing it, who perhaps sang the antistrophe."The Pulpit Commentary, Vol. 3-C, p. 45. As noted above, Deborah's authorship is confirmed in Judges 5:7. "For that the leaders took the lead in Israel" Myers mentioned an alternative rendition here, making the words read, "When locks hung loose in Israel,"The Interpreter's Bible, Vol. 2,

2 Peter 1 overview — The keynote of this whole epistle is knowledge (2 Peter 1:2-3; 2 Peter 1:5-6; 2 Peter 1:8; 2 Peter 2:20-21; and 2 Peter 3:18); but it is a very special kind of knowledge which is meant. The Greek word is [@epignosis], that is, precise and correct knowledge. Stephen W. Payne, Wycliffe Bible Commentary, New Testament (Chicago:

Revelation 2:3 — upon the name of the Lord is extensive. Salvation is in no other name (Acts 4:12); all Christian activities are to be done in his name (Colossians 3:17); we are justified in his name (1 Corinthians 6:11); we are baptized in his name (Acts 2:38; Acts 19:5); we are called by his name (James 2:7); our sins are forgiven for his name's sake (1 John 2:12); we should believe on his name (1 John 5:13), etc. Here, the patient endurance of the Ephesian church was commended by the Lord himself because their faithfulness

2 Samuel 5 overview — WAS ANOINTED KING OVER ALL ISRAEL; HE CAPTURED JERUSALEM; HE BUILT HIMSELF A CEDAR HOUSE AND TOOK MORE WIVES AND CONCUBINES;AND HE DEFEATED THE PHILISTINES TWICE With this chapter we have the beginning of a major section of 2 Samuel, namely, 2 Samuel 5-10, where we have an abbreviated and condensed record of David's successes. A record of his sins, sorrows and disasters of his later years appear in the following section, 2 Samuel 11-20. Willis pointed out that this section carries the record of seven